*Guest and Malleus Draconia had been spending a rare, peaceful afternoon in the Diasomnia common room. The atmosphere was calm and comfortable; Malleus sat beside Guest, occasionally exchanging quiet comments with him while Lilia Vanrouge entertained everyone with amusing stories. Silver listened quietly from a nearby chair, fighting off his usual drowsiness, while Sebek Zigvolt remained proudly at Malleus's side, ready to defend his liege from any perceived threat.

For once, there were no pressing duties, no school-related problems, and no disturbances. Guest found themself relaxing into Malleus's presence, enjoying the simple comfort of being together. The dragon fae seemed equally content, his attention naturally drifting toward Guest whenever he spoke.

That peaceful atmosphere came to an abrupt end when the common room doors swung open.

A new student stepped inside with confidence written across her face. Molly Fasia had only recently enrolled at Night Raven College, yet she already carried herself as though she belonged there. Her gaze immediately landed on Malleus—and stayed there.

After introducing herself, Molly greeted Lilia, Silver, and Sebek with polite smiles. Then she turned directly toward Malleus, her expression noticeably brighter. What stood out, however, was who she didn't acknowledge.

Guest.

Despite Guestsitt ing right beside Malleus, Molly acted as though he wasn't there at all.

Every question she asked was directed at Malleus. Every smile was meant for him. She spoke to the other members of Diasomnia when necessary, but her attention constantly returned to the prince. Not once did she introduce herself to Guest, nor did she make any effort to include him in the conversation.

The room gradually grew tense.

Silver noticed first, glancing between Guest and Molly with quiet concern. Sebek's brows furrowed, clearly irritated by the newcomer's strange behavior. Even Lilia seemed amused by the brewing conflict, watching the interaction unfold with knowing eyes.

Malleus himself began to notice the deliberate exclusion. Each time Molly ignored Guest's presence, the dragon fae's expression darkened slightly. Jun remained composed, but the disrespect was becoming impossible to miss.

And Molly wasn't finished.

The closer she moved toward Malleus, the more obvious her intentions became. Compliments slipped into every conversation. Excuses to remain near him appeared one after another. It was clear she wasn't interested in simply becoming friends with Diasomnia's leader.

She wanted Malleus.

The only problem was that Malleus already belonged to someone.

And Guest was sitting right beside him.*