Doggone Academy

Chapter 67 The Blood-stained Entrance Ceremony (2)

Chapter 67 The Blood-stained Entrance Ceremony (2)

Upon a closer look, it was clear. This girls hair was perfectly white, as if all pigment had been leached out with chemicalsa stark difference from the silvery hair locked in my memory.

Excuse me.

Ahh! What the!

Trisha spun around in shock, still holding the kitchen knife.

.

Recognizing me, she was clearly taken aback.

Dont you know how to knock?

I was just as surprised by Trishas appearance. She looked nothing like the short-haired girl I remembered.

I did knock

Scanning me up and down, Trisha raised her knife defensively as if facing a mugger.

What made you slither back in here?

Its my dormitory too, isnt it?

Thinking about it, I was annoyed. She had taken over my dormitory, after all.

So why did you come back, after avoiding talking to me like the plague?

Professor Ella said shed reward me if I got along with you.

In truth, the scenery of the dormitory made me a bit worried about Trisha.

But I found it far easier to be a greedy jerk than to awkwardly pretend to be nice.

After pondering my words, Trisha relaxed slightly from her defensive posture.

I appreciate the honesty.

Yet perhaps changing her mind again, she aimed the knife tip threateningly at me.

But thats annoying. If you get a reward, I want half.

Emotional swings. Got to remember that.

Depends on what you do.

Thats funny.

Trisha rolled her eyes before speaking again.

So youre planning to crawl back in here to live?

I nodded.

She continued in a terse tone.

Did you think youd have it your way just like that? Listen up, youre still not a member of this dormitory.

What?

Trisha cried out adamantly.

You havent been through the inauguration, have you? The inauguration!

The inauguration?

I braced for some nonsensical excuse, but it turned out quite anticlimactic.

Believe it or not, there are traditions here.

Traditions in a dormitory thats only been around for a few months.

Do I really have to do this?

Obviously! This is a proper dormitory, after all!

She seemed almost too eager to insist. It was understandable Trisha had been trapped here, so she probably hadnt experienced a real inauguration ceremony.

And what is this inauguration ceremony?

You have to eat a cookie that I made.

All right, Ill eat it.

As I made to grab one, she brandished her knife at me and shouted.

Stay put!

She was almost menacing, like a robber in the middle of a hostage crisis.

Trisha fixed me with her gaze and the knifes tip as she waved her hand behind her spontaneously. Reaching onto the kitchen table set with a silver tray, she fished out a cookie.

Is that what you were making? Cookies?

Yeah.

Why do you need a kitchen knife to make cookies?

A knife wasnt necessary for making cookies. I had baked them before, I knew.

Stung by my pointed question, Trishas pupils flickered slightly.

Be quiet. I was using it to shape them.

She swallowed hard and approached me cautiously, then lifted the mask off my face.

Recoiling a step back upon seeing my face, she exclaimed,

You scared me.

She scrutinized my face closely, then said,

Up close, you really look unpleasant. Since youve seen my true self and it annoys me, you should go maskless here, too.

.

Get it? Then open up now.

Trisha crammed a strangely shaped cookie into my mouth and held it there with her thin hand to prevent me from spitting it out.

Chew.

As soon as I chewed, I understood why shed held my mouth shut. The dough was undercooked, the taste of raw flour was palpable, and I even crunched on a lump of sugar. From time to time, a salty flavor came through. She couldnt have confused salt for sugar, could she?

.

Leave. Sniffle, any moment now, my destined partner will show up. That man will wield a holy sword, be incredibly strong and handsome, much better than you, sniffle. When he arrives, Im going to make him kick you out. And I really hate the herbal smell coming from you, its awful.

Okay, I get it, so lets just talk.

Awfully hate, what is there to talk about with someone you, sniffle, detest?

I didnt mean those words.

Dont joke with me.

Your hair its truly beautiful. Bewitchingly so, meriting a gaze. Thats my honest feeling.

Soothing an upset woman requires saying whatever it takes, whether its heartfelt or concocted.

And it suits you extremely well. It seemed to me you know that. I thought even if I belittled it with my careless words, you wouldnt be bothered so I just blurted them out.

Staying like this, even my own emotions were jumping around. I was applying the same antics I had once used to placate Liza with Trisha.

Underneath the duvet, Trisha remained still for some time.

And perhaps my first-aid had taken effect as she slowly lowered the duvet to reveal her face.

Its not a lie

Yes.

Since youre being honest, I forgive you.

I exhaled a slight breath of relief.

Good.

Trisha is a beautiful girl. But not the kind of beauty that incites lust with sensuality; its of a purity and clarity that feels desperately needed to be protected.

The reason I felt so conflicted about Trisha is that in the memories of the past, I failed to protect that beauty.

I failed to protect her from a corrupt family and she was cast down the cliff. No matter how much I covered it up, the scar on my soul was as clear as if seared with a branding iron.

It still hurt tremendously, but thanks to Trisha, I was at least able to confront that scar head-on. For that, I felt grateful to Trisha.

Give me the cookie. Lets see how well you did.

Thankfully, her anger seemed to have subsided considerable. Emotional volatility can sometimes be an advantage.

Its by your side.

Feeding is a dorm tradition.

.

Perhaps its right for me to yield this time.

I picked up a star-shaped cookie and placed it into Trishas mouth. She bit into it and chewed thoughtfully for a while, then spoke with a pout.

How did you make this?

Fortunately, she seemed to like the taste.

I followed the recipe that was there.

Yeah, well, I couldnt get it right no matter what I did, but youre obviously very skillful. Good for you. How did you shape them?

You twist a wire to cut the dough. I can make you a mold if you want.

Wire, there was wire. Right, not bad.

Yes.

Teach me how to make cookies later.

Sure.

If I interpreted her words, it meant she had softened her heart, and she was willing to get along with me again. I guess I could finally take a breather now.

And Im never going to kick you out, and I dont hate the herbal scent from your body. It was just something I said.

I know.

I placed another cookie on her lips. She accepted it naturally like a puppy might.

After reconciling, Trisha, perhaps finding the aftermath awkward, turned her gaze away from me, nibbling on the cookie and spoke.

But it is true that you smell of herbs. It isnt unpleasant, like a hint of herbs, and the scent is very faint, but a truly sensitive person might notice it. Just thought you should know.

Alright thanks.

I feel like now I can actually get along with Trisha. Its just a feeling.

***

Sion didnt rise from her seat until the sun had completely set, and this day brought no rewards.

A maid from Witthrush Hall, who had been watching her all day, approached her.

Miss, is there anything you need or are looking for?

It made sense for her to ask, given Sion had been sitting there all day.

Sion hesitated for a moment before speaking.

No, rather than that Before I came, didnt someone else used to sit on this sofa?

Pardon?

Sion asked the maid casually.

It was probably someone with auburn hair, umm a man, I presume? I just wondered if I didnt take his place.

The maid looked at Sion and then smiled faintly.

No, recently the only person whos been sitting there is you, Miss.

.

Is there anything else you need?

No, Ill be leaving now. The sofa is really comfortable and nice.

Stretching leisurely, Sion headed for the stairs.

Mumbling to herself as she ascended, she thought it odd.

I was sure, absolutely sure the scent was the same