032. Trial (1) [Revised]
032. Trial (1) [Revised]
Yuna Castilla.
She woke up a few hours later.
With both hands tied so she couldn't move an inch.
As Yuna stared quietly at her wrists.
She saw she was wearing special restraints made of chains.
'......This is too much.'
She wasn't some kind of violent criminal.
She hadn't committed any crimes at all.
She hadn't done a single thing wrong.
And yet, this treatment was truly excessive.
It was just a piece of bread.
She was so, so hungry.
After her parents died, Yuna had nowhere to go, and every day was truly, horribly painful.
Before she entered the orphanage.
There was only one method Yuna could choose.
'I just... stole a piece of bread because I was hungry, so incredibly hungry.'
Back then, it was the same as now.
With both hands tied, all day long.
She was held captive and beaten.
Memories of her childhood that she wanted to shatter came flooding back.
Yuna slowly climbed down from the bed she had been lying on.
And. She looked around.
The first thing that caught her eye was the marble floor, which one could tell at a glance was high-end.
And, the room was sparsely furnished with only a single desk made of processed oak.
The lighting was bright enough to hurt her eyes.
Overall, it was a room with a tidy impression.
Yuna knew very well where this place was.
She could have figured it out immediately even without looking at the portrait of the academy's headmistress hanging on the wall.
It was the [Student Council Room].
"Did you wake up? You were sleeping so soundly that I felt a bit bad waking you. I watched you sleeping in my bed for a while, just staring blankly."
"......Luka."
"You should call me Luka-nim. I didn't say you could omit the honorifics. Yuna Castilla-yang."
Yuna's face began to flush red.
It was because she felt wronged.
"Why did you do something like this?"
If she set her mind to it, she could break these restraints at any time.
She thought she could undo them whenever she wanted.
Since she was the one who used magic first...... she could use it too.
She would pay back what she had suffered. She had decided to do that now.
However.
'Get lost.'
......Aria Witri.
Why did she say something like that?
She didn't want to...... return those words exactly as they were.
She just wanted to approach Aria first.
She just wanted to restart their relationship.
But why.
'......Looking at me with such terrifying eyes...'
It was a gaze that didn't suit Aria at all.
Why......?
'It couldn't be......?'
Did she... make Aria.
Terrified of her?
'......No.'
The night of that ball, where Aria revealed her face and showed herself.
Ever since that day, Yuna had started to pay attention to Aria.
Because, regardless of her intentions, she had truly...... saved her life.
She stopped the princess's conspiracy and took the place of someone who was about to drink poison.
"......Ugh."
"Yuna-yang. What's wrong?"
"It's nothing...."
But, she had done something so, so, so, so.
So terrible to Aria. Too terrible.
So.
She, she couldn't help it, since she had been through so much.
So, she couldn't honestly say thank you.
So.......
She just wanted to, first, start over, calmly.
She wanted to, s, start.
She just, honestly.
Very honestly...... she had just said it.
Why.......
She just wanted to return what she received and get along well.
Yuna began to tremble violently.
Her eyes were completely out of focus.
"A, are you, are you okay......?"
What about Aria?
She couldn't bring herself to say Aria's name.
It was different from last time.
Because it was so, so, so awkward.
The fact that she was the one saying that name.......
Because it felt so ugly.
Luka showed a cold smile.
And slowly approached Yuna.
She grabbed her chin gently.
Just like she treated other girls.
Even though her mother's portrait was hanging right behind her.
Luka always, consistently, in this place.
Used to treat the girls she liked 'in this way.'
It was the same now.
"Well? What do you think?"
"W, wha......?"
Did something happen to Aria?
Because of her?
Even though Aria had saved her life once.
E, e, even if she didn't know her intentions.
She had saved her like that...... so.
'That's why.'
She didn't want to hurt Aria anymore.
'She looked at me with such uncomfortable eyes, with eyes that said I was terrifying.'
Could it be that... Aria had been... hurt in her heart?
When that thought crossed her mind, Yuna also began to feel scared.
She had decided to return what she received.
And Aria had given her her life.
Perhaps that night, she might have been a candle that had burned down to the wick.
But Aria had lit the flame.
A flame that burned with a very hot and fierce intensity.
"I know exactly who you are worried about. And I've figured out who it's because of, too."
"Tell me properly."
"As a result of the Student Council's deliberation, we have decided to sentence you to a one-week suspension. Of course, that's not the main point."
Luka leaned in very close to Yuna's ear.
Her lips were almost touching.
"You can no longer approach Aria Witri. The reason is...... I believe you know."
"What on earth are you talking about!!!"
She couldn't.
If she didn't return what she had received.
If she didn't... return the life she had been given.
And.
If she didn't start over.
She really couldn't.
She had already expressed her intentions to Aria.
She didn't really know why she was so shocked.......
She had conveyed her precious feelings to get closer to Aria.
And the result was...... a restraining order?
"I won't follow such a ridiculous verdict. Because I can't accept it."
"Of course, I prepared for that, so I made other arrangements."
"......What?"
What Luka brought out was a small machine.
A circular device that operated on mana and engraved a magic circle onto the surface of the skin.
It was said to be trendy in the Capital, but this was Yuna's first time seeing one in person.
'Cursed Imprint.'
Yuna's gaze turned fierce.
Perhaps the Student Council President was.......
"Now, can you show me the back of your hand?"
"What if I refuse?"
"Then I will expel you."
"......What did you say?"
Luka returned to her desk, rummaged through a drawer, and pulled out a piece of paper.
And.
Kkung!
She revealed her true feelings very honestly.
"Did you think that after causing such a mess in the middle of the academy, I and the Student Council would just let it slide?"
"Are you done talking now?"
"Don't get too cocky just because of your meager talent and looks. You're receiving a full scholarship from the academy. Do you even know how much trouble I've had covering for you every time you cause an accident?"
"......That is."
"If I tell my mother, the scholarship you're receiving could be cut off immediately. I even remember the number of times the Student Council has discussed expelling you..."
Luka smiled brightly.
And she slowly.
Began to stroke Yuna's lips.
"If you have even a shred of conscience, the thing to say right now isn't 'Are you done talking now?'"
"......Then."
"Shall we try repeating after me? Say, 'I will obey.'"
Rather than spitting out such words, she would have preferred.
To consider choosing expulsion.
But Yuna couldn't bring herself to make that choice.
'Because my friends are here.'
Because her very precious friends were attending this Harcia Academy.
And.
'Aria Witri.'
To her.......
She wanted to return what she had received.
She wanted to start over.
'Get lost.'
Why she said that.
She was a little curious.
She wanted to ask.
Yuna's lips began to tremble.
Luka looked satisfied.
And.
"Show me the back of your hand."
"Ha."
"Don't worry. It's just a curse that prevents you from approaching Aria Witri. Of course, I'll remove it when you leave the academy."
"......What happens if I approach her?"
At that moment.
A sense of incongruity.
An unknown sense of incongruity washed over Yuna Castilla.
It was an intuition.
Because 'that person' had warned her of the numerous crises.
And the situations where she was about to face a crisis.
Yuna had developed a certain amount of intuition as well.
And now was exactly one of those times.
Luka's face stiffened.
For about 3 seconds.
Her face turned expressionless, then.
"Hmm, well? Maybe you'll get a hand tremor? If you're that curious, try approaching her."
Smiling warmly again, she used her cold hand.
To slowly, slowly stroke the back of Yuna's hand.
"I want to have something like this."
"......What did you say?"
"It's nothing."
As Luka tilted her body slightly while holding the circular machine in one hand.
Luka's nape was reflected in Yuna Castilla's field of vision.
'A bite mark?'
Had the Student Council President also been bitten by something?
It was faint, but clearly.
It was the exact same bite mark she had seen back then.
"Ah, one last thing."
"Why."
"Is there someone you truly love inside the academy?"
Yuna thought of one person for a moment.
That person.
And Aria Witri.
'......There are two people, so why did I think of one person?'
Because she was a little confused, she shook her head immediately.
"Ah, that's a relief. I'll ask again, but is there really no girl you love, like, or whose presence makes your emotions well up every time you see her?"
"I told you there isn't, so why do you keep asking such things..."
Luka smiled with a look of satisfaction.
And, pook.
"Ugh......."
She embedded the circular machine into Yuna's snow-white hand.
'......It's suspicious, but I have no choice.'
To remain at the academy.
Because she didn't want to be alone.
If she could just stay at the academy, the opportunity to approach Aria would surely come.
And.
'If this is a truly dangerous action.......'
If it was really, truly a dangerous action.
That person would definitely.
Come to save her.
That person would definitely.
Come.
"Now, you may go. Let's see each other at the Advancement Evaluation."
"......Hmph."
Yuna Castilla.
She left the [Student Council Room] immediately.
But for some reason.
Whispers could be heard everywhere she passed.
'......Where is Aria right now?'
Though, that was the only thing on her mind.
For now.
Of course.
"Ugh, it's cramped......."
Aria was currently squeezed between girls of a similar build to her.
Sweating profusely.