Right on its heels.
Amid a blaze of fervent gazes, David Ketch and Simon arrived at the Year 1 Class A classroom.
The vast classroom accommodated two or three hundred people, yet even in such a crowd, that one person still shone as brilliantly as a diamond star.
Iyefut Cape was still dressed in her light gray student uniform, her face bare of makeup—pure and innocent to the utmost degree. Only her gradient long hair was bound tightly with a double-helix ribbon. She was chatting with a masked youth standing nearby.
Though Iyefut was conversing with a human male, David Ketch saw nothing amiss in it.
He assumed—as offspring of a duke’s family, just like himself as student council president—they naturally extended a superior’s tolerance toward lesser races.
Hmph, as expected of Miss Cape.
Great minds think alike.
And so, in the next moment, David Ketch stepped forward with mild politeness. “Miss Cape, good day. I’m David Ketch, student council president of this academy. I’ve come specifically to deliver your invitation to the New Order Celebration’s evening ball.”
A dashing gentleman, in full view of the public, presenting an invitation to a woman who looked like a celestial fairy.
Oh~ How utterly romantic.
Everyone was watching the scene unfold.
Just as all eyes awaited Iyefut’s response, she cast a casual glance at David Ketch and replied offhandedly, “Mm, thanks for your trouble. I’ve received it. Thank you.”
And then…
There was no “and then.”
Iyefut turned her face away once more and resumed her conversation with the youth beside her. They chatted with evident intimacy—passionately, even.
In that instant, the surrounding atmosphere grew somewhat heavy.
Somehow, Iyefut came across as rather aloof. She seemed far more enthusiastic toward that human than toward David.
David realized he had been brushed off. His brows knitted together as he quietly sized up the masked man, thinking to himself: It must be this shameless human pestering Miss Cape.
At that moment, the onlookers filled not only the classroom but also the space outside it, crowding in layers upon layers to watch the spectacle.
Though the students in the class had grown accustomed to the exchanges between Iyefut and Sang, for those from other classes, the sight was harder to swallow.
The crowd quickly latched onto a rationale that aligned with David Ketch’s own thinking: No doubt this brazen human was the one clinging to Iyefut, and she was merely humoring him out of courtesy.
Unwilling to slink away just like that, David mustered his courage and voiced his proposal.
“Miss Cape, I have one more impertinent request. I hope you’ll allow me to serve as your dance partner at the ball! Would you do me the honor?”
A gentleman might exude elegance, but occasionally, a bold advance was needed to win a beauty’s favor.
His words sparked anticipation among the onlookers, who envisioned the striking pair together. Some even began to cheer, shouting, “Say yes to him!”
At David’s declaration, Iyefut paused for a fraction of a second. Only then did she realize she had been so absorbed in her chat with Sang that she had overlooked the others. She slowly raised her eyes, the curve of her smile gradually softening as she slipped back into the poised demeanor of the Social Queen.
Her elegance carried a hint of distance.
One moment earlier, David Ketch brimmed with confidence; the next, an inexplicable unease gripped him; and in the moment after that, his premonition proved true.
Iyefut refused with gentle courtesy. “I’m sorry, but I must decline your kind offer.”
“Forgive my ignorance—might I ask the reason?”
Iyefut turned to the youth beside her, her cheeks flushing as she declared loudly, “Because… I… I’ve already got a dance partner I adore!”
…
“Extra! Extra! Miss Iyefut Cape turns down Student Council President David Ketch’s invitation to be her dance partner—instead, she invites a human male to accompany her at the New Order Celebration banquet!”
It was midday in early autumn, and Adel clutched a stack of the latest campus weekly as she hawked them along the bustling academy path.
The campus weekly was originally the Student Council’s responsibility, but with its ranks filled entirely by nobles who had no interest in such drudgery, the task had been outsourced to a group of human students. Adel was one of them, earning a wage in what amounted to work-study.
Countless students halted in their tracks at her call, rushing over to buy copies.
As they scanned the papers, exclamations of surprise rang out. “Is this for real? That Blood Race duke’s daughter actually invited a human as her dance partner?”
“Absolutely true! Our campus paper’s mission is to deliver frontline academy news with factual integrity as our guiding principle. I’ve personally interviewed plenty of eyewitnesses, including Student Council Vice President Simon,” Adel replied while continuing her sales pitch and fielding questions.
“I’ve heard Miss Iyefut is a vision of unearthly beauty… For someone like her to take the initiative with a human—who is this guy?”
“Shuade!” Adel shot back.
“Whoa, Shuade? Never heard of him.” The crowd had assumed it was some campus standout—nothing on the level of a Blood Race member, but every year produced a few standout humans, like the first-years Adolf, Kafka, and Russell Roland.
“Shuade… Wait, isn’t he that recent transfer who joined Class A?”
“Oh… Now that you mention it, yeah. You mean that short guy who always wears a mask? I heard Class A monitor Kafka even issued him a Knight Duel challenge, and the dude forfeited without a fight…”
“I’ve heard he skips classes all the time, treats school rules like they’re nothing. Total delinquent.”
Mm.
Yes.
Everyone who came to the Knight Academy—whether human or Blood Race—did so with ambitions of rising above their station. Humans seized every opportunity to shine; Blood Race scions represented their families and were meticulous about their images.
By that logic, this Shuade was nothing short of a walking disaster in the Knight Academy—a total weirdo.
Just then.
Luna and Adolf happened to emerge from the cafeteria. She had lately noticed something off about him; he always seemed preoccupied. “Adolf, have you run into some trouble?”
Adolf was lost in thought and hadn’t heard her.
Luna patted his shoulder, jolting him back to reality. He whipped his head around, a flash of ferocity in his eyes that vanished in an instant. He shook his head. “Sorry. I’ve been having trouble sleeping lately… Can’t quite focus during the day.”
“It’s fine. Just take care of yourself.”
In the next moment.
Luna glanced up absentmindedly and spotted the commotion nearby. Her roommate Adel was distributing flyers—or rather, newspapers—and chatting animatedly with a throng of students. Luna couldn’t help but smile; her roommate was a true social dynamo, the epitome of a campus live wire.
The two of them drifted over and picked up a copy.
The moment Luna saw the headline, surprise flickered across her face. For Iyefut—that woman—to pull off such a brazen move was a blatant affront to the Cape name. “Adolf, what do you make of this?”
Yet.
The youth beside her offered no reply for a long while.
When Luna turned to look, she was met with Adolf’s face etched in cold murderous intent. A chill of fear crept over her as she heard him murmur, “Iyefut Cape, the red Red Lycoris… what exactly are you thinking?”
