18 - I Healed the Male Lead's Trauma
Episode 18
4. A Senior's Guidance is Needed for a Junior (3)
Who?
Me?
Even after hearing Kashiel's thunderous remark, I didn't show any reaction.
'It's better to just let things like this slide.'
I was just idly watching to see how far he could go thinking on his own, thinking I might as well take advantage of him.
It seems he finished sorting things out faster than expected.
'Anyway, the best thing is a good thing.'
Hopefully, the fallout won't land on me.
Still, a bit of resentment remained, and I retorted unkindly.
"Just because I'm needed doesn't mean I'm particularly willing to help."
"You just… need to keep me in my right mind from time to time."
What is he even saying?
Do I have to do that for someone I don't even care about?
When I immediately frowned, Kashiel quickly made excuses.
"Of course, I should do well on my own, but…"
Good to know.
He kept looking at me, trying to gauge my reaction, and after that, he often spoke to me.
A month passed like that, and then two months passed.
"Haa…"
…I'm screwed, damn it.
Leaning against the balcony railing overlooking the garden, I silently lamented and clutched my head.
'Nothing is going right…'
The fact that Kashiel was being affectionate despite my dry attitude was the least of my problems.
Originally, Kashiel should have maintained his sensitive and picky personality even after meeting Milia.
I didn't expect him to change this much just from one conversation with me.
I didn't plan for him to seriously change his mind.
But even putting that aside.
'None of the plans I had set up have been achieved.'
I clutched my head and looked down at the lush garden.
The scent of grass and flowers wafting from it helped me regain my composure.
Actually, there were many strange things.
Since the last outing, I went outside whenever I had the chance.
Not only did I scour every corner of the central district to find Milia, whom I failed to encounter at that time, but I even crossed over to other districts.
As if she had suddenly gone into hiding, not a single strand of Milia's hair could be seen.
My grand plan to have Akteon and Milia meet in advance also returned to nothing without any progress.
The person I needed to have them meet, Milia, didn't even show up in the first place, so I couldn't even start.
I also tried to get information from bars, etc., but somehow, not a single clue about her came out.
'Besides, the new semester is just a few days away. This is hopeless…. There's no hope.'
Now that I had decided to change the flow, I was confident that I wouldn't be flustered even if any variables arose.
Still, I didn't expect it to go wrong from the very first step.
It's hard to believe that saving Hiakin and entering Brondearne would have any impact on Milia's safety, even as a butterfly effect caused by my actions.
If there's any consolation, it's the fact that Hiakin successfully completed his First Manifestation a while ago.
He seemed to have felt that he was somehow different from others after his First Manifestation.
"Liphy."
"What."
"I'm just asking…."
So he said something quite cute.
"You said my expected grade is high, right?"
"That's right. Wouldn't it be at least A-grade?"
"Then won't there be fewer people who treat you or me carelessly?"
He didn't seem confident at all before the First Manifestation.
The fact that he's saying this means he must have realized that his ability to sense and contact magic is exceptional.
'Thanks to that, I don't have to worry about Hiakin anymore.'
I just wish I could find out something about Milia.
As I was pacing around, wondering if there was any other way, I heard footsteps approaching the room.
When I opened the door, Beled smiled and greeted me.
"You have sensitive hearing."
"We also receive training to develop our senses at school."
"Ah, but why do you look so troubled? Hmm, it's not that you look bad?"
I have to find a high-ranking guide to guarantee my life, so I'm anxious.
I thought I was pretending to be fine, but was it that obvious?
I made up an excuse.
"Something happened. I was trying to find someone, but it seems they're not in the central district."
"Is it an important person?"
"You could say that…"
Hearing that, Beled dropped the formal smile he usually wore and smiled gently with sincerity.
Somehow, that look seemed quite meaningful.
"Who knows? Maybe they're closer than you think."
Strangely, Beled's expression made my instincts tingle strangely.
'What is it?'
It's unlikely, but I asked just in case.
"I hope so. Beled, if you happen to hear about someone named Milia Ernst, would you let me know?"
Tilting his head, he didn't even brush back the hair that had fallen over his face as he asked.
"Hmm, Miss Ernst? I think I've heard of her…"
Huh, what?
I hurriedly tried to grab his collar, but Beled quickly stepped back.
"Ah, I was confused. It's someone else with a similar name."
"Haa…."
He's not messing with me, is he?
'I think he is?'
When I glared at him as if telling him not to joke around, Beled immediately raised both hands as if admitting his mistake.
"Okay, never mind. More importantly, why did you come to find me?"
"Ah, the Duke has called for Ortiz. He instructed me earlier to make a sedative for Kashiel. I came to tell you directly and pick up the ingredients."
Is today the day I only deal with people I don't want to see?
There aren't many comfortable people in this mansion in the first place.
'Akteon is… a bit better than Kashiel or the Duke.'
I nodded sullenly, clearly showing that I didn't want to go.
Beled advised me not to show so much dislike and went to do his job.
The place where Hiakin and I live is on the west corridor, quite far from the individual rooms where the Brondearne people stay.
Normally, there's no reason to go to the other side, so I don't encounter the servants very often, but for some reason, I could feel their glances when they saw me.
'It's definitely a bit different than before.'
It must be after the day I saved Akteon, right?
A cadet at the academy stays in an ambiguous position between a commoner and a noble.
It wasn't as high a barrier as a real noble.
Whether they thought it would be troublesome to provoke me, they avoided me instead, which made me feel less suffocated.
'It's all because of Akteon and Kashiel, those two.'
And this changed attitude wasn't just limited to the servants.
"Miss Ortiz."
The Duke, the real power in this house, was the same.
Surrounded by butlers, the Duke, who was busy reviewing documents, said.
"Kashiel said he's going back to school."
"Ah, I heard that as well."
"I heard you persuaded him?"
That's not true.
There's no point in denying it here.
In the end, I had no choice but to vaguely gloss over it.
However, the Duke seemed to think I was being modest and was very pleased.
"He wouldn't even bat an eye no matter how much I scolded and threatened him, so I'm grateful."
That's because you're being overbearing with the kid.
For a guy like Kashiel, it's better to have him reflect on his own state and coax him rather than strictly scolding and threatening him.
Just like my nagging, which worked too well even though I said it dryly.
But the Duke didn't care about my clouded expression.
"If you had been A-grade, I would have married you off to one of the two."
There it is again, that sound.
Akteon's abnormal First Manifestation and Kashiel, who couldn't overcome the death of his family.
The Duke kept saying that to me whenever he had the chance, since I had solved these two problems.
"That would be too much of a burden on Brondearne."
"No, someone like you is rare."
He's holding me for a long time today.
Rolling my eyes, I saw that the butlers, who were dealing with urgent matters, were trembling.
It was because the Duke had stopped working to talk to me.
For their sake, and for my sake, should I try to escape?
I was about to cut off the conversation appropriately.
"Ah, Senior. You were here."
Akteon, who was entering the office, greeted the Duke and me and approached shamelessly.
In that instant, the Duke's eyes sparkled with subtle expectation.
"Akteon, what's going on?"
"A supervisor from the Management Bureau visited. He said he'll escort me to school the morning after tomorrow, so I should prepare in time."
"Why? The only families that get supervisors to take them directly are those on the watch list."
Akteon looked at the Duke, then turned to me and replied.
"It's by order of His Highness the Crown Prince."
I paused at the name that came out of his mouth.
It was surprisingly common for supervisors to come and pick up cadets entering the academy.
The majority were commoners or orphans like me, but high-ranking nobles were also often included, and in those cases, they all had a common reason.
'It means they might be taken away or run away.'
They were targeting those who might have antipathy towards the Evolved Being Management Act.
That wasn't all.
To prepare for the possibility of Evolved Beings being taken away before admission, if a cadet disappeared on the day of admission, they would be executed for defying the royal order.
If this was just a prank by Prince Isidor, I would have just let it go.
'It's not Prince Isidor.'
Someone with a higher right to the throne than the Second Prince.
The one who threw Hiakin from the original story into a life of misery, Crown Prince Sibelin.
'It must be because of Hiakin. He went through his First Manifestation a while ago….'
…Of course, the story would have been passed on.
It doesn't make sense otherwise.
The Brondearne Dukedom has been the most loyal family to the royal family, producing the most Transcendent Beings to date.
'That old geezer… dares to target someone?'
My fists clenched involuntarily.
At that moment, Akteon skillfully intervened, separating me and his father.
"It's probably because of my brother."
What?
I turned to Akteon in surprise at the unexpected words.
"After that incident, my brother stubbornly refused to return to Estra. I guess he was worried that he suddenly changed his mind."
"Ah, I see. That makes sense."
"But the kind of thing you're worried about won't happen, Father. Please rest assured."
"Well, it's not that I'm worried. It's just that it bothers me that a son born of my blood is so weak. In comparison, Akteon, you are…."
The blatant favoritism made me feel even worse.
The Duke's gaze towards Akteon was like admiring the finest raw stone.
"I always have high expectations for you. At first, there was no such thing as a useless burden like you."
And Akteon ignored that gaze as if he was used to it.
"It's thanks to your guidance, Father."
I sensed some emotion from Akteon, who answered that way, that was different from simple obedience.
'Contempt? No, that's not it. It's closer to self-deprecation….'
I don't know exactly what it is.
I was just standing next to him, but I could feel so unpleasant.
Akteon, noticing that I was uncomfortable, coaxed the Duke.
"I've told you that someone from the Management Bureau is coming, so I'll be on my way. Senior, are you done talking?"
I was the one who had to answer, but the Duke arbitrarily cut me off.
"That's right. I've been holding you for too long. Miss Ortiz, you can go now. If I keep chatting, the butlers will cry."
"Ah, yes…."
It was clear that he was telling me to leave because he didn't want to deal with me anymore.
"If your brother needs anything, let me know anytime."
"Ah, yes…."
As I got outside, I first tried to calm the bubbling anger inside.
'How can the Duke and the Crown Prince… all be so full of thoughts of using my brother….'
Hoo, I took a long breath and tried to calm down.
A large, warm body carefully touched my back and then fell away.
"It's kind of funny, isn't it? You could say their thoughts are transparent. The problem is that those thoughts are all so base…."
Akteon, who patted my back, muttered.
It was too obvious who he was referring to.
His father, the Duke.
"But Father."
Akteon had a smile that was too bland compared to what he was saying.
Then, as if telling me not to worry, he said to me.
"He will be betrayed by all the expectations he has placed."
