Chapter 93 - 27
The dawn mist lingered over the grand archways of the Central Aegis Academy as the sleek, matte-black carriage bearing the Central Bank’s crest glided silently to a stop near the western peripheral gates. Arthur stepped out onto the cobblestones, his dark eyes instantly taking in the crisp morning air. Dressed in his crisp white-and-blue student uniform, with his mana-suppression ring dialed back to mask his overwhelming aura, he looked like nothing more than an exceptionally calm, strikingly handsome commoner returning from a short medical leave.
Behind him, the carriage window slid down softly. Elena leaned against the frame, her silver-framed reading glasses resting low on her nose, a playful, affectionate smile touching her lips.
"Don’t skip lunch, Arthur," she called out, her tone carrying that familiar, bossy cadence that made his lips curve slightly. "And if those twelve executive girls keep sending three course meals and private carriages to my research lab every two hours to beg for my marriage endorsement, I’m going to start charging them consultation fees."
"They’re just securing their investments, Sis," Arthur replied smoothly, slinging his leather duffel bag over his shoulder. "Keep them busy. It stops them from mobilizing the continental guard every time I leave my apartment."
Elena chuckled softly, waving him off as the carriage turned back toward the Apex Estate.
Arthur turned toward the central quadrangle, his firm, measured steps cutting through the rising chatter of the morning crowd. The moment he stepped onto the main thoroughfare, the quiet atmosphere evaporated.
Word of his return spread through the student body like wildfire. High-born noble heiresses who were casually loitering near the fountain instantly straightened their silk cloaks; elite female swordswomen paused their warm-up drills to stare with flushed, eager faces; and ambitious upperclassmen mages nudged each other frantically, their hushed whispers echoing down the stone colonnade.
"He’s back! Arthur returned!"
"Where was he yesterday?! He left in the Central Bank’s private carriage with Dr. Elena!"
"Look at him... he doesn’t even care that everyone is staring!"
Arthur navigated the sea of curious, admiring glances with total, effortless charm, completely unbothered by the attention. As he approached the entrance of Lecture Hall 101, he caught sight of Lord Julian and his disgruntled aristocratic clique standing by the marble pillars.
Julian’s face was twisted in a mixture of dark jealousy and bitter disdain. He stepped directly into Arthur’s path, his hand resting arrogantly on the hilt of his jeweled rapier, his chest puffed out in a pathetic display of noble authority.
"Well, well. Look who decided to show his face again," Julian sneered, his voice loud enough to draw a crowd of curious onlookers. "A common peasant who gets a ride in a bank carriage thinks he’s above the rules, abandoning his lectures on day two. Don’t think your cheap little tricks impress anyone here, peasant. Today is the practical combat and mana-resonance assessment down in the grand arena. You won’t be able to hide behind bank directors or substitute doctors when a real combat beast is standing in front of you."
Arthur stopped a few feet away, looking down at Julian with a pair of cold, unblinking dark eyes. His posture was so calm, so utterly relaxed, that Julian involuntarily flinched back half a step, his breath catching in his throat.
"Is that all, Lord Julian?" Arthur asked, his voice smooth, low, and entirely devoid of anger. "Or are you planning to delay the entire lecture hall because you missed your morning tea?"
A wave of stifled giggles erupted from the surrounding female students. Julian’s face exploded into a furious, humiliated crimson. He opened his mouth to bark a sharp insult, but Arthur casually walked right past him, his shoulder lightly brushing Julian’s, as if the noble boy were nothing more than a minor obstacle on the stone floor.
Arthur pushed open the heavy oak doors of Lecture Hall 101 and ascended the stone stairs of the grand amphitheater, heading straight for the isolated top row.
Sitting in her usual dark corner, Katherine was huddled over her wooden desk. Her thick, dark indigo hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her threadbare cardigan was pulled tight against her massive, exceptionally voluptuous chest. Her heart was hammering violently against her ribs, her deep violet eyes wide with frantic, quivering anxiety as she stared at her blank notebook.
She had barely slept the previous night, plagued by continuous, painful thoughts that Arthur had left the academy for good or had been claimed by one of the wealthy, dazzling heiresses down front.
The sound of firm, rhythmic footsteps stopped right beside her desk.
"You left the inkwell in the center again," Arthur’s smooth, soothing voice drifted down to her.
Katherine gasped softly, her entire body jerking in shock as her head snapped up. Her deep violet eyes met his calm, handsome face, and the overwhelming weight of relief that crashed over her was so intense that tears welled in the corners of her eyes. A fiery, brilliant blush spread all the way from her delicate neck to her ears.
"A-Arthur!" Katherine stammered, her hands trembling as she instinctively clutched her cardigan tightly over her heaving chest. "Y-You came back! I... I mean... I kept your seat empty! I didn’t let anyone sit here!"
"I can see that," Arthur murmured gently, pulling out his chair and sitting down beside her with absolute composure. He set his leather bag down and looked at her flushed, tear-filled face. "Did someone bother you while I was away?"
"N-No!" Katherine squeaked, shaking her head frantically, her heart doing crazy, fluttering flips at the genuine concern in his eyes. "No one bothered me! I was just... I was afraid you weren’t coming back..."
"I promised I’d sit here," Arthur said softly, reaching out to gently push her notebook a few inches back into alignment. "And I don’t break my word."
Katherine bit her lower lip, her cheeks burning like hot coals, her heart racing so fast she felt completely lightheaded. For the first time in her life, she felt safe, protected, and genuinely seen—not as an impoverished, vulgar outcast, but as someone worthy of sitting right beside him.
At the front of the amphitheater, the stage doors opened, and Director Celeste stepped out to make an announcement regarding the afternoon’s practical arena evaluations. But as she spoke into the crystal microphone, her silver-framed spectacles caught Arthur’s gaze high up in the back row.
Seeing him sitting there calmly beside the commoner girl, Celeste’s face flushed a soft, flustered pink, her mind racing back to the late-night executive meeting at the estate where Elena had explicitly declared her support for Arthur taking all twelve of them as wives. Celeste stumbled slightly over her words, clearing her throat nervously while clutching her clipboard to her chest, her heart hammering with frantic, sweet hope.
High up in the shadows of the back tier, Arthur leaned his jaw on his hand, looking down at the stage with a subtle, knowing smirk. The arena assessment was scheduled for the afternoon, the noble boys were brewing their petty schemes, his sister was orchestrating a chaotic marriage race among his executives, and his commoner desk partner was stealing quiet glances at him every ten seconds.
Arthur adjusted his ring, taking a quiet breath of the morning air. His student life had officially resumed, and he was going to enjoy every single moment of the show.