## CHAPTER 80: The Echo of Steps
The clatter of delicate porcelain against a silver platter brought a brief anchor of reality back to the room. The figure in the striking black-and-white maid's gown stepped forward with practiced, silent grace, expertly setting down a large crystal teapot and a set of matching cups onto the transparent glass table. The steam rising from the tea carried a sharp, refreshing scent of wild mountain mint and crushed mana-berries, instantly clearing the heavy, stunned fog that had settled over the four noble students.
"Thank you, Lucy," Lady Aurora said softly, her light blue eyes crinkling with a gentle warmth as the maid bowed deeply and retreated back toward the doorway, standing at a respectful distance.
Lyra was the first to find her voice, though her fingers tightly gripped the fabric of her skirt. The name *Aurora Frostveil* swirled in her mind like an unreadable cipher. It sounded ancient. Furthermore, everything about this woman—the way she carried herself, the way she spoke, and the effortless grace of her movements—suggested she looked and walked like absolute high nobility.
"Lady Aurora," Lyra began, choosing her words with extreme diplomatic care.
"Ahhhhhh," Aurora spoke, softly cutting through the young girl's inquiry with a gentle wave of her hand. "Please, help yourselves."
At the cue, the maid Lucy leaned forward, lifting the heavy crystal teapot. Like a flawlessly trained noble housemaid, she tipped the pot lightly, allowing the steaming hot, fragrant liquid to flow smoothly into each of their cups without dropping a single bead.
The four students gingerly picked up their cups, lifting the warm porcelain to their lips. The moment the liquid washed over their palates, they were all absolutely stunned. It was, without a doubt, the best thing they had ever tasted in their entire lives. The tea carried an otherworldly purity that seemed to instantly soothe their internal mana pathways.
"Damn, this is amazing!" Casel said, his eyes widening as he stared down into the amber liquid.
"I must admit... this is much better than the reserve blend I have at home," Alium said, utterly forgetting his aristocratic reservations for a moment.
Elisa gently blew on hers, watching the steam curl away before lifting the cup to her mouth. The sheer richness of the flavor took her by surprise, and her eyes went wide in shock. "This is so good," she spoke in her characteristically quiet, awed voice.
Lyra still maintained her rigid outer composure as she sipped gently, but the exquisite taste nearly made her throw away her strict home training and gasp aloud. "It's... delectable," she admitted.
Seeing their satisfied smiles, Lady Aurora smiled as well. "I'm very glad you like it. Lucy truly makes the best tea," she said.
Aurora then picked up her own cup. With such practiced ease, she seamlessly adjusted her posture, raising the porcelain to her lips in an incredibly refined, noble manner. All the while, Lyra's gaze was entirely fixated on her—watching the way she moved, the angle of her wrist, and her micro-expressions. Every single detail screamed of high-court noble training. Her posture was impeccable, and her movements were so smoothly delicate that Lyra instantly came to an absolute conclusion: Aurora Frostveil is, or was, from the highest echelons of nobility.
Lyra carefully set her cup back down on the silver tray and cleared her throat. The sharp sound instantly caught everyone's attention, and they all turned to look at her.
"You speak of our families as if you've walked among them," Lyra pressed, refusing to let the mystery slide. "Yet, I've never once heard of a the name Frostveil . Who are—"
"A person can change their name, their home, and their titles, Lyra," Aurora interrupted gently, placing her own cup back on the tray with a soft click. Her slender fingers resumed their rhythmic, soothing strokes through Edna's rough crimson hair. Edna let out a tiny, soft sigh in her sleep, completely dead to the world. "But the world has a way of remembering the shapes we leave behind. Your father was a silent, strategic and chaotic force on the battlefield. You, however... you carry his fierce spirit, his calculating eyes, and his sharp wit."
Lyra's breath hitched in her throat. Being told she was the same as her father scratched a very different, deeply personal itch. She opened her mouth to counter, but the words died as a sudden shift occurred at the entrance.
Zerav, who had remained entirely silent against the wooden doorframe, shifted his weight. His wild purple eyes darted toward the hallway, the devilish smirk returning to his face. "Look who finally decided to join the party," he muttered.
The room fell into an immediate, breathless silence. Casel, Elisa, Lyra, and Alium all turned their heads toward the entrance in unison, their hearts hammering against their ribs.
Slowly, a figure stepped through the threshold.
It was Caspian.
He was no longer wearing the blood-stained, torn training uniform from the academy courtyard, nor was he wrapped in the thick medical bandages of the school infirmary. Instead, he wore a simple, loose-fitting, high-collared dark navy tunic and casual black trousers that perfectly matched the quiet, grounded aesthetic of the estate.
The moment his sapphire eyes swept across the room, taking in the sight of his four classmates sitting stiffly on the crimson velvet couches, Caspian stopped dead in his tracks. A look of genuine, uncharacteristic shock flickered across his face. He blinked once, twice, as if checking to see if his mind was playing tricks on him after his long isolation.
"Caspian!" Elisa cried out, her voice breaking the spell as she halfway rose from her seat, her face illuminating with pure, unadulterated relief.
"Roomy!" Casel barked, a massive, booming laugh escaping his chest as he slammed his hand against his knee. "Man, look at you! You're actually walking! I thought we were going to have to wheel you around the campus next term!"
Caspian adjusted the high collar of his tunic, a faint, helpless sigh escaping his lips as he walked further into the room. "How... how did you even find this place?" he asked, his voice rough from disuse but carrying that familiar, steady calm that instantly anchored the group. His gaze drifted directly toward Lyra. "Let me guess. Class representative privileges?"
"Weekly administrative reports," Lyra corrected with a small, triumphant smirk, though her eyes thoroughly scanned his form for any lingering signs of hidden injuries. "You left a very consistent paper trail, when you see the same address 5 Times over and over, it becomes hard to forget."
Caspian shook his head, a ghost of a smile touching his lips. But as his eyes continued to scan the couch, they finally landed on the last person in the group. Alium Castamir sat entirely rigid, his hands clasped tightly between his knees, his face fluctuating between a deep flush of embarrassment and profound anxiety.
The two boys locked eyes. The silence between them became absolutely deafening, heavily charged with the memory of the shattering courtyard duel and the terrifying face of Master Grey. Caspian didn't speak. He simply watched the noble heir, waiting.
Alium took a deep, shaky breath, his knuckles turning stark white. He knew Zerav was watching him from the door like a wolf waiting for a sheep to slip up; he knew Lady Aurora's ancient, brilliant gaze was resting directly on him; and he knew Lyra and Casel wouldn't hesitate to pull him away if he showed a single ounce of his old arrogance.
Slowly, deliberately, Alium stood up from the velvet couch. He stepped out into the open space of the crimson room, facing Caspian directly. Under the astonished glares of Casel and Elisa, the proud, high-born heir of House Castamir did something no one at Althelgard Academy would ever believe.
He lowered his head, bending his upper body into a deep, genuine bow of absolute apology and respect.
"I am sorry, Caspian," Alium said, his voice trembling slightly but ringing clear across the silent hall. "For my arrogance, for the duel, and for the danger I brought upon everyone. You saved my life when I deserved nothing from you. I am in your debt."
Casel's jaw practically hit the glass table. Elisa gasped softly, her hands flying to her mouth, while Lyra merely leaned back, a profound sense of satisfaction settling deep into her chest.
Caspian stared at the bowing noble for a long, quiet moment. Then, stepping forward, he reached out a hand and gently placed it on Alium's shoulder, forcing the boy to straighten up.
"I told you before, Alium," Caspian said softly, his sapphire eyes completely devoid of malice or resentment. "There was never a debt to begin with."
"Aha! Now *that* is what I'm talking about!" Casel shouted, completely ruining the heavy dramatic tension as he jumped up from the couch and pulled both Caspian and a very flustered Alium into a chaotic, one-armed hug. "We're a team now! The courtyard squad!"
"Let go of me, Casel... you're going to break a bone," Caspian muttered with a strained grunt, though he didn't actually push him away. "You're much stronger than you look."
From the couch, Lady Aurora watched the display, her fingers gently resting on the pouting, sleeping Edna's head as a deeply proud, beautiful smile spread across her face.
Casel then turned away from Caspian, his eyes locking onto Zerav at the door with a sudden, devious smile spreading across his face. He puffed out his chest confidently. "Hey, Zerav! I bet I can beat you in an arm-wrestling contest right now!"
"You actually think you can?" Zerav said. The dangerous grin on his face spread even wider as he raised himself off the wooden doorframe, walking forward to stand directly in front of Casel, eye to eye. The height difference was clear, but Casel didn't back down an inch.
"Seems like our home is getting a lot more lively today," Aurora said with a warm chuckle, looking at the boys' competitive sparks. "Zerav, would you be a dear and direct them all to the recreation hall? I believe it would be best suited for the kinds of games you kids would love to play."
Zerav turned to lead the way, silently exiting the room. Alium, Casel, Caspian, and Elisa all turned in unison to follow closely behind him, eager to see the rest of the massive estate.
Aurora then gently tapped the little crimson-haired angel resting in her lap, causing her eyes to crack open. "Edna, love? How about you go join them as well?" she murmured softly.
"Hmmm..." Edna groaned, still half-asleep. She reluctantly stood up from the couch, rubbing her eyes lazily, and stumbled out of the room right behind the group.
"You coming Lyra" Caspian turns around to her as he noticed she remained sitted in the
Lyra waved her hand illustrating she would be fine.and come join them.
All of them stood up to leave the reception room except for one. Lyra stayed behind, remaining completely seated on the velvet couch without moving an inch. There were still burning questions she needed answers to, and her unyielding curiosity wouldn't let her leave this room.