Ardark Academy—A few days later after the incident in Whitage City.
Today was the day of the academy's reopening and the year students advance to the next grade. Elizabeth is going to be in the second year of class A. While she hasn't managed to make any friends at all, she had passed with full marks. On top of that, she was able to impress her Dark Magic professor with her abilities. She never got the chance to show her necromancer abilities since that's only taught later on in her school career. Regardless, she learned a lot. It's a miracle she could even control her mana to cast spells on her own without the need for tutoring. This alone made her the professor's favorite pupil.
Elizabeth should've felt happy about this and be looking forward to the year ahead but that wasn't on her mind right now…
"I wasn't able to do anything…!"
She screamed into her pillow as she kicked the bed.
Her (self-assigned) job was looking for the one trying to kill Arnold but she knew next to nothing about the person besides her name. Elizabeth already confirmed the surname Ruria uses is fake, as said by Sebastian.
While she did enjoy socializing with people in Whitage city when she helped out at the "branding center", she still felt useless even after confidently promising herself that she'll stop Ruria. The most important thing to do was find out why Ruria wants Arnold dead.
There were no leads. Sebastian said that if an assassin is able to cover their tracks so that not even he could investigate, it means they're from a notoriously dangerous family.
Three Great Crime Families… Terrorized the continent through Holy Year HE369 to 378…
And Ruria is from one of them.
Elizabeth was powerless—how could she hope to challenge such a family on her own? And here she was thinking she could impress Arnold by defeating the ones trying to kill him…
A knock came from the door, but before she could get up, the door opened.
"Good morning." Grace was the one who entered, dressed in her academy uniform, "Hmm, smells strongly of herbs."
"A-Ah! Good Morning!"
"My, don't you look pretty." Grace came over to the bed and pulled the sulking Elizabeth up.
"N-No, there's no way that's true…"
"Oh, come on! You need to have confidence in the event that this can never be cured!" Grace said with a smile, though the contents were quite harsh in context.
Basically, Elizabeth wants to go to class without her baggy black clothes—yes, as a normal teenage girl dressed in a skirt, long socks, a shirt and a blazer.
She doesn't have to worry about the sun since she still had that umbrella Grace gave her.
Her silky jet-black hair rested gently on her back and bangs were swept to the left side of her face with a hairclip holding it together.
Her condition hasn't improved at all, so in the event that there is no cure, it's something she will just have to accept.
"Even though your hair is so smooth and silky, you don't seem to put any effort into it." Grace pushed her towards the mirror and set a chair down for her.
"Uhm, this isn't…"
"Necessary? No one wants an unkempt girl—especially not Arnold."
"W-Why did you suddenly bring him up…" she blushed but no one would be able to tell, of course.
"I know you used his mother's authority as professor to get this room. What a coincidence for the room to be vacant at the exact same time, hm?"
She said "that's not true" in a small voice that sounded like a mouse squeak.
"The sponsorship contract that Professor Adrianna gave you should've had 'use my name around the academy if need be'. But you misunderstood this as 'use her name to scare student so that I can get closer to my crush.'"
"…."
"Oh, don't worry. I won't say anything—even if it is a bad thing to do. That poor roommate of Arnold now has to rent an inn every day. Everyone must be so confused by you being here even though there is a vacant spot in the female dorm."
"There… is?"
"It opened recently since… Rachel isn't in the dorms anymore."
"Ah, isn't Miss Rachel your friend? I heard the two of you are… inseparable."
"Here I thought you were a loner who didn't really care about other people's relationships but it seems you pay attention, hm? Rachel's financial situation hasn't been stable for quite a while before her cousin's family took her in. The Golden City might just see a change of leadership and government one of these days since the current leadership can't keep it afloat anymore. It's quite surprising how there haven't been any riots and how soldiers are still protecting their lords even though funds have dried up."
Grace shook her head then began brushing Elizabeth's hair, "Enough about others—how are you planning on breaking the big question to him?"
"W-What do you mean?"
"Don't play dumb. How are you planning to woo Arnold?"
Elizabeth's breath caught. She gripped her skirt. "That's… impossible."
"Of course it would be," Grace said plainly, "since you're so timid and devoid of confidence."
"T-That's not the reason!" Elizabeth lifted her eyes to the mirror, locking onto the reflection. "Look at me."
The girl in the mirror looked like something out of a nightmare. Her face, marred by dry, patchy skin like a half-burnt corpse, barely resembled anything human. She had scented leaves on her face to mask the smell that made her face feel even weirder that usual.
"Even if I somehow made him fall for me—which is impossible—we could never have a normal relationship! My body's disgusting… How are we supposed to be intimate? And if this condition is something that passes on to our children…"
Her voice cracked. "I'd rather be alone than do that to anyone else."
Grace didn't say anything at first. Then: "If you're that afraid… why are you still trying?"
Elizabeth blinked.
"Why do you want people to think you've accepted yourself? Is it because you believe confident girls are more desirable?"
"…That's not it." Her voice trembled. Her fingers reached up and brushed along the edge of her cheek, over the scaly surface. "This is a burden I have to carry… Even if he doesn't love me, even if no one ever does, I don't want to live the rest of my life afraid of my own face. My condition worsens in the sun but I can hide myself with umbrellas or thick clothes."
The mirror showed no tears, but she felt them.
"But I don't want to live hiding behind scarves and gloves. I don't want to keep thinking I'm less than human just because people stare when I walk into a room."
Grace's brush stilled.
"So that's why you never show your face?"
Elizabeth gave a slight nod.
In the shade of the school buildings, the sun wasn't the issue so why would she still wear her baggy clothes and hide her face?
Even in class, she sat at the back corner, hood drawn low. Never spoke. Never volunteered. She didn't eat in front of others, didn't change in shared rooms. The instructors had made special accommodations—not out of kindness, but necessity. Any attempt to make her live like the other students could lead to episodes. Fear. Panic. Self-hate. This happened to many students who had similar problems to her fitting into society. Even the ones with bright futures lived difficult lives or ended up taking the easy way out because they couldn't stand society's reaction to them.
In Elizabeth's eyes, every other girl was normal. And she was the outlier—a walking disease held together by denial and shame.
"Elizabeth, have you ever wondered why I come see you every day? Have you never thought to yourself, maybe Grace wants to use me?"
"…A-A few times… S-Sorry, I just didn't think we would stay in contact this long…"
"Hmm, I didn't either. But now that we know who is after Arnold, that's kind of like the bond we share, no?"
"…It was for that reason, huh…"
Why else would Grace still tolerate being near Elizabeth. She probably wanted to use—
"Ow!?" she felt her hair being pulled.
"I know what you're thinking. But dispel all those doubts. Let me tell you straight—I want to be your friend. You remember the story I told you back then? About the girl who died, isolated from the entire world?"
"Ah…"
"I don't want you to die like that. I can't be around forever, so I need you to stand on your own two feet. So what if people don't accept you for what you are? So what if they make you cry? Just come to me and tell me who hurt you. I might not be as strong as Arnold, who you would prefer to rescue you in times of danger, but I have other strengths that no one else has. Of course, I can't do anything about the sun." she chuckled.
"—What a good friend you are, Grace. Or is that really your intentions?"
A voice came from outside the room, right in front of the door. It sounded like a man.
"D-Did you lock the door?"
"Well, we can't just have someone like the cleaning staff coming into the room while you're trying to get ready, can we?"
"T-Thanks…" Elizabeth smiled a little at Grace's kindness toward her.
"I'll get it. You just stay there."
"Okay…"
The moment she opened the door, Grace was met with a tall, imposing figure, its powerful golden eyes staring into the depths of her soul.
"A-Arnold?"
Grace seemed to know who it is despite this person's appearance not matching his.
"W-Why do you—"
"Look like this? It's a long story."
The moment Elizabeth heard who it was, she bolted behind the dresser and hid herself, trembling like a small mouse.
'H-He didn't see me, right?'
"Smells like herbs. Are you making a potion, Grace? That's not allowed in the dorms, you know."
"…Can you finish what you're here to do and leave quickly?"
"Alright, alright. Just here to fetch my blazer—Hm? A black sweater? Why is it on my bed?"
'AAAAAAAAAHHHHH! I left it there after I slept in his bed last night!!!!!'
She wanted to run there to grab it but was her legs were trembling too much. Her heart wasn't ready to show Arnold what she looked like.
"Who knows? Your roommate probably threw it there since your side was free for months. Where were you?" Grace asked.
"Oh? Since when do you care about me?"
"I'm not asking to satiate my curiosity…"
"Is this about Lizette?"
"Who?"
"Elizabeth's fake name. I'm quite surprised she's still using it. It's even on our door."
'I-I should update my name later this week…'
At first, she was too shy to reveal who she really was since the two of them had history. With who she is now, she was afraid of his reaction to meeting her again. There was also the fact that she is James Caervil's daughter, the same guy who almost killed the Berkley Family so many would show hostility towards her.
Why did she think it would work out? She's extremely clumsy so even if he didn't figure it out, she would've messed up anyway.
'Didn't I give my real name to that butler? I'm so stupid!!!'
While she was lamenting on her clumsiness, Arnold and Grace continued speaking.
"So… how long have the two of you been friends?"
"We recently found out we share similar interests and know some things others don't. It shouldn't be surprising that a connection would form, no?"
Friends… Something Elizabeth has never had—that is, until she met Arnold. That kind boy who never looked at her funny or mocked her condition.
She never really yearned for a friend, only a place in society to be together with him. Besides finding out how her mother died and him, everything else was secondary.
"Is that so."
"What? Do you doubt me?"
"Well, Elizabeth is a talented dark magician user. Anyone who pays attention to her abilities in class should be able to see this. But as most loners, she's ignored by the world, probably only acknowledged by her teachers. What dark magician user in her grade do you know can control dead animals?"
"…Necromancy is only taught in the fifth year so no one."
Grace didn't give any reaction to finding out Elizabeth could use necromancy. How long has she known about it!?
"You don't make friends. You collect tools. Real friendship doesn't factor into it at all. Aside from Rachel, I guess. But Rachel is an open book who is easy to manipulate so you feel comfortable around her. Growing up in a noble environment has clouded your jugdement of people."
"You think I'm using Elizabeth because she's also an open book?" Grace arched an eyebrow, still composed.
"I know how you operate. You observe, calculate, and then decide if someone's worth aligning with. You know what, I think you'd fit right in with the Imperial Faction."
Grace chuckled softly. "My, such harsh words. You know I don't get along with any of the royal sisters. In any case, I won't attempt to correct the misunderstanding."
"Is that your way of denying what I said?"
"Maybe it's my way of acknowledging that you see the world through a very narrow lens. People can change, you know! Look at you, for example! No more tantrums over small things, bullying juniors or messing with the professors. My, how you have grown. I feel like a proud mother."
"A snake can always lie about shedding its skin." Arnold replied.
"I'm the snake, am I?"
"Why would you suddenly stop being you?" he stepped closer and leaned forward, meeting her face to face, "That's your only set of skills in a world dominated by people like me, right? A normal human who uses puppets."
She remained silent.
"What would you do if I punched you right now? Will your newest puppet try to protect you? Have you conditioned her to ask how high when you tell her to jump?"
"No need to get violent. You can simply finish your business here and leave—I, on the other hand, am just trying to cheer Elizabeth up for what's to come." Grace then smirked, "Or are you antagonizing me this much because you actually care about her?"
"…That's right. Elizabeth shouldn't be friends with someone like you."
"My, my. There's the honesty! I was hoping the two of us could rekindle our bond again but that seems impossible if you doubt me this much."
The two of them looked at each other—Arnold's eyes cold and figure twice as tall and large than Grace and her expression composed and arms folded with a smug glint in her eyes.
From a third party's perspective, it seemed as if these two were fighting with words but neither relented and gave the other an advantage. If this continued, their exchanged would probably last an eternity.
"S-Stop…. St… Stop it…" Elizabeth stepped out from her hiding place, eyes glued to the floor and legs trembling. She wanted to put her hands to her face to hide it but didn't find the courage to do anything else than coming out and speaking feebly.
"Huh?" Arnold's surprise sounded genuine then.
This is, after all, the first time he's seen the current her for what she really looked like.
"S-She's… Miss Grace… is my friend…!"
"Elizabeth…"
"…She… She never asked me for anything and tried to cheer me on even though I never had confidence!" eyes closed and voce trembling, she screamed at Arnold, "She's not a bad person at all! If Miss Rachel were here, then she would agree that Miss Grace is the best friend any girl could ask for!"
Her scream could probably be heard from the hallways since these rooms aren't exactly soundproof. How does she know this? Well, every other night she hears a boy and girl have sex right next to her. If not their moans, then the creaking of a bed.
Before she opened her eyes, footsteps approached her. They sounded heavy and felt powerful so it was definitely Arnold's.
She felt a hand on the top of her head.
"Don't get so worked up about it."
"Arnold was trying to taunt me just like when we were children, which never works by the way."
'Eh? Eh? Both of them are smiling?'
Elizabeth was confused.
She knew the two were childhood friends but… it looked as if they were at each other's throats just earlier but are now smiling…
"So—" Arnold's deep, manly voice made her feel butterflies in her stomach. The cologne coming from his body was also making Elizabeth dizzy.
"Today is the day you show the world what you look like under your clothes."
She couldn't lift up his head to look at him in the eye. But she noticed Grace smiling at her in the reflection of the mirror right next to Arnold.
Taking a deep breath, she lifted her head.
"D-Do you really remember me… from that time?" she phrased the question awkwardly and was about to correct it.
"Yeah. The girl who always got bullied for how she looked. It was the second time I saved someone from bullies."
"I-Is that so… Uhm, back then, we made a… a promise… To always—"
"Stick together even until the day your condition is cured."
"Y-You remembered that too…" her voice trembled.
"You thought of your condition like some type of chain that binds me to you."
"E-Eh? No, that's not it—"
"I wasn't friends with you out of pity, if that doubt still lingered in your mind. Back then, I used to care about friendships."
Grace made a remark: "Was hitting your peers one a way of showing your interest?"
He ignored her, "I didn't stay friends you with you because of some noble goal of curing your disease either. It never mattered to me."
"…"
"But there were times I used to wonder what you really looked like."
"?"
"Your mother, she was a beautiful woman. She was admired by every single noble woman for her charm, personality and the energy she brought to every conversation. Even though she was a mere servant, they used to call her to their tables during parties, not to act like some jester but to admire her up close. I observed her from afar but felt that her charm rubbed off on me as well." He then scoffed, "I promised to myself one day that I would make her daughter my wife. If such beauty wasn't in my hands, it would be a waste."
"Creepy~" Grace made another remark.
He ignored her again, "I never got that beauty and it frustrated me. Maybe that's why I was so interested in Lauran, who radiated that same exotic beauty you can't find anywhere else."
Elizabeth looked up.
He looked sad.
It was a genuine sadness that she could make out in his eyes. She clenched her fists until her arms trembled.
A desire burned within her to give him that beauty.
That's why…
"I-I'm sorry…" she apologized as tears streamed down her face, "I'm sorry for not being born as the angel you wanted… I'm sorry for looking ugly…!"
"H-Huh? Elizabeth?" Grace was taken aback by this reaction.
It truly was a strange reaction.
But not to her. No one but Elizabeth could understand her true feelings.
All this time, she wished to be with him, praying to Melis that the two of them could be together, but at the same time, he wished for the same thing…?
She was elated. Elated but… sad. She wanted to give him everything he wanted—her beauty, her loyalty, her body—everything.
If she could give him these things, he would love her, right?
He just admitted that he wanted to have such beauty in his hands, otherwise it would be wasted.
But... that's just impossible? Why do the Gods deny her the duty she wants to uphold?
She felt her hand being grabbed "!?"
"Don't you want to see your mother's beauty again, Elizabeth?"
She probably looked very ugly in that moment. But his expression was gentle, as if the freak in front of him was just any ordinary girl.
"…" she wanted to respond but the tears flowed again, as sadness tugged her heart.
Even if she said yes, it would be impossible to see that beauty again.
As if he thought she didn't hear him, he asked another question, "Don't you want to give me that beauty, Elizabeth?"
The question resonated deep in her mind. Visions of their time as lovers flashed in her mind, but with her face blurred out. But her hair was still shiny and silky. However, her skin was fair and perfect, like her mother's.
Elizabeth felt her mouth move but she probably worded her feelings before her mind could even register.
He suddenly put something in her hand upon hearing her answer.
There was a smile on his face.
"Then… kill yourself for that beauty, Elizabeth. Kill yourself... for me."
The world stopped for her.
For me…
For me…
For me…
Her heart surged with purpose, hesitation a stranger to her.
And before the part of her that could scream had time to awaken—
She plunged the blade into her chest.
There was no hesitation.
Grace screamed but Elizabeth couldn't hear her "friend's" cries.
A sickening crack of ribs. A wet snap of flesh.
The pain was instant as her knees buckled and she collapsed to the floor, convulsing. Blood poured from her mouth and chest in ribbons of crimson, her eyes rolling back—
But her lips formed one final shape:
A smile.
Isn't death… also a type of beauty?