The next day, the tension in the air could have been cut with a blade. Felix’s face was a mix of dread, embarrassnt, and sothing that resembled a resignation to fate. He didn’t exactly look thrilled at the thought of leading his chaotic classmates to his family’s estate. As we gathered outside the academy’s gates, he kept shooting furtive glances at , no doubt hoping that this was so sort of fevered dream I’d eventually wake him up from.
Too bad for him, this was very much real.
"Alright, everyone!" I announced to the assembled group of reluctant adventurers, "We’re heading to the magnificent Dorne estate today! Pack your bags, empty your minds, and prepare for a whirlwind of noble charm and probably so unintended chaos."
Felix shot another dark look. "Please... Lucian. Please don’t make a big deal out of this."
"Oh, Felix," I said with a dramatic sigh, "I don’t do subtle. If you’re going to drag your friends to your noble hellhole, you might as well make it morable. And trust , we will make it morable."
Felix didn’t respond to that. I guess he didn’t have it in him to argue, not when I was clearly enjoying myself. The rest of the class, however, wasn’t so silent. They were busy exchanging looks—so hopeful, so terrified.
Leo, ever the pessimist, muttered under his breath. "This is going to be a nightmare, isn’t it?"
"Of course it is," I responded casually. "But at least it’ll be your nightmare. You’re welco."
Mira, who had been unusually quiet, finally spoke up. "I’m just trying to wrap my head around the fact that we’re going to Felix’s family estate. I thought it was supposed to be... fancy?"
I raised an eyebrow. "I don’t know about fancy—but it’s definitely going to be interesting. You might even learn sothing about the noble world. I hear they have fancy tea parties. Or maybe an assassination attempt or two, who knows?"
Felix visibly winced. "Can we just go already?"
"Sure!" I snapped my fingers. "We’re off to the wonderful Dorne estate. Prepare yourselves, everyone. It’ll be a journey you’ll never forget—whether you want to or not."
We set off, leaving the academy grounds and making our way through the lower districts of the city. Felix’s discomfort was palpable; he kept looking over his shoulder as though he half-expected soone to jump out and drag him back into whatever drama had been brewing at his estate.
The journey was mostly uneventful, but as we approached the outskirts of the city and the landscape began to change, the atmosphere beca... stranger. The roads beca narrower, the buildings more dilapidated, and the air started to feel heavier. The further we traveled, the more it felt like we were leaving the world of civilization behind.
"Is it always like this around your family’s estate?" I asked, glancing sideways at Felix.
Felix sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "It’s... complicated. The Dorne estate is in a remote area, but it’s not exactly isolated. It’s just... run down. My family hasn’t been able to maintain it well, so things are a little... rough."
"Sounds cozy," I deadpanned. "Really looking forward to it."
"Don’t get your hopes up," Felix muttered.
After another hour or so of traveling, we finally reached the Dorne estate. Or, at least, what was left of it. The estate stood in front of us like a weathered monunt to better days—cracked stone walls, a collapsing roof, and overgrown vines creeping up the sides. The gardens were in disarray, the once-pristine flowerbeds now wild and untad.
I couldn’t help but let out a low whistle. "Wow, Felix, this is really sothing. Looks like the nobles here don’t care much for curb appeal."
Felix’s face turned red, but he didn’t respond. He was too busy fumbling with the key to the gate, clearly dreading the mont we would enter.
Once we stepped through the gate, the rest of the class followed hesitantly, their eyes scanning the surroundings with a mix of curiosity and concern. It wasn’t exactly the luxurious estate they’d been expecting. Instead, it felt more like a haunted mansion from a bad ghost story.
"Welco to the Dorne estate," Felix muttered as he led the way inside. "Try not to touch anything too expensive—or fragile."
I grinned. "Don’t worry, Felix. I’m sure everything here is as durable as your family’s reputation."
The rest of the group stayed silent, taking in their surroundings. The grand entrance hall was eerily quiet, with only the distant sound of creaking wood to break the silence. The walls were lined with faded portraits of long-forgotten relatives, their eyes following us as we passed.
I could practically feel the awkwardness in the air.
"So..." I began, dragging out the mont to make it as uncomfortable as possible, "What’s the real story here, Felix? You said ’complicated,’ but we both know that ans sothing juicy."
Felix sighed, clearly not in the mood to engage. "I don’t want to talk about it."
"I bet it’s about a scandal," I mused aloud, ignoring him. "Maybe you have a secret love affair with one of your servants. Or perhaps the estate is haunted, and that’s why it looks like sothing straight out of a horror novel?"
Felix didn’t answer, and for a mont, I almost felt bad for him. Almost.
Instead, I slapped him on the back, nearly knocking him off his feet. "Alright, let’s explore the wonderful world of the Dorne family. Who knows, maybe I’ll uncover so new material for your next family drama."
Felix gave a half-hearted glare but didn’t stop as I began to poke around, inspecting everything with mock interest.
The rest of the class was clearly unsure of how to behave in this strange new environnt. So of them were whispering to each other, others standing awkwardly near the entrance as if hoping to get the whole ordeal over with as quickly as possible.
I, however, was enjoying every second of it.
"Alright," I called to the group, "everyone, gather up. We’re about to give the Dorne estate a makeover, Class C style. And by that, I an ’destroy anything we touch and pretend we don’t care.’"
Felix’s face turned pale. "Please, Lucian... Don’t—"
"Oh, I won’t," I said with a grin. "But I’ll make sure to get so good stories out of it."
And with that, the chaos of our vacation officially began.
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