"…Noel Thorne." Anastasia's voice was firm, her red eyes steady as she looked at him. "The boy who lied about having a girlfriend."

The words landed like a dagger on the table.

Elyra's glass paused halfway to her lips, intrigue sharpening into something cooler. Elena blinked rapidly, her brows knitting tighter as she glanced at Noel.

Noel exhaled slowly, pressing his palm against his forehead. 'Of course. She's bringing that up here?'

Anastasia didn't wait for his reply. She pulled a chair, sat down as if she belonged, and crossed one leg neatly over the other. Her presence, small as her frame was, dominated the moment.

Elyra set her glass down with deliberate grace. "Bold of you to walk up and start with an accusation."

Anastasia didn't flinch. "I don't accuse. I state what I know."

Elena fidgeted, eyes flicking between them. "Wait… girlfriend? Noel?" Her voice was quiet, hesitant, as though the claim had caught her completely off guard.

Noel rubbed the bridge of his nose, already feeling the headache building. "This again…" he muttered. His mind flashed back to that day before the tournament, when Anastasia had appeared out of nowhere and confessed. His refusal, his slip about having a girlfriend, Selene standing beside him… everything had spiraled from there.

'And now she's going to drag it out in front of them. Perfect timing.'

The party around them carried on, music and laughter undisturbed. Yet here, at this small corner table, silence pressed tight—everyone waiting for what would be said next.

Anastasia leaned forward, resting her chin delicately on one hand. Her red eyes didn't waver. "You told me you had a girlfriend," she said flatly. "But the very next moment, when I asked if Selene was that girl, you denied it. Which means you were lying. Or worse—cheating."

Her words cut clean, sharp enough to sting.

Elyra's expression cooled, though a faint smile lingered, more dangerous than amused. "That's impossible," she said smoothly. "Noel wouldn't do something so dishonorable."

Anastasia shifted her gaze toward her, unimpressed. "That's what liars count on—defenders blind to the truth."

Elena straightened, her voice soft but steady. "You're wrong. He's… not that type of person." A faint blush colored her cheeks as she added, "I know Noel. He wouldn't betray someone like that."

Anastasia's lips curved, but not in warmth. More like satisfaction at seeing them scramble. "Defenses spoken without proof are just words."

Noel finally lifted his head, meeting her stare with an exasperated sigh. "I didn't cheat. I didn't lie either.'

Anastasia tilted her head, almost curious. "Then explain it to me. Why would someone claim to have a girlfriend one second, then deny it the next?"

Before Noel could answer, another voice slid in.

Roberto plopped into the empty chair with a half-empty cup in his hand, cheeks still flushed from his earlier failure. "Oho," he muttered with a grin, leaning forward. "Now this is entertainment."

Noel shut his eyes briefly. The table had shifted from awkward to tense, everyone's attention fixed on Noel as if waiting for a verdict.

Noel finally raised his eyes, meeting Anastasia's sharp stare with calm resignation. "I said I had girlfriends. That much is true. But I denied it when you pointed at Selene—because in that moment, the blue-haired girl you saw it isn't my girlfriend."

Anastasia blinked, narrowing her gaze. "Not Selene? Then who?"

Noel gestured subtly toward the table. "These two." His hand moved from Elyra, poised and elegant at his side, to Elena, who flushed instantly under the sudden attention. "And the one over there, by the food table."

Anastasia followed his line of sight. A girl with long red hair and hazel eyes was reaching for a plate of pastries, the soft glow of magic lights brushing over her figure. She looked ordinary enough to most, but Noel knew better.

Anastasia leaned back, lips parting slightly in disbelief. For once, her expression cracked. "So you're saying… all three of them?"

Noel didn't reply, only gave a small nod. Elyra smirked behind her glass. Elena fidgeted, trying to disappear into her seat.

Anastasia's eyes swept back to Elena, lingering on her chest for a long, assessing moment. Her gaze dropped to her own modest frame. A faint huff escaped her lips. "Hmph. I see. I lost that battle too."

Elena went crimson, her hands instinctively covering herself. "T-that's not—!"

Elyra chuckled softly, clearly entertained.

Roberto, who had been quiet far too long, leaned in with a grin. "Come on, small doesn't mean worse. Some people prefer quality over… quantity."

Elyra nearly choked on her drink. Elena buried her face in her hands. Noel pressed his fingers against his temple.

'This night just keeps getting worse…'

For a moment, silence held the table together—broken only by Elena's muffled groan behind her hands and Elyra's faint laughter. Roberto leaned back, clearly pleased with his own cleverness.

Anastasia's eyes flicked toward him, her lips pressing into a thin line. "Quality over quantity?" she repeated, voice sharp as glass. "That's the excuse men give when they can't appreciate refinement."

Roberto's grin faltered. "Hey, I was trying to compliment you."

She tilted her head, crimson eyes narrowing. "Then learn to do it properly."

Elyra smirked, clearly entertained by Roberto's defeat. Elena peeked up from her hands, still flushed, but her gaze softened slightly toward Anastasia.

The prodigy exhaled, her posture loosening at last. "I may have been… unfair," she admitted, her tone reluctant but honest. "I accused you without giving you the chance to explain." Her gaze slid to Noel, steady but less hostile. "For that, I apologize."

Noel blinked, surprised enough to raise an eyebrow. "Didn't expect that from you."

Anastasia's lips twitched, almost a smile, though it vanished quickly. "Don't mistake it for trust. I still don't understand you, but… I'll hold my judgment. For now."

Elyra lifted her glass, voice smooth. "A rare concession from Luceria's prodigy. I'd say you're forgiven, Noel."

Elena nodded, her voice soft. "I'm glad you cleared it up."

Roberto, meanwhile, muttered under his breath. "I clear things up all the time, and nobody thanks me…"

Elyra ignored him. Noel simply leaned back, rubbing his forehead with a sigh.

The music and laughter of the party swelled again, their table falling back into the rhythm of the night—though the tension that had sparked moments ago still lingered faintly in the air.

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