Chapter 94
The sky overhead was perfectly clear, and a pleasant blue expanse stretched as far as the eye could see.
One after another, elegantly dressed nobles stepped down from the carriages that had arrived around Serendia Academy and passed through the gates.
Watching the scene from a classroom window, Monica clenched her fist tightly in nervousness. The school festival had finally begun.
At Minerva, school festivals conjured an image of students constantly running around in a frenzy. But the school festival at Serendia Academy had a completely different atmosphere, befitting an academy attended by the children of nobles.
At Serendia Academy, the main attractions were exhibits, research presentations, singing, musical performances, and plays. Since the servants handled nearly all the backstage work and odd jobs, students who were not appearing onstage or giving presentations had a fair amount of free time.
So what did the other students who were not appearing onstage do? They entertained the invited guests.
Those whose families had come enjoyed spending time with them after a long absence, while those considering careers in the royal palace devoted themselves to self-promotion.
Monica, who had nothing to do with either of those activities, followed Felix along his inspection route at a set distance, prepared for any emergency.
She already had a general idea of Felix's route, so all she had to do was remain alert to her surroundings while avoiding his line of sight as much as possible.
As she walked down the hallway, Monica spotted Felix entering a classroom up ahead. Apparently, he was inspecting an exhibit by the History Research Club.
When she carefully peeked inside, Felix was chatting with several nobles. Entertaining guests like this was part of his duties as well.
(At this rate, it looks like he won't be leaving this classroom for a while...)
Since running into Felix as he left the classroom would be troublesome, Monica stopped after turning one corner in the hallway and pretended to examine an exhibit.
A poster for a play being held at the outdoor theater was posted on the wall. Theater was the highlight of the school festival, and nearly every student in the academy would come to see the play. Felix would of course be watching it from the best seat in the house.
(There's still quite a while before the play... Maybe I should check around the stage for anything suspicious.)
"Excuse me, are you Miss Monica Norton?"
At the voice from behind her, Monica's shoulders jerked.
Wondering nervously who it could be, Monica turned around and opened her eyes as wide as they would go.
Standing behind Monica was a large young man with black hair and black eyes, possessing an imposing air.
The man she had faced in the chess tournament, who had proposed an engagement to Monica on the basis of chess—the Institute student Roberto Winkel.
The school festival at Serendia Academy was generally invitation-only. No one could enter without an invitation. So why was he here?
Roberto stared intently at Monica's gaping face, then nodded several times as if he had reached a conclusion.
"As I thought, it is you, Miss Monica. You seemed different from the last time we met, so I was worried I might have mistaken you for someone else."
Come to think of it, Monica had been wearing makeup on the day of the chess tournament, and her hairstyle had been different as well. It was only natural for Roberto, who did not know Monica's usual appearance, to be confused.
"I think you look nice in today's outfit as well. It has a clean, fresh look."
"Th-thank you..."
Monica gave an awkward smile and took a step backward. But the wall behind her was covered with posters. Her slender back soon bumped into it.
Roberto took a large step toward her.
"I wanted to see you again, so I insisted on accompanying one of the Institute's instructors."
It occurred to Monica that invitations had also been sent to the teachers at nearby schools. Only now did she realize that teachers and professors from Minerva whom she knew might be present, and she went deathly pale.
(I-I really should have let Lana do my makeup...!)
Monica had promised Lana that Lana would do her hair and makeup before the evening ball. She had felt bad about asking Lana to help her get ready in the morning as well, so she had declined. Now she regretted it bitterly.
As Monica inwardly clutched her head, Roberto closed the distance between them by another step.
It was far too close a distance for two mere acquaintances to stand and talk, and Monica's body began to tremble. She felt like a small animal cornered by a predator.
"Have you given any thought to what we discussed the other day?"
"Th-th-th-the other day... wh-what matter...?"
"Our engagement."
Of course, Monica had not given it any thought.
On the day of the chess tournament, she had been entirely preoccupied with her encounter with Barney and protecting Felix. To be honest, she had nearly forgotten about Roberto altogether.
"I-I, um, I... an engagement is, well, a little..."
"If there is some difficulty, please tell me without hesitation. I will handle it as far as I am able. I will devote my entire heart and soul to making you happy."
There was no way Monica could say that she was one of the Seven Sages undercover, so an engagement was a little difficult...
As Monica mumbled and faltered, Roberto continued to press his case with unrelenting earnestness.
"I have never seen anyone play chess the way you do. And Professor Reading says that you only recently began playing chess. If that is true, then you still have tremendous room to grow... Will you strive for the heights of chess alongside me?"
To Monica, chess was enjoyable, but it was merely one of her elective classes. She had no intention of devoting her life to it.
"I-I-I, um, I... well..."
What could she say to make Roberto back down? Yet whatever she said, she felt he would forcefully refute it.
Monica's face grew paler and paler from tension and confusion, and her eyes began to fill with tears.
She knew Roberto meant no harm, but to someone as shy as Monica, his imposing presence was terrifying.
The large figure blocking her path overlapped with the image of her uncle from long ago. A huge shadow looking down at her. A fist descending.
(Scared, scared, scared, scared, scared.)
Just as Monica was about to unconsciously shield her head with her hands, she heard someone's footsteps.
"Roberto Winkel. Professor Reading was looking for you near the main gate."
When Monica looked toward the voice, beautiful platinum-blond hair and deep blue eyes appeared at the edge of her vision.
Approaching them at a brisk pace was Cyril Ashley, the student council vice president.
Cyril stepped between Roberto and Monica and fixed Roberto with a chilly stare.
"Treasurer Norton is a student council officer and busy throughout the festival. I would ask that you put personal matters off until another day."
"I see. I apologize for not knowing."
Roberto nodded with a thoroughly serious expression, gave a stiff farewell, and hurried away.
Watching him leave, Monica let out a deep sigh of relief. If Cyril had not been there, she might have collapsed to the floor on the spot.
Monica took several deep breaths to steady her ragged breathing, then looked up at Cyril.
"U-um, Cyril-sama..."
"..."
Cyril silently glared at Monica. His expression looked somehow displeased, and Monica instinctively shrank back. He must have been angry because she had caused him trouble.
"I-I'm sorry, Cyril-sama... for causing you trouble when you're so busy..."
"..."
As expected, Cyril continued staring silently at Monica with a furrowed brow.
When Monica nervously fidgeted with her fingers, Cyril abruptly held one hand out in front of her.
In that hand was a flower ornament decorated with a white rose and a blue ribbon.
Monica stared wide-eyed between Cyril's face and the flower ornament. For some reason, Cyril turned his eyes away as he spoke.
"Put this on somewhere."
"...? The flower...? ...Now that you mention it, I've seen other people wearing them..."
Monica had spotted several mostly female students wearing flower ornaments in their hair or pinned to the fronts of their uniforms. Was it some sort of school festival event?
As Monica gazed at the flower ornament in puzzlement, Cyril looked slightly surprised.
"What, you don't know about flower ornaments?"
"Is it some kind of event?"
"...No. If you don't know, never mind."
Cyril dismissed her curtly as she tilted her head. All the while, however, his gaze wandered restlessly around his feet.
When Monica looked up at the oddly restless Cyril with her round eyes, he tilted up his narrow chin as he always did and pointed sharply at the flower ornament.
"That is a 'charm' that will spare you embarrassment all day. You would do well to wear it during the ball, too."
"A-a charm like that exists!?"
Monica gazed down at the flower ornament in her hands, impressed.
The white rose ornament did not seem to contain any magical formula. That meant he was referring not to a magical 'charm'—a spell or curse—but to a custom, or perhaps a folkloric practice.
Monica did not know what meaning the flower held, but apparently wearing it would ensure that she did not embarrass herself today. What an ingenious charm it was.
Looking closely at the flower once more, Monica could not help smiling at the delicately fragrant white rose.
(The flower... is beautiful.)
Even if this was a 'charm,' it was the first time anyone had ever given Monica a flower.
"Cyril-sama, thank you for this beautiful flower."
When Monica's face softened into a lopsided smile, Cyril lifted one corner of his mouth slightly and gave a small, satisfied nod.