Chapter 19: Gibberish

It hurt.

A searing pain, like someone was wringing out my insides.

“Ugh…”

“What’s wrong, Ellie?!”

Linne quickly withdrew her hand, startled by my grimace. She had no idea what she’d unleashed.

“Haaa…”

“Ellie, are you okay? Is this a joke?”

I couldn’t take it anymore.
I’d endured similar pain before, but this was excruciating.

Tears streamed down my face.
I curled up, whimpering.

I had a stomach cramp.
A crippling one.

And it was all Linne’s fault.

I would get my revenge one day—

“Gaaaah…!”

I’m sorry! I take back my evil thoughts! I’m so sorry!

This was my first stomach cramp, and it was unbearable.

“Ellie, just hold on!”

Linne paced anxiously.
Then, she closed her eyes, a determined expression on her face.

Her hands started glowing.
When she opened her eyes, they were shining brightly.

Her glowing hands gently touched my cramping stomach.

“Hoo… haa…”

The warmth of her touch soothed the agonizing spasms.
I’d never seen her use magic before. And it was divine magic, no less.

Linne, my savior, looked like a saint.

“Linne, thank you…”

Tears welled up as I buried my face in her chest.
She was so kind and forgiving.

I realized how embarrassing this was. Should I pull away?

Too late.

Thankfully, my face was hidden as I blushed.

Linne gently pulled me away, her hands on my shoulders.

“What’s wrong, Ellie?”

Her intense gaze was unfamiliar.

My blush deepened, but I couldn’t hide it, my shoulders pinned in her grasp.

Did she not like being hugged so suddenly? I felt strangely heavy-hearted, though I didn’t understand why.

Dejected, I mumbled,

“I…I’m sorry, Linne.”

“Why are you apologizing? Are you really feeling unwell?”

Was she referring to the cramp, not the hug?

I’d misunderstood. Embarrassed, I avoided eye contact.

“No, I’m really fine now.”

I couldn’t tell her I had a stomach cramp and embarrassed myself like this. It was too humiliating.

My evasiveness made Linne frown sadly.

“Tell me if you’re hurt. Don’t try to be brave.”

“Okay…”

I felt guilty and avoided her gaze.

But if I told her the truth, she’d probably never leave my side alone.

I fanned my flushed face and sat down.

No one seemed to notice my earlier outburst.

The classroom was even quieter now, silent enough to hear everyone breathing.

The students sat frozen, shivering slightly. Only Sara, sitting at the front, looked unaffected.

Perhaps it was just a cold day.

****

By the end of class, I felt completely fine.
Linne’s healing magic was effective.

She was a good caretaker, always feeding me during meals. If it weren’t for her wandering hands, I might have hired her as my personal attendant. She threw away a great opportunity due to her bad habit.

Well, it was her own fault.

Sara, walking beside us, asked, her blue hair swaying,

“Ellie, are you feeling better now?”

“Huh? Feeling better?”

“You were absent all day yesterday.”

“Oh, that. I’m fine now.”

I’d called in sick yesterday. It wasn’t a lie.

So that’s why Linne was so worried this morning. She was surprisingly sweet.

I smiled at her, a strange feeling bubbling inside me.

“Hee hee…”

“…Why are you smiling like that?”

“Just…because you’re cute.”

I stared at her, my eyes slightly narrowed, and she quickly turned away, blushing. She couldn’t hide her reddening ears, though.

One, two, three piercings…

I’d never seen her blush before.
I couldn’t let this rare sight go unnoticed.

“What’s wrong, Linne? Are you…embarrassed?”

“No, I’m not.”

She denied it, but she kept avoiding eye contact. I followed her gaze, teasing her relentlessly.

“No? Then what is it? Look at me, Linne.”

“Stop it…”

“…Ugh, seriously…!”

“What were you thinking? Something perverted again, right?”

Thwack!—

“Ow!”

Tears welled up.

The sound was crisp and clear, like…hitting a fluffy head.

I glared at Linne, her fist clenched white.

She was so violent.

That blow probably made me as stupid as her.

“Hmph…”

I hated her.
What did I do to deserve that?

No one had ever dared lay a hand on me, not in this life.
This was unprecedented.

I was indignant, a victim of Linne’s tyrannical violence. How could she hit my precious head with her iron fist?

She seemed remorseful, though.
She placed her glowing hand on my head, healing the bump.

Her hand…on my head…

“What do you think you’re doing?!”

“What? I’m healing your bump.”

Linne tilted her head, feigning innocence. It was infuriating.

“Patting my head…means you think I’m a…a pet!”

“Don’t people pat their friends’ heads?”

“You perverted lesbian…!”

Linne spouted nonsense.

I pushed her hand away.

I’d rather endure the pain than be treated like a pet. I’d die a human, not live as an animal.

“Um…is it okay to wipe your tears?”

“O…only this once! And these aren’t tears!”

Linne gently wiped my eyes with her sleeve.

There were no tears, of course. Just… moisture. Anyone who mistook it for tears was a fool.

****

As we walked, bickering as usual, a woman who looked like a mage called out to me.

“Elena?”

“Oh, yes…?”

“I need to talk to you. Follow me.”

It was the professor from before.

I’d completely forgotten about her request to meet her.

Linne nodded, urging me to go.

I wished she’d come with me.

I had no choice but to follow the professor.

The meeting was uneventful.

Formal questions about how I was adjusting to the academy.

It seemed pointless. I should have made an excuse.

“Elena, there’s another reason I called you here today.”

The atmosphere changed. What she said next was shocking.

She knew about my nightly excursions over the dorm wall.

The academy’s security wasn’t that lax. I’d underestimated them.

She was in charge of dorm security, so she’d let it slide this time, but if I was caught again…

“You’ll be expelled.”

Expelled.

I couldn’t be expelled.
I refused to be stuck at home, leeching off my sister, the future head of the family.

Sister seemed to want that, though.

I wanted to graduate and find a respectable job. I wanted to stand beside Sister as an equal, not a burden.

Then I’d confess my feelings…

But I needed a diploma first.

I hadn’t even said goodbye to Lena.
It seemed I wouldn’t be seeing her again.

I left the office, dejected.

Linne was waiting in the hallway, looking anxious.

“All done, Ellie?”

“Linne? Why didn’t you leave…?”

“Just…in case.”

She seemed to be studying my expression.

“Did you…hear anything?”

“It was nothing.”

Linne sighed softly.

She seemed…happy.

I was heartbroken at the thought of never seeing Lena again.

“Ellie, let’s go!”

Annoyed, I ignored her and headed to my room.

I stayed there all evening, refusing to leave.

Even when Linne came to get me for dinner, I pretended to be out.