Chapter 101:
“You can’t… Huff… Huff… You can’t go in there.”
“I-I know…”
Halo hadn’t opened the door to the glass garden because she wanted to barge in. She had already heard about the academy’s unwritten rules from Julia Ains. But there was a reason why she had to go in.
“I lost something. I searched the dormitory and the classroom, but I couldn’t find it. I thought maybe Julia might have taken it by mistake…”
Halo explained her situation, her voice apologetic. Sue pressed her lips together, knowing exactly what that ‘something’ was. Then, she said quietly,
“The thing you’re looking for isn’t in the glass garden, Miss Halo.”
“…I-I guess so.”
Halo lowered her gaze at her cold tone. She coughed a few times, trying to catch her breath. Her wheezing was grating on Sue’s ears. It was a painful sight.
“Anyway, don’t ever go into the glass garden. Never.”
Sue, seeing how exhausted Halo looked, let go of her wrist. Halo, now free, didn’t move an inch. She looked at Sue with pleading eyes, then lowered her gaze again.
“I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking straight.”
“It’s okay… But what is it that you’re looking for, Miss Halo?”
Halo flinched at her probing question.
“It’s… a personal item.”
Right, she’s not going to tell me.
Sue felt frustrated, but she couldn’t show it. She had to focus on preventing the first incident.
“I see. Okay. Then please be careful from now on, Miss Halo.”
The consequences were too great for Halo to enter the glass garden, defying Lady Sue Byron’s warning. Halo, realizing this, stumbled away towards the dormitory.
‘Sigh, it’s hard to just watch…’
Sue watched Halo’s retreating figure, her face buried in her hands.
“…There’s no other way.”
Eliminate the risks in advance.
It’ll be easier for both of us, Halo and me.
***
Crimea was a small island near the mainland. The ruins of an ancient kingdom were piled up like mountains, making it a popular research site for scholars.
The academy students, aboard the ship for their field trip, were excited to be enjoying the sea breeze.
Sue, standing on the large deck, was forcing herself to face the wind, trying to suppress the nausea rising in her throat.
She leaned against the railing in the shade and glanced at Halo. She had been sparkling with excitement since they had boarded the ship, like a newborn baby seeing the world for the first time.
Normally, the red-haired girl, ‘Sue Byron’, would have picked on Halo even on the ship, then thrown up from seasickness.
Sue had avoided the predetermined path once again. Small changes were adding up. But she was also afraid of what might happen now that she had deviated from the course.
“Sue Byron Chiqmefriar. Are you feeling seasick?”
Fritz, who had come out from the cabin, noticed Sue, her eyes closed weakly. Sue lifted her head, and she saw his hair whipping in the strong wind.
“I feel a little nauseous, but I’m fine. Thank you for your concern, Master Fritz.”
“Really? Don’t hold back. Enzhe isn’t feeling well either.”
Fritz murmured, gazing out at the sea. He had been taking care of Enzhe, who was seasick, and had come out for a break.
Thanks to Fritz staying by Enzhe’s side, Sue was able to rest alone without any trouble.
“It looks like we’re almost there.”
Sue followed his gaze and saw a small island in the distance. It was Crimea, the island of ruins.
Sue stood up, shielding her face from the wind. She swayed slightly, but it was bearable. Fritz, watching Crimea getting closer, smiled brightly, his eyes filled with interest.
“Right, it’s been a while since I’ve been to Crimea. I hope it’ll be fun this time too.”
***
After the ship docked, Sue regained her composure and immediately went looking for Enzhe. She soon found her, being helped off the ship by a servant.
“I need to go to the caretaker’s mansion. I’m sick of Crimea.”
Enzhe, her face pale, slumped against Sue. Sue supported her and quickly led her to the island caretaker’s mansion.
Bill, the island caretaker, seemed to have been expecting Enzhe, as he immediately brought them a comfortable room and warm tea.
Enzhe collapsed onto the bed, groaning.
“Phew…”
Sue, having overcome another crisis, opened the window and took a deep breath.
This was still within the expected range.
On the day they went to Crimea, Enzhe Lopetrefer, Halo’s sponsor, would spend the entire day recovering from seasickness at the caretaker’s mansion.
Enzhe hadn’t wanted to hold Fritz back from enjoying Crimea, so she hadn’t asked him to stay with her. As a result, Fritz and Halo would end up alone in an empty cave.
It was bizarre, watching the events from the novel unfold in reality.
Sue rubbed the goosebumps on her arms. She watched over Enzhe for a while, then spoke cautiously,
“Lady Enzhe, should I bring Master Fritz here?”
“Fritz… Shina?”
She had to deviate from the predetermined path once again.
Enzhe’s beautiful eyelids, which had been closed, flew open at the mention of Fritz’s name.
“Yes, Master Fritz was very worried about you on the ship.”
Sue tempted her, her heart rejoicing.
If Enzhe had let Fritz go out of ‘consideration’, she just had to make sure she didn’t feel considerate anymore.
Enzhe’s physical and mental state was weak right now. Sue thought she might be able to persuade her to go outside with some sweet talk.
“Do you know where Shina is?”
Sue’s gamble paid off easily. Sue smiled brightly at her weak question.
“Yes, I happened to hear where he was going. I’m sure Master Fritz would want to see his beloved fiancée too.”
“….”
Enzhe stared at the ceiling, silent. But she didn’t scold Sue. Instead, she giggled, as if lost in a fantasy.
“Yes, bring Shina here, Sue.”
Sue rushed out of the caretaker’s mansion as soon as she received permission.
Shina Fritz.
What kind of person was he to Enzhe Lopetrefer?
It was a question she always had, even while she was by Enzhe’s side.
But despite Enzhe’s loving smile, Sue ran in the opposite direction of where Fritz was.
She hadn’t actually heard where Fritz was going. But she had the information from the novel, and she knew where he would end up.
Hessen Crystal Cave.
Fritz would have a romantic encounter with Halo in the beautiful cave filled with crystals.
But Sue had a more important goal. Once she achieved that goal, she would run to Hessen Cave and tell Enzhe.
Even Fritz, who was oblivious to everything, was still human. He would surely return to the caretaker’s mansion if she told him his fiancée was sick.
It was cruel, but Fritz might not have loved Enzhe romantically, but he did care for her as a precious friend.
***
Sue’s destination was the outer wall of Crimea. Or rather, it was more accurate to say it was the ruins of the wall.
She ran as fast as she could, her dignity as a noble lady forgotten, and checked her pocket watch. She was thirty minutes late.
‘Please, please be there.’
Most of Crimea’s wall had crumbled, leaving only four sections still standing. Sue was heading towards the tallest section.
‘I would like you to spare me some time in Crimea.’
The reason she was running towards the ruins of the wall, not Hessen Cave, was because time went back to the moment she had prevented Halo’s first incident at the glass garden.
‘I have something to tell you. About… something important to you.’
Sue, facing Halo’s tearful, distorted face and her weak, stumbling figure, had decided to solve all the problems as quickly as possible.
To erase any connection with Fritz, and to eliminate Halo’s own problems.
It was a win-win situation, or even better, but it was a gamble with risks, so Sue had been hesitant for a long time.
‘Ah, whatever. It’ll work out somehow.’
Sue gripped the handbag in her hand tightly.
She reached the wall, smoothed out her sweaty hair, and entered the ruins.
“Miss Halo, I’m sorry. Did you wait long?”
Fortunately, Halo was leaning against the wall, waiting for her.
She seemed a little nervous.
“Byron, why did you call me here?”
“Because this is the most secluded place.”
“…!”
Sue smiled brightly, not wanting to cause any misunderstandings. But it seemed like Halo had taken her words the wrong way, as she stepped back, her face stiff.
“Don’t misunderstand. I’m not going to do anything like the rumors you’ve heard.”
“Ah…”
Halo, caught off guard by her firm yet honest tone, was speechless.
Halo had actually known about Sue’s bad reputation from the start. She had heard it from Julia, and even if she hadn’t, there were plenty of students who openly disliked Sue.
But Halo didn’t care about rumors as long as they didn’t affect her.
Sue had never harmed Halo before, so she hadn’t avoided her.