Not-So an Extra

—Clip —Clop —Clip —Clop 

A magnificent carriage, adorned with intricate gold and silver details, glided effortlessly down the cobblestone street.

Four majestic white horses pulled the carriage, their manes and tails braided with ribbons of gold and silver. 

The Imperial pennant, emblazoned with the Imperial crest, flapped proudly in the wind, announcing the rider's identity to all who saw it.

—Neigh!

The moment the carriage came to a stop in front of the Academy's entrance gate, a hush fell over the crowd of onlookers. 

All eyes were fixed on the carriage, waiting to catch a glimpse of the person inside. 

When a striking white-haired boy dressed in a regal outfit emerged from the carriage, a low murmur rippled through the crowd.

It had been eight long days since the Princes' grounding, and Adrian was finally returning to the Academy.

As he walked towards the Academy's entrance, he could feel the weight of the onlookers' eyes on him. 

Adrian couldn't help but cluck his tongue in annoyance.

"Tsk."

Despite his status as a member of the Imperial family, he had never been comfortable with the attention that came with it.

He didn't like the way they looked at him; it looked like he was some kind of spectacle to be gawked at. 

It made him feel as if countless bugs were crawling on his skin, and the sensation was enough to disgust him.

His steps came to a sudden halt when his gaze locked onto a pair of purple gems in the distance.

Like the others, she too watched him with her three friends. 

Without hesitation, he approached her.

Upon getting closer, he could see that her face was flustered, and her three friends were chuckling; it seemed they were teasing her.

Unexpectedly, they quickly left her alone, leaving her standing there all alone.

"Guys, why are you like this?"

The girl muttered under her breath, clearly annoyed at her friends' behavior.

As she was prepared to leave, Adrian stopped her.

"Can we talk?"

The girl with lilac hair turned around, her face expressing even more surprise when he appeared before her.

"Ah…"

Adrian sighed as she continued to stare at him in disbelief, remaining silent. 

He repeated himself once more.

"Can we talk?"

"Y-yes!"

Soon, he led her to a more secluded area, and the crowd grew louder upon seeing them departing together.

Upon arriving when there were few passersby, Adrian couldn't help but notice the rosy hue on her cheeks.

"..."

Adrian was not stupid by any means, nor was he narcissistic.

Their interaction should have ended when she and her friends conveyed their gratitude.

Yet, out of the blue, she came back and gave him a Tassel.

Looking at her face, Adrian could easily tell that the little girl had taken an interest in him.

Her face was like a transparent glass, vividly revealing every emotion she felt.

But sorry, not sorry, he was not interested in a little girl.

Brushing it off, Adrian spoke candidly and directly.

"Hold out your hands."

"?"

Despite the confusion written on her face, she obediently complied with his command.

Adrian took out a red velvet box from his Magical Sphere and placed it in her open palm.

"Accept this as a token of my gratitude."

The girl blinked in surprise, her eyes widening with astonishment.

"Your tassel, it helps me. Thanks."

Without bothering about her reaction, Adrian turned and started walking away.

The only reason he gave her a present was to repay her for the tassel that had saved his life.

With this, he owed her nothing now.

"Your—Uh, Ian."

Adrian halted in his tracks and glanced at her; the box in his hands had opened.

The girl offered him a gentle smile and spoke softly.

"Thank you."

The white-haired boy nodded and continued on his way.

Her three friends soon approached her, and they couldn't help but admire the beautiful butterfly hairpin that the Prince had given her.

The hairpin was intricately decorated with purple gems, and it sparkled in the sunlight.

"Whoaa!"

"It's beautiful."

"It matches your eyes, Tia!"

Leticia smiled and a warm sensation spread through her chest.

She knew it was a token of gratitude, but she couldn't help feeling happy.

One of her friends playfully nudged her waist and teased.

"I see, so your relationship with His Highness has improved, huh?'"

Leticia shook her head, feeling a little bit embarrassed.

"It's not like that; Adrian said that my Tassel helped him, just that. It's a token of gratitude."

However, instead of responding, the three girls just giggled and spoke among themselves.

"Did you hear how she called His Highness by his name? She never did it before!"

"Yeah, yeah, I noticed it too!"

"I heard it too!"

Leticia's face turned red, imitating a cherry; she was blushing so hard.

"Guys, stop it!"

Seizing his laugh, one of them stepped forward.

"But, do you really like His Highness?"

One of her friends asked, looking at Leticia with a curious expression. 

"I mean, he didn't even bother to smile? Like… he's so cold, you know?"

After a brief silence, Leticia shrugged, feeling a little bit defensive. 

"He's not cold—he's just... reserved. And I don't know if I like him or not. I just think he's interesting, that's all."

Her friends nodded, understanding her feelings. 

They knew that Leticia was a romantic at heart, and they couldn't blame her for being drawn to Adrian's mysterious aura.

Honestly speaking, every girl in the Academy was attracted to the Prince's good looks.

But in their cases, they knew their place; they knew not to climb trees beyond their ability.

"Well, just be careful."

One of her friends warned her, and Leticia nodded.

After all, falling for a prince was a dangerous game considering their family matters.

.

.

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—Step —Step —Step

Adrian's footsteps echoed through the hallway as he made his way to his class.

Upon sensing four individuals gathered at the entrance of his class, he couldn't help but arch one of his eyebrows in wonder.

'How unusual of them.'

Usually, his classmates had been seated at this time—since it was only a few minutes away before the bell rang.

Brushing it off, Adrian opened the door.

However, to his surprise, he was greeted by a chorus of cheerful voices, followed by confetti that rained down on him.

"Welcome back!"

His classmates exclaimed, their faces lighting up with wide smiles.

Adrian was taken aback by the warm reception and blinked his eyes several times in surprise.

"It's so good to see you again. We've missed you!"

Sylvina spoke cheerfully and the others chimed in, clapping their hands and beaming with joy.

Recovering from his surprise, Adrian shook his head in disbelief before eventually letting out a thin smile. 

He felt a warm sensation spreading through his chest.

Well, it had been more than a month since the last time they met.

Adrian eventually responded with a voice filled with gratitude.

"Yeah, it has."

After they conveyed their longing and warm welcome, the bell rang.

Shortly, their homeroom teacher entered the classroom and greeted them.

"Good morning, class."

"Good morning, Professor."

They answered in unison.

Noticing a familiar figure, the Gizel smiled and greeted the white-haired boy.

"It's been a while."

Adrian nodded and responded.

"It has, Professor."

Instantly, class started, and Adrian couldn't help but realize that he had missed out on a considerable amount of study—thanks to the Emperor's grounding.

But, he had no problem with it since he had already studied them years ago and felt confident in his abilities.

During the lesson, Gizel posed a question to the class.

"Can someone explain how the season affects our Magic?"

Immediately, the wheat-haired boy raised his hand, and Rhea rolled her eyes in boredom, anticipating the upcoming drama.

'Here comes the show.'

"Péréz?"

"Yes, Professor. The seasons can affect elemental magic because each season has a different impact on the natural elements such as fire, water, air, lightning, and earth."

Gizel nodded and asked for an example.

"For example, Fire Elemental will grow stronger during the summer, while Water Elemental will grow stronger during the winter season."

After a moment of pause, Péréz continued.

"However, the impact of the seasons on elemental magic can vary depending on the specific type of magic being performed and the individual Elementalist's skill level."

"I see; thank you, Péréz."

The other students couldn't help but be surprised by Péréz's knowledge and confident delivery.

They had expected him to throw the question to Adrian, as he often did in the past.

However, today the wheat-haired boy performed something different!

Péréz turned sideways and the moment his hazel eyes locked with a set of cerulean eyes, he raised his thumbs.

Upon seeing it, Adrian couldn't help but let out a chuckle and nodded his head in acknowledgment. 

'Oh, I see. So Péréz sticks to his word, huh?'

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.

After a few hours had passed, the bell rang, signaling the end of the lesson's session.

—Ding! —Dong! —Ding! —Dong!

Gizel ended the class and bid his class farewell. 

He strode to the door and opened it. 

As he was about to step out, he suddenly halted and turned back to his pupils.

"By the way."

A mischievous smile planted on his lips.

And the students were certain that whatever came out of his mouth would not be pleasant.

"I forgot to tell you that your midterms will begin next week!"

"What? Isn't it too soon?!"

Péréz exclaimed, looking at him in disbelief.

Soon, the class erupted into chaos at the sudden news.

As expected of their homeroom teacher, Gizel loved to surprise his students with unexpected news.