Ariana was in her office, freshly out of the bathroom and dressed in her usual formal outfit—a white shirt and dark crimson pants.
Right now, she was doing sothing quite strange.
She placed a pencil between her lips, clipped onto sothing invisible, and pretended to inhale and exhale smoke that wasn't there.
Leaning back in her seat, she stared up at the ceiling.
It was her way of trying to quit a bad habit.
Adrian didn't like the sll of smoke, and that was why she was trying to stop.
He never told her to quit, only scolded her when she went overboard. Still, she didn't want him to hesitate when reaching out to her… or when kissing her.
He probably won't co before lunch. She had already seen him in the morning. He had returned last night but looked tired, so she told him to rest today.
He ntioned he couldn't find a carriage and had to travel a long way to reach the academy.
That made her consider getting him a carriage… but others might not like that. Especially those few teachers who always seed to have sothing against Adrian.
While she was lost in thought, pretending to smoke, a knock ca at the door.
She flinched and quickly looked down at herself, checking that she looked presentable—when a voice from the other side made her pause.
"It's , Ma'am. Gilbert."
All her energy seed to drain in an instant. She slouched in her chair and said, "Co in."
The door opened, revealing the familiar white-haired old man.
"What can I do for you?" she asked, but then noticed the worry in his eyes. She sat up straight.
"This ca from the Capital today," he said.
Ariana's brows drew together. She hadn't been expecting a letter from the Capital.
Still, she took the envelope and opened it.
It read,
[Respected Headmistress,
I hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits.
In light of recent security concerns within the Capital, the esteed Vermillion family has graciously offered their assistance in reinforcing our defenses. Following a series of discussions, they have now confird their willingness to cooperate with us.
Accordingly, a eting has been scheduled for the day after tomorrow. In preparation for this, we must request that the annual student tour be postponed until further notice.
Furthermore, your presence is required in the Capital. Given your background as both a forr soldier and Warden, it is imperative that you be in attendance at the ti of the Vermillion family's arrival.
I assure you that the proceedings are expected to conclude within two days. Kindly make the necessary arrangents to report to the Capital by tomorrow.
With sincere regards,
ldey Dalihien.]
Ariana's frown didn't fade.
The House Vermillion was finally stepping in to help with national security? And because of that, the trip planned for next week was being postponed?
It made so sense—after all, the Vermillions held a powerful and respected position in society.
But still… canceling the annual student trip because of it?
And to make things worse, they had summoned her to the Capital as well.
All because she was one of the strongest warriors in the country.
Ugh!
This doesn't even count as a national ergency... yet they're already acting like they run the place.
She crumpled the letter into a ball and tossed it into the bin without hesitation.
"M-Ma'am?"
Gilbert stared at her in shock, clearly not expecting her to treat an official notice that way.
"It's nothing...you may go now."
Gilbert nodded and instantly darted away.
Ariana ran her hand through her hair, clearly frustrated.
She could see the excitent in the students to visit the capital.
Those who were on the vacations have already returned so they could go to the most beautiful city in the nation.
However, now, 'It's all ssed up....because of those Vermillions.'
°°°°°°
"Agh…" Adrian groaned as he sat up and looked down at his sore feet.
He had walked for over three hours, and to make things worse, his shoes were still a little damp. They'd gotten soaked because of so idiot—and now they felt twice as heavy.
The soles of his feet were red and slightly swollen.
'If only I had known…'
If he'd realized he wouldn't be able to find a carriage, he wouldn't have co this late. But it was too late to regret it now. What's done is done.
He called the system and checked his ssages. One text from Forgelet stood out:
[The cake was super delish. Do you want to make more bullets for you?]
He was about to reply when soone knocked on his door.
Adrian let out a grunt as he pushed himself off the bed and walked over to the door.
Click.
As soon as he opened it, soone rushed in, causing him to stumble back in surprise.
"Ah—"
Before he could fall, a hand grabbed his wrist, steadying him.
It was Ariana.
"I… I'm sorry—ah," she began to apologize, but it quickly shifted into concern as her eyes dropped to his feet.
She didn't need to ask. One look was enough to understand.
Without another word, she helped him back to the bed.
"Did you apply any dicine?" she asked, already sounding like she knew the answer.
"Was about to," he replied. "But what about you? You don't usually co here without a heads-up."
It was the male dormitory, after all. Her sudden visit caught him off guard.
She didn't answer right away. Instead, she sat him down gently, walked over to the cupboard, and pulled out the dical box.
Dragging a chair next to the bed, she sat down and carefully placed his leg on her lap.
"I got a letter from the Capital," she said as she opened the box. "The Vermillion family finally responded to the plea about the security issue."
Adrian raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. "You an… they're actually willing to invest in the outer periter and new weaponry?"
Ariana nodded slightly as she gently applied gel to his swollen feet. "I don't know the full details, but yes. If they've finally responded to the letter, it has to be with serious intent. They wouldn't call a eting like this on a whim."
It wasn't sothing the Vermillions would do just because they were bored.
Adrian, deep down, was thrilled.
He had doubted whether Ruby had enough influence within the clan to make the Vermillions respond to Valmora. But not only had she responded in the na of House Vermillion—she had also called for an urgent eting.
His plan had worked.
By shifting the capital's attention to a larger issue, he had successfully caused the cancellation of the students' trip.
But there was a catch.
"I have to go to the Capital," Ariana added, her voice steady. "They requested my presence there."
"..." Now, this was unexpected.
°°°°°°°°
A/N:- Thanks for reading.
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