Chapter 54
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: There's No Way I Would Have Forgotten You...
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Days passed.
Tail went about his days as usual.
Rumors spread far and wide that Chromhel had dropped out.
The noble students had indeed grown a bit more vicious—but only among their classmates.
Thanks to that, peaceful days continued.
In the meantime, Tail pushed through each day as best he could.
He'd been deeply shaken by what happened with Cecilia, but his friends who looked after him made life bearable enough.
However.
It was like a brief clear sky right before a storm—it didn't last.
"Are you Tail?"
Such a peaceful day was shattered right then.
A man with mint-green hair in a short bob had called out to him.
After scanning Tail up and down, he spoke coldly.
"Come with me. The student council president wants to see you."
Tail's eyes widened.
Student council president?
'Could it be Chloe?'
At the arrogant man's words, Alice, who was beside him, stepped forward to block the way.
"Tail. Don't go with him."
Alice's blue eyes held caution and worry.
She suspected they might harm him just for beating a noble.
The man let out a hollow chuckle at Alice's stance.
"Anyone would think we were about to slaughter you."
Alice didn't reply, just glared at him.
As the tension thickened, Tail spoke up.
"It's fine. I'll go and come back."
Alice looked flustered at Tail's words.
"Really, it's okay. Just let the others know."
"...Got it."
Reluctantly, Alice stepped back in the face of Tail's firm resolve.
"Be careful."
Tail gave a small smile at her words and followed the mint-haired man.
His heart pounded fiercely.
Still.
Maybe Chloe was different from Cecilia?
He'd held onto that faint hope.
The mint-haired man climbed the academy stairs endlessly before opening a large door.
The moment the door opened, a vast blue sky came into view.
This was the academy rooftop.
At the same time, beneath the crisp expanse of sky, golden hair shimmered beautifully in the breeze.
It belonged to a girl's silhouette from behind.
A silhouette he'd buried deep in his heart for five years.
"Student council president. I brought him."
At the mint-haired man's words, the girl slowly turned.
"Thank you, Justin."
A fair face with delicate features.
Not a flashy rose, but a pure, elegant lily of a girl.
That was Chloe.
"I'll wait out front then."
The mint-haired man, Justin, gave a slight bow and left.
Probably to guard the door and keep anyone from entering.
Thud.
The door closed, and silence fell.
Tail stared at the Chloe he'd imagined so many times, but words failed him.
Then, Chloe's lips parted slowly.
"Tail."
Her soft voice called his name.
At the same time, it trembled precariously.
Tail answered slowly.
"Yes, Chloe."
Their gazes met in the air.
"Have you been well..."
"No time, so I'll get straight to the point."
Chloe cut him off, her voice turning cold unlike when she'd said his name.
Tail couldn't continue at her clear line-drawing.
Chloe bit her lip hard before slowly parting it.
"Leave the academy..."
Her long lashes trembled faintly.
"Please, Tail."
Tail's eyes widened.
"What... do you mean."
"Exactly what I said."
Chloe's eyes were resolute as she spoke.
"Please leave the academy. This isn't a place for you."
At her words, Tail clenched his fists tight.
Only then did it hit him.
Ah.
To them, I'm nothing but a stain.
All my efforts were in vain.
Chloe glanced anxiously at the door before continuing more quietly.
"So. Go back to the monastery. If you stay there..."
"Chloe."
Her eyes shook as her own name left his lips.
"What then?"
Tail laughed self-mockingly.
"Both Cecilia and you... in the end, you both want me gone."
"That's...!"
Before Chloe could respond, Tail spoke first.
"I thought I could forget what happened at the monastery."
Of course.
They're nobles, after all.
And I'm just a lowly commoner orphan.
So he'd tried to understand.
But.
"I never imagined you'd be ashamed even of the memories we shared."
His chest felt heavy.
"I thought at least you two would be different."
His heart seemed to stop.
"I figured there must be some reason you didn't get my letters, some reason you'd forgotten me."
His stomach churned, but Tail continued evenly.
"I really believed that."
Chloe's eyes quivered finely.
"But I guess I was wrong."
To the end, she said nothing.
She just pressed her lips shut, gazing at him with a hurt expression.
Why.
Why look at me like that?
I'm the one who's hurt.
Tail met her eyes squarely.
"I have no intention of leaving the academy."
He continued slowly.
"But I won't hold you back, so don't worry."
With that, Tail turned toward the door.
As he reached for it, he sensed movement behind the rooftop management office.
And there, the edge of a familiar cloak caught his eye.
Tail instantly knew who it belonged to.
Creak.
But he ignored it and opened the door.
He felt Chloe's gaze on his back until the very end.
30 minutes earlier.
Knock knock.
Cecilia, who had been rolling around in her room, sat up at the sound.
"Come in."
At her permission, the door opened, and her maid, Becky, entered.
"Miss! The student council president sent someone to meet with top enrollee Tail."
Cecilia paled and shot to her feet.
What did she just say?
'Who called who?'
That Chloe dared summon Tail?
Cecilia threw on her cloak, ready to head out immediately.
"Becky."
Becky flinched at the cold voice.
"Guide me to where the student council president is meeting Tail."
The meeting spot was one of the academy rooftops.
Taking a side passage instead of the main one, she spotted Chloe standing there first.
At the same time, the door on Chloe's side opened.
Cecilia ducked behind the rooftop management office.
Peeking out, she saw a man standing there.
A sturdy build, hair tousled by the wind.
Even his gentle, refined features.
'Tail...'
It was him.
The Tail from five years ago had grown strikingly handsome.
The viewing crystal hadn't captured his full presence.
That was when Chloe spoke first.
Asking him to leave the academy.
Then Tail's sharp voice followed.
"What then?"
Tail laughed self-mockingly.
"Both Cecilia and you... in the end, you both want me gone."
At those words, Cecilia's heart plummeted.
No. That's not it.
It's all for your sake.
She wanted to scream it.
"I thought I could forget what happened at the monastery."
I haven't forgotten.
I could never forget.
The words swirled in her mouth.
"I never imagined you'd be ashamed even of the memories we shared. I thought at least you two would be different."
Cecilia's hands trembled.
"I figured there must be some reason you didn't get my letters, some reason you'd forgotten me. I really believed that."
Tail's expression was icy as frost.
"But I guess I was wrong."
His words pierced Cecilia's heart like a dagger.
"I have no intention of leaving the academy."
Each word squeezed her heart.
"But I won't hold you back, so don't worry."
With that final line, Tail turned away.
Cecilia instinctively shrank back behind the office.
At the same time, a stinging gaze hit her.
She felt Tail had spotted her.
But.
He ignored her and left just like that.
Her body collapsed in a heap.
'No.'
She hadn't realized her actions would hurt him like this.
'There's no way.'
This academy never welcomed commoners anyway.
Just yesterday, at the 'Black Fox' club meeting, the young ladies had said:
"For a commoner to beat a noble—it's disgraceful."
"Ugh. Why not just deal with him? He's an eyesore."
"What? Even if it's the academy, killing one commoner won't cause a fuss. We can just stage it as suicide."
"Oh, that's a brilliant idea!"
Hearing that, Cecilia had wanted to smash everything in the room.
Who are you to judge Tail?
He's special, unlike you fools.
She'd wanted to shout and scream it.
But.
She couldn't.
Besides, she wasn't yet Marquis Duvier.
She couldn't dismantle the faction she'd barely built.
And with her father still powerful, if their connection to Tail was exposed.
She knew Tail would be in mortal danger.
That wasn't all.
Cecilia fully grasped the gravity of the situation.
These people valued Tail's life so little they spoke casually of killing him in front of crowds.
Dangerous talk like this was surely happening all over the academy, not just in front of her.
In a place where no one cared about Tail's safety.
She had to do something.
Even if the solution was extreme and would deeply wound Tail, who'd come to the capital with big dreams.
'There's no way I would have forgotten you...'
But she hadn't expected things to twist like this.
Cecilia stared blankly into space.