Aetheric Chronicles: Reborn As An Extra

The next day.

After the classes, Adrian quickly left the academy, taking a few detours and using the secret base to change to his alter ego - Mr. Lucien.

Then, he made his way to where carriages were gathered. Taking a grand one, he headed to the Valerian Hall to his meeting with Evangeline.

Thankfully, this time, he didn't need to show the VIP card to the guards as they opened the gate professionally and respectfully.

But, his luck ran out the moment he entered the Mian Hall.

'Damn it, does she spend all her time here?' Adrian cursed inwardly as his eyes landed on a familiar figure—a strikingly beautiful mature woman seated at the nearest table.

Beside her sat a handsome young man, his expression one of complete adoration, no—devotion. Adrian's stomach churned at the sight. The young man seemed more like a pet than a companion, and the woman was feeding him with a smile that was both playful and predatory, as if toying with a favorite toy.

The scene made Adrian want to turn around and leave before she noticed him, but it was too late.

"I just need to get to the meeting without her seeing me," he muttered under his breath, attempting to stay unnoticed. He moved subtly, weaving his way toward the quieter side of the hall, but it seemed his bad luck was determined to follow him today.

Out of nowhere, a loud voice cut through the air. "You! Stop right there!"

Adrian halted, his eyes narrowing as he turned to face the source of the commotion. A bald man with a thick mustache and a rotund belly was approaching him, pointing an accusing finger. The man's face was flushed red, no doubt from drinking.

"You! You're the one who bewitched my fair Evangeline!" the man shouted, his voice booming through the hall, drawing immediate attention. "That's why she rejected me, isn't it?! It's all because of you!"

Adrian's cold gaze scanned the man briefly before his mind processed what was happening. Evangeline?

He quickly connected the dots, this fat man probably confessed Evangeline but was utterly rejected. But he wasn't worried about the man.

'Did she hear?'

His heart sank as he realized the woman at the table must have heard. This was exactly the kind of attention he wanted to avoid.

Sure enough, out of the corner of his eye, Adrian saw movement. The woman—Nymera Goldleaf, the Black Widow—was no longer toying with her "puppy."

She had set the young man aside with a sudden coldness, her expression shifting from playful to calculating. A mischievous and seductive smile curved her lips as she stood and began to make her way toward him. There was a flash of surprise, followed by clear amusement and interest in her eyes.

'Damn it', Adrian cursed silently. He needed to deal with this fast before Nymera made this situation any worse.

He turned back to the bald man, his voice calm but icy. "Get out of my way."

But the man wasn't having it. If anything, the cold tone only infuriated him more. "You think you can just brush me off? You think you're better than me? Huh?!"

The drunken fool stumbled closer, his face turning an even deeper shade of red. Adrian's patience was wearing thin, especially with that woman getting nearer by the second.

"I'm warning you," Adrian said, his voice lowering dangerously, "step aside."

The bald man ignored the warning entirely, now puffing up his chest like a peacock. "She rejected me because of you, didn't she? You've been using magic on her, haven't you? You don't deserve someone like Evangeline!"

Before Adrian could reply, that woman finally reached them. Her "toy" was left behind at the table, watching the scene unfold, his eyes filling with jealousy and hatred at the attention she was giving Adrian.

"Well, well, look who's caught my eye again," Nymera purred, her voice soft and dripping with amusement. Her fingers lightly grazed Adrian's shoulder as she circled him, assessing the situation while acting seductively. "What brings you here today, Mr. Lucien? I thought you'd be far too busy to grace us with your presence. Or...

Did you miss me?"

Adrian shot her a cold glance, but said nothing. His attention was still focused on the drunk man, who now seemed both emboldened and threatened by the new figure's proximity to Adrian.

The bald man's face flushed deeper, his bloated features trembling with rage as he pointed his finger at Adrian once more. "You! You think you're some kind of Casanova, huh? First, you steal the Black Widow, and now you're going for my angel, Evangeline?! You womanizer!"

Adrian's patience, already thin, was rapidly unraveling. He could feel the weight of every stare in the Valerian Hall, the air thick with tension as people watched the scene unfold. He clenched his fists, calculating the fastest way to end this farce.

Just as his hand twitched to take action, the Black Widow's voice cut through the air like a knife. "Oh my, now why are you accusing my little darling of something so ridiculous?" she said, her tone still playful, but there was a venomous edge beneath the sweetness.

She stepped closer to Adrian, her slender fingers brushing against his arm, the movement slow and deliberate as she used the moment to both taunt the bald man and attempt to seduce Adrian. "It wasn't him, dear, who bewitched anyone. It was me who fell for him."

Her eyes gleamed wickedly as she eyed Adrian from head to toe. "And maybe, just maybe, that Evangeline woman fell for him too. Look at him—cute and yet manly, cold yet kind. He appears weak but acts so strong. And then look at yourself — Mr. no-hair and fat belly."

The bald man's face contorted in fury, veins bulging on his forehead as he processed the insult. His teeth clenched, and spittle flew from his lips as he bellowed, "You witch! You've lost your mind, siding with this… this... bastard!" His hand shot out, flames igniting in his palm, casting a flickering orange glow across his enraged face. "I'll show you both—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Adrian sighed, feeling the absurdity of the situation weighing on him.

[Shadow Glide]