Chapter 28 - Growing Attention
Lucian was curious.
Which was unfortunate.
Not for him.
For everyone around him.
Especially Seren.
"I have a question."
"No."
Lucian blinked.
"I haven't asked it yet."
"You don't need to."
"That's incredibly rude."
"No."
Seren continued walking through the courtyard without even looking at him.
"It's called experience."
Lucian sighed dramatically.
"You never support my pursuit of knowledge."
"I support knowledge."
"Then help me."
"I support knowledge," Seren corrected.
"I don't support your investigations."
"I'm not investigating anyone."
Seren stopped walking.
Then slowly looked at him.
"You've asked about Amy."
Lucian remained silent.
"You've asked me."
"..."
"You even questioned two first-years yesterday."
Lucian frowned.
"I was making conversation."
"You cornered them for fifteen minutes."
"I was being polite."
"You interrogated them."
Lucian clicked his tongue.
"I prefer the word 'small talk' rather than interrogation"
"Small talk!"
Seren raised an eyebrow.
Lucian sighed.
"So."
"No."
"Amy and Vivienne."
Seren groaned.
"There it is."
"You know something."
"I know lots of things."
"About them."
"Maybe."
"Seren."
"No."
"Why?"
Seren smiled.
The kind of smile that usually meant someone else's peaceful afternoon was about to disappear.
"Because watching you figure it out yourself is much more entertaining."
Lucian folded his arms.
"You enjoy other people's suffering."
"I enjoy yours."
"...That's oddly specific."
Before Seren could answer—
His eyes drifted across the courtyard.
Then he smiled.
"Oh."
Lucian immediately became suspicious.
"What?"
Seren pointed toward a lone first-year carrying several books.
"See him?"
Lucian followed his gaze.
"...Yes."
"That's Elias Rowan."
Lucian frowned.
"Should I know him?"
"No."
"Then why are you pointing him out?"
Seren's grin widened.
"Because he knows exactly what you're trying to find out."
Lucian looked back at the boy.
"What does he have to do with Amy?"
Seren shrugged.
"Ask him."
"That's your answer?"
"It's the only one you're getting."
Without another word, Seren started walking toward the unsuspecting first-year.
Lucian sighed.
Curiosity had already won.
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The boy noticed them approaching.
Almost immediately—
He became nervous.
Seren offered a friendly smile.
"Relax."
The boy somehow looked even more nervous.
Lucian glanced sideways.
"You made it worse."
"Is that so.."
Lucian stepped forward.
"We're not here to cause trouble."
The boy hesitated.
Then nodded.
"...Alright."
"You're Elias Rowan?"
"Yes."
"I'm Lucian."
Recognition flashed across Elias's face.
"I know."
Lucian blinked.
"You do?"
"I mean..."
Elias scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"Most people know who you are."
Seren coughed into his fist.
"Seems like your list of girlfriends has reached first years as well...."
Lucian ignored him.
"I wanted to ask you something."
Elias nodded.
"...Is this about Miss Amy?"
Lucian paused.
Interesting.
He hadn't even mentioned her name.
"You know her?"
A gentle smile appeared on Elias's face.
"I owe her more than I could ever repay."
Lucian's curiosity deepened.
"What happened?"
The smile slowly faded.
"My family isn't wealthy."
He looked down at the books in his arms.
"We barely have enough money to eat."
There was no shame in his voice.
Only quiet acceptance.
"So..."
"I started taking part-time jobs outside the academy."
Lucian frowned.
"That's against academy regulations."
"I know."
"I tried to hide it."
A bitter smile crossed Elias's face.
"But eventually..."
"I was caught."
Silence settled between them.
"Someone reported me."
Lucian already knew he wasn't going to like the rest of the story.
"The academy planned to suspend me."
"And then Amy got involved?"
Elias laughed softly.
"Immediately."
"She didn't know me."
"She just overheard what happened."
"And then she started arguing."
"With the professors?"
"With seniors."
Lucian could picture it perfectly.
"'It's unfair,' she kept saying."
Elias smiled.
"'You can't punish someone for trying to help their family.'"
The words sounded exactly like Amy.
"What happened after that?"
Elias rubbed the back of his neck.
"The seniors refused. They were going to report to the professors."
"Then..."
"Miss Amy found another way."
Lucian narrowed his eyes.
"What do you mean?"
Elias hesitated.
Then answered quietly.
"She altered the patrol records."
Silence.
Lucian froze.
The archive staircase.
Stacks of documents.
Amy hiding them behind her back.
Her unusually flustered expression.
The way she'd immediately tried to change the subject.
Everything clicked.
"...That was for you?"
Elias blinked.
"You knew?"
"Not exactly."
Lucian smiled awkwardly.
"I just happened to see her that night."
"Oh."
Elias nodded.
"I thought she'd told you."
"No."
"That also sounds like her."
Lucian couldn't argue with that.
She would rather threaten someone with a textbook than admit she'd helped a stranger.
Seren, meanwhile, had been unusually quiet.
Which should have worried everyone.
He suddenly looked toward Elias.
"You're from the Alchemy Division."
"Yes."
"The alchemy building is on the western side of the academy."
"It is."
"So why are you always near the Magic Division?"
Elias blinked.
"..."
"I..."
"I'm just passing through."
Seren tilted his head.
"Every day?"
"..."
"And always around lunchtime?"
"..."
A slow grin spread across Seren's face.
"You've been hoping to run into Amy."
Elias's face instantly turned bright red.
"I-I haven't!"
"You have."
"I was just trying to thank her!"
"For two weeks?"
"..."
"I..."
"I kept missing her."
Seren nodded thoughtfully.
"Of course."
Then he smiled again.
"You like her."
"I respect her!"
"The blushing says otherwise."
Elias hid behind his books.
Lucian looked between the two of them.
"...Should I leave?"
"No," Seren replied immediately.
"This is entertaining."
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After Elias finally calmed down, Lucian asked one final question.
"Who reported you?"
The smile disappeared from Elias's face.
"...Vivienne Evercrest."
Silence.
Everything finally made sense.
Vivienne's cold remarks.
Amy's hostility.
The tension between them.
It hadn't begun because of some personal argument.
It had begun because Amy couldn't ignore someone who needed help.
Lucian slowly exhaled.
"So that's where it started..."
Elias nodded.
"I don't know what happened afterward."
Neither did Lucian.
But he understood enough.
Enough to stop wondering why Amy disliked Vivienne.
And start wondering something else entirely.
Why would someone risk punishment...
For a complete stranger?
As Elias excused himself and walked away, Lucian watched him disappear into the distance.
Then, almost unconsciously—
His thoughts drifted back to Amy.
Maybe...
He hadn't been trying to understand the conflict.
Maybe—
He'd been trying to understand her.
Today we finally learned what happened between Amy and Vivienne.
But somehow, the biggest surprise wasn't the conflict itself.
It was discovering that Amy was willing to risk punishment for someone she had never even met before.
Now I have a question:
Do you think Lucian was trying to understand the situation...
Or was he trying to understand Amy?
And while we're at it—
What do you think Elias's chances are?
Let me know in the comments...
As always, thank you for reading!