My pupils constricted.
This golden hair…
It cannot be…
All the malicious thoughts in my mind were immediately banished, replaced by a dazed puzzlement.
It was only when the girl took a step forward did I snap back to my senses, scrambling to get my act together.
I immediately changed my face— to a face of some random girl I had glimpsed in my class—except I adjusted some minor features on her face, just so that Asura, someone who most likely memorized all the names and faces in the academy, would not recognize me.
She won't recognize me for sure!
SHE CAN'T RECOGNIZE ME.
I can't let her…
If she knows what I did…
W-W-Will she keep her distance from now on?
Will she think I'm strange?
Will she…
WILL SHE ABANDON ME?
At the moment, I had nothing in my mind except to prevent her from knowing what I had done.
As long as she doesn't find out.
As long as she doesn't find out.
Then it'll be fine.
As long as she doesn't sense my magic.
Those were my thoughts as I transformed my face into one of innocence and confusion when the figure finally turned around.
Her eyes were filled with shock, but I didn't see since my head was lowered.
Then, upon lifting my head, my eyes widened—it wasn't an act. Asura… her eyes… they were puffy? And that redness under her eyes… No matter how you look at it, it was clear that she had been crying.
For a second, I wanted to run over and grab her by the shoulders, nuzzle my head into her chest and coerce her to tell me who had bullied her, bully that person a million times harder and protect Asura so that she never cries again.
But soon, I woke up.
I've already thrown away my identity as 'Lancera Hall.'
I'm not Lancera, who is able to do that. I'm someone else, a stranger that Asura doesn't know.
Biting my tongue to prevent my throbbing heart from spilling my true desires, I uttered out at last, "Miss Asura?" with my feet stuck in place.
"M-My! Nice COINCIDENCE meeting you here, um... Lady... " It seemed that Asura was quite dazed; perhaps she hadn't gotten over the events that made her cry, I speculated in worry.
Still, I didn't let any of my distraught feelings show and finished the sentence for her in a detached yet respectful manner, "It's Caroline, Miss Asura. I'm the adopted daughter of Baron Baske."