Surviving the Magic Academy With Just Intelligence Stats

Pressed against the closed door, Hualing released a shaky breath of relief - only to have it catch in her throat as she registered the figure standing before her. Victoria Rothschild's presence filled the hallway with an almost physical weight, her expression making it clear this was no casual encounter.

"Lady Victoria, I..." The words had barely left Hualing's lips when a shimmering barrier expanded from Victoria's form, enveloping them both in an impenetrable dome of power. The young maid watched nervously as Victoria glided toward her with predatory grace.

"I wasn't..." Hualing began defensively, but fell silent as Victoria's fingers threaded through her hair with deceptive gentleness.

"Little Hualing," Victoria cooed, her voice honey-sweet.

"Yes!" Hualing responded, anxiety evident in her too-quick reply.

"Do you like Ambrose?" The question hung in the air between them, seemingly innocent yet laden with hidden meaning.

Hualing's face flushed crimson as she stammered, "What? No way! I was just..." But Victoria cut off her protests with a gentle "It's okay" before pulling the younger woman into an embrace.

"Actually," Victoria confided, her voice warm and intimate, "your mother and I had already agreed to having the two of you engaged." She felt Hualing stiffen in surprise but continued smoothly, "But we are always being watched by the royal family, so it would be bad if a random person suddenly got engaged to Ambrose." Her fingers stroked soothing patterns on Hualing's back as she explained, "That's why I wanted you to be his maid. If you fell in love with each other, it wouldn't be weird."

Hualing's face brightened with hope as she asked, "Really?"

"Of course," Victoria assured her, before adding with calculated hesitation, "But there's one problem."

"What is it?" Hualing asked, concern immediately replacing her joy.

Victoria sighed dramatically. "Actually, I want to send Ambrose to Crono Magic Academy. But I'm afraid he might be in danger."

"Can't you just send bodyguards?" Hualing suggested, her protective instincts already emerging.

"We can, but the Academy has its own rules. It'll be difficult to act inside the academy," Victoria explained. Another carefully timed sigh preceded her next words. "To be honest, I'm not afraid someone will attack Ambrose. It's just that Ambrose is a naive child and may be tricked by some vixen in the academy." She paused, letting the implication sink in before continuing, "I was just hoping you could enroll in the academy together and keep him safe for me. Think of it as protecting your fiancé."

The word 'fiancé' had its intended effect - Hualing's face bloomed scarlet as Victoria pressed her advantage: "You'll do it, right?"

"But... I'm from the empire. It'll be hard for me to enroll," Hualing protested weakly.

Victoria's voice took on an edge of authority. "Don't worry, have you forgotten who I am?" The confidence in her tone crushed any remaining resistance. "So, will you do it?"

"Y-yes! I'll do it," Hualing agreed, her voice trembling with emotion.

Victoria maintained the embrace, and it was fortunate that Hualing couldn't see her face. The older woman's expression had transformed into something predatory, a smile that would have chilled the young maid to her core. "Oh! And one more thing..." she added casually.

"Yes?"

"Don't tell Ambrose about anything we talked about, okay?"

"Okay," Hualing agreed readily, still smiling in the embrace, completely unaware of the calculating expression above her head.

Later, in the carriage bound for the academy, Hualing sat opposite Ambrose, unable to contain her joy. She kept stealing glances at him, smiling to herself as she recalled Victoria's words. Each time Ambrose caught her staring, she would turn away with a giggle, only to resume her admiring gaze moments later. Her heart fluttered with each glance, her mind filled with dreams of their future together, completely oblivious to the web of manipulation in which she'd become entangled.

…

Ambrose sat in the luxurious Rothschild carriage, a leather-bound book open in his lap more for show than actual reading. Though his mother had offered to teleport them directly to the academy, he had declined under the pretense of wanting to "look around." Now, as he lifted his eyes from the page for the hundredth time only to catch Hualing staring at him yet again, he was beginning to severely regret that decision.

The moment their eyes met, Hualing quickly looked away, a faint blush coloring her cheeks as she pretended to find the passing scenery fascinatingly interesting. This had been happening with clockwork regularity throughout their journey, creating an atmosphere so thick with awkwardness it was almost suffocating. Ambrose found himself wondering what could have possibly happened to cause such a dramatic change in his usually composed personal maid's behavior.

Just as he was contemplating how to address the increasingly uncomfortable situation, fate intervened. The carriage lurched to an abrupt halt, nearly throwing him from his seat. Thanks to his enhanced perception, he managed to stabilize himself with a grace that belied his physical weakness. "Nice chance," he thought, immediately seizing the opportunity to escape the stifling atmosphere.

As he stepped down from the carriage, he was promptly surrounded by nearly a dozen knights bearing the Rothschild crest on their polished armor. "Young master, please stay back!" one of them called out with evident concern.

"What happened?" Ambrose inquired, his curiosity piqued. The knights parted their formation slightly, allowing him to see the source of the commotion - a broken-down carriage blocking the road ahead.

Ignoring the worried protests of his guards, Ambrose approached the scene with measured steps. He couldn't help but smile inwardly at the irony - he had chosen to travel by carriage precisely hoping to trigger some sort of event, as was common in the novels he'd read. Perhaps this was exactly what he'd been waiting for.

As he drew closer, he observed two groups locked in a tense standoff. On one side stood the Rothschild knights, their armor gleaming with well-maintained perfection. Opposite them was a smaller group of what appeared to be private guards rather than proper knights, their equipment serviceable but lacking the same polish and grandeur.

"Do you Rothschilds really consider yourselves untouchable?" The leader of the private guards called out, his white-knuckled grip on his sword betraying his anxiety despite his bold words.

The Rothschild knights' captain bristled at the perceived insult. "Do you dare to insult the Rothschild family?" he demanded, his hand moving to his weapon with deadly intent. The air crackled with tension as both sides teetered on the brink of violence.

"What's going on here?" Ambrose's voice cut through the tension, his tone carrying an authority that belied his age. The effect was immediate - every Rothschild knight turned and bowed deeply, intoning in unison, "We pay respects to the young master."

The knights' captain straightened first, gesturing dismissively at the broken carriage. "These trash from the Golden Compass Trading Company are blocking the young master's path. Please allow me to get rid of them." The casual cruelty in his tone sent a chill through the air.

The opposing captain's face twisted in frustration as he processed his impossible situation. A simple clash between guards would have been one thing - both sides might suffer injuries, but nothing irreparable would come of it. However, with the confirmed presence of the Rothschild heir, any resistance would be interpreted as a direct challenge to one of the kingdom's most powerful families. They were trapped, and he knew it.

"Wait! Please let me explain myself to the young master!" A clear voice rang out from the broken carriage. All eyes turned to see a young woman emerge, her presence immediately commanding attention. While perhaps not qualifying as a legendary beauty, she possessed a striking allure. Her crimson hair caught the sunlight like liquid fire, and even from a distance, Ambrose could see eyes of matching intensity. His enhanced vision picked up every detail of her appearance with perfect clarity, from the quality of her traveling clothes to the subtle way she carried herself - clearly someone of significant status within the merchant company.