Chapter 5

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There were certain moments in life when the air itself seemed to change.

When the weight of a single decision could shift the course of everything.

And today?

Today was one of those moments.

Evelina could feel it before she even stepped into the Academy halls.

The whispers had changed.

Before, they had been cruel, mocking, dismissive.

Now?

Now they were hesitant. Watchful.

The noble society thrived on predictability, and Evelina Aurelius had always played her part well.

The jealous villainess.

The desperate fool who clung to Cassius.

The easy target.

But now, she had broken the script.

And they didn't know what to do with her.

She smiled faintly.

Let them wonder.

---

The morning sun filtered through the grand stained-glass windows, casting patterns of light across the polished marble floors.

The Academy was alive with quiet murmurs, the rustling of silk skirts, the faint clinking of silver bracelets.

But beneath the normalcy, there was a distinct tension.

Seraphina du Lys had been absent for days.

Not gone. Waiting.

And now, she had returned.

Evelina knew exactly what that meant.

Seraphina was about to make her move.

Evelina had seen it before.

The heroine, backed into a corner, would try to seize control of the story again.

And she would fail.

Beautifully.

Evelina merely had to let her.

---

The first lesson of the day was held in the central lecture hall, an ornate chamber with high ceilings and towering bookshelves.

Evelina entered without hesitation, her movements slow, deliberate.

She felt the eyes on her.

Noble sons and daughters, all carefully bred for power and status, watching her with undeniable curiosity.

Even those who had once mocked her now looked at her with something new.

Something like uncertainty.

Evelina ignored them.

She walked past rows of students, taking a seat at the heart of the nobility.

A deliberate choice.

She was no longer someone they could push to the edges.

She was here.

Unshakable.

And when she sat down, something interesting happened.

Leon Valcrest, the heir to the Knight Commander's position, turned toward her.

Their eyes met.

And for the first time—

He was watching her.

---

Leon Valcrest had always been a man of clear lines.

Right and wrong.

Honor and deceit.

Strength and weakness.

For years, Evelina Aurelius had been placed in the category of noble-born arrogance.

A spoiled woman with too much power and no sense.

But now?

She was something else.

Something he hadn't decided on yet.

Evelina merely tilted her head, violet eyes glinting.

"Sir Leon," she murmured.

Leon said nothing at first.

Then, finally—

"You're different."

Evelina's smile was slow, unreadable.

"So I've been told."

A pause.

Then, softer—

"She's planning something."

Evelina exhaled softly.

"How very vague."

Leon's jaw tightened slightly.

"You know what I mean."

Evelina did.

And she also knew—he was waiting.

To see what she would do next.

Interesting.

---

The class passed without incident.

Or rather, it seemed that way.

But Evelina felt it.

A storm, pressing against the walls of the Academy, waiting to break.

And sure enough—

By the time the lesson ended, something finally happened.

Seraphina had returned.

And she was not the same.

---

It was painfully obvious.

She stood at the entrance of the hall, her golden hair gleaming under the morning light.

Her posture was too stiff, too rehearsed.

Her eyes flickered too quickly around the room.

As if searching for something.

For someone.

Evelina sighed inwardly.

Desperation was an ugly thing.

She rose from her seat, her movements graceful, unrushed.

Seraphina's gaze locked onto hers immediately.

Their eyes met.

And just like that—

The Academy held its breath.

Seraphina took a step forward.

"Lady Evelina."

Her voice rang through the grand hall.

Evelina didn't blink.

Didn't react.

She merely tilted her head slightly.

As if mildly inconvenienced.

Seraphina smiled.

But it wasn't real.

It was the kind of smile someone wore when they were trying far too hard to appear composed.

"I was hoping we could talk," Seraphina said.

Evelina already knew where this was going.

She had seen it happen in countless court dramas.

The heroine, backed into a corner, tries to force a confrontation.

To regain control of the story.

To humiliate the villainess publicly.

Evelina almost felt bad for her.

Almost.

Because Seraphina had just made a fatal mistake.

---

The noble students watched, unblinking.

Waiting for Evelina to react.

To lash out.

To humiliate Seraphina, as she always had.

But Evelina merely raised a brow.

"Talk?" she echoed.

Seraphina nodded.

"You've changed," she said, soft but sharp. "And I think we both know why."

Evelina let the words sit for a moment.

Then—

She smiled.

And that was enough.

Seraphina's breath hitched.

Because Evelina's smile wasn't mocking.

It wasn't cruel.

It was bored.

"Have I?" Evelina murmured.

Seraphina hesitated.

Her fingers curled slightly.

"You may have fooled some people," she said, louder now. "But I know the truth."

The nobles leaned in.

Seraphina took a step forward.

"You're still cruel," she said. "Still heartless. You're just wearing a new mask."

A long pause.

Then—

Evelina laughed.

Soft. Unhurried.

As if Seraphina had said something amusing.

Seraphina stiffened.

"How odd," Evelina murmured. "I thought you wanted me to change."

Seraphina's golden eyes widened slightly.

A flicker of panic.

Evelina smiled faintly.

"And yet, now that I have, you seem…" She let the words linger before finishing,

"…upset."

The whispers shifted.

Seraphina froze.

Evelina sighed.

"Careful, Lady Seraphina," she murmured.

"You're starting to sound like me."

The gasps were immediate.

Seraphina's face drained of color.

And just like that—she lost.

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