64 – Dormitory (4)

She was a girl with brown eyes, black hair, and a fresh and lively impression like a cat that hadn’t yet matured.

The problem is that I think I’ve seen it somewhere, but I can’t remember.

How do you know the nickname candy?

“Why are you so stiff. We saw it once, during the entrance exam.”

entrance exam?

“Do you remember when you took Cecil unnie to the base?”

I nodded and she continued.

“I was waiting for Cecil at Base 1, and after joining, she introduced you as ‘Candy Bag’.”

After hearing the explanation, I barely remember it. This girl was one of Cecil’s group members.

It’s really an unexpected reunion, so it’s a bit confusing.

“And you’re our housemate, aren’t you going to talk like you did to your sister?”

Seeing that they clearly refer to themselves as housemates, there is no longer any doubt.

So, this girl is not a secret examiner, nor a mansion maid, but a classmate of Masters Class in name and reality.

“I’m Trisha. How about you?”

“…is that your real name?”

“Does that mean anything? If you knew my real name, you’d have to call me Trisha, right?”

“Then call me candy too.”

Trisha put her hands behind her back and smiled brightly.

“You really have no intention of losing at all? I know you’re Damian.”

“How do you know my name?”

“How can you not know how to openly show off? It’s very awkward for you to hide your identity.”

“…”

“Actually, I’d like to tell you my real name, but in principle, you can’t. No, you can, but you can’t. That’s why I won’t tell you.”

“…what?”

“So… did you know that when the Empire trains spies, the trainees don’t know their names and faces?”

“…?”

“When you hide your identity in another country and carry out spy missions, if you recognize that you are a colleague, the risk of being discovered increases enormously. That’s why they don’t tell you from the beginning.”

If you substitute Master’s Class for an espionage mission, when we become conscious of each other’s true selves, the risk of being found out by others increases, is this sound?

“So you’re not telling me either?”

“Yeah. Until your acting skills improve.”

yes. Do whatever you like.

“First of all, there’s something you should know. Originally, we weren’t supposed to meet. We weren’t supposed to be housemates.”

“What are you talking about?”

“That’s the rule. Actually, this is my dorm. And somewhere in this labyrinth, there must be a dorm of your own, and you had to go there.”

“Then what’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong with you. The only thing that’s wrong is my situation. I can’t even go to Whitdruff House. I can’t go out as I please, and I’ll be stuck here after class. All alone in this suffocating, horrible place, until I graduate. I can’t imagine. okay?”

It’s the same master’s class, but it seems to apply a little stricter discipline to this girl.

But what does that have to do with me coming here?

“That’s why I begged you. Ask me to take you here too. I know your true identity anyway, so don’t even talk to me.”

begging?

weird. Arbitrarily changing the rules and regulations just because this girl is begging me? Did you mean that you did a month-long act?

“Isn’t it first to check my intentions?”

Trisha’s eyes widen a little. He seems somewhat agitated as if he faced a reaction different from his expectations.

“Don’t worry. If you stay here, you’ll thank me.”

“Why?”

“I am a very important person more than you think. If you get close to me, I will definitely be of great help to you. And if you were alone, you would be very lonely.”

Contrary to his fresh-looking appearance, he is full of strange self-confidence.

As it is a masters class, it is certain that there will be abilities differentiated from others.

But I’ve never asked for anything like this. I’m not a professor, I’m like a classmate who doesn’t know who I am, and I don’t know why.

There is no guarantee that this will not happen again in the future. If you brought me in at will, you might be able to kick me out on the contrary.

“No, I didn’t ask for it, so I won’t thank you.”

“…”

“I don’t care if I live alone, and I’ve never asked for help. This is just your opinion. No matter how much help I offer, I’ll decline it.”

Trisha’s eyes twinkled.

“…do you really need any help?”

“I’d rather shed more blood.”

My words stabbed Trisha in a sore spot. She bit her lip slightly in annoyance. Then, in an abrupt tone, he spoke.

“…Yes, you are handsome. I thought you would look at me with pity, but I did something stupid. Do as you please.”

Trisha’s eyes are filled with sadness for a moment.

She looks away from me and strides up the spiral staircase in the center of the hall.

Then he slammed the door so that people downstairs could hear it.

***

It was the fifth interview. In the last four interviews, Azelis’ requests were all denied, and in the end, the impatient Ella persuaded her.

“There is a reason why Masters Class students are isolated one by one.

extreme talent. And Masters Class lives an extreme life according to talent. Azelis also understood.

“I won’t make any trouble.”

“That’s not as easy as it sounds. Do you know what you think of when you see Masters Class students? It’s like a bomb with all the safety devices removed because you’re crazy about firepower. If you collect them, there will definitely be an explosion. Do you think you’ll be fine with this?”

“You seem to be getting along well with Professor Silverin.”

Ella put one hand on her forehead as if her head was pounding.

“…Don’t you think it’s possible because it’s Silverine?”

“I’m special too. You know. I…just need a friend.”

“If you’re a friend, you’ve given Cecil. You don’t like it? Why is it her?”

“Because there is no one who deserves it. He is the least of my motives. We can understand each other.”

Ella let out a deep sigh with a frustrated expression.

***

Ella was right.

After locking the door, Trisha took off the necklace and threw it nervously on the bed.

I also took out the enchantment rings and bracelets that were on my fingers and threw them to the floor. The trinkets hit the marble floor and bounced around with a clatter.

Because she threw away all the artifacts, the magic in her body quickly lost its power.

His black bobbed hair grew longer and came down to cover his pelvis, then it was dyed pure white.

The pupils turn blue and the eyelashes grow longer. The features are reshaped more closely and densely.

It’s sad and frustrating. The longer I lived as Trisha, the more unfamiliar it became to live as Azelis, my true self.

Azelis stood by the window and looked down at the garden.

Damian didn’t even stay in the dormitory and was leaving the garden. As he walked out into the mist, Azelis bit her lip hard enough to leave a mark.

Since we are in a similar situation, I expected him to understand and sympathize with me, but his reaction was cold.

It’s been more than three months since I was isolated alone in the labyrinth in the name of protection. I felt like grabbing at least a straw because I was overcome with loneliness.

To Azelis, this mansion was like a prison. It would have been better if I was homeless like during the entrance exam. Anything would be fine if it wasn’t for this labyrinth.

Like other students, like ordinary girls, I wanted to hang out with my friends in the dormitory.

A handwritten cookie recipe was placed on her table.

I prepared it because I wanted to like sweet snacks like the nickname candy.

If even Damian came, he seemed to be able to at least imitate the troubled life.

But nothing went the way we wanted.

Azelis sat down helplessly and buried her forehead in her lap.

Then he muttered helplessly to himself.

“I don’t like it anymore… I just want to go back to the Saints.”

She regretted that she shouldn’t have come to Eternia in the first place.

***

Hearing footsteps in the thick fog, Ella took off her mask.

A boy wearing a wooden mask was walking out of the blurred vision.

Ella heard the report that Damian was heading to the dormitory and had been waiting for him there all along.

When Damian recognized Ella, he stopped and bowed his head in silence.

“long time no see.”

Damian slowly took off his mask and faced Ella.

“It looks like it’s on its way out of the dormitory. Aren’t we going too fast?”

“Professor Silverin is waiting for me outside.”

“Well, for some other reason?”

Damian was silent.

“Let me ask you one thing. Why do kids who have nothing to do with you keep meddling with your dorm assignment?”

“I’m not sure about that either.”

“Do you like the Whitdruff Hall dormitory assigned this time?”

“It’s a nice room.”

“It’s fortunate. It’s also the result of someone terribly harassing me.”

“…”

“Looks like there’s something wrong with Tricia. If you’re going to blame it, blame me. Even though she’s overbearing, I’m the one who made the final decision.”

“Is there any reason why you made this decision?”

“Sure. I don’t know how that sounds, but Trisha is literally the most special child in the world. That’s why she’s very difficult to take care of. I couldn’t find anyone who could handle her except you.”

“Is it because I’m a master’s class? I’m not big enough for a special person.”

“No, I assure you, you’re more enduring than anyone else. Your relationship with Silverin has already proven that, right?”

“It’s because the professor took good care of me.”

“You don’t know, but Sylverine was the farthest from being ‘cared for’. He changed after meeting you.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“Yeah, don’t do anything. That’s what I want. I don’t even have to be friendly. Just hang out with Trisha. Just like Silverine.”

“…”

Ella put the tobacco in her mouth. Then, after inhaling the smoke for a while, he said.

“Of course, I’ll take care of the compensation as much as I endured the inconvenience.”