Chosen By The Lover's Constellation-Chapter 32: The Highest Bidder, Part Seven

{Enverna}

Last week, Enverna hadn’t taken her course due to the obvious reason that her class’s instructor had fallen. However, This week, there was a notification on the Watchful’s website that they had a temporary substitute who would be giving the class until they found a proper, long-term replacement.

Because of that, Enverna found herself back at her classroom for the first time since that practice mission, waiting for her new instructor to arrive.

Naturally, everyone else in the room was sneaking the occasional glance at her. It was hard to tell what they were thinking, though.

Some of them looked at her with great distrust. Some of them almost seemed proud of her. Some only held a small amount of curiosity in their eyes.

[... I wish Lianna were here, but with how much open hostility is being shown to me... Maybe it’s a good thing she isn’t. It’s likely that the only reason I haven’t been attacked or provoked yet is because they think I’m the one who killed Vara, so I must be powerful. Lianna... Something could happen to her.]

The door opened, taking Enverna out of her thoughts.

Enverna’s eyes widened as a woman walked in, wearing a simple blue dress and white gloves.

Everyone in the class reacted similarly, taking their eyes off Enverna and placing them on the new teacher.

The teacher who was now standing behind Vara’s old desk, smiling back at the students as she said:

"Good morning, class. I am the administrator and I will be acting as your substitute teacher for the time being." 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Someone in the room outright gasped. Enverna couldn’t blame them.

The leader of the Watchful herself was just... standing there, saying she would be acting as their teacher.

It was insane to think about. But, it was real.

"I’d rather not make this course all about myself, but, rather, I’d like to keep things pretty much the same as how our late and great Vara ran things. I’ll allow you to ask me a few questions now that are not related to the class but afterward, I would prefer it if we keep all potential queries you might have to be relevant to our discussions. So," she clapped her hands, "go ahead."

The boy with the chirping bird raised his hand.

"Yes?"

He then pointed at Enverna and asked:

"Why is a murderer still in the guild?"

A deep silence filled the room. The administrator’s smile did not fade away.

"A murderer, you say?" She finally replied after a moment of consideration. "You sound quite certain, recruit. Have you, perhaps, found some evidence the police are missing? Should we head down to the station right now so you can finally close this case?"

The boy’s expression didn’t change much, but the fact that he did not open his mouth again said it all.

"I thought not. Instructor Vara was a very close friend of mine. I’d wager not many people in this vast, little world of ours were as affected by her passing as I was. Rest assured, should it ever be confirmed that she and Lianna Velcross did betray her, I will remove them from the guild on the spot. But, that hasn’t happened yet, has it? In fact, there isn’t even enough evidence for a trial, much less a genuine conclusion on the matter. So, please," she said, glancing at everyone in the room, "wait and see what happens. Who knows, perhaps time will show that the truth of the matter is not what it seems."

---

Once the class was done, the recruits slowly began to exit the room. Just as Enverna was going to do so, the administrator stopped her.

"I apologize for making it seem as though things were vague but, as I’m sure Lianna told you, it would be better to hold out on releasing the footage until after the gala draws closer."

"I understand. Thank you, ma’am."

"Just make sure you keep your spirits up," the lady replied before saying "goodbye" and walking away.

At that moment, Enverna received a phone call.

She answered it hesitantly, knowing the number well.

"Hello?"

"Enverna," her stepfather said in place of any kind of real greeting. "Have you still not managed to clear your name?"

"Um..." Enverna looked around, trying to make sure no one would hear her say this. "It turns out, we have one rather large piece of evidence that will work in our favor."

"*Will* work?" He asked, likely confused as to why it wasn’t being used now.

"There is an event Lianna and I will be attending soon. We’re planning to have that evidence come to light just before that."

"I see..." He paused. "Will this evidence clear that parasite of yours’ name as well?"

Enverna tried as hard as she could not to hang up the call right there.

"Yes, it will."

"That’s a shame."

[What?] Enverna pulled the phone away from her ear, looking down at the holographic screen, baffled.

Putting it back to her ear, she asked:

"Why?"

"Why else? If we could manipulate this evidence in such a way that it would only clear you, well, that would solve our ’separation’ problem, wouldn’t it? I assume the Constellation wouldn’t be so cruel as to remove your new power even when you’re separated against your will. We could have just had that carpet licker thrown into a dungeon and been done with her. Damn shame."

Enverna inhaled slowly.

"Will that be all, sir?" Her tone was downright frosty. Her father certainly noticed the dark path Enverna’s mood had gone in, even though she tried to word it in a polite way, as he asked:

"Hey now... I hope you’re not getting too attached to this girl. She’s just there to grant you this power. Whatever we can do to separate you from her without taking the power away from you is something we should be considering."

He inhaled slowly, before, just as coldly as Enverna herself, he told her:

"Don’t forget what your role in this family is."

"... I’m well aware."

Enverna hung up. The next time she saw the man, he could yell at her all he wanted for her rudeness. She didn’t care.

"... Agh!" Enverna stormed away from that classroom, marching back to her dorm.

[How can he just... just say that as though Lianna was some toy to be discarded!]

She walked all the way back to her room with a head full of steam, opening the door only to stop at the entrance.

"Hey," Lianna greeted her. Beside her was a meek girl with grey skin and purple eyes. One that Enverna wasn’t too familiar with. "Mel, this is my roommate. Enverna, this is Mel. A classmate."

Enverna blinked.

"Oh... Hello."

Enverna noticed a few things that almost made her feel like stepping into her own home just now meant she was interrupting something.

Lianna’s arm was thrown around Mel, the two were sitting so close they may as well have been leaning on one another, and just before Mel had fixed her eyes on Enverna, she’d been staring at the same creamy, light brown thighs that had just pulled Enverna’s eyes to them as well.

[I... What... Huh?]

"How’d class go?" Lianna asked casually.

"Fine..."

Just as casually, Lianna said:

"We’re watching some movies. Wanna join in?"

Enverna opened her mouth and closed it again. She locked eyes with Mel for just a second before answering:

"Um... no. I think I’m going to go for a run."

"Ah, okay," Lianna replied with no change at all in her demeanor. "Have fun."

"Right... You too."

For some reason, Enverna felt rather uncomfortable as she walked to her bedroom.