Chapter 4.1

Hayden felt chills down his spine as he looked at Avery Price’s cold eyes while still trying to smile. He hid his phone and tried to smile at her but the famous lady-in-waiting of a well-known noble did not budge. 

“You looked very busy on your phone, Sir Moreau. Don’t mind me,” she told him.

Hayden smirked and tried to stand up but Avery blocked his way. He was starting to get annoyed but still smiled. Avery greeted the professors with a sweet smile and they greeted her back.

"What are you doing here, Miss Price? What about Lady Leath?" One of the sober professors asked.

"Lady Leath has an appointment. I was heading home but the headmaster asked me a favour to pick up Sir Moreau," Avery pointed to Hayden.

"That's weird, I haven't got a message from him. He would've sent me one," Hayden tried to get away from her but Avery was persistent, as to be expected from the lady-in-waiting of Leath Mayfair. 

"Should we go, Sir Moreau?" Avery asked sweetly, Hayden could just fake a smile and bid goodbye to the other professors before he glared at Avery.

When they got far from the market and it’s only the two of them, Avery pulled Hayden aside and snatched his phone from his pocket.

“Woah, a lady can pickpockets like a pro,” Hayden tried to take his phone back but Avery already stomped on it with the wooden heel of her shoe. When she was done stomping on it and the phone was crushed to pieces, Avery looked at Hayden and saw him glaring at her.

“That phone was given to me by an important person,” Hayden told her and made a squat to reach for his broken phone. He looked for the sim and memory card and was relieved to see that it was still intact, he hid it before Avery could stomp on it again.

"Why are you doing this? Who sent you?" Avery asked, not even minding that the phone she just broke was important for Hayden. Hayden just looked at her with amusement, thinking if all of Leath Mayfair’s ladies-in-waiting are like Avery Price.

"If you don't answer me I'll make sure you lose your job and you won't find any source of living for the rest of your life," she tried to threaten him but the shameless professor scoffed at her and even put his hands in his pocket.

"I'm afraid a mere student can't do that regardless of your influence, Lady Avery," he said, not fazed by the words of a lady.

"Why are you doing this to Leath?" Hayden looked away, which irritated her, "Why her?" she asked again, trying to catch Hayden’s eyes.

“We all have our ways to pursue a person we like,” Avery gave him a disgusted look and crossed her arms.

“You called her baby in front of the whole class. You called Lady Leath Mayfair, the most sought out noblewoman in the whole world, baby. You, a teacher. I could let that pass as a joke but you're sending something that involves her to a gossip website. What do you want?” It was obvious that Hayden was not just doing this to pursue Leath. 

Avery was in charge to control the rumours that were being spread that involved Leath, she knew how people would go to such lengths to try and bring down a noblewoman like her but involving her in a scandal saying that she’s flirting with a professor is new to her. 

Leath Mayfair was given a title by the King of Silvenia when she was young despite her known father being an Earl. She was the Duchess of Oragon, because of this it has been known that she could be a potential heir to the Silvenian throne.

"That didn't even count as a serious offence," Hayden tried to reason.

"It is a serious offence given that you're a professor and she’s a student. You know you can be convicted for that, right? Didn’t you know this? Aren’t you a teacher?” He covered his mouth with his hand to stop himself from yawning. 

“Only for a couple of months. I only needed some money so I asked my father to give me a temporary job.” Avery knew he was bullshitting her. She knew him enough to know that he’ll never run out of money.

“So are you really a teacher?” She asked, her arms still crossed while Hayden kept on yawning in between his sentences.

“For the time being. Don’t worry, I have a legitimate teaching license.” Avery didn’t really care if he had a fake license or if he really wanted to teach, she just wanted to loosen up a bit before she starts to interrogate him.

“Why are you really doing this?” She asked with a calm voice but Hayden kept on yawning that he didn’t even bother answering her.

"What do I have to do to make you stop?" Hayden finally looked at her and smirked.

"Quite easy actually.”

"What is it?"

"Make her go to the Silvenia trip. I won't bother her anymore after that," Avery creased her forehead.

"Why do you want her to go on a trip that’s not even mandatory?” Hayden didn’t respond again.

“What are you planning? I’m warning you, I can scream and call every guard on the premises once I find out that you’re planning to harm Leath.” When Hayden didn’t respond again, Avery looked around and it looked like she was planning to shout. He scratched the back of his head and frustratedly sighed before Avery could call a guard.

“Fine, I’ll confess. Damn it, I thought I’d finish this without me telling anyone about it,” Avery waited for him to continue. Hayden clicked his tongue and looked if there were people around before leaning closer to Avery.

“I’ve been ordered by the Queen of Silvenia to bring Leath Mayfair back home,” he moved back and waited for what kind of reaction will she make. He was waiting for her to be surprised but she didn't even act like she was. Isn't this the first time that the Queen of Silvenia asked someone to make Leath come back? 

“Queen Nivei? Before it was the baker from Leath's favourite bakery and now she sends a professor? What is she planning now?" Hayden tried to hide his confused face. So this wasn't the first time that Queen Nivei asked someone to do something like this. When Avery started counting fingers, Hayden could just presume that she was counting how many times that Queen Nivei did this and there was a lot.

"Wait, did the Queen really send you?" Avery stopped counting and waited for him to answer, her eyes glaring like she was going to do something to him if he answered wrong.

“I’d give you proof but you broke my phone,” he pointed his broken phone on the ground and teasingly smiled at Avery. Avery put down her hands and took her phone, she dialed someone and Hayden caught a glimpse of Piper's caller name.

“But she knows more than anyone that Leath can’t go back to Silvenia until the King says so,” he gave a confused expression to Avery. This was the first time he heard of this, the Queen didn’t exactly say why she wanted Leath back to Silvenia and he didn’t even ask for more details. 

“What?” He couldn't hide his confusion this time, he really didn't know what was happening at the moment.

“Leath’s not allowed to enter Silvenia. I thought you knew everything so you try so hard to spread rumours about her. You didn’t know about that?” Hayden looked away for a moment and could only recall the time Lady Nixie, Queen Nivei's lady-in-waiting, approached him and asked if he could meet with Queen Nivei.

He remembered Lady Nixie giving him a file with Leath Mayfair's information. It had everything from her birthday, favourite colour, her first day out of Silvenia, but it didn't say that Leath was not allowed to go back to Silvenia. Hayden thought that it was a simple task to make a rebelling kid go back but now is a different story.