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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: TushChen
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“Caiden? Have you finished your work?”
At Yuria’s question, Caiden, staring at the paper with a dreamy, blank expression, returned to his senses.
“Ah! Yes! Just a few more to fill in…”
Caiden nodded with a slightly flushed face, then hurriedly finished his work.
Whether there were only a few tasks left or not, completing the remaining documents didn’t take long.
“Then, do you perhaps have any more tasks for me? If not, may I be excused?”
Caiden asked Yuria in a cautious voice.
His expression suggested he would be troubled if there were more tasks.
In the year since she had entrusted him with assistant duties, Yuria had never seen Caiden say such a thing.
If anything, he would passionately beg for more work.
Yuria felt more suspicious but outwardly replied nonchalantly.
“…No. You may go.”
At Yuria’s words, Caiden smiled slightly stiffly and bowed his head.
“Then…”
Caiden tried to leave the student council room with a flustered expression.
“Caiden.”
At Yuria’s cold voice, Caiden turned his head, startled.
He looked as if he had committed a grave sin.
“You’re forgetting your bag.”
Caiden let out a breath that seemed slightly relieved at Yuria’s words.
“Yes.”
Caiden left the room with his bag.
Quietly watching this scene, Yuria uncrossed her soft legs and stood up from her seat.
And carefully, she began to follow Caiden.
Indeed, Caiden’s state was strange.
It wasn’t just because of the uncertain fact that he was doing things he didn’t usually do.
Yuria had discovered traces of manipulation in the attendance records of a student named Livia.
‘Something’s off.’
Caiden didn’t notice anything, perhaps because he was preoccupied with something, even though Yuria was following him.
To Yuria, Caiden seemed to have a firm purpose, but it didn’t appear entirely willing.
In fact, Caiden repeatedly showed anxious behavior, hesitating several times, turning back the way he came, and wandering around.
But it was strange.
Even so, Caiden, visible from afar, seemed to have an expectant expression.
After hesitating several times like this, Caiden headed towards the dormitory.
Could it really be that he just wanted to rest?
Yuria briefly thought that her intuition might have been wrong.
But the next moment, seeing Caiden freeze in front of the dormitory, she changed her mind.
Whatever, or whoever made Caiden act like this, was inside that dormitory.
Caiden entered the dormitory first, and Yuria followed at a distance.
Then, she carefully used magic to remove the sound she was making.
This kind of magic wasn’t Yuria’s specialty. Still, she had tried imitating it after seeing Leonhart use it occasionally.
Though clumsy, it shouldn’t be detected.
Caiden seemed to be returning to his room normally.
However, after lingering in front of the door for a while, he finally took a long breath and opened it.
Yuria carefully approached the door and listened.
Although they said rooms weren’t distributed based on status and power, in reality, those of higher status inevitably received rooms in quieter areas with less foot traffic.
There were hardly any people walking around near Caiden’s room, so Yuria didn’t have to be cautious.
As she listened, she could hear voices.
The mumbling sounds became clearer when Yuria used magic to enhance her hearing.
“Senior.”
Huh?
Yuria covered her mouth in surprise at the unexpected voice.
It was Leonhart’s voice.
“How is it?”
“Well, that… I might have been discovered by the president. I made a small mistake.”
Caiden’s answer was heard.
To think that the person working together with Caiden was Leonhart!
But Yuria felt a strangely unfamiliar sensation.
Caiden’s voice was much thinner and weaker than usual.
Rather than a man’s voice, it was more like…
Yuria had to stop her thoughts.
The next moment, Caiden started crying at one of Leonhart’s words.
“A mistake…? That’s troublesome. Are you sure it was really a mistake?”
“I’m, I’m sorry… It really was a mistake… sob.”
Yuria heard Caiden crying for the first time.
He had always been a polite and respectful boy.
While he might get excited and angry sometimes, he seemed far from weak emotions like crying.
“Senior. You’re crying again. This is troublesome. I still have some things to say.”
In contrast, Leonhart spoke kindly as if he was used to this.
“Don’t cry. Why are you crying so much?”
“The tears just… come out.”
“Senior.”
“Yes.”
Caiden answered breathlessly while sobbing.
As if he would die if he didn’t answer.
“Do you cry this often in front of others too?”
“No, I don’t. I don’t cry. I…”
“You’ll be discovered if you’re like this. Senior, are you sure you haven’t been discovered? Your tears won’t stop flowing.”
Leonhart’s voice, sounding playful but mixed with concern, was heard.
“Are you scared of me?”
“No, no. I’m not scared.”
“Senior. You promised me you wouldn’t lie.”
Leonhart’s voice, low and thus sounding more chilling, was heard.
After the sound of Caiden swallowing a trembling breath was heard, Leonhart ordered.
“Come here.”
“Okay.”
Rustle. Swish.
The sound of their clothes brushing against each other was heard next.
Were they embracing?
Yuria’s face flushed at the strange atmosphere in the room.
What… what’s going on? What’s happening in that room?
Her head spun as if she had drunk alcohol.
“Answer again. I’ll punish you if you lie next time.”
“Okay.”
“Are you scared of me?”
“…Yes. I’m scared.”
Caiden answered in a frail voice full of moisture.
“Well done. Senior is a good child.”
Leonhart’s voice had become gentle again.
A sound that tickled even Yuria’s ears, as if he was patting Caiden’s head, was heard.
“But what should I do, I don’t want Senior to be too scared of me.”
Leonhart let out a small moan as if worried.
After a moment, he clicked his tongue as if he had made a decision and said.
“Senior, open your mouth. This is just for this time.”
“My mouth…?”
“Hurry. It’s something good.”
Caiden seemed to have opened his mouth after moaning a few times, finally following Leonhart’s order.
Heavy panting was heard, and suddenly, something seemed to gag Caiden’s mouth.
“Mmph… ah… wait… Leon… mmm.”
A sticky, wet, thick sound echoed in the room.
It was a moist sound as if liquids were mixing.
This sound… could it be?
Are they k-kissing?!
Yuria pressed her hand more firmly against her mouth to stop the bewildered sound trying to escape.
Those two… had they become that kind of relationship?
When? H-How…?
Yuria couldn’t hide her bewilderment as she listened to the wet sounds from the room.
Something was weighing on her mind.
…Was it because I rejected Leonhart’s feelings?
And because I pretended not to notice Caiden’s feelings?
So the two hurt men…
That’s impossible!
A heat that felt like it would burn her heart flared up in Yuria’s chest.
This kind of thing was impossible.
Yuria exhaled, trembling, overwhelmed by the rising sense of injustice and sorrow.
Tears welled up in Yuria’s blue eyes under her eyelids, which sparkled golden in the sunlight.
She hadn’t accepted Leonhart because she was afraid he would dislike her changed self.
Afraid that he would hate her and leave.
Of course, what Leonhart had done wasn’t even a confession, but Yuria didn’t know that fact.
“Senior. Have you calmed down now?”
“Yes… Thank you.”
“That’s good. You’re not crying anymore. I’m glad. Then tonight at the lounge again…”
Yuria stood up after hearing the voices of the two people arranging a night rendezvous.
Her heart was aching so much that she couldn’t bear to listen anymore.
“Ugh…”
Yuria clutched her chest, which felt like it was being torn apart, and ran away frantically.
At the last moment, she didn’t even notice that her magic had been dispelled due to her emotional disturbance.
She hated Leonhart for so quickly giving up his love for her.
And she resented Caiden for immediately taking Leonhart away.
Even knowing it was all her fault, Yuria couldn’t stop her rushing heart.
And Yuria realized that a fiery feeling that shouldn’t be there filled her heart.
It was jealousy.
A terrible jealousy began to burn inside Yuria’s heart.
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I fixed Caiden’s bangs after she finally stopped crying, having swallowed all of the ‘Calming Potion’ I had purchased with Plot Points.
This liquid, which had the effect of calming emotions, had the power to make the mind peaceful, even if only temporarily.
Because it was such a sticky liquid, it had been difficult to swallow, so I had to help for a while.
“…Senior. Have you calmed down now?”
At my question, Caiden tightened her grip on my clothes.
Although she was afraid, her clinging to me was pretty cute.
She seemed to feel some ambivalent emotion towards me, but it was hard to guess exactly what.
“Yes… Thank you.”
Her voice still contained moisture as she answered, but she seemed to have calmed down sufficiently.
As expected, things bought from the Plot Store have definite effects.
I noticed a teardrop still clinging between Caiden’s eyelashes, and with a faint smile, I gently wiped it away with my hand.
As my finger brushed her skin, Caiden exhaled a short breath, and her thin eyelids trembled.
“That’s good. You’re not crying anymore. I’m glad. Then tonight at the lounge again…”
“Yes.”
Just as I was about to ask her to keep watch while I went to meet Livia, I felt something strange and abruptly stood up.
I gestured to Caiden, startled and half-rising, to stay still as I approached the door.
Then I flung the door open.
“Someone was here.”
There was still residual magic in this area.
I had opened the door just now because I heard a sound, but it seemed they had already fled.
Damn, I had bought the Sensory Expansion unique ability for times like this.
The drawback of this unique ability was that senses only became apparent when focusing on a specific target.
I slightly furrowed my brow, then recalled that voice I had heard at the last moment.
‘Could it be?’
I think I know who overheard my conversation with Caiden here.
“Hmm… What to do?”
As I was pondering, someone tugged firmly on my sleeve.
When I turned my head, Caiden looked at me with anxious gray eyes, trembling slightly.
Why does this person become a little more fragile every time we meet?
Perhaps she’s gradually revealing the side she’s been hiding only in front of me because I discovered her secret.
“It’s okay.”
I whispered reassuringly and closed the door again.
“Let’s talk about a few more things.”
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