Chapter 79 - 77 — No
The ripples of Zephyrion’s actions were not small. The entire house was thrown into an uproar.
"...he reached mark four in under a week... what kind of monster is that?"
"And he didn’t just reach it... he crushed five steel trainees like it was nothing. They were all mark four too."
"...you didn’t hear? His resonance level was the highest ever recorded in the house."
"...so that’s why his rune art felt like that..."
"...then... does this confirm what we thought earlier?"
"...it has to. There’s no way he’s been showing his full strength."
If there had been doubters before, this event erased them all. The young lord of House Calderalth was an anomaly none of them could understand.
Regardless, there was one known fact, he was the farthest thing from trash they’d all believed.
...
Ingrid’s expression was taut as she stormed into her office.
"Leave me."
"But my l—"
"I said leave."
Lina stiffened under Ingrid’s gaze.
"Y-yes."
As soon as she left, Ingrid moved toward her desk, her fingers brushing across its surface for a brief moment. She lifted a hand, then let it fall.
Bam!
Her fists crashed into the desk with such force that it exploded into fragments, splintering across the walls and ceiling of the office.
Some struck Ingrid too, yet she did not react. Her eyes remained fixed on her clenched fists, locked so tightly they trembled.
’It’s just like last time.’
Zephyrion had barely been back for a month, yet her father had attended every one of his events. No matter where she went in the house, every guard, maid, servant, everyone, spoke about Zephyrion.
The whole world revolved around Zephyrion, Zephyrion, Zephyrion... fucking Zephyrion. What about her? What about her efforts? Did no one see her?
She wanted to scream. She wanted to raze this entire house to the ground. Maybe then their eyes would open.
Exhaling sharply, Ingrid dropped into her seat and began squeezing her stress ball.
’What the fuck is he?’
Zephyrion wasn’t hiding his power, of that, Ingrid was certain. Which meant... he had truly reached mark four in a matter of days. Freaking days.
At this pace, it was only a matter of time before he stepped into Herald rank.
Ingrid ground her teeth. She had always believed the gap between them was far too wide to ever be crossed.
Now... she wasn’t so sure.
...
Zephyrion’s teeth were clenched as he made his way to his room.
"That was insane, my lord! You completely crushed them!"
Tobias’s eyes shone like twin suns as he walked beside him. Lumi followed in silence on the other side, and Zephyrion had already made a deliberate effort not to look her way.
"You were so cool! I was actually worried when you challenged them, but you’re already mark four? Mark four! Ahh... I really have the best lord. The others are definitely going to be jealous. So what now? Since you’re mark four, you’ll be moved to the steel division, right? That would be amazing—"
"Leave."
"Huh?"
Halting just outside his room, Zephyrion turned his gaze on his ward, his stare cold.
"Leave."
"A-ah... y-yes."
Tobias swallowed, then hurriedly bowed and scurried off.
Zephyrion stepped into his room and moved to lock it at once, but Lumi slipped in just before the door shut.
The petite girl looked up at him with a slight frown. She pointed at him, then placed her hand over her chest, right where her heart was.
"I’m fine."
Lumi set her hands on her waist and stared at him, her expression flat and unconvinced.
"I’m not lying. There’s nothing wrong."
Her frown deepened. She pressed her palm to her chest and began opening and closing her hand insistently.
Zephyrion’s brows drew together, his fists tightening.
’She’s right.’
He had taught those trainees a lesson. He had made it clear to the entire house that he wasn’t someone to be taken lightly.
He had achieved what he set out to do, yet his heart continued to pound in his chest.
So they weren’t the cause of it.
His gaze settled on Lumi, who still watched him intently, waiting. He could feel his pulse pick up.
’She is.’
Zephyrion’s fists clenched harder, his nails biting into his skin until blood welled.
"!!"
Lumi’s eyes widened instantly, and she reached for his arm, but Zephyrion pulled it away.
"I’m fine."
Lumi shook her head firmly and grabbed his arm anyway. She examined the wound briefly, then pulled him toward the corner of the room, pushing him down into a seat before carefully beginning to clean and dress it.
"..."
Zephyrion watched her in silence as she worked. Somehow, the pounding in his chest only grew stronger.
’No.’
Attachment was the path to weakness. With everything that lay ahead, with everything at stake, he could not afford it.
So this... this should never happen.
He had to erase whatever this was.
As Lumi finished, she looked up at him and smiled brightly.
His pulse quickened again, but this time, Zephyrion forced his blood to steady it.
"...we should start sleeping separately."
...
As it turned out, his words fell on deaf ears. No matter how much he pushed, even when he threatened, Lumi refused to budge.
In the end, Zephyrion let the matter go. Instead, he chose to distance himself from her emotionally.
Tobias had thrown a banquet to celebrate the day’s victory, and after eating their fill, Zephyrion and Lumi made their way back to the room.
The moment he stepped inside, Zephyrion paused at the brush of night wind against his skin.
The window was open. It had been closed. Beside him, Lumi’s gaze was already moving across the room, cautious.
’Hm?’
His eyes soon sharpened on something resting on his bed. A small chest... and a pink, heart-shaped letter.
After scanning the room once more for any signs of danger, he picked up the letter and read its contents.
For moving my heart today.
Love, Garrick.
"..."
Zephyrion flung the paper away, staring ahead in silence for a few seconds. He exhaled lightly, shaking his head as he snapped out of it.
With the source confirmed, he reached for the chest and opened it.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"An elixir."