Worse day
Lucien stepped into his dormitory, letting the door close behind him with a soft click. The room was spacious—dark wooden floors, crimson curtains framing tall windows, and a chandelier casting a warm glow across the polished surfaces. Everything was pristine, luxurious, and eerily silent.
No roommate.
He sighed in relief. At least he’d have some peace.
Dropping his bag onto the bed, he glanced at the mirror on the wall. His disguise was still intact—his thick glasses sat low on his nose, his dark hair was slightly tousled but unremarkable, and his simple uniform concealed any trace of his usual elegance.
Unrecognizable.
Just as he wanted.
Before he could even sit down, a knock echoed through the room. Lucien tensed.
Who…?
Smoothing his expression, he walked to the door and opened it.
A familiar face greeted him.
Michael.
The boy grinned. “There you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
Lucien raised a brow. “Why?”
Michael leaned against the doorframe, unfazed by Lucien’s cold tone. “Just wanted to check in. People are already talking about you, you know?”
Lucien scoffed. “Let them talk.”
Michael chuckled. “Oh, they will. But you might want to prepare yourself—some people are very interested in meeting you.”
Lucien was about to dismiss him when another voice interrupted.
“So Lucien Baldovery.”
The air in the hallway shifted.
Michael straightened, stepping aside as another figure approached.
Lucien didn’t need an introduction.
Vicente Guerrero.
But he wasn’t how Lucien imagined.
Vicente’s hair was jet black, sleek and styled effortlessly, the color stark against his sharp, aristocratic features. His violet eyes gleamed under the dim candlelight, calculating yet amused. He carried himself with ease, exuding a confidence that only someone born into power could possess.
“Interesting,” Vicente murmured, taking his time studying Lucien. “You don’t look like what I expected.”
Lucien adjusted his glasses. “Good.”
Michael let out a nervous laugh. “Okay, let’s not make this weird—”
Vicente ignored him, stepping closer. “No one has seen the son of Baldovery outside of their estate before. Your sudden appearance here… naturally, people are curious.”
Lucien met his gaze without flinching. “Curiosity is a dangerous thing.”
Vicente smirked. “So is ignorance.”
Tension hung between them.
Michael cleared his throat, shifting awkwardly. “Right! So, uh, let’s all get along, yeah? First day and all.”
Vicente finally stepped back, his smirk deepening. “We’ll talk again soon, Baldovery.”
And just like that, he turned and walked away.
Lucien watched him go, his fingers twitching at his side.
Michael sighed. “Well. That went better than expected.”
Lucien barely heard him.
Because he knew one thing for certain.
The game had already begun.
The door clicked shut as Michael left, his usual grin lingering in Lucien’s mind. The dormitory was silent once again, save for the faint rustling of trees outside the window.
Lucien exhaled, rubbing his temples as he sat on the edge of the bed. His mind replayed the encounter with Vicente, analyzing every word, every glance. He wasn’t an idiot—he could tell that man wasn’t just curious. Vicente was watching him. Calculating.
Just like the others.
Lucien let out a dry chuckle. Damn it. He flopped back against the soft mattress, arms spread out.
“Tomorrow’s going to be hell,” he muttered to himself.
Then, a thought struck him.
His uniform. He was still wearing his uniform.
Sitting up with a groan, he tore off his thick glasses and ran a hand through his hair. The sun was already setting, casting golden hues across the room. He could already imagine the servants back home fussing over him, scolding him for being so careless.
But there were no servants here.
Just him.
He peeled off his uniform, not caring as it crumpled onto the floor, and dragged himself to the bathroom. The moment he turned on the water, the steam curled around him, easing the tension in his shoulders.
The exhaustion hit him all at once.
“Damn you, Lucien,” he muttered under his breath. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be in this mess.
He could’ve been back at the estate, drinking tea, enjoying the quiet. But no, the past had to haunt him. The emperor had to drag him into this ridiculous game.
He shut his eyes, letting the water wash over him.
He just wanted to live in peace.
But peace was the last thing he was going to get.
The morning sun spilled through the curtains, illuminating the grand dormitory room in a soft glow. Lucien groaned, burying his face into the pillow.
New day. New stress.
He stared at the ceiling, debating whether to pretend he was sick and skip the whole damn day. But what could he do? This is my life now—full of shitty, bratty people.
With a deep sigh, he forced himself up, dragging his feet toward the mirror. His reflection stared back, unimpressed. The thick glasses, the messy blond hair—he looked as unremarkable as ever. Just the way he needed to be.
He got dressed, putting on his uniform with practiced indifference. The most important part? The disguise. He adjusted his glasses and ran a hand through his already-tousled hair.
“What a bother,” he muttered.
After finishing his breakfast, he stepped into the hallway, bracing himself for another round of unwanted attention. As expected, the moment he walked past the other students, their whispers started.
"He's the Baldovery heir?"
"I expected more…"
"He doesn't even look special."
Lucien smirked under his breath. Good. Let them think that. The less they expected from him, the better.
But before he could walk further, his eyes landed on two familiar faces.
A pair of red-haired twins, standing confidently in the middle of the hallway.
Liya and Leo Felen.
According to the real Lucien's memories, they were his cousins from his mother's side. When they were younger, they often visited the Baldovery estate to play, but they moved to another kingdom years ago for family reasons.
And now, they were back.
Liya’s sharp eyes landed on him first, and her expression immediately shifted to one of surprise.
Leo, on the other hand, simply grinned.
“Well, well, well,” Leo drawled, tilting his head. “Look who finally decided to crawl out of his golden cage.”
Lucien sighed internally. Great. Just what I needed.