Chapter 224: Chapter 223- Reconsider

“It feels quiet here,” Ariana said as she filled the spoon with some broth and brought it to her lips.

Adrian smiled faintly. “I felt it too.”

The silence itself wasn’t bothersome—far from it. He and Ariana usually shared dinner in peaceful quiet, and they both enjoyed it. But tonight, the absence felt different. Lately, they had grown used to hearing a certain girl’s voice—one that was always vibrant, expressive, and full of life.

She would praise the food, grumble about eating greens, or suddenly start sharing stories from her past—often without context or warning.

Adrian looked up from his bowl and asked, “Didn’t you say you didn’t like how much she talked?”

Ariana nodded. “The first day, it was a little annoying hearing her whine about everything. But… soon, I started to understand her. She’s incredibly pure. She holds back a lot, but once she’s with someone she trusts, she turns into a chatterbox.”

Adrian nodded in agreement. “She stopped trusting people a long time ago. Unless someone gives her a damn good reason to, she never shows her real self. And the way she protects herself—it makes her seem cold and arrogant to others.”

Ariana added softly, “To me, it’s her way of pushing people away. She knows the world better than I do, so she wraps herself in a skin no one can pierce. She only shows others the parts of her that make them wary.”

Unintentionally, the two ended up speaking only about Annabelle—through dinner and even while cleaning up afterward.

Before long, they were lying side by side in bed, staring at the ceiling.

“She’s a good girl,” Ariana murmured. “If you ever decide to make her your bride, I think I could tolerate her.”

Adrian turned to her, a little caught off guard. “I don’t plan on doing that.”

Ariana shifted, lying on her stomach as she looked him in the eye. One brow raised as she spoke.

“And yet… you clearly don’t plan on distancing yourself from her either, do you?”

Adrian didn’t hesitate. He simply shook his head.

Ariana chuckled softly. “Then it’s only a matter of time. She will make her way into your heart. Someone like her won’t stop until she does. I know it.”

Adrian didn’t respond to that.

A brief silence lingered before she asked, “Do you need to wake up early tomorrow?”

He sighed and said, “Yeah. I need to assess Allen’s performance to finalize his place in the team.”

Ariana hummed softly, then slowly got up from the bed. “What a shame,” she murmured, and with a mischievous glint in her eye, began walking toward the bathroom.

With each step, a piece of her clothing was casually discarded—first the outer layer, then the next—until her shirt slipped off her shoulder. She paused at the door, glancing back at him with a teasing smirk tugging at her lips.

Adrian swallowed hard.

That was all the invitation he needed.

Without a word, he pushed himself off the bed and followed her in. Needless to say, the night stretched longer than planned—and by the time they finally fell asleep, it was already two in the morning.

°°°°°°

The next morning, Allen woke up early—just like he always did. But today, he had something different in mind when he stepped out of his room.

There was no jog scheduled. No warm-up routine. Instead, he was headed straight to the gym.

Professor Adrian had personally asked him to come.

Allen wasn’t entirely sure why. Was he about to receive private training? Or was Adrian planning to test each member of the team individually?

“But isn’t his role more about managing the team as a whole?” Allen wondered as he walked. Still, he wasn’t opposed to the idea of being taught one-on-one. Not at all.

After all, he had seen the man fight—had seen him bleed, seen him rise, and force his opponents to their knees.

Adrian might not have the same aura of experience as the Headmistress or the other senior instructors of the academy, but the man had a different kind of edge. One forged not by time, but by instinct.

And that—more than anything—was what Allen respected most about him: his raw, unshakable battle sense.

So yes, it would be an honor for Allen to train under him. Maybe, just maybe, he would finally understand what he was lacking—why he ended up in a role he neither desired nor prepared for.

After a long walk through the front plaza and past the rear courtyard of the main building, Allen finally arrived at the indoor gymnasium.

Inside, a few students were scattered about, stretching or going through warm-ups. But at the center of one of the combat arenas stood a figure Allen immediately recognized.

Professor Adrian.

Allen approached him with firm steps before offering a polite greeting. “Good morning, sir.”

Adrian gave a nod in return. His arms were crossed, and for the first time, Allen noticed something unusual: dark circles under his eyes.

Did he not sleep well? Allen wondered silently.

But the moment Adrian spoke, all doubts faded. His voice was calm, steady, and sharp.

Only his eyes were tired—the rest of him was very much alert.

“Do you know why you were called here?”

Adrian asked, his gaze fixed and unreadable.

Allen hesitated for a moment before answering what he thought was obvious.

“To give me personal coaching to help me perform better?” he replied honestly. It made sense—after all, Allen and Altia were the only ones still falling behind.

Individually, they did well. But when it came to teamwork, they struggled. Maybe this meeting was about improving that?

However—

“No, that’s not it,” Adrian said, shaking his head. Then he nodded toward someone behind Allen.

Allen turned around—and saw three students, he couldn’t recognise, walking up.

Adrian went on, “I called you here for your re-assessment.”

Allen’s eyes widened. Re-assessment?

He hadn’t expected that.

Was this… a chance to become one of the attackers?

But Adrian wasn’t done.

“You need to protect these three,” he said. “Either defend them, or make your way to me. The choice is yours.” As he said, he took out his revolver, sliding a bullet into one of the chambers.

His tone hardened as he continued, “You’ll get three chances to show me what you’ve got. Depending on your performance, I might reconsider your position in the team.”

Allen’s expression turned serious. His eyes gleamed with resolve.

“I’ll give it my all,” he said.

°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading.

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