Not long after Elian finished his speech, they set off. As he mentioned earlier, the ship started shaking, but it only lasted for a brief moment.

Aira quickly grabbed Adriel’s arm, and did not let go until the trembling stopped. She was left with trauma after all the trembling she went through in the dungeon.

The ship sailed in the sky steadily and Aira gathered the courage to move without a worry on its deck.

The view below took her breath away. The ship was protected by a shield, so the ones on the deck were not affected by the pressure, but Aira could still feel the clean air in her lungs and the sharp wind blades cutting on her skin even if it was only an illusion created by her own wishful mind. Her eyes were glued on the landscapes below while standing on her toes because she was too short to lean over.

“Whoa!”, she exclaimed, her smile reaching to her ears.

She did not move from that spot for an hour, determined to let her eyes be blessed with the beauty of that world, and Adriel did not leave her side, quietly admiring the scenery as well.

The other future students already seemed to have formed small groups, but they were still divided between nobles and commoners.

Noah did not miss the chance to interact with other nobles while completely ignoring his brother and sister.

Yet, our Aira was unbothered. Her sole purpose was to get a title. She was more than happy with the fact that the baron allowed Hestia to follow them to the capital, meaning that she would no longer be bullied by the wicked first wife.

She initially planned to take the gold she was promised, then escape together with Adriel and Hestia, away from the baron’s influence and his ogre of a wife’s clutches. However, a title would come with more advantages long term. She only needed to level up her magic an make significant contributions as a mage in a short amount of time.

“Is there something bothering you?”, Adriel asked, noticing Aira lost deeply in thoughts.

“It’s nothing. I was wondering about the academy.”, she replied. “Ah! I forgot to ask. How was it called?”, she asked.

“It’s called Golden Spring Academy.”, he said. “It’s the best in our kingdom and on the whole Eleitrea. Many mages…”

“Wait!”, she interrupted. “Did you just say Golden Spring Academy?”, she asked, shocked.

“Yes! Is there something wrong?”

“I’m so stupid! ”, she thought. “How could I have not realized this sooner?”

The name Vesta alone should have given her a clue of the world she was in. Aiden Perses Vesta was the second male lead in the novel she used to read in her previous life, ‘The Flower’s Tears’. Aiden met Elise, the female protagonist of the story, at the Golden Spring Academy, then gradually fell in love with her.

“Aira? Are you not feeling well?”, Adriel asked, worried, touching her forehead, seeing she had not responded to his questions, leaving him to talk by himself. He wondered whether she might have fallen sick while she went missing.

“No! Yes! Sorry! I was just lost in my thoughts.”, she replied, sneaking a  peek at Aiden, who seemed to be caught in a conversation with Elian on the other side of the ship.

“Shit!”, she cursed, as she realized the snow-white prince locked eyes with her, then she quickly turned around, pretending to admire the scenery.

“You need to stop cursing. Where did you learn to talk like that?”, Adriel scolded.

“Ah! Sorry! Um, I’m hungry. Let’s go eat!”, Aira said, after she noticed Aiden’s intention to approach them.

The ship was equipped with all the necessary facilities, including a kitchen, a cafeteria, or tea room, where those on board could eat and drink free of charge.

“Are you going to the cafeteria?”, Aiden asked once he approached the two.

“Yes!”, Adriel replied, before Aira could say otherwise.

“Would you mind if I joined you?”

“What the hell! Why?”, Aira shouted, in her head, of course.

She did not wish to have anything to do with one of the main characters, especially with Aiden whom she knew having an army of crazy young girls wanting to be his brides, most of them a danger to anyone who would try to get closer to him.

“Um! Not at all!”, Adriel said.

If the suggestion had come from a commoner, Adriel could have easily refused, but he could not do that to a noble of such rank, granted that it would certainly attract hatred or envy from those who were watching from the sidelines.

Aiden seemed overjoyed and the reason was beyond Aira’s comprehension. The other nobles looked at them, unsatisfied. Aiden was a prince, the son of the great Duke Sirius Anser Vesta and of Annelisse Rosalie Vesta, the heroine of the Arimeia Kingdom. By interacting with commoners, even if she and Adriel came from a baron’s family, he lowered himself, by the rule of that world.

 Author notes:

QUIZ:

What is the best way to make someone lose their interest in you?

A. Chew on your own hair like a cow chewing on grass while making eye contact with that person.

B. Walk on all fours while barking. Remember to keep the eye contact.

C. Roll on the floor while laughing out of nowhere. Eye contact is crucial.