Long Deserved Triumph

The crowd gasped in surprised, and many began to cheer. Marc grinned as he held out a paper to Vanessa. This was an engagement contract. The signing of this document represented the acceptance of the marriage between the two parties.

Technically, this type of document was used to set a tentative engagement for students. It wasn't legally binding in the outside world even if notarized by an official notary. However, Marc was confident that he could control Daren and force the marriage through this summer in Landrienne.

Any decent lawyer could rip it to shreds if this was all that Vanessa used to claim that they were engaged. Fortunately, Daren always keeps his promises, so once he signs then he would marry Vanessa no matter his true feelings. With all of the rumors and Daren's own will, the Forolan family would yield.

There were many incidents of students forced or tricked into engagements in the past. Now, professors were not allowed to notarize any engagement documents of their students. Marc had no time to secretly get an official notary of high enough status otherwise he would have had Vanessa marry Daren outright.

"Darling, I know that your family may get angry with the suddenness, but I'm sure that they'll love me too once I can meet them. We don't really need their approval though. Daddy will help you keep your position as heir if your family gets mad."

Daren silently stood with his head down and fists clenched. The students assumed that he simply didn't know what to say. Vanessa beamed and happily laughed as she snatched a paper and pen from Marc. She signed it with a smile then shoved it into Daren's hands.

"Here! I hope that you don't mind, but I already prepared the engagement papers! With all these wonderful people here today as witnesses, let's get engaged! We can have a lovely wedding when you finally graduate with full honors in a couple of years. Even better, we could just get married this summer!"

Marc couldn't stop his rising glee. Once Vanessa ensnared Daren in an unhappy engagement and married life, he could approach Daren more easily. Daren would be separated from the Forolan family, who couldn't stand the Landriennes.

Then Marc would play the hero and save Daren. Once he had Daren's gratitude, recruiting him into the True Order would go smoothly. Then, Daren would become his own personal puppet as he should be. Unfortunately for Marc, his plan started to unravel at this point.

After several minutes of standing like a statue, the cheer died down. They could tell that something was wrong. Even Vanessa's smile started to fade. Daren didn't accept the papers from Vanessa.

-- If you don't like, then tell to scram! --

-- Must speak, must act to save self. --

This was not what Daren wanted. Not now, not ever. He was sick of others dictating his life. Finally, Daren spoke in a trembling whisper.

"No."

"What…? Darling, what did you say?"

The senior students tried to save the situation.

"Sir Forolan, I understand that this may be very sudden and you worry about your family's reaction, but Lady Landrienne loves you so much! She's loved you since both of you were childhood friends."

"This proposal by a woman in a very public place is definitely not that traditional, but please don't blame the lady! She loves you so much that she just can't stand the thought of living another day without you."

"I SAID NO!"

His voice echoed throughout the entire plaza. With that one word, the dam holding back his true feelings finally broke.

"Vanessa Landrienne, you are the most vicious, delusional, spiteful, egocentric, spoiled person that I know. I hate you from the bottom of my heart. What childhood friends? What love? That's just your one-sided attachment and feelings.

"When we were children, everyone pushed aside my own feelings. You, your parents, my parents, everyone! I never wanted to be friends with you! You were a self-centered, spoiled, vicious brat! The only thing that's changed about you is your physical size and the level of your delusions."

Daren heavily panted and shook. He finally said it! After so long, he finally told that woman 'no'. His emotions began to run out of control causing the mana around him to slowly stir and cackle.

"I've been telling you that I don't like it when you hug me, caress my arms or fiddle with my hair! I despise your very touch. I have no idea why the rest of my new so-called friends ignore this! Why the professors ignore this! Correction, for the past week or so you people have encouraged this disgusting behavior!"

"Then today you just randomly demand to get engaged in public?! You're using public pressure to force me to agree. How dare you! That's not love, that's manipulation! In my fairy tale, you are not my one true love or my princess! You are the evil queen Vanessa, the most wicked witch in all the land!"

Vanessa slipped to the ground in a trance. She sat just blankly staring at him. Darling… hated her? Despised her? Thought of her a despicable, evil witch? Nonononono this wasn't possible!

Finished with Vanessa, Daren turned towards those annoying conservative jerks. The mana around him ran wild and a few stepped back in fear.

"For weeks I've been telling you annoying conservative jerks to leave me alone! I've only been tolerating you because I wanted to keep the peace and not get dragged into annoying things. But you have all gone too far too many times!

"You keep pushing yourselves into my life one-sidedly claiming to be my new friends! But you only want to increase your own status and ride on my coattails to success. Then you purposefully keep my actual friends away! If someone didn't tell me that my friends were trying to see me, then I would've thought that they abandoned me.

"I'm done with all of you, and I will make it clear today! I'm sick of all your schemes, lies and constant intrusion into my life. I will no longer play nice.

"If any of you even so much as try to talk with me again I will beat you in a duel until you can't stand for months. We ARE NOT friends. I AM NOT your puppet. AND I WILL NEVER IN MY LIFE MARRY VANESSA LANDRIENNE!"

The crowd was just as stunned as he was. Marc had lost his composure and couldn't even think. This wasn't the plan. Daren was always a mere doll to be toyed with. How could a mere flower in raised in a greenhouse fight back?

Several seconds passed by in silence before quick footsteps echoed in throughout the halls. Several professors burst into the room. Many of them taught Daren's classes. They had been invited to watch the 'fairytale' reach its climax.

"Daren Forolan! There's no excuse for humiliating such a wonderful young lady like that! Apologize for your malicious words to her and your friends! We will punish you for such slander and mockery no matter your status and background!"

"Turning down such a wonderful young lady in such an awful way, what are you thinking? If you apologize nicely and treat her well, Ms. Landrienne might still take you back."

Daren turned and glared at the professors.

"No. No I will not take back what I said. I never will so shut up and stay out of this. What were you all thinking to let this woman run wild and harass me for weeks?"

"Harass you? What nonsense. Proving love and devotion is not harassment. How dare you take such a tone with your professors! Towards progressive professors that attitude may be acceptable, but towards professors of your own faction? Ridiculous!"

"Oh? I'm being ridiculous? Aren't you professors all telling me to get engaged with someone? That's strange, I thought that the laws in Chinebar strictly prohibited professors from getting involved with students' engagements. Does this mean that you all are trying to break the law?"

The professors choked back their next words. He always buckled when they corrected him before. They couldn't admit to interfering with a student's engagement. Still, they couldn't let this situation continue.

"Ungrateful brat! We were just concerned for you and wanted to stop you from making a horrible mistake in a hurry. Do you think that you're something special just because the headmaster personally teaches you?"

"Are you done? If not, it would really seem like you're trying to force me into an engagement and friendships that I don't want. I wonder what the headmaster and national government would say when they found out?"

The professors turned red with anger and frustration. Daren turned and went in the opposite direction.

"Daren Forolan! Where are you going?! We need to resolve this issue."

"What do you mean professor? This is a private matter between students. She proposed, I refused. It's as simple as that. Professors have no right to get involved in private student affairs. If you will excuse me, I have another class to get to."

The young wizard continued leaving the plaza. The surrounding crowd quickly stepped aside under his cold gaze. The lead professor sneered then reached out with his magic. If Daren wouldn't follow obediently, then he would make Daren follow!

Suddenly, a violent shriek raked over the eardrums of those in the plaza.