Time Healer Ceres

“Just... because I wanted to.”

“Did Uncle tell you to?”

“Yeah.”

...That old man really did spoil his son rotten.

“Come on, Grace.”

“That’s the wrong way, you frozen human. It’s over there!”

“I know.”

“Oh please. You get lost every other day!”

“And you cause trouble everywhere you go. I’d still say I’m better.”

“What was that?!”

“You’re both so loud. I’m going ahead.”

“Ah! Grace, wait for me!”

***

...Now I’m alone.

As Ceres stepped into the academy, a strange feeling washed over her. Memories from long ago resurfaced one after another.

Back then, it was always the three of us together.

She had never imagined she’d one day return to this place alone.

Now, I have to study again at my age.

That brat Antonian seriously had some nerve. Where did he learn to threaten people like that?

He kept pestering her, asking what she planned to do if he dropped out of the academy too. In the end, she had no choice but to give in.

I can’t exactly sit back and watch my little brother throw his future away.

Class C, was it?

Second Year, Class C.

That was the class Ceres belonged to.

The academy was divided into three sections. There was the elementary division Julia attended, the middle division Antonian attended, and the high division Ceres was currently entering.

《2-C》

Ceres stopped in front of the classroom door and sighed. From the noise inside, it sounded like most of the students had already arrived.

Creak.

“Huh?”

“Hey, isn’t that...”

“.....”

The chatter inside the classroom vanished in an instant. Every eye turned toward Ceres as she walked through the door.

She glanced around the room with an indifferent look before looking for empty seats.

I guess I can sit anywhere.

Still... this atmosphere is awful.

Even after Ceres casually chose a seat and sat down, not a single person spoke. She clicked her tongue inwardly.

It feels like I’m some actress walking onto a stage.

Everyone was staring at her with open curiosity. It was the kind of look people gave when they were waiting to see what someone would do next.

Whatever. Not my problem.

Ignoring the stares fixed on her, Ceres immediately rested her head on the desk. It wasn’t like she’d come here to study in the first place.

I didn’t sleep much last night. I’m tired. Yaaawn ~

Some things really never changed. Back then and now alike, classroom naps were still the best.

“...What’s she doing?”

“She’s not seriously going to sleep, is she?”

“...Wow.”

The strange tension hanging over the classroom shattered. Everyone looked utterly dumbfounded watching Ceres casually drift off to sleep.

Bang.

A moment later, the classroom door swung open loudly. Several students strode inside. At their arrival, silence swept through the classroom once more.

“She actually came?”

“See? I told you she’d show up today.”

“Hah.”

The group immediately recognized Ceres sleeping face-down in the middle of the classroom. They headed straight for her.

“Hey, what do you think you’re doing?”

“Wake up, Ceres Drow. We’re here. Did you hear us?”

“You’re not actually ignoring us right now, are you?”

“No way.”

The students surrounding Ceres stared at her in disbelief. Even with all of them crowding around her desk, she remained slumped over her desk without so much as a reaction.

Did she suddenly lose her hearing or something?

“......”

The boy standing at the front of the group watched her for a moment before snatching up a pen from a nearby desk. He then thrust it down at her arm.

Whoosh!

“Huh...?”

The boy blinked in confusion. The pen he had been holding moments ago had disappeared.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“—!”

The pen was now in Ceres’s hand. No one saw her move. She had been lying there one moment, and somehow, the pen was already in her hand the next.

“Hah...”

A faint breath escaped her lips, somewhere between a sigh and a laugh. She slowly examined the pen in her hand.

“A pen, huh...”

She raised her gaze and stepped toward the boy who had tried to stab her.

Flinch.

The pressure rolling off her made him instinctively shrink back. Feik himself looked rattled by his own reaction.

W-Why am I backing down?

Why was he flinching at Ceres of all people?

“Were you trying to stab me with this?”

Her lips curved faintly.

“No, that can’t be right.”

“You...!”

“Answer me.”

Flinch.

The low, quiet command made Feik stiffen again. His face burned red as he gritted his teeth and raised his hand.

Looks like I ignored you for too long if you think you can get away with this now.

“You crazy bit—”

Whoosh!

“—!”

Feik froze mid-motion. The tip of the pen had stopped right in front of his eye.

“My hobby is collecting eyeballs.”

“W-What...?”

Ceres’s hand remained steady.

Meanwhile, Feik was trembling so badly he could barely breathe, terrified that even the slightest movement would drive the pen straight into his eye.

“There’s no tool better than a pen for gouging eyes out.”

“Y-You...!”

What made it truly terrifying was how calm she sounded. Not a trace of emotion in her voice.

After staring at him for a moment, Ceres spoke again.

“You should be grateful your eyes aren’t pretty enough to keep.”

Clicking her tongue at Feik’s deathly pale face, she stepped back.

Thud.

Only then did the strength leave his legs, sending him crumpling onto the floor.

However, none of the surrounding students even thought to help him. They could only stand there in stunned silence, their mouths hanging open.

Ceres acted as if the whole thing had nothing to do with her. She returned to her seat, laid her head back down on the desk, and closed her eyes again.

Wait... Is she really going back to sleep?

Good grief...

The classroom fell silent again. No one could take their eyes off Ceres.

They simply stared at her blankly, still unable to process what they had just witnessed.

***

“They really tried everything.”

It took Ceres less than a day to understand how the original owner of this body had been treated at the academy.

So this is what they call a pushover.

She had already sensed it the moment she walked into the classroom and felt the atmosphere turn cold. After all, she had returned after being absent for so long, yet not a single person greeted her.

And after listening to the students whisper among themselves, it became clearer.

This girl had done other people’s homework, let them vent their frustrations on her, and silently put up with all of it.

In short, Ceres was an easy target.

What a ridiculous world.

Since when did kindness become something people trampled all over?

A hollow laugh escaped her lips.

Still, I didn’t expect someone to attack me on the first day.

Back when she attended the academy as Grace, the students were fairly decent by comparison.

“Are you sure that wasn’t just because you were terrifying, Grace? Compared to you, everyone probably looked kind.”

Artia, you were hardly any better.

Instead of her disciple Enoch, this time it was Artia’s loud laughter she could hear echoing in her ears.

A quiet sigh escaped Ceres.

She also spent her whole life getting pushed around by her aunt.

Which meant things hadn’t been much different for Ceres inside the academy. She must have hidden it well, because Antonian didn’t seem to suspect a thing.

No wonder he kept insisting I come back here.

Well, after what happened earlier, things would quiet down for a while.

Ceres slowly turned her head. As soon as their eyes met, Feik flinched and hurriedly looked away.

So he’s the ringleader.

Feik.

She didn’t even know his family name. Apparently, he came from a fairly prestigious noble house. At some point, he had decided to single Ceres out and make her life miserable.

As for why Ceres had become his target, she had no clue.

Kids really are exhausting.

They knew nothing about the world, yet acted however they pleased because they never experienced real fear.

“Ahem!”

Ceres kept staring at him without looking away. Feik only grew more uncomfortable under her gaze. He couldn’t meet her eyes properly anymore and ended up coughing awkwardly instead.

Watching him squirm like that only made the situation feel more pathetic.

Geez, Ceres...

What kind of life were you living? Did you know that idiot was shaking over a mere pen?

“Says someone who threatened to gouge his eyes out with it.”

Be quiet.

Ever since returning to the academy, she kept hearing Artia’s voice in her head.

“By the way, Grace. Do you remember?”

Remember what?

“Our treasure box.”

“Ah...”

The memory that surfaced suddenly made Ceres gasp.

I wonder if it’s still there.

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