Chapter 100: The End of a Festival (IV).
Seeing the two figures in peace she wanted to leave but... the nurse was right, she needed to check on the young girl's mental state. Seeing Analissa Blanchet throw up blood and faint so suddenly without knowing what happened must make her feel so many emotions at once.
Confusion, anger and grief.
The professor spoke again, now placing a hand on the villainess' shoulders to get her attention, her voice tender but firm. "Are you doing alright, Lady Alarie?"
She could feel her shoulder stiffened, the villainess slowly turned back to look at her before looking at the heroine with pain in her eyes.
"Mm," (Lady Evelyn) responded, her tone flat, as if she hadn't fully heard the words. All this time she was thinking, if this was her fault... everything that happened. Maybe if she didn't... if they hadn't gotten close to a certain point she wouldn't need to sacrifice herself just to heal her.
But that asshole crown prince did a huge part of the blame.
She knows deep inside that she did nothing wrong, but she can't help but point a finger at herself.
'This is all my fault... If only I had been stronger.' The villainess seethed with frustration, her thoughts tangled in regret. She couldn't help but replay the earlier matches in her mind, wishing she could erase the mistakes.
She had deliberately used an excessive amount of mana to ensure victory, but what she hadn't anticipated was the scheming prince bribing the officials to rush the match between them. The thought of his manipulation left a bitter taste in her mouth.
If only she didn't lose the match... if she didn't lower her guard and avoided Crown Prince Dereck's shitty spell none of this would have happened.
"How are your symptoms? Is your arm alright?" (Professor Fraeya) asked, moving closer. "Does it hurt anywhere? I need to know if there's anything wrong so that I can inform the nurse."
"I'm fine," (Lady Evelyn) muttered, her voice distant and unconvincing.
'Off in your own world, huh?' (Professor Fraeya) thought, observing the young Alarie and sighing in her head.
She needed to find a way to get her attention and the only way she knew was-
"Symptoms of overclocking take days or weeks to recover. When you use a bit of your magic, your body grows tired and with that it goes to sleep to regain energy." The elven professor babbled on how recovery is important for the human body. Elves don't need to sleep every night seeing that their concept of time is different.
"...Mm." Though the villainess didn't look interested, she continued.
"Symptoms of overclocking take days, sometimes even weeks, to recover from. When you use magic, your body grows exhausted, and it goes into a deep sleep to regain energy." The elven professor continued, speaking about recovery as if it were second nature. She had no need for sleep herself- elves were not bound by the same constraints as humans. Their concept of time was... different.
"...Mm." Though Lady Evelyn didn't seem interested, she didn't interrupt, and Professor Fraeya pressed on, hoping for some reaction.
"On page one hundred sixty of your potions book, in the advanced chapter, there should be instructions for making a recovery potion for overclocking. Just like the one I gave you." With the mention of the recovery potion that certainly got her eyes wide.
For a moment her mind cleared with one desperate goal in hand is to seek for some kind of cure to make the heroine wake up as soon as possible, her hands suddenly gripping Professor Fraeya's arm. "...Right, that potion-! Do you have any more, professor?!"
"A-Aha... so that got you to pay attention," (Professor Fraeya) replied, surprised at the sudden urgency in her voice. "And to answer your question, I used the last one on you."
"Then how can I make that same potion?" (Lady Evelyn) asked eagerly, her eyes now full of focus.
Professor Fraeya raised an eyebrow, a smile tugging at her lips. "It seems the young lady of the noble house Alarie wasn't listening."
She flicks her forehead and chuckles despite the situation at hand, "It's an advanced potion, if you have no prior experience in brewing it, your recklessness could end up poisoning Analissa." The elven professor continued, her tone becoming more serious.
Lady Evelyn flushed slightly realising that she was too impulsive, the professor was right she'll end up poisoning her own crush if she continues to behave like that.
"I'm sorry..."
"My apologies," (Lady Evelyn) said quickly, her tone more sincere now.
Professor Fraeya gave a soft chuckle, understanding her worry and frustration. "I'll make it for you. You need not worry about it. Did the potion I gave you work for your case, though?"
"It did. Thank you, Professor," (Lady Evelyn) replied, a genuine note of gratitude in her voice. She raises the sleeves of her arms no matter how full of small holes it was because of the last match. "But it feels weird, I can't explain it but all the pain and discomfort that I have felt is gone. I feel fine... better actually. I've regained my strength and mana back."
"Your recovery potion did its job but it never really fully removed the pain back then." She closes and opens her hands, before conjuring a small ball of water that's slowly been shaped into a bird.
"This feels wrong. I feel that the reason she's laying in the infirmary bed now is because she sacrificed her own health and safety for my sake... so... reckless." The small bird on her hand was turned into ice in an instant.
"She did what she had to do in order to save you, though I have to agree it was very reckless of her to do so." (Professor Fraeya) takes a chair from the corner and drags it beside Lady Evelyn's. "We have to talk, your match with the crown prince was clearly attempted murder."
The villainess' eyes were hollow not even wanting to talk about what happened; she just wanted to be in peace taking care of the heroine, "Speaking against the crown... is treason. Professor, please be careful."
"I fear no royalty that doesn't deserve my respect. I've seen what the Louvecroft family has done to better its community. It's nothing impressive." (Professor Fraeya) rolls her eyes, how narcissistic of the human prince to even think that everyone will bow and bend to his commands just because of his royal status. "He shed a few crocodile tears but honestly, he got the rest of the professors fooled with his act. Not to mention his strategy- I don't even want to call it a strategy. He just spammed one or two spells and called it a day, somehow he won."
"Mm... as you said he fights dirty." (Lady Evelyn) also wanted to mention the bribes that Crown Prince Dereck made with the contestants and officials of the duels but she really didn't care now. "However, I don't care about him now... Lord Ein is right. I can handle him later. What matters now is making sure that Miss Blanchet is alright and awake."
Professor guitily scratches her head, "Hah... It is unfortunate that it was my last batch but I'll make more soon. The nurse wants you to rest. You should go back to your dormitory, change clothes and eat-"
Hearing the words that she should get back to her own dormitory, she decided to protest. There was no way in hell she was going to leave the blonde girl alone knowing that the crown prince could be anywhere and could come inside the infirmary at any moment to do who knows what.
"But Analissa will be-!" (Lady Evelyn) suddenly stood up from her chair, panicked.
Professor Fraeya calmly raised one slender hand, silencing her before the protest could continue. Her green eyes were steady as she explained that she wasn't telling her to completely leave.
The tall elf turned slowly, her long silver hair shifting across her shoulder as she faced the girl again.
"After that," She said, her voice smooth and unhurried, "you may return to the infirmary and continue taking care of her."
"...?!" (Lady Evelyn) blinked, caught completely off guard. She expected the professor to force her to leave and then be done with it.
"Did you think," (Professor Fraeya) continued, tilting her head slightly, "that I intended to say something else?"
"...No... I just-" The words tangled in Evelyn's throat. For a moment, Professor Fraeya simply watched her. Then a faint smile touched the professor's lips- subtle, but not unkind.
"Lady Evelyn Alarie," she said gently, folding her arms, "I must admit, I admire how responsible you are... and how deeply you care for your friend."
Lady Evelyn's gaze instinctively drifted toward the bed.
Analissa Blanchet lay there motionless, pale beneath the infirmary's soft white sheets. The steady rise and fall of her breathing was the only sign she was still with them.
The villainess' expression softened.
"To me..." she murmured quietly, "she's more than that."
"Mm, I can see. There were many things that caught me by surprise today, both you and Lord Einsel Loucrat. I wasn't expecting that side of him. It seems there are more to you two than meets the eye, I have misjudged you from our first class." A quiet breeze slipped through the open window, stirring the curtains and carrying the faint scent of the academy gardens into the room. "If she feels the same... I have a hunch that she would want you to take care of yourself more."
Lady Evelyn straightened and adjusted the sleeve of her duelist uniform.
"Then if you'll excuse me, I'll be back soon." she said, turning slightly toward the door. She paused, glancing back at the bed. Evelyn looked back at Fraeya, her expression serious. "I'll quickly change my clothes and settle a few things. For now... I'll leave Miss Blanchet in your hands, Professor."
Professor Fraeya inclined her head, feeling a little playful. "Very well take your time, we'll be waiting for you here."
Lady Evelyn gave a small nod.
"Mn." She took a few steps toward the door, her movements sharp and purposeful, before pausing suddenly. She turned halfway back, locking eyes with Professor Fraeya in a firm, unwavering stare.
"If I come back and she's not here..." Her voice held a quiet but unmistakable warning. "I'll find you."
Professor Fraeya raised an eyebrow slightly, her expression remaining calm. 'This girl is so obsessed with her. I don't know whether to be concerned or impressed. Should I report this? It seems to concern her mental state.'
"I won't do anything, nor will I let anyone inside the infirmary," (Professor Fraeya) replied evenly, though an uneasy feeling flickered in her chest. 'She reminds me so much of her cousin... Just with less bloodlust.'
Lady Evelyn studied her for a moment longer, the tension in her shoulders slowly easing before she gave a soft nod. "...Alright."
"While I'm gone..." The villainess' gaze drifted back to the bed, her voice softening. "If you don't have anything to do, you could tell her a story."
Professor Fraeya blinked, caught off guard. The girl is unconscious so there would be no need to tell her a story. "A story?"
Lady Evelyn nodded faintly.
"So that she knows she isn't alone." Her eyes softened as she looked at Analissa once more. "I noticed she likes them a lot."
Professor Fraeya paused, considering it quietly.
'A story... so she's fond of them.' She looked at Analissa, her expression thoughtful. "I see."
Lady Evelyn gave one last lingering glance at the sleeping girl before pushing the door open.
"Then excuse me." She stepped into the hallway, her voice trailing behind her. "I'll be back soon."
Clack!
Step. Step. Step.
The infirmary doors closed, her footsteps faded down the corridor, and the room returned to its deep, comforting silence. Professor Fraeya remained still for a moment, her gaze fixed on the door long after Lady Evelyn had vanished.
'This girl... she's quite obsessed with her,' (Professor Fraeya) mused quietly to herself. 'I wonder if the academy should be concerned about that...'
With a soft sigh, Fraeya turned back toward the bed. She moved a chair closer and sat down beside Analissa, her fingers lightly resting in her lap.
"A story, hm..." (Professor Fraeya) murmured, her lips curling into a faint smile as she considered the request. She glanced at the unconscious girl, her thoughts turning to the past and the words of the nurse.
"The ending was- oh! She fell in love with a prince and lived happily ever after with her many children. It is certainly a wonderful story." It echoed in her mind, she rarely gets to talk about the past so what's the harm now?
'Well... if Miss Analissa Blanchet wouldn't mind...' Her green eyes softened, the weight of her memories reflecting in them.
"I suppose I could tell Miss Blanchet the real story." Leaning slightly closer, her voice lowered to a gentle whisper, as though speaking to someone who might still hear her. "Cough- The story of Zohariel... not as the legend it came to be- you might have heard the same tale all your life of the first saintess of mankind when you were a child. What a shame, you'll hear the sad depressing truth of the legend from an old elf like me."
Her smile deepened, touched with a bittersweet fondness remembering the times she shared with her first and only love.
"The sad tale of the eldest elven princess' first love with Zohariel, her human lover... and the first saintess of humankind."
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