1 Out of the loop.

**Silence**

The music suddenly stopped, creating an eerie stillness. Everyone in the room turned to look at me, their eyes filled with anticipation. I stood at the bar, holding a drink, probably one too many.

"You shouldn't have said that," a voice came from someone nearby. I understood the weight of my words and the potential consequences, but I remained composed. Sometimes, you just have to speak the truth, no matter what.

Step by step, this guy approached, exuding confidence. The tension in the room increased with each of his steps. He had distinct blue hair and an air of self-assuredness, and it was clear he was someone not to be messed with.

Inside, I took a deep breath, determined to change the usual outcome. This time, I wouldn't let the same old story play out.

As he got closer, the tension thickened. I, however, refused to let it get to me. I kept my cool, a calm façade in the face of imminent conflict.

Finally, when he stood in front of me, we locked eyes. There was a strange calmness in his gaze, mirroring my own. We were equals in this standoff, ready for whatever was about to unfold.

The room fell silent, anticipation hanging heavy in the air. It was the calm before a storm, a battle of ideas and depths about to erupt.

"...meh, whatever. I don't think I care that much," I muttered.

"What I said wasn't far from the truth, right... What was your name again? I tend to forget the names of commoners," I tossed those words at Alex.

'Uh-oh, he looks pissed,' I thought.

"Whatever you said about Aurora is wrong. She's not like that," he retorted. True, she wasn't, at least not with me. What about me?

I sighed and picked up my drink. "Whoever you are, I don't care, and it's not your place to say anything between us nobles. So back off," I continued. "Isn't her behavior indecent? She left her fiancé hanging and went to have the first dance of the night with a complete stran-..." I looked past Alex to see the auburn-haired girl behind him, a scared look on her face.

'It's my third time seeing it, and it's never the same,' I mused in my mind.

"Oh! I don't think you are a stranger to her. Is your name Alex? I've seen Aurora writing a few letters to you before. She looks happy," I lied, but I knew she wrote to him in her spare time. How? I read it.

"I am her... friend, and she's an important friend to me too. I warn you to take your words back," Alex said, his arrogance showing. Rightfully so, I thought, given that he was the only commoner who topped the academy entrance exams. I liked his character, but right now, he was just a stupid kid with too much power in my eyes.

"And what if I don't? You're gonna cry and call the headmaster, or maybe your lovely Aurora is going to write a letter to her father, quite a... lady, isn't she?" I said. I didn't really like saying these words, but today, for some reason, I felt surprisingly calm saying them to Alex's face.

Clench.

Alex clenched his fist, and...

'Oh. This is different this time.' He snatched the glass from my hand.

Splash!

He threw all the red wine on my face.

"?" I had a dumb look on my face. Usually, it's just some cursing or a straight fist to my face. One time, Aurora slapped me because I beat up a kid.

'Well, that was certainly entertaining,' I thought with a hint of amusement. 'Beating him up is still not challenging, but the consequences are regrettable for myself.'

"This is what you get for cursing someone important to me," Alex declared proudly, causing a slight blush to grace Aurora's cheeks in response to his sudden outburst.

'I can't believe there was a time when I loved this girl more than my own life,' I mused, a tinge of disappointment lingering within me that I wasn't the one who captured her heart in the end.

"Looks like the party is over," I sighed, my anger simmering beneath the surface, threatening to erupt at any moment. However, I managed to keep it contained, although it took great effort. Glancing at the small group of beautiful women who had flocked to Aurora's side for support, I couldn't help but utter with a bitter tone, "Have fun, bitches."

Alex's eyes widened in surprise, his expectations shattered. Did he truly believe I would curse or engage in a physical altercation with him? Hell, no.

I pivoted on my heels, slowly making my way towards the imposing doors, the grand exit from the lavish ballroom.

"Asher!" Suddenly, a voice called out my name, causing me to pause. How unusual.

Without a word, I turned back to see who had spoken. To my astonishment, it was Aurora.

She stood there, petite and fair-skinned, with waist-length auburn hair cascading down her back. Her slender nose and bright green eyes held a captivating allure.

'Every single person here envied me for having such a breathtaking beauty as my fiancée, even with the vast gap in our societal standings

,' I reflected, the realization dawning upon me. 'They were right. The divide between us is too substantial to bridge.'

Silence enveloped the hall, akin to the hush of a pin dropping. Not a single lip dared to utter a sound. Why would they? A grand spectacle was unfolding before their very eyes, and they were determined not to miss a single scene.

"What? If you have nothing to say, don't waste my time," I retorted, unleashing my crude yet unfiltered thoughts.

Aurora gazed at me, her delicate hands trembling ever so slightly. Was she genuinely afraid of me? I had done nothing to harm her, after all.

In the end, she remained silent, refusing to speak a single word. With a resolute air, I turned away and exited the banquet hall.

As I stepped outside, a refreshing breeze greeted me, as if sobering me up from the tumultuous events within. Pulling out a vial of healing potion, I cleansed myself of the wine's intoxicating presence.

Taking a deep breath, I shouted at the top of my lungs, "I AM FREE NOW!"

With this, I hoped I'd be out of the loop of this story.