How to Make a Sinner Sleep - Chapter 17: Chapter 17

Noah noticed Kaden's foul mood the moment the man swept into the room, running a frustrated hand through his tangled hair. Sweat still glistened on his forehead from rushing back to the dorms.
The dragon said nothing as Kaden found himself a spot on his own bed, seeming to debate whether to throw something or to beat somebody up.
The lamp light had been dimmed for a comfortable reading experience, but instead acted to beat against Kaden's face, highlighting all of his emotions.
When Kaden stood up suddenly, making way towards the door, Noah finally spoke in a low, soft voice.
"What's wrong?"
Kaden froze mid-step. He'd been so distracted in the anger, those whimpered cries still playing back in his mind, that he hardly noticed Noah's appearance. However, he wasn't in much of a mood to play around.
He needed to see Reed.
If that house was one of his marks, then it was part of one of his diabolical plans. Maybe Kaden could use that fact to twist it into his own use.
But maybe that would also put a temporary stop to his current peace.
Was he willing to sacrifice that?
His hand clutched the golden coin in his pocket, feeling it press against his skin. The col of the metal reassured him.
Kaden shook his head. Whether making a move resulted in Reed's watch growing more careful, it didn't matter. He couldn't simply play the bystander when he witnessed the abuse firsthand.
He licked his lips, and smiled at Noah amiably. "Nothing's wrong."
The dragon's gaze was fathomless, seeing through all deceit and making Kaden inexplicably nervous. "Do you need any help, Chauvet?"
"I said nothing's wrong."
"And I'm stating that I can provide help, if necessary."
Noah didn't pry into the details to Kaden's discomfort, nor did he force the other to speak if he didn't want to. He simply put his hand on the table, allowing Kaden to know that he wasn't alone.
The book, closed with a bookmark pressed inside. All his attention was focused on Kaden.
Kaden stared at him, hesitant. It was a way of comfort that worked the best with him, with no pressure to accept the help, but somebody at his back if he were to fall.
A vague warmth ran through Kaden's body.
Hearing no response, Noah adjusted his glasses calmly and opened the page of his book again. Lowering his head, white strands of hair fell over his eyes, his body leaning against the headboard as the orange hue pulsed against his figure.
His fingers strummed against the paper, prominent knuckled bending to turn each page. It was a peaceful scene, an everyday normal.
Kaden fell into a soft daze, the previous fire slowly being smothered.
He walked back over to his bed, sitting down on the feathered covers, sinking his weight into the mattress.
He was being too hasty.
Running over to Reed wouldn't be wise—that man would confirm Arlo's existence, and use that boy to manipulate Kaden further. And it could be a mistake, that the house was marked by Reed.
Investigation was necessary, first and foremost.
He took an unsteady breath, closing his eyes and relaxing to the crinkle of paper at his side, slowly adjusting his emotions. The unbothered breathing, quiet and solemn.
Alright.
He would investigate further. Find out what was in those injections that Arlo's father kept providing, why there was even a possibility of being Reed's target.
Noah glanced over, noticing the released tension in Kaden's brows, and the steadily rising and lowering shoulders. Satisfied, he flipped back a few pages to where he'd stopped reading—he'd been too distracted to read properly earlier.
He thought to say a few words, but it wasn't in his character. He had faith in Kaden, that the man had cooled whatever irrational thoughts originally stirred.
Once relaxed, Kaden stood up again to leave the room.
This time, Noah didn't stop him.
Kaden thought of saying a quick thanks to the dragon, but decided against it. It felt unnatural, or more like, the thanks didn't need to be said. It was already known.
The door clicked shut behind him.
He would go down to town in the evening again. Even those in the slums knew how to drink and waste away money in the lower bars, dangerous places which mixed pleasure and alcohol.
The lower bars attracted the poor, luring those who had little and manipulating them to waste away money on addiction.
Considering the boy's father's drunkenness, he was a likely visitor of such places.
First, he'd need a proper disguise. Clothes that suited the area. Wearing a cloak was more likely to stand out then blend in, and his regular uniform was even more out of question.
If he remembered correctly, the student president, Nicola, had a hobby of collecting costumes. He'd actually learned it recently, but the woman enjoyed putting on performances in town.
A little bit of digging allowed Kaden to fully relax around her, knowing that she didn't pose a threat nor was she a minion of Reed's.
She also frequently donated food to the slums, collecting clothes and other items for donation. She seemed to harbour an intense want to provide to those with less. Another hobby of the eccentric woman, perhaps.
It was respectable, admirable. And he wondered the reason.
Of course, Kaden hadn't done a full investigation, so he knew little about her background and other aspects.
He wasn't exactly sure where she would be at the moment, but he recalled seeing her frequent the library several times. He turned down the familiar corridor, calmly striding through the halls.
Unlike the huddled groups of people, he was one of the few to roam alone.
He felt a few eyes turn towards him—and though most had gotten used to his presence, there were still vague whispers that trickled into his ear.
However, unknown to the man himself, he'd attracted a new sort of attention.
As he walked, he bumped into a tall figure carrying a handful of boxes and papers. The man jumped in surprise, peeking his framed eyes over.
"Kaden!"
Kaden nodded. "Professor Raymond."
The intellectual man whose curiosity knew no bounds, often going into seclusion to investigate various subjects or to read more about history.
However, his appearance often remained clean and tidy despite his eccentric personality that was hard to refuse. Dark bags hung over his dulled eyes, and there was a ragged air to his youth as if he'd aged greatly since their last class.
Kaden couldn't help but ask in a calm voice, "Are you in a hurry?"
"Yes, there are some things I was investigating... researching into. I apologize for bumping into you, however, I must make haste."
Was he mistaken, or was there a semblance of fear in the man's gaze?
"Was there an incident?"
"Nothing for you students to fret about. We have it all handled, there are simply some matters to check." Raymond paused, adjusting the boxes in his arms so that he wouldn't bump into somebody again. "...Kaden, you must be careful."
Kaden frowned. "Careful?"
"As a student of the Academy, you are exposed to more risks that the regular civilian. Keep that in mind, is that understood?"
Kaden wanted to ask more questions, but Raymond's state was in a disorder and hurried, so he simply nodded in agreement. The Professor smiled thankfully before saing,
"Really, be careful."
"Yes, I understand."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"You're not curious, or have any inclinations on investigating due to my words, are you? That wouldn't be any good, though understandable—"
"Professor."
"Yes, Kaden?"
"I hold not the slightest bit of curiosity."
Raymond blinked, then adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, straightening his back. Despite his elegant and scholarly appearance, there were times he seemed rather silly and ridiculous.
The Professor also seemed to always have trouble believing that a person could hold no curiosity about all manners, pressing students to ask questions.
However, since he was in a hurry, Raymond couldn't press and make sure Kaden was really not curious, since it was only natural to wonder about such abrupt topics, and the student was young and—
—and he was late!
Raymond nodded in farewell before speeding away.
There were always various incidents occurring in both the Academy, or related cities. Due to this, Kaden didn't dwell on it for long.
If it reached an extent of an emergency, then it would be announced.
Kaden's eyes lingered on the disappearing back of his Professor, before he turned around to continue walking.
Nicola, standing in the hallway, beside the library's oaken double doors, watched the man approach her. She laughed lightly behind her open book, hearing the whispers that remained oblivious to the man himself.
Her friend beside her were one of the gossipers, always interested in the recent drama. "You must agree Nicola, he is charming in a certain light."
"I've always found him charming." smiled Nicola politely, listening.
"Do you mean in that way—"
"No. However, believing in rumours without observing the person themselves a foolish act. There is a charm in the way he carries himself, and I've seen for myself he isn't a bad person."
The other girl chortled, shrugging casually. She never fully trusted rumours, though she did enjoy hearing and discussing them. "He's the talk of the school currently, in the new batch of first years. Him, and his two other friends."
Nicola had to admit that the group of three painted an interesting picture, that interested the men and women in school.
Noah's bloodline was already something unique, and to add with his chilling temperament and aloof nature, he was practically straight out of a cheesy romance, charming all the students in an instant.
People craved what they couldn't have, after all.
Niklas was the striking opposite, friendly by nature to a point that wasn't overly familiar, but instead welcoming. The sort that made it easy to talk to, where one would quickly feel comfortable.
Then there was Kaden.
The Chauvet's dog, following all the dirty deeds. Funnily enough, Reed's reputation was rather good, despite the whispers about the royal family.
It was the King and Kaden that bore the brunt of the rumours. And it was, in fact, correct. Kaden himself admitted to the fact.
That the fear directed towards him was warranted, and he wouldn't reject it.
Nicola's fingers lingered over a flower-pressed bookmark within the pages, kept by her side at all times. It was old, yellowed at the edges—but it was her treasure.
In fact, she had judged Kaden unfairly, once.
And it was a mistake she regretted for the entirety of her life; a mistake she wouldn't make again.
Kaden stopped before her, nodding in greeting with a casual wave. A lazy demure, like a cat cruising down the street, he behaved in a way that seemed as if he cared about nothing.
"Kaden. Were you looking for me?"
Kaden nodded and got straight to the point. "I remember hearing that you enjoy putting performances on town, can I borrow some clothes? Do you have any my size—regular, commoner wear."
"I should have your size, some of my clothes are on the larger size. What for, may I ask?"
"I'm thinking of going to town, and I don't want to stand out."
"I see." She paused, slightly curious but she decided not to ask further. The other party wasn't one who enjoyed sharing, that much she knew. "I'll grab some from my room and return shortly."
Kaden nodded, and Nicola hurried away, leaving him alone with her friend.
They stood awkwardly in silence.
Then, the other woman spoke. "Well! I'd say greeting are in order, don't you think? Otherwise it's way too awkward."
Kaden glanced at her, somewhat amused. "My name is Kaden Chauvet."
"And mine is Holly. Pleasure to meet you, Kaden."
"The pleasure's all mine."
He shuffled uncomfortably where he stood, still not well adjusted to making conversation. He couldn't help being a little awkward, most of his previous lives were spent alone pretending to be some tough, horrible person.
Small talk? He hated such things.
What would he ask, how the weather was doing? How their life was? It was terribly forced, and made things even more awkward.
And here was another reason he in fact, quite liked his isolation.
He shoved his hands into his pockets, feeling the cold golden coin press against his palm, soothing his burning nerves.
Holly peeked at him, seeing the center of many rumours in person.
Of course, although she really did enjoy gossip, that didn't mean she would be rude to the person himself. Nicola would reprimand her otherwise, and the student president's scolding was incredibly terrifying.
She watched as he shuffled again, staring off at anything but her. Confident and indifferent at a glance, but the more she watched, the more his clumsiness showed.
A puff of laughter escaped her lips
Kaden nearly jumped out of his skin. He glanced over at the woman, entirely confused and incredibly worried.
"What is it?"
"You look so uncomfortable, I can't pretend otherwise."
'Be a little less blunt, please?' He wanted to beg, for the sake of his crumbling pride. Small as it was, he didn't want it to completely evaporate!
Kaden cleared his throat. "I'm not uncomfortable. I have no reason to be."
"Should I find a mirror for you?"
"....no thank you."
Holly grinned, before pausing. She did lack a lot of delicacy, not knowing how to read the moment—often causing trouble with Nicola. "Wait, wait. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to point it out. It's not a bad thing, honest."
Kaden raised his eyebrows. "Don't go lying for me."
"No, I'm serious." She put on a straight-faced expression. "Do you know how endearing it is? It's such a gap in appearance compared to personality—seriously cute."
Holly didn't think it was possible, but the poor man in front of her seemed even more uncomfortable than before.
"Alright, I won't say anything further. I'm sorry. I really did mean it when I said it isn't a bad thing to be a little awkward. It feels raw, honest."
"What?"
"It's refreshing. Seeing you more relaxed when you usually look like you want to tease and mess somebody up. It's a little scary, honestly."
"Holly?"
"Yes?"
"You're being too blunt again."
"Oh!" She covered her mouth sheepishly, eyes curving into an apologetic smile. "Sorry again. Ignore the rumours, they don't mean anything."
Kaden laughed, a low chuckle. "Sure."
Nicola returned at that moment, waving the clothes in the air. She brushed a strand of hair that had fallen from her ponytail, and held out the pile of clothes. "It's all clean, I wash it regularly. I think it should fit you just fine, but let me know if it doesn't."
"Thank you, Nicola."
"Of course." She hesitated, before reminding, "Additionally, be cautious if using your ability, Kaden. There have been some issues of lost of control recently by the over zealous. Not that I assume you to do so."
Kaden nodded with appreciation of the warning. He rarely used it, finding no need nor curiosity in such a warped thing.
He nodded to Holly as he moved to leave. She waved energetically, even flashing a wink as he blanked, nodding again and hurrying away.
Holly burst out laughing again.
Nicola glanced at her smiling friend. "...Holly, you didn't tease him, did you?"
"It couldn't be helped." shrugged the woman, grinning. "It wasn't intentional, really. But I can understand why you defend him."
"Then, I'm glad."
"I do wonder, how did you become friends with him to begin with?"
A faraway glaze coated Nicola's eyes, as she watched the disappearing back of the lonely man. She'd approached him first, but not for any random reason.
She wasn't a saint who reached out to those who were isolated or left out, although perhaps Kaden had that assumption of her.
Her eyes shuddered shut, seeing the roaring flames flicker in memory, the blackened ruins and a body never found. She recalled the pictures that floated before her eyes—
—And that star-shaped scar.
"I don't want to regret everything again."
Her voice was a soft whisper, and Holly frowned. "Huh? Sorry, I didn't quite catch that. What'd you say?"
Nicola softened with a nostalgic smile. "He helped me, once. That's all."
"Really? I see."