Chapter 19 - 18: The Receipt
The next morning, Victor headed toward the Academy alongside Lyra.
The two walked in silence.
After a while, Victor glanced at her.
"Are you okay?"
Lyra smiled with satisfaction and moved closer, pulling herself against his arm.
"Mhm..."
She quietly hid herself in his warmth as they continued walking.
Victor said nothing.
His mind instead drifted back to the conversation he had with Aria the night before.
"Yes, Lord. I’ve found Silas Kross of the Kross Merchant Guild. They’re currently going bankrupt because of a poor decision made by the guild."
Victor had smirked when he heard that.
"It’s not a bad investment. It’s something we’ll need if we plan to defeat the hero."
He had immediately instructed Aria to arrange a private meeting with Silas Kross at midnight.
The meeting would take place at the Night Residence.
Victor closed his eyes as they approached the Academy.
I need to get stronger.
His fingers tightened slightly.
Fast.
If I want to get everything I desire, I can’t afford to waste time.
Right before classes began, Lucas could barely contain his excitement.
He had finally decided to steal whatever Victor had taken an interest in.
With several admirers following behind him, Lucas marched straight toward Elena’s classroom, wearing the charming smile of the protagonist he believed himself to be.
"Well, well. What a lovely morning."
Lucas flashed his dazzling, practiced smile as he entered the classroom.
The entire room immediately erupted into whispers.
The Hero of Light the man destined to defeat the Demon God had actually appeared in their classroom.
Lady Clarissa immediately shot up from her seat.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Did he come here to see me?
Her face flushed as she hurriedly fixed her hair, already imagining the moment Lucas would greet her.
But Lucas walked straight past her.
He didn’t even glance in her direction.
He stopped directly in front of Elena.
The classroom fell silent once again.
Clarissa froze.
The hopeful expression on her face disappeared instantly, replaced by humiliation and anger.
Lucas looked at Elena with a captivating smile.
"Hello, Lady Elena."
His voice was smooth and confident.
"I’m sure you know me, right? I’m Lucas, the Hero of Light."
He glanced at the books on her desk.
"I’ve heard about a certain bright scholar in third-year, Class B."
His smile widened.
"And what might a bright scholar like Elena be working on before the bell rings?"
Elena nervously adjusted her notes.
"I’m just preparing my notes before class, Senior Lucas."
Her eyes briefly moved past him.
Lady Clarissa was staring at her.
Fuming.
Elena immediately felt nervous.
I shouldn’t offend him.
She knew exactly how much influence someone like Lucas possessed.
I’m insignificant. I can’t afford to make an enemy of the Hero.
So she decided to simply go along with him.
Lucas lowered his voice.
"Diligent as always."
He leaned slightly closer.
"I’m actually here to make a proposal to such a bright and beautiful scholar..."
Before Lucas could reveal what he wanted, the classroom doors opened.
Victor entered.
The room instantly became silent.
Victor’s eyes slowly swept across the students.
Then they stopped on Lucas.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Victor simply stared at him.
Then, without saying a word, he walked past the Hero and returned to his seat.
He sat down and looked out the window at the sky.
Lucas’s smile stiffened.
A slight nervousness appeared in his eyes.
He remembered the Church’s warnings.
Leave Victor alone
Lucas immediately decided not to push his luck.
He turned back toward Elena.
"We’ll talk at lunch."
He smiled.
"I’ll save a seat for you."
Elena instinctively retreated, pulling her books closer to her chest.
"I... I have work to do, My Lord...ah, I mean, Senior Lucas."
She lowered her head.
"Please excuse me."
Lucas blinked.
He hadn’t expected her to reject him.
Still, he forced a laugh.
"Right. Well, I’ll come find you at lunchtime anyway."
With that, he turned and walked away.
The moment Lucas left, Lady Clarissa and her lackeys immediately surrounded Elena.
Clarissa sneered.
"Look at you, playing the helpless victim."
Her eyes were filled with venom.
"You’re nothing but a cheap little witch who warms the villain’s bed."
She stepped closer.
"And now you think you can bat your eyelashes and twist the Hero’s mind too?"
Elena’s face paled.
Before the taunts could continue, Victor slowly stood from his seat.
A heavy, suffocating pressure instantly filled the classroom.
The chatter died.
Every student froze.
Victor’s cold gaze swept across the group.
His eyes narrowed like a predator sizing up its prey.
"Do not bother that girl."
His voice was flat.
Cold.
Absolute.
"Class will start soon."
Victor’s gaze hardened.
"Sit down."
Lady Clarissa’s face immediately turned pale.
Her body trembled beneath his gaze.
Without another word, she hurried back to her seat.
Her lackeys followed.
Elena stood frozen.
Her heart hammered against her chest as she looked toward Victor.
"Why are both the notorious villain and the shining Hero of the Academy taking such an intense interest in me?"
She lowered her head.
"So much for keeping a low profile until graduation..."
Her fingers tightened around her books.
"And what exactly does the Hero want to offer me?
She sighed internally.
"I just hope I can stay unnoticed until I finish school..."
The lunch bell finally rang.
A wave of hungry students poured into the bustling hallways.
But Elena felt like she was walking straight into a trap.
Before she could even finish packing her notes, Lucas appeared beside her desk.
His signature dazzling smile was plastered across his face.
"See? I told you I’d come find you."
He looked completely cheerful, ignoring the sea of envious stares surrounding them.
"Come on, Elena. I saved a seat for you at the main table."
He smiled.
"There’s a lot we need to discuss about that proposal."
Elena clutched her books tightly against her chest.
Her heart began pounding.
The last thing she wanted was to sit at the main table in front of every noble in the Academy.
She could already imagine the hatred directed toward her.
"I... I’m sorry, Senior Lucas."
She lowered her head, desperately searching for an excuse.
"My brother..."
She paused.
"He’s sick, and I need to check on him at the Academy’s nurse’s office."
She bowed slightly.
"I really can’t stay for lunch. Please excuse me!"
Before Lucas could respond, Elena practically bolted past him.
She disappeared through the classroom door.
Lucas stood there.
Completely bewildered.
The surrounding students stared in shock.
The Hero of Light had just been rejected.
Again.
As Elena hurried down the corridor, whispers followed her every step.
The entire student body was already buzzing with shock and jealousy.
The legendary Hero had publicly singled her out.
And she had rejected him.
Elena’s anxiety continued to rise.
Between Lucas’s overwhelming attention, worrying about her brother’s fragile condition, and trying to remain invisible beneath Victor’s looming presence, she felt like she was being dragged deeper and deeper into a storm she never wanted to enter.
"All I wanted was to keep a low profile, graduate quietly, and keep my family safe.
Why is everything becoming so complicated?"
Lucas remained standing in the classroom.
He blinked several times.
A flash of suppressed anger briefly crossed his eyes.
She rejected me?
In his world, no woman had ever dared to reject him.
But Lucas quickly forced himself to calm down.
Her brother is sick.
He remembered something Julian had mentioned before.
I heard about that from Julian...
His expression relaxed.
Let’s not think too much about it.
A confident smile slowly returned to his handsome face.
A peasant like her will come to me sooner or later.
With that thought, Lucas turned around and walked out of the classroom.
His confidence had returned.
Elena avoided the cafeteria and instead made her way toward the nurse’s office.
After confirming that no one was following her, she quietly headed toward the rooftop.
It was her usual refuge.
Nobody ever came there during lunch.
It was quiet.
Safe.
A perfect place to eat without attracting attention.
At least, that’s what she thought.
When Elena pushed open the rooftop door, she froze.
Someone was already there.
Victor.
He stood alone at the edge of the terrace, looking out over the Academy grounds.
Elena stared at him.
She had rarely ever seen him this close.
As if sensing her gaze, Victor suddenly turned his head.
Their eyes met.
"What are you looking at?"
His voice was cold.
"Eat."
Elena froze.
Panic immediately seized her.
She turned around and hurried toward the stairwell.
"Stop."
Victor’s voice rang through the rooftop.
Cold.
Commanding.
Elena stopped immediately.
"Why are you leaving?"
She slowly turned around.
Victor casually reached into his coat.
"Well..."
He pulled out a piece of paper.
"If you want to leave, look at this first."
He held it up.
A purchase receipt.
Elena’s eyes widened.
The receipt contained the details of a massive order of Moon-Bleed Petals.
An order made by her family.
The blood drained from Elena’s face.
Her hands began trembling.
She knew exactly what those petals were.
And more importantly...
She knew what their possession meant.
Her family’s darkest secret.
A secret that should never have reached someone like Victor.
Elena stared at the receipt in horror.
How does he know about this?
Her heart pounded violently.
What could he possibly want with my family’s secret?
Victor stepped closer, the soft rustle of his coat echoing sharply against the concrete floor ofมาช the quiet rooftop. The wind whipped past them, carrying the chill of the approaching afternoon, but the cold radiating from him was far more paralyzing.
"Confused, Elena?" Victor asked, his voice a low, smooth murmur that cut straight through her panic. He lowered the receipt slightly, letting her stare at the damning seals and shipping manifests bearing her family’s name. "Or perhaps terrified that the entire capital might soon learn what your noble household is dabbling in behind closed doors?"
Elena’s lips parted, but no words came out. Her chest heaved as she tried to force air into her lungs, her mind spinning wildly. If the disciplinary committee or worse, the Church discovered her family’s purchase of the illicit moon-bleed petals used to suppress Kael’s berserker trait, her brother would be branded a monster, and her entire household would be stripped of their title and cast into ruin.
"You... you have no right..." she finally choked out, her voice trembling violently as tears of sheer frustration welled in her eyes. "What do you want from us?"
Victor stopped just a step away from her, towering over her slight frame. A dark, predatory amusement flickered in his sharp eyes.
"Right?" Victor tilted his head, a chilling smirk touching his lips. "In this world, power dictates right, Elena. And right now, I hold the leash."
He reached out, his gloved finger flicking the edge of the paper receipt before letting it drop softly against her chest. She instinctively caught it, clutching it like a lifeline.
"Your brother’s fragile condition, your family’s social standing, your desperate attempts to stay invisible..." Victor whispered, leaning in just enough to invade her space. "None of it has to crumble. But survival comes with a price. And you are going to help me pay it."