Chapter 71
Both Minerva and the Institute sent three male students and an accompanying teacher to Selendia Academy, four representatives from each school in all.
All three Institute students had their hair cut short and evenly trimmed, and their serious expressions seemed to embody the Institute's strict academic culture. Their accompanying teacher appeared to be in his mid-forties. He was a sharp-eyed man with closely cropped black hair.
Beginning with their captain, Barney Jones, all the Minerva students had the unmistakable air of scholars. Their accompanying teacher was a young man with an oddly unreliable-looking appearance.
Monica was not acquainted with any of the students other than Barney, nor with either of the accompanying teachers. The teacher had probably been appointed after Monica graduated.
That meant there was only one person here who knew Monica Everett as the Silent Witch.
"I'm Barney Jones. Pleased to meet you."
"...I'm Monica Norton."
The players from the three schools took turns introducing themselves during the meet-and-greet.
Monica kept an eye on Barney the entire time, but there was no noticeable change in his attitude.
He had surely failed to recognize her. It was all thanks to Lana's makeup.
(...Now for my posture and expression. Posture and expression.)
It was difficult to put on a natural smile like everyone else, but Monica at least made sure not to act nervous and timid. She pressed her lips tightly together and straightened her back.
Thanks to the corset, her back was straighter than usual, and she felt as if she had grown taller.
Calling it a feeling of being a completely different person would be an exaggeration, but the makeup Lana had applied had still given Monica the tiniest bit of courage.
(It's all right, it's all right. He hasn't recognized me. He hasn't recognized me.)
As Monica desperately repeated that to herself, the Institute's teacher, Dan Redding, looked at the people from Selendia Academy and spoke.
"...You have a different lineup from last year."
Despite his intimidating appearance, Redding spoke politely. The Selendia Academy teacher, Boyd, nodded solemnly with a face like a mercenary.
"Our school changes its players every year."
"Selendia Academy was very strong last year. I was looking forward to facing those same students again... Don't you feel the same way, Pitman-dono?"
The Minerva teacher, Pitman, seemed slightly absentminded.
When Redding called out, "Pitman-dono?" a second time, Pitman suddenly looked up and gave a sheepish smile.
"Ah, yes, quite so. Yes."
Redding of the Institute looked every inch the rigid, serious type, while Pitman of Minerva seemed absentminded in his own way.
When the two teachers praised Selendia Academy's strength the previous year, Boyd, Selendia Academy's representative, made a short declaration in a low voice that seemed to rumble up from the depths of the earth.
"We're strong this year too."
Boyd was not a talkative teacher, but his brief words always carried weight.
Redding's face tightened just a little. Pitman, meanwhile, continued to smile sheepishly.
"...Yes, I'm looking forward to this year as well."
"Well, go easy on us, all right?"
The match had not even started, yet the teachers were already trading sparks ahead of the students.
The chess tournament was billed as an exchange between the three schools, but it was also one of the occasions on which the three prestigious academies competed for supremacy.
The Institute had once held a winning streak, but Selendia Academy had won overwhelmingly the previous year. That was probably why the Institute's side was especially on edge.
Redding glanced at Monica and narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Selendia Academy has a female representative again this year, I see. Miss Ashley was very strong last year. Miss Norton, was it? May we look forward to your skill as well?"
Suddenly finding herself the center of attention, Monica flinched and her shoulders trembled.
Women were overwhelmingly rare among chess competitors. Female representatives were rarer still. It seemed that merely being a girl had already drawn a fair amount of attention to Monica.
As Monica stood frozen with both hands clasped in front of her, Boyd gave her shoulder a pat with his large hand.
"She's a promising newcomer."
"How exciting. Very exciting indeed."
Monica fancied that she could see sparks flying between Boyd and Redding. Maintaining her posture and expression, she frantically calculated pi in her head.
"Miss Norton sure is getting a lot of attention, huh?"
Perhaps trying to lighten the mood, Elliot made a casual quip to Monica.
But Monica was in no state to play along with Elliot's joke.
"Hey, Miss Norton? Hey."
Elliot waved a hand in front of Monica's face, but naturally, she could not hear a word he was saying.
"2847564823378678316527120190914564856692..."
"...Ah, no. This is just like what happened with the ledgers."
Elliot put a hand to his forehead as Monica, her back still straight and her face rigid, continued reciting pi.
Just as everyone around them began looking at Monica strangely, it was Benjamin Moulding, one of Selendia Academy's middle players, who raised his voice.
"No need to worry! The graceful trio that Selendia Academy is about to perform will surely seize the hearts of all who see it! If Miss Norton is the piano virtuoso with her dazzling technique, and Elliot the light, lilting violin melody, then I am the ever-changing cellist who will stir the hearts of all who listen! Ah, I can hear it, I can hear it... the cries of the audience, their souls shaken by our musical chess!"
Monica had taken a trip into the world of numbers, while Benjamin had taken a trip into the world of music.
Caught between the two, Elliot looked up at Boyd with an exhausted expression even before the match had begun.
"...I finally understand why Boyd-sensei made me captain."
In other words, he had drawn the short straw in the guise of being the one who kept everyone organized.
＊ ＊ ＊
While Monica was calculating pi, the captains of each school drew lots, deciding the matchups.
First match in the morning: "Selendia Academy" versus "the Institute"
After a luncheon, second match: "Minerva" versus "Selendia Academy"
After another short break, third match: "the Institute" versus "Minerva"
Minerva, Barney's school, would face Selendia Academy in the second match, after the luncheon.
Even so, Barney was Minerva's captain, so he should not be facing Monica, who was the first player.
After the opening ceremony, there was a break before the first match began.
Before the match started, Monica left the waiting room and headed to a makeup room with a mirror. She was a little worried that the hairstyle Lana had done for her might have come undone.
Selendia Academy had many noble young ladies among its students, so makeup rooms had been installed throughout the building.
Monica hurried into the nearest makeup room. After confirming that her hair and makeup were still in place, she stared straight at her reflection.
The mirror reflected a seventeen-year-old girl with a healthy complexion.
There had been a mirror in the mountain cabin where Monica used to live, too. Lewis Miller had gone out of his way to bring it there because he could not bear to see how unkempt Monica was, telling her, "You should pay at least a little attention to your appearance."
But Monica had hardly ever used that mirror. She had never cared about her appearance. Whenever she had to go out in public, she had thought it would be enough to pull up her hood.
(...But now, I think I understand why Lewis-san told me to pay attention to my appearance.)
In high society, one's appearance was a weapon. Seeing Felix and Bridget made that abundantly clear.
And taking care of one's appearance was the same as arming oneself.
Thinking of it that way, the corset began to feel like armor. At first, Monica had thought it was constricting and unpleasant, but now it somehow made her feel stronger.
Monica murmured to her reflection.
"...I-I'll do my best!"
Speaking her determination aloud was a little embarrassing, but she still felt as though it gave her courage.
Monica nodded once and left the makeup room. There was still some time before the first match began, but it would be best to return early.
As she hurried down the corridor, she saw a figure turn the corner of the hallway ahead.
The instant she saw the figure, Monica's legs froze.
"Excuse me, Miss Monica Norton."
Slightly wavy blond hair, familiar glasses, and a Minerva uniform worn to perfection.
The person who had stopped Monica was her former friend, Barney Jones.
Monica swallowed hard.
What would be the right thing to say here? If she spoke carelessly, she felt she would give herself away.
She should say, "I'm in a hurry," and walk past him. That was surely the correct choice.
And yet, after Barney spoke to her for the first time in so long, Monica's heart filled with nostalgia and sadness, and her feet came to a stop.
Even after he had pushed her away so cruelly, Monica was still happy that Barney had spoken to her.
"May I speak with you for a moment?"
Monica kept her mouth shut and gave a small nod.
It was all right. He still had not found her out... or so she told herself.
"When I met you, I was surprised. You reminded me of someone I used to know. It was a coincidence, but you even have the same name."
Someone I used to know—ah, so Barney really would not call her his friend anymore. Monica was secretly disappointed.
She was surprised at herself for being disappointed.
After all, she still wanted to be Barney's friend. Even though he had come to hate her so much.
"By the way, Miss Norton. Have you been attending Selendia Academy for some time?"
"........"
If she nodded here, he would immediately know she was lying. But if she shook her head, she might make Barney's suspicions even more certain.
Monica could not decide whether she should answer.
That hesitation proved fatal.
"Is there some reason you can't answer?"
Before she knew it, Barney had closed the distance between them.
With him standing so close, Monica could clearly see how much taller Barney had grown. In the past, she only had to raise her eyes a little to meet his gaze. Now she had to tilt her head back to see his face.
The cool, intelligent eyes behind his glasses seemed intent on coldly cornering Monica.
When Monica took a step back, Barney immediately closed the gap by one step, as if determined not to let her escape.
(W-What should I do? What should I do? What should I do...?)
Monica clasped her hands in front of her chest and began to tremble.
The more frightened she appeared, the colder Barney's eyes became.
(He's angry. Barney's angry. I have to apologize and say I'm sorry. I have to beg him to forgive me...!)
Monica, dominated by memories of the past, was just about to force an apology out through her trembling tongue when someone suddenly pulled her hard against them.
"Hey, hey, don't you go making a move on my woman!"
The black-haired young man with an arm around Monica's waist was dressed in flamboyant formalwear...
(NEEEEEEROOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!?)
Why was he wearing formalwear? And why had he needed to reenact that scene from this morning at this particular moment?
As Monica stood speechless, her other shoulder suddenly grew heavy.
Moving only her eyes, she saw Rin, a handsome blond man dressed in formalwear every bit as lavish as Nero's, with an arm around her shoulder.
"Don't lay a hand on my woman, if you please."
(His line overlaps with Nero's!!!)
Monica's eyes flew open as wide as they could go, and her mouth opened and closed soundlessly.
But Barney was probably even more shocked. Two men dressed in gaudy, completely inappropriate outfits had suddenly appeared and butted in.
"Wh-who are you people...?"
What on earth were they, Monica wondered. Naturally, she did not say it aloud.
Then again, both Nero and Rin looked so lively and delighted that it gave Monica yet another headache.
Nero's eyes in particular were positively sparkling. He had not rushed over because he was worried about Monica. He was absolutely enjoying himself.
And to top it all off, Rin declared to Barney with an utterly serious expression,
"A love triangle is beautiful as a narrative convention, but I personally find a quadrangle somewhat excessive... So, if you would be so kind, could you please withdraw?"
What an outrageous argument.
But perhaps cowed by that bizarre momentum—or perhaps simply finding it ridiculous—Barney backed away, looking taken aback, and pushed his askew glasses up with one fingertip.
"...I'm sorry for bothering you before the match."
That was all Barney said before turning his back on Monica and walking away.
After confirming that Barney had disappeared from view, Monica's legs gave out and she sank to the floor.
"Did you see that masterful performance? You can fall for me now, Monica."
"I feel as though I have completed the entirety of today's mission in that one scene."
Looking up at Nero and Rin's satisfied faces, Monica asked in a voice that sounded close to death,
"...Um, you two, what's with those outfits...?"
Nero and Rin were wearing such flamboyant formal clothes that they looked as though they were about to attend a ball. They were far beyond merely out of place.
Rin answered Monica's observation with utmost seriousness.
"Yes. We were informed that uniforms were unsuitable for our apparent ages, so we made improvements."
"........Improvements."
Rin nodded at Monica's hollow murmur.
"Our concept is 'a pair of giddy fools who got so excited that they showed up in formalwear even though the school festival hasn't started yet.'"
"It's the perfect disguise!"
Both Rin and Nero acted as though there was absolutely nothing wrong.
Sandwiched between two dazzlingly handsome men, Monica reflexively covered her face with both hands.
"...Listen, you two... I'm very grateful that you helped me, but... please... I'm begging you, from the absolute bottom of my heart, please just stay in your cat and bird forms..."
Monica bitterly regretted not insisting that morning that they stay in those forms.