Chapter 67 - Entrance Ceremony of Blood (2)

Looking again, I could see properly. This girl's hair was perfectly white as if all pigment had been stripped with chemicals. Different from the silver hair in my memory.

"...Excuse me."

"Eek! What the!"

Trisha spun around startled, still holding the kitchen knife.

"..."

She became greatly flustered when she saw me.

"You, you don't even knock?"

I was equally flustered seeing Trisha's appearance. She looked completely different from the short-haired girl I remembered.

"I did... knock."

Trisha looked me up and down, then raised her knife like facing an intruder and said, "...What made you crawl back here?"

"This is my dormitory too, isn't it?"

Come to think of it, this is ridiculous. You're the one who stole my dormitory.

"So why did you come, after acting like you didn't even want to talk to me?"

"Professor Ella said she'd reward me if I got along with you."

Actually, I came because I was a bit worried about Trisha after seeing the residential area scene.

But rather than awkwardly pretending to be nice, it was much easier to just be a materialistic bad guy.

"..."

Trisha chewed on my words for a moment, then slightly lowered her guard.

"I like the honesty."

But then she seemed to change her mind again and threateningly pointed the knife at me.

"...But you're annoying. If you get a reward, split it with me."

She has severe mood swings. I should remember that.

"We can discuss that later."

"How ridiculous."

Trisha rolled her eyes for a moment before speaking.

"So... you're going to crawl in here and live now?"

I nodded.

She continued in a stern tone, "You think that'll happen just because you want it? Listen, you're not a member of this dormitory yet."

"...What?"

Trisha proclaimed proudly.

"You haven't gone through the initiation ceremony, the initiation!"

Initiation ceremony...?

I was worried about what unreasonable demands she might make, but she came up with a very trivial reason.

"There are traditions here, you know."

Traditions in a dormitory that isn’t even a few months old?

"Do we really have to do this?"

"Of course! This is still properly a dormitory!"

She seems desperate to do it. Well, I could understand since Trisha was trapped here and couldn't experience real initiation ceremonies.

"So what's the initiation?"

"...You have to eat the cookies I made."

"Sure, I'll eat them."

When I moved to do so, she waved the knife and shouted, "Stay still!"

She looked somewhat fierce, like a robber staging a hostage situation.

Trisha kept her gaze and knife fixed on me while fumbling behind her back with one hand. She rummaged around on the kitchen table's silver tray and picked up a cookie.

"Were you... making cookies?"

"Yeah."

"Why do you need a kitchen knife for cookies?"

A kitchen knife wasn't necessary for making cookies. I knew because I'd made them before.

Hit at a crucial point, Trisha's pupils wavered slightly.

"...Shut up. I was using it to make shapes."

Trisha swallowed hard and carefully approached. Then, she pushed up the mask on my face.

She jumped back a step, startled at seeing my face.

"Goodness."

"..."

She examined my face carefully and said, "Up close, you really do look annoying. Since you saw my true form and it pisses me off, you have to go without your mask here too."

"..."

"If you understand, open your mouth now."

Trisha shoved a bizarrely shaped cookie into my mouth and covered it with her slender hand to prevent me from spitting it out.

"Chew."

One bite told me why Trisha had covered my mouth. The dough was undercooked with a raw flour taste, and even sugar lumps could be felt. There was also an occasional salty taste. Surely she hadn't confused salt with sugar.

I chewed for a moment and pretended to swallow. Seeing this, Trisha slowly lowered her hand that had been covering my mouth. Then, she asked in a timid voice, "How... does it taste...?"

And I immediately ran to the waste bin and spat out the cookie. This was my answer.

Trisha screamed at the sight.

"Hey!!"

After clearing the dough stuck to my front teeth, I picked up the cookie recipe from the kitchen table.

Trisha became greatly flustered.

"You, what are you looking at!"

The written instructions were perfectly normal. But judging from the terrible result that entered my mouth, she had clearly never cooked once in her life.

"You really never listen to others, do you? Were you like this with Professor Silveryn too?"

"No, the professor never forced me to eat things that were bad for my health."

"What..... are you saying my cookies are bad for health?"

"Why don't you try eating them yourself if you're not sure?"

Trisha hesitated for a moment, seeming to feel guilty.

"...Why should I?"

"Never mind. I'll feed you. Aren't you a new student too? The initiation ceremony is for all new students."

"W-what nonsense!"

Trisha began backing away slowly.

I drew my wooden sword and threw it at her feet. The wooden sword transformed into a sapling and began binding her body. She shouted in surprise, "Eek! You, you crazy bastard!"

Though Trisha screamed sharply and struggled hard, it was useless.

I picked up a cookie and approached her. She kept her mouth tightly shut to avoid eating.

I grabbed her cheeks and forced them open. Then, I shoved the cookie in.

Covering her mouth forcefully, I said, "Swallow."

She glared at me with eyes full of indignation and resentment. She chewed a few times then, suffering, closed her eyes tight and swallowed the cookie.

After watching this, I released all restraints and Trisha said, "...I really hate you."

"The feeling’s mutual."

"You really annoy me. I don’t hate you, I super hate you."

For some reason, her words about hating me irritated me so much that anger suddenly surged.

Hidden feelings unconsciously burst out, "I hate you too. Especially your washed-out-looking hair, I hate it terribly."

The atmosphere instantly plummeted.

As soon as I finished speaking, I realized I'd made a huge mistake.

Trisha's words were just words. They contained no real hatred or animosity.

But my words carried emotion.

Trisha's pupils dilated. Her sensitive perception accurately detected my emotions.

We glared at each other silently for a while. Trisha's expression gradually twisted.

"...Why are you so hostile even when I try to approach you nicely? You weren't like this with Sis... Why are you like this with me? Why? Why? I really hate you."

"..."

Trisha kept glaring at me with a face full of hurt. And gradually tears welled up in her eyes.

I had to admit it. I had been uncharacteristically sharp. I clearly came to get along with Trisha, but even I was confused about why I was acting this way.

No matter how special her birth might be, her emotions would be the same as any other girl around seventeen. I had said something I shouldn't have and ended up hurting her tender feelings.

Trisha silently opened the door and left the kitchen.

I thought I had completely erased it all, but deep in my heart, an ugly twisted scar still remained.

***

I knocked on Trisha's room door carrying the silver tray.

And as expected, there was no answer.

I knocked again but with the same result.

After waiting there in front of the door for a while, I finally spoke, "I'm coming in."

After taking a deep breath, I opened the door and entered her room.

Trisha was lying in bed, covered head to toe with blankets, quietly sobbing.

"Get out."

"Let's talk."

"What’s there to talk about?"

I slowly approached her. I placed the silver tray on the bedside table next to Trisha's head. On the tray were freshly baked cookies I had made myself, still steaming.

"I baked some cookies... want to try them...?"

"Get out."

I pulled a chair next to the bed and sat down.

"I'll sit here and wait until we can talk."

"..."

"All night if I have to."

"I said get out."

"..."

"Go away, sniff. My destined one will appear soon. They said he'd wield the holy sword and be super strong and cool and handsome, sniff. He'll be incomparable to you, right? When he appears, I'll ask him to throw you out. And I hate how you smell like herbs."

"Okay, I got it, so let's talk."

"What is there to talk about with someone I ‘super hate,' sniff?"

"...I said things I didn't mean."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Your hair... it's truly beautiful. Beautiful enough to make me stare in awe. This is my honest feeling."

To soothe an upset girl, one had to say whatever it took, whether sincere or made up.

"..."

"And it really suits you. I thought you would know that well yourself. So I thought even if I disparaged it with nonsense, it wouldn't hurt you... that's why I said it."

Doing this made my own emotions run wild. I was doing exactly what I used to do to soothe Lisa with Trisha.

Trisha remained still and quiet under the blanket for a while.

Then, as if my emergency treatment had worked, she slowly lowered the blanket and revealed her face.

"You're not lying...?"

"No."

"Since you're being honest, I'll let it slide."

I let out a light sigh of relief.

"Okay."

Trisha was a beautiful girl. However, it wasn't the kind of beauty that aroused desire through sensuality, but rather a beauty so pure and clear that it seemed like something that desperately needed to be protected.

The reason my insides twisted when looking at Trisha was because, in my past memories, I had failed to protect that beauty.

I couldn't protect it from the corrupt family, nor from the Wraith, and was thrown off the cliff. No matter how much I tried to cover and hide it, the scars from that time remain as clear as if branded on my very soul.

Though still very painful, thanks to Trisha, I could at least face these scars head-on now. So in a way, I was grateful to her.

"...Give me the cookie. Let me see how well you made it."

Fortunately, her anger seemed to have subsided considerably. I guess her mood swings can be helpful at times like this.

"It's next to you."

"It's dormitory tradition to be fed."

"..."

I suppose I should yield at times like this.

I picked up a star-shaped cookie and put it in Trisha's mouth. She bit the cookie and chewed it thoughtfully for a while, then said sulkily,

"...How did you do it?"

Fortunately, she seemed to like the taste.

"I just followed the recipe there."

"Yeah, I couldn't get it right no matter how I tried, you're so great. Good for you. How did you make the shapes?"

"If you twist wire, you can use it to cut the dough. I can make you a mold if you want."

"Wire, there was wire. Well, not bad."

"Yeah."

"...Teach me how to make cookies later."

"...Okay."

Interpreted indirectly, this meant she had forgiven me and wanted to get along again. Now I could really breathe easy.

"And... I definitely won't throw you out, and I don't hate the herb smell from your body. I just said that."

"I know."

I placed another cookie on her lips. She naturally took it like a puppy.

Feeling awkward about the situation right after reconciliation, Trisha turned her gaze from me and said while munching on the cookie,

"But you do smell like herbs. I like herbs so I don't hate it, and the scent is very faint, but really sensitive people would notice. I just thought you should know."

"Yeah... thanks."

I feel like I could get along well with Trisha now. I just have that feeling.

***

Sion only got up from her seat after the sun had set. There had been no results.

The Witdruff Hall maid who had been watching her the whole time approached Sion.

"Miss, is there perhaps something you need or are looking for?"

It was natural to find it strange since she had sat in that spot all day.

Sion hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"No, but... before I came, wasn't someone always sitting on this sofa?"

"...Pardon?"

Sion casually probed the maid while pretending to make light conversation.

"Probably with reddish-dark hair, um... a man. I was wondering if I might have taken someone's spot."

The maid looked at Sion for a moment, then smiled and said, "No, recently you've been the only one sitting there, miss."

"..."

"Is there anything else you need?"

"No. I'll be going. The sofa is very comfortable and nice."

Sion stretched and headed for the stairs.

As she went up, she muttered to herself as if finding something strange.

"I'm sure of it. The scent was exactly the same..."