"Ironic. Looks like I'll be the one listed as 'murdered' on someone else's record this time."
"Wait, what's going on?" Angela asked, standing up from her seat.
"Help me, Angela! Save me!" Lloyd thought frantically, picturing himself as a damsel in distress locked in a tower, while Angela, clad in shining armor, came to rescue him.
"Stay out of this. It doesn't concern you," the silver-haired woman snapped coldly.
"Hey! Don't talk to my knight in shining armor like that," Lloyd thought indignantly, continuing his ridiculous inner monologue.
"You're being a little harsh," Angela said calmly, though the faint twitch in her eye betrayed her irritation. "But if I'm understanding correctly, you're accusing Lloyd of stealing something, right… Anastasia?"
"Wait—Anastasia? As in Anastasia von Astoria?"
Now that he looked at her, it really did match the description from the novel. "Of course. Should've seen that coming."
"That's correct," Anastasia replied coolly. "Someone stole my Alpha-class badge. Judging by his uniform, the one that fell from his pocket clearly isn't his." Her icy gaze flicked to the badge on the floor, as if memorizing every detail of it.
Angela gently placed a hand on Anastasia's wrist, urging her to lower her weapon.
"Well, first of all, even 'if' Lloyd had stolen your badge, there's no rule against it. If you can't hold onto a simple accessory, it just means you don't deserve to be in Class Alpha," she reasoned. Her tone wasn't sweet anymore—but it wasn't aggressive either. It was calm, confident authority.
"Yes! Show her who's boss, my angel!"
Anastasia's cold expression faltered slightly, though she remained defiant. And yet, she couldn't deny Angela had a point.
The badges distributed with the uniforms upon passing the entrance exams were vital—without them, a student couldn't attend class or take exams.
And while stealing someone else's badge wasn't 'encouraged', it wasn't forbidden either. It was part of the academy's philosophy: a constant trial where you had to protect what was yours.
"That may be true, but he still stole it in a cowardly way," Anastasia retorted firmly, glaring at Lloyd with those intense pinkish-red eyes that could probably freeze fire.
"There's no rule about 'how' it's taken either, am I wrong?" Angela countered, lightly pushing Anastasia's arm aside as she stepped between them.
"She really is like a guardian angel."
The silver-haired girl clicked her tongue in annoyance.
"Still, I have every right to take it back by force!" Anastasia declared, unwavering.
"And what if he didn't take it at all?" Angela shot back.
"What are you implying?"
"Lloyd's been talking with me this entire time—and before that, he was with Gaston. I highly doubt he had the chance to steal anything."
"Yes! Angela, marry me! Let's leave this cursed academy and live a peaceful life together!" Lloyd thought dramatically, though he wasn't 'that' delusional. He still intended to attend the academy.
At her words, Anastasia's gaze softened. Her blade vanished into thin air as she stepped back, her posture relaxing.
"Is that so?" she asked, turning to Gaston.
Her tone was calm, but Lloyd could 'see' the redhead freeze on the spot.
"H-he could've done it 'before', maybe?" Gaston stammered.
"Impossible," Angela said firmly, smiling in that 'sweet-but-I-will-end-you' kind of way. "I would've seen him pass through this car. I can vouch for him."
"I see," Anastasia sighed. Then, to Lloyd's surprise, she bowed slightly. "My apologies for troubling you with false accusations, Lloyd."
Lloyd blinked in disbelief. "Did… the Ice Queen just apologize?"
"It's fine. I guess it wasn't exactly a pleasant situation for you either," he said, accepting her apology.
"Yeah… you're hot enough to be forgiven for that."
"Here, this is yours," Angela said, handing him the fallen badge.
"Tha—"
"Wait!" Gaston's voice cut him off. "Did you say Lloyd 'Noir'? You mean 'the' useless one who can't even use magic? This idiot only got into the academy because his family paid for it! He's not a real student—why would he have a golden badge?"
Lloyd's jaw tightened. Every muscle in his face tensed as he fought the urge to plant his fist right in the redhead's freckles.
"Careful, clown. I know your name and your face. You won't be safe for long."
"I think that comment was unnecessary, Gaston," Angela scolded, her tone sharp enough to cut glass. Even she was losing patience—and that said 'a lot'.
The guy had a natural gift for pissing people off.
"Gaston, keep your mouth shut. This doesn't concern us anymore," even Anastasia snapped, surprisingly taking Lloyd's side. "Let's go. And once again, my sincerest apologies to you both. Sorry if I was too harsh, Angela."
"Oh, not at all," Angela replied with a warm smile. "I must admit I may have overstepped too. I was taught to forgive, but I still have much to learn, it seems."
"I hope we can get along better in the future," Anastasia said softly.
Lloyd stood up, nodding.
"Likewise. In fact, I'm willing to help you find your badge," he offered.
The earlier chaos had thrown him off, but now it made sense. The novel 'did' mention the disappearance of Anastasia's badge—and Lloyd knew exactly who had it.
"There's no need," Anastasia said, shaking her head. "It was my own fault for losing it. Like Angela said, I was careless. I can't accept your help for something that's my responsibility."
"Perhaps I was a bit too harsh earlier," Angela admitted softly.
"Still," Lloyd said, "there's nothing wrong with asking for help. Power comes in many forms—and having reliable allies is one of them. It's not just about individual strength."
Anastasia blinked, genuinely taken aback by his words.
"You have a very interesting way of seeing things, Lloyd. Very well—I'll accept your kindness, and your help," she said, bowing again.
"I'll help too," Angela added with conviction. "God teaches us to help those in need."
"Thank you. I'll trust in both of you," the Ice Queen said, smiling faintly. Even the coldest people, it seemed, could still smile.
Meanwhile, the redhead's face twisted with rage—and envy. Which, honestly, felt pretty satisfying.
"Alright then," Lloyd said, straightening up. "I'll search the cars further back."
The girls nodded in agreement.
He already knew exactly where to go.
The 'Omega-class' car. That's where the thief was.