Negi Springfield winced as he struggled to get up, brushing dust from his robes. His body ached, and his ribs were sore from the countless blows Evangeline had landed during their training. Yet, despite the pain, his mind was preoccupied with something else.

That kiss.

Did it mean anything? Or had she just been toying with him?

He hadn't meant to ask it aloud, but once the words left his mouth, he saw something rare—Evangeline hesitated. Her usual cold, confident expression wavered, and a faint pink dusted her cheeks.

Then, just as quickly, her scowl returned, and she turned away sharply.

"Y-You idiot!" she snapped. "What the hell are you thinking about something like that for?! We're supposed to be training!"

Negi blinked, caught off guard by her flustered reaction.

From the side, a voice spoke up, calm and analytical.

"…Master is lying."

Evangeline stiffened. Slowly, her head turned toward the source of the voice—Chachamaru, her ever-loyal robotic servant.

Negi's eyes widened, and he watched as Chachamaru gazed at her master with quiet certainty. "Your temperature increased by 2.4 degrees upon hearing Negi-sensei's question, and your vocal patterns indicate evasion rather than denial. Therefore, my conclusion is—"

A deadly aura erupted from Evangeline.

"YOU LITTLE—!"

Before Chachamaru could finish her sentence, Evangeline lunged forward, grabbing the robot girl's face with both hands.

"YOU CHEEKY PIECE OF SCRAP METAL!" Evangeline growled, her fingers stretching Chachamaru's synthetic cheeks. "WHO ASKED FOR YOUR ANALYSIS?! YOU THINK YOU CAN EXPOSE ME IN FRONT OF BOYO?! I MADE YOU, I CAN UNMAKE YOU!"

Chachamaru remained passive despite having her face stretched like taffy. "Master, please refrain from tampering with my exterior. It is structurally important for facial expressions."

Negi, watching this bizarre exchange, was torn between amusement and sympathy. He had seen Evangeline in many moods—angry, smug, bored—but rarely flustered like this. And it was all because Chachamaru had called her bluff.

"Master," Chachamaru continued, even as her lips were forcibly contorted, "I only wish to point out that avoiding the question suggests that—"

Evangeline tugged harder.

"SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!" she shouted, her entire body glowing with magical pressure. "You stupid tin can, I swear I'll reprogram you to be mute!"

Negi, now barely holding back laughter, cleared his throat. "Evangeline, maybe you should—"

"QUIET, BOYO! THIS IS BETWEEN ME AND THIS BUCKET OF BOLTS!"

Negi took a step back, watching as the terrifying vampire continued to wrestle her robotic servant, who, despite being an advanced combat automaton, chose to endure the assault rather than fight back.

At last, Evangeline let go and crossed her arms, looking away with a huff. "Tch. I don't know why I even put up with you two. Both of you are just—Ugh!"

Chachamaru calmly adjusted her face, letting her synthetic skin settle back into place. "Understood, Master. I will not speak of this subject further."

Negi grinned, feeling a small victory in the air. "So… that means it did mean something, right?"

A wave of ice shot toward him.

"NO MORE QUESTIONS!" Evangeline roared.

Negi barely dodged in time, rolling to the side as the frost-covered ground cracked under the force of her spell.

I'll get an answer out of her someday, he thought with a smile.

But for now, he had to survive training.

Later that evening...

The moon hung high over the frozen training grounds, casting a silver glow over the ice-covered grass. The air was crisp, and the night was quiet—save for the soft rustling of leaves and the occasional crack of lingering frost from Evangeline's spells.

Negi sat on a fallen log, catching his breath after the relentless training session. His body ached from the bruises, but he had endured worse. Across from him, Evangeline stood with her arms crossed, her golden hair glistening under the moonlight.

She was calm now.

Or at least, she appeared to be.

Negi had been training with Evangeline long enough to know when something was off. And lately, something was off. The way she hesitated earlier, how she snapped at Chachamaru, and—most of all—how she refused to meet his eyes for too long.

Negi took a breath, then walked over to her.

"Evangeline," he started.

She tensed slightly but didn't turn. "What do you want now, boyo?"

He hesitated for a second but pressed on. "Why have you been acting so flustered lately?"

Evangeline's shoulders twitched.

"Tch. What nonsense are you spewing this time?" she muttered.

Negi frowned. "I mean it. During training, when I brought up the… the kiss, you reacted differently. And even Chachamaru noticed."

At the mention of her robotic servant, Evangeline's fingers twitched, and for a moment, Negi thought she might freeze him in a block of ice again.

But she didn't.

Instead, she let out an exaggerated sigh, rubbing her temple. "I swear you're more of a pain than you're worth sometimes."

Negi gave her a stubborn look. "I just want to understand. If it was nothing, then why do you get so defensive?"

Silence.

Evangeline turned away, her face partially hidden beneath the shadows of her bangs. The cold breeze swept through the area, ruffling her dress.

Then, softly—so softly that Negi almost didn't hear it—she muttered, "…Because you're an idiot, that's why."

Negi blinked. "Huh?"

"I said, you're an idiot!" she snapped, suddenly whirling on him. Her emerald eyes burned with frustration, but behind it, something else lingered.

Something that made Negi's breath hitch.

"You're a ten-year-old brat who doesn't understand anything! You're running around, taking on responsibilities you shouldn't have to bear, acting like you have to carry the weight of the world on your tiny little shoulders! It's annoying! You're annoying!"

Negi took a step back, stunned. "Evangeline…"

She turned away again, gripping her own arm tightly. "…And then, out of nowhere, you start asking dumb questions about things you don't even understand."

The vampire empress exhaled sharply, shaking her head as if trying to rid herself of something. "It doesn't mean anything, boyo. It shouldn't mean anything. So just… drop it."

Negi swallowed. He wasn't sure what he had expected, but this reaction wasn't it. Evangeline was usually so composed, so unreadable. But now, standing before him under the moonlight, she seemed… different.

Vulnerable, even.

For a moment, he considered pressing further—but something in her expression told him it would be a mistake.

So instead, he smiled. "Alright," he said quietly.

Evangeline glanced at him from the corner of her eye, wary. "…Alright what?"

"I'll drop it," Negi said. "For now."

She scoffed. "Good."

"But," Negi continued with a smirk, "I will ask again someday."

Evangeline's eye twitched. "You really do have a death wish, don't you?"

Negi laughed. "Maybe. But until then, let's keep training. I still have a long way to go, right?"

Evangeline studied him for a moment before shaking her head with a sigh. "…You're such a pain, boyo."

But this time, there was no venom in her voice.

Just the faintest hint of something softer.

As Negi walked away, Evangeline stayed behind, staring at the ground with furrowed brows. She touched her lips absentmindedly before scoffing at herself.

"…Stupid brat."

She turned on her heel and disappeared into the night.