As an Ordinary person (Why do I keep attracting Psychopaths?)

The air inside the principal's office was thick with unspoken tension, the weight of observation, speculation, and analysis pressing down on the gathered professors. They sat around a large, intricately carved table, the dim glow of enchanted lanterns casting soft shadows over their faces.

At the head of the table, like an elegant doll in a grand display case, sat Evigheden Academy's principal—a petite girl with an uncannily youthful appearance. Despite looking no older than thirteen, she carried herself with an unshakable authority, her dark curls adorned with gothic lace as she sipped tea from a delicate porcelain cup. Her black Lolita dress, frilled and laced with ribbons, gave her the air of a mysterious entity rather than a mere academic figurehead.

Her crimson-red eyes gleamed curiously as she listened to the teachers' discussion, legs dangling slightly from her seat, the contrast between her childish form and the immense power she wielded making her an unsettling presence.

Across from her sat Professor Veyne, his ever-present white mask hiding his expression. He was still as a statue, his posture relaxed yet unreadable, his golden eyes barely flickering behind his mask as he listened to the others speak. If it weren't for the subtle tension in his fingers resting on the table, no one would have suspected he had any thoughts at all.

"It's earlier than we expected," spoke the woman with icy blue eyes, her voice carrying an edge as sharp as the frost that seemed to radiate from her very being.

She was the homeroom teacher of the Spade Class, a figure of unwavering discipline and ruthless efficiency. Her attire was a military-inspired uniform, a high-collared coat lined with silver, giving her the presence of a battle-hardened commander rather than a mere academic. The students of Spade Class feared and respected her in equal measure, and even her fellow professors knew better than to take her words lightly.

"The students have begun forming their own specialized economies. Hiring one another, creating interdependent structures. At this rate, the academy will stabilize into an independent system sooner than anticipated."

Her piercing gaze swept across the room before settling on Professor Veyne.

"And the one who set this in motion…"

"Yuna," the next voice was smoother, richer—filled with unearned arrogance and effortless grandeur.

The homeroom teacher of the Diamond Class sat with his fingers delicately intertwined, an amused smirk gracing his lips. Unlike the Spade Class instructor's militaristic discipline, he was draped in noble finery, his clothes extravagant and tailored as if he had stepped out of a royal ballroom rather than a classroom.

His deep violet cape, embroidered with shimmering golden thread, flowed behind him even as he sat still, exuding an air of absolute vanity.

"Who would have thought that little nobody from the Heart Class would be capable of such intricate foresight?" he mused, his voice oozing confidence. "The way the students are moving… it's almost as if she orchestrated the entire structure herself."

His eyes gleamed with calculated interest, his jealous appreciation of talent evident. "A mind capable of such influence—perhaps I should have taken her into my class instead even if the card ball assigned her in heart class"

"Hah. You nobles think everything is about strategy," came a lazy drawl from the most casually dressed person in the room. A person Yuna has not seen since forever.

Slouched against his chair, his feet propped up on the table, the homeroom teacher of the Club Class had an air of complete disinterest. Unlike the others, whose appearances reflected their imposing presence, he looked like a man who had accidentally wandered into the meeting.

His dark, unkempt hair, worn-out robe, and unkempt posture made him look more like a traveler stopping by for a drink than an esteemed professor. His half-lidded eyes barely looked at anyone, yet despite his slouch, there was a certain calculated laziness about him—as if he saw far more than he let on but simply couldn't be bothered to care.

"Yuna? A mastermind?" he snorted, tipping his chair back slightly. "I doubt it. You people always assume someone is playing chess when they're just kicking the board over because they don't want to deal with the game in the first place."

His nonchalant smirk widened as he took a sip of tea from a cup he had probably swiped from the table without asking. "That girl is just a slacker with good instincts."

She gave off the same lazy vibe as he was.

"Oh? But isn't that what makes her so interesting?" Another voice chimed in.

Leaning forward with a too-pleasant smile, the teacher who wasn't affiliated with any Card Class rested his chin on his hands. Unlike the others, whose clothing reflected their class's status, his was… unsettlingly ordinary.

A simple everyday shirt and vest, sleeves rolled up as if he had just finished running errands. He looked like a friendly neighbor or a shopkeeper, someone easy to forget—and yet, not a single person in the room overlooked him.

His bright, unblinking gaze, filled with curiosity and mischief, scanned the professors around him before landing on Professor Veyne.

"Don't you agree, Veyne? Yuna's not particularly intelligent, yet somehow everything falls into place around her. It's almost as if she's…" He tilted his head playfully, grinning wider. "…accidentally making all the right moves?"

"That sound like she makes all the right moves so that everything can get into place, exactly as she wants" The next voice was syrupy sweet, almost too inviting—the kind of voice that lured people into traps before they even realized they were in danger.

The atmosphere subtly shifted, and all eyes turned to Professor Veyne, whose silence had been more telling than anything spoken thus far.

Beneath the mask, his expression remained unseen, yet those who knew him well caught onto something unnatural—something off.

If his face weren't covered, would they have seen confusion? Amusement? Frustration?

Because out of everyone present, he had watched Yuna the closest.

And what he saw didn't match the image the other teachers were painting.

Scheming? Genius? Manipulative foresight?

No. That wasn't Yuna.

What he saw in her was something far different. A tired, deeply lazy girl who only took action when absolutely necessary—not out of cunning, but because she hated dealing with problems in the long term.

"I'm afraid most of your speculation remain far off" He start, explaining what he has observed thus far eliciting a strange expression from the other teachers.

The principal's office remained shrouded in dim candlelight, the soft flicker of magic-infused flames casting shadows over the gathered professors. The discussions had already touched upon the economy, the unexpected stabilization of inter-class structures, and the strange anomaly that was Yuna, but now, their attention turned elsewhere—toward those who had yet to return.

"The seniors will return soon from their excursions," the Spade Class homeroom teacher remarked coolly, her icy blue eyes sharp as she leaned back in her chair. "I wonder what expressions they will make when they see how much their juniors have developed in their absence."

There was an unspoken understanding among the professors—Evigheden Academy had always followed a slow progression of power, with seniors standing firmly at the top while juniors steadily climbed from below.

But this time?

The juniors were developing at a far more rapid pace. The seniors development almost don't reach this level of development before they left for exclusion.

What will they feel when they come back and saw their junior developed more than they do?

"I doubt they'll be pleased," the Diamond Class professor smirked, his gold-threaded cape flowing dramatically as he folded his arms. "Seniors enjoy their prestige, but they may find themselves overshadowed by these… ambitious upstarts."

The Club Class homeroom teacher, as slouched and unconcerned as ever, let out a lazy chuckle. "Good. Maybe it'll light a fire under them. Nothing wrong with a little competition."

The principal, still sipping her tea, gave a small, amused smile but remained silent, watching the discussion unfold with childlike amusement in her dark red eyes.

With a shift in the conversation, they moved on to analyzing the distinct identities of each Card Class—praising their strengths, scrutinizing their weaknesses.

"The Diamond Class continues to stand out in terms of knowledge accumulation and resource refinement," the Diamond Class professor declared, looking immensely pleased with himself.

"Of course, they would," the Spade Class instructor scoffed. "They hoard resources and focus solely on advancing their craft. They lack real-world adaptability."

The Diamond Class professor merely smirked. "And yet, everyone still comes to us when they need something of quality."

Diamond Class excelled at alchemy, enchantment, and material refinement, their pursuit of excellence making them the premier source of high-quality potions, weapons, and magical tools.

But their arrogance and detachment from direct battle made them reliant on the other classes for protection and supply gathering.

The unquestionable combat experts of Evigheden. The Spade Class held the strongest fighters, their raw power unmatched in direct combat.

"Spade Class students are competent on the battlefield but often struggle with strategy," the Club Class professor yawned, rubbing his temple. "They're used to fighting in isolated instances rather than long-term engagements."

The Spade instructor narrowed her eyes but didn't refute it. "Raw strength is a necessity," she countered, "but I will admit… their ability to coordinate outside combat needs refinement."

The information gatherers. The dealers of knowledge. If anything moved within Evigheden, the Club Class knew about it.

"They have the highest number of students," the Spade Class teacher mused. "And the most interconnections with the other classes."

The Club Class instructor gave a lazy grin. "That's what happens when you make yourself useful."

Their students worked as guides, information brokers, and even assistants to the apothecaries and alchemists. While they lacked raw strength, their ability to collect, verify, and sell knowledge made them essential to the academy's functionality.

But then came… the Heart Class.

When the conversation shifted to the Heart Class, an odd silence fell over the room.

Because unlike the other three, who had built their economies and interdependence, the Heart Class remained completely separate.

They didn't trade knowledge like the Club Class.

They didn't sell materials like the Diamond Class.

They didn't offer protection like the Spade Class.

They operated entirely on their own.

And yet—

They were the reason the entire structure of the academy had stabilized so quickly.

"Unlike the other card classes, they don't seem interested in relying on anyone," the Diamond Class professor mused. "They remain detached from inter-class politics. And yet, within their own group, they seem to function with near-perfect cooperation."

Professor Veyne, who had been silent for much of the discussion, finally spoke.

"They rotate their roles," he stated, his voice calm but carrying weight. "While the other classes focus on their specific strengths, the Heart Class works on improving in every field. Combat, intelligence gathering, material refinement, magic. Their structure isn't reliant on specialization—it's reliant on adaptability."

The Spade Class teacher frowned slightly. "That… would make them unpredictable."

The Club Class professor let out a low whistle. "More like self-sufficient. The other classes are forming a web of trade and reliance, but Heart Class?" He let his chair tilt backward. "They don't need anyone else."

That was what made them dangerous to other class.

That was what made them unique.

That was why the juniors were progressing at such a rapid pace.

And at the center of it all—

Yuna. The way this person lead her classmates….its interesting.

Among the rising figures in the academy, four students had drawn the most attention.

• The Crown Prince – The class representative of Diamond Class, a charismatic and calculating leader whose influence reached far beyond his class.

• Enyo – The class representative of Spade Class, a battle-hardened warrior whose raw combat ability surpassed most students.

• The Club Class Representative – A seemingly unremarkable student, yet one who held an unnatural talent for gathering and using information.

• Austin – A peculiar existence. While not a class representative, his strength, presence, and the attention he drew from others made him impossible to ignore.

And lastly—

"Yuna."

The moment her name was spoken, the air in the room shifted.

Unlike the other figures of interest, Yuna had done nothing remarkable on the surface.

She did not form alliances like the Crown Prince.

She did not stand out in combat like Enyo.

She did not gather influence like the Club Representative.

She did not display outstanding ability like Austin.

And yet, everything—the entire foundation of the rapidly stabilizing academy—had somehow rooted itself in her actions.

A mastermind? A schemer? A genius?

Professor Veyne's fingers tapped against the table.

No.

She was none of those things.

And yet, somehow, she was still at the very center of it all.