The Noble Law classroom smelled faintly of polished wood and ink.

The professor stood at the front, voice calm, authoritative.

“Good morning, everyone.
We have a transfer student joining us today.
This is Kaiven Altairis — I expect you all to treat him with proper courtesy.”

In the back row, Lucien Corvinus was still writing.

He didn’t look up.
Didn’t slow down.
His pen moved in precise, balanced strokes, each letter neat enough to look printed.

When the professor said the name — Kaiven Altairis — his pen stopped moving.

Not dramatically.
Just a brief suspension — the tip hovering above the page.

Then it moved again.

Scratch.
Pause.
Scratch.

Kai lowered his head slightly.

“…It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

The smile was polite — and just restrained enough to feel distant. His gaze stayed calm, unbothered by whether anyone liked him.

Whispers followed almost immediately.

“Altairis… that’s from the Solaris imperial family, isn’t it?”
“Yes, but only a branch family. They lost favor years ago.”
“Still… imperial blood is imperial blood.”
“So why send him here?”
“Maybe the rumors were true…”
“Wasn’t he the duke’s illegitimate son?”

The professor raised a hand.

“That’s enough. This is a classroom, not a gossip hall.
Whatever rumors you’ve heard — leave them outside.”

Silence settled again.

The professor turned toward the back row.

“Prefect-General Corvinus, would you assist him?
Show Altairis around the academy later.”

Lucien looked up.

That gentle smile was already there — soft, composed, perfectly appropriate.
The kind that made people feel at ease without thinking about it.

He closed his notebook slowly, every movement precise. Measured.

Kai watched him without turning his head fully.

The corner of his mouth lifted slightly.

  …There it is again.

  That perfect composure.

  Like a still lake.

  Still enough to hide whatever is waiting underneath.

Kai took a seat in the back row, near the window where the morning light pooled across the desks.

Beside him sat a smaller boy — shorter than most of the class, build slight, almost delicate compared to the other noble sons.

Round eyes.
Soft face.
The kind of features people often underestimate without thinking about it.

The boy turned toward him, startled.

Kai smiled, warm enough to be reassuring.

“Kaiven. Nice to meet you.”

The boy blinked, then straightened quickly.

“F-Finnian… Doyle. It’s nice to… um, sit beside you.”

Kai glanced at him.

His gaze softened — just slightly.
Then returned to neutral.

  So this is the type.

  The harmless kind.

  Soft voice. Polite smile. Shoulders always just a little too tense.

  The kind the world chews up first — and calls it natural.

  …I used to look like that, too.

From Finn’s other side, Lucien didn’t look at them directly.

But his fingers tapped against the desk.
Precise. Even.

Once every second.

Tap.
Tap.
Tap.

“You’ve come at a busy time,” Lucien said, voice warm, easy.
“Tell me, Altairis… have you studied Noble Law before?”

Kai turned toward him, shoulders lifting slightly — a loose, lazy posture that looked effortless.

The corner of his mouth tilted upward.

“…Noble Law? Not really. Sounds boring already.”

Finn spoke quickly, a little too quickly.

“I-it’s not boring! I mean… maybe for some people, but Lucien’s always been really good at it.”

Kai raised a brow, a small smirk forming at the corner of his mouth.

“Oh? Sounds like you know him pretty well.”

Finn brightened immediately, smile open, unguarded.

“Yes. We grew up together.
My family is merchants — we often delivered goods to the Corvinus estate.
Lucien was always… very serious. Even back then.”

Lucien turned toward Finn, the gentle smile already in place.

“…And you were always too talkative.
Some things never change.”

Finn laughed softly.

The moment warmed around them — easy, familiar, practiced without trying.

Kai didn’t laugh.

He just watched them. Like he’d just been handed a new puzzle piece — and hadn’t decided where it belonged yet.