"Whats'sgoing on here?"
All eyes turned toward the source of the voice.
Three young men were striding toward them, their presence immediately commanding attention. Even from a distance, Yvonne could feel the weight of authority radiating from the one in the middle. His steps were deliberate, his posture confident. He was not just a senior — he carried an aura that could silence a room without a single word.
The moment he stepped into the hall, Laughter faded. Conversations stopped halfway through sentences. Even students who hadn't noticed the commotion instinctively stepped aside.
Conversations died mid-sentence.
Even Kaylyn straightened instinctively.
It wasn't just authority.
It was presence.
The kind that didn't need to demand silence to receive it.
"Eric!"
Kaylyn broke away from her friends and ran toward him, throwing herself against his chest and hooking her arms around him like she owned the space.
"Eric, you have to get justice for me!" she squealed, her voice dripping with panic and indignation.
Justice?
Yvonne scowled inwardly. If anyone deserved justice here, it was her. And who exactly was this Eric? Some senior? A prefect? A special figure within the academy?
Eric frowned at Kaylyn's clinginess but gently removed her hands from his arm. "What happened?" he asked, his voice calm but low, carrying an authority that made even Kaylyn pause for a moment.
Pouting at his reaction, Kaylyn pointed a finger at Yvonne. "Eric, get justice for me. Alessandra intentionally bumped into me. I only pointed it out, hoping she would apologize—but instead, she slapped me!"
She turned her face toward him, revealing the bright red handprints on her cheeks. She tilted her head dramatically, as if the visual alone would summon Eric's fury to her side.
"If you don't believe me, you can ask Lilith and Bianca. They saw everything."
"Yes, that's exactly what happened," Lilith, the red-haired girl, chimed in immediately, nodding so violently her hair almost whipped her shoulders. "Alessandra really slapped Kaylyn. We saw it with our own eyes."
"Yes, we saw it!" Bianca added, her expression smug. "Alessandra crossed the line. She should be punished!"
"No, that's not—" Naomi tried to speak, stepping forward to defend her mistress.
"Not what?" Lilith cut her off sharply, her eyes narrowing.
Kaylyn's friends took over immediately.
"Who do you think you are to meddle in our affairs? You're just a worthless lowly maid. Stay in your place!"
Anger surged through Yvonne.
"You have no right to lecture my maid!" Yvonne growled, her voice rising. Even if Naomi was lower in social status, even if she was just a servant, she was her maid. And no one had the right to speak to her like that.
"You—" Kaylyn started, but her words were cut off by Eric's cold, commanding voice.
"Enough."
All eyes turned toward him.
He turned to Yvonne, his dark eyes piercing, sharp with authority. "Alessandra, apologize."
"What?"
Yvonne blinked, unable to comprehend what she was hearing. Apologize? Without hearing her side of the story? Without even asking a single question about what had really happened?
"You heard me," Eric repeated. His voice brooked no argument. "Apologize."
Is he insane?. Who did he think he was? Just because he was a senior, he could order her around?
Scoffing, Yvonne turned to Naomi. "Let's go."
The action stunned everyone into silence.
Kaylyn's voice broke the quiet first. "Eric, do you see that? She even dared to disrespect you!"
"Alessandra!" Keal, one of the young men beside Eric barked. "Dare to take another step forward, and—"
Yvonne spun to face them, fury rising like fire. "Who the hell do you think you are to order me around?"
"Miss!" Naomi's voice trembled. "Please stop!"
Baffled, Yvonne turned to her. "What? What's wrong?" She wasn't the one confronting them—so why was she so afraid?
Noami hesitated, then whispered urgently, "He is Young Master Eric."
So what?
"What if he is a young master?" Yvonne said sharply. "Does that give him the right to make mindless judgments?"
Silence fell across the courtyard.
Even Naomi's thoughts betrayed her confusion and fear.
—What the heck?!
"Miss," Naomi said again, more clearly, "he is Young Master Eric Blackthorn."
Oh. A descendant of the Blackthorn's family.
"So?" Yvonne replied, not lowering her voice. "Does that give him the authority to dictate mindlessly?"
"...."
The question seemed to stun everyone.
At first, Yvonne thought it was her words alone. But no. It was her attitude.
Their thoughts drifted into her mind, in which she couldn't help but smirk a little at their reactions:
—Did Miss Alessandra really lose her memory? How can she act like she doesn't know Young Master Eric?
—Oh my… she even forgot her long-time crush.
The boys' thoughts weren't much kinder.
—What kind of trick is Alessandra up to?
—When did she learn to confront authority so flawlessly?
Kaylyn's mind was screaming in disbelief.
—I'm speechless. Completely speechless.
Eric's thoughts, however, were unreadable. That alone made Yvonne skin prickle. Why was he silent?
She focused her mind reading power on him, reaching instinctively for the surface of his thoughts.
She pushed harder.
Still nothing.
It felt as though her mind had struck an iron wall.
For the first time since Yvonne arrived here… she felt totally blocked and couldn't help but ponder. Is her mind reading power not enough? Or... Is his mind state so strong that her powers can't penetrate?
Cassandra appeared breaking Yvonne train of thought as stepping lightly through the crowd. Her voice was calm, sweet, almost musical as she spoke.
"Sister, you're here?"
The moment she saw Eric, her smile brightened. "Oh, you've already met Eric."
Bianca couldn't contain herself. "Cass, Alessandra is… really something today. When did her acting skills become so perfect? She questioned Eric's authority as if she doesn't know him!"
"She isn't acting," Cassandra said softly. "She really doesn't remember him. My sister fell from a cliff and lost her memory. She doesn't even remember her own name."
Here we go again.
The same story. The same lie.
Well… never mind. At least it would give her the freedom—to search for Alessandra, to find a way out, without arousing suspicion.
Inhaling deeply, Yvonne let her pulse settle. She had to remember, keep herself in check: She was not Alessandra. But if she played this carefully, she could bend every obstacle to her advantage.
And Eric? His unreadable silence only made Yvonne more curious… and more cautious.
Because one thing was certain: he was not someone to underestimate.