TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 140
Yuria’s heart was breaking.
From the moment she saw her Changed Face until now, it had been repeatedly shattering and breaking apart.
When Yuria woke up in the morning, she thought she was dreaming. She never imagined she would experience something like this on the day of the Ball.
She greeted the morning as lively as always.
She had planned to wake up earlier than usual today to prepare and dress up beautifully, but everything had gone wrong.
Yuria felt ashamed.
She was so ashamed to show her Changed Face.
After calming her mind, she agonized over it for a long time. Yuria repeatedly thought about and debated which Dress to wear.
Should she wear the Dress Ricardo had given her?
Or should she wear the Dress Ruin had given her?
Yuria knew that no matter what she wore, she would be criticized because of her Changed Face.
She had thought this time would be different. With a desperate hope, Yuria chose a Dress.
-Yeah… I’ll wear this.
After much consideration, the Dress she chose was the Light Green Dress Ruin had gifted her. She thought Ruin might recognize her if she wore the Dress he had given her.
She hoped that at least one person would recognize her Changed Face. She didn’t want to spend another Ball alone and lonely.
If Ruin recognized her, she thought they could talk about the problem she was facing, and it might provide her with some comfort for her aching heart.
Ruin had said he looked at the inner self.
Believing in Ruin, Yuria chose the Dress.
Last evening, Ruin had told her he was looking at her as a person, not her face. Yuria believed his words, that he would surely recognize her even if her Appearance became hideous.
Instead of wearing the Pure White Dress Ricardo had given her, Yuria wore the Light Green Dress Ruin had gifted her and walked to the Banquet Hall.
She felt regretful about not wearing the Dress Ricardo had given her, but she wanted to discuss the pressing issue in front of her first.
The path to the Ball felt endlessly long.
Students passing by glanced at her face and whispered to each other, and the sound of their mocking laughter constantly filled her ears.
Enduring Criticism that felt colder than usual as she walked toward the Banquet Hall, Yuria could only describe the experience as The Worst.
Overwhelmed by her complicated thoughts, Yuria sat on a Bench and contemplated.
She wondered if she should just not go.
Attending the Ball was a duty for students of the Academy, but she thought they might understand if she explained the situation she was facing.
However.
Yuria was a timid person.
She worried, “What if they don’t understand? What if causing another Controversy while already under Disciplinary Action leads to even harsher punishment?” Struggling with these thoughts, Yuria forced her unwilling legs to move.
One step.
Two steps.
The weight of the air between her falling Footsteps was unbearable. Even so, Yuria walked with one Hope in mind.
“Ruin will recognize me,” she thought.
Because Yuria believed in Ruin.
She believed in Ruin’s confident words and wore the Dress he had given her, trusting he would recognize her.
When she entered the Banquet Hall.
She was met with a flood of Criticism directed at her.
-She dressed up despite being ugly.
-Pfft. That’s a bit…
-It looks like she borrowed her Mother’s clothes.
Even though only her Appearance had changed, people’s attitudes toward her were unbearably cold.
Everyone was Criticizing Yuria.
-Who is that woman?
-She’s so ugly.
-I recommend being reborn.
No one recognized the injustice she felt.
Not even her close friends. Not even the juniors who had thanked her for helping them with their assignments and treating their injuries.
Everyone ignored her, sending mocking smiles her way.
Yuria felt nauseous.
She couldn’t understand their attitudes, and even though she could, the nausea surged uncontrollably.
All conversations sounded like Criticism of her hideous Appearance, and she felt as though everyone’s eyes were fixed on her face.
Her head spun.
A wave of nausea so strong she felt like she might vomit at any moment began to overwhelm her.
She thought it was something she could endure by closing her eyes just once, by steeling herself and enduring it. But upon arriving at the Ball, Yuria realized that such thoughts had been naive.
Lowering her head, Yuria ran toward the Corner of the Banquet Hall.
Because she wanted to survive.
Because she felt like she might collapse or go insane if she endured people’s stares for another moment, Yuria ran.
Hiding from their gazes, she wondered if her heart might feel better. If she hid in a place where she couldn’t be seen, she thought she might escape the sounds of Neglect. Panting heavily, Yuria caught her breath repeatedly, and when she saw the familiar face of a Friend walking slowly toward her, she let out a sigh of relief.
“Ruin.”
Ruin was approaching her hiding spot.
Watching Ruin walk toward her slowly and unhurriedly, Yuria felt relieved.
“I’m glad I wore the Dress Ruin gave me.”
Feeling sorry toward Ricardo, Yuria was relieved that Ruin recognized her.
If she had been left hiding alone in the vast Ball, she thought nothing could be more miserable.
She thought things had improved a little.
She had made more Friends than last year.
Though many of her friendships were still awkward, she had made Friends she could laugh and chat with, and she felt hopeful that the Academy’s Ball might turn out closer to what she had anticipated. Watching Ruin’s approaching Footsteps, Yuria was moved and her eyes welled with tears.
“You recognized me.”
Seeing Ruin approach, Yuria clasped her hands together and lowered her head.
She wanted to talk about the shameful and unfair things she had experienced. She wanted to tell him that when she opened her eyes, her face had changed, and she wanted to discuss how to solve it.
She wanted to confide in her close Friend about this stifling feeling she couldn’t share with anyone else.
Because of this, Yuria had high expectations for Ruin and hoped he would come to her quickly.
-Plod.
One step.
-Plod.
Two steps.
-Hesitate.
When Ruin finally stood before her, Yuria suppressed her surging emotions and called his name.
-Ruin.
-Hey.
-Can’t you change into a different Dress?
She was deeply disappointed.
It felt like her world was collapsing.
Ruin, who had promised to see her inner self.
Ruin, who had spoken with such confidence just last evening, had suddenly turned cold, and Yuria found his demeanor unfamiliar.
-Huh?
-That Dress doesn’t suit you at all.
Yuria couldn’t believe Ruin, who had praised the Dress and insisted she wear it, was now saying the opposite.
She had trusted him.
She had believed he would recognize her.
Ruin was speaking cold words to her.
Yuria strongly denied it in her heart.
“You said it would suit me.”
“You asked me to wear it.”
“You told me not to wear the Dress Ricardo gave me. So I wore this one… Why don’t you recognize me?”
Yuria felt a tremendous Sense of Betrayal toward Ruin, who had lied to her, and clenched her Fists tightly.
Although she fully understood why Ruin didn’t recognize her, still, still…!
She hadn’t expected him to treat her so coldly.
Without even asking her name, Ruin’s cold words drove Yuria’s Self-esteem deeper into the Abyss.
Ruin’s stubbornness was breaking Yuria down.
Even after revealing her name.
Even after pounding on her chest out of frustration, Ruin’s unchanged attitude returned with the answer that unless she changed her Dress immediately, he wouldn’t budge.
-You said you’d look at the inner self.
-You said you’d recognize me even if my face changed.
-Were you just spouting sweet words?
Tears kept falling foolishly, and Yuria bowed her head, bursting into sobs.
Ruin sighed as he looked at her lowered head.
-Don’t cry.
-…
-I said don’t cry. It’s unpleasant because you’re ugly.
Despite once saying that her crying face pained him, despite saying he’d make her smile from now on, and asking her to remain his Friend, Ruin had forgotten those past words and was coldly repeating sorrowful ones.
The world felt dark.
Her vision dimmed as if she was falling asleep, and only quiet Emotions seemed to echo in her ears.
‘Why do I have to go through this…?’
She was always the one facing Hardships.
She began to feel disgusted seeing those who caused her suffering boast as if they were superior.
She had wanted to try her best.
Was it so wrong to want to laugh with everyone? Bowing her head, Yuria burst into tears.
She wanted to give up and start over.
Her Betraying Friend.
Those Women mocking her suffering.
Just as the feeling of wanting to reset everything and begin anew was creeping in.
-Bang!
“Hmm.”
Bathed in the radiant light of the Chandelier, a single The Man was walking toward her.
Always relaxed and playful, The Man.
And her Friend.
Yuria was flustered.
She hadn’t expected Ricardo to attend the Ball.
Hurriedly, Yuria covered her face with her hands and hid. She didn’t want to show Ricardo her shabby appearance. Even though she knew Ricardo, like Ruin, wouldn’t recognize her, she still didn’t want to reveal herself like this.
‘Don’t come.’
‘I said don’t come…’
‘Go away.’
As Yuria kept her head bowed, the Sound of Footsteps began to draw closer to her ears.
-Plod.
-Plod.
-Plod.
The approaching Footsteps stopped at a certain point and moved no further.
In the moment when a sigh of relief mixed with complex Emotions and sadness overflowed like a flood.
A warm hand gently rested on top of her head.
It was warm.
Very much so.
It felt comforting and warm, as if soothing all the pain she’d endured until now.
A startled Yuria heard a warm Boyish Voice from above her head.
As always, the Gentle Voice reached her ears.
“You are beautiful today as well.”
Ricardo, who had recognized her when no one else could, was smiling as he looked at her.