“Eleena, I just bought a Refined [Mid] tier artifact from the auction house yesterday. Do you want to take a look at it?” Gerard asked, trying to close the gap she persistently kept between them. Eleena, however, was not someone who would let a pest get too close. She stepped back, maintaining a careful five-foot distance from Gerard.
“I would have loved to see the artifact, but we need to get to the academy for morning prayer. You know it starts at ten, and it’s already nine thirty-eight,” Eleena said as they exited the girls’ dormitory.
She was growing increasingly irritated by the bastard’s nonstop chatter. He had not stopped talking since they left her room, going on and on about his visit to the auction house the day before. He described how he had spent a considerable sum to acquire the artifact and then told her, with a smug satisfaction, that even if she wanted to see it, he would never let her see it, even if she begged him.
Who wants to see your artifact, bitch.
He did not stop there; he even started boasting about nearing a breakthrough in his rank and how he would soon advance to Elite [Upper]. She had already reached Elite [Upper] months ago but saw no reason to tell him—revealing her achievement would only wound his fragile ego.
Also, male students were not supposed to be allowed inside the girls’ dormitory, but the bastard had managed to get in by lying to the guard that Eleena had invited him. Instead of asking her for confirmation, the guard simply let him through without a second thought.
Who would even dare to stop the duke’s son? Eleena complained silently. She knew all too well that the guard would rather avoid questioning the duke’s son, hoping to keep his job safe and sidestep any future trouble.
She quickened her pace, walking so fast that it was nearly a run. Gerard kept up with her, despite being a slightly lower rank.
If she wanted, she could have sprinted ahead until the bastard was left behind, but she refrained from doing so. She did not want to cause unnecessary trouble for herself; the bastard had too many lackeys who followed his every command like animals.
Eleena hated the very idea of being followed by Gerard and could not help but despise him for how he had manipulated his lackeys to follow his every command.
She knew he was infatuated with her—he had even tried to win her over with artifacts and other gifts—but she always respectfully declined his advances.
She would have to be unbelievably dense not to notice the bastard’s infatuation.
Students heading to the academy eyed them with open curiosity, while those from high-ranking noble families, familiar with their reputations, avoided staring for long and hurried past.
The path was wide and even, paved with stones, yet the bastard kept inching closer to her instead of maintaining a reasonable distance.
“Arrrgh!” Eleena screamed in frustration, not thinking about who might hear. When she realized everyone had stopped to stare at her, she flushed and hurried her pace even more.
She had intended to reach the academy’s assembly hall a little later today, hoping to avoid the tedious wait that had greeted her the day before, but Gerard’s unexpected early visit had left her with no choice but to drop those plans entirely. Because it was only the second day of the term, she assumed that most students would take their time and arrive later than they had on the first day, when she herself had reached the assembly hall by nine thirty, only to find that some had arrived even earlier, despite the schedule clearly stating that the assembly would not begin until ten. Her hope had been to slip in right before morning prayer began, thus sparing herself another round of standing idly in the hall, but now, with Gerard at her side and her pace quickening almost to a run, the scenery blurring past in her peripheral vision, she realized she would end up arriving early once again, doomed to repeat yesterday’s waiting game.
This is better than being swamped by the bastard. I would run away to the girls' line, and if she is also there, then the bastard would not dare to approach me. Eleena thought. She made up her mind and broke into a run, her red coat billowing behind her and her hair streaming out. She hated the thought that her carefully braided hair would become a mess if she kept running until she reached the hall.
My hair will be a mess at this rate, she thought, screaming silently inside her own head instead of letting her anger out as she had just moments before.
“Wait for me!” Gerard shouted. Eleena did not slow down, and soon Gerard was running beside her, his red coat fluttering, his hair growing slightly messier. But since his hair was very short, it would not take him long to fix it.
***
Eleena came to a sudden stop in front of the academy building. Her carefully braided hair now hung loose at her sides, the braids having completely unraveled. She did not care about her appearance in this moment. What she saw before her made no sense at all.
Directly ahead, Lucien Duskbane—her ex-fiancé—walked in his black suit beside a golden-haired girl who was nearly Eleena’s height, though still a couple of inches shorter than Lucien. The girl was strikingly beautiful and walked so close to him that barely two or three inches separated them.
What am I seeing? Who is she?
The girl was practically glued to his side, her black eyes sparkling with childlike excitement as she gazed at the academy building ahead.
The girl turned her head, scanning the surroundings and examining the students with eyes that seemed to see right through them. For a moment, Eleena’s azure eyes met the girl’s black ones, and she felt a knot tighten in her stomach as the girl dismissed her with a casual glance before turning her attention back to the academy building.
“What happened? Why did you stop?” Gerard asked, not slowing his advance even though her jaw hung open in shock. “Let’s sit on the bench for a while. There’s still time before morning prayer.”
Eleena did not reply. She stood frozen, her eyes wide with shock.
“Is she his new fiancée or what?” Eleena muttered to herself in a barely audible whisper.
***
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