Chapter 154: Sunday Afternoon tea XI

Chapter 154: Chapter 154: Sunday Afternoon tea XI

(Damian POV)

The hall gradually dissolved into cheerful conversation.

Students drifted naturally toward familiar faces.

Some gathered the courage to continue conversations that had begun only minutes earlier.

Meanwhile...

Damian remained exactly where Vivienne had left him.

"...Damian?"

He looked up.

Julian and Adrian were making their way toward him.

"There you are," Julian said.

"We’ve been looking for you."

Adrian’s gaze drifted briefly toward the retreating figure of Vivienne.

"...Wasn’t that Lady Beaumont?"

Damian nodded absentmindedly.

"...Yes."

Julian frowned.

"...What was she doing here?"

Damian hesitated only briefly.

Then answered quietly.

"...Her engagement ended."

The two young men stared at him.

"...You’re kidding."

Damian slowly shook his head.

"It was mutual."

Silence.

Then...

A grin slowly spread across Julian’s face.

"...Well."

"I certainly wasn’t expecting your rumors to become this powerful."

Damian frowned.

"...What?"

Julian looked at him with exaggerated admiration.

"First..."

"The entire university thinks you’re secretly having an affair."

He raised one finger.

"Now..."

"Lady Vivienne Beaumont breaks off her engagement with Anthony Ashford."

He placed a hand dramatically over his heart.

"Anthony Ashford."

"The heir to the Duke of Ashford."

"The most eligible bachelor in the kingdom."

He looked Damian up and down.

"And for whom?"

He pointed at Damian.

"You."

"Damian Blackwood."

"My friend..."

"What a man you are."

"...What?"

Damian stared at him.

"No!"

Julian burst into laughter.

Adrian couldn’t help laughing as well.

"I’m joking."

Julian waved one hand.

"Mostly."

Damian rubbed a hand over his forehead.

"She literally said it was a mutual decision."

"I know."

Julian was still grinning.

"I’m teasing you."

A brief pause.

Then...

Julian tilted his head.

"...Although."

"If she’s no longer engaged..."

He looked at Damian curiously.

"...Doesn’t that mean you actually have a chance now?"

Damian froze.

"...What?"

Adrian chuckled.

"I’ve been wondering the same thing."

Julian folded his arms.

"Come on."

"We’ve known you for four years."

"You’ve never had lunch alone with a girl before."

He raised another finger.

"You danced with Lady Beaumont at the Founder’s Ball."

"A miracle in itself."

Adrian nodded.

"And while Catherine was speaking to you..."

"You kept looking at Lady Beaumont instead."

Julian smiled knowingly.

"Those aren’t exactly subtle."

Damian opened his mouth.

Then closed it again.

"...You two are impossible."

Julian laughed.

Julian laughed.

"That’s not a denial."

Damian merely sighed.

He wasn’t going to win this argument.

Adrian chuckled.

"We’re only teasing."

Julian clapped him lightly on the shoulder.

"And checking on you."

"Anyway..."

He looked around the hall.

"Unlike you, we’ve actually got people waiting for us."

Adrian nodded.

"We’ll leave you to your thoughts."

Julian grinned.

"Try not to overthink things."

"We’ll catch up later."

--

The crowd gradually swallowed Julian and Adrian.

For the first time that afternoon...

Damian was alone.

He let out a slow breath.

His thoughts refused to settle.

Almost against his own will...

His mind began searching backwards.

Not for memories.

For answers.

"Call me Vivienne."

Lunch together.

The cake she had insisted he take.

"Would you mind dancing with me?"

The dance at the Founder’s Ball.

Then...

Today’s Sunday Afternoon Tea.

She had walked over to him first.

She had laughed with him.

Called him by his name.

His heart quietly whispered—

...Could it be...?

He stopped himself.

No.

No, no.

That was ridiculous.

...Wasn’t it?

But once the thought had appeared...

It became alarmingly difficult to get rid of.

His imagination, completely uninvited, began racing ahead.

If...

If she really...

Then...

Anthony.

His cousin.

Damian’s expression stiffened.

Wait.

What would everyone think?

Anthony’s former fiancée...

And Anthony’s own cousin?

The entire university would explode.

His aunt would probably explode.

His mother would definitely explode.

Anthony...

...Anthony would probably just stare at him.

Damian frowned.

This was getting out of hand.

He hadn’t even spoken to her properly yet.

Why was he already worrying about problems that didn’t even exist?

He pressed a hand against his forehead.

Get a grip.

You’re getting far ahead of yourself.

He let out a quiet breath.

Perhaps...

He should wait.

Think carefully.

Approach her later.

Yes.

That sounded much more reasonable.

--

Around him...

The hall had become livelier than ever.

Laughter drifted from every direction.

Students who had spent the afternoon exchanging introductions were now continuing conversations with those who had left an impression.

Several young ladies glanced his way.

One seemed to gather the courage to approach.

Damian didn’t notice.

His attention remained fixed elsewhere.

Searching.

Almost unconsciously.

Until—

"Excuse me..."

Damian blinked.

His thoughts scattered instantly.

He turned.

A young lady stood before him with a polite smile.

She dipped her head ever so slightly.

"Good afternoon, Lord Blackwood."

"I hope I’m not interrupting."

Damian straightened instinctively.

"Not at all."

She smiled, seemingly relieved.

"I was wondering..."

"Would you mind if we spoke for a little while?"

For a brief moment...

Damian simply looked at her.

Then he smiled politely.

"Of course."

"Please."

The young lady’s face brightened.

"Thank you."

She took a seat across from him.

The conversation began naturally enough.

"My name is Anna Stone, I’m from the Faculty of Arts."

"What about you, Lord Blackwood?"

Damian answered almost automatically.

"Political Governance."

She nodded.

"I’ve heard it’s quite demanding."

"It can be."

His reply came politely.

Measured.

Courteous.

Exactly as expected.

Yet...

His attention wandered.

Not intentionally.

It simply...

Did.

Every so often...

His eyes drifted across the hall.

Searching.

Until—

He found her.

Vivienne.

She was still standing together with Amelia, Claire and Eleanor.

The four young ladies were laughing about something.

He couldn’t hear the conversation.

But seeing her smile...

Made the corners of his own lips lift almost unconsciously.

Then...

The laughter among the four girls gradually settled.

Vivienne glanced across the hall.

As though searching for someone.

She said something to her friends.

Amelia grinned.

Claire smiled encouragingly.

Eleanor gave the smallest nod.

Then...

Vivienne excused herself.

She took a step forward.

Then another.

Beginning to cross the hall.

Damian’s heartbeat skipped.

...

She was walking this way.

He blinked.

Once.

Twice.

The young lady seated across from him continued speaking.

"...Lord Blackwood?"

He barely heard her.

Vivienne continued walking.

Closer.

Closer still.

His heart, which had finally begun calming down...

Immediately abandoned all reason.

...Could she be...?

No.

Surely not.

But...

She was coming this way.

Wasn’t she?

Without realizing it...

His entire attention settled on the approaching young lady in the ivory dress.

The distance between them grew shorter with every passing second.

--