Chapter 197 Diana’s Turn (6k) [33]
Pandora asked quite casually.
She didn’t really care whether Dark had an appointment or not.
Although they got along well, it wasn’t to the point where she needed to be concerned about such things.
It was odd if nobody invited Dark to the Christmas dance, given how outstanding he was.
Perhaps he had turned down countless invitations just to fulfill his promise with her?
Pandora could guess that much with a slight thought.
But there were some people and things that couldn’t be avoided.
Take Diana, for example, who was always by Dark’s side.
He probably still had to deal with that clingy little imp during the second half of the dance.
How pitiful.
…
Facing Pandora’s question, Dark did not hide anything: “Yes, I have to dance with Diana later.”
This was clearly a plus point.
Even if their relationship wasn’t deep, women would be particularly sensitive if a man lied to them for another woman.
Pandora smiled: “Then let’s go back; I’m actually feeling a bit cold.”
Her dress wasn’t designed for warmth, so once she stopped moving, she felt chilled.
They had been engrossed in conversation and hadn’t noticed.
Dark couldn’t help but show a hint of apology: “I was negligent.”
Pandora raised her hand as if to touch his forehead but stopped halfway, nodding: “Don’t act like you’re taking care of me. I’m your senior.”
“Alright, senior.”
Dark raised his arm, creating an empty space.
Pandora naturally inserted herself,挽着他的手臂准备下楼.
…
When they returned to the hall, at least a third of the people were gone.
Not all of them were couples.
Some couldn’t handle the atmosphere and wanted to step out, often stumbling upon couples and feeling awkward.
Others took advantage of the atmosphere to confess their feelings.
If successful, they wouldn’t return.
If unsuccessful, they’d likely never come back.
The quiet outside the hall was like a demon’s gaping mouth, swallowing students one by one.
But if you thought it was safe inside the hall, you were gravely mistaken!
There was even more dog food inside!
…
The first half of the dance was from nine to ten.
The second half was from eleven to twelve.
During the hour between the two halves, things were more relaxed.
If they liked, they could walk onto the stage alone and dance.
Most people chose to stay below, eating and drinking while chatting.
But some were distracted, unable to find enjoyment.
Wit Gold was one of them.
He and Robert set up a game of mana chess on the table, with a few classmates watching.
But Wit kept making mistakes, always distracted whenever there was movement at the door.
Clearly, he wasn’t focused on the game.
Robert sensed Wit’s declining skill and felt disappointed in his friend’s lack of seriousness.
When Wit made another egregious mistake, Robert finally couldn’t hold back: “Mana chess has a soul; if you don’t focus, don’t play!”
It was the first time Wit had been criticized by Robert, and he felt somewhat embarrassed.
He withdrew his hand and sighed, “I just want to be left alone.”
Robert shook his head, “Don’t panic, Wit. They’re three grades apart!”
Wit wanted to agree but realized he too was part of the “three-grade difference,” falling silent.
Their first Christmas dance passed in a mix of hope and worry.
It wasn’t until the second half began that Wit finally saw Pandora and Dark enter through the main entrance.
They walked together, following etiquette.
Dark wore black, Pandora white, an oddly harmonious pair.
But Wit noticed their height difference, which brought him some relief.
He had heard many times that girls don’t like boys shorter than them.
Perhaps Pandora and Dark’s relationship was different from what he imagined?
“Just as Robert said, I shouldn’t keep thinking negatively.”
Wit slapped his cheek to clear his mind.
Then he saw Dark and Pandora approach Diana and Rose.
…
Pandora sat down大方地 on Rose’s other side.
Dark sat next to Diana.
The four of them sat in a row.
Diana showed joy when she saw Dark return.
Rose appeared拘谨 because of Pandora’s presence.
Pandora reached out, “Hello, I’m Pandora Dragon, Mana Academy, fourth year.”
Rose quickly grasped her hand and introduced herself, “Rose Florette, Noble Academy, first year.”
Diana, not wanting to be left out, chimed in, “And I’m Diana Gretbail, Noble Academy, first year!”
Thus, the three got acquainted.
From this scene, it was hard to imagine how solitary and unapproachable Pandora used to be.
Three years had changed her greatly.
Much of this was due to Lady Bella’s care and her work as a librarian, which gave her opportunities to interact with others.
Nowadays,
she rarely chatted much but was actually quite talkative.
After a few sentences, she was already chatting away with the two younger girls.
Diana, being friendly, quickly forgot any barriers and asked, “Senior, where did you two go?”
Pandora knew she was referring to her and Dark’s whereabouts and replied, “We sat outside for a while, then went to stand near the bridge on the third floor.”
Diana: “That’s all?”
Pandora smiled gently, “What else?”
Diana: “No, no, nothing else!”
Rose, caught in the middle, had three lines on her forehead.
Soon…
Eleven o’clock arrived.
The second half of the dance began with a sudden burst of piano music.
Diana jumped up excitedly, “Next is Diana’s turn!”
Dark, who had been listening intently, slowly stood up.
He felt a bit helpless about Diana’s boundless energy.
In fact, he was already a bit tired.
But he still allowed Diana to挽上 his arm and walked toward the stage.
Many students were waiting for this moment.
Almost simultaneously, couples stepped onto the stage.
Diana’s excitement was palpable.
She could feel the atmosphere was different from Halloween.
Because the separation between the first and second halves reduced the “taking over” feeling.
Seemingly affected by the atmosphere, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she grabbed Dark’s hand.
Some trembling.
She was nervous!
…
This meant that compared to Halloween, she had become even more concerned about dancing with Dark!
Sometimes living together day and night can make one gradually lose interest.
But sometimes, the same daily coexistence can instead make one fall deeper into fascination as understanding grows.
Diana clearly belonged to the latter.
Her naive thoughts were obvious.
With renewed energy, Dark tried to guide her onto the correct dance steps, but her thin high heels became an obstacle.
Afterwards, Dark stopped worrying about the dance steps and instead slowly spun in circles with Diana’s rhythm.
Diana was a lively person, but when dancing, she moved slowly.
Time flowed quietly by.
The two gradually developed a sense in their slow and leisurely dance.
One song ended, then another began.
By the third song, Diana’s dance steps were severely distorted, and her thin high heels seemed ready to snap at any moment.
Dark led her down from the stage.
Handing the stage over to someone who needed it more.
As Diana walked off the stage, she gradually regained her senses. Her eyes sparkled with excitement and endless回味 (reminiscence).
Tonight’s Christmas ball would surely leave an indelible mark in her memory.
…
They returned to their previous seats.
Diana, feeling content, played around with Rose.
Dark’s gaze passed through them and connected with Senior Pandora, reading “You’ve worked hard” from her expression.
It wasn’t really that hard.
If Diana could change out of her high heels, he might have indulged in the slow pace of time passing during their dance.
It was quite a unique experience.
…
After sitting down again, Dark thought he could rest for a long time.
But soon after, he saw another girl approaching.
That was Emma.
She lowered her head, her lips moving quickly.
If you got closer, you might hear her complaints.
“It took so long to do my makeup, if I don’t use it, isn’t it a waste?”
“Just once, if I’m rejected, there won’t be a next time!”
She was fidgeting, completely unlike her usual self.
Pandora glanced at Dark: “Your business has come up again.”
Dark scratched his head.
This was another dance he couldn’t refuse.
…
“Don’t misunderstand, I just wanted to try the feeling of dancing at a Christmas ball, but I couldn’t find a suitable partner…”
Emma pouted as she said this.
Dark smiled slightly and complied: “Of course, ma’am, it’s my honor to be chosen by you.”
Then the two of them ascended the stage simultaneously.
Without a princess and a human prince, the second half of the ball felt incomplete.
But this didn’t stop the students from immersing themselves in the atmosphere.
Emma’s dance steps were very standard, almost like a template.
Dark followed her lead and completed a song.
At the end of the song, Emma hesitated. She wanted to dance again but didn’t want to trouble him too much.
While she was thinking about this, Dark had already descended from the stage.
…
The second half of the ball quickly came to an end.
After getting off the stage, the heavy stone that had been weighing on Emma suddenly lifted.
She did not return to the crowd of the Knight Academy, but instead sat down beside Dark.
The clock struck twelve, coming and going silently amidst their idle chatter.
“Boom—”
Unconsciously, they crossed over into Christmas Eve.
…
When the grand bell rang.
The couples huddled in the corners, the heartbroken ones hiding in the shadows crying, the boys and girls strolling and enjoying the breeze, all returned to the Grand Hall one by one.
The final event of the Christmas ball began when Principal Altair stepped onto the stage.
Tiny elves flew out of her hands, delivering various Christmas stockings to everyone.
These were unique wishing tools of the academy.
It was said that if one could hold out until five in the morning on Christmas Day before opening the stocking, they would receive a gift — usually something quite surprising!
Dark looked at the zebra-striped stocking in his hand, restraining himself from immediately opening it.
“Almost time,” Pandora said, shaking her stocking at Dark, “I should go now.”
Dark blurted out, “Let me walk you.”
…
There were no extra words; the Christmas ball ended directly.
Students who received stockings left the Grand Hall one by one. Many had been holding on until now, feeling quite tired.
If they could get back to their beds, they would surely fall asleep immediately.
Dark also felt exhausted, but he insisted on walking Pandora back to the Mana Academy.
“Have a safe journey!”
Watching Pandora run across the bridge with her skirt held up, Dark took a deep breath.
The winter air was very cold, like ice water.
Pandora turned sharply and said, “See you next semester!” Goodbye!
Dark waved, then turned and headed back.
On the way back, Diana and Rose, who had been waiting against the wall along the path, joined him.
A shy smile appeared on Dark’s face as he softly said, “Let’s go.”
So Diana and Rose giggled and gathered on either side of him.
The three of them walked together towards the Tower of the Noble Academy.
…
Rewinding time back to when the clock was about to strike twelve.
Deep within the secret passage, in an unknown place.
Sometime ago, blood magic circles were drawn on the ground. Countless bats swarmed the magic circle like bees, one after another crashing into it, even the splashed blood being consumed by the spell.
Soon after, a bloody red light emerged from the spell.
After midnight, it was Christmas.
It was the time of “Saint” birth.
It was the time of resurrection for all things.
…
Everything was happening silently.
At first, a bat entered the secret passage.
This bat was not the Halloween event boss, the Vampire Count.
It was merely one of his countless avatars!
In theory, the Vampire Count could be reborn on any bat.
This was the most challenging aspect, and the reason no one could catch it during the event.
But at the end of the event, the Vampire Count had vanished.
Its physical body was a one-time mana spirit card, a masterpiece by Professor Kazel, which posed no lingering danger.
With the disappearance of the Vampire Count, all its bat avatars also disappeared.
Except for the bat that had mistakenly entered the secret passage first!
It was the only surviving bat.
The reason for its survival was unknown.
But since it did not disappear, it meant it was no longer ordinary.
…
Afterwards…
The news of the secret passage spread.
The groups of students flooded into the secret passage.
The lower-grade students, lacking in vigilance, became its targets. The students bitten by it would become fatigued, leading to their tardiness.
The bats that successfully sucked the students’ blood underwent changes; they gradually learned how to split and vaporize, resulting in more bats appearing within the secret passage.
…
Up until now, the bats had even absorbed the blood of the Hero’s Child!
The final transformation was born from this.
The bat that absorbed Wit’s blood transformed from an instinct-driven predator into a genuine vampire with self-awareness!
It regained some fragmented memories.
…
“Boom—”
As the clock struck twelve, a human body drenched in blood emerged from the blood magic array.
…
When Dark and his group returned to the dormitory,
Wit Gold was still outside.
He had a little tiff with Robert; the two didn’t return to the dorm together after the ball ended.
Wit walked alone inside the castle, subconsciously lingering outside.
There were no curfews during the holidays.
The constructs wouldn’t sound any warnings.
Even wandering around until one or two in the morning didn’t matter.
He gradually reached the familiar external bridge where he had awakened the pink mist sleeping in “Into the Abyss.”
This made him involuntarily take out “Forbidden Love.”
He looked at the blurred human figure on the card, wanting to turn it into Senior Pandora’s appearance like using a flower card.
But as he infused mana, the human figure started deforming, and he withdrew his finger.
It was meaningless!
Doing so had no meaning at all.
Instead, it felt pitiful, even to himself!
He remembered he had thought long ago about using “Forbidden Love” to check Senior Pandora’s favorability.
But due to various reasons, he never managed to do it.
Almost forgetting about it altogether.
“I’ll check after delivering the Christmas gift. At least I gave a gift, so her favorability shouldn’t be too bad…”
Thinking this, Wit became increasingly disheartened.
In the second half of the ball, he could have mustered the courage to invite Senior Pandora to dance, but ended up just watching.
And then there was Dark Demon. He had already gotten the chance to dance with the senior, yet he wasn’t satisfied. In the second half of the ball, he invited other girls to dance.
That was truly enviable… Truly despicable!
Wit felt indignant, and the more he thought about it, the angrier he got.
If only he had some alcohol, he could quickly evolve into a drunkard.
Emotions building up to the peak, Wit leaned against the bridge railing and roared at the sky!
Unbeknownst to him.
When he stopped to catch his breath, a hand rested on his shoulder.
…
Noble Academy, tower.
After Dark returned to the dormitory, he mustered the energy to wash up and then fell asleep in the bathtub.
Half an hour later, he woke up suddenly from the cold and quickly got up, rinsed again, and crawled into the warm bed.
Early the next morning.
Dark slept until he naturally woke up.
He stared at the wall clock for a long time before finally muttering, “It’s Christmas.”
Christmas had arrived.
I wonder how Senior Pandora, who traveled through the night, is doing?
What did Claire and Alvaraite do last night on Christmas Eve?
Sorting through his thoughts, Dark suddenly remembered the Christmas stocking hanging at the foot of his bed!
Although he knew it wouldn’t contain anything too expensive, Dark still opened the stocking with anticipation.
That feeling of opening a treasure chest, full of surprises, was indeed only present during the process of unlocking and opening.
Inside Dark’s Christmas stocking was an apple!
“It’s past Christmas Eve, and you’re still giving apples?”
But this disposable stocking could be kept as a collector’s item.
…
“Grrr—”
The Imp Beast, awakened by Dark’s movements, suddenly leaped up after a brief moment of confusion!
“Cursed, it’s Christmas!”
“The great Imp Beast actually forgot it was Christmas today!”
It crawled out of the blankets, flapping its wings towards the corner piled with gifts.
After enduring so long, it was finally time to open gifts!
Since it checked every day, the Imp Beast clearly knew where its Christmas gift was placed.
It grabbed the gift box with its claws and dragged it outside, tearing the wrapping paper in a few swift motions!
Then, closing its eyes and praying for a moment, it tore off the packaging with force.
Immediately, a thick brown scarf came into view.
The Imp Beast grabbed the scarf with its claws and fluttered to Dark’s side, pointing at the scarf with another claw before staring at Dark hopefully.
Dark took the apple out of the stocking and placed it on the table, then turned around and took the scarf from the Imp Beast’s claws, using the root of its wing as support to wrap the scarf around its chin.
Though wearing the scarf this way would be inconvenient for its wings, the Imp Beast clearly preferred the scarf and paid no mind to the slight inconvenience.
It began strutting proudly among the Grass Cat Plant, Fox-eared Grass Plant, and Dairy Cow Grass Plant, walking around and around, like an old general showing off a new sword.
…
“Alright, stop that.”
Dark stretched out his hand from behind and picked up the Imp Beast.
“From now on, the task of giving chocolates is yours.”
Upon hearing the instruction, the Imp Beast not only didn’t reject it but also brightened up and nodded vigorously: “No problem, leave it to me!”
-This was clearly a good opportunity to show off the scarf!
…
Apart from the chocolate gift boxes for each student at the Noble Academy, Dark had many other gifts to give.
He wasn’t too hasty.
Instead, he ate breakfast in the dormitory, rested for a while, and then went out.
It was already eight in the morning, and most people would be awake if he knocked on the door at this time.
In his hand, Dark held the “Christmas Candy Mega Pack” bought last time at the candy shop, a beautifully packaged signed edition of “Claire’s Travels,” and “Button-Eyed Teddy Bear”!
He soon arrived at Diana’s dorm room and knocked on the door.
“Who is it?”
Diana was half-sitting on the bed, she had just been woken up by the Imp Beast delivering the chocolate gift box, and originally wanted to go back to sleep…
By the time she finally forced herself to open the door, several minutes had passed.
“Oh? Dark!”
Diana, wearing only a small bear pajama, instinctively wanted to close the door.
But Dark stuck his foot in the gap.
He squinted and sized her up, teasing, “The sun is high, why haven’t you gotten up yet?”
Diana: “I can’t get up!”
