Rebirth as The Vampire Lord's Wife
Chapter 43: Love Rivals

Chapter 43: Love Rivals

Iris managed to arrive in class just before their female professor entered the classroom. Justin promptly guided Iris to a seat at the back, and she followed him, trying to ignore the many curious gazes now fixated on her.

She wasn’t sure about their thoughts, but she had a strong feeling that they were beginning to notice her changes, particularly in her appearance. Two days in a row, she wasn’t wearing any makeup, which was quite unusual for her, who always appears using thick makeup.

As Iris reached the back row, her eyes landed on an empty seat towards the end of the row, and she noticed that Xavier was sitting right next to it. She understood immediately that the seat had been left open for her.

Without being asked, she casually took the seat next to Xavier, not glancing his way. After retrieving her iPad from her bag, she focused her attention on the female professor at the front of the class who had begun the lecture.

Iris listened attentively as the professor spoke. To her surprise, every detail the professor presented matched precisely what she had already read in the file Justin had sent her.

’How on earth did Justin manage to get this lecture information?’

As the professor continued speaking, Iris found her attention momentarily diverted when she sensed a pair of eyes intensely watching her. When she turned her gaze in that direction, the person quickly averted their eyes. Suppressing a chuckle, Iris recognized the person as Ruby Winters, her love rival.

Ruby had frequently attempted to intimidate Iris by invoking her family’s influential standing as one of the town’s wealthiest households. However, Iris remained resolute, brushing off her threats and persistently pursuing Xavier.

Iris was well aware that Ruby would not be quiet if she found out that she and Xavier were now in a relationship. Even though it wasn’t real, people around them thought their relationship was genuine.

’Why must I be entangled in such drama in this place?’

A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she recalled her past foolish experiences in this town.

Iris’ gaze remained fixed on Ruby. After a moment, Ruby glanced up, and their eyes briefly met. Iris responded with a chilly smile, but her gesture was met with indifference as Ruby promptly averted her gaze once more.

’Oh my, this girl has quite the nerve! Wanted to win Xavier with that face?’ Iris sighed again, finding Ruby’s audacity to pursue Xavier both amusing and stupid.

She refocused her attention on the professor, choosing to ignore Ruby and her antics.

However, just as Iris was attempting to dismiss Ruby from her thoughts, a text message appeared on her iPad.

[Xavier: ] Don’t mind her!

Iris read Xavier’s message, her cheeks warming at the realization that she had caught her eyeing Ruby.

Despite the awkwardness, she chose not to reply and instead stole a quick glance at him. Unexpectedly, their eyes met, his golden-yellow gaze locking onto hers. She swallowed nervously and then shifted her gaze away, offering a subtle nod to convey that she understood his warning.

For a brief moment, her heart raced. She tried to divert her attention to the ongoing lecture. Still, every word from the professor sounded like a distant murmur in her ears. Her mind was consumed by the unfamiliar fluttering sensation in her chest.

’Come on, Iris, take a deep breath and calm down,’ she mentally coached herself, repeating the mantra.

...

When the class finally finished, Xavier and the others stayed back to let their classmates exit first. They waited.

Justin, who was sitting with Niles, couldn’t resist stealing a few glances at Iris. He wanted to say something to her, but she appeared deeply engrossed in reading on her iPad, seemingly oblivious to her surroundings.

Iris was bewildered by another text message from Xavier, prompting her to wonder why he seemed hesitant to communicate.

She read the text again.

[Xavier: ] Wait!

[Xavier: ] We’ll go for a drive and have lunch before heading to my house.

Iris preferred verbal communication. She glanced at him and said hushedly, "OK!"

Watching her classmates leave the room at a sluggish pace tested her patience. She really needed to get out of this place. However, Xavier seemed so relaxed beside her.

She could only try to divert her mind by focusing on her initial assignment to eliminate her first target. The rules Gavriel had told her swirled in her thoughts, sparking questions for which she needed answers.

Deciding to consult Gavriel, Iris summons her invisible cell phone, and suddenly, a thin black device appears in her palm. No one should have been able to see the phone except for her. However, without her knowing, Xavier sitting beside her could also see it.

When Iris saw her boss Lucian’s face on her cell phone screen, she flinched slightly.

’Why does this person make me nervous just by looking at his picture? Looks like I need to ask Gavril how to change it!’

In fact, she had tried to do so, but she couldn’t change Lucian’s face. There was no option to alter the screensaver on the invisible phone.

Without delay, Iris typed quickly.

[Iris:] I finally got my first assignment! I need to ask something.

She waited for Gavriel’s response, but several seconds passed without an answer that made her impatient. She started typing again.

[Iris:] You said I can only kill my target. What about someone else who ends up showing up and endangering my life? Can I also take their lives?

Instantly, Xavier’s face darkened as he read what she typed. He slowly turned his gaze away, realizing Iris’s true identity.

’Interesting!’ Xavier had already suspected she might be connected to the GH. Still, he never imagined her division was an assassin. ’...how could this seemingly fragile girl be an assassin!?’

Countless questions flooded Xavier’s mind rapidly. He was intensely curious about Iris’s true identity.

’Who is she? Why did God send her to this small town? For what purpose?’