But that wasn't the real problem, for her silence.
Rather, it was the fact that she wasn't supposed to share her technique with anyone else.
As one of the top students in the Academy, she had been exempted from the magical contracts that other students were forced to sign when they selected their techniques. But that didn't mean she was allowed to spread the technique freely.
Still, was Christian just anyone?
Olivia, who didn't want to betray the trust of those who had put their faith in her, began to hesitate, unsure of what she should do.
And Christian, noticing her silence, said, "If you feel guilty about teaching me the technique, you can always report it to your principal afterward."
"And be punished for it?" Olivia raised an eyebrow and said dryly.
Christian shook his head and replied, "Not necessarily."
"You could just pay for it with your contribution points, after all. And at the end of the day, if you don't want to be punished… you can simply stay quiet about it."
Christian, of course, already knew all the rules of the Academy, and even the nature of the magical contracts that Olivia had been exempted from. That was exactly why he brought this up.
He didn't just want her technique to help with his own researches… although that was part of it. He also genuinely intended to help her strengthen the technique itself.
While Olivia continued thinking, Christian's mind wandered toward the subject of magical contracts.
A contract written in an ancient language, imbued with restriction power, for those who sign it. It wasn't just binding. For those who violated it, the consequences were often fates worse than death.
When Christian first heard about this kind of contract, he had actually wanted to learn how to write one himself. It would be incredibly useful for many things. Unfortunately, it was part of an entirely different power system, a unique one, and for now, he felt that its time hadn't yet come.
While he was still immersed in his thoughts about that unique power system, Olivia, having made up her mind, interrupted him and finally said, "Okay. I'll teach you the technique."
Christian's eyes lit up immediately at her words, though he quickly composed himself and asked, "And what about the Academy?"
"I'll handle that myself. Don't worry," Olivia said, brushing off his concern. She then clumsily reached into her bag and took out a small crystal, about the size of a pebble, and handed it to him.
Christian was visibly excited. It was the first time he had seen this type of memory crystal, but he didn't let that distract him from the more important part. Without delay, he probed it with his senses.
In an instant, a torrent of information surged into his mind.
He felt as if it had been burned directly into his memory, but he also knew that unless he focused on studying it soon, the imprint would begin to fade, no matter how sharp his comprehension or how formidable his mind was.
The technique was written in the universal language and was extremely complex. There were unfamiliar words, strange phrasing, and even illustrated diagrams.
But none of that mattered. He just needed to copy and record it again once he got back to his room.
Christian naturally didn't feel any headache or suffer from any kind of physical strain, with his level of comprehension… and Olivia, noticing that, couldn't help but be astonished.
When she had first received the information from this memory crystal, she had experienced a splitting pain in her head. She had even heard of some people bleeding from their noses.
But Christian? He didn't seem to face any problem at all.
And that was truly astonishing to her.
While Olivia remained silent, still caught in her shock, Christian extended the memory crystal back to her. That small motion finally pulled her back to reality as he asked, "Don't you need to keep the memory crystal?"
"No. Just reading the information once is enough."
Olivia stayed quiet for a moment, looking at his extended hand… barely able to make it out in the darkness, before she finally took the memory crystal back and said softly, "Okay."
'Maybe, for people with special abilities related to the mind, the situation is different,' Olivia tried to convince herself like that.
Christian, feeling that it was already quite late, and now that he had finished everything he wanted to discuss with her, finally prepared to return to his room.
But before leaving, his eyes suddenly gleamed mischievously, and he said, "What do you think Aria is doing right now?"
Olivia didn't even need to think before she replied, "Naturally concentrating her senses on this room."
If earlier Aria hadn't been paying attention or eavesdropping, now… with someone displaying strength right next to Olivia, she would definitely be alert.
That was exactly why Christian suddenly gave Olivia a shit eating grin before he said, "Then how about we put on a show for her?"
"What do you mean?" she asked unconsciously.
But Christian didn't reply to her. Instead, he suddenly pushed her onto the bed, his body looming over hers as he pressed her down. His hands slipped beneath the folds of her clothes, fondling her breasts with firm, confident movements.
His head sank into her neck, lips brushing against her skin, tongue tasting the warmth of her body.
Olivia couldn't keep up with the sudden shift… her breath caught, and she instinctively moaned.
And it was exactly in that moment that he released the shadow surrounding them.
Olivia squinted as light invaded the space, before finally closing her eyes.
She could feel Christian's body completely above hers, his mouth working over her neck… and shamefully, she was aroused.
But, that's wasn't all… she also felt troubled.
Not because Christian had suddenly gone too far.
Instead, because she was sure Aria was sensing everything that was happening right now. And she was exposing her shameful sides to her.
Before she could decide whether to push him away… to kick him between his legs, or maybe just shove him with her knee. The door was knocked.