[170] Sneaking into the Girls' Dorm at Night

After finally shaking off his enthusiastic classmates, Roy quietly made his way to the top floor of the girls' dormitory, having cast runes to conceal his presence and lower his visibility.

"Wow, this place is huge!"

Claudia's room was incredibly stylish, with everything from small trinkets to daily necessities exuding a high-end vibe, reflecting the extraordinary wealth and taste of its occupant. The room was absurdly spacious—more like a luxury hotel than a dormitory—making Roy's own quarters seem like a birdcage in comparison.

And this lavish space was Claudia's alone.

Such were the privileges of being one of the Page One. They were entitled to exclusive use of deluxe dorm rooms, a policy not unique to Seidoukan but common across all schools.

Roy couldn't help but regret that his challenge to Toudou Kirin had been a two-on-two match.

Had it been one-on-one, he might have been living in a place like this himself.

"Claudia?"

The room was brightly lit, with several ornate chandeliers switched on, but Claudia was nowhere to be seen. Roy called out softly.

Moments later, a door nearby suddenly swung open.

"Oh, Roy, you're here~!"

Claudia's cheerful voice rang out.

Following the sound, a vision of beauty emerged from behind the door, like a lotus rising from clear water.

Her golden hair was still damp, droplets clinging to the strands. She wasn't dressed formally, merely draped in a bathrobe patterned with some unknown floral design. A thin sash cinched her slender waist, while the robe itself hung loosely off her frame, revealing generous swathes of slightly flushed skin—including a deep, alluring cleavage.

At the sight of such a breathtaking scene, Roy's breath hitched, and he felt his blood inexplicably quicken.

Come to think of it, he'd been living a rather ascetic life lately, going without "meat" for nearly a month now.

"Make yourself at home."

Claudia gestured for Roy to sit while retrieving two white porcelain teacups from a cabinet and pouring them each a cup of black tea.

She then settled onto the sofa opposite him, crossing her legs in a way that caused the bathrobe to slip further, exposing even more of her delicate skin.

Roy's lips twitched.

Was she doing this on purpose?

"You called me here for something?"

Roy lowered his gaze and spoke in a businesslike tone.

"Honestly, do I need a reason to invite you over?"

Claudia pouted, giving him a look brimming with melancholy.

"I've been so lonely lately. When I asked you yesterday to visit the student council office more often, I was hoping you'd keep me company. The dream connections have become so infrequent, and I'm already feeling isolated—yet you're off entangled with that princess and your busty underclassman... Is my charm really inferior to theirs?"

She rose from the sofa and sidled up to Roy.

Now mere inches apart, their breaths audible to each other, the loosely draped bathrobe clung to her curvaceous figure, the deep cleavage like a black hole drawing his gaze.

All the while, Claudia feigned obliviousness, gazing at him with a heartrending look of betrayal, as though he were some faithless scoundrel.

"No. In my eyes, your charm surpasses them all."

Roy let out a slight sigh, leaning back and crossing his legs with an air of natural ease and sincerity on his face.

"Is that so... Well, thank you for the compliment."

Claudia froze momentarily, a faint blush of embarrassment coloring her cheeks before she retreated from Roy's presence and settled back onto her own sofa. Her hands fidgeted slightly as she tucked a few damp strands of her long hair behind her ear, the corners of her lips curling into a subtle, unconscious smile.

Roy glanced at her with a slightly odd expression.

This woman had been relentlessly seducing him just moments ago—why was she suddenly acting shy?

Could it be... she's all offense and no defense?

"Ahem, let's get down to business."

Claudia cleared her throat, forcing a serious expression onto her face.

"You asked Julis to be your partner—are you planning to participate in the Phoenix Festa?"

"Why does everyone assume that?"

Roy couldn't help but feel exasperated.

"You're not planning to compete?"

"No, of course I am."

"Then—"

"I just never intended to team up with Julis. The only reason I asked for her help this time was because the opportunity happened to present itself."

Roy shrugged helplessly.

Julis kept insisting she owed him a favor, acting like she couldn't wait to settle the debt and cut ties with him. It reminded Roy of his past self, which was why he couldn't resist teasing her a little.

As for inviting her to team up, that was purely for the sake of the two-on-two mock battle against Toudou Kirin—not because he planned to partner with Julis for the Phoenix Festa.

The only reason he'd approached Julis was to cash in that favor and put her mind at ease, his own peculiar way of being considerate.

"Honestly, the choice of teammate doesn't matter much to me. If Julis hadn't been available, I could've asked Yabuki or even you. But the Phoenix Festa is too important to make such a casual decision."

Roy shrugged again, ignoring Claudia's pouty expression that seemed to say, "Why am I ranked after Yabuki?" before continuing.

"Besides, I secretly sent an email to Toudou Kirin, explaining that she shouldn't misunderstand—my partnership with Julis would end after the mock battle."

The implication was clear: he intended to team up with Toudou Kirin.

This was also the reason Kirin had proactively decided to participate in the Phoenix Festa.

If she partnered with Roy, their combined strength would give them an overwhelming chance of winning the championship! That way, she could secure her father's release as quickly as possible.

"So, you haven't officially teamed up with Toudou Kirin yet?"

A delighted smile suddenly bloomed across Claudia's face, like a cat that had just stolen a treat.

"Not yet."

Roy nodded.

Too many people had sought him out today—he hadn't had the chance to bring it up. He planned to approach Kirin tomorrow and invite her to partner for the Phoenix Festa.

"In that case... what do you think of me?"

Claudia rose from her sofa once more.

This time, she strode right up to Roy and straddled his lap.

Summer clothing was already thin, and Claudia's robe concealed nothing beneath. Roy could feel the warmth of her bare skin through the single layer of fabric, his entire body tensing up abruptly.

"How about teaming up with me instead?"

Claudia leaned in close to Roy's ear, her voice dripping with temptation.

"I may only be the second-ranked in the academy, but I'm confident I wouldn't lose even against Toudou Kirin. My strength should be worthy of your attention. Besides, if you team up with me, I wouldn't mind fighting on the tournament stage during the day... and battling in a soft bed at night."

***

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