The Extra's Rise-Chapter 250: Sophomore Ball (4)

Eva rested her head against her palm, her fingers tapping rhythmically against the polished wood of her desk. Her expression was unreadable—calm on the surface, but with an unmistakable weight pressing behind her gaze.

Before her stood four of the most powerful and troublesome young women in the Academy. Behind them, three adults who should have known better. And at the center of it all, the boy who had somehow caused this particular brand of chaos.

The dispute hadn’t gone unnoticed. Of course it hadn’t. There were limits to what even princesses could get away with, and this—this crossed several of them. She had hoped, prayed, for a quiet evening. But no. Instead, she got this.

Eva exhaled slowly, eyes sharp as she addressed them. "Tell me, princesses, do you not regret your actions?"

Silence.

"Do you believe yourselves above discipline? Above me?" Her voice was quiet, but it carried the weight of authority, pressing down like a force of nature. Do you truly think you can do whatever you want in my Academy?

The violet in her eyes gleamed—Purelight, coiled and waiting. It wasn’t just for show. There were very few people in the world who could use Purelight to its full potential. She was one of them.

Rachel, to her credit, didn’t hesitate. "No," she said simply, shaking her head.

Eva’s brow twitched. "Then why?"

Because for all their arrogance, for all their status, none of them were stupid. They knew the rules. They knew the line between privilege and blatant abuse of power. And yet they had crossed it anyway.

"Arthur," Cecilia said, her voice unwavering. "I need him… for myself."

Seraphina nodded in agreement. Rachel’s eyes glinted dangerously, as if she was seconds away from making her own claim more aggressively. Meanwhile, Rose sighed, rubbing her temples as though she had long since given up trying to rein in the insanity.

Eva narrowed her eyes and turned to Arthur.

"Alright. The four of you, out." Her tone left no room for argument. "I’ll talk to him."

A chorus of objections immediately followed.

"Don’t punish him!" All four girls said it in perfect unison, the sheer force of their plea momentarily rendering Eva speechless.

Her brow twitched again.

"Out." Her voice cracked like a whip.

With much reluctance—and more than a few glares exchanged between them—the girls finally left, filing out one by one. The doors shut behind them, leaving only Arthur standing in the now eerily silent office.

Eva sighed.

She leaned back in her chair, watching the boy in front of her. He stood straight, composed, but there was a flicker of wariness in his eyes. Good. At least he had the sense to be aware of the situation.

She studied him for a moment longer.

’What an incredible boy,’ she thought. Intelligent, absurdly talented, and, perhaps most dangerously of all, capable of wrapping four powerful women around his fingers without even trying.

Or maybe because he wasn’t trying.

The princesses weren’t fools. They knew the risks. And yet, they had still done this. For him. That alone spoke volumes.

She exhaled.

She was going to need a drink after this.

"You are certainly beyond ambitious," Eva said, her voice dry as she leaned back in her chair. "Three princesses and a Count’s daughter? At the same time? Do you have a death wish, or are you just exceptionally stupid?"

"No," Arthur said, shaking his head.

"Shame," she sighed. "It would be easier to believe if you were just an idiot."

Arthur stayed silent. There wasn’t much to say.

Eva rubbed her temples, exhaling slowly. "This is annoying, you know? I agreed to let the seven superpowers each send two Ascendant-rankers to protect their children because it was a good deal for the Academy. It improved security. It made things more stable. Now, thanks to you, I have a reason to expel them all."

She fixed him with a sharp look. "Or, at the very least, drastically reduce their number. Because it turns out these guardians of theirs are more than willing to bow and scrape for their young masters and mistresses. I was under the impression that they had some backbone. That illusion has been thoroughly shattered."

Arthur said nothing.

Eva sighed again, but when she spoke again, her voice had softened, if only slightly. "I’m not blaming you, Arthur. You’re just a boy, and they’re just young girls. You were all born into power and expectation, and none of you were ever really given the choice to just be normal. But power, even unasked for, comes with responsibility. And right now, whether you like it or not, you have a lot of power."

He knew that. He had known that from the moment he realized what his presence did to them.

Three princesses. A Count’s daughter. All of them tied to him, all of them willing to wield their family’s influence and might in the pursuit of his affection.

Three of the seven superpowers of the world had daughters hopelessly entangled in their love for him.

A future Archwitch. A future Saintess. A future Frozen Plum Blossom Swordsman. A future master mage. All for him.

It was ridiculous.

And it was dangerous.

"This," Eva said, gesturing vaguely in the direction of the chaos that had unfolded earlier, "is proof of what happens when that much influence isn’t handled properly. They literally used their family’s Ascendant-rankers—warriors who should be standing guard against assassins, protecting their nations—just to catch you and secure your love."

Her lips curled in something between amusement and mild horror. "If they could, they would already have you locked up in a gilded cage."

Arthur blinked.

Eva shuddered. "And the worst part is… they could. That’s the terrifying thing. If they pushed hard enough, if they weren’t afraid of consequences—if they thought you’d accept it in the end—they have the power to do it."

Arthur stared at her. "I don’t think they’d—"

Eva raised a brow. "Would you have thought they’d use their own Ascendant-rankers before tonight? Would you have thought they’d bend the rules of the Academy just to chase you down in the middle of a ball?"

Arthur hesitated.

Eva nodded. "Exactly." Find your next adventure on novelbuddy

She sighed again, brushing a stray strand of navy-blue hair behind her ear. "Power makes people wilful. The more powerful a girl is, the less she’s used to being denied anything. And those three princesses? They’ve never had to accept a ’no’ in their lives. Not until you. And now they want you. They love you. And they don’t share."

She gave him a look—one that was equal parts impressed, exasperated, and something dangerously close to pity.

"And you, Arthur, managed to make all of them fall for you at once."

She shook her head, leaning back in her chair.

"Frankly, I’m amazed you’ve survived this long."

"What should I do then?" Arthur asked, rubbing his temples as if that might somehow massage a solution into his brain.

Eva gave him a look. The kind of look reserved for tired mentors dealing with particularly troublesome prodigies. "Satisfy all of them fully."

Arthur choked on air. "Excuse me?"

"The three princesses want to possess you," Eva continued, utterly unfazed. "Rose doesn’t, because she actually understands that you love all four of them equally. So what you need to do is satisfy the three to the point where they start prioritizing your happiness and love over their possessiveness."

Arthur opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again. Nothing came out.

Eva sighed. "Look, the reason they’re possessive isn’t just because of their upbringing. It’s human nature, twisted by expectation, by their insane levels of infatuation with you, and—let’s be honest—by how obscenely well you charmed them. It’s part normal desire, part ’crazy in love’ madness. This isn’t something you can fix overnight. It’s not even something you should try to fix overnight."

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Arthur slumped back in his chair, pressing a hand to his face. "Why does this sound like a battle strategy?"

Eva smirked. "Because it is a battle strategy. Just one fought with emotions instead of swords. Which, frankly, makes it much harder."

Arthur groaned.

"But," Eva said, and her voice softened slightly, "if this is the path you want to take, then commit to it. Love them. Love all of them. Properly."

Arthur stared at her.

’She’s right,’ Luna chimed in from the depths of his mind. ’That is the path to the harem route.’

Arthur nearly jumped. ’What the hell—who even taught you to think like that?’

Luna didn’t respond.

Eva watched him with something that almost resembled sympathy. Almost. "Alright," she said, stretching as if shaking off her exhaustion. "I won’t take any disciplinary action. Yet. Because I trust that you’ll figure this out before I have to. But, Arthur…"

She leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand, and her gaze was knowing. Amused. Almost pitying.

"Please start taking the steps toward your happy ending before this escalates any further. Because right now? You’re heading for a scenario that ends with the entire world under your control."

Arthur gave her a flat look. "Bit dramatic, don’t you think?"

Eva exhaled, long and suffering. "I don’t think I am."

Arthur’s eye twitched. "I really don’t have world domination aspirations, I swear."

"Sure," Eva muttered. "We’ll see how long that lasts."

She stood up, stretching out her shoulders, before pausing. "Oh, and one last thing—just please don’t add Clana to this mess. My daughter is too lazy to handle those wolves."

Arthur scoffed. "I’m not doing this intentionally."

Eva gave him a look.