Chapter 121: Chapter 121 : Finally getting some screentime

It was Alicia von Crestvale.

Her entrance was like a silent thunderclap—elegant, sharp, and impossible to ignore. She glided through the ballroom like she owned it, and in a way, she did.

Her white hair gleamed under the soft chandelier lights, cascading down her back like liquid moonlight.

Each step was a statement of grace, nobility, and power. Conversations faltered. Cadets—first-years, second-years, and even bold third-years—paused mid-sentence just to gawk.

Alex, seated at the table with Charlotte and a bowl of suspiciously glowing fruit punch, lifted his eyes slowly.

’Here we go again,’ he thought.

Alicia didn’t bother with greetings. She walked straight up to him, heels clicking sharply on the marble floor.

“Come with me to the dance floor,” she said, her tone casual but her eyes already daring him to say no. “After all, that’s what you’re getting paid for.”

Alex’s mouth twitched. ’There it is. The illusion of dignity, shattered once more.’

“I don’t recall getting paid for dancing,” he replied flatly, keeping his eyes on her, already regretting every life choice that brought him here tonight.

Alicia smirked, the corner of her lips lifting with mischief. “And I don’t recall you ever saying anything about not dancing.”

Before Alex could offer a rebuttal, Alicia turned her head toward Charlotte. Her gaze sharpened, eyes narrowing just a fraction as she gave a sideways smirk.

“Char, would you mind?” she asked, her voice dripping with dangerous politeness.

Charlotte, who had been watching the exchange with thinly veiled amusement, stiffened slightly. She gave a small, awkward laugh and swallowed hard.

“Of course you can take him, sis. He was being useless and annoying sitting here anyway.”

Alex’s mouth twitched again. ’Was that not the other way around?’

He turned back to Alicia, giving her a deadpan look. “I do have the right to refuse, right?”

Alicia gave a wicked smile. “No, you don’t. Now come with me to the stage.”

Before he could protest further, she grabbed him by the collar like a misbehaving puppy and began dragging him through the stunned crowd. Cadets parted like the Red Sea, their eyes following the bizarre scene.

Alex let his body go limp, his face blank. “Should’ve written another mana contract,” he muttered. “With a clause: payment required for dancing.”

Back at the table, Charlotte watched them go with a long sigh.

’Looks like he really wasn’t joking when he said he was getting paid to attend this with those two,’ she thought, shaking her head.

A smirk curved her lips. ’Still… I wonder how he managed to catch the attention of both of them. Even the third-years practically worship the ground they both walk on. And yet here we are…’

Out of the corner of her eye, Charlotte noticed movement and turned slightly. Evelyn had been watching the scene too. Their eyes met. Charlotte gave her a small wave, and Evelyn nodded in return.

Charlotte looked at Alex. ’Then again… with that guy, anything feels possible.’

With a slight shake of her head, Charlotte stood and began moving toward Evelyn’s table, her heels clicking quietly against the marble. As she walked, she glanced toward the dance floor where Alicia was still dragging Alex.

’And here I was… actually thinking of asking him to dance,’ she thought with an internal groan. ’But nope, big sis beat me to it. Figures.’

Meanwhile, near the edge of the dance floor…

“Darling,” Alex said in a tone full of exaggerated affection, “you do realize you’re not paying me for dancing, right?”

Alicia’s mouth twitched, just once.

Dangerously.

“You can either dance with those useless legs of yours,” she said sweetly, “or leave the ball without dancing… and also without those useless legs.”

She smiled.

“So. Which option would you like?”

Then, leaning closer, her smile widened with innocent cruelty.

“Personally, I recommend the second one—just for you.”

Alex gulped hard. ’Why do I feel like she’s not bluffing…?’

“The first option’s starting to look better,” he said quickly.

Alicia smirked triumphantly. “That’s what I thought.”

Letting go of his collar at last, she straightened her dress as Alex stood up on his own, brushing off invisible dust from his blazer with exaggerated drama.

He sighed, resigning himself to fate. “Yeah, yeah… It’s not like you actually want to dance with me or anything, right?”

“Hmph.” Alicia turned her face away, a small blush dusting her cheeks. “O-Of course not! Who would want to dance with you? I’m doing this just because of my mother.”

’Is she blushing,’ Alex noted. ’Yep. Definitely blushing. What’s with all the tsunderes in this world?’

Unbeknownst to them, half the ballroom had paused to observe the unexpected duo stepping onto the stage.

Even Ethan couldn’t help but glance over. He had been dancing with Ophelia, who currently had her arms wrapped tightly around his neck in a headlock that was supposed to resemble romantic closeness.

Nearby, Seraphina crossed her arms, annoyed. “This isn’t fair. I wanted to go first.”

Lilia, standing near her and having just finished a dance, said, “You guys settled this with rock-paper-scissors and she won.”

Back on the dance floor, Ethan blinked as he watched Alicia lead Alex forward.

’Wait a minute… why is big sis dragging him to the stage?’

Ophelia leaned closer, nearly knocking him off balance. “What are you looking at?”

“N-Nothing,” Ethan replied, trying to breathe as her grip tightened.

’Why does dancing with ladies always feel like a battlefield?’

Alden was also dancing with Ava nearby, his movements sharp and deliberate, but his eyes were anything but focused on his partner. Instead, they were locked on the stage—specifically on Alex and Alicia.

His jaw clenched, and he gritted his teeth so hard Ava could practically hear it.

Suddenly, Ethan, who was also nearby, muttered in a low voice.

“Looks like he was serious when he called you brother-in-law,” Ethan whispered, his tone laced with poorly suppressed amusement.

A visible vein twitched on Alden’s forehead.

Ava and Ophelia, dancing nearby, both burst out laughing the moment they heard that.

Alden narrowed his eyes. “Shut up, you three-timing scumbag. Deal with your own messes first.”

Then smirking, Alden added, “Who knows? Instead of me, you might become his brother-in-law. You remember he came with your sister too, right?”

This time, a vein twitched on Ethan’s own forehead at the mention of his sister. He snapped, “What did you just say, you bastard?”

Ava and Ophelia laughed even harder, barely able to keep in step.

Ophelia, still clinging a bit too closely to Ethan while dancing, smiled sweetly—but her eyes gleamed with icy menace. “You know, darling, he’s right. Instead of being worried about Miss Evelyn, you really should start dealing with the pests circling around you first.”

Then she leaned in closer, her voice soft and almost melodic. “Or I will.”

Ethan swallowed hard, a nervous chuckle escaping his lips. ’Why does her smile not reach her eyes right now?’ he thought, sweat forming at his temple.

Alden chuckled for real this time, unable to hold it in. “Now that’s karma.”

Meanwhile, on the other side of the ballroom, another presence was far less amused.

Elias stood still, a champagne glass in his hand, his jaw clenched so tightly it looked like he might crack a molar. His eyes—no, his glare—remained locked onto Alex and Alicia, watching them walk side by side toward the stage.

’It’s him again,’ Elias seethed. ’The more I try to ignore that damn commoner, the more he takes what’s mine.’

He watched Alex chuckle at something Alicia said, and Alicia—his Alicia—smirk in response.

’How dare he? How dare he go up there with her, grabbing her attention like that?’ Elias thought. ’Ever since the entrance ceremony, when I first saw her… I knew she was different. I was mesmerized. And yet I haven’t even spoken to her properly once. Just watched from afar.

’And now here she is. With him. Laughing, teasing, bantering like they’ve known each other for years.’

“That bastard!”

Elias crushed the stem of the wine glass with his grip, shards of crystal falling to the floor as he murmured, “Just because he’s a little skilled with a sword, he thinks everyone should kneel before him.”

His breathing turned heavier.

’He even injured her during the duel! So why is she walking with him now?!’

His eyes narrowed further. “And that idiot Lorenzo—useless fool. Couldn’t even handle a street rat.”

Elias took a step forward, determination radiating from him like a storm cloud. “Looks like I’ll have to take matters into my own hands.”

As Alex and Alicia continued toward the dance floor, playfully arguing about her threatening to break his legs, Elias cut across the room, moving directly into their path.

He stopped just ahead of them, straightening his overly decorated posture, his hand resting dramatically on his chest as he spoke, “Lady Alicia, it is an honor to meet you face to face.”

Both Alicia and Alex came to a halt. Alicia raised a brow, while Alex squinted at the sudden interruption.

Standing before them was a blonde-haired young man in a ridiculously flashy navy-blue tuxedo adorned with gold lining, frilled cuffs, a lion-emblazoned cape, and white gloves that shimmered under the ballroom lights.

His expression oozed confidence—the kind that practically screamed, ’I am above everyone.’ He looked decent—handsome by general standards—but held himself with the air of someone convinced the world was already his.

Alicia narrowed her eyes. “Who are you?”

Elias’s confident smile wavered at that.

“My lady, I’m the one who has been sending you flowers every day… with handwritten letters. I’ve been leaving them outside the Student Council office. Surely you must’ve read them?”

There was a brief silence.

Then realization flashed in Alicia’s eyes. “Ah… so you’re the stalker.”

Alex nearly bent over laughing.

A few of the nearby couples who’d overheard—including Ava, Alden, Ophelia, and Ethan—choked on their laughter as well.

Elias’s mouth fell open, the color draining slightly from his face.

Alex wiped a tear from his eye, still laughing, then a realization dawned on him. ’Wait… isn’t this the same dude that was throwing death glares at me during the entrance exam? Then poof—he vanished from the plot. Looks like he finally got some screen time.’

Meanwhile, Elias was gritting his teeth hard, glaring at Alex.

Alex, meanwhile, muttered, “What did I do? She’s the one who said it.”

———

A/N:

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