章節 159: Prelude to Sophomore Ball III
"Do I really have to do this?" I muttered, glancing around to make sure no one could overhear me.
"Yes, of course!" Luna's voice echoed in my mind, brimming with exasperation. "Do you not realize how different it is if you ask them to the ball rather than them just assuming they'll go with you?"
I sighed heavily, rubbing my temples. 'What does a qilin even know about this stuff?' I thought to myself, trying to drown out Luna's nagging. But deep down, I knew she had a point.
The implicit agreement I had with Rachel, Cecilia, and Seraphina was one thing. We all kind of knew we were going to the ball together, but… there was something important about actually asking them out, about making it official.
It shows you respect their feelings, Luna had told me.
But still, I was… embarrassed.
Despite knowing that all three girls liked me, it felt awkward—hypocritical, even. I didn't want any man near them, but here I was, trying to be with all three of them. The thought alone made me feel guilty.
But I couldn't deny it—this mattered. Asking them properly mattered.
I let out another sigh as I walked down the hall, mind racing. The ball was coming up fast, and I knew if I didn't get my act together soon, I'd just end up looking like a coward. And I couldn't afford that. Not now.
'Alright…' I steeled myself, turning the corner, already spotting my first target—Rachel, chatting with one of her friends outside the library.
'Here goes nothing.'
I approached her, taking a deep breath. "Rachel?"
She turned, her blue eyes lighting up when she saw me. "Arthur! What's up?"
I felt my heart beat a little faster. 'Calm down, you've faced worse things than this.' "I wanted to ask…" I paused, feeling the awkwardness creep in. "Will you go to the ball with me?"
Her eyes widened for a split second, but then her lips curved into a warm smile. "Of course I will," she said, her voice soft. There was a hint of something playful in her gaze, almost as if she had been waiting for me to ask.
"Thank you," I said, suddenly feeling relieved, a small weight lifting off my shoulders.
She grinned, tilting her head slightly. "You really thought you needed to ask? You're cute, Arthur."
I felt my face warm up but managed a smile. 'One down… 'Now, onto Cecilia and Seraphina.
Next up was Cecilia. If Rachel was the warm, angelic presence in my life, Cecilia was the fiery seductress. She'd never shied away from showing how much she liked me, and I had a feeling she'd been waiting for this moment as much as Rachel had. But somehow, that made it even more nerve-wracking.
I found her in the courtyard, lounging on one of the benches, her scarlet eyes gleaming as they locked onto mine the second I approached. Her usual confident smirk was already in place, like she knew what I was going to say before I even opened my mouth.
"Arthur," she greeted me, a mischievous lilt in her voice. "What brings you here? Decided to finally give me some attention?"
I rubbed the back of my neck. 'Why is this more difficult than Magnus's training?'
"I came to ask you something," I said, keeping my tone casual, but I could already see her smirk growing wider.
"Oh?" She leaned forward slightly, her arms crossing under her chest in that deliberately teasing way she always did. "Go on."
I took a breath, meeting her gaze. "Will you go to the ball with me?"
For a moment, she just stared at me, her eyes glinting with amusement before a slow, satisfied grin spread across her face. "I was wondering when you'd finally ask," she said, standing up and stepping closer to me. "I thought you might forget about me after spending so much time with Seraphina and Rachel." She winked, teasing me.
"You know I could never forget you," I replied, my voice lighter now that the words were out.
She reached up, cupping my chin with her hand for just a second, her grin turning more playful. "Good answer," she whispered, then released me and stepped back. "Of course, I'll go to the ball with you, Arthur. I wouldn't miss it for the world."
I felt a surge of relief mixed with a hint of amusement. "Thanks, Cecilia."
She gave me a wink. "Just don't make me wait too long for the next time you ask me something important."
'Two down…' Now for the final stretch: Seraphina.
Seraphina was different from the other two. Quiet, composed, and often distant in her demeanor, but I knew how much she cared in her own way. The hardest part about asking her wasn't the fear of rejection, but that I had to approach her in a way that felt right for her.
I found her at the training grounds, of course. She was practicing her sword forms, her silver hair flowing gracefully as she moved, the cold beauty she carried with her radiating even in practice.
I approached her carefully, waiting until she finished her sequence before calling out, "Seraphina."
She turned to face me, her crystalline blue eyes calm and focused. "Arthur," she said, wiping a strand of hair from her face. "What is it?"
"I…" I cleared my throat, trying to find the right way to ask. "I wanted to know if you'd go to the ball with me."
Her eyes widened slightly in surprise, but there was no teasing smirk or witty retort like Cecilia. Then, slowly, her lips curved into a small, almost shy smile. "Of course, Arthur. I'd be happy to."
The relief I felt after hearing her say yes was overwhelming. "Thank you, Seraphina."
She nodded, still smiling that quiet, serene smile of hers. "Just don't forget. The ball is supposed to be fun."
I chuckled. "I'll try to keep that in mind."
'Three down,' I thought, feeling the weight finally lift off my shoulders as I left the training grounds. Now, I just had to survive the actual ball with all three of them.
No pressure.
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"Hey, guess what?" A brown-haired girl hurried over to her group of friends, her voice buzzing with excitement. "I just saw Arthur ask Princess Rachel out to the ball!"
Her two friends blinked in surprise. The blonde one, eyes wide, quickly chimed in, "Wait, seriously? That's crazy because Ellie just told me she saw him ask Princess Cecilia out earlier."
"No way," Ellie, the black-haired girl, chuckled, shaking her head in disbelief. "There's no way he asked out multiple princesses, right?"
The brown-haired girl shrugged, her excitement undeterred. "I swear I saw it with my own eyes! He asked Rachel in the courtyard, all sweet and serious. She looked so happy!"
"And I saw Cecilia hugging him afterward," the blonde girl added, "like, seriously close."
Ellie crossed her arms, still skeptical. "Come on, how is that even possible? I mean, Rachel, Cecilia, and Arthur? It's like… is he some kind of prince now?"
"Who knows? He's been at the center of everything since the Sovereign's Tournament," the brown-haired girl mused. "But it gets weirder. I overheard from someone in the training grounds that he asked Princess Seraphina too!"
Ellie's chuckle turned into full-on laughter. "Okay, now you're just making stuff up. Three princesses? He must have a death wish if he's seriously trying that."
The blonde girl, still wide-eyed, shook her head slowly. "But… imagine if it's true. How does someone survive asking three princesses out at once?"
"Survive?" The brown-haired girl grinned. "How does someone choose between them?"
Ellie snorted. "I think Arthur's gonna need more than sword skills to get out of this one."
They all shared a look, imagining the potential drama that would unfold at the ball.
"Guess we'll have to wait and see, huh?" the blonde girl said, already looking forward to the chaos.
"Yeah," Ellie agreed, smirking. "Let's see how this plays out."
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