Clank!
The door leading to the kitchen opened, revealing a tall figure. He had a smile different from his usual one on his face, a smile of satisfaction.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he said. "It is time!"
"But—" Seren wanted to protest; however, she stopped herself from doing so.
Turning her head to her classmates, she finally took notice of the looks they were giving her, except for Mateo for some reason.
Instantly switching to her carefree expression.
'Did I crack my persona already?' she mused, disappointed.
She wanted to maintain a cool-headed persona throughout her academy years, but it had already been ruined within days.
She lived a quiet, peaceful life in these last few years. But something was missing in her life. There was no affection or love. Her life was stale. All she had was her adoptive father; however, their relationship felt plastic.
He saw her only as someone to benefit from, and Seren was fully aware of it. Yet, she didn't hate him.
He had given her a roof to sleep under.
Though treated as an investment, she gained undeniable strength through the resources he provided. Only two things mattered in their world. Strength and connections.
While she held no animosity toward her adoptive father, she still yearned for affection and passion in her gray world.
In the end, her solitary life lured her into enjoying games and various kinds of literature. She was a closet nerd—it became her escape in a sense. She knew that it was just an excuse but still embraced its illusions.
Inspired by a series she loved, she crafted a persona she wanted to embody—a cold, aloof type who seemed indifferent to everything.
But it was a miserably failed plan, her ruse was now exposed.
'So? What do I do now?'
She still wanted to live as the fake persona, not being sure how. It didn't seem possible.
"Ahm, let's go eat," she said in a flustered manner with a cough, her face burning.
"..You weren't so distant after all," Lumia said.
"..I guess," Seren mumbled.
"....So how was the game?" Lucian chimed in. "Who won?"
All five students started sitting at the table one by one.
"..Well, we can say it was a draw," Mateo answered, shrugging; however, there was a tingle of disappointment in his voice.
Pulling the chair, Ivy said under her breath, "If you took any longer, I'd lose my mind."
"My bad," Lucian said with a chuckle.
The fact that no one mentioned Seren's sudden shift in personality surprised her slightly; she had expected to be mocked, especially by Ivy and Lami.
The crimson–eyed boy was resting his head on his left hand, fully exposing his tattoo.
'That's a… cool tattoo,' Seren thought as she admired the hourglass design, her eyes shining with interest despite maintaining a straight face. Tattoo on a 16-year-old. Was he a rebel?
To her, the boy was a peculiar being.
Being ranked low, despite acing the theoretical test, Seren didn't think much of him, but he raised interest in her the first day he fought Calista.
He was calculating, earned the first-ever black rating, and now had won his first duel in seconds.
'He is an interesting one,' she remarked. 'I'll keep close eyes on him as well.'
He was now a target—an opponent.
***
Lami shifted his gaze to Lucian. "What do you have for us, chef?" he asked.
"..Heh, you'll see, " Lucian answered, chuckling with a proud smile before heading back to the kitchen.
"I'm hungry. It better be wor— Ouch!" Mateo elbowed Ivy before she could finish her sentence, shaking his head.
Lami stifled a laugh at the comical sight. Ivy shot Mateo a sharp glare, her jaw clenched as she made a funny face, narrowing her eyes but remaining silent.
Lucian soon entered the room, holding four plates.
The plates held something unfamiliar to Lami. 'Pastry?' he wondered. '...No, there's meat inside.'
Lucian served the plates to Lumia, Seren, Mateo, and Ivy in turn. The table was already set, so only the plates needed to be placed.
Even though the plates had been served, no one started eating; they waited for Lucian.
'Should've helped him,' Lami thought regretfully.
"...Sorry, you were the last," Lucian expressed, serving Lami his plate. "We have Beef Wellington with fondant potatoes and lightly sauteed asparagus. ….Hope you like it."
Lucian's voice was soft and didn't radiate his usual confidence, his gaze was shifting around. "Bon appétit," he said, taking a seat beside Lami.
Ivy was the one to break the silence with her picking up the silverware. Just as she was about to start, Lucian spoke once again.
"Ah. I forgot. ….I brought wine as well." He quickly ran to the kitchen and got back in a matter of seconds. He was holding a dark wine bottle. "This one is special. Don't ask me for names, though. I won't tell."
Lucian gestured to pour the wine, waiting for their nods of approval. Everyone except for Lami gave him a light nod.
Lumia was the first, after her glass was filled one thirds Lucian stopped, and Lumia spun her glass and smelled it before tasting it.
Her eyes brightened slightly as she began to nod. Lucian threw a satisfied smile and went on with the others.
'Why's she spinning her glass?' Lami wondered, clueless about drinking etiquette.
Lucian poured some wine into the other students' glasses. Mateo replicated Lumia's antics; however, his face twitched a little after tasting the wine.
It seemed Lami was the only one who noticed.
Lucian soon appeared by Lami's sight, but unlike his classmates, Lami didn't want to drink as he shook his head once.
"..Sure?" Lucian asked, raising his brows.
"Sure."
"For real?"
"For real," Lami answered instantly. He didn't feel like drinking anytime soon. Even though they could legally drink, it still felt wrong to do so.
Lucian shrugged his shoulders and sat down, pouring himself also some of the red wine.
"Now, bon appetit for the last time."
Everyone quickly grabbed the silverware. Even though Lami didn't know the dish, it still looked quite tasty. Holding a knife and a fork, he cut into the Beef Wellington, which had already been portioned evenly.
Crunch!
The room was silent, and the crunch of the pastry echoed clearly. Lami glanced at Lucian, who nervously observed his classmates while sipping his wine.
'I thought he was confident in his cooking. Why's he so nervous now?
The meat was pinkish, yet it was by no means raw. There was a layer of something Lami didn't know in between the meat and the pastry.
Holding the knife on his right hand and the fork on his left, Lami brought a piece to his mouth.
As he tasted the food, a burst of rich, savory flavors left him momentarily speechless. The Beef Wellington was a showstopper: golden, flaky pastry encased with tender, perfectly cooked beef, surrounded by two mysterious layers.
Everyone was fully concentrated on the food, savoring the taste. Seeing their reaction, Lucian's face had eased up.
"What are these things around the beef?" Lami asked directly, breaking the silence.
"Ah, those are mushroom duxelle and prosciutto." Lucian smiled, his usual confidence gradually returning.
"...I see," Lami whispered. He had no clue what Lucian was talking about. All he understood was mushroom. He felt stupid.
Perhaps, he wasn't the genius he thought himself to be…