Chapter 324: One Sided…

One of the many royal traditions or courtesies when entering a ballroom of a noble occasion is to announce the name of the individual entering the room. Not for everyone, naturally, but for exceptional individuals who were in a position of authority. Could be a prince or princess, patriarch of an influential family or organization, or even a powerful individual.By that same standard, whenever the top-ranking students entered the ballroom. It was a custom to announce their names. It was done by the guards standing on the large doorway of the room. However, if the individual in question wished, they could gesture to the guards not to announce their arrival.

For example, when Axel and Heinz entered together. Axel had gestured to the guards not to make an announcement. Though Heinz liked the gesture of gloating in front of all the students, he didn’t object to his friend’s desire not to make an announcement. But even without any proclamation of their arrival. All eyes were drawn to the entrance, where the charisma and silent authority they commanded over their fellow students were evident; their handsome appearances did not help in this matter either.

Heinz had given Axel a look that screamed, ’I told you so.’

Axel had rolled his eyes at the guy with obvious annoyance. But now this announcement was akin to a thunderclap in the ears of the students.

"Miss Sophia Evercrest is entering," the guard declared, barely managing to keep his composure and not kneel on the ground in sheer reverence.

As the eyes of more than 1100+ students focused on her simultaneously, she did not react in the slightest; she remained as uncaring as ever. For the first time, everyone saw her wearing a different kind of attire than what she usually wore; he usual dress resembled a Gothic-type battle dress in specific ways, as if she were ready for slaughter.

Axel’s eyes widened suddenly, his breathing stopped, and his heartbeat did not quicken but slowed down instead. The sound of it resounded even more deeply in his mind. He felt as if the world itself had slowed down in his eyes. The dark obsession he held in his heart became even darker and colder. His mind went blank as his runic eyes inspected every inch of Sophia with an unhealthy intensity that was more like a reflex than a conscious action.

Axel could not help but think about how different she was now compared to the Sophia he had known before. Before all of this, she was not just different in appearance but also in mind. All the details of her current appearance ran through his mind in a flash -

Unlike her usual complete pitch black dress, this time she wore a full white dress, every part of which was embroidered with small luxurious diamonds, sparking in a reflective light, hugging her body, emphasizing her divine figure to the point where one would question if that was a body sculpted by the greatest sculptor in existence. But this time her otherworldly beautiful body did not invoke lust, but only an unachievable desire mixed with reverence. Almost like appreciating an art, but an art so majestic that one cannot help but revere it. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ ????????????????????•????????????????•????????????

Additionally, the dress did not convey any thought of extravagant wealth; while it was luxurious, it was also simple in its own way. Shockingly, its design was very similar to the black dress she usually wore, without the small parts that made it look like a battle dress. The color was white instead of black, and some diamonds were embedded in it to add a subtle charm to the dress.

Sophia’s pitch black hair, usually unbound and flowing in the waves of wind, was tied beautifully into a bun. Showing her petite and cute ears, her red eyes remained those of a murderer. Red lips akin to a poisonous fruit that will kill you the moment you go anywhere near it. The dress also covered her neck, barely exposing the top of it.

The hand sleeves were slightly longer and transparent, revealing her flawless white palms and wrists. The dress seems to cover her breasts tightly. Her thin waist was perfectly in proportion to her shoulders, giving her the most perfect hourglass-shaped figure. If looks could devour, Axel had already devoured her a thousand times over. But it was only he who could look at her in that manner; every other boy or girl could only gaze at her in pure reverence.

Not because Sophia was actively using her charms in that manner, but it was merely the passive effect of them. After all, her beauty was simply transcendent. She was like an angel descending from the heavens. This world itself was unworthy of her beauty, and only one person could ever look at her with any form of desire. She could feel it, Axel’s intense gaze washing over her whole body.

But she didn’t even look in his direction, ignoring his existence entirely while passing by the table he was sitting on, while his gaze remained on her.

Axel remained in a daze, his mind unable to form any thoughts, even when she ignored him completely and passed by. Not only he, but everyone within the large ballroom remained in a daze, stunned by her beauty too greatly. Heinz was the first one to break out of the daze as he coughed slightly to break the awkward atmosphere.

The others at the table also recollected themselves. Soon, everyone else came to their senses as well. At the same time, Sophia sat alone in the farthest corner of the ballroom. Creating a halo of contrasting light around her, making her look even more charming. Axel still kept looking straight in her direction, while the others found it quite amusing.

Heinz shook his head in pity, ’Tch, and the idiot said he wasn’t a simp.’

He wanted to comment that it was Axel’s brain that was frozen now, but chose not to. Soon, another announcement was made, signaling the start of the dance as a rhythmic classical tone began to play, echoing beautifully from every corner of the large room and creating an effect that was nothing short of miraculous.

It was only then that Axel stopped looking at Sophia, and for this whole time, Sophia had ignored him completely. But anyone else who even dared to look at her in a bad way felt a shiver down their spine as if they would be killed the very next moment, even while being in this protected space.

But a storm was raging in Axel’s mind. He realized he wasn’t feeling lust for her at the moment; he thought previously that his obsession and desire for Sophia was like a brightly burning, violent fire. But he was wrong; it was nothing like that. Because the more a fire burned brightly, the sooner it would go out.

His feelings were like an ice mountain at the very depth of the ocean. Unending in proportions, too dark to comprehend, too cold to touch, too deep to reach. His obsession for her was buried deep; it was silent and eternal.

Axel knew in his heart. The love he had for her and the feelings she had for him were not the same. It was never the same. Suppose he didn’t save her from the kidnappers in the original timeline, if he didn’t stand beside her. Someone else would have been there for her. He could have been so easily replaced. She didn’t like him for what he truly was, but for convenience. No matter how hard it was for him to accept it, he knew it in his heart.

But for him, it wasn’t the same, even before the day his parents had both died when the world was crashing down on him, when she consoled him so dearly, he had always been in love with her from even before. Unlike him, who could be replaced from her life, she would remain irreplaceable for him, forever.

The cold truth was, it was like a one-sided love. He was willing to give her anything and everything she wanted. While she only used him as a means to an end. Maybe a tool she loved the most. But it was just a tool in the end, and a tool, no matter how good, it was always replaceable.

The actual reason why she could even remain untouched by any man throughout her 100,000 years of lifetime was not because that was her choice, or it was what she desired....no, it was the mechanism of the soul brand which made sure that prime nexus would never push the trial in that direction, so that kind of outcome would always be avoided. After all, the royal family only wants her to form a relationship with a pureblood suncrest and sire talented children for them.

That was the whole reason why he made Lucien and Sophia clash like that. Because the manipulative nature of the soul brand was too deep and disgusting, he couldn’t take any risks on that matter.

Axel didn’t mind being a tool for her sake, as long as he was the only one she ever used, and slowly but surely, he would make it so that Sophia couldn’t see him as a mere tool anymore.

Jaden, Enrick, and Thorian all got up from the table to fetch their own partners while rubbing their foreheads to clear the haze in their minds caused by Sophia’s unreal beauty. All students began pairing up with their partners and gathering in the central circle of the hall as the musical symphony started ringing even louder from every corner of the ballroom and echoing in another type of harmonious melody.

Only Heinz and Axel remained seated at the table. Heinz could see his friend was lost in some deep thought, but suddenly... Axel looked in Sophia’s direction one more time, then.... he got up and started walking towards her directly, a gesture that made Heinz frown internally, ’Is he serious right now? Has he finally lost his mind?’