With some time left before the ceremony officially began, Mize and Liam wandered to the side where a long banquet table was set up.
The Academy had spared no expense, the table was practically overflowing with dishes upon dishes of food, each one arranged with the kind of artistic meaning that made it almost a crime to eat them.
But for Mize?
It was a fatal attraction.
'As expected, she eats a lot' Liam complimented from the side, his eyes gleaming slightly under the rim of his glass.
Without hesitation, Mize grabbed a plate and immediately got to work.
Liam, naturally, followed along.
And just like that.
A journey of eating with no end began.
Liam sat back in his chair, fingers idly twirling his fork as he observed the scene before him.
Plate after plate disappeared at a rate that was almost inhuman, the once carefully arranged food now reduced to empty porcelain and scattered utensils.
Mize, in contrast, looked completely unbothered, reaching for another dish with the kind of grace that directly contradicted the scene before him.
Liam exhaled softly, amusement flickering in his eyes.
'How can such a small body accommodate this much food?'
His thoughts remained internal, but his hands moved on their own.
Every now and then, he took out a handkerchief, reaching over to gently wipe the corner of Mize's mouth.
Mize barely reacted at first, too focused on his next victim, a delicate fruit parfait.
But then.
He caught the strange gaze from the corner of his eye.
Mize paused, spoon halfway to his mouth.
"...What's with that look?"
Liam's lips twitched slightly.
"Well…"
He opened his mouth, as if he was about to say something, then closed it again.
"...Nothing."
He smiled, too casually.
Mize narrowed his eyes, not buying it for a second.
"It's like you're thinking something bad about me."
Liam, ever composed, simply tilted his head with a look of pure innocence.
Mize squinted, but when nothing more was said, he huffed softly and went back to his plate.
Not long after.
Another one was emptied.
Then another.
Then another.
Liam, still watching in quiet amusement, rested his chin against his hand.
'Queen of the Empty Plates.'
A title secretly bestowed upon Mize.
He made a mental note to allocate a portion of his budget to Mize's… intake after this.
Just in case.
But this peace didn't last long.
The peaceful or rather a huge meal continued, until suddenly.
A voice from the side called out.
"Mize?"
Liam's entire expression shifted in an instant.
His features didn't change, he still held the same calm, easy smile, but the temperature around him seemed to drop ever so slightly.
Mize, completely unaware of the shift, turned toward the voice.
His eyes widened immediately.
"A-argh, yes?"
The words stumbled out of his mouth, his face instantly flushing red.
Of all people, why did it have to be him?
Approaching them, clad in his usual silver windbreaker, was Adrian.
His silver hair was neatly styled, his deep blue eyes sharp yet unreadable, and his tall stature, just about equal to Liam's height, only added to his naturally charm.
For a moment, Adrian seemed… stunned.
Like he had just seen something that didn't make sense.
At first, he had barely recognized Mize, he almost brushed past without a second glance.
But then, the more he looked, the more he realized the truth.
'This beauty… has been next to me all this time? And I actually missed it?'
His gaze deepened.
A flicker of something almost possessive crossed his eyes as he observed Mize's face, taking in the subtle rosiness of his cheeks, the way his lips parted slightly, his delicate posture.
And then.
Mize, in his infinite wisdom, chose that exact moment to hurriedly shove the last bite of food into his mouth.
Barbaric.
Unwomanly.
A complete contrast to the way Adrian had been admiring him just seconds prior.
Adrian's lips twitched.
Mize swallowed harshly, fidgeting slightly, before giving a small, awkward, "Umm, yeah…"
And then.
From the corner of his eye.
Liam.
Still smiling.
But something about it felt… wrong.
Too calm.
Too fake.
Too deep.
A chill ran down Mize's spine.
'Nope. Not dealing with that.'
In a desperate attempt to diffuse whatever situation was about to explode, Mize did the only thing he could think of.
He grabbed Liam's hand, forcing the most affectionate expression he could muster.
And smiled.
"T-this is my boyfriend!"
Silence.
For a second, Adrian didn't react.
His gaze flickered, once, twice, before finally shifting to Liam.
Until now, Adrian had been so focused on Mize, he hadn't even registered the man sitting beside him.
Now, though.
He noticed everything.
The way Liam's presence filled the space effortlessly, the calm yet unwavering control in his expression, the unspoken hostility and the way he held himself towards him.
Their eyes met.
And just like that.
It was as if two forces had collided.
Adrian took a single step forward, closing the distance between them.
His tall frame passed the seat, his figure now standing directly before Liam's as he extended a hand.
A smile.
Polite. Friendly. Artificial.
"Hello," Adrian said smoothly. "It's nice to meet you, Mize's boyfriend."
The way he deliberately pressed the word 'boyfriend' made Mize's stomach twist painfully.
From the outside, it was a perfectly normal greeting.
But to Mize.
It felt like the start of a war.
The tension was thick.
Too thick.
He swallowed hard, fingers tightening around Liam's hand as he fought the urge to sweat profusely.
'I should've eat more'
'Crap.'
His face paled slightly.
This was not going to end well, for me that is!
Liam's expression remained as polite as ever, his lips curling into a pleasant, practiced smile.
"Hello," he greeted smoothly. "Nice to meet you."
His hand extended, fingers wrapping around Adrian's in a handshake that was firm, steady, controlled.
It lasted only a few seconds.
But in that brief exchange, something subtle passed between them.
A moment of quiet evaluation.
Neither tightened their grip nor attempted to overpower the other.
It wasn't that kind of contest. Instead, it was a silent weighing of presence, an instinctual measurement of the man standing before them.
Liam's greenish golden eyes flickered slightly, the corners of his lips lifting just a bit more, something unreadable slipping into his gaze.
Adrian, in contrast, held his usual calm, unreadable expression, his deep blue eyes assessing but not revealing much.
Then, just as quickly as it began, the handshake ended.
Liam pulled his hand back at an unhurried pace, fingers briefly brushing against his sleeve before he reached for a glass of wine from the nearby table.
"I'm guessing you're a classmate of Mize?" he mused, swirling the deep red liquid in his glass before taking a measured sip.
Adrian tilted his head slightly.
"Well… not exactly."
A pause.
Then, his lips quirked, his tone lighthearted, yet pointed.
"Alas, it's hard to describe our relationship properly."
Mize internally groaned.
Of course, this was where it was heading.
This wasn't just a conversation.
These two adults were playing a linguistic game that made it's hard for him to understand.
And Mize had zero intention of sitting between two men trying to one-up each other over him.
Stepping forward, he clasped his hands before his chest, his long black hair shifting behind him as he moved.
"Liam," he said, voice light but firm, "let's go somewhere else for now. Can we?"
There was no hesitation in his words. No glance toward Adrian.
And Adrian noticed.
His expression didn't shift, but there was a brief flicker of something, like a crack in a calm lake's surface.
Then, just as quickly, it vanished.
But something else surfaced in its place.
Adrian wasn't sure why, but seeing Mize so naturally brushing him off for someone else, it irritated him in a way that didn't make sense.
It wasn't like he ever thought about owning Mize before.
But right now, watching him lean so effortlessly into another man's presence, it made his fingers twitch slightly at his side.
He had always been the one to reject others, and such an action caused him to be dissatisfied.
Then.
He smiled.
Not a normal, friendly smile.
Something lighter, something easier on the surface, but underneath, there was something weighted.
"What's the hurry, Miss Mize?" he asked, his voice as smooth as ever.
"Stomach ache?"
Casual words. Spoken in an innocent, almost teasing way.
But Mize wasn't stupid.
He could hear it.
The words weren't actually meant for him.
They were meant for the man beside him.
And from the corner of his vision.
Liam's smile twitched.
Just a tiny movement at the corner of his lips, so subtle it could almost be missed.
But Mize had spent enough time around him to know.
That was never a good sign.
Liam's fingers shifted slightly, tapping once against the glass in his hand before he responded, tone calm.
"Well," he murmured, his gaze barely shifting, "as her boyfriend, I'd naturally be responsible for her, no?"
Mize's stomach twisted.
'Oh no. Oh no, oh no—'
Adrian let out a quiet chuckle, adjusting the cuff of his silver windbreaker, his posture staying casually relaxed.
"Well," he said, still smiling, "I'm just concerned about her health."
His words were easy. Light.
But the way he held himself, the way his shoulders squared ever so slightly, the way his chin lifted just a fraction higher.
It was a clear provocation, Mize hated this game but as a Goddess intern, this situation will eventually come anyway.
He knew his identity well, the Goddess of beauty. Such a scene had been warned already by the system, as such he will have to handle it well.
A few of Liam's men, still standing at a distance, subtly straightened their backs, glancing at each other as if quietly acknowledging the shift in atmosphere.
Liam, however, didn't react immediately.
He simply took another slow sip of his wine, golden eyes glinting in the soft light.
The silence stretched.
Then, Adrian exhaled, as if deciding something.
"It seems I have other things to attend to for now," he said, voice smooth.
And with that, he turned toward Mize.
Not Liam.
Just Mize.
Liam wasn't even acknowledged.
"Let's meet again later, Mize."
Then, without waiting for a response, he walked away.
Mize didn't move.
Didn't breathe.
Didn't even dare turn toward Liam.
Because he could feel it.
The way the air beside him had dropped just slightly.
The way Liam's smile hadn't changed, but something in the air felt heavier than before.
He didn't need to look to know.
Yeah.
'I am screwed'
[Please host do not make any excessive attempts for now]
[Just stay quiet until the Villain calmed himself down]
[Rage percentage is at 679% currently, please wait host]
!!
Mize wanted to cry but had no tears.