Cain's premonition about today proved to be spot on. Not even an hour had passed since the incident in the courtyard and he was hearing all sorts of rumors about him.

Like the one 'where he had made a girl submit to be part of his harem in public' or the 'He was brazenly trying to silence a girl who had found out his secret'...

He felt his blood pressure rising as he heard just how Zara was 'handling' these rumors.

"Master Cain wasn't trying to add me to his harem! I am not good enough for that! Why do I call him Master? It's cause he is my Boss now~!"

Her phrasing only made things worse for him. He put his head down, hoping the girl would realize she was being the opposite of helpful and stop talking.

But that was just wishful thinking.

"You wanna know Master Cain's secret? Five silver coins and I will tell you~!"

Cain lifted his head wide eyed as the girl cheerfully was asking for payment from one of his classmates. He recognized that it belonged to a male student who had expressed annoyance with Cain since he came back from the Abyss.

He had grumbled constantly about how Cain was just an egotistical bastard and that he wanted to knock him down a peg or two.

Cain didn't bother with him then as he wasn't worth his time, in fact he didn't even remember the guys name. Cain's eyes became cold as he watched the male classmate drop 5 silver coins into Zara's small outstretched hand.

As soon as the metal coins touched her hand, they disappeared into her pocket with the grace and precision of a professional moneygrubber.

"Boss' weakness is that he is weak to persuasion from those he considers his people like his girlfriend Jayden~!"

Cain didnt know whether he should laugh or cry. The girl had indeed shared a 'weakness' of his but it wasn't one that the male student could capitalize on. She had conned him.

The student also recognized this and was immediately enraged. He reached out to grab the girl and to demand his money back.

Cain didn't bother to rise from his seat. He didn't need to. Zara had her own protector.

Before the guy could even touch the corner of her clothes, a hand had lashed out and firmly gripped the boys wrist.

Jayden was there, staring coldly at the boy, as he immediately began to try and escape her vice like grip.

The male student gritted his teeth as he tried to pull free, but Jayden's grip was like iron. Her green eyes bored into him, sharp and unforgiving, as if daring him to take another step toward Zara.

"Let go of me!" the boy barked, but his voice cracked halfway through. He was trying for authority, but fear bled through the edges.

Jayden didn't move. She didn't even blink.

Cain watched from his seat, his arms crossed as the situation unfolded before him. The corners of his lips twitched, not quite a smile, but close enough that anyone who knew him would have caught it. Jayden could be many things, but subtle was never one of them.

"You want to repeat what you just tried to do?" Jayden asked. Her voice was calm, too calm.

The boy shook his head quickly, realizing for the first time that this wasn't the kind of girl who backed down when threatened. She wasn't some random classmate he could intimidate.

Zara, meanwhile, was perched on top of the table now, legs swinging as she watched the scene play out with all the interest of someone observing a street performance. Her grin was practically glowing as she leaned forward to address the boy.

"You know," she said cheerfully, "if you had just asked nicely instead of trying to grab me like a bandit, maybe I would've given you a discount on the next secret. Too bad you failed Negotiations 101."

The boy glared at her but didn't try to speak again. Jayden's grip tightened just enough to make him wince.

"Apologize," Jayden said flatly.

The boy hesitated. He looked at Jayden's cold expression, then at Zara's smug one, and then at Cain sitting in the corner with a look that promised nothing good if this continued. Finally, the fight drained out of him.

"Fine," he muttered through clenched teeth. "I'm sorry."

"Louder," Zara sang out, cupping a hand to her ear.

The boy's jaw tightened, but he repeated it louder this time, his voice carrying across the room. "I'm sorry!"

Zara clapped as if he had just completed a performance worthy of praise. "See? Was that so hard? Now run along before you embarrass yourself further."

Jayden released him with a small shove that sent him stumbling back a step. He shot one last glare at Zara, then at Cain, but he didn't say a word as he turned and stormed out of the classroom.

Silence followed for a moment, the tension melting into the air like mist under the sun.

Cain pinched the bridge of his nose. He could feel the beginnings of a headache coming on.

"Zara," he said finally, his tone measured, "why are you selling fake secrets about me?"

Zara scoffed as she immediately replied "I don't sell fake secrets! Everything I said was true."

Cain gave her a long look. "You told him I'm weak to persuasion. What was he supposed to do with that?"

Zara clutched her little coin pouch to her chest like a starving orphan guarding bread. "I'm just a poor girl trying to survive, Master Cain. Do you know how expensive lunch is around here? Five silver barely covers a bowl of soup!"

Jayden crossed her arms, unimpressed. "So you admitted something real but useless on purpose."

Zara's eyes widened in mock hurt. "Useless? That was top-quality information! Only the people you actually care about can persuade you. That means he has no chance at all. Shouldn't he be grateful to know that before embarrassing himself?"

Cain stared at her. She looked so pitiful, shoulders hunched, clutching her coins like she expected someone to rob her. And yet, beneath that act, she was grinning like a cat with cream.

"Tomorrow," Cain muttered, "the whole school will think I have a secret council controlling me."

Zara gasped. "Do you think I could charge extra for that rumor?"

Cain put his head in his hands.

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