From Pawn to King: Ruling a Harem of Chaos

Chapter 5: Ma'am, You Don't Want Your Spy Identity Exposed, Do You?

Ella furrowed her delicate brows, clearly not expecting Shia to be so uncooperative.

But as a gracious and refined elder sister figure, at the very least, she couldn't let it show.

"Take a seat, I'll slice up some fruit for you."

A gentle and soothing voice came from the kitchen.

"Aunt Ella, you don't have to go to all that trouble."

"It's rare for you to visit my home, so of course, I have to treat you well."

Saying this, Ella emerged from the kitchen with a fruit platter, placing it warmly in front of Shia.

Because of Lilith, Ella naturally knew Shia—her beloved protégé's fiancé, after all.

Speaking of that protégé, Ella wasn't too fond of her. Their teacher-student relationship was more transactional than emotional. A disciple like Lilith? Ella could easily have ten more of her.

Shia, however, seemed a bit pitiful. He was like a toy being played with in someone else's hands.

"Thank you, Aunt Ella."

Ella sat opposite Shia, her face adorned with a kind and friendly smile.

"It's rare for you to visit me. What's the occasion? Surely you're not here just to chat?"

"Actually, Aunt Ella, I do have a favor to ask of you."

"Oh? Feel free to tell me your troubles. As long as you ask, I won't refuse."

The two of them smiled at each other, creating an appearance of harmony.

But how genuine was that relationship, really?

"I'd like to enroll in Seven Shields Academy."

Shia met Ella's gaze directly, watching as the smile in her eyes faded bit by bit.

"It's good that you're ambitious, Shia. As long as you meet the admission requirements, I'll gladly welcome you."

"Aunt Ella, you said I could come to you with any difficulty."

"But this concerns the fairness of the academy's selection process. As someone in charge, I must lead by example."

Ella put on a stern expression, exuding an air of impartiality and righteousness.

It was so hypocritical it made one want to laugh.

Superficial family ties—this was all they amounted to.

Shia's expression turned mocking.

Had he not played this game before, he might have been fooled by her upright demeanor.

Women were born actresses, and villainous women were Oscar-worthy.

Did Ella truly embody fairness and justice?

Wrong!

Money could make the devil dance, and the only reason she wasn't agreeing was that the price wasn't high enough.

Ella had, on numerous occasions, facilitated the admission of students from influential families, using the opportunity to amass wealth.

After all, in recent years, with the demon forces defeated and no immediate crises, corruption naturally thrived.

Thanks to Ella, many aristocratic socialites—idle and useless—had gained entry into Seven Shields.

Even Lilith's admission was orchestrated by Ella.

As the young lady of the ancient Guern family, one of the four great houses, Lilith naturally deserved her place. Using some backdoor methods? Why not?

If Ella's goal was merely to amass wealth, that might have been tolerable.

But Shia knew her true purpose wasn't so simple.

Her real aim was to accelerate the academy's collapse!

The profiteering was just a smokescreen to justify her actions. She deliberately planted corrupt elements in the academy.

Why? Because Ella was, in fact, a spy for the Tianlan Empire!

She had infiltrated the academy as a lecturer to gather intelligence on the factions within and the academy's future pillars of strength.

And spies like her were not rare.

As one of the continent's top academies, every nation had planted agents within its walls.

But did Ella's role as a spy for the Tianlan Empire define her entirely?

Wrong again!

She was also a double agent.

Layer upon layer of disguises cloaked her identity. This particular cover wouldn't even be revealed until the later stages of the story—she was part of the mysterious force known as the *Coven of Witches*, a secret society operating beyond Seven Shields, shrouded in enigma.

It was this identity that made her future crimes even graver, ultimately leading to tens of thousands of deaths.

And why? To resurrect her husband, who had died on their wedding night.

The ghost of her deceased husband—a chilling thought, wasn't it?

Shia remembered how, during the game's storyline, many listeners sympathized with Ella during her trial.

Every sacrifice and effort she made was for the sake of reviving her beloved. Such a moving tale of love—how could it not stir emotions?

True love conquers all. Sacrifice for love!

Because of this, the tribunal mitigated her sentence, allowing her to atone for her sins through service.

But Shia found it revolting.

To revive her lover, she sacrificed tens of thousands of lives.

Among those who perished, how many were someone else's loved ones?

For the sake of her love, did others' lives hold no value?

In the end, she was nothing but a selfish villainess.

He didn't hate villains who embraced their wickedness.

He hated those who tried to have it both ways.

If he could pull this grieving widow out of her emotional abyss, would that count as a good deed?

Compared to the sorrow caused by the dead, there was so much more one could do with the living.

Watching Ella's righteous expression, Shia's smile grew even brighter.

Smiling after being rejected?

Ella felt an ominous premonition, sensing that something bad was about to happen.

Shia reached out and picked up a piece of fruit from the platter.

The fruit was sweet and crisp.

His movements were unhurried. Against a scheming woman like her, he had cards to play.

After finishing the fruit, Shia finally spoke.

"Aunt Ella, you wouldn't want…"

He leaned closer to her, whispering the second half of his sentence into her ear.

"…your spy identity to be exposed, would you?"

His blunt words were like a bombshell, chillingly direct.

Ella's face instantly changed.

Shia slightly tilted his head, observing her shocked expression.

But she quickly masked her astonishment with feigned surprise, pulling away slightly to create distance between them.

Her expression grew serious as she maintained her composure.

"Shia, you need to think carefully before you speak. Accusations like that are a serious crime!"

If it were someone else, they might have been fooled by her act.

But Shia?

He had played through this storyline nine times. How could he not know her secrets?

"Ella, a Level-One Lecturer at Seven Shields Academy, responsible for freshman admissions, has illegally enrolled twenty-six students."

"I… I admit I took their money, but only because I need to support myself. It's not easy for me, so…"

Ella forced herself to stay calm.

She justified it as a means of survival—bribery and nepotism weren't uncommon.

Shia nodded, his expression enigmatic.

He seemed to agree with her explanation.

But who said he only had that one card up his sleeve?

"Using your position as a lecturer, you've recorded information on outstanding students and other nations' secrets, delivering them monthly at Zhiyi Tavern…"

"You…"

Ella's face froze with alarm, her voice reflexively cutting him off.

How did he know about Zhiyi Tavern?

That was where she met her contacts, carefully disguised every time to ensure absolute secrecy.

Shia stopped speaking, merely giving her a meaningful smile.

Ella bit her lip, looking visibly shaken.

"Every nation has agents in the academy. I'm not the only one."

Even if exposed, she wouldn't be alone…

"But what if Aunt Ella's dual identity as a double agent were revealed?"

His words rendered her utterly speechless, her body turning cold as ice.

She stared at Shia, her gaze meeting his eyes filled with amusement.

His seemingly innocent smile was more terrifying than a demon's.

Being discovered as a spy for the Tianlan Empire wasn't the worst part.

But for her identity as a witch and double agent to be exposed… how could anyone have found out?