The excitement vanished instantly. Some students looked disappointed while others outright pouted while staring at me.
"That's it?"
"I wanted to get closer to her."
"She really doesn't want a loyal servant?"
One student looked genuinely heartbroken. "I don't even need a salary. Being close to her would be enough."
Another nodded solemnly. "Having her as a master must be nice."
"Right?"
"She acts cold but she's actually sweet."
"I'm so jealous of Gawain."
"I wish I was Gawain."
"Same."
"Honestly, same."
I chose to ignore every single word coming out of their mouths for the sake of my sanity.
Instead, I grabbed a nearby chair, sat down, then crossed my legs. "Like I said, let's exchange flags."
The students blinked.
"Then I'll willingly stay here."
"Let's exchange flags then I'll willingly stay here."
One of them immediately raised an eyebrow. "Why would we do that when you're technically our hostage?"
"Simple."
I folded my arms and did my best to look convincing.
