Episode 10
Translator: RaidenTL
Episode 10
Chapter 2: For You Who Have Waited for an Answer
Standing in front of the Prefect Office, Adrian narrowed his eyes, staring at something approaching from the distance. A tower of books was staggering toward him.
A tower… walking? How?
Only then did he spot the bobbing, brown, short-cut hair beyond the tower. Huh? No way.
“Elysia?”
“Ugh, this is heavy. Here, take some.”
Adrian, who reflexively took half the books she was carrying, read the titles on the thick volumes with a bewildered expression. <Understanding General Chemistry>, <Introduction to Pharmacy>… As Adrian stood there looking dazed, Elysia grumbled.
“I figured I shouldn't be a burden. I’m going to study.”
When he didn’t answer, she frowned and looked up, only to see Adrian's face, his eyes welling up with tears. Ah, wait a minute. This is not a good sign.
♥ SYSTEM: Adrian Campbellton's Favorability +30 ♥
♥ SYSTEM: Adrian Campbellton's Favorability has reached LEVEL 2! (*´3`)♬ A ‘Route’ will now open. You have entered the <Completely Close Friends!>0< Route! ♥
“Elysia! Sob, I believed in you! Everyone else said you were a worthless delinquent, but I believed in you—”
“Aargh! I knew this little bastard would do this! Get off me!!!”
With a clatter, Adrian dropped the books and lunged at her. Horrified, she scrambled to get away. Pointing at the fallen books with her foot, her hands still full, Elysia said, her face pale.
“Pick them up and come inside. And stop doing that—the whole lunging thing. I’ll kill you, I swear…”
Elysia left Adrian to sullenly nod and gather the books he’d dropped, and stood before the shabby door of the Prefect Office.
Resting her chin on the tower of books, she was fumbling with one hand for the doorknob when a warm hand gently covered hers.
“Ack!!!”
“Ah, sorry. Did I startle you?”
Startled by her reaction, Evan stood there, not knowing what to do. Elysia, her eyes wide, stared at him for a moment before letting out a sigh of relief and shaking her head.
“Oh, no. It’s not that you startled me… well, I guess you did.”
It wasn't so much that she was startled by Evan's presence, but that the memory of Cain's cold hand brushing against hers in the library overlapped with this moment, making her flinch. Unconsciously, Elysia grabbed Evan’s hand as he started to pull away.
Ah, this person is warm. Closing her eyes, she let out a soft sigh and released his hand.
Evan, skillfully hiding his fleeting surprise, smiled.
“It seems helping you with the books would be more useful than opening the door.”
With a creak, the door opened, and the books, heavy enough to make her shoulders ache, were transferred to his hands in an instant. Holding the heavy stack as if it were nothing, Evan gestured with his head for her to go inside.
“Ah, thank you…”
Elysia gave an awkward, slight bow and was about to hurry inside when a gentle hand touched her forehead.
Her eyes widened as she turned around to see him, holding the books in one hand, awkwardly using the other to block her forehead.
“You have to duck when you go in. The doorway is low.”
“Ah, ahh… right. It is.”
“You’re kind of a klutz, aren’t you?”
Elysia shot the chuckling man a dirty look before stepping inside. When she pulled back the curtains covering the window, bright sunlight flooded in, illuminating the dark room. Evan placed the books she had brought onto a desk and asked.
“Are you planning to read all of these?”
“Once I figure out what I know and what I don't, I'll have to return them.”
“You’re diligent. If there’s anything you don’t know, just ask.”
Hmm? Elysia asked with a puzzled look.
“Uh, but we’re in different departments… aren’t we?”
“If you're helping with Adrian's research, you'll mainly be dealing with pharmacy. I know the basics of that, at least.”
She stared intently at the man’s easy smile. So this was his true nature—such a gentle face, such a kind personality. His claim that he just hadn't shown her his less sensitive side seemed to have been the truth.
First a soldier, then mastering medicine, and now pharmacy too… He was more amazing than I thought, wasn't he?
Seemingly flustered by her unblinking, silver-gray gaze, Evan asked.
“Why are you staring at me like that?”
“I’m just… amazed.”
With a look that said there was much to be amazed by, he shrugged and picked out a few books, stacking them neatly.
“Let’s keep these books here for now, and you can take just these to your dorm. They’re the best-explained, so they’ll be helpful.”
“Have you read them all?”
“Of course not. I’ve only read the table of contents.”
It was obvious he was just being modest. Wow, I get sleepy just looking at the words…
Just then, Adrian, having apparently picked up all the books from the hallway, came running into the room, smacked his forehead on the low doorframe with a loud thwack, and collapsed to the ground with a scream.
“Are you an idiot?”
Watching the books fall to the floor with a dull thud, she frowned and went over to help him pick them up. As Adrian sheepishly helped her gather the scattered books, his fingertips brushed against something soft.
In that moment, as their hands accidentally touched while picking up a book, the system detected the sign of a branching point, a chance to move from the friendship route to the love route.
Just as the system was about to raise the capture target's heart rate, announce the favorability increase, and unleash a flurry of pink heart effects, Elysia spoke, her face a mask of irritation.
“Stop messing around and pick up another one.”
“Ah, yes, ma’am.”
The player's utterly straightforward attitude was more than enough to instantly cancel a cliché powerful enough to have sent them straight down the love route.
After clearing a bookshelf for the new member and neatly storing all of Elysia’s scattered books, the three of them sat around a table. By then, the sun was setting outside the window.
Unlike Adrian, who was exhausted from moving so many books, Evan was perfectly fine, and Elysia was just about able to pretend she was.
“This space is originally for meetings and work, but we don’t actually do much, so you can come here to study anytime. There’s a sofa behind the curtain, so feel free to rest here too.”
“Why don’t you do much? You’re the prefects.”
“The only thing we do is hand out demerits~! We just give them out and report to the Student Council.”
Adrian said nonchalantly, handing her a teacup with a bright smile. Elysia stared blankly at the steam rising from the hot tea and asked.
“Is that really all?”
“Well, if students get into a fight, we break it up.”
“And after you break it up?”
“We… report it to the Student Council?”
Aha, I get it. So this place was just the Student Council’s doormat and gopher. Elysia crossed her arms and leaned back.
“So, you don’t really do anything? Other than breaking up fights and handing out a few demerits.”
“You could… say that?”
“Then why are there so few of you?”
“Eh?”
“I’m asking why a club with nothing to do only has three members. It's a chance to legally slack off, and it's not like the chemistry and medical departments are the only ones with few students, right? So why hasn't anyone else joined?”
No one dislikes having fun. The fact that nobody came to a club where you could just sign up and slack off meant there had to be a clear reason to avoid it. But what could it be… Evan smiled as he watched Elysia sink deep in thought.
“This is an educational institution where renowned nobles from all over the continent are desperate to send their children. There are commoners, since all educational support is free after passing the exam and paying a modest entrance fee, but not many can compete with the nobles who’ve received higher education since childhood.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Think about it. A fight between students most likely means a fight between the children of nobles who have only ever known victory. It’s common for these things to escalate into issues between families. No noble wants to get involved in that. And commoners are too terrified to even consider it, of course.”
“Then…”
Elysia, her eyes full of curiosity, glanced back and forth between Evan and Adrian. Realizing that Evan had already been disowned by his family, she turned her gaze to the clueless-looking idiot. Then what’s his deal?
A crooked smile on his face, Adrian puffed out his chest with a playful air.
“I’m rich. Filthy rich. I told you I live off-campus, right? That’s what most nobles do. They build or buy a mansion near Minerva for their kids to attend school from.”
“…Yeah, great for you. But so what?”
“But I’m not a noble. You get the picture, right? I have a lot of money. And on top of that, I’m the youngest! Which means I have the privilege of doing whatever I want without anyone at home saying a thing!”
…He’s kind of annoying. Ignoring his cheerful, good-natured expression, Elysia looked at Evan. He smiled silently and continued.
“Anyway, it’s a sensitive job, so it’s fine if you just put your name down and don’t participate. The two of us have been handling it just fine…”
“Are you okay, Senior?”
“Hm?”
“I heard you were kicked out of your family. Don't those assholes look down on you for it?”
Evan burst out laughing in surprise and glanced at Adrian. The red-haired young man scratched his head, his mouth agape with disbelief. Evan's lips, curved as if he'd just heard an amusing story, spoke her name.
“Elysia Hemming, you really don't know anything, do you.”
♥ SYSTEM: Evan Sylvester's Favorability +10 ♥
♥ SYSTEM: ‘Evan Sylvester’ is feeling ‘Comfort’ from your words! ♥
Elysia’s eyebrow twitched at the sudden increase in favorability. What was that? Evan was welcoming her ignorance.
“Adrian, you should have told your junior a few things.”
“Hey, I didn’t know she was that clueless!” Adrian protested, looking wronged by Evan’s chiding tone, which contrasted with his pleased expression. He looked at her and shook his head. That little… Evan’s voice was what stopped her from jumping up in anger.
“I do get ignored. Like I don't exist.”
His tone was calm, devoid of any loneliness or resentment. The burning red sunset settled on one of the man’s cheeks.
Elysia found herself unconsciously admiring the jet-black hair falling over his forehead, the straight line of his nose, and the elegant curve of his lips below it. His next words made her tilt her head in confusion.
“But it's a little different from the kind of ignoring you're talking about. Everyone's afraid of me.”
“…?”
“So I don’t have to listen to any insults. But thank you for your concern.”
The man with the droopy, puppy-dog eyes smiled as he said this.