Bad Born Blood - Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Kalesa Kano waited for us in the chess room.

I glanced at the neatly stacked chessboards and pieces lined up against the wall. Nobles often indulged in old-world pastimes, with chess being among their favorites. While chess is a game of skilll, its purpose here seemed more social than competitive.

“If not for Giselle’s request, I wouldn’t have met with you like this.”

Kalesa spoke while seated in a chair with her back to the window. On either side of her stood two female students like attendants. In this small chess room, she seemed to be playing queen, a clear display of her power-hungry-nature.

“If not for Giselle, I’d have started this conversation by kicking your face in.”

I smiled as I spoke. Kalesa’s face hardened instantly.

Crunch.

Giselle stepped on my foot and shot me a fierce glare.

“…The fact that you both agreed to meet must mean you’re willing to reconcile, right?”

Giselle positioned herself between me and Kalesa as she spoke.

“I’m willing to accept an apology—if that thing grovels first.”

Kalesa crossed her arms and cast a sharp look my way.

“An apology? I’d have to be in the wrong first. All I did was help the dormitory manager.”

“You butted in without knowing anything. That wench Barbara was trying to steal my boyfriend.”

I remembered hearing about this from Enrico.

‘The reason Kalesa started bullying Barbara.’

Her boyfriend had grown close to Barbara, only to get caught up in the “Android Rampage” incident. Since then, Kalesa harbored a deep grudge against Barbara. That was the surface-level story.

“If I were your boyfriend, I’d run away too—you’re terrifying. Someone sweet like Barbara would be much better.”

I deliberately provoked her. Kalesa slammed her hands on the table and shot to her feet.

“You worthless insect!”

Her shrill voice stabbed my eardrums like needles.

“Calm down, Kalesa.”

Giselle’s voice was calm but firm. Kalesa, face flushed with rage, jabbed her finger in my direction.

“But this little bastard dared to—”

However, she couldn’t finish her sentence under Giselle’s cold, piercing gaze. Sweating nervously, Kalesa averted her eyes.

“Are you planning to ignore what I just said?”

Giselle’s overwhelming presence silenced her.

‘So, it’s true.’

Not even someone as volatile as Kalesa dared to defy Giselle.

‘In the end, Kalesa will reconcile with me while saving face.’

Kalesa couldn’t go against Giselle’s will. I’d wanted to confirm this.

‘Something felt off from the moment Giselle said she would mediate. Knowing Kalesa’s personality, she wouldn’t have accepted any mediation otherwise.’

However, Giselle confidently stepped in as a mediator. She knew she could crush Kalesa underfoot if necessary.

‘A hierarchy so clear that even the pride I provoked her with had to be set aside.’

My guess was spot on. I twitched my lips slightly.

Investigator Jillian’s words suddenly came to mind. He once said that users of Akies Combat Techniques possess exceptional insight, making them suited for investigative work.

‘So that was true after all.’

I was entirely focused now, paying close attention to every word and action from Giselle and Kalesa.

“It’s true I overstepped as an outsider. Maybe Barbara’s curse really does exist. Someone even lost their life because of it. We shouldn’t waste time on petty emotional disputes.”

I spoke calmly. I’d already gathered all the information I needed. There was no reason to provoke Kalesa any further.

Both Giselle and Kalesa seemed quite surprised by my sudden change in attitude.

“I don’t want trouble with an Imperial Guard cadet either. Let’s just put this incident behind us.”

Kalesa’s tone softened as well.

Once the ice was broken, the mediation proceeded smoothly. In the end, Kalesa and I shook hands. The tension between us hadn’t entirely disappeared, but we both knew we’d steer clear of each other at the academy from now on.

“You can leave first, Luka.”

Giselle dismissed me from the chess room and continued her conversation with Kalesa. Since I had no intention of eavesdropping further, I stepped into the hallway.

Leaning against the wall, I began piecing my thoughts together. As fragments of information aligned, several theories emerged in my mind.

‘It makes sense that Investigator Jillian might struggle here. He can’t exactly interrogate noble heirs.’

Before long, Giselle stepped into the corridor, her sharp gaze landing on me.

“I’ve smoothed things over this time, so stop causing trouble. And stay away from Barbara. The recent death happened because you ignored my warning.”

“Do you seriously believe in Barbara’s curse? That kind of superstition?”

I smirked as we walked side by side down the corridor.

“Whether I believe it or not doesn’t matter. People really do suffer accidents when they get close to Barbara.”

“If it’s not just coincidence… that means someone’s behind it, and there’s a real culprit, Giselle.”

“Do you fancy yourself a detective now?”

Her sharp remark stung. Perhaps I’d been too obvious.

“That’s not it… but I was a victim of the attack too. It’s only natural to wonder who caused the Android Rampage.”

“That’s none of your business. Now that someone’s died, the investigators will take action.”

“I’m sure they’ll have a great time investigating noble heirs.”

Giselle stopped walking.

“Are you mocking me?”

“I’m just stating the obvious. By the way, Kalesa seems completely powerless against you.”

“In noble society, a family’s influence is everything. Kalesa isn’t in a position to defy me. That’s all there is to it.”

I paused for a moment before speaking again.

“…So, did you use Kalesa to torment Barbara?”

Giselle’s pupils wavered. I carefully observed her reaction, determined not to miss even the slightest emotional signal she emitted.

“Didn’t you hear the explanation earlier? The reason Kalesa bullies Barbara is—”

I cut her off before she could finish her thought.

“Because of her boyfriend? Do you really think the guy who dated Kalesa would’ve willingly gotten close to Barbara? With Kalesa’s personality, he’d know better than to talk to another girl. If it were me, I’d stay far away out of fear.”

“What exactly are you implying?”

“Kalesa needed a reason to target Barbara—one she could justify. Someone created that excuse on purpose.”

Giselle placed her hands on her hips and tilted her head back, staring at the sky. She let out a long, frustrated sigh. From where I stood, it seemed like she was avoiding meeting my eyes.

“Do you suffer from delusions? One of the known side effects of high-performance prosthetics is brain dysfunction. Overloaded neural systems can cause psychiatric issues. Maybe you should get a thorough mental evaluation.”

Giselle spoke coldly and walked away. I silently watched her retreating figure.

There I stood, feeling somewhat awkward and alone. The situation could only mean one of two things:

Either I really was delusional… or I had struck a nerve with Giselle.

I was certain it was the latter.

I quickly sent a message to Investigator Jillian through my terminal. Kalesa’s ex-boyfriend had already graduated, making him unreachable to me. I decided to leave that line of investigation to Jillian.

* * *

I found myself deeply invested in investigating Barbara’s so-called curse, far more than I’d expected. The mystery was intriguing.

It was lunchtime again, and I headed to my usual bench. To my surprise, a girl with vibrant red-gold hair was already sitting there.

It was Barbara.

“L-Lunch… I made it… myself.”

She held out a neatly packed lunchbox with trembling hands.

Barbara held out the lunchbox toward me. It seemed the rumor that I survived on bland emergency rations for lunch had already spread around the academy.

“Barbara, I appreciate this, but… what’s the meaning behind it?”

“You helped me… a-and because of that, you got caught up in the Android Rampage incident. I’m just glad you’re safe.”

“Someone else died in my place, though.”

I answered coldly, and Barbara’s expression wilted.

“W-Well… while you’re staying at the academy… would it be okay if I made your lunch…?”

She spoke hesitantly, summoning every ounce of courage she could muster.

For a moment, I wondered if she liked me. If she saw me as more than a friend, things would get complicated.

Because I didn’t feel the same way about her.

I opened the lunchbox. It was surprisingly well-made—a simple sandwich, perfect for eating on a bench like this.

“I thought… you might prefer something easy to eat…”

She was right. I hated complicated meals.

“It’s delicious. But I can’t accept this again. People will misunderstand.”

I spoke after taking a bite of the sandwich. By now, dozens of curious gazes were fixed on us. By this evening, rumors would be flying that Barbara and I were dating.

Since the recent Android Rampage incident and the resulting death, the bullying against Barbara had practically vanished. On top of that, as an Imperial Guard cadet, I’d publicly protected her.

Only a fool would dare approach her now.

‘At least until I leave the academy, no one will mess with Barbara.’

Barbara hesitated, fidgeting at my words. Her timid behavior annoyed me.

“I… I don’t mind if people misunderstand.”

A blush bloomed on her cheeks. I kept chewing the sandwich without even noticing its taste.

“One thing’s been bothering me, Barbara.”

“W-What is it?”

Barbara flinched, her voice trembling with surprise.. In moments like this, she seemed almost endearingly cute.

“You know people get caught up in Android Rampages if they get close to you. So why do you keep approaching me? Do you want me to be targeted?”

For a brief moment, all emotion drained from Barbara’s face. I caught a glimpse of her utterly expressionless look—one so empty I couldn’t decipher its meaning.

“I… I’m sorry, Luka… I just didn’t… want to believe I was cursed. So… you believe in the curse too… don’t you?”

“I don’t believe in curses. But it’s a fact that people get into accidents when they get close to you. I experienced it myself.”

“I… I don’t know why… why this keeps happening…”

I tried to read Barbara’s true feelings, but she was hard to read. I needed to be more direct and provoke her emotions.

“Kalesa bullied you relentlessly because Giselle ordered her to.”

I hoped to draw a reaction from her with that statement.

“…I already know.”

Barbara spoke calmly, surprising me instead.

For once, my prediction was wrong.

“Do you have any idea why Giselle despises you?”

I questioned her like an interrogator. Barbara slowly lifted her head and smiled sweetly. At that moment, a cold chill crawled down my spine.

“Luka… do I need a reason to tell you that?”

Her voice stretched unnaturally at the end, sending another wave of unease through me.

Maybe Barbara was far more calculating than Giselle or Kalesa. Despite being a head shorter than me, she exuded an inexplicable sense of menace.

‘But among them… there’s one who wears the sheep’s skin—something far scarier than a wolf… a monstrous being of a different kind.’

That old saying echoed in my mind.

Perhaps the real monster had been closer than I’d thought.