Chapter 366: A Night Later

The next morning, Solomon slowly opened his eyes. He found himself lying on a plush, incredibly soft bed, staring up at an unfamiliar, vaulted ceiling adorned with silver trim. He blinked a few times, his mind sluggish, before he finally recalled exactly what had happened the previous night.

He immediately sat up.

He kicked the velvet blanket aside and looked to his right. The other side of the bed was completely empty.

He glanced over at his silver owl, which was perched quietly on a decorative bedside lamp. Solomon tapped his translucent blue interface and scrolled back through the chat logs. Even though his current live viewer count had dipped into the low double digits due to the early hour, he found a comment from roughly twenty minutes ago mentioning that Elizabeth had just woken up.

Solomon swung his legs over the edge of the mattress, planted his feet on the plush carpet, and stood up. He glanced around the luxurious royal chamber and spotted a slender silhouette standing out on the balcony. He walked over to the thin curtains and stepped outside.

Elizabeth was sitting on a cushioned lounge chair, her legs pulled tightly to her chest and her chin resting comfortably on her knees.

She was staring out at the early morning sky.

"What are you doing out here?" Solomon asked, his voice rough with sleep.

"I am waiting for the sun to rise," Elizabeth responded softly, not turning her head.

Solomon walked over and sat down beside her. They both looked out at the horizon.

A few minutes later, the first brilliant rays of dawn crested over the academy’s gothic spires, painting the sky in vibrant shades of orange and gold. Neither of them spoke a single word. They stayed in comfortable silence for almost half an hour, simply watching the sunrise together.

Once the sun was fully visible, Elizabeth stood up, stretched her arms high above her head, and politely covered her mouth to hide a delicate yawn.

Solomon looked at her, the morning sunlight catching her white hair. "Was it okay for me to spend the night in your room, and in your bed?"

Elizabeth smoothed her sleeping gown. "The academy does not have any strict rules regarding student visitations or any shenanigans, so it must be allowed."

"I was not talking about the academy rules," Solomon clarified. He looked at her and carefully chose his next words. "You are a royal princess. Will there not be talks and malicious rumors spreading around the campus? Your character might be questioned by the other royals and nobles."

She gave him a flat stare. "It does not matter what they say. It is not like anything inappropriate actually happened between us. Both of our live streams were running the entire night, so the footage serves as evidence that we just talked and slept."

[1Fizzy: we are the ultimate alibi.]

[James_hayes: chat protecting the royal reputation.]

[Mezz_3863: Solo Man slept like a rock anyway.]

[sgtcwby: the rumors are definitely going to spread regardless lol.]

Solomon played it cool, leaning back against his chair. "If the gossip does not bother you, then it definitely does not bother me either."

He accessed his Stream Shop menu and quickly selected one of his three allocated pairs of the second-year uniform. The dark, tactical fabric materialized in his digital inventory.

"Can I use your shower?" Solomon asked politely.

Elizabeth grinned from the corner of her mouth, crossing her arms. "Why are you suddenly acting so differently and asking for permission? This overly polite personality does not suit you at all."

Solomon raised an eyebrow. "I was trying to be a gentleman for once, but it seems like the princess has some weird degradation fetishes."

[GoonLord: AHAHAHA HE CALLED HER OUT!]

[Foodball: Solo Man chooses violence early in the morning.]

[Nick: Elizabeth is going to kill him.]

[M00N: the banter is back.]

Elizabeth’s face flushed bright red. She immediately got angry and lunged forward to chase after him. Before she could even reach his shoulder, Solomon rushed past her, bolted into her luxurious en-suite bathroom, and locked the heavy wooden door shut.

Now that Solomon had closed the dark Chapter of his previous relationship and found closure regarding Serah’s death, an emotional weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He was finally allowing himself to behave like a normal teenager, who happened to be surprisingly popular, undeniably handsome, and unquestionably strong.

He wanted to experience a relatively normal academy life. He wanted to tease girls, anger his arrogant peers, beat up anyone who challenged him, and have fun.

A few minutes later, Solomon stepped out of the steaming shower, fully dressed in his brand new, dark second-year uniform.

When he walked back into the main bedroom, he found Elizabeth sitting at her ornate writing desk, furiously scribbling something on a piece of parchment. Because Solomon had utilized his Basic Stealth out of pure habit, he exited the bathroom completely silently.

She didn’t even notice he was standing behind her.

He walked closer to the desk. Suddenly, she felt his presence. She jolted violently in her chair, spun around, and frantically shoved whatever she was writing deep into the desk drawer, slamming it shut.

Rather than looking freaked out or defensive, she just looked incredibly embarrassed, her cheeks burning pink.

Seeing her flustered reaction, Solomon decided not to pry or ask what she was hiding.

"I am going to head down to the training rings," Solomon announced, adjusting his collar. "I will train until the breakfast window opens. Later, when the inter-dimensional portals activate, I will leave for the Eastern Realms."

She didn’t say much in response, still recovering from the scare. "You should meet up with me and your friends before you leave."

Solomon raised an eyebrow, a teasing smirk touching his lips. "That sounds cheesy. That kind of sentimental goodbye does not suit me."

"Get out!" Elizabeth shouted, her embarrassment morphing back into annoyance. She grabbed his arm, pushed him out of her royal chamber, and slammed the doors shut right in his face.