Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest

Chapter 790  Chapter 182.6 - Let's have a talk

Seraphina stared at the door long after Astron had left, her silver eyes locked on the space he had occupied mere moments ago. The frost on the table remained, a stark reminder of her frustration. Her fingers tapped against its icy surface in a rhythm she didn't even notice, her thoughts churning as she tried to piece together what had just transpired. 
'Did he… just reject me?' 
The thought was sharp, cutting, as if it didn't belong in the same realm as her reality. Seraphina Frostborne, heir to one of the most powerful mage families, had just been defied outright. 
Her silver eyes narrowed, her tapping fingers stilling as her mind replayed the encounter in vivid detail. His calm demeanor, his unflinching gaze, the way he had dismissed her frost as if it were no more than a passing chill—all of it clashed with her understanding of people. 
'Doesn't he care about Irina? Doesn't he realize the consequences of his refusal?' 
She clenched her hand into a fist, the frost intensifying momentarily before she forced herself to relax. But the questions wouldn't stop, spiraling through her mind like an endless storm. 
'He should have cared. He should have folded. I gave him every reason to comply.' 
Seraphina leaned back in her chair, her smirk long gone, replaced by a thoughtful, almost troubled frown. 
'Did I miscalculate?' 
The possibility was as foreign as it was unwelcome. She prided herself on her ability to read people, to predict their actions, and to manipulate their weaknesses. But Astron… 
'He's either a fool or something far more dangerous.' 
Her fingers resumed their rhythm, slower this time, the tapping a reflection of her inward struggle. She had been so certain that he cared for Irina, that his actions would be driven by a desire to protect her. And yet, he had walked away, calm and resolute, as if her threats were little more than noise. 
'Could he be selfish?' 
The thought ling