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The excitement of the evening had left a palpable energy in the air, but the night\'s chill was beginning to set in.

Jash kept his gaze steady, his thoughts still swirling around what would be the best way to irritate Ziva.

He glanced sideways at Ziva, noting her somewhat dazed expression.

She seemed lost in thought, likely still processing the embarrassment she had experienced earlier.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his tone gentle but curious.

He knew better than to press too hard, but a part of him wanted to ensure he teased her right when it was her sore spot.

He wasn\'t one for caring about others as if they were the most fragile being to exist.

Ziva shook herself out of her reverie and offered a small, appreciative smile. "I\'m fine, just a bit... overwhelmed."

Jash nodded in understanding as he at least knew this feeling all too well.

As the four began to walk outside the hall, their feet set in a slow rhythm as their mothers allowed them to converse some more.

Rather, the two wore intrigued expressions, eager to eavesdrop on their own children.

"It was quite a show tonight," Jash remarked while grumbling inwardly, \'The Emperor certainly knows how to annoy others.\'

"Yeah," Ziva agreed, her eyes reflecting the dim light of the path.

Both wisely chose not to comment on the Emperor or his glib speech, not wanting any trouble to come their way.

Sadly, their small talk was interrupted as they reached the outer courtyard, where a chill breeze greeted them.

Evelia and Sera too were deep in conversation, but their voices remained low, only audible to each other.

The four paused, Sera and Evelia looking around for their carriages while Jash and Ziva enjoyed the night sky.

\'I can go home,\' Jash thought, grateful for the prospect of a quiet end to the evening.

He was eager to escape the formalities of the banquet and return to the more familiar comforts of home.

However, he stole a glance at Ziva from the corner of his eyes, planning to make her embarrassed even in the presence of both their mothers.

Luckily, they didn\'t have to wait for long, their carriages arriving within a few seconds.

\'I can\'t sit before Caera is here, no?\' Jash mused, turning his head back to the direction he walked from.

Standing at his side, it took Ziva a second to understand his action as she too followed his line of sight.

She knew for a fact that if she didn\'t meet Caera, she\'d be in deep trouble, probably never getting to hear the end of it.

The wait gave them the much needed interlude to reflect on the night\'s events.

The Emperor\'s grand finale had been a spectacle, but it was the quieter moments, the ones away from the crowd, that truly mattered to Jash.

Even though it helped him gauge a lot of things and also note Amael as someone suspicious, he didn\'t particularly like the event.

It was taxing, not physically but mentally as his social battery drained too fast.

If not for it being Ziva he talked to, there was a high chance he would have escaped the conversation within seconds of greeting them.

On his side, Ziva seemed to have regained her composure by the time they caught the slightest sign of Caera.

"She\'s here," Ziva murmured, noticing the striking red hair of Caera from a distance.

"She\'s talking to someone," Jash added, scrunching his eyes to find the figure of another girl next to her.

"It seems she made another friend," Ziva mentioned casually, not bothered in the least.

However, Jash was the most bothered.

\'Why is Caera talking to her? They only interacted for the first time at the Academy Entrance Test as opponents...\'

The change in plot made him feel conflicted as it could impact what would happen in the event where he\'s supposed to prevent his death.

Unlike him, Ziva had no such reservations about it, saying curiously, "She\'s the same girl Caera teamed with?"

"Yeah," Jash replied unconsciously, his mind busy evaluating the Warmis Clan Head\'s daughter and her plot with Avon and the protagonist.

\'Definitely do not want to drag it unto me,\' Jash told himself, sure of not wanting any more unnecessary trouble.

He already had more than enough on his plate.

As if Caera finally noticed them, she smiled and walked faster after bidding farewell to the girl next to her as their carriage seemed to be waiting just for her.

"It\'s been so long, ZIva!" Caera greeted enthusiastically, having seen Ziva come near her, only to leave.

In one aspect, this girl was similar to Caera\'s brother; she disliked socializing unless absolutely necessary.

Caera just sighed and the two had just begun to talk when Sera and Evelia said to leave.

Though reluctant, Caera could only nod and agree as the rest were only waiting for her.

Ziva walked behind Evelia, and turned around to bid farewell, "See you soon, I guess?"

"Yeah, you too!" Caera replied, eager to meet in the Academy while the hint of mischief in Jash\'s eyes became more pronounced.

Looking at her about to enter her carriage, he recalled her earlier chat with Caera.

"Ziva," he called out, his voice carrying a hint of mischief, "the Warmis Clan Head\'s daughter has a name. It\'s Rura!"

Without waiting for a response, Jash hurriedly entered his carriage, shutting the doors behind him forcefully.

"See you at the academy!" He shouted as he completely sealed the doors, leaving behind a fuming Ziva.

Her face was beet red from secondhand embarrassment as she was about to ask Caera about it, but hesitated.

Yet Jash literally just shouted it out instead of a normal farewell!

\'Hmph! I will definitely make you pay,\' she vowed inwardly, planning to embarrass him in public as well.

She even forgot that it was Sera who had coaxed her into pouting, choosing to blame it on Jash as well.

Oblivious to Ziva\'s silent plotting for revenge, Jash heaved a sigh of relief.

Choosing to ignore the strange look he got from Caera and Sera, Jash settled into his seat.

A sense of calm washed over him as he could finally relax and be himself without any act.

The night had been long--too long, in fact--but it had brought with it a blend of challenges and revelations.

With a final glance at the distant lights of the banquet hall, Jash leaned back and closed his eyes.

"Mom, where\'s Dad?" Caera asked as the carriage began moving.

"Carcel\'s staying back, he has some work," Sera mentioned vaguely, but neither Jash nor Caera pressed on.

They knew their mother enough to know she wouldn\'t share something she didn\'t wish to, no matter the amount of pestering.

\'Still, that\'s better than her being dramatic, like in other matters,\' Jash praised one quality of his mother inside.

He didn\'t bother thinking about what his father was busy with since not knowing anything would only make it impossible to figure out.

\'Either way, my parents were alive even after the Academy graduation,\' he recalled, eased by the knowledge.

The rhythmic clatter of the wheels on the cobblestone lulled him into reflective silence.

The evening had come to an end, but its echoes would linger for a while longer, shaping the days to come.

\'I wonder what\'s next?\' Jash asked himself, curious about the academy.