”You really did.”
As soon as the words left his lips, Irina felt a surge of embarrassment wash over her.
It was as if a veil had been lifted, and she suddenly found herself exposed, her vulnerability laid bare for Astron to see.
Quickly regaining her composure, Irina straightened her posture and smoothed out the creases in her clothes. She couldn’t afford to appear weak or vulnerable, not now, not in front of him.
“It’s not like I did this because of you or anything,” she muttered, her tone defensive as she retreated back into her usual confident facade.
But even as she spoke, Irina couldn’t shake the feeling of discomfort that lingered in the pit of her stomach. It was as if a seed had been planted, one that threatened to take root and grow into something much larger.
“….You really are something….” Astron mumbled, shaking his head.
‘It is just like Irina’s thing to say.’ He muttered inwardly.
With a sudden clarity of moment, Irina remembered the words Astron had spoken to Seraphina about her, the doubts and insecurities he had voiced.
-Irina and I have a history, but that doesn’t mean I condone her actions. Sometimes, it’s easier to keep someone close to keep an eye on them rather than risk them causing trouble elsewhere.
‘You bastard…Do you think you can keep an eye on me with your skills? This punk thinks I am some sort of pushover because he is smart? Do you think I am the same as those other people you see across the academy, huh?’
This time, instead of feeling hurt or betrayed by his words, Irina felt something else stir within her—a sense of determination and a desire to prove him wrong.
Whether this was because she had already resolved the insecurities in her heart or because she had resolved this feeling inside her, she didn’t know the answer. But one thing was clear.
From now on, she will need to be active. She couldn’t keep getting pushed around by him.
‘And that time with Sylvie….’
Remembering the time when they were doing the assignment together, Irina narrowed her eyes.
With renewed purpose, Irina met Astron’s gaze head-on, her eyes flashing with a newfound determination. She may have apologized for her past actions, but she refused to let them define her any longer.
“Hey.”
“What?”
“Do you remember what you said?”
“What do you mean?”
“The fact that you are looking after me like I am some sort of a child?”
“Isn’t it what I exactly do? Aren’t you basically a problem child who wants to burn everything?”
“Tsk. Do you think you have the capabilities to say that?”
“Hmm? What do you mean?”
“I mean what I said, you punk. What makes you think that you have the capability to look after me like I am a child?”
“….”
As Astron fell silent, Irina’s words hung in the air like a challenge, daring him to respond. She could feel the tension crackling between them, a silent battle of wills playing out in the dimly lit penthouse.
For a moment, Astron seemed taken aback by her boldness, his expression unreadable as he processed her words. But then, a flicker of amusement danced in his eyes. Irina, with her family with him, could differentiate that little spark since this guy never revealed excessive facial expressions.
“Are you questioning my capabilities, Irina Emberheart?” he retorted, his voice tinged with mock offense. “Last time I checked, I’ve managed to keep you out of trouble, haven’t I?”
Irina’s eyes narrowed at his response, a defiant spark igniting within her. She refused to back down, not now, not ever.
“Keeping me out of trouble?” she scoffed, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “More like getting in the way of my plans and slowing me down.”
Astron scoffed, his gaze never leaving hers as they engaged in their familiar banter.
Despite the tension between them, there was a sense of camaraderie underlying their verbal sparring, a mutual understanding that transcended their differences.
“Do you think I am holding you back?”
“Do you have a fish memory or something? Did you forget that I was the one who brought us the extra point in the Phantom’s Land assignment?”
“I do. But I could do it without you; it was just that you found it earlier than me, so I didn’t have the chance to do so.”
To be frank, Irina was very well aware that it was thanks to him that they were able to find the location, but she would most likely have been unable to find the correct answer. But, whatever the case was, right now, she wanted to pick upon him.
After all, even if she had sorted her thoughts, the resentment of him talking behind her back like that still lingered.
Astron narrowed his eyes at Irina’s retort, a hint of exasperation creeping into his expression. “You’re delusional,” he stated bluntly, his voice tinged with annoyance.
Irina’s jaw clenched at his words, her frustration simmering beneath the surface. She refused to let him dismiss her so easily. “Delusional or not, we have no way of confirming it,” she shot back, her tone defiant. “So, it’s just your opinion against mine.”
Astron nodded. “Funny how most people with delusions tend to use that argument a lot,” he remarked. “Several people claim that if they were given the opportunity of the best, they would be the best as well. Yet, with such mentality, they forget they will never be.”
Irina bristled at his comment, her cheeks flushing with indignation. “I am not delusional!” she insisted, her voice rising slightly. “I just refuse to accept your narrow-minded perspective.”
“If you think I am narrow-minded, you really must have never seen the real world.” Astron retorted but then nodded his head. “Well, considering you were raised like a princess, I guess that is the case?”
His mockery was evident, but the conversation had gone in the direction that Irina wanted. Even though, in the corner of her mind, Irina felt like Astron was knowingly going along with it, she didn’t have the desire to lose this opportunity.
“Then, should we prove it?”
“Ho? Prove it?”
Irina’s eyes gleamed with determination as she met Astron’s gaze head-on. “Yes, let’s prove it,” she declared, her voice steady despite the simmering tension between them. “Let’s see who can get a better grade in the finals.”
“You want to measure who is better by checking the grades?”
“Yes. Why? Are you scared?”
“…..” Astron stopped his movements as his eyes met with Irina.
Seeing that, Irina’s heart skipped a beat. Those eyes that she felt like she could lose herself within them had never felt this vast before.
“Do you think I care what you think about me?”
“It is funny how scared people tend to say that a lot,” Irina smirked, somehow feeling like she had won using his own words against him.
“….You really don’t believe I am scared, do you?”
“From how it looks from here, you seem so?”
“….”
Astron’s gaze lingered on Irina for a moment longer before he turned away, his movements fluid and controlled. “You’re free to think whatever you want,” he replied nonchalantly as he began to walk away.
But Irina wasn’t ready to let the conversation end just yet. “Wait,” she called out, her voice firm. “Let’s make a bet.”
Knowing him, Irina was already aware that he wouldn’t care about a mere opinion. Therefore, he could only be swayed by materialistic things.
Astron paused, glancing back at her with a curious expression. “A bet?”
Irina nodded, her confidence unwavering. “Yes, a bet. If I get a better grade than you in the finals, you have to comply with my request.”
Irina was already aware that the request right she had gotten from him was used when she faced the demon contractor. Even if there was no verbal verification, inside her head it was already used. Her pride wouldn’t allow her life to be saved freely.
“What is that request?”
“You are going to follow me for one whole week. You will be my escort.”
This was her intention from the start. The moment she had confirmed her feelings, she already knew that she needed to be more proactive, or this guy could get stolen by someone.
Astron’s lips twitched hearing this. “And if I get a better grade than you?” he asked, his tone laced with amusement. “It better be equal to one week of my time. I am not a cheap person to hire.”
Irina’s smirk widened. “I will let you enter our family’s armory and get an artifact from there once. And, I will swear that I will never talk about secret matters regarding you, no matter what.”
She had already no intention of talking about Astron’s secrets. But, knowing him, he would never refuse such a guarantee with his cautious personality.
Therefore, Irina used this to increase his chances of accepting it.
Astron raised an eyebrow, his gaze narrowing slightly as he studied Irina’s expression. “Are you telling the truth?” he asked, his voice betraying a hint of skepticism.
Irina met his gaze head-on, her eyes shining with determination. “Of course, I’m telling the truth,” she replied, her voice steady. “Do you think being the heir of the family is a joke? I have the authority to enter the family’s armory, of course.”
Astron raised his head. “You must be really sure that you’ll win to propose such a deal,” he remarked, a hint of ‘admiration’ in his tone.
Irina smirked confidently. “Of course,” she replied, her voice dripping with confidence.
Astron shook his head, a mixture of amusement and exasperation crossing his features. “Some people really don’t know the world,” he muttered under his breath.
Taking a step towards Irina, Astron loomed over her slightly, his presence overwhelming.
Despite the difference in their heights, Irina refused to back down, meeting his gaze with unwavering determination.
“Just because I am going easy on others, you seem to think I am weak.”
“Everyone can say they are going easy on others. Swindlers do that all the time.”
“Then how do you plan to proceed? You should already know that I don’t want to stand out too much.”
“I know.”
“Then?”
“It is pretty simple and sound.” Irina looked into his eyes. “Since you were that good last time, we should compete in the hardest test, right? [Introduction to Mana Theory].”
“Deal.”
“Heh.”
Irina was happy.