Chapter 1346: First Time Meeting

?1346 First Time Meeting

The celebratory mood of Serah Crimson's birthday party was ruined by her very own hands—or rather, her careless words

Needless to say, what happened next wasn't too pleasant.

She was publicly chastised by her father, and she had to apologize to the young Leonard for her derogatory remarks towards him.

He was charming and gentle, accepting her apology with an understanding smile on his face.

That didn't make Serah feel any better though.

'Damnit!'

She had thought that she could get away with anything—that her level of importance would allow her to say whatever she wanted to anyone...

But she was wrong!

After being utterly humiliated by her father, Serah felt a burning sensation within her that would not die down no matter how hard she tried to ignore it.

The scowl on her face for the remainder of her time with her mother clearly showed her dissatisfaction.

Unfortunately for her, she couldn't speak out.

Any more from her, and it could mean more trouble—not only for herself, but for the Crimson Family as well.

"Why don't you stay here, Serah? I need to personally go greet some of the guests." Her mother finally said, breaking the tense silence between them.

Serah knew she was ruining the mood with everyone who approached them, and her mother was unable to properly grant her guests the maximum courtesy she could give thanks to her presence.

As a result, she probably intended to apologize to those people for her daughter's behavior and also casually discuss with her friends.

Serah knew she had to be understanding.

"Sure." Her response was curt and distant.

Lady Arisa left her daughter, who didn't seem to be intent on socializing at all, and attended to her guests just as she intended.

Serah watched from a distance, her scowl continuously deepening.

'When will this stupid thing end already?!' She growled within herself.

She wasn't having any fun at all despite the fact that this party was being held for her sake.

As she cast her gaze around and took a disconcerted glance at the wide doors that led to the outdoors, her eyes spotted someone.

'T-that boy...!'

She couldn't forget him even if she tried. He was the one who was secretly making fun of her when her father chewed her out.

He had pure black hair, and his small stature made it clear that she was taller than him.

'Who the hell does he think he is?!'

The boy was dressed handsomely, and his face was very attractive too, but compared to her he wasn't special at all.

She was the superstar here!

"Where is he going?" Serah whispered in a low growl.

It seemed like he was sneaking out of the party... and he had a glass of wine in his hand as he inconspicuously took one of the side exits.

'That brat... he actually had the gall to steal alcohol from MY party?!'

Serah was seething with rage, but she also considered this to be an opportunity.

If she caught him sipping the wine red-handed and reported him, he was sure to get into trouble.

'Hehehe!' Grinning for the first time since the party started, she slipped from her stagnant position and followed the boy outside.

'I'll make sure you get into trouble too!'

It was petty, but what did she care?

She was Serah Crimson—she always got whatever she wanted.

*******

"You there, halt!"

Serah's voice reverberated as she watched the boy take sip from the wine glass he immaculately held in his hand.

He had a soft expression as he downed the red liquid, and he winced a bit, almost as if the taste was a little too strong for him.

Serah felt the back of her throat itch as a certain curiosity about how it tasted echoed at the back of her mind.

Her father never let her taste alcohol, saying stuff like, "You're too young", or, "It's unladylike..."

It was so tiring, so Serah gave up on it.

Alcohol was one of the very few things that had been denied her, so it pissed her off that someone like this nobody was taking it so freely.

"You look younger than me, so what gives you the right to drink alcohol?!" She yelled.

The boy stopped drinking and slowly glanced at her. His blank face expressed a bit of surprise as he raised an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?" He asked, and for the first time she heard his voice.

It was a lot calmer and mature than Serah expected.

However, she didn't let that deter her.

"You heard me! Why the hell are you—?!"

"Are you talking to me? Do we know each other or something...?"

Serah was dumbstruck as she heard what this boy was telling her.

'I-is he stupid or something? I'm Serah Crimson, the celebrant of today's event! He can't talk like this to me!'

Her pride was hurt, but rather than backing off, she took a step forward and doubled down.

"Don't play dumb! You're a child, aren't you? Why are you drinking alcohol? Do you want to cause a scene and disgrace your Family Name?"

The moment Serah said this, the countenance of the boy took a slight change.

'Hehe! Looks like I finally struck a nerve.' She reveled in her victory as she glared at him.

"You mean the way you disgraced yours not too long ago?"

"W-what?!"

Serah was puzzled—no, bamboozled.

No one had ever spoken to her like this before.

NO ONE!

Even her father hardly used harsh words on her, and he would always come back and apologize to her afterward.

"Y-you... you dare...?!"

Serah could feel hotness rising from her eyes as she glared at the calm boy.

It seemed nothing about her presence fazed him at all.

"By the way, this isn't alcohol. Father purified it for me before giving it to me because I said I was curious about the taste. It's not bad, but I prefer the juice at home better..."

The boy shook his glass slightly, causing the liquid within it to slip around.

"W-what did you just...?"

Serah was stunned about two major things she had just heard from the boy.

One was the fact that she was wrong about her suspicion of him.

He wasn't taking alcohol, after all.

That realization embarrassed her so much that her cheeks began to flush with bright colors of red.

However, what got to her the most was the second thing.

"... Did you just call our wine inferior to yours?"

The Crimson Household was regarded as one of the most elite within the Kingdom, yet this nobody had just said the juice from his unknown family tasted better than their finest wine!

"Unforgivable..." Serah was no longer embarrassed or flustered.

She was just angry.

"I'll teach you a lesson, you fool."

~WHUUUUSSHH!~

The wind howled as Mana surged from Serah's body. The energy clung tightly to her skin as she stared at the one who wronged her.

... Who didn't know his place.

The boy raised his brow as she said this, and a sudden spark in his eyes revealed he made a realization.

'Do you see now? Can you understand who you're dealing with? Well it's too late for y—!"

"One sec."

The boy swiftly returned the glass of wine to his lips and quickly gulped down its contents before Serah's very eyes.

'E-eh...?!'

"Alright... I'm all done." He tossed the glass bottle aside and stared straight at the shocked Serah.

Nothing about his countenance had changed.

"Come at me."

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Thanks for reading!

Our boy, Neron is cold asf