Chapter 60: Chapter 60: An Unexpected Morning
Charlotte got up the next day.
Today seemed quite different for her.
Maybe it was because she was going to be waking Kael today, which although was out of the norm was also an exciting endeavor, at least from her point of view.
After all, ever since Kael had started training her, her life at the academy had changed dramatically.
A few weeks ago she had been struggling just to keep up with ordinary students.
Now she had awakened her mana core.
She was learning mana manipulation.
And according to Kael, she even had the potential to become a Warlock.
The title still felt unreal whenever she thought about it.
Charlotte washed up, got dressed in her usual gym outfit before heading to the elevator.
Going down the elevator, she slowly approached Kael’s room.
Only to see another unfamiliar girl opening the door to his room.
As they saw each other, there was immediate silence.
"Charlotte?" the girl asked.
Charlotte immediately frowned.
"Who are you and how did you manage to get his keycard and How do you know my name?" Charlotte asked.
"Well, you could say I’m some secret lover of some sort, but Kael told me that you were training buddies. Why exactly is a training buddy doing here by this time of the day?" Lilith asked, tilting her head slightly as her eyes glowed eerily.
Charlotte paused.
For a moment, the girl seemed familiar.
She observed her carefully.
Then it clicked.
"Wait a minute, you’re in our class aren’t you?"
"Although you’re actually quiet, I haven’t seen Kael walk up to you or talk to you while in class."
Charlotte’s smirk widened.
"Unless you’re just a creep that happens to be stalking him, meaning that you aren’t meant to be here and aren’t actually his secret lover."
Charlotte nodded to herself.
Like she had just solved a complicated criminal investigation.
Lilith stared at her.
Charlotte stared back.
Neither moved.
Neither looked away.
The hallway suddenly felt very quiet.
"That’s a very creative conclusion," Lilith replied.
"Thank you."
"I wasn’t complimenting you."
"I know."
Lilith’s eyebrow twitched slightly.
Charlotte smiled.
For some reason, Charlotte reminded Lilith of Kael.
Not because they looked alike.
But because she seemed to be learning his bad habits.
"Then let me ask again," Lilith said.
"Why are you here?"
Charlotte folded her arms.
"Like you said, I’m his training partner."
"But you aren’t meant to be questioning me in this situation."
Lilith narrowed her eyes.
Charlotte returned the look.
The silent battle continued.
Until the door finally opened.
Kael stepped out of his room.
He stared at the two girls bickering outside his room.
Stood there for a few seconds.
Then sighed.
Already exhausted.
"What exactly is going on here?" Kael asked already feeling regretful.
"Well that’s an unexpected coincidence," he added after seeing both of them glaring at each other.
Both Lilith and Charlotte turned toward him.
"What exactly do you mean by that?" Charlotte asked.
Kael rubbed his forehead.
The day had barely started.
And somehow he already felt tired.
He looked at both girls again.
"Come on in."
"You don’t want to serve as an alarm clock for the rest of the boys on this floor."
Kael stepped back into his room.
Both girls followed.
"I’m quite surprised," Kael thought.
"Lilith is actually holding herself back."
"Or maybe she’s just waiting for a better opportunity to assassinate Charlotte."
"Honestly, I really don’t know where her craziness ends."
The moment they entered the room, Lilith immediately rushed forward and hugged Kael from behind.
"I heard what happened yesterday and how your fight with Sean sent you to the hospital."
Lilith turned toward Charlotte and stuck out her tongue.
Charlotte smirked at her statement.
"Your information must be lacking because Kael actually beat Sean mercilessly."
"That is if we are talking about the same second year, right?"
Charlotte stuck her tongue out as well.
Kael suddenly felt like he was supervising two children.
Very dangerous children.
But children nonetheless.
A few moments later, Kael noticed something.
Neither of them had eaten.
Charlotte had clearly rushed over the moment she woke up.
Lilith looked like she had arrived even earlier.
Which raised several questions.
Questions Kael wasn’t sure he wanted answers to.
Then another thought crossed his mind.
Sean.
The conversation from the other day resurfaced in his memory.
With the version of the story Lilith had formed in her head.
And her current reaction to the fact that he defeated Sean.
The expression on her face.
Everything pointed toward one conclusion.
Kael slowly looked toward Lilith.
Then away.
Then back toward Lilith.
"Wait a minute."
"Did she kill Sean?"
The possibility didn’t seem impossible.
In fact, it seemed very likely.
Kael immediately rubbed his temples.
Unfortunately, Charlotte was present.
Meaning he couldn’t ask about anything related to the Velvet Gang.
Not right now.
That conversation would have to wait.
"Well since you’re all here, let me cook up a little breakfast for us all."
Kael stood up.
"I really doubt any of you ate before coming here."
He looked specifically at Charlotte.
"Hey!"
Charlotte immediately pointed at herself.
"You said any of us. Why are you looking at me in particular?"
"Because your reason for coming here was to wake me up so we could go train."
Kael folded his arms.
"And if you’re forgetting to eat before a long day of training then that’s your own fault."
Charlotte rubbed her forehead.
"I just wanted to wake you up."
"Okay, you don’t have to attack me like that."
Kael ignored her complaints and walked toward the kitchen.
The academy dormitory kitchens weren’t particularly large, but they had everything needed for a simple meal.
He took out a few ingredients before placing a pan on the stove.
The sound of sizzling bacon soon filled the room.
Charlotte watched from the side.
"You actually cook?" she asked.
Kael glanced at her.
"You sound surprised."
"You don’t exactly seem like the domestic type."
Kael snorted.
"I’ll take that as a compliment."
Lilith simply sat down.
Unlike Charlotte, she wasn’t surprised in the slightest.
A few minutes later, Kael placed bacon, eggs and toasted bread on the dining table.
Nothing extravagant.
Just a simple breakfast.
The three sat down and began eating.
For a brief moment.
Everything was peaceful.
Then Charlotte spoke.
"So Kael."
"Hm?"
"Are you and Lilith lovers?"
The room instantly became silent.
Kael slowly looked up.
Then toward Charlotte.
Then toward Lilith.
"And you came across this thought how exactly?"
Charlotte pointed her fork.
"Well she told me that you were both lovers."
Kael turned toward Lilith.
His expression practically screamed:
"Way to keep things low-key miss undercover spy."
Lilith smiled innocently.
Kael sighed.
"Well, we are lovers."
"Pretty much boyfriend and girlfriend."
Charlotte froze.
Her eyes slowly shifted toward Lilith.
More specifically—
Toward Lilith’s chest.
Then toward her own.
Then back toward Lilith.
A dangerous thought entered Charlotte’s mind.
"She definitely used that to seduce him."
Charlotte glanced at herself.
Then compared again.
The difference felt painfully obvious.
She immediately looked away and focused on eating.
Kael pretended not to notice.
Lilith absolutely noticed.
Neither commented.
For everyone’s sake.
Breakfast eventually ended.
Kael stood up.
"I’m going to wash up."
He looked toward both girls.
"Both of you play nice."
Then he disappeared into the bathroom.
The door closed.
Silence followed.
Lilith immediately turned toward Charlotte.
"So why are you always around Kael?"
Charlotte swallowed her food.
"Well he did promise me power."
"And right now he says I have the potential to become a Warlock."
Lilith froze.
"Warlock?"
She looked genuinely surprised.
"And you trust him?"
Charlotte thought about that.
"Trust is a strong word for someone who almost killed me to awaken my affinity."
"But I guess you could say I trust him."
Lilith remained silent.
The answer seemed honest.
Which somehow made it harder to dislike Charlotte.
A little.
Only a little.
The bathroom door opened.
Kael stepped out with a towel wrapped around his waist.
Water still clung to his shoulders and chest, and his hair dripped onto the floor. He hadn’t bothered drying off properly, clearly in a rush to get ready.
"I guess we should get going soon," he said casually, grabbing a spare shirt from his closet.
Both girls froze.
"What?" Lilith muttered, her eyes narrowing slightly as she took in the sight.
Charlotte blinked.
Then blinked again.
Kael looked between them.
"What are you both staring at?"
Neither answered.
Lilith’s gaze lingered a moment too long before she looked away, a faint pink tint rising to her cheeks. Charlotte, meanwhile, suddenly found the pattern on the dining table very interesting.
Kael sighed, running a hand through his wet hair. "If you two are done gawking, we need to move. The Academy’s gym gets crowded fast."
He pulled the shirt on, but not before Charlotte caught a glimpse of his well defined abs. Her cheeks immediately became flushed as she tried to masked it.
And for the first time that morning, both girls were thinking about the exact same thing.
