Chapter 46: I Don’t Want a Tragic Ending (2)
“Fuaaah….”
It wasn’t really the time to be thinking about such things, but I couldn’t help but admit it—it was an incredibly cute sound.
Left alone, Liana had been sitting there, looking all sulky and gloomy. But the moment she took a sip of the warm cocoa, her face immediately brightened, letting out that adorable sigh.
Originally, I had planned to brew three cups of tea, but Avelin had stopped me before I could.
Then, with a nose like a bloodhound, she somehow found a jar labeled “cocoa powder” hidden deep in the pantry.
That powder gave off the same sweet scent as the chocolate milk Avelin had shared with us before.
And yet, the jar had been tightly sealed. How she found it was still a mystery…
According to her, it went like this:
“This glass jar with tea leaves—it may be old, but it’s still unopened. Plus, the faint, sweet scent lingering in the kitchen... How could anyone miss it?”
Either way, it was a relief.
After all, sweet cocoa was much better than bitter tea when it came to cheering someone up.
Still, just to be sure, I asked Liana,
“It’s not too watery, is it?”
At that, Avelin bristled indignantly at the unexpected question.
“Kayron, what do you take me for...!”
“Mm, not watery at all. It’s rich and perfectly made!”
Liana beamed brightly as she praised Avelin’s skills, then took another proud sip.
Just then, her eyes sparkled as she gazed into her cocoa cup.
“Avelin-nim, you do know, right? This powder is super expensive.”
“...I know.”
“Which means, obviously...”
When Liana shot her a sharp look, Avelin averted her eyes.
“Why are you looking away like that? It’s not like your wealthy background is a secret.”
“Where are you even seeing that from?”
“It’s obvious just by looking.”
I casually gestured at Avelin, making her flinch and stiffen like she was pretending nothing was wrong.
Which, honestly, just made it even more obvious.
“First off, your face.”
“Huh? My face?”
“Yeah. Just look at your skin. It’s completely different. Unlike me, who spent my childhood rolling around outside and ended up tanned, you’re still snow-white. Even without any makeup. That’s proof you grew up like some precious flower in a greenhouse.”
“What? A flower in a greenhouse? Hah...! Do you seriously think sword training can happen inside a greenhouse?”
“Totally possible. Just hire a skilled instructor to give you lessons indoors.”
“Ugh, I mean, technically you’re not wrong... But still! I was never a greenhouse flower, okay? Please remember that.”
“Yeah, yeah. It’s not like that’s a bad thing. And now, here we are—covered in demon blood, fighting together in the coldest place on earth. Who cares where you came from?”
“Kayron Oppa.”
Liana called out to me softly, then added:
“It’s not just that.”
“Not just being a greenhouse flower?”
“It’s a matter of class.”
“Class, huh?”
I glanced at Avelin with a thoughtful gaze.
“Hmm… Yeah, that’s true.”
All the time I’d spent with Avelin made it clear—she carried herself with unmistakable elegance.
The way she stood, the way she walked, even how she moved her hands while eating.
Everything about her was neat, composed.
It was most obvious during battle.
Unlike me, who thought it was fine to fight rough and dirty as long as the enemy went down, Avelin always fought with precise, graceful movements—even while being deadly.
“W-What are you staring at?! Don’t look at me like that!”
Apparently burdened by my gaze, Avelin’s cheeks flushed bright red, and she crossed her arms defensively over herself.
“Hey, Avelin? I’m not looking at you with some pervy intent, okay? I don’t even see you that way.”
“That’s rude to say in itself! Anyway...”
Avelin cleared her throat once, then turned her attention back to Liana.
“I think that’s enough teasing. Are you feeling a little less tense now, Liana?”
“Ehehe... Huh?”
Maybe it was a little too effective.
Laughing at our banter, Liana suddenly remembered why we were gathered here in the first place.
“Tense? I wasn’t nervous to begin with. It’s really not a big deal, so don’t worry.”
“Then, tell us, Liana.”
I gently asked Liana, who was shaking her head and pretending to be okay.
“If it’s really nothing, then you can tell me, right? I asked you earlier if there was another place where we could sit and talk more comfortably... but you seemed troubled by that question. Why?”
“…It’s really nothing.”
“There’s no way a worry from a little sister I’m this close to could be ‘nothing.’ If it’s really too hard for you to talk about, I won’t push. But...”
I added, with a little more weight and sincerity, “If later on, you realize that what’s troubling you isn’t as small as you thought, it’ll hurt me a lot too.”
“Ugh…”
Liana scrunched her eyebrows slightly.
Not out of anger, but deep in thought.
Then, all of a sudden, she grabbed her cocoa cup tightly—
Gulp, gulp—
“L-Liana? That’s really hot…!”
“Haaah, hot!!”
Avelin, quick on the uptake, dashed into the kitchen and came back with a glass of cold water.
Liana chugged down the entire glass in one go, then slammed it down onto the table with a loud bang.
“Haaa…”
After downing scalding hot cocoa, cooling it off instantly with ice-cold water must have been electrifyingly refreshing.
As refreshing as it was, I hoped she’d also feel ready to unburden her worries.
“Kayron Oppa.”
“Yeah, I’m listening.”
“Then… can you promise me just one thing?”
“What kind of promise?”
“…After you hear my worry, you won’t be disappointed?”
“Come on. Like I could ever be disappointed in you. Maybe if it was the ever-petty Avelin over there.”
“Why am I suddenly being dragged into this?! And where do you get off calling me petty?!”
“Hehe…”
Amused by our playful bickering, Liana finally smiled again, her face relaxing.
Avelin, too, though briefly pouting at being teased, quickly met my eyes and let it slide with a soft smile.
“I’ll say it again: I won’t be disappointed. So please, tell me.”
“Mm. The thing is, actually…”
Her expression was calm, and her voice was gentle.
Outwardly, I kept my composure too. But inside, I was anything but calm.
Because of that sickeningly thick aura of demonic energy I’d felt earlier.
Right now, nothing unpleasant was seeping off Liana. But I knew that she was harboring it inside her.
It seemed like as long as she didn’t actively use mana, that energy didn’t leak out.
Even so, I couldn’t be sure.
The Liana who sat with us now, laughing and chatting like a slightly older but still innocent child, felt so genuine.
But what if she really was something else?
What if even this—this warmth, this laughter—was nothing but an act?
“…I’m being bullied.”
“Huh?”
I messed up.
I was so lost in my grim thoughts that I hadn’t properly heard what Liana said.
“Sorry, what did you say you’re going through?”
“Eek…”
Liana, having admitted she was suffering something, now looked too embarrassed—and too angry—to even repeat it.
“No, no, Liana. I’m not trying to upset you. It’s just… I couldn’t believe it even after hearing it.”
“Bullying.”
It was Avelin who answered, speaking the word clearly and deliberately.
“Liana said she’s being bullied. By the other trainees.”
Even as she said it, a subtle anger laced Avelin’s voice.
“Bullying? Bullying…?”
Actually, even when I’d first arrived at Liana’s dormitory, I’d sensed something odd.
The other trainees were clearly avoiding her.
But I had brushed it off, thinking it was just jealousy—envy over Liana’s talent, over the trust and attention she received.
And Liana herself had acted so casually, so cheerfully, that it hadn’t seemed like anything serious.
But bullying…?
‘How dare they?’
I couldn’t wrap my head around it.
Trainees who were neither as skilled nor as talented, daring to bully Liana, a candidate for High Mage?
But the next thought came not from my head—but straight from my heart.
‘How dare they!’
The little sister I’d protected since she was a child—the kind, sweet girl who was like family to me.
How dare they treat her like this?
“…I want to kill them.”
“Huh? What did you say?”
Damn it. I’d made another mistake.
My anger at hearing about Liana being bullied had clouded my mind so much, I hadn’t heard her next words.
“What did Liana just say, Aveline?”
I turned to Avelin to ask.
“Ah, um…”
But strangely, Avelin’s eyes were trembling as she looked at Liana.
“What’s wrong? What did Liana say… Wait.”
At that moment, I felt it—a murderous intent, sharp and chilling.
And its source—
When I turned my head, I saw it.
From Liana’s body, with her face buried against her knees, a faint violet aura was slowly seeping out.
“Liana. What did you just say?”
Liana raised her head.
This time, she gritted her teeth and spoke clearly.
“I want to kill them all!”
The eyes that met mine—
Those eyes were blazing with a strange, ominous violet light.
---The End Of The Chapter---
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