I Killed The Main Characters

Chapter 168: Build Up [1]

The night was quiet.

The soft hum of crickets harmonizing with the gentle rustle of leaves in the nearby garden.

Under the glow of a dim streetlight near the pristine white tables and chairs of Silvercrest Hall's garden, Prince Leo sat.

His usual composed smile gracing his face.

Across the streetlight's path emerged a figure flanked by two other men.

He was dressed in an impeccably tailored noble suit that contrasted sharply with his sharp, calculating gaze.

Caelan Draemyr, a professor at Ravenwood, approached with measured steps.

His eyes scanned the scene, noting the prince's relaxed posture.

Though he knew better than to let appearances deceive him.

"Your Highness."

Caelan greeted, bowing slightly.

"To what do I owe the honor of this meeting at such an hour?"

Leo gestured toward the seat across from him, his smile widening, though it didn't reach his eyes.

"Sit, Professor Draemyr. Let's have a little chat."

Caelan hesitated but complied, settling into the chair.

The tension in the air was palpable.

The guards behind Leo standing silent and unmoving like statues.

"I thought we agreed..."

Leo began, his tone light but laced with an edge.

"...that you wouldn't engage in anything… suspicious."

Caelan's lips pressed into a thin line.

"Suspicious? I'm afraid I don't follow, Your Highness."

Leo leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly against the pristine white table.

"Come now, Professor....

Thanks to the eyes I have around the academy, I've heard some rather curious reports.

For instance…"

He leaned forward slightly, his red eyes gleaming in the dim light.

"You were seen with a merchant recently.

A peculiar merchant who handed you something."

Caelan cursed inwardly.

'This brat really has eyes everywhere.'

He forced a calm expression and met Leo's gaze.

"Your Highness..."

He said smoothly.

"...our agreement was clear.

I promised not to cause trouble for the princess, and I have upheld that promise.

As for my dealings, they are purely professional.

A professor at Ravenwood must occasionally procure materials for research or other academic purposes.

Surely you wouldn't find fault in that?"

Leo's smile remained, but the atmosphere around him shifted.

The light-hearted façade began to crack as he leaned forward even more, his fingers gripping the edge of the table.

"Don't play coy with me, Professor."

He said, his voice dropping an octave.

"Just because you're a professor doesn't mean you're untouchable.

If I so much as suspect that you're plotting something—anything—against my sister…"

He moved swiftly, his hand shooting across the table to grip Caelan's arm.

The professor stiffened as Leo's fingers dug into his sleeve.

And the faint glow of red began to radiate from the prince's palm.

The heat was subtle at first.

But it quickly intensified, burning through the fabric and searing into Caelan's skin.

Leo's voice was sharp, bitter.

"You will regret it.

I don't care who you think you are or what strings you think you can pull.

If you dare to involve her—ever—I'll see to it that your name is erased from history."

Caelan's jaw tightened as he felt the burning sensation travel up his arm.

Despite the pain, he refused to flinch, glaring at Leo with defiance.

"Your Highness..."

He said through gritted teeth.

"...with all due respect, I am loyal to the crown and to Ravenwood.

You might want to be careful about making baseless accusations."

Leo held his gaze for a moment longer before abruptly letting go, the heat dissipating.

He leaned back into his chair, his composure returning as if nothing had happened.

"Baseless, is it?"

Leo said with a mocking smile.

"Perhaps.

But I've found it's better to act preemptively.

Don't you agree?"

Caelan rubbed his arm discreetly, his skin still stinging from the prince's grip.

"Preemptive actions can often lead to unintended consequences, Your Highness."

He replied, his tone measured.

"Take, for instance, a story of a kingdom at war.

A single decision, rash and unchecked, could lead to ships burned in the harbor, towers crumbling to the ground, and a king's castle reduced to rubble.

All of it… gone in a single, decisive....

Boom!"

Leo narrowed his eyes.

"Are you threatening me, Professor?"

Caelan chuckled lightly, his expression calm but his words carrying a hidden edge.

"Not at all, Your Highness.

Merely speaking of the dangers of acting without certainty."

Just as the words left his lips, a deafening explosion tore through the air.

Both guards froze, their heads snapping toward the direction of Silvercrest Hall.

In the distance, flames erupted from one wing of the building, the fiery glow casting an ominous light across the garden.

The sound of shattering glass and crumbling stone echoed through the night.

Leo shot to his feet, his heart pounding.

His mind raced, and one thought consumed him.

'Her room.'

Caelan leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable.

A faint, smug smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he watched the chaos unfold.

Leo turned to him, his red eyes blazing with fury.

"What did you do?"

---

Elara, the daughter of the Velden Royal Family, sat gracefully before an expansive mirror.

Her fiery red hair cascading over her shoulders.

Behind her stood a maid, deftly running a brush through her silken locks.

"You look stunning, Your Highness."

The maid said, her voice soft but tinged with admiration.

Elara smiled faintly at her reflection, her sharp red eyes betraying little emotion.

"You always say that, Fiona.

You'll make me believe it one day."

Fiona chuckled as she continued brushing.

"One doesn't have to believe what's plainly true.

Every strand of your hair is perfect, just like your position in life."

Elara gave a half-laugh, shaking her head.

"Perfect? Hardly. But thank you for trying to brighten my night."

The princess's gaze shifted downward for a moment before she spoke again.

"Fiona, do you remember when that illegitimate son of the Ashbourne family... when he sent me that ridiculous letter?"

Fiona paused for a moment, considering.

"Yes, I do recall. He asked you out, didn't he?"

Elara smirked, a mix of amusement and disbelief playing on her face.

"That's right.

He handed me a letter, bold as anything, asking me to go out with him.

When I refused, he simply... accepted it.

No groveling, no complaints.

Just a plain 'I understand.'

Isn't that strange?"

Fiona nodded, her hands never faltering in their rhythmic brushing.

"Very strange, indeed.

Most nobles would have either pressed on or tried to make a scene

But I suppose Noah Ashbourne has always been... different."

"Different..."

Elara repeated, almost as if testing the word.

"I've heard the rumors about him, you know.

How he acts without a shred of thought at times, yet at others, he's supposedly scheming in ways no one can predict.

He's... complicated."

Fiona snorted lightly, something she rarely allowed herself in the presence of her mistress.

"Complicated isn't the word I'd use, Your Highness.

Disgusting, perhaps

Someone like him doesn't deserve to even stand in your shadow, let alone make such a bold request."

Elara leaned back slightly, her posture relaxed.

"Disgusting or not, I hardly care.

The boy is irrelevant to me.

For now, all I care about is surpassing Leo and proving myself capable of taking the Blessed Sage title.

Once I become student council president, I'll be one step closer to leaving his achievements in the dust."

Fiona set the brush aside and placed her hands on Elara's shoulders, meeting her eyes in the mirror.

"You will surpass him, Your Highness. There's no doubt in my mind.

And when you do, it'll be your name that resonates throughout the empire, not his."

Elara smiled softly.

"Thank you, Fiona. Truly."

The moment was interrupted by a sudden realization.

Elara snapped upright, her expression briefly one of panic.

"My mother's amulet! I haven't put it on!"

Clara's eyes widened slightly as Elara continued.

"I completely forgot.

I can't sleep without it.

What was I thinking?"

"Don't worry, Your Highness.

I'll fetch it for you."

Fiona moved swiftly to a lacquered drawer on the far side of the room.

Opening it carefully, she retrieved a small red box with golden trim.

Returning to Elara, she opened the box to reveal a delicate golden necklace adorned with an intricately designed amulet.

Elara lowered her head as Fiona gently placed the amulet around her neck, clasping it securely.

The princess let out a soft breath of relief, her hands brushing over the pendant.

"Much better," she murmured.

As Fiona adjusted the necklace, she glanced toward the mirror.

For the briefest moment, a strange grin flickered across her face, sharp and unnatural.

Before vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.

When Elara raised her gaze to meet Fiona's in the mirror, the maid's expression was serene and composed once more.

"You look as radiant as ever, Your Highness," Clara said, stepping back.

"Now, you should rest. Tomorrow is another important day."

Elara nodded but didn't immediately rise from her seat.

The room was quiet save for the faint sound of the wind brushing against the windows.

The amulet glowed faintly, a tendril of black and red aura slipping from its edges before dissipating into the air.

Elara didn't seem to notice, her focus still on her reflection.

But Fiona's eyes lingered on the pendant for a moment longer.

"Goodnight, Your Highness."

Fiona said, bowing slightly before retreating toward the door.