Outside the door.
The light in the hallway was somewhat dim.
A slender figure stood there quietly.
Cecilia.
She was not wearing her academy uniform; instead, she had changed into a pure black dress, her long blonde hair draped over her shoulders.
She just stood there, motionless, not even looking at him.
But Bell could feel that cold gaze, devoid of any warmth, firmly locked onto him.
It was over.
She had seen it.
She had seen Tia supporting him.
She had seen Tia wiping his face.
She had seen him and another girl alone in the same room for so long.
Bell's mind went completely blank for a moment.
Run? Where could he run?
Explain? How could he explain?
The moment Cecilia was about to take a step, Bell's body reacted before his brain could.
It was a reaction he had not even anticipated.
In less than a tenth of a second, the stiffness and fear on his face were replaced by an expression of exaggerated, radiant surprise.
“Cecilia! What are you doing here!”
His voice was startlingly loud, filled with the joy of a long awaited reunion.
Before Cecilia's cold, machine like brain could process this abnormal signal, Bell had already taken a large step forward, proactively grabbing her cool hand and pulling her into the room.
“Come inside, quickly! It is drafty out in the hallway!”
Cecilia stumbled from the force, her small frame pulled into the clinic.
She looked up, and for the first time, a trace of obvious, pure confusion appeared in those beautiful eyes.
Inside, Tia was startled by the sudden commotion. She stood there in a daze as she saw Bell pull in an impossibly beautiful girl.
“Senior! Let me introduce you!”
Bell's enthusiasm was high as he held Cecilia with one hand and pointed toward the blushing Tia with the other.
“This is Senior Tia Astane. She is the kindest and most gentle senior in the clinic I mentioned to you!”
Bell was talking nonsense.
He had never mentioned Tia to Cecilia at all.
But right now, that did not matter.
What mattered was that he had to seize control of the narrative before Cecilia could lash out.
“Eh?”
Tia's face flushed deep red instantly.
Junior Bell... is introducing me to his family?
He... he even mentioned me to his sister?
A massive wave of shy joy rushed to her head, making her feel a bit dizzy.
Bell did not give her time to react and immediately pushed Cecilia forward slightly.
“This is my sister, Cecilia. Cecilia Lucas.”
His introduction was solemn and formal, filled with the pride of an older brother.
“Hello, I... I am Tia.”
Tia looked at the young girl with some nervousness and then carefully reached out her hand.
Cecilia's gaze slowly shifted from Bell's enthusiastic face to Tia's outstretched hand.
She remained silent for two seconds.
To Bell, those two seconds felt as long as a century.
His back was already completely drenched in cold sweat.
Finally, Cecilia reached out her own hand and gave Tia's a light squeeze.
“Cecilia.”
Her response was brief, revealing no emotion.
“Bell, your sister is truly beautiful. I heard she just came of age. She is a real genius.”
Tia praised her sincerely, feeling her heart, which had been pounding in her chest, calm down slightly.
Junior Bell's sister did not seem... quite as unapproachable as the rumors suggested.
To show her goodwill, Tia subconsciously patted her pocket, where she usually kept snacks.
She pulled out a piece of fruit candy wrapped in pretty paper.
“Here, a small gift for our first meeting.”
She handed the candy to Cecilia.
Bell's breathing stopped.
He stared fixedly at the candy.
He was afraid Cecilia would crush the candy on the spot or pierce Tia with an innocent yet malicious remark.
However, Cecilia simply accepted the candy quietly.
She unwrapped it, glanced at it, and then looked up, offering Tia a sweet and pure smile.
“Thank you, Sister Tia.”
That smile was identical to the one she had shown everyone before.
Flawless.
Tia felt completely at ease. She felt that this rumored genius girl was actually just a well behaved and sensible child.
She stood up and smiled at Bell. “Your sister is so cute.”
Bell smiled along, though even he did not know how stiff his smile looked.
“Yeah, she is just a bit... shy around strangers.”
Just then, Cecilia did something Bell had not expected.
She did not eat the candy.
Holding the crystal clear candy, she walked up to Bell and tilted her small face up.
“Brother, you are not feeling well today. You should eat something sweet.”
She held the candy to Bell's lips, her movements full of dependence and concern.
“Sister Tia gave this to you. Brother should eat it first.”
Seeing this, Tia's eyes practically sparkled.
“Wow, Cecilia is so good to you!”
“Yeah... yeah.”
Bell felt as if his tongue had gone stiff.
Under Tia's touched gaze, he had no choice.
He could only open his mouth and take the candy in.
The sweetness exploded in his mouth.
It was not strawberry.
It was lemon.
It was so sour it nearly brought tears to his eyes.
Seeing Bell eat the candy, Cecilia smiled with satisfaction.
Then, she turned around and looked at Tia again, her large, innocent eyes full of curiosity.
“Sister Tia, are you a healing mage?”
“Yes, I am,” Tia nodded proudly.
“Then your magic must be incredible, right? To make Brother get better so quickly.” Cecilia's praise was innocent and sincere.
“Oh, not at all, it is just basic healing magic...” Tia said, feeling a bit embarrassed by the praise.
Cecilia tilted her head as if remembering something.
“By the way, Sister Tia, I think I heard Brother looking for his maid... the silver haired sister. Is she sick too?”
Here it comes.
Bell's heart sank heavily.
Tia was completely unaware of the trap in the words and pointed toward the inner ward.
“Oh, you mean Lilian. She is fine, just exhausted. She is resting inside.”
“I see.”
Cecilia nodded, looking like a well behaved girl who understood.
She stood there quietly, seemingly deep in thought.
The atmosphere in the clinic had become warm and harmonious because of her sensible actions.
Bell's nerves, which had been stretched to the limit, loosened slightly due to this brief peace.
Perhaps... his response this time had been successful?
Perhaps, with an outsider present, she really would restrain herself?
The thought had only just surfaced when Cecilia moved.
She walked to Bell's side and reached out, gently tugging on the hem of his shirt.
The movement was natural, filled with a girl's dependence on her older brother.
“Brother, it is time for us to go back to class, or the instructor will worry.”
“Yes, okay.”
Bell nodded immediately. He only wanted to end this suffocating meeting as quickly as possible.
He turned to say goodbye to Tia.
“Senior Tia, thank you so much for today.”
“It is nothing, remember to get some rest,” Tia waved gently.
Bell took Cecilia's hand and almost fled from the clinic.
The moment the door closed behind them, Cecilia stopped.
She let go of the hem of his shirt and instead took hold of his hand.
Her hand was soft and cold.
She did not speak, simply leading him step by step down the empty hallway.
Bell's heart was in his throat again.
The silence before a storm was often even more terrifying.
Finally, at a deserted corner, Cecilia stopped.
She looked up at Bell.
There was no expression on that angelic face.
Slowly, she leaned in close to him.
Bell froze, not daring to move an inch.
He expected an interrogation or a threat.
She smiled.
That smile was no longer a facade of innocence; it carried a trace of pathological obsession and satisfaction.
In a sleepwalker like whisper that only the two of them could hear, she spoke softly.
“Bell...”
“You have the scent of another woman on you.”
Rate on N.U.
