The students' uniforms varied subtly by class, a clear visual marker of the academy's hierarchy. D-class students wore dark blue and white,
C-class wore black and white, and B-class had uniforms of silver and white.
Above them, A-class wore gold and white, while the most prestigious S-class students were given expensive platinum and white uniforms with diamond buttons.
Aeren was contemplating this hierarchy and how it would be used by some students to bully others when he heard a voice from the front of the classroom. A girl in a C-class black and white uniform was waving her hand high in the air.
"Aeren! Over here!" Lyra called loudly.
Aeren looked at her, then walked over. "Lyra, you're here," he said. "I thought you weren't coming."
"Of course I am! I attended every class," she replied, her voice full of energy. "Where have you been? I didn't see you in any lectures for a week."
"I was busy," he said simply.
Lyra put her hands on her hips, her smile fading into a curious frown. "Busy with what? You can't be bunking lectures on the very first day, Aeren. This is the academy, not some back alley."
"I was in the infirmary," Aeren said, a hint of something unreadable in his tone.
Lyra's expression softened. "Oh, I see. I'm sorry to hear that. I hope you're feeling better."
"I am."
Lyra quickly changed the subject, her smile returning.
"Anyway, look, these are some new friends I made." She gestured to the two boys standing next to her.
"This is Bough, he's at the top of our class. His rank was 141, just one away from getting into B-class. And this is Fred Dess, his rank is the same as ours."
Aeren gave a brief nod to both of them. "Are you all going somewhere?" he asked.
"To the canteen," Lyra said in a single breath. "We found some friends from other classes and wanted to meet up and chat about our lectures. You should come with us! We can talk about how much we hate Professor Roan's lectures."
"Good to know," Aeren replied. "I'll join you another time."
Lyra's expression fell slightly. "Why not now? Where are you going?" she asked.
Aeren's lips curled into a faint, knowing smile. "I have to go meet my fiancée."
Lyra's eyes widened. "A fiancée? Since when? You never told me anything about this!"
"You did not ask me so I did not tell you." he said, his tone still even.
"I know, but… who is she? What class is she from?"
"She's in A-class."
A stunned silence fell over the group. Lyra's eyes went wide, and Bough and Fred stared at Aeren, a newfound respect on their faces. They didn't ask further questions, now believing they were encroaching on personal business. Aeren left them behind and started on his way to the A-class section.
After a few minutes, he spotted Lena Crede from a distance. She was with a boy who had striking blond hair. Aeren silently approached them.
"Hello, Lena. It's been a while," he said, his voice polite but with a chilling, underlying calm.
Lena's body went rigid. A shiver ran through her, and she didn't want to turn around and look at that "devil's face" again.
She slowly turned, her gaze fixed on the ground, before she lifted her head, her eyes wide with shock.
She started to stutter, "H-hello, m-my lord."
"I came for some small talk," Aeren said.
"Y-yes, m-my lord," Lena stammered, her voice barely a whisper.
"Let's go somewhere private." Aeren's voice remained calm and polite.
The blond-haired boy, Crain, saw Lena's reaction and felt a surge of irritation. He stepped forward and positioned himself between Aeren and Lena.
"Hey, who are you?" he demanded, his voice laced with annoyance. "What do you want with her?"
"My apologies if you misunderstood," Aeren said, a practiced, polite smile on his face. "But she is my fiancée, and I simply wanted to greet her."
Crain looked at Lena, who said nothing but didn't disagree.
"She's uncomfortable around you. You should leave, or else."
A flicker of hope emerged in Lena's eyes as she looked at Crain. She wanted to beg for his help, but she couldn't risk getting him into danger. She shook her head.
"I'm not uncomfortable, Crain" She looked back at Aeren. "Let's go, my lord."
Crain was shocked by her attitude and grew furious.
"You're just going to leave with him?" he snapped, his voice rising. He took a menacing step toward Aeren.
'This bastard isn't even in B-class. He has the guts to order my rival around?'
Aeren was about to say something when Crain's fist connected with his face. Aeren fell to the ground, a look of mild surprise on Crain's face. He hadn't meant to hit him so hard, especially not in front of everyone.
Aeren lay on the ground, his eyes wide open, and whispered to himself,
"What's with these people? They always hit me in the face."
Lena stared at Aeren, shivering even more than before.
"I'm so sorry, my lord. Let's leave this place." She helped him up. "You bastard!" she shouted at Crain. "How dare you hit my lord!"
"It's okay, Lena," Aeren said, his polite smile returning as he brushed the dust from his uniform.
"Let's go somewhere private. I have a lot to discuss with you." He looked at Crain, giving him a knowing, condescending smile before he and Lena disappeared, leaving Crain behind.
Crain's anger was at its peak. He wanted to destroy that guy with his own hands, but he couldn't challenge a lower-class student without losing face. He was in a higher class; he would just have to wait for another opportunity to teach that guy a lesson.