[Nightmare]

"Look on the bright side, Hellie." Charlotte said while daintily cutting a sunny-side-up egg.

"You have an excuse to steal a smooch from Marie when you're stronger."

Helix didn't know whether to laugh or cry at Charlotte's argument.

Charlotte studied his facial expressions with a wicked grin.

When she was satisfied, she flung the bite into her mouth savagely.

Helix sighed.

"Do you think she was teasing me?" He asked.

Charlotte shrugged her shoulders.

"You can ask her yourself." She replied while pointing her fork into an area behind him.

Helix grimaced.

"Hellie, don't look so glum.

Her face right now is giving you the answer you seek and simultaneously sparking assassination conspiracies." Charlotte said with a deceptively carefree tone.

Helix turned around.

Marie's face was bright red, and she fidgeted as she awkwardly walked to the table.

Everyone in the room was staring at the fearless goddess with gawking expressions.

Once they saw who she was walking to, nine men and women gave Helix murderous glances.

Luckily, everyone else was staring at him with mixed expressions and emotions.

Past enemies were sneaking glances at him with pity, guilt, and regret on their expressions.

Macron's speech made most of his enemies realize how barbaric and inhumane they were.

p "Um… Helix, can I sit next to you?" Marie asked shyly.

Helix looked at the empty seat next to him with confusion.

Marie had never asked to sit at the table.

Moreover, he found it strange because people had left the seat open for her exclusively for the last week.

"Please do. There's no need to ask." He replied with a confused expression.

Marie sat down with a bashful expression.

Helix smiled gently at her and was glad she wasn't avoiding him with embarrassment.

"Riley, have you noticed?" Charlotte whispered.

"Yeah. I've already taken note." Riley replied.

Marie blushed when she heard the two's conversation.

However, when she processed their tone, her eyes sharpened.

"What's the count today?" Marie asked with a serious gaze.

"You know, Marie. You could take today off.

We've got things covered." Charlotte replied with a sincere expression.

"Thank you, but there's no way in hell that's going to happen." Marie replied.

"I can't thank you all enough." Helix said with a sigh.

"Helix. Even if we weren't close to you, we'd still be doing this." Riley replied with a serious expression.

"That's right. It's disturbing that we live in a world where we have to protect someone daily from being assassinated." Marie said with a murderous gaze lifted to the sky.

"Here's your breakfast, mistress." A male servant said as he put a breakfast plate and utensils in front of Marie.

"Thank you, Killian. I appreciate your service today." She replied with a genuinely kind expression.

Killian smiled brightly at the young woman.

"It's always a pleasure, young mistress." He said with a bow before walking away.

She shrewdly watched his back as he walked away.

Once he turned to the right, she caught sight of some men and women sending hatred-filled glances to the table.

Marie gave them a sweet smile that was laced with bloodlust.

The individual's faces paled.

"Count?" Marie asked sweetly while turning to Charlotte.

"Nine people are sending murderous glances at Helix mid-conversation." She replied while lobbing another egg bite into her mouth.

"At least it's a significant improvement.

There were over twenty yesterday." Marie commented bitterly.

"If these people never stop talking about me, they'll never get a woman." Helix declared a sigh.

"It's impossible because you have to talk to women to get one.

Unless two of them fall in love while bonding over their plots to kill me." He added with a chuckle.

Charlotte and Marie couldn't help but laugh lightly at Helix's words.

"But… even if that happens, they'll realize they're in a relationship with someone with a track record of attempted murder. So best of luck to them."

Marie giggled when she looked at Helix's mocking smile.

"There you go with that sigh charm again." Charlotte commented with an amused expression.

"Charlotte, you did a number on Lina.

You knocked one out of the jealous elite. Good work." Riley said, changing the conversation.

Charlotte shrugged.

"Wait, what happened?" Helix asked with wide eyes.

"She came to your room with a panic-stricken face yesterday.

I warned her that I'd expose her if I found out she was part of the new move—"

Charlotte stopped mid-sentence with an uncharacteristically nervous expression.

"Part of what movement?" Marie asked with a serious expression.

"..."

"Charlotte." Marie growled out with narrowed eyes.

"Charlotte. It's not like it's going to be any worse than the last attempt." Helix chucked.

"Well…. So, there's kind of, sort of, maybe, actually, definitely a movement to exile you because of how dangerous your Nightmare is." Charlotte said awkwardly.

"It was whispers yesterday! How deep-rooted is the movement already?" Marie demanded.

"It's been talked about by several groups in this room already." Charlotte replied with a sigh.

Marie moved her plate in front of Helix.

Before anyone could stop her, she climbed onto the bench and stepped on the dark wooden table.

After gazing at every one of the technically ex-virginz, she spoke up with a fearless expression.

"Which one of you sparked the Exile Helix movement?" She asked with a bold tone.

Many people averted their gaze with panicked expressions.

Others stared at her with wide eyes and shock.

The last category met her gaze with confused eyes and expressions still wracked with guilt.

"I'll ask again! Which of you are so despicable, disturbing, and disgusting that you're engaging in a movement to exile Helix?" Marie asked with a murderous tone.

"It's already well known. So tell me, which of you are sick and twisted enough to play politics to get him exiled an hour after Macron's speech?" She asked with narrowed eyes.

Many panicked faces in the room screamed [it wasn't me, I promise!].

Only nine people were bitter about being called out.

"Don't accuse and blame us because guards started a movement to exile your boyfriend!" A young man snapped.

"Y-Yeah!" A woman yelled.

"Get off your high horse, lover girl!" Another man yelled.

Marie chuckled. The chuckle was caustic and lethal to the core.

"Well, that's three of you that are involved." Marie said with narrowed eyes.

"Look around you, idiots!" She said with a mocking expression.

"The normal humans around you have faces that scream, [please don't blame me!] after Macron's speech.

You're outing yourself."

The student's faces paled, and their bodies trembled.

"Listen up! Helix is my boyfriend!" Marie yelled.

The cafeteria fell silent.

Many people's faces turned bright red with jealousy.

"Haaaaaaaah. One, two, three, four… and five.

Five people just let murderous jealousy show on their face." Marie laughed.

"Everyone, there are five new people I'll never speak to again. Go die, virgins!"

Charlotte's face panicked, and she tried to get Marie's attention.

Marie's eyes had an intelligent gaze when she locked eyes with her.

"Oooooooh." Charlotte whispered with an evil expression.

"Fun fact! I'm not Helix's girlfriend, but thank you for outing yourselves."

The cafeteria roared with laughter again.

The people called out had faces filled with anxiety, shame, and hatred.

Marie gave them a malicious grin.

"But I am in love with him, and do you know why?" She asked.

The room fell silent again.

"He talks about magic stones, biology, and wonders on different continents!" She announced.

"He comments on my outfits, helps me with my magic, and smiles at me!"

Most of the other ex-students stared at her with surprise and interest.

Helix sighed after realizing she was using his joke as her argument.

"Ladies! What's the fabric Emelia's pink dress is made of?" She called out.

"Sapphire silk?"

"No, that's the other dress!"

"It's lightsweave!"

"Yeah, lightsweave!"

"It's a magic fabric, it's so cool!"

"It's basically light armor!"

Marie gave an evil grin to the young men in the room.

"That's right. It's lightsweave." She confirmed.

"It's similar to chiffon, made from silk, but it's made from simple cotton.

It's dyed in magic-infused water.

Ladies, do any of you remember the name of that spell?" She asked.

"Um… wasn't it Silk Spin or something?"

"No… but that's close. It's Silk Weaver. Right?"

"Yeah, that's it!"

A completely separate set of girls chimed in.

"That's right! Silk Weaver!

It's an intermediate spell that straightens fibers and tightens them.

As a result, they become fine, silky, and smooth as Kyle's hair." She explained.

The boy in question's face turned bright red.

"Why do you know that, ladies?" Marie asked.

"Um… Helix told us." A brave girl replied.

The other women on both sides of the cafeteria nodded.

"Exactly. It's because Helix explained it to you." Marie nodded.

"I can tell you what the continents are.

The names of fifty different fascinating creatures that live on them.

I know where to shop to find the best clothing.

I know these things because Helix talks about them." She continued.

"Must be nice to have the Myriad Library!" A bitter female voice rang out.

"Yeah! I'd know those things too if I had a search engine!" Another man yelled out.

"Hahahaha haha hah!" Marie burst into laughter.

"Then you shouldn't have designed an avatar for yourselves!"

The people in the cafeteria erupted into giggles and laughter.

The man and woman who spoke out turned bright red and gritted their teeth.

"Beyond that, have you forgotten that you have to [read] to use the Myriad Library?" She asked while wiping tears from her eyes.

"You don't learn about animals on other continents with a practical query."

Many faces turned pensive, and chatting whispers spread like wildfire.

"That's right. You have to read in order to gain the interesting knowledge he shares with people." Marie reaffirmed.

"Do you know where Helix goes between five and seven pm everyday?"

The chatter and gossip ceased.

"The Royal Library." Marie laughed.

"He goes to the Royal Library!

He likes looking through the books!" She cried.

"A search engine is useless if you don't know what cool things to look up with it." Marie laughed.

Astonishment and excitement rippled through the female population.

"But do you know what I rarely see?

Helix search for directions!

So he rarely knows the things normal people would know if they had one!" Marie started laughing again.

Laughter filled the cafeteria again.

"When I see him search for directions, it's usually when he's sharing the information with others." She claimed.

"Who here has gotten help from Helix for directions or practical information before?

I know it's awkward to raise your hand, but you can at least do that much after he was almost murdered yesterday." Marie asserted with a narrowed gaze.

More than 75% of the cafeteria raised their hands.

"Ex~actly! And I've seen him give directions to half the people that didn't raise their hands." She chuckled.

"Reason number two for being in love with Helix.

He's kind to people, even if the other person hates him." Marie called out.

"Last reason I love Helix!

If someone were plotting to kill another person, he would skullfuck that person's reputation into the ground and ruin their entire life!" She roared.

"He's extremely intelligent. So much so that he's survived multiple assassination attempts having the stats of a weak mortal!"

Everyone in the cafeteria was stunned-silent.

"He knows how to use the information and network with powerful people!" Marie yelled.

"When he saw the harrowed faces of some of the female servants, he risked his life to improve theirs!

When he sees injustice, he ruthlessly attacks it!" She continued.

"And even if he couldn't help that person, he certainly wouldn't start a movement to exile them an hour after the person survived the attack!"

Marie's gaze became murderous.

"Ladies! Who would date someone or even look at someone you knew who tried to murder someone?" Marie demanded.

No woman in the auditorium raised their hand.

"That's right! If you're trying to murder someone thinking you'll get a chance with us girls once he's dead, you have another thing coming!" She yelled angrily.

"If I see any of you join this movement, I will do everything to ensure women will never look at you again!" Marie threatened.

"And I'm going to start with the people that kidnapped a servant and used them as a hostage to force Helix into a deathmatch yesterday!

There's concrete proof of the people who carried out that plot!"

All of the students stared at her with trembling eyes.

"Do you know how sick it is that people used Helix's kind nature to force him into a deathmatch?" Marie asked.

"How comical! The people who I can point out right now knew that Helix would risk his life for a servant!

They knew that he was so nice he'd sacrifice his [life] for a stranger and used that knowledge to kill him!" She screamed.

The pressure in the room multiplied, and it was hard to breathe.

"And while he knew who it was, he didn't do anything to harm his attackers either!" Marie yelled.

She broke down in tears on the table.

"But guess what! I'm not Helix Hellsgate Margrave!

If I see ANYONE joining the Helix Exile movement, I'm going to expose those people and face Helix's wrath!

He doesn't have a choice because I HAVE THE PROOF!" She warned with bitter tears.

"So listen up, you sick, psychopathic murdering mental virgins!

You better start desperately trying to protect Helix RIGHT NOW!

Because if your innocent peers get on the bandwagon, you'll be exposed, and neither men nor women will ever look at you again!

I'll do everything in my power to get you locked up in Nightmare suppression chambers and stripped of your magic like Lucas and Ethan!

I'm not going to sit around this time and watch someone I love die!"

Silence befell the room.

Macron was standing in the doorway with a group of guards for half of her speech.

Yet he didn't stop her from speaking and didn't say a word.

—

Disclaimer: Power stones, grammatical mistakes, and minor inconsistencies = more content.