VOL 2 Chapter 30: A rare candy.

"I'm not a spoilsport or anything like that; it's just that you haven't even met him yet, and you're already fighting over him as if he were some kind of rare candy." Liliana retorted with an annoyed expression, then took a sip from her wine glass.

"Fufufu, it's just a joke. Although he is an incredibly rare candy, and he does look exquisite..." Zoe commented mischievously, then licked her lips seductively, to which Liliana replied irritably.

"Hmph, what would a virgin like you know about that?"

"Please, don't tell me you don't think the same, fufufu" Zoe remarked playfully while looking at Liliana with a 'knowing' expression, to which the girl with chocolate hair quickly retorted with a hint of disdain.

"Not at all; Erik doesn't provoke a single improper thought in me."

"You're going to say that such a man doesn't cause you even a single improper thought, Liliana? I don't believe a word." Elara commented with an amused smile as she looked at Liliana, who replied while swirling her wine in the glass.

"Well, you'll have to believe it because he doesn't cause me any at all. Besides, you're exaggerating; Erik isn't that special."

"Please, Liliana, Disciple Erik is not only one of the few direct disciples of our generation and not only has one master but two. Moreover, he's incredibly handsome, talented, and according to what my master told me, the director is paying special attention to him, and several of his academic articles are going to be published in the next edition of the university journal. No matter how you look at it, he's a great catch." Elara commented cheerfully, then took a sip from her wine glass, to which Liliana replied in a low voice.

"Hmph, I'd like to know what your master thinks of your romantic fantasies..."

"Would you dare tell her?!" Hearing the threat, Elara bristled like a cat and scolded in whispers with an offended expression.

"Fufufu, jealous, Liliana?"

For her part, Zoe commented mischievously, which caused the roles to reverse, and now Liliana looked like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. She exclaimed with an indignant expression on her face, which caused the pair of young ladies to burst into cheerful laughter.

"He wishes!"

""Hahaha""

...

While Liliana, Zoe, and Elara teased one another, suddenly the buzz of the hall was interrupted when the double mahogany doors opened with a silent whisper, drawing the attention of everyone present, who observed with curiosity as two figures entered.

Walking in front was a young man who seemed to be just reaching adulthood, but had a presence that radiated the maturity and confidence of someone much more experienced. He wore an elegant black suit that accentuated his height and elegance, which matched his perfectly groomed jet-black hair that had tiny stars and galaxies mystically shimmering.

Right behind the young man walked a woman of stunning beauty, with delicate yet firm features and straight black hair elegantly styled in a Victorian updo. She wore an elegant black outfit that, although it evoked the silhouette of a Victorian maid's dress, had been modernized and adapted to fit a gala, with lace, puffed sleeves, and intricate embroidery.

The group of three young ladies witnessed the young man's entrance with surprise written on their faces. Despite not having said a single word since his arrival and merely looking around with curiosity, he exuded an elegant, almost aristocratic air. This, combined with his incredible beauty and bearing, created a distant and majestic aura that seemed to both enchant and intimidate everyone present. To the point that, despite his impressive background and talent, no one had dared to approach him.

"It is a pleasure to see Disciple Erik attending my humble reception." The first to react was Elara, who quickly approached Erik, then made a slight respectful bow and greeted him in a slow and elegant tone.

For his part, Erik quickly analyzed the young woman in front of him, who possessed exceptional beauty, with delicate and feminine features, fair skin, perfectly styled short blonde hair, and green eyes one or two shades lighter than his own. She was wearing a beautiful red evening gown that highlighted her athletic and slender figure. He then greeted her back with a smile and a similar bow.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, and thank you for the invitation, Direct Disciple Belmonte."

"It is truly a pleasure to finally meet you, Disciple Erik." Elara commented with a slight smile while discreetly studying the young man in front of her, then added with a smile as she gestured toward the interior of the hall.

"But please, come in. It is truly a pleasure for me to have you here today in my humble abode."

"Disciple Belmonte is truly kind." Erik replied with a smile, then walked toward where Elara indicated. She began walking beside him while commenting with a slight smile.

"Please, call me Elara, Disciple Erik."

"Well then, thank you very much for your warm welcome, Disciple Elara." Erik commented in a calm tone while giving a smile to the beautiful blonde-haired young woman, who responded with a similar smile.

"Don't worry about that, Disciple Erik. It is truly a pleasure for me that you accepted my invitation." Noticing that they had arrived at one of the tables, Elara indicated a chair, then elegantly added.

"Please, Disciple Erik, have a seat. Would you like something to drink? We have all kinds of beverages and food for you to enjoy during your stay."

"Then I'd like to trouble you for some tea, if it's not too much bother, Disciple Elara." Erik responded casually as he approached the chair, to which Elara nodded slightly, then cheerfully commented.

"Of course not, it's my pleasure."

With a single gesture from Elara, a beautiful attendant approached and prepared to serve tea for Erik, who seemed to be in the middle of a staring contest with his personal maid. Both of them held the chair where he was supposed to sit, slightly confusing the young woman. But being a professional with extensive experience attending to high-profile guests, she quickly composed herself and proceeded to serve the tea and place it on the table.

But before she could do so, a beautiful and delicate hand that seemed like a porcelain work of art blocked her path. The attendant looked up to see who had stopped her, only to find a woman of exceptional beauty looking at her with a polite smile. Still, she had her hand on the backrest of the chair where her young master was supposed to sit.

Without saying a word, Seraphina casually pointed to the table while looking the attendant directly in the eyes, which caused a deep shiver in the young woman. But she quickly reacted, realizing what the gesture meant, and with a polite bow, she left the teapot in the place indicated.

Seeing that the attendant had understood her instructions, Seraphina smiled softly with satisfaction, then looked at her stubborn young master with a determined smile. The star-haired young man could only accept defeat with a sigh, then let his personal maid adjust the chair for him.

Once her young master was properly seated, Seraphina took the teapot from the table and proceeded to serve tea with a professional smile on her face. Meanwhile, Elara watched the situation a bit confused, though she did not dare say anything about it. Her master's words warning her not to provoke the star-haired young man's maid in case he attended the reception still echoed in her mind.

"An excellent tea, thank you very much for your hospitality, Disciple Elara."

While Seraphina stood behind him like the perfect maid she was, Erik took his cup with elegant movements and tasted the tea. He then commented with a smile toward Elara, who quickly responded elegantly while sipping her own cup of tea served by the attendant, who had swiftly produced a new teapot out of nowhere.

"It's a pleasure; after all, I've always wanted to chat a bit with the famous Disciple Erik."

"Hahaha, you flatter me, Disciple Elara; I'm only famous because of my masters." Erik commented cheerfully, which slightly broadened Elara's smile. She quickly replied in a soft tone.

"Disciple Erik is someone of great talents to which his reputation doesn't yet do justice, and I can say that with certainty, as I was in the front row as a spectator at your duel some time ago."

"Oh, I didn't know that. My apologies for the unpleasant scene that unfolded that day." Erik commented while slightly inclining his head, to which Elara cheerfully replied.

"There's no need to apologize, Disciple Erik. Although things got a bit hectic at the end, the duel was magnificent, and I was able to see your great skill and ability firsthand."

"Hahaha, Disciple Elara flatters me; it wasn't all that."

Erik responded with a courteous smile to Elara's constant compliments, but at that moment, he turned his gaze upon sensing someone approaching with his mystical awareness. He found a beautiful young woman exuding an elegant aura full of class and distinction, walking toward them with confident steps.

The young woman, whose beauty was in no way inferior to Elara's, had beautiful dark hair, long and straight, that fell softly over her back. This greatly contrasted with her pale skin and large blue eyes, while accentuating her fine and delicate features. Her blue evening gown highlighted her voluptuous yet equally athletic figure.

"Disciple Erik, allow me to introduce you to Disciple Zoe Laverne, a great friend of mine." Seeing Zoe's arrival, Elara stood up from her chair and introduced her with a small smile on her face.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Disciple Erik." Zoe bowed gracefully and elegantly in front of Erik, who stood up from his chair and greeted her courteously, while also making a slight bow.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Disciple Laverne."

"Please, call me Zoe, just like with Elara, Disciple Erik." Zoe commented elegantly with a beautiful smile on her face, to which Erik nodded with a smile.

"Certainly, Disciple Zoe."

"Please, let's sit down and chat a bit."

Upon hearing Erik, Zoe smiled delicately, then commented while indicating the chairs, so they all sat around the table. At which point some attendants served appetizing multicolored cocktails, although only for Elara and Zoe, as Seraphina warded them off with a smile as soon as they tried to serve Erik.

"It is truly a pleasure to see Disciple Erik at this gathering; it was a very pleasant surprise." Zoe commented elegantly while attentively observing Erik's features, who casually asked after sipping some tea.

"Is it so strange that I came?"

"It's not that it's strange, it's just that someone had told us that Disciple Erik wasn't a very sociable person." Elara commented cheerfully, while at the same time looking toward a corner of the room, where an angry Liliana could be seen drinking wine alone, sitting in front of a beautiful shiny jet-black table.

Seeing Liliana, Erik couldn't help but smile casually, since, although the girl couldn't stand him, he didn't really care much. After all, pleasing others was something that had never mattered to him in his two lives. Besides, Liliana was somewhat adorable, since despite being almost 50 years old, her attitudes were very childish, and she always made an effort to appear in public as if there were no problems between them.

For her part, Liliana turned to look at the table where her friends who had betrayed her to go over to her 'worst enemy' were sitting. Only to find Erik looking at her and waving with his hand extended, to which she could only respond. After all, no matter what happened, he was her fellow disciple under the same master, and snubbing him like that was not something she could do. Their problems were private; in public, they could only be fellow disciples on good terms, and that couldn't change, especially not because of her.

Seeing that she had no other choice, Liliana got up from her seat and walked over to Erik's table to greet him as was proper. Underneath the cordial smile on her face, she was internally cursing him with all she had.

"It's a pleasure to see you at this gathering, Erik; I didn't think you'd attend such a crowded place."