Chapter 1 - This Young Master Speaks About Loyalty
Poem Title: Ah, Carillian Academy, I'm Back!
Poet:mThe Idea King Camella, Winnie.
‘Then, the main text, I couldn't think of anything.’
After returning to the academy and completing the registration with Shikondell, Winnie suddenly felt nostalgic and wanted to recite a poem. However, his own knowledge was insufficient. His emotions were in place, and his poetic inspiration was soaring, yet he couldn't write a single word.
Fine, no more pretending to be cultured. They say people can do anything when pushed to their limits, but poetry and math problems are exceptions; no matter how much you pull your hair, you just can't do them.
Winnie told Shikondell to go back first, and he would wander around the student council, asking if anyone needed help. After all, he was a member of the student council. Although, based on his performance last semester, it was unlikely he would be promoted this semester, he was still getting paid. Even if he wasn't proactive, he had to appear proactive.
What if the superiors saw him... Well, the biggest superior was his childhood friend.
As Winnie thought this, he suddenly spotted a familiar small white figure in the open-air garden of the lounge.
Isn't this the miniature little bun he hadn't seen in a semester, the little silver-haired nut?
Tsk, Winnie had been thinking he'd see her later, but he ran into her as soon as he returned to the student council.
Sigh, a beautiful homecoming day, it ended as soon as he saw her.
The other party seemed to have just reported back to the academy, just like him. She was standing in the empty garden, her back to him, her silver hair and large black bow swaying in the wind. He didn't know what she was doing, and she didn't seem to have noticed him at all.
Winnie couldn't help but feel a little strange. He always felt that with this miniature little bun's keen senses, she should have noticed him long ago. After all, every interaction he had with Aesphyra started with Aesphyra teasing him. It seemed like he had never discovered Aesphyra without Aesphyra discovering him first.
But it was probably just his imagination.
Winnie pondered for a moment, and a mischievous idea popped into his head. He slightly curved his lips.
Heh, this miniature little bun teased him every day, so it's not like he can't tease her today, right? If he's lucky, maybe he'll get some virtue points.
So, Winnie tiptoed, quietly approaching the silver-haired little nut from behind, who was doing something unknown and completely unaware of his approach.
As he approached, Winnie felt increasingly strange.
Something was wrong. Normally, with Aesphyra's level of alertness, she should have noticed him by now. Why was Aesphyra so slow to react today?
However, Winnie eventually suppressed this thought and decided to scare this little silver-haired bun.
Closer, closer, and closer. Good! The prey hasn't noticed me at all!
Now's the time, go, Poké Ball!
However, just as Winnie was about to jump up and throw the Poké Ball, Aesphyra's next action made him stop instantly.
Upon getting closer, Winnie finally observed that Aesphyra, with her back to him, was holding a disposable handkerchief and coughed slightly into it. The sound of her cough was fragile and brittle, like glass about to shatter.
After coughing, a conspicuous crimson stain appeared on the pristine handkerchief.
What is this?
Winnie froze, his movements ceasing. He fell straight down from the air, and the crumpled paper in his hand also fell, hitting his head.
“Ouch!”
At this, Aesphyra naturally noticed him. She turned around and saw Winnie, who had fallen heavily on the ground. Upon seeing the crumbled paper on the ground, she instantly understood what Winnie had been trying to do. She narrowed her almond-shaped eyes like a cat, putting on that classic fake smile and looking at Winnie.
“Oh? It's been a semester since we last met, and Winnie, you're already trying to perform acrobatics and act like a clown to make me laugh?” Aesphyra, with her hands behind her back, watched Winnie, who was lying on the ground, with amusement.
“Tsk! It was just an accident, a slip-up.” Winnie stood up, rubbing his sore chin. “Your reaction is really slow. I was almost behind you, and you still didn't notice me.”
“If I were your enemy, you'd be dead by now,” Winnie grumbled.
“Is that so? Then I hope fate favors me, and all the enemies I encounter are as stupid as Winnie.” Aesphyra teased.
“Hmph!” Winnie could rarely win an argument with Aesphyra, and this time was no exception.
However, he opened his mouth for a reason other than arguing with Aesphyra.
His gaze fell on the hands Aesphyra had behind her back. He let out a cold snort and glared with his dead fish eyes.
“Hey, hey, are you treating this young master as blind or stupid? That large blood-stained handkerchief, do you think this young master didn't see it before? What are you hiding? I saw it long ago!”
“Perhaps both?” Aesphyra tilted her head without hesitation.
“Don't try to avoid the topic by beating around the bush, you miniature little bun. What's wrong with you? Why are you spitting blood?” Winnie pressed.
“Winnie, it seems you haven't fully learned the lessons I taught you last semester. Prying too much into a girl's privacy is not advised?” Since she couldn't hide it from Winnie, Aesphyra decided not to. She threw the blood-stained handkerchief into the trash can with an indifferent expression, her face still exuding her usual overconfidence.
“Is this a side effect of you using that ability last time?” Winnie asked, frowning deeply, ignoring Aesphyra's words.
“Winnie, I thought you were a relatively communicative person. I hope you still remember what you said last semester?” Aesphyra raised an eyebrow.
What he said last semester?
Winnie's expression was strange.
He had said so many things to Aesphyra, so which specific sentence was she referring to?
However, perhaps due to spending so much time with Aesphyra, he had come to understand her thoughts somewhat. Winnie figured it out.
What Aesphyra was referring to was probably the promise they had tacitly made when they were reviewing and writing their practical reports last semester.
They wouldn't pry into each other's secrets.
For example, Aesphyra didn't pry into the secret of his memory stone, and he wouldn't pry into the secret method Aesphyra used to get them out of danger.
Of course, he didn't need to try at all. What secrets did Aesphyra have that he didn't know? From her bloodline to her background, he knew all her secrets. It could be said that Aesphyra was transparent in front of him.
“This is different, my little silver-haired nut,” Winnie said.
“How is it different?” Aesphyra crossed her arms, finding it amusing. “Winnie, I believe that for people to get along without annoying each other, controlling the sense of distance is very important.”
“This way, it's good for both of us.”
This sentence was a subtle way of telling Winnie to stop worrying about her affairs and to pretend he hadn't seen anything. Everyone will be fine.
Upon hearing this, Winnie remained silent.
After speaking, Aesphyra left without any further words, turning away.
Just as she thought Winnie had given up, she found her path blocked by the blue-haired youth.
“Don't misunderstand, I don't care about your secrets at all,” Winnie said, enunciating each word.
“Oh? Then what do you care about?” Aesphyra asked with amusement.
“I care about a certain heartless, seemingly close, but actually distant little silver-haired nut.” Winnie raised his gaze. “A certain miniature little bun who thinks she's very clever but is highly wary of a classmate who shares life and death with her.”
"She's so stupid. Why doesn't she realize that if someone truly wanted to harm her, why would they have risked so much to save her back then? They had entrusted their lives to each other before, yet now she's being evasive about her predicament, as if afraid others will kick her while she's down."
“I can understand not accepting someone's kindness. After all, everyone has their own choices. But what is she afraid of? Why does she always feel like others will kick her while she's down?” Winnie blocked Aesphyra, not looking at her, but pointing at the air beside them and ranting, as if these words weren't directed at Aesphyra at all.
“There's only one reason why someone thinks a person who owes them many favors would harm them, and that's because they don't believe that person's character and think they are a complete scoundrel.” After saying this, Winnie looked at Aesphyra seriously.
“Aesphyra, tell me, do you think so?”
“Do you, like them, like those people outside, believe that someone overlooked by everyone must be a hypocrite who committed evil deeds and is an out-and-out scoundrel?” It was fine if others thought so; Winnie didn't care because he didn't care about them. So, no matter what they said, Winnie would just return with carefree, abstract remarks.
But what if the person who thought this was someone he cared about?
Emotional attacks are the most painful.
At this thought, Winnie felt a bit dejected. He regarded Aesphyra's thoughts. If Aesphyra truly thought that way, he would politely walk away.
From then on, they will revert to their initial mode of interaction. They will nod when they meet, ignore each other, and not interfere with each other. They would completely remove each other from their lives, as if the other person didn't exist.
Seeing Winnie's expression, Aesphyra's eyes changed.
His intense emotional fluctuations affected her.
'Virtue + 100.'
'Current Virtue: 8734.'
For some reason, she had a premonition that if she truly chose to draw a line with Winnie and walk away without hesitation, she would regret it for the rest of her life.
She didn't know why, but her instincts and emotions drove her this way.
Moreover, she had no intention of doing so in the first place. What she had said earlier was only because she didn't want Winnie to get into trouble because of her.
Aesphyra knew that her future path would be extraordinary. She had very few peers whom she truly approved of. Therefore, she didn't want those she approved of to get involved in trouble because of her.
“Winnie, do you know, if I truly thought that way, today's outcome would not be like this.” After a long silence, Aesphyra seemed to finally choose to relent. She didn't look directly at Winnie but at his side.
Aesphyra's words were very metaphorical, but Winnie, who knew some of the original plot, understood.
What Aesphyra meant was that if she truly considered Winnie a scoundrel who wouldn't change, then Winnie wouldn't have lived to see today.
This was the first time Aesphyra had softened her words and taken a step back due to someone's intense emotional fluctuations.
Aesphyra had always been strong in all aspects and had never taken a step back in any way.
“Since that's the case, you don't need to hide it from me, do you?”
“What else? Does Winnie think he can help me?” Aesphyra's words carry a hint of teasing.
Upon careful consideration, it was easy to understand. With the immensely wealthy Galactus family behind her, would Aesphyra lack medical resources? Her family had top alchemists, and the top priests and nuns of the Church of Radiance, and even bishops, might be connected to the Galactus family. Could they not cure Aesphyra?
But the fact was, after a long holiday, Aesphyra's illness was still not cured.
If the Galactus family couldn't do anything, what could Winnie do?
He was a Varelis, but this wasn't something a mere Varelis could solve.
Even if Winnie was an awakened Varelis, it would be of no help.
Her illness stemmed from her ancient imperial bloodline, which was irreversible.
The blood of Carillian was divine blood, and the power of divine blood was unrivaled. Diseases caused by the side effects of divine blood were also the same. Therefore, even holy light could not cure it.
The blood of Varelis was divine blood, but was the blood of Carillian any less than?
Moreover, she knew very well what Winnie's alchemy was like.
If even she, at her level of alchemy, couldn't cure her own illness, leave alone Winnie, or anyone else.
Aesphyra considers herself to have a gap with top alchemists, but not a very large one.
“How do you know if you don't try? Remember what I told you? I, the young master of the Camella Royal Capital, also have connections. I know a very powerful nun from the Church of Radiance...” Seeing that Aesphyra had softened, Winnie continued.
“Winnie, even if you ask Miss Vanessa for help, it will be futile.” However, before Winnie could finish, Aesphyra interrupted.
“Tsk! What Vanessa, what Vanessa. This young master already said I don't know any Vanessa! And how do you know I definitely can't help?” Winnie said unhappily. “What do you take me for? You're looking down on me!”
“Stop the nonsense. Since you don't think so and don't want to tell me your secrets, then I won't ask about that, okay? Who cares about your few little secrets, you miniature little bun? It's like they're precious, like anyone wants to know them.” Winnie gave Aesphyra a sidelong glance and continued.
“Just tell me directly where you're hurt, that's acceptable, right?”
Aesphyra remained silent.
Just as Winnie thought she was stalling, Aesphyra prepared and pointed to her chest, a very subtle movement, almost imperceptible.
Winnie didn't make any more sarcastic comments. In the past, this girl would definitely not have shown weakness to anyone, nor would she have exposed her weaknesses to anyone. She had to make herself seem like a hedgehog to everyone, making them feel that she had no weaknesses and was invincible.
Being able to reveal some things to him in this manner was already a great improvement.
This also indicates that Aesphyra had established initial trust in him, otherwise, she wouldn't have told him this.
“Alright, I understand.” Winnie was about to turn and leave when Aesphyra spoke.
“So, what day is it today? Why are you suddenly concerned about me, Winnie? Usually, when you see me, you look very unhappy, helpless, and speechless, don't you?” Aesphyra teased.
“Tsk, who's concerned about you, you shameless, annoying, miniature little bun?... Didn't you say before that we were friends??” Winnie's voice grew quieter and less confident towards the end, as if uttering this had drained all his shame.
“Towards friends, this young master has always been, um, very loyal!”
“Pfft, pfft.” Aesphyra couldn't help but chuckle.
“What, what are you laughing at? You're the one who said that, aren't you? What right do you have to laugh at me? I'm just repeating what you said.” Aesphyra's laughter instantly angered Winnie.
'Loyalty! This is the principle of a royal capital's young master, don't you understand?" After saying this, Winnie quickened his pace and left the scene.
His emotions fluctuated so much that he didn't notice that he wasn't the only one whose emotions were fluctuating.
'Virtue + 90.'
'Current Virtue: 8824.’