Chapter 298: Battle of Poker Faces

“Is something wrong, Sir Feyt?” the volunteer student said with a calm smile, hand still extended, offering the cup of water, all the while his heart might as well be a drum at a metal concert.

“U-Uhm…”

What the hell should I do here?!

The volunteer student still held a calm voice, expression, and demeanor. But the fact that his heart was hammering like crazy as soon as I baited him with a joke question told me all there was to know.

There was something in the drink; I was sure of it. Sure, it could be anything. Salt, sugar, a piece of hair… But come on, even I could piece together that this was most likely made to sabotage me!!

But the question remained.

What should I do?!?!

I couldn’t just outright accuse him of tampering with the cup of water. There was no physical evidence, from what I could see at least, besides his racing heart. Plus, I didn’t want to risk triggering him to do something directly if he was someone dangerous.

I could point out how Carine didn’t receive any complimentary cup of water, saying how Feyt heard from Carine she was thirsty before the match, but there wasn't any water around, and there was plenty of reasonable explanation he could spout out. I even made some of those explanations earlier.

But I couldn't refuse to drink the water either. Drinking water before a match is something positive to do before a match, and so far, it has been portrayed as a friendly gesture. If I refuse, it might signal to him that I caught on to something.

I didn’t know who I was dealing with. I didn't know if he was working alone, with a group, or just a lackey of some kind… And there was a high chance this was tied to the forged letter from “Ravilenna”.

I couldn't risk rousing his suspicion, even though he earned mine.

Dammit! If only Feyt had a bodyguard too!

…

Wait a minute… I do have a bodyguard!

My head slowly turned to the side.

Leila was sitting beside me, her back perfectly straight, her eyes scanning the crowd like an eagle who was ready to pounce on whoever made the slightest move against Carine.

Yeah… Yeah! This could work!

I nudged Leila’s arm as subtly as I could, prompting her to lean ever so slightly towards me.

“What is it, Lady Carine?” she whispered.

I took a deep breath before asking.

“May I ask you for a favor? Feyt might be in trouble.”

Next, she was going to ask what kind of trouble, and how I knew. I still hadn’t figured out how I was going to explain any of this, but—

Leila’s eyes narrowed almost instantly. “What shall I do, Lady Carine?”

…Oh, she didn’t even question why.

Leila’s trust was truly a treasure.

I cleared my throat softly before continuing.

“Alright, listen carefully and follow my plan…”

—

“Sir Feyt?” he called out gently. “Your water?”

“A-Ah, right!” I accepted the cup of water with my hand. “Thank you!”

“You’re welcome, Sir Feyt. Please, have a—”

“—So…” I interrupted, placing the cup beside me on the bench. “Do you get paid for this volunteer work?” I asked the volunteer student with the calmest smile I could manage.

“Uhh, no. But we do get credit,” he said calmly with a calm smile of his own. However, his heart was still going:

THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP

“Oh, credit? What’s that for?” I asked.

“It is to help with grades, I believe.” His eyes, though they were looking right at me, were at times shifting to the cup of water.

“I see,” I nodded. “So, you helped a lot of other contestants, right? Care to share who you think is the strongest? I'm curious!”

“It’s… not my place to judge them, Sir Feyt. I'm just a volunteer, after all,” he said in a light tone... while his eyes silently looked towards the cup.

I could tell he wanted to tell me to drink the water urgently. But, just like me, he was probably trying not to arouse suspicion in me that something was wrong with the water. It was a battle of poker faces.

I was wondering why and how he looked so calm despite his heart yelling out ‘I’m nervous as hell’ constantly. Then I remembered a Talent I'd read about as Carine.

A Talent that allowed its user to project calmness, regardless of what they were actually feeling. Basically, what if poker face was made into a genuine Talent.

[Tempered Front]

Could that be it?

If so, it would explain the impossibly calm expression.

That also meant he was perfect for this kind of job, handing suspicious things over while looking genuine and calm. Too bad his heart couldn’t keep its mouth shut.

I kept stalling for as long as I could, but I was starting to wonder how much longer I could keep this up. If I acted too suspiciously, or dragged things out for too long, he might catch on. And if that happened, things could go south very quickly.

All I could do was keep smiling and trust that she would make it in time.

Until eventually, firm knocks echoed on the prep room door.

“Sir Feyt? Are you present?”

She’s here!!

I immediately turned my head towards the prep room door. “L-Leila?!” I blurted out, mocking a surprise.

Immediately, the volunteer student’s heartbeat picked up its rhythm once more. He clearly didn’t expect anyone to come. But before he could say anything, the door opened.

Indeed, Leila had arrived. She stepped into the room with her usual flat expression, her eyes immediately darting between the student standing before me and me.

She then stopped right before me. “Sir Feyt, Lady Carine has ordered me to check up on you before your match.”

Alright, here goes!

“R-Really?” I asked, feigning surprise once again. “I-I assure you, I’m doing just fine.”

“Lady Carine insists, I’m afraid.”

Leila stepped directly in front of me with a firm step, blocking the volunteer from my view, and me from his.

“Are you certain that you’re feeling all right, Sir Feyt?” she asked, her expression filled with concern. “The closer I look, the more I notice that you look a little pale.”

“I-I’m not—”

She leaned closer, carefully examining my face, while gesturing for me to keep quiet by placing a finger over her lips.

Then, her hand slipped into her dress and produced a small, artistic wooden container. It was something I instructed her to buy from the stalls before coming here, which was probably the main reason why she took a while.

“Lady Carine is restless in her seat, thinking you haven’t rested well,” she said flatly as she quietly opened the container.

Then, she picked up the cup beside me.

“The academy provides water for the contestants?” she asked, glancing at it. “Why have you not drunk it yet?”

“I-I was just about to.”

Okay, so far so good. She’s following the plan exactly—

“Hm, then let me assist you. Open up.”

“W-Wait, wait, wait! This isn’t—”

This isn’t part of the plan!

She’s getting way into the role!!

Leila held the cup out toward me.

Though I was caught off guard, I instinctively raised my hand between us, as though preparing to take it from her. At the same time, Leila brought the wooden container up below my hand, directly underneath the cup.

With Leila’s body and raised arm blocking the volunteer’s view, she tilted the cup. A thin stream of water poured perfectly into the container, with not a single drop spilled.

I did my best to act as though I were being forced to drink, all while sneaking a glance at the volunteer behind her.

He was looking away. His face was genuinely red with embarrassment.

Even his poker face faded away at the sight of this!

After all the water in the cup was safely poured away, Leila quickly secured the container back inside her dress before lowering her hand. The cup was placed beside me again, completely empty.

“Good. You should be ready for your match, I believe,” Leila said, standing up straight and taking a step back.

I wiped my mouth, even though it was dry, to sell the image. “Y-You didn’t really have to do that…”

Then, suddenly, the announcer took to the stand and yelled into the artifact.

“Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome back to the Royal Knights Arena! Our next match is about to commence shortly! Please, take your seats!” His voice echoed through the arena, reaching both sets of my ears.

Leila glanced toward the closed gate.

“It seems your match is about to begin.” She gave me a small nod before turning toward the exit. “Good luck, Sir Feyt. Lady Carine and I will be cheering for you.”

“Th-Thank you.”

With that, she calmly left the room.

The moment the door closed behind her, the volunteer, who had been silent up until now, stepped forward and gazed at the empty cup beside me.

Almost instantly, his heartbeat calmed down, and I could hear him sigh the tiniest sighs of relief.

Okay, I think I sold the scene well… He should think I drank it all.

Though, I think Leila improvised her role a bit too much...

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