Chapter 51

The hand that grabbed her arm was firm, allowing Hannah to regain her balance without falling.

Chase, despite his kind gesture, wore an indifferent expression. There wasn’t even the customary “Are you okay?” greeting.

“……Thank you.”

Even though she reluctantly expressed her gratitude, Chase didn’t respond.

He simply glanced at Hannah as if she were a bother and then turned his head, signaling that his business was done.

Hannah watched Chase and thought.

Yes, he’s usually indifferent and cold, but perhaps these occasional small acts of kindness are what moved Judith’s heart.

It’s often more impactful when a person who always does bad things performs a single good deed than when someone consistently good does the same.

He was a textbook example of a bad boy.

Chase, you scoundrel!

Despite Chase having helped her, Hannah felt even more negatively towards him.

“Senior Chase?”

At that moment, she noticed Rodein, who had been downcast earlier, greeting Chase.

It seemed they knew each other. That must be why Chase suddenly appeared here.

However, Hannah’s assumption was soon proven wrong by their ensuing conversation.

“What brings you here, Senior? This is the path to the women’s dormitory.”

“Of course, I’m here to meet Judith. I have something to give her.”

It was then that Hannah noticed the ornate, gold-embellished box in Chase’s hand. At the same time, she felt a sense of déjà vu.

Hannah rarely encountered such lavish packaging. Yet, it felt familiar…

“……Senior, could that ‘something to give’ be the limited edition cookies from Jolly’s Bakery?”

“Yes, I went through quite an ordeal to get these.”

Chase shrugged his shoulders.

“But I’m surprised you’re interested in such things. How did you know?”

“……Because I also stood in line to get them.”

Rodein lifted the gift in his hand with a twisted smile.

“Just like you, Senior, I got them as a gift for Senior Judith.”

Hannah covered her mouth.

Indeed, Rodein and Chase had prepared the same gift. The identical wrapping paper confirmed it.

What a bizarre situation for rivals to show up with the same gift on the same day.

What kind of ridiculous situation is this?

A crack appeared in Chase’s smooth brow. Rodein, in contrast, seemed to smile leisurely, but he certainly wasn’t feeling joyful.

“How did you find out about this and get it?”

“I was surprised too. I wondered how you found those cookies, Senior.”

“I waited for hours just to buy one.”

“Same here.”

Hannah swallowed hard. The atmosphere between them was already tense.

It would have been nice if one of them backed down, but neither seemed inclined to do so.

What will be the end of this ridiculous relationship?

Hannah began to observe the situation like a spectator.

Rodein clutched the cookie bag tightly and asked innocently.

“But Senior, did you get a pass? To enter the women’s dormitory, you need a pass from the dormitory supervisor.”

Chase bit his tongue. It seemed he hadn’t known about that.

“Didn’t you know? Then it’s fortunate you found out like this!”

Rodein relaxed his tense lips and spoke as if genuinely pleased.

“I wouldn’t want you, Senior Chase, to get into trouble for sneaking into the women’s dormitory without going through the proper procedures.”

Though his tone was smooth, his words seemed to carry a hidden edge.

So what will Chase do now?

Even if Chase turned around and visited the supervisor’s office, he likely wouldn’t obtain a pass to the women’s dormitory.

Obtaining a pass from the supervisor was extremely difficult, except in specific circumstances. But Chase didn’t back down.

“Then how were you planning to meet Judith?”

“I was going to ask for Senior Hannah’s help.”

Chase answered simply.

“Then I’ll ask for your help too.”

“……What?”

“You, Hannah, right? I also have something to say to Judith, and I’d appreciate it if you could arrange a meeting.”

Hannah tilted her head at the arrow now pointed at her.

Since when did he become so commanding?

She’d heard he was rude, but she hadn’t expected this level of impoliteness.

Moreover, imagining him treating Judith in such a manner made her even more upset.

Having made up her mind, Hannah crossed her arms and responded firmly.

“Then tell me why you want to visit Judith and what you plan to do with the gift.”

“What? Why should I tell you that?”

“If you don’t tell me, just go back.”

“…….”

Reluctantly, Chase began to speak after a moment of silence.

“……Actually, Judith helped me with some punishment cleaning last time. It’s a token of thanks for that.”

Chase spoke as if it were no big deal, but his lips curled slightly upward.

He seemed quite proud of the fact that Judith had helped him.

Upon hearing this, Hannah felt a surge of anger from deep within.

“Judith helped you with punishment cleaning? Did you take advantage of her kindness?”

“……What do you mean? Judith is my fiancée, so it’s natural for her to help me.”

“……What?”

Hannah’s eyebrows shot up even more sharply at those words.

“You’re misunderstanding something. I didn’t ask her; Judith volunteered to help me in the dusty, suffocating pit.”

Chase raised his hand to cover his mouth, but his eyes, which traced a gentle arc, couldn’t hide his amusement.

His eyes, which looked somewhat cold when not smiling, appeared incredibly warm when he did.

Under normal circumstances, Hannah would have been gushing about his charm and good looks, but not now.

It seemed as if he was openly enjoying having taken advantage of Judith’s feelings.

Hannah shouted in exasperation.

“Chase! You’re really a bad person, aren’t you?”

“What?”

“I heard it all! You told Judith at your first meeting that you’d get engaged but had no intention of loving her!”

“Th-that was…….”

“And now she’s only your fiancée when it’s convenient for you? It’s so absurd I can’t even speak.”

Despite claiming she was speechless, Hannah finished her argument logically. Chase’s eyes wavered, seemingly taken aback by her words.

Hannah’s blood pressure rose to the top of her head.

“Because of you, Judith has been…….”

Unable to contain her anger, she bit her lip and glared at Chase fiercely.

As expected, Chase wasn’t treating Judith with any care!

For some reason, Judith had helped Chase with punishment cleaning.

Chase should feel sorry for Judith, but instead, he was bragging about it.

Engaged to such a person? How much more pain and trials would Judith have to endure in the future?

Yet Chase, looking somewhat dazed, blinked and then asked with curiosity.

“Because of me, Judith has been……?”

Like a drop of red ink in clear water, a blush began to spread across his pale cheeks.

“-Did Judith get hurt because I said I had no intention of loving her?”

“What?”

Even at this moment, he showed no shame in making such a comment. Chase must be a devil risen from hell.

“How could anyone be okay after hearing such a cruel thing?”

Especially hearing it from someone she loved, Judith couldn’t possibly be okay.

But then Hannah realized she had overreacted and bit her lip in regret.

It would be troublesome if Chase found out that Judith liked him. Trying to cover up, she added.

“Of course, she didn’t show it on the surface. But wouldn’t it be hard when your fiancé says something like that?”

“……I see. Judith was so composed I didn’t notice.”

Chase murmured blankly, as if realizing something new.

Then, as if recalling something, he gazed off into the distance before shaking his head.

“Sigh, so she was just pretending to be okay in front of me?”

Hannah closed her eyes tightly. Imagining Judith trying to appear fine in front of Chase made her feel like crying.

How hard must it have been for Judith, secretly loving such an indifferent and cruel man?