The morning buzzed with restless whispers.
"Who's that guy?"
"Is he a transfer student?"
"Damn… He's really good-looking."
The moment Lucien stepped onto the school grounds, eyes locked onto him like he was a new, intriguing presence. It wasn't just his naturally sharp features that caught attention—it was the change. Gone was the full-black, shadowy aura he used to carry. Instead, his outfit had subtle color variations, his style refined. His sharp, distant aura had softened just enough to make him approachable yet still mysterious.
And that, was dangerous.
Evelyn watched from a distance, arms crossed, lips slightly pursed. Seriously? Since when did he decide to actually dress well?
"Eve, is that—"
Lena, standing beside her, almost choked on her drink. Her eyes widened comically as she stared at the figure who casually walked down the corridor, hands in his pockets.
"No way. That's Lucien?!"
Evelyn didn't respond. She had been staring at him for the past minute, trying to process the same thing.
As if hearing them, Lucien's gaze flicked toward their direction, his usual unreadable expression present—except for the slight quirk of his lips. Almost… amused. He approached them effortlessly, his presence making those nearby subconsciously move aside.
"Morning," he greeted smoothly.
"What the hell happened to you?" Lena blurted.
Lucien raised a brow. "What do you mean?"
"You look... normal. Handsome. Not like a hitman waiting for his next job."
Evelyn finally snapped out of her daze and let out a sigh. Lena, really?
Lucien, on the other hand, just smirked. "Is that bad?"
"No, it's great—" Lena stopped herself, then grinned mischievously. "Though someone here seems a little surprised by it.".
Evelyn shot her a glare. "I am not."
Lucien tilted his head slightly, his piercing eyes locking onto hers.
"You don't like it?"
For some reason, Evelyn felt an odd twist in her chest. She clicked her tongue. "It's… fine."
Lucien just nodded, as if satisfied, before walking past them, heading toward class.
Evelyn stayed rooted for a moment, her thoughts disarrayed.
"I hate to say this, Eve," Lena leaned in with a whisper, "but I think you just realized something dangerous."
---
Lunch break was a disaster.
Everywhere Lucien went, eyes followed. It was subtle, but Evelyn caught the glances, the whispers, the giggles from certain students who previously wouldn't even dare to look at him.
Lena, who found the whole thing entertaining, nudged Evelyn every time another girl tried to find an excuse to interact with Lucien.
"Eve, look, that girl just asked him for a pen."
"…It's just a pen."
"Yeah, but she held onto it way longer than necessary."
Evelyn stabbed at her food with her fork, feigning disinterest. Why does this even bother me?
She didn't understand it.
Lucien never paid much attention to anyone else. But now, he was suddenly the center of attention—and the worst part? He didn't even seem to mind.
And then, it happened.
"Hey, are you new here?"
A girl from another table had finally worked up the courage to approach him directly. She smiled sweetly, brushing her hair behind her ear.
Lucien turned his head toward her, his expression calm as usual. "No. I've been here."
The girl blinked, slightly taken aback.
"Oh… Really? I just never noticed you before."
"I know." Lucien's response was effortless.
Lena smothered a laugh while Evelyn simply pressed her lips into a thin line.
That feeling—it was there again.
She didn't understand it, nor did she want to acknowledge it. But something about seeing Lucien be so unbothered, so effortlessly appealing, made her want to yank him away from all these people.
And that thought alone was alarming.
---
Later that day, as they walked down the hallway together, Evelyn finally decided to break the silence.
"So… what's with the new look?" she asked casually, keeping her voice neutral.
Lucien glanced at her. "Didn't you say I should try something different?"
Evelyn blinked. She had said something along those lines before, but she never thought he'd actually listen.
"So you actually listened?"
Lucien gave a small shrug. "Of course. I trust your taste."
She wasn't expecting that answer.
For a split second, Evelyn felt a warmth creep up her neck. But she quickly shook it off, rolling her eyes.
"That's… unexpected."
Lucien's lips curled slightly, but he didn't say anything more.
For the first time, Evelyn noticed something different about him—not just his appearance, but his demeanor.
He wasn't as distant as before. His replies had more weight, more intent.
And she… didn't mind it.
At least, not until Lena's voice rang from behind them—
"Eve, you might want to keep an eye on your boy. The girls in class have already started plotting."
Evelyn whipped around, glaring. "He's not mine."
But Lena only smirked knowingly. "Sure. Keep telling yourself that."
Lucien, meanwhile, remained silent, but Evelyn swore she saw a tiny smirk playing on his lips.
---
Unbeknownst to them, someone had been watching.
From the upper floors, a figure leaned against the railing, eyes locked onto Lucien with an unreadable expression.
A phone screen lit up, and a message was sent.
"He's not the same. But it doesn't matter. We will proceed as planned."
The figure slipped away into the shadows, leaving only the faintest trace of presence behind.
And just like that, the game had begun once more.
---
End of Chapter 38