I was dumbfounded at Layla's words. "Huh?"
"I'm not buying that. If you are trying to-"
"Why do you think all the girls are squirming in your presence,?"
Ugh, I really wish she would stop calling me 'dear Edward'.
"W-Well, they are scared…"
"Scared?" Layla burst out laughing.
"You're smart in most areas, but you really don't get how people feel."
She flicked my forehead.
[<I'm not sure who the man is and who the woman is anymore.>]
"E-Enough, Layla."
I stood up, feeling a bit embarrassed.
I had to keep my pride in check.
[<Your pride is already gone.>]
"Will you please shut up?!"
'And you, Jarvis, I will beat you up!' I thought angrily, still fuming over the lies I had been told for months.
I couldn't believe that the reason girls always seemed to be staring at me wasn't because they were scared. I mean, sure, I'm not ugly, but I didn't think I was anything special.
[It was for your own good.]
Like hell!
I rolled my eyes at the voice in my head. It wasn't exactly making me feel better.
Wait.
She also dropped a bombshell on me—apparently, I was the second most handsome man she'd ever seen.
"Who is the first?" I asked Layla curiously....
Don't tell me...
Layla looked taken aback and put her hands on her cheeks, which were now red with embarrassment.
"I-Is that a question?" she stuttered, trying to compose herself.
She took a deep breath before answering, "T-The most handsome and wonderful man in this world is H-His Highness A-Alfred!"
My jaw dropped. Layla was blushing and squirming, her voice became high-pitched as well but somehow she still looked beautiful.
After a moment, Layla regained her composure and made me an offer.
"Ahum...if you promise to keep Milleia out of His Highness' way, I promise not to do anything against her. As for helping me conquer His Highness, I don't need your help."
I didn't buy it for a second. "No," I said firmly, "You definitely need my help. Without me, he would have fallen for you years ago."
I wasn't going to let Layla off the hook that easily. I knew I had her where I wanted her.
I knew I had to do something to help Layla, even though I wasn't sure how much I could do with my limited knowledge of Alfred.
"You seem too confident in successfully helping me?"
She tilted her head.
"I know Alfred."
I just shrugged.
"Hmm."
Layla nodded her head a few times before reaching out her hand.
"I'm delighted to join forces with you, dear Edward."
I sighed and reached out to grasp her hand but-
But instead of holding my hand back, Layla grabbed onto my shirt and pulled me close. Her breath was hot against my ear as she whispered, "Just don't play me, okay?"
"!"
"Edward Falkrona," she added, blowing into my ear and almost kissing it.
I was taken aback by her boldness and watched as she turned around and left without another word.
"..."
I stood there for a moment, still processing what had just happened. The cool air of the hallway gave me a moment to calm down and take in my surroundings. I looked around and saw the pale yellow walls and flickering fluorescent lights, which gave the place a rather clinical feel.
I slowly sat back on the bench and hid my red face.
My heart hammered heavily inside my chest.
I could faintly hear Cleenah complaining about something, but I wasn't in the right state of mind to heed it.
…..
…..
An hour later, after recovering from Layla's seduction attempt, I reached the auditorium for the morning class. I was neither early nor late, but the auditorium was nearly filled up. They all knew how strict Professor Katia was.
Unconsciously, my gaze wandered to look for Layla. It was easy to find her. She was always next to Alfred. She was still talking happily with Alfred, but the latter wasn't as animated as she was. He was just nodding from time to time. He wouldn't dare to shout or do anything else since right in the row behind him, like a bodyguard, was John Tarmias.
John shared the same black hair and red eyes as Layla but not the same expression. He was coldly watching over the discussion between his sister and Alfred.
This guy didn't even change at all…
Even as a child, I remember him being overly protective of Layla. He was a little like how I was with Elona…
"Edward!"
From behind, Jayden arrived with Milleia and Lyra.
"We called you and messaged you but you didn't even answer."
"I'm so glad you're okay!" Milleia exclaimed, pouting slightly in concern.
The whole academy was buzzing with talk about what had happened the previous day. Milleia was especially curious about the rumors that I had left the Falkrona House.
"Did you really leave your house?" she asked, her eyes wide with disbelief.
I hesitated for a moment before answering, knowing that my response would be met with shock.
"Yeah, I did. I was just tired of it all," I replied, shrugging my shoulders.
"...."
The entire classroom fell silent at my admission. I could sense the disbelief and envy radiating from my classmates. Being born into a noble family was a privilege that most people could only dream of, and here I was, giving it all up.
Jayden chuckled, genuinely surprised by my bold move.
"As expected of you," he said, shaking his head in admiration.
Then he looked around him before asking me in a low tone.
"Hey man, you feeling alright?"
He asked me, concern etched onto his face.
I knew exactly what he was talking about. He couldn't spill the beans to the others about what happened, but he was definitely worried about me. Cleenah had told me that Jayden had freaked out when I passed out.
Thankgod he reacted quickly, otherwise Mary would have appeared.
"Yeah, I'm good."
I reassured him with a nod.
"But, uh, does this mean you're just a regular Joe now?"
Milleia chimed in, curious about my status.
I shook my head.
"Nah, my mom is a noble from another country, so I'm still in the club."
I was grateful to still be considered a noble, because I knew that without that last barrier, I'd be vulnerable to all sorts of unsavory advances. I wasn't sure exactly what my mother's status was, but I was sure it was nothing to sneeze at.
"Are you okay with that?" Lyra asked me.
She was probably talking about my status as a noble. I looked up and saw Elona and Simon staring at me with cold expressions. Elona seemed pretty angry.
But I didn't care. I didn't need my status to defend myself.
"I don't need status to protect myself."
I ended the conversation with Lyra and started walking up the stairs. As I climbed, I couldn't help but notice a bunch of girls looking at me. I remembered what Layla had said about me being the second most handsome guy she had ever seen, and it gave me a boost of confidence.
I waved my hand at the girls just to test something…
"""""Kyaaa!"""""
The girls' cheeks blushed as they screamed in happiness.
"..."
It's true.
Then…all this time, they didn't scream because they were scared of me…
[<There is a limit to being dense.>]
How could I have known that?!
[<It's blatantly obvious. They are looking at you like hungry beasts.>]
'Say w-what?'
[There is a limit to being dense.]
You don't need to repeat it!
'By the way, what's the average? I've 25 in charm right now.'
I asked an important question.
I needed to know this information.
[10.]
10?!
Then I'm sure above average.
'W-What about Alfred? Is he more handsome than me?'
Layla's opinion was obviously biased so I wanted the truth.
[I don't have that information.]
[<That's why I followed Jarvis' advice to not tell you anything. Look at you getting excited for that.>]
'You can't understand the feelings of an average person like me!' I shot back.
Suddenly, Milleia's voice interrupted our quarrel.
"What are you doing, Edward?" she asked, looking at me with a puzzled expression.
I realized I was waving my hand at some girls who were looking at me.
"Oh, nothing…" I mumbled, feeling a bit embarrassed.
I tried to brush it off and continued climbing up the stairs.
But then, someone called out to Milleia.
"Milleia Sophren."
I turned around and saw Thomas, the son of the Royal Guard Commander, standing there.
Milleia was nervous as she responded, stuttering slightly.
After what happened with Ronald and in the cafeteria, Milleia had grown cautious around nobles, even though Alfred's kindness had helped to soften her opinion of them. Thomas being a high-ranking noble only added to her discomfort.
[<Thanks to you as well.>]
Well, yeah, I guess.
I, too, was a high-ranking noble, but Milleia spoke to me normally, so I guess I played a role. But then there's Lyra as well.
Wait.
Could it be that Milleia is speaking almost casually with Alfred because of us...
[<You mean, because of you.>]
'Why are you opening your mouth only to diss me?'
[<I can say the same for you.>]
'When did I?'
[<You are calling me useless everyday!>]
'I just stated facts. It can't be considered an insult.'
[Your friend is in a pinch.]
I was mulling over whether my presence had any impact on Milleia speaking normally with Alfred when Jarvis interrupted my thoughts.
I looked over to see Thomas asking Milleia to sit next to Alfred. Great, just what we needed - another noble trying to win her favor.
I glared at Lyra, expecting her to do something to stop Thomas. She had promised to behave herself, after all. But she was just standing there, doing nothing. When she said she wouldn't stick her nose in their business, she really took it at face value.
Frustrated, I realized I had to step in. I watched as Milleia hesitated, clearly uncomfortable with all the girls around Alfred.
"E-Ehm, I'm sorry, I wanted to sit with my friends…" she said, politely declining Thomas' offer.
But Thomas wasn't taking no for an answer. "Are you refusing His Highness' generous offer?" he asked, his frown deepening.
I rolled my eyes at his arrogance. Who did he think he was? And why did he care so much about where Milleia sat?
Alfred, on the other hand, seemed indifferent to the whole situation. He just stood there, waiting for class to start. It was like he didn't even care that Thomas was making a scene.
Look at that guy, acting like he didn't have anything to do!
He was without doubt the one asking Thomas to bring Milleia.
I couldn't take it anymore. I climbed down from the bench and walked over to Thomas.
"Are you deaf, Thomas?" I asked, my tone laced with annoyance.