When the advanced mathematics class finally ended, Rose practically ran out of the classroom.
It was the last lesson before the lunch break, and the girl, as soon as the bell rang, swiftly left her seat, not even waiting for the teacher to finish packing up his things. An important mission awaited her — to buy lunch for herself and for Dylan.
Today was supposed to be their first shared meal.
This was a small but important step in their new "agreement," and Rose, for some unknown reason, felt a slight flutter of excitement.
In the cafeteria, as always, there was a buzz of activity. Rose had deliberately hurried to be among the first, but even so, she had to wait in a short line. At lunchtime, this place turned into a real anthill — students from all faculties flocked here to satisfy their hunger.
When her turn finally came, Rose quickly placed her order. She got two chicken sandwiches and two portions of milk porridge — the most filling and inexpensive items on the menu. And, of course, two cartons of strawberry milk. It was her little indulgence that she couldn't give up, even while economizing on everything else.
"Please wrap it to go," she asked.
The cafeteria worker nodded and quickly packed the order into a paper bag. Rose took it, feeling its pleasant weight in her hands, and had just turned to leave when she heard a familiar voice.
"Hey, Ruven! Where are you off to?"
It was Zeke. He was standing in line with the other classmates, looking at her curiously.
Rose stopped and turned around.
"I decided to have lunch outside today," she replied calmly.
"Outside?" Zeke raised an eyebrow. "The weather really is nice today... Maybe we should join you?"
"No, that's alright," Rose shook her head. "I'm having lunch with Dylan."
A look of genuine surprise appeared on Zeke's face. He opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again, clearly not knowing what to say.
"Oh... well, then..." he finally mumbled. "Have a good time."
"Thanks," Rose nodded and left the cafeteria.
A strange feeling spread through her chest. Something between anticipation and a slight flutter of excitement.
Actually, eating outside the cafeteria was new to her too, though it wasn't forbidden by the rules. She, like the other students, was simply used to having lunch here.
Nevertheless, when Rose suggested Dylan have lunch together in the cafeteria, he unexpectedly refused.
"Why?" she had asked in surprise. "The food there is perfectly fine."
Dylan was silent for a few seconds, then replied:
"I'm... not very comfortable in the cafeteria."
"What do you mean?"
"Too many people," he shrugged, trying to sound casual, but Rose noticed how his shoulders tensed. "And many of them... stare. I don't want people gawking at me while I eat."
Rose wanted to say that it was nonsense, that he shouldn't pay attention to others' looks, but then she stopped herself.
She remembered how she herself had felt on her first day at the academy. How it seemed that everyone she met looked at her with suspicion, that any glance could reveal her secret.
Dylan was a commoner in a world of aristocrats. For him, every day was like walking on thin ice. Every look thrown his way was a potential threat.
"Alright," she had said then. "Then let's find a place outside."
And so they had agreed.
Fortunately, there were more than enough suitable places for this on the academy grounds.
Thus, today during the lunch break, they had agreed to meet in the park located not far from the main academic building.
The academy park turned out to be a true gem.
Rose had never been here before. All her time had been taken up with studying, worrying about her brother, agonizing over the future. But when she entered this green space, she paused for a moment, struck by its beauty.
Blooming cherry trees stretched toward the sky, forming pink arches over the paths. Petals swirled in the air, falling to the ground in a soft carpet. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, painting intricate patterns on the grass.
And amidst this beauty, on a bench under the largest cherry tree, sat Dylan.
He was reading a book, his head tilted slightly to the side, looking as if he had stepped out of the pages of a novel. The wind lightly tousled his black hair, his white shirt shone in the sun, and his serious, focused face made him resemble a scholar from ancient legends.
"Dylan!" Rose called out, running up to him.
The guy looked up and closed the book. Something flickered across his face — whether relief or a slight smile — but he quickly hid it behind his usual mask of calm.
"You came," he stated.
"Of course!" Rose plopped down on the bench next to him. "I'm not late, am I? We got held up a bit after class. Have you been waiting long?"
"No," Dylan replied shortly, but Rose noticed that the book he had been reading was open in the middle. He had been waiting longer than he let on, but didn't want to show it.
"Good then!" Rose pretended not to notice anything. "Let's eat quickly, before everything gets cold!"
She began to lay out the provisions, feeling a steady gaze on her.
Dylan watched as she arranged the sandwiches, set out the porridge, took out the milk. His grey eyes attentively followed her every move, but Rose pretended not to notice.
"Well... I told you I don't have much money," she said, slightly embarrassed. "So it's all quite modest... But I hope you like it anyway."
Dylan picked up a sandwich. Looked at it. Then shifted his gaze to Rose.
"This is... perfectly acceptable," he finally said. "Thank you."
"I'm glad you like it!" Rose beamed. "Oh, and I also got two cartons of strawberry milk! It's my absolute favorite. And it seems you like it too, right?"
Dylan didn't reply, but the corners of his lips twitched in a barely noticeable smile.
In the end, after that, they had a quiet lunch together in the school park.
Eating outside turned out to be much more pleasant than in the stuffy cafeteria.
A gentle breeze stirred their hair, cherry petals swirled in the air, and even simple sandwiches tasted better than usual.
Rose chewed her sandwich and gazed at the trees.
"It's so beautiful here," she said dreamily. "I didn't know the academy had a park like this."
"It's not very popular with the students," Dylan remarked. "Everyone prefers the cafeteria or their own rooms."
"Do you come here often?"
"Sometimes. It's quiet here."
Rose nodded, smiling knowingly.
Silence. Solitude. A place to hide from prying eyes. She understood that better than anyone.
They ate in silence, and this silence wasn't awkward, but rather... natural. As if they had long been accustomed to spending time this way, as if this wasn't their first shared meal but their hundredth.
Rose felt someone's gaze on her. She turned her head — Dylan was looking at her, but at that moment he averted his eyes, pretending to examine the milk carton.
Had she imagined it? Probably.
"Well then," Dylan said when the sandwiches were finished and the milk drunk. "We still have some time before classes. Shall we do some studying?"
"Yes!" Rose nodded enthusiastically. "I have a test in advanced math next week..."
"I remember," Dylan took a notebook out of his bag. "You said you don't understand the topic at all."
"That's true," Rose sighed. "I don't even know how I'll pass it..."
"You will," Dylan said calmly. "We have time. I'll prepare you."
"Really?!" Rose's eyes lit up.
"Advanced math isn't as hard as it seems," he opened the notebook. "The main thing is to understand the basics. And everything else is just derived from that."
"For you everything is easy," Rose muttered, but there was no offense in her voice, only admiration. "You're the academy's genius!"
Dylan didn't answer. He began to explain, and Rose, forgetting about the cherry petals and sunbeams, immersed herself in the world of formulas and equations.
Thus, after finishing lunch, they continued studying, which took another forty minutes.
Dylan explained calmly, methodically, without raising his voice, but every word of his was weighty and clear. He broke down the material so that even the most difficult topics seemed simple and logical.
Rose listened, her mouth slightly open.
She couldn't believe she had once thought mathematics was boring and incomprehensible. When Dylan explained, the formulas fell into orderly structures, and the equations solved themselves.
"...You explain better than our teacher!" she breathed out when they finished.
Dylan shrugged.
"Maybe. But that's because a teacher has to explain to thirty people, while I only have to explain to one."
"Still," Rose shook her head. "You're a genius!"
She looked at him with such sincere admiration that Dylan was momentarily flustered and looked away.
"Alright," he said, putting away his notebooks. "The break will end soon. We'll continue tonight, in the dorm."
"Deal!" Rose stood up from the bench, feeling her legs stiff from sitting so long. "Thank you so much!"
Dylan didn't reply, but his silence wasn't cold. It was... rather peaceful. Even warm.
They parted ways to different buildings, but Rose could still taste the strawberry milk on her lips for a long time, and the formulas that had suddenly ceased to be frightening swirled in her head.
After all, she was truly glad that her roommate was now her tutor!
***
After classes, Rose practically ran back to the dormitory.
The day had been successful. Lunch went great, and so did classes. She was even starting to understand advanced math! It was a small miracle for which she mentally thanked Dylan.
But when she entered the room and closed the door behind her, her gaze fell on the suitcase standing in the corner.
A sound was coming from it.
Vibrating. Insistent.
Rose went cold.
The magical communicator. Her mother was trying to reach her.
"Damn!" she breathed out, dropping her bag on the bed and rushing to the suitcase.
Her hands trembled as she flipped open the lid and pulled out the shell. It was vibrating in her palm, emitting an insistent hum — a signal that someone on the other end had been waiting for a response for a long time.
Rose pressed the answer button and brought the shell to her ear.
"Mother?"
"God, finally!" Countess Rosmund's voice hit her ears with such force that Rose involuntarily pulled the communicator away. "Why didn't you answer for so long?!"
"I was in class... Mother, what happened?"
Thoughts raced frantically through her head. Had the Valentinos found out everything? Had they already started to act?!
"Yes! Something happened!" her mother's voice was agitated. "Oh, something indeed!"
But there was something off about her voice.
It sounded... joyful?
"Mother?" Rose frowned, not understanding. "What exactly happened?"
"Rose," the Countess took a breath, as if about to announce the most important news of her life. "The Valentino heiress... Dahlia Valentino! She's run away from home!"
Rose froze.
Her ears started ringing.
"...What?" she repeated, not believing her ears. "What did you say?"
"Dahlia Valentino has run away!" the Countess repeated, barely containing her joy. "Two months ago! Can you imagine?!"