Free Web NovelChapter 26: Return to Campus
"Luke? What’s he doing here?"
Everyone, Scarlett included, expected Luke to stay far away from campus after his banishment. Without his Kingsley status, remaining at an academy built on noble prestige made no sense.
Had the Duke actually taken him back? The thought of Luke being reinstated sparked hope in Scarlett’s heart.
"Hey, Luke," she said. "It’s a surprise to see you."
On the other side, Luke couldn’t find his words because he wasn’t used to her beauty. Scarlett was so clean, elegant, and endowed. Luke couldn’t help but think about their past.
What a strange couple they had been. While other teenagers shared real, romantic dates, his engagement to Scarlett was platonic and distant. It was a political arrangement orchestrated by their families when they were little, forcing them to act more like trusted business partners than actual lovers.
"Hey Scarlett," Luke replied. "Are you checking the rankings?"
"Yes," Scarlett nodded toward the leaderboard. "I’m still at the top."
"As usual. I’d be more surprised if you weren’t," Luke remarked, making her giggle.
However, the air turned awkward once the laughter faded. Luke felt he owed Scarlett an explanation for his return, even if she was his ex-fiancée now. Before he could speak, a loud voice cut through the silence.
"Luke!"
He turned to see his sister, Vivian, running toward him.
Vivian had overheard the hallway gossip about his return but refused to believe it until now. Forgetting all etiquette, she threw herself into his arms with enough force to send them twirling in the hallway.
"Luke... you’re really here," Vivian sobbed, burying her face in his chest. "Everyone said you were gone for good. They said you died in a gutter or fled the country! I was so scared..."
Luke held her shoulders gently, giving her a reassuring smile.
"Hey, look at me," Luke said. "Do I look dead? I’m fine, Vivian. Actually, I’ve never been better. No more crying, okay?"
Vivian sniffled, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.
"But Father stripped your name. How are you eating? Where are you staying?"
"I’m managing," Luke replied. "I found a way to take care of myself. I’m a man now, remember? A little banishment isn’t enough to starve me out."
Vivian clutched him again, tears wetting his arms. She marvelled at how strong her brother was to stand tall after facing such adversity.
Once she calmed down, Luke asked, "Where’s Raven?"
Vivian pointed down the hallway, where Raven stood watching from a distance. Instead of walking over, the third triplet turned and left without a word. Vivian told Luke not to mind her behaviour.
After that, Vivian turned her attention to the girl standing nearby.
Seeing Scarlett and Luke together gave the impression that they were fighting over their broken engagement. Desperate to help her brother restore his standing, Vivian tried to mend the relationship.
"Lady Scarlett. Please, ignore the drama. I think you should still marry Luke," Vivian pleaded. "You shouldn’t give up on the engagement!"
The unexpected outburst made the hallway interaction ten times more awkward for everyone involved.
Scarlett was left with red cheeks. She had to look at the notice board again.
"V-Vivian..." she stammered. "It’s not that simple—"
"It is that simple!" Vivian insisted. "He’s handsome, he’s tough, and he doesn’t care about what others think. You’d be crazy to let him go!"
At the breaking point, Luke realized he needed an escape route for him and Scarlett before Vivian made things more difficult.
"We all need to get to class, please," he interrupted. "Move it, Vivian."
Vivian obeyed, and the three of them walked to the sophomore hall, arriving on time before the professor.
The moment they entered, the classroom fell dead silent.
"Wait, look at the door... Is that Luke? Why is he back?" freewёbnoνel.com
"I thought his family kicked him out. How does a banished heir still have the right to come here?"
Everywhere, students rubbed their eyes in disbelief. Luke actually had the nerve to return after his disgrace. Worse, he was walking side-by-side with Scarlett, the campus flower. No one was willing to ignore that part. They all pointed at the entrance.
"Raven, look, your brother is—"
"I have eyes," Raven interrupted.
Meanwhile, Luke and Vivian took their seats next to her, while Scarlett sat near the front. Not far away, Jax and Leo stared at Luke in disbelief. (Something that means he’d just given them more banter material!)
"Look at this joke," Jax laughed. "The family dog actually came back to find its bowl!"
"He really has thick skin," Leo agreed. "He probably missed getting his face shoved into the dirt. Hey, Jax, do you think his metal glove can even block my rhino today?"
"We’ll find out after class!"
But then Mark’s gaze shifted to the young man who called the shots. Adrian. Adrian was boiling with rage and confusion. Out of everyone, he was the one most disturbed by Luke’s return. Sitting next to him was Miquelon, their year’s best-looking guy.
"Your brother is back, Adrian," Miquelon teased. "You’d better watch out. What if he’s here to steal your title and inheritance?"
"Shut your mouth, Miquelon," Adrian hissed, his eyes fixed on the back of Luke’s head. "He’s a piece of garbage. He has nothing to do with my family anymore."
Suddenly, a student cupped his hands and shouted, "Hey, Luke! Did you only show up to collect your testimonial? Did you finally come to pack your bags and leave the academy for good?"
"Yeah! Go back to the slums, Kingsley!"
"You don’t belong in an elite class! Get out!"
Furious, Vivian slammed her hands onto her desk, silencing the classroom.
"Shut up! All of you, shut your mouths!" Vivian screamed. "Who gave you the right to talk about my brother like that? Say it to my face instead of shouting from the back like cowards!"
"Oh, look, the sister is angry," Jax mocked and everyone laughed more. "Are you going to protect Luke forever, Vivian?"
"Sit down, Vivian," Luke said, catching his sister’s sleeve. "There’s no need to waste your breath on them."
Meanwhile, Adrian looked between Luke and Scarlett, who sat a few rows away. He noticed she regularly glanced back at Luke.
"Why is she looking at him?" Adrian thought jealously. "He’s a failure. I’m the upgrade. Does she still have romantic feelings for this garbage?"
Suddenly, the professor entered the room, and the classroom drama died out.
Professor Quinn. Dressed in a sweeping grey robe over velvet, he scanned the room until his eyes landed on Luke.
"Quiet down," the professor commanded. "I am aware of the rumors circulating this morning. But before anyone disrupts my lecture with family politics, I have a notice. By directives of the Principal, student Luke remains a member of this institution. His privileges are protected, and no one is allowed to deny him access to these grounds."
"What? That’s impossible! Why would the Principal protect him?"
"He’s a failure who doesn’t even have a beast! This violates the rules!"
"His family discarded him, so why didn’t the school? This is unfair!"
BANG!
The professor slammed his codex onto the desk, silencing the class. He looked over the crowd indifferently, his eyes lingering on the likes of Jax and Adrian, whom he knew had bones to pick with Luke.
"If any of you have a problem with Luke being here," the professor said, "take it to the combat arena as the hunters you are, and settle it with blood. Do not whine in my classroom. Open your books to page forty."
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A/N: Thanks for reading!
