"Interesting spectacle," Kassian began once they were alone in the room. His tone was soft, almost casual, which made it all the more threatening. "Especially the part where a little girl brought you to your knees. Father will be... fascinated when I tell him."
Klein clenched his fists, the bruises from the battle still fresh. "It was just a friendly tournant. In the finals…"
"In the finals there will be no excuses," Kassian cut him off. "You better have followed the cultivation thod to the letter and reached bronze rank 1 by then. You and your... companions."
The word 'companions' dripped with contempt from his lips.
"Astor and Feng will also reach bronze 1," Klein assured quickly. "We've been cultivating according to the traditional thod and…"
"Oh, and you think that will be enough to get conceited again?" Kassian smiled without humor, his eyes cold as winter frost. "I've already heard the gossip, did you think I wouldn't learn about a boy with a re spore humiliating you?"
Klein felt blood rush to his face. "That was…"
"A disgrace," Kassian completed the thought. "A stain on the Goldcrest na that will need more than words to cleanse. All caused by stupid overconfidence."
He stepped closer to Klein, his voice dropping to a threatening whisper that seed to chill the very air.
"Listen well, little brother. If you don't reach bronze rank by the finals, if you lose again even with that advantage..." he made a aningful pause.
"You'd better forget your place in the family."
Klein paled. "You can't…"
"Can't what?" Kassian arched an eyebrow. "Inform father about your incompetence? Suggest that perhaps the second son isn't as valuable as we thought?"
He stepped back, subtly gesturing toward where Harold watched like a sentinel.
"Our new friend will keep inford of your... progress. So I suggest you start training harder. Today's humiliation must be erased no matter what."
"It will be," Klein tried to keep his voice from trembling. "I promise that…"
"Don't promise anything," Kassian cut him off. "Prove it. Or the next ti I speak with father, it will be about the possibility of sending you to a different city... where no one knows you."
He turned to leave but paused for a mont.
"Oh, and Klein? Next ti you decide to let a girl strike your noble parts..." a cruel smile curved his lips, "at least make sure it's not in front of the entire academy."
Klein remained motionless long after his brother left.
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Five thousand crystals weighed in his pockets, a useless reminder of his failure. The prize didn't matter, the rank didn't matter. All that mattered was reclaiming his honor.
And if that ant training until exhaustion, until he bled...
So be it.
♢♢♢♢
Luna had barely finished changing when her cousins burst into her room, followed by their maid who tried to maintain so semblance of decorum.
"That knee strike was epic!" one cousin exclaid, throwing herself dramatically onto the bed. "Did you see his face? It was like his brain had to restart!"
"The knee strike was vulgar," Matilda comnted while collecting the training clothes, though her lips twitched. "But I must admit it was... satisfying to witness."
"The way the wolf seized the mont to bite the lion!" the other cousin perched on the bed's edge, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "And then with the cobra... it was brilliant!"
"Everything went according to plan," Luna smiled while sitting at her vanity, allowing Mayo to begin brushing her hair with practiced strokes.
"You planned the knee strike too?" María asked with feigned innocence.
"That was... creative improvisation."
Laughter filled the room. For a mont, they were just a group of girls celebrating a victory, without the weight of their responsibilities or appearances.
"Although..." Luna hesitated, her expression growing more serious. "There's sothing we need to discuss."
Her cousins straightened, recognizing the change in her tone.
"The ssage I received last night," Luna continued. "It seems Klein's brother didn't co just for the tournant."
"The Director inford ," the first cousin nodded. "The Goldcrest family is moving pieces. They've inserted a new student into the academy."
"Can they do that just like that?" the second cousin frowned. "Brother Julius is one thing, but they…"
"Apparently," the other cousin sighed. "The Director says he can't reject all their requests. The family provides too many resources to the academy."
"We need to keep an eye on the new student," Luna mused. "Find out what they're planning."
"If soone needs spying on, you know I'm the one for the job," the first cousin pointed to herself with a flourish.
"Oh no," the second cousin crossed her arms. "You already have Ren. Besides, Luna is very interested in him so you can't stop watching him..."
"Excuse ?" Luna turned so quickly Mayo had to dodge with the brush. "I'm not interested in anyone!"
"Please," the first cousin rolled her eyes. "We all saw how you smiled when the roar didn't affect him because he used the ear trick."
"That was technical appreciation!"
"Oh, then you won't mind if I investigate him while our 'star spy' switches to watching the new guy," her second cousin smiled mischievously.
"No way!" The first cousin blushed at her own outburst. "I an... I'm already familiar with his routine. It makes more sense for to…"
"Oh? Do we have a new interested party?" The second cousin feigned surprise.
"No! I an..." The first cousin looked to the maids for support, but they seed to be suppressing laughter.
"Then I'll handle Ren and you take the new one," the second cousin interjected with a playful smile.
"My lady," Mayo comnted with mock seriousness, "if your attachnt to young Ren is purely professional, there should be no issue reassigning the observation task... After all, you'll continue your 'observation support duties' in class and in your free ti..."
"Mayo!"
"She's right, you practically have two people watching him already so our 'expert spy' isn't needed," Matilda nodded solemnly. "Though I must say your observation thods are quite... intense. Especially during training."
"I don't watch him during training!"
"Oh, then why do you always insist we practice near where he…" her first cousin began.
"It's coincidence! He runs right in front of us because he's that fast!" Luna had turned completely red. "And we should be discussing the new student!"
"Of course, so it's decided that I'll watch him from now on," the second cousin grinned. "But I'll do it when Luna can't... After all, we wouldn't want to distract her from her current 'technical appreciation'."
The three maids could no longer contain their laughter, which only worsened when Luna shot them a betrayed look.
"You're impossible," Luna muttered, sinking into her chair. "All of you."
"We love you too," her second cousin blew her a kiss. "Now, who's watching whom?"
"Alright, since we don't know his perception level yet... It's decided then," declared the first cousin. "I'll watch the new guy, and you can help Luna continue her thorough 'investigation' of a certain 'cute' mushroom pot."
Laughter erupted again, even Matilda abandoning her usual composure to join the fun.
"I hate you all," Luna murmured, but a small smile betrayed her words.
"We love you too," they responded in unison, causing another round of laughter that echoed through the room.
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