Chapter 195: Encounter (9)
Windy May’s gaze was fixed on the iron needle atop the handkerchief Velita had extended.
“……”
Resting on the handkerchief Velita had unfolded was an iron needle shaped like several slender snakes entwined and writhing together.
And it looked astoundingly similar to what she had just seen and touched in the autopsy room — the very same one embedded in Anguster’s chest.
“…Where did you get this?”
Windy May’s voice sank a pitch lower than usual.
In response to her question, Velita answered with a calm smile.
“I came to see you, Professor, to ask about this myself.”
Then, in a hushed tone, she added,
“…And from the way you’re reacting, it seems you know more about this item than I do. I suppose I really did come to the right person.”
At her words, Windy May’s brow twitched slightly.
As if it were nothing of consequence, Velita continued,
“It was delivered to me as a gift… but the problem is, I have no idea who sent it.”
“A gift?”
“Yes, a gift.”
Windy May repeated the word.
“A gift, with no way of knowing who sent it?”
“That’s right.”
Velita nodded without losing her gentle smile.
“Exactly. Isn’t it just utterly astonishing?”
Velita was still smiling serenely.
Though nothing about the emotion or meaning behind that smile felt serene.
“It wasn’t just sent to anyone, after all — it was sent to me, a member of the imperial family… and yet no one can figure out who sent it.”
“……”
“I did try to look into it myself, but no matter how hard I examined it, I couldn’t make any sense of it. It didn’t seem like an ordinary item, either. So, with a sliver of hope, I decided to seek you out, Professor.”
Velita paused to take a breath, then added,
“Of course, before it reached my hands, several imperial magicians and others had already examined it multiple times. As you’re aware, anything delivered to a royal must pass through quite a meticulous process. And yet, none of them were able to detect anything suspicious about this needle.”
She shrugged lightly.
Windy May studied the iron needle resting on the handkerchief.
Just as Velita had said, it bore no energy, no residual traces.
Exactly like the one embedded in Anguster’s chest.
“I could’ve just ignored it… but I couldn’t shake this inexplicable unease. Still, I guess coming here was the right answer after all.”
“……”
Windy May stared at the iron needle in silence before nodding slightly.
“…If you don’t mind, could you leave it with me? I’ll return it to you once I’ve completed a detailed examination.”
“Mmm, there’s no need to return it. If you’d like, you may keep it, Professor.”
At Velita’s words, Windy May asked again.
“Are you sure?”
“Of course. I brought it with that intention.”
Then she handed the iron needle, still wrapped in the handkerchief, to Windy May.
As Windy May accepted it, she asked curiously,
“By the way, do you remember saying earlier that I’d change my mind once I saw this?”
“Yes? Ah, yes, I did say that.”
“May I ask why? Why did you think I’d change my mind?”
Velita answered with a soft chuckle.
“…Hehe, honestly, I just said it on a whim. Call it intuition?”
To that, Windy May gave a slight nod.
So, she doesn’t want to say.
“…Ah, right.”
Just then, Velita’s eyes subtly shifted toward Cecilia, who was seated beside Windy May.
It was as if she were trying to casually evade Windy May’s suspicious gaze.
“Miss Cecilia.”
Velita called out to Cecilia in a gentle voice.
“I know it’s terribly rude of me, but… just a moment ago, I happened to overhear something from outside — your younger brother was being quite impolite.”
Then, she bowed her head politely to both Windy May and Cecilia.
“I’m truly sorry. As a fellow member of the imperial family, I offer my apologies on his behalf.”
Velita murmured in an ashamed tone.
“I, along with other members of the royal family, have been doing what we can to address the situation… but to think he would go this far… hmm.”
As Velita faltered, seemingly at a loss for the right word, Windy May interjected briefly.
“Act without thinking?”
“Ah, yes.”
Velita nodded, giving an awkward smile.
“Anyway, I truly didn’t expect him to take such measures. Once again, I offer my sincerest apologies.”
With those words, she bowed her head deeply once more.
Seeing her do so, Cecilia gave a small nod in return.
“…It’s all right.”
“Thank you for accepting my apology, Miss Cecilia.”
Velita cautiously lifted her head.
Then, glancing once more at the handkerchief and iron needle in Windy May’s hand, she spoke quietly.
“…This might not be the best time to say this.”
Her lips still bore a small smile as she spoke.
“But since you kindly accepted the gift I brought, Professor, I can now speak a little more freely.”
At her natural comment, Windy May lifted one shoulder slightly.
‘She got me.’
So Windy May thought to herself, though she showed no sign of it outwardly.
It wasn’t as if she was particularly upset about it.
Compared to that brat who stormed off earlier in a huff after trying and failing to be clever, she found someone she could actually have a proper conversation with far more agreeable.
“What is it you want to talk about?”
At Windy May’s question, Velita responded as if she’d been waiting.
“Before I get to the main point, there’s something I’d like to ask you.”
“Go ahead.”
Windy May casually held out her palm.
“But just so you know, you can’t go ‘chomp’ and actually bite me.”
“……”
“Ah, huh? Ahaha… yes, of course…”
Cecilia involuntarily furrowed her brow slightly at the sudden joke.
Velita, unusually flustered, paused briefly before letting out a nervous laugh.
“……”
Windy May quietly lowered her hand.
Velita cleared her throat with a small cough.
“Ahem, hmm… I heard there’s a place inside the Academy called the Room of Memories. Is that correct?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Windy May nodded without hesitation, as if there was nothing to hide.
Velita let out a small sigh and murmured,
“I see…”
“……”
Seeing her reaction, as if genuinely relieved it was real, Windy May couldn’t help but think she’d broken the teacup for nothing.
Just as she was beginning to feel that sitting idly and listening to someone talk was rather tedious, Velita continued,
“…I also heard it’s one of the few places even members of the imperial family aren’t free to enter.”
“……”
Windy May remained silent, simply watching her.
Velita’s eyes shimmered with cautious determination.
“I’d like to visit it once.”
She spoke to Windy May.
“If you’re willing, Professor, could you arrange a meeting with the Headmaster?”
Lancia wasn’t entering the cathedral; she was just slowly wandering around its perimeter.
There wasn’t any particular reason.
She had been granted a rare break after days of assignments, but as always, she hadn’t been able to sleep properly because of her nightmares.
So she simply wandered wherever her steps took her, and as if by instinct, she found herself near the cathedral.
At least here, she wasn’t tormented by those wretched nightmares.
At least here, she didn’t hear the sounds from that day that always haunted her.
‘…Pathetic.’
Visiting the cathedral with a purpose.
To a devout follower of the Holy Sun Church, that was blasphemy — utterly unacceptable.
“Sigh…”
But once she had made it near the cathedral, she only then realized that Cardinal Bruyant, her direct superior, was inside.
Cardinal Bruyant had given her strict orders not to make contact with him until he gave a specific command.
By ‘not to make contact,’ he meant she wasn’t even allowed to be in the same space.
And so, just as she was turning to leave, feeling a pang of regret—
“Senior Lancia?”
Just then, someone called her name.
It was a familiar voice.
When she turned her head, there stood Lian Gwendil.
“Young junior?”
Lancia looked at him with a mix of pleasant surprise and curiosity.
A small, deliberate smile appeared at the corners of her lips.
“What brings you here…?”
She started to ask Lian, but then stopped mid-sentence.
It occurred to her that there was hardly anything more natural than a devout follower of the Holy Sun Church visiting the cathedral.
“I had a quick errand at the cathedral.”
Lian explained without any hint of annoyance.
Then, glancing at Lancia, he asked with a concerned expression,
“Senior, are you feeling unwell? You look very tired.”
To his question, Lancia gave a faint smile and replied,
“Ah, I’m fine. I just didn’t sleep very well…”
She mumbled, sounding a little embarrassed.
She didn’t know why, but whenever she stood before Lian, she felt inexplicably self-conscious.
Whenever she saw his devout sincerity — so unlike her own faith, which was driven by purpose — she couldn’t help but shrink away.
“I see.”
Still watching her with worried eyes, Lian suddenly asked,
“Did you also come here because you had something to do at the cathedral?”
“Oh… no, no! I was just passing by!”
Lancia waved her hand lightly.
Yet inwardly, she wondered if she had overreacted too much.
Just as she was thinking that, a sudden pang throbbed in her chest.
‘…Again.’
Again.
She didn’t know when it had started, but every time she looked at Lian Gwendil, she felt this same emotion.
She knew well that this wasn’t some belated fever of love.
How should she describe it…
‘Yes.’
Guilt.
Yes, and…
‘…Disgusting woman.’
Inferiority, and jealousy.
“…Um, I just have a quick errand to run.”
Lancia forced a smile onto her face.
Just as they were about to part ways after that short exchange—
Throb.
Suddenly, Lancia felt a dull sting behind her right eyelid.
‘Ugh.’
As she reflexively rubbed her eye, she noticed a faint light seeping out from somewhere.
‘What is that…?’
Puzzled, her gaze came to a stop.
It was near Lian’s collarbone.
Between the folds of his collar, a strange yet distinctly faint light was seeping out.