9 Face Off

When Adeline appeared in front of me, my heart, or rather Caius' heart, ached with a tinge of pain. It was evident that his feelings for her were still lingering. I gazed fixedly at her, trying to understand what made her so special to Caius.

Adeline was undeniably beautiful, with her unique short hair that fell in soft waves to her shoulders, and deep red eyes giving her the appearance of a seductive villainess. And the striking color of her eyes only served to complement her hair, making her look like a work of art.

Her beauty could rival any of the female leads', but her personality was as twisted as a villain's. If only she had a heart to match her looks, she could have surpassed them all.

'Well, if she had a good personality, she wouldn't be a villainess,' I thought.

"Hmm? Why are you giving me that disappointing gaze?" Adeline furrowed her brows, sensing my disapproving look.

I quickly shook my head, coming out of my thoughts. "It's nothing. Why did you approach me?" I asked, trying to get back on track.

Adeline stared at me blankly for a moment as the breeze played with her short hair.

"You ...have changed, Caius," she finally spoke up.

"Yeah, I guess so. But you're still the same, Adeline," I replied.

"What do you mean?" Adeline asked, clearly puzzled.

"As if I didn't know you were a two-faced woman, hiding your true intentions," I remarked with a smirk.

"...."

Her eyes widened in shock, but she quickly regained her composure and let out a humorless laugh.

"Haa! It's good that you finally see me for who I am. I've been waiting for this moment," Adeline said, her tone dripping with venom.

"You know, I'm actually thankful that you called off our engagement. It used to make me sick just standing beside you, and even more so when I had to act as if we were a happy couple."

As she spoke, her expression twisted into one that resembled a classic villainess, the kind I was used to seeing only behind the computer screen.

"I always wondered if there were any mirrors in the Valerian Estate," she continued with a scoff, her voice laced with disdain. "I mean, how else could you be so delusional as to think that I could ever love someone as pathetic as you?" She rolled her eyes and let out a humorless laugh.

As she continue to belittle Caius, I remained calm, not bothering to respond to her words.

I knew that this was what Adeline really thought of Caius, and the pain in his heart was growing with every passing moment.

'This is what the woman you loved so much thinks about you, Caius.' I chuckled.

"Hahaha"

As a chuckle escaped my lips, I realized that my time as Caius was up. I had to shed this persona and become Kai once again, the one who was accustomed to carrying the weight of pain.

My gaze fell upon Adeline, her venomous words still ringing in Caius' heart like a fresh wound.

***

"What are you laughing for? Do you think—" Adeline started to say, but before she could finish, Caius's sharp command cut her off.

"Shut up!" Caius snapped, his eyes glowed fiercely, and the air around him crackled with energy.

!?

Adeline's voice caught in her throat as she stared at him in shock. She had never seen him like this before.

"If you utter another word, I'll make sure it's your last," Caius threatened, his voice low and menacing.

As she heard his threatening words, Adeline felt a shiver run down her spine, and the fierce look in his eyes filled her with a sense of dread.

This was not the Caius she knew. He was like a different person, consumed by rage and power.

With each passing second, the railing on which Caius was holding began to creak and crack under his tight grip.

Adeline's mind raced as she realized the gravity of the situation. 'He's not joking. He really could hurt me...or worse,' she thought as she took a step back from him.

But then, anger surged within her. "What is this? Me, afraid of him? He's nothing but a dog that I raised!" With a fierce determination, she gritted her teeth and summoned a sword made of lightning, her eyes blazing red.

Shrieek— Shrieek

With a sharp intake of breath, she lunged at Caius, ready to strike him down. But he was prepared, too. Flames erupted from his hand as he readied himself to retaliate.

BOOM!

Before their attacks could clash, a woman landed between them, stopping both of their strikes with a resounding boom.

"We haven't even reached the academy, and you two are already at each other's throats, huh?" The woman said with a grin, canceling out both of their elements.

Caius' hand engulfed in flames instantly returned to normal, and Adeline's lightning sword shattered before disappearing.

"Who do you think you are, and how dare you stop me?" Adeline asked, her frustration and anger evident in her voice.

"I believe you should thank me for preventing things from escalating further. Otherwise, both of you would have been expelled even before reaching the academy," She replied.

As they stood there, feeling the weight of Adeline and Caius's stares, the woman decided to introduce herself.

"Ahem, let me introduce myself. My name is Seraphina, and I am the student council president," she said, adjusting her uniform.

"Student council president?" Adeline muttered.

"Yup, that's right. I am the student council president, and I have the right to punish you both for starting a fight on a Cruiser," Seraphina said.

"If you both are that eager to fight, you can challenge each other to a duel when we reach the academy," she added.

"Humph, there is no need for that. I don't want to waste my time on him anymore," Adeline said before turning away and leaving.

'Was their fight related to a breakup?' Seraphina wondered as she turned to Caius. 'Although, to be honest, he seems a bit too average for someone like her,' she mused inwardly.

"Anyway, I will be overlooking your breaking of the rules considering you didn't know about them. So make sure not to let this happen again, understand?" Seraphina warned, her gaze fixed on Caius.

However, Caius didn't bother to reply and instead walked past her toward his room.

!?

"Eh? Where is this attitude of yours coming from, you bastard!" Seraphina exclaimed in frustration, seeing Caius ignoring her.

***

As Caius and Adeline faced off against each other, a figure watched from a distance with a keen interest in the unfolding scene.

"Ah, it seems to be true that they've broken up," the figure murmured, a grin appearing on their face.

"A lover's quarrel turned into a battle between enemies? How intriguing," they mused, a hint of excitement in their voice.

As they continued to watch, their attention turned solely to Caius. "Ah, Caius," they murmured to themselves. "I'm so eager to meet you in person."