Chapter 93
The morning of the school festival arrived with things far from ideal.
Monica got out of bed, took out her coffee pot for the first time in a while, and brewed some coffee.
A cup of coffee was a ritual that helped Monica switch gears. As she blew on the piping-hot coffee to cool it, Monica looked at Nero.
Nero was still in bed, mumbling in his sleep. With the cold weather continuing lately, Nero, who was vulnerable to the cold, had grown terribly sluggish.
By the time Monica finished her coffee and changed into her uniform, Nero finally crawled out of bed, mumbling sleepily.
"Ah... The cold's really getting to me... I, the great Nero, want to hibernate..."
"It's much warmer here than in the mountain cabin, though."
While replying to Nero, Monica opened her desk drawer. The only drawer that was locked contained her treasures: her coffee pot; the ribbon and letter she had received from Lana; and the peridot necklace and her father's book she had received from Felix—Aike.
At first, the drawer had contained only her coffee pot, but Monica felt a little moved by how full it had become before she knew it.
(...I've gained so many precious things since coming to this academy.)
When she had first come to the academy, having her father's coffee pot and Nero had been enough.
And yet now, there were so many things she did not want to lose, things she did not want taken from her, and people she did not want hurt.
(...I'll protect them. Because I'm one of the Seven Sages... the 〈Silent Witch〉.)
After reminding herself of that, Monica picked up her favorite ribbon and tied back her hair.
Just then, someone tapped on the window. When Monica opened the glass, a beautiful maid—Lyns—nimbly vaulted over the windowsill and entered the room.
"Good morning, 〈Silent Witch〉-dono."
"Good morning, Lyns-san. Aren't you a little bird today?"
When Lyns entered through the window, she usually transformed into a little bird so people would be less likely to notice her. Wondering if something unusual had happened, Monica asked, and Lyns nodded.
"Yes. I had a bit of luggage."
"...?"
"First, let's go over today's arrangements."
Lyns called it a meeting, but in reality, there was not all that much to confirm.
The basic plan was the same as for the chess tournament. Lyns and Nero would transform into a little bird and a cat, respectively, and keep a close watch on Felix. Monica would continue pretending to be a student, while Lewis would pretend to be a guest at the school festival, and they would constantly patrol the academy. That was all.
Nero looked up at Monica with a carefree yawn.
"Well, don't tense up too much. Let's do things as usual. It's the school festival, isn't it? It'd be a waste not to enjoy it."
"...Nero, you absolutely must not turn into a human today, okay?"
Remembering what had happened during the chess tournament, Monica warned him, and Nero looked away as if trying to play it off, his tail swishing back and forth.
Monica picked Nero up and glared at him.
"...Ne-ro?"
"Yeah, yeah, I get it! I'll behave and stay an adorable little cat today!"
After warning Nero again and again, Monica glanced over at Lyns.
"...You too, Lyns-san. Please avoid barging in after turning into a human as much as possible."
"Yes. Today, I am an adorable little bird."
With that many repeated warnings, everything should be fine. Probably.
(If Nero and Lyns guard His Highness thoroughly, we should be able to handle things unless something truly serious happens.)
In truth, if Monica could have Felix carry the defensive barrier magic tool she had improvised, it would make things even safer.
But the magic-tool brooch she had dropped yesterday had never been found.
As Monica sighed, remembering her own carelessness, Lyns spoke quietly.
"〈Silent Witch〉-dono, please enjoy the school festival in moderation so that the Second Prince will not find you suspicious."
"...I'm sorry. It feels like I'm the only one getting to enjoy myself."
"Not at all. Eavesdropping on human conversations while pretending to be a bird is quite enjoyable in its own way."
"..."
"Also, I would like to give you this while we have the chance."
Saying this, Lyns suddenly began vigorously flapping the skirt of her maid uniform up and down.
A white box dropped out from beneath the skirt with a clunk. Monica had no idea how Lyns had hidden it there.
While Monica stared in shock, Lyns calmly held the box out to her.
"I hear you're planning to borrow a dress from a friend for today's ball."
"Ah, yes..."
"Lord Lewis said this: 'If she'd only told me, I could have prepared something like that for her. Why didn't that little brat say anything? At the very least, I'll arrange the shoes for her.'"
"Ah, haha... I'm sorry."
With an awkward smile, Monica accepted the box from Lyns and opened it.
Inside was a pair of white shoes with adorable ribbons on them.
"Wow, they're cute! ...Huh?"
When Monica took out the shoes, she found a message written in Lewis's elegant handwriting on the bottom of the box.
'Return my handkerchief already, you stupid girl.'
"..."
Come to think of it, during the commotion over Casey's failed assassination attempt, Monica had borrowed a handkerchief from Lewis and then forgotten to return it.
Monica hurriedly opened the drawer, took out the handkerchief she had washed and ironed, and held it out to Lyns.
"Um, this is for Lewis-san... Please tell him I'm sorry it took me so long to return it..."
"I have received it. Then, please accept this in return."
Lyns took a small paper parcel from the pocket of her maid uniform and held it out to Monica.
Wondering what it could be, Monica opened the parcel. Inside was a handkerchief embroidered with beautiful flowers.
(...Was it from Lewis-san? ...No, wait, that's not it... I've seen this before.)
Monica had seen the design of that beautiful embroidery before.
──Casey's handkerchief is beautiful.
──Haha, thanks. I embroidered this myself.
──Huh? You made this intricate pattern yourself? All of it!?
──I'm good at embroidery. I'm selling some at the school festival bazaar too. Want me to make one for you, Monica?
──Huh? Oh, but...
──Don't be shy, don't be shy!
As Monica gripped the handkerchief and lowered her head, Lyns spoke in her usual expressionless, matter-of-fact tone.
"The sender wishes to remain anonymous, apparently."
"..."
"This is merely an aside, but... she was shoveling snow with remarkable vigor."
"...That sounds like her."
Monica gazed at the handkerchief with an expression that was almost a smile through tears.
It was embroidered with flowers of many colors, but yellow flowers were especially abundant.
──Yellow flowers symbolize happiness in my homeland. We even give yellow flowers to brides.
Casey's cheerful smile as she said that rose before Monica's eyes.
(...My treasures have grown again.)
With an innocent face and a girlish smile befitting her age, Monica hugged the brand-new shoes and embroidered handkerchief to her chest, feeling happy.