House of Arcveil

Loraine Eleanoir:

I'm a little nervous—damn, I really wasn't prepared for a moment like this to come, and my heart is pounding fast right now.

Why did it have to be Wein Arcveil? But he was the only one who hadn't left this afternoon, so he was the only one I remembered. After all, all the friends I knew had gone ahead, and I only received the message from CyFil a few minutes before nightfall.

There was something Loraine couldn't express freely—her heart had been trembling ever since she saw the mansion that looked like a castle, the large and grand luxurious residence of the Arcveil family.

Would I be accepted here? She kept asking herself that question as the horse-drawn carriage turned, preparing to stop at the designated spot.

"Don't worry, Miss. Chintya Badveil is very kind," said the friendly coachman, trying to calm Loraine down.

Then Wein added, turning to her, "You look nervous, but it's okay." Though it didn't help much, it was still reassuring.

Loraine gave the coachman a gentle smile and thanked him before stepping down from the carriage. Wein got off first, then turned around and offered his hand to Loraine.

Loraine immediately took his hand, holding it tightly as she descended the steps of the carriage, hopping slightly before her feet touched the ground.

"Big brother!" A soft voice, like that of a baby, called out. A little girl ran toward Wein, raising both of her arms high in the air for a hug.

A few seconds before she reached him, a woman appeared, waving her hand at Wein Arcveil with a sweet smile and eyes filled with anticipation.

The girl hugging Wein then lifted her head from his chest and shifted slightly to glance at Loraine. Her gaze was puzzled as she pointed her finger toward her.

Wein might not have heard his sister and went straight to the woman, hugging her for a few seconds before pulling back and chatting briefly. Then he turned halfway and introduced Loraine to the woman and the little girl.

"Loraine, this is Miss. Chintya Badveil, and this is my younger sister, Elena Arcveil," he said gently, offering a sincere, sweet smile—just like the two of them.

Loraine returned the smile and gave an awkward little wave. She was trembling quite a bit and looked nervous as she took a few steps toward Chintya Badveil.

"Is she your girlfriend, big brother?" Elena asked innocently. Wein chuckled and denied it, while Chintya Badveil slowly approached Loraine.

"Let's go inside. It's cold out here," she said with a smile. A few seconds before Loraine and Chintya passed Wein, who was still standing with his sister, Chintya teased him. "You've got good taste in girls, Wein," she giggled.

Wein blushed a little, but as usual, he managed to hide it and kept his face expressionless, while Elena giggled beside him. Loraine wondered how old his sister was.

She walked alongside Chintya Badveil, while Wein and Elena followed behind them. Step by step, they climbed the tall stairs until they reached the grand main door.

Loraine was quite shocked when she first saw it, starting to feel a stark difference in status between her and them.

They continued walking until the massive main door suddenly opened—seemingly by magic.

They kept walking through the residence, every room leaving Loraine stunned and amazed by the luxury. She gaped a little as she observed everything until they finally arrived at the dining table, which had already been prepared by the servants, just as Chintya Badveil had planned.

We all sat down at the grand, luxurious table. Once again, I found myself gaping—but I managed to hide it. Still, I was shocked, especially since the table's edges were coated in real gold.

"So... how did you two meet?" Chintya Badveil asked, casually bringing up a 'relationship' that didn't really exist between us.

"Oh. I've forgotten how I met her," Wein chuckled, pretending to be clueless and deflecting the question toward Loraine.

Loraine hesitated for a moment. "Uhm... If I remember correctly, we met when we went up on stage to be introduced as dorm leaders," she said uncertainly, glancing a few times at Wein and Chintya.

"Are Elves really that pretty?" Elena asked again, innocently staring at Loraine with sparkling eyes.

Wein smiled at Loraine. Chintya Badveil didn't answer and just grinned before Wein confidently opened his mouth again. "No, this one's different," he teased.

"Wein, don't tease her," Chintya Badveil joked before Wein responded again.

"Isn't it true? She is beautiful—and not all Elves are as pretty as she is," Wein grinned wide, matching Chintya's teasing tone.

The room, painted white with a warm yellowish glow from the lights, held the four of us seated at the table, Loraine sitting across from Wein. Her face slowly turned red until it was a soft shade of pink all over.

There was even a sense of 'steam' coming off her blushing face. Loraine slightly covered her face, and after calming down a bit, the conversation continued—until eventually, the food arrived.