Chapter 104
Chapter 104
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 104
Chapter Title: Scary Mask
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"I'm not feeling love from you."
[But?]
"I'm feeling possessiveness?"
✦━━━━━━━━━━━━✦
[ Veronica ]
Favorability: 【Possessiveness】
Status: 【Positive(100%)】, 【Negative(0%)】
■■■■■■■■■■□ (95/100)
Affiliation: 『Cradle』
Info:
[Has a mountain of work piled up but dumped it all on Kaus and is resting.]
Psyche:
「What are you staring at, you bastard.」
✦━━━━━━━━━━━━✦
"......"
"It's not that I like you... I just have this feeling that it'd be nice if you were mine?"
[That sounds even more dangerous.]
"Yeah? I think that side of me is kinda cute."
...I gaze at Veronica's favorability window.
【Positive(100%)】
【Negative(0%)】
Is there no way to drop this somehow?
I haven't even done anything special, so why is it so high? I just don't get it.
What sin did I commit in my past life...
I don't even remember living a particularly virtuous life, so what's the problem?
Maybe I was cursed or something.
"This is driving me insane."
[Me too.]
"I'm too cute."
[Yeah.]
"?"
[?]
Veronica glares at me with sulky eyes.
She tilts her head slowly, then just stares at me without a word, fixing her gaze.
I shrug my shoulders.
I have no idea what kind of reaction she's expecting.
"React or something, you bastard."
[How?]
"Normally you'd compliment me or express some admiration or whatever."
[I can't lie.]
"Wanna die?"
[Forcing me is bad, Dean.]
"You really have a talent for pissing people off."
[I'll take that as a compliment, but you're not human anyway, Dean.]
"Not a compliment."
[I heard it as one.]
Veronica's brow twitches.
The corner of her mouth trembles, hovering on the verge of curling up...
It draws a very, very dangerous curve.
"Haa... I really wanna smash you."
[Violence is bad too.]
"Affection."
[So affection is a form of violence.]
"Hey."
[Yes.]
"I'm really curious, so I'm asking... Do you even have emotions?"
[I do.]
"Then why are you such a prick?"
[I'm just being honest.]
"That's what makes you a prick."
[That's too bad.]
"Yeah. Super regrettable. Fuck."
Flick.
Veronica flips me off, middle finger straight up.
Then, without another word, she stretches out fully on the sofa again, rummaging through her pocket for something.
[What's that?]
"Something fun."
It was a small envelope, and Veronica pulls something else out from inside.
A single photo.
She stares at it intently for a long while, then turns her head to look at me.
"Wanna see?"
[What is it?]
I step closer, and Veronica casually holds out the photo.
"......"
"What do you think? Fun, right?"
[Not fun at all.]
The photo was blurry.
But even in the blur, one thing was clear...
White hair fluttering, face half-obscured.
And... golden eyes shining vividly against a dark background.
"......"
...Yeah.
The person in the photo was me.
[Why do you have this, Dean?]
"Everything in the Cradle is mine."
I have nothing to say to that.
"And you in the Cradle are mine too."
That one's got a lot to say about it.
[Stalker chicks are a turn-off, you know.]
"I don't know."
[Okay.]
She doesn't know.
Well, nothing to be done about it then.
And...
Clunk.
The clubroom door swings open, and someone shuffles in with weary steps.
"Ah, Adel, you're already here..."
Delphine.
He starts greeting me with his usual impassive expression, but freezes the moment he spots Veronica sprawled on the sofa.
"......"
I'm holding the photo halfheartedly, and Veronica's lying there brazenly dangling one leg.
A bizarre composition.
And in the middle of it, Delphine's stiffened face.
"...It seems I've interrupted."
Flick.
Delphine turns naturally, heading back toward the door he came in through.
But...
"Hey."
"......Yes, Dean."
"Come here."
One word from Veronica.
Delphine nods with a resigned look and strides over.
Flick.
I lose the photo from my hand to Veronica, and she casually holds it out to Delphine.
"Fun, right."
"This is..."
Delphine takes the photo, furrowing his brow slightly as he peers at it carefully.
"The photo that was on the bulletin board. Even the professors were talking about it..."
Suddenly, Delphine trails off.
He lifts his head quietly and looks at me.
"......"
Looks back at the photo.
Then at my hair again.
"......... "
Thud.
Delphine places the photo demurely back on Veronica's hand, expressionless.
Then, without a word, he slowly walks to his seat and plops down in the chair.
"Adel."
[Yes.]
"The club's performance is lacking... so go do some volunteering."
A very natural change of subject.
***
"The club's performance can be substituted with volunteering."
"Yeah. Correct."
"...Therefore, Adel will go do volunteering."
"Right. Get lost already."
"......Dean."
"Why?"
"Could you stop, please?"
"What."
Veronica piling on one retort after another to each of Delphine's words.
Is she oblivious to the mood, or does she just not care?
...Finally, even Delphine can't hold back, and the corner of his mouth twitches.
"Helping my ass."
"Leaving the room would actually help a lot. Dean."
"Wow..."
Veronica lets out an exasperated exclamation.
I tactfully move to a chair on the side.
And before I know it, Rev has quietly joined me.
"I'm still the Dean, you know? Aren't you guys going too far?"
[I didn't do anything.]
"...Adel?"
Delphine looks slightly shocked at my betrayal.
Unfortunately... it's the truth.
I really didn't do anything.
"......"
Veronica responded alone to Delphine's solo jabs.
While I just sat there quietly in between.
What a peaceful little battlefield.
...A moment later.
"Adel. You'll have to put in some effort for our club."
【Oh! Good luck!】
Lamenta cheers in an excited voice like she's teasing me, but it quickly stiffens.
"And Rev should go with him."
【Huh?】
Lamenta peeks out from the shadows, glancing at me with a dumbfounded look.
I just shrug.
I'm just as aggrieved.
[So when do we go?]
"This weekend."
"Now."
"......"
Three voices answer at once.
I turn my head back and forth, looking at them alternately.
Weekend? Right now?
Whose orders am I supposed to follow?
"Dean... there are still classes left."
"Oh?"
Veronica smacks her lips in disappointment.
I can't fathom what she's so disappointed about.
Is it that fun watching me go volunteer?
"But you don't attend classes anyway."
"That's true."
[Professor?]
***
My golden weekend flies away to volunteering in the end.
Just that fact alone exhausts me plenty.
"You're students from the Cradle, right?"
[Yes.]
"......"
I hold up the whiteboard toward the orphanage director, and Rev nods silently behind me.
"Haha... You kids are interesting."
[I can't talk.]
"No, no... We're just grateful you came at all."
The director smiles kindly.
I thought she'd be uncomfortable, but surprisingly, she's very welcoming.
"We'll handle all the troublesome stuff. Could you just play with the kids for a bit?"
[Sure.]
"......"
...That sounds like the most annoying part.
I think that inwardly as I start walking.
Then, quick little footsteps follow right behind me.
【Mask Uncle! Do you like kids?】
[No.]
I answer Lamenta's question without hesitation.
Like kids?
What a horrific thing to say.
【Oh! I hate kids too!】
[I see.]
【Yeah yeah! They're so noisy, I wanna rip 'em apart!】
Lamenta, still vicious as ever, flaunting her psycho side without fail.
I absently rub my arm for no reason.
【Rev hates 'em too!】
[Really?]
I tilt my head slightly and glance at Rev.
Rev, bearer of the saintess name, hates kids?
Honestly, unexpected.
".........Hate 'em."
It's true.
I don't think much of it.
I don't like kids either.
Too noisy, too willful, tiring in no time.
"......Said 'see you next time,' but... there never was a next time."
【They're too weak!】
"...."
".........Said we'd eat together... but in the end, I ate alone."
【Weaklings deserve to die!】
"It's... that kind of world here."
【A world like this... needs to disappear!】
I see.
I respond inwardly and nod silently.
Then keep walking wordlessly.
"......"
Rev must have her own story too.
Considering how much weight lies behind that single "hate"...
For now, it's probably best not to pry further.
***
I plop down on a rock that looks comfy enough.
Far off in the field, kids are running around chasing a few balls.
Kicking, throwing, catching, laughing with their whole bodies.
"......"
Don't they get tired moving like that?
Not even catching their breath, just sprinting endlessly with happy faces.
Then...
Thud...
A ball rolls up to me, and a girl approaches cautiously behind it.
"Uh..."
I stand up slightly, pick up the ball, and hand it to her.
But as I reach out, the girl's shoulders flinch.
"...S-sorry!"
She snatches the ball, bows her head deeply, and scurries away with tiny footsteps.
"...?"
I stand there, utterly baffled.
I just picked up the ball.
'...What the hell.'
Plod.
Rev toddles up beside me.
She looks at me for a moment, then stares off toward where the kid vanished.
[Did I do something wrong?]
".........No."
Even Rev doesn't think I did anything wrong.
So what was the problem?
【Mask Uncle must've scared her!】
[Me?]
【The mask is scary!】
I unconsciously touch the white mask covering my face.
Is this plain mask with no patterns or symbols really that scary?
Sometimes even I wonder.
It's just become my face by now.
【It's ugly, that's why it's scary!】
"......"
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[ Rev de Lumiere ]
Favorability: 【Weird Friend】
Status: 【Positive(84%)】, 【Negative(0%)】
■■■■■■■■□□□ (75/100)
Affiliation: 『Holy Kingdom』
Info:
[Volunteering at the orphanage with Adel.]
Psyche:
「...The mask...... isn't ugly, and it doesn't look scary......」
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Rev says it's not.