Ch. 112 The Greater You Burn (2)

Claire let out a laugh. One of the people was her fiancé. How did he not deviate from her expectations even once? She liked that he was so simple, but by now she was sick and tired of it. The moment she was about to look away, her fiancé, too, spotted Claire.

“…”

She should have listened to Dean and kept walking, and she deeply regretted ignoring her best friend’s advice. Claire managed to avert her eyes.

“Let’s go.”

Claire murmured in a low voice, but when she looked at Dean he was still looking up at the terrace.

“Dean Crissis.”

Claire called to him in a soothing voice, but the grip on her arm tightened.

“Ah…!”

When she opened her mouth in a gasp of pain, another person’s breath invaded her. It wasn’t until her lips and everything inside turned hot did she realize what was happening.

This was…this was kissing. Dean Crissis was kissing her in front of her fiancé.

At that moment, she came to her senses. Claire managed to pull away and shook her head in a hurry. Nevertheless, they were still so close to each other that their breaths touched each other’s faces.

Their eyes met. His usual impassive stare was now bright and clear.

“Keep going.”

His voice was a deep growl. Of course Claire wouldn’t respond to such a suggestion. Ever.

“…Sister.”

But when he called her that, she was already irrevocably close.

Their deep kiss continued for quite a long time. When he looked back at the terrace, there was no one left.

Claire slowly opened her eyes, biting her lips. Dean was still standing before her, with the same expression as that night.

Dean was a good person. Maybe he thought Claire was being ignored by her fiancé, but in the same vein, she also ignored her fiancé as well. She didn’t respect him as a human being in the first place. In the end, he and Claire could make a good match, even if their relationship wasn’t pure. Perhaps Dean was too sweet to understand.

“If you hadn’t kissed me, I would’ve used this job to my advantage.”

Claire calmly confessed what she had decided to do for a long time.

“I could have used the marriage contract as an excuse to add one more clause. That’s what the other one would do…”

“Claire!”

“Why? It’s not exactly wrong is it?”

Claire smiled and held her hands together.

“I should use my advantages to its fullest extent.”

Dean didn’t answer for a while. He mumbled something and then finally opened his mouth with a trembling voice.

“…W-when you saw that son of a bitch on the terrace–!”

“Dean!”

“You were laughing your head off!”

He shook his head and Claire understood why he kept looking back at the terrace.

“Is that bastard worthy of you?”

She certainly agreed that her fiancé wasn’t ideal, but his value was certain. She could answer that confidently.

“Yes. He’s quite useful, don’t you think?”

Her fiancé was a stupid man with only gambling and girls in his head.

“You…”

In a strange way, Claire felt relieved to see that Dean was fed up. It was about time he knew the real Claire. She was selfish, calculating, and willing to sacrifice to use anything she wanted. What she was doing wasn’t a sin; it was the virtue of being an adult. It was only in childhood that one is praised for kindness and goodness.

“So, Dean.”

She was going to tell him never to do such a thing in the future, but he interjected before she could start.

“I–“

His breathing became noticeably uncertain.

“Am I allowed to…”

When she didn’t answer, Dean changed the question.

“You said you would…use him thoroughly?”

Dean must have given her fiancé a moment of alarm and for that she was grateful, but she couldn’t deny it. She nodded.

“I’m sorry, Dean.”

Claire took a step away from him and shook her head.

“I don’t think I need you to do this for me.”

As Dean tried to narrow the gap, Claire quickly stepped back again. Instinctively she knew. If they got closer like this, they would have a second kiss. And from that time on, it could not be called a mistake. She couldn’t lose her precious excuse.

“Never do that again. Ever.”

She ended the conversation as if she were scolding her brother then turned around quickly. A bitter look clung to her back. Maybe that kind of look wasn’t her brother’s.

*

*

*

It had been a day since Louise overheard their conversation.

‘I’m a real villainess…’

Listening to other people’s secrets and not apologizing for them were all conditions of being evil. She wanted to run to the pair of them right away and beg for their forgiveness, but Hesse advised against it.

“They probably didn’t want to tell anyone else, and it’s better if they didn’t know you found out.”

And so she had to live with her mouth shut. Whenever she saw Claire’s and Dean’s faces, a wave of guilt would wash over her and she felt uncomfortable being in the student council room with them. Today she was supposed to help Dean in the library. If God really was in this world, he must be a cold-blooded man with no mercy by pushing Dean and Louise into the same place.

“Louise Sweeney!”

At the sound of Dean’s voice, Louise quickly turned to see him sitting down next to her.

“…Yes?”

He looked furious as he compiled the returned books.

“What number do I have to call for you to answer?”

“I-I’m sorry, I was just thinking about something.”

“Anyway, someone left this book in the return cart without writing on the card. Find out who.”

Louise gazed at the book Dean gave him. The familiar title stood out.

I’m So Flustered! A Horoscope of Love For When You Want To Confess To Him Immediately.

The hard edges of the book were worn out due to considerable use during the semester. Maybe it was helping with all the secret relationships in the Academy.

‘Come to think of it…’

Louise opened the book with a smile.

“Dean, what’s your Zodiac sign?”

“What for?”

“This book is very accurate!”

Dean looked skeptically between the book and Louise’s face. How could she know that?

“Anyway, when it comes to dating, there is no other book that comes close! Tell me, what’s your Zodiac sign?”

Louise tried to press him, and he gave a scowl before turning back to his list.

“…L-Leo.”

No, it wasn’t a scowl. She supposed he was just deciding whether to tell her or not. Louise quickly turned the pages. Dean stole a glance at the book, and Louise pushed it between them.

“Leo. So, Dean.”

The two were so focused on the book that their faces were nearly pressed against it.

“The greater the obstacle to love, the greater you burn.”

Dean’s eyebrows twitched briefly as she said “obstacle.”

…You really are burning, Dean.

Louise swallowed her words and felt her heart beating. This passionate unrequited love affair was so exciting. They read the various tips for the jealous lion, and when they were done, Dean acted much nicer to Louise. She was very pleased with her expert handling of the situation.

…Until she spotted Ian between the shelves shooting a venomous look towards Dean.

She suddenly remembered something Ian said.

“No matter how much you look at it, you and Dean Crisis are too close.”

Had it not been for the officials standing next to him, he might have taken Louise’s chin and said those words again.

Oh, right. Come to think of it.

The President was also a Leo…