Awkwardness was the third wheel between us.
And by "awkwardness," I mean the big, fat, looming elephant in the room that kept smacking me in the head every time I opened my mouth.
I was furious at myself for being so dumb in front of a beauty — not just any beauty, but a princess. An ethereal princess. I swear, my IQ dropped twenty points the moment she looked at me.
Looks like I'd inherited some… "special" traits from the original owner of this body. Because really — who in their right mind would sit there, mute, when faced with someone this gorgeous?
Come to think of it, how on earth would the original owner know a princess? Not just a princess, but the crown princess. From what I remembered of his memories, he was an orphan who'd probably pee his pants if someone waved a stick at him. His greatest claim to fame was surviving… well, being an idiot.
Before I could spiral too far, her voice cut through my mental self-roasting.
"So, how was your screening test, Sir?"
Her tone was polite. Her eyes? Oh, they were lethal — pulling on my heartstrings like she was tuning a delicate instrument.
I gathered all my courage, all my strength, all my willpower — and managed to sound… somewhat normal.
"It was good. I passed."
Short sentences. No chance for me to mess up and make a complete fool of myself. Although, if I was being honest, I'd already dug my grave earlier. This was a princess, and so far, I hadn't bowed once, nor shown any of the courtesies that could keep my head safely attached to my body.
As this realization hit, panic bubbled in my chest. Outwardly though, I clung to my precious poker face.
"Congratulations. I'll see you in the academy then," she said, smiling.
There was something in that smile — or maybe in her words — that made me think she actually meant it. That she would genuinely wait for me there. Which raised an even bigger question: Why? Why would a princess want to wait for me? And more importantly… how did the original owner know her at all?
"So… why would you be in the academy? Did you pass the screening test too?" The words slipped out before I remembered who I was talking to. "Your Highness," I added quickly, because apparently I had a death wish but wasn't quite ready to cash it in.
Her smile didn't falter. "I reside in the palace, and the academy is in the palace too. There's also a section of the academy specifically designed for the royal family. You will find me there."
Of course. The palace is her house. Her… humble abode. Not that anything about it is remotely humble.
"Yeah… hahaha…" I laughed nervously. Yep, embarrassment level: professional.
She set a small basket on the table between us — oh, did I mention we were in a quaint little tea shop near the scented sachet stalls? No? Well, we were. Imagine the faint smell of jasmine and sandalwood mixed with the bitterness of my humiliation.
From the basket, she pulled out a bronze, square-shaped tablet. Solid metal, engraved with the face of an old man on the top half, and some faded bold text beneath it. The surface was worn smooth, like it had been rubbed a thousand times over.
"You helped me that day," she began. Her voice softened, and I straightened unconsciously. "I could not thank you enough. I even forgot to give back your token. I was very worried they would not let you into the city for your examinations. With my circumstances, I could not inform the guards ahead of time. But fate has its plans. I met you again at the city gates."
She paused, and for a moment I wondered if she was reading my mind.
"I wanted to greet you there as well, but there were… other matters demanding my immediate attention. I apologize for the rudeness."
And then — without warning — she stood. Every movement was elegance incarnate. Even the way she adjusted her robe made me feel like a peasant in muddy shoes.
"Thank you, Mr. Xiao Zhen. When you reach the academy tomorrow, I will try to reach out to you. You can ask anything from me. I will do my best to help you. Welcome to the Academy of the Shadows."
For a second, the world around her blurred. She was all I could see — a fairy descended from heaven, radiant even in plain robes.
"I beg your pardon. I have to leave now."
She smiled again. And me? I just sat there, dumbstruck, my brain reduced to static.
She left.
I didn't stand.
I didn't bow.
I didn't do anything remotely polite.
When reality hit me, I cursed myself and left the tea shop too.
---
So… apparently, the original owner had once helped the princess in distress. And now she was indebted to him. Which was good news — maybe the academy wouldn't be so bad with a royal ally. Finally, the original owner did something useful.
The rest of the day at the facility was uneventful, unless you count the snarky remarks from Yu Wenhuan's lackeys. Yu Wenhuan himself had vanished. Chubby Guy informed me he'd run away from home in shame.
Yes — Chubby Guy passed too. Which, honestly, surprised me. But he explained that he'd taken "inspiration" from me and managed to endure those horrific, bizarrely graphic examination illusions. Turns out, the guy's not as much of a loser as I thought. He's weirdly resilient.
There were only seven of us who passed. Seven out of hundreds. The examination had been brutal — harder than usual, if the whispers over dinner were to be believed.
That night, I slept like a baby, dreaming of a certain princess.
---
The next morning, all seven of us were told to assemble at the palace gates. The palace was conveniently close — only a five-minute walk from the facility. Even so, it felt like walking into another world.
The sun wasn't fully up yet, casting everything in a golden half-light. The massive metal gates loomed in front of us, intricate carvings glinting faintly.
We stood in a neat(ish) row — the "chosen seven."
To my left was Chubby Guy, fidgeting with his sleeves. To my right, the giant — the same one who'd tried to crush me earlier in the trials. He didn't turn his head, but I could feel his gaze on me from the corner of his eyes. I shivered.
Next was a man draped in flowing, Arabian-style robes — head to toe, not a speck of skin visible except for his sharp, hawk-like eyes. He stood perfectly still, as if carved from stone.
Beside him was a tall, blond man whose smile was almost blinding. I'm talking "could be used as a flashlight in a power outage" level brightness.
Then came… well, let's call her the Bralette Lady. She wore what could barely be considered clothing — a bralette top and a tiny skirt that looked one gust of wind away from scandal. I had no idea such outfits were allowed in this world. But hey, not the real world, so… apparently yes.
Finally, there was the calm lady in traditional Chinese attire — though not quite traditional for this setting. It looked suspiciously like a kimono, each fold perfectly in place. She radiated an aura that screamed: do not mess with me.
We all stared at the gates, silently waiting for whatever came next.