❦❦❦
“HM? Where are Yana and Azraq?” Edda asked, peering about the room. They were probably only seconds away from the bell ringing, announcing the end of their brief recess.
“They have yet to return since leaving to commence a duel,” said Constance.
Oriana supplied, “They might have stopped by the infirmary on the way back.”
There were few instances of Azraq sustaining any injuries during a duel, but that wasn’t to say it never happened. Yana was always sure to drag him off to the infirmary if he received so much as a scratch.
“Lucian, you should give dueling him a shot. Might be a good chance for you to lose your virginity finally,” Edda teased.
“Hey, don’t even joke about that! He’d take my head, and you know it! Besides, I don’t want Azraq to hate my guts, okay?!”
“Jeez, sorry.” Edda frowned.
To Oriana and the other girls, Azraq was little more than an older pupil who was kind yet taciturn, but perhaps the boys had a completely different impression of him.
It wasn’t until a half hour after class had started that Yana and Azraq finally strolled in. Apparently they had stopped by the infirmary, after all. When Oriana asked to see his injury, all she saw was a scratch about the length of her pinky nail. Azraq kept his emotions locked up tight, but even he had to be pretty embarrassed to go to the infirmary for something so minor.
Once their first class was over and everyone left to head to their next one, Oriana parted ways with them so she could run to the bathroom. She was lucky that Lagen Magic Academy enjoyed the luxury of flushing toilets, thanks to being equipped with special magic implements.
“…about Elsha, don’t you think she’s pretty cute?”
She was on her way back from the restroom when she heard a voice and froze in her tracks. A number of boys were chatting in the corridor. Oriana didn’t know how many other Elshas attended the Academy, but she certainly didn’t have the courage to peek her head around the corner where those male students were gathered.
She hugged her books to her chest, still snuggly fastened together by her book band, and pressed her back against the wall, sliding down onto her butt. At least where she was, she was hidden from them. Much as she wanted to head to her classroom, the fastest way was through the hall where they were standing.
“Yeah, I know what you mean. Although, Miss Mahathin is ridiculously hot too, ya know.”
“Bälz is pretty cute, but her height and personality are kind of a turn-off.”
Considering the boys had mentioned Yana and Constance as well, it was safe to assume she was the Elsha to whom they referred.
“Remember how we had fieldwork yesterday?”
“Yeah.”
“Elsha had her hair tied back, and I could see the nape of her neck.”
The nape of my neck? What about it? Oriana instinctively reached behind her, feeling the back of her neck. She never would have thought the boys would look there, of all places.
“She had a mole there. I couldn’t stop looking.”
“Seriously? That’s sexy.”
“Yeah. You know, I’d like to do it with her and make her cry.”
“Nah, she seems the ugly crying type.”
“Aw, don’t say that.”
“Well, she seems like she’d be pretty easy. You might be able to enjoy a night with her if you shoot your shot.”
All the color drained from Oriana’s face. Like her, many of the girls who attended Lagen Magic Academy were sheltered. Many were brought up quite strictly and kept away from any information pertaining to sex. Professor Wilton had conducted a special class on flower reproduction, with stamens and pistils, but never did they delve into human intercourse.
Oriana, likewise, would probably go without hearing even a single word about it until she got married. Mothers were supposed to be the ones responsible for teaching their daughters about it the day before their first night with their husband. In truth, Oriana had long wondered what she would do about that since she’d lost her own mother at a young age.
Yet for as much of an amateur as she was when it came to sexual discourse, the voices echoing through the corridor made it clear exactly how those boys looked at her. She could just feel the lewd way they’d been scrutinizing her. A visceral disgust crept over her, giving her goosebumps. She’d experienced the same thing before when Rysted was making persistent advances.
Not wanting to listen to this drivel any further, Oriana took to her feet. She could at least get them to stop talking by popping her head around the corner, even if she didn’t make any complaints to them directly. It was easy to reason that in her head, but it required no small amount of courage to be able to appear in front of boys now knowing how they’d been looking at her.
Oriana tried to walk forward, but her feet wouldn’t budge. Her legs were actually trembling. She clenched her hands into tight fists.
Out of nowhere, a voice echoed from around the corner.
“If you gentlemen are in the middle of heading somewhere, might I be allowed to join you? I am quite close with Oriana myself, you see.” The words themselves were kind enough, but there was a barely restrained anger bleeding through his cold voice.
Oriana’s entire body suddenly felt lighter, and in an instant, the trembling in her legs was gone too. When she peeked around the corner, she saw the four boys, and behind them stood Vincent.
“Err, no, we were just messing around, you see.”
Vincent only grew harsher when they tried to make their lame excuses. “Oh? Well, allow me to be frank with you: It’s extremely displeasing to hear you discuss my friend in such a degrading way.”
✦ ✦ ✦
The boys kept their mouths shut and flinched. There weren’t many students at the school who could talk back to Vincent. Perhaps the main reason was Vincent’s status, but that wasn’t all of it; they saw how strict he was with himself, devoting immense time to his studies, on top of having a dauntless attitude no matter who he interacted with.
Amid the awkward silence that fell between the boys, Vincent added, “And one more thing…” His lips slowly pulled into a smile. “Oriana is quite adorable when she cries.”
The boys gulped, still at a loss for words. Some of them even started blushing in embarrassment.
“So, um…sorry about that.”
After that brief apology, the group scrambled out of there as fast as they could, fortunately heading in the opposite direction of where Oriana was hiding.
“Oho, Vincent, that was awfully naughty.” Miguel grinned from behind his friend.
“Quiet, you.”
As the two bantered with each other, they started in her direction, only for Vincent to freeze in place after a few steps. Their eyes met, and Oriana gave him a small wave.
“You were listening?” he asked.
“Thanks for stopping them. That whole conversation really creeped me out, so you were a lifesaver.” Oriana spoke with a level of annoyance that almost suggested she’d been dealing with a bug landing on her shoulder.
Vincent gave a short chuckle. “Well, happy I could be of service.”
The smile on his face made her heart squeeze. Her lips trembled ever so slightly. You’re always helping me out like that. Always lending me your strength, Vincent.
“Yeah, thanks again,” she said.