Chapter 600: Chapter 599- Proposal
Ariana had a feeling Adrian might actually show up at her door with a rose in hand and ask her out in front of passing students.
Putting aside the issue of a man appearing in the female dormitories, she absolutely did not want the students witnessing their headmistress becoming flustered and shy in front of the one person she seemed incapable of resisting.
That was precisely why she had decided to meet him at the entrance of the male dormitory before he had the chance to come looking for her.
"Hey... doesn’t the Headmistress look pretty today?"
"Yeah... honestly, I never thought she could actually look this beautiful."
As she walked, whispers like those drifted into her ears.
The students would greet her politely when they passed, only to follow it up with such rude remarks the moment they thought she was out of earshot.
Still, Ariana refused to let it ruin her mood. She could have easily called them back and given them a lesson on basic manners, particularly about whispering behind someone’s back.
But today, she let it slide.
’What’s so different about me anyway?’
The thought crossed her mind as she glanced down at herself.
True, she wasn’t wearing her usual formal attire. Instead, she had opted for a loose white blouse and a pair of black trousers.
But that hardly seemed different enough to justify all the attention she was receiving.
"And here I was wondering why the students were lining up in the lobby to stare at someone."
A familiar voice reached her from the left.
Turning around, Ariana found Adrian walking toward her.
He...
He was definitely not himself today.
What was with that all-black outfit?
She had outright banned him from wearing clothes like that on campus because of the chaos it caused. Every time he dressed like this, the female students practically lost their minds.
"Shouldn’t we have met somewhere outside?" Ariana asked, sounding a little shy.
Honestly, why couldn’t she get used to her lover’s charm?
Adrian smiled.
"But you wanted me to ask more nicely. That’s why I didn’t teleport directly into your room and planned on walking there instead."
Ariana huffed.
"That would have attracted even more attention. For now, let’s just go. I don’t want people talking about us."
Adrian let out a chuckle.
"At this point, someone would have to be deliberately oblivious to be surprised by seeing us together."
Ariana released a quiet sigh.
"True... I just..."
She trailed off, unable to properly express herself.
Adrian simply nodded.
"I understand."
He knew she wasn’t comfortable letting the students peek too deeply into their personal lives. Teasing her further would only make things harder.
So he dropped the subject.
Taking her hand, he guided Ariana to a secluded corner where nobody could see them.
The next moment, space distorted around them.
In a flash, the academy vanished from sight.
They reappeared far away, near the foothills overlooking the vast town spread beneath the mountains. People could be seen already moving about.
They didn’t start walking right away.
Instead, Adrian turned toward Ariana and held both of her hands.
"Now that we’re away from all those prying eyes, let me make something very clear."
Taking a deep breath, he looked straight into her eyes.
"You look breathtaking."
Ariana blinked.
Adrian, however, wasn’t finished.
"I mean, isn’t it unfair for you to wear your hair down where everyone can see it? I should have exclusive rights to that..."
The sheer indignation in his voice caught her completely off guard.
Before she realized it, her lips had already curved into a smile.
"What are you even talking about?"
She genuinely didn’t understand what he meant.
The truth was, Ariana had never paid much attention to how she dressed.
She simply wore whatever was practical and moved on with her day.
Things like fashion, makeup, and hairstyles had never interested her.
And her circle of friends wasn’t much different.
Annabelle was arguably even more indifferent to such things than she was.
Ruby was the only exception, and even then, her knowledge came mostly from her mother, who had always insisted she learn about those things.
So yes, Ariana genuinely had no idea how different she looked when she wore something other than her usual attire and actually spent time taking care of her hair.
To her, she looked exactly the same as always.
To everyone else, however, it was an entirely different story. Especially to Adrian.
"Well, let’s just say you stole my heart all over again today."
With that, Adrian intertwined his fingers with hers, and the two of them began walking side by side.
Ariana glanced at him suspiciously.
"What’s gotten into you? You’re being awfully romantic all of a sudden."
Adrian shrugged.
"I don’t know."
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"I’ve just been busy lately. Busy with things that are probably important."
His gaze drifted toward the distant town below.
"But when I stopped and thought about how little time I’ve actually spent with you, I felt like a complete failure of a husband."
Ariana’s steps slowed.
The playful expression on her face softened as she looked at him.
"Quite bold of you to call me your wife when we’re only engaged."
There was no real complaint in her voice.
Only gentle teasing.
Normally, Adrian would have responded with a shameless remark of his own.
Instead, he hesitated.
That alone made Ariana glance at him in surprise.
What came next was something she never expected.
"Actually, Aria..."
His voice was unusually careful.
"I wanted to take you out for a reason today."
Ariana blinked.
Adrian looked away for a moment before continuing.
"I wanted to walk through the market with you, eat somewhere quiet, spend the day talking about whatever came to mind..."
A small smile appeared on his face.
"And then, in the evening, under the moonlight, I wanted to ask for your hand in marriage."
Ariana froze.
For a moment, she genuinely wondered if she had heard him correctly.
"Wait..."
Her eyes widened.
"Really?"
The disbelief in her voice was impossible to miss.
After everything that had happened, she had almost stopped thinking about their wedding altogether.
There was always another crisis.
Another responsibility.
Another threat demanding their attention.
The future they had once talked about had slowly been pushed further and further away until it felt like a distant dream.
And yet...
Here he was.
Holding her hand, expectations and excitement evident in his eyes as he said, "Ariana...I know I have made you wait for long...but today, let’s get married."
°°°°°°°
A/N:- Red Flag. Be prepared for everything. Drop a comment
