Cinders & Gold (Celeste Academy Fanfic👑)

Cinders & Gold ◇ Paradox

how you doing peeps? i'm well. thank you for all the recovery wishes. feeling much better now.

do drop your thoughts as you read.

•••
♠chapter thirty four♠
PARADOX

Valeriana knew she had made a grave mistake at the last minute.

"Stupid wig!" she berated herself as she removed the silver wig from her hair and threw it down on the ground. Right now, she needed time alone to process how much of a fool Corvan had made out of her.

Valeriana blew out a frustrated and tired sigh. "I knew it. I shouldn't have taken his stupid glove. That idiot devil was just making fun of me."

The fifth ranker looked down at her mint green dress, recalling how moments before she exited the castle, she had been going round and round in circles with strangers.

She had wondered why it took so long to get to Corvan. With all the nobles that she had danced with, none of them had the same unique outfit that Valeriana had seen Corvan in before they left the Academy.

Some nobles had almost the same shade of clothing similar to Arlandia's heir, but the design was entirely different.

As the dancefloor emptied gradually, Valeriana was sure she was about to encounter Corvan, but then, she saw him.

Amongst the crowd of nobles who had already finished the dance or test or whatever they had been doing.

The sophisticated sight of the Arlandian heir made Valeriana's heart drop. She swallowed the lump that lodged in her throat when she saw the girl standing next to him.

The two of them had their elbows hooked, and Valeriana wasn't aware of the frown that was etched on her face.

That girl had a mint green dress, just like hers. A gold mask, but it covered her eyes, unlike Valeriana's. And . . . honey golden locks.

Just like Val's.

But Val had on a silver wig. She had changed her mind at the last minute after she saw how beautiful the lady rankers looked with different hair colors. Elfre had surprisingly whipped out a silver wig, claiming that she had it just in case Val changed her mind.

Something wasn't quite right. Who was that girl? Did Corvan get that girl mixed up with Valeriana? Was that girl wearing a wig or was that really her hair that looked freakishly similar to Val's, including how it was held in a ponytail.

The next noble had wanted to circle with her but Val stood still as disappointment and embarrassment coursed through her.

She hiked up her dress as she ran out of the castle, because she had no idea what was left for her now that Corvan had another girl by his side.

Had he fooled her? Would he stoop so low to trick her by giving her his family's glove, and yet there was another girl whom he was probably wooing?

Was she a joke to him?

"Whatever," Valeriana said as she sat on the grass, feeling defeated.

A cold breeze blew on her face and ruffled the strands of her hair. She ran a hand through her locks, trying to at least tame them now that she had no scrunchie to tie her hair with. She didn't see the need to carry it after putting on the silver wig.

Valeriana wallowed in her disappointment for a few more moments. "I'm really a worthless piece of crap it seems, huh."

She channeled her frustration to forcefully plucking the grass off the ground, before hearing footsteps.