Chapter 56: The Real Victim

Miss Dawson, you are requested to report to the Headmistress’s office immediately.

Starlight paused in her tracks, making her roommates stop alongside her. Elle leaned in immediately, peering down at Starlight’s phone screen to see what had caught her attention.

"Oh, shit. Why are you being summoned to the Headmistress’s office?" Elle asked, her eyes widening. "Do you think it has something to do with smashing an Umbra Clan princess’s face?"

Starlight turned sharply toward her. "Sera Selena is an Umbra Clan princess?"

"Of course she is." Elle nodded. "What other clan do you know that uses a maternal name for its lineage? And who doesn’t know the Selenas’ are the ruling family of the Umbra Clan?"

Starlight couldn’t believe what she was hearing right now. No wonder the girl’s name had sounded so familiar, even if she couldn’t place it at the time. "So you knew she was a subroyal princess, and you still accepted her challenge on my behalf? Weren’t you the same person who practically told me never to offend anyone from the Five Great Clans?"

"Well, you obviously didn’t listen," Elle replied with a shrug. "And since you already smashed her face in, I figured we might as well milk the situation for all the publicity we can get."

"Fuck, Elle, I swear you’re something else," Starlight muttered, rubbing her temples.

"If by ’something else’ you mean astoundingly gorgeous, then yes, you’re absolutely right," Elle replied with a shameless grin.

Starlight shot her what had to be the umpteenth glare she’d given her since meeting the girl, only for Elle’s grin to widen. Seriously, she really knew how to push every last one of Starlight’s buttons.

Starlight let out a heavy sigh.

To think she had managed to offend yet another child of one of the five great clans. Seriously, what was it with these pompous bloodlines and getting on her nerves? And as for Sera Selena, wasn’t the Umbra Clan supposed to be spiritually inclined? Why was a supposedly sacred, goddess-blessed lineage acting like a spoiled hoodlum when spiritual people were supposed to be calm, wise, and above petty nonsense?

"What are you going to do now?" Chloe asked, looking at her with a concerned frown.

Starlight put her phone to sleep and glanced at her. "What else can I do other than go to the Headmistress’s office and find out why I’m being summoned? You guys go ahead to the next class without me. Hopefully, whatever this is won’t take too long. I’d rather not miss combat class."

"Are you sure you’ll be okay?" Ariel asked, searching her face.

Starlight gave a faint, reassuring smile. "I’m sure. It’s not like the Headmistress’s office is an execution chamber. I’ll see you guys later."

With that, she turned and began walking toward the administration building.

Ariel watched her retreating back with a deep frown before turning to the other two.

"Do you think we should follow her?"

"I don’t think that’s a good idea," Chloe replied after a moment. "We should just do as she said and wait for her in class. Besides, we still have a few more minutes before combat training starts. Let’s just head to the changing room and get ready while we wait for her."

"Yeah, you’re right. Let’s go," Elle agreed.

The three girls then made their way down the hall toward the changing rooms.

~~~~

Standing before the polished door of the Headmistress’s office, Starlight took a brief second to gather her wits before raising her hand to knock, only to hear a crisp "Enter" from within.

She took a deep breath and pushed the door open, stepping into the room. Headmistress Whitmore’s office was nothing like Starlight had expected. Instead of being cluttered with towering shelves, overflowing paperwork, and the usual assortment of office supplies, the spacious room was remarkably organized and uncluttered, with enough open space to easily accommodate a small community.

The decor was elegant without being excessive, giving off an air of quiet authority and refined sophistication. A large mahogany desk was positioned against the side wall rather than in the center of the room, leaving the middle of the office open and unobstructed. Her nameplate, what appeared to be a family picture in an expensive frame, a sleek laptop, and a neat stack of files and documents occupied the polished surface. Compared to the cramped administrative offices Starlight was accustomed to seeing, this was the kind of office that looked more like a private study than a place where disciplinary meetings were held.

Starlight’s step faltered the moment her gaze landed on the person sitting cross-legged on one of the leather sofas, looking as though he owned the entire office. What the hell was going on, and why was Prince Nikolai, one of the Wolfhart twins, also here, staring at her as if he were two seconds away from wringing her neck?

"Welcome, Miss Dawson," Headmistress Whitmore said from her seat behind the desk, her voice calm and cordial. "Please, take a seat."

Starlight swallowed hard, shooting one last uneasy glance at Nikolai before pulling out the chair positioned opposite the Headmistress’s desk and carefully lowering herself into it.

"Miss Dawson," the Headmistress began, clasping her hands neatly on the desk. "It has been brought to my attention that you’ve been going around assaulting your fellow students."

Starlight wanted to ask whether the person who brought that to her attention had also mentioned that all of it had been self-defense. Instead, she settled for asking, "assaulting?" Her voice was laced with disbelief. "Ma’am, if you’re referring to Sera Selena, she grabbed me first. I just happened to be holding a tray at the time, and my body reacted before I could stop it."

"It’s not just Sera Selena," Headmistress Whitmore replied calmly, leaning forward and steepling her fingers. "You also slapped Beatrice Hawthorne on your very first day at the academy, no less, and now you’ve smashed a metal tray into Sera Morgan’s face. Both incidents resulted in bloodshed, and both victims are high-ranking princesses. Miss Dawson, this level of violence is completely unacceptable. It is not the kind of reputation a student should be building for herself."

"But, ma’am, I’m the real victim here. All I did was defend myself. They started it first," Starlight argued, struggling to keep the frustration out of her voice. "And as for them being princesses, it’s not my fault the sub-royals seem determined to make my life misera—"

BANG!

"Miss Dawson!"

The sharp slam of Headmistress Whitmore’s palm striking the desk cut her off mid-sentence. Starlight flinched, snapping her mouth shut as the Headmistress pinned her with a look that could draw blood.

Oopsie, Starlight thought, wincing internally. Maybe antagonizing the Headmistress wasn’t the smartest move. Note to self: let your brain catch up before opening your mouth.

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