MLLTM Chapter 25

I have come to a realization just now that there are still many things that I actually don’t know about Lariensa.

I know that she loves eating and is not picky about her food. She doesn’t particularly hate anything.

I don’t think there’s anything (or anyone for that matter) that she likes in particular (except me).

“Brother? What are you doing there?”

I was so immersed in my own world thinking about Lariensa that I didn’t realize that Lycan was not by my side. Currently, he was looking at a scarf from a store window.

“Do you think Lara will like that as a present?”

Instead of answering my question, Lycan took out a white scarf and put it on his neck.

When his finger accidentally touched his neck, I flinched reflexively.

Then, I felt Lycan’s blue eyes, which resemble Lara’s, stare at my face for a while.

“I-I’m sorry. Without realizing, I…”

Lycan did not answer. However, he nonchalantly placed the scarf around my neck.

“Lara doesn’t wear a scarf or anything like that.”

“I know.”

“So why the scarf then? Do you want it?”

“Not funny.”

“…okay.”

I’m just saying, aren’t you being too serious?!

Lycan looked at the scarves of different colors for a long time and, as if he liked it, picked up the white scarf he had first picked up and bought it.

Lara definitely looks good on white.

“Here.”

Eh… Why are you giving it to me?

“Ahh… You want me to pass it on to Lara?”

However, Lycan’s forehead crumpled. 

‘Ehh?! Why are you angry?’

“Tie it around your neck.”

“You mean tying it like a rope?”

“…Wear it as a scarf. ”

“You’re not giving it to Lara?”

“You’re so tactless.”

Isn’t that too much!?

If I don’t have tact, then it’s because my circumstances with Lara have changed now, not because I was always this tactless!

Hah, I never imagined Lycan would give me a scarf!

“Your hair… put it up.”

I had never imagined this situation to happen at all.

As I kept mumbling by myself, Lycan brushed off my hair on the shoulder and put it back. That action took me by surprise that I immediately pulled my hair back on my own. Afterwhich, Lycan put the scarf around me.

He was careful not to touch my neck.

“You still had bruises on your neck that’s why I bought it.”

“I know, it’s hideous, right?”

“Who said it was hideous?”

Sigh, why do I live such a chaotic life even in this world?

“It's not like that. It’s almost faded away anyway. I can’t even see it anymore.”

He wore it around me loosely so that I wouldn’t feel stuffy. Afterwards, he stepped back.

“So, how does it look on me?”

“…pretty than I thought.”

I didn’t listen to what he was saying. Of course, I was excited since anything that is free is welcomed by me with open arms. 

Oh yeah!

I jumped joyfully on the spot as this event of me receiving a gift from him was like a once-in-a-lifetime event for me.

I thought for sure that Lycan would look at me with a disgusted look like my friends. But…

“……”

What's with that enchanted expression?

Feeling embarrassed, I stopped moving and scratched the back of my head.

“I didn’t expect you would like it that much…”

“Ahem, so now we’re going back to picking…”

“Why don’t we eat first?”

“What?”

“You don’t want to?”

“Are you treating me dinner?”

“Well, it’s usually the person who asked to eat to pay for the meal.”

Emily doesn’t do that, though?

…Is this situation a little bit different? Then Emily, I’m sorry. I get to have a free meal without you.

I’m not the type of person to refuse someone if they’re buying food for me. 

Then, I chased after him.

The place where Lycan took me was to a restaurant which I can only say had unreasonable prices than the ones in our academy.

I was nervous just by looking at the exterior, but when I looked at the menu, I became even more stiff.

‘I can’t choose…’

“What’s wrong? Is there anything that you like?”

No matter how thick-faced I am, this wasn’t right.

The Jellinus family and ours are just next to each other, and I know better that Lycan is not born with a golden spoon on his mouth.

I know that the academy gives huge allowances to scholars but still…

“I-I’ll have this…”

I carefully chose the cheapest food on this menu. I don’t know what it is, but it’s the cheapest!

But Lycan felt skeptical about my menu selection.

“No need to be conscious. I know you don’t like salads with only vegetables.”

It’s just salad with only vegetables, but it’s this much!?

Too expensive!

“If you really can’t choose, I’ll choose for you.”

I thought he ordered just enough for the two of us to eat, but the foods that came after were enough to make my eyes pop out of their sockets.

When it comes to quantity, it’s like we have the buffet all by ourselves. Why are there so many?

“If you can’t finish it all, we can just leave it here.”

“…Have I offended you in any way, brother? In our past lives, perhaps?”

“I don’t follow. Why do you think that?”

Because this is too burdensome… 

“You said you’re buying, right? So I’ll eat to my heart’s content.”

Yeah, sure. Let’s just enjoy all this free food! It would be rude to refuse a blessing in front of me.

And we shouldn’t leave any food behind! If we do so, we’ll go to hell!

“Good to see you eat well.”

“Ack! Cough! Cough!”

“Slowly.”

Really, what’s wrong with him…

How am I supposed to reply to that?

This is awkward…  Why don’t I bring up a new topic?

“I’m glad that your punishment is lighter than I thought.”

“I was prepared to face some kind of punishment when I did it. Moreover, it would have been unfair if they made it heavier since I just did it out of emotion and spite.”

“Emily was really jealous about it. You’re so different from his brother.”

“I was angry because of what that professor did to my sister, but that day, I wasn’t exactly angry about Lariensa…”

“Really?”

“I…”

Lycan glanced at my neck and clicked his tongue.

“You really can’t read between the lines.”

Hmm… I’ll just live without any sense. You’ll find out things, even the ones you don’t want to know, if you’re too sensible.

Lycan and I continue to eat without a word after that.

After eating, I really thought we were going to buy Lara’s gift for real this time.

However, Lycan–

“I’ll buy you some ice cream.”

Bought me a dessert–

“This hairband matches your hair color.”

Put a green headband over my head–

“Cover yourself. It’s cold right now.”

And gave me the coat that he was wearing!

“It’s late. We’ve got to go now.”

As we walked on the street at night, I could see my reflection from the window of a store we were passing by.

Lycan’s coat, the white scarf, and even the hairband…

We went out to buy my present for Lara, but it seems that I was the one who was getting a lot of presents now.

This situation was so strange for me. 

I bit my lower lip for a while, and soon after, something touched my lips.

It was a lollipop.

As I opened my mouth, Lycan put it inside. The sweet taste of lollipop covered my tongue.

“I have to put something in your mouth for you not to do anything strange.”

“When else have I done something strange?”

“As long as there’s food, you eat well even though you feel pressured. If I buy you ice cream, you immediately empty your head even though something was bothering you earlier, and now I have to give you candy so you don’t bite your lips.”

Did I do that? Certainly, the moment I eat something, my head feels lighter.

“If someone gave you some candy, I’m sure you’ll go with an adult you don’t even know.”

“You think I’m stupid?”

“That's how cute you are.”

Ah! I was caught off guard!

This time my heart skipped a beat.

“…Why are you so nice to me?”

I tried to pretend I didn’t know what it was, but Lycan’s attitude toward me was too blatant.

“We weren’t even on such good terms before.”

Lycan walked slowly towards me without minding my anxiousness. But when I stared at him, he finally opened his mouth.

“One of my friends said he had a crush on someone.”

“…Yes.”

“When I asked him how he realized that he liked her, he said he bought her food and clothes and thought that it wasn’t a waste no matter how expensive it was.”

“Are you saying you’re starting to like me?”

Oh, please… 

“At the very least, you’re not that dense.”

Of all the women, why me?! First, Sibel, now, you too?!

It’s a lot different than before. I’ve never seen a woman like you before.

Don’t let this novel stray away from its original path!

“So… you bought me all these things, pretending to do me a favor for you to confirm your own feelings if you really like me or not?”

“No, I was really going to help you choose a gift for Lariensa.”

You didn’t even choose one, though.

“So what’s your conclusion? Wasn’t it a waste?”

Lycan smiled instead of answering me.

Without a trace, it was like a blissful and tranquil smile like that of an innocent boy.

“No. not at all.”

I realized for the first time that Lycan was a person who could smile so brightly like that.

“I had so much fun with you today.”

He didn’t confess openly. But knowing him, I knew that those words were as good as a confession.

This is definitely a difficult situation, but…

“D-don’t smile like that!”

“Oh? Why is that?”

“Because… Just don’t!”

“Walk beside me. You know, the streets are very dangerous at night.”

“Don’t be such a gentleman, now!”

The heck, why am I getting hot…

＊ ＊ ＊

‘Lariensa would appreciate it more if you give her a letter rather than a material gift.’

It’s not that I didn’t get any advice, but… it just wasn’t very helpful.

“What should I do…”

Currently, I was sitting in a chair in our dormitory room, staring blankly up at the empty ceiling. Lara sat down near me and asked.

“Marin, is something bothering you?”

“…Lara.”

“Yes?”

“This… I just happen to hear this from someone.”

“Really?”

“Yes, so this is a story from a distant friend of the sister of the cousin of the friend of our classmate.”

“What are you talking about?”

“To sum it up, it’s just a story of a person we don’t know the name of.”

“Uh-huh.”

“So that girl had a friend who was very close to her. However, her friend’s brother and her didn’t get along well.”

“Why didn’t they get along?”

“Just because?”

“Her best friend must have been troubled by it. How nice it is to just get along with each other like my brother and Marin.”

Haha… her best friend isn’t even a bit troubled by it since she’s slow-witted.

“Anyways! Moving on, her best friend’s brother suddenly confessed to her.”

“Did she hate it?”

“No, she liked it.”

“Whaaat?!”

Lariensa’s eyes sparkled.

“I’m so jealous!”

“Oh?”

“If those two get married, that person’s family, friends, and relatives would also be tied together with the other person’s family.”

Is that what it means?

“Marin!”

“…Hmm?”

“You and brother should really marry each other!”

Cough, cough! What are you saying, Lara?

“I’ll tell my brother to confess right away. Why didn’t I think of this before?”

Lara was really about to run to her brother. 

Wait, Lara, don’t go!

“Marilyn, Lariensa! We’re here!”

Fortunately, before Lara could really run out of the room, Emily, Natalie, and Violet opened the door.

Whoo… thank God.

Now, this story would then be skipped over.

“Both of you, change quickly into your school uniforms.”

“Why? We’re still taking a break, right?”

“I knew this would happen. We have to gather at the auditorium right now.”

Today’s just a regular class day, so why?

“It looks like they have some important announcements to make.”

Lara and I immediately dressed up and followed our friends to the auditorium.

＊ ＊ ＊

The place was noisy and crowded as all the students of the academy had gathered.

After a while, the well-dressed vice principal went up to the podium, facing the students who were lined up.

“Dear students. I am the vice-principal of Cloud Academy. I’m aware that all of you have suffered due to the recent incident in the academy. That’s why we decided that we are going to hold a festival to comfort our dear students!”

You’ll make us have fun so that we can forget about it, and then the whole incident would now be cleanly buried. I see what you did there, vice-principal.

“It will be held next week, and…”

The festival would last for three days; coincidentally, the first day was Lariensa’s birthday. 

What a coincidence, right? She really is the heroine.

Even though the festival date is right around the corner, the acrobatic troupe and the chefs are already ready… Wahh, money is really the best!

“Let’s take this chance to throw Lariensa a party at the same time.”

“I’ve already collected all the materials that we need.”

“Okay, there are also chefs on the day of the festival, so I don’t think we’re going to run out of food.”

We planned the party, ignoring the boring speech of the vice principal that followed.

“How about you guys? When are your birthdays?”

At Emily’s initiation, they revealed when their birthdays are. Except for Lariensa, everyone’s birthday was still a long way off.

“Marilyn, when is your birthday?”

Violet asked me.

“It’s…”

At that moment, I pondered.

‘Which of the two dates should I say?’

The real Marilyn’s birthday or my own birthday?

“…a secret.”

I ended up making another secret to my friends again.

“We’ll know if we ask Lariensa anyway.”

At Natalie’s words, I had no choice but to laugh.

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