I Became a Tentacle Monster Blooming in the Academy Garden 170

## Chapter 170 – The Deficient Girl (2)

She was distinctly different from the other members of the swarm, mere workers serving Enic.

This was a baby, an existence that had inherited Enic’s species in its entirety.

If she had to compare, the swarm members were like the kindergarten children she adored and cared for as their teacher.

However, those children, entrusted to her by others, could never be on par with a baby conceived with the seed of the man she loved, growing in her womb, born in her image and his, smiling brightly and calling her “Mommy.”

And now, news had arrived that such a baby was born first from another woman’s womb.

Clearly, she was overreacting, and she knew she shouldn’t be hurt or angry about this.

‘I can’t blame Ranier…
I was the one who set the shifts…’

Of course, she couldn’t blame Ranier, who had trusted and followed her even into Enic’s lair—something that would seem insane to anyone else—even Vivian couldn’t help that.

Still, as always with a woman’s heart, she couldn’t help but feel hurt by even the smallest things.

She felt as though Enic had cheated on her.

She felt like someone had beaten her to the punch.

And so, her mood today was as gloomy as could be.

Meanwhile, Aurora was excitedly asking when her turn would come, which only made Vivian’s mood twist from gloomy to downright awful.

“Excuse me… Is Chloe here right now?”

“Chloe… Ah! Yes.
Shall I guide you right away?”

Vivian, who had led a diligent customer into a room from the moment they opened, as if they were planning to take care of their morning wood, returned from a customer service smile to a sullen expression.

“Um…”

Just then, Vivian slowly turned her head at the familiar voice coming from behind her.

“I… came to… volunteer…?”

“…Why today…?”

Vivian almost let out an absurd, frustrated sigh, but she pulled herself together and smiled.

Yui, who quickly walked up to her and whispered into her ear, was urgently asking Vivian for help.

“I’m sorry… Please help me…
I couldn’t think of an excuse for Carla…”

Vivian saw the figure of a nervous brown-haired girl fidgeting with her hands over Yui’s shoulder, and she could only swallow a groan, even as she smiled as if nothing was wrong.

She had heard about what had happened while she was away from Aurora, but actually seeing it in person made her already foul mood even worse.

And to think it was that girl of all people.

“I’m… Carla von Sterben…!!
I’m here to volunteer with Yui…!!”

Carla bowed her head and held out her hand as if to shake hands.

Vivian unconsciously reached out her hand, only to feel a flashback of the social gathering.

The spider that had been implanted in Carla, she didn’t know when.

Unable to leave the spider’s corpse behind after it had served its purpose in saving Carla, she had snatched it away, and Carla had reached out to her.

‘No…!! Don’t do that!!
Give it back!! Please!! Waaah!!’

Remembering the girl’s desperate cries, as if she were being robbed of a friend, or something more, Vivian pulled her hand away without realizing it.

“Ah…”

Vivian realized she had made a mistake as she saw Carla retract her hand with an embarrassed expression, and she smiled again.

“I’m sorry, I guess I’m not fully awake yet since it’s morning.
Nice to… meet you, Carla.
You’re here to volunteer with us…
That’s really… reassuring, you know?”

Vivian tried her best to hide that she was forcing a smile, but her voice trembled unintentionally as she welcomed Carla, and her mind became a chaotic mess.

‘What is with this woman…
Why…? Why…?’

In the first place, she had been asked to help Carla win the Wicked Game at the social gathering, hadn’t she?

Although the plan had gone awry in the end, his request was clearly for Carla in some way.

That was proof that Enic definitely had some kind of goodwill towards Carla.

Since then, this woman had been following her wherever she went, like a bad omen for some reason.

Even when she was away recently, and even today.

The only connection was Enic, whom even Carla herself wouldn’t know about.

Yet, why did she feel a sense of crisis as she watched Carla get closer and closer?

‘Could it be…’

Why did she keep thinking of Anne whenever she saw Carla?

She couldn’t say for sure about the entire academy, but she could confidently say that she was the meanest girl among the second-year students, but even she didn’t think Carla was a bad person.

At least Anne had constantly rebelled against her, antagonized her, and disturbed her.

‘But Carla?’

Kind to everyone, and someone who cherished her friends.

And even someone who could transcend races and become friends with someone.

In a way, a purely kind, good-hearted, and beautiful girl.

There was nothing negative about her, and even if she looked closely, she couldn’t find anything but positive qualities.

Yet, why was Vivian trembling with that grotesque feeling that made her shudder?

She pretended to be looking for work and buried her face in the desk, sitting in the chair at the counter so that her face wouldn’t be seen.

‘That’s why I hate it… Because I can’t hate her…’

“Vivian…-ssi…?”

“Just… a moment…”

But it didn’t take long for her to realize that the feeling was jealousy.

As a human who had always aimed for the top, even until the day she and Grenot abandoned each other, her self-awareness was clear.

Jealousy as a rival to Anne’s strength, who could be confident even in front of her, who was scarier than anyone else after countless acts of bullying.

And jealousy as a rival in love for Carla, who, with her unique kindness, would appear before him and steal the seat next to him that had once been hers alone.

If she left things as they were, Carla would definitely find him someday.

She had a bad feeling that Carla would eventually push her aside and take his place.

‘If you try to get any closer than this…’

In the end, Vivian, who had admitted her own shortcomings that she didn’t possess, had to find a way to regain her fallen self-esteem.

But right now, with her mind scattered by the Enic larva and Ranier, Vivian’s mental state, which had left the lair and had no one to rely on mentally, was more tattered than ever before.

‘I have no choice but to show you a taste of bitterness…’

She was Vivian. A woman who had decided to stand by his side until the end.

So that Carla would never have to meet him again.

Just like she had ruined Anne and her family, this time she would ruin Carla…

“Um… Excuse me…?
Are you… okay…?
Vivian-ssi…?”

But at least not right now.

She wasn’t the young lady of the Grenot marquis family who was admired by many people.
She was just an abandoned girl with no one to trust but herself.

She needed a different kind of power, authority, to do that.

To do that, she needed to have some leeway.
She needed to have the mindset that she could be sure that everything would work out.

“Sorry. I was just thinking about something.
Well, you had your checkup last time…
How about hygiene education this time…?”

So someday, if she waited, the opportunity would naturally come.

And then, in the very next moment, the opportunity came in a way that was too unexpected.

– *Ting-a-ling!!*

Vivian’s eyes, which were slowly starting to lift from the desk, were looking at the kind-hearted girl that was visible over Yui’s shoulder, and someone familiar who was opening the door and coming in behind her.

And Vivian’s eyes, which were watching the scene and had finally gained a certainty, were raging like the cold of purgatory.

“Welcome to Floras, how may I… help you…?”