Chapter 85
Chapter 85
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 85
Chapter Title: Acid's True Feelings
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Under the big tree, I was dozing off with my head nodding when I felt someone's gaze and lifted my head. Whether it was a side character's survival instinct, I could keenly sense whenever someone was staring at me.
That was why I snapped my eyes open—and there was Acid looking down at me, observing me intently.
“Acid!”
If you'd come, why not just call out to me instead of staring like that? That was the question I voiced.
“……Yes, Lady Sien.”
Acid kept his gaze fixed on me with an unusually burning intensity. Watching him, I cut straight to the chase.
“You're upset because I haven't been paying attention to you lately, right?”
“N-No way! Lady Sien is someone destined to achieve great things.”
Acid frantically shook his head and jumped back. Puzzled, I poked his cheek.
Over the past five years, he'd stayed by my side with unwavering devotion. I could read his expressions more easily and quickly than anyone.
Right now, he was definitely…….
“What's wrong?”
Yes, it was clearly the face of someone with something on their mind.
Acid glanced down at my pursed lips, his own twitching.
“Ah…….”
Acid's cheeks flushed bright red, like a roaring bonfire. I stared at him, then tilted my head.
‘That's weird.’
I stepped closer to Acid and peered straight into his eyes.
Normally, when I stared at him like this, he'd smile brightly and answer with a cheerful “Yes!” But this time, he hurriedly looked away.
‘Is something really going on……?’
It was starting to worry me.
Had something new happened to Acid while I wasn't paying attention?
That's when I unconsciously leaned my face close to his. Acid's eyes widened hugely, and his mouth fell slightly open.
“……Ah, ah.”
Acid stumbled back in a hurry. Not only was his face suddenly red, but the way he lightly raised his hand as if to ward me off made it look like he was avoiding me.
I turned away awkwardly and sank into thought.
‘Acid's acting a bit off…….’
This wasn't the usual obedient, sweet Acid.
‘Why the change?’
Wild hypotheticals even flitted through my mind, like maybe some bullies at the academy had messed with him.
I blinked, then grabbed Acid's arm by the chin.
“Why?”
“W-Well…….”
Acid couldn't shake off my hand or hold it steady; he just trembled his eyelids, frozen.
“Just…… you know.”
I smiled softly and nodded.
“Mm-hmm, got it!”
“……Yes.”
Acid and I locked eyes. The moment our gazes met, a strangely sweet feeling washed over me.
Even though the area was packed with academy students, under this massive tree, it felt like just the two of us were there.
It was quite a long time—or maybe just a fleeting moment—that we held each other's gaze.
“……L-Lady Sien?”
The familiar voice calling my name snapped me out of our little world.
“Huh? Leonhardt?”
Before I knew it, Leonhardt—wearing his mask—was waving his hand wildly as he ran over from afar, grinning broadly.
“What are you doing, Sien? I found that guy you like!”
“That guy?”
“You know! The one you like!”
“Who? Martin?”
At my words, Acid's face instantly drained of color.
But I didn't have time to notice Acid's expression or say anything to him.
Right then, Leonhardt pounded his chest and shouted.
“Yeah! And that hamburger kid or whatever is with him!”
“A burger too?”
“Yeah! They're acting kinda weird!”
It wasn't in the original story [Melodia's Life], so I had no idea why.
But judging from Leonhardt's expression, it seemed like major trouble had broken out.
Eyes wide, I urged Leonhardt on.
“So where are those two right now?”
“Um…….”
“Yeah?”
“C-Can I come with you too?”
Acid's expression looked strangely resolute.
I blinked, then nodded.
“Sure!”
It was just a simple thought: of course Acid should come along.
At that moment, Acid's face softened like fluffy tofu.
Seeing that smile, I quickly looked away.
It felt like I'd glimpsed an emotion I wasn't supposed to see.
***
Leonhardt, Acid, and I walked side by side, each holding one of my hands. The hand clasped with Acid's felt damp with tension, but I ignored it.
Our steps quickened, and soon we stood before the classroom door.
We heard kids shouting inside.
“Martin, Martin, hang in there!”
“Liena!”
“Someone get a teacher!”
There were voices trying to hold them back, chairs scraping across the floor, and the sharp crash of something like a glass breaking.
I scowled and flung open the classroom door.
“T-Teacher……! Oh, it's not.”
“Yeah, not the teacher…….”
I blinked faintly at the chaos unfolding in the academy classroom.
‘It's the Imperial Academy, so even if it's humble, they're at least fallen nobles—yet they're still brawling like this…….’
Martin was staring into empty space in the classroom, his face slightly twisted—and his gaze was fixed on a girl.
‘Huh? Isn't that the one named Liena?’
I quietly watched Liena and Martin bickering.
Liena's face was beet red as she glared at Martin. Her eyes were bloodshot, like she'd just been crying.
I took a step forward to gauge the distance between them, but Leonhardt blocked my arm.
“Sien, don't get involved.”
“……Huh?”
“They're not in their right minds right now. It's dangerous.”
I'd survived Russian roulette with a dealer, so I wondered if it could really be that bad—but this time, I decided to heed Leonhardt.
If I jumped in now, things might get even more tense.
Staying silent, Liena and Martin focused on each other again.
“Martin, I don't know why you're suspicious of me—!”
“You put that filthy Devil's Weed in here.”
Only then did I look at the book in Martin's hand. Tucked inside was a small bookmark. At a glance, it looked perfectly ordinary.
But I noticed something else. Martin never touched the bookmark directly.
He just held the book—Burger's book—wrapped around it, shaking it threateningly at Liena.
‘Isn't that book Burger's? Did Liena put Devil's Weed in Burger's bookmark?’
……I glanced sideways. I'd only looked over at the thought of Burger, but there he was, smiling innocently.
I turned my head and grumbled inwardly.
I figured I wouldn't get anything useful out of Burger, so I'd just listen to the end of Liena and Martin's argument.
“I didn't put any Devil's Weed in there! I've never even seen it before!”
“……If it's so ordinary, then take it out yourself. With your hand. You said you've never seen it.”
Liena hesitated, then shrieked sharply in anger.
“Martin!”
Martin sneered at her.
“Why not brew it into some tea while you're at it.”
“……A-Are you really doubting me? With no evidence at all, pinning it on an innocent person—!”
“Who here doesn't know you touched that bookmark?”
Liena's face went stark white. I watched them quietly.
“I didn't put it there!”
Liena glared at Burger, then strode toward him. Burger was still eating his burger while checking a math book, but his hands were covered in bumpy rashes—severe allergies, grotesquely swollen.
“Burger!”
“…….”
“Tell them.”
“…….”
Liena stared at Burger's rash-covered hands like they were filthy and yelled.
“He's always been a dirty kid anyway. That's probably why he got the rash!”
Martin glared at Liena furiously, then reached to grab the bookmark.
“Ha, Liena.”
At that moment, blisters and red rashes began erupting on Martin's scarred hands too.
“You're still gonna say it's not?”
“M-Martin! D-Don't touch that.”
Liena's gaze on Martin was filled with worry. Watching closely, I smirked.
‘Looks like Liena's got a crush on Martin, huh?’
I hummed and crossed my arms over my chest.
A boy like Martin was someone every girl admired……
‘But why is Liena bullying Burger?’
As I pondered, a teacher came running from afar.
Like the model student I was, I quickly took my seat as soon as the teacher entered. Burger—from another class—slipped out like a ghost, book in hand.
Making the whole commotion seem like nothing at all.
***
Class started, but my head was filled only with curiosity about the mysterious relationship between Liena and Burger.
Hamburger, cheeseburger—and the one even more jumbled in my mind.
The math genius Burger.
And Liena.
Unable to find the link between them, I ruffled my hair frantically and muttered.
“Burger…….”
“What, you wanna eat a burger, Sien?”
I shook my head at Leonhardt, whose puppy-dog expression I could picture behind the mask.
“No. Hey, Leonhardt.”
“Yeah?”
“Tomorrow's swordsmanship class, right?”
Leonhardt—the carefree rogue who'd ignored schedules his whole life—blinked in confusion.
Acid, who'd been sitting quietly beside me, spoke up.
“Yes, swordsmanship class.”
Propping my chin, I nodded.
“Yeah, right…….”
I tapped Acid's arm lightly.
“Hey, Acid.”
“Yes?”
“Could you spread a rumor among the boys to get friendly with them?”
“A rumor……?”
Seeing Acid's baffled look, I lowered my voice to a whisper.
“Yeah, a rumor.”