"So, as you are all aware…" The professor cleared his throat. "Last week, we had an assessment to review the materials we have learned these past few months, and I reiterate that it is worth 30% of your grade. Today, I will be handing out the papers with your results on it. Note that if you have received a D or lower on it, you may retake the test this afternoon, after lunch."

Katharina sat upright, Alan did too. It is time to find out which one of them is the winner.

As the aged professor began passing the papers around, Sophia whispered in her friend's ear. "Lady Katharina, you're staring at the prince!"

"No, I'm not! Shut it." Lady Claes snapped in a hushed manner.

"Ask him on a date, how about that? You two have been like this for ages, and it's pretty clear that you are both obsessed with each other. People are even talking." The white-haired girl said in a matter-of-factly tone.

The insinuation made Katharina want to walk her across the room.

"What? People…!" She stopped herself short, smiling properly as the teacher handed her paper. As they move on, she then continued to Sophia, not even bothering to check her score. "People who?"

Lady Ascott only rolled her red eyes at her question, "Practically everybody. You have always been so close to him. And no, do not tell me it is because you are both so competitive with each other and only ever spend time doing schoolwork. That is a lie and you know it."

Katharina stared at her friend, absolutely incredulous.

"Sophia, you really should stop listening to this sort of gossip. No good ever comes out of it!" She said with an easy smile.

The albino girl gave her friend an unimpressed nod and took a deep breath to calm herself down. Across the room, Alan was looking at them intently, his gaze fixed on the paper that was still unturned by his nemesis.

He pointed his finger towards the door, signalling her to meet him right after the lesson ends.


"Well, I've never been truly frustrated at an A- before." Alan spoke in a low voice while looking at she with an expression that was clearly not impressed with how she is smiling widely at him.

"Yeah, yeah. Lead me to your brother, it is a done deal, old man." Katharina laughed manically, that strident sound that is widely associated with her.

Alan nodded once, twice, then he finally seemed like he just remembers what she was talking about.

It would take maybe a couple minutes for them to reach the boy dorms, even if they dragged on. The classroom is not far from it anyways, and Katharina is excited enough to have a skip on her step, pushing them along as quick as she could without having them run through the hallways.

It was in the middle of their trek when the prince falter in his steps and stopped just for a quick minute.

"Hey could I just ask one thing?" He requests.

It was so sudden that she had to check her steps and stop in place to join him, rather than just bump and fall down face first.

The brunette girl rolls her eyes, but assents. "Even two."

"Why Geordo?" He grumbles.

"Well, why not? We got along well as children, he is a good match for me, he is quite the charmer, and I know he is not in any formal courtship just yet. So, I was just curious to see how it would pan out, is all."

"Curious, really?" Alan asked with a derisive snort, which hurt her pride.

"Look Stuart, I just wanted to… I want…" She sighed heavily, covering her face with her hands now. It all just seemed too quick.

In one mere minute, that stupid prince had quickly stripped her off the noble pride and image that she carefully cultivated.

"You want what?" He asked, voice so light.

He shifted so he was closer to the brunette girl, body leaning against one of the pillars in place.

"Just…!" She trails off again.

He smirks. "Very well, Lady Katharina. At this point, I'm really questioning your prized debate skills. I thought you were proper…"

"I'm just a little lonely! Alright?" She practically shouted, a laugh then escaping her lips to hide away the crack in her voice.

Alan was no longer leaning on the pillar anymore, but rather staring at her so intensely that she felt the need to back up. He pursed his lips and let out a small sigh.

"Stop it! Stop staring at me like that! I know, I know I am a stupid little loner alright? Just stop it." She snapped, already feeling so drained by this interaction. "I thought being with Geordo would feel… I am unsure, but I felt as if he could sympathize with it. Am I that wrong? He is alright, he always has this look on his face that reminds me of myself, and I am fine with just having another friend. So, I thought that if you would introduce us officially, then I have a chance to expand my social circle."

Alan laughed.

He laughed! The gall of that man!

Katharina is this big mess in front of him, so she wanted nothing but to shove him aside. So, she tried to do just that. She bought her arms forward to try and push him away, but it was no use. Prince Alan of Stuart turned out to be more built than she expected.

All those swordplay training sessions must have shaped him so well.

Her hands are still on his shoulders, his palms quickly encircling her wrists to hold them back from shoving him. Then he did something, then he took her hands and bought them closer to his body, letting them slot between his arms.

"Alan!" She gasped.

Pure shock barely registered in her mind before his lips came crashing down to meet hers in an enticing kiss. Her lips do not move for the first few seconds because of how frozen in shock she is.

So, Alan began pulling away from her, her arms free from his hold. His cheeks were so red that any bit of his skin was hidden behind that crimson-tinged softness.

"Oh. Oh, gods, Katharina…!"

Her eyes widened at its own accord. The prince was muttering all these kinds of apologies, his head shaking in regret but it was all too overwhelming for her. So, she just grabbed his warm face in her hands, pulled her lips close to his and kissed him so hard one would think his soul have escaped and she is trying to blow it back inside.

The girl could tell that his shock had died down because, soon enough, he was pushing her against the pillar again. His hands came to her neck, cupping her jaw and her cheeks and never seeming to want to stop.

Katharina felt the same, snorting into his mouth but it was not enough to stop her movement. Her hands come up to his neck, then grazing through his hair to pull at the grey locks. His hair felt softer than it looked and she pulled at the strands as he groaned right in her mouth.

Alan is pushing her harsher against the pillar until she is laughing softly and pushing him to stop and catch a breath.

Two people. A mess. Both of them were an utter mess. She is biting her swollen lips now, the taste of him still so prominent. He laughed nervously, his hand going to scratch at the back of his neck.

"Lady Katharina, that was a, uh…"

She does not know what to say, mouth bound speechless as the new sight of the fourth prince stood in front of her. Hair locks everywhere, clothes all dishevelled and crooked, and his cheeks painted wildly red. She laughed nervously and formed a content expression.

"You are not a stupid little loner, Katharina." He said softly.

"We kiss once and you are now completely obsessed with me, huh?" She asked playfully while raising her brows at him.

"No. No I've always been obsessed with you." He says with a small chuckle. Just when she was about to talk, Alan interrupted yet again. "This is why we have a stupid rivalry anyways. I mean, I'll admit it was fun the first time, but then you got so competitive, and I couldn't help but play along with this game because… Well, because I love this side of yours, and it also meant having you interact with me. I could not pass up that opportunity, you know?"

Red crept up to her skin so fast after hearing his words. She mouthed a 'What?' to Alan, to stunned to even use her booming and authoritative voice.

He nodded with an eye roll. Then, she chuckled and grabbed his arm that was in front of she, hooked it around her neck and leaned in to kiss him again. As soon as their lips connected, it was as if no one could bring them apart anymore.

Katharina only had another opportunity to talk to Prince Gerodo long after their graduation. Asked what was her opinion of the third prince after that encounter, she is known to have said, "Eh, don't know what they find so special about him anyways."