As I finished cooking with Liora, I stepped back and looked at the lined-up breakfast dishes, all placed neatly along the countertop.
I picked one of the plates obviously the one I'd cooked and grabbed a spoon.
Scooping up so egg, I took a bite.
Hmm. Not bad.
"How is it?" Liora asked, looking up at from her wheelchair.
"It's good enough," I said, smiling slightly.
I moved to the side, grabbed the food trolley, and carefully loaded the dishes onto it. Plate after plate. Twenty in total.
Once everything was in place, I pushed the trolley toward the dining room, the place where most of the students had started gathering for breakfast.
The room was half full. Since only half of Valery students join the competition.
As soon as I entered, clothes still a little dirty from cooking, sleeves rolled up, pushing the cart with Liora beside —
The room went silent.
Dozens of eyes turned toward us — Valery students, heirs, nobles, all staring.
At .
Kael Valery.
Pushing a tray of food like a common kitchen hand.
They didn't say anything. But I saw the way their expressions froze. So looked confused. So surprised. Others just stared, unsure of what they were seeing.
I kept walking until I reached the center, then stopped.
"Here's your breakfast," I said simply.
My voice wasn't loud. But it didn't need to be.
And sothing in the room shifted.
The weight of it finally hit them, of what I had done.
What it ant.
Then, quietly at first, one of the students stood. Then another. Then another.
Heads bowed.
Not out of fear. But sothing else.
"…Forgive us," soone murmured.
"We didn't know."
As they bowed, I felt an awkward instinct to bow back, not out of humility, just reflex. But I stopped myself. That wasn't how this worked. Not with who I was.
"…It's fine. Rise up now."
My voice ca out steadier than I expected.
Jessa didn't move right away. She looked down, hands clenched. Her expression was tight like she was holding sothing in. Not fear exactly. Maybe sha. Maybe sothing else.
Why were they reacting like this?
I reached for one of the plates on the tray, intending to hand it to them myself, a simple gesture. But before I could, a few of them stepped forward.
They didn't wait for permission.
They took the plates themselves, quiet and careful.
No one said anything.
As everyone grabbed their food and returned to their seats, they didn't sit right away. They just stood there quiet, waiting.
Waiting for .
I let out a small breath and walked to my usual spot. The large, high-backed chair at the center of the long table, comfortable leather, polished wood. A seat ant to show authority.
I sat down and placed my plate in front of .
Only then did the others begin to sit.
Liora, as always, wheeled herself toward the far corner. Her usual place — quiet, away from the center. Out of sight, out of mind.
But just as she started to place her plate down, soone leaned in beside her. A whisper I couldn't hear.
Then, to my surprise, Liora was gently guided toward the front.
And seated right next to Marlen.
Which is right next to .
As they settled in, silence held the room. Plates untouched, eyes lowered, everyone waiting.
I looked down at the sheet of paper placed neatly in front of , the sa one that was always there. Beautifully drawn script, ornate lettering. The standard morning prayer.
The prayer to him.
The One That Walked Away.
I picked it up, turned it over in my hand. It was tradition. I was supposed to recite it, speak on behalf of the House. Bless the al in his na.
But like every morning before this one, I didn't.
I wasn't going to pray to soone like him. Not after knowing what he was in the novel.
So I folded the paper in half and set it aside.
"I have known the One That Walked Away through sacred knowledge," I said aloud, keeping my voice even. "And if he's angry… then I'll speak with him myself."
A few heads lifted. Quiet confusion flickered in the air.
I let a beat pass, then gave a small nod.
"Let's eat."
As I took my first bite, the others slowly followed, eating in silence.
Across from , Cendric leaned slightly toward Silas and nudged him with his elbow.
"Hey," he whispered, "who are you more worried about the Blue Star or Valkcross?"
Silas gave him a look, then adjusted his collar like it was armor, even though there was nothing there.
Silas finally glanced at him. "You're forgetting soone."
"…The Commoner Union?" Cendric asked, not hiding his skepticism. "That pumpkin-uniform kid?"
He shook his head.
"No offense, but how's that even a threat? I saw so of their syncwatch. Barely held together with tape."
Silas let out a quiet sigh before answering,
"They're not a real threat. Not on their own."
He picked at his food, thoughtful.
"But they don't need to be. The Blue Star's already pulled them in. That's the smarter play letting soone else draw fire while you calculate from behind."
He looked up briefly.
"So now they're not two problems. Just one bigger one."
As the others kept talking, I glanced to my right.
Marlen sat beside Liora, arms crossed, eyes half-focused on her food. After a mont, she leaned just slightly toward her and muttered under her breath,
"…So how'd he end up in the kitchen?"
Liora looked at her, hesitant.
"He… ca in and asked if I needed help."
Marlen didn't react right away. Just shifted her jaw slightly, thinking.
Liora took another bite, then added, quieter,
"We talked. For a while."
Marlen picked up a piece of bread slowly, her hand moving with care.
The skin along her fingers and wrist was marked — faint scars, thin lines tracing across like pale etchings, barely noticeable unless you were looking.
She took a bite, chewed, then spoke softly to Liora without looking up.
"My sister used to cook sotis. Just to prove she could."
Liora looked up, curious.
"She was always the favorite. Strong, smart, top of the tier charts. Everyone thought she'd take over the family na soday. But she'd sneak into the kitchen and burn half the rice just to make a point."
Liora gave a small, surprised smile. "Really?"
Marlen nodded faintly. "Said she wanted to make sothing without expectation for once. Sothing no one would judge."
There was a short pause, then she added, quieter:
"She left a while ago. Didn't tell anyone where. Maybe she got tired of being watched."
Liora looked down at her food.
"I think I'd like her," she said.
Marlen gave a faint smile. "She would've liked you too."
Then, as the two girls continued speaking, Cendric leaned over with his usual grin and interrupted.
"Hey, sorry did either of you see that footage from the forum? The one about the Path user in the Elaron northern forests?"
Marlen looked up, skeptical. "The divine-tier one?"
"Yeah. Path of Black Wake," Cendric said, clearly excited. "She walked through a full dreamstorm. No anchor, no tether. Just kept going. Not even a blink."
Liora blinked. "That's… real?"
Cendric lowered his voice like it was classified. "Real enough that Elene Dais requested a private eting last year. Sent her a gift box too."
He paused for effect.
"She burned it."
Marlen raised a brow. "And you think she's the strongest?"
Cendric shrugged and took a bite. "Na soone better."
Silas leaned back, chewing. "Elene Dais? Chairwoman of the Hero Association."
Marlen stirred her drink with precision. "Red Cosmos. Keshar's supre leader."
Liora hesitated, then spoke softly. "Valkcross's Saint Leon. People still tell stories about what he did in during the night of blood"
Cendric looked flustered for a second but covered it with a grin, tossing a egg into his mouth. "Alright, fine. You win this round."
The others laughed lightly, conversation moving on
I sat back and took a sip of my soda, listening to the chatter around . They were all talking in their groups—Cendric leaning toward Silas, Marlen still whispering with Liora, a few more voices rising in casual rhythm.
And ?
Just eating.
Quietly.
No one sitting close enough to really talk to.
Maybe they still saw as sothing distant. Sothing above them.
I stabbed another bite of egg and chewed slowly.
The food was fine. Just quiet.
Cendric was halfway through so wild theory. Liora was smiling faintly at sothing Marlen said. Even Silas looked relaxed.
And ?
I sat here at the center seat. The one no one dared claim. Eating alone.
Wasn't sad. Not really. Just… funny.
This was the price, wasn't it?
I wanted to change things. Take the weight. Walk different from the old Kael.
And now, here I was. Still a little untouchable. Still a little alone.
I took another bite. It wasn't so bad.
I glanced at Liora.
I think I understood her a little more now.
Maybe this is how she felt — seen, but never quite reached.
I took another bite.
It didn't taste lonely.
But maybe I did.
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