Chapter 43

Mira crossed her arms, smirking as she looked at the stunned faces around her. "You guys are acting so shocked," she said lazily. "You have no idea what I went through under her."

Celeste's eyes twitched. "What do you mean?"

Mira let out a dramatic sigh, then suddenly grinned enthusiastically. "Oh, let me tell you! You see, when Athasia was teaching me, she wasn't just strict—she was cruel."

The students leaned in, their curiosity piqued.

"She once placed me on top of swords and said I wouldn't get down unless I memorized a full piece in under ten minutes."

Gasps erupted in the hallway.

One of the students stammered, "W-What?!"

Mira nodded rapidly. "Yeah! And guess what? I had to play perfectly—no mistakes allowed. If I messed up, she'd just raise an eyebrow and say, 'Start over.'"

Some students paled.

Someone whispered, "She's insane…"

Mira wasn't done. "And if I ever complained, she'd just say, 'Do you want me to break your fingers so you have a real reason to cry?'"

Everyone turned to Athasia in pure horror.

Athasia merely stood there, arms crossed, an unbothered look on her face.

"Of course," Mira continued cheerfully, "I thought she was heartless at first. But then I realized—she's even worse."

Laughter rippled through the crowd, though it was mixed with unease.

Celeste clenched her fists. Why… why was everyone enjoying this?

She had expected people to pity Mira, to see Athasia as some kind of monster.

But instead, Mira was bragging.

And worst of all—

People were impressed.

While everyone was impressed by Mira's story, they didn't fully believe her. Some thought she was exaggerating, while others whispered that there was no way Athasia could be that terrifying.

Of course, Mira knew what they were thinking, but instead of arguing, she just laughed. A smug glint flashed in her eyes as if to say, You'll see soon enough.

A Few Days Later

Cresthill High was no longer the same.

Zamiel wouldn't stop flirting with Athasia.

No one knew when it started, but now, it had become routine.

In class, he stole her pens just to watch her reach for them, only to smirk and hold them out of her reach. "Come on, Athy. Just say please."

Athasia didn't even look at him. She simply pulled out another pen from her bag and continued writing.

Zamiel chuckled. "You're always so prepared, huh? What if I steal your notebook next?"

She still ignored him.

So he leaned in, close enough that his breath brushed against her ear. "Or… what if I steal you?"

The students watching nearly choked.

Athasia?

Unbothered.

She turned a page. "Then I'd run away."

Zamiel laughed, shameless and entertained. "Good. I'd chase you."

The whispers in the class were endless. The school prince was utterly whipped.

And it wasn't just in class.

In the hallway—

Zamiel casually pulled Athasia to the side, pressing a hand against the wall beside her. "You never look at me properly, do you?"

Athasia raised a brow. "And?"

He smirked. "Should I make you?"

The students passing by stopped in their tracks.

Some gasped. Some quickly ran to report to their friends.

Athasia, however, remained indifferent.

She gave him a blank look before ducking under his arm and walking away. "You should worry about your grades instead."

Zamiel chuckled, watching her disappear down the hall.

"This is getting fun," he muttered to himself.

At lunch—

Zamiel grabbed Athasia's drink, took a slow sip, and placed it back in front of her.

"Here," he said with a lazy grin. "It tastes better now."

Mira, sitting beside Athasia, nearly spat out her food.

Athasia simply pushed the drink back to him. "Then you can have it."

Zamiel's grin widened. "Cold-hearted as always."

Meanwhile, Mira was buzzing around Athasia like an obsessed flower lover.

If she wasn't gushing about her beauty, she was clinging to her arm, whining, "Athy, let's eat together! You don't love me anymore, huh?"

She was practically attached to Athasia at all times, throwing herself into her lap, hugging her from behind, and swooning over everything she did.

And of course—

Celeste was burning with jealousy.

It didn't matter where she was.

Whether she was in class, in the hallway, or sitting in the cafeteria, her eyes always landed on Athasia.

She hated how effortlessly Athasia drew attention. How even the teachers respected her.

When a particularly difficult mathematical problem appeared on the board, and none of the teachers could solve it, Athasia merely glanced at it, wrote down the answer in seconds, and handed it back without looking up from her book.

The entire class went silent.

Even the teacher stood there in disbelief, blinking at the perfect solution.

Celeste gritted her teeth.

Why…?

Why was she so perfect?