Chapter 448: A desperate phone call.

Chapter 448: 448: A desperate phone call.

Three nights earlier, Shirley had locked the door to her academy room before calling home.

She had waited until her roommate left for the showers, checked the corridor twice, then sat at the edge of her bed with her tablet resting against her knee.

Her irritation had been building since the first day of classes, and by the time her father’s face appeared on the screen, she had already lost whatever intention she’d had of sounding calm.

"She’s doing fucking well, seems your little punishment did the literal opposite. How useless," she spat out venomously.

Her father stared at her through the screen, his brows furrowed. "Who?"

"Ravenna. Who else would I be talking about?"

He sighed almost immediately. "Shirley, if you called me simply to complain about your sister..."

"Stepsister, she is not my sister."

The correction came instantly.

Her father became quiet snd his expression neutral.

Shirley tightened her fingers around the tablet. "She’s not my sister, Dad. We share you. That’s it. And she’s doing ridiculously well here. She’s preliminary leadership rank three, you know that, she’s one of the strongest people in our class, instructors keep noticing her, and somehow she’s gotten even stronger since she arrived. I don’t know what she integrated, but it isn’t weak. She’s so different," she said, almostout of breath." I don’t like it, I can’t stand it anymore. "

Her father leaned back, his intrest clear.

"Different how?"

"Stronger."

Shirley hated admitting it.

"More controlled too. That’s the annoying part. She used to solve everything by overpowering itand being annoyingly loud, but now she’s actually listening to instructors. She’s making fewer mistakes. Her swordsmanship is already better than most people here, and her fire is becoming more precise. People like her. She’s like some second rate princess around here."

There was silence from the other end, then another voice entered.

"Of course they do sweetheart."

Shirley’s mother moved into view.

She was still beautiful, composed and impeccably dressed despite the late hour, but Shirley knew her well enough to notice the tension around her eyes.

She frowned.

"Don’t say it like that, you’re supposed to be on my side"

"Im am... Like what dear?"

"Like you’re impressed with her."

"I’m being realistic. Ravenna has always been talented, that’s why you had to train harder in combat, remember," she said, almost obliviously.

Shirley’s expression darkened.

Her mother noticed.

"Being angry about it won’t make her less talented."

"I know."

"Then tell us something useful. What about Silver? I heard they’re still together, what a surprise."

That changed Shirley’s expression. She glanced toward the door despite knowing it was locked.

"He’s not what we thought, mum."

Her father leaned forward slightly.

"What does that mean?"

"Everything we investigated before was wrong."

"Not everything."

"Enough of it to change everything," she countered.

Shirley stood and began pacing.

"You remember the rumors. Spoiled. Arrogant. Obsessed with Cruella. Dependent on the Ruddington name. Someone who’d never accomplished anything himself because he didn’t need to."

Her mother nodded.

"The investigation supported most of that."

"It doesn’t anymore!" She shouted.

Shirley stopped beside the window.

"He’s preliminary leadership rank one."

Neither parent interrupted.

"He’s Rank Two, but I don’t understand how strong he actually is. He’s a spatial Contractor, but that isn’t all. He’s physically strong, really strong. His shooting is ridiculous. He notices things other students don’t. During tactical lessons he doesn’t rush to answer just because everyone is watching him, and he doesn’t care if he admits he doesn’t know something. Even the instructors treat him differently."

Her father frowned.

"Different how?"

"They test him."

Shirley thought about Peter.

"They keep pushing him because he keeps adapting."

Her mother watched her carefully.

"And his personality?"

"Annoying."

Her mother almost smiled.

Shirley continued before she could comment.

"He’s relaxed most of the time but jokes around. He isn’t constantly reminding people he’s a Ruddington. Half the time he trains with everyone else like his family doesn’t matter. He gets along with people who aren’t important enough for the old Silver to even remember their names."

Her father remained silent.

Shirley looked toward the screen.

"And he’s good to Ravenna," she said between her teeth.

That sentence came out considerably more bitter than the others.

Her mother noticed immediately.

"How good?"

Shirley’s jaw tightened.

"They’re together."

"We know that."

"No. I mean actually together." She hated saying it. "They aren’t pretending for appearances as I had thought. He waits for her after training. They eat together when their schedules match. She trains him with a sword. He helps her with other things. They’re always talking. He listens to her."

Shirley sat down again.

"And Ravenna is different around him."

Her father asked, "Different?"

"Happy, that’s the only thing that comes to mind."

That was somehow the worst part. Shirley had spent years believing Ravenna’s personality was proof that something was wrong with her.

To her, she was cold, aggressive, difficult, proud, violent and someone who couldn’t maintain proper relationships because eventually everyone would become tired of dealing with her.

Then Silver appeared.

Ravenna laughed with him, argued with him, touched him without looking uncomfortable, let him tease her and Trusted him.

To make it worse, Silver somehow seemed to enjoy every part of Ravenna that Shirley had expected other people to dislike.

Her father rubbed his forehead.

"Perhaps that means the engagement worked out better than expected."

Shirley rolled her eyes at that before clicking her tongue.

"She doesn’t deserve him."

Her father stopped unable to form a coherent word. Her mother became much more attentive.

Shirley continued.

"She doesn’t."

"Shirley..." he started.

"Why should Ravenna get everything?" Her voice rose. "She gets Soul Capacity nineteen. She gets fire. She gets to go around doing whatever she wants because everyone excuses it as her personality. She humiliates people, starts fights, ruins relationships, and somehow she’s still the one everyone notices. Now she gets Silver too?"

Her father frowned.

"This isn’t a competition."

"It has always been a competition, dad. You never cared, why are you acting like it’s different now."

"Only because the two of you insist on making everything one."

Shirley completely ignored that.

"I should be the one marrying him. You said it had been my engagement but you didn’t want me to get hurt," she said, her pupils expanding with each word." Why did you give it to her, it should have been me, not her!"

Silence.

Her father stared at her, speechless but her mother didn’t show any reaction. That difference was immediate.

Shirley leaned closer to the tablet.

"I’m serious. Ravenna doesn’t deserve someone like him. If the investigation had shown what Silver was actually like before all this happened, things could’ve been different."

Her father shook his head.

"That’s enough."

"Why?"

"Because Silver Ruddington isn’t some boy you choose because you’ve decided you prefer him."

"I’m not saying that."

"That’s exactly what you’re saying."

Shirley’s mother touched her husband’s arm.

"Let her speak."

He looked toward her his brow raised.

She remained calm.

Shirley immediately continued.

"I can get closer to him."

Her father laughed once in disbelief.

"While he’s with Ravenna?"

"Relationships end, that’s why I was born, right. Mother won you over, I can also do it."

"Shirley."

"What?"

Her mother interrupted before he could continue.

"Your father is right about one thing. You need to stop behaving emotionally."

She looked toward her in disbelief.