IMPORTANT NOTE
- The following events are, indeed, canon (￣▽￣) ?
- Once again, the purpose of this Valentine's Special is for entertainment
- I do hope you enjoy (′?? ? ??`) ?
“Who is coming to Ergos?”
Professor Arke Hesper asked without taking her eyes off her book.
Her colleagues widened their eyes, looking at each other as if they hadn’t heard her well.
“Belenus Kairon… You do know him, right?”
“Was I supposed to know him? Is he some famous scholar?”
Her colleagues paled even more, the shock drenching their words as if she had just said something unforgivable.
“Wait, you are joking, right?”
“I know you don’t usually pay attention to famous riders, but still—Kairon was the top rider in the entire kingdom for years!”
“It’s so unfortunate what happened with him, though…he had such a brilliant career ahead of him. I’m pretty sure he could become one of the best riders in the whole empire, given a couple more years.”
“Well, at least he will teach here now—we got so lucky! Not only his fame speaks for itself, but his looks…”
The other colleagues nodded their heads, some even blushing.
Arke sighed and closed her book, standing up. “Being a good rider doesn’t mean he will be good at teaching. So he better not sully Ergos’ name, otherwise I will speak with Heimdal himself.”
She left the professors’ lounge without bothering to listen to any more of their worthless gossip, clutching the book tight and close to her chest. Yet Arke Hesper only made it six steps from the door before she stopped in her tracks, her heart racing.
…Kairon is coming to Ergos…
She would finally meet her favorite rider.
Arke was not fond of dragon races. She entertained herself far more by brewing potions and searching for new ingredients. There were just so many things fascinating about the alchemical arts—she was set on dedicating her entire life to the field, and was certain she would never discover everything there was to be known about it.
Yet one of the few times a friend convinced her to watch a race, she met a single rider who managed to make her heart race. Someone who made her as excited as she would be whenever she mixed ingredients to create something unique. And that rider was Belenus Kairon.
Professor Arke counted down the days for Kairon’s arrival, faking ignorance whenever the other professors uttered his name. And when the day finally came…
“Hah, seriously. Who made this shit?”
The barbaric man hadn’t bothered to fix his hair, much less iron his clothes. He had arrived late for the first meeting of the semester and missed the director’s introduction. When he got to the professors’ lounge, he barely acknowledged the welcoming card the others had hung on the wall.
And when he went to his new workspace and saw the flower arrangement someone had made, he sighed and cursed.
Belenus Kairon turned, looking around the room. Somehow, his eyes landed on Arke.
“You know who did this?”
The woman clenched her jaw, her nails digging deeper into her book’s cover.
“Do I look like someone who would care enough to know?” Her voice was as stoic as it could be, her face expressionless.
He chuckled, raising his eyebrow with a hint of arrogance.
“I guess not.”
And without saying anything else, the man dropped his coat on the chair and laid on the couch, not even bothering to remove his boots.
Not able to take it anymore, Arke stood up and made her way to the door. Pan Petras stopped her on her way out, nodding toward the ruffian who loitered on the couch.
“Aren’t you going to stay for the welcoming party?”
Arke clenched her fists. “I have more important things to do. Also, I’ve seen enough.”
This time, the woman didn’t stop walking until she was all alone in her laboratory. A place where she could find the comfort of her brews and recipes.
A safe space where she could curse her own stupidity in waking up early to prepare something for her favorite rider. For idolizing someone she had never met, believing they would meet the bare minimum of human decency. And as Arke Hesper fought back her tears through hatred and self-loathing, she swore to herself how never again she would be made a fool by that man.
Soon enough, eight years had passed.
Yet once again Arke found herself losing her wits to a man she had once collected news articles about.
“Can’t you, for once in your indulgent and petty life, take something seriously?”
She didn’t bother hiding the anger in her voice. There was no need to keep her composure for someone like him.
Belenus was still on his way to buttoning his shirt, the kiss mark on his neck very visible.
“Meaning…?”
Without thinking, she threw the book at him. Belenus didn’t even bother to dodge, the book hitting him right in the chest before it fell open into the floor.
“This is not your place or some dirty bar where you can just…! Even if she was not a student, to do such indecent things while we are hosting an event is simply…!”
He met her gaze without saying anything, his eye fixated on her. Waiting.
“Preposterous! Unprofessional!” She could feel the heat on her face denouncing her own embarrassment and rage, which only met more of the man’s indifference.
“The event has ended, I’m not on my working hours, and a few kisses are hardly something to make a fuss about.”
Arke held her breath, desperately wishing she had another book to throw at him. But then Belenus smiled, that mischievous grin followed by the devilish tone in his voice.
“But if you care so much about it, I will make sure there’s no one around next time. Unless you are one of those people that like to watch.”
She flushed harder, her blood boiling, her eyes widening in outrage.
“Make sure there is no next time, you brainless buffoon!”
Arke Hesper left in a hurry, desperately missing something to hold tight in her hands to comfort her as she leaned against the closed door.
And against her own wishes, tears burned in her eyes as her chest hurt. For apparently, even after those eight years, the promise she most needed to fulfill was the one her own heart insisted on breaking.
For it never refused to race because of one barbaric, rude man.
