Chapter 190 - Conspiracy (6)

Olivia, who was strolling with me through the campus garden, asked me several times, "Dance?"

"Yes."

She made a dancing gesture, moving her body in the air.

"You mean that dance?"

She apparently hadn't expected to be asked for dance lessons at all.

"That's right."

She then raised her eyes for a moment and fell into thought.

"I could... teach you, but I'm strictly engaged, so it's difficult right now."

"..."

"It would be possible after I make a lot of money, break off the engagement, and become independent, but that would be too late, right?"

"Yes."

"Hmm... And the only dance I know is the fast-tempo, a very shaky dance from the southern region. It might be a bit difficult for a man to learn."

Ah, Olivia is from the southern region, so there must be quite a big cultural difference.

"Then I guess it can't be helped."

"But I can't just let it go. Instead of teaching you directly... I can introduce you to someone. There's someone who's really knowledgeable about this."

"Will they be willing enough to spare time?"

"Of course. She's a very close friend of mine, so she'll do it if I ask. And she might not be uninterested in you either."

"Then may I ask for your help?"

Olivia said confidently, "Don't worry, and just wait. You'll be a bit surprised when you see her. She's really, really pretty. Even I, as a woman, feel my heart melt when I look at her."

There were some dubious parts in her words, but I planned to trust and wait for now.

Meanwhile, Olivia suddenly cried out in surprise, "Eek!"

"...?"

"Ah... geez, you startled me."

In the bushes where she was looking, Luna's wolf spirit was sitting alone again. With its ears perked up, round eyes, and tongue happily lolling out while panting, it clearly had no hostility.

I knew that both Luna's spirits and my spirit freely roamed Eternia's vast campus, but it felt strange to encounter them so often lately. I wonder if something might be happening to Luna.

***

After the rehearsal ended, Trisha returned late to the changing room as she was studying her script more. In the costume room, there were long rows of wooden trunks with club members' name tags attached.

She stood in front of her trunk and took off her clothes. Then she took out her casual clothes from inside.

With a tired face, she put on socks and a skirt, and just as she was taking out her top, something fell with a thud.

It was a neatly folded brown parchment.

Thinking back, she couldn't remember ever putting such a note in her trunk or pocket.

Since it was the women's changing room and men couldn't enter, it was likely from a classmate or close senior.

She picked up the note and slowly unfolded it.

It contained a sharply scrawled taunt:

[What makes you so confident?]

There was another note in the trunk.

When she unfolded that one too, it contained a sentence not much different from the previous one:

[You and Damian don't suit each other at all. Stop bothering him and get lost.]

[Stupid girl]

"..."

It was a malicious message that seemed to be jealous of her relationship with Damian. There was no name indicating who wrote it.

For a moment her lips trembled and the tip of her nose stung, but she held it in.

This wasn't the first time. Someone had secretly put notes in her pocket before too.

Someone in the Drama Club hated her, but the problem was that there wasn't a single person she was openly on bad terms with. Someone was wearing a smiling mask while doing dirty things behind her back.

Who could have put it there? A close senior? A classmate competing for the lead role? A friend?

She briefly thought of the blonde spirit summoner who wasn't hostile but wasn't close either, but Trisha shook her head in denial. Even if they shared Damian, Luna wasn't the kind of vulgar person to do such a thing.

Trisha finished putting on her clothes and left the changing room.

At the front of the stage where rehearsal had ended, there was a table for the director and writer, and Luna was sitting alone, reading a book by the light of an oil lamp.

Trisha walked briskly towards the exit.

Luna stared openly at Trisha with a cold face. Finding her rolling eyes quite irritating, Trisha stopped on her way out, turned around, and shouted, "Hey! Blondie!!"

"..."

"Why do you keep staring!"

Luna blinked her cat-like eyes without changing expression and turned her gaze back to her book without saying anything.

***

I returned to the Thorn Garden dormitory after finishing my daily routine and training. As I entered my room and was unbuttoning my sweat-soaked shirt, I felt a presence and turned around.

As expected, Trisha was sprawled out on my bed as if it were her own room.

"I need to change clothes. Get out."

Despite my request, Trisha just laid there ignoring me, staring blankly at the ceiling.

And she was strangely quiet.

Feeling that her mood was subtly different from usual, I called out to her again, "Trisha."

Ever since hearing that Trisha's name was written on the adaptation assessment sheet, I somehow felt my heart soften when I saw her.

Especially when I see her looking more subdued than usual like this.

"Yes."

"Is there anyone at the academy who's treating you badly?"

Trisha remained silent for a moment, still fixing her gaze on the ceiling, then said, "No. Why do you ask?"

"When I see you carrying heavy loads alone, I can't help but think that."

"There's no problem in the Drama Club. Even if there were problems, pretty and kind me should endure it."

"Enduring isn't always the best solution."

"But if there really were people bullying me, what would you do, Damian?"

"I'd half kill that bastard and take you out of the Drama Club and put you in the Art Club."

Trisha was quiet for a moment, then lifted the blanket slightly to half cover her face. Then she turned her eyes to glance at me and said, "Dummy. How could you do that? I'm doing so well in the Drama Club!"

Though I exaggerated a bit to cheer Trisha up, some of my true feelings were mixed in.

Even if she were being bullied, I wouldn't be able to take immediate action, but I wanted Trisha to know that I was on her side.

"I'm glad if nothing's wrong."

"Yes!"

Trisha kicked off the blanket, got down from the bed, and stood up abruptly.

"I'm going up to sleep! You get some good rest too, Damian!"

Then she left the room and went up the stairs making a loud clattering noise.

She returned to her usual energetic self, but I still couldn't feel at ease.

***

As Eternia's clock tower bell rang, Olivia, who was waiting below, looked around.

"Not here yet?"

A girl standing next to her, hugging an elemental magic textbook to her chest and tapping her foot awkwardly, said, "Sis, this is a bit troublesome."

"It'll just be a moment."

"How can I teach dance to someone I don't even know?"

Olivia stubbornly held onto the girl.

"Just wait and see. Judge after you see him."

"I'm sorry, Sis, I need to go prepare for class first."

"Wait, Lilith!"

Olivia grabbed Lilith's arm as she tried to escape.

"Hey, why have you changed so much? You used to at least deal with people properly and treat them kindly before."

"...I don't do that anymore."

"Just meet him once, for my sake. You won't regret it either."

"You know, Sis. I don't dance with people I don't know well. And... at least tell me who it is."

Olivia pressed her lips together and shook her head. Seeing her stubbornly insist without reason, Lilith's patience was running out.

"Senior!"

Just as Lilith was about to deliver an ultimatum, Olivia shouted while looking at one spot, "Over here, over here!"

Beyond where she was waving happily, a familiar silhouette was walking steadily.

Seeing that figure, Lilith was momentarily speechless and closed her mouth.

It was a person she never imagined.

Olivia called Damian over and introduced him to Lilith.

"This is Damian, and this is my close junior Lilith."

Despite Olivia's introduction, the two remained frozen, staring at each other for a moment.

Especially Lilith, her face had turned pale as if she had seen someone she shouldn't have.

"Lilith?"

When Olivia nudged her slightly, Lilith froze and then dropped the book she was holding. She immediately picked up the book again and called his name as if to confirm it, "Damian. Damian."

Olivia expressed her doubt at their unnatural behavior.

"Do you two know each other?"

Then Damian said, "We're both in the Art Club."

"Oh? Then you must know each other well?"

"No. Actually, we haven't had the chance to become close. This is probably the first time we're talking."

That was how Lilith remembered it too. Damian had always been silent towards Lilith. And Lilith hadn't added anything to that.

She asked Damian directly, "You're... learning to dance?"

Damian was lost in thought for a moment with an unreadable expression, then opened his mouth, "Yes."

Lilith unconsciously hugged her textbook tightly and said in a firm tone, "Then, come to the front of the clock tower at seven in the evening after finishing all your daily tasks."

She delivered this announcement without any consultation and then turned around and left.