"Hello,"

Atticus greeted.

Zoey took subtle, deep breaths, attempting to calm her nerves. 'Just smile like when you see grandma,' she coached herself inwardly.

Zoey's expression, which had always been neutral, suddenly changed as her lips curved gently upward, forming a smile that seemed to radiate warmth and light.

It was a subtle yet captivating curve of her lips, imbued with a magnetic charm that had the power to captivate even the most indifferent observer.

In that moment, her features softened, and a sparkle danced in her eyes, illuminating her face with an ethereal glow.

The atmosphere around her seemed to shift, suffused with an aura of undeniable allure and grace.

It was as if the very essence of joy and positivity had manifested in her smile.

With this radiant smile gracing her face, Zoey turned abruptly, locking her amethyst gaze with Atticus's piercing blue eyes. She greeted him softly, her tone barely audible, "Hi."

However, instead of the expected response, all Zoey received was the sight of Atticus, frozen in his tracks, his mouth slightly agape as he stared at her.

Zoey was utterly bewildered.

'Why is he just standing there? Lumi, did I do something wrong?' she asked instantly, her cute, heart racing smile morphing into a confused frown.

'Pffft!!'

All Zoey received in response was Lumindra's hearty laughter.

'Lumi!'

After a few long seconds, Lumindra finally managed to stifle her laughter and decided address the situation.

'Ha! Bunch of virgins. Just give him a few seconds, he's probably trying to process something, pfft!' Lumindra broke into another fit of laughter as she got to that last part.

'Process something?' Zoey wondered what Atticus could possibly be trying to process.

And Lumindra had been right. Atticus was indeed grappling with something, or rather, two things. It was as if his brain had short circuited.

The moment Zoey turned, Atticus was immediately captivated by the most breathtaking smile he had ever witnessed.

It sent his heart racing, but it was the second aspect that left him momentarily paralyzed.

When Zoey spoke, it seemed as though Atticus's brain had overloaded from experiencing an overwhelming surge of beauty all at once.

After a few seconds, Atticus's eyes regained focus, his gaze meeting Zoey's, her eyes reflecting confusion as she stared back at him.

Atticus shook his head, instantly snapping out of his reverie. "Hi there, I'm Atticus. I don't think we've officially met yet."

Many might find Atticus's introduction quite normal, but to many of the tiered, it carried a huge amount of significance.

The tiered families were families filled with incredibly proud individuals. Even the most righteous individuals raised by a tiered would end up proud.

And although each of the tiered families had different views about many things, there was one thing every single one of the tiered carried with the utmost importance.

It served as a symbol of their strength, identity, and ancestral legacy.

This was none other than their family name.

Each member of a tiered family bore the weight of their lineage.

When an individual from a tiered family introduced themselves, especially to another tiered, it was customary to include their family name.

This wasn't just a matter of identification; it was a declaration that the entirety of their family stood behind them.

By adding their family name to their introduction, they conveyed unity, solidarity, and the collective support of their lineage.

However, there was a rare exception to this tradition.

If an individual sought to establish a personal connection with someone they deeply respected or wished to know on a more intimate level, they would forgo the inclusion of their family name.

This gesture signaled a desire for a more personal interaction.

Atticus hadn't cared enough to know all these trivial things; he had been too busy training to ever think about things like this.

But the same couldn't be said for Zoey. Even the littlest of etiquette had been drilled into her since childhood.

Every man Zoey had encountered previously had always introduced themselves with their family name, attempting to flaunt and boast, a behavior that consistently irked her.

Her form flinched slightly upon hearing Atticus's voice, trying her very best to suppress the rush of blood that threatened to turn her face crimson.

'Just introduce yourself and stretch your hand, dum dum,'

Zoey was snapped out of her thoughts by Lumindra's instructions. She followed the instructions.

Swiftly complying, Zoey stretched her right hand in front of her and responded, "I-I'm Zoey," stuttering slightly and only offering her first name.

This was the first time Atticus was ever experiencing such a greeting ever since his reincarnation.

And this was the same even in his past life; people hardly greeted themselves this way.

But apart from being taught as he was growing up, Atticus had watched a lot of movies on Earth; he had at the very least known what to do.

As Atticus grasped Zoey's hand, he felt the smoothness of her flawless skin. With a small bow, he planted a gentle kiss on the back of her hand.

'Calm down, Zoey. Slowly take your hand back, lock eyes with him, and wait for him to speak!' Lumindra continued giving instructions to Zoey, guiding her, who once again froze in shock at Atticus's gesture.

Following Lumindra's guidance, Zoey withdrew her hand, meeting Atticus's gaze as he straightened from the bow.

Atticus had thought of multiple ways he could handle the current situation. He could try what probably only he considered flirting and go the long way, or he could do something that more often than not worked if the lady had even the slightest bit of interest toward you: a direct approach.

Atticus wasn't 100% sure, but the smile currently on Zoey's face felt like a huge green light to him.

And Atticus was far from being a good flirt, so he decided to be direct.

"I apologize if this seems abrupt or inappropriate, but I find you to be the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, and I'm genuinely drawn to you.

"I'd like to get to know you better. Would you mind sparing me 30 minutes of your time after tomorrow's classes?"

Upon hearing Atticus's words, Zoey's expression underwent an immediate transformation.