Chapter 39

After that, Ms. Leia carried the unconscious Claude to the infirmary within the academy.

According to the nurse, it seemed to be a symptom of anemia caused by severe stress, and he would wake up soon if he rested.

When asked what had caused this, Ms. Leia vaguely replied, "Well, something a bit intense happened."

Ten minutes later,

"Ugh... Where... where am I...?"

Claude slowly opened his eyes.

"Oh, you're awake, Claude!"

"R-Reia-sama...? Ah, I'm glad. It was all just a dream, wasn't it..."

"…Huh?"

He sighed in relief and smiled softly.

"I had a long, long dream... A dream where Reia-sama studied abroad and, of all things, became a slave to a gutter worm... It was a painful and miserable nightmare..."

"Um, that wasn't a dream..."

"…Huh? !?"

Claude looked around and, the moment his eyes met mine,

"Are you the gutter worm!? So, that was real...?"

He immediately jumped out of bed, his eyes sharp with a mix of hostility and hatred.

"…Nice to meet you, Claude. I'm Allen Rodor."

I decided to introduce myself, thinking it might be better than being called a gutter worm continuously.

However,

"Your name means nothing to me! Stay away from Reia-sama, you beast!"

He completely saw me as an enemy and didn't seem capable of having a normal conversation.

(What a problem...)

Personally, I want to stop Claude from spreading information.

I absolutely must prevent the King of Vesteria from learning about Reia and me.

(To do that, I need to find a way to start a conversation...)

It seems quite difficult...

Just as I sighed deeply in my heart,

"Hey, Claude! You've been going too far! Apologize to Allen properly!"

Reia, clearly upset, scolded Claude harshly.

"R-Reia-sama...!? You... You've given your body and soul to this gutter worm...?"

Bitten by his teeth, Claude started trembling.

"Reia-sama has always been a bit clumsy... You must have been deceived by this lowly gutter worm!"

"Who's clumsy, who!?"

Ignoring Reia's rebuttal, Claude glared at me sharply.

"Remember this, gutter worm! I will make you suffer the torments of hell...! And Reia-sama! I will surely free you...! Farewell for now."

With that, he jumped out of the infirmary window.

At that moment,

"Ha... ha ha ha ha! Claude is as amusing as ever! He's always been a great target for teasing!"

Ms. Leia, who had been holding back her laughter, burst out laughing, holding her stomach.

"Ha... Ms. Leia...?"

"Hey, Reia! What do you think you're doing!?"

"Hehe, don't look so scared. It was just a little joke."

I think this goes beyond a 'little joke'...

"Anyway, let's get serious... About Claude. He will likely try to contact Allen soon. When that happens, you can either explain the situation and convince him, or come up with a story to mislead him—just choose whichever you prefer."

"Both seem quite difficult..."

I can't imagine the enraged Claude listening to me calmly.

"You'll just have to do your best! —Well, since the 'guest' is gone, I'm leaving!"

With that, she turned around and left the infirmary.

It seems the 'guest' she mentioned was Claude.

"Ha... Let's go back, I guess."

"...I'm worried about what Claude might do. Be careful, Allen, especially at night or in hidden places."

"Alright, I will."

With that, we left the infirmary and returned to our room.

■

A whole day passed, but...

Claude didn't show up in front of us after that.

(Still, we can't let our guard down...)

He might be planning something right now.

We need to be vigilant for the next few days.

"Phew... Time to go back."

It was 7:00 AM.

After finishing my morning routine, I returned to the dormitory,

"Yawn... Oh, good morning, Allen. You're early as usual."

Reia, in her pajamas, said with sleepy eyes. She had just woken up.

"Good morning, Reia. By the way, a letter arrived for you."

I handed her the envelope I had just taken from the mailbox.

"...For me? Who could it be from?"

"Actually... there's no sender's name."

The envelope had no sender's name or stamp. Someone must have put it directly in our mailbox.

Then,

"Is this...!?"

Reia's face turned pale as she stared at the grand red seal on the back.

"What is it...?"

"It's a letter from Dad..."

"Reia's dad... the King of Vesteria, right?"

"Yeah, this isn't good..."

The content is definitely about that incident.

It seems Claude reported to the King immediately after.

"Let's... check the contents."

"Right..."

She carefully opened the envelope and took out the folded high-quality paper. It read:

To my beloved daughter, Reia,

I heard a story from Claude.

It seems you are having a hard time in a special environment.

I am very, very worried and can't concentrate on my work.

Could you come home once during the summer break?

I have arranged for the royal plane to arrive at Thousand Blades Academy at 10:00 AM on July 6th.

Please bring your friend Allen Rodor with you, no matter what.

I love you.

From Dad

At first glance, it seemed like a gentle letter to his daughter, but the hidden anger was obvious to anyone.

"Dad is really angry..."

"Yeah, that's to be expected..."

Hearing that his beloved daughter, sent to a foreign country, became a slave to an unknown man would naturally make him angry.

(And the one who reported this was Claude...)

He must have added malicious embellishments.

"What do we do, Allen...!? July 6th is today!?"

"...We have no choice but to go."

We're dealing with the King of a country.

Unlike Claude, he is a wise and discerning person.

If we explain the situation properly, he will understand.

"Sorry... I keep causing you trouble..."

"Don't worry about it. —More importantly, let's hurry and get ready. We don't have much time left."

"Okay, thanks."

With that, Reia ran to the changing room.

"Phew... This is heavy..."

Being summoned directly by the King of a country is a heavy burden for a student like me.

(And after the resort island of Venelia in the South Sea, we're crossing the sea to the Kingdom of Vesteria... This summer break is anything but relaxing...)

With a sigh, I started preparing for the journey.