Chapter 12: Class A’s New Classmate

Chapter 12: Chapter 12: Class A’s New Classmate

"Well, if it isn’t our commoner princess arriving for school?"

Lilia had barely stepped through the door when a figure blocked her path. It was a teenage boy with somewhat long, curly brown hair and a rather handsome face. He wore only a shirt, his dark green uniform jacket draped casually over his shoulder. Combined with his current posture leaning against a desk, he gave off a free-spirited and undisciplined vibe.

Griffin Freg. He was the most stereotypical noble in Class A.

The others would more or less hide their arrogance. Even if they looked down on those of lower status, they would keep up appearances, or simply keep people at arm’s length like Caius did. But Griffin had always been mischievous and stubborn, never bothering to conceal his malice.

From elementary school up until now, he had always enjoyed bullying Lilia. It wasn’t anything extreme, just occasional practical jokes, like throwing paper balls at her during class, sneaking dead bugs onto her desk, or, like right now, mocking her commoner status for no good reason.

Lilia was long used to this. Even though her public persona was that of a gentle, generous, and understanding top student who neither initiated nor refused advances, she couldn’t be bothered to pretend to be nice to Griffin. Unlike Caius, Griffin wasn’t her nominal "master," nor was he a precious capture target.

Seeing Lilia remain silent, a flash of irritation crossed Griffin’s eyes.

"I say, Lilia." He maintained the smile on his face and took a step toward her. "What kind of future does a commoner like you have always following Caius around? It’s not like you don’t know his personality. Who knows, he might get tired of you and kick you to the curb at any moment. If I were you, I’d be trying hard to find a new backup plan right now, for example..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Caius took a step forward, shielding Lilia behind him. The young man had eyes as dark as the eternal night. When he stared at others, it felt as if a storm was brewing within them.

"Get lost if you don’t want to die," Caius said, his voice low.

Griffin chuckled. Completely ignoring the warning, he reached past Caius to grab Lilia. "Hey, commoner, I’m talking to you."

SMACK.

Caius tightly seized his wrist. As his fingers tightened, Griffin immediately felt a sharp pain. The grip was so forceful it seemed intent on crushing his bones.

"I said," Caius repeated, "if you don’t want to die, stay away from her."

His voice was pitched incredibly low, sounding exceptionally indifferent and devoid of any emotion. Yet, it made Griffin sense a trace of genuine danger.

His eyes flickered. He was just about to say something else when a gentle melody drifted into the classroom. It was the preparatory bell. The teacher would arrive in five minutes. Griffin shook off Caius’s hand, scoffed coldly, and turned back to his own seat.

Caius didn’t spare him a glance. With lowered eyes, he escorted Lilia to her seat. He was just about to sit down next to her when Lilia stopped him.

"Go sit in the front," Lilia said.

Caius paused and looked up at her. The young man was also wearing the dark green uniform, his buttons fastened meticulously. The morning sunlight spilled over him, casting a golden halo around his entire figure. At this moment, the eyes gazing at Lilia had shed all their brutality and aggression. All that remained was confusion—and a tiny hint of grievance.

"Why?"

"Because I need to keep an eye on you," Lilia said with perfect justification. "It’s more convenient if you’re in the front."

Caius just looked at her quietly without speaking.

"What are you spacing out for?" Lilia didn’t feel guilty in the slightest. "Hurry up and go. Don’t make me fail my job and get punished by the Countess."

"You won’t be punished," Caius said.

"How do you know?" Lilia asked.

"Even if I leave, no one would dare sit next to you," Caius replied.

"That’s not necessarily true," Lilia countered.

Besides, she had no intention of sitting with anyone else anyway. Those annoying people would only affect her reading efficiency. Seeing that she was completely unyielding and seemed to really dislike him, Caius didn’t argue further. He lowered his eyes, stood up, and walked to the front row.

"Oh, right," the girl’s voice came from behind him again. "I want to have lamb chops for lunch. From that place on the second floor of the cafeteria. You’re coming with me."

The second floor of the cafeteria was a special dining area that required sufficient privileges to access. Accordingly, the food there was truly delicious. Compared to the always crowded first floor, Lilia much preferred it up there.

Caius paused his steps. "...Okay, I’ll go with you."

Just as Caius had predicted, even though he had moved away, no one dared to approach Lilia. They were all old acquaintances, and past examples had warned them more times than they could count. Naturally, no one would risk their own future just to gamble on whether Caius’s somewhat overprotective possessiveness over Lilia had waned.

Soon, the official bell for class rang. The teacher in charge of the class walked into the room. Following behind her was a teenage boy.

He was a new classmate Lilia hadn’t seen before. He looked quite slender. His handsome face bore none of the arrogance typical of nobles, making him appear very humble and easygoing.

Lilia recalled that earlier, while Caius was away, a few female classmates had seized the opportunity to chat with her. They had mentioned that after advancing to the middle school division, the roster of Class A would undergo some changes. A portion of students who excelled in other classes would be transferred here to join them.

Among them was a highly talented commoner.

Unlike someone like Lilia who relied on connections, being able to enter Class A based on one’s own abilities proved that this commoner’s talent was truly top-tier. He might even have the potential to become a Holy Mage in the future.

This was probably him.

On the podium, the teacher gave a brief introduction of the boy, then let him choose his own seat so they could prepare for class. The boy scanned the room from the doorway. The spacious lecture hall was almost entirely full, with only two spots left vacant.

One was next to Caius. The other was around Lilia.

He had originally wanted to sit next to another boy, but Caius’s expression was truly a bit intimidating. He didn’t want to clash with these young nobles on his very first day in Class A. After hesitating for a moment, he walked toward the back row.

He politely knocked on the desk. "Hello there—"

The rest of his words were swallowed back down because the girl looked up.

The morning sun streamed through the window, illuminating the depths of her eyes. Those pitch-black irises looked like dazzling jewels catching the light, or perhaps a night sky overflowing with shattered stars.

She was breathtakingly beautiful.

"Hello," Lilia said, her voice crisp and clear. "Is something the matter?"

The boy swallowed unconsciously, finally snapping back to his senses. "Excuse me... may I sit next to you?"

Lilia was slightly taken aback, but then she smiled. "Of course." She stood up to clear the way. "Please, have a seat."