Chapter 75: Burnt Marks


    In all of our training sessions, it has never left my keen observation that Alexander Crimson, the very guy who is so heartless to reject my confession for him the other day, had not spared with a single look for a tiny, ever-so-brief moment these past few weeks ever since that unfateful incident.


    The rejection that I received was far more bearable than him not speaking to me (or even looking in my direction) at all. He set the mood and did all those sorts of indecent actions towards me the other night, yes.


    But why is it that I shall be the only one to suffer the consequences?


    Is this really the normal case for a meremoner such as myself? At first, I deemed him to be heartless. But I didn''t have any single idea that was indeed his true nature. And I was an idiot to fall for a guy like him.


    "Again!"


    Alex''s sharp roar echoed through the corners of the open backyard of the castle while we did my set of lessons for the day that sends my mind back to what we are currently doing.


    He was the one to chose the venue of our training for the past few weeks, and ording to him, it would only be appropriate if the training would be held in an open field such as this (especially when it is just the two of us, unchaperoned), but of course, provided that no single soul is allowed here except for my three mentors.


    And speaking of the other two mentors, they definitely chose a great timing to be absent in this time of emotional crisis and went on their separate ways to run some important errands.


    I stretched my palms forward and tried again-- for the nth time-- the magic spell that he was instructing me to do right now. A sh of red, sparkling light first emerged from the scene thatter grew into arge, unbearable zing fire. I must admit that I must have let my emotions y a part in this one to the point that I lost control of it.


    In the next couple of minutes, I spend my time desperately trying to extinguish the me that is still widely floating just above my palms.


    And when I did seed in doing so, it left visible patches of burnt skin in both of my hands that signals an excruciating pain beyond control. A tear almost rolled out of my cheek if it hadn''t been my pride not to cry in front of him that immediately stopped it from surfacing out of my cheeks.


    Seeing my face wincing from the pain that the drawback from the spell had caused on me, I heard Alex made an exasperated sigh before making a statement.


    "I believe we should call this a day," he said and immediately left me here, still suffering for my carelessness-- like he is already doing to me recently.


    I wanted to seize this moment and yell at him, you know pour out my anger at him for abandoning me like this. And I am not simply talking about my burnt skin here, but the way he is cruelly torturing me inside at the moment.


    But I can''t, or I will startle every ear that could hear my words if I start wailing here like a child.


    I can''t help but wish to whoever God is listening right now, that they must make haste already in finding the real prince. Because heaven knows how much longer can I cope up with this emotional pain that builds inside of me.


    Sighing, I was just about to go back inside the castle as well when an unknown man came rushing here, a man that I know I have already seen but had only forgotten his name.


    "Caesar, your majesty. Your royal doctor, in case you have forgotten." the stranger made a swift introduction upon seeing how confused my face looked like the moment I saw him rushing here.


    Ah, yes. The royal doctor, personally assigned to take care of the prince. I have already seen him twice back in the days when I was still too dumb to handle fire magic.


    "Greetings. But I did not recall summoning my personal doctor here." I said, still confused why he is here in the first ce.


    "Mr. Alex was the one to tell me to make haste and cure your burns as soon as possible." Then he made a quick notion toe into my direction and examined my burns. "Now, if I must, I shall start healing your burnt marks in a jiffy."


    And he did his thing in curing the burns. My lips parted when I realized one thing.


    Maybe, that guy is not so heartless after all


    ---


    {We shall go back to the day Krise was released from the infirmary after the sting incident happened at Gilead Academy}


    ...


    -THIRD PERSON-


    Krise was so stubborn that it annoys the sorts of captain Alex. She was clearly told not to go to her school unless they make sure that she is truly fine, but she still insisted on her ways and went to that very same school where she has been hurt the other day.


    Heaven knows how it annoyed the hell out of him. That girl can be really a pain in the neck sometimes, he thought.


    So he did what he thought is a must-do at this point. And that is to hunt those culprits who have been responsible for what happened to her during her locking incident, and make them pay for what they did to her.


    He disguised himself first like that of a teenage student''s form, wearing a pair of fake thick-framed sses to add to his geekish look. Alex mimics the uniform of the prominent Gilead Academy with the aid of magic.


    And when he believed everything is already settled, he started teleporting his way towards the very entrance of the school. He made sure to duck his head as he made his way inside the school along with other multitudes of students who happen to be also with him that kept the attention of the guard away from him.


    While he walks in the hallways of the school building, he also can''t help but wonder what the hell is wrong with him and why is he doing this in the first ce. There hadn''t be anyone-- save it be for the real prince-- that he extended this kind of effort for someone.


    And being oblivious to his own feelings, Alex couldn''te up with a clear, thorough exnation of why is he doing this in the first ce.


    But since he is already here, might as well stop himself from thinking such nonsense things and concentrate his main goal and reason as to why he is here in the first ce.


    The students that chose to standby on the sides of the hallways either alone or with their friends started throwing weird gazes at me that he just simply ignored, a natural thing to do for him -- as natural as breathing.


    If Alex recalls it properly, that stubborn girl surprisingly belongs to ss 1-A, where the staff deploys the best of the students who were able to pass the entrance exams with exceptionally high marks.


    And here Alex thought that the girl he was training to almost be as good as the wizard for the past three months now, he believes, is anything but a pure dummy-- especially when ites to executing her magic.


    Oh, how fun it is for him to remember the very first time Krise attempted to do her first spell right in front of him. Every time his mind recalls it, he can''t help butugh (and snort, when is alone in his room of course) at the girl''s misfortune.


    But nheless, thed tried going at the said room, activated his invisibility through chanting a spell (without even giving a damn care if anyone sees him doing it or not), and entered the ssroom, the door being surprisingly opened already.


    The very first thing that caught his attention was, of course, the mulish girl who happens to be known as Krise, reading something from the sheets of paper as loud, and emotionally, as she could. It was on those words that are so very romantic to hear that he almost believed that was directed for him,


    But that would be foolish of him to assume, right?


    He pulled himself together and tried to focus on pinpointing the main suspects for her misfortune the other day for the next couple of minutes.


    And when he already did identify them solely based on the mean look on their faces (or at least, that''s what he thought) Alex wasted no time and confronted them outside the school building, somewhere in the school field that is away from the prying eyes of other students.


    "Listen to this very carefully," Alex spat the words with so much hate at the two unfortunatedies that were forced to face his wrath. By now, he made it sure that they can see him, but still, in his disguise form, that is.


    And by now, thesedies were tied on their arms to prevent them from using magic against him.


    "If I shall see youying even just one strand of Krise''s hair, I shall see to it that you will be paying for it with your dear lives." he threatened without caring to question if he did get the right gals or not.


    The girls, in return, quickly nodded at him in haste. They surely did not know the guy, that is for sure. But there is something in his eyes that makes them believe that he is deadly serious about his threat, yet they can''t tell why.


    "Good," he said, snapping his fingers to untie them in an instant.


    The allegedly-used ssmates of Krise, who were actually known in their ss as Jill''s minions, were already prepared to take their revenge on him.


    But before they had the opportunity to do so, the strange guy had already disappeared into their sight in just a blink of an eye.