Chapter 37: Classmate

“Is that… you, Classmate Grey?” Sophia’s voice trembled in disbelief as her eyes widened.

She looked him up and down carefully, unable to reconcile the man before her with the image of the Grey she remembered. Back in class, Grey had been nothing but a troublemaker, a nuisance that everyone despised for his unruly personality. Sophia herself hadn’t thought much of him either—in fact, she had considered him an eyesore.

Yet now, standing before her, he looked entirely different.

Plastic surgery, Sophia concluded inwardly, her lips pressing into a thin line. That had to be it.

In her eyes, Grey was nothing more than Alissa’s useless brother, shamelessly riding on her coattails. And now, to top it off, he had gone so far as to change his face just to escape the mediocrity he was born with.

Her opinion of him, already poor, sank even lower.

Grey could never become an Evolver—that was already a fact set in stone. Instead of accepting reality and living quietly, he had chosen vanity, wasting money to change his appearance. Knowing his background, Sophia was even more convinced. Grey’s family was just middle-class, his father’s income modest at best. There was no way he could afford such a thing on his own.

No, the only explanation was obvious—he was squandering Alissa’s money.

Disgraceful.

At the same time, Grey was confused, he had no idea who the girl in front of him was, he tried to jog the memories of the “old” Grey and eventually bits of information appeared in his mind.

She was Sophia who had a similar background to him and was considered the flower of his class, she had certain influence over the boys and they would always flock around her.

Then, Sophia continued speaking, her voice laced with thinly veiled contempt.

“What are you doing here, Grey?” she asked coldly. “There’s nothing in the Golden Chamber that would be of use to you. Everything here is far too expensive—and only for Evolvers.”

Her words weren’t particularly loud, but the surrounding people still caught snippets of her tone. A few curious eyes drifted toward Grey, assessing him with mild interest. To them, Sophia’s words made sense—why would an ordinary person show up in a place meant for elites?

Sophia crossed her arms, her lips curving into a faint smirk as she pressed on.

“You should know your limits. Pretending to be something you’re not will only end in humiliation. Instead of wasting your time here, you should just go back and live a quiet life. At least then you won’t drag your sister down any further.”

Her eyes, filled with disdain, swept across Grey as though she were looking at a clown.

People like Grey disgusted her the most—useless men who leech off others and still dared to show their faces in places they didn’t belong. She didn’t even mind looking down on him publicly. After all, what could he do? He wasn’t even an Evolver.

“…”

Grey froze for a moment, caught off guard. He never expected to be openly belittled by a classmate, much less here, in front of strangers.

He really didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

He hadn’t even said a word to Sophia, hadn’t provoked her in the slightest—yet somehow, she was treating him as though his mere presence was offensive.

All he had done was mind his own business, but apparently, even that was too much for some people.

“…” Even Lia was slightly surprised. Her crimson eyes flicked toward Grey’s stunned expression, and for the first time, she found herself feeling a trace of sympathy.

Just as she was about to rebuke Sophia, a sudden presence interrupted them.

A middle-aged man with a plump figure, neatly combed hair, and a mustache paired with a sharp goatee approached briskly. His aura wasn’t particularly fierce, but the way he carried himself made it clear he held an important position here.

“Miss Lia!” the man greeted warmly, his round face splitting into an enthusiastic smile as he bowed slightly. “Your butler has already informed us of your arrival. We have been waiting for you!”

Sophia’s eyes widened, her breath catching in her throat as the name sank in.

“L-Lia…?” she stammered, her face paling. “Y-You’re that Lia… the top genius of Nova City… and the d-daughter of the City Lord?!”

The words slipped out before she could stop them. Around them, a few nearby onlookers turned their heads, shocked by the revelation.

Grey, too, blinked in surprise. City Lord’s daughter? He had known Lia was wealthy, but he hadn’t expected this. He thought she was just some pampered young lady from a prominent family—never would he have guessed she was the daughter of Nova City’s ruler.

At that moment, the middle-aged man adjusted his goatee and glanced at Sophia with a polite but sharp look.

“Miss Lia,” he said with concern, “was this girl troubling you? I happened to hear a commotion from this direction, though I don’t know what exactly transpired.”

Sophia’s heart instantly skipped a beat. Cold sweat trickled down her back as she realized the gravity of her mistake. She had openly mocked Grey… in front of the City Lord’s daughter! If a word of this reached the wrong ears, her life in Nova City would become unbearable.

I’m in deep trouble…!

“This…” Sophia’s voice trembled, her mind scrambling for an excuse.

But before she could say anything, Grey waved his hand lightly, his voice calm and indifferent.

“Nothing happened.”

Sophia heaved a sigh of relief and quickly forced a smile. “Yes, I was just greeting the customer,”

she hurriedly explained to the manager, her voice trembling as she tried to smooth things over.

But before the manager could reply, Lia’s cold voice cut in.

“No,”

She interjected sharply, her crimson eyes narrowing. “Something did happen.”

She turned to Sophia, her gaze icy. “She wasn’t greeting anyone. She was being extremely rude to my friend. Looking down on him, mocking him, even saying he had no place here.”

The atmosphere instantly shifted.

The manager’s expression darkened, his once-friendly smile vanishing as he turned toward Sophia. His sharp glare landed on her like a hammer. “Sophia!” he barked. “Is this true?”

Sophia’s face went pale as a sheet. Her knees trembled, and her lips moved soundlessly. Horror filled her eyes. It’s over… it’s really over… I’ll definitely be kicked out now!

The manager’s voice thundered again. “Do you not know the rules of this place? How dare you insult a guest in the Golden Chamber! If Miss Lia herself had not spoken up, were you planning to lie straight to my face?!”

“N-no, Manager, I—” Sophia stammered, but her excuse was cut off by his furious glare.

Grey, who had been quietly watching, sighed and looked at Lia helplessly. “It’s fine. I didn’t take it seriously. Just let her go.”

Lia glanced at him but said nothing, her cold expression softening only slightly.

The manager straightened, offering a respectful bow to Grey and Lia before turning back to Sophia with a steely glare.

“Since Miss Lia’s friend has spoken on your behalf, I will overlook this matter once. But understand this clearly, Sophia—if I ever hear of you behaving this way again, you won’t even have the right to step foot inside the Golden Chamber.”

Sophia lowered her head, her face burning with humiliation. She dared not say a word.

He then turned to Lia and Grey and invited them in. “Please, Miss Lia and Miss Lia’s friend, let me take you to the VIP Room.”

Soon, Lia and Grey followed him into the VIP room. On the way, Grey spoke.

“You didn’t really have to say anything. It’s common for people to misinterpret my metamorphosis as plastic surgery, especially those who knew me before. It’s only natural she’d think that way. Explaining it is more troublesome than reacting to it. Besides,” Grey smiled playfully, “something like that wouldn’t bother me one bit. Still, I appreciate you standing up for me.”

“Hmph, if I didn’t say anything, she would’ve just kept humiliating you in public,” Lia said with a small huff. “You should be grateful to this Young Miss.”

“Of course, I’m grateful!” Grey grinned. “How about I become your personal instructor as a way to pay you back?”

“I’ll take you up on that offer,” Lia replied, rolling her eyes.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep