"What's going on here?!"

Suddenly, everyone's eyes turned to the room's doorway. There stood the feared batch representative slash president, Clay, holding papers from a meeting. His eyes were glowering over them, dangerously so, as if he'd been provoked by something. Was he standing there since the moment the issue started? Or did he just came back from his duties? No one knows, everyone's just too scared to move at the moment.

Clay had always been scary, but his expression right now is much more scarier than what he usually wore and no one dares to find out what he will do any moment now if he was irritated further.

"N-Nothing really, we're just...uh.." Anastasius tried to break the tension to protect Clay's image, he had thought that if Clay were to continue wearing that expression of is, he would lose the chance of showing what he truly is to their clasmates. But because of shock and panic from the situation, even he couldn't find an excuse about what is actually happening.

"Lord Yoshioka! I'm really sorry, this is all my fault, everyone just wanted to protect me from Lord Clarimiéres but I don't really think he's at fault here," she sniffled "Maybe I'm just too sensitive so when he reprimanded me..."

Brittany glared at her even stronger now, even using the word "protect" as if saying she's being bullied right now. She took a look at Anastasius to see his expression and saw him wearing a conflicted face that she'd never seen before.

Reprimanded, Anastasius said in his mind, isn't that word too harsh? I only told her the school's rule...

"You're not in the wrong here Lady Adalene, it is true that Lord Clarimiéres was too harsh on you, it is only normal to react like that." Goaded their classmates that are on Cassandra's side.

"No I-"

"You need not to explain yourself any more Lady Adalene, I think already have an idea about what happened," Clay interrupted, even though he really wanted to hear the explanation, he couldn't take the risk of letting the new student ruin Anastasius' image any longer than that. He knows this kind of situation fully well, since he's been in Anastasius' shoes before.

"Lord Clarimiéres, it was righteous of you to correct Lady Adalene's manners but you should mind your tone in front of a lady, although I didn't witness the act first hand so I'll be giving you the benefit of the doubt." Anastasius lifted his head to look at him, wearing an unreadable expression now. Clay tried to read him but eventually failed, so he decided to just continue what he was saying,

"While you, Lady Adalene, should review the Academy's rules and regulations first before acting so carelessly, this is not a field for you to impose your hollow justice to anyone." Cassandra flinched at his words, her pitiful expression faltering a little.

"Besides, crying over someone correcting your mistake is such an immature thing to do. I expected more of this from you since you've been given an important position in the Student Council. We're studying here to grow not only as a mage but also to thrive in the future profession or way of life we're planning to take on.

So if you couldn't even take a little criticism that will allow you to experience growth, forget surviving this Academy, you might not even survive one day in your future workplace or as a wife, whichever track to prefer to pursue." Clay held power with his voice, he didn't raise it, nor did he use any vulgar words, he made sure to sound as objective as possible. Because of that, their classmates who were neither on both sides but were pitying Cassandra earlier started to rethink the situation, it is true that they didn't witness it, why would they believe the new student just because she cried?

After what Clay said, Anastasius found himself sighing in relief. The feeling of suffocation wasn't there anymore, it was completely erased by Clay's strong yet oddly comforting tone. He wanted to thank him but before he could do so, it seems that he had already left.

Still, Anastasius couldn't help but ponder on the heroine's actions. Now she's wearing an unreadable expression again, yes she's smiling, even blushing a little bit, but there's something about it that makes it seem empty.

Was she like this in the novel too? Well now that I think about it, I remember that at certain events she also acted like this too, but I could only read it through the perspective of the narrator, not from the other person involved nor the heroine herself so I don't know if she's genuine with her actions or if she's also a schemer in the original story too.

Anastasius may seem airy and naive most of the time but he was not so when it comes to such kind of people. He did work in the orphanage for some time before he worked in the kindergarten after all, there he had witnessed a lot of sly schemes behind those kind of organizations and had encountered that kind of people as well. There were orphanages that tried to play victim just to ruin their orphanage's image, so that they would lose their biggest sponsors. It was frustrating to watch for Anastasius(Yuu) as most of the big bosses actually believed it.

And now he's seeing it once again.

"Are you okay?" Brittany asked, concerned.

"Yes, of course. How about you? Have you calmed down now?"

"Don't even try turning the spotlight to me, we know you're not." She said sternly, while their other classmates who are on his side kept on nodding their heads to support her statemenr. "You look like you were about to collapse earlier, hadn't it been for Lord Yoshioka's interference I'm sure I would be carrying you to the infirmary now."

Anastasius knew lying wouldn't be the best solution now, so he just scratched his head and smiled, "Just...bad memories... I guess.."

"It's fine if you don't want to talk about it okay? Ugh, but I really want to punch that scheming bitch! Now she's acting as if she didn't act pitiful all along, look at her smile and blush at the attention she's getting."

Anastasius' gaze on the heroine lingered for a few seconds before he left the classroom with Britanny.

🔹🔷🔹

"That happened?" Charles asked in a tone that could make anyone piss their pants then and there.

"Yes, your highness." It was one of his butlers that answered. Usually the school wouldn't allow butlers inside but the Prince would be an exception to that rule of course.

"Where is he now?"

"At the cafeteria, with his friends, your highness."

Charles stood from his seat, fixing his uniform. While his father, the King, continued reading his reports.

"You're going? The trip to the Academy might be short but the classes will end soon."

"I've finished my business here Father, there shouldn't be anything preventing me from doing my own business now, isn't there?" He said with a serious tone. One might think that he and his father isn't in good terms but it's actually the opposite, the attitude he's showing to his father right now is the true "him". Emotionless, professional. And it's evident that he's comfortable enough with his Father and his butler to show it to them.

It doesn't mean that what he shows to Anastasius isn't the real him though, his attitude towards Anastasius is the reflection of what he becomes when he's with the other. Happy and relaxed, the 'Charles' that can be unlocked only by Anastasius, the side of him that he really loves going back to.

But now he's neither happy nor relaxed, he just heard something unpleasant happened to his favorite person and he isn't the one to dismiss it that easily.

*** Author's Note:

Can you believe that I locked myself out of my wattpad account hshdjdjs I'M DUMB /DUMB/,, I formatted my phone and temporarily forgot my WP password srsly..

N E WAYS!!! Y'ALL WE'RE ALREADY AT 327K READS AND 17K VOTES Y'ALL ARE AMAZING I LOVE YOUUUU

I edited the honorifics for males from Sir to Lord cuz it sounded much better tee hee.

And for some of y'all that thought it was Charles who interrupted them sIIIIIKKKKKEEEEE it was my bb Clay. Charles was having a meeting with his dad and wasn't in school when all of it happened. I just wanted to tell y'all that yes, he brings his butlers to school not for his own comfort but to secretly protect Anastasius when he's away. Such an overprotective 'future fiancé' huh?

I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER!! Please take care of yourselves! i love youuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!