Arcane: The Gods Want Me to Pick a Route-Chapter 132: The Bristling Voice of the Soul

Chapter 132: Chapter 132: The Bristling Voice of the Soul

On the second floor, Jinx didn’t even stop to greet Vander or Silco. She just squeezed through the crowd and sprinted straight toward Logan.

Logan stood up to meet her, and the two of them returned to the spot he’d claimed earlier.

When Jinx saw the big plate of neatly arranged food and pastries, her eyes lit up.

She didn’t even notice that Logan had been staring at her the whole time.

Because tonight, Jinx really was beautiful.

Her skin was as pale as Logan’s—almost porcelain—but after being properly cared for, it wasn’t that sickly kind of pale anymore. It was the warm, smooth kind that looked like polished marble, exactly the kind that hit every one of Logan’s preferences.

Pale skin really did make everything look better—though it’s not like Jinx’s face had ever belonged anywhere near the word "ugly" to begin with.

She wore a white dress that fell past her knees, with a pair of pretty black boots beneath it. Her calves were slender and even, smooth as sculpture. Every so often she’d do a little impatient tap-tap with her foot, and the movement would flash a bright strip of leg under the lights.

A bracelet swayed on her thin wrist. A soft shade of lipstick colored her tempting mouth—

And she’d even put on eyeshadow.

It was light, but Logan noticed.

Alright. It wasn’t the princess gown or formal ball dress Logan had imagined, but... Jinx like this was even better than he’d pictured.

Because Jinx was Jinx.

She leaned in close to him and whispered, "Can I eat this? The cop told me it’s better not to eat too much at a banquet... because I’m a girl."

Logan blinked at her. "And what kind of logic is that?"

Jinx nodded seriously. "The cop said it’s a little Topside rule for Piltover girls. Their logic."

Everything she knew about this came from Caitlyn’s crash course earlier that afternoon.

Before she’d turned sixteen, Caitlyn had often been dragged to private gatherings hosted by rich girls—called "tea parties," but most of the time it wasn’t really about tea or pastries at all. It was girls showing off what expensive thing they’d gotten recently, or bragging about what "new skill" they’d learned, a whole lot of flexing and comparing.

Caitlyn had never liked it.

She’d loved guns since she was little, and if her mother hadn’t been a Councilor in Piltover, Caitlyn would’ve been the punchline in those noble-girl circles. So she didn’t exactly hate them, but she definitely didn’t enjoy them.

Logan listened, amused. He picked up a small pastry, held it up, and wagged it around in the air so it bobbed back and forth. Then he slowly wobbled it right up to Jinx’s mouth.

"Ahhh~"

Jinx burst out laughing.

And just like that, she stopped caring about other people’s eyes on her.

Not that she’d ever really cared in the first place—since when did Jinx worry about what other people thought?

She’d only been anxious that if she did something "improper," people might look down on Logan... or look down on Vander and Silco.

But seeing Logan’s grin—and that ridiculous, teasing way he was feeding her—she laughed so hard her shoulders shook, and everything Caitlyn told her might as well have been a mosquito whining somewhere far away.

She opened her mouth and bit down on the pastry.

Her eyes instantly went wide.

"This is so good!"

"Told you." Logan took one for himself and started chewing. "Where’s Isha? Where’d she go?"

"Vander’s got her," Jinx said, and immediately reached for another pastry.

Logan poured her a glass of juice, refusing to let her drink anything alcoholic, basically hovering at her side and taking care of her.

After all, Logan had already eaten plenty before she arrived.

Not far away—

Since the dancing hadn’t started yet, Karina and her group of girls were still sitting together, chatting. Adults might wander around the hall talking business and future plans, but for teenage girls, the fun part was huddling together and gossiping about cute guys, pretty dresses, expensive jewelry, and designer bags.

And Logan and Jinx—especially the way they were acting—had become the center of their attention.

"She’s so pale, Bobo. I think she’s even paler than you."

"She’s from Zaun. No sunlight down there—of course she’s pale. But honestly, her eyes are huge. And really pretty."

"She doesn’t feel like a ’proper lady.’ She’s not like us. But it’s weird... I don’t dislike it. I kind of envy her."

"I wish I could eat like that at a banquet, too," a round-faced girl said miserably. "They put out all this good food, and then you’re not allowed to eat it—what is that supposed to be? The first time I ever went to a party, I took one extra pastry because I really liked it. When we got home, my mom scolded me for almost half an hour. Then she hired an etiquette coach."

Karina sighed. "Same at my house."

Then someone asked, "What about you, Seraphine? Your family probably isn’t like that, right?"

Seraphine looked up and nodded. "Yeah, my family isn’t. We’re not that wealthy. My mom and dad just want me to grow up happy. They’ve always let me do what I want."

"Seraphine, I’m so jealous I could die," Karina muttered, mouth hanging open a little.

Another girl complained, "My mom keeps telling me to learn more etiquette, go to more social events, and make sure I ’beat’ my cousin in our circle. She says I’m the main family, so I can’t lose. But I’m really close with my cousin! We’re family! Why does it have to be like this? Adult world is so complicated!"

"Tell me about it," someone else groaned. "The more I look, the more jealous I get. Councilor Logan is the Lord of Zaun—his status isn’t lower than Piltover nobles at all. But look at him. He’s feeding his wife cake. We’ve been to so many parties—how often have you ever seen a man do that? Well... okay, except Councilor Talis. He pours wine for Councilor Medarda."

"Why do all the good men get married young?" Bobo puffed out her cheeks. "When I grow up, I want a man like Councilor Logan. Better to find someone who loves you than chase someone you love."

While she listened to all their "complaints," Seraphine’s lips curved into a faint smile.

Because she could hear the sounds buried deep inside people—the honest thoughts they didn’t always speak out loud. It was something she’d been born with.

Before, Seraphine had thought it was a curse. The noise in people’s hearts had scared her so badly she didn’t even dare step outside.

But after Piltover and Zaun began working together, Seraphine—who’d been hiding at home, too afraid to go out—suddenly realized something.

Those chaotic, harsh, angry sounds—

The voices of the twin cities—

Had changed.

The songs of people’s souls were no longer full of resentment and fury and bitterness. They were lighter. Happier. Filled with longing for the future.

Voices could be changed. They could become beautiful.

And that made Seraphine start thinking about her gift again. Maybe it wasn’t a curse at all. Maybe it was a talent—something she’d been born with that made her different.

That was why she’d come to this banquet in the first place. She wanted to see what Zaun’s leaders looked like, and from a distance, listen to the sounds inside their hearts. She also wanted to hear what Piltover’s Councilors sounded like beneath their polite smiles.

Then, by sheer coincidence, Seraphine ended up mixed in with Karina’s little group—because one of Karina’s friends had briefly been Seraphine’s classmate at Piltover University. Even though Seraphine eventually dropped out, that girl still remembered her and called out to her.

And honestly... with that gorgeous pink hair and a face like a storybook princess, who could look at Seraphine and forget her?

The voices coming from Karina and her friends were lively and warm. Sometimes they said one thing and meant another, but it wasn’t to the point of being fake. Like the things they’d just said—what they felt in their hearts matched what they were saying out loud.

They really were envying that blue-haired girl.

Childhood sweethearts. Handsome. Gentle and refined. High status.

A Councilor like Logan—of course every girl could imagine him as a future partner. What girl doesn’t daydream? What girl hasn’t imagined her own prince charming?

But the sound of their souls wasn’t jealousy. It wasn’t spite. It wasn’t them thinking the blue-haired girl "didn’t deserve it."

They simply wished... they could be her.

It made Seraphine want to laugh. Maybe those noble-girl circles weren’t as terrible as her mother always claimed.

Her mom had said they’d scheme against each other, bully outsiders, gang up and hurt people—

But after seeing it for herself, Seraphine realized it wasn’t like that at all.

She was still thinking about it when—

Suddenly.

Seraphine heard a soul-voice that was fierce, loud, and downright aggressive. The feeling it gave her was like—

Her mouth fell open. She stared blankly at the blue-haired girl.

What was that voice supposed to be?

She was so cute. So pretty.

So why did the sound deep inside her soul feel like that?!

It was like... a cat with its fur standing on end.

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