Merim was watching over the students when he noticed Hresha approaching. He didn't hide the sourness on his face as he expected her to 'harass' him as usual. However, when she reached him, he was surprised to hear her greet-
"Good morning, Sir Merim."
"???"
Hresha's face was glowing and her temperament was totally different from the annoying woman he knew back then. It was as if this was a different person.
Who are you, what did you do to that bitch?
Merim wanted to ask but stopped himself. He's mature enough to adapt and tolerate, thus, since Hresha greeted him quite politely, he had to return it.
"Good morning to you too, Madam Hresha."
But of course, he didn't believe that a person can change so quickly. Except for one he knows, who changed from a pitiful child to a fearful demon, everyone takes time to change. Therefore, in his mind, this was a trap or that this woman is just too good in the mood to have this kind of attitude.
"Don't be so guarded around me, Merim. I'm guessing you think I'm different now, right?"
Hresha said as if she saw through him.
"... maybe."
"Don't worry, this is not an act or a phase. I'm quite different from now on which I hope to continue improving. I just want to apologize for my childish behavior towards you for the last year or so."
Ignoring Merim's sarcasm, Hresha apologized with a smile.
A bead of sweat trickled from Merim's forehead. In his life, Hresha was like a sister he never wanted. He was at least grateful that she was actually not his sister. For her to change this much, what actually happened, he wonder?
But just as he was thinking about it, a group of students came to them. Merim squinted his eyes when he saw who this group was.
"Goodmorning, Madam Hresha, Sir Merim, we would like to ask something if you wouldn't mind."
Kurtan made a respectful gesture as his groupmates nodded to follow his greeting.
"What is it?"
Hresha mildly asked, making Kurtan's group slightly puzzled as well. But it's not like they know this Academy Elite that much to notice the difference so they just ignored it.
"I'm sorry if I'm going to offend you with this question, but this child here, disappeared from our tent which we specifically asked him not to until we're awake due to safety reasons. After asking a valid reason for his disobedience, he reasons that you, Madam Hresha, took him in the tent to let him rest. We just want to ask for validation."
Kurtan smiled and his groupmates. However, behind those smiles, they were already plotting something. They knew that Hresha was someone who wouldn't take offense lightly. She's a conservative and high-class woman on top of that. Even if Elihim is just a child, he's just a beggar, so she shouldn't let him in.
In their heads, Elihim was blatantly lying. By asking this, it would offend Hresha and she will have to punish this beggar for roping her into his lie, dirtying her image.
"Cough... cough..."
Upon hearing what Kurtan just asked, Merim began coughing with widened eyes.
No way! He thought.
"A-are you okay, Sir Merim?" Wey asked with worried eyes, however, she didn't touch him.
"I'm okay, I'm just a bit... shock."
Merim said which 'affirmed' the Kurtan group's plan.
Sir Merim reacted this way so it really just means that he doubted it! They thought.
Meanwhile, Hresha glanced at Elihim with a 'you told them' face. Seeing his 'innocent' reaction, she just has to play with it. But not that it was a lie thought.
"Yes, I let him sleep in my tent, is there a problem?"
"So the kid is lyin... huh?" Kurtan stopped as he processed what he just heard.
"I said I let the kid sleep with me, are you turning deaf ears to me?"
Hresha lifted an eyebrow while Merim combusted into coughing.
"No-no-no! I wouldn't dare, Madam Hresha...! T-then, we just confirmed that the kid is not lying so we'll let him go."
Kurtan said while sweating. If he was to offend Hresha in the end, not only that he would not gain something, he would also lose!
Therefore, the best choice was to retreat. Although Merim seemed to be acting strange, they didn't dare dilly-dally and immediately skedaddle after they respectfully said goodbye.
After they were gone, Merim looked at Hresha with strange eyes. He wanted to ask something but if he was wrong, he will be the one who started the fire he thought was already lit.
"Is something wrong?"
Although Hresha didn't know the true relationship between Merim and Elihim, she remember that she only gave attention to Eliim because of Merim's strange attitude towards the kid. Even now, he was reacting abnormally.
She looked around first before telling him,
"Follow me."
Merim frowned and followed her. Once they were a bit far from the campsite, Hresha asked Merim straight to the point.
"What do you know about the kid?"
"... what do you mean?"
Merim acted dumb but Hresha immediately saw through it. It shouldn't be just a mere coincidence that Elihim, the mysterious child, is being treated differently by the usually indifferent Merim.
"I already know that there's something with that kid. As you heard, I've slept with him and talked to him."
Gulp*
'A monster!'
Merim thought. He was unable to comprehend how an eight-year-old got his thing working and successfully used it to such a 'high-class' woman!
Oblivious to Hresha, Merim was already aware of Elihim's maturity. If he took fancy of Hresha, that wouldn't be surprising, but to get to that stage this early? Merim could just think that the two 'sleeping together' was an innuendo because of Elihim's mysteriousness.
However, Hresha's mind was on another matter that she failed to see through Merim's thought this time.
"Fine, I know something about the child named Elihim. However, trust me, I know more than how much you learned from him for an... entire night. Therefore, tell me the extent of your knowledge regarding him first."
Merim surrendered first cautiously. If he continued playing dumb in this case, he would actually be dumb.