Chapter 17: First Official Promise

"Not on good terms with your brother? Still, you promised to join, didn’t you?"

At Zachary’s concerned question, Lydia straightened her back instantly.

"A Valendorf never goes back on their word!"

"That’s a good start, Lydia. Make sure to get Duke Valendorf’s signature, then. Swear it."

"Senior, for real? Isn’t that too much?"

"A promise is a promise. I’m okay, Ephraim."

Is facing Brother Sylvain’s wrath worth this piece of paper? I don’t even know what the Student Committee actually does, but those benefits are way too good to pass up.

Still, Lydia had already given her word. There was no point backing out now.

"I swear I’ll do my best to get my guardian’s signature."

Zachary held out his hand to her.

"Let’s seal the promise with a Resonance Mark, then. Give me your hand, Lydia."

She placed her hand in his, looking at the senior curiously.

"Now, synchronize your mental power with mine. Just a little. You don’t need to guide me. Not yet."

Lydia almost laughed. This senior really knows how to make things sound weird. Still, she couldn’t deny that he was refreshing.

Unlike Ephraim, who always seemed to have everything under control, Zachary said whatever came to mind without a hint of embarrassment.

Soft yellow lights flickered around their joined hands as five tiny pink petals bloomed on Zachary’s hand, forming a delicate sakura blossom mark.

At the same time, a sleek black mark flashed on the back of Lydia’s hand, its curved shape resembling a panther.

Zachary raised an eyebrow at the marks on their hands.

Huh? That was surprisingly smooth. I thought synchronizing mental power with an SSS-Rank Sentinel like Senior Zach would be much harder.

"Such a cute pink sakura blossom. Your guiding power must be Earth-elemental, huh, deerling? It’s a good match for your mark."

"Earth? You can tell about things like that from our Resonance Mark?"

"Just like Sentinels, Guides have their own elemental affinities, too! Your Spirit Animal usually determines which element your power awakens with. And since your mark is a sakura blossom, yours must be related to nature itself!"

Zachary tilted his head, examining the flower on his hand.

"Interesting. I’ve never seen a mark quite like yours before."

"Senior Zachary’s Spirit Animal is a Black Panther," Ephraim explained. "His element is Dark. Quite fitting, wouldn’t you say, Senior?"

Another passive-aggressive jab from Ephraim, as always. His gaze remained fixed on the Resonance Mark, as if it had personally offended his entire lineage.

"Now our promise is official. Congratulations, deerling! You’ve just made your first official promise to the Student Committee’s most handsome senior."

To be honest, Senior Zach sure was quite an eye-candy. An ultra rich heir with striking features and a sexy face? Life sure wasn’t fair.

Unfortunately, a handsome face couldn’t pay her bills. Well, technically, Zachary’s money could. But that was beside the point.

"Both of you have presentable faces. Quite acceptable for women’s standards, I’d say."

"Really, Lydia?" Zachary pressed a hand to his chest. "That was cold. I can practically feel my heart breaking into pieces.

"I can help you with that, Senior. Don’t listen to him, Lydia. Just leave him be."

Before Lydia could argue, Ephraim had already pushed Zachary away from his fiancée.

"We’ll be waiting for you at the Student Committee, Lydia. Good luck with your brother, deerling."

●●●

Fortunately, Lydia didn’t have to wait long to deal with the guardian problem.

Her academic record was excellent, so she didn’t need to take any remedial tests or attend additional classes during the upcoming midterm break.

While other students would still have schoolwork to worry about, Lydia had a whole free week ahead of her.

That meant she could return home and get Sylvain’s signature herself.

It wasn’t exactly a pleasant prospect. Going back to House Valendorf was the last thing Lydia wanted to do during her break.

However, she had already promised Zachary that she would do her best, and joining the Student Committee could be useful for her future.

Besides, she needed to find out what kind of benefits the committee could actually offer.

However, when Lydia told Rishe about her plans, her roommate looked genuinely disappointed.

"You’re going home?" Rishe’s beautiful face fell.

Lydia paused while packing her belongings. "I’ll only be gone for a little while."

"Things will be much more boring without you around."

There was a hint of sadness in Rishe’s voice that made Lydia feel a little guilty.

"I know. Unfortunately, I need my guardian’s signature if I want to join the

Student Committee."

Rishe sighed softly.

"I’d go with you if I could, but I still have classes. Since I’m a new transfer student, I have paperwork to finish, and I haven’t even caught up with all my studies yet."

"That sounds exhausting."

"It is."

It was strange. They had only known each other for a few days, yet Rishe already seemed genuinely reluctant to see her leave.

"I’ll be back soon," Lydia assured her.

Belfort University wasn’t far from House Valendorf, so Lydia decided she could make the trip by herself.

She boarded an elevated transit train to downtown. Since Lydia still had some free time before returning home, she decided to enjoy herself a little.

After all, indulging in some little treat for herself from Shelby’s Sweets would be perfect fuel to be able to withstand Brother Sylvain’s merciless allowance cuts.

Lydia stepped inside and spent a pleasant amount of time enjoying her desserts. By the time she finished, she had already forgotten about her upcoming confrontation with her brother.

The desserts were good enough that she decided to buy some extra ones to bring home.

"How much is everything?"

The shopkeeper smiled apologetically when Lydia was about to tap on her bracelet.

"I’m sorry, miss, but your bill has already been paid."

"Paid?"

"Yes. The gentleman over there took care of it."

Following the shopkeeper’s gesture, Lydia spotted a familiar figure standing a short distance away. Her eyes widened when she recognized Ephraim.

What on earth was the Crown Prince doing here?