CHAPTER 126: FINALLY GRABBING THE SWEETS

{Elira}

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Lennon didn’t move away, even after Rennon settled on the sofa. His presence lingered close, his shoulder brushing mine as if he didn’t notice or maybe he did, but simply didn’t care.

"Eat one now," he said, nudging the box toward me with a grin. "Otherwise Rennon will claim you are being polite again, and Zenon will say you are wasting time."

I hesitated, glancing at Zenon. He was watching me with an unreadable expression, though the faint crease between his brows made my stomach tighten.

His gaze wasn’t on the sweets, it was on me.

Carefully, I opened the lid. Inside lay neatly arranged rows of glossy chocolates and golden-wrapped cookies along with some macarons.

They smelled faintly of vanilla and cocoa, warm even through the box. I picked one chocolate, unwrapped it, and nibbled a bite.

The sweetness melted instantly on my tongue. My lips curved before I realized it. "It’s... really good."

Rennon’s smile softened from where he sat, his eyes warm with quiet satisfaction.

Lennon leaned closer, his voice dropping conspiratorially. "See? It is worth it. I told him to buy extra."

"I would have still done that if you hadn’t told me," Rennon said mildly without looking up from the book he had just opened, though the corners of his mouth twitched.

Lennon laughed. "And I was the one who told him which ones you would like."

Their banter pulled a small laugh from me that broke through the small nerves I had gathered during lunch today.

Letting out a small sigh, I closed the lid of the box and carefully slid into my backpack.

Just then, Rennon’s voice floated into my ears. "Zenon already told us about what happened with the Student Council, and the punishment they gave to you."

Hearing him say that confirmed that Zenon had shared the details with his brothers. And maybe, they were waiting for this moment before asking me about it.

Lennon’s playful grin was gone in an instant and was replaced with a fire that lit behind his eyes.

"The Council should be abolished altogether for daring to humiliate you. If I had it my way, I would burn them down to ash..." His voice rose, edged with fury.

"Lennon."

That single word from Zenon and that one glance from him instantly broke Lennon’s rage.

Lennon’s jaw flexed, then he blew out a breath and looked at me again with a softened gaze.

"I’m sorry, Elira. I didn’t mean to scare you."

But my heart was still thudding. His anger had been so raw and so sharp that it was impossible not to feel shaken.

And somewhere in the depths of my memory, I remembered Lennon telling me had punished Regina’s servant. I hadn’t witnessed it, but right now, seeing the fire in his eyes, I believed every word.

Lennon will be dangerous when he’s furious. And who could control him then?

I risked one more glance at him and he caught it immediately, his lips twitching into a teasing smirk.

"What? Am I scary?"

I swallowed, the honesty spilling out before I could stop it. "I... really don’t know."

The room stilled for a heartbeat. Lennon’s brows shot up, clearly not expecting that. Then, slowly, his grin stretched wider. He looked intrigued, almost pleased.

"Interesting," he murmured.

"Tone it down, Lennon," Rennon interjected, his voice calm but firm. "Your anger doesn’t help Elira. It only frightens her. What she needs is reassurance, not fire."

Lennon huffed but leaned back, tossing his head carelessly as if conceding the point. "Fine." Then, his gaze darted back to me, a little protective now.

"But Elira, don’t you keep quiet about these things again. If anyone tries to humiliate you or touch you unjustly, you come to us. Don’t wallow in silence. We will take care of the rest."

The fierceness in his words struck me deeply, but also unsettled me. Slowly, I lifted my eyes and asked, "But... won’t involving you just get me in more trouble with the Student Council?"

The question was serious and has been gnawing at me since the time the first announcement about the disciplinary action went off.

This time, it was Rennon who answered without hesitation. His gaze was steady, his voice soft but certain.

"No. You have nothing to fear, Elira. Not when it comes to them. Their power ends where ours begins."

For a moment, Rennon’s reassurance hung warmly between us. But instead of standing to leave as I had intended, I thought about going through the 1988 year book to continue from where I had stopped.

I lifted my gaze to Zenon and asked carefully, "Professor, may I see the 1988 yearbook again? I want to continue reading about my mother, and the events from that year."

Zenon’s eyes lingered on me for a second, then without a word, he stood up and reached to the shelf behind his desk and pulled down the yearbook. Next he walked back to me and set it gently in my hands.

"Thank you." I hugged the book to my chest and walked over to the sofa with my backpack, sliding into the empty space beside Rennon.

He shifted slightly to make room, his calm presence immediately grounding me.

As I placed the yearbook on my lap, my eyes wandered and landed on the glass bowl at the center of the low table. Inside, gleaming wrappers of candies and chocolates winked up at me invitingly.

My resolve wavered like last time. I told myself I shouldn’t. But after a moment, the temptation won, all thanks to what Rennon told me the other time, about Zenon liking my presence.

Without a second thought, I leaned forward quickly, scooping a small handful into my palm before leaning back against the sofa with the yearbook balanced on my knees.

The rustle of the wrappers sounded louder than I expected and then, I felt a gaze on me. I knew it wasn’t Rennon since he was very much occupied with the book he was reading.

Slowly, I turned, and my eyes collided with Zenon’s dark gaze from across the room.

Though heat rushed to my cheeks I refused to let go of the sweets in my palm. Instead, I tightened my fingers around them, half-expecting him to scold me.

But then, without a word, his gaze slid away, returning to the papers on his desk.

Slowly, I released my breath, slowly easing my shoulders. Carefully, I unwrapped one candy and popped it into my mouth. The sugary taste spread instantly melted across my tongue as I licked away the sweetness.

Settling deeper into the sofa, I flipped open the yearbook, turning to the page where I had left off the last time.

The yearbook’s pages whispered beneath my fingers as I turned them slowly, the smell of old parchment and ink filling the space around me.

Rennon leaned slightly toward me, not to intrude but to be near, while Lennon walked over and sprawled lazily at the other sofa, humming softly under his breath like he had all the time in the world.

For a while, there was peace and just the soft crackle of pages and the steady sound of my own breathing along with the sweetness of the candy that still lingered on my tongue.

Then Lennon’s voice broke the silence. "Elira," he said, his eyes glinting with something unspoken. "Do you want to come home this weekend?"

I blinked at him, completely caught off guard. The first and the last time I went back home was to see the healer, so what reason would I have to return home this time around with Luna Gwenith present?

But then again, the thought of spending time with the brothers away from the walls of ESA, was almost too tempting to resist. My lips parted, ready to say yes.

But then, the image of Cambria’s warm smile, Nari’s infectious chatter, Tamryn’s quiet loyalty, and Juniper’s dry humor filled my mind.

The way they had stood by me, even when it meant waking up at dawn to suffer in the kitchen. This weekend, they might plan something fun together. Could I abandon them so easily?

My lips pressed into a small line. "...No," I said softly, forcing a smile. "Not this weekend."

Lennon chuckled, his gaze sharp but amused. "Hmmm. So you’re more comfortable here now, is that it?"

Comfortable? The word sat awkwardly in my chest. Yes, I liked being with my friends—but comfortable? No. Not when the shadow of the Student Council lingered at every corner.

Not when their gazes still clung to me like they wouldn’t sleep well at last night if they didn’t do something to hurt me.

Still, I kept that thought to myself and turned another page of the yearbook.

Five minutes passed in quiet study before a sharp chime from my phone’s ringtone cut through the silence.

Immediately, I put the yearbook down and opened my backpack to fish out my phone. I let my lashes flutter as I saw Tamryn’s name glowing on the screen.

It was the first time she had ever dialed my number. I let my thumb hover over the screen as a strange worry twisted through me.

Is something wrong?