Chapter 16
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 16
In Earnest
Unlike what was feared, the meal proceeded without any particular issues.
"You eat quite well."
"Because my skill is outstanding in that regard."
"Then how about coming here to dine instead of the dormitory cafeteria from now on?"
Although she occasionally threw jokes like this, I didn't accept them as sincere.
Meals continuously in the Princess's private space from now on?
Even if that meal is a feast, I cannot accept it because it's burdensome.
In the first place, the opponent probably isn't serious either.
"It is fine. The dormitory cafeteria food is also quite satisfactory to my taste."
And my taste isn't that sophisticated.
If I were really picky, maybe I would have begged first from my side, but I was moderately satisfied with the dormitory cafeteria level.
Isn't it said that not wishing for many people and just being satisfied with what one can enjoy now also becomes a standard of happiness?
While I was thinking such things, Lucia stared at me piercingly.
Did I answer something wrong?
"Dining with someone isn't bad. So please visit occasionally and soothe my loneliness."
For a moment, I was flustered and almost said 'Me? Why?'.
No. Why would I do that. Unlike me, Lucia receives envy from people in one body, comparable to Aniel.
Besides me, there must be countless people in this Academy whose wish is to converse with her once, let alone dine.
Why does such an opportunity come to me who doesn't want anything.
As I couldn't bring up any words due to being flustered, Lucia fixed her gaze on me.
"Say that you will do so."
Pressure was felt from her sky-blue eyes. But I absolutely had no intention of answering that I would do so even as empty words.
I had a hunch that it would only become troublesome if I kept getting involved with her.
Although most of my hunches are wrong, in crisis situations, they were almost mostly correct, so I swallowed my saliva and tried to refuse firmly.
"T, that is...."
But it was strange. My mouth opened on its own and my tongue was moving as Lucia ordered just now.
No, why is this like this.
Confusion rushed in as I felt like I was being controlled.
"I will d....."
Uh-oh, no. I wonder if I should slap my cheek, but my body doesn't move either.
What on earth is this? In the midst of being absurd with a strange feeling.
"What are you doing."
Simultaneously with the door opening, Aniel appeared.
"Now you even do things like this?"
"Ack! It hurts! Huh? My mouth is back to normal."
"Tch."
I almost said 'do'. But Aniel approached and flicked my forehead once, and my mouth returned to normal.
With a strange feeling, I stared at Lucia.
While looking at what she did to me.
"It was almost over, but you come and interfere at a strange moment again."
"I don't know who is the one to say that."
Aniel was glaring at Lucia with a fierce gaze.
If I had received that gaze, I would have thought I was dead, but Lucia just sighed as if it was nothing and said.
"How did you come here. I set up a barrier."
"Did you think you could stop me with a barrier like that."
"I like that you are strong, but for today, I don't quite like it."
"I didn't like you from the start."
Taking this opportunity while they were arguing with each other, I quietly withdrew from the seat.
"T, then I will take my leave now. I hope the two of you share a leisurely conversation."
Because it seems there is no gap for me to intervene right now.
I heard a voice calling me from behind, but this time I ignored it pretending not to hear and escaped.
For now, escaping this place is the urgent situation.
"So why did you come."
"To save that guy who would be held by you."
Lucia laughed because it was absurd.
"Held, you say, you speak hurtful words. I was just treating him to a meal once."
Right, just a normal meal treat. With absolutely no problems.
But Aniel scoffed at those words.
"Does casting domination magic at a meal seat also belong to the normal category?"
Aniel knew. That Lucia tried to extract some promise from Allen again by casting domination magic.
"I don't know about that."
"Trying to play innocent. In front of me right now?"
Aniel is in a state of immunity to all mental type magic.
Thanks to natural talent, she was born with some, but the ones she didn't get among them were results obtained after harsh training.
Lucia, knowing she couldn't make excuses to Aniel who obtained immunity while enduring levels comparable to torture, clicked her tongue inwardly.
Magic leaves traces. It was because of traces that Aniel noticed immediately and made it an issue.
But Lucia also had a thought. At least if she had a little more time, she would have erased even the traces so she wouldn't notice.
Others said it was impossible, but to Lucia, who was a genius among geniuses, it was a very simple matter.
"So what will you do? Do you intend to fight with me here."
Lucia decided to step up brazenly. What will she do just because she got caught. Unless she intends to fight with her, she would also stay still.
Aniel, feeling fed up with that attitude, said with a straight face.
"Certainly, you are brazen. At first, you tried to bully that man, but now you act affectionately."
It was absurd seeing her trying to cherish him while feeding him meals now, when she brought up words to bully him first.
Why did she suddenly change like this. She knew she was exceptionally obsessed with the man named Allen, but that emotion looked closer to dissatisfaction and anger.
But now, anger completely subsided and it seemed another side was visible.
"He will become my plaything. Talking to him, it was quite fun. So I intend to leave him to soothe my entertainment by my side continuously from now on."
She intends to make him hers. It was visible to the eye that she wanted to monopolize him.
Looking at this appearance of Lucia, Aniel thinks 'Why?'.
There is a reason for everything. But why does Lucia keep showing an appearance she didn't show before, coming to now.
Aniel hated troublesome things. In that sense, what was in front of her eyes right now looked like a shambles she should absolutely not get involved in.
Originally, she would have turned back and disappeared leaving only one word 'crazy bitch', but she didn't do so.
"I warn you. Don't touch that man."
"Who are you to bring up such words."
Aniel also felt it. That she herself became strange just like Lucia in front of her eyes.
Therefore, she willingly intended to step into this shambles.
"Because that man is my disciple."
Ending with those words, Aniel withdrew from the spot.
Lucia, left alone, bit her lip and then burst into laughter staring at the seat where Allen was until just now.
"Truly an unexpected variable. To think you would step up like this."
She also knew. That she was acting completely unlike herself.
She is someone cool-headed and fond of politics. She doesn't move directly like now, nor did she move like this to obtain something.
But it didn't matter. Because she thought to herself that she just had to act as she wished.
Since there would be no one to disturb or interfere with her anyway.
But that wasn't it.
"You weren't a person who took interest in things like this."
She thought they were riding the same line, and it was so until before entering the Academy.
But now that they entered the Academy, the person interfering with her most was none other than Aniel.
She, who doesn't feel favorability towards others at all, was now blatantly setting up an angle of confrontation and even left a warning not to touch Allen.
"Just what kind of man are you."
Still, Lucia's gaze was fixed on the seat where Allen was.
She brought the wine glass Allen drank from and took a sip.
Usually, she wouldn't drink something that had passed quite some time even if it was water.
But Lucia had absolutely no hesitation.
What should she do if the more she drinks, the more she thinks she wants to have him.
"Then I must have him. Because there won't be anything I couldn't have, neither before, nor now, nor in the future."
She must take everything she wants.
Even if that is the throne.
Thinking so, Lucia kept that spot for a while.
"Is it because I ate good food? I certainly seem to be healing quickly."
As soon as I returned to the room after finishing the meal, I finished brushing my teeth and fell asleep immediately.
Maybe I was tired because there were many frantic things.
When I woke up, feeling refreshed, I headed to the training ground promised with Aniel.
I contemplated whether to skip today's training, but thinking it seemed certain she helped me yesterday, I felt I should convey greetings of thanks for that.
"It seems you came."
".... Grand Duchess?"
When I arrived at the training ground like that, I faced an unexpected situation.
"From today, we will continue to spar."
With whom?