4. Estelle Finally Crawled In
4. Estelle Finally Crawled In
Lucia's room was packed with books.
Not just on the desk, but along the walls, on the floor, and even in every nook and cranny of the window frames, books were piled high.
Her parents must have had quite a hard time moving them from home to here.
"Uhehehe."
From between those piles of books, a low, sinister laugh leaked from the lips of Lucia, who was sprawled out on the floor reading.
Contrary to her usual expressionless face, at this very moment, she was beaming.
If anyone who knew her saw this, they would be worried that her intelligence had dropped due to the influence of natural mana.
What Lucia was reading was a romance novel that was trending these days.
"... Haa."
Lucia closed the book she had been engrossed in and let out a sigh without realizing it.
Perhaps because of a scene in the novel where two separated lovers dramatically reunite, she naturally thought of the childhood friend she met earlier today.
'He was like a male lead in a novel. When he waved from afar and approached.'
She never imagined they would meet again at the Academy after 10 years.
And like that, with his height shot up, his body looking fit, and even his voice having improved. He was even in the Magic Department, the most promising department at the Academy, no less.
Honestly, if Mom hadn't given her a heads-up beforehand, she wouldn't have even recognized him.
If Mom, who still exchanged letters with Edmon's parents from time to time, hadn't let it slip that the kid next door, Edmon, was also entering the Academy this time.
'Did he come looking for me because he heard from his parents that I entered the Academy too?'
While thinking that, she worried that her mom might have said something embarrassing about her for no reason.
Especially since she was always asking if she had a boyfriend.
At the word 'boyfriend,' she suddenly felt embarrassed, and Lucia's ears turned bright red in an instant. She buried her face back into the book.
"......."
After a while, a slightly depressed feeling washed over her, and she sat up with a start.
Lucia looked down at the loose, matching gray pajama set she was wearing.
'Compared to Edmon, who has become so cool.'
She poked at her belly. Poke, poke.
Her thighs too. Poke, poke.
Her upper arms. Poke, poke.
... She thought about touching her chest but stopped.
'I'm always lying in my room reading romance novels like this, and I barely go out, so of course I'm gaining weight like a pig....'
Her hair was so frizzy and unmanageable that even though she struggled every morning, it took 10 minutes just to get it back to normal.
Because she read novels until dawn every day, her dark circles showed no signs of disappearing.
The self-reflection time that always started when wrapping up the day.
Usually, Lucia wouldn't be this troubled by this level of self-reflection, but there was a reason she was feeling extra down today.
It was because of Estel, whom Edmon introduced today.
She was the exact opposite of herself, who couldn't even speak or hold a conversation properly in front of others.
A person who was incredibly bright, energetic, and shining brilliantly.
Her skin was so clear, and her hair was so silky. She even smelled nice whenever she brushed past.
'What's the point of being childhood friends for 15 years....'
If anything, Estel, whom he met for the first time today, already seemed like a much closer friend to Edmon.
She would casually tap his arm or shoulder, and Edmon seemed to accept it comfortably, and they would joke around while talking.
They could have gone to dinner just the two of them, but he went out of his way to look after her too.
Seeing her be considerate even to someone like her, Estel was truly a kind-hearted person.
But whenever she saw that look in her eyes when she stared at Edmon, it seemed like she liked him a little bit.
Well, Edmon was handsome and Estel was pretty, so they looked like a perfect couple straight out of a novel.
Suddenly, a corner of her heart stung, twinge.
Mistaking that sensation for the climax of the novel she just read, Lucia opened the book again.
"Uhehehe......."
Inside my [Dormitory] room, I was sitting on the edge of the bed, facing Estel, who was sitting on a chair.
I had hurriedly brought her into the room because I was worried someone might see Estel standing in front of my room, but that was the problem.
Estel's unique, sweet scent kept spreading throughout the room, making it hard to calm down.
The situation of suddenly being alone in a room with someone I met for the first time today also made it hard for me to calm down.
I concentrated as hard as I could, closed my eyes, opened them, and focused on rational thinking.
... Why on earth did Estel come here?
Estel was absolutely not a character who would push forward so recklessly.
On the contrary, she was a heroine who grew up as a noble lady, living excessively bound by family rules and etiquette, and only at the very end did she manage to break free from such notions.
And such an Estel, snuck into the men's [Dormitory] at night? And entered a room where a man was alone?
"... Hey, why are you here? And how on earth did you get into the men's [Dormitory]?"
"There's something more important than that."
Estel stared straight at me with a serious face.
"I came because I have something to ask. Am I your friend?"
... Man, that's out of the blue. To come all this way just to say that.
The joke I made at the cafeteria during dinner earlier suddenly came to mind.
No way, is she sulking because of that? That comment about her not being a friend compared to Lucia?
"Uh... well, of course, we're friends."
I carefully added, watching Estel's expression.
"Don't tell me, are you doing this because of that joke earlier?"
Estel's face brightened up in an instant. At the same time, she raised her hands and clapped lightly.
"Thank goodness!!"
She shouted as if yelling, and then immediately clasped her two clapping hands together.
"Really, truly, you're my only friend. Thank goodness. I'm so happy."
"... No, today is our first day at the Academy, what are you talking about? You can make more friends."
I retorted as if scolding her, but Estel stiffened at those words and said firmly.
"Other kids, no. I can't be friends with them. Never."
"......."
That tone just now, it was a bit strange. From coming here, to the reason, to the tone, I keep feeling like something is off.
"... Anyway, did you come all this way just to ask that?"
"Yes."
Estel nodded as if it were nothing.
Ha, what on earth turned this refined lady into such a tomboy? And in just one day, too.
I lamented quietly to myself.
"Then is your business done now? Then how are you going to go back? What if someone is in the hallway? This is the 3rd floor, too. You can't even leave through the window."
Knock, knock.
A knock sounded on the door.
"Ahem, Edmon Blake, are you in there?"
"...... !!"
It was the low, stern voice of the [Dormitory] warden.
"A student reported seeing a girl enter this room. Open the door."
"......."
My mind went blank.
"W-wait a minute! I'm naked right now, let me put some clothes on!!"
I shouted to buy some time, and hurriedly looked around.
Closet, under the bed, behind the curtains, under the desk, inside the bathroom.
But no matter how large and luxurious the room was, a [Dormitory] room is ultimately just a [Dormitory] room.
There was no space to completely hide a person from the warden's eyes.
"What kind of preparation could possibly take this long just to put on clothes? Open it quickly! Otherwise, I'm going to open it and come in!!"
The warden's voice from beyond the door grew sharper. Soon, the sound of a key ring clattering was heard, and the sound of the lock clicking open followed.
"Aah... please, just a moment!!"
Despite my plea, the door swung open.
"What on earth is this...."
The moment the warden's eyes widened upon discovering Estel in the room.
"Don't disturb me."
Estel muttered quietly, extending her hand toward the warden. At the same time, the warden's body collapsed just like that.
"Oh, whoa!!"
I barely managed to throw my body and support the warden just before he completely face-planted onto the floor.
I looked down at the warden, who was fast asleep—no, fainted—in my arms.
It was a scene I had seen multiple times in the game.
... This was the very reason Estel entered the Academy.
It was a magic that rapidly dropped the oxygen concentration in the blood, knocking a person out in an instant.
It was a kind of magic that controlled gas, but seeing it with my own eyes was a completely different feeling from just reading the text on the screen.
In the first place, I doubted whether the act of controlling oxygen inside another person's body was even a realm possible by magic.
It was probably possible because of her genius.
"Ah, since I've even put the warden to sleep, I can sneak back now!"
Estel clapped her hands with a bright smile.
"He'll wake up soon. He won't even remember that he collapsed. Then, you can just say there was no one here."
The warden 'too'...?
"Don't tell me, when you came into the [Dormitory] earlier, did you keep knocking people out like this?"
Estel nodded as if it were nothing.
Seeing Estel, who had knocked out the warden and other people who had done nothing wrong so casually, and was even smiling brightly, made me feel strange.
The strange feeling quickly turned into a creepy one.
... If she makes a slight mistake, couldn't they die?
... With that one hand gesture?
A series of actions that Estel would never do filled my head strangely, but whether she knew my troubled heart or not.
Estel waved her hand leisurely.
"Then, see you tomorrow!!"
She smiled brightly and left the room just like that.
"Oh, and."
She spun around and looked at me again.
In the middle of the darkened hallway, she smiled with all her might, as if putting all the strength of her body into her face.
And, emphasizing each word as if pressing down on them, she said.
"Really, if you don't, one more time, call me friend, I will, really, get mad."