Chapter 31
Serendia Academy has several tearooms. Today's tea party was held in one of them: a private tearoom that only a select few scholarship students could use.
The tea party was hosted by Bridget Graham, daughter of the Marquess of Sheilbury and secretary of the student council.
There was only one invited guest: Felix Arc Ridill, president of the student council and second prince of the Kingdom of Ridill.
"Miss Monica Norton passed her retest in ballroom dancing."
Felix took a sip of the prepared tea and said it casually, as though making conversation.
Bridget, who had likewise been sipping her tea with elegant composure, set her cup back on its saucer.
"Why, how wonderful."
"Didn't you want Miss Norton to fail? I assumed that if she did, you would be delighted to denounce her."
"How could I possibly be pleased that a student council officer had failed?"
A textbook answer indeed.
Bridget, one of the academy's three great beauties, regarded Felix with a faint smile, as though probing him.
"Speaking of ballroom dancing... How nostalgic. Do you remember practicing together when we were children?"
"You were excellent from the start."
"You were terrible at dance practice, Your Highness... You stepped on my feet over and over and did nothing but apologize, didn't you?"
Bridget hid her mouth behind her fan and watched Felix, moving only her eyes... as though checking his reaction.
To this, Felix returned a troubled expression, as though embarrassed by his old blunder.
"Why have you suddenly started reminiscing? That's not like you."
"Even I feel nostalgic about the past from time to time."
The tea party between the handsome prince and the beautiful noblewoman was a lovely scene, like an illustration from a courtly novel.
Yet while the two appeared to be enjoying their conversation, a quiet battle was being waged beneath the surface.
Bridget Graham was a brilliant woman. She had never been the sort to become dazzled by Felix's beauty and position and simply do as he said.
"You've always been an intelligent woman."
"My father doesn't think much of it. Apparently, a woman should be a little foolish and charming... Do you feel the same way, Your Highness?"
"I like intelligent women."
"My, what an honor."
Bridget gave a soft laugh and a smile beautiful enough to make anyone swoon, but her golden eyes remained cold.
No empty compliment from Felix could ever reach the heart of such an intelligent woman.
"By the way, would you count Miss Monica Norton as an 'intelligent woman,' Your Highness?"
"And what do you think?"
Bridget pressed the point, and Felix smoothly deflected it with a smile.
Felix's smile seemed to say he very much wanted to hear the opinion of someone of her intelligence. Bridget lowered her long lashes and took a moment to choose her words.
"In my opinion, that girl is a scholar by nature. Given the proper facilities, she could achieve astonishing things, but she is ill-suited to appearing before people and negotiating. If Your Highness wanted to assess her, couldn't you have found some other way than appointing her to the student council?"
As expected, she was an intelligent woman.
At times like this, Bridget could view matters logically rather than emotionally, objectively rather than subjectively.
And having made that assessment, Bridget was saying that Monica Norton was unfit to serve on the student council.
Her observation was correct. Monica Norton was probably not suited to represent the students. Whatever her administrative abilities, her behavior was simply far too awkward.
Felix lifted one corner of his mouth slightly and slowly narrowed his blue eyes.
"When you look at her, don't you sometimes think... 'How can she not even do that?'"
Bridget neither agreed nor disagreed. She simply watched Felix in silence, trying to discern his true intentions.
Felix smiled at her as though they were old friends.
"You must have thought you were looking at the old me, didn't you, Bridget?"
Even when Felix addressed her so familiarly, Bridget's ironclad smile did not falter.
Felix set his cup back on its saucer and stood.
It was still early, but he had spent enough time with her.
"Thank you for the tea. And thank you for a pleasant time, Miss Graham."
"Indeed, the pleasure was mine... Thank you for such a meaningful time, Your Highness."
Bridget smiled sweetly, a flawless young lady in every respect.
＊ ＊ ＊
After leaving the tearoom, Felix let out a short sigh as he walked.
(...I still can't afford to let my guard down around her.)
He might have said a little more than he should have.
As he reflected on that and casually glanced out the window, Felix's eyes widened.
"What's that...?"
Glenn was doing some kind of work behind the school building. Monica, Neil, and Lana were nearby as well, apparently helping him.
As Felix watched, wondering what they were doing, Glenn arranged some stones and laid an iron grate across them. Then he built a fire beneath it and began diligently arranging meat on the grate.
(...Wow.)
Felix stopped on his way back to the dormitory and headed briskly toward the grounds behind the school.