High Stakes Romance

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**High Stakes Romance** was the 24th story event in Court of Darkness. It started around March 21st, 2022. Lance, Roy, and Toa were available at the start of the event. Fenn and Jasper were added a few days later on March 28th, 2022.

## Routes

### Toa Qelsum

*[Show/Hide]*

MC is walking down the hallway with a thick law book in hand. She is lost in thought thinking about how she's been enjoying studying lately and how she's been able to remember a lot of what she has learned in class. Suddenly, Fenn hugs her from behind while she is lost in thought. MC yells at him to get off of her, but Fenn tells her that he can't let go when he's only just gotten a hold of her. While MC is trying to break free of his grasp, he pokes her cheek and comments on how soft it is. Fenn also tells her that he feels like he could touch her all day. MC is just about to kick his shins when Toa interrupts them. Toa shoves a gray and egg-sized fruit into Fenn's hands and pulls MC away from him. He tells Fenn that he should touch that fruit instead if he wants something soft to touch. Fenn is surprised and complains that the fruit is dry and rough and not soft at all. Toa tells him that it's a rare fruit called fairisof that increases in flavor the more you massage it.

Even though Toa separated Fenn from MC, Fenn doesn't give up. He lies and tells Toa that he and MC are paramours and that he shouldn't have interrupted them. Fenn states that hugging is normal between paramours and that MC was just feeling embarrassed. MC is rendered speechless at his lie. She is then worried that Toa will misunderstand the relationship between her and Fenn, so she swears to him that what Fenn said was a lie. Toa smiles at her and tells her that he knows Fenn is lying which makes MC's heart skip a beat. Afterwards, he starts to walk off in the direction of the classrooms. Toa then suddenly turns around and tells MC that he will be teaching the next lecture and will not forgive her if she arrives late. MC tells Toa to wait for her and then quickly says goodbye to Fenn before running after Toa.

During lecture, Toa talks about how all disputes and duels are prohibited on the Isle of Colde. He tells the class that these rules also apply to all duels using familiars and magical beasts with the exception of the Familiar Royale. Toa explains that people who break the rules will face severe punishments like being forced to return back to their kingdom, being immediately imprisoned, or being stripped of the privilege to enter the Isle of Colde. MC is surprised at how strict the punishments are. However, the Isle of Colde has to maintain peace and neutrality, so she feels like it makes sense that the laws are strictly enforced. While listening to the lecture, MC writes down some questions to ask Toa after the lecture.

After class ends, MC goes up to Toa to ask him some questions about his lecture. She asks him about the circumstances in which a person would be able to use a magical beast to fight since magical beasts are wild creatures. Toa explains that there are many circumstances in which someone can use a magical beast, but one of them would be forcing a magical beast into submission and making it so that the magical beast cannot oppose that person. MC then asks whether contests that require some force are prohibited as well. Toa tells her that if the activity is at the level of playing a sport and is deemed fair, then there are no problems. While Toa is flipping through a book in order to answer her questions, MC is enchanted by Toa's looks. Toa then looks up and asks if she's properly listening to him and she apologizes for being distracted. MC then thinks about how she is glad that she can have these types of conversations with Toa. At first, she thought Toa was scary, but now she knows that he often looks after others and is very reliable. For example, Toa would always answer any questions she had and would also accompany people who needed extra practice with their studies. MC started to fall in love with Toa the more she got to know him.

During one of her days off, MC is shopping in town with Sherry. A stall selling desserts made of fairisof catches her eye as Toa was holding a fairisof fruit the other day. She wonders if Toa would by happy if he received some of these sweets as a present. While MC is contemplating over whether to buy the sweets or not, Sherry giggles while watching her. Sherry then asks MC whether she has feelings for Toa. MC tries to deny it and makes an excuse saying that she just wanted to get Toa a gift to thank him for saving her the other day. But, her blushing cheeks and her rapidly beating heart gives her away. Sherry tells MC that she doesn't need to hide her feelings and MC tells Sherry to stop teasing her. As Sherry tries to take a peek at MC's face, she turns her head and spots Toa in the crowd. MC follows him with her eyes and Sherry looks to see who MC is looking at. Sherry tells MC that it's fate that she saw Toa today, so she should go to him. She tells MC not to worry about her and that she will just head back to the academy first. Sherry gives MC an encouraging pat on the shoulder and walks off towards the academy. With Sherry giving her the push she needed, MC hesitantly calls out to Toa. However, a nobleman appears, states that he had been awaiting Toa's arrival, and tells Toa to follow him. Toa doesn't notice MC and follows the nobleman. MC gives up on approaching Toa since she doesn't want to interrupt whatever business the nobleman has with Toa. She is about to walk away, but the nobleman drops a handkerchief as he walks away with Toa. MC picks up the handkerchief and tries to return it, but the two of them had already disappeared into the crowd.

MC ends up aimlessly walking around trying to figure out where the two of them had gone. When she heads down a dark narrow alley, a rough-looking man steps in her way and asks her what she's doing in they alley while glaring down at her. Before she can answer him, he notices the handkerchief she is holding and recognizes it as a permit to enter the secret establishment he is guarding. He apologizes for not knowing that she was an acquaintance of the nobleman and completely changes his attitude towards her. The man tells MC that he is the gatekeeper to a place named Eden and that only a chosen few are able to set foot in there. He then guides her to the entrance of Eden before MC could tell him that it was a misunderstanding. The man reassures her that the path is not a dead end. He then opens up the manhole to reveal a long flight of stairs heading downwards. MC goes down the stairs as she had lost her chance to correct the misunderstanding. While walking down the stairs, she thinks about what kind of place Eden could be. She keeps walking until she reaches a dusty plaza filled with people. She sees a large crowd of people surrounding an arena where magical beasts are fighting each other and these people are betting money on which magical beast will win. MC remembers from Toa's lectures that duels between magical beasts are illegal on the Isle of Colde and realizes that she doesn't want to be in this place. While MC is panicking about what she has just discovered, a door in the back of the room opens and Toa and the nobleman walk in. Toa comments on how business seems to be flourishing in Eden and the nobleman agrees with him. MC is surprised to see Toa here since he was the one who taught the lecture about duels between magical beasts being illegal. She stares at him in disbelief as he makes eye contact with her while walking by. Toa coldly stares at her without changing his expression. MC can't handle his cold stare, so she runs all the way back to the academy without looking back.

MC runs all the way back until she reaches a hallway in the academy. While catching her breath, she starts to doubt whether she actually saw Toa there or not. Tino suddenly appears and puts his hand on her shoulder. He asks MC if anything is wrong since her face looks very pale. MC doesn't know what to say, so Tino just asks if she wants to join him for tea time. Tino tells her that he has a special blend of tea prepared in the waiting room. He says that it has a herbal aroma which might help her to relax. MC is grateful for his consideration and accepts his invitation.

In the break room, MC is sipping the tea that Tino made for her which helps her to calm down. MC appreciates that Tino didn't try to pry into what was bothering her and just let her enjoy the tea. She ends up not telling Tino the real reason behind what was bothering her. Instead, she tells him that she was just feeling anemic from a lack of sleep. MC then thanks Tino for helping her feel better. Tino is glad that she feels better and tells her to take as much time as she needs to recuperate. MC feels at ease with Tino's gentle presence, but she still can't forget about what she saw at Eden. At first, MC hesitates about asking Tino indirectly about the going-ons of Eden, but she solidifies her resolve and asks him. She tells Tino that she had recently learned about the laws of the Isle of Colde relating to the prohibition of duels between people, familiars, and magical beasts during a lecture. MC then asks him if there are people who have special permission to do these kinds of duels. Tino vigorously shakes his head and tells her that it's impossible as all the laws apply equally to everyone no matter who they are. This makes is clear to MC that the duels she saw in Eden were definitely illegal. When MC is contemplating about why Toa was in such a place, Thoma comes into the break room and tells Tino that Lynt was searching for him. Tino jumps to his feet in a panic and asks Thoma where Lynt is.

Tino then flies out of the room to find Lynt as MC watches him. MC decides to think back on the series of events that had occured now that her mind is clear. She sums up all the events and concludes that Eden is 100% illegal and that Toa was there. MC thinks about how she would never mistake Toa for anyone else, but there would be an uproar if she was wrong. So, she wants to keep this information to herself and figure out the truth by herself. She also doesn't want to possibly spread false information that could affect Toa's honor as a prince. As she is lost in thought, she almost bumps into Knight who is coming from the opposite direction. She apologizes for almost bumping into him and Knight asks her the reason behind her being so absent-minded that she almost bumped into him. MC can't tell Knight that she was thinking about Toa since Knight is his valet. So, she changes the subject and asks him where Toa is. Knight tells her that Toa currently out doing something and is not on academy grounds. He doesn't know when he'll be back, so he tells her to come find Toa tomorrow if she has any business with him. MC tries to get more information out of Knight about Toa's current location. But, Knight explains that he can't just reveal his master's scheudle especially when Toa is a prince. MC understands and tells Knight that she will visit Toa tomorrow. As MC walks away, she wonders how much Knight actually knows about Toa's involvement with the Eden and Knight is suspicious of why MC is asking about Toa's whereabouts.

On the day after, MC is at the Library Tower in the middle of the night. She is trying to find out more information about the laws of the Isle of Colde. One book states that severe punishment would be given to people who go to areas that conduct illegal duels and to people who place bets for these duels. MC doesn't think that Toa would have anything to do with these duels, but she then remembers how friendly Toa was acting towards the nobleman who was orchestrating these illegal duels. She then wonders why he would be in such a place as Toa is someone who always follows rules very strictly. As she is thinking about Toa, Toa suddenly sits down across from her. He tells her that she must be really enthusiastic about studying if she's still studying this late. MC is bewildered as the person she was thinking about suddenly showed up in front of her. Toa is unfazed towards MC's reaction and looks at the books she is reading. He is impressed that she is reviewing the material that he covered in his last lecture and tells her to asks him if she has any questions.

MC decides to ask him a hypothetical question about what would happen if duels using magical beasts were being conducted on the Isle of Colde. He tells her that the organizer of the duel and all the people in the vicinity of the duel would be punished severely. She then tries to get more information out of Toa and tells him that she saw him in town yesterday with the nobleman. Toa explains that he had a meeting he had to attend with the nobleman. MC continues and says that she tried to catch up to him and ended up being led through a hidden entrance and down some stairs. Then, she says that the place she ended up in had various magical beasts duels being held. Toa tells her that what she just said could be taken as a confession of guilt since the law states that anyone in the vicinity of a duel would be punished. MC asserts that she wasn't involved in any gambling. Toa explains that her being in the vicinity is considered criminal enough. MC then argues back that Toa was also at Eden which is illegal. Toa goes quiet for a while before getting close to her face and whispering to her that she shouldn't make any groundless statements. He tells her that she shouldn't make any odd claims if she doesn't want to be imprisoned. MC refuses to back down even after Toa's warning and states that he looked her directly in the eye at Eden. Toa continues to deny her claims and averts his gaze having lost interest in their conversation. He then starts to walk away, but MC exclaims that she isn't finished talking to him. Toa tells her not to probe any further into this matter and leaves. MC tries to stop him, but he continues walking away after leaving her with those words. MC is left wondering why Toa would say that if he claims to be uninvolved with Eden. She continues to harbor doubt towards Toa as he only gave her vague answers. After Toa leaves, MC can't move from the shock and ends up returning to read the law books with a hazy mind.

A few days later in lecture, Toa returns MC's assignment and tells her that she did well. MC thanks him, takes the assignment, and returns to her seat without ever looking at him. After MC had met Toa in the Library Tower, she was unable to tell anyone about how she saw Toa at Eden and the weight of the truth was weighing down on her. Before, she would've been really happy to receive Toa's praise, but now she only has complicated feelings towards him. MC doesn't believe that Toa would ever do anything illegal, but she doesn't think she mistook him for someone else since they made direct eye contact.

After class, MC is still thinking about Toa. Tino calls out to her and apologizes for his lack of composure during the last time they met. He asks her about how her health has been since he last saw her. She tells him that she feels better after getting some rest and thanks him for asking. MC is smiling as she answers Tino, but Tino is still able to tell that she's not in a good mood. Tino tells MC that he's always here if she needs someone to talk to. He adds that he won't force her to talk, but states that she might feel better after talking about her troubles. Tino also says that he swears that he will not tell anyone else about what they talk about. MC is encouraged by Tino's kindness and lets out her troubles. She tells him that she was thinking about how difficult it is to trust people. MC says that once she started questioning the reasoning behind a certain person's actions, her mind became filled with only thoughts about that person. Tino tells her that feelings of doubt occur when you truly wish to believe in the other person. Tino says that it might be a sign that the person MC is doubting is someone that she really cares about. MC thinks about how Toa is someone that she cares about and wants to trust. Tino's advice hits in her the heart and makes weight on her chest feels much lighter. She thanks him for his advice and tells him that she feels much better after hearing him say that. Tino says that all that matters is that he was able to be of help to her. He then tells her to join him for some tea again sometime. MC decides that she wants to believe in Toa. After sorting out her feelings, her mind now feels more clear and she walks through the corridor with firmer steps.

The next day, MC is in town for a change of pace. She brings a list of items that she needs to purchase for her assignment to refine some powdered medicine. As she is walking, she unconsciously stops in front of the alleyway that leads to Eden. The nobleman that she saw at Eden calls out to her. MC is shocked to see him again and just ends up staring at him. The nobleman tells her that he dropped his handkerchief the other day and was wondering if she had come across it. MC tells him that she may have found it, but that she didn't currently have it with her. The nobleman then asks her where she found it. As MC turns around to point out the exact location, he covers her mouth with a cloth and MC breathes in a certain irritating odor and starts to lose consciousness. As her consciousness is fading, she reaches out her hand asking for someone to help her.

When MC wakes up, she is inside of Eden with her hands tied up. She then realizes that she needs to quickly get out of there. The nobleman appears with the gatekeeper of Eden and asks if MC is the person he let into Eden the other day. The gatekeeper confirms that MC was the person who showed up with the nobleman's handkerchief. The gatekeeper tells the nobleman that he had thought MC was a relative so he just let her in. The nobleman angrily asks if he just let her in without questioning her. The gatekeeper frantically apologizes and promises not to make such a large blunder ever again. The nobleman tells him that he doesn't give second chances and tells his men to take care of the gatekeeper. Suddenly, guards appear from out of the shadows and apprehend the gatekeeper that was trying to run away. They start to punch the man and the gatekeeper screams before losing consciousness. The nobleman is satisfied after seeing the man lose consciousness and turns his attention back to MC. He tells her that she needs to disappear since she found out about Eden. He then slowly walks towards her with an unchanging expression. MC doesn't want to die and tries to find a chance to escape. She is terrified, but works up the courage to talk back to the nobleman in order to buy more time for herself. She tells the man that she doesn't know what he's talking about and that he won't get away with this since he captured the wrong person. But, he grins and tells her that it's a shame that he has to get rid of her since she's such an energetic woman. The nobleman and his guards slowly corner her and she can only scoot backwards.

All of a sudden, Toa enters Eden with a guide. The nobleman is surprised by Toa's sudden visit and tells him that he believes that Toa will enjoy his time today since the the magical beasts for today's duels are great in strength and size. The nobleman asks Toa if he plans on participating in any bets today and Toa tells him that he will think about it. MC makes eye contact with Toa and feels calmer as she peers into his eyes. MC wonders if Toa has a plan since he's not saying anything. MC knows that Toa is straightforward and always sincere, so she decides to believe in him. Toa asks the nobleman for the meaning behind him kidnapping MC. The nobleman apologizes for showing something so unsightly in front of Toa. He glances at MC and tells Toa that he was jus dealing with a rat that infiltrated Eden. The nobleman tells Toa that assumes that MC is a student at the Royal Academy of Concordia. Toa silently walks over to MC, crouches down, and grabs her chin. He tells the nobleman that MC is definitely not a student at the academy. MC can't figure out Toa's intentions, but she believes in him and just goes along with Toa's story. She claims that she is just a subject of Avari that is visiting her relative's shop on the Isle of Colde. The nobleman says that he would've made her join them if she was a student, but now he can just easily get rid of her since he knows she's not a student. He decides that he is going to feed MC to the large magical beasts that he has on standby for today's duels. The nobleman starts to laugh maniacally and MC is concerned about why Toa isn't saying anything in reply about the nobleman's plans to kill her. The nobleman tells Toa that they can get to work while the beasts are eating MC. Toa then stands up in response to the nobleman's invitation to do some work. MC cries out to Toa to wait, but she is sileneced by his cold tone of voice.

As Toa is standing up, he whispers Knight's name. In the next moment, the entirety of Eden is covered in a white cloud of smoke. The nobleman is surprised and orders his guards to do something about the smoke. However, the guards aren't able to do anything since they can't see. Amongst the chaos, Toa whispers to MC in a soft voice that she endured well. As he says that, all of the tension leaves her body. Knight jumps down from the ceiling using the smoke as veil and yells out to see Toa and MC are alright. Toa then commands Knight to stay by MC's side and protect her. Knight undoes the clasps on MC's wrists as Toa protects them. As MC watches Toa gallantly protect them, she reaffirms that Toa definitely isn't the type to do illegal activities. Once the smoke clears, the nobleman and his guards stand face-to-face against Toa, Knight, and MC. The nobleman asks Toa if he is betraying him and Toa replies that he was never their ally to begin with. Toa explains that Eden is a place that a limited amount of people are able to enter and in order to figure out what was going on there, he acted like he supported the illegal activities that were happening there. He says that he will never forgive any Qelsan nobles for hosting illegal duels as it disgraces the Qelsan name. Therefore, the only way to deal with them is to completely purge them.

The nobleman argues that Toa had promised to give him great returns from the country if he approved of the operation of the illegal duels. Toa states that he has no desire to receive funds from illegal activities. He says the nobleman was short-sighted as it should've been obvious that a person of royalty wouldn't need to gain money illegally. The nobleman declares that they no longer have any business with each other and that he will feed Toa and MC to the magical beasts. He then orders one of his lackeys to open the cages and let the magical beasts out. A large magical beast with fangs and glowing yellow eyes approaches them. MC unconsciously cowers, but Toa just sighs and asks why the nobleman still doesn't understand that fighting is prohibited. The nobleman tells Toa that it won't matter since the magical beasts are going to eat them anyway. He then orders the beast to swallow Toa and MC. Toa renders the beast and the nobleman's henchmen immobile using his ice magic to the shock of the nobleman. Toa then imprisons them in an earthen cage that he made by using magic to raise the ground. The nobleman yells from inside the cage to let him out, but the walls of the cage don't budge.

After glancing at the nobleman, Toa holds a hand out to MC and tells her to come with him. She grabs his hand and Toa squeezes it reassuringly. They then both make their way out of Eden. When they are outside, Toa tells Knight to tell the vigilante corps that there's been a change in plans. MC feels her legs shaking as she watches Knight run off. Toa asks if she's alright. She replies that she is fine thanks to Toa and thanks him for saving her. MC then asks if he was undercover when she first saw him in Eden. Toa nods and says that he infiltrated them since the security was so strict. He tells MC that they only granted access to people who are Qelsan. Toa planned to end things more peacefully by working with the vigilante corps, but his plans changed after he found out that she had been kidnapped. He apologizes that she had to experience such a horrible thing. MC doesn't think it's Toa's fault and instead apologizes for ruining his original plans. Toa says that she doesn't need to apologize as he should've created more countermeasures after finding out that she entered Eden.

Toa accompanies her back to the academy. Once they arrive back, Toa notices MC's wrists are red. MC tells Toa that she is fine since her wrists don't hurt. Toa tells her to come with him so that he can tend to her wounds, but MC tells him that she is fine. He tells her that she needs to handle her injuries quickly and pulls her along towards the infirmary.

In the infirmary, MC relents and lets Toa take care of her hands. Toa puts some salve on her wrists and asks if anywhere else hurts. He asserts that she has to tell him immediately if she feels pain anywhere unusual. MC accepts and then starts to laugh. Toa gives her a strange look and asks why she's laughing. MC explains that she is happy. At first, she was shocked to see Toa at Eden, but her heart kept telling her that Toa would never do something illegal. She kept believing in him ever after she saw with her own eyes that he was at Eden. In the end, she realized that she was right to believe in Toa since he's a good person. Toa tells her that he doesn't know if he can be considred a good person. He finishes treating her hands and just as MC is about to pull her hands away, he grabs her wrists. MC is flustered as he leans closer to her face. Toa asks why she isn't resisting and that if she lets her guard down too much then people with wicked hearts will deceive her. He then moves his face close to her ear as MC exclaims that he doesn't need to tell her since she already knows that. MC can't bring herself to tell him that she's not resisting because it's Toa. All she can do is turn her head the other way in order to hide her increasingly red cheeks.

*[Hide section]*

### Lance Ira

*[Show/Hide]*

MC’s sitting in class and notices that Lance and Dia are absent as Hawke is taking roll call. As she thinks about how they rarely come to class, she remembers Hawke telling Lance that his attendance was terrible and he needed to get himself to class. Lance brushed him off. This makes MC also think about the rumors she’s heard about Lance, most of them revolving around Lance being mean or violent.

She returns to her room at the same time as her familiar. She’s surprised that he’s been out so late and wonders if he’s fallen in love with an animal in the forest. Her cat keeps coming back late in the evening, so, one day, she decides to follow him. She crouches in a bush and watches him interact with Lance. When Lance reaches out for her familiar, MC jumps out of the bush and in-between the two in an attempt to protect her cat. Her cat defends Lance, asks for pets from him, which Lance gives. MC is surprised by how gentle Lance is being with her familiar.

The next day, MC is in town with her cat shopping. They bump into Lance on the way out. He seems content to talk to MC’s familiar, but is short with MC. She wonders if he’s just awkward as her cat tells her that Lance bought him milk when he mentioned liking it.

Later, in a lecture, Guy is leading a lesson on making things levitate. MC isn’t able to do it and he tells her to stay afterwards as Rio and Sherry had to the refectory. Guy watches her fail to make the rock levitate a few more times before saying she’d better not have lost her other power. She’s not sure what he means until he’s close enough to kiss her. She tries to push him away, but is unable to. MC sees Lance and calls to him for help. Lance doesn’t say anything, but he approaches Guy. He tells Guy to back off since MC’s clearly not interested. When that doesn’t seem to deter Guy, Lance adds this is the reason people think he’s insolent. As the two go back and forth, MC thinks it’s a good time to run. She doesn’t get very far before Guy freezes both her and Lance with his ancient magic. Before he can do much else, Hawke passes by and tells Guy, “no fighting.” Guy leaves and so does Hawke after making sure Lance and MC are okay.

Lance tells MC to follow him. He leads her to a clearing in the forest where her cat is playing with some squirrels, deer, and rabbits. Her familiar takes a break to greet her. He tells MC that the woodland animals are Lance’s friends and he introduced them since he was lonely while she was in lectures. When she smiles, Lance sounds relieved. MC thinks Lance took her there because he knew she was shaken up by what happened earlier with Guy. She starts to view him in a new, positive way.

After lectures, MC’s looking around for Lance, but doesn’t see him. Hawke asks her to do some errands for him. She agrees since it would give her a change to get out of the academy with her cat. The two go into town and notice some new shops with large crowds in front of them. MC loses her familiar in the crowd. As she’s looking for him, she spots Lance. She asks Lance for help, and he immediately agrees. He tells her not to get lost too. MC spots her cat in an alleyway surrounded by three strangers. She runs to help, but isn’t able to do much. She’s pushed to the ground by one man as another tries to stuff her familiar in a bag. Suddenly, one man is sent flying. MC turns and sees Lance is using his magic to fight the men off. MC’s impressed. She assumed since he was a C rank like her, he wouldn’t be able to use magic this well. When the men realize they can’t be him with magic, they try attacking him physically. However, Lance fights them off just as easily with his bare hands. Lance then uses his magic to turn the rope MC’s cat was shoved into into rope and ties up the men. This frees the cat, who files into MC’s arms. MC thinks Lance knows the men when he asks why they targeted MC’s cat. They tell him it’s because their boss saw him with the cat. A crowd starts to gather and MC suggests Lance leave the rest to the authorities since it might be bad if academy students were caught in the middle of whatever this was. The three leave and end up at the pier.

Lance apologizes for getting them mixed up in this mess. He looks sad, but MC also notices his thousand yard stare; she thinks this is reminding him of something else. She cups his cheeks and tells him her bumps and bruises barely count as injuries. He scratches her under the chin like he does to her cat, which tickles. As he leaves, MC asks him to get his own injures looked at. He says he will, but she doesn’t believe him. So, she runs after him and kisses his cheek.

*[Hide section]*

(There was only one part of chapter 4 left after this, but I didn’t have enough ardor points to read it.)

### Fenn Luxure

*[Show/Hide]*

MC wakes up in Fenn's bed after spending the night with him. MC always feels the slightest bit of guilt during these times and wonders why she can never say no to him. She knows that they can't remain this way, but she can't resist. As she's getting dressed, he wakes up. Fenn tries to convince her to say longer, but is unsuccessful because she has a lecture to go to. MC thinks about how she the number of times that she has been late has increased since she started sleeping with Fenn. Yesterday, she had been scolded by Toa for barely arriving in time for class. Before leaving, she tells Fenn to wake up soon since Grayson needs to make his bed. Fenn tells her that it's still early and that he's going back to sleep. When she is about to leave, Fenn calls her back and tells her to come to him. She comes close and Fenn ends up pulling her in to kiss her on the forehead. He thanks her for sleeping with him since he sleeps better on days when she's in his arms. After leaving, she convinces herself that there's no realy relationship between them and refuses to takes his words at face value since he only says lies.

She gets to the lecture hall with a few minutes to spare. Dia arrives shortly after and sits next to her. Since she's been pestering him to go to class, they've become friends. He's not a fan of her spending time with Fenn, and MC also wonders if it's a good idea or not. Dia tells MC that nothing good will come out of being with a man like Fenn and that he has a different woman on his arm every day. He says that Fenn is just playing with her. MC tells Dia that she understands and that their relationship is purely just friends with benefits. Dia tells her to not hope that she will be able to date him seriously. He then asks why MC doesn't refuse Fenn. MC says that it's because Fenn needs her. Dia then sees that it's futile trying to persuade MC, so he gives up. The professor walking in also stops their conversation.

After the lecture, MC offers to walk with Dia as he goes back to his room. On their way, they see Fenn surrounded by a sea of fan club members. Fenn spots MC and they chat for a bit. He tells her he's scheduling dates with his fan club members. MC is surprised that Fenn has so much energy to take all these girls on dates. Fenn's fan club members then look at MC with concern as they are worried that MC is also going after Fenn. They then start bickering for Fenn's attention. Fenn tells them that they will all get a turn and apologizes to MC saying taht he will speak to her next time. As he leaves, MC tries not to be bothered and Dia looks on in disgust. MC thinks about how she keeps coming back to Fenn despite knowing that he has other options. She realizes that she's replaceable to him and that he will always have someone even if she's not around. MC realizes that she needs to either seriously love him or let him go.

As MC goes back to her room, she wonders how much of the things Fenn says to her is true. She remembers Fenn asking her to lay with him in bed. He wanted something to sleep with him because he had bad dreams on rainy days and his date suddenly got sick. In the flashback, MC agrees to lay next to him and he cuddles up to her. After she thinks he's fallen asleep and tries to get up, Fenn holds her tighter. He asks her to stay longer. He sounded lonely and this seemed genuine to MC. MC knew that their relationship wasn't healthy, but she doesn't know how to describe their relationship. They aren't 2 people having fun together since she knows that Fenn is running away from something painful.

Deciding to break things off with Fenn, she goes to his room. He invites her in, but gets the feeling something's wrong when he realizes how tense she seems and won't sit next to him. MC tells Fenn that he's been through something traumatic and is trying to cover up his loneliness by having a ton of girlfriends; she doesn't want to be part of it anymore. Fenn tells her that all they're doing is seeking pleasure from each other. MC tells him that no amount of time spent together or physical intimacy will ever form lasting connections. She says that he is only giving these girls fleeting moments of enjoyment and taht these fleeting moments are not longer worth it for her in the long run. Fenn is offended, but stays civil. He tells her if she doesn't want to occupy his bed, there were plenty of others who would. Fenn then tells her to leave. He apologizes to her for involving her in something she finds so repulsive. MC tells him that this isn't the point she was trying to make. But, Fenn interrupts her saying that he has to meet with someone after this. MC thought that this conversation would be more meaningful, but it just became shallow and anticlimactic. MC leaves and Fenn never asks for her again.

A few days later, she sees Fenn walking with a girl on his arm and tries to avoid them. While doing this, she bumps into Dia. She offers to walk with him to class, but he tells her that's not where he's going. He asks her why she's lingering here and figures out the situation when he spots Fenn with a girl near the academy building. Dia says that he thought the relationship between MC and Fenn was finished. She says it is and that she's doing better now since she makes it to class on time. She adds that her cat also doesn't have to feel lonely when she's gone and that she doesn't have to worry about whether Fenn is getting enough sleep or not. Dia comments that she seems more stressed out now than she was before. MC tries to deny Dia's words, but she can't

MC keeps avoiding Fenn for a while, but sees him out with a date and decides she needs to talk to him. When she goes over, Fenn makes a point that he's busy and they can talk another time. MC thinks about how the Headmaster asked her familiar to run an errand for him, and lies to Fenn about her cat having gotten hurt. She's bad at lying, but Fenn has no reason not to believe her. So, he tells his date they'll get together another time and leaves with MC. She takes him back to her room, and Fenn is confused when he doesn't see her familiar. MC says if Fenn's allowed to lie, then so is she; it's only fair for it to go both ways. Instead of being angry, Fenn seems to be amused by this. She also repeats the bit about him being lonely and using all those women as a way to avoid it rather than confront it. He asks her what she would have him do. Stop lying? Stop messing around? Pick only her? Fenn says that MC must be in love him. MC tells him no, and that she hates him, which was another lie. Fenn laughs, kisses her forehead and tells her he hates her too (also a lie).

The next day as she's walking in the hall with Dia after having picked some plants for their potions class, they run into Fenn. It's a nice day out, so Fenn asks MC if she would like to go on a walk later. She declines, saying it looks like it's going to rain (a lie). Fenn and Dia look outside and don't see a cloud in the sky. Fenn goes along with her lie and notes that she's right, confusing Dia. He invites her to his room instead. Dia's still lost; he thought she broke things off. But, he doesn't push things since she at least seems happy about their relationship now.

Later, MC's snuggling with Fenn in his bed. He asks what she wants to talk about. She says it doesn't matter because she won't be awake for long anyway (a lie). Fenn tells her how nice it is to sleep next to her. She doesn't believe him, but is content just to be with him.

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### Jasper Lane

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It's early in the afternoon. MC is searching around the academy for Violet since Violet told her that she wanted to give her something. MC had already checked Violet's room and the lounge, but was unable to find her. The last place she decides to check is the valets' quarters. She knocks on the door and asks if Violet is in there. Jasper opens the door and states that Violet isn't currently here. He tells her that Violet should probably return soon and asks if she would like to wait inside for her. MC takes him up on his offer and enters the valets' quarters. When she enters, she realizes that Jasper was the only one that was inside the valets' quarters. Jasper tells her that he was in the middle of preparing some tea and asks if she would like some. MC says yes and thanks him for the tea. MC then takes a seat on the sofa and watches Jasper make tea. While watching Jasper make tea, she thinks about how she's never really had a proper conversation with Jasper. Jasper places a cup of tea in front of her and MC thanks him. MC breathes in the fruity aroma of the tea and comments on how nice the tea smells. Jasper is pleased to hear that she likes the tea. However, he laments that there aren't any baked sweets for her to eat with the tea. MC tells him that the tea is more than enough. MC then thinks about how Jasper is as gentlemanly as she thought he was when they first met and how he's always so calm.

Then, Violet returns sounding listless. However, she grins and goes to hug MC once she sees her. She then asks if MC is alright after being alone with Jasper and asks if he did anything to her. MC looks at her with confusion and states that Jasper wouldn't do anything like that since he's the perfect gentleman. Violet tells her not to be deceived and that Jasper is not as he seems out the outside. She then turns to Jasper and states that he has the scent of a very bad man. MC doubts Violet's words, but Violet insists that MC should never fall victim to his advances. MC is surprised that Violet is able to bad-mouth Jasper right in front of him. Jasper doesn't seem bothered by Violet's words and instead is entertained. MC then decides to change the subject and ask Violet what she wanted to give her. Violet asks MC to come to her room so that she can give it to her. MC is about to follow Violet out the door, but she stops and thanks Jasper for the tea before leaving. Jasper tells her that it was no problem and that she is always welcome to come back for some more tea. As she is leaving, MC thinks that there is not possibly way that Jasper could be a bad guy.

That night, MC receives an invitation from Sherry to hang out in the common lounge. While sipping on tea, they talk about various topics. While thinking of topics to discuss, MC remembers what happened earlier in the day in the valets' quarters. She tells Sherry about what happened and asks if she thinks Jasper is a terrible person. Sherry is confused by her odd question and MC further explains that Violet had told her to be careful around Jasper since he gives off a bad vibe. Sherry tells MC that she thinks that it's hard to tell what Jasper is thinking, but she wouldn't go as far as to say he is terrible to which MC agrees. As Sherry and MC are questioning Violet's claims about Jasper, Lynt (who was sleeping on the sofa) wakes up. Lynt asks MC is she would still like Jasper if he were bad. He says that Violet must have meant that he was bad if she told MC to be careful. Sherry tells Lynt interpretation is possible, but that the meaning of "bad" can differ from person to person. Sherry's response only causes Lynt to look confused. She says that some women are attracted to wicked men. Lynt tilts his head and turns to MC and asks her what her type is. MC states that she probably wouldn't fall in love with Jasper if he ended up being a bad guy.

At that moment, Jasper walks in and states how sad he is that MC wouldn't fall for him if he was a bad guy. Sherry comments that it is rare for him to come to the common lounge. Jasper explains that he had some business to take care of here. MC starts to feel awkward as she knows that Jasper heard them talking about him. Jasper notices her worries and tells her not to worry about it. However, she still feels awkward about it and tries brushes it off by taking a sip of her tea. But, MC is panicking too much and ends up dropping the spoon she used to stir her tea. MC bends down to grab it, but Jasper swoops down and grabs it before she can. MC tells him that he didn't have to do that. Jasper then asks her if she still viewed him as a wicked man after he helped her. While feeling nervous, she answers him honestly and states that she doesn't think he's a wicked man at all. But, she doesn't know him very well so it's hard for her to determine if he's wicked or not. Jasper offers to let her test her theory about him being wicked by spending some time with him for a few days. MC believes that Jasper is just joking around and tries to politely refuse him with a smile, but Sherry intervenes and says that it sounds interesting to which Lynt also agrees. Lynt tells MC that if she spends time with Jasper, then she will be able to figure out the mystery that surrounds him. Jasper assures them that he's not shrouded in mystery to which Sherry disagrees. She states that he is still a mystery since no one has ever seen what he's like in his private time. Sherry and Lynt are excited about the prospect of MC figuring out the mystery that is Jasper, so MC is having a hard time getting out of it. As MC is hesistating over whether to agree, Jasper tells her that she should just try it. MC thinks he is still joking and just decides to agree to spend time with him. They both tells each other that they are looking forward to spending time with each other and how they enhoyed talking to each other. Then, Jasper excuses himself as he has to leave.

After Jasper leaves, Sherry tells MC that Jasper is quite the interesting person. MC says that she didn't think Jasper was the type of person to joke around like that. Lynt tells her that he doesn't think Jasper was joking about spending time with her which shocks MC. Afterwards, Lynt falls back asleep on the couch. MC tries to confirm with Lynt if he thinks Jasper was serious about his suggestion, but he had already fallen asleep. Sherry tells MC that it's not often that someone gets the chance to get to know more about Jasper and that MC might end up enjoying their time together. Sherry tells MC that there's no way that she will fall for Jasper's charms. MC wanted to confidently agree with Sherry's statement, but she's unsure about whether she would fall for Jasper or not. MC then chugs her lukewarm tea as she is still astonished about what she just agreed to.

It's the afternoon of the next day. Jasper invites MC to hang out in town with him. MC rushes to their agreed meeting spot at the main gates. She is surprised that Jasper invited her to spend time with him right away and she wonders if this can be considered a date. MC feels her affections towards Jasper rising, but she pushes those feelings away because she doesn't know him that well yet. When she reaches the main gates, Jasper had already arrived. She tells Jasper that he looks different from usual and he tells her that it's because he's taking her out a date. MC realizes that she was right when she thought this was a date and starts to blush. Jasper tells her that they should start their date now, but MC tells him to wait. She asks him how she would be able to determine if he's wicked or not. Jasper says that just walking around town wouldn't be exciting, so he suggests that they have a competition with each other. He tells her that the first person to fall in love with the other person during this date is the loser. MC is speechless and wonders if he's being serious or if he's joking. Jasper says that if he really is wicked, then she would surely never fall in love with him. He teases her saying that the idea of falling in love with him probably never crossed her mind. His teasing causes her heart to skip a beat. MC agrees with his statement while feigning composure shince she doesn't want to reveal her feelings. MC then confirms with Jasper that he would lose if he falls in love with her to which Jasper affirms.

They then head into town which is especially busy since it's the weekend. MC is about to ask Jasper where they are heading, when he suddenly holds her hand. Jasper explains that he's doing his best since they are having a competition and he has to make MC fall in love with him. She blushes and peers up at Jasper. Jasper then asks if she's uncomfortable with him holding her hand. MC tells him that she was just surprised since he suddenly grabbed her hand and that she doesn't mind holding his hand. Jasper is delighted and squeezes her hand in response. He then asks MC if she wants to go to a café that he often goes to. MC agrees to go and he leads her to the café. His gentlemanly way of escorting her makes her heart skip a beat.

The café is located a bit of the main road. MC says that the café had a more relaxing atmosphere than she expected. They then both take their seats. Jasper asks if he can order his recommendation for her and she agrees. After a short time, a waitress brings them a cake set and some tea. MC comments on how the tea smells really good and finds the smell to be similar to the tea that Jasper made for her in the valets' quarters. She enjoys a sip of tea and some cake. Jasper asks if she's enjoying the cake and she says that it's the best cake she's eatern in her entire life. As he drinks his coffee, he watches MC eat cake with a satisfied smile. MC thinks about how the taste of the tea and cake perfectly matches her preferred taste. She then jokingly asks Jasper if he already knew her preferences. He tells her that he always pays close attention to her whenever they are together. MC is bewildered as she wasn't expecting that answer and her heart starts to beat faster. MC doesn't know if Jasper is telling the truth about paying attention to her, but she can tell for sure that he knows how to treat a lady. MC then averts her eyes and eats some cake to hide the fact that she feels flattered. She now thinks that she can't possibly see Jasper as a wicked man. MC also thinks about how she had always thought of Jasper as a gentleman, but starting from today her image of him has completely changed. After MC finishes her tea, Jasper tells her that it was a good change of pace to come to this café. MC says she enjoyed this café and praises its relaxing atmosphere. MC is unable to ask Jasper if he knew the types of places she likes since he stood up to leave before she could ask.

Once they left the café, they do some window shopping on the main road. Jasper then quietly comments on how the sun was starting to go down. MC feels sad since she was just getting used to holding hands with him and was enjoying the date. She is reluctant to end their date and unconsciously squeezes Jasper's hand. Jasper picks up on her sadness and suggests to take the long route back to the academy. They then start to walk in the opposite direction of the academy.

They end up at a quiet part of the harbor where there aren't many people around. MC comments on how the cool breeze feels nice. Jasper tells her that he often goes here when he needs a change of pace. Jasper murmurs that he wished this day could've lasted a little longer and MC nods in reply. He tells her that the time they spent together was more enjoyable than he ever imagined. Jasper says that his impression of her has changed a lot in such a short time since he was able to see so many sides of MC that he never gets to see at the academy. MC also thinks about how she got to know many different aspects of Jasper today like his brilliant smile, he mischievous face when he teases her, and his slightly cold hands. She tells him that she had a lot of fun on their date today. He tells her that she's a strange individual which causes her heart to race. A sweet atmosphere is developing as they stare into each others eyes, but Jasper suddenly looks away. He tells her that they should be heading back to the academy. MC observes that Jasper had a lonely expression on his face as he said that and wonders why he made sucha sad face. They then quietly walk back to the academy side-by-side.

A few days later, MC is heading to the refectory. Lynt greets her with a smile and invites her to eat with him to which MC accepts. They then take their seats at a table in the refectory. MC observes how Lynt always barely eats any of the food that is set down in front of him. MC then asks if he's not going to eat any food. Lynt tells her that he tried to eat as much as he could, but it doesn't look that way to MC. He then asks her if she's getting along with Jasper. MC stops in her tracks as the question came out of nowhere. Lynt looks at her worry as she has a shocked look on her face. He asks her if Jasper ended up being a wicked man. MC denies that and thinks about an answer to Lynt's question. She then notices Violet and Sherry entering the refectory. They both immediately notice MC and come over to her table. Sherry asks MC if she and Lynt were talking about the topic they discussed the other day. Violet is confused and asks for clarification. Lynt tells Violet that it's related to Jasper. Sherry taps MC on the shoulder and tells her to explain it to Violet. MC tells Violet about Jasper's suggestion and how they ended up going into town on a date together. Sherry asks MC if she already went on the date and Lynt asks if she had fun. MC tells them that she did have fun. Sherry observes that MC doesn't seem unhappy about the outcome.

After hearing the entire story, Violet sighs and tells MC that she warned MC about Jasper. Violet sternly looks at MC which causes MC to falter from the pressure she was exuding. Lynt, Sherry, and MC are looking at each other in silence. Violet thought that MC out of everyone else needed to heed her warning the most. MC is confused and asks Violet to explain. Violet asks MC why she would accept an invitation from Jasper to spend time with him. MC replies that she thought Jasper was joking at the time. Violet tells her that she fell into the palm of Jasper's hand once she accepted his invitation. She tells MC that she had an option to refuse, but she didn't. MC can't reply as Violet made such a good point. Violet then tells her that she understands why MC couldn't refuse since Jasper has this strange ability to make a person forget that refusing is an option. MC then feels like she can't tell Violet about how she also didn't refuse Jasper's suggestion for them to have a competition during their date. Sherry then suddenly claps her hands together and asks if Violet means that Jasper may try to sneak his way into MC's heart before MC even realizes it. Also, by the time MC realizes it, she will already trust him. Violet nods in response to Sherry's words and says that it's best not to be with a man likes Jasper. She says that having a relationship with Jasper would only lead to trouble since nobody can tell what he's thinking. MC exclaims that she and Jasper aren't at that stage of their relationship yet. Violet then takes MC's hands and tries to dissuade her from dating Jasper. She tells MC that she will only end up in tears in the future if she chooses to date a wicked man and that she doesn't want to see MC end up in tears. MC can't bring herself to tell Violet how she truly feels about Jasper after seeing how worried Violet is about her. She can't tell Violet that it's too late for her to forget her feelings towards Jasper.

Then, Jasper appears and states that he has no intention of making MC cry. Violet asks him how he always manages to appear so suddenly like that. He says that he has some business with MC and was looking for her. Jasper then asks MC for some of her time. MC is about to accept when Violet interrupts and asks MC if she was even listening to anything she just said. MC is about to walk off with Jasper when Violet grabs her hand and pulls her back. Jasper tells Violet that she doesn't need to be cautious about him. Violet asks how she can trust him and Jasper tells her that she can come with them if she's worried. Violet looks at Jasper's wry smile before letting MC's hand go with a sigh of defeat. Jasper tells MC that they should go. As she follows Jasper, Violet's demeanor is still on MC's mind.

They walk all the way to the anterior courtyard. MC feels too awkward to start a conversation with him since she believes that he overheard what Violet had said. MC thinks about how it was around this time the other day that they went to the harbor and were holding hands as they looked out at the ocean. Her chest fills with warmth as she thinks back on the sweet moment they shared when Jasper told her that he enjoyed spending time with her. A gust of wind snaps her out of her thoughts and just as she is about to start a converstion, she notices Jasper's sad expression. She is reminded of how Jasper had this same expression when their date came to end and they had to return back to the academy. Jasper then suddenly tells her that he wants to put an end to their competition. MC wonders why he wants to end it and Jasper tells her that it's because he has come to realize his feelings. After hearing his words, MC hearts starts beating faster and before she can ask anything else, he tells her that she can consider this competition as his loss. MC wonders if he has fallen in love with her, but is too afraid to straightforwadly ask him. So, they end up silently gazing at one another. MC feels some anticipation as she wonders if Jasper fell in love with her when he says he "realizes his feelings". However, she can't bring herself to believe that based on Jasper's vague answers. MC is reminded of their time at the harbor and how Jasper told her that he wished the day would've lasted longer and how he had fun spending time with her. MC felt like they had some chemistry between them at that moment. When she thought of Jasper's words in context with the chemistry between them at the harbor, she thought that he might really like her. She then concluded that their love might be mutual.

She then works up the courage to tell Jasper her feelings. She tells him that she likes him too and that this means that their competition ended in a draw. Jasper's eyes grow wide and he asks her if it's true. As MC looks away, Jasper takes a step forward. He grabs her fingers and brings them up to his lips. She then blushes while awkwardly repeating that she has fallen for him. Jasper is ecstatic and squeezes MC's hands. He thanks her and MC tells him that he doesn't have to thank her for something like this. Then, he tells her that he is the winner of their competition. MC is in shock as she looks at Jasper's mischievous smile. MC is confused as he told her that he "realized his feelings". Jasper explains that he never indicated that his feelings towards her were romantic. There was also no condition in their competition that stated that their competition could ever end. He tells her that if she had wished to end the competition, then he would've had no choice but to refuse. MC is reminded of Violet's words about how she fell into the palm of Jasper's hand once she accepted the competition and realizes the meaning behind her warnings. She also realized that this was all part of Jasper's plan and that she was the only person who fell in love and ended up confessing. MC is completely embarrassed and wants to curl up into a ball and die. She tells Jasper that he's terrible as she looks at her with a troubled smile. She hides her reddening cheeks with her hands. MC can't believe that she fell into Jasper's trap and was made to feel like this. She believes that she reaped what she sowed. But, she can't just pretend that all of the things that led up her to her falling in love with Jasper didn't happen. She knows that she won't be able to immediately pick herself back up after this since all she can think about is Jasper which is making her feel sad.

Jasper's shoes then come into her view as she has her head down. He tells her to excuse him and hugs her as she lifts up her head. MC wonders why Jasper is hugging her and thinks that he might just be consoling her after her failed confession. She still has a little hope of him returning her feelings despite thinking that he might only be consoling her. However, she feels like crying. Jasper tells her that although he said he won the competition, it doesn't mean that everything he said was a lie. MC wonders which parts were the truth and which were lies as she doesn't want to be embarrassed a 2nd time. MC feels excited from how physically close Jasper is to her and how handsome he is. However, she has mixed feelings after thinking back on what just happened. Jasper notices how MC is feeling and tells her that she doesn't have to feel so cautious towards him. He then tells her that he wants to have a proper conversation with her about this in his room. MC agrees to Jasper's relief. As he walks off, MC follows him.

In Jasper’s room, Jasper makes MC some tea. She thinks about how the aroma of this tea is similar to the tea they had during their date.
But, MC is not as excited to have a cup now as she was then. MC thinks back on how she had fun during their date and how she even forgot that they were competing halfway through. Then, she drinks some tea to wash away her feelings. It helps her piece together frazzled mental state. Jasper apologizes to MC for teasing her more than necessary. MC tells him in an annoyed way "you can say that again". Jasper sits down next to her tells her that he was really happy to hear her feelings towards him. He realized that she liked him while they were on the date as he could see her slowly falling for him. Jasper calmly says all this and MC gets embarrassed when she notices that he's enjoying it.

MC asks him if she was the only one that enjoyed their time together. Jasper replies that he also enjoyed their time together and that it's been a long time since he last smiled that way. MC asks if he's lying and he tells her that he's telling the truth. Jasper tells her about how he actively determines a person's feelings through their expressions and gestures due to his line of work. He says that he thought he wouldn't be able to hear her honest feelings towards him since they were competing. This is why he guided her towards confessing her love to him. MC believes him due to the earnest look in his eyes. As she remains silent, Jasper lets out a sigh. He says that the only lie he told was that he wanted the competition to end and that everything else he said was the truth. Jasper then asks if MC believes his words. MC wonders if he's telling the truth when he said he realized his feelings. If his words were true, then that would mean that the 2 of them have feelings for each other. MC tells him that she believes him which makes Jasper's shoulders relax in relief. Then, she asks him why he would make her confess in such a roundabout way. He explains that he really wanted to hear confess his feelings towards him. However, he couldn't help but tease her since she's so lovely. He then asks if she dislikes his wicked side. MC says that this is an unfair question to ask. She then looks directly into his eyes, says that she doesn't like his wicked side at all, and then embraces him. MC tells him that this is revenge for tricking her. Jasper laughs in response as he hugs her back. MC can't tell for sure if he likes her, but she thinks "wicked man" is a pretty accurate description of Jasper. MC feels happy just from touching Jasper, so she knows her feelings for him are already set in stone and that there's no going back.

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