Chapter (554)?
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The echo of Baek Yu-Seol's footsteps resonated softly through the silent hallway. Most of the students had already left the academy, leaving behind an eerie calm yet his heart felt unexpectedly light. This was the start of something new,
"Hey!"
A sharp voice jolted him from his thoughts. Turning around, he saw Flame and Aiselle, both with their arms crossed and expressions of mild irritation.
"What's up?" Baek Yu-Seol tilted his head, feigning ignorance.
"What do you mean, 'what's up'?" Flame shot back, her crimson eyes blazing. "You've been acting so weird these past few days. Are you planning to disappear again without telling us?"
Aiselle nodded, her blue hair shimmering faintly under the dim lights. "As your friends, we're allowed to worry, you know."
Baek Yu-Seol rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Worried? About me?"
"Don't deflect," Flame grumbled, stepping closer. "What are you planning after graduation?"
"I bet he's off to some secluded mountain to train," Aiselle muttered under her breath, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
"Actually," Baek began, his voice quieter now. "I'm headed to Adolevit's capital."
Flame and Aiselle exchanged surprised glances, their previous irritation replaced with curiosity.
"Adolevit?" Flame's tone softened, though suspicion lingered in her gaze. "Is this about Hong Bi-Yeon?"
Baek's lips curved into a faint smile. "I did make a promise to her. And I intend to keep it."
"Promise?," Aiselle said though there was a hint of annoyance in her voice
"Hopeless, or just reliable?" Baek countered with a grin. "Anyway, got to go. I'm pretty sure someone's waiting for me outside."
Before they could respond, Baek turned on his heel and made his way toward the exit.
---
As Baek Yu-Seol stepped out into the open courtyard, the sight before him made him pause. A grand carriage, adorned with the royal crest of Adolevit, stood waiting. Its sleek, polished exterior gleamed under the afternoon sun, and the horses attached to it were of a breed so majestic they seemed almost otherworldly.
Standing beside the carriage was none other than Hong Bi-Yeon, her posture impeccable and her expression carefully neutral. She wore an elegant yet understated dress of deep crimson, her royal presence commanding attention even in such a simple setting.
Baek's gaze met hers, and for a moment, neither spoke.
"You're late," she said, her tone sharp yet carrying a subtle warmth that only he could discern.
"Or maybe you're just early," Baek replied, his smirk widening.
Hong Bi-Yeon's eyes narrowed, though a faint blush betrayed her irritation. "Shall we go?"
Before Baek could respond, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed behind him.
"Wait!" Flame and Aiselle appeared, slightly out of breath.
Hong Bi-Yeon's gaze shifted to the newcomers, her expression darkening ever so slightly. "Why are you here?"
Flame crossed her arms defiantly. "We're coming with him, obviously."
"And why would that be necessary?" Hong Bi-Yeon's voice was calm, but her words carried a cold edge.
"Because we're his friends," Aiselle interjected, her tone firm. "You don't get to monopolize him just because you're royalty."
A flicker of annoyance crossed Hong Bi-Yeon's face, but she quickly composed herself. "Friends, or nuisances?"
Flame stepped forward, her crimson eyes meeting Hong Bi-Yeon's. "That's rich coming from someone who drags him off on royal errands without a second thought."
Baek raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Alright, alright, let's all calm down. There's plenty of room in the carriage."
Hong Bi-Yeon's gaze snapped to him, her irritation now fully directed at him. "You're just going to let them come?"
"Of course," Baek replied, his tone light. "The more, the merrier, right?"
Hong Bi-Yeon let out a frustrated sigh, her composure cracking slightly. "Fine. But don't blame me if they get left behind."
---
The journey to the capital was anything but quiet.
Flame and Aiselle took the opportunity to bombard Baek with questions, ranging from his plans after reaching the capital to his thoughts on the academy. Hong Bi-Yeon, seated beside him, remained mostly silent, though her occasional glances toward the other girls spoke volumes.
"Are you really going to stick with the princess forever?" Flame asked, her tone teasing.
Baek shrugged. "Why not? She's not as scary as everyone thinks."
Hong Bi-Yeon's hand twitched, but she said nothing.
"You've got a lot of courage to say that," Aiselle chimed in. "Most people wouldn't dare."
"Courage or stupidity," Baek quipped, earning a chuckle from Flame.
Outside the Train, the landscape began to change. The vast fields and rolling hills gave way to bustling towns and villages. The closer they got to the capital, the less vibrant the atmosphere became.
The journey to Adolevit's capital stretched on like an endless thread, the landscape transforming in subtle shifts. Baek Yu-Seol barely noticed the time passing, his thoughts lost to the soft rhythm of the carriage as it rocked gently beneath him. Outside, the world was gradually fading from the serenity of the countryside to the bustling chaos of the capital. Yet within the train, the air was thick, the silence occasionally interrupted by soft murmurs, glances exchanged just out of the corner of his eye.
Flame, across from him, seemed particularly restless. She was sitting upright, her posture stiff, but her eyes were far too frequently drifting in his direction, as if she were unsure of what to say, but still felt the need to be close to him. Her mouth would open, then close again, as though words were too simple to capture what she wanted to say.
Jeliel, seated next to her, was less restrained. She leaned back with a playful smile, but it was more of a teasing one than usual—one that didn't quite reach her eyes, though it lingered on her lips, like a half-formed thought she was unsure whether to speak aloud. Every now and then, she'd glance at Baek, and her expression softened, though she'd quickly look away, as though she were trying to hide something.
Hong Bi-Yeon, ever composed, sat by the window, her hands folded neatly in her lap. Her face was as impassive as ever, but Baek could feel her attention, like a gentle pull, drawing towards him in quiet, subtle intervals. It wasn't in her words, or even her gaze—no, it was in the way she didn't quite meet his eyes, the barely perceptible tension in her posture whenever their hands brushed as the carriage swayed.
Baek Yu-Seol, for all his knowledge and attention to detail, felt the heat of their stares more acutely than he had expected. He could feel the weight of it pressing against him, making the space inside the carriage feel smaller, more intimate than it was.
"Something on your mind?" Flame's voice broke through the quiet, sharp but not unkind. She wasn't looking at him, yet Baek could feel her words aimed squarely in his direction.
"Not particularly," he replied, his tone light, though the corners of his lips twitched upward in a barely contained smile. He leaned back against the plush seat, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. "Though I've noticed your eyes wandering a lot."
Her response came quicker than expected. "I wasn't... I just—" Flame trailed off, her face flushing faintly. She turned toward the window, her lips pressed together, clearly flustered, though she said nothing more.
Jeliel, amused by the subtle exchange, tilted her head and grinned. "You're so obvious, Flame."
Flame shot her a quick look, though her expression softened as their eyes met. "What about you, Jeliel? You're no better." She shot a glance at Baek Yu-Seol, a barely perceptible shift in her posture that told him she was aware of the unspoken weight in the carriage. "You two are just as bad."
Baek raised an eyebrow, though the smile remained on his face. "I'm not sure what you're talking about." He stretched his arms behind his head, the posture casual, though it did little to mask the awareness thrumming beneath his calm demeanor. "Maybe you're just imagining things."
"I'm not imagining anything," Jeliel said, her voice quieter now, and there was something different in her tone. It was softer, almost hesitant. "You're just... you. You make it hard for anyone to not notice."
"Notice what?" Baek leaned in just slightly, the teasing in his voice all too deliberate, though a flicker of something more serious passed through his gaze. His perception, keen as ever, could sense the quiet unease running through the atmosphere. "What exactly are we talking about, Jeliel?"
Jeliel hesitated, her playful mask slipping just a little. She opened her mouth, but no words came out, and instead, her eyes lowered to her lap. "It's nothing."
Baek studied her for a moment, not pressing, but not letting it go either. It was in these quiet moments, when words failed and only the weight of unsaid things remained, that he could see beneath the surface of her usual teasing. There was something here, something more than just the simple companionship they had shared since their early days at the academy.
The brief silence was interrupted by Hong Bi-Yeon, who spoke with her usual controlled tone, though Baek detected a slight undercurrent to her words. "We've arrived." She stood smoothly, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face before stepping out of the carriage, her movements deliberate, as though she were closing a chapter without saying a word.
As she stood outside, Baek took a moment to follow her, feeling the absence of her attention now that she had moved away from the warmth of the carriage. But before he could make his way out, Flame and Jeliel were already beside him, walking close enough that their presence seemed to merge, but just far enough to keep him in their orbit.
Flame's voice was quieter now, tinged with something more than just casual affection. "You're leaving us soon, huh?" she said, almost to herself. "Adolevit's royal capital... that's a long way."
Baek's lips quirked upward, but there was no humor in it. "It's only a few days' journey. You'll barely notice I'm gone."
"No," Jeliel interjected softly, her words lighter but laced with something Baek could almost taste. "We'll notice." She glanced at him, her smile gentle but not teasing. "Maybe we'll miss you more than you think."
Flame rolled her eyes, though the faint smile tugging at her lips betrayed her true feelings. "Alright, we get it. You'll miss him, Jeliel."
Baek turned his attention to Hong Bi-Yeon, who was already waiting for him at the gates, her back straight as she observed the capital beyond. There was something distant in her gaze, but it wasn't cold. She was… observing. Calculating. Yet Baek could feel the subtle weight of her words in the air between them, even without them being spoken.
"Shall we?" he asked, his voice steady, though the question was directed more at her than anyone else.
Hong Bi-Yeon glanced at him briefly, her lips curving upward in the smallest of smiles. "We should."
The walk to the royal gates felt oddly slow, even though the crowd parted for them with the usual deference. Baek's eyes drifted over the city, but his thoughts lingered on the quiet intensity of the girls' unspoken emotions. As the gates loomed larger, he realized with a jolt that this wasn't just a journey to the capital. It was a step into something more—into the heart of their emotions, tangled in ways none of them had yet to acknowledge fully.
As they entered the city, Baek kept his gaze ahead, but his mind was focused on the subtle shifts in the space around him. He could feel it now more than ever. The soft pull of affection, the flickering glances, the hesitations… They were all leading somewhere.
But where? That was something he couldn't quite figure out yet.
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To Be Continued