Rayce inadvertently nodded, hearing Zephyr's words before realising the weight of his actions.
His eyes went wide as his heart rate spiked, feeling Zephyr's eyes narrow in on him.
Just how do I get out of this predicament?
Rayce could only wonder inwardly, unable to diffuse the situation as easily as he hoped for.
If Zael wasn't silenced, she would've already ended the matter by saying she liked him and it was consensual.
Well, not exactly the same words but she would surely admit it, saving him from any potential trouble or misunderstandings.
"Do you know how it tarnishes the image of the Celestia Magic Family?" Zephyr asked, after finding no falsehood in either's expression.
"That..." Rayce opened his mouth to say something, but gave up under the strong glare from Zephyr.
He knew better than to talk back to people in power, especially as he was at a disadvantage.
And he was damn right to shut up when he did.
"Zael, what do you have to say about this?" Zephyr turned to her, snapped his fingers, letting the air return to its normal state.
Zael glared hatefully at her brother, angered by his actions, and spat angrily, "I like him, and I don't care about the repercussions."
Only, after a second, her mouth was left hanging as she realised what she said.
Her head turned to face Rayce, who was looking at her with a slightly astonished expression.
Did I act in a way to not make it suspicious for either of them?
Rayce was playing a dangerous game, having to act like a couple to deceive Zephyr, and acting clueless and dense for deceiving Zael.
The consequences of failing either would be disastrous as they won't be limited to just one failure, immediately resulting in the second as well.
He had to act natural for Zael, in a manner that she thinks "oh shit! He didn't know!" and for Zephyr to make him think "he didn't expect an outright declaration of love, did he?"
However, having acted like an innocent person while being the one who committed the theft in his past life, aided him greatly in this endeavour.
The feeling of adrenaline throughout his being jolted him as he seemed to have gotten the thrill of it all again.
Ah... This feeling... It's utter bliss!
It wasn't just about being not caught, but also about being on the precipice of being caught as that was what made him feel ecstatic.
"N-no th-that's n-o-t w-what I-I-"
Zael tried to salvage the situation, but it was too late.
What? No!!!
Rayce panicked as he felt himself being pressured and who else other than Zephyr would do so, given the current situation.
No matter how much Rayce liked the thrill of being caught, he didn't want to get into the bade graces of a Magic Family that' could easily level the entire barony he lived in.
And they wouldn't even need to send a quarter of their forces to achieve such a feat.
"Haah..." Rayce let out his held breath as Zephyr reeled in his pressure, restraining his emotions.
"So that's how it is?" Zephyr questioned with a dark look on his face, seemingly rhetorical.
Rayce nervously gulped as the situation seemed to deviate from his expectations, any and all.
"Well, be that as it may, Zael," Zephyr began, focusing of his sister, "Do you think that's enough of a reason for what you did?"
"N-no, but-"
"Enough!"
Cutting her off, he turned to stare straight into Rayce's eyes, "And you. You think you are worthy of her? You're but an honors student, that too, only for now."
Feeling insulted, Rayce's emotions burst forth, "I am just an honors student, right? But this is the Veritas Nexus Magic Academy!"
"Do you think just anyone can get in here? You are from a Magic Family, so of course it's no big deal for you, but that isn't the case for someone like me-"
"And that's exactly why you're no fit for my sister." Zephyr concluded, cutting off Rayce's retorts.
Despite being aware of his sister's feelings and having witnessed the scene this morning, Zephyr was bent on distance them, apologizing in his heart for his decision.
It was better than her getting removed due to the societal pressure or Rayce getting harassed and challenged to endless duels.
But if they survived all of it and won against them, then also, they would only become subjects of mockery and ridicule.
Unlike what one would expect, there were not many ways to spread this news outside the academy, so it wasn't a well-known matter yet.
Hence, it could be suppressed.
On the other hand, Rayce also wanted to suppress the matter, but not in a way that broke her heart or by getting insulted.
He just wanted for the matter to come to a rest because the two were together as that would be the ideal outcome.
However, his dying moments had led him to realise that life never went according to one's wishes, let alone if one didn't even try to fight for it.
"What do I have to prove, so that you call me 'worthy' of her?" Rayce finally asked, turning back to Zephyr after a good look at Zael.
Hearing his calm response with blazing eyes fueled by Rayce's determination.
Seeing it, Zephyr's lips curled upward for a split second as he secretly liked the response and how calmly it was held.
That was a quality of a mage: to calmly assess, observe, analyse and come to a decision based on the information gleaned.
An emotional person could hardly become a good mage, especially if they were immature.
Nevertheless, Zephyr didn't plan on going easy despite liking the guy quite a bit.
It was a well-known fact that brothers go hardcore for their sister, regardless of how much they disparage her or act like they completely hate her.
"What can you even do? Hmm. Maybe ascend two tiers and reach Tier 4 by the end of this year? No... that's easy... Yes, Tier 5! Reach Tier 5 before I graduate. Do that and we'll talk again."
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[A/N]
Ahem, ahem, so, I was wondering to add a system or not in this novel?
Btw, thanks for the Power Stone, my sole reader!