65

Thunk.

I took a step forward.

The sound of my shoe heel hitting the marble floor echoed sharply.

The students, who had been engrossed in conversation, reflexively turned towards me.

“…”

“…”

As soon as they spotted me, the students reflexively fell silent.

Among them, only Brigitte wore a welcoming expression.

“Oh my goodness, Elze!”

Brigitte, who had sprung up from her seat, hurriedly approached me with quick steps.

“What brings you here?”

Instead of responding to Brigitte’s question, I simply smiled gently, looking at her like that.

“I came because I missed Bri.”

“Oh…”

Brigitte’s cheeks flushed slightly in an instant.

I didn’t hide my pleased expression.

Now we were close enough to address each other by name.

I even called Brigitte “Bri” as a nickname.

“And I have a gift for Bri too.”

“A gift?”

Brigitte perked up her ears.

“Yes.”

Nodding, I calmly replied.

“Starting tomorrow, Bri will be discharged.”

“…”

“…”

Silence fell once again.

The students’ eyes were filled with astonishment.

Brigitte was no exception.

With a stunned expression, she looked at me as if she had been hit on the head.

“What? W-what did you just say…?”

Brigitte stammered in disbelief.

I kindly repeated myself.

“I said that starting tomorrow, Bri will be discharged.”

“I-Is that… true?!”

Excited, Brigitte raised her voice.

“Of course.”

After answering earnestly, I asked Brigitte, “By the way, could you spare a moment? There are some things I need to inform you about regarding your discharge, and I also need to get your discharge agreement.”

“Yes! Of course!”

Brigitte nodded vigorously.

I turned slightly.

“Let’s go to my office then.”

“Uh, sure.”

Brigitte followed me hastily.

Dozens of pairs of eyes stubbornly followed us from behind as we left the living room.

Those gazes were filled with envy and jealousy towards the departing resident.

And I…

‘I’m envious.’

Brigitte, who could legally escape from this hell.

…I was so envious.

* * *

“Would you like to start by reading this?”

Entering my office, I handed Brigitte the discharge request sent by Count Martin.

Brigitte swallowed dryly as she accepted it.

The hand trembling as it opened the letter made it take at least a minute to retrieve the discharge request from the envelope.

I waited patiently.

Brigitte finally unfolded the discharge request.

“…”

She read the contents with trembling eyes.

Then, she closed her eyes tightly and took a deep breath.

“Ah…”

After a moment, Brigitte, with an indescribable expression, looked at me.

After pursing her lips for a while, Brigitte finally spoke as if she had to force the words out.

“My husband… he’s… he’s dead.”

Starting with that, Brigitte rambled on.

“So he… told me to come back. To help Joseph, my son… to take over the position of the Countess as the acting Countess…”

Joseph Martin.

He was the only surviving child of Count Martin.

After the carriage accident that killed Count Martin and his wife, the title was inherited by the four-year-old boy.

“I see.”

I nodded calmly and asked Brigitte casually, “Should I express condolences for your husband’s death?”

“…”

Brigitte, who was momentarily speechless, burst into laughter.

“As if!”

Brigitte muttered almost crazily in a laughter-mixed voice.

“I’m so happy! To finally be able to get out of this boarding school, I thought I’d rot here for the rest of my life…!”

As she laughed for a while,

Tears fell from Brigitte’s eyes.

“Oh dear.”

She quickly wiped her tears.

“I’m sorry. It’s supposed to be a happy day, but I’m being a downer… No, but why am I crying? I…”

Brigitte stared at me, not knowing what to do.

Watching her like that, I spread my arms lightly.

“Come here, Bri.”

“…”

Brigitte’s eyes widened significantly.

Hesitantly, she approached me and hugged me tightly.

I gently stroked her back.

“You’ve been through a lot.”

“…”

“Really.”

Brigitte bit her lip.

She was trying to suppress her emotions somehow.

But.

“How could you.”

To finally be able to escape from this dreadful place.

To bask in the warm sunlight and gentle Brize, and to go wherever I want with my own feet.

In such a situation, if one could calm down overwhelming emotions…

That person wouldn’t be human, but a saint.

“Sob, sniff…!”

At that moment, Brigitte clutched my collar tightly and burst into tears like a child.

* * *

After a while,

Brigitte, who had stopped crying, spoke up bravely.

“Thank you. I must have looked terrible.”

“You didn’t.”

I tidied up Brigitte’s disheveled hair with my hand.

Then I led her to sit down.

“Would you like a piece of pie? Eating something sweet might lift your spirits.”

“Oh… Thank you.”

I took out a piece of pie from Benedict’s and brewed tea myself.

As Brigitte picked up her fork, she chuckled.

“Is this from Pommier Pie House again?”

I shrugged.

It was just that Benedict came to mind for no reason at all.

“Yes, do you not like it?”

“No, it’s delicious.”

Brigitte, with her head tilted, cut a large piece of pie with her fork.

“I just thought Elze must really like the pies from this place. That’s why.”

After taking a bite of the pie, Brigitte spoke softly.

“I think I’ll think of Elze whenever I see pie from now on.”

“…”

I felt a little choked up for some reason.

I smiled gently.

“I’m glad to hear that. It means you won’t forget me in the future, right?”

“Oh, Elze.”

Brigitte, hearing my response, looked at me with narrowed eyes, not wanting to be angry.

“Why would you say something like that?”

After the brief reproach,

Brigitte asked me earnestly with a serious expression.

“How could I forget a friend?”

“…”

For a moment, I was speechless.

“I’ve been able to endure this hellish boarding school all this time because of Elze.”

“…Bri.”

“I’m really thankful.”

Brigitte smiled warmly at me.

“No, I’m grateful that I could be friends with Brigitte.”

…That much was sincere.

After that,

While Brigitte ate her pie, we chatted away.

“I wonder if Joseph will recognize you.”

Brigitte sighed deeply, wrapping her cheek with her hand.

“He’ll definitely recognize you.”

With my head tilted, I grinned knowingly.

“And even if he doesn’t, so what? You’ll be spending your life together with Joseph from now on.”

“…Yeah, I guess so.”

Brigitte finally looked a little relieved.

The conversation we were having now felt more like ordinary everyday talk between friends than that of a boarding school administrator and a student.

For some reason, my nose felt a bit stuffy.

* * *

After Brigitte had cleaned her plate of pie,

I handed her some documents.

“To leave, you have to go through a few procedures. First, this is a pledge not to disclose the affairs of the boarding school…”

Although my words flowed smoothly, my heart felt heavy as if burdened with stones.

‘I have to ask Brigitte for help.’

…But I couldn’t bring myself to say it.

It was a task that rivalled those of the male protagonists of this world.

Of course, it wasn’t a request so dangerous that it would jeopardize Brigitte’s safety, but still…

‘Brigitte said she considers me a friend.’

I bit my lip discreetly.

‘As soon as Brigitte showed sincerity towards me, I immediately make this kind of request… I’m selfish after all.’

Sure, I had helped Brigitte deliberately to receive assistance when needed.

But still…

However…

At that moment,

Brigitte suddenly called out to me.

“Elze.”

“Oh, yes.”

I reflexively smoothed my expression and turned to her.

Brigitte asked me with concern.

“Is there something wrong?”

“…”

For a moment, my mouth felt dry.

Although not as much as Lucian, Brigitte was also a key figure in my escape.

If Brigitte really helped me escape, she would undoubtedly be a great asset.

But still…

“It’s nothing.”

My mouth spoke out this answer on its own.

At the same time, Brigitte’s eyes narrowed.

“You’re lying.”

“…”

“There’s no way it’s nothing.”

Brigitte grabbed my hand firmly.

“In that case, there’s no way you’d have that expression on your face.”

“What expression…?”

“An expression of desperately needing help.”