About an hour before Riley returned to the dorms...
He and Snow were walking side by side through the quiet marble halls of Killian Hall, their footsteps echoing softly in the otherwise empty corridor.
The day had gone perfectly—peaceful, warm, and filled with the kind of monts they rarely got to share.
It was clear the night was about to end on a good note... until Riley suddenly stopped walking.
Snow turned to him, tilting her head slightly.
"Riley?"
He blinked, realizing she had stopped a few steps ahead.
"Ah—sorry, Snow," he said, scratching his cheek awkwardly. "I just rembered sothing... uh, kind of important."
Her brows furrowed a little. "Is sothing wrong?"
"No, nothing like that."
He waved his hand lightly, trying to ease her concern.
"It’s just... so personal stuff I need to take care of. I feel bad about it, but could you head back first? I’ll follow right after."
Snow crossed her arms, her tone turning half-playful, half-serious.
"You’re being secretive and cryptic again."
Riley laughed nervously.
"Haha, I promise, it’s not anything dangerous this ti. No blood, no explosions, no near-death situations."
He smiled a little at her skeptical expression.
Still, he hesitated for a mont, thinking if he should just tell her.
After a brief pause, he decided there was no harm in being honest.
"Actually," he said, his voice lowering a bit, "I made a promise to et soone yesterday. The Mistress of the Gyeoul Clan—Seo’s stepmother—she’s here."
Snow blinked in surprise. For a mont, she didn’t say anything.
The Gyeoul Clan was a na that carried weight across the continent—one of prestige, strength, politics, and complicated power.
"...I see," she finally replied softly.
Riley could tell by the tone in her voice that she understood.
She didn’t need him to explain more. Knowing the kind of tension that existed within Seo’s family,
Snow could already guess why soone like the clan’s mistress would visit the academy in secret—and why Riley, of all people, might be the one to et her.
"Will you be fine dealing with her alone?"
Snow asked, her voice calm but edged with sothing sharp beneath the surface.
"If you want, I can have a private talk with her instead~ Trust , dealing with nuisances like her is my specialty."
Riley couldn’t help but chuckle. "I’d like that, honestly, but I don’t want things to blow out of proportion. We’re just going to have a talk, that’s all."
Snow raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Hmm... alright. But if she starts pushing her own personal agendas again—especially when it cos to Seo, her relationship with you, or her life here with us—then don’t hesitate to tell ."
"Alright," Riley said, smiling softly.
He watched her for a mont longer, feeling that familiar mix of admiration and warmth.
Snow could be gentle and graceful, but when it ca to protecting the people she cared about, she was terrifyingly capable.
Out of all his fiancées, she was the one who held enough political and social influence to make soone like the Mistress of the Gyeoul Clan kneel—without even lifting a finger.
It wasn’t an exaggeration.
If Snow wanted to, she could destroy soone’s status with a single whisper in the right ear.
That was just how much weight her na and political influence carried.
Still, Riley didn’t want to rely on that.
.He already had a pretty good idea why Aera Nari Gyeoul—Seo’s stepmother—was here.
The sudden appearance of both her and Seo’s half-brother was all the proof he needed.
He’d deliberately stayed out of it at first, hoping Seo would be able to handle the situation on her own.
But things had shifted in ways even he couldn’t have predicted, and it was clear now that leaving it in Seo’s hands alone had passed the point of safety.
It’s ti to end this before it gets worse, he thought.
’I don’t know if she’ll listen... but if she crosses the line again, then I won’t hesitate.’
Riley knew exactly what kind of person Aera was—calculating, prideful, and never visiting without so hidden purpose.
No matter how polite the eting started, he was in for a long conversation.
Snow seed to sense his thoughts and stepped closer, her voice softening a little. "Just don’t take too long, okay?"
"I won’t," he replied with a small, reassuring smile.
Snow held his gaze for a few seconds longer before sighing and brushing her fingers against his arm in a fleeting, affectionate gesture.
Then she turned and began walking back toward the dorms, her white hair swaying with every step.
Riley watched her go, a faint smile lingering on his face before it slowly faded into a more serious expression.
...
Although they hadn’t arranged a specific place to et, Riley already had a good idea where to go.
After all, she wasn’t exactly being subtle.
From the mont he woke up that morning, he could feel her presence lingering at the edge of his senses — a faint yet deliberate pulse that followed him wherever he went.
The mana threads she had left attached to him from their encounter last night still pulsed in rhythm, tugging gently toward the sa direction like invisible strings leading him by the hand.
’She really wants to notice,’
Following the flow of the mana trail, Riley soon arrived at the comrcial district near the heart of the academy.
The area was as lively as ever: students and rchants haggling over food stalls, the faint music of street perforrs filling the air, and the soft chatter of people blending into a comfortable buzz.
But as soon as he stepped inside the tall, polished building where the trail ended, the noise outside faded away.
The interior was quiet — unnaturally so.
The floors glead with imported marble, and the air carried a faint scent of incense mixed with perfud oils.
Gentle lighting spilled over polished wood panels and velvet curtains.
It was easy to tell this place was designed for the elite — a eting ground for nobles, rchants, and powerful people who didn’t want their affairs overheard.
Riley’s gaze moved over the lobby, catching sight of a few foreign faces — dignitaries, judging by their robes and posture.
None of them paid him any attention, and that was fine by him.
Lowering his presence, he made his way up the grand staircase, following the tug of the mana thread that continued to thrum faintly against his chest.
On the third floor, he stopped before a single black door guarded by two silent sentinels.
They stood perfectly still, one on each side, their uniforms sharp, their expressions blank.
The mont Riley approached, both n bowed slightly and opened the door without a word — no questions, no hesitation.
They were expecting him.
Riley didn’t bother acknowledging them and stepped inside.
The atmosphere in the room was completely different from the luxurious air downstairs.
It wasn’t grand or heavily decorated — rather, it was simple, minimal, and oddly calming.
Tatami mats replaced the marble floor, and a faint scent of herbal tea lingered in the air.
The room’s furniture was clearly of Eastern design — low tables, sliding screens, and paper lanterns giving off a warm glow.
And there she was.
Sitting gracefully on a cushion in the center of the room, Aera Nari Gyeoul greeted him with that sa elegant, foxy smile he rembered.
Her posture was perfect — back straight, hands folded neatly on her lap, her long silver hair flowing down her side like silk.
Her eyes, half-lidded, glimred with amusent.
"My dearest guest has finally arrived," she said softly, her voice smooth and sweet as honey. "Please, take a seat."
Taking his seat, Riley quietly mirrored Aera’s posture — sitting cross-legged on the mat across from her.
His movents were calm and respectful, but his eyes never left hers.
"Hmm..." Aera tilted her head slightly, her half-lidded eyes tracing his form with amusent. "You’re quite familiar with the Eastern Empire’s customs, I see. I even went out of my way to prepare a proper chair for you, yet you choose the floor instead."
Riley’s gaze flicked briefly toward the small stool she had set beside him, then back to her.
"Seo taught a little about your culture," he said evenly. "Besides, it’d be rude to look down on you in the middle of a conversation like this."
Aera’s lips curved faintly. "Fufu~ that’s indeed true. Still, the seat was ant out of courtesy, you know? I suppose you’re more respectful than I expected."
"Trust ," Riley replied, tone steady, "I’m not."
That answer earned him a soft, knowing smile. Aera studied him in silence for a mont — eyes glimring with curiosity as if she was peeling back layers he didn’t even know he had.
"Last night," she finally said, "you were rather... hostile toward . Understandable, of course, considering the situation. So, tell ..." she leaned forward just slightly, her voice dipping low, "do you already have an idea why I ca to see you?"
Riley leaned back, unfazed by her probing tone. "I can guess," he said, "but since we’re having this conversation now, why don’t you enlighten ?"
That made her chuckle softly.
"Oh, how straightforward," she murmured, tucking a strand of silver hair behind her ear. "You really do remind of her sotis."
Riley didn’t respond to that. He just waited.
The longer Aera looked at him, the deeper her intrigue grew.
There was sothing about the boy — that quiet confidence mixed with an aura she couldn’t quite decipher.
It wasn’t arrogance, but it wasn’t submission either.
It was as though he stood on his own ground entirely, refusing to be swayed by the weight of her na or her influence.
And that... only made him more interesting.
Of course, Aera’s interest wasn’t born from affection or admiration.
It was calculation — pure and simple.
She could feel it; his power, his presence, the strange depth in his mana.
Everything about him scread potential.
And potential was sothing the Gyeoul Clan never ignored.
But the real problem lay in that girl — Seo.
That shaless, stubborn girl who sohow had Riley tangled around her life.
Aera still didn’t fully understand how or why he had beco so involved with her stepdaughter, but she knew this much: if she wanted to move the clan forward — to secure her influence, her legacy — Seo was in the way.
And Riley...
Riley could be the key.
Her lips curled into a faint, unreadable smile as she poured tea into two cups.
Steam rose between them, thin and gentle.
"Well then," she said softly, her tone light but her eyes sharp, "let’s talk about why I’m really here."
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