Lucas grabbed a tray and loaded it with a simple meal - bread, some kind of stew, and an apple.
He found a pretty empty table near one of the tall windows and sat down, hoping to eat quickly and get out before Celeste could start another long conversation about something else.
Celeste took the seat right across from him, setting down her own empty tray with a soft clink. Lucas started eating quickly.
He was grateful that for the time being, Celeste had decided to shut up.
But as he took his third bite of stew, he became increasingly aware that Celeste hadn't touched any food.
In fact, she wasn't even looking at her tray. Instead, she was staring directly at him with a look of obsession and desire that made his skin crawl.
Her icy blue eyes were locked onto his face, unblinking.
It was the look of someone who had found a particularly interesting specimen and was studying every detail with obsessive fascination and possessiveness.
Lucas tried to ignore it, focusing on his meal, but the weight of her stare was impossible to shake off.
After another minute of this uncomfortable silence, he finally set down his spoon harder than necessary.
"Are you not gonna eat?" he asked, unable to keep the annoyance out of his voice.
Celeste blinked slowly, like she was coming out of a trance, then smiled that unsettling smile of hers.
"Oh, I'm not really hungry right now," she said airily. "I'd much rather watch you."
Before Lucas could process that deeply disturbing statement, Celeste leaned forward slightly, her face changing into something more serious.
"Lucas," she said, her voice sweet and deadly. "Will you marry me?"
Lucas choked on the bite of bread he'd just taken. He sputtered and coughed, spraying crumbs across the table as his eyes watered from the shock.
Around them, several nearby conversations stopped dead as students turned to stare at the scene.
"What?!" he said once he'd cleared his throat.
The dining hall erupted in whispers. Lucas could hear the other male students muttering amongst themselves.
"Did she just propose to him?"
"Why the hell would she pick Estellan of all people?"
"That should've been me, not him!"
"What does he have that I don't?"
"Lucky bastard..."
Lucas felt his face heating up under the combined weight of dozens of envious and curious stares.
He turned back to Celeste, who was watching him with obvious amusement.
"Stop messing around," he said.
But even as he said it, a treacherous part of his mind couldn't help but wonder:
Am I really that good-looking? Two marriage proposals in one day? What the hell is going on?
The morning thing with Leyla about marrying Marie had been weird enough, but at least that had been for political reasons.
This was something else entirely.
Celeste burst into laughter. "Oh, Lucas, you should've seen your face! You looked totally terrified. Like a little rabbit caught in a trap."
She leaned back in her chair, still giggling at his expense.
"I was just testing your reaction. Though I have to say, the fact that you looked so scared is pretty telling. Most guys would at least pretend to be flattered by a proposal from a woman of my status."
Lucas scowled, his embarrassment quickly turning into irritation.
He turned his attention back to his meal, eating faster now despite the uncomfortable lump that had formed in his throat from choking earlier.
The other students gradually lost interest and went back to their own conversations, though Lucas could still feel the occasional curious glance thrown his way.
He shoveled down the rest of his stew, barely tasting it in his rush to finish and escape this embarrassing situation.
"My, my, someone's in a rush," Celeste said, watching him with obvious amusement. "Am I really such terrible company?"
Lucas didn't bother answering.
He grabbed his apple, took one big bite, then stood up with his tray. Without waiting for Celeste to follow, he dropped off his dishes in the collection area and walked toward the exit.
He could hear Celeste's footsteps behind him. It seemed she hadn't yet grown bored of following him.
As they left the dining hall, she caught up to him easily, matching his pace despite his attempt to lose her.
"Lucas, where are you going?" she asked. "Your next class isn't for another hour, and I thought we could spend some time getting to know each other better."
"I've got somewhere I need to be," Lucas said, not slowing down one bit.
"Oh? And where might that be?" Celeste asked.
"You'll find out soon enough if you insist on following me."
Lucas moved through the hallways with speed, heading toward the east wing where the specialized tracks had their facilities.
In his mind, he was running through his priorities for the day.
I need to befriend Raymond James today. With classes canceled until after midterm exams, this is my best shot to make contact before everything gets complicated.
Raymond would be in one of the alchemy track rooms, probably working on some project or another.
The second-year alchemy students had their own dedicated lab space, separate from the general student body. It was one of the perks of being in a specialized track. You got better resources and more freedom.
"The east wing?" Celeste said as they turned down another hallway. "That's where the specialized tracks work, isn't it? Are you in one of the advanced programs, Lucas? You're full of surprises."
"I'm not in a specialized track," Lucas said. "I'm looking for someone."
"Someone? How mysterious. Is it another friend of yours? Or maybe..." Her voice took on a teasing quality. "A romantic interest?"
Lucas stopped walking so suddenly that Celeste nearly ran into him. He turned to face her, his patience finally running out.
"Listen, Celeste. I get that you're new here and trying to make friends, but I've got things I need to do that don't involve answering constant questions and commentary. Can you please just... give me some space?"
Celeste's face flickered with hurt before her happy mask slipped back into place.
"Of course," she said smoothly. "Though I am curious about who could be so important that you'd rush off right after lunch. I promise I'll be quiet as a mouse. You won't even know I'm there."
Lucas doubted that very much, but arguing seemed pointless.
He started walking again, and true to her word, Celeste fell silent behind him. The quiet was almost more disturbing than her constant talking had been.
They reached the east wing, and Lucas started checking the labels on the various lab doors.
Most were locked or had classes going on, but he was looking for the second-year alchemy track workspace - a bigger common area where students could work on independent projects.
Finally, he found it.
Through the small window in the door, he could see several students working at various stations, surrounded by bubbling beakers, carefully labeled ingredients, and the organized chaos of serious academic work.
He needed to identify Raymond James among the students inside and find a natural way to start a conversation that wouldn't seem forced or suspicious.
Behind him, he could practically feel Celeste's curiosity behind him. He just hoped she would keep her promise and keep her mouth shut.
Just another complication in an already complicated day, Lucas thought as he reached for the door handle.
But Raymond is too important to ignore. I need to lock down that supply line before the war starts, which means building a friendship with him now.
He pushed open the door and stepped inside, with Celeste following closely behind him like a venomous snake stalking it's prey.