Chapter 140: ¹⁴⁰: Annoying smirk

Chapter 140: 1??: Annoying smirk

I broke my gaze from his face almost immediately, turning my attention towards the stage as both Rose and I got to our feet for the formal greeting that everyone now had to give when Louis entered the auditorium.

The moment I stood, I straightened my posture and kept my eyes firmly ahead, refusing to look in his direction again. I could feel the presence of dozens of students standing around me, but none of them dared to move or speak. I waited and waited, yet somehow, no one sat down.

I glanced sideways at Rose, who was still looking towards the back of the auditorium. Her eyes were fixed on whatever was happening near the entrance, while I deliberately kept my attention on the stage.

"Why isn’t anyone sitting down yet, Rose?" I whispered, barely moving my lips.

Rose didn’t turn towards me. Her eyes remained trained somewhere behind us as she answered in an equally quiet voice. "Louis still hasn’t nodded for us to do so."

My fingers curled into my palms. Why was he taking so long? He had already entered. Everyone had greeted him. Wasn’t he supposed to simply take his seat and let everyone else do the same? I resisted the urge to turn around again.

Then Rose suddenly sucked in a quiet breath. "Oh God, he is coming towards our aisle."

My stomach dropped. "What?" I finally turned my head slightly towards her, my voice barely above a whisper. "Why is he coming here?"

I could already feel irritation building inside me at the mere possibility that he might actually be coming towards us because of me. The past few days had been so peaceful. Why couldn’t things just remain that way?

"I don’t know," Rose whispered back, her expression changing from curiosity to complete astonishment.

Before I could ask anything else, she suddenly grabbed my hand. "Athena, Maria is back!"

"What?" The surprise in her voice made me instinctively turn around. Only then did my eyes fall on Maria.

She was walking several feet behind Louis, seemingly struggling to get past his bodyguards. From the way she kept trying to move closer to him, it looked like she was attempting to get beside him the way she used to.

I stared at her for a moment before turning my head back towards the stage. "I had almost forgotten that her suspension ended yesterday," I whispered as a strange irritation immediately settled inside me again.

I had honestly hoped I wouldn’t have to deal with her so soon after everything that had happened.

The only comforting thought was that, after the strict action taken against her the last time, she would hopefully no longer dare to become violent with me inside the academy.

That was the one weakness I had right now. I didn’t have my wolf. I couldn’t fight her the way I should have been able to if she decided to create another problem. But after the consequences of her previous actions, I doubted she would be foolish enough to try something similar again.

Still, having her annoying presence around me was something I could certainly live without.

"I just hope she leaves me alone now," I whispered to Rose as I kept my gaze forward, silently waiting for Maria and Louis to pass our row and take whatever seats had been assigned to them. Then I could sit down...Then I could get through this assembly peacefully. At least, that was what I hoped.

"I am afraid that won’t be possible," Rose whispered beside me.

My brows immediately furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Louis is here."

My heart skipped. For a second, I could only stare straight ahead, silently praying that Louis would simply walk past us. Please bro just keep walking.

Maria was already back, and if Louis did something that drew her attention towards me again, I had no doubt she would react exactly as she had before. I didn’t want that. Not exactly right now, not when I was finally beginning to enjoy some peace at the academy.

I heard footsteps approaching our row. My shoulders stiffened. Then a familiar voice sounded right beside me. "Hi, may I sit here?"

I squeezed my eyes shut for a brief moment. Of all the things I had been hoping wouldn’t happen, this was definitely one of them. Slowly, I turned towards the voice I had been dreading.

Louis was standing there, his bodyguards positioned behind him like silent mountains while he looked at me with a smile that made it seem as though we were some long-lost friends meeting after years apart.

I had to remind myself not to stare at him in disbelief. "Mr. Dreven, the seats have already been assigned to the students according to their serial numbers," I said, keeping a small, respectful smile on my face as I looked at him. "I’m afraid you can’t sit here."

If this had been before, I wouldn’t have bothered being this polite with him. I probably wouldn’t have even given him a proper explanation. But things were different now. Louis was the heir of the Starlight Empire.

Whether I liked it or not, there were rules we had to follow around him now, and I had no intention of becoming another student who got into trouble simply because I couldn’t control my attitude.

I expected him to simply nod and move along. Instead, his smile widened, it was a smug smile. My smile stiffened. Louis took another step forward until he was standing directly in front of the empty seat beside mine.

"You are right, Miss Moonvel," he said calmly. Then, without any further explanation, he raised his right hand and gestured for everyone to sit down.

A wave of movement immediately passed through the auditorium as students began taking their seats.

I barely had time to wonder what he was doing before Louis continued, his expression carrying an almost irritating sense of satisfaction. "But you might not know that this is the seat assigned to me."

My eyes widened. "What?" Before I could even process his words, he pulled the chair out and sat down beside me as casually as if this had been the most ordinary thing in the world.

I remained standing for another second, staring down at him in complete disbelief. His seat was beside me? How could there be such an unfortunate coincidence in this entire world? Of all the hundreds of seats in this auditorium, why this one?

I opened my mouth, wanting to tell him to move, but quickly shut it again. I had no grounds to ask him to leave. If this really was his assigned seat, then there was absolutely nothing I could say without making myself look unreasonable.

With a defeated sigh, I finally looked away from him. And that was when my eyes fell on Maria. She was standing on the opposite side of our aisle, probably waiting for everyone else to settle down before taking her own seat.

Her eyes were fixed directly on me. The look she was giving me could only be described as murderous. She was practically shooting daggers at me with her eyes.

If looks could kill, I was fairly certain I would have been lying dead on the auditorium floor by now.

I immediately broke my gaze from hers and sat down, deciding that the less attention I gave either of them, the better.

I straightened my clothes and focused on the stage, silently praying for this entire assembly to end as quickly as possible.

For a few moments, things finally seemed to settle. Then the sound of footsteps and voices entering the auditorium once again filled the hall.

Students began turning their heads towards the entrance. The atmosphere changed almost immediately. I glanced towards the back and realised someone important must have arrived.

Gama Derek...Given his position, everyone except Louis was expected to stand and greet him.

I watched as students around us began getting to their feet one after another. I immediately prepared to do the same. I had barely lifted myself from the seat when I suddenly felt Louis’s hand close around mine.

My movement stopped. Before I could even understand what he was doing, he gently lowered my hand back onto my lap, preventing me from standing.

I stared at him in disbelief. "What are you doing?" I whispered urgently, keeping my voice low enough that the people around us wouldn’t hear. "Everyone is getting up. I also have to get up to greet Gama Derek!"

My eyes widened as I glanced around us. Almost everyone had already risen. Rose was standing besides me, and even the students in the rows behind us were on their feet. Yet I was still sitting and Louis was acting as though there was absolutely nothing unusual about it.

He slowly turned his head towards me. That annoying smirk had returned to his face.

"You are not among everyone," he whispered. I stared at him, completely confused by what he meant. His expression remained frustratingly calm as he added, "You don’t have to get up."