I’m Not Doing This With A Friend Chapter 67

 

With a puzzled expression, I looked at Carson.

 

His eyes locked with mine, and a light smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

 

“It’s okay, I’ve got you.”

 

I wasn’t particularly nervous, but the words put me at ease.

 

It made me feel like I could press the button on the recording pen in my pocket without trembling.

 

I whispered playfully in Carson’s ear as I followed the servant into the room.

 

“If I get angry and throw water on Fjord’s brother just to make sure, can you fix it?”

 

The answer came instantly.

 

“I’ll take care of the hot water.”

 

“Pfft. What, are you going to tell me to go to the kitchen and boil some?”

 

“I can raise the temperature with magic instantly, Leen, just splash it on whenever.”

 

I looked at Carson, puzzled by his playful, overly calm tone.

 

His expression was deadly serious. He was definitely not in a joking mood like I was.

 

Was he serious…?

 

“I never meant to hurt him, I just asked for fun.”

 

“Really? I thought you wanted to get your hands dirty again.”

 

“What are you going to do if I actually do something?”

 

Carson smirked without hesitation, “Do whatever you want, Leen.”

 

“And what do you think I’ll do?”

 

“Anything, really, as long as it’s not an instant death.”

 

‘So I can beat him to death?’

 

I asked, both incredulous and wanting to see how far he’d go.

 

“And what about his memories?”

 

“The side effects are nasty, but there’s magic to erase them, and… what’s the harm in tinkering with them a bit, I’ll just say I punched him.”

 

His dismissive attitude made me wonder if the rumors of Carson were not so exaggerated.

 

Come to think of it, some rumors about him were about serial wrist slashers and such.

 

I smiled and said, “You do whatever you want, just stay still.”

 

And please don’t try to boil the water in the teacup.

 

🍃

 

We were ushered into the reception room and sat side by side across from the man.

 

When Fjord tried to take the remaining seat, the man frowned.

 

“Get out. I need to talk to my guests.”

 

“They’re my friends.”

 

“They’re my guests now.”

 

“What do you want to talk to my friends about?”

 

“I don’t think you need to know that.”

 

“Why? Are you going to say something you can’t say in front of me?”

 

Fjord’s agitation had been building since the moment he’d laid eyes on his brother, while the man looked as relaxed as ever.

 

I sipped my tea slowly.

 

So far, so good.

 

The man’s face grew even more somber as he spoke to Fjord and offered him a toast.

 

“Get out. You should know where to leave and where to stay.”

 

Fjord glared at the man, then slammed the door behind him.

 

Fool, leaving like that makes it look like you lost the fight.

 

…Even though you did lose.

 

“It must be the wind.”

 

Ah. That excuse made it look even worse.

 

Sorry, Fjord.

 

At his lame excuse, the first hint of a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

 

“It’s okay. I’m the one who knows best when Fjord is spoiled.”

 

That sounded odd to me. Was he keeping Fjord in check by pretending he wasn’t?

 

Also, the way he said he was spoiled like it was a given, really bothered me.

 

Because Fjord was a nice guy, not just a pretty face.

 

…except when it came to flirting.

 

“Before we get into the nitty-gritty of our conversation, Master Carson, would you mind casting a spell to keep this conversation from leaking out?”

 

The man asked politely, and Carson nodded slightly, casting the spell.

 

Only when he was satisfied that the spell was working did the man reach for his tea, relieved.

“I think my cute little brother is pricking his ears at the door.”

 

Bang—

 

The man set down his teacup and extended his hand, his face relaxed.

 

“Lord Carson and I have already made our acquaintance, so let’s move on… I’m late, but I’ll start with my full name: I’m Lou, the eldest son of the Marquis of Ananas.”

 

Lou? Did he mean his full name, not his nickname?

 

Puzzled momentarily, I remembered that he was the Marquis’s illegitimate son.

 

It was typical for commoners to deliberately shorten their names to make them easier to call.

 

I took his outstretched hand lightly and shook it.

 

“I’m Leen.”

 

His expression didn’t change at the lack of a surname.

 

Perhaps he wasn’t one to look down on commoners.

 

Either that, or he was relieved that Fjord’s new friend was a commoner and not of high status.

 

“It’s a fitting name.”

 

Carson’s eyes narrowed at the comment. It was a common enough greeting.

 

He’d been glaring at Lou since he’d offered the handshake.

 

Whether he realized it, Lou fixed his gaze on me and spoke.

 

“How is Fjord doing at the Academy?”

 

It was the kind of question a family member would be interested in, though it was unlikely that interest would be in a good way.

 

By the way, respect from earlier…

 

I straightened my posture and said, “Please feel free to speak to me. I’m a commoner, and you’re Fjord’s brother.”

 

“I’m a commoner on my mother’s side, too. Besides, just because you’re younger doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be treated as such, and just because you’re friends with my brother doesn’t mean you’re related to me.”

 

Extremely polite. Or just inflexible.

 

But it was a hundred times better than being told off at first.

 

“So, back to the question: how is Fjord?”

 

“Um…”

 

Should I be honest about this or not?

 

I didn’t want to say he wasn’t doing well, because that would be an admission that he was distraught.

 

But there was no way to explain Fjord’s rush to the Marquis as soon as spring break began.

 

As I rambled on, Lou spoke as if he knew what was happening.

 

“He’s been doing fine, but this semester he’s been acting out.”

 

He was right on the mark.

 

“Is that why you came to see Fjord?”

 

I admitted to him, figuring he wouldn’t believe me if I lied anyway.

 

“Yes. I was worried about him as a friend.”

 

“I see. It’s reassuring that Fjord has a friend who would take a few days to visit him.”

 

The reaction was unexpected.

 

Was he playing a loving older brother?

 

But his demeanor toward Fjord was far more cold and distant. I wonder what he’s up to.

 

“The reason I’m here is that I have a favor to ask you.”

 

“Go ahead.”

 

Maybe I’ll judge once I hear what the favor entails.

 

“But before I do, do you mind if I ask you one more question?”

 

“Sure. By all means.”

 

“Thank you. I need you to answer what I’m about to say without misunderstanding, and honestly.”

 

That was a long introduction for asking something so trivial.

 

I’d better not freak out.

 

“I’ll try.”

 

“Good, then let me ask you a question.”

 

He asked, his face serious as he clasped his hands together, “Have you ever killed anyone?”

 

“…What?”

 

“Have you ever cut off someone’s body parts, or poisoned their food, or… Either that or drive them to the brink of death?”

 

What a crazy thing to say.

 

I froze and stared at Lou, despite my resolve not to be surprised, and the man nodded in approval.

 

“Judging by your reaction, I don’t think so. I’m glad Fjord has made the right friend this time.”

 

“What do you mean, the right friends this time, and what kind of friends did he have before…”

 

Lou’s gaze slid silently to my side. I glanced at Carson in surprise.

 

I realized that Lou’s gaze had been fixed on me the entire time, except when he first asked for the soundproofing spell.

 

It was as if Carson had become invisible.

 

Were you already screened out by Fjord…?

 

“Now I’ll tell you what I really wanted to ask you.”

 

Right. That wasn’t the end of the question. I shifted my gaze from Carson’s to Lou’s again.

 

He spoke, looking as serious as ever, “I need you two to prevent Fjord from going overboard.”

 

…for fear of interfering with his inheritance of the title.

 

“No, I don’t think that’s his choice, and I don’t think it’s up to us to stop him.”

 

Of course, we’re here to visit Fjord because of the spring break. But because of the relationship between the two of them.

 

“I know what you’re worried about, Miss Leen.”

 

He smiled briefly, then wiped the expression off his face.

 

“I would have respected Fjord’s decision, too, if it weren’t for the choice he made after my father announced that he had decided on an heir.”

 

The man slowly blinked.

 

“You know that choices made when cornered are not the best.”

 

“Still, a choice is a choice.”

 

“Ms. Leen. I don’t think Fjord has ever been this excited in all his years at the Academy.”

 

“The first time?”

 

It was hard to believe. Fjord was often grumpy, but he was also good at chuckling out loud at the smallest things.

 

“Yeah. He was always so busy trying to get the best grades, but when he got to senior year, he seemed so happy.”

 

Lou’s eyes glazed over as if remembering the past.

 

“He’s playing pranks like he used to, and he laughs a lot more. Oh, and of course, his grades stayed at the top.”

 

Was it my imagination if I smelled a faint whiff of nostalgia in his last words?

 

He stared at me, his eyes suddenly clearer.

 

“I wonder if that’s because of his friends…”

 

“I think you’re mistaken, Caon has been friends with Fjord since time immemorial.”

 

“I think you’re mistaken, Caon has been friends with Fjord since earliest times.”

 

“Then it can’t be because of Carson, it must be because of Miss Leen.”

 

“Well, I don’t know if your guess is correct, Lou.”

 

I took his words with a grimace.

 

“More than that, if you knew that we were close to Fjord in the first place, don’t you think you shouldn’t have asked for such a favor?”

 

“Why?”

 

Why, you don’t have any idea?

 

“Well, Lou is in a succession dispute with Fjord right now, and you know that if Fjord doesn’t graduate from the Academy, the odds are stacked against him.”

 

“Ah. My mistake, I should have mentioned that first.”

 

“…?”

 

He pursed his lips and spoke as firmly as if he were hammering a nail.

 

“It is Fjord, not me, who my father has chosen as his successor, and he has already discussed it with me.”

 

…What?

 

If that’s true, then Fjord didn’t have to go through all that trouble to keep Lou in check.

 

No, there was no reason for Fjord to try to get his position back in the first place.