Here we go. Ethan was wondering when he was going to meet the other students of the academy, and it looked like the first one was here. Ethan sighed inwardly, setting his plate down as he sized up the newcomer. Of course, the first academy student had to be a pompous ass.

"Greetings, my Lord." He bowed slightly, hoping the man would be satisfied.

The man's smirk deepened, though his eyes narrowed slightly, the subtle jab clearly hitting its mark. "I'm Lucien Thariel," he announced, his voice carrying a practiced arrogance. "Second son of the Thariel family, and soon to be one of the most promising students at the Imperial Academy. And you are?".

"Ethan Rutgard, pleased to make your acquaintance, Lord Thariel."

Lucien's smirk remained, but his eyes roved over Ethan as though appraising him for weaknesses. "Rutgard?" he echoed, tilting his head slightly. "Can't say I've heard of your family. Some small clan name, I assume?"

Ethan was about to open his mouth and answer when suddenly the guy interrupted him again. "Oh wait, I have heard of you. Aren't you the guy who proposed to Lady Lyra and announced your undying love for her?"

Lucien's smirk widened, his eyes gleaming with amusement as he leaned in slightly. "Oh, come now. Don't be shy. It's a noble gesture, really—throwing yourself at Lady Lyra's feet, professing your devotion. I'm sure everyone found it... charming."

Ethan's fists clenched at his sides, but he kept his expression neutral. This wasn't the time to lash out, no matter how much he wanted to knock the smug look off Lucien's face. He simply looked at the ground and said nothing, fully accepting the embarrassment.

A few system notifications about his wolf pack's kills helped.

"Silent, are we?" Lucien continued, his smirk widening. "Don't worry, Rutgard. Everyone makes a fool of themselves at least once. You're just ahead of the curve."

The surrounding servants and a few guards nearby exchanged glances, some hiding faint smirks, others pretending not to notice. The sting of humiliation lingered, but Ethan forced himself to focus. This isn't the time to snap. Save it for when it matters.

Before Lucien could pile on another insult, a sharp voice sliced through the air. "Thariel, what exactly are you doing?"

Ethan glanced up to see Lyra approaching, her green eyes locked onto Lucien with an expression of icy annoyance. Her presence immediately shifted the atmosphere, the faint murmurs of the bystanders fading into silence.

"Lady Lyra," Lucien said smoothly, turning to her with a mockingly exaggerated bow. "I was simply catching up with our dear friend Rutgard here. It seems he's quite the romantic. Surely you've heard the stories?"

Lyra's gaze didn't waver, her tone as sharp as her eyes. "I'm not interested in gossip, Lucien. And neither is anyone else. If you're done entertaining yourself, return to your position."

Lucien hesitated, his smirk faltering for the briefest moment before he recovered. "Of course, my Lady. I wouldn't dream of disobeying you." He turned back to Ethan, his voice dropping just enough to carry a subtle threat. "Until next time, Rutgard."

Ethan met his gaze briefly, offering no reaction, before Lucien sauntered away, his polished boots crunching against the dirt as he disappeared into the crowd.

Lyra gave Ethan a look before following Lucien back to the first carriage.

Ethan watched the two of them walk away, wondering if he was going to have to deal with this on a daily basis. He sighed and turned to his meal to enjoy when suddenly a chill ran down his spine. He felt nervous and his gut instincts screamed danger.

He dropped the plate on the ground and became alert but the feeling disappeared just as fast as it came. "What the hell?" He even turned around to see if something was off but found nothing at all.

Ethan frowned, his pulse still racing as his instincts urged him to stay vigilant. That wasn't normal, he thought, scanning the surrounding area. No one else seemed to have noticed anything out of the ordinary.

"Master?" Lia's soft voice broke through his thoughts. She crouched beside him, concern etched across her face. "What's wrong? You look… tense."

Ethan forced himself to relax, unclenching his fists and taking a deep breath. "Nothing," he said, though his tone was more distracted than reassuring. "Just thought I sensed something." He explained to Lia.

"Master.." Lia leaned closer to him and whispered in his ears. "Master, I think you sensed killing intent."

Ethan's eyes widened slightly at Lia's whispered words. Killing intent? He glanced at her, surprised by the insight. She was trembling slightly, her nervous hands clutching the strap of her satchel, but her expression held an earnest seriousness.

"Killing intent?" he repeated under his breath, his voice barely audible. He hadn't considered that possibility—it made too much sense. The sudden chill, the instinctive rush of alertness, the overwhelming sense of danger—it all aligned with the idea of someone targeting him.

Lia nodded, her gaze darting nervously to the surrounding crowd. "It was faint, Master, but… I felt it too. Just for a moment. Like… like someone was watching us. I think this person wants to kill you badly."

Ethan's gaze wandered over to Lyra and suddenly everything made sense. "Some bastard wants to kill me because I proposed to her?"