I’m Not Doing This With A Friend Chapter 119

 

“Miss Leen…?”

 

Lou called my name as if he found it strange. I couldn’t even meet his eyes, let alone answer him.

 

The thought of fleeing repeatedly flashed through my mind.

 

But my body, haunted by the memories of the past, was slow to move.

Please…

 

‘Move, you useless body, please move!’

 

Swallowing dryly, I suddenly remembered my companion’s seal on my heart. I wondered if Carson could hear my voice.

 

But it was all I could do to call out to him now that I couldn’t even control my body. I summoned up my mana and forced my quivering mouth open.

 

It was time to call out Carson’s name with all my might.

 

“Car…!”

 

I heard a servant’s voice announce someone’s entrance.

 

“Lord Roel Begonia of the Duchy of Begonia is here to see you.”

 

The name stopped me in my tracks for a moment.

 

…Roel Begonia? Not Rex Begonia?

 

My head jerked stiffly toward the entrance to the banquet hall. The man who entered the banquet was unlike Rex Begonia, even from a distance.

 

Unlike his silver hair, this man, Roel Begonia, had flaming red hair.

 

He seemed to be one of Rex Begonia’s many siblings.

 

…I see. The servant said a visitor had come from House Begonia, but he never mentioned that it was Rex Begonia.

 

If it had been the Duke, he would have announced the arrival of the Duke of Begonia, not a man of House Begonia.

 

Finally, I breathed. My head throbbed as if I had forgotten to breathe for a moment.

 

At the same time, my legs gave out and I wobbled.

 

Lou was surprised and helped me up, “Miss Leen, are you okay?”

 

“No…I’m fine. I just lost my balance because I was thinking about something else for a moment.”

 

“You don’t have a good complexion, considering.”

 

“…I didn’t sleep well last night.”

 

Roel Begonia turned toward us. To Lou, the host of the banquet, to be precise.

 

He walked with a cane and looked uncomfortable. Upon closer inspection, I realized he was limping on one leg.

 

While I was distracted by Roel, Lou suggested to me anxiously.

 

“Miss Leen. I think you should go home for the day.”

 

“…I just got here, I’m perfectly fine.”

 

Lou squinted and was about to say something.

 

Roel, who had gotten closer, bowed slightly in a polite gesture.

 

“Good evening, Marquise Lou Ananas. I am Roel Begonia.”

 

“I see you are the third son of the Duke of Begonia. It is a pleasure, Roel.”

 

Roel’s eyes widened slightly.

 

“I didn’t realize you knew me.”

 

“Weren’t you renowned for your skill with the sword?”

 

“I’m embarrassed to say I’m a good swordsman. I was always compared to my brother Rex…”

 

A bitter glint crossed Roel’s face as he said that.

 

“More than that, I wonder if I’ve ruined the occasion by showing up uninvited and late, and I apologize.”

 

“No, I’m just grateful that you took the time out of your busy schedule to walk here.”

 

Giving him a very businesslike smile, Lou turned to him.

 

“Lord Roel. I was wondering if you could excuse me for a moment, as I have not yet finished my conversation with the young lady next to me.”

 

“Ah. I see I’ve interrupted your conversation, by any means.”

 

Lou’s gaze lands on me.

 

“Miss Leen.”

 

At the sound of my name, Roel flinched. Looking at me in surprise.

 

Lou doesn’t seem to notice and continues, “If you don’t want to go back, I won’t stop you, but I think it would be best if you took a moment to rest in the lounge.”

 

Without waiting for me to answer the question, Lou called for a servant and ordered him to usher me into the common room.

 

His firmness was a little disconcerting.

 

However, he did seem to have cause for concern, so I obeyed his orders.

 

As I walked slowly, I listened to the conversation between the two men. Formal greetings and gifts were exchanged.

 

The further I got away from them, the muffled voices became inaudible.

 

I wondered if I could find out why he had come instead of Rex Begonia.

 

Rex Begonia must have recognized some of the people I knew at the Academy.

 

He had visited the Academy every year during the academic festival. He knew I’d be hiding in plain sight, trying to avoid him.

 

This time, he’d come here, even if it meant wasting his time.

 

— ‘I promise you. You won’t see him in the banquet hall.’

 

At the thought of Carson, my heartbeat steadied surprisingly.

 

Had he kept his promise to me?

 

After all, trusting Carson was one of the reasons I was able to come here without worry.

 

Surely Carson must have done something to keep Rex Begonia from coming.

 

As I was about to leave the banquet hall with these thoughts, I caught sight of Hans and Jane standing there with serious faces.

 

Seeing their faces lifted my spirits somewhat. I wondered if they were having a love affair. I dismissed the servant and walked over to them.

 

“Hans, Jane.”

 

“What’s up, Leen?”

 

“Leen, when the hell did you get here?”

 

Their expressions quickly softened and they greeted me. I let a small smile tug at the corners of my mouth.

 

“I just got here.”

 

Jane glanced around, as if she thought it strange to see me alone.

 

So was Fjord, and now everyone’s talking about Carson and me as a set.

 

“Caon’s not here.”

 

“Did he pass out on your face again, or did he have a big nosebleed?”

 

“No, thankfully he didn’t faint at the sight of my face.”

 

“Huh? Then why didn’t he follow you? I can understand if he said he couldn’t be bothered at Fjord’s brother’s succession banquet… but I can’t believe he didn’t follow you.”

 

“I thought it was cute how he blushed when he saw me, so I impulsively kissed him.”

 

“…What!”

 

Hans blurted out in disbelief and exclaimed, “When did you two become like that? You’re kissing each other when you’re not even close? No, this father won’t allow it!”

 

“I don’t remember having a father like you.”

 

Meanwhile, Jane giggled and gave me a thumbs-up.

 

“That’s hot! No wonder Lord Carson couldn’t come.”

 

Oh, come to think of it, I had only written to Jane to let her know I wasn’t leaving.

 

Hans, who didn’t know that I had already gone all the way with Carson, would have been surprised at the kiss.

 

Feeling comfortable that Jane would inform him when she had time, I asked what I was wondering.

 

“More than that, why did you guys look so bad earlier?”

 

They didn’t look too bad for a fight. Jane’s boutique seems to be running smoothly. I knew Hans’s top was fine, too.

 

It was Jane who answered the question, “Well, this is good timing. Leen, you know I’m quick to spread the word, right?”

 

I nodded without a second thought. I didn’t know where she got her information, but Jane was faster than even the well-connected Fjord.

 

“Is something going on?”

 

She lowered her voice to a whisper, as if she didn’t want anyone else to hear.

 

“The plague that broke out in Abascanthus seems to have reached Lagras, and while it’s quiet as yet, the Empire will be raucous in a few days.”

 

The news was shocking, to say the least.

 

After such a strong response in Abascanthus, the plague had reached Lagras in less than a few months.

 

“Shouldn’t we be spreading the word and taking action, not just taking it easy?”

 

“It’s not solid information. It’s a sensitive matter, and false rumors and articles can cause confusion.”

 

“Do you know where the patient is from?”

 

Jane’s expression darkened even more.

 

“I only brought up this unconfirmed story to tell you to stay away from the area.”

 

She took a short, deep breath before speaking.

 

“The Arena Academy. Don’t go anywhere near it.”

 

🍃

 

On the terrace, I sipped my wine in a daze.

 

Countless thoughts poured through my mind like rain.

 

What if the plague spread to all of Lagras, and why did it have to start at the Arena Academy?

 

Should I sit on the sidelines and let this happen? Or should I take an active role and create a cure?

 

But it was an epidemic, and I couldn’t be rash. I still valued my own life.

 

The rumors were still unconfirmed, so let’s hope they were false.

 

That was when it happened. I heard a voice through the curtains on the terrace.

 

“This is Roel Begonia. I wonder if you have a moment of spare time, Miss Leen.”

 

Blinking slowly, I recognized the voice. I knew he wasn’t Rex Begonia, but I wondered if it was because he had the same last name, Begonia.

 

I felt a little uncomfortable. No, actually, it was very unnerving.

 

“Just a moment, please.”

 

With that, I pulled up my dress. 

 

Then I opened the cold leather case about mid-thigh. There was a poisoned needle. Better to be prepared, just in case.

 

‘Hmm. But this is less effective than I thought.’

 

I thought it was meant to protect me in case of emergency, but I had to lift my skirt to use it.

 

If Carson saw me, he’d either collapse from a nosebleed or gouge out all the eyeballs of anyone who saw me pulling out my needle.

 

Was it serious that even Carson would think it was cute?

 

After straightening my dress, I hid the stinger between my fingers and called out to him.

 

Over the years, I had developed a perfect immunity to these stingers.

 

Which meant I didn’t have to be afraid of accidentally stabbing myself with the wrong movement of my fingers.

 

“Come in.”

 

At my nod of permission, Roel strode in with a grunt.

 

He held his cane in one hand. I looked up and locked eyes with him. His ashen eyes, the same color as Rex Begonia’s, held mine.

 

“What do you want?”

 

The words came out sharply.

 

Roel smiled at me, the corners of his mouth tugging up awkwardly.

 

“I have something to tell you.”

 

“So tell me what it is.”

 

He didn’t answer. Silently, he put down his staff and knelt before me.

 

A cold chill ran down my spine. I stared down at him, unblinking.

 

He, too, rested his forehead on the floor, unperturbed by my cold gaze.

 

“I apologize on behalf of my brother. I know nothing can make up for what has happened.”

 

“What do you know.”

 

Emotion washed over me in waves.

 

‘How dare you speak as if you understand me.’

 

Like you understand anything…

 

“Laugh at me, laugh at the way I’m being manipulated by Rex Begonia, and don’t pretend to understand with that pathetic pity.”

 

“Miss Leen. Do you know why I’m walking with a limp?”

 

My face stiffened as I understood once and for all what he meant.

 

Roel lifted his head, which had been hovering over the floor, and looked at me.

 

“Run away from this country right now, my brother is completely insane.”