CH 65

“Can I ask how the hell that happened?”

I asked, trying to keep my head clear and face the nightmarish reality.

“Well…That’s how it happened. Yesterday, when I went home, my father was very angry.”

Alice twisted her head around and started talking.

That’s what I expected. I would be uncomfortable if my daughter, the princess, goes to an inn with a viscount who is unlikely to be available for a political marriage.

“I didn’t know what was going on, but he was wearing armor and carrying a sword like he was going into battle.”

Yeah. I take it back. That’s not normal. He was way too impulsive, and I’m 90% sure he was trying to kill me. He’s an idiot. The king is definitely the reason why the royal family is on the decline right now. Anyway, there are many things I want to say, but I’m really glad the king didn’t come.

“So, um…….”

Alice gulped and her face became redder and redder.

“So, I’ve been through a lot and finally got a study room!”

“Why is that?”

I plunged right in. I’ve been listening to you in silence, but I can’t take it anymore! What happened to you? How did that happen That’s too sudden!

“Everything’s fine!”

Alice blushed and squirmed, but came back forcefully.

“It’s not good! That’s the most important thing! Why do you have to do that all of a sudden?”

“It’s no thanks to Chris!”

“Of course it wasn’t thanks to me!”

Alice’s mysterious statement makes my head hurt.

“I think I’m starting to feel sick.”

“You’re perfectly healthy! I’m starting to get a headache!”

“No, I’m not healthy! I probably hurt my legs!”

“What do you mean, “probably”?”

“Probably is probably! Well, since that’s the case, I’ll see you tomorrow after school at the inn called the Golden Horse! Good night, then! I feel like my legs and arms are hurting like hell!”

Then, Alice tried to jump into bed and run away, but I caught her arm just in time.

“Let go of me!”

“If I let go of you, you’ll run away!”

“All right! I’m not going to run away, so look me in the eye.”

I stared into Alice’s eyes as she told me to, but when she tried to make eye contact with me, her face blushed even more and she quickly looked away.

“You’re trying to run away! At least do what you said you were going to do!”

“It wasn’t supposed to be like this! No, no, no! I’m not running away, let me go!”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah! I’m sure!”

She’s probably going to run away. I put my foot in front of Alice’s leg so that she wouldn’t notice.

“All right. I’ll let you go.”

“Yeah!”

When I heard Alice’s reply, I gently took my hand away. She ran off and fell forward with a thud, tripping over my leg.

“What are you doing?”

“You said you wouldn’t run!”

“No, I didn’t.”

She remembered what she was going to do, and crawled into bed to escape my pursuit.

I felt like an idiot. I suppressed my anger and gave up on questioning Alice, following my desire to leave immediately and headed for the exit.

“Wait!”

Just as I put my hand on the door, I heard a voice call out to me. I turned around to see Alice staring at me like a turtle out of a blanket, her eyes full of moisture, biting her beautiful, bright red bottom lip. Then she gradually widened her mouth.

“I’m sorry. But I’m looking forward to the study session…….”

“Oh.”

I was upset by Alice’s sudden fragile appearance and mannerisms, and I left the room, not wanting her to see me like that. I found the school doctor sitting in a chair away from me, asleep. I tapped him on the shoulder to shake him awake, told him that I was done talking and left.

Now, what should I do? I don’t know the exact reason, but I can’t say no to her, even if she has a room reserved by the king. There was no alternative but to run away, but I could have done more. I also had study sessions with Alfred and Claire, it would be bad if I got found out, looks like there’s nothing I can do.

I can’t do three things at once. I don’t have the time or the mental capacity. The goal this time was to examine Alfred’s camp and make each of them get a good score to raise my own rating. On the other hand, if I can’t get even one person to get a good score I might be criticized for it.

If I am criticized, it will be hopeless for me to try to get into that camp. Besides, success is hopeless in this situation, and the chances of failure are too high.

What the hell am I supposed to do? I feel like I’m already stuck.

I moved my overly heavy legs and headed for the classroom, wondering if this is what it would be like to be a banjo horse. The corridors were quiet, as all classes except mine were still in session, so I could turn my head and walk around thinking without worry.

“Chris! I didn’t know you were here! I’ve been looking for you!”

“Really? I think you’ve got the wrong guy. Bye.”

I guessed who it was from the unexpected voice that called me. Then I turned on my heel and started to race back the way I came, before I got into trouble.

“Wait.”

I heard fast footsteps behind me and was pulled by my clothes. Mist, who had probably come running, caught me. I should have run.

“You’re really fast, Mist. Now that I know you’re fast, can you please let me go?”

“No one was looking for you to brag about how fast they are, and as much as I’d like to let you go, I think you’re running away.”

“No way. I’m not running away.”

“Come on, let’s talk.”

“No! As long as I don’t have to listen to you, I’ll get through this!”

I really can’t! I’m never going to have a fourth child! Not in spirit, but in time, absolutely not!

“You know what Chris. [Why don’t you come to the study group with me?] Did you think I’d say that?”

“Go to……?”

“What’s wrong with you? You look as if you’ve been dropped into a boiling water bath and found it’s just plain water.”

“So, what do you want?”

I managed to voice my question in a confused state of mind.

“I thought I’d help you out!”

Mist told me and laughed hysterically.