Before every long break, the academy always held a party for its students. The purpose was simple—to strengthen bonds among them.

  Among the nobles, there was an unspoken rule: those without a fiancé or fiancée were expected to find a partner here. The event was also an opportunity to seek connections—or simply gain recognition.

  For commoners, however, the meaning was different. Even graduating at the lowest rank would still improve their future prospects, simply by being alumni of the Imperial Academy. And if they managed to form ties with a noble, that would be an additional advantage.

  That was Asteria’s goal.

  To restore her noble status, she worked tirelessly to achieve the highest scores in the academy. Although she had once suffered setbacks due to constant harassment from the noble who targeted her, she endured with the twins’ help.

  Now that she was free from the chains that once burdened her, Asteria could finally taste freedom within the academy. She could move forward toward a more dignified life.

  At least, that was what she believed—until—

  “Hey, fallen noble… you should be grateful. This young master will grant you the honor of dancing with me tonight.”

  The voice belonged to the same accessory-laden noble who had mocked them before.

  Asteria had hoped for a better academy life after that bastard was gone. Instead, another one had stepped forward.

  “I’m sorry. I can’t.”

  “You dare refuse me? A fallen noble like you?” he snapped. “I’m Jake—the son of a wealthy merchant, and of noble blood!”

  “I don’t care about your status. I have more important goals. Excuse me.”

  With a brief nod, Asteria walked past him and returned to her dormitory to prepare for the dance.

  Jake clenched his fists in frustration before storming off.

  Back in her room, Asteria sat on the edge of her bed and let out a long sigh.

  —*

  That afternoon, Elaine was out buying snacks when she stopped in an alley near the lodging area. A group of noblewomen had surrounded a girl.

  The brown-haired girl—Erica—looked cornered, yet her eyes showed no fear. Instead of pleading, she wore a faint smile that only fueled the nobles’ anger.

  “Why are you all silent?” Erica’s voice was calm yet sharp. “Are you upset because Lady Selena can’t even keep her own fiancé’s heart? Doesn’t that mean I have something your precious lady lacks?”

  “Shut your mouth, you tramp!” one noblewoman snapped.

  “Oh? Am I wrong?” Erica continued mockingly. “Love cannot be forced with titles or status. If the Prince prefers spending time with me rather than with a boring woman like Selena, shouldn’t you pity her instead of blaming me?”

  “How dare you speak Lady Selena’s name without respect!” another noblewoman shouted, grabbing Erica’s hair roughly. “Do you not know your place? You’re nothing but filth daring to ruin a sacred engagement!”

  She pulled out a small knife from within her dress, ready to cut Erica’s hair as humiliation.

  Just as Elaine was about to intervene—

  “STOP! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING TO ERICA?!”

  A green-haired young man appeared suddenly. With swift movement, he seized the noblewoman’s wrist, halting the blade inches from Erica’s hair.

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  Erica immediately retreated behind him.

  “Hic—Sir Jhin…”

  “Eri, are you alright?”

  “They—they…”

  “You will receive appropriate punishment.”

  “B-but Sir Jhin, she provoked us first!”

  “N-no, I never did…”

  “See? Erica herself says she didn’t,” Jhin replied coldly. “Besides, she’s trusted by the Prince. It’s impossible that she started this.”

  Erica continued sobbing behind him. Jhin took out a handkerchief and gently wiped her tears.

  Afterward, he reprimanded the noblewomen sternly.

  Meanwhile, Erica slowly formed a faint smile behind his back.

  Elaine, watching from a distance, remained silent.

  The girl did not seem honest.

  Why was Jhin so quick to believe her without witnessing the incident himself? And Elaine’s intuition screamed at her—something felt manipulated.

  In the end, Elaine chose to leave. It was better not to involve herself in noble affairs. It would only drag Asteria and Elvan into trouble.

  —*

  Asteria stood before the dormitory mirror, captivated by her mother’s dress now perfectly fitted to her form. The blend of white and pink harmonized beautifully with her hair and eyes. That night, she resembled a blooming flower petal—everything bathed in gentle rose hues.

  Her fingers trembled as she touched the fabric.

  Memories of last summer’s dance resurfaced—the humiliation that had nearly broken her heart. She could still feel the cold gazes when that perverted noble deliberately tore this precious dress apart.

  To Asteria, this was not merely cloth. It was the last keepsake of her mother.

  But she refused to dwell on sorrow.

  During the last academy break, she had not rested. Together with Elaine and Elvan, she risked their lives completing dangerous missions to earn gold coins—every drop of sweat spent to pay the finest tailor to restore the dress.

  Taking a deep breath, Asteria stepped out of the dormitory. Under the dim corridor lights, two familiar figures awaited her.

  “Astie! You look stunning!” Elaine exclaimed, eyes sparkling.

  “Hehe, thank you, Elaine. You both look wonderful too.”

  “Obviously. We have to look our best tonight. And that perverted bastard isn’t here anymore, right? So we can enjoy the party peacefully.”

  “Indeed, Lady Elaine,” Elvan said stiffly, offering an exaggerated noble bow.

  “Elvan, you look like a trainee servant.”

  “Still better than wearing an academy uniform to a dance.”

  “Exactly! Now let’s go—I can’t wait to try the snacks!”

  “You only think about food. Look at your cheeks—they’re getting rounder,” Elvan teased, poking her cheek.

  “Stop it! Don’t poke my cheek, idiot!”

  “Hehe… you two. Let’s head to the dance.”

  Watching the twins’ closeness, Asteria smiled softly. Moments like these were among the most precious in her life.

  —*

  The academy’s grand hall that night shimmered beneath crystal candlelight. Warm orchestral music filled the air—

  Until a sharp shout tore through the atmosphere.

  At the center of the dance floor, a circle formed. The Prince stood there, face flushed red, fists clenched.

  “That’s enough, Selena!” he shouted. “Stop hiding behind your family name. I know you ordered them to bully Erica!”

  Selena, dressed in sapphire blue, stared in shock. “What? That’s slander! I never left the dormitory this afternoon! Your Highness, please listen—”

  “Listen?” the Prince sneered, pulling the trembling Erica closer behind him. “What more proof do you need when the victim stands before me?”

  Tension escalated as Jhin stepped forward.

  “His Highness is correct,” he stated. “I personally caught your subordinates cornering Erica before I intervened.”

  Selena’s face was drained of color. She looked around for support—but found only whispers and cold stares.

  Without another word, her dignity shattered, she turned and ran from the hall.

  Silence blanketed the room.

  After a moment, the Prince signaled the conductor.

  Music resumed.

  The party continued—as though the drama had merely been an interlude. Yet the gossip would undoubtedly spread across every faculty by morning.

  Asteria, Elaine, and Elvan stood in a corner.

  “What a performance,” Asteria whispered.

  “I almost choked when I saw the Prince’s face,” Elvan muttered.

  But Elaine remained silent.

  This feels staged, she thought.

  Her steps were light but cautious as she slipped out of the hall. The scene had been too perfect—too clean to be coincidence.

  After searching the faculty corridors, she found the person she sought.

  In the frozen academy garden, beneath moonlight reflecting off the snow, Selena stood motionless. Her sapphire gown looked dim under the pale glow.

  There were no sobs—only suffocating silence.

  “Lady Selena?” Elaine called softly, her breath misting in the cold air.

  Selena turned, swollen eyes glaring suspiciously. “Who are you? Have you come to laugh at me too?”

  Elaine shook her head and stepped closer, maintaining respectful distance.

  “My name is Elaine. I didn’t come to laugh. I came because I know what happened tonight was a forced performance.”

  —*

  That same night, at the Lucien estate.

  An oil lamp burned dimly atop a mahogany desk, illuminating stacks of documents Lord Lucien was reviewing. The silence broke with three knocks on the door.

  “Enter,” he said.

  “A report regarding the Young Master,” the old head butler spoke calmly. “He has awakened. The head injury from his fall down the stairs is improving.”

  “And?” Lord Lucien asked coldly. “Has he resumed his rampage?”

  The butler shook his head.

  “That is what is strange, My Lord. The Young Master has become… unusually calm. As if he were a different person.”

  Lord Lucien leaned back in his chair.

  If that were true, things could become far better—

  —or far more dangerous.