122 Chapter 122: Sorcery

He glanced at Zelal who also nodded his head at him.

'We have a cranky tigress...so advance carefully'

Stella's eyes flared up when she remembered all that happened that she spat, "What's wrong with this academy? Do everyone interrupt when someone is trying to talk? Why can't they just listen first?"

Usui and Zelal nodded like obedient kids, agreeing to her every word.

Zelal rubbed her shoulders and said, "Walk us through it, Stella."

Stella stood up suddenly and paced across their room angrily. Usui got up and sat on the bed instantly watching her warily. 

He saw her stop and glare at him making him wonder just what the heck did he do.

Stella pointed at Usui and said incredulously, "Do you know everything thinks that we are a couple? That I love my cousin? Like hell, that can happen!

Usui scoffed, "What are you splurting about?"

Stella ignored him and continued grumbling, "Do those Royal Mages even see us clearly? How can we look like a couple?"

"Technically we are part of them too."

Zelal commented which was ignored again.

Stella marched towards Usui suddenly making him tumble back to the bed. Stella pulled him up and put her face beside his and asked Zelal ridiculously, "Just how do we look like a couple? Even if I am your adopted cousin, we have lived our entire lives like siblings and suddenly this news sprung up saying that we love each other. Do you know how absurd it is?"

Usui gaped at her in shock while Zelal rubbed his chin in amusement.

Stella stopped in front of Usui and asked seriously, "So, how do you plan on fixing it?"

Usui asked bewildered, "Fixing what?"

Stella laid her hands out and said incredulously, "This... this situation."

Usui tilted his head and said, "Why do we have to fix it? Why is it our business if others think whatever they want?"

Stella rolled her eyes as she said, " Because Loki thinks like that and Hazel too. I don't even want to imagine what the rest of the Council thinks."

Usui interrupted her, "Hold on, how are you sure that Hazel thinks like this?"

Zelal whirled his head towards her and saw the anger fading from her face. He chuckled softly thrilled by the sudden change of events.

Stella mumbled softly, "Well I kind of talked to her and I think...I think I worsened it."

Usui shot up from the bed and glared at her, "Didn't I ask you to not do anything?"

Stella jumped on the floor as she explained, "But I wouldn't have known how bad our situation was."

Usui exhaled and grimaced, "Even without this, my situation was already worse."

Stella stopped jumping and frowned at his words. 

"Why do you keep saying that? Why are you giving up even before you started?"

Stella shook her head as she said, "Well, duh...just make her fall in love, idiot."

Usui grimaced at how easily she said it. 

Stella played with her eyebrows and teased him playfully, "Or is it that the mighty Crown Prince doesn't know how to woo a princess?" 

Zelal chortled but was soon silenced by his brother's glare. He kept quiet as he vowed to be the silent onlooker.

Usui muttered, "It's not as easy as you make it look."

Stella challenged him, "Try me."

Usui exhaled and said seriously, "She loves someone else."

"Huh? What?"

Stella asked in surprise. She thought of various reasons but this never came to her mind. Does Hazel love someone else? The image of Hazel trying desperately to prove it to her... didn't seem like it. Stella was sure that Hazel was trying to run away from her feelings.

So she asked skeptically, "Are you sure?"

Usui rolled his eyes and stated, "She was the one who said it...right in my face."

Stella tilted her head and asked in disbelief, "And you believed it just like that?"

Usui froze for a second before he glanced at her frowning face.

Stella asked resolutely, "Why did you believe that without proof? Why did you just take it and never tried to find out whether it was real?"

He muttered, "Because I know." because he didn't want to see the truth. He was scared of it.

Stella tapped her foot impatiently and asked, "What?"

He looked at Stella and back to Zelal who was looking at him with full attention.

He clenched his fist and spat out, "Because it was Jinha?"

"What?"

This time Zelal shouted together with Stella ignoring his decision to be a silent onlooker. He only knew that she loved someone else but he never knew that it was Jinha she loved.

Usui laughed mockingly, "Surprised, aren't you? I was too at first. But then it all made sense, don't you think? He was always there... like he knew what's wrong with her. She leaned on him whenever she had a problem. He was always around her."

Zelal and Stella frowned as they said in unison, "Yeah... I'm surprised... at how dumb our brother is."

Usui widened his eyes in shock as he asked, "Wait, what?"

Stella retorted, "What else are we supposed to say? The only supporting proof you have is that she said those words."

Zelal shook his head and said, "Brother, I have always admired you for your sharpness but when it comes to love, why are you so dumb?"

Stella patted him and said, "It might be because he isn't used to falling in love."

Zelal nodded his head sadly, "Yeah"

Usui looked at his siblings and frowned, "Why are you calling me dumb? Don't you believe it? He is always there"

"Ara!! Brother jealously is sorcery. You should never trust it."

Usui felt his heart thumping hard and his hands sweating. He asked nervously, "So you don't believe it?"

Stella pursed her lips and said, "No I believe it, alright."

He yelled frustratedly at her, "What?"

Then why did she give him hope now?

Stella rolled her eyes and stated, "She loves him alright but I don't think she loves Jinha like the way you think she does."