After he finally made it through all the morning classes, the bell rang, and the professors left the classroom one after another with their lesson plans tucked under their arms.
Greg had just breathed a sigh of relief and was about to pack his things and find somewhere quiet, or think about how to sweet-talk Vivian into tackling the Dungeon with him, when-
"Greg!"
"Please wait!"
At least a dozen girls, who normally maintained some measure of a noble young lady's reserve, rose from their seats almost simultaneously, as though they had rehearsed it. Wearing eager, shy, or bold smiles, they surged toward Greg's seat from every corner of the classroom like a tide!
Their movements were so swift, their goal so clear, that not a trace remained of the ladylike manners and graceful composure emphasized in their social etiquette classes.
"Greg! Are you free this afternoon? My family is holding a private afternoon tea in the Rose District. It'll just be friends our age, and everyone would love to meet you!"
"My family is hosting a ball at Rose Manor this weekend. Father specifically told me I must invite you! Please do us the honor of attending!"
"Next Wednesday is my nineteenth birthday. My family has prepared a small celebratory dinner, and I-I would really love for you to come!"
"Greg, I heard you've done some research into the Ancient Language? My family has a collection of fragmentary scrolls my grandfather left behind. Would you be interested in taking a look together? Tonight..."
A chorus of sweet voices instantly surrounded Greg.
Perfume mingled with the fresh scent unique to the girls, forming a dizzying wave of warmth.
Exquisite gold-embossed invitations bearing family crests were thrust before him like snowflakes.
What really made Greg's scalp prickle, however, was that almost