CHAPTER 162: HER ROYAL BITCHINESS

"Good then," Delia said with a *humph* sound.

Caius nodded.

"Indeed," he said, "So Friday for your first lesson? Or would you prefer it be sooner?"

To be fair, she had been thinking of getting to partake in the wonders of the Von Helsing style of Mage-Knight Practice but that thought had easily gotten overwhelmed by thoughts of that kiss.

And even now, as she was about to nod and start discussing what day would be best for that lesson, there was something about Caius’s words that had her thinking about that kiss and believing it was going to happen again.

Even worse, going by what Caius said, if it happened again, it would happen because SHE wanted it.

But did she?

That day... she had run it in her head over and over and she would never say Caius forced his lips on hers. She was as much a part of making it happen as he was. She actually took pride in that. She took pride in the fact that no man would ever dare force himself on her. She and Caius kissed because she wanted to.

But why?

A moment of weakness?

She would have to be blind or just a liar to claim Caius didn’t look attractive to her. He very much did. She just preferred not to observe that at all and tried her best to keep him as someone she had to beat up.

Handsome as he was, his face was very punchable.

Still, if she was unable to keep her mind on her desire to punch him and allowed herself to be swept up by the atmosphere at the time as well as their closeness to participate in that kiss, what hope did she have of resisting it if they were to be in a similar situation while he taught her the Von Helsing way?

Also, why did she feel like she was looking forward to it?

"Fine," Delia eventually said, "This Friday. After school. Let’s see if you really know what you’re talking about."

"Great..." Caius started but Delia wasn’t done.

"I want them there too," Delia said pointing at Kaya and Eloise.

She believed if she and Caius were not alone, she would have the self-control to remain in her right senses and resist that devilish pull of his.

"Awesome," Caius agreed, "I think they should be there too actually."

Kaya and Eloise ladies looked up, surprised to have been included, but soon, they were smiling. Eloise’s smile was very suggestive and it was clear her voyeurism was starting to rear its head because she was so sure she’d get to watch a kiss happen.

That smile on Eloise’s face and how readily Caius agreed to have an audience caused Delia to worry that this tactic of hers to secure self-control might just not work.

’Damn it,’ she thought and bit her lower lip and then she let out a sigh,

’Oh well. It’s certainly better than nothing."

"Oh, will we get to watch you punch each other?" Eloise asked and clapped her hands together. As always she was ever-eager to see people in pain even if she didn’t like combat herself.

"It’ll mostly be exercises. Grueling, almost painful exercises. Though, if Delia doesn’t pass out by the end, we could have a Spar, I suppose."

"Did YOU pass out your first time with the exercises?" Delia asked him.

"No. No, I didn’t," Caius answered gently.

"Then I’ll be just fine," Delia said confidently, "What you can do, I can do better."

"Then it’s settled then. After the exercise, we’ll have a spar. Your sore and aching body notwithstanding," Caius said with a smile and a sagely nod.

Delia scoffed and smacked a fist into her palm.

"I can’t wait."

Just then, the eyes of everyone in the Cafeteria moved to the entrance as Aylin Khione walked in. The perfect picture of grace and nobility with her entourage of Gal-pals right behind her.

Her eyes were on Caius from the moment she came in and she made a beeline for the table he shared with Kaya, Eloise, and Delia.

After their time together in the Alchemy classroom, Aylin and Caius went their separate ways. Mostly because Aylin was coming to terms with what it would take to get what she wanted from Caius. She returned to the girls’ dormitory and met up with her gal-pals, taking her time before coming to the Cafeteria for breakfast.

"And look who’s here," Kaya said in a voice that carried and with a sneering tone when Aylin was about two feet away from their table,

"None other than Her Royal Bitchiness herself."

Aylin stopped beside their table now. She turned her face away from Caius and raised her chin with the sort of uptight grace befitting a Noble. And then she nailed Kaya with her icy blue eyes and there was clear distaste in them. Still, her jaw was set and she didn’t say a word.

"What?" Kaya asked with a smirk, "Cat got your tongue? And what’s with that look? Let me guess, you’ve got an icy spike stuck up your ass, haven’t you?

Or are those things on your chest starting to choke you? I hope to the gods that they are."

Kaya’s words may have sounded harsh but it had actually become a common exchange between the two girls over the past week. Aylin always had a response so the entire Cafeteria waited for it almost with bated breath.

Her gal-pals even smirked believing their leader would have just the right words to wipe the smirk off the half-elf’s beautiful face.

Alas, despite all Kaya said, Aylin didn’t say a word.

Kaya frowned slightly at the silence but recovered quickly. This was her time to use up pages of material she had prepared over the weekend to really stick it to the bitchy girl.

She prepared to get right into it when Aylin stretched a hand forward, taking Kaya and everyone in the Cafeteria by surprise.

Delia and Eloise looked suspicious.

"What is this?" Kaya asked.

"What does it look like?" Aylin asked sounding annoyed to be left hanging, "It’s obviously a peace offering."

That only confused Kaya all the more and the only thing she could let out to show that confusion was a single sound,

"Huh?"

Aylin groaned then.

"What? Would you have preferred I bring you a present? Please, I’m here for peace not to kiss your... Ass," she said.

There was something about the pause between ’your’ and ’Ass’ that made it so clear that she had had a colorful adjective in mind but had held back from using it.

"Why are you offering peace?" Kaya asked.

"Why does that matter?" Aylin asked, her nose wrinkling before she relaxed and let out a sigh,

"Will you accept it or not?"

"No more bitchy looks? No more annoying icy chills? No more stupid whispers meant to piss me off? No nothing? We can get to acting like neither of us knows the other exists?" Kaya asked, her eyes going from the hand Aylin held out to Aylin’s perfect face.

Aylin smiled then. It was clearly a forced smile but she was so beautiful, that it could never look grotesque. It was so obviously fake but still charming.

"Well, look at you using that... brain of yours to comprehend what ’Making peace’ means," she said.

"You were just about to call my brain stupid, weren’t you?" Kaya noted with furrowed brows and her leaf green eyes looking very perceptive.

Aylin snorted.

"Believe me, if there was something I omitted, it’d be far better than ’stupid’."

Kaya smirked.

"Yeah, I doubt that."

"Please," Aylin said with a nonchalant wave, "Calling you stupid would be so fucking basic."

"Which is exactly what you are," Kaya said, "A basic bitch."

The two girls held each other’s gazes then in what quickly began to look like a staring contest.

Kaya was smiling widely though. She was getting to really let out her dislike but Aylin was still keeping hers hidden deep. And she really wanted to see the Icy Bitch break down and finally let out what was clearly being bottled.

Aylin looked close to breaking. Her hand shook in her agitation but then she managed to let out a shaky breath that appeared to have helped her calm her anger as she said,

"What’s ’basic’ is you not accepting an offer to put this nasty business behind us."

Kaya frowned then.

"Bitch you started this."

Aylin shrugged,

"Still, I think it’s silly to hold on to a grudge that’s barely a month old.

Surely, you agree."