Callista was so furious about what happened earlier that she kept stuffing food into her mouth to calm herself down.
"That old man... Does he think we're a joke to him? Should I have done more earlier?" she muttered with a grimace.
"Maybe you should swallow your food and calm down? Geez, are you even a girl? How can you eat this much?" Ivan teased, glancing at the plates piled in front of her.
"Shut up! I'm not like you, acting all noble 24/7! Hmph!" she retorted, turning her head away from him.
"Why you...! You really can’t talk to me without being annoying, can you?" he snapped, glaring at her.
"I could say the same to you!" she shot back, meeting his glare.
"But hey," Anastasia interrupted, catching Callista's attention. "Weren’t you abusing Ignis's power earlier? You cried out like that after cursing a professor."
Callista raised a brow. "So what? He deserved it. Did you see how he trembled when Ignis sided with me? It’s as if he expects every man to share his disgusting mindset. Honestly, it makes me want to erase his existence."
"But—"
"She’s right," Denovan cut in, surprising Anastasia.
"What?" she said, turning to him.
Denovan sighed. "Lady Ana, you saw what happened. That professor raised his hand to slap Callista, his student. It’s absurd."
"He kept saying men should overpower women, but what does he expect when he tries to hit someone younger than him?" Ivan added.
"Fine," Anastasia relented with a sigh.
"But you shouldn’t tell Father, okay? He’ll be furious once he hears about this," she warned.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
"Isn’t it a little late to say that?" Callista remarked, sipping her tea.
"What do you mean?" Anastasia asked, frowning.
"You didn’t know?" Callista looked genuinely surprised.
"What do you mean it's too late?" Anastasia repeated, growing impatient.
Callista glanced at Ignis, who was calmly biting into a tart. "When Ignis pulled me out of Swordsmanship Class, he took me straight to the Guidance Office and had Professor Calvin write a letter to the Emperor about Sir Viktor's behavior."
Anastasia’s eyes widened with every word. "You did what?!" She turned to Ignis, standing up abruptly. "And both of you agreed to this?!" she demanded, looking at Denovan and Ivan, who avoided her gaze.
"Sit down," Ignis said calmly.
"How can I sit down?! You know how Father reacts to situations involving me! What do you think he’ll do to Sir Viktor? Not that I care about him, but what about the other staff?"
Ignis looked up at her, his tone firm. "I did it because I know how Uncle is. What do you think he’d do if the Headmaster told him before we did? Anastasia, we’d all be dragged into this mess if we stayed quiet."
His logic was undeniable, and Anastasia struggled to argue back. Ignis always had a way of silencing her with reason. He had the mind of a ruler, but he never wanted the throne that rightfully belonged to her.
"And you know how protective the Emperor is, Lady Ana," Denovan added, gently tugging her hand to make her sit.
"We also know how you hate arguing with him," Ivan teased, smiling.
"Fine. Thank you," Anastasia muttered, sitting back down. Callista rolled her eyes at their melodrama.
"Callista Alberts?"
She turned toward the unfamiliar voice, quickly masking her irritation with a practiced smile. "Yes? How can I help you?"
Ivan couldn’t help but marvel at how effortlessly her expression changed. Even after seeing it so many times, it still surprises me.
Callista stiffened when she saw the boy who had called her, staring at him in silence. The others exchanged confused glances as the boy fidgeted under her gaze.
"Uh... I..." he stammered, looking uncomfortable. Ivan nudged her, snapping her out of her daze.
"Ah, yes. Sorry... I just had a sudden flashback," she said with an apologetic smile.
The boy had shaggy brown hair and thick glasses. "The Headmaster wants to see you in his office," he said nervously.
"Why would he?" Callista tilted her head, her curious expression unintentionally adorable. The boy blushed. "I-I don’t know. I was just sent to deliver the message."
Callista chuckled softly at his awkwardness. "Okay. What’s your name?"
"I’m Caspian, from the Abnormal Class," he replied hesitantly.
Callista quickly assessed him. The Abnormal Class was notorious for its troublemakers—students who picked fights on the first day or scored poorly on the entrance exam. Yet, despite his shy demeanor, she couldn’t help but wonder if he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
After a brief silence, she stood. "Caspian, right?" He nodded. "It’s nice to meet you. Thank you for coming all the way to the cafeteria to tell me this."
"It’s fine," he muttered, avoiding her gaze.
"Alright, you can go now." Caspian nodded and left. The moment he was out of sight, Callista’s cheerful facade disappeared.
"Why is that old man even calling me?" she muttered.
"Why don’t you find out?" Anastasia suggested.
"Do I have a choice?"
Callista clicked her tongue, mumbling complaints as she walked off.