DSFL | Chapter 97

~Chapter 97~ 

Leon couldn’t focus on the documents at all, clearly irritated by Cedric’s presence. He let out frustrated noises and kept switching out documents without even reading them properly.

“Leon, you’re distracting me. Just sit still.”

Cedric finally snapped.

“…Would you be able to concentrate if you were me?”

“Then quit already.”

Cedric let out a deep sigh.

“I’m not doing this for fun, you know. If you sit there glaring at me, what am I supposed to do?”

“Who told you to sit here anyway? You just barged in and took a seat like it was yours.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to accept your situation instead of wasting time arguing? This back-and-forth doesn’t change anything.”

“Oh, like you’re really here to help me.”

Their voices rose again.

Ugh. I’m so sick of this.

How many years had they been picking fights over the smallest things?

“Oh my god, both of you—just stop!”

I shouted, fuming. Leon and Cedric both flinched and looked up at me.

“Why does it matter if he’s doing it out of goodwill or not? He came to help, so let’s just get this over with!”

“…B-Bianca.”

Leon looked startled. I immediately turned to Cedric.

“And you too, Cedric! If you came here to help, then stop making sarcastic comments and stirring up fights!”

“I-I didn’t come to help, I just—”

“Then why are you sitting here? You could have just left!”

Cedric quickly snapped back.

“I will leave.”

“You don’t need to say that! Just go already!”

Cedric flinched. But even though he said he would leave, he didn’t move and quietly stayed where he was.

“See? You’re not even leaving! Stop saying unnecessary things and just stop fighting.”

The room suddenly fell silent.

Finally, I sighed and handed Cedric a document. He tried to explain himself quickly.

“You’ve misunderstood something. I only came because the headmaster asked me—”

I just gave him a sharp glare, and he shut his mouth immediately.

Should’ve done that in the first place.

***

Before we realized it, the sky had grown dark.

I stretched my stiff body and looked around, only to see Leon sitting beside me, nodding off in his seat.

Cedric looked like he was about to make a sarcastic remark about it, but one glance from me and he swallowed his words.

“…Why am I even putting up with this?”

“But you were worried about Leon, weren’t you?”

He didn’t say yes—but he didn’t say no either.

“If you really hated him, you wouldn’t have stayed in touch this long.”

“If it weren’t for you, this ridiculous play would’ve ended long ago.”

“Is that the only reason you’ve stayed involved? Because of me?”

“…”

“I don’t think so.”

My words made Cedric’s eyes flicker for a moment. But then he gave a slow, dry smile.

“…Yeah, maybe you’re right.”

“Finally being honest.”

“But I really didn’t plan to get involved today.”

“Uh-huh, sure.”

Seriously, he never admits defeat.

“Honestly, I don’t even care about the evidence.”

“You don’t want to clear the misunderstanding?”

“No. Even if there were no proof, I would’ve believed whatever that bastard said.”

“…!”

“He didn’t even try to explain. What else could I do but believe what I saw?”

I opened my mouth, then quietly clenched my fist.

“You and I are alike. If you were me, you would’ve done the same.”

“…Yeah, you’re right.”

He must’ve thought I wasn’t worth explaining to.

I had a similar thought once.

“So all of this really doesn’t matter. Unless it’s evidence to show to Elai.”

I glanced at Leon.

“But I don’t think Leon sees it that way.”

“Why not? Is he too dense to get it?”

“I think he believes people will only trust him if he has proof.”

“…Hah.”

Cedric let out a bitter laugh. He looked at Leon with distaste, then stood up.

“We’re done here. Let’s go.”

“Already?”

“I found the evidence. He can clean up the rest.”

I looked at the desk in surprise. Unlike my messy pile, Cedric’s documents were neatly arranged.

Wait, that’s it?

He could’ve at least told me sooner!

“He really is an idiot if he thought I was behind his cheating scandal.”

Cedric clicked his tongue and looked at me, as if checking to see if I agreed with him.

But I couldn’t answer—because I had suspected him.

Unfortunately, Cedric seemed to realize this, and his face twisted in frustration.

“I have my own work to do. Why would I waste time explaining his innocence? Ugh, whatever. It’s too late now.”

Knock, knock.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Leon’s fingers twitched slightly.

“Excuse me.”

It was a servant from the Owen household. When he saw Leon sleeping soundly, he hesitated.

“If your master wakes up, I’ll pass the message.”

The servant hesitated for a moment, then handed over a letter.

“The Count said this might help.”

The Count of Owen…?

From what he said, it sounded like the Count knew what we were doing here.

The letter he gave us was half-burned.

The servant gave us a troubled smile.

“And… if the young master asks what this is, Count told me to say it was something I picked up by accident.”

***

[“…The gifts sent to Professor Cleo in exchange for grades were false. The Mage Tower has confirmed the testimony to be true. We deeply apologize for suspecting the Owen family of wrongdoing based on Professor Cleo’s earlier confession. The temple has also expressed a desire to offer compensation.”]

…The temple?

The letter had been burned halfway through, and the rest was unreadable.

As I read the letter carefully, Cedric snatched it from my hands.

But he also stopped reading at the same burnt part.

“Why wasn’t this information shared sooner?”

“G-good question…”

Now that I thought about it, I didn’t expect to find any evidence here at the Owen estate. If there had been, Leon would’ve checked it already.

Did he give up?

Maybe he thought it was pointless?

My thoughts kept spiraling.

As I stared at Leon, his fingers twitched again.

“…Leon.”

I called him softly, but he kept his eyes closed.

“I know you’re awake.”

Finally, Leon opened his eyes with an awkward yawn.

“Oops, I must’ve dozed off.”

“When did you even start pretending to sleep?”

Cedric looked pale as Leon rolled his eyes with a sheepish grin.

“Speak.”

…Wait, what did we say while he was “sleeping”?

Leon scratched his head.

“Umm… since you two started arguing?”

Oh. So he heard everything.

Well, that makes things easier.

Though it probably wasn’t ideal for either Cedric or Leon.

I quickly handed the letter to Leon.

“Cedric found other evidence too, so it’s fine now! We can shut Lord Glaster up with this!”

“There’s no reason for the temple to be involved in this. Is this because of Elai?”

“You really need to ask? Of course it is.”

Leon snapped, clearly annoyed—but not at Cedric.

His face was tense as he read the letter carefully.

“…Just answer me one thing. Did you come to my knighting ceremony?”

He let out a shaky breath.

“You think I went through years of hell in that stupid monster subjugation campaign… just to watch you?”

I remembered that Leon had been sent to fight monsters and had written me letters during that time.

“You know I hate wasting time. And you really believe I went all the way there just for you?”

Cedric let out a sharp laugh.

“Then let me ask you something. On the day of my exam, was it you who sent me that drug?”

“I didn’t need cheap tricks to beat you! Did you seriously believe I’d do something that low?!”

Leon shouted in anger, then froze.

But Cedric wasn’t much different—he was just as shaken.