Chapter 213
Chapter 213
-----------------------------------------------------------------
>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 213
>Chapter Title: It Must Have Been... Really Tough?
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
Lunchtime, when academy students were at their most lively.
Beneath the shade created by the turquoise leaves, a cool breeze blew amid the unusually brilliant sunlight pouring down.
Evelyn took a moment to drink in the scenery, feeling the wind tickling her hair.
There was no particular reason for it. After pouring out her emotions in a rush, her mind had cleared up temporarily. To the point where no thoughts came to her at all.
That was when a voice rang in her ear.
"Feeling a bit calmer now?"
"...Ah."
The voice pulled Evelyn back to reality.
She felt somehow embarrassed.
Unable to look at his face, she kept her head down, fussing with her bangs for no reason, when suddenly her cheeks burned hot.
'What I just did... Ha, what the hell.'
She had cried.
Tears that started falling one or two at a time had cascaded down like a waterfall along with the bursting emotions.
How long had it been since she last cried like this?
Probably the first time since she started maturing.
She had always tried to maintain her composure as a merchant, and she had been taught to calculate even her smiles, tears, and anger.
Yet, right in the middle of the cafeteria... in front of all the academy students, no less.
...No, there was something even more embarrassing.
Evelyn peeked through her curtain-like hair at the boy sitting next to her.
'...Aster.'
The Black-White Slums urchin.
To be honest, their relationship was terribly awkward.
She had once been intrigued by the story of him making the second son of the Doranpega Family kneel, but that was the extent of it.
Their direct involvement... was it during the Pistinike Festival?
They had just gone up on stage together to receive an award. That was all.
They were acquaintances who barely knew of each other's existence.
And frankly, his image wasn't great.
He seemed like a dime-a-dozen opportunist latching onto the young patriarch of the Blandoga Family, scheming for a comeuppance.
Not that he was diligent, either.
He went about everything half-heartedly, like his soul had half-left his body, and he even skipped the practical combat exam that replaced the final.
But...
'...He's insane, really.'
Was it because her emotions had welled up?
Even as he led her by the hand to a secluded spot, she had cried like a child and spilled all her grievances from the past few days.
Starting from the betrayal by her trusted mentor and secretary, Bitin, to the sudden change in the academy students' attitudes.
Unlike usual, it was neither logical nor coherent.
She had just cried and vomited out whatever frustrations came to mind.
One fortunate thing—if you could call it that—was that the young patriarch of the Blandoga Family and Zhenbi, who had been with them, had tactfully made themselves scarce.
Not that it lessened the embarrassment much.
As Evelyn kept stealing glances at Aster out of embarrassment, he, who had been staring at her plainly, opened his mouth.
"Why are your eyes so wide?"
"...Pardon?"
"Nothing. Just saying."
"..."
The atmosphere turned awkwardly silent for some reason.
Aster spoke first.
"I heard the gist of what happened."
"...Ah, yes."
"It must have been... really tough?"
"Yes?"
Evelyn tilted her head.
'Tough, it must have been'—so why the question mark at the end?
"No, like, you look really worn out? I was just saying that. If it wasn't that bad, forget it."
"..."
A sudden thought crossed her mind.
Was this supposed to be comfort, or an attempt to speak?
His slightly furrowed brow, narrowly opened eyes. His gaze flicking up and down suggested he had put some thought into it...
As Evelyn tried to read his expression, Aster's mouth opened soon after.
"Tch."
...Tch?
"No, sorry. Honestly, I don't really get it. So, I have no idea how to comfort you properly."
"...Ah, yes."
So he had at least tried to comfort her.
It was awkward, but for some reason, it didn't feel bad. After all, she could see he was making an effort.
Grateful for that, Evelyn gave a faint smile. Or tried to, if Aster hadn't continued.
"It's okay. I..."
"But, you know."
"...?"
Evelyn halted her gaze, which had been turning forward, and looked at Aster. She tilted her head.
For some reason, Aster's vibe had changed.
'What the...'
The awkward, almost disconcerted air had vanished completely, and Aster was now looking at her with deeply sunken eyes.
And those eyes were so profound.
Aster leaned forward, turning his gaze ahead.
"Like I said, I'm not good at comfort. But you're really going through it right now, right?"
Evelyn didn't respond.
She couldn't.
For a moment, it felt like the world had stopped.
In that stillness, only Aster's voice seeped into her ear.
"But in times like that, think about 10 years from now. 10 years later... honestly, it's pretty distant, right? Will you still be as miserable then? Yeah, maybe you will."
"..."
"So, imagine the happiest future possible. A 10-years-from-now where everything making you miserable now is gone. What will I be doing then? What will I eat for breakfast, lunch? Who will I meet in the evenings? What kind of work?"
Evelyn thought about it quietly.
What would she be doing 10 years from now?
It was hard to picture right now amid the hardship, but after all this pain was gone?
"That future you suddenly thinks back to today. What would that day's you think, looking back on now?"
She had no idea.
She had never thought like this before.
Evelyn pondered deeply for a moment.
But why?
Just thinking about it made her feel a step removed from her current problems. The massive, overwhelming wall that had loomed so blockingly began to fade.
Aster glanced at her briefly, then turned his gaze forward again and spoke calmly.
"Ah, that happened back then."
"..."
"When I think about it, it was no big deal."
"..."
Yeah, that seemed right.
The her 10 years from now, after everything was resolved, would look back and smile, saying that...
"Fuck 'em."
"...?"
What? Fuck what?
Evelyn blinked in bewilderment. So, tell her 10-years-future self to say what to now?
Was it absurdity?
As Evelyn stared at Aster with wide, flustered eyes, he sighed deeply and continued in his usual tone.
"Sigh, I tried to comfort you, but I just can't. 10 years from now, my ass—who cares when you're suffering now? If thinking that way comforts you, fine, but I can't do it. When you feel like you're about to drop dead, what's 10 years gonna do? Right? You don't buy it either?"
No, the comfort was actually starting to work a bit?
"Let's think about it this way."
Aster decided to impart to Evelyn what he considered the most effective mindset.
What was it?
Image mattered first and foremost.
"Your brother... Halon?"
"...Yes? It's Vasilin."
"Ah, right, yeah."
"I never told you his name..."
"Tch, that's not the point. Anyway, picture Vasilin and that damn secretary, Bitin. How's that? Daunting, right?"
Yes, it probably was.
Right now, those two were huge walls for Evelyn. Massive barriers blocking her life.
"I don't know what went down with your brother, but think about what happened with Bitin. Don't you feel like an idiot? So stupid. Like you wanna dunk your head in shit-water and die?"
"No, not quite that far..."
Evelyn tried to protest Aster's extreme wording, but he barreled on as if her reaction didn't matter.
Because what came next was the key moment.
"In times like this, remember just one thing."
"What..."
"Anyone's head cracks open, they die."
"..."
Evelyn stared at Aster with a flabbergasted expression for a moment.
Aster looked at her and spat out each word with unprecedented seriousness.
"Doesn't matter if it's Vasilin or Bitin. Heir to the Goldrin Merchant Group? Your leeching secretary? None of that shit matters. A cracked head only needs one grave. How's that?"
"..."
...How's that?
"Doesn't that simplify things?"
"It does simplify it, but..."
Evelyn couldn't find words.
Honestly, the previous comfort had resonated more. It had just started soothing her mind perfectly.
Suddenly, it felt like tumbling from a peaceful flower field into a battlefield.
But oblivious or not, Aster drove the nail in.
"In my opinion, what you need in times like this is one thing."
"What... is it?"
"Power."
"..."
"Overwhelming force."
"..."
"More specifically, enough overwhelming force to smash your brother and Bitin's heads and walk away alive."
"No, what..."
He was right, in a way.
If she had that kind of power, this situation never would've happened.
Even in the merchant world of money and wits, force was an excellent bargaining tool.
But.
'This... is comfort?'
Feeling dizzy, Evelyn pressed her forehead with her hand, rubbing her temples with thumb and index finger.
"...I'm kidding."
It didn't sound like a joke.
"Half-serious, too."
"..."
Was this even a conversation?
She didn't know.
Evelyn had never had a talk like this in her life.
As she seriously contemplated this person named Aster, his voice pierced her ear right then.
"But thinking like this feels a bit better, right?"
"It does feel better, but..."
"Then we're good."
"..."
Evelyn thought.
Time to give up understanding.
On the other hand, she felt like she was learning more about Aster.
She had thought he was somewhat brazen, but seeing that satisfied face after spouting nonsense, it wasn't brazenness... right, his thinking was just wired differently.
And a curiosity she'd harbored inwardly was resolved.
The Black-White Slums urchin and the Blandoga Family's young patriarch. How could they be friends despite the status gap?
When you thought about it, the young patriarch's head cracked open and he'd die too.
To Aster, everyone was equal.
Just one question lingered.
'What if you can't crack their head?'
The curiosity bubbled up to her lips, but she didn't voice it.
Aster spoke first.
"Feeling better now?"
"...Pardon?"
"Your mouth's curving up."
"...Ah."
Had it?
Evelyn touched the corner of her mouth unconsciously, and Aster chuckled, brushing off his seat as he stood.
"Let's go. Class already started."
"Ah... yes."
Had time passed that quickly?
She stood in a daze, and Aster, walking ahead, suddenly stopped and turned to her.
"But, can I sell you out as my tardy excuse?"
"...Pardon?"
"No, I gotta care about my grades this semester."
"No, what..."
Once more, Evelyn realized.
'He's... nothing like normal people.'
But why?
...It didn't feel bad at all.