“That was very adorable of you, baby girl,” Claude exclaimed. “You’re interested in us, huh?”
I sputtered, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks. “No, not really! I —” Oh, who was I kidding? Iwasvery interested! But specifically about their Uniques.
“I’m Samuel Grimwald. Call me Samuel.” The other guy found this the right time to speak up again. He focused on me. “Stop calling me Lord Grimwald.” How were they guessing how I referred to them in my mind? “It makes me feel you’re talking about my father, and I’m not that old. I’m twenty-four.”
“Oh, are we sharing our ages?” Winston said. “I’m also twenty-four. Samuel and I graduated last year from the academy, in fact.”
“You also attended the school?” I asked, because I would have thought the Crown Prince was an exception to the rule.
All three of them had confused looks.
“Yes, it was the best example to show and encourage the Kingdom’s magical academy,” Winston answered, but quickly added, “That’s also public knowledge.”
Ah, now I understood why they stared at me as if I was out of this world, because I definitely was, and where the heck was Mia again to provide me with lore drops and exposition? I needed her intimate knowledge of the Kingdom.
I pulled at my topaz earring before replying. “Um, I’ve been a recluse for six years. I didn’t keep up to date with the nobility. It’s like I’m navigating the world anew, you know?” Half-truths. Was I convincing enough?
Apparently, it was so convincing that the possible implications of what I shared dawned on them so heavily, it lowered the cheeriness of the room. I had to change the subject.
“Are you two friends?” I asked the two graduates, and sensing my intention, they humored me by shaking their heads.
“Acquaintances at best,” Samuel admitted. “He is the Crown Prince. I’m the son of the marquis in charge of the border territories against the Demon Lord. My family works closely with the royals.”
“We saw each other frequently, but we didn’t spend time together outside of official meetings.” Winston glanced at Samuel. “During our time here, we had different circles of friends.”
“Or how many friends can someone have for being a high-rank noble,” Samuel grumbled.
Well, that was one of the common gripes I heard from my rich or popular ex-boyfriends. How they thought no one was genuine with them; those so-called friends were only after themoney or the influence. That they wouldn’t take it against me if I were the same as everybody else. Real confidence booster.
They were right about one thing, though; Iwasafter something from my exes — love and affection and sex, my addiction. But that was an issue that should no longer be relevant here.
“My Unique is much simpler to understand,” Samuel decided to return to the main topic. “Triple Strength. I can go beyond triple, but like Winston, it drains my stamina too much and I collapse when pushed too hard.”
“Is it triple the average human strength? Or specifically your strength? Is it multiplicative? That means when you get stronger naturally, your Unique gets stronger too?”
Samuel gave me a genuine smile, for once. “I should’ve known you’ll have questions. You’re right, it’s triple of my own strength. This is why I train myself a little stronger every day. If the base is strong, then the boost will be stronger.”
I was so curious. “What’s the best feat of strength you can do without straining yourself?”
He actually looked thoughtful for a few moments before answering, “I can cut down a tree with my punch in two to three hits.”
Holy shit.That meant one punch from him would kill me. One flick of his finger and I would turn to mush. “And it doesn’t hurt you?”
“The Unique protects me from my own strength. It’s like I’m invulnerable at that moment,” he answered after another few seconds of thinking. “That’s something I never thought about before. If I have my Unique active, and someone hits me at the exact, precise second, will it hurt me?”
Winston gestured to the two of us. “See? This is exactly what I’m talking about. You get us thinking, Bea. An outsider’s point-of-view is invaluable.”
I laughed in my head.An outsider.That was precisely what I was; not only with this group but also to the rest of this world.
I don’t belong here.And I’d keep reminding myself over and over if I had to.
Claude jumped up from his seat again. “My turn! I’m Claude Wescott, nineteen! I’m not a noble like you guys though. I’m a commoner and an orphan.”
My heart wrenched a tiny bit. That must have been a lonely childhood. I knew the feeling of loneliness quite well, and it absolutely sucked. And I had parents and an older brother. What more if I didn’t?
Claude was grinning. “Don’t feel sorry for me, baby girl. I’m quite alright. I grew up in an orphanage with great Sisters. In fact, that’s how the Priestesses found me — they were on their annual visit to our orphanage and bumped into me. Then they had the prophecy right there.”
I didn’t — I thought for sure I had hidden my feelings away. He still saw right through me? Good god, I wasthateasy to read? I learned something new every day. Fuck.
