Chapter 27: ...You really were listening today.

"The university is allowing you to continue classes, but there are conditions."

Lucian looked at her.

"No more violence, no contact with Ryan or the other injured students. If they return to campus, you stay away from them. If they provoke you, you report it. You do not handle it yourself."

"Understood."

"You will also attend meetings with the student welfare office."

"Is that necessary?"

Lucian frowned.

"Yes."

"I am not good at talking about feelings."

"You do not have to be good at it.

You only have to attend."

"..."

Lucian didn’t know what he was supposed to say.

"Now go to class.

Try to have one normal day."

Lucian stood up and laughed.

"That may be difficult."

"I did not ask for a miracle..."

Elena rubbed her forehead as she groaned.

Lucian just smiled and walked to the door.

"Lucian."

Before he left, Elena called out.

"Yes?"

He stopped. Elena looked into his eyes and—

"I am sorry about your parents."

Lucian’s hand tightened on the doorknob, for a moment, he could not answer, then he just nodded.

"Thank you."

And he left.

...

When Lucian reached the classroom, the noise inside dropped almost instantly. Several students looked at him, some looked away immediately, some stared.

Mia, who sat near the front, gave him a small, careful smile. Jessica, Sofia and Monica whispered to each other.

Naomi sat near the window like she used to, but this time, she hadn’t saved the seat in front of her, she had saved a seat right beside her and was patting it, gesturing for Lucian to sit next to her.

Lucian looked at the empty seat, then at her.

"Are you sure...?"

He couldn’t help but ask.

It had been a long time since... the two of them sat together.

"Seriously? After all that?"

Naomi asked with a deadpan look on her face.

"Sit down. I need to keep an eye on you and make sure you don’t do something stupid again."

She sighed.

Lucian looked around, then, he sighed and sat down. He then looked around. The professor had not arrived yet, Ryan’s seat was empty, so were the seats of his friends and...

The emptiness stood out more than he expected.

A part of him felt satisfied, gleeful even. It was the part he hated, the part he... couldn’t seem to control.

Was it always in him?

Or did it come after he drank the blood?

Before he could think more about it, the professor walked in.

The class began.

The lecture was about business ethics and Lucian couldn’t help but laugh.

To study about ’Ethics’ after signing a false statement about his parents’ murder.

Wonderful.

That was when Naomi passed him a note. Lucian looked at it.

Listen in class. Don’t laze around.

He wrote back.

I am trying.

She read it and then she wrote again.

Is there something you need my help with?

At that question, Lucian stared at the board.

Before, this kind of lecture would have taken everything he had. His mind would move slowly, and even if he understood one idea, the next would slip away.

But now...

Now, the professor’s words seemed clearer, the structure made sense, examples connected. He wasn’t just able to follow through the lecture, he could also do whatever it was he was doing with Naomi and still keep up.

It was... strange.

No, not really.

Naomi was confused, surprised even. Lucian felt offended by that gaze.

"What? You think I wouldn’t? You think I am dumb because your marks are better than mine, don’t you?"

Lucian complained.

"T-That’s not it—"

"Miss Pierce. Mr. Cross. Something interesting you wish to share with the rest of the classroom?"

The professor looked toward them.

Naomi straightened immediately.

"No, sir."

Lucian calmly shook his head.

The professor narrowed his eyes.

"Then what was it that was so important that you two needed to talk during the lecture?"

He asked.

"I was answering a question she had regarding today’s lecture."

"Is that so...?"

The professor raised his eyebrow.

He was answering... her question?

Naomi was one of the highest scoring students in the entire university.

"Alright then.

Since you were answering her question, you wouldn’t mind answering mine, correct, Mr. Cross?"

Lucian didn’t say anything but the professor asked the question anyway.

"Do you believe intention matters more than consequence when judging an action ethically?"

Naomi looked at Lucian, trying to tell him the answer but Lucian—

"It depends on the framework. From a utilitarian view, consequence matters more because the result decides whether the action caused more harm or benefit. But from a deontological view, intention and duty matter more because some actions are wrong even if the result looks useful."

The room went quiet.

Both Naomi and the professor stared at Lucian in surprise.

"That is... correct."

The professor muttered in a low voice.

"How did you know that...?"

Naomi whispered.

"I am smart."

Lucian shrugged.

"Since when?"

"Since this morning."

The professor heard that exchange and his eyebrow twitched.

"Very well, Mr. Cross. Then answer this. If an action causes harm, but the person acted under extreme emotional distress, does that remove moral responsibility?"

Lucian’s expression changed slightly.

Was he asking this purposefully?

He wondered in his head, but it didn’t matter, he decided to answer honestly.

"No. It may reduce blame, but it does not erase responsibility. Emotional distress explains why someone acted, but it does not undo the harm caused. The person may deserve understanding, maybe even mercy, but the damage still exists."

The professor fell silent.

This time, his surprise was clearer.

"...You really were listening today."

"I was trying something new."

Naomi covered her mouth, trying to hide her smile. The professor just adjusted his glasses.

"I recommend continuing it."

"I will consider making it a habit."

Lucian nodded.

"That would be a historic development for this class."

A few students laughed.

"And if the comedy section is finished, may I continue teaching?"

The professor raised his voice.

"Yes, sir."

Lucian nodded.

"Thank you for your permission."

The professor answered sarcastically.

The morning passed, it was... strangely peaceful.

People still looked at Lucian, some girls approached him between classes and gave careful condolences. Lucian thanked them, this time without snapping.

The day continued. When the afternoon class began, Lucian relaxed a little. He sat beside Naomi again, the classroom was warm, the professor was explaining something about case studies, and a few students looked sleepy.

Just then—

The classroom door opened and three men walked in.

Lawyers.