Still, there were cracks in her confidence.

The academy was too quiet about Elias. Too carefully quiet. She'd expected whispers, speculation, even half-baked rumors about his sudden shift in position. Instead? Nothing. Not a slip of tongue from servants, not a single bold noble daring to say what everyone should have noticed. It was as if someone had pressed coin into every hand to keep mouths shut. Perhaps the crown. Perhaps the duke himself.

And Elias   he wasn't what she'd expected either. No hovering, no prying, no pretending to be loyal shadow reporting back. He kept his distance, unreadable, which was almost worse. She could prepare against a spy. But this? This silence left her guessing.

That unease lingered as the days passed. Worse still, she was aware of her place in time: years before the novel's first chapter. A blank page, where every choice of hers could ripple forward into futures she didn't recognize.

It left her restless, and when sleep finally claimed her, it was thin and unsatisfying. 

The next afternoon brought no reprieve.

By the time she stumbled into her second-to-last class, she was half hoping for an uneventful lecture. But the universe, as usual, had other plans.

Someone slid into the empty seat beside her.

Mina glanced up and froze.

The man was unfamiliar yet achingly familiar. Dark hair slicked back, a body sculpted with disciplined strength, and golden eyes that gleamed with both charm and calculation. His smirk was flawless, the kind that promised attention while hiding intent.

"You must be Seraphine Arlowe," he said smoothly.

She met his gaze without blinking. "Your Highness."

For a flicker of a moment, surprsie crossed his face before he laughed   bright, perfect, practiced. Mina felt a faint heat rise in her ears despite herself. Even fake, that laugh was unfairly beautiful.

"That's me. Forgive the interruption   I only came to visit my dear younger brother. But when I caught sight of your hair, I couldn't resist introducing myself. I do hope I'm not too forward."

Mina's lips pressed thin. She searched for Elias in the crowd, already wishing for an escape.

"Thank you."

She said nothing more. Villainess collected enemies like baubles, but the Crown Prince? That was a disaster waiting to happen. If he commanded her to serve him, her family's status would force her to obey. And Mina had no interest in being dragged into the orbit of another male lead.

The prince's grin widened, sensing her restraint.

"Shall I help you find him?"

She tilted her head slightly, calculating.

"I'll admit   I lied," he confessed, eyes glinting. "Elias mentioned you once, and I grew curious. But alas, I'm due elsewhere. May I, however, write to you? Perhaps invite you to tea?"

Mina rose and curtsied, her tone flat but polished. "I would be honored, Your Highness."

He left her with little more than a headache.

The last thing she needed was the man destined to fall helplessly for the heroine inserting himself into her life. In the novel, Crown Prince Silas had sworn to change the very laws of marriage, to open the gates of nobility to commoners   all for Elara's sake. Yet in the end, even his crown shackled him. He could never claim her.

Mina rubbed her temples. That was his tragedy, not hers.

As if summoned by her thoughts, Elias entered the room. He spared her a single glance before taking his seat.

The teacher began the lecture and wasted no time announcing group assignments. Mina read the board and wasn't the least bit surprised    she'd been paired with Elias. Who else would they saddle her with? At least he wasn't defenseless.

Elias exhaled audibly when he noticed the same. He crossed the room to her side. 

"Let's get this over with," he said coolly. "We're to write an essay on one of the techniques from our study guide."

Mina's lips curved into a smirk. "I propose Hyoho Niten Ichi-"

He arched a brow. "I thought you'd prefer Jigen-Ryu."

She waved him off, studying her nails. "One strike kills? Boring. Where's the fun in that?"

The corner of his mouth twitched. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that. Shall we meet after class? At your residence?"

She inclined her head.

"And...would you prefer to dine together as well?"

Mina blinked, caught off guard.

"I only meant," Elias clarified, "So I wouldn't intrude on your meal time."

Ah. He wasn't inviting her    he was making sure she wouldn't erupt later if he disrupted her schedule.

"No need," she said crisply. "Come at six. Do not be late. I already have plans with Lord Callum."

Something flickered across his expression before he looked away.

Of course, those plans dissolved. A neat little letter arrived later, claiming Callum had fallen ill. Mina rolled her eyes   Kael's handwork, no doubt    but it left her free to prepare early.

When six drew near, she had just finished combing through her damp hair, still loose from her wash, when Sue knocked.

"My lady, Lord Elias is here."

"Let him in."

He entered with practiced composure, settling into the seat beside her. "Shall we begin, Lady Seraphine?"

"You may call me Seraphine," she replied, pushing parchment toward him. "we're family now. It feels strange otherwise. Besides, I already started."

Their quills moved in tandem, conversation circling strategies and techniques. More than once, Mina found herself glancing at him   how his face softened when he thought, how a laugh escaped when she made a sly remark. It unsettled her. It almost felt... normal.

"I didn't expect us to finish so quickly," He admitted at last. "I thought it would take us at least a day."

Mina leaned back, smug. "Weapons are my specialty."

His laugh was warm, unguarded. It tugged at something she didn't want to name.

"I met Prince Silas today," she blurted.

Elias's smile dropped. "Why are you telling me this?"

"He said you'd spoken of me." She hesitated. "That he wanted to see me himself."

To her surprise, Elias laughed again    loud, genuine.

"Lady Seraphine, you are shamelessly strange."

Her temper flared. She slammed her palms on the desk. "You're the one gossiping about me!"

Wiping at his eyes, he grinned. "Relax. All I said was that I'd never seen hair like yours before. Though...." his smirked sharpened, "... I may have also compared you to a troll under a bridge."

Her jaw dropped. "You   !"

"I was joking. Forgive me."

She turned away with a huff. "Whatever. Leave."

The humour left his face. He inclined his head. "As you wish. It is late."

When the door closed behind him, Mina sat in silence, staring at the empty space.

Elias was far too complicated for her liking.

And far too human for comfort.