After the opening ceremony ended, Allen wasted no time in making his way to Felicia, who was also actively seeking out his presence in the crowd.
"Good job," Allen praised, just emotionless as Felicia thought will be.
Felicia let out a sigh of relief, her expression a mix of weariness and discomfort. "I don't know why, but everything feels so suffocating. It's like every gaze is piercing through me. Did I say something wrong?"
"Well… they discovered that you gained admission to the academy through a connection."
"So that's it..."
Surprisingly calm, Allen asked, "You're not surprised?"
"It's no surprise that they knew; they must have been surprised because they never heard my name in the secunda class. I had hoped to blend in, to learn without drawing attention. But, well, that plan clearly went out the window."