Lucien

“My fellow students, I am Lucien Veyran Draivelle, heir to House Draivelle. I formally apologize for my delayed arrival at the academy.”

I placed my right hand on my chest and lowered my head respectfully while the handmaiden next to me performed a curtsy bow.

Almost immediately whispers erupted among the other students. I wasn’t surprised, I was counting on it. I wanted to make sure my arrival wouldn’t go unnoticed. To that end, I was even bold enough to bring a personal attendant to the academy.

I immediately noticed the two students not participating in the gossip. The first was a girl with short blonde hair, sitting at the far left of the classroom. She didn’t participate because no one seemed interested in talking to her. She was unperturbed by this, instead of feeling left out she was giving me a warm smile to welcome the new student.

The other was a young noble lady with flowing red hair, sitting towards the right side of the classroom. Unlike the first girl, her classmates actually tried talking to her, but she just dismissed all of them.

Seraphine Valtesse von Mireidyne.
She’s the one I’m here for. She’s the one I’m putting on this performance for.

It was time for me to take a seat. I would have loved to sit near Seraphine, but the seats around her were already crowded. They’re filled with hopeless fools, who hope that being close to the daughter of a duke will bring them some prestige.

There were however many empty seats near the blonde girl. I went to sit down behind her and my handmaiden followed me wordlessly.

The blonde girl almost immediately turned around to face me and said: “Welcome to Valastra Academy! I’m Lily Everlight, but everyone just calls me Lily. If you want I could show you around the school after class, how about it?”

How bold of her. Any other common wouldn’t dare to talk to a Marquis’ heir unprompted, but she just ignores any difference in rank.

“There will be no need for that. I have already toured the campus.” I replied. I would have preferred to avoid her entirely, but it seemed like keeping our interactions brief will have to do.

She seemed a little dejected at the idea of not being able to help out someone she just met, but quickly regained her composure.

“Alright, but if there’s ever anything you need, I’ll gladly help.”

That goody two-shoes attitude. Exactly why I don’t want anything to do with her.

The rest of the school day went by uneventful. But even though classes were over, there still was one more thing on my agenda. I waited just outside the classroom, around a corner hidden from sight. I had even dismissed my handmaiden, I wanted to be alone for this part.

In the classroom were still a few students, among them Seraphine. She was forced to stay and exchange pleasantries with her fellow nobles just to keep up appearances. A fate I was spared because House Draivelle is fairly disconnected from other noble families.

One by one the other nobles left, and at last Seraphine too left the classroom. Unlike the other nobles, who made their way towards the dorms, she instead headed towards the courtyard.

It’s now or never.

When everyone else was out of sight, I stepped out from my hiding spot.

“Ah Lady Mireidyne. If I may a moment of your time?”

She sighed, clearly tired from talking to all the others trying to garner favor from a powerful family. “Yes, Lord Draivelle?”

“As milady may remember, I am new to Valastra Academy, having only arrived here yesterday. It seems I lost my way trying to find the dormitories. Could I trouble you to show me the way?”

Of course I’m not actually lost, I just need to lure her away from the courtyard.

Her calculating eyes stared at me for a moment, trying to determine how to best deal with me. I just kept up my facade, not showing my growing concern that she might refuse. But then, she nodded and said “Very well, I shall-“

“But…” A voice from behind interrupted her. A familiar voice. The one voice I absolutely did not want to hear in this moment. Lily Everlight.

“But you told me you already knew your way around the campus!”

What is she doing here? She shouldn’t be here! She’s ruining everything!

“I-“ I wanted to explain myself, but Lily didn’t give me a chance to talk.

“I mean, I get it. I’m just a commoner. But I was just trying to help! Why would you reject help when you clearly need it?”

She’s making a scene! I need to diffuse this quickly before she ruins things with Seraphine.

I tried to think of something, anything I could say to get Lily to calm down and leave. Unfortunately, Seraphine beat me to it and said: “And what exactly are you doing here, Miss Everlight? Everyone else already left for the dorms.”

“I just-“ Lily seemed taken aback, “I just wanted to make sure Lord Draivelle is okay. He is new here after all. I’m just looking out for him.”

“So you stalked him?” Seraphine’s accusation pierced Lily like an arrow. For a moment she just stood there, dumbfounded.

No! This is exactly what I wanted to avoid! You’re not supposed to fight, Lily is not even supposed to be here!

Lily finally managed to regain enough of her senses to talk again. “I didn’t- I wasn’t stalking-“ she winced when she said that word, “I was just trying to help him.”

“You followed him to help him, after he, as you yourself said, explicitly told you he doesn’t need help. Sounds to me like you’re just trying to use that as an excuse.”

This was spiraling out of control. I had to say something! “My dear ladies, please there’s no need to-“

“I’m just trying to help!” Lily’s eyes welled up with tears, “I’m not a bad person! I did nothing wrong! I’m just trying to help!”

Lily stormed off crying. Seraphine scoffed at her, then turned to me. “This soured my mood. I will take my leave now, find the dorms yourself.”

She then also left, though in a much more dignified manner than Lily.

I was left behind alone. My plans for the day left in ruin.

On my way towards the dorms, I tried to reflect on what went wrong.

Why was Lily there and not in the courtyard? She said she followed me, does that mean my involvement already altered the course of events? Or was her fight with Seraphine destined to happen no matter what?

I stopped when I recognized the familiar red hair on the person I just walked past. I turned around to face Seraphine.

“So,” she said, “I forgot to ask you why you lied.”

“I lied to Lily because I didn’t want her-“

“You didn’t lie to Lily.” Her words are sharp and calculated. “You walked straight towards the dorm the moment we parted ways. You do know your way around the campus. You lied when you told you me you were lost. If this is a pathetic attempt at gaining political favor by getting close to me then-“

“That’s not it!” I responded defensively.

“What else? Don’t tell me it was an attempt at courting me?”

I didn’t respond. I didn’t know what to tell her. She’s even more perceptive than I thought, any half baked lie would be quickly seen through.

She’s far from the truth, but not entirely wrong…

My silence seemed to convince her she had hit the nail on the head. Only she did not react in the way I thought she would.

For a moment she just stared at me in silence, then she said: “If that’s the case…don’t bother. You don’t even know me at all.” Her voice filled with melancholy, she turned around and left.

But I do know you. I know more than you could ever imagine. Because this is the world of a game I played.