Olivia hasn't been feeling well lately. Wracked with guilt, she'd locked herself in her room, refusing to step out for an entire day. It wasn't until the dormitory supervisor came knocking that she was finally forced out. The woman didn't say a word—just opened the door and dragged Olivia out without a trace of sympathy.
She was heartless.
Now, Olivia was walking down the hallway with Allen, heading to the cafeteria for breakfast. The silence between them was heavy.
"You really don't care about me, do you?" Allen said out of nowhere, his voice low but clear.
The words stopped Olivia in her tracks. Her eyes were still a little swollen from crying the night before. She looked at him with surprise and whispered, "W-Why would you say that?"
"You knew locking yourself away would worry me. But you still did it," he said, his shoulders sagging. "Did I really mean so little to you?"
Olivia stopped walking completely. Her hands trembled slightly, and tears began to fill her eyes again. She shook her head slowly. "It's not that, Allen… I didn't know how to face anyone. Not you, not anyone. It felt like the world shifted under my feet. I just needed some time to breathe, to think."
Allen stared at the ground, his eyes hidden behind his bangs. "But does it change anything?" he asked quietly. "After everything he told you… do things feel different now? Do you regret... us?"
His voice cracked at the end, just enough to make Olivia's heart sink. She could see the fear in his posture, the way he couldn't meet her eyes.
She reached for his hand, holding it tightly. "No, Allen. Nothing's changed. Yes, Adrian's words shook me—but they don't erase what you mean to me. I still like you. I won't regret what we've been through together. Not ever."
That was the truth. Adrian's confession had been unexpected, sure. But it didn't change the fact that Allen had been the one who stood by her, held her together when she was falling apart, and made her feel like she mattered.
Allen let out a long, shaky breath. He was about to suggest they get something warm to eat and settle their hearts over breakfast, when—
"Ah."
Someone appeared around the corner of the hallway, stopping in his tracks as soon as he saw them.
It was Adrian.
His eyes went towards their connected hands, but then he smiled and said, "Morning."
It was an awkward situation since they had recently broken off, and Olivia was wandering with Allen while holding hands.
Adrian didn't want to make things harder for them, so he kept his voice calm and clear. "I met your father recently and handed him the annulment notice. So… you don't need to worry anymore."
Olivia's heart skipped a beat.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something—but Adrian had already stepped past them, walking away without looking back.
She watched his figure grow smaller in the distance, then quietly sighed.
Allen, standing beside her, tilted his head slightly. "He's… unnaturally considerate."
Olivia let out a small hum in agreement, not revealing the full story. She hadn't told Allen about the compensation Adrian asked for. That was probably why he still had such a positive image of him.
'Still… even with the compensation,' Olivia thought, 'there's no denying that Adrian is a kind man.'
The two of them spent some peaceful time in the cafeteria afterward, the atmosphere light and comfortable. Laughter wasn't constant, but it was genuine. It felt like a little pocket of normalcy.
Eventually, they returned to their own rooms.
Allen stopped just outside his door, hands resting on his hips. He stood still for a moment, letting the silence settle around him.
He thought of Olivia.
She was smiling again. Being herself again. And that… was a good thing.
After all—
'I need her for my plan.'
°°°°°°°°°
Adrian didn't go to his office right away; rather, he advanced toward the Headmistress' office.
*Knock*
"Come in," She said almost right away
Adrian unlocked the door and stepped inside—and instantly frowned upon smelling the awful scent of cigarettes.
"Why are you smoking early in the morning?"
Ariana didn't look up from the document she was reviewing. Her pen moved with practiced ease as she said, "It helps me stay focused. Anyway, how did it go?"
She finally closed the file and gestured for him to sit down.
Adrian took the seat, his tone calm but laced with quiet weight. "It went better than I expected. I broke off all ties with the Lockwood family… in exchange for a few coins."
Ariana already knew the reason behind the meeting—he had told her beforehand. And truthfully, she had supported his decision. The lady of the Lockwood house had long been scheming to keep Adrian under her control, and when the time came for succession, she wouldn't have hesitated to do something drastic to eliminate him. Walking away had been the safest option.
Even so, a faint sadness lingered in her voice as she spoke, "You do realize… you've made yourself an orphan now, right? I know how much you loved your father. So don't pretend this doesn't affect you."
Adrian let out a long, quiet sigh. "Between my life and my bond with him, of course I chose my life," he said softly. "Lady Melissa would've gone to any length to get rid of me. So… I just stepped aside and made it easier for her. No one got hurt."
Ariana leaned back in her chair, watching him closely. His voice was steady, his posture relaxed—but she could still sense it. That flicker of pain buried under all the reasoning.
And somehow, that made her respect him even more.
Shaking her head, she informed him, "I have prepared the material you need and transported them to the workshop. You can start today if you want."
Although he carried the tag of failure until recently there was no denying that her cousin loved Runesmithing. That's why she prepared things early so he could engage himself in the work.
"Hey...can I get a personal workshop?" Adrian asked in hesitation.
Ariana frowned, "Why do you need personal space? You are not supplying weapons to the mafia, right?"
"...really? That's the first thought you had?" Shaking his head with an exasperated sigh seeping through his lips, he added, "As you heard from the Tower Members, I have a different and unique way of Runesmithing, that's why I don't want to reveal it to others until I master it."
Ariana was still unsure of his reason but since Adrian's growth would help him and the academy, she didn't ask him anything further and said, "I will have it prepared by this evening. However, I will come to check on you regularly."
Adrian shrugged, "If it's you, I don't mind."
Ariana flinched at those words as she lowered her head.
It was then,
*Knock*
"It's me, Headmistress."
Hearing the familiar voice, Ariana told her to step inside.
From the other side, the administrative chief walked in with a worried visage as she informed, "Headmistress, the royal highness has arrived at the academy."
"The Prince?" She asked with her brows elevated and got a nod in response.
Ariana threw away the remaining cigarette and said, "Okay, send him in a five-minute-"
"No, ma'am. He is here to meet Sir Adrian."
Adrian was taken aback, "Huh?"
What in the world does he want from him?
°°°°°°°°°°
A/N:- Thanks for reading.