Chapter 81 - Shadow (4)

Liria and I stood before the senior who had guided me to the training ground, giving brief thanks.

"Thank you. I don't know how to repay you..."

She crossed her arms and smirked, saying, "Cute."

"Pardon?"

"No need for repayment, but have you chosen your special activity yet?"

"No, I'm still looking into it."

"If you really want to repay me, come visit the Art Club. Ah, I’m not forcing you to join. Just come look around."

"Um, senior, what is your name—?"

"No need to know. I'm going. Bye!"

The mysterious senior departed like the wind.

I wondered if I should have given her at least a candy.

Liria, who had been standing blankly beside me, seemed to remember something and tugged lightly at my collar.

"Um... Master Damian, I'm curious about something..."

"What is it?"

Liria asked carefully, "Your bad expression earlier... Were you perhaps... angry because you thought other men might approach me?"

She glanced up at me subtly. Her expression seemed less worried about my mood and more... filled with some kind of expectation.

"Yes, I was very worried."

Liria's expression brightened as if excited by my answer.

"Really?!"

"Of course."

"Then, then maybe... um..."

"What is it?"

"Um, were you... jealous?"

Liria took a deep breath and looked at me with sparkling eyes.

I smoothly avoided answering by pretending not to hear. It seemed better to leave the rest to her imagination.

"Let's get moving now. I'll show you around the dormitory and campus. So you won't get lost next time you come."

Still, Liria wasn't discouraged. She smiled brightly, seemingly satisfied just with making me a bit uncomfortable.

"I'm so happy!"

***

We moved the items Liria brought to Witdruff Hall, then walked around near the residential area. Some students gave us sharp looks, probably finding it strange to see a girl in a maid's uniform walking alongside me.

Neither Liria nor I paid it any mind. Though Liria regretted not wearing prettier clothes, she soon forgot about it while walking and chatted with me cheerfully throughout.

And the walk helped me too. Thanks to Liria, I could drain away the remaining venom from fighting the Dark Mage and find some peace of mind.

Just then, as we passed the fountain in the center of the residential area, someone called my name loudly from behind, "Damian!"

A familiar girl's voice. Liria and I turned toward the sound simultaneously.

In a small garden with a path lined with colorful flowers, Trisha smiled brightly and waved at me. Then she glanced around briefly before approaching me with quick steps.

And at that moment, Liria pressed close to my side and lightly grabbed the back of my clothes. As if frightened by some unknown creature she was seeing for the first time.

Liria asked me carefully, "Do you know her...?"

"Yes."

Trisha stopped in front of me and looked at Liria with round eyes. Their gazes crossed briefly in a subtle way. Trisha, who I expected would energetically greet us first, remained silent.

I broke the awkward silence by speaking first, "What are you doing here?"

"Well... I heard you were discharged, so I was waiting to show you around the Drama Club. But who's this beside you?"

"Ah, this is Liria, a maid who lives with me at the professor's mansion."

Then, I continued with Trisha's introduction.

"And this is a classmate who stays in the same dormitory—"

When I hesitated with Trisha's explanation, she cut in and added herself, "Friend, Damian's first friend at Eternia."

"Right. This is Trisha. The first friend I made after entering."

Strictly speaking, Cecil was first, but that wasn’t really important.

Liria's grip on my clothes tightened slightly in response to the word "Friend."

Trisha spoke first, greeting Liria somewhat coolly, "Well, nice to meet you."

Liria responded with a bow and spoke, "Hello... You must be close with Master Damian. You even speak informally with each other..."

"Yes, it just happened that way."

"Um... how did you become close with Master Damian?"

Startled by the sudden question, Trisha blinked her round eyes a few times before answering, "We were in the same hospital room. I was discharged early, but he was lying there alone with no visitors. So we became close while I took care of him and nursed him until he was discharged."

Liria quietly digested her words, then bowed her head again and said, "Thank you for taking care of Master Damian."

"We're practically best friends now."

"If something similar happens to Master Damian again, would you please call me? Taking care of Master Damian is my duty assigned by the professor, and I know his body very well, like which herbs suit him and his potion sensitivities."

Liria's tone was somewhat stiff. The corner of Trisha's mouth twitched slightly for a moment.

"I'm good at nursing too, so don't worry too much. I know Damian's body well now too. I even memorized where his moles are."

"..."

"..."

Both Liria and I were speechless for a moment.

Liria's hand gripping my collar trembled with sudden force. Then, perhaps worried I might notice her agitation, she quickly removed her hand and hid it behind her back.

Trisha's attitude seemed to be getting on Liria's nerves. This is the first time I've seen her so sensitive.

Both Liria and Trisha's tone and atmosphere were different from what I usually knew of them.

Sensing the strange distance between them, I intervened, "Are introductions done now? I don't have much time and want to see the Drama Club quickly. Shall we go?"

"Ah, right. You know, some Dance Club senior was trying to take me away while I was standing here? They told me to wait a bit while they went somewhere. Let's quickly escape."

"Did you do something wrong?"

Trisha twirled her hair ends while glancing sideways at Liria, then turned back to me with smiling eyes and said, "No. They want me to join the Dance Club because I'm popular."

Maybe it was because she had been meeting lots of people lately. She was overflowing with confidence. She seemed to be secretly enjoying it too.

"Follow me! I'll guide you!"

Then, Trisha turned around sharply and walked ahead.

As I moved to follow Trisha, it felt empty beside me. Liria wasn't following. Looking back, Liria was standing still with a sullen face.

"...Liria?"

"..."

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing..."

Contrary to her words, her expression and atmosphere expressed that something was wrong.

Why do women's moods swing so easily with such small conversations? They're such complicated creatures.

I sighed lightly and approached her, taking her wrist.

"Tell me later. For now, let's look around together. It'll be fun."

***

Trisha gave a warning beforehand.

"You have to speak very quietly here."

On stage, rehearsals were in full swing. The theater had been opened to general students to observe rehearsals as part of promoting the Drama Club.

We sat in the front seats near the stage. Other people were also scattered about in their seats.

Not a single ray of sunlight entered the theater interior.

Instead, strong light from magic stones pierced down onto the stage. The reflected light spread softly below the stage, ending precisely where the audience seats began.

The audience seats were in complete darkness. Because of this, all existence seemed erased, making it feel like only the stage floated in this world.

On stage, actors rehearsing recited lines while holding scripts in one hand.

I didn't know what mechanism was used, but even the smallest sounds from the stage reached the audience seats as if whispered.

If one's senses were slightly sensitive, they could even hear the actors' breathing, the friction of fabric, and footsteps, even when the actors were walking on their tiptoes.

This was my first time visiting a theater in my life. The somewhat exaggerated gestures and intonations were surprisingly engaging elements that fascinated me.

And Liria seemed even more deeply impressed than me. She was absorbed in each of the actors' movements as if discovering something entirely new.

Soon. more people streamed into the theater and the seats gradually filled up.

"Quite a lot of people are watching."

Responding to my casual comment, Trisha whispered from my right, "The Drama and Dance Club are super popular, so they have the fiercest competition for joining."

Understandable. After seeing the stage once, I understood why high society was so crazy about actors. They looked like the protagonists of the world, one could say. If it was this impressive just at rehearsal, how amazing must the real thing be?

Trisha hesitated before adding, "And both places are desperate for me to join."

I looked at Trisha's face steadily and said, "You brought that up just to brag, didn't you?"

Trisha's eyes curved into crescents and her familiar dimples showed as she smiled. Then, she turned my chin forward and whispered in my ear again, "Your first friend is this popular."

It seemed like she was saying I should be proud too. Though I wasn't sure how her popularity would help me, I didn't dislike her attitude.

I played along appropriately.

"I wonder what will happen when they see your true form."

Trisha burst into silent laughter and lightly hit my shoulder before excitedly whispering, "...They'll die from how pretty I am."

"..."

If I hadn't known and just heard this, I would have thought she was seriously lacking self-awareness, but having directly confirmed the basis for her confidence, I could somewhat understand.

While I was wondering how to respond, Liria on my left timidly pulled at my hem of my clothing.

When I turned my head left, Liria, who had been focused on the stage, was now looking at me with an expression that seemed terribly hurt.