Annabelle stood before him, her head slightly lowered, hands folded in front of her.

Ariana stood off to the side, silently observing.

It was early morning.

Ariana had left late the previous night, making sure she'd reach the venue before the first match. That way, Annabelle would have time to explain things to her Darling without interruption.

And thankfully… she did.

Annabelle told him everything—without hiding a single detail.

Adrian, however, had been silent ever since.

Ariana didn't plan on stepping in unless he started scolding her a little too harshly.

But Adrian never intended to scold her.

"You did the right thing by protecting that place," he said calmly.

Ariana blinked, caught off guard. "Really? But… she stood against two Towers."

Annabelle shot a glare at the silver-haired girl, clearly unhappy with that addition.

But Adrian remained unfazed.

"That house isn't just tied to my memories. There are certain things hidden inside—things I can't allow others to see. There's also a half-broken golem made from a very rare, possibly alien material."

He folded his arms and added, "So yes—aside from the sentimental value, that place holds significant material worth too."

Ariana let out an understanding, "Ah…" as the pieces fell into place.

"I had plans to recover those things myself," Adrian continued. "But the Towers always had their men watching that area. Even with Ruby's influence, she couldn't claim it outright."

Hearing that, something shifted in Annabelle's chest. A gentle spark of confidence bloomed.

"Right? I thought the same way! That's why I acted. I did the right thing, didn't I, Darling?"

She bounced toward him, no longer afraid, eyes shining with hope as she looked up at him.

You could almost see the words written across her face—'Praise me, praise me!'

Adrian's lips curved into a soft smile. He reached out, patting her head gently.

"You did a good job. There, there."

Ariana exhaled loudly.

'If only the Tower Masters could see their almighty Warden wagging her tail like this…'

"However," Adrian spoke after a pause, his gaze sharpening, "you've caused yourself quite a problem, Annabelle. Making that promise... you do realize what those people are capable of, right?"

Annabelle's shoulders sagged. "I didn't have any other choice."

Adrian let out a long sigh. He knew what kind of danger she'd invited.

They could use her for anything—send her into a warzone, pit her alone against an army, or worse… treat her like a test subject.

In that case—

"There is one thing you can do," Adrian said, an idea forming in his mind.

But the moment he explained it to her, Annabelle's first response was immediate.

"I'm staying with you."

Adrian rolled his eyes, "Relax. I'm not throwing myself into danger. It's just a possibility, nothing more. For now, I need you to stay close, but don't get involved. Watch from a distance. And when things finally begin to fall apart… you'll know what to do."

Annabelle didn't like it. That much was clear.

But when it came to Adrian, arguing felt pointless.

She turned sharply to Ariana, her tone serious. "Protect him until I arrive."

Ariana folded her arms. "You don't have to tell me that. And do what he says. Don't let your emotions screw this up, okay?"

Annabelle gave a playful snicker. "Yeah, yeah—"

"No, Annabelle." Ariana's hand landed on her shoulder, firm. Her voice softened, but stayed steady. "You can tell he's worried about you. And you know what kind of depths the Tower could sink to just to control you. If anything happens—use that as your chance. Break free from the Vow."

Annabelle fell silent.

It was the first time she'd felt anyone—besides her Darling and Ruby—genuinely care about her.

She let out a small sigh and gave a quiet nod. "Understood."

Then she turned back to Adrian. Their eyes met, holding for a long second.

And just like that—she vanished.

Adrian exhaled and rubbed his temple. "Want something to drink?"

"You don't have to leave?" Ariana raised a brow. "They're posting the match schedule any minute now."

She had, naturally, heard about the sudden shift in the tournament order.

Today, it would all be revealed—which school would face which.

And by afternoon, the matches would begin.

Among the Four Academies, Blackthorn and Aegis Academy were always at the top, battling for first and second place.

Etherveil and Runebound were always juggling for third and fourth.

So, based on past records and rivalry patterns—it was very likely that Runebound would be facing Etherveil today.

"Elana said she would inform me. And I didn't push it," Adrian said calmly.

In truth, he had waited for Ariana—that's why he hadn't gone ahead.

Adrian glanced at her as she sat down on the bed, leaning back with her legs crossed.

"They gave you a pretty good room," she noted, scanning the place with mild curiosity.

"What about yours?" he asked.

Ariana shrugged. "Average. But that's the standard for all headmasters. Can't really complain."

"Wanna stay here?" Adrian offered with a slight smile.

Ariana gave a wry smile in return. "This isn't our academy. I can't cover for you if we get caught."

Adrian simply shrugged. "I don't lock my door. If you change your mind…"

A small chuckle slipped from her lips, but she didn't respond to that.

Before long, Adrian returned with two cups of coffee and handed one to her.

"Thank you," she said softly, taking a light sip.

A warm sigh escaped her lips.

After hours of nonstop travel, this single cup of coffee felt like heaven.

Then, Adrian handed her something else.

"Here," he said, placing a small, faintly glowing disc in her palm. "A mini flashbang. You can use it to make an escape."

Ariana accepted the artifact, turning it between her fingers. "Aren't you being a little too paranoid?"

Adrian's gaze stayed steady. "For the people I love… I'd rather be overly cautious than full of regret later."

Ariana smiled at him before leaning closer.

Resting herself against him, she softly voiced, "Sorry if I sounded rude."

"No, it's okay. I can understand."

Their hands found the path to each other.

Their fingers interlaced and silence settled between the two.

…which soon was disturbed by a knock on the door.

*Knock*

Ariana glanced at him.

"Must be Elana." Adrian said.

Adrian sighed, "Just got rid of one rival and another showed up."

"I will pretend I never heard that." Adrian shook his head and got up.

He slowly approached the door and upon pulling the door, indeed, on the other side was the silver haired teenager.

"Good morning, sir."

"Morning, Elana."

The girl fidgeted at her place for a moment before handing him the envelope.

"Here is the match schedule. We are against the Blackthorn."

°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading.