My fiance

The next day, Marcus woke up early, just as Lucian had instructed him the previous day. The faint light of dawn filtered through the window, casting a soft glow on the room. As he stretched, he realized he was sandwiched between Erza and Charlotte, both still asleep. Last night, after they had enjoyed a quiet dinner prepared by Alice, the two women had fallen asleep next to him, exhausted from the day's events.

Marcus carefully slid out of bed, making sure not to disturb them, and began his morning routine. He took a quick bathe and as he returned to his room to dress up, he heard a soft stir behind him. He turned to see Charlotte, eyes half-open, watching him as he dressed.

"Good morning," Marcus greeted her with a slight smile.

"Morning…" Charlotte mumbled, stretching her arms and letting out a long sigh. "Why are you up so early?"

"Lucian asked me to meet her early today," Marcus explained as he continued to button his shirt. "I was just about to wake you, actually. I remember you said you needed guidance in your magic, so I thought I'd ask the principal if she could take you under her wing."

Charlotte's eyes widened in surprise. She sat up, rubbing her eyes, still groggy from sleep. "You want principal to train me? I don't think she will. I'm not as talented as you…"

"Don't worry. You're talented, Charlotte, more than you know." Marcus walked over to her, placing a hand gently on her shoulder.

Marcus who readed the novel know the true potential of Charlotte with her water element.

Charlotte looked up at him, her expression softening, though doubt still flickered in her eyes. As they spoke, Erza woke up, blinking at the sound of their voices. She stretched and joined them, listening as Marcus explained his plan to have Charlotte trained by principal.

"Are you sure principal will agree?" Erza asked, raising an eyebrow. "She doesn't take disciples easily, and you only became hers because of your unique talent."

Marcus gave a confident smile. "She will. I'll make sure of it."

After they had freshened up, the three of them made their way to Lucian's office. As they approached the door, Marcus took a deep breath and knocked. A calm, familiar voice called from inside.

"Come in."

Marcus pushed the door open and led Charlotte and Erza into the office. Lucian was seated behind her desk, her piercing blue eyes immediately locking onto Marcus, then shifting to the two women standing beside him. There was a brief moment of silence as Lucian's gaze lingered on Charlotte, clearly curious about her.

Understanding the unspoken question in Lucian's eyes, Marcus spoke first. "We were on our way to breakfast and thought we'd ask if you'd like to join us before training, Principal. After that, we can head straight to the training grounds."

Lucian nodded, but her gaze was still focused on Charlotte. "And who might this be?" she asked, her voice even but filled with subtle interest.

"This is my fiancée, Charlotte Whitewood," Marcus said, introducing her with ease. Lucian's eyes flashed with surprise, though she quickly masked it. Her gaze then shifted to Erza, as if seeing her reaction to this revelation, but Erza remained impassive, as if she had already accepted the situation.

With the introductions made, the four of them left Lucian's office and headed to the cafeteria. The sun was just beginning to rise, and the academy was still quiet, with only a few students and staff awake. As they walked, Lucian maintained a neutral expression, though her mind raced with thoughts. She cursed inwardly at how effortlessly Marcus had introduced Charlotte as his fiancée, all while Erza showed no sign of jealousy. Lucian wasn't used to feeling unsettled, but this situation with Marcus was unique.

Polygamy was common enough in their world, but something about this dynamic gnawed at her. Marcus had easily captured her interest, and now, he was surrounded by more women who also seemed drawn to him. For a brief moment, Lucian worried that Marcus had lost interest in her, as he introduced Charlotte without any hesitation.

They arrived at the second floor of the cafeteria, where they found a quiet table away from the sparse crowd. As they sat down and ordered breakfast, Lucian silently drank her tea, while Charlotte and Erza picked at their food. The silence stretched on until Marcus finally broke it.

"Um... principal ,I wanted to talk to you about Charlotte," he began, his tone casual, as though this was merely a friendly request. "I was hoping you could train her."

Lucian paused mid-sip, her eyes narrowing slightly. "What?" she asked, though it was clear she had heard him the first time.

Marcus repeated himself, leaning forward slightly. "I want you to teach Charlotte. She's an outstanding mage, and under your guidance, I believe she'll reach her full potential."

The other three at the table turned to look at him, sensing that this was not sounding like request but like he was talking with his long time friend about a matter. His words were too confident, too assured, as if he expected Lucian to comply without hesitation.

Lucian's eyes flickered with irritation. She glanced briefly at Charlotte, then back to Marcus. "I'm afraid I can't do that," she replied coolly, setting her cup down with a soft clink.

Marcus frowned. "Why not? You know she has potential."

"Because my time is limited, and I already have a disciple," Lucian said firmly, though inside, she was frustrated. She had no intention of giving up her private time with Marcus, and training Charlotte would take away from that. She had barely had any time alone with him as it was, and now he was asking her to teach someone else?

Marcus leaned back in his chair, surprised by her swift rejection. He had expected her to be more agreeable, especially since she had taken her as a disciple without hesitation in the original novel when leo requested her. His mind raced, trying to understand why she was so adamantly against training Charlotte. If this were Leo who was requesting, she would have gladly taken him in, but now she was refusing him?

Was this just another instance of the protagonist's plot armor at work? Marcus cursed the author of the novel silently. He could feel the invisible strings of fate pulling against him, making everything more difficult than it needed to be.

The table fell into an awkward silence. Charlotte, sensing the tension, looked down at her plate, while Erza's eyes darted between Marcus and Lucian, unsure of what to say.

Marcus wasn't ready to give up yet. He leaned forward again, his voice softer this time. "Principal, I understand you're busy, but this would mean a lot to me. I'm not asking for you to give her the same attention you give me—just guidance when you have the time."

Lucian's eyes softened for a brief moment before she quickly hardened her expression again. She looked between Marcus and Charlotte, realizing that Marcus wasn't going to back down easily. "I'll think about it," she finally said, her tone curt.

Marcus knew that was the best he was going to get today. He nodded and let the subject drop, though the dissatisfaction still lingered in his chest. He was tired of being constantly thwarted by Leo's narrative advantage, even in situations that had nothing to do with him.

As they finished breakfast, Lucian remained quiet, sipping her tea as if the conversation had never happened. Marcus glanced at her, wondering what was really going on behind her cool exterior. Something about this situation was off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

After breakfast, they all stood and prepared to head to the training grounds. Marcus was determined to get stronger, but now he had another goal in mind—to figure out what was truly going on with Lucian and why she was so resistant to the idea of training Charlotte.

As they walked out of the cafeteria, the tension between Marcus and Lucian remained, unspoken but palpable. The morning sun had risen higher, casting a bright light over the academy grounds.

Marcus was still deep in thought, contemplating Lucian's odd reaction. Before he could dwell too long on it, Erza and Charlotte approached him, their footsteps soft against the morning breeze.

Erza, with her usual calm demeanor, stopped beside Marcus and spoke first. "I had a talk with Charlotte, and I'll be training her today."

Marcus turned to face them, raising an eyebrow in surprise. "You will?"

Charlotte nodded, stepping closer as well. "You don't have to ask principal for me, Marcus. I wanted to spend more time with you during your training, but I don't want to burden principal, and… well, i just wnted to spend more time with you, so that's why i asked you for guidance." She gave him a small smile, her sincerity clear.

Marcus smiled back, ensuring Charlotte he will not request principal but inside he was still thinking about her, he knows that she really need guidance.

"Alright then," Marcus said, nodding. "I trust Erza to guide you well today. But don't worry, we'll still have plenty of time to train together in the future."

Charlotte beamed at that, and Erza gave a quick nod of acknowledgment.

With the situation settled, they all made their way to the academy's expansive training grounds. It was early enough that only a few students were scattered across the field, most too absorbed in their own training to pay much attention to Marcus and his companions.

Lucian, who had been walking beside Marcus, finally broke her silence when they arrived. She gestured to a quieter corner of the training grounds where no one else was training. "Let's head over there," she said coolly, her tone professional as ever.

Marcus followed her lead, aware that Erza and Charlotte were splitting off to train on their own. As they moved to the quiet corner, the space felt isolated from the rest of the world, providing the privacy Marcus had grown accustomed to in his sessions with Lucian. The faint hum of the other students' magic and the clang of weapons faded as they walked, leaving only the sound of their footsteps.