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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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At first, I tried to go to a deserted place and talk to her. I didn’t think that she was lying, after all.
Looking at Eve, who had stopped crying but was still sobbing, I realized that I might have gotten the wrong idea by going to the wrong place.
Realizing that something is wrong, I spoke as gently as possible.
“I don’t know if you’ll believe this, but this is the first time I’ve ever talked to you, let alone touched you.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m asking you to do me a favor. Just give me an hour, just one hour. If you still don’t believe me , I’ll never bother with you after that . I’ll be expelled in a week , neatly , without seeing you or talking to you .”
He threw in his own twist.
Eve’s eyes were flickering, but she still didn’t seem to like it.
“Please, please. I don’t know why I’m being expelled for being a molester.”
My sincere plea must have reached her, because she finally nodded and accepted, and we headed to the cafeteria set up for students in front of the dormitory.
The cafeteria is just an outdoor terrace, and I could feel the students passing by, stirring.
Maybe it was because I was with Eve, the student who i was accused of molesting, but I just ignored it and asked Eve.
“If you want a drink, order one.”
“Uh, I’ll have an Americano, cold.”
“Sit down first.”
Besides that, since she’s a girl, I thought she might like something sweet, so I ordered a chocolate cake. It was more expensive than I thought, so I spent a little.
I handed it to Eve, who was already seated and waiting, and she shook her head in surprise.
“No! It’s fine!”
“Just eat it, you’ll be very anxious if you talk to me for nothing, I just want you to relax a little.”
Because if she’s not lying and she’s misunderstanding something, being here with me right now must be pretty overwhelming for her.
….. … it’s fattening.”
She took a bite with her fork, her eyes flashing and her hands fidgeting. I didn’t feel like she would gain weight, she was in good shape, but if i gave her a flimsy compliment like that, i would be a confirmed molester, so I clamped my mouth shut.
“I want to get one thing straight before I go. I’ve never really met you, I’ve never touched you. This is the first time we’ve even talked.”
“…..”
“I’m sorry for you, but I want to know a little bit about the situation at the time, and I know it’s going to be hard, but I hope you’ll take the time to explain a little bit.”
Here, even if she stood up and walked away, there was nothing to say . For her, the situation at the time must have been terrible, even if she only remembers it .
But I need it.
I need information to solve anything.
“I’m going to keep waiting, just take your time.”
What followed was quite a while.
She lowered her head and, with a hesitant glance, it took her 30 minutes before uttering her first words.
“It was a library.”
“Yeah, a library,” I nodded, listening intently to her story. Another 10 minutes passed, and she clenched her fists before continuing.
“You suddenly approached me, covering my mouth and touching here and there.”
“Even in the library, it was an isolated place, huh?”
“Yes… I love old books.”
Her response was swift.
Sensing an opportunity, I subtly changed the topic of our conversation.
“Old books? I love them too. Especially the records of ancient people in the Forest of the Abyss.”
“The Forest of the Abyss? Are you talking about ‘Cherny’s Expedition’ by any chance?”
I vividly remembered reading that book whenever I had downtime during my Sherpa days. In fact, ‘Cherny’s Expedition’ was a fundamental read for Sherpas.
“Besides that, I’ve read ‘The Enigma of the Dark Ore,’ ‘The Forest Where the Moon Doesn’t Rise,’ and ‘The Devil’s Waymarker.'”
“Wow! I’ve read ‘The Devil’s Waymarker’ too!”
With this, Eve started various conversations. I also smiled and engaged with her, discussing book-related topics and recommending old texts related to the Forest of the Abyss.
“Since you’ve read many books about the Forest of the Abyss, have you ever read ‘The Black Forest and Princess Melara’?”
‘The Black Forest and Princess Melara.’ This book didn’t contain much information about the Forest of the Abyss; instead, it was more of a romantic novel set in that backdrop.
Back when I had no people to guide through the forest, reading was my only pastime, and I remember inserting comments like ‘This isn’t it’ or ‘They don’t really know the Forest of the Abyss’ as I read it.
However…
She grinned and nodded.
“Yeah, I enjoyed reading it. I especially loved the scene where Princess Melara is saved by the lake of silvery water in the Forest of the Abyss.”
“I… I loved that scene too!”
Excitedly, Eve shared various stories. Since I had retained my knowledge of the Forest of the Abyss from reading, our conversation flowed smoothly.
We had been talking about books for more time than I realized, but there was a satisfied smile on her face.
“Would you like another cup of coffee?”
“Oh, I’ll buy it this time!”
“No, stay put.”
The child who rarely spoke suddenly unleashed a torrent of words, which I found endearing, so I smiled and got up. It seemed like she had spoken more than usual, so I suggested it, thinking her throat might be sore. Maybe it would help her feel more comfortable between us.
“Alright, let’s get closer little by little.”
There was only a week left, but if I could obtain important information from her, I could wait a day or two. I bought some simple cookies to go with the coffee, and as I was returning, I noticed a male student confronting Eve.
Eve’s cheerful expression had just turned dark, and she lowered her head. The male student raised his voice even more, and I could hear him too.
“Are you crazy? Talking to that guy? Like it’s so much fun? Do you like him or not?”
“……”
“Either you’re clueless or an idiot. Come on, you don’t even need to talk to that bastard.”
“Hey.”
In the end, I stepped in. Holding a tray with coffee and cookies in my left hand, I grabbed the guy’s wrist with my right.
“Who are you?”
I only intended to intimidate him slightly, but surprisingly, the guy was more intimidated than I thought. He hesitated and let go of Eve’s wrist. However, he didn’t back down.
“What’s your deal? How dare you approach Eve like that? Molesting her all over the place! What kind of conscience do you have?”
“I didn’t do that, and it’s none of your business. Who are you to butt in between Eve and me?”
I had said it to prevent a third party from interfering suddenly, but it seemed to have an effect as the guy got angry and swung his fist unexpectedly. Startled, Eve screamed, but unfortunately, I had no intention of letting him land a blow. I caught his punch and applied a bit of force, causing him to grimace and groan.
“Ugh!”
“I have a lot on my plate right now, so I’ll let this slide. Just leave.”
Already marked as a harasser and a perpetrator of violence, there was no room to add more violence here.
“Or do you want to try for real? I’m getting expelled in a week anyway, so messing you up today and leaving tomorrow won’t make much of a difference.”
Seeming to sense my resolve, the guy grumbled, cursed a few times, and then fled.
After placing the tray back on the table, I asked Eve, who had been deep in thought.
“Are you okay? I’m sorry I couldn’t come sooner.”
The girl, her face hidden by her lowered head, seemed shocked. However, she didn’t take long to raise her head, and her eyes revealed a peculiar determination.
“I like the smell of old books too; my sense of smell is quite sensitive.”
“Huh?”
I wondered why she suddenly brought up her fetish. But her next words carried weight.
“Daniel smells nice to me.”
“Really?”
“When I was molested at the library, there was a very unique smell, like something magical or a potion.”
“……”
“And just now, that guy had the same smell too.”
In addition to this, Eve added with a deep breath, “And no one knows about me being harassed except for Daniel, thanks to the Dean’s discretion.”
As if she wanted to ask how that male student knew, Eve gestured for me to sit down.
“Let’s talk about it once. I think I might have misunderstood something.”
***
“Rin, what are you doing?”
Her classmate, Haré, entered with a smile, but Rin was so absorbed in looking out the window that she didn’t notice Haré’s arrival.
“Rin?”
“Oh? Ah, you’re here.”
It was only after being called again that Rin blinked in surprise and smiled at Haré. But then, she turned her gaze back to the window.
“Huh? Is there something outside the window?”
“No, I just find the moonlight beautiful.”
“True.”
Haré smiled as he spoke, but in reality, the black-haired girl’s gaze was directed downward.
“Two hours.”
It had already been two hours. Despite the sunset and the darkening surroundings, the two of them continued their conversation in the cafeteria, sometimes serious, sometimes smiling.
“Today, she’s different from usual.”
The blonde girl and the other girl. Ignoring the stinging pain in her chest, Rin stared blankly as if she were under a spell.
While Daniel was away to get more coffee, a male student named Charlie from class A, approached the girl who was waiting for him with a smile.
But when Daniel arrived, he intervened and managed to rescue the girl quite gallantly, like a prince saving someone from a fairy tale.
“Rin?”
Haré, who had been glancing at the window while reading a magazine, called out to Rin because her behavior was becoming increasingly strange. However, she didn’t respond.
“Sigh…”
She just took a deep breath.
“Rin?”
Try to smile .
” Huh? Why? ”
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