Charisma 100: My Academy Life As A Heartbreaking Commoner-Chapter 190: Distractions

{Scarlett}

The construct lunged.

Scarlett sidestepped, brought her sword around in a clean arc, and split the thing in half. It dissolved into motes of dark energy before hitting the ground.

Another one was already forming in the circle.

"Left," Kanna said from behind her.

Scarlett pivoted. A second construct had materialized while she was distracted, claws already swinging. She caught the blow on her blade, shoved it back, and drove her sword through its chest.

Two down. More coming.

This was their third hour in the cursed chamber. Scarlett’s arms burned. Her lungs burned. Everything burned, actually.

She loved it.

"Switch," Kanna called.

They rotated positions, Scarlett falling back to catch her breath while Kanna stepped into the circle’s range. Her blade moved in precise, economical strokes. No wasted motion. No hesitation. Every cut found its mark.

Scarlett watched her.

Whenever she fought, Kanna looked less robotic. Grey hair plastered to her forehead with sweat, yellow eyes tracking her opponent. She looked sharper. More alive.

She was beautiful.

[Fuck. Focus, you idiot.]

A construct slipped past Kanna’s guard, rushing toward Scarlett. She snapped back to attention, barely getting her sword up in time to block.

"You’re not concentrating," Kanna said, not even looking at her. She cut down two more constructs with a single spinning strike.

"Sorry, I just—"

"What?"

Scarlett opened her mouth.

Closed it.

[I was staring at you like a creep because you’re really hot when you fight and I can’t stop thinking about kissing you and I don’t know what to do about it.]

"Nothing."

Kanna glanced at her. Just for a second.

"Focus," Kanna said. "Or you’ll get hurt."

"Right. Yeah."

They kept at it for another hour. By the end, Scarlett could barely lift her arms. Her legs felt like they were made of wet sand. But there was a satisfaction in it, too. The bone-deep exhaustion of a good workout.

They sat against the wall, watching the constructs form and dissolve without anyone to fight them. The things just stood there, waiting, until they eventually faded back into the circle.

"This place is insane," Scarlett said.

"Useful," Kanna corrected. "Endless opponents. No permanent consequences, if you’re skilled enough. It’s ideal training."

"Yeah, but still. Insane."

Kanna almost smiled. Almost.

Footsteps echoed from the corridor. A moment later, Aegis appeared in the doorway, looking annoyingly fresh compared to the two of them.

"How’s it going down here?"

"Good," Kanna said.

"Dying," Scarlett added. "In a good way."

Aegis grinned. She walked over, looking them both up and down.

"You’ve been at it for a while. Nice work." She paused. "Hey, so. There’s an exhibition tournament for noble retainers next week. Combat showcase, sponsored by a few of the Great Houses. You two interested?"

Scarlett sat up straighter.

"A tournament?"

"Exhibition matches. No stakes, just reputation. Good chance to show off what House Starcaller’s retainers can do."

"I’m in," Scarlett said immediately.

Kanna nodded.

"As am I."

"Perfect. I’ll register you both." Aegis turned to leave, then paused at the doorway. She glanced back over her shoulder with that shit-eating grin Scarlett knew too well.

"Oh, and you two?" She stage-whispered: "Just kiss already."

Then she was gone.

Scarlett’s face caught fire.

She couldn’t look at Kanna. Couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. Her brain was screaming seventeen different things at once and none of them were helpful.

[DID SHE JUST— IN FRONT OF— WHAT THE FUCK—]

The silence stretched.

And stretched.

And kept stretching until Scarlett wanted to throw herself into the construct circle just to escape it.

She turned her head, very slowly, to look at Kanna.

Kanna was staring straight ahead. Her expression hadn’t changed. That same stoic mask, same unreadable eyes. But there was the faintest hint of color on her cheeks.

"What?" Scarlett managed.

Kanna stood up.

"I need to cool down," she said. And then she walked away, disappearing into one of the side passages without looking back.

Scarlett sat there.

Dumbfounded.

A construct formed in the circle. It looked at her. She looked at it.

"I don’t know what to do," she told it.

The construct tilted its head, then attacked.

---

She sat there for another minute. Maybe two. Her heart was pounding harder than it had during the entire training session.

[Okay. Okay okay okay. She walked off. To cool down. That’s fine. That’s normal. I should... check on her? Make sure she’s okay? Yeah. Yeah, that’s what a good... colleague... would do.]

Scarlett hauled herself to her feet and headed for the passage Kanna had taken.

The ruins branched off into smaller chambers down here. Storage rooms, maybe, back when this place was actually used. Most were empty now, just dust and old stone.

She heard something.

A sound. Soft. Coming from one of the side rooms.

[Is she okay? Did she get hurt?]

Scarlett crept closer, moving quietly out of habit. The door was slightly ajar. She peered through the gap.

And froze.

Kanna had one hand braced against the wall. Her other hand was wrapped around her cock, stroking slowly. Her eyes were closed, her lips slightly parted, her breath coming in short, controlled gasps.

Scarlett stopped breathing.

[Holy fuck.]

She should leave. She should definitely leave. This was private. This was none of her business. She should turn around right now and—

Kanna’s pace quickened. A soft sound escaped her throat. Almost a moan.

[Holy fuck holy fuck holy FUCK.]

Scarlett backed away as quietly as she could, heart hammering so loud she was sure Kanna could hear it. She retreated down the corridor, around the corner, and pressed her back against the wall.

[I did not just see that. I did NOT just see that.]

She had definitely just seen that.

[FUCK.]

---

{Aegis}

Aegis settled into her study, spreading the latest reports across her desk.

House Starcaller’s progress. In neat columns, because Evelyn was a miracle worker.

Gold reserves: 38,000 (up from 35,000 last week)

Active contracts: 7 (monster hunting, security, potion supply)

Retainers: 2 official (Scarlett, Kanna), 30+ security contractors under Captain Renn

Properties: Starcaller Manor (Noble Quarter), Starcaller Farm (Sparker Village)

Businesses: Harmond & Sons Textiles (full ownership), Black Remedies (exclusive supplier agreement)

Political allies: Lady Vermillion (strong), Lady Corina (pending), Lord Harbell (secured), Lady Roseheart (strong)

Reputation with nobility: Rising steadily

She leaned back, studying the numbers.

Two weeks and some change until Talia’s betrothal ceremony. Maybe a little less.

The Five Pillars:

Reputation: Good. The Vex incident was already spreading through the rumor mill. The Sigil Ring was helping.

Wealth: Strong. 38,000 gold and growing. Not Great House level yet, but getting there.

Military: Solid. Scarlett and Kanna were monsters. Renn’s contractors were professional. The tournament next week would showcase their capabilities.

Political: Improving. Corina and Harbell were hooks. She needed more, but the foundation was there.

Magical: ...complicated.

She glanced at her hands. Shadow Tendril was coming along nicely. Her Aether Weaving was progressing too, thanks to Rosanna’s training. But the Shadow Empress revelation still hung over everything.

[Most likely candidate. That’s what the Scandal Shop said. Most likely to become the Shadow Empress.]

She was getting stronger. Building power. Accumulating influence.

Exactly the kind of thing a future villain would do.

[Am I walking into a trap? Is every step I take just bringing me closer to becoming her?]

She didn’t have answers.

But she had work to do.

Aegis pulled the next report toward her and kept reading.