"Are you really that Julius?" Timmy asked. His face was pale. He still could not believe who he was talking to.
Julius suddenly leaned close. Too close.
He opened his eyes wide right in front of Timmy’s face.
"Look at my eyes. Golden. Have you ever seen eyes like this before?" he said with a slow smirk.
"And this face? Have you ever seen soone this handso?"
Timmy stepped back.
"Well... no," he said quietly.
He stared at Julius again.
’I don’t know what is more strange... his behavior... or the fact that he is Julius Augustus Hayes.’
They walked out of the classroom. The hallway was loud. Students were talking behind them.
So were laughing. So were whispering.
Timmy looked at him again.
"If you are really that Julius... then why does no one recognize you? Everyone knows Rosalina Valentina. But no one knows you."
Julius placed his hands behind his head and walked casually.
"Of course they don’t recognize ," he said.
"I only ca here a week ago. My Rose has been here for one year."
He paused.
"And besides..."
He stopped walking for a second but did not finish his sentence.
Timmy raised one eyebrow. "So that’s the reason?"
"Right," Julius said with a nod.
But that was not the real reason.
The real reason was simple.
The author did not create him at the start.
In the original story, this academy was where the main character collected his harem and fought against the villainess.
By the ti Julius forced the bad author to add a character like him, the academy part of the story was already over.
So the author made up an excuse: Julius had been in the academy the whole ti, but he hated it.
That’s why he spent most of his days inside his mansion.
This made his romance with the villainess seem more special and dramatic.
Julius and Timmy walked side by side down the hallway.
Students rushed past them. So carried books. So whispered. So ran as if the world would end if they were late.
But Julius walked at his own pace.
Slow. Calm. As if the hallway belonged to him.
After a while, the corridor split into a wide upside-down T.
"So where are you going?" Julius asked.
"I’m heading right," Timmy said, adjusting his glasses. "My major alchemy class starts in ten minutes. What about you?"
Julius slipped his hands into his pockets.
"I’ll go see my Rose. She should be here by now."
Timmy’s eyes twitched.
’This guy...’
’Every ti. My Rose this. My Rose that.’
’It’s good to be friends with soone strong like him... but why is his brain such a ss?’
Timmy let out a quiet sigh. He was about to say goodbye—
But then his eyes shifted forward.
Julius suddenly stopped.
A slow smile spread across his face.
"What great timing," he said softly.
Without another word, he walked straight toward the end of the hallway.
Timmy looked at his back and sighed.
"Yeah... great timing."
He turned his head.
Soone had just stepped into the corridor.
The noise of the hallway seed to fade.
Students slowed down. So stared.
So moved aside.
"Rosalina Valentina."
Julius ran toward her with bright eyes and a wide smile.
"Rose!"
The girl stopped mid-step. For a second, her face changed. Just a little.Then it hardened.
Irritation appeared in her eyes.
"Tsk." She clicked her tongue and turned to face him.
Julius stopped right in front of her, still smiling as if nothing in the world could shake him.
"I was about to go find you?" he said gently.
"Tsk. I told you not to call that," she said, her brows tightening. "And are you stalking ?"
Her voice was cold. Her eyes were sharper than before.
Julius tilted his head slightly.
"Well... I do stalk you," he admitted with a soft chuckle. "But this ti we t by pure coincidence. Can you believe it?"
She stared at him. Her face was hard to read. Cold. Calm. Sharp.
But her cheeks were slightly red.
No one could see it.
She had used red makeup before coming today. It saved her.
"You really are annoying," she said in a flat voice. "I’m warning you again. If you don’t stop—"
She did not finish. She only looked at him with a cold gaze.
But inside?
Inside she was screaming.
’Please don’t stop chasing , Julius.
And why do you look so good today?Kyaaa!’
Her face felt hot.
If steam could rise from a human face, hers would be visible.
’It’s a good thing I used makeup today. Yesterday I had to pinch myself just to stay calm. If I hadn’t, I would have been exposed.’
Julius, unaware of the storm in her mind, stepped closer.
"Rose," he said softly, "I was wondering if you could do a favor?"
’Anything for you honey. Just say it and it’s yours. Even I am yours.’
The words appeared in her mind. They stayed there. They did not escape.
"How shaless," she said instead, lifting her chin. "You dare ask your enemy for a favor? Hmph." She gave a cold snort.
Julius did not react to her tone.
He simply smiled.
"Well," he continued, "now that we t by coincidence..."
’Coincidence?’
Rosalina’s eye twitched. This eting was anything but coincidence.
—
One hour earlier.
In her private cabin inside the academy, Rosalina stood alone. A large map was pinned to the wall.
Her finger rested on one spot. ’He is in theory class...’
’It just started. So he will be there for one hour.’
She checked the ti.
’Perfect.’
She moved her hand through the air like she was drawing a path.
"After his class ends, I will pass by exactly two minutes later.
Then he will co to , and we will talk..."
She stopped and frowned.
"But what if he takes the back road instead? Hmm?"
She thought for a mont, then smiled.
"I know! Before class ends, I will create an illusion of many students walking on that side. Yes, that sounds perfect," she murmured happily.
"Okay! Now it’s ti for makeup," she said to herself.
"Yesterday I didn’t look my best. My face was too stiff..."
While talking, she pulled out a small portrait from inside her dress.
The picture showed Julius stepping down from his carriage. She had secretly taken it with a special artifact when no one was watching.
She pressed her lips to the portrait again and again.
"Mwah, mwah, mwah..."
"One day this will be your real face," she whispered, kissing it more.
Suddenly—
"Miss Rosalina?"
"Hic!"
Back to the present.
She had quickly hid the portrait.
’Thank goodness Rita didn’t see doing that,’ she thought, swallowing hard.
Julius looked at her with a shy face.
"So... what I was thinking..." he said softly.
"Would you like to go on a date with ?"
User Comments
0 comments from readers