CHAPTER 80: BEFORE THE PARTY!

Julian blinked hard, trying to focus on the girl’s face. Everything from the eyebrows up was a blur, thanks to the pounding in his head.

He couldn’t remember what happened and how he got there. He just remembered leaving the Vortellion estate, taking a carriage out of the capital and on his way to the academy, the carriage got attacked and everyone in the carriage fled for their lives.

Since Julian isn’t as strong as his brother, he got caught. He remembered how they dragged him and as he struggled with one of them, they knocked him unconscious.

He touched his forehead as he winced in pain.

"Where is this place?"

Lilienne wrung the cloth, her movements calm and unhurried, as if she’d done this hundreds of times.

"You were half-dead when I found you," she said lightly. "You’re so lucky I decided to take the scenic route home that day."

Julian’s expression stiffened. He sat up a little, his voice formal despite his weakness.

"How... exactly did I end up here?"

Lilienne tilted her head, her smile never faltering.

"You were lying unconscious in the grass by the roadside. And naked."

"...What?"

"Naked," she repeated, as if discussing the weather. "I found no clothes on you... No money. No shiny family emblem thingy that I could use to know your identity,"

Julian’s composure cracked like thin glass.

"N... Naked?! That’s preposterous! Where.. where are my things? My attire? My insignia?" His tone went from scandalised to furious in a heartbeat. "Damn it all...!"

He swore under his breath repeatedly, the kind of refined but venomous cursing only a noble could manage. His fingers clenched the blanket over him.

Lilienne stood, lifting the basin of water and the damp towels with ease.

"Where are you going?" she asked, watching him struggle to swing his legs over the bed.

"I must reach the academy," Julian said curtly, his chin high despite his bedraggled state. "Immediately."

Lilienne smirked.

"And why would you, a man who clearly went out of his way to disguise himself, be in such a hurry to get there? You don’t exactly look like a student."

He narrowed his eyes.

"That is none of your concern."

She shrugged, turning to leave.

"I heard the party’s in two days. The nobles at the market kept gossiping about it all day."

Julian froze mid-motion, his eyes snapping toward her. "Two days...?" He sprang to his feet so quickly that the blanket fell away, pooling at his ankles.

Lilienne stopped in the doorway and looked back. Her eyes travelled down, then back up to meet his face with a lazy tilt of her head.

"Huh. That’s... small."

Julian’s ears turned crimson.

"—!" He yanked the blanket back over himself with a swiftness born of pure shame.

Her smirk widened.

"Relax, I’ve seen worse. I’ll find you some clothes... and a carriage to take you to your precious academy. Since you’ve refused to tell me what you’re heading there for, I hope you succeed,"

Julian hesitated, then asked stiffly...

"Why are you doing this? You don’t even know me and I have... nothing to offer you."

She leaned one shoulder against the doorframe, her voice light but strangely deliberate.

"I don’t need anything from you. I’m doing all of this just for the plot."

"...The plot? What’s that?"Julian repeated, brows knitting.

"You won’t understand. It’s a modern thingy!"

She just winked and walked out, leaving him staring after her in total confusion.

"What a weird peasant!" He mumbled under his breath.

.

.

The next day...

The clinic was closed. Not for repairs, not for emergencies... it was closed because everyone was out preparing for the party.

Rin lounged on a small bench outside the dorm, Niblet sprawled across his stomach like a furry hot water bottle. The sunlight spilling through the tree seemed determined to remind him that the world outside was full of noise, glitter, and too many people.

Nothing was going to make him change his mind about going to that party.

’No, thank you. I’d rather remain in this hellhole!’

The thought of walking into a room filled with strangers who would all stare at him because of his face was... ugh. He dramatically covered his eyes with one arm.

"Curse this world," he groaned, "... for giving me a face so cute that it’s basically social poison."

Even if he didn’t want to go to the party, the system wanted him to. He remembered the quest that was given to him.

DING!

[NEW QUEST! Attend the graduation party without being dragged into unnecessary trouble!]

[Reward: ???]

[Failure: Emotional damage.]

Rin peeked from under his arm and scowled at the glowing text only he could see.

"Of course you’d want me to go," he muttered. "You’re practically allergic to my peace and quiet."

He sat up slowly, scratching his chin.

"What if I... don’t go to that damned party?"

"You’ll regret that," came a voice from behind.

Rin turned. Ezra was standing there.

"Oh, it’s you!" Rin said flatly, bracing himself for the usual insults. "Go ahead. Say it. Call me disgusting, filthy. Your vocabulary’s pretty limited but you make it work."

Instead, Ezra simply nodded once and said.

"Good day, Rin."

Rin stared at him like he’d just sprouted a second head. "...What?"

"I said good day," Ezra repeated, expression calm.

Rin blinked slowly. "Why?"

Ezra’s lips curved into a polite smile.

"It’s just for formalities."

Rin frowned, leaning forward. He wasn’t sure if it was a dream or reality, but there’s no way Ezra would ever greet him.

"Formalities? Why would you greet a demon..."

Before he could finish, Ezra’s hand shot out, clamping over his mouth. His voice dropped low.

"Don’t say that here."

Rin muffled a protest, yanking Ezra’s hand away.

"What, you care about now?"

Ezra looked away, his tone quieter than usual.

"...I just care."

Rin’s brows drew together. He wasn’t used to this Ezra—the one without venom in his voice or daggers in his eyes.

"...Weird," Rin said finally, leaning back. "But fine. I can live with this version of you."

Ezra didn’t reply, but there was the faintest twitch at the corner of his lips before he walked away. Rin watched, turning to leave, suspicion and curiosity battling in his mind.

Ezra paused and looked over his shoulder.

"Aren’t you coming with me? Let’s go have lunch. It’s on me,"

"You’re not going to sprinkle my lunch with Holy Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo, are you?"

"I never understand your words, Rin. Can you speak like a human?"

"Hmmm... Maybe no..."

"Ugh!" Ezra grunted in frustration and Rin followed behind, laughing.