28 - I Healed the Male Lead's Trauma
Episode 28
5. The Female Lead Didn't Need a Male Lead (4)
I think I said I would try to be obedient last time.
I looked back at Akteon, who showed no sign of shaking off my hand.
Where did the Transcendent Being who almost tore the entire academy to shreds just a few days ago go? Now, behind me, there was only a large dog faithfully following me around.
'...It's a relief we haven't run into anyone.'
Taking this guy across the training grounds in front of the main building is absolutely out of the question.
'As if all sorts of rumors aren't already spreading, I can't throw them another piece of bait.'
This adjacent building is only used for internal management, so it's sparsely populated.
Only a small number of people come and go, so there's little chance of running into someone.
"It's quiet."
"I came to a quiet place on purpose. We need to finish the conversation we were having earlier."
"I don't remember. Could you explain it again?"
"Your clumsy tricks won't work, so sit down first."
Almost forcibly, I sat Akteon down on a bench.
'This way, he won't be able to do the same thing he did earlier.'
Away from the main building where students come and go, this place had lush ornamental trees thanks to an artificial lake created for the staff.
It was great because even if I ran into someone, I could hide and slip away.
However, my guess that no one would come was wrong. I thought that even if someone came, it wouldn't be a student.
But as soon as I sat Akteon down, I heard small footsteps.
Soon, someone recognized me and called out.
"Excuse me, are you perhaps a senior?"
It seems that she came all the way here looking for a place with no people, just like me.
However, it was quite unexpected for me to run into Milia Ernst.
Milia, with her soft-colored hair neatly tied up, blinked her round eyes and looked around.
"Why are you here..."
"Just trying to get some fresh air. How did you know about this place?"
"Ah... I've been exploring various places on campus recently. Sometimes I want to be alone..."
I brought my index finger to Akteon's lips, meaning to be quiet for a moment.
Thanks to the tree right in front of us, Milia didn't know Akteon was there.
After silencing him, I approached Milia.
Milia, startled by my sudden approach, suddenly became flustered.
"I-I'm sorry! If I'm bothering you, I'll be going..."
"Wait a moment, there's something I want to ask you."
"Yes?"
As if she was trying to leave in a hurry, I stopped her, and Milia dropped the books she was holding with a thud.
"What... are you curious about?"
I picked up the fallen books, and a beat later, Milia also sat down on the grass and received what I offered.
"On the day of the entrance ceremony."
"......"
"Weren't you curious how I knew your name?"
Milia's expression turned as white as a sheet of paper in an instant as she held the books.
Rather than looking terrified.
'...It seems like she overlooked it herself.'
She wasn't usually this careless, but it felt like Milia had inadvertently overlooked it.
More directly, it seemed like Milia took it for granted that I knew her and was caught off guard.
I felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
Had I met Milia before?
'The Crown Prince's side too... what on earth is going on?'
Our first meeting.
Even back then, there were many suspicious things about Milia.
Like how she didn't find it strange that I knew the name of a freshman I met for the first time that day.
'She also knew that the control seat wasn't properly prepared.'
Even if I couldn't take Akteon to the Garden of Oath, persuading the researcher to expedite the replacement of the control seat wasn't entirely useless.
Thanks to that, the Garden of Oath side was able to prepare more quickly for any possible disasters.
Even if I had died as in the original story, the damage would have been reduced for sure.
Using the prepared control seat, they would have suppressed Akteon until a high-ranking guide was deployed.
'How did she know?'
Milia, clutching the books in her hands, moved her lips.
She seemed to have a lot to say, but her firm face showed her determination not to speak.
"I... I don't want to lie to you, senior. But it's difficult for me to say right now..."
There must be some circumstances.
I'm suspicious, but I don't want to pressure this child.
It's clear what the information she's given me is for.
Milia Ernst was trying to prevent an incident that could cause great damage from resulting in the worst outcome.
That's why I didn't pry and only asked about her name.
I straightened my casually bent upper body and helped Milia up.
"Thank you for telling me that. I didn't mean to scare you, but I'm sorry if I did."
Milia, who grabbed me and stood up in a daze, blushed.
She let out a sigh of relief, as if she had been nervous.
"No, I'm the one who's... sorry and grateful."
I don't know what she's sorry for, but if I asked more questions here, she might run away.
'She'd avoid me for the rest of the semester.'
It would be easier to get to know her little by little and find out what she knows and what she's doing for.
Unaware of my inner thoughts, Milia looked at me with a relieved expression.
"I may have a lot of questions for me, but I can promise you this. I'll be helpful to you, senior."
If so, I'd be grateful, but...
But after finishing her words, Milia suddenly discovered something and was startled.
"I-I'll be going now! Thank you for your concern...!"
She cringed and hugged her books tightly as she greeted me.
Then, she jumped up and left as if a bug had fallen on her clothes.
But since I didn't see any bugs or anything on me, that couldn't be it...
There was only one reason she would be surprised here.
Sigh.
When I turned around, Akteon, who I told to hide so he wouldn't be seen, was standing up.
The guy who cast a fresh shadow with the light coming through the leaves shamelessly made excuses.
"I didn't do anything."
Did he really think I would believe that?
"You got up without listening. Milia thought I was alone, so what if she thinks I lied because someone was with me?"
"Then I'll tell her myself. I'll say that you told me to hide because it would be troublesome if it was known that you two were together."
If you say it like that, it sounds like we were having a secret rendezvous.
...It's not wrong, but the nuance is strange.
This guy is subtly stubborn and not the type to bend easily, so he wouldn't listen obediently no matter what I said. I stopped the nagging that wouldn't work anyway.
"You said you would follow me obediently..."
"I wanted to, but."
Just in time, the sound of a bell rang loudly in the distance.
Akteon waited until the bell stopped ringing before continuing.
"I was interrupted from having a chance to be with you, so it's okay to make this much of a threat, right? You have to go now."
Ah. I was so distracted that I almost forgot, and I came to my senses thanks to the guy who was regretting it.
Soon it was strategy and tactics class. I was carelessly relaxed because it wasn't far from here, and I almost arrived late on the first week of the semester.
Feeling sorry for bringing him here and leaving first, Akteon made the first move.
"If you're worried, grant me one request later."
"A request?"
"It's not difficult."
His subtly smiling expression made me wonder what he was going to ask for.
He wouldn't make a strange request, so it should be fine, right?
"If it's a request I'm willing to grant."
"It won't be bad for you either, senior. Let's go now. We'll have plenty of time to talk alone anyway, so I'll take you there."
Naturally accompanying me to the lecture hall, Akteon didn't mention any other special topics.
I thought the time to talk alone would be after school on campus.
However, a while later, a thunderbolt-like order fell on me when the professor in charge called me in.
And it was one that I could never avoid.
"You'll have to go to the capital tomorrow, Liphy. His Highness the Crown Prince has summoned you."
Not only did the person I had to be most careful of call me, but he also summoned another person to the Royal Palace with me.
It was Akteon.
* * *
Why did the Crown Prince call me?
I knew the answer but didn't want to accept it, so I was stuck in terrible denial all afternoon.
Kashiel, who had borrowed three or four books on military strategy from the library, sat down on the railing next to me and sneered.
"He's acting like a sly old fox. He's obviously trying to win you over by saying he'll sponsor you directly and put you under his command."
"I guess so."
"There are already so few guides that the management office in the capital and Romdina on the front lines are in chaos, and in the midst of all that, a rare resource called an S-class guide suddenly appeared."
Yes. Or he'll use Hiakin as an excuse, not me.
The abuse case of the unawakened Hiakin at Count Lorraine's estate six months ago.
He intends to interfere with my family, saying that he will directly support Hiakin under the pretext of apologizing for the lack of supervision in the sponsorship system.
'Otherwise, there's no way he would suddenly call me at this time.'
It's a royal order, no less.
If I refuse wrongly, I'll only provoke the Crown Prince and be ostracized, and I could suffer disadvantages as a result.
He was a man with great desires.
A powerful man who wouldn't hesitate to use despicable tricks to get what he wanted.
Without going far, just looking at Akteon's second awakening, I could clearly see how far he could go.
'...At least he called me, so he can't reach out to Hiakin right away.'
It's not safe.
I had to find a reason to make the Crown Prince let go first.
As I was deep in thought, Kashiel took off his glasses irritably next to me.
"I'm not angry at you. I'm just frustrated that I have to say this to someone who's already complicated."
"There's no way things could get any worse here."
"No. There is. My father also heard the news that you're coming to the capital."
There was no need to ask what that had to do with it.
"I thought Akteon wouldn't say anything. But you should know. My father said he wants you to visit the Duke's estate..."
"In practice, it's no different from an order."
"...That's right. You'll have to go."
As if the Crown Prince wasn't enough, I had to deal with the Duke too.
Something was seriously wrong.
But.
'Shouldn't I have the experience of risking my life sometimes? It's not like I haven't done it before.'
I don't want to do everything I'm told like a dog that goes wherever it's called.
As I racked my brains and worried, I finally found it.
A way to screw over both the Duke and the Crown Prince at the same time.
