Chapter 28 “ Outing or Capital” part 2

Night had fallen, and the girls were in their dorm room.

Sisbell stood in front of the mirror, adjusting her dress carefully.

“This one looks nice… for outing and prayer,” she murmured, turning this way and that.

Across the room, Scarlet sat on her bed, staring at her own outfit.

‘Sisbell… she looks perfect as always. I also need to choose something, but… all my clothes are fine.’she thought

She tugged at the fabric of her dress and frowned.

‘I wonder… does this suit me? Will he… … notice me? Or since he’s a commoner, did I wear something plain? Or something better?’she thought

Her mind wandered, imagining how he might react.

‘Maybe he’ll say… “You look cute today.” And Liora isn’t with us…? ’

‘Wait why I'm happy……Forget that, focus.’she thought

Her cheeks warmed just thinking about it.

She shook her head.

“No… stop imagining things,” she muttered, trying to focus.

Sisbell glanced at her, noticing the distant look in her eyes.

“Scarlet? Are you okay? Why are you shaking your head?”

Scarlet forced a small smile.

“I… I’m fine. Just thinking about something. By the way, were you going to wear that orange one?”

Sisbell didn’t press further.

“Yes… and Alber—I mean, it looks good. Alright. Just remember, we need to look amazing no matter what.”

“ So Don’t overthink it—you’re straining your clothes too much.”

Scarlet’s fingers tightened around the fabric.

‘He might notice… or maybe he won’t. Whatever, he just fulfills his promise. ’

‘But what will he wear for the outing…’she thought

Her heart beat faster, a small, nervous smile tugging at her lips.

“Maybe… maybe tomorrow will be fine, less annoying,” she whispered to herself.

Outside the window, sun down for the night casts a soft glow across her face,highlighting the nervous excitement in her expression.

The night stretched quietly as both girls prepared, each lost in her own thoughts—one focused on perfection, the other on possibilities.

After a few minutes, Sisbell turned to Scarlet.

“Well, Scarlet… when did you approach the special admission to join our faction?” she asked, tilting her head.

Scarlet froze, caught off guard.

“Scarlet… I hope you didn’t forget the real reason,” Sisbell said, the voice slightly tense.

Scarlet laughed softly.

“I know, Sisbell. You don’t need to worry,” she replied kindly.

Sisbell let out a small sigh of relief.

“I know. After all… you are Scarlet,” she said.

She leaned back, smirking slightly.

“I’m not worried. We both know how you are.”

“I mean… this whole friendship thing—it was your plan too, wasn’t it?”

Scarlet nodded slowly, guilt flickering in her chest.

‘No, Sisbell… it’s true I want special admission for our faction, but… he…… it’s hard to expect anything from him. I have to try, though and i like this friendship thing little bit’she thought

Her eyes flickered, her mind elsewhere.

“Sisbell… you know how he is,” she said quietly.

“It’s hard for me to ask him to join us right now. And we both know… after what happened with Liora, he didn’t join the royal faction either.”

Sisbell nodded knowingly.

“Yes… he looks stubborn and uninterested in politics. ”

“Alber says we need to be patient. But you’re smart. You’ll figure it out—I trust you.”

Scarlet bit her lip, a mix of determination and worry crossing her face.

“I just… I hope he understands why I did it,” she murmured.

The room fell quiet, filled with the soft glow of moonlight and unspoken tension.

Meanwhile, Nox entered his room.

Alber looked up from the mess on his bed.

“You’re late again,” he said.

Nox sighed.

“Yeah, I know. But… what are you doing with all these clothes?”

Clothes were scattered everywhere—shirts, coats, belts tossed carelessly.

“…Why does it look like a battlefield here? Are you searching for something important?”

Alber scratched his head.

“No, Scarlet told us what you both decided. So I thought I should pick my clothes early.”

Nox frowned.

“Pick clothes? What do you mean?”

“I thought I’d just wear my uniform… like you,”

Alber said.

“I thought the same. But Sisbell threatened me.”

Nox blinked.

“…Threatened?”

Alber nodded seriously.

“She said if I wear my uniform, she won’t talk to me tomorrow and she tells my parents about this my mother strict about this kind of things”

Nox stared for a second, then laughed softly and sat on his bed.

“Is that so? Then I’m lucky.”

“Lucky? For what?”

“I don’t have a girlfriend nagging me about clothes,and complaint” Nox said casually.

Alber’s face turned red.

“What are you saying? She’s not my girlfriend. She’s just a childhood friend.”

“ I know we’re close, but still—not dating.”

“Yeah, yeah. Not yet,” Nox replied lazily.

He glanced at Alber again.

“By the way… do you even know where we’re going?”

“ I'm not With you to discuss so Alber can you tell me what you and girl decided”

Alber shook his head while folding a coat.

“They said we’re going to the main street market… and somewhere else.”

“That’s fine,” Nox said.

“And Sisbell said she wants to visit a church for evening prayer,” Alber added.

Nox froze, trembling slightly as he tried to calm himself.

“…A church?”

He turned slowly, voice calm.

“Which goddess? Which church are we visiting?”

Alber answered without much thought.

“The Church of the Goddess of Love and Purity—Ameliora. ”

“The Sisbell family are followers.Church of the Love and Purity”

Then he paused, looking at Nox.

“But… what’s wrong? By any chance You’re not religious, are you? Like those who don't believe in goddess existence ”

Nox relaxed slightly.

“Yeah… but don’t worry. I’ll come with you. I can’t stop others and ruin their mood.”

Alber shrugged and returned to his clothes.

Nox leaned back on his bed, glancing at the black book beside him.

‘Good. They’re not going to the Church of the Moon.and Alber i know goddesses exist and we both have no good relationship with me’he thought

His expression darkened briefly.

‘If I enter the Church of the Moon that place… she will reject my prayer. I might hurt myself. ’

‘I just hope nothing bad happens… well, I want to go outside tonight anyway. Let’s take a little break.’he thought

He closed his eyes and exhaled slowly.

“Well… if it’s another goddess, there’s no problem,for me ” he murmured quietly.

The room fell silent, filled only with the rustle of fabric and unspoken thoughts. After a few hours, both finally slept.

In the girls’ dormitory, the night was quiet.

Every room was silent, but Scarlet remained awake, sitting near the window, knees drawn close, moonlight falling softly across her face.

She glanced at Sisbell, who was already asleep, and let out a slow sigh.

“She was right…”

Her fingers tightened on the curtain.

‘My real purpose was clear from the start.’she thought

To bring a special admission into the noble faction—someone backed by the headmaster, powerful enough to protect their group when other factions applied pressure.

“That was the plan I created… to help my father and brother. But…”

Scarlet lowered her gaze.

“But I didn’t know it would be him.”

Her chest felt strangely heavy.

“Does he really not remember me…?” she whispered.

“I was just a kid back then. But still he remembers his studies… not me is he genius to only remember magic formula”

She pressed her fingers to her temple. Sisbell’s voice echoed in her mind: the word friendship, clear and sharp.

‘I’m planning to use him…Deep down i know that it's a lie and i was just deceiving him from the start’

Guilt twisted in her stomach as her thoughts drifted back to the past:

A crowded market. Loud voices. Hands slipping away.

A boy. Quiet red eyes. A calm voice telling her not to cry.

[…Hey whitey kid are lost]

She remembered his mother’s pendant, faintly glowing as it hung from his hand. She remembered the safety she felt beside him, even without knowing why.

Scarlet closed her eyes.

“Did you really forget everything?is his child's memory so dull but i know it's him”

The moonlight flickered behind drifting clouds, and Scarlet remained by the window, trapped between the past she couldn’t let go of and the present she feared to face.

Meanwhile, Nox sat on the rooftop, a cool night breeze brushing his face.

“As James Moriarty…” he muttered.

“Tonight is the same. No clue about the Zodiac what worst day again ”

‘I’ve been following past incidents for five years. I’ve only discovered three members. Still no idea what they’re planning and no clue about Meta-Human.’he thought

He leaned back against the rooftop ledge, sighing. His eyes wandered across the dormitory windows.

Then he saw her—Scarlet white hair in moonlight

Still awake. Sitting by her window, staring into the night.

“What is she doing at this hour…?” he wondered.

He watched silently, careful not to be seen.

“Now that I think about it… the first time we met… I still don’t know what she meant by that if I get the chance…Tommorow”

He rubbed his temple and sighed again.

“ Whatever If anyone sees me here, it’ll be troublesome. ”

“Best head back to my room.”

With a small shake of his head, he vanished into the shadows, silently making his way back to his dormitory.

Scarlet yawned quietly, tugging the curtain slightly closer.

‘If he notices me staring… and at the moon late at night he’ll probably ignore me… or say something weird…’she thought