Chapter 128: Unexpected Pair [I]

Sera’s expression changed immediately. The fingers wrapped around her glass tightened, and the composure she had maintained until then began to crack. "Watch your mouth, Beatrice," she warned, her voice noticeably colder. "You don’t have to like Starlight, but there’s no reason to speak about her as though she’s nothing more than a breeding vessel. Have some respect for yourself."

Beatrice turned toward her with an incredulous laugh. "Oh, please. Don’t tell me you’re offended on her behalf. Since when did you become so concerned about a girl you barely know?" She tilted her head, her expression dripping with condescension. "Or is there something else going on here that the rest of us should know about? The girl literally spanked the shit out of you, and I see no reason why you should be defending her."

Before Sera could respond, Nikolai’s voice cut through the exchange. "That’s enough, Beatrice." His tone was low, but the warning in it was unmistakable. He turned his head toward her, his expression hardening as his eyes settled on her face. "If you can’t control what comes out of that filthy mouth of yours, I suggest you keep it shut. I won’t repeat myself." The amusement vanished from Beatrice’s expression. For a moment, she simply stared at him, clearly taken aback by the sharpness of his reprimand. Then she lifted her chin, her pride refusing to let her accept the rebuke without resistance.

"And what if I don’t, Your Highness?" she challenged, her voice carrying a defiant edge. "Don’t tell me you, too, have taken a liking to her. If anyone should be reprimanding her, it should be you. You saw the way she spoke to Prince Mikhail on her first day." She glanced at Mikhail, who spared her no glance, his attention still fixed on the entrance. Turning back to Nikolai, she arched a brow. "I thought you hated it when someone disrespected your brother."

Nikolai’s jaw tightened, and he leaned forward slightly, his gaze turning colder. "Do you really want to keep running that mouth of yours?" he asked. The question was quiet, but it left little room for misunderstanding.

Beatrice held his gaze for another second, her lips parting as though she intended to fire back with another retort. However, whatever she saw in his expression made her reconsider.

She finally looked away with an irritated scoff, settling back against the sofa. "Fine. Whatever" she muttered, folding her arms again. "I’ll keep my mouth shut." Inwardly, however, she was seething. If not for Mikhail, who had always shown her more consideration than most people at the academy, she would never have tolerated Nikolai speaking to her that way. She had known him long enough to understand that challenging him when he was in one of his moods rarely ended well, and she had no intention of humiliating herself in front of everyone present. Still, she resented being ordered around as though she were one of his subordinates.

Throughout the exchange, Mikhail had remained unusually quiet. He had heard every word Beatrice said, and although his expression had barely changed, his attention had never truly been on the conversation. His eyes kept returning to the entrance, watching each new arrival with a patience that concealed a growing expectation. He knew Starlight was supposed to attend the gathering, and he had been waiting for her to arrive. Even so, he had not expected her to keep everyone waiting this long. He shifted slightly against the sofa, his fingers resting against the armrest as his gaze remained fixed on the doors. Beside him, Nikolai noticed his brother’s distraction but said nothing. He had his own reasons for anticipating Starlight’s arrival, and the longer she remained absent, the more his irritation began to show.

Then, at that very moment, the entrance doors swung open.

The movement caught the attention of several students seated nearest to the entrance, and their conversations gradually faltered as they turned to see who had arrived. Since most of the invited guests were already inside, there were only two people whose arrival everyone was still waiting for, Okami Sterling and Starlight Dawson. A few students leaned slightly to get a better view, while others exchanged curious glances as three figures stepped into the lodge together.

Okami walked in first, looking as composed as ever, with Starlight beside him in her striking red gown. Her dress immediately drew attention beneath the crimson lighting, the rich fabric complementing the gold accents throughout the room. The copper-haired girl walking alongside them was dressed elegantly as well, her bright hair catching the light as she followed the pair inside. The three of them appeared to have arrived together, and that alone was enough to stir curiosity among the students who had been waiting for the evening’s gathering to begin properly. Kage was the first to break the silence.

His eyes widened slightly as he leaned forward on the sofa, staring at the unexpected sight before him. "What the fuck is Okami doing with Miss Dawson?" he blurted out, his voice carrying far enough to draw the attention of those sitting nearby. He looked from Okami to Starlight, then back again, as though expecting the scene to somehow make more sense if he examined it a second time. Sera followed his gaze, her brows drawing together as she took in the three figures entering the lodge. "That’s a good question," she murmured, setting her glass down on the table.

"But the real question should be, since when have those two become close enough to arrive at a gathering together?" Her gaze lingered on Starlight, then shifted toward Okami, her expression growing more thoughtful. Whatever explanation there was for their arrival, it was certainly not something she had anticipated.

Across from them, Beatrice’s earlier irritation was quickly replaced by open disbelief. She stared at Starlight as though the sight of her entering alongside Okami had personally offended her, her fingers curling tightly around the fabric of her golden gown. She had already been displeased by the idea of Starlight joining the Elite Circle, and now the whole room seemed to be making a fuss over the arrival of a useless human girl. It was becoming increasingly difficult for Beatrice to understand what anyone saw in that insufferable girl, someone she considered utterly undeserving of the attention she was receiving. How had Okami even managed to get her to come with him? Her gaze shifted briefly toward Mikhail, as though expecting him to share her disbelief, but he appeared far too preoccupied with Starlight to notice her glance.

Mikhail’s eyes had fixed on Starlight the instant she stepped through the doors, and they remained on her as she moved farther into the lodge. For a brief moment, he seemed almost oblivious to everything else around him, his attention narrowed entirely to the girl in red and the young man walking beside her. His fingers curled slowly against the armrest, and a faint crease appeared between his brows as he tried to make sense of the unexpected sight. What was Starlight doing with Okami? More importantly, why had they arrived together?

Nikolai was no better.

The moment his eyes settled on Starlight walking beside Okami, his expression changed. The relaxed posture he had maintained throughout the evening grew rigid, and his jaw tightened as he watched them approach. His gaze moved briefly to Okami before returning to Starlight, lingering on the distance between them and the ease with which they had entered together.

A cold, unmistakable irritation settled over his features. Of all the people she could have chosen to accompany her, why him?