“As your prince, I could order you to go.”
Ren Xiyang tilted his head up to meet his gaze. “Oh? As my prince?”
“As your prince.”
“Are you sure you want to?” Ren Xiyang asked coolly.
Rian jolted from his fog of anger. He exhaled. “No.” He looked at Ren Xiyang, revealing a hint of weakness. “Xiyang, I want you to come to class with me and accompany me.”
Ren Xiyang crossed his arms. “Then can we sit at the back and talk or pass notes?”
“Xiyang. I can’t do that.”
“Then what’s the point? It’s almost harvest time, and then there’s the tax collection and the census, not to mention a hundred other matters. I don’t want to waste my time in class when I could be doing something else,” Ren Xiyang said.
“You told me that you’d set up the Rosewood council and all those teams to reduce your workload and involvement,” Rian said.
“That doesn’t mean I have less work. It means I have different work. And you have even more work than me,” Ren Xiyang said.
“Attending class is part of my work,” Rian said.
“And it’s not part of mine. Rian. Anything else? I have work to do.”
Rian’s jaw tightened. “Do your work then.”
“Thanks.”
Ren Xiyang looked down, ignoring Rian completely.
Rian went and sat down at his desk. He didn’t look at Ren Xiyang either.
That night, they went to sleep in their separate bedrooms.
Ren Xiyang went to bed first.
He was tired. He was done with attending classes. The thought of attending useless class made his chest tighten. It was such a complete waste of time.
He tried not to think about things that made him feel guilty.
Yes, Ren Xiyang understood that reputation and image was important to Rian. But didn’t Rian know that he didn’t care about that? Ren Xiyang wouldn’t have done 90% of the things he did for the Rosewood fief if he had cared about his public image.
The Rosewood classes were set up to teach literacy and numeracy. Ren Xiyang would clearly pass those tests.
And he had done enough schooling. As part of work, he learned on the job, learning what was needed, when it was relevant. And cities couldn’t be built by one person. To successfully complete big projects, teams needed different people with unique strengths. He didn’t need to be an all-rounder.
And he and Rian were meant to be a team, with their unique strengths.
He understood that Rian wanted to attend class and curate that studious image. But Ren Xiyang didn’t need that image. He didn’t care.
Ren Xiyang closed his eyes and went to sleep.
Rian went to bed two hours later. He had work to do, but he didn’t mind. In his first life, he had studied long into the night. In this life, he replaced study with work.
Lying bed by himself, Rian flipped between bitterness and frustration.
Where was the lovely romantic school life Rian had prepared so meticulously for? He thought they would wake up together, get ready together, have breakfast and lunch and dinner together, sit in class together, walk the academy grounds together while the golden autumn leaves fell dreamily around them, eliciting jealousy from the other students, and return to bed together at the end of the day.
He missed the road trips together. At least then, he had Ren Xiyang in his carriage if Count Aegean wasn’t forcing him to learn something that Ren Xiyang didn’t want to learn which was actually quite often…
But why didn’t Ren Xiyang understand the long-term benefits of attending class?
It was only four hours each day. Essentially less if there was a magic practice class.
Yes, he knew that Ren Xiyang didn’t like being forced to learn certain subjects, but Ren Xiyang wasn’t just some random noble mage boy. Ren Xiyang was the future consort. Attending class meant one less aspect for others to insult him about. It meant that Ren Xiyang could deepen his rapport with fellow mages ‘their age’, mages who they will work with professionally in the future.
It was all about laying the groundwork.
Rian went to sleep, his mind replaying that conversation with Ren Xiyang.
On the morning of the next day, Rian didn’t want to let Ren Xiyang out of their quarters. But he knew, deep in his heart, that he couldn’t stop Ren Xiyang.
Ren Xiyang’s strength, calmness, disregard for the social order, and driven, work-orientated nature were some of the things Rian liked about Ren Xiyang.
Morning duelling practice was different from usual. Both of them fought harder and faster. It felt a lot more real. Fire and ice flashed across the field, narrowly grazing them, smashing into the duelling field and the field’s shield. Smoke and dust and steam obscured the air.
The Royal Guards watched with heightened unease. They weren’t strong enough to step in if something bad happened.
Thankfully, Prince Rian and Earl Rosewood only destroyed the duelling field. Their personal shields remained intact.
“Good duel,” Rian said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
“Good duel,” Ren Xiyang replied.
They went back to their quarters to wash before going to breakfast.
Everyone could see that there was something off between Prince Rian and Earl Rosewood, even though the two sat next to each other at the table. Earl Rosewood wasn’t wearing his usual scholarly robes.
Only the bravest third year students dared to sit at that table.
Ren Xiyang got up first. “Your Highness, I’ll see you in the evening.”
“Have a good day,” Rian replied.
Curiosity burned in the students’ hearts. What did they just hear? Evening? Good day? What was happening?
Ren Xiyang carried his prepared briefcase and went straight to the front office. A staff member stood out front.
“My Lord, how can I help you?” the staff member asked.
“I’m requesting leave for the day,” Ren Xiyang said.
“And your reason, my Lord?”
“I don’t want to attend. I have more important things to do.”
The staff member’s face went stiff. He lowered his head. “Please wait while I fetch the Vice Dean.”
“Okay.”
It didn’t take long for the staff member to return with the vice dean.
The Vice Dean was Lady Blewitt, cousin of the current Duke Blewitt. She had no qualms showing her displeasure. “Leaving simply because you feel like it is not acceptable,” she said. “If you have no real reason, go to class.”
“My apologies. I’m leaving regardless,” Ren Xiyang said.
“Earl Rosewood, you will not step off the academy grounds. If you leave, you may be suspended and could even face expulsion!”
“Oh, good,” Ren Xiyang said. “Please go ahead with the expulsion procedures.”
With that, Ren Xiyang walked out. After all, she couldn’t actually stop him.
Ren Xiyang went to the Rosewood house without any hindrance.
Kel raced out the moment she heard Earl Rosewood had come back. “My Lord, what’s wrong?”
“I won’t be attending any classes unless something changes. Hopefully, I’ll be expelled,” Ren Xiyang said casually. “So, you can schedule some remote meetings over the next few days.”
Kel frowned, concerned. “If there’s something wrong about the academy—”
“It’s not really them, it’s me,” Ren Xiyang said. “I’ll be in my office.”
Since Ren Xiyang was there, Solicitor Carmine had him look over some documents and account books.
And since Ren Xiyang was there, he, Solicitor Carmine, and the managers on starting to think about tax reform for the future. As long as the Rosewood fief still handed in the correct amount of taxes to the Imperial Palace and Council each year, Ren Xiyang hoped that the Council wouldn’t care how that amount was gathered.
This was much more useful than class. It was work that could lead to real impact.
Vice Dean Blewitt was displeased. The more she thought about it, the irritable she became.
She wanted to suspend Earl Rosewood. But that was what Earl Rosewood wanted.
She wanted to force Earl Rosewood to attend class. But then she’d have to call in someone much more powerful.
Oh, she knew that Earl Rosewood would be trouble the moment she heard how he treated Duke Blewitt. Every day, Earl Rosewood was disrespecting the traditions of Sedaveria.
Vice Dean Blewitt went back to the teacher’s dining room, from where she had been pulled from, and sat back down at the table with the dean and other senior teachers.
“A problem?” Lord Zaffre asked.
Vice Dean Blewitt looked at Dean Palatinate. “Earl Rosewood requested leave, for the ‘reason’ of simply not wanting to go. Then, he dared to taunt me into expelling him.”
“Huh? He attended my class yesterday,” Lord Zaffre said.
Lord Coquelicot snorted. “He didn’t attend mine.”
“I’ll have a chat with him,” Dean Palatinate said calmly.
Vice Dean Blewitt snorted. “Who knows when he’ll return.”
“Earl Rosewood does not seem to be an unreasonable young man,” Dean Palatinate said.
Vice Dean Blewitt didn’t deign a response. He’d find out soon enough.
When Prince Rian sat down at the front of the class, it became clear that Ayden Rosewood wouldn’t be coming.
“Your Highness, could I sit here?” a student asked.
Rian smiled in welcome. “Go ahead.”
Without Ren Xiyang next to him, the classes suddenly became a lot harder for Rian. In part because now Rian couldn’t secretly complete some work on the side, lest the student next to him see something that shouldn’t be seen.
But Rian persisted. Attending class was important.
After Solicitor Charles Carmine finished with his meeting with Earl Rosewood, Kel pulled him and Maria for their own private meeting.
“What’s the problem?” Maria asked.
“Maria…Charles…” Kel wrung her hands. “There must be something wrong at the academy, right? Earl Rosewood attended barely a week…”
“But he still goes back to the academy to sleep,” Maria pointed out.
“And he comes here to work,” Charles said.
“But he’s meant to be studying,” Kel said, stressed. “School and learning is important.”
“Ah,” Charles said, “I think I might know why.”
Kel turned to him. “Why?”
“Earl Rosewood is smart. Very smart,” Charles said. “He’s an adept direct-magic manipulator, he’s an adept duellist, and he can use far more than just fire magic. I’m afraid that he might find the academy boring.”
“I see,” Kel said heavily.
“Well, I never attended the academy,” Charles said. After all, he wasn’t a mage. “But it’s my hypothesis that Earl Rosewood finds the academy as boring as re-learning the alphabet.”
“Then what should we do? Is it okay for Earl Rosewood to not attend classes?” Kel asked. “He even said he might be expelled!”
“We’ll have to analyse the history books for any precedents,” Charles said. “From my vague recollection, mages are expelled due to crimes, and have their magic restrained if they’re not executed. But this is clearly not the situation here.”
“I’ll help read through any history books,” Kel said.
“I will too,” Maria said.
“Then I’ll find some books that might be relevant,” Charles said. “Shall we convene again tomorrow?”
Kel and Maria both nodded.
By working when the sun was in the sky and when his energy was highest, Ren Xiyang cleared a lot of items from his to do list.
After his meeting with Solicitor Carmine, he did some administration. He had lunch with Hadrian, helping him puzzle through a problem about how to characterise glass physical structure over the lunch table.
Later, Ren Xiyang spoke with the head steward at the Rosewood house, Mr Gabriel Conway, about finding two separate rooms for two experimental growing projects.
Mr Conway wouldn’t allow Ren Xiyang to think about renting some random rooms from someone else and vowed to find two suitable rooms in the Rosewood house, or else he’d get builders to construct some rooms in the back garden.
And then later in the day, Ren Xiyang went over to where the floating carriages were manufactured, on the outskirts of the Capital, and installed the spells for several new carriages.
The guilt initially weighed on Ren Xiyang, but was he got into the motion of working, that feeling faded away. Without the pressure of wasted time, his shoulders and chest felt a lot lighter.
He returned to the Rosewood house to have one association-member meeting, before returning to the academy.
Rian was waiting for him at the academy entrance closest to the fields. He was dressed in his gardening attire.
“Good evening, Your Highness,” Ren Xiyang said.
“Good evening, Earl Rosewood,” Rian replied. “Heading to your greenhouse and field?”
“Yes.”
They walked in silence.
The Royal Guards tried not to make a single sound.
There wasn’t much chatter when they reached the greenhouse and field.
“Water that, Your Highness,” Ren Xiyang said.
“Understood,” Rian said.
“Pull up those weeds, Your Highness.”
“Very well.”
“Water that section, Your Highness.”
“Yes.”
Each ‘Your Highness’ didn’t sound like it was in jest or in politeness; instead, it sounded distancing.
“Done, thank you, Your Highness.”
“Let’s go back.”
Upon reaching their quarters, the Royal Guards stopped in the corridor, closing the door for Prince Rian. Now, there was dead silence, as far as they knew.
Inside the quarters, Rian and Ren Xiyang faced each other.
“You first,” Rian said.
“No, crown princes first,” Ren Xiyang said.
Rian’s expression stiffened. “No, Xiyang, you go first. I insist.”
“I requested leave this morning but it wasn’t granted. The vice dean threatened to expel me. I told her to go ahead. I don’t know if she started the procedures or not. Even if she doesn’t, I’m starting to think that I should do it myself.”
Rian’s expression darkened. “You’re not getting expelled and you’re not expelling yourself. Do you understand the kind of impression you’re making? Do you realise that you’re implicating me with your actions?”
“Oh, so are you willing to let me sit the back of the classroom and put up sound-blocking spells in order to work, and for me to get up to leave whenever I feel like it?” Ren Xiyang countered.
“No. But it’s only four hours, and the practice classes are basically unstructured—”
“And how much can we both do in four hours?”
“At least the practice classes, we can talk in those—”
Ren Xiyang walked away first. “Go get ready for dinner,” he said without looking back.
Rian’s jaw tightened. He restrained himself. “Fine.”
They didn’t sit at the same table at dinner, and they slept in separate beds again.
Rian and Ren Xiyang are fighting.
Alexius: What? It’s definitely Rian’s fault!!
King Edric: Gasp, are they going to break up? Have they broken up yet? Mira, you told me to wait for them to break up!
Queen Mira: I wouldn’t be so sure…
Thank you to Whoislikeaparadox for the name ‘Gabriel’!
Also, it was nice to see different readers seeing and siding on Rian’s and Ren Xiyang’s side in this argument~
website | tumblr | twitter | email newsletter
“As your prince, I could order you to go.”
Ren Xiyang tilted his head up to meet his gaze. “Oh? As my prince?”
“As your prince.”
“Are you sure you want to?” Ren Xiyang asked coolly.
Rian jolted from his fog of anger. He exhaled. “No.” He looked at Ren Xiyang, revealing a hint of weakness. “Xiyang, I want you to come to class with me and accompany me.”
Ren Xiyang crossed his arms. “Then can we sit at the back and talk or pass notes?”
“Xiyang. I can’t do that.”
“Then what’s the point? It’s almost harvest time, and then there’s the tax collection and the census, not to mention a hundred other matters. I don’t want to waste my time in class when I could be doing something else,” Ren Xiyang said.
“You told me that you’d set up the Rosewood council and all those teams to reduce your workload and involvement,” Rian said.
“That doesn’t mean I have less work. It means I have different work. And you have even more work than me,” Ren Xiyang said.
“Attending class is part of my work,” Rian said.
“And it’s not part of mine. Rian. Anything else? I have work to do.”
Rian’s jaw tightened. “Do your work then.”
“Thanks.”
Ren Xiyang looked down, ignoring Rian completely.
Rian went and sat down at his desk. He didn’t look at Ren Xiyang either.
That night, they went to sleep in their separate bedrooms.
Ren Xiyang went to bed first.
He was tired. He was done with attending classes. The thought of attending useless class made his chest tighten. It was such a complete waste of time.
He tried not to think about things that made him feel guilty.
Yes, Ren Xiyang understood that reputation and image was important to Rian. But didn’t Rian know that he didn’t care about that? Ren Xiyang wouldn’t have done 90% of the things he did for the Rosewood fief if he had cared about his public image.
The Rosewood classes were set up to teach literacy and numeracy. Ren Xiyang would clearly pass those tests.
And he had done enough schooling. As part of work, he learned on the job, learning what was needed, when it was relevant. And cities couldn’t be built by one person. To successfully complete big projects, teams needed different people with unique strengths. He didn’t need to be an all-rounder.
And he and Rian were meant to be a team, with their unique strengths.
He understood that Rian wanted to attend class and curate that studious image. But Ren Xiyang didn’t need that image. He didn’t care.
Ren Xiyang closed his eyes and went to sleep.
Rian went to bed two hours later. He had work to do, but he didn’t mind. In his first life, he had studied long into the night. In this life, he replaced study with work.
Lying bed by himself, Rian flipped between bitterness and frustration.
Where was the lovely romantic school life Rian had prepared so meticulously for? He thought they would wake up together, get ready together, have breakfast and lunch and dinner together, sit in class together, walk the academy grounds together while the golden autumn leaves fell dreamily around them, eliciting jealousy from the other students, and return to bed together at the end of the day.
He missed the road trips together. At least then, he had Ren Xiyang in his carriage if Count Aegean wasn’t forcing him to learn something that Ren Xiyang didn’t want to learn which was actually quite often…
But why didn’t Ren Xiyang understand the long-term benefits of attending class?
It was only four hours each day. Essentially less if there was a magic practice class.
Yes, he knew that Ren Xiyang didn’t like being forced to learn certain subjects, but Ren Xiyang wasn’t just some random noble mage boy. Ren Xiyang was the future consort. Attending class meant one less aspect for others to insult him about. It meant that Ren Xiyang could deepen his rapport with fellow mages ‘their age’, mages who they will work with professionally in the future.
It was all about laying the groundwork.
Rian went to sleep, his mind replaying that conversation with Ren Xiyang.
On the morning of the next day, Rian didn’t want to let Ren Xiyang out of their quarters. But he knew, deep in his heart, that he couldn’t stop Ren Xiyang.
Ren Xiyang’s strength, calmness, disregard for the social order, and driven, work-orientated nature were some of the things Rian liked about Ren Xiyang.
Morning duelling practice was different from usual. Both of them fought harder and faster. It felt a lot more real. Fire and ice flashed across the field, narrowly grazing them, smashing into the duelling field and the field’s shield. Smoke and dust and steam obscured the air.
The Royal Guards watched with heightened unease. They weren’t strong enough to step in if something bad happened.
Thankfully, Prince Rian and Earl Rosewood only destroyed the duelling field. Their personal shields remained intact.
“Good duel,” Rian said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
“Good duel,” Ren Xiyang replied.
They went back to their quarters to wash before going to breakfast.
Everyone could see that there was something off between Prince Rian and Earl Rosewood, even though the two sat next to each other at the table. Earl Rosewood wasn’t wearing his usual scholarly robes.
Only the bravest third year students dared to sit at that table.
Ren Xiyang got up first. “Your Highness, I’ll see you in the evening.”
“Have a good day,” Rian replied.
Curiosity burned in the students’ hearts. What did they just hear? Evening? Good day? What was happening?
Ren Xiyang carried his prepared briefcase and went straight to the front office. A staff member stood out front.
“My Lord, how can I help you?” the staff member asked.
“I’m requesting leave for the day,” Ren Xiyang said.
“And your reason, my Lord?”
“I don’t want to attend. I have more important things to do.”
The staff member’s face went stiff. He lowered his head. “Please wait while I fetch the Vice Dean.”
“Okay.”
It didn’t take long for the staff member to return with the vice dean.
The Vice Dean was Lady Blewitt, cousin of the current Duke Blewitt. She had no qualms showing her displeasure. “Leaving simply because you feel like it is not acceptable,” she said. “If you have no real reason, go to class.”
“My apologies. I’m leaving regardless,” Ren Xiyang said.
“Earl Rosewood, you will not step off the academy grounds. If you leave, you may be suspended and could even face expulsion!”
“Oh, good,” Ren Xiyang said. “Please go ahead with the expulsion procedures.”
With that, Ren Xiyang walked out. After all, she couldn’t actually stop him.
Ren Xiyang went to the Rosewood house without any hindrance.
Kel raced out the moment she heard Earl Rosewood had come back. “My Lord, what’s wrong?”
“I won’t be attending any classes unless something changes. Hopefully, I’ll be expelled,” Ren Xiyang said casually. “So, you can schedule some remote meetings over the next few days.”
Kel frowned, concerned. “If there’s something wrong about the academy—”
“It’s not really them, it’s me,” Ren Xiyang said. “I’ll be in my office.”
Since Ren Xiyang was there, Solicitor Carmine had him look over some documents and account books.
And since Ren Xiyang was there, he, Solicitor Carmine, and the managers on starting to think about tax reform for the future. As long as the Rosewood fief still handed in the correct amount of taxes to the Imperial Palace and Council each year, Ren Xiyang hoped that the Council wouldn’t care how that amount was gathered.
This was much more useful than class. It was work that could lead to real impact.
Vice Dean Blewitt was displeased. The more she thought about it, the irritable she became.
She wanted to suspend Earl Rosewood. But that was what Earl Rosewood wanted.
She wanted to force Earl Rosewood to attend class. But then she’d have to call in someone much more powerful.
Oh, she knew that Earl Rosewood would be trouble the moment she heard how he treated Duke Blewitt. Every day, Earl Rosewood was disrespecting the traditions of Sedaveria.
Vice Dean Blewitt went back to the teacher’s dining room, from where she had been pulled from, and sat back down at the table with the dean and other senior teachers.
“A problem?” Lord Zaffre asked.
Vice Dean Blewitt looked at Dean Palatinate. “Earl Rosewood requested leave, for the ‘reason’ of simply not wanting to go. Then, he dared to taunt me into expelling him.”
“Huh? He attended my class yesterday,” Lord Zaffre said.
Lord Coquelicot snorted. “He didn’t attend mine.”
“I’ll have a chat with him,” Dean Palatinate said calmly.
Vice Dean Blewitt snorted. “Who knows when he’ll return.”
“Earl Rosewood does not seem to be an unreasonable young man,” Dean Palatinate said.
Vice Dean Blewitt didn’t deign a response. He’d find out soon enough.
When Prince Rian sat down at the front of the class, it became clear that Ayden Rosewood wouldn’t be coming.
“Your Highness, could I sit here?” a student asked.
Rian smiled in welcome. “Go ahead.”
Without Ren Xiyang next to him, the classes suddenly became a lot harder for Rian. In part because now Rian couldn’t secretly complete some work on the side, lest the student next to him see something that shouldn’t be seen.
But Rian persisted. Attending class was important.
After Solicitor Charles Carmine finished with his meeting with Earl Rosewood, Kel pulled him and Maria for their own private meeting.
“What’s the problem?” Maria asked.
“Maria…Charles…” Kel wrung her hands. “There must be something wrong at the academy, right? Earl Rosewood attended barely a week…”
“But he still goes back to the academy to sleep,” Maria pointed out.
“And he comes here to work,” Charles said.
“But he’s meant to be studying,” Kel said, stressed. “School and learning is important.”
“Ah,” Charles said, “I think I might know why.”
Kel turned to him. “Why?”
“Earl Rosewood is smart. Very smart,” Charles said. “He’s an adept direct-magic manipulator, he’s an adept duellist, and he can use far more than just fire magic. I’m afraid that he might find the academy boring.”
“I see,” Kel said heavily.
“Well, I never attended the academy,” Charles said. After all, he wasn’t a mage. “But it’s my hypothesis that Earl Rosewood finds the academy as boring as re-learning the alphabet.”
“Then what should we do? Is it okay for Earl Rosewood to not attend classes?” Kel asked. “He even said he might be expelled!”
“We’ll have to analyse the history books for any precedents,” Charles said. “From my vague recollection, mages are expelled due to crimes, and have their magic restrained if they’re not executed. But this is clearly not the situation here.”
“I’ll help read through any history books,” Kel said.
“I will too,” Maria said.
“Then I’ll find some books that might be relevant,” Charles said. “Shall we convene again tomorrow?”
Kel and Maria both nodded.
By working when the sun was in the sky and when his energy was highest, Ren Xiyang cleared a lot of items from his to do list.
After his meeting with Solicitor Carmine, he did some administration. He had lunch with Hadrian, helping him puzzle through a problem about how to characterise glass physical structure over the lunch table.
Later, Ren Xiyang spoke with the head steward at the Rosewood house, Mr Gabriel Conway, about finding two separate rooms for two experimental growing projects.
Mr Conway wouldn’t allow Ren Xiyang to think about renting some random rooms from someone else and vowed to find two suitable rooms in the Rosewood house, or else he’d get builders to construct some rooms in the back garden.
And then later in the day, Ren Xiyang went over to where the floating carriages were manufactured, on the outskirts of the Capital, and installed the spells for several new carriages.
The guilt initially weighed on Ren Xiyang, but was he got into the motion of working, that feeling faded away. Without the pressure of wasted time, his shoulders and chest felt a lot lighter.
He returned to the Rosewood house to have one association-member meeting, before returning to the academy.
Rian was waiting for him at the academy entrance closest to the fields. He was dressed in his gardening attire.
“Good evening, Your Highness,” Ren Xiyang said.
“Good evening, Earl Rosewood,” Rian replied. “Heading to your greenhouse and field?”
“Yes.”
They walked in silence.
The Royal Guards tried not to make a single sound.
There wasn’t much chatter when they reached the greenhouse and field.
“Water that, Your Highness,” Ren Xiyang said.
“Understood,” Rian said.
“Pull up those weeds, Your Highness.”
“Very well.”
“Water that section, Your Highness.”
“Yes.”
Each ‘Your Highness’ didn’t sound like it was in jest or in politeness; instead, it sounded distancing.
“Done, thank you, Your Highness.”
“Let’s go back.”
Upon reaching their quarters, the Royal Guards stopped in the corridor, closing the door for Prince Rian. Now, there was dead silence, as far as they knew.
Inside the quarters, Rian and Ren Xiyang faced each other.
“You first,” Rian said.
“No, crown princes first,” Ren Xiyang said.
Rian’s expression stiffened. “No, Xiyang, you go first. I insist.”
“I requested leave this morning but it wasn’t granted. The vice dean threatened to expel me. I told her to go ahead. I don’t know if she started the procedures or not. Even if she doesn’t, I’m starting to think that I should do it myself.”
Rian’s expression darkened. “You’re not getting expelled and you’re not expelling yourself. Do you understand the kind of impression you’re making? Do you realise that you’re implicating me with your actions?”
“Oh, so are you willing to let me sit the back of the classroom and put up sound-blocking spells in order to work, and for me to get up to leave whenever I feel like it?” Ren Xiyang countered.
“No. But it’s only four hours, and the practice classes are basically unstructured—”
“And how much can we both do in four hours?”
“At least the practice classes, we can talk in those—”
Ren Xiyang walked away first. “Go get ready for dinner,” he said without looking back.
Rian’s jaw tightened. He restrained himself. “Fine.”
They didn’t sit at the same table at dinner, and they slept in separate beds again.
Rian and Ren Xiyang are fighting.
Alexius: What? It’s definitely Rian’s fault!!
King Edric: Gasp, are they going to break up? Have they broken up yet? Mira, you told me to wait for them to break up!
Queen Mira: I wouldn’t be so sure…
Thank you to Whoislikeaparadox for the name ‘Gabriel’!
Also, it was nice to see different readers seeing and siding on Rian’s and Ren Xiyang’s side in this argument~
website | tumblr | twitter | email newsletter
