Ellaria heard the clear sound of the door opening downstairs, and her heart tightened. She immediately hurried toward the stairs on the second floor and looked down.
Sure enough, Kefi and Mia were back! Kefi was holding a box of what was clearly newly purchased fever medicine, rushing toward the stairs with worry for her teacher written all over her face.
Mia, who followed behind her, looked anxious and helpless. She was trying everything she could to delay Kefi.
“Kefi, wait! Um… maybe Teacher is already asleep. Won’t we wake her up if we go up so abruptly? Let’s just leave the medicine here for now. It will be the same if she takes it when she wakes up…”
“Look, is the packaging on this box a bit wrinkled? Should we go back and exchange it for a new one?”
Mia racked her brain for excuses, but her tone was so unnatural that even she felt awkward.
But… she really had no better reason to stop Kefi!
If she continued to block her so obviously, Kefi would definitely think she was being very strange — why keep stopping her from giving medicine to the sick Teacher Sefina?
‘But Teacher Sefina… she doesn’t have a fever at all right now! She is in her room… Oh, goodness! What should I do?!’
Mia’s heart was as anxious as an ant on a hot griddle, but she could only watch helplessly as Kefi broke free from her grasp and firmly stepped up the stairs, one step at a time.
Just as Kefi was about to step onto the second-floor landing, where she could already see Teacher Sefina’s tightly closed bedroom door, Ellaria appeared at the right time.
She blocked the top of the stairs, forcing a calm smile onto her face as she tried to smooth things over.
“Ah… um… Kefi, there’s no need to go up.”
“Eh? Princess Ellaria? Teacher is…” Kefi’s footsteps halted, her face full of confusion. Her gaze fell on Ellaria’s face, and she suddenly noticed something unusual. “And… Princess, your face… why is it so red?”
Indeed, because of that heart-pounding misunderstanding and close contact earlier, the flush on Ellaria’s cheeks had not yet fully subsided.
In fact, it had become even more vivid due to her nervousness, looking completely different from her usual elegant and indifferent image.
Seeing this, Mia’s heart skipped a beat. She immediately jumped in to save the situation, speaking with an exaggerated tone.
“Ah! Is the Princess also feeling too hot? I feel so hot too! Haha, it’s really strange. Even though the weather cooled down long ago, the temperature seems to have suddenly risen again today.”
“It’s so stifling when you’re wearing too many clothes. My face is even red from the heat!”
As she spoke, she fanned herself with her hand while quickly signaling Ellaria with her eyes to follow her lead.
Mia guessed that Princess Ellaria’s blushing was likely related to Teacher Sefina. She probably saw something she shouldn’t have… or something else… but it was definitely related to Teacher Sefina.
Receiving the signal, Ellaria hurriedly stammered along with Mia’s words. “Ye — yes… the weather is too hot.”
Her tone carried a hint of nervousness and guilt, and her eyes were a bit shifty.
Kefi looked at the two of them playing along with each other, then at Ellaria’s unnatural blush and flickering eyes. Doubts began to sprout in her heart.
‘Hot weather? Today is clearly a cool autumn day…’
But seeing that both Ellaria and Mia said so, she still reluctantly nodded and temporarily suppressed her questions.
Then, she looked at Ellaria again and asked, “Princess Ellaria, why did you say there’s no need to bring medicine to Teacher Sefina? Has her fever broken?”
Ellaria’s brain worked at high speed, frantically searching for any reasonable excuse.
Suddenly, she had a flash of inspiration and said, “Because… actually… I just found some spare fever medicine in Teacher’s drawer and already prepared it for her. She said she’s very tired and wants to sleep for a while, so she asked us not to disturb her.”
Ellaria tried her best to make her tone sound certain.
“Is that so… Teacher prepared her own medicine?” Kefi murmured, half-believing.
“Mm! Yes!” Seeing Kefi hesitate, Ellaria nodded frantically to strengthen her persuasiveness.
Mia also quickly chimed in from the side.
“Since Teacher Sefina has already taken the medicine and gone to sleep, let’s not disturb her! Letting her rest well is the most important thing! Let’s call it a day and head back together, haha!”
As she spoke, she stepped forward to pull Kefi away. Both of their attitudes revealed a sense of urgency to leave.
Kefi scanned Ellaria and Mia’s faces back and forth. After hesitating for a moment, she finally nodded. “Okay, let’s head back then.”
Thus, the three of them left Sefina’s Villa, each with their own thoughts. Mia and Ellaria walked in front, their steps light as if they had been relieved of a heavy burden.
Kefi followed behind them, her brow slightly furrowed as she looked at their backs.
‘Are we really… just going back like this?’
When they reached the fork in the road leading to the dormitory district and the commercial district, Kefi suddenly stopped and said to the two in front of her, “Ah, I just remembered that I still need to go buy some stationery. You guys go back first.”
Mia and Ellaria didn’t suspect her. They nodded and left toward the dormitory district.
Watching them walk away, the expression on Kefi’s face immediately became serious.
‘This is too abnormal! Mia and Princess Ellaria’s behavior is strange no matter how I think about it! They are definitely hiding something regarding Teacher Sefina!’
‘The suspicious blushing and the stammering explanations… they must be keeping something from me!’
Moreover, Mia had desperately tried to stop her, which was uncharacteristic, and Princess Ellaria was the same.
A strong sense of curiosity and a faint, hidden worry drove Kefi to make a decision.
She took a deep breath, turned around, and quietly returned to Teacher Sefina’s Villa the way she came.
Kefi carefully pushed open the ajar door and tiptoed into the silent living room.
Then, she stepped up the stairs one by one, making as little noise as possible, and returned to the second-floor corridor where Teacher Sefina’s bedroom was located.
The corridor was silent, and Teacher Sefina’s door was still tightly closed.
Kefi held her breath and gently pressed her ear against the door panel, wanting to hear what was happening inside.
‘If Teacher really is asleep, it should be very quiet inside. Maybe I really was overthinking things, and I can leave in peace.’
Kefi reached out, intending to try tapping on the door gently or asking in a low voice, “Teacher Sefina, are you asleep?”
If there was no response, she would assume she was indeed being paranoid and sneak back.
However, just a moment before her fingertips touched the door panel —
A series of heart-pounding, intermittent gasps drifted out from the crack of the door, clearly reaching Kefi’s ears.
Kefi’s body froze instantly, her eyes widened involuntarily, and the color drained from her face.
‘This sound is…’