Soon enough, Michael was relegated to the lounge, his head lowered as he received a full lecture from Melody of all people. The same spoiled noble who had gone against Professor Quinn’s instructions and used magic—resulting in the gravity punishment the whole class had to endure.
"Hold on, I still don’t know what he’s done wrong..." Rudy added from the side, "you’re saying that Michael’s spell didn’t even touch them?"
Melody frowned, "An attack is an attack, no matter if it hit or not," she explained. "With someone as prideful as Braydon, I can’t see him letting this go."
"He is already targeting me because of your father," Michael shot back on reflex, forgetting who was in the room. "What has changed now?"
"Her father?" Rudy asked, his expression turning even more confused.
Melody’s eyes widened briefly before she frowned, sending Michael a glare for his slip of the tongue. Just as she was about to open her mouth to make an excuse, the guy stood up.
"Alright, that’s enough lies," he announced, clearly fed up. "Melody and I aren’t actually engaged, it is a ruse orchestrated by her father to help protect her from the advances of the noble scions within the academy."
The two teens present stared at Michael with disbelief, but for different reasons.
"Michael!" Melody exclaimed in shock, clearly agitated from their secret being exposed.
Rudy remained silent, his gaze turning serious as he evaluated the two. "And you agreed to this willingly?" he asked, a flash of something dangerous in his eyes.
Michael raised his hand, summoning the contract seal that sat on the back of his right hand. It glowed a deep green, reflecting off Rudy’s eyes.
In a fraction of a second, Rudy’s hand flashed out and he grabbed it, bringing it closer to his face to examine it. His expression was tense—almost dangerous.
After a moment, his furrowed brows eased slightly, but he still seemed cold.
"It’s not a slave contract..." he stated with some relief, relinquishing his hold on the hand and turning to Melody, "care to explain yourself?" the guy asked seriously, his tone showing he was not messing around.
"T-this is something my father did back when Michael joined our household," she said, getting defensive. "Apart from a vow to protect me, there is nothing nefarious within the contract, I promise."
Rudy turned to Michael, as if asking him to clarify.
"She’s right. That was the basis of the contract back then," he nodded, "but that doesn’t take into account the request your father gave me as we left for the academy."
Michael then explained the situation as unbiased as he could—ensuring that his friend had all the facts. Since he intended to tell him at some stage in the future, he didn’t want to hold anything back.
By now, Melody had already taken a seat, her silence a tacit agreement that she had agreed to the explanation. Follow current novels on nοvelfire.net
"I don’t understand noble politics," Rudy admitted, his gaze moving to Melody, "and I’m sorry for being so blunt, but..." he hesitated.
"Just say it," she replied with a small sigh.
"Why are they going through so much trouble to get your hand?" he asked with confusion, "I mean—sure you’re pretty, but your temperament is a little..."
Michael’s hand shot up to his mouth, preventing the laugh that almost forced its way up. The comment had been so sincere that he had almost not reacted in time.
It didn’t take long for him to feel a glare burning into the side of his face, but he ignored it, doing his best to remain composed. Michael opened up his mouth to reply, but suddenly he felt a pain on the back of his right hand.
The contract seal glowed surreptitiously, barely visible—yet painful.
The revelation caused him to frown. He should only feel pain if he was at risk of breaking the contract.
"My mother is the king’s sister," Melody announced, taking the initiative.
"EH!? You’re a royal?" Rudy gaped, his jaw almost touching his chest in shock.
Out of everything that had been revealed today, this seemed like the most absurd and shocking. He gawked at Melody for a while, unable to look away.
"Technically yes," she replied, "but more like a branch family, which is why my parents were given Whitevalley town instead of somewhere closer to the capital."
Eventually, Rudy nodded and cleared his throat. "I guess that makes sense why people are throwing themselves at you," he replied, sitting back deeply into his chair.
Michael nodded, a weight lifting off his chest as the information was finally relayed to Rudy. It had felt quite stifling to keep things a secret from his friend. Even though they’d only known each other for a little over a week, it felt like far longer.
"If that’s the case, I don’t see Braydon or the other nobles letting up—even after getting embarrassed this morning," Rudy added.
Both Melody and Michael nodded in tacit agreement, each wearing a similar pained expression.
"Which is why," stated Rudy, his eyes shining, "we all need to work together."
After receiving raised eyebrows in response, the guy gave a crooked smile, "My Pa used to say that three heads are better than one... since my two brothers only had half a brain each." He added, letting out a boisterous laugh.
The laughter eased the tension within the room considerably, particularly between Melody and Michael who had been at odds since the incident.
He’s right, I acted without considering how Melody would be affected... he thought silently. All this time I’ve only been complaining about my situation.
The thought was sobering, one that revealed a bitter truth. Perhaps he wasn’t so different from his father—perhaps he was far more removed than his mother who seemed almost like a saint.
Michael turned, almost at the same time as the blue-haired girl, their eyes meeting unexpectedly. Both teen’s shifted uncomfortably, but they did not look away—at least not right away.
"I’m sorry for acting rashly..." he spoke sincerely. The brief but revealing introspection had allowed him to realize his selfishness—and he didn’t like it.
Melody was as much as a victim as him, a much more valuable pawn, coveted by the majority of the noble families vying for power in the nation.