Chapter 32: The Girl Who Collapsed

“It’s not that it was almost a disaster—it is a disaster! Don’t you realize that?”

Paul was at a loss for words at Natalie’s sharp voice.

Evan’s gaze swept over Anthony, who was holding Natalie’s arm as if to calm her, then returned to Paul.

“I called the professor. He should be here soon.”

Paul fidgeted anxiously, pacing around.

“Stay still.”

At Hawkins’s pointed remark, Paul stopped in his tracks with a startled expression.

While comforting the sobbing Cecilia, Hawkins glanced at Liana, who lay unconscious.

Though she wasn’t visibly injured, the shock must have been great; Liana still hadn’t come to her senses.

Cold sweat had broken out on her forehead.

“Perhaps we should lay her down on the ground.”

Hawkins looked over at the students clustered behind them like a wall.

Their gazes darted from Maon, to Liana in Maon’s arms, to Cecilia clinging to Hawkins, in turn.

The overlapping whispers sounded almost like the fluttering of insects’ wings.

Evan agreed, but he couldn’t bring himself to lay someone who had collapsed right onto the cold ground.

Even moving them to the infirmary could cause problems. Even a small rumor could be fatal for a noble lady.

Evan frowned, as if he had a headache.

“You two should step aside as well.”

“Lord Evan… Liana, she’ll be all right, won’t she?”

At Evan’s words, Cecilia staggered to her feet, nearly collapsing again before Hawkins quickly supported her.

“She’ll be fine.

Lord Evan, you should get up too.”

Hawkins spoke, glancing around.

Hawkins, who had been so absorbed in chasing a burned past, now showed concern for people—noble ladies, no less.

“What happened?”

Evan, watching Hawkins closely, turned to Paul.

“Well, I… we were just going around the track when suddenly Lady Liana stepped out in front…”

Paul stammered, as if he himself didn’t quite understand.

“That’s enough. Did you see what happened? What’s your name?”

It seemed pointless to ask Paul for answers.

Evan turned to the man holding the fallen Liana.

Jet-black eyes slowly rolled up to meet Evan’s gaze.

“Maon.”

“You’re blunt.”

“I’m not used to this.”

“Is she all right? You seemed to be checking her earlier—do you know medicine?”

“No bruises.”

“That’s a relief.”

Evan smiled cleanly and stood up.

“Lord Evan…”

“Don’t worry, he says she’ll be all right.”

Evan reassured Cecilia once more, then looked down at Maon.

Liana, unconscious in Maon’s arms, had a flush rising on her pale face.

“Fever.”

“What did you say?”

Because the Academy uniform skirt wasn’t long, Liana’s legs were plainly exposed.

Evan frowned.

“Hawkins, cover her with your coat.”

Maon was only in a dress shirt.

Why was he walking around without even a jacket? There wasn’t even a tie at his neck.

But now wasn’t the time to argue, so Evan urged Hawkins on.

As Hawkins shrugged off his coat, Maon suddenly stood up—still holding Liana in his arms.

Her neck and limbs hung limp, long hair flowing back behind her.

“How can you let her be held in a man’s arms…”

“She’s fainted, we have no choice.”

“She’s not faking it, is she?”

Hawkins’s grip supporting Cecilia tightened.

Noblewomen were troublesome.

So young, yet already making a fuss—even with someone unconscious right there.

Still, Hawkins did not call them out.

“Wh-what are you doing?”

Paul, flustered, stepped forward as if to block Maon’s path.

Even under Evan’s cold gaze, Maon seemed completely unfazed.

“She has a fever.”

Still speaking curtly.

“A fever? A fever?! But there’s no external injury, how…”

Maon hoisted Liana up; her body jolted lightly in his arms.

“What are you doing?”

Maon’s eyes searched as if looking for something.

“Hey, the infirmary… it’s closest if you go by the research building.”

Paul answered, catching on, and Maon immediately started running.

“H-hey!”

“…What’s with that guy?”

“Liana!”

“Lady Cecilia! Please, calm down.”

“L-let’s go… we should follow them…”

Cecilia clung to Hawkins’s sleeve, looking to Evan.

“We should.”

Evan met Cecilia’s gaze as if to reassure her.

So many tears—Cecilia always seemed to cry so easily.

Evan pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her.

It was a dark green handkerchief embroidered with his initials.

“T-thank you.”

Cecilia dabbed her eyes with the handkerchief.

“I must look terrible right now…”

“It’s only natural for a close friend to be worried.”

Hawkins quickly defended her before Evan could answer.

Evan let out a soft laugh and nodded.

Still, he felt uneasy, though he couldn’t pinpoint why.

He watched Maon’s back as he sprinted away like lightning.

‘What’s going on?’

Swallowing his rising questions, Evan spoke.

“Let’s ride horses.”

“At this distance?”

Evan didn’t answer Hawkins’s doubt.

“Paul, bring the horses.”

“Y-yes!”

Paul hurriedly brought the horses, and Evan leaped onto his mount.

He gave no word of departure or to follow, just dug his heels into the horse’s side.

Hyah!

With a spirited cry, the horse broke into a gallop.

“H-Hawkins, shall we…”

“Yes!”

Hawkins lifted Cecilia onto the horse Paul brought, seating himself behind her.

“Hyah!”

Cecilia’s long hair fluttered in the wind.

“How are we supposed to take responsibility for this?!”

Paul, bewildered by the unexpected accident and the sudden appearance of strangers, stared after them as they rode off.

“So what, what happens to the class now?”

“Isn’t it over?”

“They called the professor, should we wait?”

“Who knows…”

“Should we follow, too?”

“We’d only draw unwanted attention. Maybe we should just visit her in the infirmary later.”

Paul’s shoulder was sharply bumped.

“What the—! What are you doing?!”

The culprit looked nonchalant.

“Natalie.”

Anthony called her name as if to calm her, but his tone was indifferent.

He stood a step away, looking as if he’d given up.

“Didn’t you hear me? I’m asking how you plan to take responsibility!”

“H-how am I responsible!? This is just absurd!”

No one had ever just jumped out like that before!

Paul was honestly feeling wronged.

“Of course it’s an incident! It happened because you ignored safety!”

“Ugh! Someone must have pushed her, or she jumped herself! How am I supposed to prevent that?”

Paul ruffled his fine hair in frustration.

The argument between the two quickly turned into wild speculation.

They’d only been at the Academy for a week—who could have a grudge deep enough to push someone’s back?

More likely, she’d jumped herself…

It had been hard to see through the dust, and with the short Liana standing at the very front, she was hidden behind others.

Everyone had been watching the oncoming horse, so what they remembered was Liana suddenly collapsing in the direction of the horse.

No one had seen exactly what had happened, but with the main parties gone, the idle tongues began to chatter freely.

The faint sound of hoofbeats started drawing closer.

Perhaps someone had taken a shortcut; a horse, pushing through the woods, slowed as it approached.

“Professor!”

“What on earth happened?”

Hiiiiiing!

The horse reared up on its hind legs and came to a stop right in front of Paul.

“Paul, what happened?”

A woman spoke without dismounting.

Despite her small build, she looked solid.

The woman in riding attire had her thick hair tied high in a single tail.

“Well, there was a sudden accident… this has never happened before!”

Tears glistened in Paul’s eyes.

“Huh! You dare cry as if you’ve done nothing wrong?!”

“And who are you?”

“Hello, Professor. I’m first-year student Natalie.”

“Oh… the one who made quite a generous donation, right?”

“Yes.”

“Professor Briana, I really…”

“Let’s talk about it later. Where is the student who collapsed?”

“His Highness took her to the infirmary.”

At Natalie’s answer, Briana looked toward the research building.

“They would have gone to the nearest place, so the research building, right?”

“Probably.”

“Yes, they went that way.”

At Anthony’s answer, Briana nodded.

“Any external injuries?”

“N-no, none.”

Paul answered quickly.

Glancing at her watch, Briana leaped off the horse.

“At this hour, there should be someone in the infirmary. We’ll leave the treatment to them, and meanwhile, let’s talk about the accident.”

Briana gave a quick smile.

“I want everyone to answer honestly about what you saw.”

Briana scanned the future nobles, who were whispering nervously, her eyes gleaming sharply with both curiosity and unease.

*****

Professor Hortens, the herbology instructor, was selecting medicines for the afternoon’s demonstration class.

“Hmm… It’s best to show them the most common ones, I suppose.”

He packed herbs for stomachaches, fever reducers, and reviving the unconscious into a cloth bag.

The infirmary next to the research building was mostly used as Professor Hortens’s personal lab.

It was far from the regular classrooms, so no one really came looking.

Occasionally, professors who were on friendly terms with Hortens would come to rest their tired bodies on the beds.

Minor injuries were treated with the supplies on hand, and serious injuries were handled by the Academy’s theology or magic professors, so there was little need to visit the infirmary.

Though the Academy admitted students regardless of status, most came from noble families, wealthy merchants, and a few outstanding commoners—the upper class was still overwhelmingly represented.

Their families often stationed their own healers nearby, making the Academy infirmary all the more unnecessary.

The only visitors were commoner students in urgent need of medicine, or those running in, panicked after sudden accidents.

“It’s quiet today, isn’t it?”

Professor Hortens glanced around the spacious infirmary.

It seemed a waste to leave it idle, so it had gradually turned into his personal herb and medicine storage.

“Is that everything?”

Circling the large glass cabinets, Professor Hortens locked them securely.

After confirming the lock was tight, he started for the door, but the hallway sounded unusually noisy.

“Hmm?”

What’s going on?

Bag in hand, Hortens headed slowly for the infirmary door—when suddenly, the wooden door flew open with a bang, hinges almost coming off from the urgency.

A boy entered, dressed only in a dress shirt.

With jet-black hair and a pale face, he must have sprinted here from the sound of his footsteps—yet not a bead of sweat was on him.

“Student? What’s the matter?”

“……”

In the boy’s arms, a girl with golden-brown hair hung limp.