The night was quiet.
The soft hum of crickets harmonizing with the gentle rustle of leaves in the nearby garden.
Under the glow of a dim streetlight near the pristine white tables and chairs of Silvercrest Hall''s garden, Prince Leo sat.
His usualposed smile gracing his face.
Across the streetlight''s path emerged a figure nked by two other men.
He was dressed in an impably tailored noble suit that contrasted sharply with his sharp, calcting gaze.
Can Draemyr, a professor at Ravenwood, approached with measured steps.
His eyes scanned the scene, noting the prince''s rxed posture.
Though he knew better than to let appearances deceive him.
"Your Highness."
Can greeted, bowing slightly.
"To what do I owe the honor of this meeting at such an hour?"
Leo gestured toward the seat across from him, his smile widening, though it didn''t reach his eyes.
"Sit, Professor Draemyr. Let''s have a little chat."
Can hesitated butplied, settling into the chair.
The tension in the air was palpable.
The guards behind Leo standing silent and unmoving like statues.
"I thought we agreed..."
Leo began, his tone light butced with an edge.
"...that you wouldn''t engage in anything… suspicious."
Can''s lips pressed into a thin line.
"Suspicious? I''m afraid I don''t follow, Your Highness."
Leo leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly against the pristine white table.
"Come now, Professor....
Thanks to the eyes I have around the academy, I''ve heard some rather curious reports.
For instance…"
He leaned forward slightly, his red eyes gleaming in the dim light.
"You were seen with a merchant recently.
A peculiar merchant who handed you something."
Can cursed inwardly.
''This brat really has eyes everywhere.''
He forced a calm expression and met Leo''s gaze.
"Your Highness..."
He said smoothly.
"...our agreement was clear.
I promised not to cause trouble for the princess, and I have upheld that promise.
As for my dealings, they are purely professional.
A professor at Ravenwood must asionally procure materials for research or other academic purposes.
Surely you wouldn''t find fault in that?"
Leo''s smile remained, but the atmosphere around him shifted.
The light-hearted fa?ade began to crack as he leaned forward even more, his fingers gripping the edge of the table.
"Don''t y coy with me, Professor."
He said, his voice dropping an octave.
"Just because you''re a professor doesn''t mean you''re untouchable.
If I so much as suspect that you''re plotting something—anything—against my sister…"
He moved swiftly, his hand shooting across the table to grip Can''s arm.
The professor stiffened as Leo''s fingers dug into his sleeve.
And the faint glow of red began to radiate from the prince''s palm.
The heat was subtle at first.
But it quickly intensified, burning through the fabric and searing into Can''s skin.
Leo''s voice was sharp, bitter.
"You will regret it.
I don''t care who you think you are or what strings you think you can pull.
If you dare to involve her—ever—I''ll see to it that your name is erased from history."
Can''s jaw tightened as he felt the burning sensation travel up his arm.
Despite the pain, he refused to flinch, ring at Leo with defiance.
"Your Highness..."
He said through gritted teeth.
"...with all due respect, I am loyal to the crown and to Ravenwood.
You might want to be careful about making baseless usations."
Leo held his gaze for a moment longer before abruptly letting go, the heat dissipating.
He leaned back into his chair, hisposure returning as if nothing had happened.
"Baseless, is it?"
Leo said with a mocking smile.
"Perhaps.
But I''ve found it''s better to act preemptively.
Don''t you agree?"
Can rubbed his arm discreetly, his skin still stinging from the prince''s grip.
"Preemptive actions can often lead to unintended consequences, Your Highness."
He replied, his tone measured.
"Take, for instance, a story of a kingdom at war.
A single decision, rash and unchecked, could lead to ships burned in the harbor, towers crumbling to the ground, and a king''s castle reduced to rubble.
All of it… gone in a single, decisive....
Boom!"
Leo narrowed his eyes.
"Are you threatening me, Professor?"
Can chuckled lightly, his expression calm but his words carrying a hidden edge.
"Not at all, Your Highness.
Merely speaking of the dangers of acting without certainty."
Just as the words left his lips, a deafening explosion tore through the air.
Both guards froze, their heads snapping toward the direction of Silvercrest Hall.
In the distance, mes erupted from one wing of the building, the fiery glow casting an ominous light across the garden.
The sound of shattering ss and crumbling stone echoed through the night.
Leo shot to his feet, his heart pounding.
His mind raced, and one thought consumed him.
''Her room.''
Can leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable.
A faint, smug smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he watched the chaos unfold.
Leo turned to him, his red eyes zing with fury.
"What did you do?"
---
ra, the daughter of the Velden Royal Family, sat gracefully before an expansive mirror.
Her fiery red hair cascading over her shoulders.
Behind her stood a maid, deftly running a brush through her silken locks.
"You look stunning, Your Highness."
The maid said, her voice soft but tinged with admiration.
ra smiled faintly at her reflection, her sharp red eyes betraying little emotion.
"You always say that, Fiona.
You''ll make me believe it one day."
Fiona chuckled as she continued brushing.
"One doesn''t have to believe what''s inly true.
Every strand of your hair is perfect, just like your position in life."
ra gave a halfugh, shaking her head.
"Perfect? Hardly. But thank you for trying to brighten my night."
The princess''s gaze shifted downward for a moment before she spoke again.
"Fiona, do you remember when that illegitimate son of the Ashbourne family... when he sent me that ridiculous letter?"
Fiona paused for a moment, considering.
"Yes, I do recall. He asked you out, didn''t he?"
ra smirked, a mix of amusement and disbelief ying on her face.
"That''s right.
He handed me a letter, bold as anything, asking me to go out with him.
When I refused, he simply... epted it.
No groveling, noints.
Just a in ''I understand.''
Isn''t that strange?"
Fiona nodded, her hands never faltering in their rhythmic brushing.
"Very strange, indeed.
Most nobles would have either pressed on or tried to make a scene
But I suppose Noah Ashbourne has always been... different."
"Different..."
ra repeated, almost as if testing the word.
"I''ve heard the rumors about him, you know.
How he acts without a shred of thought at times, yet at others, he''s supposedly scheming in ways no one can predict.
He''s...plicated."
Fiona snorted lightly, something she rarely allowed herself in the presence of her mistress.
"Complicated isn''t the word I''d use, Your Highness.
Disgusting, perhaps
Someone like him doesn''t deserve to even stand in your shadow, let alone make such a bold request."
ra leaned back slightly, her posture rxed.
"Disgusting or not, I hardly care.
The boy is irrelevant to me.
For now, all I care about is surpassing Leo and proving myself capable of taking the Blessed Sage title.
Once I be student council president, I''ll be one step closer to leaving his achievements in the dust."
Fiona set the brush aside and ced her hands on ra''s shoulders, meeting her eyes in the mirror.
"You will surpass him, Your Highness. There''s no doubt in my mind.
And when you do, it''ll be your name that resonates throughout the empire, not his."
ra smiled softly.
"Thank you, Fiona. Truly."
The moment was interrupted by a sudden realization.
ra snapped upright, her expression briefly one of panic.
"My mother''s amulet! I haven''t put it on!"
ra''s eyes widened slightly as ra continued.
"Ipletely forgot.
I can''t sleep without it.
What was I thinking?"
"Don''t worry, Your Highness.
I''ll fetch it for you."
Fiona moved swiftly to acquered drawer on the far side of the room.
Opening it carefully, she retrieved a small red box with golden trim.
Returning to ra, she opened the box to reveal a delicate golden ne adorned with an intricately designed amulet.
ra lowered her head as Fiona gently ced the amulet around her neck, sping it securely.
The princess let out a soft breath of relief, her hands brushing over the pendant.
"Much better," she murmured.
As Fiona adjusted the ne, she nced toward the mirror.
For the briefest moment, a strange grin flickered across her face, sharp and unnatural.
Before vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.
When ra raised her gaze to meet Fiona''s in the mirror, the maid''s expression was serene andposed once more.
"You look as radiant as ever, Your Highness," ra said, stepping back.
"Now, you should rest. Tomorrow is another important day."
ra nodded but didn''t immediately rise from her seat.
The room was quiet save for the faint sound of the wind brushing against the windows.
The amulet glowed faintly, a tendril of ck and red aura slipping from its edges before dissipating into the air.
ra didn''t seem to notice, her focus still on her reflection.
But Fiona''s eyes lingered on the pendant for a moment longer.
"Goodnight, Your Highness."
Fiona said, bowing slightly before retreating toward the door.