Chapter 865 - 864- Viktor’s Arrival

Chapter 865: Chapter 864- Viktor’s Arrival

Aldric clenched his jaw. The muscle, which had been twitching, went rigid. His hands, which had been at his sides, became fists.

"Shut up," he said. The words, which were tight, were a warning. "That is just a rumor."

"Is it?" Lyssa said. The question, which was not a question but a provocation, was a poke at a wound that was already open.

Aldric did not answer. He walked. Faster. Away from his sister. Away from the words. Toward the classroom.

His girlfriend arrived. Yuki, who had been coming from the other direction, appeared. Her face, which was composed, was the face of a woman who did not know what was coming. Her notebook, which was in her arms, was pressed against her chest. Her eyes, which were dark and alert, found Aldric.

He grabbed her hand. The motion, which was rough, pulled her. She stumbled. Her feet, which had been steady, faltered.

"What are you doing?" she said. The words, which were surprised, were the words of a woman whose morning had just been disrupted.

He pulled her. Into the corner. The alcove, which was narrow, was private. He pushed her against the wall. The impact, which was not hard but firm, made her gasp.

"Is it true?" he said. The words, which were low and intense, were the words of a man who had been eating poison for hours and was now spitting it out.

"What?" Yuki said. The confusion, which was genuine, was on her face. "Is what true?"

"The rumor," he said. His voice, which had been controlled, cracked. "That you have a crush on the new professor. That you were staring at him during class. That you were asking him questions after class."

Yuki blinked. The words, which were accusations, were not what she had expected. The morning, which had been normal, had just been derailed.

"That is... that is just a rumor," she said. Her voice, which had been steady, wavered. "I was asking academic questions. He is my professor. I was confused about the rune theory he taught. That is all."

Aldric’s eyes searched hers. The gaze, which was the gaze of a man looking for lies, was intense. He did not find any. But the doubt, which had been planted by Sofia’s rumor and Lyssa’s taunts, was a seed that did not need evidence to grow.

"Then why are people saying it?" he said. The question, which was not logical but emotional, was the question of a man who was not thinking clearly.

"Since when do you listen to rumors?" Yuki said. Her voice, which had been wavering, firmed. The anger, which was building, was a defense. "People talk. They always talk. That does not make it true."

Aldric’s jaw tightened. The doubt, which was irrational, was a poison that he could not spit out. His eyes, which had been searching, dropped. To her skirt. To the hem, which was at her knee.

He lifted it. The motion, which was sudden and rough, exposed her thighs. The fabric, which had been concealing, was pulled up. Her panties, white cotton, simple, were visible. 𝑓𝑟ℯℴ𝓂

"How many times have I told you to wear something else?" he said. The words, which were a deflection, were an attack on something he could control. "These childish panties. Every time. Every single time."

Yuki’s face went red. The flush, which was from anger and embarrassment, was visible. She grabbed his hand. Pushed it away. The motion, which was sharp, was a slap.

"Do not do that," she said. Her voice, which was high and tight, was the voice of a woman whose boundary had been crossed. "Not here. Not in front of everyone."

Her hand, which had pushed his, connected. The slap, which was not hard but firm, hit his wrist. The sound, which was sharp, echoed in the alcove.

Aldric’s eyes went wide. The shock, which was from the slap and from the defiance, was the shock of a man who was not used to being refused. His mouth, which had been open, closed. His jaw, which had been tight, clenched.

"How dare you?" he said. The words, which were low and dangerous, were a warning.

Yuki turned. The motion, which was smooth and final, was a retreat. She pulled down her skirt. The fabric, which had been bunched, fell. Her legs, which had been exposed, were covered.

"Do not do that again," she said. Her voice, which was shaking, was firm. "We love each other, Aldric. But you cannot just expose me in front of everyone. That is not love. That is... that is something else."

She walked. Away. From the alcove. From him. From the conversation that had gone wrong.

Aldric stood. Alone. In the corner. His hand, which had been slapped, was at his side. His jaw, which had been clenched, was tight. His eyes, which had been on her back, were hard.

He punched the wall. The fist, which connected with stone, made a sound that was dull and final. The pain, which shot through his knuckles, was a distraction. The frustration, which had been building all night from watching his sister get fucked and all morning from hearing the rumors, was a pressure that had no release.

He walked out. Toward the classroom. Toward the day that was about to get worse.

Yuki sat in her seat. Her notebook, which was open, was in front of her. Her pen, which was poised, was ready. Her face, which was composed, was a mask.

Inside, she was churning.

’Was I wrong? Should I not have pushed him? He was being unreasonable. Exposing me like that. In public. Who does that? But... but he was upset. The rumors. He heard the rumors. He was already stressed. His sister... I know something is wrong with his sister. He has been tense for days. And I... I pushed him.’

’But he slapped my hand. He lifted my skirt. In front of everyone. That is not... that is not how you treat someone you love.’

’Was it my fault? Did I encourage the rumor? I asked the professor questions. But that is because the rune theory was interesting. The reverse combination. The dimensional anchor. Those concepts were not in any book. I wanted to understand. Is that wrong?’

’No. It is not wrong. He is my professor. I am his student. Asking questions is not a crime.’

’Then why do I feel guilty?’

The door opened. Victor entered.

My coat, dark and unremarkable, was buttoned. My mask, which covered the upper half of my face, was in place. My violet eyes, which swept the room, found each student. The gaze, which was brief and assessing, was a catalog.

Yuki’s body reacted before her mind did. The flush, which started at her neck and spread to her cheeks, was visible. Her hands, which had been steady, tightened on the pen. Her eyes, which had been on the notebook, lifted. To me. To the face. To the mask.

’He is here. The professor. The one the rumor is about. The one Aldric is jealous of.’

She looked away. The motion, which was quick and guilty, was the motion of a woman who was trying to hide. Her eyes, which had found mine for a second, dropped to the notebook. The page, which had been blank, was being stared at.

She was aware. Of herself. Of him. Of the space between them. Of the air that moved when he walked past.

Of the scent, which was clean and masculine and which she had not noticed before but was now overwhelming.