Who Owns The Crown
Freedom
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
*yawns~*
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
Finally.
The word echoed through Serena’s mind as the iron gates slowly opened.
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
💭 K...
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
💭 So this is Kingsley?
[ Kingsley University, Geneva ]
“Kingsley” is an internationally recognized name.
They have the world’s largest academic library. They are the world’s oldest university. They boast the highest-caliber alumni.
Plenty of other universities may have the same if not lesser programs/resources, but Kingsley is... Kingsley.
There’s not much else to say about it.
It’s the best school for rich heirs to lounge off—or make their marks.
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
*pulls over*
Serena, on the other hand, is oblivious to the heads turning toward her car.
At most universities, a car like that would have caused chaos by now.
But everyone here was wealthy.
So, her customized Ferrari simply sparked curiosity. Because even among Kingsley’s elite, the Ferrari was unfamiliar.
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
*checking the map on her phone*
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
💭 ... turn right here.
Extra 1
*lowering her iced coffee*
Extra 3
*squinting toward the courtyard steps*
Extra 2
Two months into the semester? Seriously?
Extra 4
Hey, look at the car plate...
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
*opens the message*
Karina Uehara (FL’s BFF)
📲 Are you almost there, Sera?
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
📲 Hey, I’m almost at the parking area.
Karina Uehara (FL’s BFF)
📲 Okay then, I’ll wait for you at the fountain!
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
*turns off her phone*
Today... was her first day of freedom.
At least, that was what Serena Hart had told herself when she boarded the plane leaving Russia three days ago.
Freedom from the endless surveillance of the family’s official “soldati.”
Freedom from dinners where men twice her age decided death of others between courses.
Freedom from the weight of the surname she holds.
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
*adjusts her cap and pulls her bag closer to her shoulder*
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
*picks up her coffee before kicking the car door close*
She arrived in what seemed to be an isolated parking area.
Serena followed the GPS coordinates on her screen, and finally emerged into the empty courtyard, right where the fountain stood.
Karina Uehara (FL’s BFF)
*hugs her* I missed you, Seraaa~!
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
*smiles*
Serena shoved her phone into her back pocket, then reached up to remove her AirPods, dropping them into her bag as she approached.
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
We’ve only been separated for three days.
Karina Uehara (FL’s BFF)
Hehe~ That’s too long!
Karina Uehara (FL’s BFF)
But you’re late! *dramatically*
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
That matter took longer than I expected.
Karina Uehara (FL’s BFF)
I’m just kidding! I missed you, Sera dear!
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
I haven’t slept at all for two days, Rinaaa. *pouts*
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
I missed youuu!
Karina Uehara (FL’s BFF)
How did you even drive to here? *worried*
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
It’s fine, I can handle it. *smiles*
Karina Uehara (FL’s BFF)
*worriedly nods*
Karina Uehara (FL’s BFF)
*looks at her closely*
Karina Uehara (FL’s BFF)
Did the uniform not get to you?
A dangerous silence followed.
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
... what uniform?
Karina Uehara (FL’s BFF)
Oh no.
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
Karina.
Karina Uehara (FL’s BFF)
I may have forgotten to give it to you before I left Milan.
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
You forgot... ?
Karina Uehara (FL’s BFF)
In my defense, you looked too pretty during brunch and it distracted me.
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
Karina.
Karina Uehara (FL’s BFF)
Okay, fine, yes, I forgot.
Karina Uehara (FL’s BFF)
But honestly, this is better. Make a grand entrance, Sera!
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
*pinches the bridge of her nose*
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
*sighs*
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
💭 There goes my ordinary student life (flying away).
Name: Serena Hart (FL)
Year: Freshman (18)
College: Sovereign
Nationality: Russian
Name: Karina Uehara (FL’s BFF)
Year: Freshman (18)
College: Vanguard
Nationality: Japanese
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
💭 ... Not like I was planning on playing nice anyway.
Trouble
Karina Uehara (FL’s BFF)
Uh-oh.
Karina Uehara (FL’s BFF)
There’s no time!
Karina Uehara (FL’s BFF)
My baby!
Karina Uehara (FL’s BFF)
*runs off*
Karina Uehara (FL’s BFF)
Ah- You got this, Sera!
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
*facepalms*
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
*looks at her clothes*
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
💭 Is it such a big deal?
Serena ignored the stares and murmurs along the way as she finally stepped into a crowded hallway of Kingsley.
Navigating the corridors using her phone, she found herself in the North Wing, searching for the lecture hall for Advanced Economics.
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
*reached for the heavy double doors*
But before her hand could touch the brass handle, the proximity sensor overhead blinked a sudden amber.
The electronic deadbolts slid into place, locking her out.
Her pulse flatlined into a cold, hyper-focused calm.
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
💭 I had burned every detail, cycled every MAC address, and meticulously build this identity with countless digital footprints.
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
💭 I’m sure it’s a flawless cover.
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
💭 So why did the door lock?
Serena’s thumb rested naturally over the power button of her phone, ready to initiate a remote wipe of her accounts.
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
💭 Is it the security system, or...
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
💭 ... Did father already find me here?
She had exactly three seconds to pivot before the hallway traffic noticed she was the target.
... Or so she had thought.
When suddenly, a voice drawled.
Lucas Arden / Lucy (ML)
You’re in the wrong place.
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
*stiffens*
Her instincts, honed in her past, kicked in instantly. She looked around with her sharp gaze, scanning for threats.
... Instead, she found a boy.
He was leaning against a stone pillar. His Kingsley jacket was unzipped, his tie loosely pulled, and AirPods in his ears. His hair seemed... damp?
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
Pardon?
Lucas Arden / Lucy (ML)
*eyes her up and down to observe*
Lucas Arden / Lucy (ML)
The ‘I forgot my uniform’ club meets in the dean’s office.
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
💭 Who is he?
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
💭 His clothes don’t even match the others.
Serena narrowed her eyes.
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
I could say the same.
Lucas Arden / Lucy (ML)
*grins*
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
💭 What is he grinning for?
Lucas Arden / Lucy (ML)
You’re taking Advanced Econ, right?
Before she could answer, he stepped forward and opened the lecture hall doors.
Lucas Arden / Lucy (ML)
After you.
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
💭 What the— so this IS the right place.
Then another thought hit her.
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
💭 But how did he know which class I was taking?
As she hesitated, he leaned down slightly behind her ear.
Lucas Arden / Lucy (ML)
I saw it on your phone. *whispers in a low, deep voice*
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
*flustered*
She stepped inside too quickly to recover her dignity.
The massive lecture hall fell silent.
Three hundred students turned to look at them simultaneously.
At the front, Professor Aldrich stopped mid-sentence.
Professor Aldrich
*eyes lands on Serena*
Professor Aldrich
*then Lucas behind her*
Professor Aldrich
*then Serena again*
Professor Aldrich
*then Lucas*
[ Serena and Lucas at the moment. ]
Professor Aldrich
*blinks once*
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
... Is this Advanced Economics?
Three hundred students stared at her in horror.
Professor Aldrich
*slowly nudges his glasses*
Professor Aldrich
... Yes.
The room immediately sensed entertainment.
Professor Aldrich
Miss, either you are catastrophically lost, or the dress code suffered a tragic and untimely death.
Professor Aldrich
*points at Serena*
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
*froze*
Professor Aldrich
are you wearing?
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
... Clothes?
A few students burst into laughter.
Professor Aldrich
*closes his eyes briefly like he was praying for patience*
Professor Aldrich
*gestures toward the extravagant, perfectly dressed lecture hall*
Professor Aldrich
is Kingsley University. Not a café!
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
*opens her mouth*
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
*and closed it again*
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
💭 (inner monologue) Honestly, fair.
Professor Aldrich
*gaze shifts toward Lucas*
Professor Aldrich
And YOU.
Lucas Arden / Lucy (ML)
*removes one AirPod lazily*
Lucas Arden / Lucy (ML)
... Morning, professor.
Professor Aldrich
It is 8:23.
Lucas Arden / Lucy (ML)
Still technically morning.
Several students physically lowered their heads to hide their laughter.
Professor Aldrich looked moments away from registration.
Professor Aldrich
Tell me, Mr. Arden, do you arrive late to your swimming competitions as well?
Lucas considered it for a second.
Lucas Arden / Lucy (ML)
Only if I know I’ll still win.
Professor Aldrich
Extraordinary!
Professor Aldrich
The arrogance. The confidence. The complete absence of shame!
Professor Aldrich
*notices Serena again*
Professor Aldrich
Wonderful. *deadpans*
Professor Aldrich
Now there are the two of you!
Professor Aldrich
*points dramatically at the two of them*
Professor Aldrich
Look around you. Do you see what every student in this room has in common?
Lucas Arden / Lucy (ML)
*glanced around lazily*
Lucas Arden / Lucy (ML)
Fear?
Professor Aldrich
*snapped*
Professor Aldrich
UNIFORMS!
To be fair, neither of them were wearing the uniform correctly.
Professor Aldrich inhaled slowly like a man practicing self-restraint for legal reasons.
Then turned toward the class with the exhausted expression of a man losing control of society itself.
Professor Aldrich
For those unfamiliar,
Professor Aldrich
Kingsley University operates under a STRICT code of conduct designed to cultivate DISCIPLINE,
Professor Aldrich
professionalism,
Professor Aldrich
AND academic excellence.
Professor Aldrich
*turns to look at the two again*
Professor Aldrich
So, dear students, did you not read the school’s code of conduct before you SIGNED it? ☺️💢
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
💭 Well, I guess it IS a big deal.
Name: Lucas Arden (ML)
Year: Sophomore (19)
College: Sovereign
Affiliation: Kingsley University Varsity Swim Team
Character:
- Charming with a sharp tongue.
- A tardy and lazy slacker (?)
Name: Aldrich
Pos. & Affiliation: Professor of Economics, College of Sovereign
Character:
- A man whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by his reputation for merciless adherence to the Code.
Trouble (Part 2)
Professor Aldrich
Because Mr. Arden here has spent a year treating that handbook like fictional literature. ☺️💢
Professor Aldrich
*gestures toward Lucas*
Lucas Arden / Lucy (ML)
*gives a small nod of acknowledgment*
Professor Aldrich
*points dramatically at Serena*
Professor Aldrich
you must be Miss Hart?
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
*nods* Serena Hart.
Immediate whispers spread through the hall.
Extra 1
That was Serena Hart?
Extra 4
She’s the girl in that ‘GE 1’ car!
Extra 4
Her car plate! It was all over the news for smashing the world record for the most expensive car plate ever bought.
Extra 3
That one bought for 15 million USD?!
Extra 2
How did she even get accepted two months late into the semester anyway?
Extra 3
A more concerning question is: why is she dressed like that?
Professor Aldrich continued mercilessly.
Professor Aldrich
Miss Hart appears to have interpreted our dress code as a creative suggestion.
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
*lifted her coffee slightly*
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
If it helps,
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
I actually did read the handbook.
Professor Aldrich looked hopeful for the first time all morning.
Professor Aldrich
Excellent.
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
I just disagreed with most of it.
Professor Aldrich
*facepalms*
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
In my defense, the handbook was seventy-two pages too long for some rules.
Professor Aldrich
Eighty pages.
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
That somehow makes it worse.
Professor Aldrich
I- For one, it builds character. ☺️
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
It builds resentment. *shakes her head*
A student somewhere in the back audibly wheezed.
Even Lucas laughed under his breath.
Professor Aldrich stared at the ceiling for a long moment before pointing toward the empty seats at the front.
Professor Aldrich
Sit down. Both of you. Before Kingsley’s reputation declines further.
The atmosphere in the room instantly shifts into a mix of quiet pity and immense gratitude.
Extra 1
Oh, man. Rest in peace to both of them. Professor Aldrich is in a mood today.
Extra 2
Hey, better them than us. I skipped breakfast to get here at 7:40AM just so I wouldn’t end up facing the professor one-on-one.
Extra 2
If I had to sit down there, I’d literally pass out.
Extra 4
Don’t laugh, dude, it’s cruel. The professor is so gonna target them for every single question today.
Extra 3
Well... I’m just glad it’s not me.
Extra 3
Professor Aldrich won’t look past row three for the next ninety minutes because they’re sitting there. 🥹🙏🏻
Extra 3
I can actually sit in peace now. *leaning back*
... Lucas and Serena have just become this lecture hall’s human shields for the day.
Professor Aldrich
And remove that cap, Miss Hart.
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
*blinks and instinctively starts to reach up to take it off herself*
Before her hand can even reach her head, Lucas leans in close to her face.
With a subtle smirk, his fingers brush past hers as he takes the cap right off her head.
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
*freezes, flustered as her hand hovers in mid-air*
At that moment, something skipped a beat.
Whispers followed them like wildfire as they walked to the front, and as usual, Serena ignored the murmurs.
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
*looks around, her eyes automatically landing on the exits and windows of the lecture hall*
Lucas Arden / Lucy (ML)
*looks at her and leans in* You recover fast.
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
*glances at him*
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
From what?
Lucas Arden / Lucy (ML)
Most people panic after Aldrich targets them.
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
*calmly sips her coffee*
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
Most people probably follow the dress code.
Lucas Arden / Lucy (ML)
*looked at her for a second*
Lucas Arden / Lucy (ML)
*then grins again*
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
💭 There it is again. 💢
Serena looked away.
Why was he smiling again?
... And why was it annoyingly pretty?
Professor Aldrich watched them take their seats in the front row with the expression of a man deciding whether to retire early or start banning students personally.
Professor Aldrich
*tapped his marker against the podium once*
Professor Aldrich
As I was saying...
Professor Aldrich
*points at the equations glowing at the massive screen behind him*
Professor Aldrich
As we can observe,
Professor Aldrich
market collapse is rarely caused by one catastrophic decision. It is caused by repeated negligence from people who believe rules do not apply to them.
Professor Aldrich
And today, we have two prime examples.
Professor Aldrich
*looks at Serena and Lucas with surgical precision*
Lucas Arden / Lucy (ML)
You know you just declared war on half the faculty.
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
*takes another sip of her coffee*
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
And you?
Lucas Arden / Lucy (ML)
*smirked faintly*
Lucas Arden / Lucy (ML)
I’ve been at war with them since freshman year.
Professor Aldrich
Mr. Arden, perhaps you could enlighten the class.
The professor called out, not turning around.
Lucas Arden / Lucy (ML)
*whispers to Serena* There it is.
Professor Aldrich
If the market is flooded with... let’s call them 'unrefined goods'... what happens to the value of the standard commodity?
The rest of the class was like a wall of eyes shifting toward their seats in the front row.
Lucas Arden / Lucy (ML)
If the commodity is truly valuable, professor, the influx of 'unrefined' alternatives only highlights the quality of the original.
Lucas doesn’t even sit up, staring blankly ahead at the podium.
Lucas Arden / Lucy (ML)
It creates a contrast. It forces the standard to prove its worth rather than relying on its label.
A ripple of stunned silence moved through the room.
Aldrich turned around, his expression unreadable. For a long second, he just stared at him.
Professor Aldrich
A bold assessment, Mr. Arden.
Professor Aldrich
Though, in this economy, the 'original' usually finds the 'alternative' to be nothing more than a nuisance.
Lucas Arden / Lucy (ML)
*in a daze, staring at the professor*
Before Aldrich can press him, Serena interjects smoothly from right beside him.
Serena Hart / Sera (FL)
Nuisances can be profitable if you know how to leverage them.
Aldrich’s jaw tightened. It was the closest to losing his temper the man had ever come in the history of Kingsley.
He exhaled a long, measured breath, turning back to his graphs.
Professor Aldrich
We shall see, Miss Hart.
Professor Aldrich
We shall see how well you leverage your final exam grades.
Lucas Arden / Lucy (ML)
💭 I spoke too much.
Lucas Arden / Lucy (ML)
💭 ... I almost gave myself away.
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