"Miss Hysteria, would you like to have dinner together later?"
"No way! Bleh, bleh! Even if you begged, we wouldn't go!"
"All right then. Miss Elena, how about joining tonight's study party? You barely participated last time, and it felt like such a pity."
"Of course…of course I can't. I'm sorry, Linen. Hysteria and I have other plans. Let's do the study party another time."
"Ah, I see. That's too bad."
Elena watched Linen leave his seat, her eyes filled with guilt and conflicted emotions.
Is it really okay to isolate someone who's been so kind to me? This time, Elena truly felt they had gone too far.
The way Linen was walking seemed unusually light and unsteady, as if he could float away at any moment. It had to be because he was so upset by their rejection.
Even Hysteria hesitated now.
She'd only intended to prank Linen a bit—not to truly hurt him. But after clearly stating she wouldn't speak to him for an entire day, he became even more proactive. He invited her to discuss class topics, even asked if she wanted to accompany him to the restroom during breaks.
Though she rejected him decisively each time, her irritation gradually faded with each rejection.
"Hysteria, maybe we should stop this prank now. I think we've taken it too far," Elena advised.
"No way! We agreed we wouldn't talk to him for the whole day, and that means the entire day!" Hysteria shook her head stubbornly.
It's just one day of ignoring that small fry Norton. Surely his mental fortitude isn't so fragile, is it? Elena's tone made it sound as though someone was trying to steal him away.
To steady herself, Hysteria stood up, deciding to splash some cold water on her face to clear her head.
However, as soon as she stepped outside the classroom, she caught sight of Linen disappearing down the hallway to the right, as though accompanied by someone else.
Why is he going right? The restroom is clearly to the left.
A faint unease bubbled inside her. Last time Linen acted strangely, he ended up facing the villainous Ken alone.
After hesitating briefly and convincing herself it was mere curiosity—not genuine concern—Hysteria quietly followed.
But soon, her eyes widened in shock.
The person Linen met wasn't a villain. Instead, he was surrounded by a few pretty female students, all with fair skin, charming smiles, and legs clad enticingly in black and white stockings.
"Did you girls need something?" Linen asked coolly at the hallway's end.
"Oh, Prince Linen, you're too formal. Can't we just chat casually?" A voice cooed flirtatiously, eliciting soft, coquettish giggles from the other girls. Only the blonde girl at the center maintained a perfectly poised smile, her gaze fixed on Linen.
Yet Linen remained utterly indifferent, nearly yawning from boredom.
Truthfully, the girls who'd approached him were indeed attractive, the least endowed among them still easily surpassing Hysteria three or four times over. Especially the blonde girl, with snow-white skin, willow-like waist, and eyes brimming with seductive charm—back in his previous world, she'd be movie-star material.
But unfortunately for her, she was dealing with a transmigrated Linen.
Had he encountered this scene before transmigration, his heart might have skipped a beat or two, but now he felt absolutely nothing.
As a prince who'd spent months in close contact with black-stockinged palace maids, he was no longer easily swayed by mere beauty—just as one wouldn't vividly remember every bun eaten for breakfast.
Seeing Linen's cold indifference only intensified the admiration in the blonde girl's eyes. His detached attitude, a blend of charm and aloofness, was deeply alluring.
"It's been so long, Your Highness. Allow me to introduce myself—I'm Linda Elphie, daughter of Countess Elphie. We met in the palace during childhood."
Linda's eyes were filled with admiration. Clasping her hands over her chest, she deliberately leaned closer, bringing with her a tantalizing fragrance.
"Shameless! Why do these women always drag their parents into conversations first?" Around the corner, Hysteria gritted her teeth, her fingers digging into the wall.
Although not from the Zijinghua Empire herself, Hysteria had heard of Countess Elphie—renowned not for her political prowess, but for her promiscuity. To think this blonde girl was her daughter. But what could she want from Linen?
Just as curiosity gnawed at Hysteria, Linen's voice came through clearly: "We've met? Sorry, I don't recall. If there's nothing else, I'll be going now."
The first rejection had intrigued Linda, but this second rejection left her anxious.
While Linda didn't think she was yet her mother's equal, being dismissed so easily by a teenage prince was unbearable. Besides, she'd come with her mother's instructions—to get close to the prince.
Initially, she believed befriending Linen would be easy, given his popularity. Only after school started did she realize the challenge. The prince's tastes appeared rather peculiar—one of his close companions was a lowborn commoner, the other a barbaric foreign girl.
Finally spotting a rift between Linen and those two, she had to seize this chance!
"Your Highness, wait!" Linda acted decisively, pretending to chase after him, deliberately tripping herself.
"Oh no!" she cried sweetly, tumbling toward Linen with a flash of triumph in her eyes.
No young man would ever refuse to play hero to a damsel in distress!
Yet Linen didn't reach out. Instead, he stepped back, as though afraid of being touched.
Linda's eyes widened in disbelief.
Did he really just step away?
Why is this guy so hard to get?
Awkwardly regaining her footing, Linda decided to deploy her ultimate move. She leaned in close to Linen, whispering gently:
"It's nothing serious, Your Highness. We're classmates now, so I'd love to get closer."
"And I heard you're quite fond of cats. Coincidentally, I love them too."
After pausing dramatically, Linda leaned toward Linen's ear, exhaling softly against his earlobe and whispering sensuously.
"Meow~"
Hysteria shuddered violently, goosebumps rising across her skin.
She'd never imagined someone could behave so shamelessly! But deep down—though she refused to admit it—she felt panicked.
Linen just said this morning that he likes cats. Now, such a woman appeared. He wouldn't really fall for it, would he?
Not that she cared—she was merely concerned about Elena's feelings!
Determined, Hysteria clenched her fists, resolving she'd pretend to be a cat herself if she had to!
Just as she prepared to intervene, Linen sighed softly.
"Linda, you're right—I do like cats, but you've misunderstood two things."
"Firstly, I dislike people gossiping about my private interests, regardless of how you found out."
"Secondly, that thing you did isn't a cat—it's disgusting."
With those blunt words, Linen turned and walked away, leaving Linda frozen in stunned embarrassment.