Guiding the Male Lead out of His Trauma - Chapter 40.2
I kept my expression steady, but my mind was already racing through ways to deal with him.
I was just about to ask what he was really trying to say, but.
He stopped someone passing by.
“Hannah.”
“Y-Yes?”
Being called by name startled Hannah so much she was visibly flustered, even though, as a servant, this kind of summons should have been ordinary for her…
‘That’s odd.’
Belled sent her up to my room.
“Miss Ortis may have forgotten something. Would you go check?”
“Pardon? M-Me?”
She repeated herself blankly.
Realizing only then what Belled was asking, she looked back at me as she went up the stairs.
“…Huh?”
She just shot me a rather murderous glare, didn’t she?
‘What’s up with her?’
After sending Hannah off, Belled rested his chin in his hand, smiling brightly.
“You don’t have to worry about whether you’ve left something behind anymore. Hannah will check for you.”
“I already said I don’t have anything to leave behind.”
“Yes, that’s why I sent her up.”
He spoke in his usual manner, but the words were far from it.
“I meant, it’s not about you, but about someone else.”
As soon as I heard that, my shoulders tensed.
What was he saying? That the person to be suspicious of is someone else?
I wanted an explanation, but Belled, having gotten rid of Hannah, simply escorted me out with a casual air.
“Come now, you’ll miss your train at this rate.”
“Wait, no. You need to explain why you—”
“Ah, what nice weather. On a day like this, you’re headed back to school for classes. Good luck, okay?”
Damn it.
I can’t exactly smack him.
As Belled kept diverting the topic, he spotted Acteon approaching before I did and quickly withdrew his hand from me, making it clear he was uncomfortable around Acteon.
“What’s going on?”
“I figured it was time to leave. Have a safe trip.”
“I appreciate the send-off, but why does it feel like you’re just shoving me out the door?”
“Hmm, must be your imagination.”
Waving, Belled kept his distance before Acteon got too close.
With both hands in the pockets of his white coat, he retreated back into the mansion, leaving me feeling even more uneasy.
“I should be relieved to finally leave, so why is it like this…?”
“Did something happen?”
Seeing me with Belled, Acteon immediately asked as he came over.
“What did Belled say to you?”
“I’ll tell you on the train. This isn’t the best place.”
I didn’t trust Belled, but just in case what he said—that the person to be suspicious of was someone else—was true…
Even if he’d left, it wasn’t safe to talk here.
It was about time to go anyway.
It didn’t take even thirty minutes to reach the still-crowded train station.
Time to head back to school.
* * *
Even with the two of us gone, the military academy ran its daily routines like clockwork.
We’d only spent three days in the capital, so there wasn’t much luggage, and unpacking was just as quick.
After lying on my empty dorm bed for a few minutes, I forced myself to get up and go outside.
I should report to the professor now that I’m back.
By now, news of what Acteon and I did in the capital would’ve reached here, just three hours away by train.
I couldn’t help but wonder just how furious the professor would be.
‘Guess I really am turning into a problem student.’
But surprisingly, the professor was calm.
“…Haa, there’s so much I want to say.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“You came back in one piece, so I suppose that’s enough. I’ll let the headmaster know, so you can go.”
“You’re not going to scold me?”
“What good would it do? I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed, Lippey. But I’ve learned the hard way that it’s pointless to try and stop a kid who’s set on throwing herself into the fire.”
The professor sighed.
I couldn’t dig in any further, and ended up leaving the main building as if I’d been chased out.
‘This is weird. Why does it feel like they’re worried about me?’
Surely they’d sent plenty of cadets to the front before me.
Arms crossed, frowning, I was lost in thought when someone suddenly pressed down on the crown of my head.
“When did you get here? Just now?”
“Hyacine. What are you doing here?”
It had been a while since I’d seen my younger brother, and he quickly picked up on my bad mood.
“The professor called me in. Looks like you too. Is that why you’re upset?”
He seemed to have grown taller, maybe not as much as Acteon, but enough that it felt new.
“Wow, you can even read my mood now. But I’m fine now.”
“Yeah?”
Whenever things were like this, Hyacine would playfully change the subject, figuring it’d make things better. But I wasn’t in the mood for idle bickering.
I was about to change the subject, asking if anything had happened, when I remembered the vial Belled had given me.
It was a good chance to ask about it before passing it on, whether it was safe to take.
“By the way, where’s Cassiel? Can you check the men’s dorms for me?”
“Cassiel?”
But Hyacine scratched his cheek and hesitated.
“Uh… it might be hard to see him for a while.”
“What… why?”
“He’s under disciplinary action right now.”
…What?
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