I’m Not Doing This With A Friend Chapter 144

 

Everything fits together like a puzzle.

 

Professor Walter was the founder of MoTo-Club.

 

The mosquito that carries the plague. The medicine that Arcandus gave smells like the quince.

 

If he were the culprit, it would explain why his parents died after taking the cure, which was made with the main ingredient, quince.

 

Either he saw that the cure was complete, and then took another drug, so I wouldn’t think it was the cure.

 

Then why did he warn me to stay away from Professor Walter?

 

Why on earth?

 

“Leen.”

 

At the sound of Professor George’s voice, I calmed my overly agitated head.

 

Calm down. Nothing was certain yet. I and Arcandus parted ways years ago.

 

He was a genius in alchemy, wasn’t he?

 

He may have created his cure, different from mine.

 

Something completely different, with a main ingredient of quince, but with a completely different composition.

 

“No, I must be deluding myself, Arcandus has no mana in his body.”

 

I mean, there’s no way he could create a demon. Professor George narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth.

 

“What are you talking about, Leen? Arcandus has more mana in his body than anyone else.”

 

“…What?”

 

“I don’t know the details, but I can assure you that it’s at least as much as the owner of this castle, the Duke of Lysianthus.”

 

Panic flashed through my mind.

 

No, it couldn’t be. No, that’s not possible. Arcandus was my family. I remember how sincerely he comforted me after my parents died.

 

That was an act?

 

That doesn’t make sense. There was a part of me that didn’t understand if he really did kill my parents.

 

Why my parents?

 

Neither Arcandus nor my parents had any contact with him before we hired him.

 

There was no motive for him to do such a horrible thing.

 

There’s no way to say it was just bad timing, but…

 

At least, the Arcandus I knew was not the kind of person who would harm someone without a motive.

 

And one more thing. If he was the one responsible, why did Arcandus give me the cure?

 

A shiver ran down my spine.

 

My head was making the assumption that he could be the killer, but my heart was denying it with all its might.

 

It was. If I wanted to know if it was real or not, I could ask him.

 

Right? That’s the right thing to do.

 

If the assumption I’m making at the moment was wrong, there’s no one to listen to his frustration.

 

So, even if all the evidence points to him, I’m the only one who should believe him. I’m the ‘only’ family he has.

 

I looked at Professor George, unaware of the expression on my face.

 

All I could think was that I needed to confirm this quickly.

 

“I need to find Arcandus.”

 

🍃

 

Sitting on my bed in my room, my mind raced.

 

I hadn’t heard from Arcandus since the letter he sent me with the cure when I graduated.

 

Not to mention the fact that he’d long since lost touch with Professor Walter, and Professor George.

 

“Then how do we find him?”

 

All I knew about him was that he lived deep in the woods, off the beaten path.

 

I said, “Because he needs to avoid prying eyes to create a demon?”

 

I shook my head in disbelief at the thought. That’s crazy. To think that I’d already convinced myself that he was the culprit, that I’d trusted Arcandus.

 

But I suppose it’s only right that we put out a bounty to find him. I bit my lip hard.

 

If I could just ask the Duke and Duchess to do me a favor…

 

“Leen!”

 

“Uh, what?”

 

I lifted my head and looked toward where the voice had come from.

 

Carson, who had been here for who knows how long, was staring at me worriedly.

 

“What’s on your mind, Leen? I’ve been calling out to you for ages, and you haven’t answered.”

 

“Caon…”

 

“Can you tell me what’s going on?”

 

He said softly, enveloping me in his broad arms.

 

“You can lean on me.”

 

At the sound of his voice, my barely maintained composure crumbled.

 

Carson was the only one who had ever allowed me to show such vulnerability.

 

His kind words were the trigger, and a myriad of emotions poured out of me.

 

“Caon, I don’t know what to do.”

 

The tears wouldn’t stop. I explained everything to him as tears poured down like rain.

 

Carson listened to everything and said nothing.

 

“I think we need the Duke’s help. We need to find Arcandus.”

 

I spat out the words nervously, and finally, Carson spoke.

 

“Leen. I told you I overheard you and Arcandus talking before.”

 

“…Yes. You said that you had put a tracking spell on Professor Walter since then.”

 

“Actually, I didn’t just put a spell on Professor Walter back then.”

 

Shock struck my head.

 

Why had I assumed that Carson had only put a tracking spell on Professor Walter?

 

If Carson had overheard the conversation and put a tracking spell on Professor Walter, there was no way he wouldn’t have put one on Arcandus.

 

I trusted Arcandus, but from Carson’s perspective, it would have been hard to trust either Professor Walter or Arcandus.

 

“I leave the choice to you, Leen.”

 

Carson locked eyes with me for a moment, asking for permission.

 

“Do you want me to bring Arcandus?”

 

My breath caught in my throat. I was the one who said we needed to find Arcandus.

 

“…I don’t know.”

 

I couldn’t find the words to say in the affirmative, as if he was going to bring him right in front of me.

 

“If he really is the one who killed my parents, what am I supposed to do?”

 

Even when I was being played by Erhan and Rex Begonia. 

 

Even when I was betrayed by you and Jane, even when I trusted Arcandus to the end,

 

“That’s too harsh for me.”

 

I was scared. Terrified of this situation. Perhaps Arcandus was indeed responsible for killing my parents and spreading the plague across the Empire.

 

Carson’s hand brushed clumsily across my tear-stained cheek. His hand was trembling slightly.

 

No, maybe I was trembling.

 

He smiled faintly, though his face was more anguished than mine.

 

“Then I’ll hold you somehow.”

 

A kiss touched my lips, then fell away.

 

I’m sorry, Carson. Nothing sounded in my ears right now, so I don’t know what you said.

 

I was just hoping this would end quickly.

 

So, “Bring Arcandus before me now.”

 

🍃

 

Carson quickly brought him back. Arcandus scanned his surroundings, bewildered by the sudden change in scenery.

 

“Arcandus.”

 

“Leen…?”

 

Leen chewed on her lip as she stared at Arcandus.

 

He was skinny as a bone, to say the least.

 

“What the hell have you been eating?”

 

Arcandus looked at Leen and quickly regained his composure.

 

It was an unlikely reaction from someone who had just been dragged in.

 

“…You’re as sweet as ever.”

 

“There’s something I wanted to ask you.”

 

Arcandus realized from Leen’s stony expression that she had opened his gift.

 

His gaze flicked briefly to Carson. He hadn’t realized he had put a tracking spell on him.

 

‘You have a clingy boyfriend. Leen.’

 

Good Leen shouldn’t be so susceptible to him.

 

I didn’t worry about myself. I’d end it all anyway and find rest.

 

It wasn’t death I feared, but being hated by Leen.

 

If even Leen rejected me, there would be no one left for me.

 

Everyone would welcome my death.

 

“The cure that Arcandus gave me. How did you make it?”

 

“…”

 

“Let me ask you another question, Arcandus, did you spread the Monstera? Did Arcandus kill my parents…”

 

Did you really kill them…?

 

Leen couldn’t bring herself to spit out the last word.

 

Arcandus slowly spoke, “If I say no.”

 

He met Leen’s dark eyes for the first time.

 

“Will you believe me if I say I didn’t do it?”

 

Leen answered without hesitation.

 

“I’ll believe you.”

 

Because you’re my family.

 

Your ‘only’ family. Even if the whole world thinks Arcandus did it, I’d believe you if you said you didn’t.

 

Carson recognized something in Leen’s words.

 

She didn’t say ‘trust’, she said ‘believe’. It sounded like she was saying that even if Arcandus really was the killer, she would believe him if he said he wasn’t.

 

And she wasn’t wrong.

 

“I didn’t do it, Leen.”

 

Leen smiled at the lie that Arcandus had spouted with such small hope.

 

“Good.”

 

Leen couldn’t have been more pleased with his answer. She knew it shouldn’t be such an easy question to ask and be sure.

 

She chose to deny reality and believe Arcandus’ words.

 

At this point, Leen was too tired to accept his betrayal.

 

“Break the tracking spell and send him back to where he came from, Caon.”

 

“…You won’t regret it?”

 

“Then what choice do I have here?”

 

Should I yell at him for lying to me?

 

“But, Caon.”

 

If I just take Arcandus at his word, everyone would be happy.

 

Me, and Arcandus. Wouldn’t that be enough?

 

Carson did not ask more of Leen’s wishes.

 

“The tracking spell is quick to put on, but it takes a while to remove. Rest in your room.”

 

Then he kissed Leen’s rounded forehead.

 

At the same time, the magic disappeared. It was Carson’s magic.

 

Left alone with Arcandus, he looked at him emotionlessly. Carson grabbed Arcandus by the scruff of the neck and shoved him against the wall.

 

Bam—!

 

Arcandus was groaning from the sudden impact.

 

“I won’t ask if you’re the real culprit.”

 

Arcandus gasped as he grabbed Carson’s hand around his throat.

 

Carson didn’t care if he was having trouble breathing or not.

 

“Actually, I don’t care what you have to say.”

 

All that mattered was that you brought tears to Leen’s eyes.

 

“I’ll have to let you go, as Leen wishes, but I won’t break the tracking spell.”

 

“I don’t know if you truly consider Leen your family, but I know one thing for sure.”

 

For a moment, a flash of realization flashed in Carson’s eyes.

 

“You killed them, didn’t you? Leen’s parents.”

 

At the bluntness of the question, Arcandus’s pupils twitched violently.

 

“…Alas. Leen is all good, but she has too much heart, and she always loses.”

 

That’s adorable.

 

“I wonder, why did you bother lying to her, when it’s already been answered?”

 

Arcandus desperately avoids Carson’s gaze.

 

However, he soon realized that Carson knew what he was thinking.

 

“…You don’t want to be hated by Leen.”

 

It’s not funny.

 

“Right now, I think Leen needs some time, so I’ll give you a chance and stop messing with her right now.”

 

Carson loosened his grip on his jaw.

 

As he released his grip, Arcandus coughed and wheezed.

 

“Stay down and wait for Leen to regain her senses and think straight.”

 

If you want to escape to your death, I won’t stop you.

 

“But if you die, I’ll erase Leen’s memory.”

 

It’d be easier on Leen if we made you never existed in the first place.

 

Carson chuckled softly. It was almost as if he was laughing at him, inviting him to die.

 

“How about that, I’m pretty merciful, aren’t I?”