NOVPUBUnder the night sky, the towering structure of the Herram Broadcasting Company was aglow with bright white light, casting the bustling surroundings onto the night sky.
The large screen was broadcasting a street interview not far from the building. Suddenly, Rocky McCarthy, who walked into the frame, dominated the screen.
His words were clear and strong. As he spoke, he slowly swept his gaze over the crowd, silently conveying a message – We need more patience, we need more understanding.
The people in the crowd exchanged uneasy glances. The initial dissatisfaction and hostility dissipated with his words and they began to echo him.
"Mr. McCarthy is right."
"We may have been too impulsive."
"We’re really sorry. See, there’s no way any student at Protoss Royal Magic Academy would be opposed to Rocky McCarthy."
Apologetic murmurs arose from the crowd. The cacophony of voices tried to explain their misunderstanding and regret to him and the two young ladies. Some voices revealed realization, some delivered concern, a few sincere descriptions expressing their misunderstanding and guilt.
The atmosphere relaxed. Everyone became notably cooperative.
"Well, all’s well now. Let’s go back to school."
After solving the problem, he turned to the two young ladies behind him who had been trapped in the crowd. He spoke with paternal care and a sense of leadership.
After briefly conversing with the reporter, Lanci bids farewell, preparing to leave this calmed venue and return to his school. He had official duties to attend to, perhaps making this the busiest week of his life.
Just as he was taking his first step away, he felt a light grip on his arm.
Lanci’s steps halted abruptly. An unexpected surprise flashed across his face as he turned his head to see the young lady who was holding on to his arm.
"...."
She pursed her lips, her eyes full of a subtle mix of anxiety and determination – likely wanting to convey unspoken thanks or to whisper something private to him.
"Do you need help with anything, student?"
Lanci’s expression quickly transitioned from surprise to a composed posture of attentiveness. He asked with a polite albeit resigned tone.
This small interruption quieted the surrounding crowd again, everybody waiting to see what would happen next.
The unexpected courage of Miss Milford Countess became once again a spectacle in the camera’s spotlight, captivating everyone’s attention.
"...."
Surrounded by an audience and cameras, she seemed eager to convey something, but couldn’t find the words. Her hold on Lanci’s arm grew tighter, as if he might slip away if she let go.
It was as if she might never see him again if she didn’t seize the opportunity to connect now.
This left Lanci confused and slightly unhappy.
He didn’t enjoy being touched by others.
"Hello, if there’s anything, you can let me know."
His voice remained calm, yet drew enough attention from those around him, making the young lady feel conscious.
Everyone could read the subtle signal – He felt that the young lady had encroached his personal boundaries slightly.
If she continued to cross his boundary, he might have to alert the security personnel nearby.
Yet the Earl’s daughter continued to grip his arm tightly. Her eyes were filled with complex emotions and words she wanted to spill out but couldn’t find the words, hoping he would grasp them soon.
Miss Milford Countess might have realized her way of expressing her emotions was rather extreme, but the urgency of her need to communicate kept her firmly in place.
Her shimmering, gem-like pupils reflected Lanci’s silhouette, painting his image with her gaze as his eyes met hers.
Lanci felt a sudden bewilderment in his heart towards these unexpected emotions.
In the two-month span he has been in the Northern Continent, he had grown accustomed to being in control, accustomed to people following him. But now, the girl before him bound him to standstill with her desire to ensnare him.
Surrounded by crowds, she dare not express her unspoken words, instead, she looked at Lanci with teary eyes. This was a very faint whimper, if he listened – he could certainly notice. Compared to her anxiousness and stubbornness, it was trust. She was certain that he could recognize who she truly is. 𝔫𝖔𝖛𝖕𝖚𝔟.𝖈𝖔𝔪
Sometimes, even the smallest voices could deliver meaningful messages.
He didn’t know why.
With an unfamiliar female appearance he’d never known before and her voice completely unheard of, she was playing charades with him.
Lanci locked eyes with this familiar gaze, and a peculiar feeling welled up in his heart.
It was as if his current indifference towards her was a grave mistake.
Furthermore, why was she able to reach him so effortlessly?
Was he too sluggish, or was she too powerful?
Impossible…
As the first droplet of rain silently falls from the night sky, it seemed to open the floodgates of memories. Under the white light illuminating the rain streaks from the building’s screen, the young man and the noble lady exchanged glances, sharing the emotions within their hearts.
The rain began to worsen, and the screens of the Herram Broadcasting Company tower flickered amidst the rain. The camera’s flashbulbs intermittently illuminated the two people’s faces.
No words were spoken, only glances exchanged. That special understanding between them was felt by everyone around, an extraordinary reunion that even the recording equipment couldn’t capture the full depth of their profound gaze. Lanci’s expression slowly transitioned from shock to calmness.
"Is it you?"
Lanci asked tentatively. Despite lacking any solid evidence, an intuition told him that the girl standing before him was the one he was looking for in the capital.
"...You finally recognized me."
Hyperion nodded, the furrowed eyebrows from her hardship gradually relaxed upon getting a response from Lanci. Relief spread across her face, followed by a comforting smile.
When Hyperion looked up again, she was met with Lanci’s encouraging gaze. His face, previously distant, had recovered its familiar optimism from their time in Ichrite.
A reporter who had been watching from the side for a while without leaving was observing the two people back and forth without end.
"...Excuse me, Mr. Rocky McCarthy, did you two know each other before?"
He eventually plucked up his nerves to present the microphone and posed the question. Through his professional observation and logical analysis, this had to be the case, the déjà vu was too overwhelming.
"It’s been a long time, so I had a bit of trouble recognizing her,"
Lanci shifted his gaze, the corner of his mouth curved upward in a smile, while his eyes dimmed.
"Are you two misses from the Milford Province who just arrived in Herram today?"
A reporter from the Protoss Broadcasting Company caught on and asked.
"Yes,"
Michela nodded in confirmation.
The reporter wore an astonished expression and without asking further, he understood the situation – it turned out that Rocky McCarthy and Miss Milford, the Earl’s daughter, were childhood friends who had lost contact for many years, and after intense difficulty, they managed to recognize each other once again.
And originally, departing home on a hazardous journey filled with daunting challenges and trials to attend the notoriously stern Protoss Royal Magic Academy, to compete fiercely with the young prodigies of the Protoss Empire, for Miss Milford Countess, became "About My Childhood Friend That Turned out to Be the Principal." What a Mary Sue plotline!
