Academy Heroine's Right Diagonal Back Seat

Chapter 127

[You will realize it someday.]

......It’s noisy.

[And someday, you will end up like me.]

......I said it’s noisy.

[Rather than being betrayed, getting hurt, and feeling sad, you’ll end up thinking that it’s better to burn everything down.]

......I will not become like you.

I promised to live strong.

So as long as there are still people who believe in me, I can somehow endure.

*

I felt my fading consciousness gradually waking up.

At the same time, a sound came as if it were obvious.

[딩딩딩~ Good morning~ 띵딩딩~]

The sound that started softly grew louder and louder.

[빠빠빠 빠빠 빠빠빠빠 굿모닝~]

It continued to echo endlessly in my head, as if it was eating away at me.

A noise I didn’t want to hear reverberated in my mind incessantly, growing louder and louder.

It was so noisy.

With a thud, I packed my fist and struck my head hard.

“......Ugh, that hurts so much...”

Tears welled up at the pain that made my head ring.

But still, I preferred this.

Thanks to it, the sound echoing in my head had diminished a little.

[빠빠빠 빠빠 빠빠빠빠~ 빠빠빠 빠빠 빠빠빠빠 뷰티풀데이~ 잇츠 어 뷰티풀데이~ 띵딩딩~]

To collect myself, I shook my head a few times and then rose my body.

Looking around, I saw my room in Sylvia’s mansion.

It seems Sylvia brought me here after I lost consciousness.

When I checked the time, it was already afternoon, past lunch.

Ah, am I late?

Just as that thought crossed my mind, I noticed a note placed beside my bed.

Curious, I unfolded the note; it was written in a graceful handwriting that didn’t need any further explanation to know it was from Sylvia.

– Miss Scarlet, is your condition better? The medical staff said there weren’t any major issues with your body, but I thought it would be better for you to rest today, so I didn’t wake you. Please don’t wander around or overexert yourself, okay? Don’t worry; everything from yesterday has been taken care of, so just rest well. I’ll see you for dinner later.

A faint smile crept onto my face at Sylvia’s note, filled with concern.

Thinking about it, today would indeed be better spent resting, just as she said.

My current condition isn’t all that great.

I felt that it might take a little time to get used to not letting others see that.

[딩딩딩~ Good morning~]

I carefully folded the note and placed it back on the bed before lying down again.

As I lay there blankly, memories of yesterday drifted hazily through my mind.

...It was just vague memories, but I could tell that being alive at this point was a fortunate thing.

How many times did I overcome life-and-death situations in just one day?

If it weren’t for the people who helped me, perhaps I would have gone to the afterlife long ago.

I should find a time to thank them separately someday.

With that thought in mind, I decided to make some macarons as a token of appreciation for Sylvia.

In fact, I made them almost every day, but...

Today, let’s make them with a bit more sincerity.

Resolute, I left my room and headed to the mansion’s kitchen.

I greeted the staff I passed on the way and arrived at the kitchen.

Since it seemed to be break time, the kitchen staff were absent, leaving me alone to begin preparing the macaron ingredients.

It felt like a routine at this point.

I even thought I could make macarons with my eyes closed at this stage.

Should I ask to be hired as Sylvia’s snack supplier once I’m out of things to do?

Feeling a bit guilty, I couldn’t raise my head and just sipped my tea while the elder smiled at me kindly.

“Besides, didn’t you say that you were friends? True friends don’t keep tallies on such things. Being able to help each other without expecting anything in return defines real friendship.”

“......I am not the type to live under the debt of others.”

When I replied that way, the elder gave a playful smile and whispered softly.

“Though you say that, our Astra is not different from you. We always remember and repay our debts. So be careful not to earn ill will from Sylvia. You never know what might happen. Hehehe.”

He looked quite dignified, so I didn’t think he would make such a joke, which caught me off guard.

What a surprisingly witty person...

As I pondered this, I noticed the little stone the elder had been fiddling with in his hand.

What is that stone? Curious, I stared at it, and noticing my gaze, the elder presented the stone towards me.

“This seems to be catching your attention.”

“......Yes, what is that stone?”

“Ha, although it looks like an ordinary stone, it is actually a magical tool. It glimmers to notify you when something is wrong with your body. For an old man like me, health is my biggest concern, so I always carry something like this around to take care.”

Oh... It really looks just like an ordinary stone, but it has such effects.

While I was marveling at it, the elder asked me.

“Would you like to hold it? It looks fine, but considering what happened yesterday, there might be something wrong with your health. You should be especially cautious when you feel fine.”

At the mention of a health problem, I flinched slightly and involuntarily trembled my arm where I had injured myself earlier.

Is this an issue too...

While I was thinking this, I cautiously accepted the stone the elder offered and grasped it gently.

Of course, I held it with my right hand instead of my prosthetic left arm.

“......It seems like you’re fine. Ha, that’s a relief. I’m glad.”

The elder, who had been looking intently at me, muttered in a relieved voice when the stone showed no reaction.

After all this, was he really worried about my health...

Feeling a bit moved but slightly embarrassed, I sipped my tea, only to realize my cup was empty.

...This was tasty; I want more, but will it be okay to have more?

Feeling a bit distressed, I shut my eyes tightly and reached for the teapot on the table.

But my outstretched hand was stopped by the elder, who firmly grasped my wrist.

So...it seems the expensive tea could indeed only be served once.

Thinking that, I glanced at the elder with caution, but he smiled at me and said.

“......Ha ha, the tea is getting cold.”

“Oh, I’m fine even if it’s cold....”

“I’m the one who isn’t okay. I cannot serve cold tea to a precious guest. It seems you really like this tea. This tea tastes better hot. I’ll brew some fresh tea, so just wait a moment.”

With that, the elder took the teapot and poured its contents into a flowerpot as if he were watering it.

Is it really cold? Wasn’t there still warmth to it?

By the way, he just wasted such expensive tea just because it was a little cold...

Is that the mindset of the bourgeoisie?

I was utterly baffled by his actions, and before I knew it, the elder returned with freshly brewed tea.

And true to his word, the hot tea was indeed much more delicious.

Yet the thought that this might be a waste didn’t leave me; it seemed I wasn’t cut out for living as a bourgeois, after all.

*

After Scarlet left for her room, Elder 1, who continued to sip tea while fidgeting with the stone-like magical tool on the terrace, noticed a servant walking down the hallway and called out to him.

“Sebastian, could you come here for a moment?”

“Ah, Elder 1, what is it?”

“Here, it seems this orchid has died.”

“Really? No, when I checked it this morning, it looked fine...”

Sebastian tilted his head at Elder 1’s words, but upon seeing the completely wilted orchid as the elder said, he muttered in disbelief.

“......This can’t be. It shouldn’t be like this when nothing had been wrong...”

“Don’t worry about it. Just throw the whole pot away.”

“......Are you sure it’s alright? Wasn’t this the orchid you cherished, Elder?”

“It’s fine. It’s just an orchid. Consider it a small misfortune.”

With a bitter expression, Elder 1 looked at the dead orchid in the pot and quietly murmured in a tone that no one else could hear.

Better this than cleaning up a corpse.