The cafeteria was noisy, the air filled with the scent of roasted lamb chops and stew.
Irene sat across from Erich, trying her best to make her tone sound sincere. “It's fine. Morningstar Class F is great too. You're so amazing, you'll definitely rise to the top no matter where you are!”
Before Erich could speak, a sneer came from beside them.
Lorraine sat down unceremoniously with her food tray, completely making herself at home. “I think the school sorted you perfectly. Your swordplay might be impressive, but this is a magic academy. Everything is decided by magic level.”
Erich set down his chopsticks and stood up, about to yell her nickname, but Lorraine's expression shifted. She quickly stood up and reached out to cover his mouth.
The two of them froze in place. The surrounding chatter suddenly died down for a brief moment, and students at the nearby tables turned to look at them, their gazes filled with curiosity and intrigue.
Lorraine's face flushed. She let go, bowed slightly to the onlookers, apologized repeatedly, and then grabbed Erich by the sleeve to push him back down into his chair.
Erich nodded in satisfaction, picked up his fork, and went back to eating.
Only then did Lorraine realize that he had intentionally baited her into making a scene. She glared fiercely at Erich, scooped up her tray, wolfed down her food in a few bites, and ran off without looking back.
Irene sighed helplessly as she watched Lorraine's retreating back disappear through the cafeteria doors.
“Did you offend Her Highness Leonora before too?” she suddenly asked Erich. “Her Highness was asking me about you today.”
“What did she ask?”
“She asked about our relationship and how we met,” Irene answered honestly. “She also asked if you had a scar on your abdomen.”
Erich suddenly felt the once-delicious meal lose its flavor.
“How did you answer?”
“I just told her about what happened on the train... with a few minor edits. As for the scar, I said I didn't know.”
Erich nodded and stuffed the last piece of meat into his mouth.
It seemed the young princess wasn't trying to dig up his body's past misdeeds. She had probably recognized that flash of sword light and wanted to confirm if the cloaked figure who had protected her and escaped the Abyss was indeed the same person as this playboy kicked out of his family.
It would be best to steer clear of the young princess for now, Erich thought.
The emperor of the Radiant Empire wouldn't last much longer. Once he died, the eyes fixed on the throne would turn blood-red. As a member of the imperial bloodline, the young princess couldn't possibly stay out of it. Besides, as an important character in 《Starspire》, there was no telling how the laws of causality around her would play out. A throwaway villain like Erich in the original work might end up triggering some bizarre rules anomaly and dying without even knowing how if he got too close.
Alright, those were all excuses.
The real reason was that he didn't know in what capacity or with what face he should confront her.
A savior? A friend? Or a loser who had once humiliated her and was now kicked out of his home?
Erich didn't know, so he chose to put it off. Perhaps the young princess was just acting on a whim and would lose interest in him after a while.
Just as Erich was about to warn Irene about a few things she shouldn't share, a white blur flew toward him from the corner of his eye. He instinctively reached out and caught it. It felt soft—a white glove. Without even thinking, Erich tossed it right back.
The glove smacked directly into someone's face.
Alicia had clearly never expected the glove she threw to fly back and hit her own face. She froze completely in place until the glove slid off her face and drifted to the floor.
An oppressive silence fell over the cafeteria. Then, Alicia abruptly snatched up the glove and threw it at Erich with even greater force than before, her voice loud enough to nearly blow the roof off the building. “In the Ranking Tournament in two weeks, I'm challenging you to a duel, Erich!”
Erich caught the glove and studied the face flushed red with anger in front of him. Did Miss Grape eat a stick of dynamite? He had taken her down in a single blow during the last Hunting Festival, yet she still had the courage to challenge him now?
Alicia noticed his contempt, and her lips curled into a mocking smirk. “Only magic is allowed in the Ranking Tournament. What are you without your sword?”
“Fine. I accept.”
Alicia leaned forward, bringing her face close to his, her tone icy. “If you lose, you will be my servant for the rest of your life.”
Erich also leaned in close to Alicia's face, matching her intensity:
“And if you lose, will you be my servant for the rest of your life too?”
Alicia turned away contemptuously, her skirt tracing a graceful arc as she made her confident and arrogant declaration:
“Try it if you can.”
With Alicia's departure, the chatter in the cafeteria resumed once again.
Outside the cafeteria's glass windows, Leonora stood in the shadow of a pillar, gazing at that silver figure through the pane.
Rate on N.U.
