Chapter 127: Ironic

Chapter 127: Chapter 127: Ironic

Thursday came and went much like any other school day.

Vivienne attended her lectures.

Answered when called upon.

Shared lunch with Claire, Eleanor, and Amelia.

There were moments when Anthony still crossed her mind.

Passing the law building.

Hearing someone mention the Student Council.

Catching sight of the Ashford crest embroidered on another student’s satchel.

It still hurt.

Not as sharply as before.

Enough to remind her.

Not enough to stop her.

Each time, she quietly told herself the same thing.

Later.

Think about it later.

There were lectures to pay attention to.

Assignments to finish.

Club activities to prepare for.

Life, whether she liked it or not...

Continued moving forward.

So she would too.

--

That evening, as she packed her satchel for Friday’s classes, her fingers brushed against a pair of leather riding gloves.

"..."

Equestrian.

She stared at them.

Then sighed.

"...Right."

Friday.

For a brief, ridiculous moment, she wondered—

Can I still quit the club?

She frowned, genuinely considering it.

She hated horses.

Always had.

They were enormous, stubborn, smelled like hay, and had an uncanny ability to sense exactly when she was nervous.

The only reason she’d joined the equestrian club in the first place...

Was because the polo club trained on the neighboring field every Friday.

Anthony had been there.

So she had been there too.

It had only been a handful of practices.

Yet somehow...

It had already become a habit.

"..."

Vivienne slowly covered her face.

"I really was hopeless..."

She had even insisted on arriving before everyone else.

Not because she loved the morning air.

Not because she was particularly diligent.

But simply because...

If she came early enough...

There was a better chance of running into Anthony.

That had been her entire plan.

She let out a long, defeated sigh.

"...Can I still quit?"

She thought about it seriously.

Then she remembered.

Club registrations had closed two weeks ago.

It was too late.

Dropping now would leave a withdrawal on her academic record.

"..."

"...Never mind."

--

Claire stirred awake as sunlight filtered through the curtains.

She blinked sleepily.

Then paused.

"...Vivienne?"

Vivienne was still in bed.

Still in her pajamas.

Wide awake.

Simply staring at the ceiling.

Claire looked toward the clock.

"...You’re not getting ready?"

Vivienne turned her head and offered a small smile.

"Morning."

"You’ll be late for equestrian."

"...I know."

She said it so calmly that Claire couldn’t help looking at her for another moment.

Normally, by now...

Vivienne would already be dressed.

Hair carefully arranged.

Ready to leave far earlier than necessary.

Not because equestrian practice started that early.

Claire knew better.

She had watched it happen every Friday for the past month.

Vivienne had never admitted it.

She didn’t have to.

Everyone knew she was hoping for one of those "coincidental" encounters with Anthony before practice.

Today...

She wasn’t even out of bed.

Claire’s expression softened.

"...I see."

There was no teasing.

No questions.

Just understanding.

Vivienne smiled apologetically.

"I think..."

"I’ll leave a little later today."

Claire nodded once.

"...Okay."

That was all.

Nothing else needed to be said.

--

By the time equestrian practice ended, the afternoon sun had already risen to its peak.

Vivienne slipped off her riding gloves with an audible sigh of relief.

"I still don’t like horses..."

One of the senior members chuckled.

"You’ve been saying that since your first practice."

"And I still mean it."

The older student laughed, waving her off as Vivienne collected her satchel.

She stepped out of the stable.

The familiar path back to the main campus stretched ahead.

Quiet.

Peaceful.

Perfect.

Good.

She had arrived late.

She had also ended late.

Surely Anthony had already—

Footsteps.

Vivienne looked up.

...

Anthony had just stepped out from the polo grounds.

They stopped almost at the same time.

Their eyes met across the narrow path separating the two club buildings.

"..."

For one fleeting moment, neither of them spoke.

Vivienne instinctively tightened her grip on the strap of her satchel.

...Of course.

A helpless thought crossed her mind.

The one Friday I actually try to avoid him...

Anthony recovered first.

He inclined his head politely.

"Lady Beaumont."

"...Lord Ashford."

Her reply came almost automatically.

Another brief silence settled between them.

Not uncomfortable enough to be painful.

Just...

Neither of them seemed to know what came after.

Then—

"Lord Ashford?"

A familiar voice drifted from behind him.

Evelyn emerged from the polo grounds, carrying her helmet beneath one arm.

She smiled when she noticed him.

"Oh, you were waiting?"

Anthony gave a small shake of his head.

"I just came out."

She glanced toward Vivienne, offering her a polite smile.

"Lady Beaumont."

"Lady Sinclair."

The greeting was returned just as politely.

Anthony looked back at Evelyn.

"Finished?"

"Just now."

He nodded.

"Then let’s head back."

He turned once more to Vivienne.

"If you’ll excuse us."

"Of course."

Vivienne managed a polite smile.

Anthony inclined his head one last time before falling into step beside Evelyn.

For a few moments, neither of them spoke.

Then Anthony said something too quiet for Vivienne to hear.

Evelyn laughed softly.

The sound carried on the afternoon breeze.

Vivienne’s fingers tightened around the strap of her satchel.

...

As though sensing the gaze on her back, Evelyn glanced over her shoulder.

Their eyes met.

Just for a heartbeat.

Then Evelyn quietly turned back toward Anthony as their conversation continued.

--

Vivienne remained where she was.

Watching until the distance gradually swallowed their figures.

Only then did she lift a hand to her face.

"...Seriously?"

A quiet laugh escaped despite herself.

For an entire month...

She had been trying to create chance encounters.

Joining the equestrian club.

Arriving earlier than necessary.

Hoping that if she simply increased the odds enough...

One day, she’d naturally run into Anthony.

Nothing.

Not once.

And today...

The one Friday she had deliberately tried to avoid him...

They had actually met.

She let out another helpless laugh.

"...You’ve got to be kidding me."

How ironic.

When she’d been looking for him, she never found him.

The moment she tried to avoid him...

There he was.

The amusement faded as quickly as it came.

Her gaze lingered on the path where Anthony and Evelyn had disappeared.

"..."

A strange feeling settled in her chest.

It wasn’t anger.

Not really.

Just...

A dull ache.

Anthony had denied it.

He had looked her in the eye and said he didn’t have feelings for Evelyn.

She believed him.

She still did.

But...

He could walk beside Evelyn so naturally.

Talk to her so easily.

Laugh with her.

And...

He had just walked away with another woman.

In front of his own fiancée.

Vivienne let out a small, humorless laugh.

"...That was a little insensitive."

The thought escaped before she could stop it.

Immediately afterward, she sighed.

"...No."

"It probably wasn’t."

Anthony wasn’t trying to hurt her.

He was probably just relieved the awkward silence had ended.

They were only walking back to campus.

Nothing more.

...

It still hurt anyway.