The sun was high in the sky, casting long golden beams through the windows of the Disciplinary Committee office.
The room was dimly lit, with dust motes floating lazily in the warm sunlight.
Behind a large mahogany desk sat Professor Marcellus, the patron of the Disciplinary Committee. His sharp, intelligent eyes flickered from the stack of papers on his desk to the two noble students standing before him.
Their expressions were twisted with contempt, their eyes occasionally darting to Noah and Liliana, who stood silently behind them.
The nobles, still bruised from the encounter the previous night, kept their hands clenched at their sides.
Their uniforms were pristine, but there was no mistaking the tension that lingered in the air.
Every now and then, they cast venomous glances at Noah, who stood calmly with his arms crossed, seemingly unbothered by the situation.
Professor Marcellus cleared his throat and adjusted his spectacles before glancing down at the papers in front of him.
His voice was steady but laced with disappointment.
"Tristan Welford of the Welford family, and Cedric Reeve of House Reeve... two noble houses known for their prestige and contributions to the empire.
How utterly shameful that such students, from such families, would conduct themselves in this way. I expected better."
He focused his attention on Tristan, the boy with brown hair, whose face flushed with embarrassment.
"Your father is a respected man, Tristan," the professor said, his tone softening slightly as he spoke.
"A man of integrity and honor. How is it that his son has come to disgrace the Welford name so easily?"
Tristan opened his mouth to defend himself, his cheeks burning.
"None of it is true, sir!" he exclaimed, his voice tinged with desperation.
"It was that bastard. He attacked us without provocation!"
Noah raised an eyebrow, though he remained silent. His expression didn't change, but internally, he couldn't help but think, 'Expected...'
The two nobles eagerly pointed to the bruises on their necks.
"Look at what that maniac did to us! We were just minding our own business, and he lashed out," Cedric added, his voice shaking, whether from fear or anger, it wasn't clear.
Professor Marcellus sighed heavily and leaned back in his chair.
"Is this true, Mr. Ashbourne? Did you attack these two unprovoked?"
Before Noah could speak, Tristan interrupted, his voice rising in an attempt to seize control of the narrative.
"We were following academy rules, sir, and this...this thing just came at us!
There are strict regulations on how nobles are to be treated, and he completely disregarded that! We're nobles!
There's a hierarchy at play here, and you of all people should know that. The way we were treated was unacceptable!"
Tristan's words were sharp and calculated, playing into the very structure that defined Silvercrest Hall and the academy's unspoken rules.
His arguments were smart, rooted in the hierarchy that governed the students' social order.
Noah could see the smirk forming at the corner of Cedric's lips as he stood beside his friend, clearly thinking they had the upper hand.
Cedric, emboldened by Tristan's performance, snickered under his breath, the faintest gleam of malice flashing in his eyes.
"And get your things ready at the gate."
The two nobles stormed out of the office, their faces red with humiliation and fury. As they passed Noah and Liliana, Tristan shot Noah one final glare.
"This isn't over," he muttered under his breath, before disappearing down the hallway.
Noah remained calm, his face blank as usual, but internally, he felt a small flicker of satisfaction.
It was always amusing to see nobles squirm when their sense of entitlement was challenged.
He turned his attention back to Professor Marcellus, who gave him a brief nod of approval before speaking.
"You and Cadet Everheart may leave as well," the professor said.
"And thank you for handling this situation responsibly."
As Noah and Liliana exited the office, Liliana let out a long sigh of relief.
"That was intense," she said, running a hand through her hair.
"I'm glad it's over, but I can't believe they had the nerve to lie like that."
Noah shrugged.
"Nobles like them think they're untouchable. It was predictable."
Liliana smiled at him, her previous tension melting away.
"You handled that really well, Noah. You're a good partner."
Noah glanced at her, not used to hearing compliments like that.
"Partner, huh?"
Liliana nodded enthusiastically.
"Yeah! We're a team, right? You've got my back, and I've got yours."
Before Noah could respond, Liliana's eyes widened, and she gasped.
"Oh no! I'm late for class!" She turned to Noah with a panicked look.
"If I don't make it, it'll really mess up my grades!"
She hurried down the hallway, her footsteps echoing as her long hair swayed behind her.
"You did great today!" she called back, flashing him a bright smile before disappearing around the corner.
Noah stood there for a moment, watching her go. He let out a deep sigh, rubbing his hand across his face.
"That girl's way too energetic..."
Just then, his student watch let out a soft beep, alerting him to a new message.
He glanced down at the screen, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw the title of the message:
[1st Year Students Placement Exam Results]
Noah's breath caught in his throat as he opened the message, feeling the weight of what it could mean for his life in Ravenwood.