Chapter 23: The Popular Mel

The next day.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and grayish-white fog coiled around the spires of the Gothic buildings.

Mel stepped through the school gates as usual, ready to start a new day.

But soon, she discovered that today seemed slightly different from the past—several eager gazes stuck to her back like spider silk.

Those gazes held no malice, but they still made Mel feel uncomfortable.

Perhaps it was because of her previous encounters that she had developed a slight PTSD towards being watched by others.

“Mel!”

Just then, a crisp voice pierced the fog, and the blonde Anna suddenly blocked Mel's path.

This daughter of a wealthy merchant, who had always been arrogant, was now smiling like a sunflower, holding a box of exquisitely packaged truffle chocolates in her hands.

“I heard you haven't been feeling well lately? This is chocolate my father brought back from Florence, I heard eating some sweets.”

She didn't have much interaction with Anna; on the contrary, it was Vilnia who had some contact with her.

Mel subconsciously took half a step back, looking at the inexplicably fawning girl before her with some surprise.

“Thank you... but I don't like sweets.”

Mel said softly, then walked around her and hurried towards the classroom.

As soon as she sat down, another girl with whom she had no interaction on a daily basis walked over quickly.

The girl named Claire held a neatly organized notebook in her hands, her cheeks slightly flushed.

“Mel, these are the notes I've organized. You were on leave last week, and this contains all the knowledge points you missed. Although I know Vilnia has already organized them for you, but.... My copy is definitely more comprehensive.”

Claire said, handing the notebook to Mel.

The neat handwriting and detailed highlighting in the notebook showed that the girl had clearly put a considerable amount of effort into it.

“No... that's not necessary.”

Mel waved her hand to refuse, but more people came forward.

Jonathan, the captain of the singing team, invited her to watch the school's musical this weekend.

Agatha, a member of the poetry club, invited her to attend a salon on Saturday afternoon.

Those classmates with whom she had almost no interaction were now gathered around Mel, as if she were a superstar.

Just as Mel was busy fending off these inexplicable attempts to curry favor, a sound of footsteps came from outside the crowd.

Then, Vilnia pushed through the crowd and sat down beside Mel.

Looking at the surrounded Mel, the young girl's brow furrowed slightly, and she then looked at the others.

“Everyone, please don't crowd around here, okay?”

Vilnia said with a smile, “Mel doesn't like to be disturbed by so many people.”

As she spoke, her fingers rested lightly on Mel's shoulder, with a hint of a possessive posture.

“If there's anything, why not tell me about it first?”

“Vilnia?”

Seeing Vilnia appear, Mel breathed a slight sigh of relief, but the hand resting on her shoulder also made her a little uncomfortable.

As her words fell, the students surrounding Mel dispersed and returned to their respective seats.

Seeing this, Vilnia withdrew her gaze and turned to Mel with a gentle smile.

“Are you alright, Mel?”

“It's nothing.... I just feel like everyone seems a bit strange today....”

Mel shook her head gently, but found that Vilnia's hand was still resting on her shoulder.

A warm touch came through the uniform, and Mel subconsciously wanted to shy away.

“Vilnia, your hand.”

Vilnia seemed not to have heard, and instead moved closer, her warm breath almost brushing against Mel's earlobe.

“What did you just say, Mel? I didn't hear you clearly.”

Her fingers gently slid across Mel's shoulder, causing the latter to tremble uncomfortably.

“Sorry, I said your hand....”

“Mel, have you been feeling unwell anywhere recently?”

Vilnia interrupted Mel's words and changed the subject, her tone carrying a hint of concern.

Her gaze wandered over Mel's body, as if trying to see through the young girl before her.

“No... not at all, why do you suddenly ask?”

Mel subconsciously wanted to retreat, but found that she was cleverly trapped between the seat and the wall by Vilnia.

Such an ambiguous distance made her heartbeat involuntarily speed up.

“I'm just concerned about you.”

Vilnia chuckled softly, “After all, I just saw that many people seem to be particularly enthusiastic towards you.”

Her tone carried a faint hint of jealousy, but a flash of coldness appeared in her eyes.

Mel felt a chill crawl up her spine, but couldn't say why.

This time, the whispers did not come, did not urge her to execute Vilnia quickly.

Just then, the bell for class rang.

Vilnia smiled slightly at her, then once again kept her distance from Mel.

After the morning classes ended, during lunchtime, many people came over again, wanting to invite Mel to have lunch with them.

But before those people could get close, Vilnia had already taken Mel's hand and walked out of the classroom.

“Let's go, Mel, let's have lunch together.”

Before Mel could react, she was pulled out of the classroom by Vilnia and they headed towards the cafeteria.

Then, Vilnia found a quiet corner to sit down.

Sunlight slanted through the glass window onto the dining table, casting fine spots of light on the wooden surface.

Vilnia gently placed the tray in front of Mel, her movements as elegant as those of a waiter in a high-class restaurant.

“The cream of mushroom soup is very good today. I even got you an extra piece of bread.”

Vilnia's voice was soft, with a hint of imperceptible doting.

Her gaze followed Mel's every move, as if admiring a precious work of art.

“Gurgle, gurgle——”

The spoon stirred the milky white thick soup, and the rich creamy aroma lingered between the two of them.

Vilnia scooped up a spoonful, gently blew on it to cool it down, then brought it to Mel's lips without spilling a drop.

“You've been spacing out a lot lately,” the spoon moved forward another half-inch, the soup touching Mel's lower lip.

“Come on, open your mouth, ah——”

The steam rising from the cream of mushroom soup hazed the air between them.

Mel subconsciously opened her mouth and carefully took a sip.

The warm liquid slid down her throat, bringing a comfortable warmth.

“It's indeed very delicious....”

Mel nodded slightly.

Vilnia showed a satisfied smile, then reached out to gently wipe a bit of soup from the corner of Mel's mouth.

This sudden intimate gesture made Mel slightly stunned.

This kind of behavior had happened before, but at that time Mel had not become a Shepherd, nor did she know Vilnia's true identity.

For the Mel of that time, it was just a sign of a good relationship.

But for the current Mel, Vilnia's closeness always gave her a sense of instinctive repulsion.

She did not hate Vilnia.

But the instinct she had as a Shepherd was rejecting her.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.