Theodore sat in class, his annoyance bubbling as his classmates swarmed around him. They hovered like a flock of birds, calling out to him with exaggerated admiration.
"My prince, how is your health? Are you feeling better?"
"My prince, would you like a massage? I'm excellent with pressure points!"
"My prince, please visit my family's manor! We have the finest delicacies, imported from across the sea!"
Theodore gritted his teeth, trying to suppress his irritation. While their courtesy was expected, the constant attention was grating. He especially hated how they kept touching his arm and shoulder. He fought the urge to shove them all away.
Suddenly, a sharp voice rang out across the classroom.
"Alright, that's enough! Leave the prince alone! He's been absent for months, and now that he's back, you're all suffocating him. Give him some space!"
Everyone turned toward the source of the commanding voice. A tall girl with long, golden-blonde hair and a regal demeanor strode confidently toward Theodore. Her hair was styled perfectly, with bangs framing her delicate face.
Recognizing her, the crowd backed away and returned to their seats.
Theodore blinked as the girl approached him, her hands on her hips.
"Who are you?" Theodore asked, genuinely confused.
Her expression shifted to one of playful offense. "How rude! I'm Elisa Lorenz, daughter of the Duke of the South!"
Theodore raised an eyebrow, still unimpressed. "Ah… Have we met before?"
Elisa sighed dramatically. "Oh, that hurts, my prince. Don't you remember? We met during the hunting test. I even wanted to form a party with you, but someone rudely interrupted."
"Hey!" came another sharp voice.
Vivian stormed into the classroom, her long white hair flowing behind her. Her blue eyes were blazing with fury as she walked up to Elisa, clearly upset by her presence.
"Oh, speaking of interruptions," Elisa muttered with a smirk.
"Why are you here, Elisa?" Vivian snapped. "Don't I warn you to stay away?"
Elisa tilted her head innocently. "Oh, didn't I tell you? I spoke to Miss Dalia earlier and got permission to transfer into this class."
"What?!" Vivian's voice rose to a shriek. Her expression was one of pure outrage.
Theodore sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Could you two please take this outside? You're giving me a headache."
Vivian ignored him, slamming her hand on his desk. "But… Theodore, you can't let this girl sit here! She's up to no good!"
Theodore, tired of the nonsense, leaned back in his chair. "Vivian, I think you're getting the wrong idea but even if what you're imagining were true, what right do you have to dictate who I interact with?"
Vivian froze, her face reddening in frustration. She stared at the ground, unable to respond, but her silence didn't mean she'd given up. A dark, sinister smile crept onto her face as she muttered something under her breath.
Jin, seated nearby, adjusted his glasses and placed a calming hand on Vivian's shoulder. "It's fine, Viví. Let it go. Elisa is just Theodore's… friend."
Vivian glared at Jin but reluctantly backed down, sitting beside Elisa with a huff.
Elisa, unfazed, smiled smugly as she took the empty seat in front of Theodore. "Don't worry, my prince. I'll make sure to keep an eye on you. I have a feeling things are going to get very interesting."
"Oh, please," Vivian muttered, crossing her arms. "I'm the one keeping an eye on you!"
Jin sighed loudly. "Why am I the only one who seems exhausted by this chaos?" He glanced at Theodore, who was staring out the window, completely ignoring the bickering girls.
"My prince, you seem distracted. What are you looking at?" Jin asked.
Theodore smirked slightly, not taking his eyes off the window. "Oh, just the scenery."
In truth, he wasn't admiring the scenery. His sharp gaze was locked on a figure standing near the tree outside the building a man in white and gold armor, glaring directly at him. The man's black hair and void-like black eyes made him stand out even from a distance.
"He must be the guard sent by the Holy Temple," Theodore murmured to himself.
"Did you say something, my prince?" Jin asked, tilting his head.
Theodore shook his head. "It's nothing. Just… a hunch that something annoying is about to happen."
Elisa leaned in, her curiosity piqued. "What kind of problem? Do you know something we don't?"
Theodore gave her a cold smile. "Nothing that concerns you, Elisa."
Her eyes gleamed with amusement. "You're interesting, my prince. I knew the moment I saw your carriage arrive at the academy gates that you were someone worth watching."
"Oh? And what made you think that?"
"Well," Elisa said playfully, "your reputation for being a weakling and a dead rat was so well known that I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw you using magic. You're full of surprises."
"Elisa, mind your words!" Jin scolded, glaring at her. "That's no way to speak to his highness!"
"It's fine," Theodore said coolly. "She's not wrong. I was weak and sick in the past. I couldn't even use magic, and my brother, Caden, made my life miserable. Her opinion is fair."
Elisa smiled. "I thought as much. My parents even said you were cursed, a true disaster prince. But now, it seems those rumors were false. You're nothing like they said you'd be."
(Ah, this girl likes provoking me for her own entertainment, )Theodore thought. But he wasn't going to let her have the last laugh.
"You're right, Elisa," he said with a sharp grin. "I am cursed."
Elisa gasped, feigning shock. "Oh, my! I had no idea, my prince!"
"That's it! Get out, you little pest!" Vivian snapped, her hands glowing with ice magic.
"Make me," Elisa shot back, her aura radiating gravity magic.
The tension between the two girls was palpable. Jin groaned and leaned his head on the desk. "I'm too tired for this…"
Theodore smirked inwardly, amused by their childish antics, he thought. Elisa might make a fine tool in the future.
Before their magic could collide, Miss Dalia entered the room. She slammed her hand on the desk, silencing the entire class. "Enough! Back to your seats, now. Class is about to start!"
Vivian and Elisa glared at each other but reluctantly sat down.
Theodore glanced out the window one more time. The man from the Holy Temple was gone.
This day is only getting stranger, he thought, shaking his head.