Iver pushed open the library doors and stepped out into the bright afternoon.
He had spent hours inside, absorbing as much history as he could, especially the accounts of regional battles and territorial conflicts since the Academy’s founding. With his head full of old disputes, he climbed back toward the upper terrace to drop off his notes.
At his front door, something white on the floor caught his eye. A folded envelope had been slid through the gap beneath it.
He weighed it in his hand. ’A challenge? An attempt at intimidation?’ It wouldn’t be surprising. A few scions of the high houses were almost certainly displeased that an unknown had taken the second rank above them.
He broke the wax seal and unfolded the parchment.
The handwriting was elegant and precise, in fine black ink. If his name hadn’t been spelled out at the bottom, he would have assumed it had been delivered to the wrong room.
It was a love letter.
The author wrote that she had taken a liking to him at first sight and asked, if he was interested, whether he would meet her at the quiet edge of the training grounds right away.
Iver stared at it for a long moment, bewildered. In two lifetimes, this was a first. He searched his memory for a likely sender and found nothing.
He could have tossed it into the fireplace. But curiosity won.
...
Ten minutes later, at the quiet edge of the training grounds, a girl waited under the afternoon shade of a stone fence. She had striking silver white hair with black streaks running through it, and clear black eyes. She was undeniably beautiful, and instantly recognizable.
Ciel. A Count’s daughter, and a fellow Class S cadet.
A visible wave of relief crossed her face as he approached.
"You actually came," she said, catching her breath. "Thank you."
"Good afternoon," Iver said neutrally.
"I should apologize first." She smoothed her coat. "It’s very sudden, and we’re basically strangers. You must have been confused."
"I don’t mind. Though I doubt the contents of the letter."
"Right." She leaned in and lowered her voice. "To be blunt, I didn’t mean what I wrote. I needed a reason to get you out here without drawing attention, so I could make a proposal."
"I want to hire you," Ciel said directly. "I’ll pay whatever you want, as long as you agree to act alongside me."
"Act as what?"
"My partner." She sighed in frustration. "Gideon, the heir of House Vorne, won’t leave me alone. He keeps asking me out, cornering me. I have zero interest in him or his family’s politics. I know half the point of this Academy is forming political ties and engagements, but I want no part of his schemes." She looked straight into his eyes. "So I’m proposing that you pretend to be my boyfriend. In exchange, I’ll give you whatever resources you need, within reason."
Iver was silent for a moment, weighing it.
"Out of everyone in Class S, why me?" he asked. "Plenty of scions carry more political weight. Prince Ansel could keep Gideon off your back with a word."
Ciel gave a dry chuckle. "Ansel is the Crown’s own son, so involving him creates a political nightmare, and he’s already engaged to Lyra. The other high nobles are all tied up in family alliances. You’re the only one who took Rank 2 and doesn’t look like someone Gideon can intimidate."
It made sense. An inconvenient fake relationship in exchange for real material gain. Entangling himself in noble squabbles was usually a headache, but high grade resources were a different matter.
"Resources," Iver said. "I want Tier 2 monster cores delivered to me regularly for the rest of the term. And a high quality replacement blade."
Ciel’s eyes widened slightly, then relaxed. "That’s it? That’s completely fine." She studied his expression. "Nothing else?"
"No. That covers it."
"Then we have a deal." A small smirk touched her lips. "So when do we start?"
"Whenever you need."
"Right now, then." She stepped closer. "If we want this believable to people like Gideon, we can’t just announce it. We have to act the part: holding hands, walking together, looking comfortable." She gave him a pointed look. "Remember, this is purely business."
"Understood."
"We also need a cover story in case anyone asks how we got together so fast. We’ll say it was love at first sight during the entrance trials."
For the next few minutes they traded basic details, favorite habits, background quirks, small preferences, so neither would stumble if questioned.
"Honestly," Ciel said as they finished, with a genuine smile, "I thought you were the cold, unapproachable type when I first saw you in class. I’m glad I was wrong."
Iver said nothing and offered a slight shrug.
She reached out and laced her fingers through his. Her hand was small and surprisingly warm. Together they turned and started down the main stone path through the center of campus.
...
The late afternoon alchemy lecture had finally wrapped up.
Adela gathered her parchment from the laboratory desk, chatting with Aria and two girls from their lab group. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
"The herb drying process is so tedious," one girl complained. "I don’t know how they expect us to memorize twenty reaction temperatures by next week."
"It just takes practice," Aria offered softly, gathering her books. "If you review the text every evening, it becomes second nature."
Adela nodded politely, but her thoughts were elsewhere. As they stepped into the main courtyard, her mind drifted to Ares.
’What is he doing right now? He said he’d be at the library, but that was hours ago.’
She squeezed the strap of her bag. Since arriving at the Academy, they’d barely had time to talk or just spend time together like they did. Between the rank assignments, the lectures, and the constant attention from other nobles, everything felt rushed.
’Maybe I should visit his quarters today’, she thought, her cheeks warming with a sudden flash of defensive irritation. ’It’s not like I’m asking him on a date! He’s supposed to be my guard. It’s completely normal for us to catch up!’
Low whispers from a nearby group of cadets broke her concentration.
"Hey, look at those two over there."
"Are they holding hands? Are they actually dating?"
Adela barely listened. Romance and courtship were common enough at the Academy, especially among upperclassmen chasing political matches.
Then the next comment hit her like a bucket of ice water.
"Wait, isn’t that Ares? I thought he was close with Lady Adela..."
"Shh! Keep your voice down, she’s right behind us!"
The gossiping girls spun around, caught Adela staring, and scattered down the corridor in embarrassed giggles.
Adela stood frozen in the middle of the walkway. Slowly, she turned toward the main avenue that led up from the training grounds.
Her heart dropped.
Ares and Ciel were walking side by side along the stone path, their hands tightly intertwined. They were walking slowly, sharing quiet words, wearing relaxed, familiar expressions that Adela had rarely seen Ares show to anyone.
She stood in stunned silence, unable to pull her eyes away.