Anomaly of Fate
Chapter 105: Unexpected Company

Chapter 105: Unexpected Company

There was no mistaking it.

That gluttonous appetite for cold desserts, the trademark short red hair, and to top it all off, the phoenix creature perched lazily on her shoulder.

Raine Ashford.

Velren had seen her demolish bowls of frozen treats before, but seeing her do it in the middle of an opulent diplomatic summit? That was something else entirely. It was almost surreal—like spotting a wild animal in the middle of a royal court, utterly unfazed by its surroundings.

And yet, there she was, among the nobility in a flowing red dress, a color that only made her presence more striking. It wasn’t an elegant gown dripping with embellishments like the other women at the summit wore, but rather something bold—form-fitting yet unrestrained, the kind of attire that hinted at a rebellious streak even in formal settings. The rich crimson fabric cascaded around her as she leaned forward, utterly absorbed in her dessert, a stark contrast to the rigid postures of the aristocrats around her.

But there was something else that didn’t quite add up.

He knew Raine as one of the top students back at the academy—famous for her overwhelming combat prowess and untamed style that often left her opponents in shambles. And unfortunately, he was a prime example of that.

But noble? High society? Maybe even... royalty?

That part was new.

Velren took a quick glance at Solenne, who was still engaged in conversation with a few figures. She wouldn’t mind if he wandered off for a bit, right? It wasn’t like he was abandoning his duty—he was simply taking the opportunity to greet a familiar face in this sea of strangers.

’Definitely not for the food.’

With that absolutely convincing thought in mind, he moved. Casual steps, relaxed posture—nothing to indicate he had a particular destination in mind. Yet, inevitably, his path led him toward the banquet table. More specifically, toward Raine.

She hadn’t noticed him yet, too preoccupied with what seemed to be an entire platter of frozen delicacies lined up before her. One after another, she worked through them with surprising manner. If he didn’t already know her, he might have assumed she’d been raised with the refinement of the nobles surrounding them.

’...It works...’

With his presence unnoticed, he allowed himself a moment before finally greeting her.

"Hi there..."

The response was immediate—and almost catastrophic.

Raine jolted so hard she nearly inhaled a spoonful of ice cream the wrong way. A strangled cough followed, her shoulders jerking as she pounded a fist against her chest, struggling to clear her throat.

Velren, startled, took a step forward.

"Whoa—are you alright?"

It took her a second, but she managed to regain herself, shooting him a sharp glare between controlled breaths.

"Wha—what the hell are you doing here?"

’Nice to see she was still this loud.’

Not waiting for his response, she narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing him with sudden suspicion. Then, with an almost exaggerated slowness, she took a cautious stance. "Wait. You... Are you trespassing here? Or are you actually a—"

She gestured vaguely, as if searching for the right word. Aristocrat? Highborn? A hidden noble?

Velren sighed, raising his hands slightly in surrender.

"Calm down."

He could already feel the headache forming.

"First: no, I’m just a humble commoner," he began. "And second, I’m only here for an errand."

Raine’s expression twisted into pure skepticism. She leaned in slightly, her crimson eyes scrutinizing him like he had just tried to sell her a blatant lie.

"Yeah, right," she scoffed. "No mere commoner can just waltz into a place like this." She gave him a pointed look. "So? What kind of ’errand’ are we talking about here?"

Velren opened his mouth—

Then stopped.

Wait. Should he even be sharing this? Telling her that he was here by the invitation of Solenne, the princess of their kingdom, felt... unwise. And now that he really thought about it, greeting Raine had definitely been a mistake on his part.

Why did he even do that? It wasn’t like him to go out of his way to approach someone first. Maybe it was because she was a familiar face in a sea of strangers. Maybe because he was bored out of his mind. Or, maybe—just maybe—he had let his curiosity—and slight food motivation—get the better of him.

Whatever the reason, he had walked himself straight into this predicament.

"Well?" Raine pressed, tapping her fingers impatiently against her arm.

Before he could mutter any sort of answer, another voice chimed in.

"It was me."

The two turned in unison, their gazes landing on the figure who had spoken.

Solenne stood there, composed as ever, her usual calm demeanor unwavering despite the mild tension in the air.

Raine, momentarily caught off guard, blinked before straightening.

"Solenne?"

There was a slight hesitation in her voice, as if she was trying to piece together the situation. Then, after a brief pause, she gestured toward Velren.

"Wait—are you saying you actually have something to do with him being here?"

"Yes," Solenne confirmed with a calm nod. "I was the one who asked him to accompany me here."

Raine’s reaction was immediate. Her expression shifted—first into disbelief, then into something far less amused. Disappointment? Disgust? It was hard to tell, but whatever it was, it wasn’t flattering. She let out a sigh and shook her head.

"Really? Him?"

That hit a nerve.

Velren’s brow twitched as he shot her a flat look. What the hell does she meant by that?!

Velren opened his mouth, ready to fire something back, but then stopped himself. Getting riled up by this girl would only make her more insufferable. Instead, he exhaled slowly, forcing himself to let it go.

Before Raine could press further, a flutter of wings drew their attention. Her phoenix, seemingly uninterested in whatever nonsense his master was spouting, had taken off—only to land gracefully on Solenne’s shoulder.

The phoenix let out a soft trill, shifting slightly as Solenne instinctively reached up and ran her fingers through its warm feathers. The creature leaned into her touch, his feathers ruffling with what could only be described as contentment.

Solenne merely smiled, her strokes were gentle and practiced.

"He’s quite affectionate."

Raine shot Velren a piercing glare once more.

"Well, whatever. If the princess says so, I guess I’ll leave her in your capable hands."

When she finally turned to leave, the phoenix hesitated for just a moment longer—then, with a quick flutter of its wings, it took off and returned to its rightful perch on Raine’s shoulder.

With that, she strolled off, leaving the two of them alone.

Solenne watched Raine’s retreating figure for a moment before turning to Velren with an amused look.

"You two are awfully close."

Velren blinked, then slowly turned to face her, his expression utterly deadpan.

"...You did hear the part where she insulted me, right?"

A beat of silence passed between them before Velren exhaled through his nose, rolling his shoulders as a sudden wave of exhaustion settled over him. He pressed a hand to his chest, curling his fingers slightly against the fabric.

Solenne, who had been watching him carefully, furrowed her brows. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Velren replied, forcing himself to straighten. "Just... taking in the atmosphere."

Solenne regarded him for a moment, then, with an amused glint in her eyes, said:

"You can go ahead and eat, you know."

"What’s that now?"

She smiled at him.

"I noticed you kept sneaking glances at the banquet table earlier."

...Damn it.

Velren felt heat creep up his neck. He hadn’t thought he’d been that obvious. Was he really that easy to read? No—he was sure he had been subtle. Or so he had hoped.

But more importantly... is she an angel? Because she had just given him the green light.

Velren exhaled, deciding to take the blessing for what it was.

’Don’t mind if I do...’

Just as he reached for a plate—

The intercom crackled to life.

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