Leon couldn't concentrate on the docunts at all, as if Cedric's presence was unbearably distracting. Not only did he groan, but he also kept switching out docunts without even reading them properly.
“Stay still, you're making it hard to focus.”
Eventually, Cedric, who couldn't bear it any longer, said sothing.
“……Would you be able to concentrate if you were ?”
“Then just quit.”
Cedric let out a deep sigh.
“It's not like I'm doing this for my own benefit. If you sit there with that sour face, what does that make ?”
“Who told you to do that? Who was the one that just sat there taking the seat as he pleased?”
“Wouldn't it be better to accept your situation instead of wasting ti like this? Arguing like this won't change anything, will it?”
“Oh, like you’re really trying to help out of goodwill!”
Once again, their voices rose.
This is so exhausting I could die.
How many years has it been since we started fighting over nonsense like this?
“Ugh, both of you, just stop already!”
As I shouted angrily, Leon and Cedric flinched and looked up at .
“Does it matter whether it’s out of goodwill or not? What matters is that you're here to help, so let’s just get it over with!”
“……Bi, Bianca.”
Leon’s lips moved slightly. I imdiately turned my glare on Cedric.
“And the sa goes for you, Cedric! You're here to help, but you just add so sarcastic remarks and stir things up like this?”
“I-I didn’t co here to help…”
“Then why are you sitting here? You could just leave!”
Cedric quickly retorted.
“I will leave.”
“No, you don’t have to say that kind of pointless thing! Just leave!”
Cedric flinched. But contrary to his words, he quietly stayed in his seat.
“See? You’re not even going to leave, so don’t say pointless things. You won’t have another chance to go, so stop fighting already.”
The room quickly fell silent. Only then did I sigh and hand the docunts to Cedric. He hurriedly tried to explain.
“It seems there’s a misunderstanding, but I only ca because the Dean asked …”
Instead of replying, I rolled my eyes, and Cedric chose to shut his mouth properly.
Should’ve just done that from the start.
* * *
At so point, the twilight had dimd outside.
As I stretched my stiff body and looked around, I saw Leon dozing off and nodding next to .
Cedric looked at him like he was pathetic, as if he was about to say sothing, but the mont I narrowed my eyes, he swallowed his words.
“Why am I in this ss…”
“But it’s true that you were bothered by Leon, wasn’t it?”
He didn’t agree, but he didn’t deny it either.
“If you really hated Leon, your ties with him would’ve ended long ago.”
“If it weren’t for you, this whole play would’ve ended already.”
“Is the only reason really just ?”
“……”
“I don’t think so.”
At my words, Cedric’s eyes wavered. But only for a mont—then he slowly let out a smile.
“Yeah, maybe you’re right.”
“Finally, you’re being honest.”
“But I really didn’t intend for things to go this way today.”
“Ah, sure.”
Really, he just won’t lose even once.
“Anyway, evidence doesn’t matter to .”
“Because you don’t want to clear up the misunderstanding?”
“No. Even if there was no evidence, I would’ve believed that guy’s words as they were.”
“……!”
“He doesn’t even try to explain himself, so I have no choice but to believe the situation.”
I opened my mouth slightly, then clenched my hand.
“You’re like , so you would’ve made the sa choice.”
“……That’s true.”
He must’ve judged that I wasn’t even worth explaining to.
I had thought sothing similar before, too.
“So all of this is unnecessary. Unless it’s evidence to show Eli.”
I glanced at Leon.
“But I don’t think he knows what you’re thinking.”
“Why not? Is he so dumb that he can’t even think that far?”
“I think he believes you’d only trust his words if he had evidence.”
“……Ha.”
Cedric let out a scoff, seemingly dumbfounded. He only looked at Leon with a harsh gaze for a mont before getting up from his seat.
“Let’s head back.”
“Already?”
"The evidence has already been found. Cleaning up the ss is that bastard’s job."
When I looked at the desk in surprise, I saw neatly arranged docunts, in stark contrast to my ssy space.
Could it be those?
No way—if he found them all, he could’ve at least told !
"Considering you suspected of cheating, you really are an idiot."
He clicked his tongue and studied my face. It was as if he was trying to confirm whether his assumption was correct, but I couldn’t say anything in return.
Because I really had suspected him!
Unfortunately, Cedric seed to have understood my silence, and his face instantly twisted in frustration.
“I’ve got enough on my plate—did you really think I had ti to talk about that bastard’s cheating? Hah, forget it. What’s the point now, anyway."
Knock, knock.
Just then, there was a knock from outside the room. For so reason, Leon’s fingers flinched slightly.
"Excuse for a mont."
It was a servant from the Owen household. Upon seeing Leon fast asleep, he began to hesitate.
"I’ll deliver the ssage when your master wakes up."
The servant seed to hesitate for a mont, then held out a letter he was carrying.
"The Count said this might be of help."
Count Owen…?
From what he said, it sounded like he knew what we were doing here at the estate.
What he handed over was none other than a partially burnt letter.
The servant gave an awkward smile.
“And if the young master asks what this is… he said to just tell him you picked it up by mistake.”
[……The gift sent to Professor Cleo in exchange for grades was not true, and the Tower has finished reviewing the evidence proving that the above testimony is indeed true.
We deeply apologize for the incident where we wrongfully suspected the House of Owen of corruption due to Professor Cleo’s written confession delivered earlier.
The Temple has also expressed a desire to offer compensation.]
……From the Temple?
The letter had been half burned, so the latter part was cut off.
As I read the letter carefully, Cedric snatched it away.
But soon he too was stopped at the sa burnt section I had been.
“Why didn’t he reveal this?”
“Th-That’s what I’m wondering too…?”
Co to think of it, I hadn’t expected evidence to be found at the Owen estate. If it had been likely, Leon would’ve checked it first.
‘Or did he just give up?’
Did he think it was a pointless effort?
Questions kept trailing one after another. While I blankly stared at Leon, his fingers flinched once more.
“……Brother.”
I called Leon softly, yet he kept his eyes closed.
“I know you’re awake, you know?”
Only then did Leon awkwardly yawn and open his eyes.
“I dozed off for a bit.”
“You, how long have you been like that?”
Seeing Cedric’s face turn ghostly pale, Leon averted his gaze sheepishly.
“Answer .”
……What exactly had we said while Leon was asleep?
He hesitated.
“Hmm, from the mont you two started arguing?”
Oh, if that’s the case, things might work out on their own?
Of course, it’s not what Cedric or Leon would’ve wanted.
I hurriedly handed the letter I had to Leon.
“Cedric found other evidence too, so it’s fine. We can shut Lord Glaster’s mouth now!”
“There’s no reason for the Temple to get involved in this, unless it’s because of Eli?”
“You have to ask to figure that out? Of course that’s the reason.”
Leon snapped irritably. Of course, his anger wasn’t directed at Cedric.
His face had completely stiffened as he read the letter.
“Let just ask one thing. Were you at my knighthood ceremony?”
He barely managed to exhale.
“I got dragged into that damned subjugation campaign and suffered for years…”
I recalled that Leon had participated in the subjugation campaign. He used to send letters from there now and then.
“You know I hate wasting ti the most. Do you seriously believe I would’ve gone all that way just to see soone like you?”
Cedric let out a sharp laugh.
“Then let ask you just one thing. On the day of the exam, was it you who sent the drug?”
“I don’t need to pull dirty tricks to beat soone like you! Have you seriously believed all this ti that I’d do sothing like that?”
Leon shouted, his voice full of resentnt, then fell silent. But Cedric wasn’t much different either.
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