Chapter 14: So Irritating
—CELIA—
I was humming as I walked down the corridor with my hands lightly clasped behind my back.
My steps were slower than usual, my mood suspiciously elevated for soone who had nearly triggered a major plot deviation before the day ended.
"This is going well," I said under my breath.
"...No, do not say that out loud," I corrected imdiately. "That is how disasters begin."
Still, I could not stop the small smile forming on my face.
Because for the first ti since waking up in this world, sothing had gone right. Not accidentally right. Not barely survived right. But actually, good kinda right.
I can’t believe I found myself an ally!
I continued walking, the soft echo of my steps following as sunlight filtered through the tall windows. Everything looked the sa as before, elegant and expensive and quietly intimidating, but it no longer felt like a place I was trapped in.
Now it felt like a place I could use.
"Though it sounds mildly concerning," I humd.
I tilted my head slightly, thinking.
Ren was not just soone I picked up out of impulse. Well, technically he was, but that was not the point. The point was what ca next.
If I was going to survive this story, I needed soone on my side.
Soone loyal and capable.
Soone who would not stab emotionally, physically, or politically.
Which, unfortunately, eliminated most of the main cast.
Ren, however...
I smiled again.
"He has potential," I said thoughtfully.
He had awareness, causion, a sense of survival that could not be taught easily. More importantly, he listened. He observed. He thought before speaking.
Those were valuable traits.
"And," I added, "he does not hate ."
That was also important.
I slowed my steps slightly, my thoughts beginning to organize themselves more clearly.
If I was doing this properly, then I could not just bring him in and leave him as he was. That would be a waste. No, if he was going to stand beside , then he needed to be... upgraded.
I stopped near one of the windows, looking out briefly as I continued thinking.
"First," I said, counting lightly on my fingers, "basic education."
That was non-negotiable.
Literacy, numbers, proper speech. He already spoke well enough, but refinent mattered in a place like this. Words could open doors. Or close them permanently.
"Second, physical training."
He had survived on his own, which ant he was already capable to so extent. But that was not the sa as structured training. If he was going to remain near , he needed to be able to protect himself.
"And possibly ," I added.
That felt like a very realistic concern.
"Third..." I paused.
Magic.
I frowned slightly.
"I do not actually know how magic works yet," I admitted.
That was a problem.
This world clearly had magic. That much was obvious from the original story. Archmage Ezekiel existed, which ant magic was not just a background concept. It was a very real, very dangerous factor.
"...I should probably look into that before assigning him to it," I muttered.
Still, if he had any aptitude at all, it would be a waste not to explore it.
"Fourth, social positioning."
I nodded to myself.
He could not remain "just" a servant in the long term. Not if I wanted him to be effective. But elevating him too quickly would attract attention.
Unwanted attention.
And suspicion, in this story, tended to end in very unpleasant ways.
I exhaled slowly.
"Gradual," I said. "Everything must be gradual."
I turned away from the window and resud walking.
"There is also the matter of loyalty," I added.
That one, at least, I had already started.
I was not naive enough to believe that one act of kindness guaranteed anything. But it was a foundation. A strong one, if handled correctly.
"Yes," I said. "That part, I did well."
I allowed myself a small mont of satisfaction.
I giggled. An actual, unfiltered giggle, that slipped out before I could stop it. I even bounced lightly on my feet, hands curling near my chest like I had just been handed sothing I had been wanting for a long ti.
"This is going to work," I whispered to myself, unable to hide the grin forming on my face.
I turned slightly, pacing in a small circle as my thoughts rushed ahead of .
"This is a start," I continued, quieter now but no less excited. "A proper start."
Ren was not just a random act of kindness. He was an investnt. A strategic, well-tid, emotionally compelling investnt.
I pressed my lips together, trying and failing to suppress another smile.
"I am building my escape route," I murmured.
Because that was what this was.
I was not staying here.
Absolutely not.
This place was beautiful, yes. Powerful, yes. But it was also the center of everything that would eventually go wrong. Every major character, every important event, every tragic misunderstanding seed to circle back here or the capital.
Which ant, I needed to leave before any of that fully unfolded.
"I will prepare quietly," I said, nodding to myself. "Step by step."
First, resources.
Second, allies.
Third, distance.
A lot of distance.
I clasped my hands together, rocking slightly on my heels.
"And when the ti cos," I added, a soft laugh escaping , "I will disappear so gracefully no one will even realize I’m gone."
That sounded a little dramatic.
But also very satisfying.
I giggled again, softer this ti, the sound slipping out as I imagined it.
A quiet exit. No execution. No courtroom. No four n standing in judgnt like they were collectively sponsored by tragedy.
Just... gone.
"That is the dream," I said.
I spun lightly on my heel, unable to stop myself. The movent felt natural, easy, like my body had montarily forgotten the weight of expectations tied to this na.
For a brief mont, I felt free.
Until...
"Aria."
The voice cut through the mont.
I froze mid-step.
Slowly, I turned.
Duke Sebastian stood a short distance away, his posture straight, his expression as composed as ever. There was no visible reaction on his face, no clear sign of what he had just witnessed.
But he had seen it.
That much was certain.
For a brief second, neither of us spoke.
I straightened imdiately, my hands dropping to my sides as if I had not just been... whatever that was.
"Yes," I said, clearing my throat lightly. "Duke Sebastian Blackwood. I didn’t know you were still here."
His gaze rested on .
"I was unaware that the corridors of this estate had beco a place for... celebration," he said.
I blinked once.
Ah.
Right.
That.
"I was rely in a good mood," I replied, keeping my tone even. "Is that not allowed?"
"It is," he said. "Though unexpected...for soone like you to act like a child."
His gaze did not shift, but there was a pause that lingered just a fraction longer than necessary.
"So, what was it you said about an escape route?" he asked, "Are you planning to run away? Maybe eloping with your lover?"
My entire brain stalled.
I stared at him, trying to decide if I had misheard.
"...I uh... I..." I stuttered, because that was apparently all my vocabulary was capable of producing today.
Before I could recover, he stepped forward.
"I stayed here," he said firmly, pointing directly at now like I had personally committed a cri, "waiting for you to say that I do not accept your request to dissolve our engagent."
I blinked, caught off guard.
"...You do not accept?" I repeated slowly.
He crossed his arms.
"Yes," he said.
I exhaled quietly, trying to steady myself before this situation got even more absurd than it already was.
"And your reason?" I asked carefully.
He narrowed his eyes at imdiately, as if I had asked sothing offensive.
"You are the one who suddenly decided this," he said. "Without warning."
"I did not suddenly decide–"
"You did," he interrupted imdiately and scoffed, as he looked away.
I could feel my own patience ready to snap.
This joke of a man! So irritating!
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