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Chapter 22: A Girls-Only Gathering and Jealous Eyes
The next morning after the birthday party. Razé was approached by Hugh when she was about to leave the dormitory while listening to Folia’s stories about the party.
Hugh: “Ah, Granoli-san. Thanks for yesterday. This is for you.”
Razé: “Thank you.”
Razé took a paper bag from Hugh. It should be the sweets that she asked for yesterday. She was excited. She didn’t care about attending a party, what she cared about was sweets.
Hugh: “Thanks to you I managed to talk to a lot of people. Perhaps others are looking down on me for being a commoner, but it helped to broaden my horizon. Thanks.”
Razé: “That’s great.”
After Hugh left, Folia turned to Razé and asked, “Who is that?”
Razé replied to her, “I didn’t need the invitation card so I gave it to him. Thanks to that, I managed to get sweets from Masserone!” Folia laughed and gave her a thumb’s up.
Then, they met Carna along the way to the school building.
Carna: “Razé, Folia-san, morning.”
Razé: “Good morning, Carna-sama.”
Folia: “Good morning.”
Carna looked very cheerful and told them that Prince Ruben was happy with her arrangement for yesterday’s party.
Carna: “Oh? Folia-san, you’re wearing the ear cuff today too?”
Folia: “Yes … It’s a gift from someone special.”
Carna smiled with a complicated feeling when she saw Folia’s red cheeks. When she looked closely at the earrings, she was surprised.
Carna: “Wait a minute. Folia-san, that ear cuff …”
Folia: “Huh?”
Carna: “Are you related to the Moldir family?”
Carna was surprised because she didn’t know about Folia’s crush.
Folia: “Actually, I managed to enter this academy because Zale-sama helped me to become my guardian.”
Carna was stunned, and then she suddenly grabbed Folia’s hands.
Carna: “Tell me more about it!”
And so, the three of them decided to have a girls-only gathering at the flower garden after class that day.
* * *
Beneath the clear sky, the three girls were drinking tea while having girl’s talk at the garden chartered by Carna-sama.
Carna: “I see. So, you like Lord Moldir?”
Folia: “Y- Yes …”
Carna looked at her teacup with a reassuring face. She was taken by surprised earlier. Razé could have directly told Carna about Folia’s crush, but she thought it was not right for her to gossip about her own friend.
Carna: “I see. It seems there are still lots of things that I don’t know about Folia.”
Folia: “I also would like to know more about you, Carna-sama. And of course, you too. Razé-chan.”
After that, the three of them started to talk about themselves, like where they were born, etc. After listening to Razé’s story, Carna put her hand on her mouth and said, “Razé, it looks like you’ve went through a lot before coming here.”
Razé Granoli, who lost her parents in an accident and had no relatives, studied at the library while working, and finally entered Centrior. That was her character setup. Razé felt bad for telling a lie, but it couldn’t be help because of the mission.
Razé was enjoying the tea while being surrounded by angels, when she suddenly felt like she was being watched. Hmm? When she looked around, she saw a young man with golden hair stood in a distance. It seemed that Carna-sama had invited Prince Ruben.
Carna didn’t notice him at all. She continued to say, “No wonder you always look like you thoroughly enjoying your food.” Carna picked up a piece of cake with a fork and pointed it at Razé’s mouth. “Say aah–”
The cake looked delicious and Razé immediately took a bite. When she was busy enjoying the delicious taste in her mouth, she felt like someone was staring at her.
Razé: … (ﾟﾛﾟ;ﾉ)ﾉ
Prince Ruben, who had been watching Carna with a gentle look earlier, was walking over with a fierce look on his face.
Carna: “Is it delicious?”
Razé: “Y- Yes. It’s very delicious.”
Carna: “Then try this one too. Say ahh–”
Carna picked up another piece of cake and pointed the fork at Razé’s mouth. The atmosphere was very sweet, but Prince Ruben who was walking over looked very scary.
“Ah, that’s unfair! Me too!” Folia said as she picked up a piece of cake and pointed the fork at Razé too. “Say aah–”
Razé could not reject being fed by angels, so she took a bite with a grateful look.
Ruben: “It looks like you are having fun?”
Carna: “Ruben-sama!”
Ruben called out to them with a fake smile on his face. Razé was unable to swallow her food.
“Oh, Razé-chan. You’ve got cream on your face,” Folia said as she wiped it off with a napkin. Razé noticed that Claude, who was standing right next to Ruben, suddenly was glaring at her. She almost choked on her food.
She then somehow managed to swallow the food, and took a sip of cold tea that was chilled with Carna’s ice magic. She could felt that Ruben and Claude were staring at her. Perhaps they thought that she was not worthy to be here, so Razé just bowed to them with a strained look on her face.
Carna said to Ruben, “This is a girls-only gathering. Ruben-sama, you can’t join us.” Carna’s mischievous smile was rare, so Ruben just looked at her with fascination without saying anything. Carna was in a very good mood because she had learnt about Folia’s crush.
Ruben: “Okay. Then, will you have a tea party with me next time? Just the two of us.”
Carna: “Hu- Oh! Of course!”
Folia looked at the two of them with an envious look. Meanwhile, Claude stood behind Ruben without changing his expression. Razé took a sip of her tea again to clean her palate.
Ruben kissed Carna hairs, regardless of other people. At that moment, Razé felt a sharp murderous aura coming from nearby. It did not come from the lovey-dovey couple in front of her. She could sensed a stranger watching at them.
Razé put down her cup and looked around. It happened for a short time only so she couldn’t detected the way it came from. This was the first time that she felt a sign of danger since she came to the academy. Her back was cold with sweat.
I never realized it before … Considering that the enemy could control their emotions in an instant and hide this negative aura meant that they had a considerable skill.
Folia: “Razé-chan, what happen?”
Razé: “Nothing. I was thinking about something.”
Razé tried to act normal but her heart was grim. It might be dangerous for Carna-sama. She had no evidence but her intuition said so. Ruben and Carna didn’t seem to notice the murderous aura earlier.
It seemed that the time for her to make a move had come.
Looks like I was sent here for a reason. The sharp-witted Prime Minister must have sent the Wolf Fang here to repel the enemy. As a Shadow’s Eyes, I must protect these girls.
The clang sound made by the ice cubes in the glass cup sounded so far away.
