chapter 04âŠ
I barely slept.
Tislin walked into the classroom with a rough, tired face. After the shocking events of yesterday, she had stayed up all night, only managing a short nap by morning. Her mind was still half in a dream.
To make matters worse, the first class was with Professor Thalis, who never tolerated even the slightest distraction. Tislin had to pinch her thighs repeatedly just to stay awake.
She and Sierra, who had also stayed up, kept pinching each otherâs hands to survive the hour.
Honestly, the Administration Department classes werenât that interesting to Tislin.
Most students might have thought the same, but for heirs of noble families or those aiming to become bureaucrats, doing well in these classes had a clear incentive.
Tislin, however, was neither an heir nor interested in becoming a bureaucrat, yet she had chosen the Administration Department. Her parents had expressed concern about that decision.
âIf youâre going to the Royal School, wouldnât it be better to join the Liberal Arts Department?â
âOr even the Magic Department. Youâre not an heir, and you donât plan to be a bureaucrat. I donât understand why you want to learn something so complicated.â
Her parentsâ point made sense. After all, Tislin had lost her place as heir when her younger brother was born, so entering a department that might make her a better marriage prospect seemed reasonable.
But Tislin chose Administration anyway, mostly because her previous education had been interrupted. Everything she had been learning as heir became âunnecessaryâ after her brotherâs birth.
Even as a child, she vaguely knew that playing around all the time wasnât a good thing. That leftover feeling had pushed her into the Administration Department.
In the end?
It wasnât bad. She wasnât studying as obsessively as some students aiming to be top bureaucrats, but among the 40 or so students in her department, she consistently ranked around fifth or sixth.
Her ranking at the Royal School wasnât a life-or-death matter, but it felt good to see her efforts reflected in results.
Making a friend like Sierra was a bonus too.
âAlright, last announcement. Students graduating next year must take the summer graduation exam. Many fail because they wait confidently for the winter exam and miss their chance to graduate.â
âMany fail!â
âMany!â
A few students in the back mimicked the professorâs tone and giggled. The professor glared sharply and quickly caught the culprits.
âMr. Hixston, Mr. Aloin. You think youâre so confident in the graduation exam that you can mock me? I see. You must be sure youâll graduate even with deductions in this class.â
The graduating students, all obsessed with every point, clicked their tongues at Hixston and Aloinâs arrogance. Soon, they would have to beg the professor in the office.
âWhy do they even mock the professor when itâs obvious?â
Tislin shook her head at Sierra. Some boys at this age just couldnât resist making a scene.
âAh, professor, wait!â
Hixston and Aloin rushed toward the door, trying to follow the professorâs icy retreat, but stopped abruptly.
A man blocked the doorway. His long shadow stretched across the classroom floor.
In the Administration Department, where uniforms were usually optional except for official events, his sharp uniform and raven-black hair stood out. And those strikingly blue eyesâŠ
âGasp. Sir Damian Ksanov?â
âYou know me?â
âNot really⊠I saw you in the newspapers.â
Hixston awkwardly stepped aside, letting everyone see Damian Ksanov clearly.
Tislin, who had turned her head like everyone else, went pale.
âCome to think of it, didnât you visit yesterday too?â
âYes. I was in the lounge. Back thenâŠâ
The students who had been in the lounge yesterday naturally looked at Tislin.
âOh no!â
As soon as she caught their gaze, Tislin bolted from the classroom and grabbed Damianâs arm.
They had known each other for a long time but werenât particularly close. Still, there was enough familiarity between them for Damian to silently follow Tislin without starting a scene.
The classroom buzzed again with yesterdayâs topic. Sierra quickly escaped out the front door, wary of the commotion.
They went to the quietest, least visible corner of the campus. Tislin, barely catching her breath, demanded:
âWhy are you here?!â
Even she thought her question was ridiculous. Of course, he was here because of the engagement. But what she meant wasâwhy come all the way to the Administration Department class? Not that it really mattered.
The important thing was to somehow smooth over this awkward situation.
âThe engagement⊠I didnât say we should get engaged. I told you back then, it wasnât about engagement or marriage. I would never arrange that without discussion.â
âYou never asked me if it was okay. Tis, calm down.â
A large hand pressed gently on Tislinâs shoulder.
Startled, she looked up and quickly averted her eyes, muttering as if reciting something she had memorized.
âIt must be my parentsâ mistake. I donât know why the Archduke accepted it, but the announcement hasnât been made yet. Nobody knows. We can still cancel! Iâll send a letter to break the engagement. If the Archduke asks you, just say you agreed to cancel. Even if my parents donât know, the Archduke will listen to you.â
No answer.
Tislin fidgeted with her skirt, uneasy. Their shadows overlapped, making the situation even more awkward.
Damian ignored the shadows and calmly asked:
âTis.â
ââŠYes?â
âWhy do you have to do that?â
What? She didnât expect that question. So he was willing to continue the engagement?
âWhat do you mean?â
âI have no objection to this engagement.â
âBecause itâs the Archdukeâs decision? But he would accept if you didnât want it. Our family isnât that helpful to the House of Luxen anyway. Same goes for Adelind.â
âYes, probably. But is that a reason not to be engaged to you?â
Of course, Damian didnât really care who it was, as long as it benefited the Archduke or Adelind, and the person wasnât physically unbearable.
Tislin didnât want that.
ââŠWhat if I donât want to? Can you cancel it if I refuse?â
She couldnât meet his eyes, speaking while looking away.
The large hand on her shoulder slid off, brushing her sleeve. Her heart raced uncontrollably.
Damian sighed, lowered himself to her eye level, and asked in a soft voice:
âWhy?â
Tislin stubbornly stayed silent.
When Tislin was determined, even Adelind, the most stubborn in Luxen, couldnât win. Damian, who was usually dragged around by Adelind, had no way to force her to answer.
âCome on, itâs not unbearable. Endure it. Iâll treat you well.â
His gentle, almost sweet tone was different from how he spoke to Adelind or other nobles.
Still, if he hadnât spoken this way, Tislin wouldnât have stupidly hoped and confessed her feelings like this.
