Chapter 59 : Bridal carry

“Amitel?”

Why are you here? The rapidly changing situation is making it hard to think straight.

Amitel, who was holding me from behind, was speaking while looking at Fontego.

“Hey, who the hell are you to suddenly…”

“Just stay still for now.”

When I turned my head and whispered quietly, she covered my mouth with her palm.

Maybe because my face is small, her hand covered most of it even though she only blocked my mouth.

If I was flustered by her sudden interruption, Fontego seemed completely dumbfounded.

He furrowed his brows at Amitel as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

“Your lover?”

“Yeah. My lover.”

Uh… I appreciate her sudden help, but… who said she could?

I suddenly have a lover I didn’t even know about.

Fontego looked at me, still dazed, and asked,

“Miss Trea, care to explain?”

“Well, she’s a friend at least…”

“We’re lovers who’ve promised a future together.”

Before I could answer, Amitel responded first.

Promised a future? With you?

Okay, yes — back in Skull Town of Reinz, I did say that. But… that was then.

It was more of a bluff!

I didn’t mean it seriously. I’m not even confident I can take responsibility for someone else!

“Wha— Whose idea of a relationship— Mmph!”

When I tried to protest, looking at her incredulously, she pressed my mouth even tighter.

Mmph. It was getting a bit hard to breathe.

Some lover! What, is she into rough treatment?

From her hand blocking my mouth and nose, I could smell that soft scent I’d noticed on the bed that day.

“Stop playing games. Do you not realize how rude this is?”

“Well, it seems what you are doing is much ruder. Dragging her into a secluded spot and saying what about her body?”

Exactly! I may be confused, but I’m still pretty mad about what just happened.

Still, maybe because my emotions had shifted, it didn’t feel as dangerous as earlier.

Fontego ran a hand through his hair, clearly irritated by our continued defiance.

“This is a matter between noble houses. It’s not something a lowly commoner like you should get involved in.”

“What?”

“I said, don’t meddle in a duke’s affairs, you mongrel.”

Flinch.

This time, Amitel’s eyebrows twitched.

I’d heard before that “mongrel” is a serious slur for beastkin.

It implies your parents got together with an animal.

As insulting as it is… it’s not technically false.

Beastkin are, after all, a race born between humans and animals.

Regardless, Amitel didn’t look pleased.

Seeing her face, Fontego smirked mockingly.

“What, did I say something wrong? Aren’t beastkin born from mutts and barely-human things? Disgusting.”

He mockingly pinched his nose as he tipped his cocktail glass.

The remaining liquor dripped onto the grass.

Sometime during that, she’d taken her hand away from my mouth.

Fontego kept grinding his heel into the wet grass as if to mock her.

“Hey, Fontego…”

“Don’t speak to me. A noblewoman mingling with a beastkin whore — revolting.”

I finally stepped in to stop him, but he ignored me completely and sighed.

Our relationship was already broken beyond repair, but this?

This was the final nail in the coffin.

The engagement, which was never going to work anyway, was officially shattered.

“What a disappointment. Sigh… I thought things might be different, but this academy is full of trash too.”

Fontego slowly walked toward her.

His drunken eyes held a trace of amusement.

He looked up at Amitel, facing her directly.

Not the time to say this, but their height difference was quite extreme.

Fontego was around my height — not very tall.

What about Amitel?

I glanced up at her, but surprisingly, she showed no visible emotional reaction.

Was she just sizing up the situation?

As Fontego grew bolder, he muttered right in front of her,

“An equal academy? Heh. In four years, you’ll all be crawling under my feet anyway… You, wolf b*tch. If you kneel and apologize now, I’ll

forgive you.”

Fontego completely underestimated Amitel.

Not surprising — only a handful of students had seen our duel that day.

Even if rumors had spread among the students, Fontego wouldn’t have cared.

Unless you were interested, most people didn’t even know we were given special treatment.

No one paid attention to students who didn’t join the main crowd.

“Trea.”

Amitel didn’t look angry.

Rather, she was smiling.

As if looking forward to what was about to happen.

She spoke casually, as if this situation were nothing out of the ordinary.

“Remember what I told you before?”

“What?”

“Guys like this? They’re nothing.”

Wham!

In an instant, her fist flew toward Fontego’s jaw.

It was so fast that even my enhanced vision couldn’t follow it.

That same speed she used against me, aiming for a single blow.

Fontego didn’t even react — he just collapsed like a sack of potatoes and passed out.

Even if he was drunk, she knocked out a trained swordmaster with a single punch.

“Hey, hey, are you crazy? Do you even realize what you’ve done?!”

My mind went blank at her sudden move.

Sure, it was satisfying, but…

It’s not like I kept quiet all this time because I was a coward!

Here, the title “duke” might be tossed around a lot,

But in reality, only four houses in the entire empire hold that rank.

Fontego is the heir to the biggest one.

The academy name tag won’t protect Amitel after graduation.

Yet she looked as carefree as ever — even letting out a small laugh.

“Are you the same person I knew? You’ve turned into such a wimp.”

“You were watching me?”

“Coincidence. Anyway, don’t you have something to say to me first?”

Something I should say?

Of course I do.

Even before saying thank you.

“Why are you in a suit?!”

Amitel was wearing a black suit.

Sure, it looked great on her, but it was way off the dress code!

What about me?! I’m here in a dress like an idiot.

When I pointed that out, she tilted her head and said,

“Weren’t you supposed to wear a suit or a dress? That’s what I heard.”

“I mean, that’s true, but…”

Looking back, the invitation didn’t specifically state what men and women should wear.

Still! No guy’s going to show up in a dress just because it wasn’t forbidden!

I sighed and rubbed my throbbing temples.

I waved my finger at her and grudgingly muttered,

“…It suits you.”

“Thank you.”

I should be saying thanks, but the words just wouldn’t come.

Luckily, she didn’t seem to mind much.

Instead, she looked down at the unconscious Fontego and gave me a look that asked,

So what are you going to do about this?

You know that saying, “no witnesses, no crime”?

Maybe turning him into Fontego-nuggets wouldn’t be so bad…

“Like I said before, you worry way too much.”

“No, this is a very valid worry— hey! Hey!”

Amitel grabbed me by the waist.

That was fine, but why was she lifting me and turning me around?

Hey, not the thighs — anywhere but the thighs!

This… this is a princess carry, isn’t it?

God, this is so embarrassing.

Thank goodness no one saw.

Before I could protest again, she jumped high while holding me.

In a blink, we landed on the terrace of a nearby building.

As soon as we arrived, I quickly got out of her arms.

“He was obviously drunk. He won’t remember anything clearly. Don’t worry.”

“…How am I not supposed to worry?”

Whatever. What’s done is done.

Compared to what’s coming tomorrow night, this is nothing.

People will be dying, after all.

I sighed and began following her down the stairs.

The ball had already started.

“Thanks.”

I muttered quietly, grumbling.

I couldn’t see her face as she walked ahead, but I was sure she was smiling

“Ugh…”

Fontego groaned, twitching his fingers.

Though knocked out, his body was strong enough to recover quickly.

Unfortunately, he remembered every single insult he’d just received.

“Damn it… so annoying…”

[Awake already, Fontego?]

A strange voice echoed in his mind.

It wasn’t exactly a voice, but… what was that?

He clutched his throbbing head and spoke irritably,

“Who’s there? I don’t need your useless concern.”

[Still as irritating as ever. Honestly, you following me around was such a pain. Maybe this worked out for the best?]

The person who appeared before him was a plainly dressed woman.

Her modest attire clearly marked her as a commoner.

Spouting nonsense like that — ridiculous.

Fontego sneered and glared at the woman.

“This academy is full of delusional fools. Do you know who I—

[This magic wasn’t even meant to be used on someone like you.]

Olvido.

She snapped her fingers and murmured a quick chant.

In the blink of an eye, Fontego collapsed again.

It was a memory-erasing spell — a high-level magic that completely wipes out the events of a single night.

She hadn’t practiced it for someone like Fontego.

[Guess someone beat me to it. Oh well… I understand.]

Teferi murmured as she gazed at the night sky,

Then turned and walked away —

—toward the one she had originally wanted to use the spell for.