Casial's Appetite for Trouble

The four of them exited the classroom after attending both Politics and Business Management classes. The noon sun filtered through the academy's tall arched windows, casting warm light onto the marble floors. Students were dispersing to their respective destinations, their chatter creating a low hum in the corridors.

"That was so boring! I would've fallen asleep if not for Claire," Casial groaned, stretching his arms exaggeratedly.

Claire shot him an annoyed look, her eyes narrowing. "If you keep spouting nonsense, I'll make sure you stay wide awake during our joint training session," she said, kicking his leg under the pretense of discipline.

The bickering began in earnest, with Claire scolding her brother and Casial countering with mock innocence. Aqua observed the exchange with quiet amusement but turned his attention to Emilia, who seemed content to watch the siblings from the sidelines.

With their classes over, Aqua and Casial decided to part ways with Claire and Emilia, who still had their alchemy lecture to attend. Casial waved Claire off with a cheeky grin. "Don't let the potions blow up in your face!"

"Try not to embarrass yourself in the dormitory!" Claire shot back, her retort quick and sharp.

Once alone, Casial turned to Aqua, his grin growing wider. "Let's head to the dormitory. I'm starving."

Aqua nodded in agreement. As they walked down the academy's bustling corridor, they passed groups of students chatting animatedly, the atmosphere lively with the energy of different year groups mingling. The scent of freshly polished wood lingered in the air, mingling with the faint fragrance of flowers from the academy gardens.

When they reached the dormitory's canteen, the clatter of trays and faint hum of conversation greeted them. Casial grabbed a menu and waved it at Aqua. "What'll it be?"

Aqua scanned the menu, his gaze settling on the balanced meal option. "I'll take this," he said, ever practical.

Casial groaned dramatically. "How boring, Aqua. Live a little!" His face lit up as he pointed at the special meal listed below, featuring an ice cream dessert. "We have to get today's special! It comes with special ice cream. How can you resist?"

Aqua shrugged, indifferent but obliging. "Fine by me."

They ordered their meals and found seats at a table near the window. As they ate, Casial leaned back in his chair and smirked. "What should we do for the rest of the day? How about pulling a prank on Claire?"

Though uninterested, Aqua asked, "What kind of prank?"

Casial grinned, his mischievous eyes gleaming. "Oh, anything will do. Claire gets annoyed no matter what I do, so it doesn't take much planning."

Aqua sighed lightly. "Just be careful. She'll really beat you during joint sparring if you push her too far."

"Boring!" Casial complained, though his mood lightened when Aqua slid his untouched ice cream across the table.

"Here. I'm not a fan of sweets," Aqua said simply.

Casial blinked in disbelief, then accepted the dessert with zero hesitation. "Who doesn't like ice cream?" he exclaimed, taking a shamelessly large bite.

As they left the canteen, Casial shook his head in mock disbelief, muttering, "Seriously. Who doesn't like sweets?"