Chapter 43: A Visit to the Ailing Teacher

“Teacher, I apologize for the intrusion.”

Upon hearing Lovelenica’s faint reply, Lucia offered her own soft acknowledgment before gently pushing the door open. Her movements were entirely unlike Julie’s earlier boisterous entrance; Lucia seemed almost fearful of making a sound that might disturb Lovelenica.

Imeline followed closely behind Lucia, shutting the door softly once they were both inside.

Upon entering, Lucia did not allow her gaze to wander; instead, she immediately moved to Lovelenica’s bedside. Imeline, however, swept her eyes around the room, taking in every detail of its layout.

Imeline observed that Lovelenica’s room diverged significantly from the opulent aesthetic of the mansion’s exterior. Unlike the lavishly adorned hall and corridors, this space, while equipped with a private kitchenette and bathroom, featured only high-quality, fundamental furnishings in the main bedroom. It was refined, certainly, but starkly devoid of the extravagant embellishments one might expect, making it feel more modest than magnificent.

While the caliber of the furniture still suggested a noble’s dwelling, this was, after all, the ancestral home of the Crimson Family, one of the Arcadia Kingdom’s most prominent houses. For them, this level of simplicity bordered on austerity.

Considering the Crimson Family’s known disparity in treatment between their collateral and direct lines, this observation no longer seemed so peculiar.

The curtains were drawn tightly shut, allowing only slivers of faint light to pierce through their narrow gaps. The window, shattered by Lovelenica’s earlier outburst, had evidently been swiftly repaired by the Crimson Family’s servants.

Lovelenica had extinguished the chandelier suspended from the ceiling, leaving only a small, solitary candle stand on the bedside table to cast a soft glow. These enchanted flames, powered by a magical source, consumed no physical materials, requiring only a periodic replenishment of magical energy.

Lovelenica lay propped against the headboard, clad in a pale pink nightgown, a blanket drawn over her legs.

Even within the room’s muted light, Lucia could discern the profound weakness that now afflicted Lovelenica. Her complexion was alarmingly pale, her skin drained of most of its vital color, and prominent dark circles shadowed her delicate face. She appeared utterly depleted and drawn.

It wasn’t just Lucia; even Imeline flinched in surprise at Lovelenica’s wan appearance.

“Teacher, what’s happened to you? What exactly transpired?”

“Cough, cough. It’s nothing serious, just a touch of fever, it seems.”

“Are you certain no one else from the Crimson Family has done anything to you?”

“No, it’s not like that. There’s no need to worry.”

Lovelenica waved a dismissive hand, offering an explanation.

“I must have caught a chill last night, which brought on this fever. But tell me, what brings you two here so suddenly? Oh, I recall now—I don’t believe I mentioned I’d be resting today.”

“It’s nothing, I was simply concerned about you, Teacher.”

Lucia pulled a chair close and settled herself beside Lovelenica’s bed. Imeline, in contrast, remained standing beside Lucia.

‘What on earth is Imeline doing here…? I can’t believe she’s simply come to visit me. She must be uneasy about Lucia being here alone… No! Hasn’t she already started investigating the Crimson Family? How could I have let her into this mansion!’

‘Wait!!!’

‘My crystal ball, the one on the table! I haven’t put it away yet!’

At this realization, Lovelenica’s eyes flickered imperceptibly, and her heart seized with sudden dread. Evidently, she had completely missed the implied message behind Julie’s earlier forceful knocking. That very crystal ball, her sole means of contacting Liliana, lay openly on the adjacent tabletop.

Given the sparse decor of her room, Imeline was bound to spot the crystal ball almost immediately.

Fortunately, the crystal ball could only be activated by Lovelenica’s unique magic. Even if Imeline were to secretly attempt to infuse it with her own magical energy, it would prove utterly futile.

The sole concern, however, was the possibility of Liliana suddenly attempting to contact her through the crystal ball. Should Liliana decide to inquire about her recent mission progress at this very moment, Lovelenica would be utterly ruined.

A wave of anxiety washed over Lovelenica as this thought took root.

“M-Miss Imeline, perhaps you’d like to find a seat as well?”

“There’s no need. I’m perfectly fine standing.”

Imeline politely declined Lovelenica’s offer. She reasoned that if she were to take a seat, it would feel unnatural to then stand up and wander about, or to openly scrutinize her surroundings. Standing afforded her more discretion.

“Alright… Oh, that reminds me, I thought I heard Julie’s voice earlier. Did she escort you here? I was under the impression her relationship with you wasn’t particularly amicable, so why would she bring you back?”

Lovelenica, recalling her earlier query, used it as a pretense for light conversation, all while her mind raced to devise a way to discreetly return the crystal ball to her Sacred Ring.

As she spoke, she began to throw off her blanket and rise from the bed, ostensibly to pour herself a glass of water, but secretly intending to retrieve the crystal ball as she passed the table.

“Huh? Teacher? What are you getting up for?”

“I… merely wished to pour myself a glass of water.”

“Allow me.”

Upon hearing Lovelenica’s desire for water, Imeline unexpectedly took the initiative. She moved directly to the small kitchenette, retrieved a clean glass from the cabinet, and found that the kettle still held water previously boiled by the maid, now pleasantly warm. Ostensibly, Imeline was pouring water for Lovelenica, but in truth, her eyes and hands were subtly scrutinizing the contents of the cabinets.

Imeline was far too astute to misunderstand the meaning behind Julie’s earlier, rather aggressive knocking.

First and foremost, Imeline was certain that the Crimson Family harbored some profound secrets or issues.

Building upon this premise, Julie’s abrupt behavior earlier could only point to two possibilities.

The first was that Julie genuinely held a deep antipathy towards Lovelenica, to the extent that she wouldn’t afford her even a modicum of respect, even in illness.

The second possibility was that Julie was discreetly sending a warning to Lovelenica. A simple knock wouldn’t necessitate such a loud call; if the patient were truly asleep, they would simply turn back, avoiding any disturbance to her rest.

As for the precise reason for this warning, Imeline remained uncertain, though she suspected it was an instruction for Lovelenica to conceal any suspicious items within her room.

Imeline had, of course, noted the crystal ball resting on the tabletop. However, considering Julie’s prior warning, she surmised it was either a mere red herring or an innocuous decorative item, rendering further investigation of it unnecessary.

Nevertheless, in the process of searching for a glass, Imeline genuinely found no other objects that raised her suspicion.

“Please, drink.”

Imeline carefully extended the glass to Lovelenica, the water within still emitting faint wisps of steam. Lovelenica took a couple of sips before setting the glass down on her bedside table.

‘Damn it… why is she so proactive at this particular moment?’

“Julie certainly made things difficult for us initially, but she eventually permitted us to visit you.”

Lucia quickly glossed over the details of her earlier bargain with Julie. Lovelenica, after all, harbored high hopes for Lucia’s academic performance, having always held her to strict standards, and surely wouldn’t wish to learn that Lucia had resorted to such a compromise with Julie.

However, Lucia’s reluctance to mention it did not mean others shared her sentiment.

“Indeed, there was no ‘difficulty,’ because Lucia intends to hand over two-fifths of our monster hunting exercise score to Julie.”