NOVPUBDozens of meters below the dome ceiling, the chatter of three young individuals resonated clearly, though faintly. The light in the hall, akin to the soft glow of dusk, painted a shimmering golden filter over their forms.
"Carlen, I am truly sorry. I still want to be with Sophia."
Prince Aynor finally gathered the courage to apologize sincerely to Carlen.
With his head lowered, he didn’t quite resemble a prince.
Carlen’s widened eyes conveyed disbelief at Aynor’s sudden change of heart.
She then shrank back lightly, letting out a somewhat relieved chuckle.
"I knew it... Prince Aynor must not think very highly of me."
Carlen’s voice wavered, and although she was visibly hurt, she forced herself to smile as she spoke through her tears,
"I’m a modest girl of humble means. Without good fortune, I would never even have had a chance to meet someone as prestigious as you."
"No, that’s not true at all."
Aynor, seeing Carlen’s reaction, instantly panicked, not knowing how to explain to the fragile Carlen.
Guilt started to flood over him.
Had he made the wrong decision again?
He couldn’t understand why, recently, no matter what choices he made, they all seemed to be wrong.
Aynor turned towards Lanci, begging him to step in with desperate eyes.
My dear friend, save me!
However,
Even Lanci was no longer calm. His expression turned serious as he watched Carlen.
On the sixth floor of the library, Sophia fumed, hitting the stone railing.
"Here we go again! I’ve come to understand her evasive maneuver but she’s taken a step too far this time. It’s as if we, the people of the Hutton Kingdom, are bullying her!"
Sophia gritted her teeth in frustration.
Last time, right outside the Principal’s office in the Main Building of Sage Academy, Carlen had played the same trick on Aynor, running him ragged.
Sophia knew that even if Aynor could see through Carlen’s manipulative ways, he would still lean towards Carlen in order to maintain the peace.
Frustration drove Sophia to tears. She turned tail and ran, accidentally ending up below the Old Literature Building, where she encountered the passing Student Council President and Vice President.
Carlen had now given up on swaying Prince Aynor directly with her words.
But in the face of the prince’s breach of promise, she could defend herself, leaning against the wall, in a position of perceived disadvantage.
No matter what Aynor and Lanci said next it would appear as if they were taking advantage of the poor girl from the Arolan Kingdom.
Seeing Lanci’s serious expression from upstairs, Sophia knew things were getting worse.
Lanci must be feeling the pressure and was at a loss about what to do with Carlen!
"So this is it..."
Hyperion gazed downstairs, her expression unbothered.
It was as if she didn’t think Lanci was having any difficulty at all.
Her reaction greatly shocked Sophia.
Xiu Bao, when did you change so much!
Don’t you realize that you’re beginning to look like a crafty vixen?
While Sophia was in shock, she turned her attention back downstairs.
In the center of the ground floor plaza, on the enormous circular carpet, the solemn-looking young man with eyes expressing kindness glistened like the night sky. Within the trio, he seemed to serve as a bridge connecting them all.
"Prince Aynor is the most approachable royalty, adored by the residents of the Royal Capital, fellow students, and even regarded as a close friend by commoners like me. So, please don’t misunderstand him anymore."
Lanci spoke sincerely to Carlen.
He attempted to defend Aynor, who, upon hearing this, turned to Lanci with gratitude and joy. Had the atmosphere not been so heavy due to Carlen, he couldn’t resist the urge to hug Lanci.
"Also, Carlen, even though you are of humble origin, your talent is extraordinary. I believe that the royalty of any nation would recognize your potential and regard you as a gem. Thus, please don’t belittle yourself."
Lanci continued talking to Carlen.
The purpose of his discourse was not only to respond, it was more to enlighten. He served as a guiding light for the youngsters, providing them with a fresh perspective to help them see the complexity and beauty of the world more clearly.
"....."
Carlen fell silent for a moment, unable to utter a word.
It felt as if she were being reprimanded by the Principal in his office...
Sophia, who was at the edge of the open terrace on the sixth floor, realized it.
"!!"
At this point, there was no need to continue along the trajectory dictated by Carlen’s self-deprecation. One should defend Aynor instead.
Even going as far as to compliment Carlen, to the point where it was difficult for her to retort, and then, Carlen was left helpless.
Using a telescope, Sophia noticed Aynor’s countenance from afar. She couldn’t envision what he would look like if Lanci were a female or Aynor was a female. Prince Aynor being infatuated with Lanci...
Wait a second.
Why doesn’t Lanci have a girlfriend yet?
Sophia could only shift her puzzled gaze towards Hyperion.
Sophia was starting to get confused. Was Lanci just playing a game with Carlen, or was he genuinely as pure and transparent as the rays of the sun?
"Don’t look at me, he has many duality traits, I can’t explain..."
Hyperion, noticing Sophia’s puzzled look, closed her eyes and spoke.
As the top Lanci Scholar at the moment, she was still engaged in research and exploration.
"...I wish you luck with getting to the bottom of him."
Sophia was starting to suspect that, the woman who had the highest chance of mastering Lanci was Hyperion.
After all, to master a unique creature like Lanci, there seemed to be only two ways - either understand Lanci, or conquer Lanci.
Not even considering the possibility of "conquering Lanci", no woman was better poised to "understand Lanci" than Hyperion.
Although for now, it didn’t seem like Hyperion had any interest in romance.
After all, she had no competition, hence there was no need for her to consider other factors.
Sophia also believed that, given Lanci’s unique capabilities, there was absolutely no possibility for him to be swept up in romantic turmoil, not to mention getting entangled in a messy love triangle.
...
The grand hall at the base level once again descended into silence, the brilliant colors of the glass floor at its edges blended into a dazzling pattern. Every tile seemed to reflect a historical story.
Carlen’s gaze flitted about the swirl of colors.
She’d realized it.
The man before her was not an ordinary character.
During the last contest, numerous disputes arose when Adams was frozen and sent to the hospital. In reality, Lanci bore no responsibility. The content of the contest was Adams’ own choice, Lanci had endlessly advised him against it. However, Adams did not listen.
Upon meeting Lanci in person, even Carlen started to wonder if this green-eyed, black-haired guy was a troublemaker, or if he was genuinely as warm as the sun, full of goodwill towards everyone.
However, she was never afraid of anyone.
Alright then, if you want to play, I’ll play along with you.
She glanced at Lanci, a hint of resolve surfacing in her green eyes.
