Chapter 42: Act 1, Chapter 2: The Forest of Monsters 2 (Colors)
Over the past few days, Rose had been grappling with a foreign emotion, one she had never truly experienced before.
Anger.
For the first time in her life, she was genuinely mad—no, rather, deeply annoyed—at someone. Having lived her whole life with a sense of indifference toward anyone she deemed weaker or not on her level, this persistent twinge of annoyance that gnawed at her heart was entirely unfamiliar and unsettling.
Though she had only met the guy once, and rather briefly at that, couldn’t he have at least been a bit more honest during their encounter?
“You’re Lucas…?”
“Who are you?”
Remembering the embarrassing moment when she called out the wrong person in the cafeteria, she couldn’t help but clench her fists.
The golden mana surrounding her sparkled with intensity, reflecting the turmoil within her. For the past few days, this ongoing rage had been eating away at her mind, clouding her thoughts and disrupting her usual calm demeanor.
Rose was used to being in control and free, always composed and unflappable.
Yet, this one encounter had thrown her off balance, introducing emotions she wasn’t prepared to handle.
The mere memory of that moment—calling out to someone who wasn’t who she thought they were—filled her with a mix of frustration and a desire for retribution.
‘Couldn’t he have at least told me his real name?’
Rose pondered why he would lie like that.
From their first encounter, he seemed like a nice and honest person.
Although his face was devoid of most emotions, Rose could tell he was kind at heart. If not, why would he have saved her from those goons with no ulterior motive?
As someone whose eyes were very sensitive to the world around her, Rose was delighted to finally find someone filled with an abundance of color in her otherwise monochromatic, colorless world.
His presence had sparked a glimmer of excitement and hope within her.
For the first time, she felt as if she had found someone who could add meaning to her life, someone who could make her feel something beyond the indifference she usually experienced.
But just when she thought she had finally found that person, he acted like that… and she just couldn’t forgive him.
It didn’t take long for her to find out who he really was.
Unexpectedly, he was quite popular among the first years, especially those in the knight department.
Even some of her classmates talked about him as a potential partner for the upcoming Duo exams.
The realization that he was well-known and well-regarded only added to her frustration.
It felt like a betrayal, discovering that someone she had begun to trust and admire had deceived her so easily.
‘Riley Hell,’ the hidden sword master of the knight department.
Though his title wasn’t officially a sword master, due to his level of strength, most students were convinced he deserved the title. Riley had acquired a multitude of aliases: the Hidden Master, the Executioner, the Lost Prince, the Golden Law, and even the Most Handsome Knight.
Yet, among all these monikers, the one that stood out the most was the Hidden Sword Master.
This title encapsulated the mystique and skill that surrounded him.
‘He’s stronger than I previously assessed’
Riley was the undisputed third-ranking knight student among the first years. However, half, if not most, of the students in his department believed he ranked among the very top of the entire knight department in the academy.
There were whispers that he was potentially even stronger than the first seat in their class and possibly even among the seniors above him in grade.
His reputation was built on more than just his combat prowess. Riley’s demeanor was composed and enigmatic, making him a subject of endless fascination and speculation.
His combat style was a blend of precision and raw power, and his strategic mind set him apart from his peers.
His ability to read his opponents and counter their moves with seemingly effortless grace only added to his already famous rumors.
That was how absurd the rumors behind his back were.
Naturally, finding out who he was wasn’t all that hard. In fact, even investigating him wasn’t difficult either, as a constant stream of information regarding his overall background and daily activities was continuously being monitored by anonymous sources.
Although Rose couldn’t gather all the details about him, as most were trivial in her opinion, there were three key pieces of information about him that she couldn’t ignore.
First, Riley was incredibly strong, to the point where his class frequently questioned why he was placed third.
Many believed he should have been at least second or even first—a sentiment even the top-ranking students in their class wholeheartedly agreed with.
His strength was evident to anyone who had seen him in action, and his skills were widely recognized, yet his official ranking didn’t seem to reflect his true capabilities.
Second, Riley was often seen hanging out with Seo, the top student in their class. There were persistent rumors that the two were secretly dating.
This particular piece of gossip greatly annoyed Rose, although she considered it baseless and up for debate. Despite her annoyance, the possibility nagged at her, adding to her already complicated thoughts about Riley.
And the third was that he was a training freak! Riley was constantly training himself from dawn until dusk whenever he had the chance. He rarely emerged from his personal training room.
This information, which was supposed to be fairly private, had been uncovered with the help of a certain maid and a few gold coins.
What was meant to be a secret had slipped out into the open, giving Rose an unexpected insight into his relentless dedication.
Lastly, there was one detail that Rose found particularly hard to ignore: Riley seemed to be acquainted, if not fairly close, with her so-called rival, Princess Snow White.
Him getting closer to a number of different women wasn’t really a problem for Rose, in fact it wasn’t even a problem to begin with she was just a stranger or maybe a temporary acquaintance in his daily life…. but when it came to Princess Snow, things were different.
Snow had been a constant thorn in her side ever since classes started, always bothering and pestering her.
The idea of Riley being close to Snow added another layer to Rose’s frustration.
“Hello, are you perhaps the renowned Rose Brilliance?”
Just seeing her once was enough for Rose to get a proper impression of that woman.
As someone who could see beyond what normal people could perceive, Rose knew that beneath the happy and smiley façade Princess Snow presented to the world, there was a darkness far fouler than any she had encountered before.
It was hidden under Snow’s snowy white smile, an insidious presence that only Rose seemed to notice.
That was why Rose knew that if Riley got too close to Snow, a whole bunch of problems would arise, not just for him, but for her as well.
‘She’s too dangerous for him….’
Snow’s influence was like a toxic fog, creeping into the lives of those around her and creating chaos.
Overall, those were the key and important details Rose had memorized about Riley.
From what she had gathered so far, he was mysterious, strong, and quite the woman magnet, considering the number of beautiful people who approached him from time to time.
His enigmatic presence and undeniable talent drew people in, and it was clear he had an impact on everyone he met.
He was harder to get close to than she had imagined.
All her life, Rose had always gotten what she wanted through her whims alone Afterall the world was just that easy for her, but this time she had a feeling thing weren’t going to be the same.
Handling Riley was much more complicated than one might expect.
She had hoped that after their initial meeting, she could gradually get closer to him.
However, she now knew that it was fairly impossible at the moment, especially considering that he seemed to be far more focused on his training and self-improvement than anything else.
Riley’s dedication to his training was unwavering.
He spent countless hours honing his skills, pushing himself to the limits.
It was this single-minded focus that made him so formidable, but it also made him incredibly difficult to approach.
The guy was practically one with his private training room during Rose’s free times so there was little to no progress on her ongoing plans with him.
Rose realized that her usual methods of getting what she wanted wouldn’t work with him.
Riley was not someone who could be easily swayed or distracted from his goals.
That was why she decided to lay low for now.
She needed to bide her time and find the right moment to catch his attention. Rushing in without a plan would only push him further away.
Rose knew she had to be patient and strategic if she wanted to unravel the mysteries behind his colorful atmosphere.
She would observe him from a distance, learn his habits, and find a way to seamlessly integrate herself into his life.
After all, it seemed fun, didn’t it?
For Rose, the best way to enjoy life was to make the most fun out of it.
That was why, when she could practically do anything the people around her told her to do without appreciating the effects of such achievements, she had grown to regret it.
She should have appreciated her surroundings, her everyday life in the past. The moment she realized she was far too perfect, the world around her lost its colors.
But now, seeing the only color surrounding her black-and-white world, she knew she had to make do and appreciate this first encounter with vibrant hues she hadn’t seen in years.
She had to make sure the colors surrounding Riley were something she could understand and uncover.
Only then could she have the wish she so desperately wanted—to see her colors back.
‘Will actual happiness return to me if I find out the truth about his colors?’ she wondered.
She truly hoped that was the case.
For the first time in her life, Rose felt a genuine sense of excitement and curiosity.
Riley represented a break from her monotonous existence, a chance to experience something real and profound.
The emotions he stirred within her were foreign yet exhilarating, and she was determined to explore them fully.
When the day of the Duo exams arrived, Rose had only one goal in mind: to make everything as fun as possible and get her revenge on Riley for lying to her.
Her anticipation was palpable as she made her way through the crowd of students, her eyes scanning for that familiar face. She had planned her approach carefully, ready to catch him off guard.
“Lucas~? Can you be my partner for today?” Rose called out, her voice sweet and laced with a hint of mischief.
As the words left her mouth, she couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly at his strained and somewhat surprised expression.
She had initially thought the young man in front of her was devoid of most emotions, but now she knew that wasn’t the case at all.
The flicker of surprise in his eyes confirmed it.
He wasn’t as unfeeling as he appeared; he was just exceptionally good at hiding his true emotions.
