Chapter 51: In Your Words.

It took an unusually long time for Violet to accept the scene before her as reality.
It was so far outside her expectations that she still hadn’t decided how to react; she felt like she was simply being swept along.

There was nothing actually wrong with the situation, so she could just gracefully accept it…
but when she thought about Yulan’s feelings, simply accepting felt problematic in its own way.

Honestly, she was less worried about herself and more about what was going on inside Yulan.
Was he forcing himself for her sake…?

While solving problems, she stole glances at him.
His expression was the same as always: seriously working through the old tests she had lent him.

(Am I overthinking it…?)

There was no reason for her to interfere with something Yulan had chosen to do of his own will.
No matter whom it was for, the decision had been his.

She reflected that she might be overly protective of her childhood friend.
He was no longer the small, cute boy from back then; he had grown taller than her, maturing into someone reliable.
Treating that Yulan like a child forever would be rude.

Though in truth, Yulan was dozens of times more overprotective of her.
The wolf in sheep’s clothing who quietly kept threats at bay never made the mistake of letting himself be noticed.

“Violet, that one’s wrong.”

“Eh? Ah… where?”

“Right here; the wording is confusing and easy to misread.”

“…You’re right.”

“It’s the teacher’s habit. Probably the same this year, so watch out for it.”

“Yes… thank you.”

Rude as it might sound, Claudia’s teaching was remarkably clear.

He didn’t just explain solutions; he analyzed the question patterns and the quirks of whoever set them.
In front of Yulan he often froze up and spun his wheels, but his natural ability was astonishing; she was reminded of that once again.

What surprised her most, though, was how patiently and thoroughly Claudia was treating her.
The air between them had softened considerably compared to before, but that didn’t mean she believed he trusted or had forgiven her.
She was fully aware of that.

They were both still measuring the distance; too awkward to get closer or pull away.

She had assumed that since he’d accepted the task he would do it seriously; that was just Claudia’s personality; but she had expected something more businesslike.
She hadn’t imagined it would feel this… relaxed.

One unexpected thing piled on another until her brain could barely process it all.

“Vio-chan, tired? You okay?”

“Hm?”

“Let’s take a little break.”

With a soft thud, Mirania closed the book he was holding and exchanged a glance with Claudia.
The two seemed to communicate silently and nodded at each other.

Mirania stood from beside Claudia, several books tucked under one arm, and—for some reason—placed a hand on Yulan’s shoulder instead of Claudia’s.
Yulan looked up suspiciously, while Mirania’s unreadable smile never wavered.

“Yulan, mind giving me a hand?”

“…Huh?”

“I’m heading to the library anyway and thought I’d pick up some snacks on the way.
I can’t make Lady Violet carry anything, and we can’t exactly leave just the two of you alone in here.”

This salon belonged to the student council; it could only be used with a council member present.
A quick bathroom break was fine, but a detour to the library and shops would take too long.

If they excluded Violet (a girl) and Claudia (who had to stay), only Yulan would be left.

“And you know her tastes better than I do… right?”

“…”

For an instant, a sharp glint stabbed toward Mirania.
Mirania let it slide off his relaxed smile, and what rose in Yulan was pure frustration.

Mirania simply waited, never rushing the reluctant Yulan.
The one growing restless just watching was Claudia; Yulan’s mood, even when not directed at him, was something he couldn’t ignore.

As a faintly tense atmosphere began to form, a smooth voice rolled in to dispel it.

“Go ahead, Yulan.”

“Vio-chan…”

“Getting some fresh air will be a nice change of pace.”

“…Okay, got it.”

At Violet’s words, the hard air dissolved as though it had never existed.
The crease Mirania had seen between Yulan’s brows now felt like a hallucination; the shift was almost multiple-personality levels.

“Well then, shall we?”

“Yeah… you two actually rest, okay?”

“Understood.”

“Have a safe trip.”

The moment the door closed with a soft click and the farewell gazes left Yulan,

Violet did not notice that every trace of expression had vanished from his face.