Chapter 25: Choice at the Edge of the Ice Blade

A second magical explosion slammed into the underground labyrinth's stone door with thunderous force, rocking the cavern ceiling and showering dust and pebbles over my shoulders. The air temperature plummeted sharply, reflecting panic churning in my chest. Lingering black smoke from the shadow faction's teleportation still drifted, leaving a pungent sulfur smell and a bone-chilling cold.

*Damn it! How on earth did Prince Leonhardt track me to this cursed place so fast?!*

My brain raced wildly, plotting thousands of escape scenarios in seconds. If caught red-handed in these underground ruins having a private chat with the shadow faction leader, no alibi could save me from charges of high treason. The imperial court would sentence me immediately, ending my second life before a peaceful retirement.

*Bang!*

The hidden door at the end of the corridor finally blew open with flying wood splinters and scattered stones. Blinding golden mana light broke through the dark passage. Amidst thick dust clouds, a silhouetted silver-blonde youth with a drawn longsword stepped forward with steady authority. Icy blue eyes locked directly onto my frozen form.

It was Prince Leonhardt. Behind him, fully armed elite royal guards fanned out, securing the perimeter with active defense magic.

"So the rumors were true," Prince Leonhardt's cold voice cut through the silence, sharp and laced with suppressed disappointment. He stepped closer slowly, the tip of his sword glowing with faint golden mana grazing the stone floor. "Lady Alicia of the Valerian house, daughter of the kingdom's grand military general, secretly sneaking into these forbidden ruins to meet members of the shadow faction."

I bit my lower lip until it stung, refusing to take a single step back. As a villainess upholding noble pride, panicking before the crown prince was a fatal mistake. I lifted my chin, letting a cold, icy sneer touch my lips.

"His Royal Highness seems to have picked up a troublesome new hobby: stalking noblewomen's private affairs in quiet places," I replied in a calm, aloof tone, masking a hammering heartbeat. "Has this magic institute converted into a secret spy academy under direct royal command?"

Prince Leonhardt stopped a few feet away. The close proximity allowed me to spot emotion flashing in his eyes—not just the anger of an authority figure toward a rule-breaking student, but a strange mix of suspicion, frustration, and worry.

"Don't play games with me, Alicia!" Leonhardt snapped softly, pointing at the spot where the shadow faction's teleportation mana lingered. "Dark mana traces here remain thick. The person who met you just now is the kingdom's number one fugitive responsible for academy terror incidents. What is your true relation to the shadow faction? Is the Valerian family plotting a coup?"

Hearing treason charged so directly made my blood boil. This was no minor accusation. One wrong word and the entire Valerian bloodline would swing from the gallows.

"The Valerian family has never betrayed the kingdom!" I snapped back sharply, my voice rising with pure villainess indignation. "If Your Highness is too blind to see that I was investigating threats targeting my own life—including the poisoned dagger in my room days ago—then stop acting like an annoying amateur detective!"

Prince Leonhardt froze momentarily, his brow furrowing at my words. "A poisoned dagger attack in your room...? You never officially reported that to the academy supervisors."

"And rely on useless bureaucrats who couldn't even secure the dorm area?" I sneered, crossing my arms to hide trembling fingers. "If I relied on you lot, I'd have died of poison weeks ago."

Tension choked the underground labyrinth. The royal guards exchanged glances, too terrified to breathe amid this high-stakes noble standoff. Prince Leonhardt stared hard at me, reading every micro-expression for lies.

Before he could respond, a violent tremor shook the underground structure. Stone grating echoed from the western wall, followed by massive falling debris blocking our primary exit route.

*Crash!*

Thick dust choked visibility down to centimeters. From behind the breached wall, dozens of translucent shadow monsters with razor-sharp claws crawled out simultaneously, hissing horribly as hungry gazes locked onto us.

"Ambush!" shouted a royal guard in panic.

Prince Leonhardt shifted focus away from the interrogation, raising his golden sword higher so mana light illuminated the dusty room. "We've been trapped! Protect Lady Alicia!"

Realizing the situation devolved into life-or-death combat, my survival instincts kicked in. The shadow faction didn't just want to recruit me; they lured Prince Leonhardt here to wipe us both out in a grand trap!

"I refuse to die in this rotting hole!" I barked sharply.

Without waiting for the prince's orders, I threw both arms wide. Dense, pure ice mana erupted from within, generating a rapid crystal blizzard freezing the floor and slowing the charging shadow horde. The fierce underground battle officially commenced, forcing the crown prince and me to stand shoulder-to-shoulder against sudden darkness trying to swallow us whole.