Episode 62
Translator: RaidenTL
Episode 62
Chapter 6: Case 2_Curiosity kills a……
She could barely sit still. Elysia fidgeted with her fingers, but a sharp voice instantly snapped her to attention, and she straightened her back.
Siene, graphite in hand, frowned at the canvas and said, “Stay still.”
“When is this going to be over?!”
Siene gave Elysia a look that said she was a lost cause. Normally, she would have requested a pose that required the model to tense their entire body and hold it.
But right now, Elysia was simply sitting on the windowsill, leaning casually. Siene had even been considerate enough to let her take a comfortable position, yet she was still making a fuss.
Ignoring Elysia’s whining, Siene stared at the canvas with a deadpan expression, corrected a few lines, and said with displeasure, “It hasn’t even been fifteen minutes since we started.”
“Ugh, you think I have nothing better to do?”
“And you think I’m painting your portrait because I’m free?”
Elysia’s jaw dropped at Siene’s brazen remark, delivered with a prim expression.
“Are you crazy? You’re the one who asked—”
“Quiet. Shut up and stay still.”
Muttering under her breath, Elysia shut her mouth and fixed her gaze on the tip of Siene’s hand as it sketched her features with complete concentration.
It had all started with something trivial. This whole strange affair began when Siene, after uttering the cringey line, “So, we’re friends now, right?”, suddenly burst into the Prefect Office.
“I’ll paint your portrait.”
As Adrian jabbered away, poking her in the side—“Big sis, big sis. Won’t you at least give her a glance?”—Elysia pinched his arm, making him yelp, “Ack!” The sound echoed through the office.
Frowning at the specialized textbook in her hands, Elysia answered without even looking toward the door.
“Don’t need one.”
“...You really don’t want one?”
Siene seemed quite taken aback by her curt refusal. Faced with a look of utter shock that seemed to scream, ‘She’s refusing this?’, Elysia calmly asked back.
“Why would I need that? It’s not like I’d gain anything from having my face plastered everywhere.”
“But it would be nice to look at, wouldn’t it?”
“...But I don’t need it.”
“Why wouldn’t you...?”
“...Why would I?”
Extreme pragmatism and extreme artistry were never going to understand each other.
Siene pulled out a chair in the Prefect Office and sat down as if she’d always belonged there, then grabbed Elysia’s sleeve. Startled by Siene shaking her arm back and forth, Elysia let a curse slip out naturally.
“Ah, shit, what’s with you all of a sudden?”
“I’ve wanted to paint you for a long time!”
“Hey, use that time to paint something pretty. What’s the point of painting something shitty like me? People are going to mock you for not even having money for a model.”
Realizing what she’d just said, Elysia covered her mouth and quickly asked, “...Wait, is it really because you don’t have money? Should I pay for the model fee? This is what patrons are for, what are you doing—”
“That’s not it! You...”
Siene hesitated for a moment before biting her lip in determination. Clenching both fists, she continued.
“You... you have a fascinating face. A face I feel compelled to capture with my own hands.”
...She had no idea if that was a compliment or an insult. Fascinating? What part of her? She subconsciously touched her own face. Nothing seems different from anyone else, does it?
Elysia irritably swept her hair back and asked, “Hey, if you’re just saying my face looks like shit because you’re pissed I said no—”
“That’s not it! Who do you think I am, you? Hurry up and ask me to paint your portrait! Come on, quickly!”
Finding Siene dangling from her arm so hard it was stretching her shirt sleeve, Elysia thought with an incredulous expression, Has she completely lost her mind?
With a blank face, she beckoned with a finger to Adrian, who was writing a lab proposal across from her.
“Hey, bring me some paper.”
“Huh? Why paper all of a sudden?”
“I’m going to write ‘No Solicitors’ and stick it on the office door.”
“What? Are you saying I’m a solicitor?!”
“Close enough.”
Siene hugged Elysia’s arm tightly, her eyes sparkling. Elysia let out a small groan and tried to look away.
Undeterred, Siene’s slightly moist, pink eyes blinked lovingly, urging her on.
“You really won’t do it?”
“I said no! You’re doing this on purpose because you know I’m weak to that expression!”
“Tch.”
Pouting, Siene let go. Elysia looked at her with pity before scowling again and turning her attention back to her book.
“Are you trying to save on model fees? I told you I’d pay—”
“That’s not it! When I look at you, I feel inspired. It’s like you came from another world....”
At those words, Elysia froze. She slowly lifted her head and stared at Siene, who was clearly dejected. Feeling the weight of her gaze, Siene stiffened when she heard Elysia’s unexpected reply.
“Fine. Paint it.”
“Really?!”
With a short shriek, Siene threw her arms around Elysia. Pushing her away with a weary expression, Elysia had a feeling she was willingly walking a path of suffering.
And her prediction was spot on.
“Smile.”
“I smiled.”
“Hm, no. Why are you smiling like that? You look better when you’re not smiling. Close your mouth. Lower your eyes slightly and look at the floor.”
“...”
“That’s not it either... What’s wrong with your face? How strange. Can you roll your eyes toward the ceiling?”
She was starting to resent her past self, who had readily agreed, thinking, How hard can it be to just sit still and show my face?
Siene’s demands were far more numerous and incredibly detailed than she’d expected. The moment Siene genuinely muttered, “What’s wrong with your face?” Elysia almost shot up to grab her by the collar.
“Aargh!”
“This is all to make the painting better. Tilt your head down just a little more.”
“Shit! Just give up!”
“Don’t move.”
Despite their bickering, Elysia lowered her head slightly as requested. There, you happy?! Siene paid no mind to her outburst, instead staring at the canvas with a dissatisfied look.
“This isn’t the right feeling...”
“Ah, just stop! How many days has it been? And tell that bastard to leave.”
“I’m not looking at you. I came here because I have my own work to do.”
Lucian, who had settled a few paces away from Siene and was sketching something, scowled.
The realization that she was in the same room with people she had been at odds with just a few months ago gave Elysia a strange feeling, and she fell silent. Glaring at Lucian, she asked, “You don’t even do anything when you come here, so why do you keep following us?”
“When did I ever follow you?!”
“Come to think of it, this bastard is fucking suspicious. He was hovering around at lunch, too. What’s your deal?”
Lucian’s face immediately turned red. He hastily closed the small sketchbook he was holding and stammered.
“How did you know—”
“You think this is the first or second time I’ve been followed?”
At Elysia’s words, Siene paused her busy hands and cut in as if she’d heard something bizarre.
“What are you talking about? Why would you have been followed before? Did you commit a crime or something?”
“Something like that.”
Elysia dodged the question nonchalantly, a crooked smile on her face as she teased Lucian.
“Why don’t you just be honest and say you’re sorry for the misunderstanding and want to apologize.”
“I already received an apology.”
Siene calmly countered her words as she sketched Elysia’s curly hair. Elysia tilted her head, confused by the unexpected remark, but immediately straightened up with a wince under Siene’s chiding glare.
What? Then why is he following us? Unable to understand, she asked, “No, then why are you following us?”
“I told you, I’m not!”
“And what are you drawing, anyway?”
“M-Mind your own business.”
She could see his hand, gripping the sketchbook as if someone might snatch it away, had turned white. Well, isn't that strange. Elysia looked away from Lucian and barely suppressed a yawn as drowsiness began to set in.
Just then, the door burst open with a bang. Elysia raised her right eyebrow slightly and glared at the cause of the commotion. Huh, is that?
“...Elysia Hemming.”
Blair’s dark blond hair was a complete mess as he strode into the room. The last time she’d seen him—when he was high on drugs—he had still been impeccably neat. But for some reason, he looked like a wreck now.
Narrowing her eyes, Elysia said, “What?”
“We need to talk.”
“I’m not desperate enough to waste my time on a drug addict. And, weren’t you expelled?”
Blair’s eyes snapped shut as if her words had struck a nerve. He opened them and replied, “I’ve quit, and my family’s been on my case, so I’m getting treatment. I have something to talk about, so just give me a minute.”
What an arrogant bastard. She reflexively raised her middle finger and burst out laughing in disbelief.
“If you got kicked out, you should have the decency to be ashamed and never come back. What is this, a tourist attraction? You think you can just waltz in whenever you want? Besides, you snuck in, didn’t you? Get lost.”
Siene, clearly annoyed by the sudden intruder, answered for Elysia.
“I don’t think he snuck in.”
“What?”
“There’s something called a Minerva Tour Pass. It’s supposed to be a lottery system, but it’s been completely corrupted. Shops have popped up that buy the passes from the winners and sell them at a high price. He probably bought one to get in.”
Holy shit, it really is a tourist attraction? While Elysia stood there, dumbfounded, Blair offered a grudging thanks to Siene.
“Right. At least you make some sense.”
“Would you mind... not talking down to me? It’s annoying how you act like a senior when you’ve been expelled.”
Blinking her innocent-looking eyes, Siene casually landed a devastating blow. Blair’s face went blank for a second.
Elysia burst out laughing. Wow, she hasn’t lost her touch. Her smile vanished in an instant, replaced by a cold sneer.
“What could an expelled bastard possibly have to say? If you want to blame me for getting kicked out, then shut up and get out.”
“Help me.”
The words were grave. She froze. Just as she was about to pull a notepad from inside her school jacket, a blood-red system window appeared, heralding the start of something.
A ‘Case Request’ has occurred. Will you accept the request? Y | N