"...What does that mean?"
Mr. Karen's apology left me confused. I wanted to ask him why, but I couldn't bring myself to call out to him. All I could do was watch as he walked away—so effortlessly, so cool—waving that handsome goodbye.
He actually came to the academy to see me today. I was so happy… it was an honor! It would've been even better if Shien hadn't been there.
The reason Mr. Karen came was because of the train attack two days ago. I was the target of the dangerous organization known as "Black Sun," and he came to tell me who the employer was.
He must have gone through a lot to get that information out of them. It couldn't have been easy. And yet, he succeeded. I was truly grateful to him… but I had no way to repay him.
So I wanted to believe what he said.
But the identity of the employer shocked me so much that I didn't know if I could.
Brother Laje's family serves under my family. Our households are on good terms and have frequent interactions.
And Brother Laje… he's someone I've known since I was little. A kind, gentle older brother.
He admired his father, the commander of the border guards, ever since he was young. He would often come to my house with his father. After greeting mine, he would always stay behind to play with me.
Those were such happy memories.
Just as I was lost in those thoughts, Shien suddenly stepped into my view.
"Lixia, he has to be lying! There's no way Bro Laje would do something like that. Don't you remember how kind he's always been to us?!"
Shien comes to my house almost every day, so of course he knows Brother Laje too.
"Of course I remember. Every time he came, he would play with us and tell us all kinds of interesting stories."
And unlike others, he never favored Shien just because he was considered a national talent. If Shien did something wrong, he would still scold him. That's why I liked Brother Laje so much.
Even now, I still don't understand why Shien always brought magic books to my house. He never played with me—he would just immerse himself in his own world. Couldn't he read at home?
"That's why there's no way Bro Laje would do something like this. That guy must be trying to drive a wedge between you two!"
Brother Laje has always been like a real older brother to me. There's no way he would do something like this.
But… I had only just met Mr. Karen. We weren't close, but he had no reason to lie to me either. He was just helping out of a sense of justice.
"...No. Mr. Karen wouldn't do something like that. He was just helping me."
"So you're going to believe him?!"
Faced with Shien's question, I didn't know how to answer.
I was torn—between believing that Mr. Karen wasn't lying, and believing that Brother Laje would never do something like this.
"I… I'm not sure… Is Brother Laje really in the capital?"
If he really was here, like Mr. Karen said… then why hadn't Father told me?
"Then we'll just have to confirm it. If he's not, then that guy's a liar."
Shien was right. We could just go check.
But the way he kept calling Mr. Karen a liar… it made me upset.
"..."
Ignoring him, I started walking toward Big Brother Raj's house. But of course, Shien tried to follow.
"Lixia, wait for me. Hera, Sicilia, we're not going to the dungeon today. You two head back to the dorm."
(Then you go back too! Why are you following me?!)
He had been bothering me all day—constantly trying to stop me from leaving the group, wearing that pitiful, abandoned look. I'd had enough!
He already had Hera, a duke's daughter, by his side. What did he still need me for? Why couldn't he just leave me alone?!
"No, we're coming too."
"That's right."
Of course Hera and Sicilia, who liked Shien, wouldn't just let him go with me alone. Naturally, they wanted to follow. But unexpectedly, Shien refused them.
"No. This doesn't concern you."
(It doesn't concern you either! Go back!)
Shien wouldn't be of any help anyway. He'd just make things more troublesome.
But Hera wasn't the type to give up easily. If she pushed hard enough, Shien usually wouldn't refuse. That's just the kind of person he is.
"We're teammates. Your problem is our problem."
What Shien said next made me stop in my tracks.
"You should go back… please."
What?!
He actually refused them?!
Was this really the Shien I knew?
Normally, no matter how unreasonable the request, he would never turn anyone down. That's why everyone saw him as such a nice guy.
"If you're that determined, then we'll drop it. Let's go, Sicilia."
Hera agreed—and even called Sicilia along, even though she hadn't said anything yet.
Sicilia rarely opposed Hera. You could say she was practically her follower.
She was the daughter of a viscount and had been bullied before. Staying close to Hera, a duke's daughter, protected her from that. So she always went along with whatever Hera decided.
"Understood. See you, Shien."
"Thanks."
After that, I hesitated, unable to take another step.
And just like that, Shien caught up to me.
In the end… I had no choice but to go to Big Brother Raj's house together with him.