Claimed by the Prince of Darkness novel Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Following me

Ruelle sat at the Groundlings’ table in the dining hall, where some students had already finished their dinner and left. Candles flickered inside the lanterns, the room filled with a low hum of conversations from the Elites’ and the Groundlings’ tables, except for the Halflings, whose chatter was slightly louder than the others.

"I can’t believe you are finally done with the scarf; it has turned out so intricate," Hailey, who sat beside her, said as she admired the scarf, taking it in her hands to observe it closely.

"It feels like you’ve been working on it forever," Kevin said with a small, thoughtful smile. "But now that it’s almost done, it feels like something we’ve all been part of, like we’ve gone through the process of making together. You made it look easy."

Ruelle smiled softly as she replied, "It is not that hard once you get the hang of it." She felt a sense of pride and satisfaction with the way the scarf had turned out. She decided to look for the potential buyer tomorrow, hoping the scarf would be well-taken care of by its new owner. "I should be able to get access to the library books tomorrow. What about you two?" she asked them.

"I wish I could say the same," Kevin said wryly, sitting opposite her. "Even though I stayed behind for the weekend, I am still a shilling short and need to cover it today or sooner, at least before the tests are set." He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Don’t worry. You’ll get there," Hailey encouraged him. "Besides, I’m in the same boat and am six shillings short."

"If I make a profit from the scarf, I will be more than happy to cover the fees for both of you," Ruelle said, her eyes filled with quiet reassurance.

"It does ease my mind," Hailey confessed, and then said, "But it would be right for us to accept that. You worked hard—"

"You are my friends. Shouldn’t we have each other’s backs?" Ruelle smiled, and Hailey suddenly hugged her tightly, only causing Ruelle’s smile to broaden.

"Thank you, Ruelle," Hailey murmured with heartfelt gratitude. Kevin, however, looked conflicted for a moment before he said carefully,

"I really appreciate the offer, but I’ll manage. You should keep that money for something you might need later on," Kevin replied, not wanting to take money from her but to be able to provide instead.

As her friends continued to talk to each other, Ruelle felt someone looking in their direction, and upon turning to look, she caught June glancing her way, before her roommate readjusted her focus somewhere else.

Ruelle continued to scan the room almost unconsciously, until her eyes landed on Lucian, seated with his usual group of friends. In the flickering candlelight, his features looked both alluring and intimidating. Her mind wandered back to two hours ago, when she had unexpectedly found herself in his carriage. It was hard to believe she could have felt any more awkward than she had in that moment. She pursed her lips at the memory.

She wondered if she should... thank him—but then, would he even care?