Crimson Princess

Xie Shenhong froze.While he was indeed Lyte’s classmate, Lyte had only transferred in during their freshman year of high school, a period when Xie Shenhong had already succumbed to idleness at home.He rarely attended school, avoiding any interaction with his peers, which meant the two had never actually encountered each other within the school grounds.For Lyte to recognize him, he must have either consulted the student roster or heard some rumors… yet, that wasn’t the core issue.’Staking out someone’s home in the dead of night, merely to persuade them to attend school?”Who would believe such a thing!’Lyte, sensing his skepticism, quickly offered an explanation:

“Originally, I had planned to visit you tomorrow, but I was concerned you might refuse to come out again…”

Indeed, in their previous life, their first meeting had occurred three months later.When Lyte had called upon him the next day, Xie Shenhong had deliberately feigned engrossment in gaming, utterly ignoring Lyte.’Yes, that was precisely how dissolute his life had been in his previous incarnation.’He had willingly embraced such self-degradation.’But now—’

“I will go. Just don’t appear near my house in the dead of night ever again!”

This wasn’t because Xie Shenhong had lowered his guard against Lyte; rather, he had seen through the facade.Lyte, unbeknownst to him, was simply trying to get closer to Duanmu Yun, using Xie Shenhong as a means to uncover the kingdom’s secret intelligence.In fact, before the empire’s invasion in his past life, Xie Shenhong had even overheard Duanmu Yun praising Lyte at the dinner table.She had frequently used words like ‘upright’, ‘heroic’, and ‘humble’ to describe him.Even moments ago, upon hearing fragments of Xie Shenhong’s conversation with Lyte, Duanmu Yun’s initial reaction had been one of joy.This clearly demonstrated the immense effort Lyte had invested in cultivating his public image and reputation.So great was this effort that even if his identity as the Third Imperial Prince were exposed, people might still choose to trust him.The only one privy to Lyte’s true nature was Xie Shenhong.Given that he couldn’t defeat Lyte and was unable to reveal future events to anyone else.To expose Lyte’s true character and preemptively warn of the empire’s impending attack in three months, he needed to gather sufficient and convincing evidence.Therefore, this time, he would attend school and even become “friends” with Lyte.And then, he would utterly ruin Lyte’s reputation!

“That’s wonderful.”

Lyte offered a heartfelt smile, appearing genuinely delighted for Xie Shenhong.’Heh, what a great act.’Xie Shenhong sneered inwardly.Setting everything else aside, the mere fact that Lyte was pushing him to attend school already revealed his true colors…After all, he hadn’t chosen to stay home from school out of sheer willingness.

****

For Lyte, that night had been both exhilarating and unforgettable.Especially the moment when his revered Lady Hai Zhu had descended from the heavens; Lyte doubted he would ever forget it—Her luminous, azure hair, flowing like willow silk in the breeze.Her captivating, ruby-like eyes, breathtakingly beautiful.Her exquisitely flawless face.Her graceful figure, enveloped by an elegant black gown.Her ethereal, cool voice.Even a legendary immortal descending to the mortal realm could not have been more stunning.Of course, what moved him most was that Lady Hai Zhu had absolved his father of the guilt for concealing his identity.This had always been a thorn in his side.His impulsiveness had caused immense trouble for his father, his sister, and everyone else in their household.More than once, he had worried about the extent of the trouble his exposed identity might bring upon those who cared for him.In a worst-case scenario, it could even endanger their lives.Thus, the moment he heard Lady Hai Zhu reveal his identity, he had immediately resolved to bear all responsibility alone.Yet, Lady Hai Zhu had forgiven him and granted his wish—to be considered a part of the kingdom.Lady Hai Zhu’s benevolence toward him was truly immeasurable.Lyte racked his brain, yet could devise no direct way to repay Lady Hai Zhu’s kindness.The only path open to him was to protect the nation and its people, whom Lady Hai Zhu held so dear.To act more proactively, more zealously…He soon recalled his classmate, Xie Shenhong, whom he had recently encountered.Lyte knew little about this classmate; there was no photo in the student roster, and his appearance—red hair, short stature, and a delicate, almost feminine look—had been described by a teacher.However, Lyte could generally surmise the reasons for his absence from school.Ostracization, discrimination, or even bullying.Given Xie Shenhong’s lack of magical ability, Lyte’s previous assignment to persuade him to attend school had merely been a formality.After all, sometimes happiness couldn’t be forced, and perhaps Xie Shenhong was happier staying at home.Yet, after his brief interaction with Xie Shenhong today.Lyte could distinctly sense the resentment and despair that filled Xie Shenhong’s heart.Consequently, he had changed his mind.Yes, this was a troublesome endeavor, and it wasn’t guaranteed to earn Xie Shenhong’s personal gratitude.Still, Lyte felt compelled to act.For, in a way, this too was a form of protecting the kingdom.He wished to uphold his vow.Fortunately, despite some twists and turns in the process, the outcome was favorable.Xie Shenhong had agreed to attend school.Even if it was a lie, it didn’t matter; he would persistently badger Xie Shenhong from then on… Of course, he also understood this was merely the beginning.Xie Shenhong was bound to encounter numerous difficulties upon returning to school.However, he would dedicate his full effort to helping Xie Shenhong overcome them.Starting with encouraging Xie Shenhong to attend school the very next day—

“No one home?”

Lyte had pressed Xie Shenhong’s doorbell that morning, only to receive no response.’Was he pretending not to hear, or had he already gone to school?’Lyte rang the doorbell several more times, and when no reply came, he decided to head to school to investigate… If Xie Shenhong was truly feigning deafness, he would then resort to a more persistent tactic.’Should he deploy a spiritual scan?”It wasn’t impossible, but it would be impolite and demonstrate a lack of trust in Xie Shenhong.’Relying on his knightly status and Golden-tier strength, Lyte swiftly arrived before a magnificent and imposing castle.Quadrant Academy.The most formidable magic academy in the Vermillion Bird Kingdom.Only top talents from across the kingdom or nobles of esteemed lineage and vast wealth could study here—which, Lyte surmised, was likely the reason for Xie Shenhong’s ostracization.Nobles of the Vermillion Bird Kingdom possessed distinctive surnames, with compound surnames being the most prestigious; among single-surname families… Lyte, at least, had never heard of a prominent noble named Xie.As for wealth… the Xie family’s house was an ordinary villa on the city’s outskirts, not poor, but certainly not affluent either.Regarding ability… Xie Shenhong was a non-magic user.By all appearances, Xie Shenhong seemed unqualified to attend Quadrant Academy.However, Lady Hai Zhu had proclaimed that all people are born equal, and lacking magic did not inherently mean one was inferior to those who possessed it.Lyte, for one, wholeheartedly agreed.He believed that with dedication, Xie Shenhong would certainly be no less capable than other students!Furthermore, no one had decreed that non-magic users couldn’t forge a successful career in the path of magic!

“First, I should find him.”

Lyte, ever a man of action, immediately headed toward the school gates.

“Lord Lyte, good morning!”

“Wow, it’s Lord Lyte!”

“Oh my heavens, Lord Lyte just looked my way!”

Upon his appearance, the campus avenue instantly buzzed with excitement.Lyte, in turn, felt deeply honored.His classmates’ reverence for him had little to do with his looks or family background; it was primarily due to the blue knight’s uniform he wore.The Deep Sea Scarlet Knights.This unit, directly subordinate to the Saintess, was called a knight order merely out of tradition.The selection of its actual members had no bearing on social status or wealth; joining required only proven achievements and strength.Across all ten grades and sixteen hundred students at Quadrant Academy, fewer than thirty individuals qualified to join the Deep Sea Scarlet Knights.Combined with Lady Hai Zhu’s prestige… it was no exaggeration to say that this blue knight’s uniform represented the highest honor for young people nationwide.Lyte, naturally, was immensely proud.Yet, he also possessed the awareness that this honor demanded constant vigilance and effort to uphold.Therefore, he quickly bid farewell to the crowd and hastened to the classroom, searching for Xie Shenhong.However, he was soon met with disappointment.

“He didn’t come?”

‘I should have rung the doorbell more times earlier…’ Lyte couldn’t help but sigh.Just then, a girl with fiery red hair and a delicate, charming appearance approached him, asking curiously:

“What’s wrong? Why the long face?”

The girl’s voice leaned towards neutral, yet it sounded remarkably pleasant and, for some reason, vaguely familiar to Lyte.

“Nothing, thank you for your concern.”

Before delving into further contemplation, Lyte typically prioritized expressing gratitude for another’s kindness.

“I wasn’t concerned about you.”

“Oh, I see… Huh?”

As he scrutinized the girl’s features more closely, he was utterly stunned.

“You… are Shenhong?”

The red-haired “girl” offered a mischievous smile, then feigned a sorrowful expression with exaggerated theatrics.

“Only just recognized me? How truly heartbreaking…”

“No, how can this be? You’re a boy, aren’t you?”

The words had barely left Lyte’s lips when regret washed over him.The red-haired ‘girl’s’ expression quickly hardened, and he said coldly:

“Indeed, I am a genuine, bona fide boy… So, you know nothing about me, yet you came to persuade me to attend school?”