If They Get Obsessed, I’m Doomed - Chapter 90

Chapter 46.1

‘Why did I turn around…’

Feeling an odd prickling sensation, Ariel looked back toward the last row and immediately regretted it. In the middle of the back row, she spotted a familiar face she had encountered yesterday. Skylar, with his piercing blue eyes, was staring straight at her as if ready to shoot arrows.

Awkwardly, Ariel quickly turned away, but Skylar made no effort to hide his stare, keeping his eyes fixed on her.

‘It would have been easier if I didn’t know…’

Ariel glanced at him briefly and offered a small, polite nod before looking away.

Now that she was aware of his gaze, she couldn’t shake the feeling. It was as if his stare was burning a hole through the back of her head. Just yesterday, he had warned her that he would keep his distance, so encountering him in the same class the very next day was incredibly uncomfortable. To make matters worse, Lexius was sitting right beside her, and Skylar had likely seen her talking to him too.

It was the perfect setup for a misunderstanding.

Ariel felt his gaze grow even more intense from behind. In reality, she hadn’t done anything wrong. Lexius had chosen the seat himself, and she had kept their conversation polite and formal. She would have acted the same way even if Skylar had been sitting next to her.

Yet, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she owed him an explanation.

‘But… what would I even explain?’

The obvious question struck her, albeit a little late.

‘That I sat next to Lexius? Or that I talked to him?’

If she went down that path, it would never end. It wasn’t as if she needed to justify every little action to him, nor did she have any reason to.

After all, it was he who had suggested they keep their distance in the first place. She had only mentioned that she wasn’t interested in going to the capital. If anything, the one who owed an explanation was Skylar, who was still staring daggers at her.

‘If he’s going to act like that, he might as well come over and say something.’

Ariel found his behavior more bothersome than anything else. It would almost be a relief if he just walked over and confronted her.

Noticing her slight restlessness, Lexius quietly initiated a conversation with her.

“What’s got you so on edge?”

“Oh, that’s…”

“Did you finally notice? Skylar’s right behind us.”

“You… knew?”

“Of course. With him practically drilling a hole into the back of my head, how could I not?”

As Lexius calmly acknowledged that he had known all along, his decision to take the seat next to her without permission raised her suspicions about his true intentions.

Ariel, looking flustered, cautiously asked him.

“You didn’t… sit next to me on purpose, did you?”

“Who knows?”

Lexius brushed off her question, and just then, the professor entered. With no other option, Ariel steeled herself to endure the awkward situation and focused on the class.

“Alright… let’s see how many are here…”

The professor, standing at the podium, quickly scanned the room to take attendance. Despite the large lecture hall being packed with over two hundred students, he seemed unfazed.

As he scanned the room from left to right, he suddenly paused, appearing a bit surprised when his gaze fell on a particular seat. His hazel eyes briefly fixed on Lexius before darting away. The unexpected sight of him seemed to catch the professor off guard.

Academy professors were usually informed in advance about the schedules of the empire’s highest-ranking students to help them remain composed when encountering them. However, the professor hadn’t been prepared for Lexius’s presence since the schedule only mentioned the imperial prince. It was indeed unexpected to see the grand prince sitting in on the class.

In fact, Lexius had already completed the Advanced Magic Warfare course, an upper-level class, during his freshman year, scoring top marks. In other words, he had absolutely no reason to attend this lecture.

Of course, the same went for the prince.

After a brief moment of confusion, the professor, showing his experience, quickly composed himself and began the lecture. As this was the first session of the semester, he provided a basic overview of the course, including its focus, precautions, and the upcoming schedule.

Advanced magic warfare was a practical course that combined science and tools with practical magic, meaning classes were often held outside in the training field rather than in the lecture hall. The professor also emphasized that frequent sparring and strategic combat exercises carried a risk of injury.

Hearing this, Ariel’s expression darkened.

She had anticipated it, but hearing it directly from the professor made it feel more real. All the while, she could still feel Skylar’s intense gaze from behind.

‘Maybe I should drop this class… One practical session is already enough for me.’

As Ariel pondered this, the professor was just about to conclude his announcements.

Just as he mentioned that official practical exercises would begin in earnest a month later, once enrollment was finalized, Lexius unexpectedly raised his hand.

“Professor.”

Lexius’s voice was polite, but it carried a hint of arrogance. There were few in the academy who could get away with addressing the professor in such a casual way.

“Yes? What is it?”

The professor responded with complete composure, showing no sign of offense. Then, with everyone’s eyes on him, Lexius flashed a slight smile.

“Is that all for today’s announcements?”

“Yes, that’s correct. Since it’s the first class, I didn’t plan to go on for too long. We’ll be finishing here today.”

“In that case, I have a suggestion.”

“Of course. Please feel free.”

“Let’s do a quick practical exercise.”

“Practical exercise…?”

The professor’s voice faltered slightly with a hint of unease, and Ariel felt a similar anxiety as she glanced at Lexius. He briefly met her gaze and smiled kindly as if to say, ‘This is for you.’

“I propose a spar.”

He finished his words, still holding his gaze on Ariel rather than the professor.