"I’m sorry, the who again?"
Cordelia tilted her head, a faint smirk curling her lips.
"My family. The Ross family. Haven’t you heard of them?"
"Not a clue. First time I’m hearing about them. Care to elaborate?"
Cordelia’s smirk deepened.
"How odd. I thought you said you knew everything about your so-called game."
A vein visibly throbbed on Noah’s temple.
"Alright. I’m leaving."
He pushed back his chair and started to rise, but Cordelia quickly grabbed his arm, pulling him back down.
Around them, the whispers resumed.
"I can’t believe it. They fight and make up in seconds!"
Noah sighed and sat back down.
"Okay. Maybe we should avoid provoking each other and try having a proper conversation."
Just then, the waitress arrived with their food and drinks.
Noah had ordered a steak with a glass of juice. Cordelia, once again, had chosen a salad and water.
Noah glanced at her plate, a subtle look of judgment flickering in his eyes.
Cordelia caught it instantly.
"If you say one word, I’ll kill you and take the spotlight for myself."
"I wasn’t going to say anything," Noah replied, raising both hands.
"Sure. Whatever you say," she said flatly. "Your eyes already said enough. Anyway—where was I? Oh, right. Yes, the Ross family is one of the most influential around. Did you know the Imperial Princess is actually a friend of mine?"
"Really?" Noah said, intrigued. "That could open up some very interesting possibilities in future scenarios."
Cordelia’s expression turned a touch sheepish.
"There’s... one small problem with that."
"If you’re friends, what problem could there be?"
"Well... let’s just say that when I read the novel, I didn’t exactly like her. And I might not have treated her very kindly."
Noah stared at her in silence.
Cordelia gave a small, nervous laugh.
"But that’ll be a problem for later, right?"
"Fine. If what you’re telling me is true, we should be able to attend the auction without any issues."
"When is it?" Cordelia asked.
"Exactly one month from now."
"Good. Let’s meet on that day, then. And don’t do anything stupid in the meantime. For now, let’s just enjoy our meal."
"Agreed," Noah said. "Just so you know—you’ll need to dress properly and wear a mask. The mask is for privacy."
More whispers floated around them.
"Look, look! They’re so elegant when they eat."
"Yeah, it looks like they made up again. They really are the perfect couple."
Suddenly, Noah felt a chill crawl down his spine—so sharp it seemed to freeze not only his body but even the steak on his plate.
Behind him stood Lys Everin.
Her blue hair shimmered faintly under the lights, and her gray eyes radiated pure, cutting cold.
"I hope I’m not interrupting the happy couple," Lys said, her voice as sharp as ice. Her gaze locked firmly on Cordelia as she spoke.
Cordelia smiled politely.
"No worries. You can join us."
Without hesitation, Lys took the seat next to Noah. Moments later, the waitress returned to take her order. Lys requested a rich chocolate dessert.
Cordelia’s eyes narrowed slightly. She glanced at her own plate—still working through a plain salad—and then at the dessert Lys had just ordered.
’You did that on purpose, didn’t you.’
Since no heating was required, the dessert arrived quickly. By then, Noah had already finished his steak. The waitress cleared his empty plate and set down the steaming chocolate confection in front of Lys.
Cordelia continued eating her salad with deliberate calm.
Noah took a sip of his orange juice.
"So, what punishment did the director give you?"
Lys smiled warmly at him.
"Nothing too serious. I just have to clean the classrooms after they’re used."
She remained cheerful and friendly when speaking to Noah—but every time she addressed Cordelia, her tone turned icy cold, her gaze sharp as if sizing up a rival.
"And Cordelia," Lys said suddenly, her smile thin. "Are you two... a couple?"
Cordelia nearly choked on her greens.
"No. Not at all. How could I possibly be with someone like him?"
"I see," Lys replied calmly. "That’s good to know."
Noah, unaware of the tension building between them, continued sipping his juice.
Then, with perfect timing, Lys tilted her head.
"You know, Cordelia—Noah said I belong completely to him."
Noah choked mid-sip, spraying juice forward. Cordelia reacted instantly, summoning a gust of wind to block the spray before it hit her.
"I told you that’s not true, Lys! Sorry about that. And you! Why are you using another element now?!"
Lys blinked innocently.
"I don’t mind if it is true, Noah."
Cordelia rolled her eyes.
"Surprised I can use more than one element?"
"Don’t you think that’s something you could’ve mentioned earlier?"
"I didn’t think it was important. I’m a quad-enchanter."
"You’re messing with me right now, aren’t you?"
"Don’t you think that kind of thing might be relevant to share?"
"What are you two whispering about so much? Oh—and wow, Cordelia. A quad-enchanter? That’s truly... impressive."
Her words were smooth, but lacked even a hint of genuine warmth.
Then, without warning, Lys picked up a spoon and scooped a bite of her dessert.
Noah tensed, eyes widening.
"Eh? That’s your dessert, Lys. No need—"
She shot a glance toward Cordelia, her tone firm.
Flustered, Noah reluctantly leaned forward and accepted the bite.
Cordelia stood, smoothing her skirt.
"I suppose we’ve discussed everything we needed to. Remember what we agreed upon."
Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked away.
Now alone, Lys beamed with satisfaction.
She continued feeding Noah, one spoonful at a time—clearly feeling victorious.
Each time he accepted a bite, her smile grew just a little wider.Noah sighed but didn’t resist. There was no point.
Across the room, a few lingering students watched the scene unfold—more whispers spreading.
"They’re so close now..."
Lys, hearing it, couldn’t help but glance toward the door where Cordelia had just left, her eyes gleaming with silent triumph.’One step ahead, Cordelia. One step ahead.’
Another spoonful. Another smile.Noah simply muttered under his breath,"Why me..."