Eden’s black eyes also simultaneously turned toward Rowen. That icy atmosphere from earlier seemed to swirl around the room again.
Rowen clicked his tongue briefly.
“…I merely came to see Nigel.”
“Going all the way there? Your dormitory rooms are close together, aren’t they?”
“……”
Do I have to explain this from the beginning again? Rowen glanced at Eden standing beside him with empty eyes.
“He says no one was in the room.”
Eden answered on Rowen’s behalf.
Whew— Lios immediately grasped the current situation and whistled. His eyes were narrowed as if he’d discovered something interesting.
“So that’s why you two are fighting here now.”
“We weren’t fighting.”
Rowen answered irritably.
“Hey, then at least relax your expression when you answer?”
Normally he would have laughed off Lios’s teasing, but now wasn’t the mood for that. Lios also didn’t seem to expect Rowen’s answer. He immediately tilted his head and asked again.
“So, has our Crown Prince really disappeared?”
His face as he asked, looking back and forth between Eden and Rowen, showed curiosity rather than worry. To him, who thought there was no one in the academy who could endanger the Crown Prince, it was just an amusing incident in his boring academy life.
“I was just about to hear more explanation from Senior Rowen.”
Eden said that while fixing his gaze on Rowen.
“I asked about that too.”
Oh? Lios’s eyes sparkled. Eden and Rowen Ashfield. The two had a cold relationship where they hadn’t even exchanged a word alone despite having Nigel as a common denominator between them.
Though Rowen got along well with anyone, he seemed to particularly dislike his junior Eden.
Surprisingly, if they’d been the same year, their personalities would have meshed well… but there’s no way they’ll become close. Lios began fully enjoying this situation.
That impudent bastard. Rowen twisted up one corner of his mouth and looked at Eden with eyes as if finding him ridiculous.
But Eden didn’t avoid that gaze. That excessively loyal junior apparently had no intention of backing down even one step until he was satisfied.
“…It’s exactly as I said. I heard from the maids who thought it strange that Nigel’s dormitory room door was open and went in to check. They said no one was inside.”
“Hmm.”
After hearing Rowen’s words, Lios smirked.
“Couldn’t he have just gone out somewhere briefly? It’s not like he’s skipped class yet, and it’s too early to conclude he’s disappeared.”
His tone was indifferent, as if it was less than expected. Actually, that was the right point. Rowen Ashfield nodded his head slightly up and down with a displeased face.
“Of course, I don’t think it’s a big deal but……”
The broken glass cup fragments fallen on Nigel’s room floor flashed through Rowen’s mind.
“…No.”
But Rowen decided not to tell that story. As Lios said, it seemed like just an overreaction… Rowen said, showing a relieved expression outwardly.
“It’s probably nothing.”
“……”
Eden Lake’s eyes were fixed on Rowen Ashfield’s expression.
“Of course. It’s that Nigel Kaiserion, after all. Besides, how dangerous could it be inside the academy? Right?”
Lios even showed signs of being annoyed. Of the three, only Lios wasn’t worried about Nigel’s safety. Eden and Rowen gave no answer to Lios’s words.
Certainly Lios’s words were right. There would be no one who would dare put Nigel Kaiserion in a predicament.
‘Then why do I keep worrying?’
Rowen slightly frowned and closed his lips. It might be because of what he’d told Nigel just yesterday—that he was worried about him.
And there was one more thing that grated on Rowen’s nerves. It was the reaction of that guy Eden Lake. That was… a bit different from Rowen’s expectations.
He’d certainly thought that after learning of Nigel’s absence, it would lead to pondering where Nigel might be now, but their conversation immediately turned in the direction of suspecting Rowen, who’d first discovered the absence.
As if he already knew there was someone in this academy who could put Nigel Kaiserion in danger.
“For now, let’s wait until class starts.”
Lios Cesare lightly patted Rowen Ashfield’s back. Then he led Rowen right up to the Student Council room door. With very natural movements, Lios pushed Rowen, who was twice his size, outside the door and said:
“Got it? If you find him, tell him to come here.”
“…Yes.”
Rowen, who had no more business in the Student Council room anyway, gave a bow without thinking. Eden Lake, standing next to Lios, was still watching Rowen’s direction with a serious face.
Thud.
Whether it was because of the unfamiliar glass greenhouse door or because he hadn’t obtained the information he wanted, the sound of the door closing was rough.
‘I should have asked about Nigel’s class schedule today.’
Rowen thought that as he began walking toward the main building.
* * *
What now?
Having escaped from Rowen’s room, Nigel had barely managed to hide in the corridor without being caught by anyone. Since yesterday was Monday, if his mind hadn’t gone strange too, today would be Tuesday with classes.
Which meant…
“Huaaaam—”
A large yawn echoed through the corridor.
Oh no, Nigel reflexively squeezed his body into a small hole in the corner wall crevice of the corridor. Then immediately, expensive shoes with crushed heels—lightly breaking academy rules—filled his vision.
Raising his head to check the shoes’ owner, Nigel pushed his body further into the hole. The identity of the scoundrel he’d felt from the toes was Veil Khalid.
Nigel held his breath and just waited for him to disappear. But for some reason, Khalid stopped in the middle of the corridor and stretched.
“Ah— I don’t want to go to class.”
As expected, Veil Khalid was consistent inside and out.
He stretched his foot toward the wall as if looking for something to kill time. Then he kicked the wall with a thud.
Right next to the hole where Nigel was hiding!
“……!”
Dust poured down with a small vibration. Nigel reflexively curled up his body. Damn it, that bastard! It was fortunate he didn’t jump out in shock.
“Hm?”
Had there been some slight movement from here? Khalid’s gaze turned precisely to the hole where Nigel was hiding. He was screwed. His entire body froze like stone. His shadow completely covered the hole, and Nigel’s narrow field of vision instantly darkened.
“What kind of hole is this?”
He felt him crouch down, muttering with interest.
No, just leave—! Nigel was extremely annoyed inwardly as if finding it troublesome.
But contrary to his wish, soon a giant face filled Nigel’s vision.
“Oh.”
Finally, their eyes met precisely.
“It’s a frog?”
Then he muttered to himself.
“A frog wandering around inside the academy building. What is the management doing?”
To hear the word ‘management’ come from his mouth. Nigel was dumbfounded, but he couldn’t move carelessly.
Hmm, Khalid stroked his chin for a moment, lost in thought, then soon a very mischievous and satisfied smile appeared on his face.
When he wore such a mischievous smile, it meant something bad was about to happen to Nigel Kaiserion.
……!
Nigel realized this and backed away, but thud! Soon his body hit the end of the hole he was hiding in. There was nowhere left to run.
His entire body was crushed in a palm. Croak— An unseemly sound came out as all the air inside his body escaped through his mouth.
Yesterday’s Dust Slime in class was probably exactly like this. Veil Khalid’s palm was hotter than Rowen’s body temperature, befitting a human born in the desert.
He’d expected his skin would be painful from the high temperature, but surprisingly that didn’t happen.
Caught in Veil Khalid’s grasp, Nigel was instantly dragged right before his bright yellow eyes.
“Hmm, no matter how I look at it, it’s just an ordinary frog. Why is it wandering around inside the academy?”
An extremely valid question. Nigel Kaiserion himself was very curious about that point too.
Ribbit. Nigel made a sound on Khalid’s hand as if answering. Facing him in a frog’s body, even if not as much as Headmaster Silvanus, he felt a sense of pressure different from usual.
Right, anyone would feel this kind of fear when facing an existence that could shake their life and death in its hands.
“I got a good idea.”
Veil Khalid said with his characteristically cruelly innocent smile.
“There’s exactly one guy around me who would hate frogs the most.”
Then he began striding down the corridor. With Nigel clutched in one hand.
