While Idia was taken to who knows where for the umpteenth time against his will that day, the ghost standing guard at the door stared at the group of newcomers in a stupor.

"To think that SEVEN suitors for the princess would show up at once..." He muttered, incredulous at how strange and sudden the situation was, especially now that Princess Eliza had already found a perfect match.

The first of the students to step forward was Vil. It almost looked like he was glistening with the sun and everything. "I am the perfect prince for your princess. Do not accept any paltry substitutes," he presented himself with elegance and self-confidence with a tone of voice somewhat lower than usual and a different speech manner. Everyone was shocked by such a sudden change in behavior, especially Jack. "Prince!?" He repeated, puzzled, while Vil kept talking that way with the ghost.

"I know that she will end up falling head-over-heels for me. Could you please let me come in and meet her?"

Unable to understand the situation, Leona approached Vil. "Hey, who are you and what have you done with Vil?" He whispered. "You're bein' weirder than usual."

"Remember that I'm not just a model. I'm also a professional actor. I'm able to adopt a new role for any situation," Vil responded calmly, keeping his new manner of speech as he moved away from the ghost to avoid suspicion. "If she wants a prince, I'll give her one like the professional I am."

"I don't know, Vil... Even if you're not interested in her, are you okay with tricking her like that?" Jack asked since he never liked the idea of lying to people. "I think you should take love more seriously."

"Aw~. You know how to say wise things, Little Sea Urchin~" Floyd said impressed with a mocking tone, making Jack feel somewhat self-conscious.

"I... I just don't like lying about one's feelings toward someone," the young wolf from Savanaclaw responded as he looked away.

"You are too innocent, dear Jack," Vil sighed, maintaining his role.

"DEAR!?" Jack repeated, now stunned at being called that way.

"This is a competition, a battle between us to charm the Ghost Bride," Vil continued, ignoring him. "And I NEVER hold back in a competition, nothing more."

The others didn't think much of Vil's competitive attitude, but Leona didn't bother hiding the fact that he felt embarrassed by just looking at him. "Ugh, f*cking gross. I'd rather see the usual you over this cheesy show," he growled.

However, Vil didn't even flinch at the insult. "What's wrong, Leona? Are you afraid of losing to me?" He asked with a sly smile, knowing how he would react to that.

"What did you say?" Leona glared at him and turned to the guard angrily. "Hey, ghost! We came all the way here to see your princess, so let us in now!"

Far from feeling afraid, the ghost jumped indignantly. "How dare you talk about Her Highness with such disrespect!?" He exclaimed furiously as he got a grip on his spear. "We have no reason to trust strangers like you. If you are so desperate to see our princess... you have to show me your strength!"

He pointed his spear at the group and it didn't take long for them to understand that it was time to fight. "I guess there's no other choice," Trey sighed as he saw the Leech twins smile sinisterly, take out their magical pens, and get ready for action. As the battle began, the spectators outside Sam's shop watched them through Ortho's projection. "Ugh, we're already starting with fights," Crowley sighed.

"And to think we were going to leave it as a last resort," Riddle added, dejected. "If it is the condition that the ghost gave them, I guess there is no other choice."

"Go for it, Jack," Deuce encouraged.

"Good luck, Vil! Epel and I give you our most sincere support from here," Rook said as he placed a hand on his chest. "I'm sure Roi du Leon will be marvelous too."

"Here we go again..." Epel whispered, wondering when he would get used to his vice-dorm leader's over-the-top praises.

"Did you see that, Epel? It's not been even a minute, and Vil and Leona are bickering again," Yukiko whispered.

"Yeah, Vil didn't even hesitate to piss him off... I mean, he didn't hesitate to irritate Leona like that," Epel sighed. His accent almost slipped out.

"Our two dorm leaders are scary in their own way... Ah, look, they've already defeated the ghost."

As expected from a group of students good at using magic, two dorm leaders among them, it was very easy for them to defeat a single ghost. "Goodness me, you are stronger than I thought. I can see you're serious," the guard gasped exhaustedly while he leaned on his spear to try to float again and make way for them. "I permit you an audience with the princess. You may pass!"

He opened the door for them and the group finally entered the lion's den... And they were guided to the school cafeteria, or rather, the wedding venue, where the Ghost Bride was waiting for them.

"Are you the ones who seek my hand?" Princess Eliza received them with curiosity while she was followed by the two little spirits.

"It's her! That's the Ghost Bride who kidnapped Idia," Jack whispered as soon as he recognized her.

Despite having a curious combination of suitors only for her, the princess sighed with pity. "I really appreciate you coming all this way for me, but I'm afraid I have to apologize. I already have this wonderful man named Idia as a partner, and we've already promised to each other," she said with a small voice before lighting up her face with a big smile. "He is tall and thin, has beautiful skin, wonderful eyes... Oh, and a charming smile that he reserves just for me... He also has vibrant, flaming hair. And lovely lips of a color I've never seen before! He is positively dashing, there's no one as perfect as him!"

The students of Night Raven College listened to the princess' description of Idia, cringing more and more with each word."Weirdly, I can't say that description DOESN'T match Idia..." Trey said while flashing one of his famous nervous smiles.

"I'm flattered by your intentions," Eliza continued, discouraged at having to turn away the newcomers, "but compared to my lovely Idia, you are..."

"OBVIOUSLY BETTER THAN HIM!!" Vil and Leona interrupted her at the same time, taking it as a personal insult being compared to that reserved dorm leader.

"It seems those two have forgotten our main objective," Jade commented, amused. Both dorm leaders had basically turned that whole ordeal into a competition between them.

"Oh well, if you insist this much, there's no other choice," the princess sighed, finally agreeing to listen to them. "Fine, I'll see if any of you is fit to be my ideal prince. Let's start with you, the one with the fierce look and cute, round ears."

Realizing that she was pointing at him, Leona walked toward the princess. "You're talkin' to me, right? I'm Leona Kingscholar," he introduced himself apathetically before flashing a proud smile. "Go ahead and test me, I'm the guy you're looking for."

"Ahem..." Without expressing a clear reaction, the princess closed her eyes and cleared her voice. "Would you believe~ how long I've waited~?" She started singing out of nowhere with a crystal clear voice.

"........What?" Leona asked, completely confused.

"That's right~ I've waited for so long!~"

Leona just frowned and stared at her, waiting for a clear explanation.

"For a glimpse of that tender smile... From youuuuuuuu~"

After finishing her song, the Ghost Bride stood smiling silently, as if she was waiting for Leona to do something, but he was still completely lost.

"Why's she bursting into a song?" He asked out loud in front of the princess. "Is choosing one of us too much for her and she went crazy from thinking too much?"

"REJECTED!" The princess screamed, indignant, just before raising her right hand and giving Leona a strong slap that resonated even from afar, leaving a reddish hand-shaped mark on his face.

"OWW!" Leona exclaimed, petrified by pain and confusion.

"What!? The ghost slapped him suddenly!" Sebek exclaimed. He was as startled as the others.

"I can't believe it..." The princess said indignantly as she fixed her gaze on Leona and her little spirits shook their heads disapprovingly. "A princess was singing in front of you, and you didn't have the decency to join her in a duet!!!!!!! You're no prince at all!"

"But Leona is the only actual prince among us..." Jack muttered, abstracted, realizing that the mission to win her heart was going to be more difficult than he imagined.

"Next!" The ghost urged and pointed to Vil. "You there, the one with the pretty blonde hair."

Vil approached her and introduced himself with the behavior he improvised at the school entrance. "Hey there. "My name is Vil Schoenheit," he said while giving a calm smile.

"Very well... Ahem!" Eliza cleared her throat before singing the same song again: "Would you believe~ how long I've waited~?"

"Waiting for me all this time~" Vil sang, immediately following along. He was already prepared thanks to Leona's mistake.

"That's right~ I've waited for so long!~" Eliza continued, excited to see that someone was singing with her now.

"My fears won't steer me wrong~" Vil continued.

"For a glimpse of that tender smile...~"

"From youuuuuuu~" Both singers finished at the same time.

"WHAT!? Is he really singing along to that random nonsense with the ghost!?" Sebek shouted, stunned.

"They're even harmonizing perfectly," Jade commented, impressed.

"We will sing like this together forever. That's the least I could do for someone whose love I seek," Vil said to the ghost as he made an elegant forward bow that would steal anyone's heart.

"So charming!" The princess exclaimed, completely fascinated by the handsome young man. It looked like Vil would be the one to put the Ring of Severance on her and save Idia, but she wasn't done yet. "Now tell me: what is your dog's name?"

Vil frowned, confused by this sudden change of topic. "Why are you talking about dogs? For one thing, I live in a dorm. It is impossible for me to have a dog-"

"REJECTED!!!" The ghost interrupted him furiously before slapping him hard, just as she did with Leona.

"AAH!" Vil screamed both out of pain and horror since he knew he now had a hand-shaped mark on his face. "I don't believe this! Do you have ANY idea how valuable my face is!?" He exclaimed furiously, stopping playing his role and going back to his usual speech.

"Ah, that's the Vil we know," Jack noted.

"Not just Beta Fish, anybody'd break character if they were smacked like that," Floyd shrugged, feeling interested in the scene.

"If you don't have a dog that comes to your aid with a whistle from you, you're NO PRINCE in my book!" Eliza criticized with annoyance, explaining her new complaints towards Vil.

Trey laughed, nervous about the princess's expectations. "She really has a narrow view of what princes are... Are you two okay, Leona and Vil?" None of them responded. They had remained completely still in the place where they had been slapped and seemed scared. "Hey? What's wrong? You're both freezing up. Did she slap you that hard?"

"I CAN'T MOVE!" Both dorm leaders yelled at the same time.

"WHAT!?" Trey exclaimed, startled and confused by what he had just heard.

"It's as if my body was completely tied up, I can't even lift my fingers," Leona explained. It was rare to see the fierce Savanaclaw's dorm leader so alarmed like that.

"I can't use magic either. What's going on!?" Vil muttered, demanding an explanation.

"I have been looking for my perfect prince for 500 years, but you dared to come here claiming to be him when that's an obvious lie," the princess began to explain haughtily before letting out a small laugh that was imitated by her accompanying spirits. "So this is the punishment you deserve for playing with a girl's feelings, you will learn your lesson and reflect for the same time I have been waiting for my prince."

"For 500 years!?" Sebek shouted, dismayed.

"I had never heard that ghosts could paralyze people by slapping them," Jade commented thoughtfully. "It seems that her power equals her obsession."

"You have the guts to reject me based on your nonsense!" Leona growled, feeling furious.

"How dare you refuse my advances!? Don't be so arrogant!" Vil added, still feeling the humiliation of being left out for a minor detail that was beyond his ability.

Seeing that they had lost two of his strongest companions, Jack sighed. "I don't like to lie, but we have to take this seriously, now that the dorm leaders have failed!" He exclaimed with determination and caught the attention of the princess, who pointed at him.

"Next, you. The strong one with big white ears."

"...I'm Jack Howl," he introduced himself. He didn't exactly expect to be next.

"How's your skill with the sword? What is the biggest monster you have slain? Do you own a legendary sword that's been passed down for generations?" Eliza interrogated.

"A sword? I don't need something like that," Jack replied as he raised a fist. "I can fight someone with just my fists."

"REJECTED!!!!" The princess interrupted him and slapped him in the face too, paralyzing him.

"Hey, that hurts!"

"You can't rescue a princess from fierce monsters without a legendary sword. You're not a prince!" She exclaimed with exasperation. "Next! You, the sharp-eyed, handsome one."

Sebek realized that she was pointing at him and walked towards her with a determined step. "MY NAME IS SEBEK ZIGVOLT!" He introduced himself loudly, irritating her a little bit.

"What musical instruments do you play? The piano? Or the flute, perhaps?"

Sebek tried to think of an answer to this unexpected question. "You wish to know about musical talents? Hmm..." He had an idea. "I'm glad you asked, ghost! Let me tell you about my young master. His prominent skill with string instruments is RENOWNED. His violin melodies are beautiful and enchanting." The princess frowned, but he didn't realize. "I once heard him on the cello, and his playing left me speechless and touched my heart! His music is as mystical and mysterious as himself-"

"REJECTED!!!" Eliza interrupted him before leaving a hand-shaped mark on his face through her furious slap.

"WHAT!?" Sebek shouted, more out of indignation than pain. "You're rude. I hadn't even finished speaking!!"

"Rude, me? You're the one who won't stop talking about an unrelated person during a romantic interlude! That's not princely at all. Next! You, the attractive one with the glasses."

The only one wearing glasses approached the princess. "I'm Trey Clover. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Your Highness," he introduced himself formally. As Heartslabyul's vice-dorm leader, he knew better than anyone he had to maintain manners when greeting royalty, especially someone he had to make a good impression.

However, the princess did not ask any questions this time and floated away from him with melodramatical air. "...No. I can't do this! I'm sorry, but we can never see each other again. Farewell!" She sobbed before floating away in the opposite direction.

"What? She just... took off..." He said, confused, before realizing that the princess was looking at him out of the corner of her eye as if she was waiting for something. "Should I go after her?"

"Probably," Floyd supposed as he crossed his arms.

"All right. Uh... No! Please, wait!" Trey exclaimed, playing along with the princess, and hurried to follow her.

"Oh, I told you we couldn't see each other again! Please don't make this any more difficult," the princess murmured in reaction, giving a good vibe.

"Looks like chasing her was the right call. But what should I do now?"

"Trey, you have to sing a song," Jade told him from afar.

"Sing!? Right now!?" He repeated, horrified by the idea since he couldn't sing very well.

"Exactly," Jade nodded. He, on the contrary, seemed to enjoy the idea. "You need to establish a romantic atmosphere with a tender melody that tickles her heart."

"I'm not exactly the best singer in the world, but... Here I go," Trey sighed and looked nervously at the princess before singing. "Uh... Your... Your~"

"Yes? My what?" The princess asked excitedly, wondering what he was going to sing about her.

"Your... Your veil is as luminous as a bleached rag. And your eyes are, uh... like grapes. You're... so lively~~~."

The awkward silence after the song and the lack of immediate reaction from the princess and her spirits made it clear he just failed miserably.

"REJECTED!!!!!" Eliza shouted, furious, before granting him the same fate as the other suitors...

"I knew it wasn't going to work..." Trey murmured as he felt the mark originate along the intense pain.

"Rag? My eyes are like grapes? A prince would never use such unromantic analogies!"

"To be fair, your similes were a tad mundane. I'm surprised you didn't say something like 'Your eyes are like jewels'," Jade commented, not being able to help but laugh a little.

"I'm just a student, and she was very sudden. I just said what came to mind!" Trey tried to defend himself.

"Okay, next! You there, the one with the disinterested look," Eliza urged as she pointed to Floyd.

But Floyd didn't look disinterested, he actually was. Seeing her complain so much about everything took away the little interest he had in talking to her... Yuu was someone much more interesting to spend time with and now he just wanted to return to his side.

"This girl's getting on my nerves," he said wearily. "Can I squeeze her?"

"OUT OF THE QUESTION!!!" The ghost shouted before giving him the strongest and most immediate slap so far.

"OW!!!!" Floyd screamed in pain. Apparently, his lack of interest made him forget he would suffer this if he made her angry.

"What did you expect?" Leona, the first victim, sputtered.

"And lastly there is... you, the handsome boy with the pleasant smile."

The last of the candidates standing and the only one who was not paralyzed was Jade, who walked forward with a formal step.

"Good morning, my name is Jade Leech," he introduced himself with a big smile. "Please, do be gentle with me." Although that would be up to her to decide.

"Jade, you're the only one left! We're counting on you!" Jack made clear with a frown.

Taking that fact into account, Jade took out of his pocket something she had already prepared for the princess and offered it to her with an elegant bow forward. "Would you accept this present to commemorate our meeting?"

The spirits looked at him open-mouthed and the princess gasped at the small plant with long purple petals. "My, what a lovely flower!" She exclaimed admiringly. "Is it for me?"

"But of course, Your Highness. I picked it up myself. I thought of you as soon as I laid eyes on it."

The others looked at him in amazement, Jade was the only one who had thought to prepare something just in case. "He had a gift prepared for her!?" Sebek exclaimed as Eliza took the flower and pressed it against her chest.

"Oh, how thoughtful! I'm so excited, my heart can't stop jumping!"

It looked like Jade was going to be the one to put the ring on her. "Is it really working...?" Trey asked, really hoping that being slapped in such an embarrassing way would end up being worth it.

However, Floyd took a closer look at the flower from his twin brother and frowned. "Pfft, you're so slick, Jade. Isn't that the super poisonous flower you dug up in the mountains?" He reproached him. "You're just giving it to her to get rid of it because you can't plant it."

"Correct. This is a highly toxic flower that would ruin the other plants in the terrarium," Jade said calmly, with no intention of denying his brother's statement. "In fact, it would give you a rash if you touched it with bare hands, but it doesn't seem to affect ghosts." He was still wearing the gloves from his school uniform, so he had been safe from that. After saying that last thing, he smiled sinisterly. "I've learned something new today."

That short botany lesson made him forget that the princess in front of her, whose expression of admiration completely changed and she dropped the flower in consternation. "ARE YOU CRAZY!?" She yelled before paralyzing the only suitor standing with his painful slap.

"It hurts!!!!" Jade shouted as he felt the inability to take a hand to the smacked part.

And that's how the last remaining suitor failed...

"He might have succeeded if you didn't say unnecessary things, Floyd," Vil said as he glared at him as best his frozen state let him.

"But I didn't want to be the only one of us to be left out," Floyd growled in response.

"Ugh, we're all out," Jack mumbled in frustration.

Seeing that there was no one else left to propose to her, the princess floated away to calm herself down. "What a bunch of rude people you are... There's nothing princely about you!" She jabbered and her faithful little spirits nodded in agreement

"Hey, guys, something's just occurred to me..." Trey began to say, once they were alone. "It seems obvious, but... We're all students at an all-boys boarding school with only one girl, so don't you think that proposing to a princess is a little bit hard for us?"

He was right. Aside from Yukiko, most of them hadn't had much female contact outside of school and others had barely had any romantic experiences, so of course it was going to be a challenge for them to propose to royalty!

"...Yeah, actually." They all answered at the same time after a long moment of silence.

Meanwhile, the people watching all the events from outside Sam's store had a curious mix of reactions to the live footage from the cafeteria's security cameras.

"I can't believe it, the tall team is all down in such a short time..." Crowley lamented.

"Did you see that? Floyd was immediately slapped by the ghost!" Riddle laughed. "I knew it was absurd to choose a spouse solely based on height."

On the other hand, Yuu frowned: even if Floyd hadn't even made an effort to try to win over the princess, he could imagine how much it had hurt him, and didn't like that someone was teasing him like that...

Ace tried to hold back a laugh but ended up bursting into laughter. "Bwahahaha! Trey's song was terrible!!" He mocked. "I know some people have simple tastes, but that was too much! Ahaha!"

Even Deuce, always respectful to his seniors, was unable to reprimand Ace for teasing him. "Hey, don't laugh at him, Ace!" He exclaimed between laughs. "Don't you feel sorry for Clover? Heh heh... I can't! Just thinking about it... Pftt, bwahaha!"

Rook's final reaction was the exact opposite of the three Hearstlabyul students. "Oh, poor Vil! Your immaculate cheek is now marred by a maple leaf-shaped slapmark!" He lamented as if it was the biggest tragedy in History. "How painful! I can't believe your beautiful face has gone through this terrible tragedy."

"Uh yeah... Totally..." Epel murmured, making a huge effort to hold on to his laughter. "But golly, did you see Vil's reaction when he was rejected? Hehe!" He whispered to Yukiko, who was right next to him.

The girl nodded and chuckled, but then she raised her laugh when she thought about her favorite moment: "And look at Sebek! Hahaha!" She exclaimed. "That princess is a whiner, but she gave him what he deserved!"

Grim had barely stopped laughing from the beginning when Leona was the first to fall. Yuu didn't like that almost nobody took the situation seriously. "Guys, this isn't funny!" He reproached them with energy while a disheartened Ortho shut down the video projection.

"Yuu is right!" Crowley supported him, no less angry. "This is not a game, young Shroud's life hangs in the balance! Dear, oh dear... What should we do now?"

"There is nothing to worry about!!!"

"Hm?" Kalim wondered aloud before realizing that the person who had just spoken was no one other than Cater, accompanied by Azul.

"I apologize for the bad behavior of my dormmates, Jade and Floyd. My word, they have no idea how to treat a lady," Azul sighed, disappointed, before breaking into a smile. "Leave it to me, Azul Ashengrotto. I can guarantee that I will put the Ring of Severance on her hand."

Even though he got along well with Azul, Yuu rolled his eyes at his offer, not because he doubted he could do it, but because he could see through his businessman facade. It was almost impossible for Azul not to ask for something in return if he succeeded in winning the princess over.

"Nah, if it's about approaching a cute girl, I'm your guy!" Cater exclaimed happily as he made the peace sign with his left hand and winked at Yukiko. "Don't you think so too, Yuki?"

She knew he was joking, but the girl raised an eyebrow and flashed a sly smile. "Just so you know, you're still not my type," she responded without hesitation, making Ace laugh out loud once again.

"DON'T even think about it, headmaster," Yuu warned him sternly, although Crowley's desire to strike down the third-year student for "flirting" with his dear protégée in front of him had already almost dissipated with the "rejection". As her legal guardian, he really had to pay attention that no "interested wolves" approached her or her brother.

And for some reason, Epel couldn't help but to feel relieved after seeing that she didn't have that kind of interest in the cheerful amd modern Heartslabyul student.

"Ouch! I haven't even asked you out, and you've already rejected me..." Cater responded in a melodramatic way, although he already expected that answer. "But hey, it's not you who I have to woo, but our 'sweet' little princess."

"Wow, Diamond, you seem excited about this," Deuce commented, surprised.

"What can I say? I'm in my element! Hey, I know. You should come with me, Deucey. The more the merrier," he said as he put an arm around him.

"What? Me!?" Deuce exclaimed, alarmed, and turned away from him. His face quickly flushed with embarrassment. "No way, I'm not used to this kind of thing... I have no idea about girls' feelings!"

Yuu then remembered that Deuce mentioned having trouble talking to girls other than his mother out of fear of hurting their feelings. "What are you saying? Haven't you spent time with Yuki?" Ace questioned, surprised, since he believed that his fear had completely disappeared thanks to her.

"That's different, Yuki's my friend! I have gotten used to her and I know her, I don't have so many problems talking to her anymore," he exclaimed. He looked at Yukiko for approval and she nodded, appreciating his effort. "But having to talk to the Ghost Bride is..."

"Oh? So you're going to abandon Trey?" Ace questioned once again, thinking that he was going to back down.

"What!? No! I would never do that!"

"Then just go. I bet Trey must be waiting for you to rescue him," Ace insisted mockingly.

"Well, you know what? You're right. I'm going to get revenge for him," Deuce answered with determination as he cracked his fingers.

"That's more like it! Make the best proposal ever and sweep her off her ghostly feet!"

"Okay... Alright, count me in, Diamond! Let's band together and crash that wedding hall!"

"Oh, Deucey. You can't even see that Acey is just messing with you," Cater whispered, stunned, although he appreciated his boldness.

"Then it would be right for me to go too," Lilia offered. "I wouldn't consider myself a teacher if I couldn't make up for my student's deficiencies."

"That sounded so cool...!" Epel commented, marveling at the audacity of Diasomnia's vice dorm leader.

And so a new group composed of Azul, Cater, Deuce, and Lilia was ready to propose to the Ghost Bride. "That's it, you can trust me," Lilia assured as he joined the others.

"Too bad you won't even get a turn, Lilia. It's going to be Cay's time!" Cater said, confident.

"Heh, I believe you'll both find me a very hard act to follow," Azul said.

"Very well. Before you go, let's review for a moment the new expectations the Ghost Bride seeks for her ideal prince, so we avoid further casualties" Crowley proposed. "First of all, a romantic song dedicated to her; gifts may be a good option too, like flowers, but not of the poisonous type, of course." Some laughed nervously. "You may need to lie in some parts, such as having dogs as companions, but if you are going to have a conversation, remember it must be a topic of her interest and that doesn't involve third parties, just like young Zigvolt discovered in the wrong way..."

"Wait a minute, headmaster. There's somethin' I don't quite get, yanno?" Grim interrupted him. "Weren't songs bad? You said the other day in Ramshackle that boys wipin' out their songs is often a prelude to a di-"

"GRIIIM!!!!" Both twins interrupted him in panic when they realized what he was talking about and basically pounced on him. Yuu secured him in his arms and covered his muzzle. "We told you not to talk about that outside the dorm!" He reminded him while Yukiko hushed him with hasty gestures.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong with you two?!" Ace asked, bewildered.

"NOTHING!!" They both insisted at the same time with their faces red with shame. No one there had seen them this upset before.

Ortho analyzed their vital signs and could see that adrenaline, body temperature and heartbeat had increased considerably in a matter of seconds. "With these results, I doubt it's nothing..." He concluded.

"Do you know anything about this, headmaster?" Riddle asked with suspicion, taking into account what Grim mentioned.

"Oh, nothing to worry about," he said and cleared his throat to keep serious. "I may not be their father, but as their legal guardian, it's my responsibility to protect both Oshiro twins from certain... rampant dangers at school; so I had a talk with them about being careful around boys and their uncertain ways of courting" He looked at Cater out of the corner of his eye to make it clear that he was saying it for him at that moment, but the twins glared at him, as if they were ordering him to stop. "I mean... It's a private matter, so I won't say anything else!"

It didn't take long for most to realize that he had, in short, acted like an overprotective father and said something embarrassing enough for the twins to react like that when Grim was about to talk about it.

Realizing that he had just "hit on" Yukiko in front of the headmaster, Cater felt as if Riddle discovered that he hadn't finished painting the white roses red: pure dread. "No no no! I'm innocent! No father had to point the shotgun at me before," Cater whispered nervously, making Lilia laugh.

"Then be careful what you say to Yuu and Miss Yuki if you don't want to live new experiences," Azul warned before glancing at Crowley.

"What did he say to you?" Ace asked the twins, curious.

"Imagine the same thing the Ramshackle ghosts say, but even more embarrassing!" Yukiko sighed as she tried to regain her calm. "I appreciate his concern, but man, it was so cringey...!"

Ace was aware of how protective the Ramshackle ghosts were, so he got a very good idea. "Oh, man... But well, what exactly was Grim going to say? I promise not to say anythin'! Hey, don't look at me like that! I was just joking."

"Believe me, even you wouldn't want to know!"

"Do you promise not to say anything else if I let you go?" Yuu asked Grim and he nodded quickly. "Come on, let's not waste any more time, we have to save Idia!"

Moments later, the members of the new group, which was better prepared for the mission and what was expected to happen there, ended up all falling one by one and the princess's slaps resounded loudly as they hit the cheeks of Lilia, Deuce, Cater and Azul, in that exact order.

"IMPOSSIBLE! Why? WHY WAS I REJECTED!?" Azul yelled furiously as he felt the magical paralysis take over his body and a burning slap mark form on the left side of his face.

"Ha ha ha! She smacked you really hard, Azul!" Floyd laughed, still unable to move in his place.

Yuu had never seen Azul this furious, with jaw clenched and pupils constricted, not even during his Overblot incident...

"I analyzed the first team's data to create the perfect approach by her standards, it should have worked! I offered her a bouquet of roses and sang her a love serenade...!" Azul summarized what he had just done. "Where the hell did I go wrong!?"

"She said you talked too much and lacked any shred of sincerity," Jade reminded him. "You made her feel suspicious."

"Of course it didn't work! You're not gonna get anywhere talkin' a lady's ear off."

"Leona, you were the first to be rejected, so you are in no position to act SMUG," Azul replied.

"Aw, man... I thought I was on fire!" Cater lamented. He had gone from confident to paralyzed after the slap.

"You were too flirty with her to the point of making her uncomfortable. Even the ghost would never choose a playboy as her groom!" Vil criticized him reproachfully.

Knowing Cater and his cheerful, but over-the-top behavior, Trey had had mixed hopes for him, but he still didn't understand why the first-year student was there. He had barely dared to look the princess in the eye after introducing himself. "So, why were you here again, Deuce?" He asked him. Just like him, he was standing static, and with a hand mark on his left cheek that accentuated his defeated expression.

"I wanted to save you. But the moment I went face-to-face with her, I became so nervous..." Deuce murmured. He felt that the shame of having failed was even more intense than the pain of the slap. "With Yuki it's different, but when I saw the Ghost Bride, I blanked and couldn't think of anything to say!!"

And if that wasn't enough, even the kind and mischievous Lilia had fallen victim to the princess's fury for an even worse reason. "She told me that she didn't like I was 'too cute'," he murmured. He was trying to keep the smile, but tears ended up coming to his eyes. "Oh, the vicissitudes of being adorable... I think I'm going to cry."

"To think that Lord Lilia would receive a slap of rejection..." Sebek murmured indignantly at the lack of respect his mentor had just gone through. "HOW?! ALL BECAUSE YOU'RE WAY CUTER THAN THAT GHOST!!"

That was possibly the first time that Yukiko agreed with Sebek. If it was impossible not to hear Sebek's infamous screams through Ortho's projection, it must have been hellish for those who were close to him and couldn't even move their arms to protect their ears.

"Would you stop shouting!?" The Ghost Bride exclaimed, furious, and her faithful guard Chubby approached her in case she needed help, but she simply clicked her tongue in disappointment. "Why are all the men in this world so rude, violent and insensitive? They came here to propose to me and they don't even have the decency to wear nice suits. I knew that my dear Idia was the only one for me! No one else comes close!"

"I couldn't agree more, Your Highness," Chubby smiled. "These suitors are nothing but hopeless knaves who don't even know how to treat you properly. What a bunch of useless people."

Being insulted in the face like that hurt the egos of some of the students who were still there.

"Damn, how could I be outshone by someone as antisocial as Idia!?" Vil sputtered.

"That gloomy bastard can't even sing!" Leona exclaimed, trying to make her see reason and leave them all alone once and for all.

But Eliza ignored him and turned her head disdainfully, being imitated by her little spirits. "My dear Idia is not like the rest of you. Like I said, he is the perfect prince. I'm sure he'll join me on a song sometime, he's just being a tad shy at the moment."

Ortho felt his circuits heat up just hearing the princess say that. He knew better than anyone how much Idia must be terrified at that moment. She was basically showing he didn't know him at all.

"Dear me, those claims are absolutely delusional," Lilia interrupted in disbelief, as if he was thinking the same, and sighed before making eye contact with her. "The only thing I see here is that you are projecting your notions on Idia, but you refuse to see him for who he really is. So long you keep gazing into the distance, you'll never find what you seek, since the most important thing could be right in front of you."

Those wise words as a result of the passing of the years as a fae carried a deep truth, but they had not reached the heart of the stubborn princess. "I don't know what you're talking about, I've already found what I was looking for. And that is Idia, my perfect prince!"

It wasn't very difficult to notice that Chubby had looked away. Oh, how much he wished for her to smile at the sound of his name as he did with that man...!

The princess clapped her hands to get the attention of her servants. "Well, we've already wasted enough time. We must continue with the wedding preparations," she indicated.

"Princess, you must be exhausted from dealing with so many humans. Surely there's no rush," Chubby advised. It seemed like she felt a little hopeful that the ceremony would be delayed.

"Aw, are you worried about me? Tee hee. Thank you very much, Chubby! You're so sweet," the princess thanked him. "You have always been my best friend since we were alive."

"Yes, your friend..." Chubby repeated, feeling his heart break into a thousand pieces. "Of course, I will always be at your side, Your Highness..." Even though he blindly supported her in fulfilling her wish to marry the prince of her dreams, she really wanted Princess Eliza to see him as much more than a friend...

Unaware of her friend's obvious sad expression, the Ghost Bride clapped her hands once again to get the attention of her two closest servants. "Come on, bring my Idia here," she ordered.

"Right away, Your Highness!" Nana and Grampy exclaimed at the same time and approached a corner, where Idia had been standing there the entire time. "Uh..." He murmured, terrified, as he was pushed to the wedding hall in a stand of the type used to transport packages.

He was rigid and standing, and what was even more striking was that he was elegantly dressed in a lavish black gothic-style tuxedo worthy of a groom at his ostentatious royal wedding, consisting of a long jacket with a slight print of skulls. It matched the pants and the left shoulder was decorated with a floral decoration of white lilies with silver chains. And some of his hair had been swept back into a low ponytail that fell down his back.

Despite his expression clearly begging to be taken out of there, Eliza brightened at the sight and fought the urge to hug him. "Oh, IDIA!" She exclaimed delightedly. "That long-fitted jacket enhances your tall, slim body! Its black color and gothic style contrasts beautifully with your shiny hair, and those white lilies are as charming as your smile."

"I took the liberty of pulling his hair back, a small but crucial detail," Nana informed, proud of herself.

"Now you can see his flawless face and lidded eyes clearly!" Grampy added.

"He's so handsome! I couldn't expect anything less from the attendants who helped my mother and father prepare for their own nuptials," the princess squealed. "You are dressed like an ideal groom, my dear Idia. It looks very, very, very, very good on you!"

Those sincere compliments and all the attention focused on him only made Idia feel even more uncomfortable than before, and he wished to disappear. "What kind of punishment is this? I'm so embarrassed that not only my hair burns, but my face too," Idia murmured, terrified. "Did I lose a bet? If this is a nightmare, I want to wake up. I just wanna go back to my room."

Not just the ghosts, but his classmates were also looking at him in that outfit.

"Wow, Shroud looks splendid!" Deuce commented, impressed, now he really looked like a groom about to get married.

"He's as frozen as we are, they even wheeled him in here on a stand," Trey commented, realizing why they had brought him in such a strange and embarrassing way.

"I wonder if she slapped him too, what a ruthless bridey..." Cater murmured, not wanting to think about the pain, still lingering on his face.

"Excuse me, I only gave him a teensy poke because he tried to run," Eliza snapped after hearing him.

Idia took a closer look at all the people who had come to his rescue only to end up as stiff as him. "Stunning rescue, guys..." He said sarcastically. "You got slapped and rejected like bugs on the ground. You're so useless..."

Nobody, but NOBODY at all liked that insult, all the students looked at him with anger and irritation. But for once Idia did not feel intimidated by them and returned their gaze. "What use was this idea for!? Aren't normies like you supposed to be good at this vapid socializing stuff? I knew you guys tend to act like idiots, but this is too much! Aren't you embarrassed!?"

Everyone became even angrier. That behavior was one of the reasons why most did not want to come to his aid until they were blackmailed by the headmaster. Even if they had failed, they had come this far only for him to end up insulting them, as if they didn't feel humiliated enough already!

"Brother, NO!" Ortho exclaimed with horror at his brother's insults.

"He really shouldn't have said that..." Yuu muttered, knowing how dangerous NRC students were when they got angry.

"You are SO right, honey dearest. Any other guy is an insect compared to you!" Eliza exclaimed, delighted with her groom's audacity. "I love the way you tell people hard truths when they don't want to hear them. That takes real kindness and integrity! It's so wonderful! Oh, you are too perfect, I can't wait any longer!" She was so happy that she rose as high as possible in the air, reaching the chandelier to announce with a powerful voice: "LET'S HOLD THE WEDDING TONIGHT!!!!"

Except for Chubby, who just smiled melancholy, all the ghosts applauded and celebrated the princess's decision. Idia's furious face, on the other hand, paled as soon as he heard it. "Wait, TONIGHT!?" He shouted, terrified.

"That's right, my darling," Eliza nodded as she returned to his side. "Tonight, when the clock chimes midnight, we will say our vows and seal our eternal marriage with a kiss. And when your soul leaves your body, we'll depart for our honeymoon together!"

"And leave this world without reading the manga I was waiting for!? NO, PLEASE!" Idia screamed, now truly fearing for his life. "Guys, please, help me!"

Still annoyed by the insults he spat at them less than a minute ago, all the students looked at him indifferently.

"Well, well, well. Looks like you've found someone who loves you in spite of your bad attitude," Vil responded apathetically.

"That's right. Now that I think about it, I think you make a good couple," Leona added the same way.

"WHAT!?" Idia asked without believing what he was hearing.

"What did you expect after hurling all those insults at us?" Jack said.

"It's finally happening! Our princess's wedding, after waiting for 500 years!" Grampy celebrated with tears of emotion welling up in his eyes, before hunching over in sadness. "This was supposed to be celebrated by the whole nation... But those ungrateful neighboring countries! They betrayed us without a second thought!"

"Oh, I hate this so much... Just remembering it makes me want to die all over again!" Nana sobbed.

"You two, stop thinking about the past. Getting upset won't make it any better, don't you see?" The Ghost Bride stopped them firmly.

"Princess..." both servants murmured in admiration, seeing once again that their princess was strong and had already stopped suffering from her death, her fallen kingdom, and her shattered dream.

She didn't have time to think about it, Eliza had much more important things to do, like deciding what to do with the suitors she rejected and were still standing there. They would be paralyzed there for 500 years, or at least until midnight, when she undid the spell after finding her happiness. "Ooh, I know. I will make all the suitors groomsmen. They can be part of the ceremony! That way we can have the kind of merry wedding you two want, Nana and Grampy. Alright, everyone. You're going to celebrate with us this new start for Idia and me!"

"I refuse!!" Idia screamed, trying to move in vain in an attempt to escape. "Someone help me! Anyone! Ah! AZUL! Aren't we Board Game Club buddies! You're good with words, talk some sense into this ghost with your silver tongue!"

"To think that our introverted Idia gets married... I can't see through all my tears of joy," Azul murmured, pretending to be touched and making it clear that he was also still furious about the insults. "My heartfelt congratulations! I'm sure it's going to be a wonderful wedding! I'll prepare the congratulatory money for you."

No one else seemed to want to object to the wedding. Even if they still wanted to help him, which they didn't, they couldn't even move to leave.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" Idia shouted, almost crying when he saw that no one else was going to rescue him.

Chubby wasn't sure what devastated him more: the groom being miserable for not realizing how fortunate he was or seeing the love of his life marry the kind of prince he had always wanted since they were both flesh and blood children... But if his dear princess was happy, he would accept that decision and let her go...

By the time the wedding had been officially announced, it was already evening, and the sun was about to set.

"The second team failed too..." Crowley muttered, incredulous. He was sure that this time would be at least one winner.

The only ones who had laughed this time at the failed attempts were Ace and Grim.

"BWAHAHAHAHAHA! Did you see how awkward Deuce was!? He went dead silent as soon as he said his name. We knew it!" Ace exclaimed.

"Myahahahaha! They were all so confident, but they got the royal smack immediately!" Grim laughed.

Fed up with laughter at such a serious moment, Ortho impatiently undid the projection. "This isn't funny, you guys! The wedding is happening tonight!" He screamed angrily, before falling to his knees to the ground in defeat. "At this rate, my brother will be dragged to the land of the dead..."

"Is something wrong, Mademoiselle Princess Warrior?" Rook asked, realizing she had her magical pen after being unusually quiet for a long time.

"That TRANSLUCENT PIG dared to lay hands on Lilia and Deuce!!! I'll NEVER forgive her!" She yelled furiously as she held up her magical pen and white choker to face the ghosts. Even if she had enjoyed seeing Sebek getting slapped, she couldn't believe that his friends went through the same thing and just wanted the ghost to pay for it. She would have used a much stronger and nastier insult to refer to her, but...Ortho was there.

"Yukiko, stop! You won't get anything like this!" Yuu exclaimed while Ace helped him hold onto her to prevent her from running into the main building.

"I don't care!! I'm gonna send her back to her tombstone!"

"Calm down this instant, Yuki!" Crowley ordered sternly. "You won't even get halfway there and you'll feel sick! Furthermore, you'd have nowhere to send her back. Neither she nor anyone in her court received a proper burial!"

Even though she had achieved better stamina with the use of magic since she had obtained it, everyone was aware that it was still unstable and it would still hurt her if used in exceed.

"Don't go, Yuki! I understand how you feel, but there's still a lot of them. I don't want them to hurt you too," Epel exclaimed insistently as he stood in front of her to look her in the eyes. "So please, stop!"

He was right. They had already said that they would leave fighting as a last resort for a reason anyway. Besides, it would only worry Epel and the others if she crashed into the school in that state. Yukiko apologized and put her "weapons" back into their respective pockets. Moreover, the one who should be angrier than anyone else should be Ortho, not her.

"We must focus on more important things, there's not much time left until midnight," Riddle said seriously after checking the time on his smartphone, marking 7:50 pm. "We need a successful proposal, and fast!"

"But even Azul failed. The only dorm leaders left are the two of us and Malleus," Kalim reminded.

"I guess we have no choice," Crowley lamented before frowning. "We have to send the remaining suitors!"

He sent the students to the Hall of Mirrors to look for potential suitors in each of the dorms, and everyone decided to separate to buy time.

Yukiko decided to start in Savanaclaw and met up with Ruggie. She explained the situation and the urgent plan they had.

"Me, propose to a ghost? After Leona and Jack got captured after trying to do it?" He repeated, incredulous. "Absolutely not! I'm sure Leona will find a way back on his own. I'm sorry, Yuki, but I don't want any more work, and much less by risking myself for free."

"Don't worry, I understand..." Yukiko responded, already expecting such a response from him. There weren't many other students from her dorm who wanted to join the cause nor who the princess would find interest in, so she decided to give up and leave.

Meanwhile, Yuu and Grim tried their luck in Scarabia."No. I'm not going, and neither is Kalim," Jamil replied firmly. "My family would suffer the consequences if Kalim was exposed to danger. And if I went on my own, I guarantee he will find it fun and tag along. I'm afraid this time you're on your own."

"I understand, I'll tell him to come back here next time I see him," Yuu assured, discouraged. He still did not share some opinions with that vice-dorm leader, but he understood his position as a servant and could not force him if he refused to help.

In the end, Grim and the twins coincided when visiting Diasomnia and decided to ask Silver, who was with Malleus. "I can't. Now that father, I mean, Lilia and Sebek are absent, I'm the only one left to guard Malleus," Silver lamented.

"I've already told you that I'm fine on my own," Malleus replied calmly in a way of giving him permission to leave and make the proposal in his place, keeping in mind that it would be an international scandal if he, as crown prince, falsified a proposal.

"No, if Lilia was here, he would agree with me," Silver insisted. "And for that, I'm deeply sorry I can't be of assistance."

"Okay..." Both twins said at the same time, unable to say anything else and they left the dorm with low spirits...

"Nothing... Do we really have to return empty-handed?" Yukiko murmured, imagining Ortho's desperate face. They were running out of time, and they really needed people to put the Ring of Severance on the princess's finger and save Idia from a forced marriage that guaranteed death.

They had no choice but to return to the school store and break the bad news. Now that Kalim had gone back to Scarabia, there were only Ace, Riddle, Epel, Rook, Ortho, Grim, and the headmaster... "In the end, we've gathered a total of... ZERO people!" Crowley reiterated with exasperation.

"They're absolutely heartless!" Ortho exclaimed in the same way, wondering once again if using his powerful magical beam was really crossing the line if it was to save his big brother.

But the last thing to be lost was hope, which was illuminated the moment Rook and Epel stepped ahead. "There is nothing to worry about. You have two qualified suitors right here!" Rook announced as he leaned forward and pointed one hand at Epel.

Excited by the offer of new help at a crucial moment, Ortho brightened and levitated into the air again. "Mr. Rook Hunt! Mr. Epel Felmier! Are you really going to help my brother!?"

"But of course! Helping our fellow man in trouble is one of the most beautiful acts. That, and I can no longer tolerate Vil's beautiful face being insulted," Rook said. "As you can see, Epel is as motivated as I am!"

"That's right. I will save the dorm leader and make him recognize my strength!" Epel said decisively, before frowning and whispering: "And if I succeed, I won't just prove myself to him, but maybe..."

He stared at Yukiko as she looked at him with mixed feelings. She really admired his courage to show his strength at a critical moment without any hesitation, and she didn't believe he was incapable of doing it, but she didn't want that bratty princess to find anything "wrong" with him and slap him too.

"Then I'll go too," Yuu decided and approached them.

"What!?" Grim, Ace, and his sister asked in unison and Ortho needed to control himself not to jump for joy.

"You too, Mr. Yuu Oshiro!?"

"Yes, the more there are, the more likely we are to save Idia, so I'm going with you two."

"Then we welcome you with open arms, Trickster," Rook approved.

"Dude, are you sure?" Yukiko asked, now worrying about him too. "I don't want them to hurt you too!"

"Says the one who turned like crazy a moment ago, magical pen in hand..." Grim mumbled.

"Have you already forgotten I've faced way more dangerous things by now?" Yuu asked with a sly smile before sighing. "Don't worry, the worst that can happen to us is that she paralyzes us until she leaves. It's Idia who's in real danger."

"He's right, Yuki. Trust us, we can do this," Epel said.

Yukiko looked at them. It was evident that her brother had become increasingly braver since they arrived at school, and he wasn't going to be alone anyway.

"Okay, then go for it, guys," she encouraged as she looked at Epel and Yuu. "Oh yeah, you too, Rook."

"So our third team consists only of three people," Ace said, commenting on how few they were, and shrugged. "Well, I guess I can't blame others for not wanting to get involved-"

"I'll join you," Riddle decided, interrupting him.

"What!? Why!? Are you seriously going to save Trey and Cater?" Ace questioned, unable to believe what he had just heard.

"That's part of it. As the dorm leader of Heartslabyul, it is my duty to take responsibility for the shortcomings of my students. But there's something more critical than that. Aren't you forgetting something important, Ace?"

"Something important...?" Ace repeated, having no idea what he could be talking about.

"Rule No. 703 of the Law of the Queen of Hearts: 'Anyone who comes second in a croquet tournament must serve the queen tea the next day'."

"And what about it...? Ah!" Ace finally understood. "Now that you mention it."

"That's right. The one who came in second place in yesterday's croquet tournament was... Cater!" Riddle exclaimed sternly. "I have to bring him back to the dorm before tomorrow! He must serve tea to the queen -that is, me, the dorm leader-, sometime today!"

"What!? Dude, we're in an emergency. You don't need Cater, I can pour some tea for you if you want-"

"No, you can't. You didn't even rank in the top ten yesterday, Ace," Riddle refused. "To comply with the Law of the Queen of Hearts, I have to bring Cater before midnight."

"Is it really a good time to follow the rules to a T...?" Yukiko whispered.

"Well, at least we can appreciate his dedication..." Yuu responded quietly.

"Sheesh, as expected of the rules demon..." Ace muttered in response, before grinning from ear to ear. "Well, it still beats the way you were before. And it's not like any of this mess is my problem, so..."

"Then the next group to propose to the ghost will consist of me, Rook, Epel, Yuu..." He stared at Ace, who didn't want to participate in the rescue at all. "And Ace, making us five in total."

"What!? Why should I go too!?"

"Oh, you don't want to?"

"Of course not! Why would I want to get myself involved in something so problematic? I want no part of it."

Far from getting angry with Ace's refusal, Riddle only smiled maliciously when a good idea occurred to him. "Fine. Then you can go back to the dorm and take care of the hedgehogs. I already have enough with Epel."

"Huh!? Me?" The latter exclaimed, surprised at being included in the conversation.

"That's right, Epel," Riddle nodded, ignoring Ace completely. "Unlike Ace, you possess actual bravery."

Annoyed by that indirect, Ace frowned.

"My dorm's freshmen are such cowards," Riddle kept saying. "It's a pity most of them don't have a single drop of courage."

"Excuse me!?"

Seeing his tactic of using reverse psychology on Ace and convincing him to join the cause, Riddle looked at him sideways for a second. "Well, having a weakling with us would end up being a burden. They'd just slow the rest of our team down," he continued and laughed with feigned innocence. "We're lucky he's not going with us."

Playing along, Yukiko decided to add fuel to the fire and grabbed her brother by his arm. "I couldn't agree more, Riddle!" She exclaimed happily. "Epel and Yuu are way better. I doubt Ace is up to the task!"

He was already furious with what Riddle had said, but Yukiko was surely the straw that broke the camel's back.

"WHAT!?" He finally exploded. "If I go, neither Epel, nor Yuu, nor you, dorm leader, will even have a turn!"

"Oh, it's that so?" Riddle questioned, satisfied with the success of his plan.

"You bet. I'm going to make a better proposal than all of you and I'll steal the princess's heart," Ace assured, before smiling the same way. "I assure you she'll fall for me!"

"He he he. This side of Monsieur Hearts is endearingly devious," Rook whispered so that only Riddle could hear him.

"Heh. Heartslabyul students must be prepared to band together like the card soldiers," the dorm leader responded in the same tone.

"...But I'm kinda worried about the formation of this group, you know?" Ace admitted with a sigh. "Maybe Rook's fine, but the dorm leader, Epel, and Yuu are shorter than the bride."

"Ace, do you want to lose your head?" Riddle warned him, reminding everyone once again that he hated it when they talked about his short stature like that.

"I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING!!!"

"Just when I thought they were coming together, they already started bickering... We've only got 4 hours until the midnight kiss..." Ortho sighed and an idea occurred to him. "Please, Miss Yukiko Oshiro. Go with them and make sure they don't get into trouble!"

"On it, Ortho." Yukiko replied. This way she could participate in the mission and assist if necessary. "You can count on me."

"Thank you! I knew you'd say something like that."

"Just make sure not getting into trouble yourself, alright?"

"Come on, Yuu. Did I give you any reasons to doubt me?" Yukiko joked.

"Well, I don't wanna go. I don't get anythin' out of this!" Grim screeched as he put his front paws on his hips.

"Nobody was askin' you, Grim. We don't need you on the team."

Grim didn't expect Ace to say that nor be ok with him being out of the group. "What!?"

"I agree," Ortho added as he created a holographic screen to make calculations. "The odds of the bride choosing you as her groom are... very close to zero."

"Pfft-!" Yuu snorted, holding back his laughter. He also doubted Princess Eliza wanted to marry a small cat-like monster like Grim after making it clear she wanted a prince.

Just like it had just happened with Ace, although this time it was not with that intention, Grim felt his pride hurt by being doubted of his abilities. "Grrr... I didn't wanna go at first, but it pisses me off hearin' ya say that," he growled. "I'm gonna show you how charmin' can the great Grim be! I'm goin' with you!"

"Ah, how beautiful it's to see you all so impassionated to win the bride's heart!" Rook exclaimed with admiration.

"Considering how much time is left until the wedding, this will be our last chance," Crowley reminded them seriously. "If the Operation Proposal fails a third time... Young Shroud will lose his life."

Everyone gulped, realizing they now carried a significant weight on their shoulders and could not afford to make any more mistakes...

"The Ghost Bride was angry with the first and second teams for not dressing appropriately," Crowley recalled. "And she was rather taken with the wedding suit they gave young Shroud. We cannot ignore this vital piece of information. I say we take the 'measures' to create the perfect prince!"

"Do you mean we should dress like Idia?" Yuu summarized.

"Oh, I think it's a wonderful idea, headmaster!" Rook exclaimed, looking forward to it.

"It will help us make a good first impression, but where could we find elaborate clothing of that kind in such a short time?" Riddle questioned.

"If young Sam taught me something, it's that there's ABSOLUTELY NOTHING he can't sell here in the school store," Crowley said as he pointed to the building. "Come on, everyone. There's not a second to waste."

The last ones to go inside were Yukiko and Epel when she noticed that her friend seemed uncomfortable about something. "Is something wrong, Epel?"

"No, nothing," he sighed. "It's just... Well, I know it's necessary to look like the bride's ideal prince, but I'm not used to wearing fancy clothes like that, you know? I don't exactly enjoy the idea..."

Many Pomefiore students, like Rook, would love the idea of dressing up, but Yukiko knew well that was not the case for Epel. "I see, but at least it will be only for one night," Yukiko said to cheer him up. "And I think you look good in anythin'. I bet you'll even look cool!"

Epel's cheeks reddened slightly in a matter of seconds. "You... You think so?" He asked.

"Of course! Maybe even Vil will decide to leave you alone for a while."

"I doubt that. He'll might as well bug me even more and tell me to do it more frequently or something like that, I think...?" He said between nervous laughs.

"Oh... Well, let's not think about the worst result; what matters now is that you'll look cool. Come on, let's go inside or Riddle will say we're late!"

She hurried him in before her and sighed to try to calm her nervous heartbeat since, deep down, she was pretty excited to see the others dressed in fancy clothes, especially Epel.

[Published on 15/9/2023]

To Be Continued...