After hearing the introduction of the pink-haired female student, Cherry, I lost my mind for a moment.
The atmosphere she had shown in the fan letters and the atmosphere she was exuding now were quite different. It was almost as if someone else had ghostwritten the letters, that’s how mismatched they seemed. The Cherry from the fan letters was lively, full of energy, and radiated a girlish sensibility, but the Cherry before me was entirely the opposite.
Her voice was devoid of strength, as if she could die at any moment, and her gloomy demeanor seemed to seep into her surroundings, making anyone who looked at her feel uneasy. And on top of that, her bright cherry blossom-colored eyes looked as lifeless as coal.
What on earth could have happened to that child? Could something significant have occurred while exchanging letters? No matter how desperate a person is, they don’t become like this female student named Cherry.
Even bedridden individuals at least sit still, yet Cherry was attending classes. As I mentioned before, she truly resembled a doll that had come to life.
“Roseberry? From the Roseberry Viscount family?”
“Looking at her hair, it seems quite certain, doesn’t it?”
“But there’s something… strange about the feeling. Is she unwell?”
When Cherry revealed her full name, the atmosphere inside the classroom began to stir. The Roseberry Viscount family held significant power even within the Minerva Empire. More than half of the philosophical works published in the Minerva Empire had originated from the Roseberry lineage.
It’s possible that the students’ murmuring was due to her background, but it seems that the atmosphere was unsettling, leading to an awkward response. Even if her face was doll-like and pretty, if her gaze was lifeless, anyone would look at her strangely.
“Okay. Student Cherry. Can you answer my question by any chance?”
“… …”
While the classroom was filled with murmurs, Elena asked Cherry the question once again. As she did, the murmurs from the students also stopped simultaneously, and numerous gazes turned toward Cherry.
I too waited for Cherry’s response while trying to grasp the situation, but she stared at me without blinking once. Upon this, Elena, perhaps displeased with Cherry’s attitude, slightly narrowed her eyes and spoke again.
“Student Cherry?”
“…Yes.”
“I hope you would say you don’t know if you don’t know.”
“…I don’t know.”
Cherry immediately responded to Elena’s words. Her voice still lacked any signs of life.
Elena also seemed to notice something odd about Cherry’s response, as she raised an eyebrow and made a puzzled expression. However, that too was temporary, as she instructed Cherry to take a seat.
Following her instructions, Cherry took a seat, but her gaze toward me remained unchanged. I wanted to ignore it, but the intensity of her gaze made it difficult to brush off.
“Are there any other students? Even if it’s not the right answer, if you clearly explain the cause and result, I will give extra points.”
“Here!”
“Great. What’s the student’s name?”
Elena continued the lecture after that. I stood by her side and quietly watched. Occasionally, a few students would unexpectedly ask me questions, but I was able to answer them easily. Most of it was content from Professor Elena’s lecture, so it was relatively straightforward.
“Originally, history was not just about recording past events and incidents. Everyone has their own history. If you observe in detail what someone has done in the past, you can anticipate what they will do in the future.”
“Well then, Professor. Can I ask just one question?”
“Yes. What’s your question?”
“Just now, there was a discussion about Xenon’s Biography, so I’m talking about that. How do you predict Xenon’s actions? Oh, of course, I mean the author, not the Xenon in the book.”
“Well…”
In response to a student’s question, Elena pressed her fist against her chin and appeared deeply lost in thought. I felt a bit embarrassed that my story had come up for no reason, but I remained silent. Honestly, I’m curious about her answer as well.
When talking with Elena, I focused on history rather than Xenon’s Biography. As history predicts the future through conversations with the past, predicting the actions of a particular person was not that difficult either. Of course, that’s when the subject’s past is clear; if it’s uncertain, predictions are almost impossible.
“Being honest, it’s difficult. There are countless hypotheses about Xenon, but very little has come out clearly. Predicting actions based solely on someone’s achievements is truly challenging.”
“So, how should we interpret historical figures whose records have been lost? Sometimes their actions seem inconsistent.”
“What’s the student’s name?”
“It’s Michael Destora.”
With no middle name, he’s presumably of common birth. He gives a neat impression with his well-groomed appearance, although not extraordinarily handsome, he exuded a warm atmosphere.
Elena’s smile showed she was pleased with Michael’s question. After all, questions like that come from people with deep curiosity, and as a professor, she would naturally appreciate them.
“That’s a truly excellent question, Michael. I’ll give you extra credit for it.”
“Really? Oh, thank you.”
“As Michael’s question implies, history often involves periods where records are lost. Why? Because history is recorded by humans, not gods. While history should always be objective, ironically, it’s influenced by human subjectivity. Especially in cases where records have vanished…”
Elena began to explain with earnestness in response to Michael’s question. I stood next to her, quietly listening to her explanations.
However, despite that, there was something bothering me the most – Cherry. I wondered if she was still observing me. When I shifted my gaze, she was staring fixedly.
I couldn’t figure out what kind of interest I had sparked that made her look at me like that. Is having red hair really that fascinating?
‘She won’t follow me later, will she?’
Then, how should I react? I couldn’t bring myself to ignore her, so I met her gaze.
Even though Cherry and I locked eyes, she didn’t avoid my gaze at all. For no reason, I felt a bit uneasy and lowered my head, and only then did she show a reaction.
Blink
Slowly blinking her eyes. Her lips also subtly changed, with an expression that seemed to hold curiosity.
In response, I let out a bitter smile and turned my head toward Elena. For now, I intended to focus on the lecture.
I’ll consider Cherry’s situation gradually, but I won’t postpone it. How could I ignore someone who had sent passionate fan letters to me?
Because of my unease, I can’t help but be interested. I’ll watch for a while, but if I see any ominous signs, I’ll intervene immediately.
“Today’s lecture ends here. Great job, everyone. Isaac.”
“Great job, everyone. We’ll count on you in the future.”
As time passed, the lecture came to an end. Elena and I headed out of the classroom, listening to the enthusiastic applause from the students.
The hallway was bustling with students, perhaps from another class that had already finished. It’s different from last year, and my mood has become oddly complex in this changed situation.
“Definitely different from last year. Last year, when I went outside, it was completely empty.”
“That’s true.”
“But hey, do you happen to know the person with the pink hair?”
In response to Elena’s question, I shook my head from side to side. I wasn’t even surprised, as they had anticipated such a question coming.
“No, we’re meeting for the first time. I don’t understand why you’re asking.”
“Hmm… really? Her eyes seemed lifeless, and she looked anxious as if she had depression… Do you know anything about the Roseberry family?”
“Elena, you don’t know?”
“I’m an elf, you see. I might know about history, but I’m not particularly interested in how human society works. Besides, since you’re also a noble, you might know, don’t you think?”
“I really don’t know. From what I’ve heard, they’re a family centered around philosophy, but I don’t know much beyond that.”
It seems like she also sensed that something was off about the atmosphere surrounding Cherry. Upon hearing my response, Elena seemed to be deeply contemplating something. She looked at the front in silence and then shrugged her shoulders.
“Well, that person probably has a reason to be interested in you. Maybe she finds your red hair or golden eyes intriguing. Did you feel the gazes directed at your head earlier?”
“Rather than that, there seemed to be more gazes directed at you, Professor. After all, you’re an elf.”
“Is that so? Anyway, how was the lecture? Was it easy?”
“It was manageable, I suppose.”
“From now on, you just need to do that. There are classes for the 2nd year tomorrow, so today, read books in the lab and then go.”
“Understood…”
Twak-
“Ugh!”
In the moment I was about to respond, I couldn’t help but pause as something tightly grabbed my hair. Already, because of Mora, my forcibly grown hair would occasionally get caught on something. I thought it might be the same reason now, but it felt different. It was as if someone had grabbed the hair tied together as one.
With many people passing by in the hallway, it could have been a prank. I turned around, grimacing at the pain that felt like my scalp was being peeled off. If it was a prank, I planned to scold them with a sharp remark. However, as soon as I turned around, I couldn’t help but be terrified.
“…Huh?”
“… …”
The first thing that caught my eye was the pink hair. Adding to that, as my gaze lowered, I saw the decayed pink irises like fermented tofu, the doll-like pretty face, and lastly, even the ample chest that the winter uniform couldn’t hide. Cherry Blossom Raspberry, it was her. With one hand holding my hair tied together, she was looking up at me. The deep, deep pupils felt incredibly frightening.
“What are you… Student Cherry?”
Elena also seemed momentarily puzzled by my hesitation. However, as soon as she saw the pink hair, her eyes widened. Even while doing so, Cherry did not release her hold on my hair and continued to gaze at me intently.
Momentarily taken aback by this, I called out to her with an affectionate voice, suppressing my confusion.
“…What’s the matter? Student Cherry.”
“…Red.”
Cherry blinked her eyes slowly and opened her mouth. There was no liveliness in her like a living person speaking; instead, it was as if a doll was uttering the words.
Red, she said. What could be the meaning behind saying “red”? Neither Elena nor I showed any reaction that could make sense of it.
During this time, Cherry stared at my face for a while and then shifted her gaze down toward my hair. Afterward, she gazed intently, blinked once, and then rummaged through the pocket of her school uniform with empty hands.
Muttering again, she took out a small glass bottle no larger than a finger. It was sealed with a cork, making it look quite convenient for preservation.
However, what was stored inside was enough to send chills down my spine and beyond. Because…
“Uh…”
Inside the glass bottle was a single, thin strand of hair. And that hair was distinctly red.
When I couldn’t wrap my head around why that was inside the glass bottle, Cherry opened her mouth with her peculiarly gloomy voice.
“It’s from the letter.”
“… …”
“This is also red.”
Continuing, she alternated her gaze between my hair and the strand of hair stored inside the glass bottle, then smirked.
“Author Xenon?”
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