Just as Eleanor was about to be completely sunk by what she saw, Liyami suddenly barged into her field of vision. And this delivered the final, fatal blow to Eleanor. Because Liyami was also only wearing thin undergarments, just like Lavinia! What in the world were they doing in there?!
Eleanor felt like she was suffocating. She couldn’t feel anything anymore, her eyes just staring blankly, unfocused, at the nearly naked Liyami and Lavinia.
Upon realizing the person at the door was Eleanor, Liyami and Lavinia also fell silent, staring motionlessly at her in return.
This bizarre atmosphere lasted for a while. Finally, just before Eleanor was about to faint, Liyami and Lavinia couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst out laughing.
“Hahaha! Liyami, look, look at her, that, that expression, hahaha! It’s, it’s too, too funny! Hahahahaha!!!”
Lavinia laughed at Eleanor without restraint. Liyami tried to hold back her laughter, but it eventually leaked out, making the already merry atmosphere even more jovial.
“…S-sorry, I, I didn’t, pfft! Haha!”
This scene directly caused Eleanor, who still hadn’t grasped the situation, to freeze up once more.
What? What?! What’s so funny?! Are you even human?! You’re laughing at me at a time like this! Don’t push your luck!!! You’re really, really… wait?
Eleanor, who had been getting a bit angry due to Liyami and Lavinia’s mockery, suddenly realized something. It was only now that she noticed Liyami’s “undergarments” seemed a bit odd? Lavinia’s too; although somewhat revealing, Eleanor felt like she’d seen them somewhere before?
After thinking carefully, Eleanor finally remembered where she’d seen them. It was in the latest women’s magazine! The swimsuits the models wore in there were exactly the same style as the “undergarments” Lavinia was wearing now! In other words, what Lavinia was wearing wasn’t underwear at all, but a swimsuit! Liyami’s was the same!
She’d been tricked by the two of them! They hadn’t done that with Kolin at all! They’d just changed into swimsuits in Kolin’s room!
Huh? Wait? That doesn’t seem much better, does it?
Although the actual situation wasn’t much better than what Eleanor had imagined, at least the worst-case scenario hadn’t happened. Seeing this, Eleanor finally let out a sigh of relief. Her previously gloomy mood began to clear, and she relaxed considerably.
Having realized the truth, Eleanor snapped back to reality and looked again at the two still laughing uproariously in front of her. Seeing this, Eleanor frowned. Ignoring their unrestrained laughter, she went straight to the main point.
“Stop laughing over there! I’ll set aside why you came out wearing swimsuits for now. First, answer me, why are both of you in Kolin’s room?! You didn’t do anything strange, did you?!”
Even though Eleanor had realized the truth, she was still a bit uneasy. She wanted to hear Liyami and Lavinia admit it with her own ears before she could truly rest easy.
Unfortunately, Liyami and Lavinia were still laughing hysterically, not yet recovered from that atmosphere. So, the only answer Eleanor got from them was merciless mockery, with no information that could explain the current situation.
Seeing this, Eleanor’s frown deepened. She made a decisive move, immediately casting a Holy Light Art: Solace. The two who had been laughing instantly stopped, their expressions and moods returning to normal.
“Now, can you talk properly?”
Eleanor glared angrily at the two before her, as if trying to force the truth out of them with her eyes.
Seeing this, Liyami and Lavinia exchanged a glance. They stopped mocking Eleanor and began to explain the situation calmly.
“…Anyway, that’s how it is. We were just picking out swimsuits, not doing anything strange. Oh, right. This was all Lavinia’s idea. I just went along with it.”
“How can you say that?! This was a plan we discussed together! How can you abandon your sister?! You’re so heartless!”
“But I’m stating the facts! Just tell me, wasn’t this your idea?!”
“Even if it was, you’re an accomplice! An accomplice!”
After hearing their statements, Eleanor ignored the two who had suddenly started a fake, exaggerated argument, trying to divert her attention.
Eleanor lowered her head and thought for a moment, then looked around, and finally looked at Kolin, who was huddled in the corner.
He had already released his Perception Block state and happened to meet Eleanor’s gaze.
Seeing Eleanor inexplicably throw him an inquiring look, Kolin, who had been in a state of Perception Block and thus heard almost nothing, was a bit confused. But he still gave a slight nod, providing the answer she wanted. Although he didn’t know what had happened, judging from the current state of the three at the door, Kolin could roughly guess the gist of the matter.
Seeing Kolin also nod, Eleanor finally believed Liyami and Lavinia’s story, but she was still very dissatisfied.
“While the facts are indeed as you say, that doesn’t mean you didn’t do anything wrong! The facts you’ve stated have way too many problems! I don’t even know where to start!”
It seemed Eleanor still wanted to criticize the two, at least to make them remember this lesson. But Liyami and Lavinia had clearly already prepared a countermeasure.
Lavinia reached out and covered Eleanor’s mouth, preventing her from continuing. Meanwhile, Liyami brought over the bag full of swimsuits that Lavinia had brought earlier and placed it in front of Eleanor.
“Let’s put it this way: are you going on the vacation trip or not? If you are, have you bought a swimsuit yet? There are plenty here! You can pick whichever you like!”
Eleanor frowned. Clearly, she wouldn’t be swayed by such conditions. But then Lavinia whispered in her ear, “Don’t you want Kolin to see you in a swimsuit? This is a great opportunity! Maybe we can even pick out a swimsuit Kolin likes! It’s much better than choosing alone, right?”
It had to be said, Lavinia definitely had some talent in persuading others. Eleanor’s previously stern expression changed several shades after hearing Lavinia’s words. In the end, Eleanor let out a helpless sigh. Pretending to be reluctant but having no choice, she walked into the room.
Seeing her goal achieved, Lavinia revealed a sinister smile, sending a chill down Liyami’s spine, who happened to catch a glimpse of it.
‘I didn’t realize Lavinia could be so threatening. I’d better be careful around her from now on.’
After witnessing today’s events, Liyami couldn’t help but think this to herself.
As for Kolin, huddled in the corner, he had no idea what he was about to face. He watched blankly as Lavinia suddenly locked the door, as Eleanor picked up a swimsuit and headed for the temporary changing area, and as Liyami occasionally wandered in and out of his line of sight.
He didn’t know what was going on, but Kolin just had a very, very bad premonition.