Claimed by the Prince of Darkness

Chapter 26: Hardwork lost

The light from the window was dim as the sun had begun to set. Ruelle stood by her drawers, her brows knitting in frustration. Hailey, standing behind her, suggested,

"Maybe you put it somewhere else?"

"No," Ruelle responded, shaking her head, her voice laced with quiet certainty.

She had tucked the scarf inside this very drawer before leaving for class. She was sure of it. Her eyes scanned the room once more. The scarf was gone. And with it, the sense of accomplishment and personal victory that had come from knitting it. It wasn’t just the scarf—it was her time, her effort, and her hope.

Her mind raced back to the only possibility that made sense. Her roommate. She was the one who had access to this room. Not to mention the trouble she had caused before, which was enough to make Ruelle suspect her.

"I should check with June," Ruelle whispered to herself, almost reluctantly. She didn’t want to accuse anyone without proof. Especially not someone she had to live with.

Hailey crossed her arms, her frown deepening as she replied, "It wouldn’t surprise me if she took it."

With only the two of them there, they began to search, pulling open drawers and rifling through cupboards. Ruelle’s movements became more frantic as the seconds passed, lifting the mattress, checking every hidden corner as though the scarf might be hiding, waiting to be found.

The door creaked open behind them, and both Ruelle and Hailey paused. June stood in the doorway, her arms crossed. "What do you think you are doing, touching my things?" she demanded, her eyes narrowing with suspicion

Ruelle straightened, and explained, "My scarf is missing. Have you seen it?"

"You thought I took it? Why on earth would I want your silly little scarf?" June rolled her eyes as she stepped into the room, and said, "So, naturally, I’m the thief because I’m your roommate? Please. If I wanted something from you, trust me, it wouldn’t be that cheap piece of fabric."

in escalating things, not without proof. Instead, Ruelle tried to keep her calm and replied, "No one’s accusing you. I’m just

tossing her hair over her shoulder. "I haven’t. And honestly, it sounds like you’re just looking for someone to blame. I already had a bad day thanks to that stupid assignment. Now, why don’t you step away from my things, since you’ve already gone through them

June picked up something from her cupboard

her teeth, isn’t she?" and then sighed as if remembering something. "I will go inform

nodded, "Go ahead. I will be fine." As Hailey left, she sat down on the edge of her bed,

She reached into her drawer where she kept her knitting supplies and headed to an empty classroom to start over. And though fuelled by determination, her hands trembled as she tried to focus on the intricate motions, flying faster than usual, the yarn slipping between her fingers in a blur of motion. The emotions that had been building

quiet, except for the sharp

might start a fire," a voice teased softly, carrying

head snapped up, startled by the sudden

blond hair gleamed faintly in the lantern’s soft glow, while the edges of his lips curled into that permanent half-smile that never quite revealed what he

her voice a little too quick, realising how noisy

Actually, it’s kind of refreshing to see someone this

replied, the hesitation in her voice betraying her

all. He shifted, his expression returning to its usual lightness as he asked, "How’s Sexton treating you? I heard about your practice session. Getting

like chickens playing with knives. Waiting for someone to get beheaded," before quickly realising how blunt her words were. Her face flushed as she stammered, "I didn’t

Most people try to dress things up to make them sound better. But I get

some humans," Ruelle

playful edge as he said, "You know it’s easy to lose sight of the big picture when things feel... overwhelming. It’s like looking through a keyhole and only seeing the worst parts. But the funny thing about setbacks is that they are rarely

spoke. He had a presence that seemed to fill the room

still felt tangled in the emotions of the day. "Thank you for talking to

else. But then he said, "I enjoy giving people advice,