Chapter 19
Chapter 19
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: When a Good Person Gets Angry (6)
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"...Hmm. Didn't you say you didn't know the location?"
Karin whipped her eyes toward Namei at her words. She had delivered the gift since it came from the cafe manager, but she had nothing to say now that this question had arisen.
In response to Karin's reaction, Namei let out a smirk with an utterly incredulous look on her face as she accepted the gift and brought out some snacks and tea in exchange.
Whether for better or worse, she was an honest girl. Considering that kids from merchant families were usually calculating and sly from a young age, it made Karin anxious and frustrated in some ways, yet admirable in others.
"Basically, Julius doesn't have a ton of enemies. Compared to Duke Lebedev, his demeanor is mild, and he gets along with pretty much everyone. Christoph's the exception—he absolutely despises Julius."
"What about Yumin sunbae? The one who's a year ahead?"
"He's a love-hate relationship in every sense of the word."
According to Namei, Julius had been Yumin's role model in high society even before they entered the academy.
He'd even seemed to accept the fact that Ermina—the girl he himself had fallen for—had feelings for Julius.
"Paradoxically, that admiration was where all the trouble started."
"Eh..."
"Julius topped the academy's swordsmanship classes, so after summer break, he represented the first-years at the inter-year exchange event. Every noble who was friends with him showed up to watch. Then Yumin, who enrolled the next year, spotted Ermina timidly approaching Julius's circle and fell for her at first sight."
And since his fiancée was a year older, she was in the same grade as Ermina and Julius. Everything after that matched what Karin had heard before.
"Yumin still seems to hold onto his admiration for Julius, though."
"Hasn't their relationship drifted apart?"
"Julius was utterly repulsed."
Namei cackled with laughter before biting into one of the cookies she'd made herself. Unlike her usual self, her eyes held a hint of disillusionment, and she chewed the crumbs aggressively, as if throwing a little tantrum, before spitting out a single remark.
"He hates me and Rias. What a rude bastard."
"Ah, haha."
"Who the hell is he to yap about Julius's partner? Anyway, what I was originally getting at is to steer clear of Christoph and Yumin. If you get too chummy with me, those two might start sniffing around your background with fire in their eyes."
Karin nodded. This was Namei's way of warning her that the web of relationships revolving around Julius—the cafe manager—was far more tangled than it seemed, and clumsily inserting herself into it could be dangerous.
If Christoph sunbae and Yumin sunbae found out she was heading to the cafe manager's place, they might approach her for entirely different reasons. Karin understood that crystal clear.
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"Oh ho, Karin. You've finally mustered the will to hang out with us on the weekend?"
"Sophia, you're such a pretty, sweet girl if you'd just keep your mouth shut."
"Shut it, Natalie. I feel a fierce bond with our trio of popularity-less gals—you couldn't find it even if you scoured with soap."
"What a load of crap."
"So, Karin, our weekend wanderer—what made you decide to spend the day with us today?"
"I figured I should make some time for you guys once in a while."
"What a dull, uninspiring reason."
Sophia slung an arm over Karin's shoulder with a bored expression. Her posture screamed street thug more than noble daughter, but somehow, that was part of her charm.
Karin brushed the arm off her shoulder as she thought to herself.
"What would make it fun, then?"
"Like your secret fling with some guy blowing up in flames, leaving us as your only playmates."
"You're impossible..."
Anyway, with the three of them together again for the weekend, they chatted about what to do. The area around the academy was purpose-built for it—a textbook planned city. The shopping districts catering to nobles were top-notch, so it wasn't exaggerating to say there was plenty to enjoy on a day off.
Three people opened up more options than two. As they talked in the garden tucked inside the academy grounds, they abruptly fell silent at the arrival of an unexpected guest.
"Hey. Haven't seen you around lately—what're you doing here?"
"...Rias sunbae."
"Hunkering down under that woman must've made life a breeze for you, huh?"
Whether some change of heart had struck her or not, Rias had pulled her long red hair back into a high ponytail. She sneered right in their faces, dragged over a chair without asking, plopped down, and twisted her lips.
"You still sneaking off to meet that psycho bitch and swap who-knows-what? Makes me wonder why a freak who avoids people like the plague is glued to you."
"Do I have any reason to answer you?"
"Oh dear. Guess you haven't had a taste of bitterness lately—gotten bold, have we?"
Rias's hand on the table clenched for a split second, then trembled faintly before going slack.
Sophia, on the other hand, flinched hard—enough to oddly amuse Karin, who let out a soft chuckle.
"Hey. Speak straight. The only thing that woman's interested in is Julius. Tell her to spit out what she knows."
"Whatever I know or don't, what business is it of yours, sunbae?"
"If it's about my fiancé, it's my business too."
"Fiancé...?"
"Ha, damn it. Wipe that smug look off your face. Don't know how the rumors started, but we haven't officially called it off."
Rumors. Officially. Called it off.
The words stuck oddly in her ears, and Karin swallowed without thinking. She'd heard the cafe manager's side, Namei sunbae's version, even the gossip Sophia had picked up—but never straight from the people involved.
People always spin stories in their own favor.
And no one knows every last detail, naturally.
"Even if I did know something about Rias sunbae's fiancé, wouldn't I have no obligation to share?"
"You think it's funny 'cause I'm just asking nicely? Want me to make you regret it for life?"
Rias's right hand clenched again, mana gathering within. Natalie went straight for the sword at her hip. Sophia and Karin readied their defensive spells.
Baring her teeth, Rias slammed her right hand down on the table, scattering the mana, then took deep breaths to calm herself.
"Haa. Hoo. Fine. What does our precious junior want?"
"I don't want anything from you, sunbae. And I never said I knew a thing about any fiancé."
"You're poking the bear on purpose, you little shit."
"Still at it? Pathetic."
As the briefly cooled tension started heating up again, a new male voice cut in from behind. Rias whipped her head around, face crumpling, and Karin followed her gaze to a frowning brown-haired man.
Their eyes met, and curses flew from Rias's mouth without mercy.
"What'd you say, you moron? Why don't you just trail that whore's ass instead of coming here to yap?"
"That cheap mouth of yours still runs like clockwork. No wonder Julius hyung never let you anywhere near his heart."
"What do you know about me and Julius to butt in? Mind your business and fuck off."
"In a garden full of passersby, anyone asking about hyung catches the ear—pleasant voice or not. I can't stand by for threats to unrelated first-years or anyone connected to hyung."
Karin inwardly clicked her tongue. She'd picked a fight with Rias right after holing up at the academy to dodge questions about her whereabouts, and now Rias's blatant shouting about Julius had dragged others into it.
"First off, accept my apologies on behalf of that hoodlum. Yumin Bertrand, second-year. She's been stirring trouble since before enrollment and never learns from it, so please overlook it with your generous hearts."
"...Ptooey. You'll regret this later."
Karin wiped the cold sweat prickling the back of her neck as she watched Rias hawk a proper loogie into the yard before storming off.
Is she actually insane? If someone like that has some sob story, would the cafe manager even buy it?
Sophia's no thug—that one's a straight-up gangster.
"That aside, sounds like there was some talk about Julius hyung."
Karin held her breath without meaning to—and instantly regretted it.
Shouldn't have reacted so obviously. She bit her tongue lightly, meeting Yumin's gaze, and snapped herself back to focus.
"I'd love to hear what was said. Got a moment?"
In the heavy atmosphere that brooked no easy escape, Karin flashed a slightly obsequious smile, silently apologizing to Sophia and Natalie as they exchanged glances.