“Recently, eating only sweet things may not have been a good idea.”
It wasn’t Carne’s fault, Raze explained.
“Anyway, I’ll go wash this.”
Feeling guilty for soiling Carne’s handkerchief, she somehow managed to leave the scene.
(My head hurts. I feel dizzy…)
Muttering complaints in her mind, she walked unsteadily down the sparsely populated corridor.
The headache caused by the strain on her brain was best relieved by rest. On the other hand, there was nothing she could do.
Entering the nearby utility room, she washed the blood off herself while holding her head, trying to rid herself of the poison she had ingested.
Could this be the forcefulness of the scenario?
If they had served poisoned sweets, Carne might have been on the path to ruin…
As she listened to the sound of water flowing from the tap, Raze shuddered as she thought in her sluggish mind.
There seemed to be something trying to make Carne the villain, but there was no chance against something unseen.
(That won’t work. There must be a culprit. I’ll catch them by the tail.)
She couldn’t afford to lose her friend who always called her “Raze” with a gentle smile.
“Are you alright?”
As Raze faced the sink with flowing water, a hesitant voice was heard.
Glancing only briefly in that direction, Claude was standing there.
He appeared without much contact yet, and Raze narrowed her eyes.
“I’ll excuse myself for a moment.”
“–Huh?”
As Claude took off his gloves and took a step closer, he reached out his hand to Raze’s forehead.
“I see. Your fever has risen suddenly. You weren’t feeling this unwell when the study group started.”
Behind his glasses, transparent black eyes peeked out.
Feeling as if she had been seen through, Raze, who was not in top condition, panicked.
She might have underestimated the students around her a little too much.
Just as Raze was a guardian of the golden eggs, Claude was also Ruben’s hands and feet.
Although they had grown up like siblings when they were young, Claude moved for Ruben as his master.
Raze underestimated the capabilities of one who was permitted to be by the prince’s side, dismissing it as youthful inexperience.
“Those cookies were laced with something. After checking, it seems the substance was removed, but there was a faint scent.”
Even though Raze was a military man, she was surprised to find someone of the same age with such outstanding abilities–.
His observational skills in supporting the prince’s health management were amazing. He even sensed the faint smell of the remaining poison.
(Born in this school, he’s scary…)
There were many things she should reflect on, but what came out with her throbbing head was such things.
“It’s an overdose of medicine to improve blood circulation. Let’s go to the infirmary.”
Realizing that she was being worried about with his last words, Raze widened her eyes.
“Ah. I’m okay. I’m sorry to trouble you. I’ll go back now.”
Her nosebleed had stopped while they were talking. If she didn’t show up here, both Carne and Folia would worry.
“What are you talking about? You’ve been poisoned and have a fever, you know?”
He was genuinely taken aback by her words.
Although it was hard to tell by her complexion, Raze’s thoughts weren’t functioning properly.
“I’m okay. It’s not a fever that can be transmitted. If I don’t come back even though I’ve just had a nosebleed, both Carne-sama and Folia will worry. Besides, there was nothing other than me having a nosebleed from eating too many sweets.”
Raze stared at Claude.
“Surely you don’t think Carne-sama deliberately poisoned me, do you?”
Surprised inwardly by her imposing words, Claude maintained his poker face.
“I haven’t even considered such a thing. I’ve known His Highness Morthens since I was young, too.”
“Is that so? That’s a relief then.”
After rinsing her mouth one last time, Raze walked back to her room with a determined expression.
He looked puzzled as to why she was walking with a calm face even though she had a fever.
However, Claude was also a person who worked in the shadows like Raze.
He understood the feeling of not wanting something to happen to someone important to him or to someone he trusted.
“…Let’s keep this to ourselves. I’ll inform the director myself. I’ve been entrusted with the report on His Highness.”
So, he didn’t stop Raze.
Being by the prince’s side meant there would be opportunities to deal with those who plotted assassination attempts. Interacting with the higher-ups was something she was accustomed to.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
“Understood. Thank you.”
While considering her as a promising aide for the future, Raze nods.
Moving her sluggish body, Raze returns to Carne and the others.
“Raze, has the bleeding stopped?”
“Yes. I’m sorry for staining the handkerchief…”
“You don’t need to worry about that.”
Carne greets her kindly.
“Are you okay? Do you want to rest for today?”
“I’m fine. I need to study a little more.”
This time, Raze smiles genuinely.
“I’ll bake some sweets for you next time, Raze, so you can’t eat any today, okay?”
“Huh?”
However, unexpected kindness comes from a direction she hadn’t anticipated, shocking Raze.
Seeing her visibly dejected, Carne looks troubled, but she doesn’t yield.
“Instead, there are dried fruits without sugar. Okay?”
With Carne’s suggestion, Raze can only nod. She quietly takes her seat.
The pound cake and cookies, detoxified, look delicious.
They haven’t changed in appearance, so it’s only natural.
As Raze nibbles on the dried fruits, she thinks she’s glad she came to the study session.
“I need to visit the principal’s office later…”
She must protect the golden eggs at all costs.
Carne is the future princess. Losing her is not an option.
“Carne.”
“Hmm?”
Ruben feeds a cookie to Carne.
“…………”
Ruben does this intentionally in front of Raze.
To feel jealousy toward a woman… Ruben, Your Highness, is scary. What would happen if it were known that me, a soldier, pledged loyalty to the country?
However, just after such an incident, seeing Carne happily by Ruben’s side, Raze breathes a sigh of relief. If it’s for her smile, she can endure this headache.
“Do you want me to feed you too since you’re staring so much?”
Retracting her previous statement, Raze hopes Addis, who is next to her, would refrain from being so annoying.
“I already received some from Carne-sama, so I’m fine.”
Ignoring Addis’s teasing, Raze closes the shutters of her heart.
After the break ends and the study session resumes, the room becomes quiet, indicating everyone’s heightened concentration.
Knowing she can’t concentrate well, Raze gives up on solving problems and decides to review the handouts.
Even then, she finds herself occasionally stopping her gaze from following the lines of text.
“Scholarship student—”
Only Addis calls her that.
“Hmm… Oh, you can have the textbook.”
Since her response was delayed, she anticipates and responds to his request.
“…Hey. How about resting for today?”
Compared to before the break, it’s clear Raze isn’t focused.
“Huh?”
“You’re losing focus, and you seem unwell. It’s better to sleep.”
Addis doesn’t wait for her response and closes the textbook she had open.
“I’ll walk you back. Let’s go.”
The thick textbooks and notes are in Addis’s arms.
“Wait…”
Panicked by being taken hostage, she hurriedly gets up from her chair, causing her head to throb.
Seeing Raze flustered, Addis quickly says, “Take it easy,” and lowers his arm.
“Maybe you’re pushing yourself too hard. Shall we go to the infirmary?”
“No, I’m… I’ll just rest…”
Confessing her condition, Raze decides to follow Addis’s lead.
“I’ll go with you…”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll probably just sleep when I get back to my room, so don’t worry too much. Thank you.”
Gratefully accepting the consideration from Folia, who was trying to end the study session early for her sake, Raze follows behind Addis.
“Um, I can go back by myself.”
She doesn’t want to disturb Addis’s study time. She offers her hand to return the textbooks.
“You might not realize it, but you’re walking differently from usual. Listen to what I say here.”
“…I’m sorry.”
Feeling down about her current state, she’s about to give up. No matter how she tries to save face, it seems she’ll end up miserable.
Realizing she can’t hide it, Raze walks slowly. Even though Addis’s legs are longer than hers, he matches his pace to hers.
“There are amazing people from this school. I didn’t realize it at all.”
As if to distract herself, she mutters.
“I have to do well on the test. I might get expelled right away.”
She said it half-jokingly, but Addis looks surprised. Perhaps he realized that the other half was serious.
“…Are you okay? You’re a scholarship student. You’re studying hard, right?”
Addis shifts his gaze to the textbooks he’s holding.
“I’m studying with the intention of taking first place.”
Raze laughs nervously.
“Zarth-sama is also aiming for first place, so it’s a competition. I’ll do my best not to lose, but I’m also cheering for Zarth-sama.”
“…Why?”
“Contradicting Addis, Raze tilted her head.”
“Unlike me, because you’re working hard towards a goal?”
Responding with a question to the question, Addis let out a small sigh of resignation.
“You should rest in bed soon. Were you really okay alone?”
Raze nodded silently.
“I’ve been living alone for the last few years . I’ll be fine.”
They arrived at the lobby of the student dormitory. The entrance to the women’s dormitory was right there. She pointed both hands towards it, determined this time.
“…………”
Addis hesitated to hand over what was in his arms. He glanced around anxiously, searching for something as they moved through the lobby, with male and female students splitting left and right.
“Ah. Wait, stay here.”
With those words, he left and approached a female student alone.
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