After her reflexive complaint, Belle couldn't help but stomp her foot in feigned annoyance. Although she was still upset, Andrew's interruption had managed to push the heavy feeling from her mind.
Looking at Andrew's smiling face, a small smile unconsciously graced Belle's lips, only for her to reflexively suppress it a moment later.
Not letting Andrew lead her astray, Belle continued:
"I'm not lying. Everything I just said is true."
Hearing Belle's repeated insistence, Andrew's smile didn't waver. He just kept smiling and said:
"So, Belle, do you also believe your teacher was the main culprit behind the fall of Old Eridu?"
Hearing Andrew's question, Belle replied with reflexive urgency:
"Of course not! There's no way my teacher was responsible for the fall of the old capital! There's definitely more to the story!"
Before she could explain further, Andrew's large hand came down to rest on her head, cutting off her next words.
"If that's the case, then I believe you."
The words she couldn't say seemed to transform into a heavy, formless lump stuck in her throat. Belle's throat bobbed, but for a moment, she couldn't speak.
"What other people say, how they judge, that has nothing to do with me. From the very beginning, it wasn't your teacher I chose to believe in, but you, my partner."
His gentle smile imprinted itself on Belle's eyes, like the morning sun suddenly piercing through the curtains, brightly illuminating her heart.
"As long as you're the one saying it, of course I'll believe it. After all, you're the legendary artisan of New Eridu, and I'm your exclusive agent."
For some reason, the lump in her throat transformed into a massive stone in her chest, pressing down on Belle until she could barely breathe.
Years of grievances welled up. These feelings, which she had never vented to Wise, surged from the depths of her heart, where she had kept them tightly suppressed, with unprecedented force.
Because Belle's teacher was also Wise's teacher, her suffering was his suffering. Venting these emotions to Wise would only mean shifting the burden to someone else who would bear it in silence.
Perhaps in a few years, a more mature Belle could have digested it all silently on her own. But at least for now, she wouldn't have to endure such an ordeal.
But in front of Andrew, the emotions that had accumulated over the years finally found an outlet. A flood of feelings, like a bursting dam, made Belle break down in an instant. Tears streamed down her cheeks, soaking her face and blurring her vision.
Seeing Belle suddenly burst into tears, Andrew was at a complete loss.
Th-this isn't right, is it? Shouldn't she be happy because I trust her? Why is she crying?!
This was the second girl who had cried in front of him in three days. Did he have some kind of special ability to make people cry?
It couldn't be for this reason that he'd been single all his life, could it?
Anything but that!!!!
Tears are the best way to release emotions. Among comforting words, there is always the phrase: "Go ahead and cry, you'll feel better after."
As the tears flowed, her emotions were like a bursting flood, yet also like dewdrops in the sun, vanishing without a trace in the light after just a moment.
Soon, Belle's tumultuous emotions gradually calmed down.
Looking at the slightly disheveled Andrew before her, who was flustered from constantly handing her tissues and trying to cheer her up, an arc once again formed on Belle's lips.
And this time, she didn't reflexively pull it back.
She cleared her throat, coughing out the pent-up feelings in her heart. Wiping her tear-streaked face, which looked like a messy kitten's, she said fiercely:
"Since you believe me, you can't refuse when I ask you to help me look for clues about our teacher later!"
Seeing Belle gradually return to normal, Andrew also breathed a sigh of relief. In response to her so-called demand, he replied with a smile:
"Of course. I am your exclusive agent, after all."
He pulled a few tissues from a nearby table and gently, meticulously wiped away the remaining tear tracks.
In the momentary silence, the feeling of him carefully wiping her face gave Belle an unprecedented sense of peace.
Neither of them spoke further, nor was there any need to. They quietly, but not silently, enjoyed this moment of peace and tranquility.
After a while, seeing that Belle seemed to have fully recovered, Andrew, still concerned about the sudden outburst, couldn't help but ask:
"Are you really okay now?"
The corners of Belle's mouth turned up in a triumphant arc, as if her earlier breakdown had been an illusion that never happened. She declared fiercely:
"Of course! I'm Phaethon, the legendary artisan of New Eridu! Minor emotions? Handled! You think that can bring me down?
Impossible!"
"Are you sure about that?"
"Absolutely!"
Looking at Belle's smug expression, Andrew shook his head, thinking to himself with a bit of resignation.
'The way you were just now didn't exactly look like it was "no big deal"...'
Sometimes, the stronger a person acts, the more you can't help but worry about them.
But since Belle had said so, Andrew didn't press the issue. Sometimes, knowing when to stop is the best comfort.
For the rest, he'd just have to pay closer attention from now on.
After all, knowing Belle's personality, Andrew believed she wasn't the type to hide her feelings.
Temporarily putting his mind at ease, Andrew glanced at the time and was startled to see that more than forty minutes had passed and it was now eight o'clock. Suddenly, he remembered the chicken soup simmering on the stove.
"Crap, everyone else is still waiting to eat!"
"Ahahaha, soup's on!"
He brought the chicken soup, which had been simmering on low heat in a clay pot since before he went to bed last night, to the table. A rather sumptuous breakfast was now laid out before everyone.
Nicole looked at Belle's eyes, still a little red and swollen even after half an hour, and had a nagging feeling that her move to borrow money while the opportunity was hot had caused some trouble.
After a moment of hesitation, Nicole secretly nudged Andrew under the table and whispered:
"Andrew, how about I pay back some of the money I just borrowed, and you can forgive me for borrowing it at such a bad time?"
Andrew, who had looked up "Kallos of Helios Academy" online earlier and now had a rough idea why Belle was suddenly so upset, couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and exasperation at Nicole's words.
"You just borrowed this money from me. Why would I have to forgive you for returning a portion of what was originally my money back to me?"
For a moment, Nicole was speechless. After much internal debate, she gritted her teeth and said:
"Fine, I'll give it all back. Can you forgive me then?"
Getting Nicole to spit out money she'd already gotten her hands on was a rare sight. Although Nicole had triggered it, the root cause had nothing to do with her at all.
Besides, after that whole episode, the frown that always seemed to be unconsciously creasing Belle's brow due to her inner turmoil had finally smoothed out completely.
All in all, it turned out to be a good thing.
"It's fine, it wasn't your fault. So just keep the money for now. After all, Anby will be taking on jobs with you, and you can't do that with no cash on hand."
Hearing this, Nicole was about to grab Andrew's arm and cheer, but then she saw Belle across the table. She immediately stopped and switched to a quiet little cheer instead.
"Yay! Andrew, you're the best!"
"Don't get too excited, I'm just lending it to you. Don't forget to pay it back later."
Nicole waved her hand dismissively at Andrew's reminder.
"Will do, will do."
At present, the Silver Squad couldn't appear in large numbers, so aside from restricting them to groups of three at most when going out, Andrew placed no other limitations on them.
At the same time, Andrew gave the last million Dennies he had received from Lycaon to the cleverest member, Twiggy, to serve as the Silver Squad's activity fund when they went out.
Although Twiggy was a bit of a tsundere, her intelligence and ability to distinguish right from wrong were indeed the strongest next to Anby's. With her in charge of the funds, Andrew felt more at ease.
As for whether there would be danger? With three members of the Silver Squad on the move at once, Andrew figured it was other people who needed to worry about being in danger.
And as an insurance policy, Andrew gave each of them a paintball, telling them to crush it if they encountered danger.
If this were a game, the operation would translate to a line of text suddenly appearing on screen:
[You have alerted the hunter.]
Just then, Belle suddenly asked:
"Andrew, what are your plans for today?"
Andrew thought for a moment and said:
"In a bit, I'm going to find the Sons of Calydon to buy and modify a motorcycle. After that, I plan to go into the Hollows to find some materials to make a pair of dual blades for Anby."
Hearing this, Belle nodded and patted her chest.
"Leave the guiding to me when the time comes!"
______
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