Chapter 219

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Chapter 219

The two had to hurry, Kuowa said, "Sylas has the power to invite anyone, no one can refuse her."

"Are there any other rules?"

"When the second song is playing, she must change dance partners."

"Can’t she dance with one person the whole time?" asked the old mage, who remembered the dance steps but had completely forgotten social etiquette.

Kuowa tilted her head sympathetically and looked at her, "I can dance with you."

Xerath didn’t speak. Her footsteps slowed down as she walked into the hall. Sylas was escorted away by the host, but she turned back to look at Xerath with eyes like a young animal.

There was a constant buzzing sound around them. Xerath didn’t pay much attention to what the people were saying. Sylas talked to her about dancing at the party. Her little wild beast also wrote a heartfelt letter inviting her to his graduation ceremony, but no one promised who would be invited to the first dance.

Maybe Luna, the girl who Virgil mentioned was very close to Sylas? Maybe Diego’s daughter would look like Lillian, or maybe like Mrs. Westcounty – she was right, Luna was standing next to Lillian, slightly younger than her mother.

Not only her, but everyone was excited to see which lucky person the little fairy would choose to receive this great honor of finishing second grade so quickly. Even host Mrs. Wipeal was cheering.

"Who will the little fairy choose?!?"

Everyone gradually became excited under her encouragement, and even Xerath wanted to know the answer, and what her reaction would be after Sylas made her choice.

But then, she saw her little wild beast walking towards her (bringing along many heated gazes and whistles), he bowed to her and extended his hand, saying to her, "May I have the pleasure of dancing with you?"

Even this sentence, Xerath didn’t hear it clearly. She was completely captivated by his emerald eyes. She mechanically moved, slowly removing her loose black wizard robe and handing it to Hyectra beside her. She reached out her hand and held the hand extended by Sylas.

Xerath didn’t like much physical contact with others, but holding Sylas’s hand was not outside her comfort zone. She even enjoyed the embrace from this domesticated demon beast – she just couldn’t go too far. She wasn’t sure if she could resist such temptation, so holding hands was the most intimate and only contact she could accept.

But soon there will be something more intimate. She had to put her hand on Sylas’s back, and as she hesitated and struggled, Sylas’s other hand was already placed on her shoulder.

Hesitantly, she supported the part where Sylas’s waist and back connected, in order to ease the awkwardness that perhaps only she could feel. She asked Sylas, "Are you nervous?"

Sylas shook her head sincerely, "Ms. Viper will make us dance in front of the signboard. After that experience, the limit of embarrassment has been surpassed."

Xerath couldn’t help but laugh, "That’s how she taught us back then."

"Are you really going to take this class willingly?"

"Yes, it’s required by Professor Emerson." She sighed, the music played, and she didn’t step wrong on the first step, nor on the second. The intricate flag steps were also performed correctly. She held onto Sylas’s robe at the waist and back, and the hem floated up like a skirt when they spun, almost wrapping around her legs.

Sylas was enveloped in a scent of old parchment. Having been to many libraries, she could now discern the subtle differences in scent between them. Like Aimekotes Library, which had a touch of Xerath’s unique scent. At first, it just smelled like the coldness of books, but just like Xerath herself, the more time they spent together, the warmth and playfulness hidden deep within could be detected.

"I’ve grown taller lately… I thought after not seeing you for a year, I would be a bit taller than you." Sylas said somewhat regrettably, but as soon as the words came out, she felt foolish. Why did she mention that in front of Xerath? The subtle change in presence due to height might challenge Xerath’s sense of authority as a teacher. Saying this in front of her was it not provoking?

Fortunately, Xerath just smiled and didn’t show any intention of blaming her.

Jane suddenly appeared and buried her face in Luna’s shoulder, crying and saying, "A lot… on my face…"

Luna was startled, "How did you run out!"

"I’m a staff member, do you want something to eat?"

"No, I don’t eat. I’m afraid of missing something." She politely declined Jane’s offer and held onto her front-row seat.

This scene was worth watching closely: the archmage wore a loose robe with a matching pair of pants and a vest, tailored to fit her slender waist and long legs perfectly. Her movements were decisive and precise, showing no hesitation. She was in control of everything, even Sylas, who usually seemed intimidating, appeared docile and adorable when partnering with her, as if she could only revolve around her.

"I really admire Sylas…" Jane couldn’t help but say.

"What’s the matter?" Luna took the square cake that Jane handed over and took a bite.

"Look at her expression, so… calm."

It was indeed the case. Sylas and her beloved teacher occasionally leaned their heads together and whispered. From certain angles, it looked like they were speaking softly in each other’s ears. At the end of a conversation, there would always be a shy smile, but throughout, there was never too much eye contact. There were maybe two or three moments when Sylas looked up at Xerath, her eyes drifting and her eyelashes trembling, showing a restless and impulsive desire. However, most of the time, she just kept her gaze lowered, with a smile that represented listening, as she would when interacting with everyone else.

In the eyes of people with ulterior motives, these can be interpreted as restraint and self-control. Her dance partner was as exquisite as an illusion, while she herself was an intruder who was afraid of shattering fragile illusions.

As the song ended, neither of them made any more out-of-place movements. Jane, who played the waiter role, and Luna coincidentally remembered the brief kiss they exchanged earlier when they made a speech this morning.

During the second song, everyone was supposed to dance. Luna’s brother Elwyn kept staring at Sylas and walking towards her quickly. However, Luna hurriedly pushed her brother away and grabbed Sylas’s hand, pulling her onto the dance floor.

Sylas reluctantly looked at Xerath, who was also looking at her. Before they could exchange a word, another person stole Xerath’s attention.

Virgil！

Virgil showed a slick smile towards the two girls. Luna even stomped her foot and said, "Why is Virgil here? He even stole the archmage! I haven’t had a chance to dance with her yet!"

"Didn’t you say… in the legendary story, the old hunter Virgil and her were very familiar?"

Luna said with a pout, "But that’s just a story! I thought Xerath would ignore him! After all, I don’t think she would like someone with a personality like Virgil’s…"

"Uh… actually, that’s not true. Virgil is the only visitor who would visit the tower, they… have known each other since they were young."

When it comes to knowing each other from a young age, Luna gave Sylas a white look and poked her waist, saying, "You dare say we know each other from a young age? Seeing us go crazy for archmage since we were young, are you secretly laughing on the side?"

Sylas felt itchy and curled up, her feet were about to lose control, and she laughed and said, "Don’t, don’t play around! We’re going to bump into someone!" As she said that, she bumped into several people.

Luna had to stop, and the two of them resumed their normal movements. Luna glanced at Virgil thoughtfully, feeling just as alert as Sylas.

Virgil was bathed in the eyes of many girls that could almost kill, but he seemed completely unaware. He whispered to his decades-old friend, "Old friend, I think you’re dressed today like you’re trying to seduce young girls."

"Essentially, I’m still wearing women’s clothing, just more suitable for movement."

The school dance is also considered an important social occasion for these future mages. The guild once imposed requirements on the students’ attire at the dance to curb blind comparison of outfits. They strongly advocated for everyone to wear mage robes instead of evening gowns and dresses to attend the dance. This tradition has been passed down over time, and there is even a trend of entering the palace ball (which is considered noble and elegant).

Traditional mage robes may not be suitable for showcasing dance moves, but the summer apprentice robes are much more tailored than the slim-fit ones in winter, while still having a long hem that sways gracefully when dancing. In addition, female apprentices from the advanced school wear knee-length skirts, which adds depth to the "imitation dresses" and makes them more pleasing to the eye.

However, Xerath is not an apprentice. She came out today wearing pants and boots, with a clearly feminine shirt and even subtle lace details. She tied a bowtie and wore other feminine accessories. They were all tailored to fit a graceful female figure. However, when worn by Xerath, it exuded a heroic and elegant charm. Paired with her radiant golden hair and refined and distant face, and considering the morning’s famous lecture incident, everyone knew that the youngest and most brilliant archmage would appear at the dance. She had become the focal point of the entire event.

"You can’t deny it. When they look at you, your face is filled with spring-like affection, and when they look at me, you are cold as winter. It’s been a long time since I’ve received such treatment. It’s really heartbreaking."

"This is something I’ve never been able to understand. I feel like I don’t have any masculine traits that would confuse these children who are just starting to experience feelings of love."

"You really don’t understand people’s hearts…" Virgil intentionally dragged out his words, "Girls tend to like people in their same sex group who have slightly different qualities from them."

"Or it could be the ‘stereotypical opposite gender traits’ that the majority of people believe in."

"Alright, alright, to be more specific, if you put a tall, confident and beautiful woman next to an ordinary man, the girls would definitely choose the woman."

"And what about boys?"

"Men are a bit more complicated. While psychologically, men tend to be attracted to people in their same sex group who have feminine qualities like a soft appearance or being a bit playful, the discrimination from within the male group forces them to painfully give up this preference. The imposing comments like ‘lacking masculinity’ or ‘how can you like men’ are so domineering."