Chapter 20 - 19: A Dress Made of Chains
Elena’s heart hammered against her ribs, the quiet of the rooftop suddenly feeling far more suffocating than the crowded hallways below.
"What... what do you want from me?" she choked out, her voice trembling under the weight of the receipt in her hands.
Victor’s cold expression didn’t shift. He merely gestured to the open space on the concrete bench beside him.
"For now? Sit down and eat with me."
Elena hesitated, her throat tight as she swallowed hard.
"Come," he repeated, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Moving on instinct, Elena stepped forward, pulling her skirt close as she sank onto the bench beside him, her gaze glued firmly to the stone floor.
"Eat," Victor stated plainly, pulling his own quiet lunch forward. "Or I can easily forward this receipt straight to the Headmaster of the Academy. Or perhaps to the high nobles those arrogant souls would love a reason to tear your family apart."
A cold wave of panic flushed through her. Hurriedly, Elena’s trembling fingers untied her lunch wrap, forcing herself to take small, rapid bites. Victor fell silent, unwrapping his own meal and eating in total, deliberate quiet. The silence stretched so heavy and eerie that every crunch of her own food sounded like a alarm in her ears.
Finally, Victor wiped his hands and glanced sideways at her.
"After classes end today, meet me at the main academy gate," he said evenly. "I want to take a walk around the town. I haven’t had the chance to explore the capital city, Thaloris, before. I spent my life on the outskirts of the Novus Empire, down in the border city of Belemore... What about you?"
Elena looked up, a flicker of sheer surprise cutting through her fear. Is he... trying to start a normal conversation?
"My... my family has always lived here," Elena stammered, keeping her eyes low. "My father is a civil servant for the empire. He works as an inspector."
Victor let out a short, quiet chuckle ,cold and devoid of genuine humor. "An inspector who keeps his own son high on illegal dampening drugs? How ironic."
Elena went deathly pale, freezing in place. Before she could force out a defense, Victor stood up, brushing down his coat. He glanced back over his shoulder, his shadow casting long over her shivering frame.
"We’ll continue this after classes end. Meet me at the gate."
Without another word, he walked away, the rooftop door clicking shut behind him.
Left entirely alone, Elena slumped against the stone, her mind spiraling into raw anxiety. What does a villain like him truly want from me? Horrific rumors flashed through her head tales of dark mages and rogue nobles harvesting the magic cores of weaker students to boost their own mana, or tearing away precious organs for dark rituals. Panic clawed at her, but as she thought of her father’s job and her brother’s fragile life hanging on that single piece of paper, her resolve hardened. She had no choice.
When the final bell chimed,At Evening Elena practically dragged herself toward the massive iron gates of the Academy. She stood near the stone pillars, nervously wringing her hands as streams of students and teachers passed by, shooting her curious glances.
It wasn’t long before the crowd parted slightly, and Victor appeared. He offered her a short, sharp nod.
"Follow me."
He led her to an elegant, crest-marked carriage waiting along the stone avenue. To her surprise, they didn’t head toward the noble quarters, but straight into the heart of the city’s commercial district. When the carriage pulled to a halt at the vibrant town square, Victor stepped out first. Turning back, he extended a gloved hand toward her, offering a flawless, gentlemanly gesture to support her down.
Elena stared at his hand in hesitation. Her mind screamed at the hypocrisy of it, but she quietly placed her fingers in his grip and stepped down.
Victor didn’t let go immediately, guiding her into a high-end sidewalk café nearby. He ordered two cups of strong, dark coffee, sitting across from her at a small wrought-iron table. As the steam rose between them, Victor’s sharp eyes slowly swept over her, studying her from head to toe. Elena felt the intensity of his gaze, lowering her head, silently bracing herself for whatever cruel demand he was preparing to make.
Victor’s lips curled into a smirk, as if reading the dark, catastrophic thoughts running through her mind. He set his cup down with a soft click.
"Get up," he said casually. "We need to get you dressed. You look like a peasant right now."
Before she could process the insult, he was already on his feet, leading her down the cobblestone street and into an exclusive, high-end boutique. The rich scents of expensive silks, enchanted fabrics, and polished wood filled the air.
Victor swept past the bowing shopkeeper, his eyes trailing over the velvet racks until he pulled a breathtaking dress from the display. It was an elegant sapphire-blue gown, layered with subtle silver embroidery that caught the light like starlight over ocean waves, framed by tailored silk sleeves.
He tossed the garment toward the attendants. "Put her in this."
Elena stood bewildered in the fitting room as the attendants adjusted the fine silk. When she stepped out, looking like a high noble, Victor merely offered a critical glance.
"At least now you don’t look like an eyesore," he noted coldly, ignoring her bewildered expression.
Elena felt hollow inside, standing there like a decorative doll. He’s dressing me up... like a butcher preparing a piece of meat before carving it up.
As twilight painted the sky in shades of deep violet, Victor glanced at the darkening horizon. "Are you hungry?"
Elena kept her mouth shut, numbly shaking her head, but Victor ignored her silence entirely, guiding her into one of the capital’s most prestigious dining halls.
The restaurant was buzzing with wealthy merchants and aristocrats. The moment Victor stepped through the doors, subtle whispers swept through the tables. People recognized him instantly the infamous, ruthless noble and eyes naturally flickered to Elena, whispering furiously about who the beautifully dressed, terrified girl beside him could be.
Elena squeezed her hands under the table, her pulse racing. She felt trapped in a net that was tightening by the second. Her family’s lives were entirely in his hands. I have to endure this, she told herself, biting her inner cheek. For now, I’ll be his plaything if I must... but I will find a way to break free. I’ll protect my family and expose him.
Opposite her, Victor cut cleanly into his meal, completely unbothered by the stares around them. He set his fork down and leaned back, his dark eyes locking onto hers.
"I haven’t told you what I actually want from you, have I?"
Elena stiffened, her hands twisting her skirt below the table as she braced for the absolute worst. "No..."
Victor leaned forward, his voice dropping into a firm, clear instruction. "I want to meet your brother tomorrow. Bring him to the rooftop during lunch."
Elena froze. Her eyes widened in utter baffle, her face practically screaming Why?
Victor looked at her shocked expression, and a sudden, sharp laugh escaped his lips. "What? Did you think I was going to demand your body?"
Elena’s face flushed bright red in sheer, horrified shock. "N-No!"
Victor feigned a wounded look, resting a hand over his chest with an amused glint in his eyes. "Ah, don’t reject the idea "that"hard. It hurts my feelings... Regardless, bring him to me tomorrow. That’s all."
Elena fell completely silent, her mind spinning in confusion. Why her brother? Why Kael? A dark, ridiculous thought flickered through her head
He doesn’t... swing that way, does he?
(Had Victor been able to read her mind at that exact moment, he likely would have asserted his absolute dominance right then and there just to shatter such a absurd misunderstanding.)
After finishing dinner, Victor walked her out to a waiting carriage parked in the cool night air. Stopping beside the door, he raised his hand and snapped his fingers softly.
Out of the surrounding shadows, a slender figure materialised seamlessly Aria, stepping into the lamplight with complete silence. Elena gasped, flinching back in shock at the sudden appearance of the lethal shadow guard.
"This is Aria, my bodyguard," Victor introduced casually. "She is always watching over me. She will accompany you home tonight. It’s late, and a young lady shouldn’t be wandering the capital alone and unprotected."
He handed a heavy coin pouch to the carriage driver and turned back to Elena, a light smirk playing on his lips. "Take care, little girl."
Elena’s jaw tightened slightly. "I’m not... that short," she murmured softly under her breath.
The carriage door closed, and with a clatter of hooves, Aria and Elena disappeared down the dark street.
Left alone beneath the moonlight, Victor stood on the quiet pavement, looking up at the sprawling starry sky above Thaloris.
Now that the trap is set... I need the Berserk trait, Victor thought, his eyes narrowing with calculating precision. Kael will make an extraordinary warrior. A sharp sword to wield against anyone who stands in my way.
He raised his wrist, checking the silver face of his pocket watch.
11:24 PM
"Right on time," Victor murmured to himself.
He adjusted his dark coat against the night chill. It was time to head toward the Night Residence his midnight meeting with Silas Kross of the bankrupt Kross Merchant Guild was about to begin.