Chapter 13
Chapter 13: Stand Still and Behave!
“Everyone, thank you for coming.”
The seals installed on each floor began working, and Lord Seraphiel’s voice spread to every corner of the castle.
“Thank you all for attending my family’s…”
In the first-floor hall, Seraphiel stood in the center of the crowd, giving his welcoming speech.
Flin leaned on the railing, watching the ceremony below.
Just now, Adelina had stood up with a red face, saying her father wanted her to come watch the ceremony together, then hurriedly lifted her skirt and ran away.
In the end, he still hadn’t managed to extract anything.
But it didn’t matter. He just needed to avoid contact with Vilodie.
“Now, please welcome tonight’s banquet protagonist, Miss Vilodie Seraphiel!”
The tightly closed doors in the center of the first floor were slowly pulled open by two Seraphiel family guards.
Moon-white silk gleamed like pearls under the lights, with silver lace on the hem like crystallized moonlight.
Vilodie slowly walked in under everyone’s gaze.
Her pink hair was carefully pinned up, adorned with silver butterfly hairpins, each wing inlaid with tiny gems that flowed with elegant light under the illumination.
She held her chin slightly raised, her amber eyes still showing no emotion, as if all the noise in the banquet hall had nothing to do with her.
Vilodie stood under the spotlight, her gaze slowly moving toward the floor where Flin was, her delicate face remaining calm.
Flin’s heart tightened, and he instinctively stepped back, leaning against the corner.
Why did this scene feel familiar?
Last week, on the day he said goodbye to Vilodie, she had also slowly looked up at him from downstairs.
And he had also stepped back then, hiding in the shadows.
Surely the next scene wouldn’t be exactly the same?
“Student Flin, you really are here.”
The familiar voice appeared.
Just like that day, the grade director stood beside Flin, looking helpless.
“Director? How are you here? I was just…”
“This isn’t school. Just call me by my name.”
Grade director Sofia wore a deep brown gown, her chestnut hair neatly pinned up and secured with a silver hairpin inlaid with sapphires.
She wasn’t wearing glasses today, looking somewhat different.
Sofia patted Flin’s shoulder.
“Sigh, forget it. The more I try to stop you, the more desperately you’ll love Vilodie.”
She had seen too many innocent boys like Flin who went crazy for love.
Flin stood frozen. He felt like fate was playing a joke on him.
Although Sofia’s appearance wasn’t in his predictions, such a small variable didn’t matter.
Not worth mentioning! Watch me handle this quickly!
“No, Teacher Sofia. What you said before was right. I really don’t deserve Vilodie. My family…”
Flin lowered his head, his fingers unconsciously rubbing his sleeve cuffs. His shoulders hunched slightly, as if trying to curl himself into a ball and hide from everyone’s gaze.
“I’m sorry…” His voice was somewhat hoarse, with a barely perceptible tremor. “I know I don’t deserve Miss Vilodie. Even this formal wear is secondhand.”
He looked up, his eyes glistening with tears, his face slightly flushed.
“In the past, I might have been qualified to stand beside her. But now…”
His Adam’s apple moved as if he was struggling to hold something back.
“My family has already…” His voice grew smaller and smaller, almost inaudible. “I can barely chew today’s bread…”
At this point, his tears finally couldn’t be controlled and began welling up in his eyes. But he immediately lowered his head and roughly wiped the corners of his eyes with his sleeve.
That appearance of wanting to maintain dignity but being powerless to do so made one’s heart ache.
“I’ll stay away from Vilodie. Don’t worry, I definitely won’t cause you any trouble. After tonight, I’ll never see her again. I just want to see how radiant the girl I once liked is tonight.”
Sofia looked at the hunched boy in front of her, her heart clenching.
Looking at Flin’s slightly trembling shoulders, at his fingers gripping his clothes, at the tear stains at the corners of his eyes. For a moment, she seemed to see her own son who hadn’t yet grown up.
“I’m sorry, Teacher Sofia. I shouldn’t have said these things in front of you.” He forced a smile that looked worse than crying. “It’s just that you remind me a bit of my mother. I just haven’t seen my mother in so long.”
Sofia felt her heart being severely squeezed, and her breathing almost stopped.
“Call me Sofia.”
“But…”
“This is your teacher’s order.” Sofia deliberately put on a stern face, but her eyes were gentle.
Sofia thought of Flin’s mother.
Gentle and intelligent, she must have been a good mother.
And she had even given her gifts.
But a few years ago, she had somehow offended someone, and overnight the entire family was destroyed.
Flin alone faced enormous debts and pain, barely holding on.
If her own son encountered such a situation, gnawing on bread as hard as rocks and being mocked by everyone for liking a girl.
Sofia didn’t dare think further.
She had actually been eavesdropping on Flin’s gossip in the office.
She had even collected love letters Flin had written.
I really deserve to die!
“Teacher Sofia, just let me be alone. I just want to quietly watch her and then leave.”
He couldn’t tell Sofia that he had come at Adelina’s invitation.
That would make things increasingly troublesome.
“Flin.”
Sofia patted Flin’s shoulder, her eyes also somewhat red.
“Don’t worry. Although your teacher isn’t some great noble, I am the grade director after all. Vilodie will come thank me in person, so just stay by my side.”
Sofia’s usually stern expression disappeared, replaced by a gentleness Flin had never seen before.
“I can’t do much for you, but tonight you can talk with her and say a proper goodbye. Tomorrow you can start a new life.”
“Ahhhhh???”
Flin panicked. How was the plot different from what he had thought?
Sofia tightly gripped the struggling Flin, not letting him leave.
This child was actually this excited.
It seemed he still loved Vilodie deeply.
Then she definitely had to let them meet.
Otherwise, this would be a lifelong regret for Flin.
The ceremony ended, and Vilodie curtsied slightly to the crowd.
The banquet officially began.
Chatting, drinking, dancing, laughing.
Everyone showed happy smiles at this unprecedentedly grand banquet.
Except for a few people.
Vilodie was now speeding up her ceremonial greetings with other nobles.
“Hello, thank you, goodbye.”
These three sentences repeated continuously, and she would soon complete her greeting quota.
Adelina had no choice but to socialize with nobles who came to greet her alongside Linda.
Beneath that gentle smile, she hid a somewhat impatient expression.
And Flin was currently being held by the neck by Sofia, listening to her discuss a joint charity plan between Saint Andreas and Lancher Academy where Adelina studied.
Tonight was unexpectedly rough.
Every one of Flin’s plans had unexpected developments.
Beside Sofia, he couldn’t see where Vilodie and Adelina were at all.
The crowd around them became noisy – no need to think about it, Vilodie was coming up.
“I’ll go get some drinks for the distinguished guests.”
Flin smiled slightly, preparing to slip away.
“Eh, no need.”
Sofia grabbed Flin’s sleeve with a knowing expression.
Seeing Vilodie coming and wanting to run away?
How shy.
Stand still and behave!