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The meeting room of the student council was not as lively as it usually was during daytime discussions. It was late into the night, the lamps positioned along the walls giving off a steady glow, but the atmosphere was weighed down by the topic that had been dragging across the table for the past hour. Damien, seated at the head, kept his gaze steady as the rest of the council members voiced their opinions.

"This case has stretched long enough," one member said, flipping through the stack of reports in front of her. "It started as whispers among first-years, then it climbed into the second-year ranks. We even had some of them approach us earlier this week, asking if we're intentionally ignoring it. If we let this continue, the council will be accused of being inactive."

Another member leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temple. "It's not inactivity. It's hesitation. We are talking about Amelia here, an alchemy instructor for the first-years. To accuse someone in her position of sexually assaulting a student is one thing, but now there are rumors stacking on top of that. Students are saying she has done more, that she uses her position for… questionable purposes. I don't even know how much is fabricated anymore, but the damage is real."

Damien folded his hands together, listening without interrupting. His eyes flicked from one speaker to another. "Rumors thrive on silence. Every day we delay action, people will assume we are covering for her."

One of the other council members nodded firmly. "Then the answer is simple. We summon her. A formal notice can be sent out tomorrow morning. She appears before us, explains herself, and we either clear her name or proceed with disciplinary actions. The longer we wait, the weaker the academy looks."

A smaller voice cut in, a girl with round spectacles who usually avoided heated topics. "But if she is innocent, won't summoning her now practically brand her as guilty in the eyes of the students? Everyone will assume we found proof, even if we didn't."

The room grew silent for a moment. Damien tapped his finger against the table, then exhaled. "The academy's reputation comes before Amelia's personal comfort. Whether she is guilty or not, the storm of rumors has already placed us in a position where decisive action is needed. I will draft the formal letter tonight. We will have it delivered to her the moment class hours end tomorrow."

No one objected this time. Heads nodded one after another. Damien leaned back in his chair, satisfied.

"Then it's settled. Mage Amelia will be summoned before the student council. Meeting adjourned."

****

Inside Arios's dorm, Lucy sat cross-legged on the chair beside his desk while Liza leaned casually against the window frame, tapping her finger against the glass. Arios had just come out of the bathroom, drying his hands, when Lucy's words caught his attention.

"The person who came to visit me yesterday night," Lucy began, lowering her voice, "was not just a messenger from my family. He was a member of the student council."

Arios turned to face her fully. "The council?"

Lucy nodded. "He asked me a series of questions. Specifically about Amelia. If I had ever had a negative encounter with her. If I thought she behaved improperly. Or if I believed any of the rumors floating around."

Liza's brow furrowed as she straightened from the window. "So they're fishing for information. Testing how much support she has among the noble houses. They must want to know if Amelia still has the trust of the top families."

"That's what it seemed like," Lucy admitted, her expression tight. "I told him I had no negative experiences with Amelia. That she was strict, yes, but nothing inappropriate. He wrote everything down like it was an official record."

Arios sat on the edge of his bed, thinking quietly. "If they're now approaching the major noble houses, then it's worse than I thought. This isn't just about Amelia anymore. It's about how the academy will be seen if they protect or condemn her. And the three houses—Ravencroft, Weaverake, and Nightshade—are the most influential. If the council loses the support of even one of them, it weakens their position."

Liza crossed her arms, speaking sharply. "It makes sense. Amelia is an instructor. You're a Nightshade, Lucy. And the Ravencrofts already has a seat on the council as it president. That means the houses are tied into the decision whether we like it or not."

Lucy frowned, lowering her gaze. "If that's true, then my words yesterday were recorded as Nightshade's position. They might already be weighing it."

Arios looked at her seriously. "Which is why you need to do more than just answer their questions passively. If they're planning to summon Amelia this evening, then we can't just sit and wait. You should take the initiative. Use your position as Nightshade to request an urgent hearing with the council before they summon her."

Lucy blinked at him. "An urgent hearing? For what reason?"

"Any reason," Arios said plainly. "What matters is buying time and shifting their attention. If you present a formal case, they'll have to listen before proceeding with Amelia. You can stall their decision and give us more time to gather proof."

Liza tilted her head. "But what would she report? She can't just walk in and say 'delay Amelia's trial.' They'd see right through it."

Arios smirked faintly. "She doesn't need a serious case. She needs a case that demands immediate investigation. Something disruptive enough that the council can't ignore it. Make it believable, make it dramatic, and they'll postpone Amelia's summoning."

Lucy pressed her lips together. "That sounds risky. If I waste their time with something trivial, they'll be furious."

"Then don't make it trivial," Arios said. "Frame it as a matter of safety. Even if it sounds absurd, the council has to respond if students are in danger. It's their duty."

Liza leaned forward, her eyes narrowing with curiosity. "So what kind of case do you suggest?"

Arios gave her a deadpan look. "Lucy can report that she saw a pervert peeping at the girls' bathroom."

For a moment, silence filled the room. Then Liza burst into laughter, covering her mouth with her hand. "You're serious? That's what you want her to bring up? You want her to march into the council chambers, full of stern-faced nobles and commoners, and just declare she saw some creep spying on the bathrooms?"

"It would force them to react," Arios said firmly. "They can't dismiss a complaint like that, especially if it comes from Lucy. They'll send someone to investigate. And while they're busy with that, Amelia's summons may get delayed."

Lucy's face turned bright red. "I can't believe you'd suggest that. Do you have any idea how embarrassing that would be for me? Standing there in front of Damien and the other nobles, saying something like that?"

Liza snickered, leaning back against the wall. "I think it's brilliant. Imagine their faces. They'll have no choice but to act, even if it's ridiculous. And you'll be the one pulling the strings."

Arios kept his tone serious. "It's the best option we have right now. Unless you have another plan, this is how we buy time."

Lucy buried her face in her hands for a moment, groaning softly. "This is insane… but fine. I'll do it. If it keeps Amelia safe for a while longer, then I'll swallow this cringe moment."

****

Later that evening, the council chamber lit once again, this time not for a late-night internal meeting but to address a formal request. Lucy stood in front of the table, her posture straight despite the clear discomfort on her face. Damien sat at the head, looking down at her with a cool expression.

"You requested an urgent hearing, Lady Nightshade. What matter could be so pressing that it could not wait for standard procedure?"

Lucy cleared her throat, keeping her voice steady. "I came here because I witnessed something that poses a direct threat to the female students of this academy. Last night, while leaving the festival grounds, I saw an individual attempting to peek into the girls' bathroom."

A heavy silence fell across the council. Several members blinked in surprise, exchanging confused looks. Damien's expression tightened slightly, but he didn't interrupt.

Lucy pressed on quickly. "I could not identify the individual fully. But it was clearly a male student, acting with ill intent. This behavior is unacceptable and dangerous. I demand that the council investigate this immediately. The safety and dignity of the female students cannot be ignored."

One of the council members coughed awkwardly. "You… want us to investigate a peeping tom?"

Lucy lifted her chin. "Yes. And I am exercising my right as a member of House Nightshade to request urgent attention on this matter. If the academy fails to act, the noble houses will assume the council is incapable of protecting its students."

Damien's jaw clenched. He had been prepared to push Amelia's case forward tonight, but Lucy's intervention complicated everything. If he dismissed her request outright, he risked offending Nightshade, one of the three pillars of influence. Yet if he accepted, he would have to postpone Amelia's summons until the matter was investigated.

For a long moment, he tried to gaslight her out of it. "Lady Lucy, while your concern is noted, are you certain you are not misinterpreting what you saw? Students sometimes linger near the washrooms. Are you sure this wasn't a misunderstanding?"

Lucy's voice remained firm. "It was not a misunderstanding. I know what I saw. If the council wishes, I can put this into writing and submit it as a formal record. Will the council ignore my report?"

The room was tense. Damien studied her carefully, but Lucy didn't flinch. She held his gaze, unwavering. Finally, Damien leaned back, exhaling slowly.

"Very well. The council will look into this matter. We will dispatch a small investigation team to confirm your claims." He tapped his finger against the table. "Until that is concluded, Amelia's case will be… postponed."

Lucy bowed her head respectfully. "Thank you. I trust the council will act swiftly."

She turned and left the chamber, her heart pounding, but her face calm.

Back in the dorm later that night, Lucy dropped face-first onto Arios's bed, muffling a groan into the pillow. Liza sat on the chair, laughing so hard she had tears in her eyes. "You actually did it! You stood there and told them about a bathroom peeper with a straight face!"

Lucy raised her head just enough to glare weakly at her. "Don't remind me. I wanted to die the whole time."

Arios smirked faintly. "You did well. Amelia gets more time because of you. That's all that matters."

Lucy sighed, rolling onto her back. "If I ever have to do something like that again, you owe me, Arios. Big time."

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