Chapter 377: Chapter 376- Validation
The office room was silent, wrapped in darkness.
A figure, cloaked in black, slipped through the shadows and crept toward the desk.
Each step was slow, careful—testing the ground for traps or alarms.
They had entered through the window that faced the back of the academic block, choosing the perfect moment—when the guards were changing shifts and every student had returned to their dorms.
They knew how dangerous this was. But it had to be done.
Creak
The sound made their heart jump. They froze, biting their lip, staring into the darkness. Nothing moved. Nothing stirred.
Maybe it was fine. Maybe they were overreacing—
"Ah!"
The cry slipped out as a hand suddenly clamped over their mouth. Something cold and sharp pressed against their neck.
A breath brushed their ears.
"I’m surprised," a low voice whispered.
The person stiffened.
That voice—she knew it too well.
Adrian let out a quiet sigh, almost disappointed rather than angry.
"One of my brightest students," he said, his tone calm but heavy. "Sneaking into my office to steal the question papers... I didn’t expect this from you, Aries."
He loosened his grip and stepped back, pulling out a small candle from his Time Chamber. With a faint flick, golden light flickered to life, casting long shadows across the room.
The glow revealed a young girl—raven-haired, trembling slightly, her face caught between guilt and defiance.
Adrian’s voice softened. "Tell me, Aries... what could possibly drive you to this?"
Aries didn’t answer right away. She knew escape was pointless.
She had seen him fight before—saw how effortlessly he handled several mages at once during the ambush. If she tried to run, he’d catch her before she reached the door.
So instead, she took a slow breath.
"I knew I’d get caught," she said quietly.
Adrian tilted his head. "Yet you still did it?"
He sat down, his voice almost weary. "You must have a reason that makes sense to *you*, at least."
He wasn’t on guard anymore. He didn’t need to be.
Even if she somehow slipped away, the consequences wouldn’t change—
Expulsion was certain.
Aries knew that too. She sighed and sat opposite him. The chair creaked under the heavy silence.
"Because I knew I couldn’t pass this exam, sir," she said.
Adrian’s eyes narrowed, disappointment flickering within them. "That’s a shallow reason, Aries. You’re not failing because you’re incapable. You just..."
He stopped mid-sentence, searching for the right words. "You underestimate yourself. I’ve seen the way you think, the way you connect dots others don’t even see."
Aries smiled weakly. "That’s because you always see the good in your students, sir. Even when we don’t deserve it. You’re one of the reasons I’m here today."
Adrian frowned. "What do you mean?"
Aries hesitated, then began to speak, her voice trembling like the candle flame between them.
"I come from a merchant family. My father... is Merchant Grimmack, the Patriarch. My mother was his first wife. She died giving birth to me."
Her hands tightened around the edge of the chair. "He remarried—twice. Both wives gave him sons. He loved them. He hated me."
The words cracked with pain.
"He once said I stole the only woman he ever truly loved. Since then, I’ve been nothing but a reminder. A mistake."
Adrian stayed silent. His eyes softened, but he didn’t interrupt.
Aries continued, her tone quieter now, her shoulders trembling under the weight of her confession.
"I knew I’d never inherit anything. A daughter has no place in a house ruled by greed and tradition. But still... I wanted to show him that I wasn’t useless. That I could stand on my own."
Tears brimmed in her eyes, glinting in the candlelight. "I wanted to make him proud, even if he never looked at me again."
Adrian’s arms crossed as he leaned forward slightly. "So you thought passing the exams—no, *excelling*—would make him see you?"
Aries nodded, her lips curling into a bitter smile. "Yes. I know how pathetic it sounds."
Her gaze drifted toward the candle, watching its flame dance and fade with each breath.
"You know why I befriended Elana, sir?" she asked softly. "It wasn’t just because I liked her. I wanted to be her."
Adrian raised a brow, but said nothing.
"She has everything I don’t," Aries whispered. "Beauty. Brains. Strength. And a father who treats her like a treasure instead of a burden. Even though she’s a girl, her father never once made her feel lesser. He trusted her. Respected her."
A tear slid down her cheek.
"I envied her, sir. I tried so hard to smile beside her, but every time I saw her laugh, I was reminded of what I’d never have."
The candlelight flickered again, painting her tear-streaked face in gold.
For a long moment, the room was silent—only the faint ticking of the wall clock and the sound of two hearts trying to breathe through the tension.
"So...you tried to risk everything for the sake of making your identity." Adrian concluded.
Getting up, he clasped his hands behind his back and muttered, "Truth be told, I am quite disappointed in you, Aries."
The girl lowered her head at the words.
However, soon Adrian clarified, "I always deemed you a strong individual who doesn’t need anyone’s validation to be regarded as what she is. She can make her own identity with her own hands."
Aries looked up at the man, as she heard him adding, "What family? What background? Do people without them not survive?"
Aries stammered, "But sir...how can one separate themselves from their family? How can someone call themselves an orphan when their family is still alive."
Adrian smiled before turning towards the girl, "But there are people who exist like that. Take me for an example."
Aries was taken aback, as she heard him saying, "Only a few people know this that I, Lockwood Adrian, was told to leave the family a few months ago. And I also signed the contract which stated that I am no longer a part of the Lockwood family."
Aries’s eyes were wide in disbelief.
He has no reason to lie about such a thing.
And that begged the question, "Did you not hesitate from signing the contract?"
Adrian shook his head, "No, because no one else but I myself decides my fate and existence."
Aries was stunned.
The way he said those words it appeared as if he didn’t care about background and his family at all.
The younger one then lowered her head and turned silent.
Adrian heaved a sigh and said, "Reflect on your action, Aries. After discussing this matter with the headmistress, I will let you know the punishment you deserve."
Aries slowly got up and advanced toward the door.
Just then, she paused and asked, "Sir...is there any chance for you to forget what happened today and let me give the Aegis Trials like others?"
She sounded hopeful...no, more like asking for the impossible.
Adrian didn’t answer her before the girl opened the door and walked out.
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A/N:- Thanks for reading.