Chapter 82: Chapter 82 – Wings (12)
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"Uh…that…"
Eugenia's words poured endlessly, leaving Eugene's mouth agape.
In the quarrel between his childhood friend and new friend, he inadvertently ended up taking one side.
From his reaction, it seems he really didn't know Eugenia was there.
Perhaps my vision narrowed for a moment when I saw Claudia twisting her wrist.
"...…."
She was still keeping silent, but continued glancing at Eugene cautiously.
In fact, she did have things to say.
After Eugene introduced her, the way Eugenia responded made her feel slighted and insulted.
With Claudia's personality, it must have been hard for her to put up with such disrespect.
And then for Eugene, who she liked the most, to treat her that way too — she probably demanded an apology when she encountered Eugenia inside.
However, she didn't stop at just words, and tried to use force, causing the problem to escalate.
"Eugenia…that's not it, I just didn't realize you were here…"
Eugenia was simply feeling wronged. The childhood friend who abandoned her was once again siding with the new friend over her.
Eugene tried to make excuses, but she couldn't hear any of it right now.
And ever since he took Claudia's side, a strange undercurrent had started flowing through the air inside.
I've felt this chill before.
Right before Eugenia started resonating with the spirits.
"Don't try to brush it off by saying you didn't know. You always…argh?!"
I gently wrapped one arm around Eugenia's shoulder and turned her around. Then, I stepped between her and Eugene; fortunately there didn't seem to be any spirits around, but dragging this situation out was probably not a good idea.
For now, the best option was to remove ourselves from the scene, and sort out the rights and wrongs later.
"It seems like you're both not in a good state of mind, so let's just stop here. I'll take your friend, so you just take care of yourself. If you don't want to see the same problem repeat itself, it would be better to not take sides and clearly draw the line between right and wrong."
"Wait…"
After finishing my message to Eugene, I took Eugenia's hand and started walking. I could hear my name being called from behind, but Eugenia pretended not to hear.
Around the middle of the corridor, I heard the sound of several people running from somewhere; the sound grew closer and closer, and soon, I saw several guards in uniform standing before us.
A man whose attire was different stepped forward and addressed me.
"I am Gavin Fields, the captain of the guard. I came here after receiving a report from the maid. Perhaps you are coming out of the inner chamber?"
"There was a slight argument, but it has already been resolved and we were about to leave."
"Haha, it seems we arrived too late then."
The captain of the guard let out a wry laugh after hearing my words.
However, the inner chamber is a bit of a mess, so I would appreciate it if you could just clean it up a bit. My apologies for causing a disturbance."
"Not at all, I understand. Please don't worry about that part. Well then…"
The captain of the guard seemed to understand my meaning and nodded lightly. The guards disappeared past us in an instant.
As the one in charge, he must have been glad to hear from me that the situation was already resolved. He likely didn't want to escalate the commotion needlessly.
Thankfully, Claudia didn't actually unleash her magic by removing her bracelet, or else a real problem could have occurred. It seems the maids properly reported the incident, though Eugene's path diverged from theirs.
"....."
Eugenia remained silent throughout the walk down the corridor. I thought about talking to her, but I soon gave up, thinking that she might need some time alone with her thoughts; this was the first time in a long time that Eugenia had been silent while with me.
Before I knew it, it was late at night and the ball was about to end. Participants were seen getting into their carriages and returning to their mansions.
I also opened the carriage door to see Eugenia off, but she didn't get in. She just stared at me blankly without saying a word.
"…Are you okay? You should go and rest now…"
As I was speaking, Eugenia suddenly buried her head in my chest and whispered softly.
"I don't want to go back to the dorms…"
* * * * *
—Chirp! Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!
The sunlight filtering through the window tickles my eyelids and the excessively loud bird chirps assault my ears.
"Mmm…"
The emerald-haired girl let out a soft groan, stirring in her bed.
After a moment, her eyes fluttered open groggily.
"What's with all the racket…let me sleep…"
She mumbled, pulling the covers back over her head in an attempt to return to slumber.
Yet for some reason, the sweet fragrance she usually kept in her bedding was completely absent today.
Instead, an unfamiliar yet crisp aroma, like candied citrus peel, pervaded the space.
After a brief stillness, the girl abruptly threw off the blankets and sat upright.
"Eh? Eh? Eh…?"
Any lingering drowsiness instantly vanished. Eugenia blinked rapidly, her eyes wide like a rabbit surveying her surroundings; the view around her was totally unfamiliar — nothing like her usual dorm room.
Turning her head, she saw a male student leaning against the wall by the doorway, sound asleep.
And hanging in the corner was the exquisite jade-green dress he gifted her.
Only then does her gaze drift downward to fully take in her own state —
—her own body, wearing nothing but a thin piece of cloth, her fair skin glowing brightly.
"Huh, huh, huh…"
Eugenia's porcelain complexion instantly flushed a deep crimson.
Instinctively clutching the covers to conceal herself, she quickly checked on Edwin's condition; he remained motionless, slumped forward in slumber without the slightest stir.
Flashes of the mature village aunties' ribald gossip raced through her mind, along with vivid recollections of her close friends' incessant warnings.
She examined her body, still pristine and untouched, yet an inexplicable sense of disappointment filled her regardless of the innocence she had sworn to uphold.
Belatedly aware of her own feelings, she ducked her head and whispered softly, "What is there to be disappointed about…? I must be going insane…get a grip, Eugenia…"
After a pensive silence, she carefully raised her gaze back toward the doorway.
Edwin was still there, unmoved from his spot.
"What should I do…he must be so uncomfortable sleeping like that…"
Part of her wanted to rouse and tend to him, but her current undress left her too self-conscious to emerge from the blankets' refuge.
She surveyed her surroundings once more, soon spotting Edwin's neatly folded shirt beside the bed. After a moment's hesitation, she ultimately draped his shirt over herself; the sleeves extended well past her arms, while the hem hung down nearly to her knees. Though borrowing his clothing without permission nagged at her conscience, the circumstances warranted it.
"Ah yes…this is Edwin's scent…"
His shirt too was strongly permeated by that crisp, candied citrus aroma. Simply wearing his borrowed garment had her heart fluttering uncontrollably.
"Get a grip…why am I acting like this all of a sudden?"
She gently slapped her own cheeks with both hands, trying to regain her composure. Then she carefully approached and crouched down beside Edwin; initially positioning herself in front of him, she soon shifted to sit alongside, attempting to prop him against her in a more comfortable position.
As she lightly jostled him, Edwin's head lolled to rest on her shoulder.
"Haa…hauuu…"
Just that simple lean had her heart pounding frantically once more. She turned to study his tranquil profile. While she remained so disconcertingly flustered, he slumbered on, blissfully oblivious.
Yet to remain undisturbed despite her movements, he must have been utterly exhausted.
Keeping her gaze fixed on Edwin, she strained to recollect the previous night's events. Her life's first ball had been so incredibly dreamlike, yet her memories faded at a certain point.
"What in the world happened…"
Still watching over Edwin, she wracked her mind desperately to recall the missing pieces. And gradually, fragmented glimpses began resurfacing in her consciousness.
* * * * *
Upon reentering the ballroom to find Edwin, he was dancing onstage with another female student – one whose identity was all too familiar — that icy, regal beauty, like a cliff-side blossom, had drawn admiring gazes from Eugenia herself when first glimpsed.
Iris Robinette. The renowned genius of freshman Class-A and Eugene's rumored tutor; and now Iris seemed intent on taking even her dearest friend.
A leaden weight sank in her chest as restlessness coursed through her body. She somehow felt a burning sensation inside and quickly gulped down the drink beside her.
Instead of the expected water, a sweet-tart flavor coated her mouth – but it hardly mattered.
They continued dancing while engaging in continuous conversation.
Iris wore a poignant expression as she whispered something, but Edwin tried his best to maintain an aloof expression, seeming to rebuff her as gently as possible.
Yet she could sense it —
That there was a strong turmoil within Edwin's heart.
And Iris was constantly stirring that turmoil within Edwin.
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