Royal Heart Academy.
Twenty minutes later~
Zed was lying on a table inside a dispensary. His entire body was filled with bruises and cuts while his face was pale-blue.
"It hurts," Zed said.
"Don’t lie," Felicity coldly snorted as she cleaned his wounds with antiseptic, "Or haven’t you learned that already?"
"...." Zed didn’t dare say anything no matter how unfair he felt.
First, she thrashed him in the cafeteria and then brought him to the dispensary to treat him. Even the doctor in the dispensary was left speechless when he learned this.
The doctor silently retraced and allowed Felicity to treat him.
Zed glanced at her as she moved on his shoulder. Her expression was a mixture of anger and worry as she treated his injuries.
"I’m sorry," Zed said in a barely audible tone.
He knew he has worried her greatly when the attack of Psychic Hunter took place a few days ago. He could also imagine the frustration she must have felt after she learned he was lying.
"What did you say?" Felicity asked as she applied a healing cream on his forehead.
"I’m sorry," Zed repeated his apology but this time loudly enough for her to hear him, "I shouldn’t have lied."
"I’m not really angry at your lies," Felicity looked him in the eyes, "What truly offended me is how you didn’t respect our promise."
"Promise," Zed thought as he remembered a scene from two years ago. The time when their relationship transformed from friends to siblings.
The time when they promised to look for each other and never hesitate in taking help...the time when they promised to be there for each other till the end of their lives.
"I would never break our promise," Zed wasn’t able to look in her eyes as he continued, "Forgive my behavior from last few days."
She was the only reason why he decided to stay in the academy even after his initial decision of quitting the academy the day he joined it.
The life he lived as Zed wasn’t as exciting or thrilling like the life he lived as Kiba. But yet to him, Zed was the most rewarding part of life as long as Felicity was there in it.
There was another major reason why he lived as Zed but now that reason no longer mattered. Even if not for that reason, he wouldn’t stop living as Zed...
------
An hour later~
"Are you fine?" Jessica asked as Zed and Felicity walked in the classroom.
"Yeah," Zed answered with an awkward smile.
He wondered how the people he has sent to underworld would react if they learn he feared a girl.
"That’s good to know," Jessica controlled her smile, "I thought you were going to die today."
"Same here," Loren nodded as well.
"Next time he might," Felicity’s anger has calmed down.
"...." Zed silently took his seat and waited for the class to start.
"Everything is Claudia’s fault!" Zed thought.
----
A few hours later the classes ended and Zed stepped inside his new hover car.
"You betrayed me," Zed said as he drove the car out of the academy.
[[Betrayed?]] Claudia asked confused.
"You shared the car details with Felicity but yet didn’t warn me," Zed was sure he could have saved himself from Felicity’s anger if he knew this in advance.
[[How am I at fault when you didn’t give me a chance to explain?]]
"You had opportunity---"
Zed didn’t even get time to complete his sentence as a log screen materialized in front of him.
[[Lady Felicity asked me details about the car when you were busy with your tryst with Lady Eva in the academy. Then you were busy with the role-playing as a revolutionary in the police headquarters. Later on, you took three hours rest since you were mentally tired from the killings.]]
[[I believed I would get a chance to share details after your rest ends but then you decided to use the mess you have created for another purpose.]]
[[I seem to recall your exact words - ’In my line of business I can never let an opportunity to go waste.’]]
"...." Zed’s lips were twitching.
[[You muttered these words and teleported to police headquarters to increase your ’affection’ with Emily. It seems you were successful since you teleported to the house only in the morning.]]
"...."
[[Please tell me just when exactly did I get an opportunity to share details about my conversation with Lady Felicity.]]
"...I was just kidding," Zed felt helpless as he took control over the car.
~beep~
"Hm?" Zed saw another notification panel appearing on the car screen.
[[The four fools and their families have started creating trouble for you.]]
"Four fools?" Zed recalled the children of investigators who have hired a local gang to cripple him a few days ago. Those four felt he was responsible for the ’humiliation’ of their admissions in the academy being canceled.
[[They have registered a complain so the police have sent a notice to you for an interview.]]
"Took them long enough but then again the last few days would be a pain for their parents," Zed mused.
The next day after the four fools were crippled, the dark clouds in the city and the golden lightning in the wasteland incident occurred. The investigators would hardly have time to focus on the plight of their children.
And then there was the attack at the police headquarters a day later.
He actually felt pity for the parents as he remembered the mess he has created for them in his both forms.
[[You have to attend the interview now.]]
"Sighs~ If the notice was for Kiba then interview could be so much fun," Zed sook off his head in disappointment.
He took a reverse turn to drive towards the police station.
----
Delta Police Station, Central District.
Zed parked the car in parking lot. He left the car and was surprised the next moment.
"Loren?" Zed said as he saw Loren leaving a car adjacent to his along with Suzane and Olly.
"Zed," Loren looked at him as well, "I expected to see you here."
"I guess they called you as a witness," Zed smiled.
Loren and Jessica were accompanying him when those four fools and the local gang attacked him.
"Yes," Loren was surprised by his relaxed attitude.
"Nice to meet you, ma’am," Zed greeted Suzane in a polite tone.
"Such a well-mannered child," Suzane nodded in appreciation.
"You are?" Zed glanced at Olly.
"He is my brother Olly," Loren introduced on her brother’s behalf.
"Ah! Nice to meet you as well," Zed greeted him.
"Same," Olly tried to be polite but he couldn’t since he knew Zed was responsible for his cancellation of admission to Royal Heart Academy.
While he didn’t hold a grudge like the four fools, he couldn’t be warm as well.
"Please don’t take any offense," Suzane gave Olly a stern gaze as she continued, "He lacks manners even though he is my son."
"Mom!" Olly felt wronged.
How can she chide him so openly?
"No offense taken, ma’am," Zed has a radiant smile as he turned towards Olly, "I’m sure Olly is a very good son of yours."
Good son.
Two short words but when Olly heard them, the entire world changed for him. All he could see was ’good son’ plastered everywhere telling him what a son he was.
His body shivered and cold sweat dripped out of his skin as the two words brought out his worst nightmares.
In all his nightmares, Olly would be referred to as a good son by Kiba. The ’motherfucker’ would often express his gratitude for helping him in his tryst with Suzane.
The first time this happened was in their own apartment when he saw Kiba stepping out Suzane’s bedroom. Kiba was fully relaxed as he chilled with drinks and thanked Olly for introducing him to Suzane.
The next time was in a five-star hotel when Kiba walked out of a women’s bathroom after making out with Suzane.
Kiba has expressed gratitude from the heart for ensuring no one barged in when he ’explored’ his relationship with Suzane.
Only Kiba has called him a good son due to all these things but now even Zed called him as such in a similar fashion.
"Does he know about the affair?" Olly shuddered as he thought of this.
THUD!
He fell on the floor in horror as this terrifying thought ran in his mind. All he could think of what would happen to him if his father learned this secret he was guarding so well.
"Olly!" Loren and Suzane were surprised by Olly’s falling.
A moment ago he was fine and aloof but suddenly he fell on the floor.
Just what happened?
The mother-daughter duo moved forward to help but before they could, they saw Zed offering his hand in support.
"Are you all right?" Zed asked as he helped Olly stand up.
"Y-yes," Olly feigned composure "I just lost balance."
"That’s a relief," Zed gave a reassuring smile towards Loren and Suzane, "He is fine."
"You scared us," Suzane sighed in relief.
"Do some exercise to get your body in shape," Loren similarly sighed in relief as she along with her mother and Zed walked in the police station.
Behind, Olly was struck on the spot thinking of everything that happened in last two minutes.
How could he tell his mom and sister that he was not feeling well?
How can they understand the dilemma he was facing when the two words struck him?
"I’m overthinking things," Olly tired to calm his rapidly beating heart, "Zed called me a good son just to be polite and nothing else."