The Return Of The Exiled Villain

Gray frowned at Cecilia’s words.

”...I don’t recall having something to talk to you about.”

He instantly rejected her as he didn’t want to get any closer to this woman who oozed coldness from all over her body.

Cecilia blinked once, but the cold air around her seemed to deepen.

Her presence always felt like winter wrapped in order, strict and frigid, yet now there was even a hint of killing intent.

”I see,” she nodded.

”Then allow me to be more direct.”

She leaned forward slightly, not enough to break etiquette, but enough to press her point.

”I require a private conversation. It concerns matters that are not appropriate to discuss here.”

Gray didn’t even let her finish forming her next thought.

”No.”

A single, flat denial.

Her cold blue eyes narrowed lightly.

”It is important.”

”No.”

”...You don’t even know the topic.”

”And I don’t want to.”

Cecilia’s lips twitched at his continuous refusal.

Behind Gray, the girls at the table instantly came to life.

”President White, he said no. Are your ears frozen from your own aura or something?” Maelis let out a dramatic scoff.

”Stop insisting. You’re ruining our lunch.” Lyra also added, not bothering to hide the threat in her voice.

”Annoying.. just get out of here already!”

”Agreed.”

Claire didn’t say anything, but she pressed her tray closer to Gray protectively, which made Cecilia’s gaze flick toward her in faint disbelief, like she hadn’t expected even the quiet one to resist.

However, she still turned back to Gray, expression still composed but clearly strained.

”Student Gray. This is not a request made lightly. Please come with me.”

”No.”

That was the third time.

Her fingers tightened around the folder she carried, just enough that the paper inside made a faint crrrk sound.

”Is there a reason for your refusal?” Cecilia asked, the last thread of her patience hanging by its spine.

Gray met her eyes with detached indifference.

”You’re cold,” he said simply.

”And more importantly, I don’t know you. We’ve never spoken, we’ve never interacted, and you suddenly want a private conversation? That already sounds suspicious.”

He rested his elbow on the table as if this were nothing more than idle chatting.

”If it’s really that important, say it here. If you can’t... then I’m not following you anywhere. People who insist on privacy with strangers usually want to force something.”

His eyes didn’t waver.

”And I’m not giving you that chance.”

Cecilia’s eyes tightened the instant he refused again.

Grip!

A fine crack ran through her composure.

Then she straightened her back, lifted her chin, and spoke with the authority of someone far too used to being obeyed.

”I, the Student Council President, Cecilia White,” she declared, voice echoing through the cafeteria, ”order Student Gray Vireux D’Aurélion to accompany me to the Council Room. If the student refuses a direct presidential summons...”

Her icy gaze narrowed.

”...five penalty points shall be awarded.”

There was silence for a long second... but just for that single second.

”Are you insane?!” Selene burst up from her seat, palms slamming onto the table hard enough to rattle trays.

”You can’t order him like that!”

”What kind of power abuse is that?” Selina snapped, crossing her arms in front of Gray like she intended to shield him.

”He said no! What part of ’no’ do you not understand?!” Lyra stood so fast her chair screeched loudly.

But Cecilia didn’t spare them even a glance as her gaze remained fixed solely on Gray.

”...Annoying...”

Gray exhaled slowly through his nose... and then casually reached into his coat.

A small flick of his wrist, and a cigarette appeared between his fingers.

He leaned slightly toward Claire.

She blinked, startled by the sudden closeness, her cheeks flushing pink despite herself.

But when she saw the cigarette, she quickly raised her index finger, a tiny flame blooming at the tip.

The glow reflected in Gray’s eyes as she lit it for him.

”Thanks,” he murmured.

”Haaah...”

He dragged the cigarette once, slow and deep... and blew the smoke directly into Cecilia’s face.

Her frown nearly split her face.

Her fingers curled into fists so tight her knuckles turned white.

Gray’s voice dropped into a quiet, cold murmur.

”...Get out of my sight, Pres.”

He tapped the cigarette, letting the ashes fall to the cafeteria floor with deliberate laziness.

”And for your information...”

Another slow drag, another exhale through the corner of his lips.

”...penalty points don’t affect me.”

He gave her a cold smile.

”If anything, you should speak with the Headmistress herself before trying to play authority with me.”

He leaned back in his chair, utterly relaxed.

”Now walk away before you embarrass your title any further.”

And just like that...

THRUUUM!

Cecilia’s composure snapped, causing a suffocating pressure to spread across the entire cafeteria.

One second, everything was normal, and in the next, the air turned so heavy that half the students couldn’t even breathe.

Chairs tipped, trays clattered, and dozens of bodies bent forward against their will, like something was physically pressing their skulls toward the floor.

But Gray... didn’t move an inch.

He sat there, cigarette resting between his fingers, looking at Cecilia like she was some stray animal trying to bark at him.

Cecilia’s eyes narrowed sharply.

”...Gray,” she hissed, her aura continuing to rise until even Selene and Selina had to grit their teeth to stay upright.

But the moment her gaze truly locked onto him... she froze entirely.

Because Gray didn’t seem to be struggling even a little bit... hell, he wasn’t even annoyed by her display of power!

He was just sitting there, relaxed, tapping the ash of his cigarette like her pressure didn’t even exist.

”...Huh?” Cecilia whispered, her confidence slipping for a moment.

Gray slowly lifted his head, and the hypnotic rings vanished from his eyes.

For a split second, everything around him darkened.

A thick, scarlet smoke escaped the corners of his eyes, sliding through the air as it lived there, like each wisp carried something that didn’t belong in the human world.

When it brushed against Cecilia...

”Kugh!”

Her breath stopped.

Her fingers twitched, then locked. Sweat rolled down her temple as her heart hammered painfully and her entire body refused to move.

His eyes, those pitch-black, depthless pits, met hers, and she felt something crawl up her spine.

”Cecilia,” Gray ’gently’ called her name.

That gentleness felt worse than any threat.

”Are you sure that you want to fight me...?”

The cafeteria’s silence was sharp enough to cut through bone. Cecilia’s legs trembled; not visibly, but Gray noticed how her aura wavered for a fraction of a second.

Then, just as suddenly, the scarlet smoke faded. The hypnotic rings snapped back into place. His expression leveled out as if nothing had happened.

”Aaagh!” Cecilia gasped softly, regaining control of her limbs.

Gray leaned back and took another slow drag from the cigarette.

”...Now, what should you say?”

Cecilia’s jaw tightened at his words, as her pride wouldn’t let her say those words; however, her fear of Gray was currently the dominant force.

”...I... apologize for the inconvenience,” she finally managed, lowering her head the tiniest bit.

”Good girl.”

Fwoop!

She disappeared from the cafeteria in a silvery blur the moment Gray uttered those words.

”GRAY, WHAT WAS THAT?!” Selene yelled, grabbing his arm so hard she almost pulled him out of his seat.

”Holy... crap...” Lyra muttered, staring at the space Cecilia vanished from.

”What did you say to her?!”

Because they were trying to shield themselves from Cecilia’s killing intent, they weren’t able to focus on Gray’s conversation with Cecilia.

Naturally... they were curious about how Gray drove her off.

Gray just tapped his cigarette again, exhaling calmly. And didn’t bother answering a single one of them.

However, one particular girl hadn’t forgotten about a little detail...

”Then what did you mean by ’penalty points don’t affect you’...? What kind of nonsense is that, Gray?” Maelis leaned forward, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Gray let out a slow, irritated sigh.

He pressed the cigarette against his metal tray with a quiet tsssss, crushing it flat until only a smear of ash remained.

His appetite vanished the moment Cecilia tried throwing her weight around.

”...I have a deal with the Headmistress,” he finally explained.

”But I won’t say what kind of deal it is. Just know it makes me... a little bit of a special student in some cases.”

”What?!” Selene shot up in her seat.

”Special?!” Lyra gasped, clutching her tray.

”Big brother... you’re not kidding, right?” Maelis’s eyes widened the most as she knew exactly what kind of existence Gloria.

Gray gave her a flat look.

”...I’m leaving.”

Before they could mutter another annoying word, he vanished from their sight, arriving back at his dormitory, where he lay down on his comfy bed.

But just as he lay down, he suddenly stood up and opened his wardrobe where the suit he had chosen stood.

He looked at it... and seeing how perfectly matched his style...

”...Was this something my big sister also calculated?”

Gray couldn’t help but ponder.