Book 6: Chapter 13: Soft Wall (2/2)

While Monica was struggling to keep her consciousness together, Neil looked at her with concern.

”Um, are you okay, Miss Norton?”

”…….yeesh.”

”Y-Your reply says the otherwise, though!”

All the other student council members were starting to get ready to leave. Felix had left after said he had something to do, and Bridget was heading back to her dormitory after him.

As for Cyril, he needed to stay behind since he had to make sure the door was locked, while Elliot was glancing at Monica, but quickly turned away and left the room.

…It's been so long since I ran out of mana, my sense was almost…

‘Anyway, I have to get out of the room so as not to interfere with the locking of the door…,' so thought Monica absentmindedly as she moved her heavy feet.

Then, suddenly, she bumped into something. It was too soft for a wall.

”…..Hey.”

Somehow she heard a voice above her head.

But more than that, Monica exhaled in comfort. The wall she leaned against made her regained her mana a little bit.

”M-Miss Norton. Miss Norton.”

Neil was shaking Monica's shoulders in a panic.

When Monica muddleheadedly raised her gaze up, her eyes met Cyril's. In fact, it was Cyril Ashley's back that Monica was leaning against.

”I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I'm sorry! I-I'm a little spaced out.”

And then, Monica remembered.

Cyril Ashley has a constitution that allowed him to accumulate mana easily. That's why he used a brooch-shaped magic tool to release excess mana from his body.

In other words, Cyril's surroundings had a slightly higher concentration of mana than most.

Apparently, Monica's body, which was out of mana, was approaching Cyril, who had a lot of mana, on its own, in search of mana.

I will be scolded for this, I will definitely be yelled at.

Monica squeezed her eyes shut in preparation for the angry voice, but she didn't hear Cyril's shouting for any length of time.

As she peered up at him fearfully, Cyril's brow wrinkled, his mouth curved into ‘へ' line, and he had a complicated look on his face.

”……….Lord Cyril?”

”……………………………………………”

Cyril was hesitant to say anything, but eventually, he bowed his head vigorously with an expression of anguish.

Both Monica and Neil, who were standing beside him, were shocked by his behavior.

”I'm sorry.”

Cyril apologized to Monica.

Monica was baffled.

Perhaps, she thought, his apology was not intended to me but to Neil, but Cyril's body was definitely facing Monica. Cyril was apologizing to Monica.

”Um, Lord Cyril, please raise your head. Wh-Why are you apologizing to me?”

”…I was so preoccupied with checking the number of items brought in and did not check how well the rope was tied up. That accident was my mistake.”

”B-But…”

Cyril has done nothing wrong. It was Casey who had cut the rope in the first place.

However, since Monica covered up for Casey, that accident ended up being Cyril's carelessness.

Was it because of me all of this became Lord Cyril's fault?

As soon as she realized this, the blood drained from Monica's body.

Her mind was jumbled with so many emotions that she couldn't think clearly.

”…But…Lord Cyril……. You have done…nothing wrong…”

The moment she said it out loud, the tears that were supposed to have receded began to overflow. she couldn't stop crying, as if her tear glands had burst. Along with that came weeping and sniffling.

”…uwaaaah *sniff*…. uwaaaaaah….”

Cyril and Neil were flustered when Monica suddenly started crying.

”H-Hey, Treasurer Norton.”

”Miss Norton, um, p-p-p-p-please calm yourself.”

Even when Cyril and Neil tried to calm her, Monica's tears wouldn't stop.

”…Sowwy… uwaaaah… *sniff* I'm… soooopletely at a loss.

”…So, what did you call me here for?”

The face of Claudia Ashley, who had been called into the student council room, was gloomier than usual, and now she was staring at her brother who was laying Monica down on the sofa. After that, Cyril said in an awkward manner.

”Please bring Treasurer Monica to her dormitory when she wakes up. We can't just bring her to the girls' dormitory, can we?”

”…I'm not your servant.”

His sister's harsh words made Cyril choke up, while Neil looked up at Claudia with a troubled face.

”Um, can I ask you… Miss Claudia?”

”Please, that's nothing, Monica and I are best friends, after all. It's only natural to help your best friend get to her dorm.”

Cyril's cheeks twitched at the sudden change of heart, but he swallowed his anger when he saw Monica sleeping peacefully on the couch before dropping his own jacket over her.