The courtyard noise didn't stop.
But it no longer mattered.
Lysander stood still as Elara Moonveil faced him.
"…We need to talk."
Her tone hadn't changed.
Still calm.
Still direct.
Lysander nodded once.
"…Alright."
She didn't respond.
Instead—
she turned.
"Follow me."
No hesitation.
No explanation.
She walked away from the crowd.
Lysander paused for half a second—
then followed.
Behind them—
Taro blinked.
"…Wait—where are you—"
No answer.
"…Okay then."
The courtyard noise faded behind them.
Elara stopped in a quiet section of the academy.
Empty.
Still.
She turned to face him.
"…Do you remember?"
Lysander looked at her.
"…What?"
"…After the exam."
A brief pause.
"I said we needed to talk."
Lysander nodded slightly.
"…Yeah."
"We never did."
Her gaze remained steady.
"…So I wanted to do it now."
"…Alright."
She studied him for a moment.
Then—
"…Thank you."
The words were simple.
Lysander blinked once.
"…For what?"
"For the monster."
A short pause.
"I know you stepped in."
Lysander didn't react much.
"…I was there."
"That's not the same thing."
"…It was enough."
Silence settled between them.
She didn't argue.
But she didn't dismiss it either.
Her gaze shifted slightly.
"…You're a commoner."
Not an insult.
Just a statement.
"…Yeah."
"…Then why didn't you hesitate?"
Lysander thought for a moment.
"…There wasn't time to."
She held his gaze.
This time, she didn't challenge the answer.
Another quiet pause.
Then—
"…Can I ask you something?"
Lysander looked at her.
"…You just did."
"…Can I ask you something properly?"
A small pause.
"…Go ahead."
She hesitated.
Only slightly.
"…Would you mind… staying in contact with me?"
Lysander's expression shifted.
Not dramatically—
but enough to show it caught him off guard.
"…Why?"
Her eyes didn't move.
"…Because I'm comfortable around you."
The answer came clean.
Without hesitation.
"…That's it?"
"…Yes."
Lysander studied her for a moment.
"…You're from one of the strongest noble families."
"…You should already have people around you."
"…Friends."
A brief pause.
"…What about the people you grew up with?"
"…The other noble families."
"…You must have known them for years."
Elara's expression didn't change.
"…I know them."
"…But that doesn't make them close to me."
Her gaze stayed steady.
"They don't approach me as a person."
"They approach me as a name."
A quiet pause followed.
Lysander understood what she meant.
"…So you don't trust them."
"…No."
Another pause.
"…What about Leon?"
For the first time—
there was a faint shift in her eyes.
"…He's not alone."
A short pause.
"And he's not the kind of person I'm looking for."
That was all she said.
But it was enough.
Lysander exhaled quietly.
"…So you chose me."
"…Yes."
No hesitation.
"…You don't think that's strange?"
"…I do."
"…And you're still asking?"
"…Yes."
Silence.
Lysander looked at her for a moment longer.
Then—
"…Do what you want."
It wasn't agreement.
But it wasn't rejection either.
Just… acceptance without commitment.
Elara nodded once.
That was enough for her.
She turned—
then paused slightly.
"…I meant what I said."
Lysander looked at her.
"…About what?"
"…Being comfortable around you."
A brief pause.
Then she walked away.
No hesitation.
No looking back.
Lysander stood there for a moment.
Quiet.
Then turned—
and walked back.
The courtyard noise returned.
Taro spotted him immediately.
"…There you are."
He walked over, narrowing his eyes slightly.
"…So?"
Lysander looked at him.
"…So?"
Taro smirked.
"…What did she want?"
"…To talk."
"…Yeah, I figured that part."
A pause.
"…What about?"
"…The exam."
Taro blinked.
"…That's it?"
"…Yeah."
Taro stared at him for a second.
Then shook his head.
"…You're actually unbelievable."
Lysander didn't respond.
Because he didn't see what the problem was.
But as he glanced once toward the corridor she disappeared into—
He knew one thing.
That wasn't the end of it.