PandoraHearts ~Caucus Race~, Vol. 2 by Shinobu Wakamiya Page B

and cheerful, a clever conversationalist, good-looking and reliable, and if
he
tried…he might have been able to step right over the discord between the two houses and talk freely with Elliot. At that thought, Ada shook her head.
    She was acting spoiled. Even though she knew she needed to do her best with what she had—
    …But what should she do?
    “………Haaah.” Another sigh.
    Ada dropped her gaze to the floor of the corridor and thought.
    I’ve had them take care of Snowdrop and Kitty properly at home since then…
    She’d asked the servants to watch them and make sure they didn’t leave the house. As a result, since that day, the cats hadn’t come to school once. Ada was still mulling over whether or not this was something she should keep up next week.
    She thought some more.
    Since then, I haven’t spoken to Elliot-kun.
    Ada and Elliot were in different years, and as a rule, they almost never interacted. She’d only seen him at school a few times, and if their eyes met, he just glared at her. There really hadn’t been any way for her to speak to him.
    I still haven’t…apologized.
    She hadn’t apologized for the trouble Snowdrop had caused him. When he’d yelled at her, Ada had just stood there silently, and she’d been in such a daze that, as Elliot and Leo had left, she hadn’t been able to speak to them.
    Even if he did hate her. Even if they couldn’t be friends. Even so.
    I have to apologize properly—
    As Ada hung her head, she heard the sound of footsteps traveling through the corridor.
    Abruptly, two of the sets of footsteps stopped beside Ada.
    Ada looked up.
    Her eyes met Elliot’s, who’d stopped nearby and was glaring at her. Leo was beside him.
    “Oh, Elli—”
    Just as she spoke his name, she remembered she’d been told not to say it casually, and she faltered.
    Her reaction alone had probably been enough to tell Elliot she’d been waiting for him. Elliot’s expression was cross; he only shot a sharp glance at Ada, then made as if to leave. Just as Leo asked him, “Are you sure?” Ada spoke:
    “Um, I’m sorry!” She said it vigorously, bowing her head low.
    Elliot stopped again and said, “…What do you want?” He sounded irritated.
    “Snowdrop caused trouble for you, and I hadn’t apologized yet.”
    “…Is that all?”
    Elliot spoke coldly. Ada nodded, timidly.
    “I don’t need an apology. Come on, Leo.”
    From his tone, Ada couldn’t tell if he’d forgiven her or if her apology had been rejected entirely. Prompting Leo to move, Elliot began walking away from Ada. Her eyes fell on the book he had in his hand.
    “
Holy Knight
—”
    At Ada’s words, Elliot glanced back. Ada hadn’t expected him to turn, and she hastily said:
    “Oh, um, when— When I was little, someone read a children’s edition to me… My big brother had the whole Holy Knight series in his room. He really liked it… I-I’m sure you’d have lots to talk about—”
    Ada had involuntarily grown talkative, but under Elliot’s prickly gaze, she trailed off.
    “Do you seriously think I’d sit down and chat with a Vessalius man? Anyway, the guy’s dead.”
    “Elliot. A little tact?”
    Leo reprimanded him. Elliot turned away in a huff, and Ada shook her head. “It’s all right, Leo-kun.” Elliot moved away from Ada, as if he had no more to discuss. As he walked off with Leo, without looking back, he spoke:
    “Who was your brother’s favorite character?”
    “Huh?” Ada was at a loss.
    Elliot had sounded as though he’d asked about something he wasn’t very interested in, just for the sake of asking. He looked as if he’d leave right away if Ada didn’t answer.
    Ada hadn’t read
Holy Knight
since her brother’s disappearance. She didn’t know much about the characters, and her memories were vague, but… She had heard her brother talk about his favorite character. She was fairly sure it had been one of the two characters at the center of the story. Their names were Edgar