Chapter 29: Putting an end to secrecy
The next day, I come across Minnie, Kyo and Jacob fighting in the campus gardens. A crowd has already gathered. This is this game event, right? I should take the chance according to the game flow and inform Grabiner about Kyo. A public argument… If I would've told him at April fools, he wouldn't have listen.
Potsdam won't listen anyways, given her transfigured view on love, it is to be expected, I guess. I thought about informing another professor sooner, but I couldn't think of someone suitable for problems like this. This school really needs a guidance counselor or something. Potsdam is good at comforting students, but she'll ignore certain problems. Problems like the impropriety of a marriage between a student and a professor.
I see Kyo stomping off, and he heads right to me, even though I positioned myself far to the side. Where is he headed to anyways? There is only a rarely visited herb garden behind me. What does he intend to do there? I personally like the garden, which is why strolled around there. The lavender smells so good…
Since he is directly approaching me, I greet him, "Good afternoon, Kyo." "Out of my way." He is so rude. Who does he think he is, anyway? "What did you do to Minnie?", I ask him, unfazed by his anger. "Nothing happened." I furrow my brows. "It's time to finally give up on Minnie. She is clearly not interested in you, just stop bothering her. You've been emotionally abusing her, in case you haven't noticed.", I calmly reply. "Nobody asked you! You women are all the same, pushing and prying and playing little games.", he yells at me. Go on and confess your twisted world view... "You were the one pushing Minnie, weren't you?", I retort, still calm.
"You've been trying to keep us down, make us weak, but this time I'm fighting back. And if anyone gets in my way, then watch out!"
What does he even mean by 'trying to keep us down'? It sounds like what he has done to Minnie. His world view must be ridiculously twisted. I turn away with a sigh and go to find Hieronymus. Talking to Kyo is useless.
I head to Grabiner's rooms. The player found him in a classroom, but I don't know why he should be there. Besides, Potsdam prepared me for my wedding in her office as well, and not in another empty classroom. I take a deep breath, before I knock on his door with the lion doorknocker.
"What is your issue for coming here?", the lion asks me. "Advice.", I reply. I wait a moment, but the door doesn't swing open, like before. Grabiner opens it instead.
He sighs, as he sees me and questions me annoyed, "Why are you bothering me?" Let me guess, you were reading a good book right now?
"My apologies. I need to talk to you about Kyo… and Minnie.", I explain calmly. "I have no interest in the personal lives of students.", he scoffs.
Must be a really good book, that he has been reading... "I'm aware of that. Nonetheless I need to talk to you about them. May I come in?" He steps aside with a sigh and motions me to come inside. I consider sitting down on his couch, but decide to keep standing. "Explain.", he orders me with crossed arms.
"Minnie sought my advice multiple times about her relationship. She felt pressured and stressed out, because of her relationship with Kyo, and broke off with him due to this, unable to take it anymore. However, he made a public spectacle about their love, using peer pressure to force her to take him back. She broke off with him for the same reasons soon, of course. Though that didn't keep Kyo from spending 100$ on valentines for her.", I start to explain.
"Controlling and emotionally manipulative behavior.", Hieronymus comments. "Indeed. And now he yells at her in public, demanding that she takes him back, claiming he would die without her and talking about how she only would need the space he gives her."
Ok, the last thing he didn't actually say, but he would've told me that, if I would have told him to just give Minnie some time.
"Is there anything else?", Grabiner asks. "Just a weird coincidence. Minnie seems to be dating Jacob, to Kyo's disapproval of course. And Jacob was the one, whose room was on fire not too long ago.", I inform him. "Yes, I believe I should speak with Mr. Katsura." Yes, mission complete. "I'm surprised you brought this to me.
I would not be most people's first choice for issues of a personal nature." I smile at him. "Should I have gone to Professor Potsdam instead? I'm afraid her views about marriage and love are a bit… distorted. Besides, I was sure you would listen to me." It's a game event after all.
"At least this time you would…", I mumble gloomily. He won't listen to me, after Minnie spilled the beans about our marriage, unfortunately.
He raises an eyebrow at me questioningly, but I ignore that.
"Anyways, thank you for listening to me, Sir. I knew, I can trust you, if it is about the protection of a student." "I … see.", he replies, sounding a little surprised.
"Well then, if you excuse…", I turn to go. "… Elise." I turn back to him. I'm a bit surprised, that he uses my first name so directly, without a 'Miss…' in front of it.
"Yes, Sir?", I ask him politely. "It is not strictly necessary for you to refer to me as 'Sir' at all times." My… heart beats a tad faster. "While we are in public, of course, you will continue to respect my position and do nothing to invite comment." "Of course.", I bid him goodbye and leave.
My face feels a bit flushed… Dammit, I have to snap out of it! In the evening I lie down in my bed, and draw a bit on my ceiling in deep thought. I can't help but think of Hier- Grabiner lately. It's as if he would haunt me. And those blushes… is this the game making me fall in love with him? He can be so rude sometimes, but I kind of like his sarcasm. His grouchiness aslo stopped bothering me. And the incident with Minnie… it feels as if we grew closer? And Minnie… then will the news about our marriage make the round? I'm a bit afraid of that, but waiting for it to happen is even worse…
Well, I don't have to wait for long though, the next day everyone around me seems to be whispering about something. My chest feels tight as I wander through the halls in the break, due to my bad 'premonition'. But I have to make sure, that what I think happened really happened, they might be talking about Minnie instead.
I look around for a suitable person to ask and spot Manuel. How fitting. The player approached him in the game, and since he's a nice guy, though a bit too shy, I also go to him. He starts speaking, before I can manage to question him about anything. "Are you alright?" He looks so concerned, how adorable.
But right now, I'm not alright at all. I'm afraid of what is going to happen next. "Yes, I am. And how do you do?", I try to act nonchalantly.
"Is he cruel to you?", he probes further, ignoring my question. "I have no idea, who you might be talking about?", I still try to act. "Your… husband."
Oh, just f***k it. I knew where was no way to escape. "Excuse me?", I reply, sounding calm. "You mean it's not true? Everyone was talking about it." I just stare at him. Why do the people in this school love to gossip this much anyway?
"Oh, there you are." Great, here comes the b*tch. "My congratulations to the happy couple. A bit late, I know, but I suppose you didn't want everyone to know how you earned your grades.", Angela mocks me. Jealous, because I aced my exams? But we don't receive grades for those.
"What grades? Are you feeling unwell, Angela?", I ask her in the sweetest voice I can muster right now. I also know how to act b*tchy, though I'm not as good as you. "So it really happened, hm?" And with that the students start to lunge at me, like a pack of hungry wolves. "I'm sorry for you." Don't be, it's not that tragic.
"How is he in bed?" I'd like to know that as well, but I wouldn't tell you, even if I knew. "There was your honeymoon?" Uhm… at the Glen? But I went there without him… "Are you really married?!" I'm not allowed to deny my marriage, right? Or the Manus might rightfully eat me, or something. "Hang in there!" Thank you, but I would prefer everyone leaving me alone right now.
As I start to prepare to teleport myself to the herb garden, and then to my room, so that no one can follow me, I hear Grabiner yelling, "YOU!" I take a deep breath. This is going to be hard, my eyes are already stinging. I didn't cry at my wedding, so why would I cry now?! The other students make a passage and in front of me stands an angry Grabby. Quite a frightening sight. He grabs my arm and yells, "You will come with me." My lovely husband proceeds to drag me to an empty classroom. He releases me and I rub my arm gloomily, knowing he won't listen to me. "Do you think this is a joke, Mrs. Grabiner? Do you realize that you and I are now the laughingstocks of the entire school?" I clench my fists and bite my lip, but continue being silent. "I allowed you the courtesy of informality. I offered you an olive branch and you threw it into the fire. Your utter lack of discretion- ", he sounds hurt, but I'm getting angry nonetheless. Just because I knew it would happen, doesn't mean it's ok! "I wasn't the one lacking discretion.", I hiss at him. Just listen for once, stubborn fool! "You have already taken me for a fool, and yet you need to repeat the offense." You're the one repeating the offense! The offence of not listening! "You… stubborn…!", I yell at him, unable to think of a suitable insult due to my anger.
I admit, I'm a bit emotional right now. His body twitches with rage and he pins me to the wall, using magic. "NO. MORE. LIES."
I just stare at him; with the same rage he feels. He looks deeply hurt, in addition to his rage, but I don't care about that right now.
"Like a child, you think yourself immortal. Invincible. You can't imagine the consequences of your actions. Your life was at stake and you knew it, but what did you care? We were always there to save you." I just continue staring at him, while he rambles on about his oath to protect me and how he can also uphold that oath by confining me in the dungeons. I take the time to compose myself. He releases his spell and I fall down. I stand up, and without another word, or just a glance at him, I leave the classroom, with my head held high.
As soon as I'm outside, I teleport to my room and slump down on my bed. I'm unable to hold back the tears, which I have been fighting all along. My anger is still there and I would prefer blowing something up, over crying, but I'm too soft in moments like these. It doesn't take long, until Virginia and Ellen come to find me.
"Please just leave me alone.", I tell them, not bothering to lift my face from my pillow. "it's a lie, isn't it, what everyone's saying? That's why you're mad."
Do I look angry? With my crying face buried in my pillow? But then again, I AM angry and I do cry when I'm angry, unfortunately. A feat, which I personally hate about me. "I'll beat em up for you, if you want.", Virginia offers me comfortingly. "Leave me alone, please?", I ask her again. "What's with you?", Virginia replies, insensitive as ever. "It's true, isn't it?", Ellen asks me softly. "There is no way that Elise and Grabby got married." Is that the right thing to say, for someone, who is forced to marry when turning eighteen? The oath Virginia made as a child should exist after all, whether I pursued her or not. "Yeah, I accidently had to marry him. Happy now?"
"Oh, come on. How do you accidently marry somebody?" You're really not the right person to say that… "For example, by making a stupid promise as a child to your childhood friend? Or in my case, by trying to save someone's life.", I answer her dryly. I'm starting to regain my composure a bit.
"How could you possibly marry a teacher and not tell us?", Virginia complains. "As if he would allow me to tell you!", I retort.
"Will you tell us what really happened?", Ellen asks. "He experimented with a Manus, collapsed in the post office, I tried to wake him up, fell into the pentagram, got attacked by the Manus, got saved by the promise of marriage, since the Manus is sworn to protect his family line, which means he wasn't really in danger to begin with, got prepared for my wedding by Potsdam, married him and went on to eat in the Glen without him, but with Potsdam.", I summarize the whole ordeal, leaving out some tidbits of information. They don't need to know about Potsdam's true, frightening nature.
"Oh, and yeah, now he hates me, because he thinks I would be so stupid as to spill the beans. If you'll excuse me, I'd like to pity myself a bit more and feel miserable." I proceed to assume an embryo-pose, with my pillow between my arms.
Soon I hear the first knock on my door and Virginia heads out, to lead them astray. I express my gratitude to the both of them, before Virginia starts hunting 'me'. People continue bothering our room the whole day and even won't stop at night. I cast Silence on the door, but I have to recast it every now and then. It's really annoying. The students here are way too gossipy.