Chapter 360: Unique People
"Still... looking at Kael, he never feels like someone who is affected by any of it."
Vienna muttered, as they had now approached closer to the cafeteria.
Amelia adjusted some strands of her red hair behind her ears while nodding her head at the same time.
She had been in close contact with Kael at the start of the academy, but after his return from the suspension imposed by the headmaster... she hadn’t initiated any voluntary contact with him.
The two of them hadn’t even talked much, and though they weren’t friends... Amelia had felt that they could have been.
The thought was a fleeting one for her, yet, somewhere deep in her soul... it had already taken firm root.
"What’s your take on it?"
Vienna, being the talkative one among the group, shifted her focus to Yennifer, who for the entire time had been on the receiving end of their talks without contributing much to them.
On being asked the question, Yennifer gave Vienna a brief glance while staring into her green eyes.
"I may not be the best person to answer it."
Yennifer’s response was met with a long silence, as her polite words were a hint not to ask her anything else related to the topic, and Vienna seemed to have received it as the girl just raised her brows in acknowledgement.
Yennifer’s response may have offended some other royal, but Vienna wasn’t such a petty person.
She was more of a cheerful one, and even Amelia wasn’t someone who cared for the sugar-coated lines uttered by many who always tried to get close to them through sweet talks.
And Yennifer, having analysed that aspect of their personalities, had given a response that would end the conversation, as well as be the most strategic one... given the person they were talking about.
"By the way, have you two decided which committee to join?"
Amelia asked with curiosity, as she was stuck on her own decision.
"I was going to ask about the same. This year, the ones leading the race for the position of he student council president are both from the Veltran Empire, so I had been confused about who to choose amongst them. Both the Frosts and the Levaiths are important players in the world, so I thought it would be better to choose carefully than end up on the bad side of either of them."
Vienna expressed her honest thoughts.
Joining the committees under the leading faction was the best decision, but given the leaders of those factions... Vienna couldn’t simply take the decision for herself, as despite not being an heir... she was still a princess of House Elor, so she was, in a way, representing her own house in the academy.
"Aren’t there any factions of the elves amongst them?"
Amelia found Vienna’s response a little weird.
Why would an Eloran princess join the faction of some humans?
It should be obvious for the Elven royalty to join the committee led by her own people—
"That... there are indeed some committees led by the elves, but if I join them, then... they would be forced to treat me above their position in their committee due to my status, and I don’t want anyone to think that their efforts to build their place in the student council were being ruined by me, without even having contributed anything to the council."
"..."
Amelia observed her friend with interest, though her piercing gaze made Vienna a little self-conscious.
"W-What is it—"
"They say one can’t judge a person by their look. Maybe that’s true."
"Huh? Do you mean—"
"Never knew you were this smart."
"Hey—"
Completing her statement, Amelia increased her pace so as to avoid Vienna’s outburst.
Yennifer observed the drama before her with an expressionless face.
"Isn’t the current president a vampire?"
Now that she had stayed reserved for a long time, Yennifer felt like she could start with the basic foundation.
Though the question was asked in general, the mention of vampires made Amelia turn back to look at Yennifer while staring into those snow-white eyes of hers.
"He is, and before you ask, I have no interest in joining any committees led by the vampires."
Amelia clarified herself, with her tone being a crystal-clear signal not to ask any questions regarding the same.
Yennifer found it weird, as Amelia was the one who had initiated the talk regarding joining the committees, but now she was being on the defensive as if it were they who were forcing her to speak.
Still, it wasn’t like Yennifer was much interested in knowing about it.
Just having the knowledge about the Dracoth princess not willing to join the factions led by her people was enough information for her—
"What’s your deal... being all secretive?"
Maybe not everyone was as patient as Yennifer, for Vienna was quick to point out the obvious hypocrisy in Amelia’s response.
"I am not being secretive. I just don’t like to associate with them."
Amelia responded softly, the hints of her prior attitude dissolved into thin air.
It wasn’t that Amelia hated her race, but her experience since childhood with her family hadn’t been the best.
But—
"Why... do you hate them? Some revenge thing?"
Vienna wasn’t someone who was adept at controlling her inner thoughts.
Even Yennifer couldn’t help but feel amused seeing the interaction before her.
In case someone stumbled upon their group by chance and eavesdropped on their conversation, Yennifer doubted whether anyone would believe that Vienna was supposed to be a royal princess of the elves... a race which is known for its patience and connection to nature, which gives most of them a calm restraint upon their words and actions.
"Yeah, it’s a sort of revenge thing. You see, I had always been thinking of killing the heirs of the four ruling vampire families."
Amelia, seeing that the person on the receiving end of her words wasn’t someone to be logically reasoned with, shifted to a more creative approach.
"Really? That’s... creepy."
Vienna, on her part, distanced herself from Amelia while pretending to cover her nose with her right hand, as if trying to ward off some disgusting smell.
"Huh? What do you think you are doing—"
Yennifer shook her head in disappointment.
Maybe she shouldn’t have visited the cafeteria... at least not with these unique people.