The next morning, I headed straight to the gymnasium instead of the classroom.
Today was a special class day.
Elena had told me yesterday that the Imperial Knights would start participating in our lessons from today onward.
I should've been excited—this was the kind of rare opportunity most cadets would kill for.
But the moment I stepped through the gymnasium doors… my good mood evaporated on the spot.
"…Brother?"
"It's been a while, Louis."
Of all people, the first face I had to see was Julian's—smiling so refreshingly that it somehow made him even more irritating.
He was surrounded by a flock of squealing female students, putting on his usual flawless act.
I felt my brows scrunch together the moment our eyes met.
The second I saw that annoyingly perfect face, something ugly and hard to explain surged inside me.
I forced myself to swallow down the rising negativity and quietly slipped off to a corner, avoiding his gaze entirely.
"How old are you?"
