Chapter 40
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Between Chance and Ill Fate
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"..."
"..."
On the way out of the forest toward the dormitory.
A heavy, sticky silence hung between the faintly visible figures.
Normally, Elysia would have taken the lead with her usual cheerfulness.
But right now, she was like a wilted flower—ears drooping, head bowed, silently trudging ahead.
It was only natural.
The shock of witnessing the ugly side of the man she'd trusted and followed hadn't faded yet.
"..."
And yet, I—the one who'd pulverized Leon, who had been her friend—
couldn't exactly console her gloom with a casual "You okay?" That would just look ridiculous.
So instead of speaking to Elysia, I simply hurried toward the dormitory in silence, eyes fixed ahead.
At least Celine was in the middle, glancing at her with concern and looking after her. That was a relief.
'Well, time will heal it.'
Awkward words of comfort would only reopen wounds.
Better to give her space to think and sort it out herself.
'She must have been pretty shocked.'
Of course. It wasn't just someone she knew by face.
Just like that bastard Leon had said, they seemed quite close.
And my act of turning the Leon she'd trusted into mush
must have affected her deeply.
'Even so, she followed me.'
To be honest, her choice had been completely outside my expectations.
I'd thought she'd stay by Leon's side and nurse him.
And Elysia wasn't heartless enough to abandon an injured person.
No matter how rotten that guy's insides were, cutting off a long-standing bond wasn't easy.
With someone she'd just met like me or Celine, it was natural she'd lean toward his words.
That's just human nature.
And yet, she accepted my decision
and walked away, leaving the fallen man behind.
"..."
As I pondered the meaning of that choice while walking,
Elysia, who had been quietly keeping pace beside me, broke the silence in a subdued voice.
"...Young Master."
"Yes, Miss Elysia?"
"Was I wrong to leave him there?"
Her voice trembled faintly,
conveying the full mix of guilt and confusion.
"No."
I shook my head firmly.
"You simply chose to protect yourself."
"Protect... myself?"
"You saw his eyes. That wasn't the look of a worried friend."
Yeah. That repulsive gaze.
It wasn't overt, but when our eyes met hers,
for a brief moment, several times, I'd caught that vulgar glint revealing his true intentions.
A slimy, possessive stare dripping with lust.
If even I—a bystander—noticed it, she must have sensed it unconsciously too.
"You've seen it up close, so you'd know better than anyone."
"..."
At my blunt words, Elysia bit her trembling lip slightly.
Pain from facing the truth she'd tried to ignore flashed across her face.
"To be honest... I've felt it for a long time."
"That Brother Leon's attitude toward me was changing bit by bit."
She hugged her arms, her body shivering faintly.
"At first, I thought it was just overprotectiveness. But... it started feeling suffocating."
"Checking who I meet, where I go, every single day. Like I was a bird locked in a cage..."
"That's obsession."
Overprotectiveness, my ass.
It was straight-up obsession.
I drove the point home impassively.
"If you'd let it slide, it would've gotten worse. It was a bomb waiting to go off, today or someday."
"...You're probably right."
Elysia gave a bitter smile.
"Thank you, Young Master. Thanks to you, I could be honest. Though... your method was a bit extreme."
"Some guys only understand fists better than words."
At my shameless reply, she let out a faint pfft, a hint of a smile.
Her shadowed face brightened a little—good.
"We're here."
By the time we reached the dormitory entrance, the blazing sunset cast long shadows.
"...Then I'll head in first."
"Eh, Elysia? Dinner?"
"...Yeah. Not hungry today. I want to rest. Sorry. Eat with the Young Master tonight."
Her slumped shoulders looked pitiful, but she needed time alone now.
She flashed a faint smile and vanished inside.
"..."
Once her figure was completely gone,
Celine, who'd been quietly watching, let out a soft sigh.
"...You look like you have something to say."
Her gaze lingered worriedly on the door before turning to me—stubbornly probing.
Not just worry; more like she wanted to confirm something.
[Absorbing negative emotion 'Doubt'.]
[Absorbing negative emotion 'Jealousy'.]
'...?'
What the hell, all of a sudden?
"Brother, did you...?"
Did I what?
"Did you... do it because of Elysia?"
Celine asked cautiously, eyeing me.
I pondered what she meant by her words,
but...
"What are you talking about?"
Still no clue.
Elysia out of nowhere? What for?
"...Suddenly charging at that guy Leon. Because you saw Elysia in trouble. To save her, right?"
Oh. That.
I stared blankly at her for a moment,
then burst into dry laughter.
"...Save her?"
Celine flinched at my incredulous tone.
"Don't get the wrong idea, Rin. I didn't step in to save anyone."
"...Huh?"
"I just didn't like that bastard."
I scratched the back of my head and spat it out casually.
"...Elysia benefiting from it was just a coincidence."
This was sincere.
If Leon hadn't pissed me off, I wouldn't have bothered fighting and wasting energy.
I had enough on my plate just handling my own shit.
Of course, Elysia escaping that creep's clutches was fortunate,
but it was merely a side effect.
I'm no apostle of justice.
Me, who's been diligently avoiding entanglements,
risking my life for one of the heroines? Absurd.
I just cleared out some annoying pests in front of me.
That's all.
Whether Jotkiss or Leon.
Nothing more, nothing less.
"So don't overthink it."
I drew a firm line.
Sacrificing for others, playing hero—suits me not.
Too busy surviving to babysit stalkers.
If things had gone as in the original, I wouldn't have needed to intervene.
There was Iris, the protagonist of The Glory.
She'd have shown up and handled it.
Besides, fated for the protagonist, no worries.
She wouldn't end up with that sleazy bastard.
...Assuming it followed the original.
"...That's really all?"
"Yeah."
For some reason, Celine's expression softened subtly at my firm answer.
Relief? Or something else? Unclear.
Didn't seem like she'd answer if asked.
Above all, it was annoying. Pointless emotional drain—I just wanted to crash.
If I had a stamina gauge, it'd be near zero.
"Yeah... That's so you, Brother."
She murmured softly with a faint smile.
Trust? Resignation to my nature? Who knows.
"...Then I'll head in too."
As I quickened my pace before she could say more,
"B-Brother!"
Grip.
She called so urgently her tongue tripped,
clutching my clothes to stop me.
Drag drag drag.
"Ugh..."
Her grip too weak, she was being pulled along instead.
"Please, just a moment..."
...Sigh. I'd told her back at the mansion to stay away.
Why go this far despite that? Unfathomable.
"...What is it?"
"B-Brother. Aren't you hungry? Let's go eat... dinner together."
She looked ready to cry if I refused,
tears welling in her clear eyes.
[My lord. What do you plan to do? Ignore her like last time, and she'll cry again.]
Even I could see it—no need for elaboration.
"Rin. Didn't I tell you before..."
We're going separate ways, so don't get closer.
She shook her head vigorously, as if she hadn't heard,
or refused to,
cutting me off urgently.
"E-Elysia's not eating. So... yeah? Let's eat together... please."
With a pitiful smile, she pulled my arm into her embrace.
[My lord. Just go for now? Eyes are gathering around.]
"..."
Glance.
Sure enough, from dormitory windows to students on nearby paths,
all had stopped, staring our way.
"...Fine."
So let go of my arm first. It's buried, and I can't even look away properly.
Under countless gazes, I feigned defeat and let her drag me back to the cafeteria.
Imir—the foodie I'd left in the room—crossed my mind, but...
Whatever, I'll handle it later.
+ + +
If someone asked one perk of Class S,
I could proudly say:
'You can freely bring cafeteria food into your room.'
By the time I finished eating and packed food in both hands to head back, night had fully fallen.
It took longer than expected; arriving at my door, I felt a twinge of tension.
Though I'd stocked extra sandwiches the day before, just in case.
[You stacked food like a mountain, so it'll be fine. My lord.]
"Yeah, probably."
Click.
Taking a deep breath, I opened the door—and was met with a bizarre standoff.
In the room's center, Imir stood with arms crossed, leaning defiantly.
Opposite her, Kaien perched on the bed, glaring with contempt.
"..."
"..."
The air was frigid.
Like a powder keg on the verge of explosion, thick tension hung.
"What're you two doing?"
Both gazes snapped to me.
"Master! Why so late! I thought I'd starve!"
Imir whined, rushing over.
Her eyes weren't on my face, but the food bags in my hands.
"...Eat first."
I tossed her sandwiches and drumsticks from the cafeteria.
Imir cheered, snatched them, and zipped to her room.
I'd expected feral rampage,
but her simplicity was a blessing.
"Haa..."
I sighed, entering.
Kaien still scowled at me, full of displeasure.
"You're late."
"Was eating. Something happen?"
"Happen? Pfft."
He scoffed in disbelief.
"Train your damn maid properly. Not a shred of manners."
"Why? Did she touch you?"
"Touch...? N-No... I mean, her mere existence is annoying."
What the hell is he imagining?
I meant literally touch—in pure terms.
Kaien, perhaps guilty, snapped irritably before slamming his book shut and standing.
"Parades in underwear, chomps snacks noisily... Can't share space with that!"
Ah. I could picture it.
Classic Imir.
I'd warned her countless times, but she never got it.
'What? Wear clothes in this heat?'
'...The maid outfit's thin enough.'
'Exactly. I only wear it stiflingly during work. Let me relax off-duty.'
Ah.
"...Sorry. I'll warn her."
"Don't just talk—show it. Already losing my mind over you."
Kaien glared and stormed to the bathroom.
The slamming door echoed his mood.
'Prickly.'
I shook my head, shed my coat, and flopped on the bed.
Bloodstains on my clothes irked me,
but
'Hold out till weekend.'
Have to. Can't trust Imir with laundry.
She'd return rags.
"Master. That guy's a girl, right?"
Having devoured the pile already,
Imir emerged, licking sauce from her lips.
"...What?"
"A girl. Can't you tell?"
She said casually,
like commenting on weather.
"...Play dumb."
"You noticed too? Duh. Only an idiot wouldn't."
"Plus, the scent's different. That... womanly smell. Anyway."
She sniffed theatrically.
Wild instincts?
Unsure if she grasped my unease,
she approached me on the bed like a kid with a new toy,
squatted inches away, rested her chin on my thigh.
"Must be nice, Master?"
"...Nice what."
"What? Living with a pretty maid and a girl pretending to be a guy... Mmph!"
I clamped her mouth shut hastily.
Water sounds from the bathroom had stopped.
"Quiet. She'll hear."
"Mmph!"
Imir shoved my hand off, exasperated.
"Pwah! Trying to kill me?"
"If needed."
"...Sneaky bastard. So what if she is?"
So what? Obvious headache if entangled.
I'd clocked Kaien as a girl in disguise quick,
but no plans to let on.
Avoiding fatigue.
"Anyway, keep your mouth shut. No loose talk."
"Yessir. Whatever Master says."
Imir sighed and retreated to her room.
I glanced at the bathroom. False alarm—water flowed again.
'Focus on tomorrow's sparring class.'
Opponent by lottery—luck of the draw.
Please, not Iris.