As I walked into the Infirmary with Milleia, the nurse greeted me with a weary tone. "You again?" she asked, clearly unenthusiastic about my presence.
Milleia, who was accompanying me, looked confused. "Eh?" she said, tilting her head to the side.
I explained to her that I had already been treated by the nurse the day I had given up my name. Milleia nodded in understanding before grumbling, "I feel like it won't be the last time."
Her words made me twitch a little. "Do you want me to come here more often?" I asked her.
"N-No, of course not!" Milleia hastily replied, giving my arm weak punches. "Don't twist my words!"
"Ouch!" I winced in pain, and Milleia immediately apologized, her light pink eyes full of worry. "Are you okay, Edward?"
The nurse saw right through our exchange, remarking, "He's just bluffing, young girl."
Milleia glanced at me, and I quickly looked away, not wanting to reveal my amusement at her concern. She protested, "I was really worried!"
"My bad," I said, trying to apologize.
"You are bad, yes!" Milleia exaggeratedly puffed out her cheeks.
"I mean, I'm sorry," I explained to her.
"Then yes! Your bad!"
The nurse interjected while taking out tools out of a shelf, "Finished bickering, lovebirds?"
Milleia's brain short-circuited at the word 'lovebirds'. "Lo-Lo-Lovebirds?!" she stammered.
"I thought nurses were supposed to help people," I said, trying to change the subject. "Why are you embarrassing us?" But before I could say more, the nurse savagely inserted a syringe into my arm.
"Ouch! What the heck?!" I cried out in surprise and pain.
"Stay still," the nurse ordered me as she prepared another syringe.
"Why would I? A nurse is harming a student!" I yelped to hide my fear of the next syringe approaching dangerously and quickly my arm.
"Edward! Buddy?!" Suddenly a loud voice entered the Infirmary.
I groaned when I heard the voice.
"I am here for you, buddy!" Tyler shouted and bulldozed his way through to reach me.
That idiot!
He punched and kicked all the beds in his way with a worried expression. He could have looked charismatic if not for the dumb expression and misunderstanding.
"Edward! Bro!" He looked at me breathlessly. Then his gaze turned toward the woman who was just a moment ago, bandaging my arm. A moment ago indeed as she wasn't doing that anymore.
"Thank god, you are fine," Unaware of the chaos he had created around him and the furious woman, Tyler sighed in relief.
"Well, well, well, look who it is." I said with a smile as Tyler finally reached me.
"Edward my man, are you okay?" Tyler asked, looking at me with concern.
"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied, rolling my eyes.
"I was so worried, buddy!" Tyler exclaimed, his voice filled with relief.
"Uh-huh, I can tell," I said sarcastically, looking around at the mess Tyler had created.
"Ugh!" Before I knew it, the nurse vanished from my side. She was behind the groaning Tyler who was holding his head in pain.
"I hate noisy brats," she said in a cold tone and glanced down at Tyler, " Do you understand?"
"Y-Yes, Miss!" Tyler stood up with a bleeding head.
Damn…
She is stronger than I thought…
Maybe two Ascensions higher than me.
"T-Tyler!" As expected, Milleia couldn't see her friend suffering and was about to rush to him.
"No, Milleia." But I held her arm to prevent her.
"Edward, what's going on?" Milleia asked, looking at me with a concerned expression.
"Don't worry about it, Milleia," I replied, trying to calm her down.
"Edward? B-But…" Milleia looked at Tyler pitifully. He was currently getting bandaged but…violently. She was spinning and banging his head as if his head was modelling clay…
"Looks like Tyler got what was coming to him," I said with a smirk as I watched the nurse bandage his head.
"Stop being mean, Edward," Milleia scolded me.
"I'm not being mean, I'm just stating the truth," I replied with a shrug.
Anyway, what was that drama?
Milleia, Jayden, and Tyler became real friends really easily because of their backgrounds but also thanks to Tyler's lively personality. It was normal for her to already feel a bond with Tyler.
"Don't worry. He won't die," I tried to reassure Milleia, who had been particularly upset about my injuries. "I think."
"You t-think?" she repeated, her voice wavering slightly.
But before anyone could say anything else, a new voice entered the conversation. It was Lyra, and she had brought me back to the hospital after finding me injured from the fight.
"Lyra!" she exclaimed, her eyes lighting up at the sight of her friend. "I found Edward, but he was too injured to move on his own."
I nodded in gratitude towards Milleia as she turned towards me with a concerned expression on her face. "Are you okay, Edward?" she asked, trying to sound friendly. She was merely acting as usual in front of Milleia.
"I'm fine," I replied, shrugging my shoulders despite the obvious pain I was in.
Milleia immediately jumped up from her seat and started to fuss over me, carefully bandaging my half-bandaged arm as the nurse hadn't finished yet. "You are too reckless, Edward," she chided me gently. "I don't know why you accepted to fight Lord Ronald, but...you made us all worried," she added, a small smile playing on her lips.
As she worked on my arm, I couldn't help but notice the long, delicate blue lashes that framed her bright pink eyes. It was proof of her unique and godly blood flowing in her veins, and it made her all the more fascinating to me.
I realized that Tyler, Milleia, and Jayden had all been genuinely worried about me, and it was a nice feeling to have people care about me like that. However, my memories of Earth and Edward made it difficult for me to fully appreciate their concern.
"Milleia is right, Edward," Jayden who was also there finally spoke up, breaking me out of my reverie. "Still...I didn't know that you were so strong, Edward."
"Yes!" Milleia interjected, her eyes shining with admiration. "I was so amazed by you, Edward!"
"That's my rival!" Tyler shouted.
"Don't move," the nurse calmed him down immediately.
"Y-Yes!"
She still didn't treat the blood coming out of Tyler's head? She sure didn't hold back her punch…
"Well, Ronald was just unexpectedly weak," I smiled.
[<You act like you won.>]
Shaddap.
….
….
After chasing everyone out of the Infirmary, the nurse finished my treatment and told me to rest. Before I knew it, I fell asleep and thus took a nap.
"Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhh," I yawned, stretching my arms out.
I glanced at the clock and sighed.
[20:35]
I should have trained, but I was too lazy.
I will skip today.
I stood up and was about to leave but-
"I don't need your protection, sister!"
I hid behind the curtain and spied.
I wasn't alone in the Infirmary and that voice…
Ronald?
Well, he was also injured but the person he was speaking with was…
"You don't understand, idiot." Louisa's cold voice rang. "I am cleaning up after each time you cause a trouble. Do I need to spell it for you, Ronald? Don't attract unnecessary attention."
Louisa's voice was as cold as the winter wind. Her hazel eyes held a hidden worry, a vulnerability that she kept hidden from everyone except her brother. I couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity for her, forced to clean up after her reckless brother's messes.
"Stop treating me like a child, sister! I know how to take care of myself!" Ronald shouted upset and stormed out of the room.
Ronald, on the other hand, was in a state of obliviousness, completely unaware of the burden he was putting on his sister's shoulders. He just lashed out at her.
Louisa remained silent, clenching her fists tightly as her brother stormed out of the room. It was clear that she was struggling with the weight of her responsibilities, and I couldn't help but wonder how she managed to keep up with it all.
As I emerged from my thoughts, Louisa glanced up at me with a calm expression, but her eyes betrayed a hint of surprise. It was clear that she hadn't expected me to be there.
"He is weak, isn't he?" I spoke up, breaking the silence.
Louisa's eyes narrowed, her gaze sharpening as she turned to face me. "Edward Falkrona. I do not know the reason behind your sudden desire to fight my brother, but I am warning you. The next time something similar happens, I won't let it pass."
Her words were a clear warning, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. Louisa was not someone to be taken lightly, and I knew that if I crossed her, there would be consequences—that's what I would have thought if I was a weakling!
"You won't let it pass?" I snorted at her. "Like you did not when that bastard of Loid intervened to save your little brother's *ss, Louisa?"
"..."
"You don't look good playing the ignorant, Louisa. I'm sure you noticed but ignored it because your brother won. "I thought the Student Council president shouldn't be biased, but I was wrong, huh?"
"I don't expect you to understand familial bonds, Edward," Louisa said, unconcerned by my words, as she began to walk away.
"If you keep following around like a good puppy, your uncle, Louisa, you won't be able to protect your brother or even yourself."
"!" Louisa jumped at my words. But I couldn't see her expression.
"You are overestimating yourself, and it will catch up with you and your brother one day." I added to her and passed her.
I hope she realizes soon that her uncle is more insane than she realizes. It's for her own good, as well as the good of this kingdom, and thus for myself as well.