Chapter 111: Chapter 111 : Dates(2)

Alden’s breath hitched audibly the moment Ava Green walked toward them. He stood frozen, his mouth slightly open, as though he’d seen a goddess descend from the heavens.

Ethan, meanwhile, was also caught in a daze, his gaze fixated on Seraphina Starlight. Her gown flowed like liquid moonlight, catching the glow of the spire’s crystal lamps.

She looked ethereal, with her long blue hair cascading down her back like a waterfall and silver earrings shaped like crescent moons glinting against her pale skin.

Charlotte noticed their expressions instantly. She leaned toward Ava and whispered, “Looks like he really likes you, doesn’t he?”

Ava’s cheeks flushed a soft red, and she tried to hide it behind a polite smile.

Charlotte smirked mischievously and, raising her voice just enough for the boys to hear, said, “Can you two stop gawking? Or should I gouge out both of your eyes?”

Both Ethan and Alden snapped out of their trance immediately, awkwardly straightening up like scolded students.

“Who’s gawking?” they both said in unison, trying and failing to sound innocent.

Everyone laughed—except for Ophelia Sinclair, who stood beside Ethan with narrowed eyes and a sweet smile that didn’t quite reach her gaze.

Lilia sidled up beside her and whispered in her ear, “Looks like your competition is, as always, pretty tough, Ophelia.”

Ophelia didn’t even glance back. She simply gave a small, chilling smile and said, “That won’t be the case for long. I assure you.”

The tension simmered beneath her voice, barely masked by the playful tone.

Alden, trying to move things along and now a bit uncomfortable with all the heated glances, looked toward Charlotte. “So, Char, who are you going with? You do have a partner, right? Or did Alex’s rejection convince you to fly solo?”

Charlotte’s expression darkened instantly. Her eye twitched.

“What the hell did you just say? I didn’t quite hear it. Why don’t you say it again?” Her voice was calm—too calm. The kind that comes before a storm.

Sensing the incoming pressure, Alden’s bravado crumbled. “That—uh—that was what those two morons, Draven and Ethan, told me to say! I was against it from the start!”

He turned, dramatically pointing at them. “Are you guys happy now?!”

Draven raised both hands like he was surrendering. “I didn’t say anything! This bastard is lying!”

Ethan stammered, “Yeah! We—we just asked what she was wearing! That’s it!”

Charlotte glared at them both. The air grew colder.

Just before things escalated, Seraphina stepped forward with her hands raised. “Okay, okay, that’s enough. We’re here to enjoy ourselves, not to cause a scene.”

Ophelia stepped forward right after, smiling sweetly. “And who made you the one in charge, Miss Seraphina?”

Their eyes locked.

A low crackle of invisible tension filled the air, like energy clashing between titans. The two girls exchanged no further words, but everyone could feel the animosity.

Lilia, naturally, was watching this with great amusement, sipping imaginary tea as though she were watching the most dramatic soap opera.

Alden decided to defuse the tension once more. “Char, you still didn’t tell us who you’re going with.”

Before Charlotte could speak, footsteps approached from behind. Two figures emerged—one was a handsome red-haired boy in a dark crimson suit with golden trim, and beside him was a tall, elegant girl in a silky silver gown.

It was Lorenzo D’Vaire and Maria Lunehart.

Charlotte raised her hand with a smirk and pointed at Lorenzo. “This is the guy I’m going with tonight.”

Everyone went dead silent.

Every person there knew exactly what that meant. Lorenzo had been at the center of massive controversy not long ago—beaten half to death in the cafeteria, bullied relentlessly by Carl Dimitri’s gang, and essentially blacklisted from the social circles of upper-tier first-years.

The very name Lorenzo D’Vaire had become a warning label.

Draven blinked in disbelief. Ethan opened his mouth to speak but couldn’t form words.

It wasn’t just the beating. Lorenzo’s troubles ran deep. Ever since the incident with Alex, he’d become a magnet for suffering. Carl’s goons would corner him at every chance, and the second-year bullies had made him their personal entertainment.

He couldn’t complain to his family either—his father, Magna D’Vaire, was infamous for his ruthless discipline. Reporting weakness would only get Lorenzo disowned—or worse, replaced as heir.

Even the student council had proven useless. Every time a bully was caught, a new one stepped in like a hydra growing back heads.

The karma was brutal. Lorenzo was now living in the very cycle he once enforced on others.

And now, his only lifeline was to cling to someone with influence. That someone was Charlotte Evans Avaloria—who, despite the whispers behind her back, had enough clout to keep Lorenzo protected. If not from physical harm, then from social annihilation.

Nobody said a word. Not out loud.

But in all their minds, the same thought echoed ’ What the hell is Charlotte thinking?’

Lorenzo looked around nervously, his eyes shifting from face to face like a cornered animal in a den of predators. “H-Hi,” he muttered, barely above a whisper.

Everyone just stared at him.

Deadpan. Unamused.

This was the same guy who once tried to bully their devil of a friend—Alex Dragonheart—and got utterly destroyed.

Now he stood here, spineless and nervous, barely able to maintain eye contact. They all knew what had happened to him after that—the constant bullying, the social downfall—but none of them had lifted a finger to help. Because in truth, he was only suffering from the same poison he once dished out.

The silence grew heavy.

Alden finally broke it with a chuckle that turned into full-blown laughter. “You can’t be serious, Char. This coward? This spineless wreck is your partner?” He leaned closer, smug amusement dancing in his eyes. “You’re only doing this to get back at Alex, aren’t you?”

Charlotte’s expression immediately darkened. “Shut up,” she snapped.

Alden raised his hands in mock surrender, still grinning.

Charlotte crossed her arms and said icily, “That guy begged me. Begged. On his knees. Said he wanted to talk to Alex—ask for his help.” She turned toward Lorenzo. “Isn’t that right?”

Lorenzo’s face turned even paler. “But Your Highness, I only did all that in the cafeteria because you promi—”

He didn’t get to finish.

Charlotte’s eyes widened and in an instant, she stepped toward him, looping her arm around his and giving a plastic smile to the others. “Oh, would you look at the time! We should get going. The ball doesn’t wait, after all!”

As she turned to leave, she leaned close to Lorenzo and whispered into his ear in a tone so icy it could freeze blood. “Shut your mouth if you want to stay in this academy. If you say anything about our deal again, I’ll make sure to make your life even more hellish.”

Lorenzo’s breath hitched, and he nodded wordlessly.

The rest of the group was about to move on when their attention was pulled to someone else—Maria Lunehart, the girl who had arrived quietly at Lorenzo’s side.

She stepped forward calmly, her expression serene and elegant. All eyes turned to her.

“I greet the Chosen One,” she said, bowing slightly toward Ethan, her voice clear and reverent.

Ethan sighed the moment she opened her mouth. He stepped forward with a sheepish expression. “Maria, I’ve told you like, ten times already. Just call me Ethan. No need for all these formalities—they give me a migraine.”

Maria smiled. “Understood. Okay, Ethan.”

Her smile was soft, bordering on affectionate. A few heads turned.

Ophelia suddenly stepped forward, her arms folded and her eyes sharp. Her voice, while gentle on the surface, was laced with subtle venom. “Darling… don’t tell me…”

Ethan scratched the back of his head and gave a weak laugh. “Haha… yeah. She’s, uh… she’s also coming with me to the ball.”

Dead silence.

Every single person in the group just stared at him. Seraphina just blinked in disbelief. Ava’s eyebrows raised slightly.

Draven mouthed what the hell, while Alden looked like he was about to burst out laughing again.

Ophelia just smiled, lips twitching slightly. “Of course she is,” she said, though her gaze had gone several degrees colder.

—

Meanwhile…

A silver-haired young man stood calmly in front of the towering entrance to the building reserved for third-year top cadets. His long silver hair fluttered slightly in the wind, and his sharp blue eyes narrowed at the five upperclassmen blocking his path.

They looked at him with expressions ranging from confusion to disbelief.

“Third-year-only wing,” one said. “You lost, kid?”

Alex exhaled slowly, eyes half-lidded in annoyance.

’Lily… your big brother is really going through hell for you.’

He rolled his shoulders, muttering under his breath, “The sacrifices we make for our kids…”

Then he stepped forward.

—

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