CHAPTER FIVE

“Yes?” The new person probed while still in the same position.

“What?” Louloudi was starting to get confused. Could she have entered the wrong class? Is this a class for the mentally disabled? Is this person mentally disabled?

As if reading her thoughts, Amory replied “You just mentioned my name”

Eyebrows raised, Louloudi started “No I did not mention your n….” Louloudi’s eyes fleeted across her phone briefly and she caught a glance of the profile displayed on her phone. Amory?

“Amory?” Louloudi called out, her tone unsure.

Amory looked at her weirdly and replied “Yes?”

Louloudi drew in a breath. The image on this profile and the person standing before her look nothing alike, OK?!

Noticing her dilemma, Amory grew suspicious and drew closer “What is it?”

Louloudi immediately raised her phone to her chest. “It’s nothing”. Realizing that it made her seem suspicious she moved to explain.

“The school sent a copy of the class rules, materials, teachers’ information, and students’ profiles to me so that I can get acquainted easily. I was just going through the profiles.

“Ooh, so that’s what it is? You were acting suspicious so I thought it was something illegal”

Louloudi felt his eyes twitching. “You must be new then”

Louloudi couldn’t help rolling her eyes, if not, have you seen me before?

Pretending he did not see her expression he smiled and then shook his head “My profile must have shocked you seeing as you said my name out loud”

Louloudi did not reply. Amory did not mind though “It must have been my image right” This succeeded in getting Louloudi’s attention. Oh, so you mean even you, the owner of the image find it absurd?

“We don’t look the same right?”. Louloudi thought for a while then nodded. Amory was very satisfied that he was getting her attention. He cleared his throat to speak.

“Actually…”

Louloudi swallowed and paid extra attention. It’s not her fault though, it’s just that, Amory looks very serious right now and it will be hard not to be a little bit curious. It’s like he is about to let out an earth-shattering secret that should not see the light of the day. Amory looked around consciously and stared at the door twice before continuing to speak.

First day of school Louloudi was about to be served hot tea, it has been argued that the sweetest tea has always been from the upper echelons of the society. Their black material is enough to shake dead people awake and make people like Pharaoh feel that they didn’t even sin enough.

Louloudi had her ears open and she was staring at Amory like she was about to devour him.

He cleared his throat again and then moved back her little. Amory assumed a very solemn countenance, his eyes brimming with sadness “The person you are seeing right here is the real me, touch me if you don’t believe” he stretched his arm towards Louloudi who cooperatively touched his arm and nodded supportively.

Amory was very satisfied with her response “That image right there on my profile is me, but it is the me before puberty”.

Silence

Amory spotted a blush as he laughed softly while lowering himself to sit on Louloudi’s desk, “You know…life can be unfair sometimes, and, in my case, it is worse” Amory looked down at Louloudi and then let out a sad smile “My puberty came a day after I submitted my application to the school, can you believe it? I feel it’s a work of gods and demons who want to dim my shine” Not giving Louloudi a chance to react, he tried to squeeze out some crocodile tears that did not leak out no matter how hard he blinked his eyes.

The more Amory talked the more confused Louloudi got and she found it hard to keep up. What is this? Is he okay? Is he okay though?

Amory cannot read minds so he is unaware that he has been labeled as a mentally challenged person by Louloudi. Ignoring the expression on her face he continued “And thus began the black history in my life, a lot of people judge me based on the image without meeting me first”. At this point, after a painful struggle, Amory managed to shed a tear.

“No need to feel sad for me” he shook his head “I am used to it already”

Feel bad your head, who is feeling bad for you? At this point, Louloudi wished she could just send him flying with a kick. But she couldn’t, she remembered what she was here for. It would be bad to commit murder on her first day here. Calm down Louloudi, calm down, you are a rich and elegant young miss do not lose your composure. Louloudi let out a breath.

Amory stared at Louloudi for a while and then raised his two index fingers placing them on both sides of his cheeks “It’s just that…deep down, I feel…” Louloudi shifted her sight to him. Amory in that position tilted his head a little and said in a sickening cute voice “I am the cutest~”

Fvck!

Louloudi sent a foot forward with lightning speed, Amory was able to dodge on time and saved himself from getting kicked to death. He let out fits of uninhibited laughter and then ran to his seat on the other side of the classroom.

Louloudi was stumped for words. She glared at Amory, it hadn’t even been an hour yet and she had already lost her composure. If Maria was here, Louloudi is sure she would be getting more than a judging look.

She glared hatefully at him.

The door opened abruptly to expose the hallway; students started trickling in. Louloudi could hear soft chatters and the click-clack of heels in the hallway.

The educator in charge of the class, Mr. Declan, came in. He is a 5’9, green-eyed, black-haired man. Judging from the students' attitudes to Mr. Declan, Louloudi drew up a conclusion that he is a commoner or too easy-going. The number of people paying attention to him cannot amount to one-third of the class.

Mr. Declan didn't seem to mind, probably he was used to it.

"A commoner" A soft voice drew Louloudi out of her reverie.

"What?" Louloudi turned to the voice, it was the person sitting beside her.

"He isn't from any clans, He is originally from the Gold City, a commoner"

"Oh..." Louloudi was slow to react. She had thought the girl was referring to her in the first place. Louloudi’s heart almost leaped out of her chest. Gold City is one of V’s country's lower-class districts. The name Gold City does not necessarily mean there are gold mines in the city. It is just that the people of the city are mostly miners.

Seeing one who is an educator is pretty rare. Not just any educator but an educator for a prestigious Academy. Louloudi had mad respect for Mr. Declan, he must have worked hard.

"I am Audrey Lincoln from the Lincoln clan"

Louloudi stared at Audrey’s outstretched hand and the smile on her face. Louloudi was puzzled, why was she being nice, choosing to take on this mission and then attending the school, Louloudi had already prepared herself and adjusted mentally to expect anything from the people here…well…. except this amount of niceness. Louloudi did not let what she was thinking to show on her face.

"Audrey what’s with your introduction as if you are a bigshot from the Lincoln clan, why not tell the newcomer that your mom is the housekeeper for the main family of the Lincoln clan and that you are here on scholarship," A mocking tone sounded from the back of the class.

That person's voice was rather loud, Louloudi could hear snickers from all over the class.

Audrey dropped her head and Louloudi couldn't see her expression, she had thought Audrey was angry or embarrassed but she was rather calm, her hands were still held out, in front of Louloudi. Louloudi turned to the boy that just made fun of Audrey, then at every other person in the class, her eyes met Amory who had at one point stopped sleeping, he was staring right back at Louloudi with a playful smile. Louloudi’s gaze shifted to Mr. Declan who was also staring at her with steady eyes. At that moment, Louloudi understood something. She turned to Audrey with a smile “I am Louloudi Thompson”.

Louloudi did not state any clan and Audrey did not mind. She was happy Louloudi reciprocated her greeting. Her eyes grew softer and the air around her became lighter.

Mr. Declan continued his lesson as if nothing had happened. But, Louloudi could feel the measuring gazes of her classmates.

After the lesson, Mr. Declan told the class representative to take Louloudi to the principal’s office as the principal suggested it. Audrey stood up immediately and nodded. She then turned to Louloudi “Let’s go”

“Wait, are you the class representative?” Louloudi could not hide her surprise. She could tell the class felt animosity towards Audrey, it probably has something to do with her origins. Louloudi finally believes that the school is free from external control, seeing Mr. Declan and Audrey, these people must have worked extra hard to be where they are now.

While they were walking to the North wing where the principal’s office is located, they passed by an uninhabited building, the building looked different from the other modern structures of the school. It was built in old European style; it looked very old.

“Hey, what is that building?”

Audrey smiled “Looks creepy right?”, the building is the oldest structure in the Academy. It dates back to when the aristocrat who founded the academy was still alive, the building was where classes for the clan successors at that time, took place. The school plans on renovating it soon, hence it is deserted.

Louloudi was very baffled “But I just saw someone entering that building”

Audrey shook her head “That’s not possible, the building has always been locked for as long as I can remember. Students are not allowed to go in there because of the valued artifacts in the building, the person you saw must have turned at that corner”.

Yeah, probably.