She had no idea she had just knocked her own destiny half a beat off course and that she had fled from the gaze of her fated fiancé, the very man she'd called a "pig-headed idiot."
But right now, Elaine's interest was entirely elsewhere.
"Claire, assist me!" Elaine seized the moment. She nudged her own shin lightly, her strange way of gathering courage as a wicked plan sparked to life inside her. The small bamboo tube hidden under the table quietly slithered toward Judy's seat, aimed precisely at the back of her head.
If this had been any other day, Claire would have stopped her without hesitation.
But right now, Claire was too busy drooling over the "superstar" on stage, completely useless.
No one was left to pull Elaine back from disaster.
And for Elaine, this was heaven-sent.
Ha. They dared mock her? Let's see who becomes the laughingstock of the entire auditorium.
Excitement fluttered furiously in her chest. That bamboo tube hadn't been easy to prepare, the super cockroach inside was the product of nearly an hour of hunting, because Judy was deathly afraid of insects. Even better, this particular cockroach was guaranteed to crawl straight onto human skin the moment it escaped. The more Elaine thought about it, the more delighted she became.
She positioned the bamboo tube at the nape of Judy's neck, then glanced around to make sure no one noticed. Two students beside her almost screamed, but Elaine raised a finger to her lips, shh, demanding silence. Besides, everyone today had their eyes fixed on the man on the stage. Perfect conditions for sabotage.
On stage, Alain surveyed the hall. Screams bearing his name meant nothing, he was used to worship.
But then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a girl sneaking around with suspicious movements. His lips curled into a faintly wicked smile. She wasn't paying attention to him at all, every ounce of her focus was directed at the girl in front of her. Mischievous, calculated, and amusingly bold.
Arrogant by nature, Alain never forgot something that caught his attention.
And this little scene definitely did.
As the bamboo tube floated dangerously close to its target, a glint of curiosity flashed behind his sunglasses. He quickly understood what she intended, and the smile on his lips deepened.
This girl was devious.
"Headmaster," he said, voice smooth and resonant like a cello filling the hall.
The headmaster hurried over, adjusting the microphone.
"I've heard our Medical Research Department has a very talented young student, we intend to award her a scholarship. Is she present today?"
Alain asked the question, but his eyes were already drifting toward Elaine.
Seeing her act all calm while plotting chaos only made him more amused. His gaze slid to the bamboo tube. His smile widened.
"A,,, ah?"
The headmaster froze for a moment, then regained composure.
"Ah… that would be Elaine, twenty-six years old, recently received a medical research award."
"Oh? Elaine, is she here?"
Alain pressed, gaze deepening.
"Elaine!" the headmaster called, eyes searching the hall.
Elaine, in the middle of prepping her grand attack, jolted in shock. She completely forgot to respond and right at that moment, the bamboo tube slipped from her hand.
Every gaze swung toward her.
BANG!!
A chorus of screams erupted as the cockroach burst free and scuttled across the seats. Judy shrieked bloody murder as her friends scrambled and kicked their chairs away. Panic spread like wildfire. A few brave male students waged war against the insects using textbooks, jackets, anything they could grab.
The hall devolved into instant chaos.
Even the headmaster, shocked into stiffness, turned pale.
"Is this the outstanding student I just introduced? How disgraceful…"
He roared, "What on earth is happening!?"
"Order! Get back into order! What kind of disorderly mess is this!?"
His frustration was made worse by the presence of an important guest.
Meanwhile Alain remained seated, eyes still tracking the girl who caused it all.
She stuck out her tongue playfully, quickly hiding the "weapon" under the table, dimples appearing as she suppressed laughter. He realized her plan had backfired, the roach was supposed to drop inside someone's collar. The thought almost embarrassed him on her behalf… yet he found it incredibly entertaining.
This little Nightclaw royal rascal truly was a menace.
But a fiancée like that… he wanted.
The hall gradually calmed. The cockroaches were mostly dispatched; the victorious boys puffed out their chests while several girls cried in terror. Judy was in the worst state, one roach had crawled from her scalp down her neck. She screeched and clawed at her hair; no one dared approach.
Elaine laughed so hard she nearly choked, face flushing, gasping for air. She looked utterly satisfied glowing with the triumph of sweet revenge completely unaware of the headmaster turning purple with fury on stage.
"Where did those cockroaches come from? Whose doing is this!?"
The headmaster barked.
All eyes turned toward Elaine.
Still giggling like a fool.
"Elaine! Stand up!" he thundered.
Again. Always Elaine.
He admired her talent brilliance praised by everyone, near-prodigy abilities, an uncanny sixth sense.
But heaven help him, she was too cunning, too unruly.
And today, of all days, she chose to humiliate him in front of the honored guest.
At the headmaster's shout, Elaine sobered instantly. She realized she was in trouble. Everyone slowly closed in around her; she had become the singular focus of the auditorium.
The headmaster marched toward her, exasperated.
"Elaine, what on earth are you doing?"
Elaine blinked innocently.
"Huh? Mr. Headmaster… why are your whiskers standing up like that?"
She pointed at him as if she'd discovered a new species.
The headmaster nearly exploded.
He slammed a hand on the table, face ice-cold.
"This evening after self-study, you will run one hundred laps around the field. If you don't finish, you don't go home. And your entire dormitory loses twenty points!"
Elaine let out a theatrical wail.
Mother of heaven, one hundred laps!? She'd finish next year at this rate.
"Headmaster, I object!" she squeaked, hand raised high.
"You...!!"
He truly wanted to throw her back to Nightclaw pack and let her grandfather deal with her.
But he couldn't. The Keane royal family, the girl's grandfather himself had personally requested he take good care of her. A request that was both an honor and a burden.
But he now fully understood how much of a menace she was.
At that moment, Alain finally spoke, his deep voice sliding through the speakers like velvet twilight:
"A punishment like that isn't suitable for a girl her size. If she's stubborn… perhaps a more discreet form of discipline would be better."
His words were soft, almost gentle but carried the weight of command.
Elaine's face drained of color.
What shocked him, however, was the flash in her violet eyes, an unusual, sharp glimmer of indignation.
"Violet eyes…"
Alain murmured inwardly.
Such a rare color.
Elaine finally looked at him properly.
Too ruthless?
Or just an arrogant man hiding behind sunglasses?
Either way, this situation had nothing to do with him.
So why on earth was he getting involved with the headmaster?
And why… did he make her uneasy yet strangely curious at the same time?