Chapter 21 : Because you’re pretty

After a good night’s sleep,
I felt the drug’s aftereffects completely disappear.

Yesterday had been eventful.

The encounter with Karen, visiting Nadia, Karen’s return, their argument, saying goodbye to Karen, teasing Lucia, and finally, crying in Lucia’s arms.

Oh,
My god.

So much had happened.

Thinking about Karen gave me a headache.

The next morning,
The aroma of food pulled me out of my hazy slumber.

Lucia, wearing an apron, was preparing breakfast.

She smiled at me, her usual gentle smile.

“You’re awake?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, just sit there. You don’t have to help.”

Was it a special occasion?

The breakfast spread was unusually elaborate.

While she was a good cook and always prepared delicious meals,
This was different.

And when had she even woken up?

“So early… it must have been tiring…”
“I couldn’t sleep.”
“…”
“Because of you.”

Shouldn’t it be “Thanks to you,” not “Because of you?”

I didn’t question her slip-up.

My body felt strangely stiff.

My eyes were puffy from crying, but
The unusual tenderness of my breasts and the slight ache in my lower abdomen were new.

Maybe it was my time of the month.

As I pondered this,
Lucia, noticing my expression, fanned her face with her hand.

She seemed embarrassed.

“I said I was going to punish you…”
“Excuse me?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”

She hadn’t meant for me to hear. Just thinking aloud.

I sat down and started eating.

…
…
…

Something unusual happened at the academy today.

A new student arrived, disrupting my usual monotonous routine, punctuated only by the occasional whispers about me.

A special transfer student, or something.

Staring at her bright blonde hair, I thought,
She looks rich.

Like the type who’d say, “Let them drink wine”

And she looked familiar.

We’d met before.

And she seemed to recognize me too.

She walked straight up to me and said,

“You. What was your name again?”
“…”
“I know I heard it… I just can’t remember…”

Her bright eyes and cheerful voice scanned the classroom.

I didn’t answer. I didn’t want to be involved with her.

I figured she’d lose interest if I remained indifferent, but
She was persistent.

“Hey, you. Why are you playing dumb?”
“About what?”
“We had fun last time, didn’t we?”

We hadn’t exactly had fun, had we?

Especially not for her.

She’d lost a fortune at the gambling den, and now she was claiming we’d had fun?

Though it technically wasn’t my fault.

“Hey, bunny.”
“…Bunny?”
“You were wearing a bunny outfit. So, bunny.”

She was like Charlotte,
Giving me ridiculous nicknames.

“Tell me your name again, or I’ll keep calling you that.”

Since she was so insistent,
I told her my name.

“Right, Titania. That was it…”
“…”
“Oh, I’m Priscilla.”

I sighed inwardly.
Why did these girls keep gravitating towards me?

Priscilla, as she introduced herself, clung to me persistently.

“I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“…”
“Why aren’t you answering?”
“Just because.”
“You were like that last time too. At the casi…”

I quickly covered her mouth.

She had no filter.

If word got out that an academy student frequented gambling dens and other shady establishments, I’d be in trouble.

I already had enough enemies here. I didn’t need to give them more ammunition.

“Mmm, mmm…!”
“Shhh…”

As I tried to warn her, I
Abruptly pulled my hand away.

She’d started licking my palm.

“Ugh, gross.”
“…”

As I stared at my saliva-covered hand, slightly disgusted,
Priscilla looked at me, a mischievous grin on her face.

“Thank goodness.”
“For what?”
“I was worried it would be boring here, but now I have something fun to do.”

I doubted I was the “something fun.”

As I narrowed my eyes, not wanting to be treated like a toy,
Priscilla lowered her voice and whispered,

“Do you have a grudge against them or something?”
“Them?”
“They keep staring at you. Intently. Can’t you feel it?”

That was probably because of her.

A special transfer student appearing this late in the semester, not to mention her appearance and her name, which hinted at her connection to the Minister of Finance, would naturally attract attention.

But I realized Priscilla wasn’t talking about the other students.

…Lucia and Karen were both staring at us.

Karen quickly looked away when our eyes met, but
Lucia, unfazed, glanced at me, then at Priscilla, before finally smiling.

As Priscilla leaned closer to me, whispering in my ear,
Lucia’s smile widened. Or was it my imagination?

“Are you hiding something from them?”
“Like what?”
“Like… working there.”

I didn’t care if they knew.

Not in the sense that I was worried about getting punished by the academy.

Karen, who already despised me, wouldn’t care, and
Lucia would forgive me, no matter what I did.

“It doesn’t matter.”

I replied indifferently, and
Priscilla grinned mischievously.

She seemed to find this situation amusing.

“Then, can I try something?”

Do whatever you want.

I instantly regretted that thought.

I hadn’t expected her to suddenly grab my hand and act all chummy.

Her antics continued.

She showed no signs of leaving when class started,
Instead sitting next to me, constantly touching me.

“Pay attention to the lecture.”
“Why?”
“You’re being distracting.”
“You’re the first person to say that to me.”
“…”

What did she expect me to say?

Annoyed, I glared at her, and her reaction was truly something.

“Aww…”
“…”
“Want to go back there after class?”
“No.”
“Why?”

I didn’t respond. She could
Chatter all she wanted, caress my hand without permission, I didn’t care.

Perhaps it was my gloomy nature, but
I found overly cheerful people exhausting.

And I couldn’t ignore
Karen and Lucia, sitting nearby, constantly glancing at us.

They seemed to be listening intently to every word I said, and
Their glares intensified every time Priscilla touched me.
I didn’t understand their behavior.

I felt like I was being scrutinized.

And as the long lecture finally ended,
Priscilla whispered in my ear,

“Thanks for playing along.”
“…”

She grinned, as if she’d had fun.

“You’re quite obedient, aren’t you? You don’t look the type.”

I sighed.

Ignoring her completely wasn’t a good strategy.

Priscilla would probably keep talking until I was exhausted.

“Are you always this obedient? Or are you trying to impress me?”
“No.”
“Tch. Then why?”

I didn’t know what she saw in me.

She was strange.
So talkative. And clinging to someone insignificant like me.

But that didn’t mean I disliked her.

“Because you’re pretty.”
“What?”
“You’re pretty.”

I repeated myself, admiring her
Radiant blonde hair.

That was the only reason I tolerated her bothersome advances.

As I’d always said, I was a sucker for beauty.

Why should I push away someone so pretty, especially when she hadn’t done anything to harm me?

Nothing else mattered.

Priscilla, who usually acted on whims, regardless of my words or reactions, suddenly froze.

She became stiff and awkward, like a rusty machine or a wooden puppet.

“Oh, um… thank you,” she stammered.

Strangely,
Lucia and Karen, who were still watching us, reacted similarly.

All three of them seemed stunned.

It was odd.