Chapter 53: Institutional centre

The student council members hadn’t left yet. The other students were boarding different carriages, avoiding the ones reserved for the council. Relieved I wasn’t too late, I approached them.

“Excuse me.”

I called out to a student about to board a carriage. All eyes turned to me, curious and expectant, mostly friendly.

“Yes?”

A girl with light pink hair stepped out of the carriage. She was about Sister’s height, her long hair tied in pigtails, giving her a calm, composed demeanor. Her large, pink eyes looked… strangely apologetic.

“Are you all student council members?”

“Yes, we are. Can I help you?”

Her gaze, unlike the others, was cold and distant. It annoyed me, though I wasn’t intimidated.

“Aren’t you ashamed?”

“…Excuse me?”

Her eyes widened. The murmurs around us grew louder, as I’d intended.

“Isn’t the student council supposed to represent the students?”

“…”

The pink-haired girl remained silent, as if anticipating my next words.

“And here you are, cutting in line. The student council must be nice.”

I smiled sweetly, my tone devoid of any mockery. The murmurs intensified, then

“That’s right! We’ve been waiting for ages!”

“She’s got a point!”

Most of the students seemed to agree with me. The student council members shifted uncomfortably, but the pink-haired girl simply glared at me. I’d expected her to get angry; it was rather disappointing.

“Are you…acquainted with Lady Estelle?”

Was she… dense? I was taken aback by her strange question, but I didn’t think too much about it.

“Why would a commoner like you care?”

Her face hardened. I’d hit a nerve.

A noble’s disguise couldn’t hide the stench of low birth and simmering resentment.

The student council members retreated to the back of the line. I boarded a carriage, ignoring the cheers and applause from the other students.

****

Clip-clop, clip-clop.—

The rhythmic sound of hooves woke me.

“Mmm…”

“Sleeping all day… You’re just a child, aren’t you?”

I frowned at Linne’s nagging and was about to turn over when something felt…off.

What was I lying on? It was soft and…familiar. A pillow, definitely.

“Ugh…stop touching that. It feels weird.”

I sat up, following the voice, and finally saw…or rather, I couldn’t see anything.

A large, looming shadow hovered over me. I was clearly lying on someone’s lap, but I couldn’t see their face. My mind went blank for a moment.

“Wake up. We’re almost there.”

“Ugh…”

Linne sat me up, and I looked out the window. The fresh air and the sprawling city filled me with excitement.

…Though the view from…earlier had been much better. I closed my eyes longingly, and Linne immediately pulled me back onto her lap.

“Sleeping again? Honestly…”

The view was…spectacular. I enjoyed the scenery as we approached the capital.

****

The central commercial district. It was ancient, yet remarkably modern.

I stepped out of the carriage, taking in the view of the spacious plaza, crowded with people milling around a large fountain.

“It’s…amazing. Such tall buildings.”

“They probably look twice as tall to you, shorty.”

“I’m not short! Do you think I’m a dwarf or something?!”

She was about my height…I ignored her and looked around.

Towering buildings surrounded the imperial palace, the Mage Tower rising above them all. Even for someone as…vertically challenged as me, those buildings were clearly tall.

“Hee hee, you look like a kid on a field trip.”

“If you say one more stupid thing, I’m leaving.”

“Sorry.”

Linne zipped her lips and followed me quietly. If only she were always this quiet…she’d be twice as cute.

“Now…”

Where were we going?
I stopped, realizing I had no idea. I’d only been here once before, with an escort.

…I’d figure it out.

I continued walking confidently.

“Hey, why are we walking in circles?”

“Shhh! Just follow me quietly.”

Linne’s tone was laced with suspicion. She was clearly trying to suppress her…nagging instincts. I knew what was coming. I was trying to think of a distraction when I spotted a food stall.

“Ooh, that looks delicious!”

The stall sold skewers of grilled meat. It was a convenient distraction, and they did look delicious. I thrust my parasol into Linne’s hands and walked towards the stall.

“Two of those, please.”

“Such a cute little lady! Here you go, two skewers.”

“Hee hee, thank you, mister.”

I returned to Linne, beaming, two skewers in hand.

“Ta-da! Dual-wielding skewers!”

“Don’t play with your food.”

Linne sighed, but she couldn’t hide her smile. My resourcefulness was impressive.

I handed her a skewer.

“Here.”

“Oh…thanks.”

“Don’t get any ideas. I just didn’t want to eat both by myself.”

I was about to take a bite, then paused, watching Linne eat. She looked at me curiously, then took a bite of the skewer.

The crispy, seasoned skin crunched, revealing the tender meat inside. She chewed slowly, savoring the flavor.

“Haa…hoo…”

Steam rose from the skewer, still hot.

“Hee…”

Gulp.—

Watching her eat made my mouth water. The juicy meat looked so tempting.

I looked at my skewer, my eyes sparkling. I swallowed, took a deep breath, and was about to take a big bite when—

Trip.—

“Ouch!”

“Ellie!”

I stumbled over a loose rock and fell flat on my face.

My knees throbbed, my palms stung, but that was the least of my concerns.

“Oh…oh…”

“Are you alright? Get up.”

Linne helped me up and brushed me off, but my gaze was fixed on…

…the skewer, lying on the ground. It was no longer mine, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away. I hadn’t even taken a single bite. This was cruel and unusual punishment.

Whimper.—

“There, there, Ellie, don’t cry…”

“But…but…”

“Here, you can have mine. Better now?”

I looked at the offered skewer, then carefully took it from her hand.

“Hee hee…”

It felt…strangely warm, though it was probably Linne’s healing magic.

I took a big bite, determined not to repeat my mistake.

“It’s…good…!”

“Honestly, where did I find this child…?”

Linne wiped my mouth with a handkerchief. She was being unusually attentive, almost like Sister.

…Sister? Did I just compare Linne to Sister?

“No way!”

“Whoa! Why are you yelling?”

Linne was nothing like Sister. She wasn’t kind, or pretty, or smart. Well, she wasn’t… unattractive, but still.

I looked at her. Even in normal clothes, she still looked like a delinquent, with her piercings and blonde hair. I was glad, actually. Without those reminders, I might have been fooled by her unexpected kindness and…undeniable beauty.

She avoided my gaze.

“…Let’s go, if you’re done.”

“L…lead the way.”

We walked in silence, avoiding eye contact.

“Oops.”

A child darted across the street, snatched the discarded skewer from the ground, and disappeared down an alley.

“What was that?”

“…Nothing. Let’s go.”

Linne’s gaze lingered on the alley, though she said she didn’t care. Did she want to eat it herself?

I remained suspicious.