Unexpected [ I ]

"You have to be joking…"

Sitting in my dorm room, I stared at the ceiling in disbelief.

Today, the plain white ceiling tiles suddenly seemed a lot more fascinating than the previous day.

The color, the texture, the intricate pattern - it was all so mesmerizing!

"…"

Okay, I was spouting bullshit.

My mind was hyperventilating to process what just happened an hour prior.

"Well, at least I wasn't placed in the same party as Ian."

I muttered to myself, trying to find some semblance of comfort in the fact that I had avoided the worst-case scenario. But even as I said it, I knew it was a hollow consolation. The reality was still staring me in the face and it wasn't any less daunting.

Because the person who had raised their hand to join my group wasn't just anyone.

It was Aveline. The Princess.

The same Aveline who had been staring at me with an intensity that could melt steel.