[Julian’s POV]
A tray clattered against the marble, the sharp sound echoing like a death sentence passed. Food scattered in disgrace across the polished floor, staining the academy’s pristine elegance.
The boy who was responsible for the ss stood paralyzed, fingers trembling as if to undo what had already been done.
Panic surged in him, not from his fall, but from what will happen next to him.
The trembling scholar’s robes bore the faded insignia of an obscure house — one whose na barely left a mory, let alone respect within Velthia’s exalted halls.
Here, lineage was supremacy and he had none to offer.
anwhile, before him was none other than Julian Rozenberg. His re presence, unmarred by emotion, was judgnt enough.
The tension grew heavy, with a scorn colder than words. Julian remained motionless, still as a blade. His eyes, cold and unblinking rubies, lingered on the blot of spillage that had dared mar the purity of his uniform.
He said nothing and did nothing.
But that made it even worse.
The Dining Hall froze, suspended in a silence so quiet that it could snap the whole hall into collapsing.
Everyone was staring at both of them.
Then, Julian slowly lifted his gaze.
A single breath escaped him.
With the poise of one long accustod to power, he reached to the side and retrieved a napkin. He dabbed at the stain with a composed elegance that felt far more terrifying than fury ever could.
The boy stamred, hands trembling as if even they sought to flee. And finally, he brought the courage to speak.
"Sorry... I–I didn’t an to—"
"Didn’t an to?" Julian echoed the words with quiet contempt, as he folded the napkin and set it aside.
The boy’s breath quickened.
The silence stretched, coiling tighter. But before Julian could say anything, could do anything to the boy sitting in front of him...
A calm voice rang out first.
"I’ll take responsibility."
A female scholar rose from the nearby table, her bearing steady, her tone devoid of hesitation, and her sric athyst eyes bore into his.
’This woman again? What the hell is wrong with her?’
Julian’s gaze sharply snapped toward her.
He recognized her instantly.
And how could he not? The very sa woman who had dared to oppose him during the joint session with Class E. The very sa common-born scholar who, with such audacity, had enrolled in Noble Etiquette without sha.
Violet.
A feeling of unease coursed through the crowd as whispers blood.
"Is she insane?"
"What is she doing? Does she have a death wish, confronting Julian like that?"
"Another foolish spectacle from Class E... as expected, very pathetic."
Julian allowed the murmurs to fester, his silence giving them space to breed. Only after savoring the unrest did he study Violet with a dissecting interest.
’Hmm... there is venom in her gaze this ti and directed at , no less.’
Julian smiled viciously.
’How amusing.’
Then, slowly, he stepped forward.
"Responsibility?" he repeated, the word rolling off his tongue with amused disdain. His lips curled into sothing that might have been a smile, if it weren’t so void of warmth.
"And how exactly do you intend to take responsibility?"
Across the hall, every Class E scholar fidgeted in growing unrest. Their eyes flicked between her and the lion before her, unsure if they should intervene or simply pray for her wellbeing.
Class A, on the other hand, rely observed, as though watching the prelude to an inevitable downfall.
But not all.
The Scions of Class A — Calyra, Rosalin, and Irene — sat in still, watchful silence.
Rosalin, in particular, felt tension coil within her. Violet was her teammate. And she had just placed herself directly beneath the lion’s shadow.
Julian tilted his head slightly. His next words ca soft, casual, almost like a suggestion.
"No answer?"
He shrugged, the gesture elegant in its apathy.
"Ha, then allow to offer one for you."
He t her gaze, and without raising his voice, he issued his decree...
"Kneel."
He looked at the boy again.
"You as well."
Finally, a person rose, the scrape of her chair sharp against the floor.
Her voice cut through the tension.
"That’s enough."
However, Julian didn’t so much as flinch.
’Now... who is it this ti?’
He shifted only slightly, just enough to glance over his shoulder at the mysterious voice.
’Ah... it’s the daughter of the Varion Knight Order.’
Rosalin Varion.
Julian dejectedly sighed.
"Commoners like them should know their place, don’t you think?" he said, his tone light. "Or... don’t tell that you have also started to believe otherwise, Lady Rosalin?"
Hearing that, Rosalin’s eyes burned brighter.
Previously, during the Noble Etiquette elective, she had already remained quiet when Violet was being treated unfairly by the instructor and the whole scholars that attended the elective.
So this ti... she won’t remain silent anymore.
The red-haired girl clenched her fists and stepped forward, wanting to stop Julian before things beca worse.
But the mont she moved, sothing strange happened.
Suddenly, she felt a heavy force pressed around her body from nowhere.
The mysterious force was not rough, yet it was impossible to resist, gently holding her in place while stopping all her movent.
Her next step never ca.
Rosalin’s face changed in confusion.
’W-why can’t I move?’
She tried to force her legs forward again, but nothing happened. It was as if invisible chains had wrapped around her body. Or to be more precise, soone had cast an unseen magic upon her.
And while she stood frozen, Violet lowered herself slowly, her athyst eyes glowed.
Her knees touched the marble floor.
Beside her, the trembling boy also dropped to his knees. His movents looked stiff and unnatural, almost as if his body was being controlled to match hers.
Many students stared in shock.
Julian turned his attention back to Violet, as the whole hall was watching her now, the pressure of countless eyes falling on her kneeling figure.
For a mont, Julian only looked at her.
Then, he smiled.
A slow, chilling smile.
"I was prepared to deal with one careless insect who dared to spill food on , and yet another crawled forward to offer herself beside him."
His eyes rested on Violet coldly.
He let out a faint breath, almost like a laugh.
"I don’t really understand. You saw your classmate make a fool of himself, but instead of staying where you are, you stepped... forward? Did you seriously think that by presenting yourself, you could sohow redeem his failure."
His lips curved.
"Ha! I really can’t take this."
His gaze moved briefly to the trembling boy.
Then back to Violet.
"I will give you this though, it is entertaining. There is sothing almost admirable in how seriously you commoners take these little gestures of believing that standing up for one another would change sothing."
"But what was the plan after that?" he asked.
"What happened after you offered yourself in his place? That I soften? That I will praise your courage? And the whole hall would applaud for your bravery?"
A quiet chuckle escaped him.
"Seriously... every ti I think your class cannot embarrass itself any further, you ca out and proved wrong."
So scholars from Class E looked uneasy.
Julian looked at Violet again.
He couldn’t see the look on her face, but she still seed to be unshaken.
Because of that, unknownly, Julian was a bit curious as to why this girl always stood up against him. Why always her? What was her goal?
Why was she so obsessed with him?
’Still, why should I be bothered with it?’
Then he slowly turned and looked across the whole Dining Hall.
The smile on his face disappeared.
His expression beca cold.
Very cold.
Then, his voice echoed through the hall.
"Well then," he mused, "since courage seems contagious today, is there anyone else eager to step forward for those two, as well?"
His crimson eyes moved across the silent students as silence filled the hall.
For a brief mont, no one moved. No one dared to speak. Even the faint murmur of the surrounding hall seed to recede.
However... the tension finally gave away when the sound of the chair shifted.
Several heads turned towards the source of the sound.
Then, like snowfall untouched by wind, a lone figure of long white hair rose from her seat.
At the sight of her, the hall fell into reverent silence.
Calyra Arcanis had stepped into the dispute.
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[Chapter 135: Chaos in the Dining Hall (4)]
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