From Pawn to King: Ruling a Harem of Chaos
Chapter 209: The Lady’s Harsh Punishment, but Headmistress, Why Are You Here? (1)

Chapter 209: The Lady's Harsh Punishment, but Headmistress, Why Are You Here? (1)

Her voice carried guilt and self-reproach as she continued, “I was supposed to protect you all, but I made so many mistakes. It nearly ended in disaster.”

Her tone was heavy, the regret evident in every word.

Shia spoke gently, attempting to comfort her. “No one is perfect. Nobody can do everything flawlessly.”

He added, “Back then, you could’ve chosen to escape on your own. But you stayed with us, facing everything together.”

As he spoke, his gaze fell on her tightly clenched fists, her knuckles white from the tension. He reached out, taking her hand in his. Slowly and gently, he pried her fingers open before holding her hand in his own.

Sistine looked at him, her expression a mixture of astonishment and confusion.

Shia smiled warmly. “It was reckless, but also incredibly moving.”

What happened was ultimately an unforeseen incident, something even the script of fate hadn’t accounted for. It wasn’t her fault. He could see that Sistine was sometimes far too harsh on herself, constantly chasing perfection. When she fell short, she was overcome by guilt and self-blame.

Sistine bit her lip lightly, her eyes fixed on Shia’s face, a faint blush creeping up her cheeks. Shia assumed her discomfort stemmed from her general unease around the opposite sex and didn’t think much of it.

What he didn’t notice was the way her body trembled slightly, her breathing quickening. Sistine felt as though her hand, still held by Shia, was on fire. Her rationality teetered on the edge between clarity and chaos.

Even this simple hand-holding seemed to awaken something restless within her. The sensation was far more intense than what she’d experienced in the goblin lair. Her sensitivity had somehow multiplied, and just being near Shia left her breathless and weak.

She recalled his earlier warning about the faint pink mist in the lair. At the time, she’d accidentally come into contact with it. She hadn’t realized its effects would be so potent.

Lowering her head, Sistine avoided Shia’s gaze, tightly pressing her lips together. She resolved to endure the strange reaction quietly. For now, she decided not to tell Shia about the mist’s lingering effects on her.

Though her body reacted intensely whenever she was close to him, the heightened senses brought a surprising benefit: her understanding of her sword technique had deepened, and her willpower was being tempered. For Sistine, this was an opportunity to grow, and she didn’t want to waste it.

As Shia recovered his awareness of his surroundings, a soft cough broke the moment.

Both turned toward the source of the sound.

Ella stood nearby, arms crossed, her elegant and poised face framed by her flowing purple hair. Her expression was cool and detached, but her gaze lingered on their intertwined hands, growing colder by the second.

Sistine felt a chill run down her spine. Following Ella’s gaze, she realized she was still holding Shia’s hand. Startled, she quickly pulled her hand back as if scalded, her breathing unsteady and her eyes avoiding Ella’s piercing stare.

The warm, ambiguous atmosphere from a moment ago dissipated entirely.

Ella’s cold eyes fixed on Shia, though her words were directed at Sistine.

“Am I interrupting something?” Her tone was calm, but the sarcasm was unmistakable.

“N-No,” Sistine stammered, her voice soft and slightly flustered.

“Good,” Ella replied, her tone icy. “In that case, Sistine, would you please step outside? I need to have a private conversation with Shia.”

She deliberately emphasized the word 'private.'

Sistine nodded hastily, her face flushed as she stood and left the room without glancing back. Her ears burned bright red, as though about to drip blood.

As the door closed behind her, Ella’s gaze turned toward Shia. She waited until Sistine had left completely before stepping closer to him.

Shia, still watching Sistine’s retreating figure, turned back—only to be abruptly pinned against the wall. Ella’s sudden move left him unprepared, and he stumbled slightly, his knees hitting the edge of a chair, forcing him to sit.

Towering over him, Ella planted a black-stockinged leg between his, her sharp high heel tapping against the floor with a crisp sound.

Shia glanced down at her poised foot, his heart involuntarily skipping a beat. The position was… dangerous.

Looking up, he found Ella’s long purple hair cascading forward, framing her cold, beautiful face. Her demeanor was commanding, exuding an aura of elegance and dominance that was hard to ignore. She stared down at him, her expression a mix of anger and frustration.

“Do you realize what you did wrong, Shia?” she demanded, her voice stern.

Shia didn’t flinch or shy away from her intense gaze. Instead, he blinked innocently, his expression tinged with mild confusion.

His nonchalant attitude only stoked Ella’s fury further. Her cold demeanor cracked, giving way to palpable frustration.

In a surge of emotion, she grabbed his chin, forcing his gaze to meet hers. Their faces were so close now that their noses almost touched.

“Do you have any idea how dangerous that situation was?!” Ella’s voice was low and heavy, her tone trembling with barely suppressed anger.

During the time they’d lost contact with Shia, her heart had nearly stopped from the overwhelming anxiety.

Ella had immediately contacted the headmistress to organize a rescue operation.

When she arrived at the goblin lair and witnessed the sprawling underground complex and the massive goblin horde, her heart filled with dread. She shuddered to think what could have happened if they’d been just a moment too late.

Hearing from the others that Shia had fallen unconscious had only deepened her regret and anxiety. Fear, guilt, and anger all churned within her, finally exploding when she saw Shia holding Sistine’s hand, their gazes locked in an intimate exchange.

“Since you knew there might be danger, why didn’t you say something earlier?” Ella growled through clenched teeth.

The memory of the vast goblin lair and Shia’s near-death experience filled her with terror. Just imagining losing him caused a sharp, suffocating pain in her chest.

It was then that Ella realized how important Shia had become to her. Unknowingly, he had carved a place in her heart. If he had truly been lost, she wouldn’t have forgiven herself—or him.

He must have known about the potential danger, given the information he left for her, yet he still went ahead.

And now, he had nearly died.