Yuria wandered the streets with empty eyes.
Many things had happened since that day.
A disciplinary committee had been held by the Student Council.
Despite the Student Council President's warning, Michail, Ruin, and Yuria were punished for venturing into the dungeon.
There was a loud argunt between Ruin, who claid the Student Council's punishnt was unfair. Michail and Yuria humbly accepted the discipline.
Chartia had told us. She had warned us that it was dangerous enough, asking why we would act on our own, her anger fierce enough to throw the docunts at us.
-You could have died. If the knights had been a little later, you would have all been killed. Are you insane, going there by three? Even the Student Council officers warned you not to go. Do I look like a fool to you? Is my word not even like a word?
-Yeah, Ruin always does as he pleases, so I understand that much. That guy lives without thinking.
-What?
-Shut up. Before I sew your lips shut.
-This is such bullshit. As if my mood wasn't crap already…
-Shut up. One more peep from you and it won't be suspension but expulsion.
-…
Chartia, with dark circles heavily under her eyes, turned to Yuria and said,
-Haah… And Michail and Yuria. You shouldn't have done this. You were always diligent, and Yuria, after your freshman year, you couldn't even enter the dungeon… Haah… really…
-…I'm sorry.
-Anyway. All three of you are suspended.
-Why are we suspended? We didn't do anything wrong…!
-Shut up! It's only by a hair that we're keeping it at this level.
Yuria received a one-month suspension.
Had she been an ordinary student, it wouldn’t have ended with just a suspension. There had been consideration of expulsion, but the professors and Chartia proposed a reduction, arguing that expelling honor students, the faces of their departnts, would be a loss for the Academy.
And then.
The Student Council President said that several letters presud to be from heretics were found in Hans' room. They had surrounded the area, trying not to approach and capture him alive, and after expressing resentnt that we had ruined it, added a remark filled with irritation.
-If there are casualties because of that guy, it's your fault. You might say it's passing the bla… but don't resent .
-If you're resentful, you should've listened to .
"Haah…"
Yuria wandered the capital with complex thoughts.
It wasn't like a lost child wandering the streets because she was suspended. She had been prepared for it since the mont she stepped into the dungeon to find the missing Hans.
However.
-Garbage.
The events shown by the blue window that day kept coming to her mind, making it hard to stay indoors.
She had been losing sleep for a while, and the pink dagger her father had given her as a gift when she entered the Academy was now pushed into a drawer in the dormitory, not taken out.
Her hand trembled and her breathing grew rough at the sight of the dagger.
Yuria couldn't shake off a gloomy mood, realizing that what she thought was certainty had been a terrible mistake.
She wanted to apologize imdiately, but…
She didn't think she had the courage to face Ricardo right now.
She had said harsh things to him and hadn't yet thanked him for the last ti in the dungeon when she was dragged away by the heretics. If she apologized for what happened in the dungeon… she didn't know what kind of expression to make.
‘I have no sha.'
Apologizing now would not change anything.
She had already done wrong.
Forcing sothing in a strained relationship could only make the situation worse. Yuria was hesitating.
She hadn't forgiven Ricardo.
She wasn't sure if she had the right to, but she hadn't forgiven what he did. The deeds Ricardo had done at the Academy remained as a deep grudge.
And as for Ricardo.
-It's okay. Run away.
She couldn't easily apologize because she was sure he would say it was fine with a smile.
What Ricardo did to her couldn't be ended with a simple apology.
She even wanted to be hated. It seed like it would be a relief to receive the hatred of ‘you rember just now?'
The chilling sound of penetrating Ricardo still seed to echo in her ears. Yuria made a gloomy face and sighed.
"I don't know…"
What to do first.
Where to start fixing things.
For Yuria, who was experiencing such a situation for the first ti, there was no right answer.
Helping people.
Having only been the victim of bullying, the feeling of being the perpetrator was not at all pleasant.
As she walked the streets with a heavy heart.
-Murmuring.
Yuria stopped walking near a crowd of people. Seeing the dense gathering, she walked over briskly, wondering.
‘Has a fight broken out?'
If so many people were gathered, it was likely to watch a famous imperial circus or dancer, or maybe a fight. With that probability, Yuria started to make her way through the crowd.
Even in her depression, she couldn't just pass by an injured person.
While she pushed through the crowd with a fragile heart, her small stature made it difficult to see what had attracted everyone.
‘I can't see…!'
Yuria spoke to a tall man nearby.
"Excuse … why is everyone gathered here?"
"Hm? Oh… There's sothing amazing."
"Sothing amazing?"
"A chair with wheels is carrying a person."
"A wheeled chair?"
Yuria thought to herself.
‘All this fuss over just a chair with wheels?' While she understood that it wasn’t a common sight, she couldn't comprehend why so many people were drawn to it.
The tall man stroked his long beard and exclaid in admiration.
"It's not an ordinary chair… It's self-propelling! To think it could carry two people and move at such speed… Wow… It's exhilarating."
Another man standing next to him nodded, clenching his fist with the rising heat of youth.
"A cart that carries people, but can it really go that fast? It seems dangerous."
Though he spoke with concern, his eyes were filled with burning desire.
"Maybe I should ask for a ride…"
The grown man murmured with a look full of longing.
Driven by growing curiosity, Yuria pushed through, and when she finally managed to see where everyone's gaze was directed, she couldn't hide her astonishnt.
[Brum brum brum brum brum brum]
[Screaming]
It was indeed a moving chair.
With a red body.
Making a loud ‘brum' noise, the chair that rapidly strutted down the street caught Yuria's eye.
And.
The sight of the person riding the chair left Yuria with trembling eyes.
"Woohoo!!! Woohooo!!!"
"Miss! Didn't I say that speeding is prohibited!"
"Ricardo didn't tell how many kiloters per hour."
"30 or, maybe 20 km/h?"
"20?"
The girl who heard the man standing on the footrest below the backrest suddenly hit the brakes.
When the chair, which was moving at high speed, screeched to an abrupt stop, the man's body began to fly through the air.
"Oh?"
"Yikes…! Ricardo is flying!"
"You're the one who launched him."
The man who fell into the crowded area flipped through the air and landed with grace, brushing off his hands.
"Nice landing."
The crowd began to applaud.
"That was amazing!"
"Are you here to join the circus, bro?"
"Wow~~~!"
The man bowed with a sheepish smile.
"Thank you. I'm not from a circus troupe, I'm a butler."
As he glanced around and was about to return to the stationary chair.
"Oh?"
Yuria accidentally made eye contact with the man.
He looked at her and smiled brightly.
"Isn't this Miss Yuria?"
It was a rather unexpected encounter.
While Yuria was flustered and hesitating, the girl abandoned in the middle of the road began to call for Ricardo.
"Ricardo. Let's go quickly. The chocolate shop will close."
"It's only 10 o'clock, Miss."
"What if they sell out?"
"Then it's too bad."
"…Eek!"
Ricardo approached with a grin, straightening out his clothes. As Yuria watched Ricardo slowly approach, her eyes flickered.
"How co you're here…"
"Ah."
Ricardo turned to look at the girl sitting in the chair. Her face was obscured by the helt she was wearing, but by her voice, it was clear it was Olivia.
He whispered quietly, seeing his master, who was embarrassed under the scrutiny of the people.
"Um… There are various reasons."
"Yes?"
"The miss is not very skilled at driving. Not the mansion.. Anyway! We ca on a trip to the capital. It's also to celebrate the lord's birthday."
Ricardo, as always, spoke with a calm smile.
"Have you been well, Miss Yuria?"
"I'm…"
No words ca out.
Lips trembling, not knowing what to say, Yuria squeezed her pale head and said,
"I've been… doing well."
"That's good to hear."
"And… how have you been, Ricardo?"
"?"
Olivia's irritation once again drifted across the busy street.
"Ricardo!"
Ricardo moved on, saying,
"Yes. Very much so."
Ricardo looked happy.
***
After sending Yuria off and heading to the capital's chocolate shop.
The lady sitting in the wheelchair turned her head and asked,
"Ricardo, you seem to be in a good mood."
"Yes. I think I'll finally grow a bit."
"Grow?"
"Growing taller, I an."
"I know."
Ricardo was aware of what had happened with Hans. He knew they would not die. He also knew that this incident would spur growth.
Ricardo knew with the benevolent heart of a possessor.
"Now I will live a life of leisure."
"You've always been like that."
"…"
Ricardo pressed Olivia's helt.
"I'm going to turn into a dwarf!"
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