The Moon That Connects My Fate To You

CH13: Numerical Disaster

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ﾟ☾ﾟ｡⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ﾟ☾ﾟ｡⋆ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ﾟ☾ﾟ｡⋆

Aster sat by the window, her gaze lost in the sea of stars scattered across the velvet sky. The cool night breeze kissed her cheeks, but it did little to calm the storm raging within her mind. She traced the delicate curve of the crescent moon-shaped pendant resting in her palm, her thoughts entangled with the events of the afternoon.

She thought of Ranley. She had admired him for so long, yet today only made the distance between them feel wider.

‘Would I ever even get the chance to ask him about the necklace?’

Aster lifted the pendant against the evening sky, the silver catching the moonlight. For a moment it gleamed, almost like an answer waiting to be found. But instead of Ranley, another face intruded into her thoughts—Randall’s. She flinched, startled at how easily he slipped into her mind.

‘Why him? Why is it that every encounter with Lord Randall happens at the most awkward, humiliating moments of my life? Ughh.’ She groaned softly.

The market came first: her ridiculous disguise, the wrongful accusation, the burn of shame on her cheeks—and yet Randall had been the only one to stand as her witness. Then the library: her clumsy stumble, the rush of panic, and his steady hand catching her wrist before she could fall. And today… she grimaced. Stumbling over Ranley’s desk, gasping for breath, red-faced and graceless. Nothing like the composure a lady should have.

Her fingers curled tighter around the pendant. She remembered how their eyes had met in the classroom, just for a fleeting second, before she tore her gaze away. And then… how he walked out without a word.

‘What did he think of me in that moment? Probably nothing. Or maybe he simply didn’t want to be seen speaking to a commoner like me in front of others.’

The thought stung more than she cared to admit.

⋆｡°•☁️⋆｡°•☁️⋆｡°•☁️⋆｡°•☁️⋆｡°•☁️⋆｡°•☁️

Somewhere across the academy, Randall stood on the balcony of his dormitory. His quarters were grand—high ceilings, elegant chandeliers, and a view overlooking the academy gardens. Yet none of it held his attention.

Leaning against the railing, his icy blue eyes lingered on the starry sky. His thoughts drifted back to Aster when their gazes had met. The way she looked at him, only to glance away just as quickly. She hadn’t tried to acknowledge him, nor exchange a word.

Not that he had expected her to.

She was right in front of Ranley, after all… the man she claimed to admire..

A quiet sigh escaped him. There was something about her, something oddly familiar yet always beyond reach.

Footsteps approached, breaking the silence.

“What could possibly make you sigh at the stars like some tragic poet?” Wren’s voice carried a note of playful teasing.

Randall shifted slightly, his eyes moving from the sky to his companion. “It’s nothing worth troubling over,” he said, deflecting with ease—his tone calm rather than cold.

Then, with the faintest hint of a smile tugging at his lips as if to change the subject, he added, “You should prepare for class tomorrow. You wouldn’t want to be late on your first day.”

Wren smirked. “And here I thought you’d finally found a girl to occupy that frozen heart of yours. But fine, I’ll let it go… for now.”

Randall didn’t rise to the bait. Only a soft huff of breath escaped him… something close to a laugh, though restrained. He turned from the balcony, the light catching in his silver hair as he stepped back inside. Wren chuckled and followed after him.

“Anyway, shouldn’t we go together tomorrow? At least then I wouldn’t be so nervous.”

Randall scoffed softly. “Since when were you ever nervous? You’re the most restless, bold person I know. And no—we can’t go together on your first day. You’ll need to stop by Miss Lily’s study first so she can formally introduce you. Procedures matter.”

Wren let out a quiet chuckle as he dropped onto the sofa in their quarters. “Always the proper one. Very well… I’ll play along as the dutiful cousin.” His grin turned wry. “Or rather, the pretend cousin.”

Randall gave the faintest shake of his head, a quiet chuckle slipping out once more before he entered his room.

⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡

The next day, the morning sun bathed the academy halls in warm light as students filled the classrooms. Voices and footsteps mingled in the air, the lively hum of a new day beginning.

This time, Aster was early. She had made certain of it, determined to avoid another humiliating start. Slipping into her seat beside Katharina, she let out a small breath of relief, shoulders easing as though a weight had finally lifted.

Before the lesson began, Professor Lily stood at the front of the room. “Before we start, we have a new student joining us today.”

Wren stepped into the room. His hair, a warm auburn leaning more toward red than brown, was cut short, slightly tousled, with bangs falling loosely across his forehead. His easy smile and open expression immediately drew curious glances from the students as he scanned the room. When his gaze landed on Randall, his smile brightened with practiced familiarity.

“This is Lord Wren Aurelius,” Professor Lily announced. “He is Lord Randall’s distant cousin and will be joining your class from today onward.”

A quiet murmur rippled through the students at the mention of his connection to Randall. Aster, however, stiffened in her seat. Her mind flew back to the market, where this very boy had scolded her—mistaking her for being a rude boy to Randall after she accidentally muttered “drat” under her breath.

Wren’s eyes swept over the room again, pausing when he caught sight of her. For the briefest moment, his expression flickered with recognition, though he quickly masked it with another easy smile.

“You may take the seat behind Lord Randall,” Professor Lily instructed. “The staff prepared it in advance, knowing we’d have a new student.”

With an unhurried stride, Wren crossed the aisle and slid into the desk behind Randall, as if the place had always been waiting for him.

⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡

The history lesson passed smoothly, but the next subject—numerical analysis—was not Aster’s strongest. Having missed yesterday’s class, she was already at a disadvantage. And now, as the instructor posed a question, she was at a loss.

“Miss Winslow,” Miss Rose, the numerical analysis teacher, called. “Can you solve this equation on the board?”

Her mind raced. She glanced at Katharina for help, but before she could, her eyes inadvertently met Randall’s. Seated beside Katharina, he regarded her with his usual stoic expression. Flustered, Aster quickly looked away, unable to bring herself to ask Katharina for aid.

A silent second passed. Flavia and her friends snickered, reveling in her distress. Just as Aster took a hesitant step forward, a hand brushed against hers. Startled, she looked down—there in her palm was a small slip of paper with a neatly written solution. Randall had slipped it to her.

Heart thudding, she hesitated, then moved to the blackboard and carefully copied down the answer Randall had given her.

Miss Rose studied the board, then gave a curt nod. “Correct.”

Aster exhaled in relief, her cheeks warming. Once again, Randall had helped her.

“Care to explain how you solved it?”

Her breath caught. She froze, staring at the lines of numbers, trying to make sense of what she had just written. After a long moment of silence, Miss Rose turned her attention elsewhere.

“Lord Randall Aurelius, would you care to elaborate? You may take your seat Miss Winslow.”

Aster hurried back to her seat as Randall rose and strode to the front. Their paths crossed, and though she felt the brush of his presence close by, she kept her gaze firmly downcast, mortified. Katharina squeezed her shoulder gently, offering quiet reassurance.

Randall explained the solution with calm precision, his voice steady as chalk clicked against the blackboard.

A few seats away, Flavia and her friends giggled into their hands, swooning over Randall while sneering at Aster’s humiliation. Ranley, clearly irritated by their fawning, rolled his eyes with exaggerated disdain.

⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡ ⟡

Break soon arrived, and as students moved around, Wren turned his attention to Aster, studying her intently before tilting his head.

“You know… you look really familiar.”

Aster blinked, startled. “Uhh-“

Before she could respond, Randall abruptly stood, as if on cue, and walked out of the classroom. Wren caught the silent signal and followed. “Well, I guess I’ll figure it out later,” he called over his shoulder, trailing after Randall and leaving the classroom buzzing with curiosity.

Ranley leaned back, arms folded. “That’s odd.”

“It’s odd they’re related and so different,” someone mused.

“Lord Wren’s all smiles, but Lord Randall’s—so distant.”

“But did you see how Lord Wren immediately followed him without Lord Randall saying a word?” another added.

“Yeah, it’s like-“

“Like he was trained to do it,” someone finished.

Flavia seized the moment. “You can’t blame him. Lord Randall is the sort of noble every gentleman admires and every woman dreams of.”

Renie and Isadora giggled, along with the other girls swooning over Randall.

Ranley, unimpressed, rose with Jarrett and slipped out.

Flavia’s smile hardened into a smirk as she turned back to Aster. “But let’s not forget how miss Winslow humiliated herself during numerical analysis period, only to be saved by Lord Randall.” She tossed her hair back.

“It was pathetic. And did you see how she ran in yesterday like an absolute disaster?” Isadora added.

“Yeah, what a disgrace to all the nobility studying at Celentine Academy.” Renie chimed in.

Laughter followed. Aster buried her face in her arms, leaning on her desk, wishing she could disappear.

Katharina placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Ignore them,” she whispered.

But Aster wasn’t sure she could.

══════════════════════════════════════════════

You must be logged in to vote.

The Moon That Connects My Fate To You

CH13: Numerical Disaster

The Moon That Connects My Fate To You

CH13: Numerical Disaster

Yumetsuki

Recommended

The Soul of My Soul

Love You Across Time and Space

A Life That’s Not Mine

Hero in Waiting

Chapters Comments

Comments for chapter "CH13: Numerical Disaster"

MANGA DISCUSSION

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

1 Comment

Avaiaveilon

Fonts

Text size

Background

Contact Us

Resources