Morning at the academy began like any other day but it didn't feel like one.
Lunivara noticed it the moment she stepped into the hallway.
"…Did you hear?"
"…The prince still hasn't retracted his statement…"
"…But apparently, there was no proof…"
"…So was she innocent?"
The voices of students were lower than before, being careful with the uncertainty.Lunivara continued walking without changing her expression.
["So it's settling into confusion now…"] Lunivara said in her thoughts, as she noticed.
That was better than hostility, at least uncertainty left-room to move.
Inside the classroom, the atmosphere had changed again.
Students were no longer looked at her with immediate judgment, Instead—curiosity and hesitation.
No one spoke directly to her, because no one did,But no one dared to pretend she didn't exist either.
A strange atmosphere.
"…."
Lunivara took her seat and a chair shifted beside her.
"Slide—"
Velarisse.
She didn't speak immediately this time, just sat down with careful composure.
Then—
"…Good morning your highness" Velarisse said softly.
Lunivara turned into her direction slightly.
"…Good morning Lady Thyselle" she replied.
A brief pause followed.
Velarisse hesitated, as if choosing the right words.
"…About yesterday," she said carefully, "I do not believe you were responsible."
Lunivara blinked once.
["Huh!?"] Lunivara was stunned by her question.She look at Velarisse with a confuse face.
"...Haven't you already said that before..."
A cold silence formed between them.
Velarisse was surprised, because she forgot that she already said the same word. And asked.
"I Have?" With a confuse face.Velarisse continued looking at her, not avoiding eye contact.
["Wait did she?...I can't recall...hmmm...but I feel like she did yesterday..."]
"Your highness?.…I wanted to apologize what happened yesterday your highness." Velarisse added quietly.
A beat passed.
"Ah…Thank you," Lunivara replied simply, but lost in thoughts.
That answer seemed to catch Velarisse slightly off guard.
"....Thank you more your highness" velarisse bow humbly.
But even after speaking, she didn't turn away immediately, her gaze lingered for a moment longer than necessary.
"…Have we truly never met before?" she asked again, softer this time.
Lunivara felt the familiar tension rise briefly—but she kept it buried.
"I believe we have not," she answered calmly.
Velarisse frowned faintly, as if that answer still didn't sit right.
"I see..."
This time, she finally turned away, however her attention didn't fully leave.
The classroom slowly filled with noise again, yet something had changed in how people looked at Lunivara.Something less defined—unstable.
"Chatter… chatter…"
Lunivara leaned slightly back in her chair.
["This is exhausting"] complaining inside her thoughts.
That meant control was slipping from simple rumors.
Now it depended on events.on what people saw with their own eyes, their actions.
....
Her gaze drifted toward the long window.
"Knock—"
The classroom door opened.
A professor stepped in, holding a stack of documents.
"Lunivara Morcant."
All eyes shifted slightly on her, even now, her name carried weight.
"…Yes, professor?"
He adjusted his glasses.
"There is a matter requiring delivery assistance. Take these to the sword club room."
He placed the stack on her desk.
"Yes professor"
She didn't ask questions and just accepted it. She stood, took the documents, and left the room.
The hallway was quieter near the club wing.
Lunivara walked at a steady pace, her thoughts already shifting.
["Again with the documents…am I being slave because I'm not treated right with my family?"]
But she felt something slightly different.She stopped in front of the sword club door.
It was slightly open.
"…?"
She pushed it gently.
Inside—
The room was filled with weapons racks, training gear, and stacked papers that looked dangerously close to collapsing.
At the center.
a boy sat buried in paperwork, surrounded by chaos.
He looked up instantly.
"…You're the delivery?"
"Yes."
Without hesitation, Lunivara stepped forward and placed the documents on the table.
Then she paused.
The sheer amount of unfinished work was obvious.
"…Do you need help?" She said.
The boy blinked.
"…What?"
"I can assist briefly," she added.
A short silence followed.
Then—
"…You can?" With sparkley eyes.
"Yes."
That was all.She immediately began organizing the papers, expeditiously.
The boy watched in silence as the overwhelming mess started becoming structured within moments.
"…You're… really fast," he finally said.
Lunivara didn't look up.
"It is only sorting..."
But for him, it was clearly more than that, by the time everything was arranged—it was done and seamless
The boy slowly stood, still processing what he had seen.
"…Please wait here I'll be back.."
Lunivara paused slightly.
"Yes?"
"Don't go anywhere," he added before leaving.
"But I—"
The boy already left.
"I still have class...."
She look around for some moments and turned to leave.Unaware that the boy reported what happened carring weight.
Back in the hallway, the boy remained still for a moment.
Then he muttered under his breath.
"Your right about her"
When the boy came back with the captain,the girl was nowhere to be seen.
".!..where did she go?"
"I said stay here....." While the boy kept yapping,the captain was thinking.
"Captain?", the boy asked.
"Let it be, she'll be back again" Leontius said.
"Oh yes because—"
Elsewhere, word was already moving,silently.Toward someone who noticed patterns more than people—Leontius.