Episode 40
Translator: RaidenTL
Episode 40
Inside the Prefect’s Office, Elysia’s brow furrowed in disbelief as she asked the question.
“So, are you saying you’re the one who wrote on that painting, or was it some other bastard? That mouth of yours isn’t just for decoration, you know. Are you going to talk or not?”
“...I don’t remember.”
Elysia, who had moved the interrogation to the Prefect’s Office, contorted her face in disgust at the bullshit that came out of Rayner’s suddenly vacant expression. Slam! She smacked her palm on the desk and ran a hand through her hair in frustration.
“Aargh! What? You don’t remember? Should I just kill this bastard right now?”
As she seethed and lunged forward, Adrian and Evan grabbed her at almost the same time, exchanging a look. It was the look of two people who knew that if they let her go, the second case of school violence was about to occur. Thrashing in their grip, she managed to kick Rayner in the leg.
“You’ve got some nerve, pulling the classic ‘I don’t recall’ line in front of me. Hey, how about you let me hit you a few times? I bet you’ll remember then.”
“I really, truly don’t remember. When I came to my senses, it had already happened. I did it, but… it wasn’t—it wasn’t me—”
“What the hell am I supposed to do with that, you crazy bastard!”
The two men dragged Elysia, who was rubbing her nose harshly with her sleeve in irritation, away from Rayner. Clutching his bruised leg and groaning, Rayner bit his lip and answered in a composed voice.
“It’s true that I tore the painting. I did it on impulse. But to mock it in front of everyone like that… I had no intention of doing so. Someone incited me.”
Elysia let out a ragged breath and scoffed.
“And it wasn’t because you were high on drugs and lost your mind?”
He hadn’t said anything about doing drugs, yet Elysia knew. Rayner froze.
“I didn’t mention—”
“This bastard’s something else. Trying to tell the story while leaving that part out? I know everything, you prick. Are you going to start talking straight or not?”
As Elysia growled and tried to approach the stunned Rayner, a hand gently grasped her shoulder. She whipped around and her aggressive demeanor faltered as she met Evan’s eyes. He took her hand, his gaze lowered.
“El? Calm down.”
“I am calm!!!”
That’s her calm voice? As Elysia shrieked loud enough to make his ears ring, he carefully began.
“...Um, well, you…”
“Seriously! Sis, your nose! You’re bleeding! It’s been like that for a while!”
Huh? A nosebleed? Me?
<SYSTEM: Fatigue has increased due to ‘Excessive Agitation.’ Continuous damage of -15 will accumulate until ‘Bleeding Stops.’>
Elysia finally realized why she had unconsciously wiped her nose with her sleeve earlier. Uh, uhh… She stared blankly at Evan with a bewildered expression, and only then did she feel the blood begin to trickle down.
“Ah, since when?”
“Yeah, so please, just calm down. Please…”
“How could you not know, Sis? Seriously, why are you so dense when you should be sharp!”
“Hah, hah…! Of all the….”
Looking around for something to plug her nose with, Elysia instinctively tilted her head back and looked at the ceiling. In that instant, Evan, with a displeased look, pulled her toward him. His hand delicately cradled the back of her head, guiding it down as he chided her in a soft voice.
“You have to lean forward.”
She could see drops of blood falling to the floor. Completely unconcerned about getting blood on his own hand, he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and pressed it against her nose. Her voice immediately became nasally. When she opened her mouth to say she could do it herself, the sound that came out was utterly ridiculous.
A light laugh escaped him, the sound echoing near her ear, as if he found her stuffy voice amusing. For some reason, the tips of her ears felt hot. With the hand that wasn’t holding the handkerchief, he gently stroked the bridge of her nose and began his characteristic nagging.
“I’ve seen many people get sick from bottling up their anger, but you’re the exact opposite. You need to learn to calm down a bit. Honestly, getting so angry you give yourself a nosebleed…”
“But that bastard—”
“I know, I know. Later, let’s deal with it later…. I don’t want to see you bleeding again.”
The man cut her off urgently, tightening his grip on her nose, and continued to laugh as if the whole situation was absurd. Annoyed by his chuckles, she jabbed a fist into his stomach. As Evan grunted, she spoke in a nasally voice.
“Don’t laugh at me.”
“Sorry, but it’s just too funny. To think you got that angry…. Ah, ugh! Stop hitting me.”
Evan, who kept laughing playfully even as she hit him, coolly stepped away the moment her nosebleed stopped.
Looking like a cat that had gotten its claws stuck in a blanket while playing, Elysia impulsively grabbed Evan’s hand as he was about to boil water for tea.
“...What is it?”
His warm hand flinched in surprise. Elysia was surprised, too. Why did I do that? What was I thinking?
She naturally pulled his hand away from the kettle and quickly made an excuse.
“I’ll do it.”
“Alright.”
Leaving the man who had readily stepped back, she stared at the water as it began to boil furiously. And she thought.
…But how do you make tea again?
*
Evan watched the shelf across the room, from which clattering sounds were coming, with a worried expression. After nearly breaking several cups, Elysia returned with a serene look on her face, carrying several teacups. Looking subtly proud, she poured the tea she had brewed herself and spoke.
“Let’s get this straight. Your inferiority complex exploded, you acted like an idiot, and you dug your own grave. Is that about right?”
To think she could summarize such a long story so concisely. Rayner brought the steaming cup to his lips, then his expression soured.
“I know the Prefect’s Office is poor, but are you so poor you have to drink tea of this quality?”
“What’s wrong with it?”
“It’s awful.”
“Hm, I agree with that. But I know for a fact those aren’t cheap tea leaves. Sis, are your hands cursed or something? I almost threw up the second I drank it—”
“Hey!”
“Did I say something wrong?”
Adrian, who had been studying peacefully in the office before Evan and Elysia dragged Rayner in, tidied the books on his desk with a cheeky grin. She slammed her hand on the desk in frustration and glared at Rayner.
“Isn’t tea supposed to be bitter? Just drink what you’re given and shut up.”
At a glance, she seemed angry, but Evan could read a subtle disappointment in her eyes. No wonder she had walked over with such a proud look on her face. His expression hardened as he spoke to Rayner.
“You should watch your mouth.”
“Why don’t you try it and then talk?”
“Like El said, how bitter can tea possibly be….”
Evan quietly took the teacup from Elysia’s hand and sniffed it. His expression grew strange. Then, he picked up the entire teapot and moved it far away. As he stood there with a serious face, wondering what to say, she frowned at him.
“Is it that bad?”
“Have you been drinking this the whole time?”
“Isn’t that how it’s supposed to taste?”
Instead of answering, Evan just gave an awkward ‘haha’ laugh. He threw out the leaves Elysia had so poorly brewed and started making a new pot.
Elysia stared blankly as Evan’s skilled hands repeatedly poured and discarded hot water. When a new cup was placed before her, she casually took a sip, then shot up from her seat in shock.
“...Huh? Is this what tea is supposed to taste like?”
“From now on, just call me if you want tea.”
“W-wow. I thought it was supposed to taste like sewage. I feel like I’ve been scammed my whole life….”
It was so fragrant that even she, with her dull sense of taste, was astonished. Noticing her wide gray eyes, Evan’s own eyes curved into a smile. Ignoring him, Elysia hastily gulped down the hot tea and grimaced.
“Ugh, hot!”
“Are you okay?”
Evan strode toward her in alarm and gently cupped her chin. With tears welling in her eyes, Elysia was too busy reading the system window floating in front of his face to notice how close he was.
<SYSTEM: HP -75 (3,380 / 3,600)>
“Ugh… I think I burned the inside of my mouth. Shit, life isn’t easy….”
“Open your mouth.”
She nonchalantly opened her mouth with an ‘ah,’ and Evan’s fingers lightly pressed against her lips. His finger brushed against the soft flesh inside her mouth before pressing gently against the roof. As she let out a soft groan, he asked.
“Is it here?”
Her silvery-gray, tear-filled eyes blinked twice before she nodded. Evan quickly rummaged through a drawer, pulled out some ointment, and gently rubbed it on the roof of her mouth, his brow furrowing slightly.
Then, as if realizing something belatedly, he hastily pulled his finger out of her mouth.
He quickly turned his back and headed for the small bathroom attached to the office, muttering.
“It might taste a bit bitter, but it’ll heal quickly.”
“Ah, thanks.”
Evan tried to ignore Elysia’s voice coming from beyond the door as he washed his hands. Then he found himself staring blankly at his fingertips and bit his lip. It was the first time they’d touched. He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head.
How many years had she said she’d spent alone in a city stained with darkness and violence? Perhaps because of that, Elysia was easily startled.
If someone nearby spoke suddenly, her body would tremble slightly and her brow would furrow. If someone tried to grab her, she would sense their presence with uncanny speed, turning and stepping back. It seemed that a kind of hyper-vigilance, like an occupational hazard, had become ingrained in her.
And he had discovered it. The woman who lived every moment with her guard up was defenseless only with him. His heart had dropped when she said she was hurt, and in his haste, he had forgotten to consider her tendencies and approach her slowly. He had just pulled her toward him.
But she had been so compliant. As she readily parted her crimson lips, Evan saw solid trust in her eyes. Pure camaraderie, nothing more, nothing less.
Strangely, that trust, which he should have taken for granted, made his heart plummet.
With a hardened expression, Evan replayed what he had just done. A self-deprecating laugh escaped him. He lightly tapped his forehead against the bathroom mirror and muttered like a groan. Please, don’t do this….
Meanwhile, Elysia was grimacing at the bitter taste in her mouth when she met the eyes of the two men staring at her with blank faces.
“What are you staring at?”
“...What was that?”
“What did you just do?”
Rayner and Adrian were looking at her with confused eyes. Elysia was baffled by their horrified expressions. What? What’s going on?
“What are you two… what are you doing…. No, Sis, after all that shit you talked about him to me.”
“Ah, there was a misunderstanding about that. We worked it out!”
“So are you two, uh… dating or something?”
Elysia raised an eyebrow and answered curtly.
“If you’re going to talk, make some sense. Stop spouting bullshit.”