Adaptation (2)
Rubenheim Academy was a place where rumors spread like wildfire. Whether it was due to a lack of entertainment or the abundance of social gatherings dubbed the "second curriculum," any noteworthy incident blew up overnight—that was just how things worked here.
"Did you hear the news?"
Like right now.
"Leon Eisenberg quit the crown prince's group."
"Oh, I heard too. It's so strange."
"From what I heard, it's that commoner girl."
"...You mean Ellie?"
"Right, her. They say he got rejected by her."
"No way, really?"
The Eisenberg name carried a prestige that most nobles couldn't even dream of challenging. And since the person in question was Leon, the heir apparent, the gossip showed no signs of dying down for days.
"Yeah. Lately, it looks like he's deliberately avoiding Ellie."
"Even the Northern Grand Duke's son has feelings..."
"But a commoner, of all people..."
"His pride must be shattered."
Some said Leon had clung to her desperately only to be turned away. Others added that Ellie had publicly humiliated him. In this way, the rumors kept inflating.
Serphina ignored them. There had to be a good reason for Leon's instruction to pay them no mind. It was closer to blind loyalty than trust, but in any case, she decided not to let it bother her.
For exactly one week.
"He's been hiding out without even showing up to classes for over a week... He must be really shocked."
"Honestly, either way, it's kinda pitiful."
But by now, even she had to reconsider. Ever since that day, Leon hadn't set foot outside his dormitory. Word was he wasn't eating, and all that came from his room was a foul stench and screams. That fact choked Serphina up.
...Could the rumors actually be true?
No smoke without fire. Looking back now, there were plenty of suspicious signs. Serphina racked her brain, carefully replaying Leon's behavior from their last meeting. What had seemed merely odd at the time now took on a whole new light when connected to heartbreak.
...Maybe it really was true.
People often described the pain of lost love as a heart being torn in two. The old Leon might have laughed it off, but the current one was badly broken.
...I need to check on him.
Instead of heading straight to his dorm, she went to her own first. She prepared a health-focused meal and carefully packed it into a lunchbox, pressing each item down firmly.
...He must have starved for so long; this much is necessary.
It ended up being too much, but there was no helping it. Grabbing the lunchbox, she made for the dormitory. Just as she arrived, she ran into an unexpected face.
"Hello, Miss Ellie."
"Yes. Hello."
Serphina tilted her head. Ellie's eyes were slightly red. On closer inspection, there were tear tracks too. It wasn't important, though. More than that...
Serphina glanced around. No sign of Ellie's usual entourage.
"I came alone. The others still seem uncomfortable..."
"I see. That's a relief."
"Hehe. It seems Miss Serphina finds them uncomfortable."
"Of course she would."
It was closer to a major scandal, really.
"...Are you here to see Leon?"
"Hehe, yes."
Truth be told, Serphina didn't like Ellie. Regardless of her character, she knew Leon had fallen apart because of her.
Above all...
It just rubbed her the wrong way. That innocent, beaming smile felt like a thorn stabbing into her chest. Not jealousy or annoyance, but something else—like it demeaned her in another way.
And yet.
"I see. I was just coming to deliver something to Leon myself. If it's all right, could you pass this along for me?"
She was the one her master adored. Serphina knew her place. Better for the object of his affection to comfort him than some nobody like her.
As Serphina finished deciding and moved to hand over the lunchbox—
"...Looks like I can't go in."
Ellie scratched the back of her head sheepishly with an awkward smile.
"Pardon...? What do you mean..."
"I already tried. He wouldn't even respond."
Serphina tilted her head.
"He's not home...?"
"No, he is. I heard some movement inside."
"So he's deliberately avoiding you, Miss Ellie?"
"Seems like it."
"Why on earth...?"
Serphina asked, half-hoping. Ellie scratched her cheek with a bitter expression.
"...We had a little spat."
So that's it. Puzzle pieces started clicking into place in Serphina's mind.
"If you see Leon, could you give him this?"
Ellie held a letter.
Tucking Ellie's letter into her bosom, Serphina climbed the dormitory stairs. Her heart pounded. Her steps grew hurried up the incline. For reasons she couldn't fathom, she suddenly yearned to see his face.
Knock knock.
No answer. Calming her racing heart from the rush upstairs, Serphina spoke.
"It's Serphina."
"..."
"I came to check if something was wrong... Could you open the door, please?"
Still no reply. Figures. Suppressing a twinge of disappointment, she set the packed lunchbox and Ellie's letter right by the door.
"I heard you weren't eating, so I brought some just in case. Whenever you're ready..."
That was when it happened.
Creeeak.
The door swung open with a hinge's groan. A noxious stench assaulted her nose, followed by a man emerging stealthily.
Angular face, firmly set lips, the pale white skin and sharp features typical of northerners—enough to call him handsome. He glanced her up and down, noting her slightly trembling eyelids, then spoke.
"I'd invite you in, but the room's a disaster right now."
"...Pardon? Oh..."
"Sorry if I worried you. Should've given a heads-up."
"N-no, sir! And this..."
She proffered the lunchbox shyly.
"I heard you weren't eating, so I prepared this... I hope you like it."
"Mm. Serphina, your cooking's renowned even up north. Thanks."
Serphina bowed deeply. Thanks. Even as she left the dorm and headed to the training grounds, those three words lingered in her mind long after their brief exchange.
That's why she didn't notice. The subtle change in his demeanor, or how much cleaner his skin looked compared to before.
*
Aura flows from the dantian through the meridians to the whole body. The waste clogging those meridians is a major obstacle to wielding it. So first, I circulated my aura to purge the impurities from within.
...Took longer than expected.
It had taken four full days to clear all the waste. Pitiful, considering the insights from my past life. No excuses—I was just that weak.
Still, the effects are clear.
I raised my hand. At my fingertips, aura flickered like embers. What started as a faint waver began pulsing like a heartbeat. Surpassing mere fluctuation, it held a steady form, condensing as if alive. A slight twitch of my fingers, and it flowed smoothly along the path, neither scattering nor surging. Proof of total control.
This was beyond basic Aura Manifestation. Not just "floating" aura, but maintaining shape on my will, altering flow, even adjusting density. If Aura Shaping was the minimum for knighthood, I'd already surpassed it.
...In my first year, this alone would've caused a uproar.
Most students struggled just to manifest it at all—that divided talent and rank. I stared silently at my hand. The blue glow dancing at my fingertips. Undeniably early mastery compared to my past life, yet I couldn't shake the regret.
This isn't... enough.
As I clenched my fist, the aura dispersed softly. Awakened through a shortcut rather than the orthodox path, it wasn't fully operable yet. My body lagged far behind my insights. Plus, the massive aura accumulated in my dantian from elixirs since childhood would wreck me the more I used it. Form without substance, basically.
Nothing I could fix right now, so I set it aside.
Anyway...
Unpacking Serphina's lunchbox, I eyed Ellie's letter on top.
The old me would've been touched, poring over each word for her feelings. Not anymore.
Disgusting.
The letter brimmed with words and flattery tailored to what past-me craved. He'd have called it fate. Now, it was creepy beyond repulsion.
How does this woman know me so well?
Dismissing it as coincidence was impossible; every phrase hit perfectly. Even in person, her speech had hooked me—that was the biggest reason I saw her as destiny.
I tore the letter to shreds and tossed it in the trash. Perfect timing for cleaning. I dumped all the waste into the bin through the open window. The squishy feel soured my mood. Empty bottles rolling on the floor, traces of Ellie in the corner— all trash-bound.
I was deep into tidying when—
Knock knock.
Serphina? Peering out the window, I saw an unexpected guest.
...Alpendir?
The empire's crown prince had arrived.