If They Get Obsessed, I’m Doomed - Chapter 98

Chapter 50.1

No matter how insistently Lexius pressed him, Skylar refused to respond. He hadn’t spared him so much as a glance from the beginning. His entire focus—his eyes, his stance—was locked onto Devoncia, making it clear that he had no intention of backing down from this rebellion.

Lexius let out a grunt, rubbing his forehead before finally stepping between them. Normally, he enjoyed causing chaos wherever he went, but for once, it seemed he was playing the role of a mediator.

Ariel, who had been cautiously retreating, paused when she saw Lexius standing with his back to the blade.

In that moment, their eyes met.

Lexius blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting to see her. His gaze lingered on her for a moment as though wordlessly asking what she was doing here. But then, as realization set in, his expression dulled into indifference.

“You. How did you get here?”

“My knight collapsed, so the sparring match got canceled. I tried to head back, but I got caught up in something and ended up here.”

In short, everything started because her knight fainted.

Lexius tilted his head slightly at Ariel’s response, casting a quick glance over his shoulder at Skylar, whose blade was still aimed at him. With the light behind him, Skylar’s face was unreadable. Despite the unspoken interrogation in Lexius’s stare, he stayed silent, keeping his eyes fixed solely on Devoncia.

Alright, so that’s how it’s going to be.

Lexius let out a quiet chuckle, then reached into the inner pocket of his blazer and casually tossed something to Ariel.

The instant he did, both Devoncia and Skylar’s expressions darkened simultaneously.

As she caught the object midair, her palm pressed against a firm shape encased in leather. A dagger. She wrapped her fingers around the exposed handle and asked,

“Why are you giving me a dagger?”

Ariel met Lexius’s gaze directly as she spoke. He responded with an amused smile.

“They’re fighting because of you, so why not join in too?”

“Lexius! You bastard!”

Skylar shouted furiously at Lexius’s attempt to involve Ariel. His eyes, which had been fixed solely on Devoncia until now, finally shifted to Lexius.

Lexius, however, remained completely unfazed. He simply responded with a casual smirk.

“I only made a suggestion to Ariel. No need to get worked up.”

“What the hell are you…!”

“If it’s just a suggestion, then I’ll decline.”

While Skylar was still raising his voice, Ariel dropped the dagger to the ground and spoke calmly. By doing so, she followed the rules, voluntarily disarming herself and formally withdrawing from the duel.

“I, Ariel Huckle, forfeit from the sparring.”

It was a clear declaration that she didn’t want to get involved.

Skylar’s eyes flickered at her words, perhaps relieved that she had sided with no one or maybe with disappointment. In contrast, Devoncia’s expression remained unreadable, though a slight hint of irritation showed.

Amid it all, Lexius watched Ariel with amusement.

‘She’s distancing herself from both of them? I guess she knows this isn’t her place to interfere.’

Lexius chuckled briefly, then wiped the smile off his face, settling into a more serious expression. The tension between the two imperial brothers was so volatile it could explode at any moment. If things continued this way, it seemed like she might get dragged into it, too.

“Alright. Ariel, you should leave.”

With Lexius’s permission, Ariel gave a quick bow and ran out through the corridor.

   ̊  · : * ✧* : ·  ̊     

Ariel ran away without a second glance.

The moment she stepped out of the long corridor, the sight of the training grounds made her pause. One duel had been enough to reduce the place to ruins. The magic barriers were gone, the ground torn apart, and even sections of the stairwell had crumbled.

She quickened her pace. Most of the students had already evacuated, leaving only one instructor nervously guarding the iron gate.

As soon as he spotted Ariel, he shouted.

“Where have you been?! Hurry up and get out of here!”

“I’m sorry!”

She responded quickly, hurrying past him and exiting through the iron gate.

The academy staff waiting nearby recognized her and quickly arranged a vehicle. Although she thought about staying to keep an eye on the situation, she decided against it when the staff insisted it was too dangerous.

The car sped off, heading straight for the first dormitory.

When she stepped out of the car, a soft breeze carrying the fresh scent of greenery swept through the air. White petals from the nearby mirabilis trees drifted in the wind. Ariel brushed a petal off her uniform ribbon with her fingers. It felt soft and velvety, much like the touch of Devoncia’s…

Shaken by the thought, she quickly discarded the petal she had been staring at and lifted her head.

The scattered clouds drifted slowly across the clear sky. The blades of grass on the lawn glistened with dew as if they had just been watered. A refreshing fragrance filled the air from the carefully tended plants in the garden.

This place was surrounded by a calm, slow-paced atmosphere, entirely different from the training grounds.

Ariel blinked slowly.

It felt like the tension and fear that had been weighing on her finally started to ease now that she was in this peaceful space. Her body trembled slightly as she released the strain she had been holding onto.

Rather than heading straight to her room, she decided to take a walk through the garden. It felt more peaceful there. The rustling of the leaves in the breeze, the gentle splash of water from the fountain, and the occasional chirping of birds. After the deafening explosions, the soothing sounds of nature finally provided her with a much-needed break.

It was peaceful.

The tension that had gripped her mind and body slowly eased, replaced by a languid exhaustion.

Moving at a slow pace, Ariel eventually sank down into the shade beneath a nearby tree. After running away, she had no idea how things had been resolved in the corridor. The only relief she could find was that, at least until she left, there hadn’t been any more loud crashes from the training grounds.

‘No one… died, right?’

With that uneasy thought, she turned on her phone.

Fortunately, it seemed that no one had died.

While it was expected, Ariel still let out a long sigh of relief, her hand pressing lightly against her chest. The tension from the imperial brothers earlier had been so intense that it was only now she felt the weight begin to lift.

Everyone was at the imperial palace, except for Racine.
 

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