Secrets of the Silent Witch - Volume 6 - Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

Third Prince Albert’s Big Plan to Make Friends

A week had passed since classes began, and Monica—who’d had to stay alert all day, every day—was utterly exhausted.

First, there was horseback riding class. To keep Felix from finding out about her injured left hand, she’d stayed as far away from him as possible and practiced quietly on her own. Somehow, she’d made it through.

Then there were the times she had to move through the halls from one class to the other. She was always on pins and needles, worried she’d run into her old acquaintance, Huberd Dee. And as soon as she arrived and breathed a sigh of relief, Robert would ask to play chess with her.

Robert had just transferred into the first year of the advanced course, and he stood out more than Monica had anticipated. Being from the Kingdom of Landor alone made him a novelty, but he also quickly climbed to the top of his grade in swordsmanship class, and he got excellent grades in regular classes, too. With a boy like that coming to visit Monica day after day, it would have been stranger if there weren’t any rumors.

When Lana saw her stricken face and asked Monica if everything was all right, she’d been able to tell her about her problems with Robert, at least. But telling someone didn’t make it any easier to deal with.

So on days when she didn’t have any student council work, Monica would slip out of the classroom before Robert arrived and spend her time in the library instead. Serendia Academy’s library was huge and well-stocked; it was a great place for killing time, and there were plenty of spots to hide.

Serendia had separate buildings for the advanced course and the intermediate course, and both were connected to the library via covered walkways.

The library at her old school, Minerva’s, had more books related to magecraft, but Serendia had many, many more on every other subject. Every time Monica visited the library, she found herself quietly overwhelmed by its collection.

Today, she was looking for a book on biology. She needed a lot more knowledge on the subject to properly understand her father’s book. She was hoping to look up some of the terms she hadn’t understood and read through some of the essays he’d quoted.

And maybe I’ll learn something about the Black Grail…

There had been a message tucked in her father’s book—she suspected it was written by Porter, the owner of the bookstore where she’d gotten it. Visit the shop again when you discover the truth of the Black Grail. Monica had no idea what the Black Grail was, but she assumed it was linked to her father’s research, since the note had been stuck in his book. And so, while she did her research, she was also secretly checking to see if the words “Black Grail” meant anything in the realm of biology.

I can’t ask Miss Hilda. She doesn’t want me looking into Dad’s death… I have to search for this on my own.

She found one of the books she was after and opened it up to check the contents. As she did so, pain shot through her left hand, and she grimaced. Her grip strength was still weak, so it was hard to hold open a thick book like this one. Deciding she couldn’t stand in the aisle to read, she took the book back to a reading space.

While looking for a seat, she spotted a familiar head of dirty-blond hair nearby, and her eyes went wide. It was Glenn Dudley. Out of everyone Monica knew, he was the last one she’d expect to find in a library.

He had a book open in front of him, and he seemed to be studying. But the feather pen in his hand remained still, and judging by the scowl on his face, it appeared he was having trouble.

Wondering what he was studying, Monica stole a peek at the open book. When she saw the contents, she inadvertently yelped.

The sound must have gotten Glenn’s attention. He looked up from his book and said, “Oh. Monica, are you here to study, too? Wanna sit together?”

“Umm, well…”

Monica quietly took a seat, then glanced again at his book. He was reading about quick-chanting—an extremely difficult technique. She doubted Glenn would be able to make much use of it at his current level.

“Glenn, are you…studying magecraft?” she asked.

“Sure am,” he replied. “I wanted to learn how to quick-chant… Otherwise I’ll be useless in real combat.”

She looked at his face from the side. His expression was stiff, no sign of his usual cheer. When Monica heard this, the first thing to come to mind was the Magic Corps, a military group specializing in magecraft. The Corps emphasized four main points in their entrance exam: quick-chanting, maintaining two spells at once, knowing spells outside your native element, and flight magecraft. Among those four, quick-chanting was especially crucial.

A mage’s greatest weakness was how long it took them to chant. By using quick-chanting, that time could be more than halved, reducing their vulnerability. However, since it involved aggressively abbreviating complex equations, one had to have a very good understanding of the math to pull it off. In other words, it demanded a good aptitude for magical formulae. As far as Monica could tell from the ones Glenn had scattered across his paper, his grasp of formulae was nowhere near what was required.

She thought back to what he’d said a few days ago.

“I couldn’t do anything. The prez and the Silent Witch were the ones who beat it!”

He’d been the same old bright and jolly Glenn as he usually was, but now Monica wondered if, on the inside, he was terribly frustrated with himself.

“Um, Glenn, are you…? Well…is what happened with the cursed dragon, um, bothering you?”

“Mmm. Well, that’s part of it, but…” He trailed off and let his eyes wander. His expression was bitter, a far cry from his usual jovial attitude. “I guess there’s someone I want to beat.”

Monica’s friend was in need, and she wanted to help him. But if she carelessly started talking about magecraft formulae, it could blow her cover. Monica Norton was supposed to be a layman when it came to magecraft.

But I… Maybe I can, um, just give him a little advice…

Nervously, Monica asked him a question. “Umm, Glenn, why do you suddenly want to learn quick-chanting?”

“Well, I ran into one of the Seven Sages during winter vacation. The Silent Witch.”

Monica’s shoulders nearly jerked, but she desperately stifled the movement.

Glenn spoke softly, his gaze fixed on the book in front of him. “She’s really incredible, you know. With her advice, I learned how to maintain two spells at once.”

Monica blinked at him. He was right—she’d given him a tiny bit of advice at Duke Rehnberg’s mansion. She’d seen him secretly practicing after the cursed dragon was defeated, and he’d still had a ways to go. But it seemed he’d kept at it all winter break.

“Glenn, that’s amazing,” said Monica. Maintaining two spells simultaneously was easier said than done. It had taken Monica longer to learn that than it had to learn unchanted magecraft.

But Glenn only smiled bitterly at her candid praise. The expression didn’t suit him. His smile was supposed to be full of joy.

“I was useless in Rehnberg,” he said. “I didn’t even leave a scratch on that dragon… The Silent Witch had to use her unchanted magecraft to protect everyone.”

Monica stiffened. That isn’t true, Glenn. I…

She remembered how much pain he’d been in when the curse enveloped him. She hadn’t been strong enough to release him from that curse.

I couldn’t protect you.

And despite that, Glenn had nothing but respect for the Silent Witch.

At last, Glenn looked up from his book, and his face softened into a bashful smile. He scratched his cheek and said, “I can’t use unchanted magecraft like she can, but if I can learn to do quick-chanting, well… I thought that might bring me closer to her level. So now that I can keep up two spells at once, I figured I’d try that next—”

Before she could think, Monica was speaking. “Glenn, you’re wrong.”

“Huh? Um, I am?” he asked, surprised. Monica’s tone was more forceful than usual.

She looked him straight in the eye. “Both quick-chanting and unchanted magecraft aren’t as big a deal as you’re making them out to be.”

“Huh?”

“They’re only ways to speed up your magecraft. That’s all.”

Monica might be the only one in the world who could use unchanted magecraft, but she didn’t see it as all that valuable. The main benefit was that it let you cast quickly and in secret. That was all. The way she saw it, the technique was about the same as using a magical item that required only mana to activate it.

“It won’t matter how quick you are if your attacks don’t land,” she said. “I think the next thing you should study is how to use tracking formulae.”

Tracking formulae, as the name implied, were magical formulae that caused an attack spell to home in on its target. It was extremely handy when aiming at something moving and especially suited to facing off against someone in a confined space. This homing capability wasn’t infallible—far from it—but compared to firing a spell straight ahead, it was substantially more accurate.

Attack spells by themselves generally had very low accuracy. That was why it was incredibly difficult, even for high mages, to land a shot right between a dragon’s eyes—their only weak spot.

“Quick-chanting is very hard to learn,” Monica continued, “since each spell needs to be shortened in a different way. But tracking formulae are readily adaptable to many different attack spells. If you’re going to learn something, you should absolutely start with those.”

Glenn stared at her, eyes wide, as she rattled off all this information.

Once she was done, Monica paled. Noooo! I… I went way too far! I just wanted to give him a little indirect advice, that’s all! Her gaze wandered as she desperately tried to come up with an excuse.

“…Or, um, that’s what Lord Cyril told me once, I think,” she finished.

“Oh, I see! He’s great at magecraft, so if he says so, it must be right! …Actually, wait. Monica, are you studying magecraft, too?”

“No! Not at all! Not even in the slightest! I know absolutely nothing about magecraft! …It was just small talk! Lord Cyril and I were making small talk, and that was…where the conversation took us, I guess…”

Such a topic would never pass as small talk, of course, but Glenn didn’t seem to doubt her. “I see!” he said, fully convinced.

He was so simpleminded, it hurt. But his simplemindedness had just saved her. Monica breathed a sigh of relief.

“Also,” she said, “if you’re going to study tracking formulae, there is a book on the subject by Mr. Gideon Rutherford that’s very easy to understand… At least, that’s what Lord Cyril said! As small talk!”

“Oh, I see. I’m gonna read that first thing.”

Glenn stood up and scratched his cheek. He was looking down at Monica, a little embarrassed. “Thanks, Monica. I was a little out of sorts there… I almost started doing everything in the wrong order.”

“…?”

“Well, when I saw the Silent Witch and all the amazing things she could do, I jumped straight into thinking about how cool it’d be if I could do the same. But with magecraft, you really have to spend every day hammering down the fundamentals a little at a time, don’t you?”

The last bit sounded like Glenn was trying to convince himself.

Monica smiled. Then, playing with her fingers, she said softly, “Umm, well… I don’t know anything about magecraft… Nothing at all… But magecraft formulae are similar to mathematical formulae, so I might be able to help, um, explain it a little…if you want.”

Monica knew she was walking a dangerous tightrope. She needed to maintain her cover. But she really wanted to help her friend, to what little extent she could.

She also wanted to atone for her failure to save him in Rehnberg. But more than that, she just wanted to help a fledgling mage grow.

“Wow, that would be great,” said Glenn. “Thanks, Monica!”

“…No problem. Heh-heh.”

Glenn’s happy grin proved infectious, and a clumsy smile spread across Monica’s face.

A boy was watching Monica and Glenn’s exchange from the shadows. He wore the intermediate course’s uniform and had soft, curly brown hair.

So those are the ones Prince Felix likes so much. Lady Monica Norton and Lord Glenn Dudley.

The boy leisurely turned and left the library; then he headed back to the intermediate school building.

Albert Frau Roberia Ridill—the kingdom’s third prince—had transferred into Serendia Academy at the end of winter break. He now sat in a private tea salon, sipping on a cup of black tea. Both the tearooms and the classrooms at this school were much larger and more relaxed than the ones at Minerva’s, where he’d been before. They were much more finely furnished, too. He could sense the influence of the school’s director, Duke Clockford, in all these minor details, and it made him snort in distaste.

Duke Clockford was the second prince’s grandfather and one of the most influential men in the kingdom. Now that Albert’s mother was cooperating with him, Albert had been forced to transfer here. He was essentially a hostage, and he didn’t like it.

As he sipped his tea, irritated, he heard a knock at the door.

“Lord Albert! I’m baaack!” called a boy, his words slow and drawn out.

The boy—Patrick, Albert’s servant—made his way into the salon.

Albert returned his cup to its saucer and asked hopefully, “Did you figure out Felix’s weakness?”

Patrick took a seat across from him, poured some tea into a cup for himself, and then tossed a sweet into his mouth. “Mmph… Okay, this is my repooort!”

“Don’t talk while chewing! You’re getting crumbs everywhere. It’s unsightly!”

“Okaaay.”

Unfazed, Patrick began flipping through a notebook. “All right,” he said. “Fiiirst, here’s what people think of Prince Felix.”

“You can skip all the positive stuff. Get to the criticism.”

“Well, you seee, nobody at this school is going to say mean things about him or talk about his weaknesses. After allll, this whole school is under Duke Clockford’s control.”

That made sense. Albert ground his teeth in frustration.

Patrick kept flipping through the pages at a nice, slow pace. “He ranks highly in general subjects, swordsmanship, and horseback riding. He’s accomplished a lot as the student council president, too. He’s friendly and good-natured. There’s nooothing to complain about.”

Indeed. Compared to First Prince Lionel, Felix was rather slim. But his sword skills were excellent, and he was an accomplished rider. Even Albert, who saw Felix as a threat, didn’t have any particular complaints about him.

But there was an eerie, inhuman quality to his brother. He looked at his two siblings, and even at the king, like they were strangers… At least, that was how Albert felt.

“What about his relationships with girls? Has he laid a hand on anyone?”

“Hmm… Well, everyone says the two most likely candidates to marry him are Lady Eliane Hyatt, daughter of Duke Rehnberg, and Bridget Greyham, daughter of Marquess Shaleberry… But it’s not actually all that cleeear.”

At the school festival’s after-party, Felix had danced with Eliane first, and he’d gone to Rehnberg for the winter holidays. In that sense, Eliane seemed to have the upper hand, but no engagement had been announced.

“Miss Eliane is the right one for him,” said Albert. “I know it.”

“You sure do like Lady Bridget, don’t you?”

“Don’t be daft, Patrick! You’re not supposed to say what you’re thinking out loud!” Albert scolded his servant, his white cheeks as red as a pair of apples. But then he caught himself and cleared his throat unnaturally. “Ahem. Don’t you have any other information I could use?”

“Aaactually, come to think of it, Prince Felix is fond of two students in particular.”

“Really?”

“The first is Lord Glenn Dudley, a second-year in the advanced course. He’s the Barrier Mage’s pupil, and he was with the prince in Rehnberg as his bodyguard.”

Albert’s eyes began to sparkle, and he stood up slightly from his chair. “I know that name! He’s the one who played the hero Ralph at the school festival!”

“Apparently, the prince recommended him for the part.”

Albert had attended the Serendia Academy festival on orders from his mother. The first half of the play had been nothing to write home about, but in the second half, the lead actor was switched out and the special effects started flying! There was an explosion, and then Ralph used flight magecraft to rescue Amelia, the heroine. When he’d seen that, Albert had been unable to conceal his excitement.

The third prince had been an honors student at Minerva’s, and he got pretty good grades in magecraft, too. But flight magecraft was something he’d always been bad at and had never managed to learn. So when he’d seen Glenn flying around like that, he’d been thoroughly impressed. The boy had looked just as cool as the real hero, Ralph.

“That’s not fair, Felix! It’s not fair that you have amazing people like him on your side!”

Felix likely intended to make Glenn an aide. That was Albert’s brother for you. He was always two steps ahead.

As Albert gnashed his teeth in frustration, Patrick munched on a cookie and continued his report. “Mmph. And the other one. There’s a girl he calls a little squirrel. Apparently, he treats her like a pet.”

“Wh-what?! He’s… He’s using a girl as a p-p-p-pet?!” Albert was so shocked, he forgot to scold his servant for talking with a cookie in his mouth. “How inhumane! How is such a thing permissible?!”

“Ummm. Well, the little squirrel’s name is Monica Norton. She’s a second-year in the advanced course, and she’s the accountant for the student council. The former Countess of Kerbeck adopted her from a monastery, I hear. She’s a servant of Lady Isabelle Norton, the daughter of Count Kerbeck.”

“Count Kerbeck? Why, he’s a major noble in the eastern provinces! And my brother is using his adopted daughter as a… p-pet…?”

“Lady Isabelle apparently bullies Lady Monica, even at school. I heard seeeveral eyewitness reports of Lady Isabelle yelling at her and putting her down.”

“I… I feel so bad for her… Not only is she treated coldly by the family that took her in, but now Felix is treating her like some kind of pet?”

Albert hung his head for a few moments, aghast. But eventually, he looked up, anger in his eyes, and he made a declaration, bold and loud. “I’ve made up my mind, Patrick. I will win them both over to my camp!”

Felix never showed any sign of weakness, but maybe Glenn or Monica knew something. And even if Albert didn’t get the information he wanted from them, if he pulled Felix’s favorites into his own camp, that was sure to upset his brother.

Albert burned with a fiery determination. Meanwhile, his servant popped the last cookie into his mouth.

Student council work had been light recently. It would get busier with the general student assembly in two months, but until then, everyone had it relatively easy. At the moment, only Monica and Felix were in the student council room.

Monica sighed wearily as she wrote down numbers in the account book. Once I’m done with this, she thought, I’ll go back to the dorm for the day…

Her assigned tasks were no trouble, but she was all worn-out from dealing with the two transfer students: Huberd Dee, who knew her identity, and Robert Winkel, who took every opportunity to challenge her to a game of chess. Because of them, Monica had begun to spend her time in the library whenever she was feeling good, and up in her attic dorm or having tea in Isabelle’s room whenever she wasn’t.

Oh, that’s right. Before I go back, I should return this library book. I wonder what I should borrow next…

She was still looking for books on biology to help her understand her father’s writings, and hoping to find anything about the Black Grail. It would also be nice to do some magecraft research—she hadn’t done any in a while. She’d thought of a way to improve tracking formulae while explaining them to Glenn, and she wanted to test it out. It sounded like just the thing for distracting her from her fear and anxiety regarding the new students.

Once I finish the paper, I’ll have Mr. Rutherford look it over.

Gideon Rutherford had been Monica’s teacher at Minerva’s, and she owed him a great debt. He still occasionally corrected and touched up her essays, and one of his pupils—a talented woman who had begun studying under him before Louis—often gave her advice.

As she reviewed the student council’s accounting records, Monica’s thoughts drifted to her new tracking formula. Tracking formulae have a duration of approximately two seconds. If that could be extended, they would be even easier to use…

“Monica?”

To do that, you’d need to find a balance between duration and accuracy… First, I’ll look into improving the tracking capability within a set range…

“Say ahhh.”

As Monica stared at the accounting records, lost in thought, she felt something soft touch her lip. A scent tickled her nose: fragrant butter and raisins.

If I were to make the effective range equal to the range of an intermediate-level spell… The taste of raisins and the smell of butter…would be calculated using the distance and coordinate axis… Raisins are so tasty…

When Monica ate something, her focus tended to shift to her food. As she began to chew, thoughts of the baked good in her mouth took over. Made of butter cake dough, it was a little firm and had lots of delicious raisins kneaded into it.

When Monica swallowed, she snapped back to reality. “Huh?!”

Her eyes went wide as she noticed Felix’s kind, handsome face right in front of her. He was sitting in the chair across from Monica, resting his chin on his hand, watching her with an amused expression. Apparently, he’d been the one to put that snack in her mouth. If Cyril had been here, he would have been furious. He would surely have said something like, How dare you ignore the prince?!

“Pri… Pri-Prin… Prin-Prin-Priprince!” she stammered.

“Oh, that was quite rhythmical. You can have another, if you’d like,” said Felix, offering her a second treat.

Monica hesitated over which hand to reach out, eventually settling on both. In front of Felix, she wanted to pretend, as much as possible, that her left hand didn’t hurt.

“Um, th-thank…you,” she managed.

“You looked like you were somewhere else,” he said. “Is anything bothering you?”

Monica smiled vaguely. The new students were certainly troubling, but there was something even bigger eating away at her—something even more fundamental. And that was Felix himself.

How should I interact with him…? she wondered. Felix was on Duke Clockford’s side, and the duke was almost certainly involved in Monica’s father’s death. Others whispered about Felix, calling him the puppet prince. They were right—he never disobeyed the duke. He couldn’t.

And yet the other face he occasionally showed her—that of Ike—puzzled her and gave her pause.

Back in Corlapton, he’d told her of his interest in magecraft and called her a fellow delinquent. He’d given her that book and that pendant. On the night of the ball, he’d told her that he wanted her to find something exciting, for her own sake and no one else’s. And in Rehnberg, his eyes had sparkled as he showed the Silent Witch his paper.

When I’m talking to Ike…it feels like I’m interacting with a completely different person…

To one side was Felix, the perfect prince who acted exactly as those around him wished and hid everything behind his gorgeous smile. To the other was Ike, a massive fan of the Silent Witch, who loved magecraft but seemed so ready to give up. The way he switched between these two personas confused her. How should she approach him?

When she fell silent, Felix narrowed his azure eyes, and a chill crept into his smile. “I heard that Robert Winkel seeks you out every day,” he said. “If he’s bothering you, I can mention it to his homeroom teacher.”

“N-no, I’m, um, I’m okay,” said Monica, shaking her head.

Felix chuckled softly. His eyes reflected the light streaming in from the window and glowed like wet gems. “Well, then let me say how I really feel… I’d rather like to hear you ask me for help.”

Despite his words, his voice was bittersweet, as if he was the one pleading.

Monica clenched her fists, enduring the pain. She tried to make herself look strong and stiffened her expression. “I can’t, um, bother you with such things, sir!”

“…I see.”

Felix lowered his long blond eyelashes, casting a shadow across his blue eyes. Monica wondered in the back of her mind if the expression she was seeing belonged to Felix or to Ike.

She stood up. “I, um, I’m done with today’s work, so I’ll be going now. Excuse me.”

As she rushed to organize her things on the desk, Felix studied her with quiet eyes.

Albert was sitting in the library after school, a book open on the table in front of him. He was pretending to read while keeping an eye on the entrance. A petite girl had just come inside—it was Monica Norton, the student council’s accountant. When Monica noticed Glenn in front of a bookshelf, she went up and spoke to him.

When Albert saw this, he lowered his voice and gave an order to Patrick, who was seated next to him. “Targets spotted. Get into position.”

“Waaait, what position?”

“Just find a good hiding spot among the shelves, got it? Pretend you’re picking out a book.”

“A good hiding spot, huuuh?” repeated Patrick. He leisurely made his way behind a nearby bookshelf.

Once Albert was sure the other boy was hidden, he followed, pretending to look for a book among the shelves. All the while, he kept an eye on his targets—Glenn and Monica. According to Patrick, they frequently studied here together. Serendia Academy’s library was shared between the intermediate and advanced courses, so this was the perfect chance for Albert—who was in the former—to make contact with them.

Okay, let’s do this!

With wonderfully natural movements, Albert approached his targets. Then, as he passed by them, he dropped his handkerchief out of his pocket. Pretending not to realize, he stopped in front of a nearby bookshelf and pretended to search for a book.

He stole a glance their way. Monica seemed to have noticed the handkerchief. She picked it up and, seeming troubled, looked first toward Albert, and then back at the handkerchief.

Yes! Good! Now talk to me!

Albert waited, but Monica kept hesitating. She glanced around, flustered, still holding the handkerchief.

What’s wrong? Just talk to me already. Or are you nervous because I’m royalty?

Monica was, in fact, extremely nervous.

Isn’t that boy Third Prince Albert?! she thought. Yes, I saw him at the New Year’s ceremony… His eye width, nose length, and jawbone angle all match perfectly… Wh-wh-wh-what should I do? He doesn’t know I’m the Silent Witch, does he? There’s no way, right?! Ahhh, I picked the handkerchief up without thinking. What should I do with it? If I speak to him first, would that be discourteous? I—I wonder if he’ll notice me instead. Just a glance in my direction…!

Ugh! It’s just a handkerchief! Just give it to me, thought Albert. This is your chance to talk to an actual, real-life member of the royal family. Talk to me. Talk to me! Talk! To! Me!

Oh, I really, really hope he notices! thought Monica. Please! Please, I’m begging you, notice me!

Talk to me this instant! thought Albert. I can’t do anything until you talk to me!

As Albert and Monica stood in a deadlock, thoughts racing through their minds, Glenn turned and saw the item in Monica’s hands. “Oh, hey, what’s that handkerchief?” he asked.

“That, tha-that person, that person over there, um, dropped it,” stammered Monica.

Glenn plucked the handkerchief out of her hands and walked over to Albert. “Hey, you there! You dropped this.”

Stifling the impulse to cheer, Albert whipped around. “Ah!” he said. “Yes, that is my handkerchief! My mother gave it to me! You there, thank you so much for picking it up for me. You have my sincere gratitude!”

He spoke so flatly and unnaturally that Patrick, still hiding, chuckled in spite of himself. But Albert, very proud of his effort, continued saying the lines he’d prepared in advance.

“As thanks, I’d like to invite you both to tea. Would that be all right?”

“We just picked up your handkerchief, that’s all,” said Glenn. “No need for dramatics. Right, Monica?”

Monica, her face breaking out in a cold sweat, nodded vigorously.

But Albert couldn’t afford to back down here. “That simply will not do! As Albert Frau Roberia Ridill, third prince of this kingdom, it would be dishonorable to neglect those I am indebted to!”

When Albert casually dropped his royal title, Glenn’s eyes widened. He examined Albert’s face closely. “The third prince? That would make you…the prez’s little brother, right?”

“Indeed, I am! Felix Arc Ridill, president of the student council, is my elder brother.”

“Oh, I see. Well, the prez is always looking out for us.” Glenn flashed the boy a smile.

Albert pretended to be seeing Glenn’s face for the first time and raised his voice. “Ah, now that I’ve had a good look at you… Are you not Glenn Dudley, the one who played Ralph at the school festival? Your performance was absolutely stunning. I’ve always wanted to ask you about it. And the young lady is welcome to come along!”

“Hmm,” said Glenn. “We really should get back to studying…”

Albert was getting nowhere. Vexed, he clapped his hands and called out, “Patrick! Patrick!”

“Lord Alberrrt,” said Patrick. “You shouldn’t be so loud in the library.”

Reining in his urge to yell You’re not saying what we planned, Albert assumed the air of an arrogant master and gave his servant an order. “Show my guests to the tea salon!”

“Yes, sir,” he replied. Then, turning to the others, he continued, “I’m so sorry about this, you two. Lord Albert has no friends, so he’s not used to inviting people to tea parties.”

None of this was in Albert’s script, either. He furrowed his brow in frustration, but Glenn and Monica were now looking at him with sympathy.

“Oh, well in that case,” said Glenn.

Monica agreed. “If, um, it’s just for a little while…”

How did it end up like this? thought Albert. He’d planned to pull this off with such elegance and grace. Why was he now being pitied for his lack of friends?

While he wasn’t fully satisfied with the situation, phase one of his master plan had apparently ended in success.

Patrick led Monica and Glenn to the best private tea salon in the intermediate course building. A bouquet of flowers decorated the table, and tasty-looking sweets were piled on gorgeous, gold-patterned white plates. There was even a cream-filled pie. When Monica thought of pie, she imagined a thin slice of dough spread with jam or fruit. Cream pies were extremely rare. Butter and white sugar were already luxury items, and fresh cream was even harder to get. It was completely out of reach for commoners.

“Go ahead,” encouraged Albert. “Take a seat.”

Monica and Glenn each took a chair. Monica was making a valiant effort not to grimace, despite the pins and needles she felt in her stomach. H-has he realized I’m the Silent Witch? she wondered. He hasn’t, has he? He couldn’t have, right?!

Everything’s going according to plan! thought Albert, I’ve done a great job getting the two of them here. Now it’s time to put my negotiating prowess to the test. I must win both of Felix’s favorites over to my side!

Glenn and Patrick, meanwhile, were both spellbound by the cream pie atop the table.

That looks so good! thought Glenn.

I can’t wait to eat that, thought Patrick.

As everyone’s minds raced, Albert’s tea party began. The first one to open his mouth was Glenn.

“Don’t mind if I do!” he said, ignoring good manners and abruptly grabbing some cream pie. After a few bites, he declared, “Wow, this tastes really expensive!”

There was cream all around Glenn’s mouth. Monica watched, terribly worried that this would anger Albert.

But the third prince didn’t seem to have taken the slightest offense at Glenn’s behavior. In fact, he seemed happy Glenn was eating the delicacy he’d ordered for the occasion. The young prince sipped his black tea, looking rather smug.

Monica stealthily observed him. He had straight blond hair, hazel eyes, and an air of competitiveness. Though Albert was also a prince, he didn’t much resemble his brother. Like most boys his age, he wore his emotions on his sleeve. This was the exact opposite of Felix, who was impossible to read.

“Monica, this pie is amazing!” exclaimed Glenn.

“Oh, um, I, uhhh…” Monica thought it might be best to wait until the person of highest rank began eating.

“Patrick,” said Albert.

Patrick smiled, then took the biggest plate of pie and picked up a fork. “Hooray! Thank you!” he said.

“Not that, dummy! Get some for Miss Norton!”

“Oh. Yes, sir!” Shrewdly keeping his own food close, Patrick took another slice of pie and put it on Monica’s plate.

Albert looked toward Monica, sniffing proudly. “You may eat, Miss Norton. I know Count Kerbeck doesn’t feed you very well.”

“N-no, that, that isn’t…”

Monica shook her head. But to the others, it just looked like she was trying to protect the count’s good name.

Albert gazed at her with sympathy. “No need for that. I’ve heard the rumors. It seems that not only are you neglected by House Norton, but you are treated as…um, as a p-pet by the student council.”

“A pet?!” Monica was speechless.

Albert’s voice fell to a mutter. He looked a little embarrassed. “I had no idea that my brother had such depraved tastes. I’m sure he forces you to do all kinds of things, shameless things that I can’t even imagine… No, we needn’t discuss it. I am a man of discretion, and I would not force a lady to speak of such things. But if it’s painful, if it’s a struggle, I would prefer it if you were honest and said so.”

“Um… Uh, what?”

Monica didn’t know what Albert was imagining, but she got the feeling he was leaping to all kinds of conclusions.

As Monica reeled at Albert’s shocking statements, the two gluttonous boys were having a leisurely chat of their own.

“You see, with this pie,” said Patrick, “if you slather on some strawberry jam, you can make it even more delicious!”

“What a perfect balance of sweet and tart!”

“Yes, I could eat the whole pie! Oh, here, let me pour you some more tea.”

What a peaceful world they lived in. Monica wished she could visit that world. But she couldn’t leave Albert with all these misunderstandings.

“Um, I… Er, about the prince, it’s…” She struggled to answer. After all, she couldn’t exactly say they were fellow delinquents.

Albert’s eyes looked sad. “Miss Norton, will you not leave my brother’s service and enter into my patronage instead? I can promise you three meals a day if you do—and snacks.”

What now? Felix had been made into a villain, all because of Monica. She had to support him somehow. But she got the distinct feeling that anything she said would only dig this hole even deeper.

As she stammered out some more “ums” and “ahs,” Glenn downed his tea, exhaled loudly, and then got in his own two cents. “The prez is a good person! He’s no villain!”

“But the rumors…,” began Albert, refusing to back down.

With cream still all over his mouth, Glenn made a serious face and spoke clearly. “I don’t know much about rumors, but I can tell the prez is a good guy just by looking at him.”

How nice, thought Monica. She looked down, privately mocking herself. I wish I could just come out and say that I think the prince is a good person. But the shadow of Duke Clockford hung over her, keeping her from trusting the prince. It made her angry with herself.

Albert, on the other hand, seemed frustrated with Glenn’s comment and frowned. Deep wrinkles formed on his forehead.

“…It’s always like this,” he murmured. “Everyone always takes his side.”

His earlier arrogance was gone now, and he spoke like a sulking child.

Patrick placed a plate of pie in front of him. “Lord Albert, sweets are perfect for when you’re depressed.”

“I’m not depressed!” cried the third prince. “Why would I be depressed?!”

“And I’ll put lots of strawberry jam on it, okay?”

“I like apricot jam better!” huffed Albert, regaining some of his energy.

Glenn, who was licking the cream off his mouth, turned to the third prince. “So basically,” he said, “you want to be friends with Monica, right?”

“Um, I’m pretty sure he doesn’t…,” said Monica softly.

Ignoring her, Glenn beat a hand against his chest. “Now that we’ve shared some delicious food, we’re already friends! Me, Monica, Albert, and Patrick. We’re all friends!”

Could a statement like that count as lèse-majesté? Monica began to sweat.

“Friends…,” muttered Albert to himself. And then, as if to confirm, he looked at Monica. “Miss Norton, allow me to ask you something. You are not friends with Felix, correct?”

“Umm, well, Prince Felix is my upperclassman, and I respect him a lot…”

“Then you’re not friends, yes? So if you become friends with me… Yes, that is sure to frustrate him.”

Albert said the last part very quietly, and Monica had trouble making it out. Then he nodded to himself, satisfied, and took an elegant sip of tea.

“I see. Then we’re friends. Yes, friends… Friends indeed. In that case, I wouldn’t mind inviting you to another tea party in the future. After all, we are friends.”

“Lord Albert, I’m so happy for you,” said Patrick.

“Heh-heh. I’m in a good mood, so I suppose I’ll allow you to have some more pie, Patrick.”

“Oh, um. I’m sorry. We ate all of it already.”

“But what about my seconds?!”

Glenn watched as Albert flew into a childish rage and Patrick responded with his usual relaxed attitude.

“You two really get along well,” he said with a grin.

Um, anyway, thought Monica, this means my cover isn’t blown…right?

She breathed a sigh of relief, then took the first bite of her slice of cream pie.