Chapter 359: A Match Made In Heaven [Part 1]
Ten minutes before Dim Dim entered the Grand Hall...
Alex and Vaan sat side by side in an open carriage that was being pulled by the Doom Cow, Daisy.
Dim Dim sat happily on top of Daisy’s head, holding its little trumpet and waving at nearby students.
This was quite a comical sight. The beautiful carriage was so white it practically sparkled in the darkness, but it was pulled by a creature that looked thoroughly pissed off.
But no one burst out laughing because their gazes were fixed on the two passengers.
Those who were taking a stroll along the path all automatically moved to the side to allow the carriage to pass.
Those who recognized them also reacted the same way as the others.
The students gawked, gasped, and gazed at the passengers heatedly, as if they wanted to burn the scene in their memories.
"Are you nervous?" Alex asked in a teasing tone.
"Do I look nervous?" Vaan asked back mischievously.
"You don’t look nervous, but you’re gripping my hand tightly," Alex replied.
"Maybe I am a little nervous," Vaan admitted. "I just didn’t expect that you would go along with my insanity."
"Well, there will come a time when you look at this memory and cover your face in embarrassment." Alex chuckled. "At that point, I’m sure that even if you want to forget, no one will allow you to forget."
"Then how about you?" Vaan asked. "Aren’t you afraid that your reputation will take a hit in the future? I’m more worried about you, you know?"
"I’m not worried," Alex answered. "I’ll just think of this as a precious memory of you taking that necessary step to move forward, even though doing it in this manner is a bit crazy even in my opinion."
"Well, being a little crazy is part of growing up. Let’s just dig a hole in the ground together and hide ourselves when we get teased in the future."
"Sounds like a plan."
Vaan looked at the person whom he owed his life—and perhaps his future as well—to.
He had never thought that someone would come to his rescue and even free him from the cage barring him from his own body.
Being possessed by Willow was a dark Chapter in his life, but if there was darkness, there was also light.
Alex had pulled him out from that darkness and stuck with him through his selfishness.
There was no one in the world that he wanted to repay more than Alex, so he hadn’t hesitated to pledge his allegiance to him.
Whenever Vaan was with Alex, he felt confident that he could change for the better.
He felt that he could be brave and be honest with himself.
And right now, one of the people that thought that they could chain him down with the secrets of his past was waiting for him at the Grand Ball.
But Vaan no longer wanted to run.
Also, he was no longer the same person that Victor had known back then.
He had already experienced many things and was now an Apostle Candidate.
Although he was still not fully an Apostle, he had gained some powers that made him confident that Victor would no longer have any hold on him.
When they arrived at the foot of the stairs leading to the Grand Hall, Dim Dim turned around to look at them.
"Go, Dim Dim," Alex said as he stood up to help Vaan disembark from the carriage. "Announce our arrival."
"Dim!" Dim Dim saluted with its trumpet before thanking Daisy for her help.
Alex and Vaan also thanked Daisy and watched the Doom Cow pull the carriage back to the farm.
"Well then, shall we go?" Alex asked as he offered his arm to Vaan like a gentleman.
"Yes," Vaan replied. "Let’s do something crazy."
The moment they heard Dim Dim’s trumpet, the two climbed the stairs and entered the hall together.
"That son of a..." Chuck couldn’t help but curse after seeing this.
Princess Xenia and Mary blinked once then twice before looking at each other in disbelief.
Lotte and Lavinia, who were having a drink together, looked at the doorway with their mouths hanging open.
Alex was wearing black military clothing with golden embroidery, complete with a matching red cape that made him look like a prince.
He was already handsome to begin with, so by dressing up he was giving a face to many ladies’ dream men!
The devilish smile on his face that was oozing with mirth and confidence only made him look more attractive in the eyes of others.
But the person walking beside him didn’t lose to his splendor.
(A/N: To not confuse anyone, I’ll refer to Vaan as ’she’ on this part.)
In fact, Vaan took the breath of the guys with her white princess dress.
Her long black hair that was usually tied in a ponytail had been braided into a crown to support her silver tiara.
Her purple eyes, which held a charm that very few possessed, looked at everyone while she smiled sweetly.
Even Victor didn’t manage to recognize Vaan as his earlier appreciation of Evangeline vanished without a trace.
He was transfixed by the delicate young lady who looked like an angel that everyone should protect.
"Goodness... if I only had known, I should have volunteered to be her escort," Prince Garen murmured as he gradually broke into a tender smile.
"Aren’t you jealous?" Lady Celestria wondered.
"Surprisingly, I’m not," Prince Garen replied. "I can feel that Alex is here to protect her. They’re not here to announce their relationship as a couple."
"Aren’t they a match made in heaven?" Prince Kaelen asked while observing Lapiz’s reaction.
Lapiz was in a daze, as if this was her first time seeing Alex.
The young lady only thought of her club president as a mysterious and bold maverick eager to leave his mark in the academy’s history.
But now as she looked at him, she had the same opinion as Prince Garen.
Alex didn’t look in love. He looked very protective of the person hanging to his arm, yes, but he didn’t look besotted.
He was like a prince in a fairy tale, here to rescue the princess whose charm had attracted everyone’s attention.
Suddenly, a soft melody started to play, surprising everyone.
The musicians were still preparing their instruments, so it took them a while to notice where the music was coming from.
The Fairies, Doh, Reh, Mii, Fah, Sue, Melodina, as well as the other Fairies were playing a song that Alex had asked them to play.
Alex then took Vaan to the dance floor, taking it all for themselves.
The young man had collaborated with the fairies to make their entrance the talk of the academy for many days to come.
As the music played in the background, Melodina took her microphone and started to sing.
"Tale as old as time..."
Alex took the lead and danced with Vaan to the tune of Beauty and the Bestie, a popular song back on Earth, which he and Noelle had sung many times in the Karaoke Bar together.
< Note: The Copyright God scoffs at you from the Celestial Realm. >
Alex simply smirked at this system message.
This song was being played in Arcana for the first time. Those who were hearing it couldn’t help but appreciate its melody.
And as the song came to an end, Melodina’s voice plucked the hearts of those who watched the two teenagers dance with smiles on their faces.
"Tale as old as time
Song as old as rhyme
Beauty and the Bestie..."
As Alex and Vaan bowed to each other, they were showered with applause by the entranced spectators who all felt that their hearts had skipped a beat.