Lie

"That is good. I do hope he does something that will give me justification for what I do. What do you think of this headline: a senator's son found assaulting his own friend?"

"That is not newsworthy. Do people even care about that?"

"Of course, that depends on what kind of assault," Rafael replied with a mysterious smile.

Aiyden, looking at how Jeff looked at Rafael, understood the situation. He stood up, blocking Jeff's view and making him frown.

Thankfully, before the situation could escalate further, the school bell rang. In the next moment, the door slid open, showing Mr. Velkan coming to the class.

"What are you guys doing? Have I not been clear? I don't care about your status. Take your seats now."

Mr. Velkan said coldly while looking at them.

Aiyden nodded and then returned to his seat. Jeff also followed, already knowing that Mr. Velkan came from a family he couldn't afford to offend.

But when it was Rusty and Chuck's turn, Velkan stopped them. His eyes locked on Rusty's swollen eye.

"What happened?"

"I... I fell from the stairs," Rusty replied.

Even though Rafael also hit Jeff, he was careful not to leave any marks. But Jeff was different; he hit Rusty to vent his anger without caring about the repercussions.

"Fell from the stairs? Right in the eye?" Velkan's eyes squinted as he asked again, now with a higher tone.

"Yes…" Rusty replied, trying not to look Velkan in the eye.

"I will ask once more, where did you get that wound? Think carefully; depending on your answer, I will demote you to the B class."

His words quickly made Rusty feel a chill. He couldn't get demoted. All his sacrifices so far following Jeff were to stay in this A class.

It was the same for Chuck. Even though graduating from Royal Valtara Academy already gave them many benefits, graduating from the top class would secure his future.

Those who came from the A grade could attend the royal academy and then build a relationship with the royalty. If they were capable, getting a job with them was also an option.

Rusty didn't know what to answer; he couldn't honestly say Jeff was the one who punched him. Another option was blaming someone else.

But the thought of blaming Rafael didn't even cross his mind. He was scared of him. All this time, no one dared to fight back against Jeff, but now, only two days later, Rafael had already crushed him.

Having no other choice, he said, "I am sorry for lying, sir. I was playing boxing with Jeff. We just got too immersed in the play, and then he accidentally hit me."

Rusty's eyebrows furrowed, as he was not the one doing it. But he could empathize with Jeff; it's not like he had any other option.

Mr. Velkan looked at both of them, his eyes cold, without any shred of concern. 

"Good. If you want to lie, at the very least, make it logical. I don't care what you do outside the class, but never put shame on me. Both of you, go to the nurse and get that wound taken care of."

Rusty and Chuck looked at each other, confused by his reaction. But since they were off the hook, both of them gave a respectful bow and then left the class.

Mr. Velkan then turned his attention to the class. 

"This is a reminder for all of you. You all are the smartest students in this school, and that is not just a saying. It should reflect in your actions. 

I will not be one of those teachers who tell you all those clichés about living an honest life. 

To survive in this world, you must learn how to lie, how to act, and how to use rules to your benefit. That is the real world. 

Whoever told you otherwise is lying. You may not believe me, but with your brains, you should be able to find out the truth yourself. Now, let's start the class."

Without waiting for their response, Velkan began his lesson.

Rafael had conflicted feelings hearing his teaching. But part of him agreed with it; people need someone they can be honest with, but not everyone has that blessing.

Even though Reina is his sister and most loved one, he cannot tell her everything.

He often lied to ensure he wouldn't become a burden to her.

The lesson continued as Mr. Velkan began with a test. He said he wanted to know their current level of knowledge.

Time passed quickly until the bell rang, marking the time for a break, but Rusty and Chuck hadn't returned.

Jeff went with his group, while Aiyden just took a lunch box from his backpack.

Suiyin walked to his table, "Want to get a meal? I heard that as a class, we can have a free meal."

"I read it too. Let's try it," Rafael replied.

He stood up and then walked toward Aiyden, "Do you want to join us for lunch?"

Aiyden gazed down at the meal box, then back at Rafael. "You can just bring it with you. I just want to eat together."

Suiyin stood behind Rafael, saying, "The more, the merrier. You should join."

Aiyden still hesitated, but Rafael pushed him once more, making him join in.

The only student left in the class now was Aura; she was busy eating a lunch box while streaming herself.

The school canteen was separated into a few areas, with the A class having an exclusive space, like a VIP lounge in an airport.

Dinner was prepared in buffet style. Students could take whatever they wanted and eat as much as they wanted.

Meanwhile, in the normal area, Rafael could see a long queue had formed, separated by class based on their rank. He could also see Tom in one of the lines.

"I hate this segregating class. I don't get why they teach this in this school."