High School Poppy Love

First, Anya turns out to be the Demon Emperor's only daughter, which is a shock itself. But then, the wand I've been using all along also belongs to the Demon Emperor. And the kicker? The Demon Emperor is Sola's husband.

Seriously, how small is this world?

"Stunned, aren't you?" Sola gently ruffles my hair, a faint smile gracing her lips before fading like a wilting flower. "Yes... I was stunned too. Looking at his wand just brings back those sweet memories before the Demon Blight caused such different fates for two pairs of lovers."

"Such poetic words, though the rhyme's a bit off," I murmur, leaning my head against the plump firmness of the older woman's thigh. Her youthful face and clear, taut skin belied her age, a sight that would make any man turn his head.

"So, in short... this wand used to belong to that Demon Emperor before he passed it on to Anya, and then Anya gave it to me, is that right? The question is... did your daughter know about this?" Sola shook her head, her beautiful eyes clouding with sadness. "Who would dare tell their child something like that?" Her voice was heavy, her elegant hands trembling slightly on my head.

"I wanted her to grow up without the stain of her bloodline, not wanting anyone to accuse her of being the Demon Emperor's daughter. But Virgo, my husband... we were madly in love back then. Just thinking about it makes my heart race even now. It's solid proof that even if he became a murderer or a world-destroying demon lord, I would still love him with all my heart."

........

Back when Sola and Virgo were fifth-year students at the Escuria Academy of Magic, they were just classmates, nothing more. But their positions and statuses within the school were as different as heaven and earth.

Virgo was a tall, handsome young man with an athletic build, even beneath his black long trousers uniform and white shirt. A black tie and a matching dark cloak completed the attire, not unlike the male student uniforms of today. His long wand was held comfortably in a leather holster attached to his belt, allowing him to draw it and cast spells at a moment's notice. Other students typically kept their wands in their cloak pockets, a cumbersome and time-consuming process. Simply by adjusting the storage of his weapon for easier access, he set himself apart.

He was the top student, consistently achieving the highest grades in the school. He had mastered more spells than were even listed in the textbooks from the first to sixth year. Furthermore, he was the formidable president of the Self-Defense Club. Even the club advisor found it difficult to defeat this fifth-year student. It was to the point where the Magic Emperor himself had decided to bestow a knighthood upon him after graduation. His future was laid out beautifully, and coupled with his handsome face, sharp eyebrows, and intense eyes brimming with an almost divine charm, he was fiercely desired by all the female students in the school.

Without doubt, Sola was one of them. She possessed no particular distinction in either academics or spellcasting skills, merely meeting the standard requirements for her year. Passing Virgo in the hallways would make her heart pound, and her imagination would run wild. One day, she mustered the courage to greet him. But an instinctual feeling made her retreat. She sensed a dark aura emanating from him, so she decided to cast a concealment spell along with a cat-foot charm and stealthily followed him to the headmaster's office, located deep within the castle. The area outside was an open corridor, spacious enough to cast large-scale spells without obstruction. She couldn't understand why Virgo, the exemplary student, would be skipping class for health reasons.

'The only way to get answers is to keep watching,' she thought to herself.

"I'm here as promised, Headmaster Conner! I've trained harder to defeat you!" Virgo shouted at the polished wooden door.

Within moments, the school's esteemed figure opened the door, his dark brown eyebrows furrowed. His flushed face heightened the tense atmosphere, forcing me to secretly observe the situation from behind a pillar.

"You insolent whelp! Didn't we settle this yesterday?" the headmaster, looking dignified in his brown suit, said with a hint of irritation in his youthful voice.

"If I don't defeat you before graduation, my appointment as a knight will be utterly without honor!" My jaw dropped at Virgo's words, utterly bewildered by his grand ambition.

"A fifth-year student like you thinks you can defeat me, someone who has seen so much of the world? The experience and skill are worlds apart, little boy," Headmaster Conner said with a sigh, placing both hands on his hips. "Go back to your studies. Even top students can see their rankings fall."

Ignoring the elder's words, Virgo drew his wand, pointing it directly at the headmaster.

"Stop right there! I'm warning you. If you cast a spell without consent, there will be consequences. It will affect your top student ranking, which will impact your bright future with the Emperor." Headmaster Conner pointed a warning finger, his dark brown eyebrows now even more tightly knit.

Of course, the ego of a young man who hadn't even reached adulthood clouded his judgment, and he cast a fire spell.

"I warned you," Headmaster Conner said, using a water control spell to extinguish the flames with his bare hand. He then shaped the water into a sphere and sent it hurtling forcefully into Virgo's body. The student's uniform became soaked, weighing him down. "This time, it's just a warning, but..."

"Semma Binaza!!" The young man roared, his wand whipping wildly through the air. The tip of the wand glowed with an intense purple light before a beam shot out rapidly. Headmaster Conner's eyes widened as he saw the flash of the life-severing curse. He drew his wand, and with a single flick, the beam vanished instantly. He then cast a binding spell, pinning Virgo to the ground, and disarmed him with furious movements. His hard eyes glared intently at the boy, as if wanting to devour him whole.

"The life-severing curse... a dark arts spell... how did you learn this spell?" Headmaster Conner asked in a low voice, laced with barely suppressed rage. "Answer me!"

"What's it to you!?" Virgo gritted his teeth, struggling with all his might, but to no avail. "It's just a curse I found in the library!"

"Liar! In the school library, I've never seen a book that teaches the curses of the demon race!" the older man snapped, forgetting for a moment that the other was just a bewildered teenager. A teenager lost in complex thoughts, pushing himself to become strong for some unknown purpose. "From now on, whether you graduate or receive an appointment from the Emperor, you're forbidden from using that spell again! It will unleash a tremendous and relentless dark influence. Remember that!"

The duel ended in Virgo's defeat. He roared in frustration, slamming his fist against the ground. Sola, who had been hiding with her back pressed against a stone pillar, raised her hands to cover her ears, trying to erase the reality of the man she and all the other female students in the school were so infatuated with.

---------------

Club time was usually after school. Professor Pitcher, who held the positions of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and advisor for the Self-Defense Club, paired students for sparring matches as always. He had such a large, round body that he had to wear an oversized cloak, making him resemble a balloon even more, especially with his bald head. Today's pairings seemed like fate had intervened, placing Sola against the young man she harbored feelings for.

Even having witnessed Virgo's true nature earlier hadn't made her heart waver. The young woman smirked inwardly, having secretly used a spell to manipulate the sparring pairings. Sola and Virgo stood ready to fight, though the latter paid her little attention. His intense gaze made the young girl's heart pound so hard she almost lost her composure.

Thwump!

A red spell projectile slammed into her lower abdomen, momentarily paralyzing her. The impact instantly snapped her back to reality.

"Hold it!" Professor Pitcher barked at Virgo, whose gaze now directed at Sola was as cold as an ice prince. "She wasn't ready!"

"Sorry... I didn't know," he replied with an indifferent air. "Then we can have a second round."

"Are you alright, Sola?" Professor Pitcher asked, helping her to her feet. "Otherwise, go sit down and try again later."

"Y-yes... I'm fine. I just... spaced out a bit."

"No spacing out in a fight," the portly professor warned before stepping back and signaling the start of the match. "Begin!"

Virgo cast the same immobilization spell as before. But this time, Sola was fully focused. She flicked her wand, creating a shield that swiftly blocked all attacks, greatly surprising the young man. The look in her eyes was more determined than before, like a seasoned mage warrior who had survived countless battles. She fired several spells in return. Virgo easily deflected them and countered with a disarming charm.

Normally, this spell was difficult to defend against and could decide the outcome of a duel almost instantly. Sola had learned to counter it by spinning away, requiring swift movement. She then spun and fired an attack spell at him almost before he could react.

Virgo leaped and spun in mid-air, narrowly dodging the attack, eliciting surprised gasps from the club members, both seniors and juniors. They were stunned by the duel between a female student with no particular talent and the future magic knight.

"Is Sola really that good?" whispers rippled through the club members.

"I don't know. She usually never wins against anyone, and she probably only knows a few combat spells."

"Maybe she's been doing some special training with someone."

Sola didn't hear the gossiping. Her focus was entirely on the fight. She wasn't as weak as everyone thought; she simply didn't like to 'get serious' as an introvert. She narrowly dodged another spell from his wand before countering with a fire spell. Virgo responded with an elemental control spell, diverting the flames upwards, causing them to explode into loud, orange fireworks in the sky.

The fight reached its final stage. She smirked before casting a large spell on him. It seemed Virgo was losing patience with the prolonged duel, as he flicked his wand and deflected the spell back at Sola, resulting in her clean defeat.

"Virgo wins!" Professor Pitcher announced, followed by loud cheers. Sola sat up, brushing dust off her uniform. Just then, a hand reached out to her. When she looked up, she saw it was Virgo's. His sparkling eyes gazed at her with interest. She was even more captivated by his intense, obsidian eyes, brimming with irresistible charm. Knowing the bad boy side of him only made him more alluring.

"Didn't think you were strong enough to hold your own against me like that. I admit it," he said in a warm voice. "Take my hand and get up. If you keep sitting there, your skirt will get dirty."

She smiled inwardly before murmuring something under my breath. Then, she reached out her right hand to grasp his large, thick hand, turning his wrist downward before using my middle finger, which glowed with a faint pink light, to press a heart-shaped mark onto his skin.

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To Be Continue Ep.23