***

The tall figure with his masculine physique spoke with his cheeky voice and look at them smirking. His pink hair splendidly sways while his toned arms were placed both in his waist, emphasizing his tan chest that can be seen from the opening because of the unbuttoned white shirt.

​​

His upturned golden eyes were so dashingly mysterious that Evelyn seems to found it familiar, but at the same time, it's not.

Evelyn just pushes her thought down. It was impossible as this was her first time to be away from the cage mansion that she has known since a child.

Bern begins to speak when he saw that his students have enough introduction and rest.

"Now, I think you lots have enough peace... So, I guess we can start our short war now..." He smirked when he saw his students baffled by the announcement.

"Ahh... I really like those idiotic reactions from the freshman. Anyway, I'll have to assess everyone's strength here so come at me..."

". . ."

Evelyn was stunned, no more like everyone is. They just take a break and another exhausting task was given to them.

It seems that she was familiar with this type of scenario. She taught hard and -ting! A vague memory of a black-haired guy with a demonic smile and his black slit eyes came into her memory.

'Ahh... Now I remember, he acts like Shiek! That spartan that tortured me for the last year!' She deadpan thought.

Now she knows what kind of torture Bern said.

'It would hellish!' She continued.

Evelyn thinks that she had no luck in this lifetime when it comes to having a normal teacher. 'Best to accept it... Sigh~'

"Now come at me... If you land a hit, then I'll give you a special training that suits each one of you" He smiled like a psychopath and continued...

Evelyn steps back, her intuition was telling her that this man is dangerous.

"I don't think I need special training... A normal one would suffice haha..." She laughs dryly.

"... Oh, sweety. Don't worry, I won't hold back even if you're a girl!" He snickered.

"Tsk! This man is crazy..." Cathy said seemingly having wild thoughts of what will happen for the next 6 months with Bern as the instructor.

Everyone shuddered when they saw a tall looking figure slowly walking toward them.

"Damn! He looks like a devil!" Said the orange bob hair girl, who was sweating buckets, it was Cathy.

"We don't have time, we need to plan out how we will land a hit with that rock-like figure man!" Evelyn warningly said to the rest of them.

"Anyone? Do you guys have an idea?" She continued and looked at the exhausted classmates of hers.

She clicked her tongue. A pending body ache will await her doll-like figure.

'I will need a soothing patch after this!' She inwardly thought.

***

In the knights class...

A group of young men gathered at the open field where a red-haired man was standing in the center along with a smirking green hair man.

Both of them were looking at each other's eyes. It was like a spark of a lightning bolt that can be seen between them.

The tension was filling the crowd but along with it, there's also a snickering sound at the back that seems it was oppressed to not make a noise but it added fuel to the rising temper as it seems that they were slandering his master's dignity.

"Care to repeat what you said...?!" The red hair man said he narrowed his eyes that were bloodshot with raging anger inside him. It was Gab!

"Pfft... Look at this chaperone. How dare you look me in the eye!" The green-haired man, his name Vallen said to Gab.

Vallen is a son of Marquess Simeone, an aristocrat who sided with the other faction who opposed the King for announcing the engagement of the daughter of Duke Emsworth, as it will have a political imbalance if Evelyn became the Empress soon.

He's known for his hateful remarks to those who were lower to him, and he won't bat an eye to ridiculing people who catch his attention, and also because his a son of a marquess, the third high-rank in power. He had an arrogant attitude towards the commoners.

-tak!

"I said lower your head when you're in front of this mighty, Vallen! How dare you glare at me with those ugly eyes!" he continued.

He smacked Gab's head to make him looked down because he was offended by the commoner's gaze.

"Look down, commoner! How arrogant! Is this how your master thought you?! How uneducated!" Valley said while he spits to Gab's training clothes.

"Oh well, your master is also an uneducated person. Always stalking the prince while she was young and now that she attained a position as the strongest candidate for the Crown Prince fiancee, she changed her target to his escort. But oh well, you guys suited each other. One is a coquettish lady and one is an uneducated peasant. A perfect match!" Valley exclaimed with what he said, he seemed to have the thought as a great idea.

Gab looked up, his eyes dangerously eyeing at the bastard who was saying nonsense about his master. His stopping himself to punch his idiotic face by saying to himself that he can't get into a fight, he would only add to his master's worries. But a thin rope within him was pending to snap at the end of his consciousness.

"Maybe I can have a fun time with the Lady..."

And with that... the final reasoning burned down in hell.

-BAAM!

When Vallen said that, a flying fist came down to his chisel jaw and he only saw the sky and the open field turning around.

He seems confused for a moment but soon found out the sting in his mouth because it was chapped and a rusty flavor soon tasted and his body laid down on the grass.

His eyes were shocked and open wide as he saw the dark sky and a man's silhouette hovered at the top of his body and -baam!

A simultaneous hand of heavy punches came down from the sky. He tried to get away from the man's weight that pins him down but to no avail, only his wails escape from the man's grasp!

'What the hell? I'm a Knight student! I'm known for my physical strength! But wh-why can't I get away from him?!' He complained inside his head.

"St-stop!!!" He demanded.

-baam! -baam!

"S-someone! Stop this co-commoner!!! Aghhhh!!!"

A pleading voice echoed to the open field and the dark sky seems to be in sink with his agony.

***

On the east side of the St. Prisch Academy, where the building for sophomores is located. A silver-blue hair walks down the crowded halls of the gothic style castle where the taller windows and rooms with lots of light made a striking shadow cast down to the man walking down the aisle.

The onlookers admire his handsome face like it was sculpted by the highest craftsman, and his face that devoid of emotions was stunningly complimenting his icy aura. He looks like walking pheromones. Like his sister, they're both charmingly beautiful people.

He walks like a clothing line model, striding his long legs. While displaying his charm, a silent whisper from the gossiping girls came into his ears.

"Did you heard the rumors?"

"Oh...yes! I heard that Lady Evelyn was doing something behind his highness back!"

"Exactly! How disgraceful!"

A flash of irritation came into the sunset eyes of Allan.

He heard another story about his sister's vampish behavior. He clicked his tongue and proceed to his destination.

He sure will give a handful of warnings to Evelyn after his done with his business, but for now, he needs to go to where he was summoned.

The headmaster's office.

***

Cabel was under the willow tree, it was located at the back of the dormitory. It became his safe haven. It brings out the calmness that he needs during the times that he was irritated. It's also because he has memories of her under the willow trees... though it seems that the girl he knows from the past won't come back.

He breathes in the fresh air because he heard some ridiculous rumors about the person his most interested in nowadays. He's irritated because he also heard the floating rumors. Evelyn was always the center of attention these days. A little act will make a wildfire rumor that will spread and will become a disastrous, unimaginable consequence. Just like what he warns Evelyn during the assessment test.

He knows that her closeness to his escort will be brought upon scandalous rumors, that's also the reason why Cabel got angry because Evelyn then sided with his knight instead of denying what he said.

Though Cabel really wanted to be close with Evelyn since after his brother's birthday banquet.

-snap!

He summoned his shadow knight in a flick of his fingers.

A person then appeared out of nowhere. Clothed with black fabric that only the eyes were noticeable. And only the golden thread was hanging in his forearm with a symbol of a half-moon. The symbol of the shadow knight of the Night Guild.

"Yes, My Lord." The shadow knight kneeled in respect and his head was facing the green grass of the back garden.

He shuddered when a cold, icy aura escaped from his Lord.

"Find the one who spread the rumor. I want it within an hour." The stern voice of Cabel echoed and disappear. The shadow knight also vanished after nodding.