Sylvia's gaze rested quietly on the arm Chloe was hugging tightly. Deep in her pink eyes, something seemed to be slowly crystallizing.
"Why does she call you her big brother? Could it be... you really know each other? And your relationship... seems rather unusual?"
Sylvia's voice was soft, even gentler than usual, but every word was like a thin blade of ice scraping lightly across Greg's eardrums.
"I was about to ask you two the same thing!"
Before Greg could speak, Chloe, who was clinging to his arm like a kitten guarding its food, suddenly raised her head and glared viciously at Victoria and Sylvia with her beautiful, hostile eyes.
Though her cheeks were still flushed from her earlier excitement, her expression had already reverted to that familiar bratty look.
"Why are small fry like you hanging around my dear big brother?! What exactly is your relationship!"
She hugged Greg's arm even tighter, as if staking her claim, and raised her voice:
"I knew it! Big brother suddenly disappeared because you two took a fancy to his face during the entrance exam and teamed up to kidnap him! I just knew it! You scheming small fry!"
"Hey! What nonsense are you spouting, Alchemist Girl!"
Victoria was already angry, and Chloe's outrageous accusation only added fuel to the fire. She let go of Greg's collar and turned to shout at Chloe:
"Who kidnapped him?! And that face of his? Pah! I wouldn't want him even if he were free!"
"You'd rather lie than admit how handsome my dear big brother is! You're obviously jealous!" Chloe was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
"I'm not! Stop making baseless accusations!"
"You are!"
"Wait, everyone calm down first!!!!"
Seeing another round of arguing about to escalate, Greg shouted just in time