Archive of Our Own ^beta

It started off as a normal day. Or what counted as a normal day at Serendia Academy. Everyone attended their morning classes, female students discussing fashion, the latest rumors, and romance. Lunchtime also passed safely with nothing important to note.

No, it was after school when things took a turn from the normal day to something strange. Most female students would agree that it took a turn for the worse, and although they didn’t fully believe it, what happened made them uneasy.

After school was one of the best times to socialize and hold tea parties. While Serendia Academy had multiple tearooms, including a private one, many of the female students enjoyed having their tea on a tea table in the courtyard. While it was still winter, the bright sun was out, warming up the area. Many girls were already sitting at a table in the courtyard, talking to each other.

Four friends sat at a table together, and while they talked briefly about classes, they quickly started talking about fashion and the latest rumors. The four girls laughed behind their fans and enjoyed the tea, an amicable atmosphere surrounding them. Unfortunately, it didn’t last long.

One girl fidgeted with her hands before nodding to herself and sitting up straight. “Hey, everyone. Have you heard the latest rumor?” She had promised herself not to beat around the bush, but with this topic, she couldn’t help it, as it was one her friends loved talking about.

They looked at her in confusion. One of her other friends giggled behind her fan. It wasn’t a mean laugh. Amusement briefly appeared in her eyes. “Sarah, weren’t you listening? We just talked about the latest rumors.”

“Yeah, Sarah. For you to not listen to the latest rumors, your mind must be in outer space today,” another one of her friends joked, fondness briefly appearing in her eyes.

… They weren’t entirely wrong. While Sarah tended to daydream and space out sometimes, she always loved hearing the latest rumors and would always be the first to bring it up in their friend group.

“Sarah.” Her third friend, a girl with a short haircut, reached out, placing a hand on Sarah’s. “Are you sure you’re alright? You haven’t been acting like yourself this whole time.”

Sarah shook her head then belatedly realized what she asked and nodded her head, causing her friends to give her concerned looks. She hesitated before deciding to speak. “No, not that. I… heard about another rumor.” She really didn’t want to talk about it, as all it would do was bring the mood down. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to say the words. “About His Highness Felix.”

Immediately, the amicable atmosphere surrounding the table disappeared, an almost tense one taking its place. Sarah and her friends, like most, if not all, of the girls at Serendia Academy, loved talking about the prince and fantasizing about catching his attention. They had all talked about becoming the prince’s fiancée at one point or another, and while it would be a dream come true if it happened, Sarah didn’t think it’d happen anytime soon to her or her friends, as she didn’t think the prince even knew they existed. In that regard, Sarah was a bit unusual, as she was the most rational of the group (and maybe most of the girls in the academy).

Her three friends immediately knew something was up. If Sarah had known about this rumor before they met up and hadn’t said anything about it until now, whatever it was couldn’t be good. Sarah always hesitated to discuss something sad or painful, as she disliked bringing the mood down.

They glanced at each other before the girl with the short haircut took a deep breath. “What about His Highness Felix?” When Sarah hesitated again, she reached out, patting the top of her hand before giving her a soft smile. “Go ahead. We won’t be mad at you.”

Sarah nodded, twirling a strand of her hair, her friends recognizing the nervous habit. “It’s just a rumor, of course,” she hastened to reassure. “I’m sure it doesn’t mean anything. I just thought you all should know.” When her friends didn’t speak, clearly waiting for an answer, Sarah took a deep breath, gathering her courage. “There’s a rumor going around about Prince Felix being engaged to someone.”

Disappointing, as they had all at one point or another wished to become his fiancée, but they had all expected it to happen, so it wasn’t too surprising. Was this really what Sarah wished to tell them?

The girl with the short haircut caught on quicker before her friends. “Sarah, you’re not telling us everything. You had to have heard a name in the rumor to react like this.”

… Come to think of it… Her other two friends belatedly realized she… was right. Sarah had just told them about the prince being engaged to ‘someone’. For her to struggle this much, she had to have heard a name, and not just any name. It had to be the name of someone who was not suited to be with the prince. A few girls came to mind, of course, and one particular girl came to mind as the least suited to be with him.

Sarah, for once, wished she wasn’t here. Anywhere but here. She sipped her black tea, not even tasting it or the dollop of jam, her hands shaking. She placed her cup down before reluctantly speaking. “... Yeah, I did. Again, it’s just a rumor.” She hesitated. “There’s a rumor going around about Prince Felix being engaged to…” She took a deep breath before speaking quickly. “… Lady Monica Norton.”

The almost tense atmosphere turned into a tense atmosphere, as her three friends immediately understood why Sarah hesitated to tell them.

Monica Norton… She was a timid and plain girl, and none of them understood how she had not only managed to catch the prince’s attention but managed to land a spot on the Student Council. She couldn’t have used money or her looks to do it. In fact, they didn’t believe she even knew how to seduce someone. For the longest time, they believed that while the prince might give her preferential treatment, he’d never go for a plain girl like her.

“What.” one of her friends said flatly. “You can’t be serious.”

Sarah jumped in her seat at her normally kind friend’s voice before sitting up straight. “It’s true!” she insisted. “That’s the rumor going around!”

The girl with the short haircut smiled a reassuring smile, reaching out and placing her hand on one of Sarah’s. “It’s not that we don’t believe you, Sarah. Don’t worry.” Her eyes darkened, and Sarah paled at the anger and… coldness in her eyes. “I think we can all agree it’s just a rumor.”

“Yeah, he’d never go for someone like her,” another of her friends spat.

Sarah quietly sipped her tea as her friends insulted and made fun of Monica Norton, a strange uncomfortable feeling in her stomach. What was this feeling? Maybe she was drinking too much tea? She placed her cup down before hiding her shaking hands in her lap. Her normally kind friends always reacted like this whenever someone brought up Monica Norton, and she always felt uneasy whenever it happened. She didn’t know why. It wasn’t like Monica Norton could hear them. “E-Everyone, it’s just a rumor. You don’t need to—“

“I don’t know about that.”

Sarah’s eyes widened at the new voice. She quickly turned around, seeing one of her classmates standing behind her with a couple of other girls.

“What do you mean by that?” one of her friends asked sharply.

Her classmate shrugged. “All I’m saying is that it makes sense. We all saw him holding hands with her on the first day of the new semester.”

“He was being kind!” one of her friends argued.

“Yeah! You know how His Highness is! He looks out for everyone!”

Her classmate sighed, as if her friends were being slow. “He’s not like that with everyone, though,” she pointed out, causing them to freeze. “She’s the only one by his side who he constantly showers with attention and kindness.”

One of her classmates’ friends nodded. “You remember how His Highness left the ball early? He went looking for her and even held her in his arms.” She held up her hands when they shot her skeptical looks. “It’s true. I saw him with my own eyes.”

“Yeah, but he only did that because she had collapsed, right?” her other friend asked.

“There’s even a rumor he’s the one who gave her that necklace.”

The necklace was something that caught everyone’s attention immediately, as Monica Norton didn’t seem to be interested in fashion. They all believed she had only dressed up for the ball because she was a Student Council Member, and even then, she only dressed up thanks to her friend, Lana Colette’s help. They had all assumed at the time that the necklace belonged to Lana, as it seemed impossible for a commoner, a servant tormented by Isabelle Norton, to own such a necklace. While modest, the necklace stood out with its gold chain and genuine peridot.

“T-That’s impossible!” one of Sarah’s friends cried.

Another one of her friends scoffed. “Yeah, why would he give her a necklace like that?”

Her friend with the short haircut covered her mouth with her fan and let out a nervous giggle. “W-What are we even talking about right now? While I don’t know how that rumor started, it’s just a rumor. A rumor,” she put emphasis on the last word. “It clearly isn’t true.”

The rest of Sarah’s friends relaxed, the coldness in their eyes disappearing, causing Sarah to inwardly breathe a sigh of relief.

“Y-Yeah, you’re right,” one of them murmured.

“It’s crazy to think about, don’t you think?” one of them laughed a mean laugh. “He wouldn’t go for a girl like that. We need to put more trust in His Highness.”

Sarah’s classmate scoffed. “You three must not be very bright.” She shrugged, her face not showing any emotion, and Sarah always found this part of her classmate a little unsettling and… creepy. “You can live in your fantasy world and glass cages if you like. Just don’t be disappointed with reality.” She turned around, clearly about to leave, before turning her head to look at Sarah and looking into her eyes, causing Sarah to almost jump at the sudden attention. “I’d suggest getting some new friends,” she spoke in a low voice.

As much as she hated to admit it, Sarah understood what she meant. Her friends had their mean streaks, especially when it came to Monica Norton, and while they hadn’t done anything besides insult people and mock them behind their backs, she felt like it was only a matter of time before they… did something, and it terrified Sarah.

While Sarah didn’t have a high opinion or even a favorable opinion of Monica Norton, Monica was still her classmate. She hadn’t done anything wrong except transfer to this academy. She didn’t want to see Monica get hurt, and she was terrified of getting in trouble because her friends couldn’t hold back their dislike anymore. Maybe in another universe, she would’ve reached out to her and became her friend. Maybe in another universe, she might’ve defended her and stopped her friends from being mean all the time.

Not in this universe.

Sarah turned her head back to her friends and smiled a weak smile at their concerned looks. Her friends had obviously not heard what her classmate said to her, which was good.

Even if they had a mean streak, they were still her friends, Sarah tried to convince herself. It was good to have friends.

It… would be alright.

Monica Norton and Prince Felix being engaged… It was just a rumor.

She sipped her cold tea, the tea’s sudden bitter taste surprising her and almost causing her to cough. She reluctantly swallowed the tea and held up her cup, looking into it. She could’ve sworn she had put jam into her tea. She tried to ignore the pang of worry in her stomach, as she knew it had nothing to do with her tea.

It was just a rumor.

ZZZ

The next day, Monica felt even more eyes on her than usual, and when she had gathered her courage to look up, some female students had glared at her and started whispering. She didn’t look up again after that. She didn’t know what she’d done, as she hated causing trouble and standing out.

Maybe… Maybe it had something to do with Felix? It was just a guess, of course, but most of the negative attention she received from the female students usually had something to do with him.

She paled, belatedly remembering something. He had… held her hand in front of everyone, and while he’d tried to pass it off as being concerned about her, she didn’t think everyone would see it like that. Not after all the attention and kindness he’s showered her with up until now.

Lana had tried to cheer her up before class and during lunch, and while Monica felt bad for worrying her friend, she couldn’t bring herself to smile. The attention continued during lunch, too, and Monica found she couldn’t eat anything. Her stomach refused to settle down, and she felt sick to her stomach.

The attention continued in her chess class, and Monica walked stiffly to her seat, keeping her head down. Elliott and Benjamin sat near her, glancing at her but not saying anything. She was almost certain now.

All this attention had something to do with Felix. It didn’t make sense for almost all the girls to give her spiteful and envious looks otherwise. She still didn’t know what had happened or even if she wanted to know.

Just as she was thinking that, Roberto Vinkel sat down in the seat opposite her. She blinked, immediately noticing something.

Roberto almost looked… depressed. He had a frown on his face, and even his normal cheerful energy had disappeared. Normally, he’d greet her with a smile on his face and make a comment about them getting engaged. Not today. Instead, he focused on the chessboard with an almost glum look. Plus, he didn’t roll his sleeves up, which she found strange. Ever since he had transferred to Serendia Academy, he had rolled his sleeves up, no matter how cold it was outside. Why didn’t he do it today? Maybe he finally felt cold?

She fidgeted with her fingers before deciding to speak up. “Um… Are you alright?”

He blinked at the question, perking up before immediately frowning for some reason. “I’m alright. Sorry to worry you.” He paused, narrowing his eyes, scrutinizing her, causing her to squirm. “Lady Monica…” He shook his head before she could even attempt to respond. “No, forget it. Chess comes first.”

While strange, she decided not to think about it. During this class, she wanted her thoughts to revolve solely around chess.

They played in silence, and with each move, the gloomy atmosphere surrounding Roberto increased, causing her to feel bewildered.

What had happened? Did he get some bad news or something like that?

After Monica won, they cleared the board, Roberto staring at the board before nodding to himself and looking at her.

“Lady Monica, I won’t apologize for anything I said or did.” He gave her a determined look, causing her to feel even more bewildered. Where was this coming from? “While I still believe my offer is quite generous and is beneficial to us both, I know when to give up. I won’t pester you anymore about getting engaged to me.”

She stared at him with wide eyes and mouth agape. He’d been asking her to reconsider getting engaged to him ever since he’d transferred to Serendia. She was, of course, grateful he planned on stopping, but… why did he give up all of a sudden?

“I suppose I should say congratulations.” He smiled a sad smile. “It was nice getting to know you, Lady Monica, and I’ll pray for your happiness. While we can’t be together, at least we’ll still have chess.”

… Wait, what? What… was he saying right now? Nothing about this made any sense.

Beside her, Elliott furrowed his brow in confusion. “Hang on… What are you even talking about? You’re not making any sense right now.”

Roberto blinked a few times before furrowing his own brow and tilting his head. “You haven’t heard the news? I thought a fellow student council member like yourself would’ve been the first to hear the news.” He smiled a rueful smile. “Especially after what he said to me at the chess competition.”

Elliott groaned. “Stop being vague and just tell me!” He blinked, as if belatedly realizing what he said. “And why are you bringing up the chess competition?”

“Why, isn’t it obvious?” Roberto nodded to Monica with his head. “I’m, of course, talking about Lady Monica’s engagement to His Highness Felix.”

Monica stared blankly at him, not understanding. He… couldn’t have said what she thought he just said. It was impossible.

Elliott’s eyes widened, and his mouth fell open. “L-Lady Norton and His Highness’ what?!”

“Their engagement.” Roberto nodded, as if this made perfect sense, which only made Monica even more confused. He looked at Monica first then Elliott before furrowing his brow. “I apologize. Were you keeping it a secret for the time being? I just assumed with all the rumors—”

“What rumors?” Elliott interrupted sharply, glancing at Monica.

Roberto tilted his head. “It’s all over the academy.” He looked at Monica. “It must’ve been recent, right? If I had known earlier, I wouldn’t have pursued you as hard as I did. I should apologize to His Highness.”

“Forget about that for a second!” Elliott shot him an irritated look before looking at Monica. “Oi, Lady Norton, are you alright?”

Impossible. This was impossible. Nothing made sense right now.

Engagement? To Felix?

She… didn’t know what was going on anymore. Nothing about this was alright.

Did Felix know about this? She dreaded his response and didn’t want to find out. At the same time, though, a crazy thought came to her. She… wanted to see him. He made her feel safe, although she didn’t know when that happened.

“Lady Norton, can you hear me?”

Almost at her limit, Monica decided to retreat to the world of numbers. Her numbers made sense. Her numbers made her feel safe. Her father’s numbers popped into her head, and she started reciting them.

“One five seven eight four two point three seven… One four nine seven point two four… Two seven nine two five point six…”

Elliott sighed and put a hand to his forehead. “Oh no, she’s gone.” He let out a groan before narrowing his eyes at Roberto. “Alright, you. Start talking. I want to know everything you know about this rumor.”

Instead of explaining, Roberto glanced at Monica. “Is she alright? I don’t mean to question His Highness, but he did make sure to inform her of what he planned on doing before letting the academy know, right?”

“Start. Talking.”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

ZZZ

Felix walked to the Student Council Room, smiling his calm smile. He didn’t allow it to show on his face, but he was currently perplexed by something. He… was getting more attention than usual. While he’d always gotten a lot of attention, especially from girls, he couldn’t shake the feeling that everyone had been staring at him for a reason today.

It was very strange. The same girls who would normally giggle at him and try to get his attention only stared at him from afar today, whispering to their friends. What about, he didn’t know, as he couldn’t hear any of the whispers. He hadn’t changed anything about his looks, and from what he remembered, he had acted like a perfect prince the whole day.

Plus, the people who had approached him said the most bizarre things.

“Congratulations, Your Highness!”

“I’m praying for your happiness, Your Highness!”

“Congrats, President!”

“You made a good choice, President!”

What… exactly did all that mean? He didn’t remember doing anything important of note recently, so why was everyone congratulating him and wishing for his happiness?

Perhaps what was more bizarre was a comment he had received from a girl.

“Congratulations, Your Highness.” She had smiled at him, but her eyes weren’t smiling. “I hope she makes you happy.”

Nothing about that made sense, and she had quickly excused herself before Felix could answer, and he’d found himself staring blankly at her, unable to call her back.

She? She who? What had that girl even been talking about?

Everything everyone had said to him… Everything the girl had said to him… It almost sounded like they were…

He stopped in front of the Student Council Room door, his eyes widening.

No way. It was impossible.

It made sense, though. Why else would everyone congratulate him and mention a girl? Although… He opened the door, thinking about what happened. No one had mentioned the girl’s name to him, which he found strange. Duke Crockford hadn’t mentioned anything to him, so it had to be a rumor. Besides, he already knew who Duke Crockford had in mind for his fiancée, and he felt certain everyone would’ve mentioned her name if she had been a part of the rumor.

The room was empty, and he made his way to his desk, deciding to forget about it. Everyone would be arriving soon for the meeting. Might as well get everything together before everyone showed up. He picked up a stack of papers before organizing them. He paused, glancing over a recent budget.

It had to be a rumor, so why did it bother him this much? When the realization sunk in, why did he immediately think of Monica?

… No, he knew why. If he could marry a girl of his choice, it would be her. Always her. Unfortunately, he didn’t think that’d happen anytime soon. Not only did he not want to force that on her, but she... didn’t even like him. Not yet is what he tried to tell himself.

Did Monica hear about the rumor yet? What would she think about it? Maybe it was selfish, but he wanted her to be bothered by it. To dislike it. Of course, that was assuming Monica had feelings for him, which she didn’t. It’d probably be just a repeat of what happened at the ball when Monica hadn’t even cared about him dancing with Eliane.

He shook his head, smiling a wry smile. Really, that was just like her. He wouldn’t expect anything different.

Slowly, the other council members started to arrive, and Felix greeted them. Soon, almost everyone had arrived. He furrowed his brow in confusion.

Everyone besides Monica, Elliot, and Cyril had arrived. Cyril had already told him he’d be late earlier, so he didn’t think much of not seeing him. He didn’t remember Elliott mentioning anything about being late to the meeting, though, so this was strange.

“I presume you’ve heard the rumor, Your Highness.”

He blinked before smiling his calm smile at Bridget. “I have. Almost everyone has congratulated me. Even a few teachers have congratulated me.” He shook his head, amusement appearing in his eyes. “It’s all a bit much for a rumor.”

She narrowed her eyes behind her fan, scrutinizing him. “And it is just a rumor?”

… What was she talking about?

He kept smiling and walked over to the table where she and Neil sat. “I believe I’d remember if I proposed to someone.”

“Indeed. If it were true, I would’ve offered my congratulations.”

That sounded just like her.

Neil spoke up next. “Um, President… Does Lady Norton know about the rumor yet?”

Why did he mention Monica? Neil shouldn’t know about his feelings for her. Maybe he’s just worried about her as a fellow student council member?

Felix smiled a reassuring smile at him. “She should on her way with Elliott as we speak. You may ask her then.”

“Honestly, President?” Neil fidgeted with his hands. “I’m worried about her. I don’t think she’ll react well to it.”

… Wait, what? Where was this coming from? He couldn’t be saying… Felix stomped on the hope growing in his chest. He refused to let it grow. Nothing was confirmed after all.

What exactly did he mean by that? Of course, he understood Neil was a kind boy who cared about everyone and had a friendly relationship with his fellow second year. Like him, Neil knew what kind of person Monica was. Where did this worry come from, though?

Why would Monica react badly to the rumor of his engagement? She didn’t like him. She probably wouldn’t care about it.

Felix stopped next to the table, setting down a stack of papers. “Don’t worry. We’re here for her. I’m sure everything—”

The door slammed open.

“Your Highness!”

Elliott ran into the room, carrying Monica. A Monica who mumbled numbers with vacant eyes. Felix’s eyes widened, although he didn’t know which part surprised him more.

“Your Highness, you need to help me!” Elliott ran over to him with Monica in his arms. He looked almost exasperated, and any other time, Felix might’ve felt amused at seeing him like this. “She’s gone into her little world, and she won’t come back!”

Neil let out a worried sound from his seat. “Oh, I was worried this would happen.”

Bridget stood up from her seat. “I believe it best for us to leave for today. His Highness needs to have a discussion with Lady Monica Norton.”

Felix, who gently took Monica from Elliott’s arms, blinked before looking over at Bridget. He could’ve asked Elliott to set Monica on the sofa, but he didn’t want to. Maybe it was selfish, but he wanted to do it himself. “I’m afraid I don’t follow. While this is worrying, I know how to bring her back. We can resume the meeting after I do so.”

“Wait…” Elliott blinked before groaning. “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me!” He turned to the rest of the members. “He doesn’t know?!”

Neil fidgeted with his hands. “He knows about the rumor.” He hesitated before smiling awkwardly. “I don’t think he knows the whole thing, though.”

That… was true. While Felix had heard about the rumor, he hadn’t heard anything about the girl he was supposed to be engaged to. Was it really such a big deal? He was more concerned with Monica.

Elliott groaned again, running a hand through his hair. “This is such a pain!” He turned around to face Felix, narrowing his eyes. “Listen up because I doubt she’ll be the one to tell you.” He jerked his thumb to Monica. “What you don’t know is that you’re rumored to be engaged with Lady Norton.”

Felix stared at him blankly.

… Wait, what? What… did he just say? He could’ve sworn Elliott had said… No, that was impossible.

Then again… He thought back on what happened earlier that day. How all the girls hadn’t looked happy and how some even looked envious. He had assumed that was because he hadn’t been engaged to them. Maybe it had been because of Monica instead? He wasn’t stupid. He knew everyone, mostly the girls, didn’t approve of Monica and thought she wasn’t suited to be by his side, much less become his fiancée.

“You got that?” Elliott pointed at him, something Cyril would’ve shouted at him for. “You better talk to Lady Norton about this.” He frowned, looking around the room. “By the way… Where’s Cyril?”

Everyone slowly left the room, mentioning something about going to see Cyril and letting him know about the cancelled meeting. When the door closed behind the last person, Elliott, Felix blinked a few times, unable to hide his astonishment.

Honestly? He was a little in shock. What… How did this rumor even start? And why did they choose Monica, of all people?

Perhaps more importantly… Was it his fault?

ZZZ

A soft touch on her cheek brought Monica back to herself.

“A cat’s paw…”

She looked around, expecting to see Nero near her and expecting her mountain cabin or the attic. Instead, she found herself in the Student Council Room, sitting on the sofa. She turned to her left where the paw (?) had touched her cheek.

Felix, who she had been leaning against, gave her an indescribable look. “Have you come to your senses?”

“Yo?! Y-Y-Your Highness?!”

That was right. She… had been in chess class when Roberto had mentioned something about a rumor. Some crazy rumor about her and Felix being engaged. She paled, pulling away from him.

Felix allowed her to move away, although she didn’t get far as Felix immediately closed the distance and grabbed her necklace, bringing it out of hiding, her necklace now in plain sight. She tensed, expecting him to touch her. When he didn’t, she blinked, looking at him.

Felix watched her with an indescribable look for a few moments before looking away. “I apologize for surprising you. This must’ve come as a shock.”

While surprised to find herself in the Student Council Room and leaning against Felix rather than the chess room, Monica decided not to dwell on it. This had happened before after all. “N-No, it’s… alright.” She looked down at her lap, fidgeting with her hands. Did… Felix know about the rumor? What did he think? It must’ve bothered him, right?

“I feel as though I should apologize for something else.”

She blinked, tentatively looking at him, jumping at making eye contact.

He sighed, his eyes darkening with… something. Not anger or coldness. Not loneliness either. Sadness? Maybe it was regret? “It was not my intention for this to happen.” His tone was gentle and apologetic. “I was being selfish and didn’t think about the consequences. I apologize.”

… Wait, what? Why… was he apologizing? She didn’t understand at all.

“A-About what?”

He stared at her, tilting his head. “The rumor about us being engaged,” he said simply, causing her eyes to widen. So he did know about it.

Was Felix… blaming himself for the rumor? Why? It wasn’t like he’d spread the rumor himself. She belatedly remembered how Felix had held her hand in front of everyone. Maybe that was why?

Earlier, she had thought it had something to do with Felix and remembered how he’d held her hand in front of everyone. She had felt confused at the time because it didn’t make sense. Why would everyone react to it now? They should’ve reacted back when it happened. But that wasn’t it. Somehow, someone saw them holding hands and assumed they were engaged.

Honestly, it still didn’t make sense to Monica. Was this how high society worked?

Felix smiled an apologetic smile, and she found she didn’t like it. At all. “I’ll, of course, do what I can to assure everyone it’s not the truth.” He smiled a wry smile. “I don’t know if they’ll believe me, though.”

Monica’s mouth opened and closed a few times. She tried again. “E-Even though you’re a prince?”

Felix chuckled. It didn’t sound like his normal one. This one almost sounded sad or… bitter. “Oh, I’m sure they’ll tell me to my face that they believe me and won’t think about it anymore. That’s what always happens. That doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll do it, though.” He looked away from her, his smile turning slightly cold. “Especially since we don’t know who spread the rumor in the first place.”

“I-I’m sorry.” While Monica wasn’t responsible for spreading the rumor, she blamed herself. She… was causing him trouble. Again. She looked down at her lap, clenching her dress and squeezing her eyes shut. Why did she keep doing this? She hated bothering him. It was the last thing she wanted.

A soft touch to her hand caused her to jump. She tentatively opened her eyes, blinking at seeing a hand resting on top of hers. Felix reached out with his free hand, gently grabbing her chin and forcing her to look at him, Monica gasping at those serious blue eyes.

“This is not your fault.” His voice was soft but firm. “I can only blame myself for getting us into this situation in the first place.” He gently squeezed her hand before letting go, Monica unsure whether she felt relieved or disappointed. “I apologize for involving you, Monica. Things will be uncomfortable for you for quite a while.”

She slowly shook her head. Something about this… didn’t feel right. She didn’t like seeing him like this. Regardless of what he’d done, he shouldn’t have to apologize for something that wasn’t his fault. She tried in her clumsy way to reassure him. “That’s… I-It’s not Your Highness’ fault. W-Whoever spread the rumor is at fault.” She spoke with all the confidence she could muster.

Felix stared at her with an unrecognizable look. “I’m the one who held your hand in front of everyone,” he pointed out. “You have every right to blame me.”

“N-No, I won’t.” Monica shook her head again. “This… isn’t Your Highness’ fault. I won’t blame you, so… please don’t blame yourself.”

Looking back, she found while she had been scared and uncomfortable at everyone seeing them hold hands, she hadn’t harbored any negative feelings toward Felix or blamed him for what happened.

Felix stared at her for a few moments before smiling a gentle smile. “I see. I guess I’m the only one who feels this way.” While she didn’t know exactly what he meant by that, she decided not to ask and decided to forget about it. He reached out, gently holding her left hand. “While I apologize for doing it in front of everyone, I won’t apologize for what I did.” He smiled his slightly mischievous smile. Was this Ike? He stroked her left hand, concern flashing in his eyes. “Does this hurt?”

She stared at him with wide eyes. He had been touching her and doing things like this more frequently recently, and she didn’t know why. Was this because he cared about her? She remembered what happened at the festival and how he had called her a friend. Her chest felt warm, and she felt that soft fluttery feeling.

“Still… I feel bad about what happened.” His eyes darkened with regret before softening in the next moment. “If something happens, I want you to rely on me.”

She nodded before belatedly realizing what was going on and gasped, pulling away from him. Felix allowed her to pull away, but in the next moment, he reached out, holding her right hand, causing her heart to skip a beat. “Y-You don’t need to… I-I can put up with it.”

Felix shook his head, reaching out with his free hand and stroking her cheek, causing her to tense. “You shouldn’t have to,” he replied. “It’s not your fault, and you get enough attention as it is being the small girl that you are.”

He was… looking out for her.

… Hang on.

“D-Don’t call me a small animal,” she protested.

“I won’t, Monica.” He gently squeezed her hand. “Allow me to do this?” He phrased it like a request, yet she had a feeling he wouldn’t take no for an answer.

Her hand felt warm. Way too warm. No, it felt hot. Ever since the festival, he had taken to holding her hand whenever they were alone, and she couldn’t decide if she liked it or not. Whenever it happened, she felt warm all over, as if she was wearing a fur coat. Her hand always felt hot and sweaty whenever it happened. She would always worry Felix would be bothered or disgusted by her sweaty hand, yet he never let go or seemed to mind.

“B-But…”

Felix chuckled, his eyes soft. “I believe I’ve already said this before, but may I say it again?” His blue eyes gleamed like jewels in the light streaming in through the window, causing Monica to stare. She had, of course, known he was good-looking. He had the golden ratio after all. She had never bothered to examine why he was good-looking or why the other female students admired his looks, though. Until now. “I want you to seek help from me.”

She, of course, remembered what he meant by that. He had offered to help her after hearing how Roberto Vinkel kept following her around and playing chess with her, but she had refused, not wanting to bother him. Unlike last time, she found it hard to speak. Her mouth opened and closed but nothing came out. She tried again. “But…” It was weak, and she knew it.

Felix didn’t say anything at first, giving her an unrecognizable look. His eyes darkened several moments later with… something. Not anger or anything cold. Regret? No, that wasn’t it. Maybe… sadness? “Allow me to do this?” he murmured. “I know you don’t want my help.” Monica immediately felt like protesting. No, that wasn’t it at all. It wasn’t that she didn’t want his help. She just… didn’t want to bother him. He had enough on his plate already. “But I want to help you, even if it’s something small.”

Monica… didn’t like seeing him like this. She wanted him to be happy, and he wasn’t. What was she supposed to do? This… wasn’t Ike. This was Felix. No matter how hard she tried, though, she found she couldn’t separate the two of them. Felix might not think of her as a friend like Ike did, but she found it didn’t matter. She still thought of them as her friend. She had for a long time now.

He chuckled again, although this time, it almost sounded sad or… bitter. Just like earlier. Monica’s heart clenched for some reason. “It’s too much isn’t it?” he said almost to himself. “You won’t even let me help with that transfer student Roberto Vinkel.” At the mention of Roberto’s name, he slightly narrowed his eyes, his smile turning slightly cold. She didn’t like that smile at all and not just because it sent a chill down her spine.

She didn’t know what was wrong with her. Normally, she would’ve pulled away from him by now. Why was she allowing him to touch her this long? She was still scared of him after all. She cleared her throat, looking down at their joined hands. “No, that’s not…” She glanced at her necklace before looking up at him, her heart clenching at those dark blue eyes. “I just…” She clenched her dress with her free hand. “I just don’t want to bother you.” The words came out in a rush, and she wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t understand.

He shook his head, letting go of her cheek and stroking the peridot, his eyes soft and almost tender. “You’d never be a bother,” he murmured. “Let me help you?” His voice was soft and almost pleading.

… She shouldn’t. She really shouldn’t accept his offer. She didn’t want to bother him at all. She was used to all the negative attention. She could put up with it.

All her excuses died down at seeing those soft eyes. She… wanted him to be happy. “A-Alright.” She didn’t know if it was out of guilt or out of that strange urge to make him happy. She didn’t know why he wanted to help her so badly, but she found she… couldn’t refuse him. She didn’t want to see those dark blue eyes again. Knowing that she was the one who made him sad… That was the worst. “T-Thank you very much for the help.” She briefly bowed her head.

Felix studied her for a few moments before laughing, causing her to stare. He laughed like this when he was Ike. Was this Ike? He laughed again, his eyes a bright blue, and somehow, they gleamed even brighter and looked prettier than before. “You’re always surprising me.” Gratitude and… joy shone in his eyes, causing her to feel that soft fluttery feeling. It felt good. “Thank you for relying on me.”

Maybe… this was a bad idea. She was only bothering him. She was making a mistake.

He leaned down, kissing the peridot, causing her to flush. “I promise I won’t let you down.” He smiled a soft smile, the one she recognized as one he only gave to her. The one she always wanted to see.

She… was making a mistake, wasn’t she?

Somehow, she didn’t think so. Not when Felix looked at her like this. Not when Felix seemed to genuinely care about her.

Not when she didn’t feel any regret about this decision.

ZZZ

The next day, Monica walked to the Student Council Room with her head down, avoiding everyone’s eyes. While Felix had been worried about everyone’s reactions to the rumor and worried about someone hurting her, all the girls preferred to keep their distance, whisper about her, and give her scornful and envious looks. In other words, everything was the same.

She still didn’t understand why everyone seemed to believe the rumor. Did they really believe Felix would choose a girl like her? Believing in the rumor just because they held hands in front of everyone... Even if the other person was Felix, wasn’t that a bit much? Then again, the girls here at this academy loved gossiping and talking about the latest rumors. Not that she’d ever understand the appeal.

Someone tripped her, causing her to fall over and hit the floor with a silly-sounding yelp. People, mainly girls, giggled around her and whispered about what happened.

She sat up, rubbing her forehead and flinched at meeting a girl’s scornful gaze. The girl’s friends, who stood behind her, giggled and exchanged looks. One of the girls looked familiar for some reason, and said girl almost looked… uncomfortable. While she had giggled with the rest of her friends, Monica had a feeling she only giggled because that was what her friends wanted her to do and not because she wanted to.

She had seen plenty of those people here at Serendia Academy and even back at Minerva’s.

“Don’t think so highly of yourself just because you managed to get His Highness’ attention.” Monica couldn’t see her mouth as the girl hid it behind her fan, but she had a feeling the girl sneered at her. Ah, she thought. This was clearly another villainous noblewoman. “I don’t know what you did to seduce him, but you should feel ashamed of yourself.”

Monica stared at her blankly, not understanding. The girl in front of her wasn’t making any sense, although Monica knew one thing. The girl clearly believed the rumor about their engagement.

“Do you understand?” The girl pointed at her with her fan. “You’re the one at fault here, so you should do something about it.”

Monica was still confused. What exactly did the girl want her to do? It was just a rumor. Still… She was clearly upsetting and bothering the girl, so maybe she should apologize?

Apparently, she had taken too long to think as anger flashed in the girl’s eyes. “Why you… Stop ignoring me and say something!” The girl struck Monica’s cheek with her fan, a loud slap echoing throughout the hallway, causing her to wince. Monica tentatively touched her cheek, staring up at her with wide eyes.

This… had never happened before. Maybe Felix had been right to get worried.

Thinking of Felix made her feel torn. He’d wanted her to rely on him and to come to him if something happened, and she didn’t like the thought of making him sad again. At the same time, though, nothing had happened yet that she couldn’t deal with, and while she had promised to rely on him and thanked him for his help, she certainly didn’t want to bother him.

What exactly did Felix think he could do? If he got involved, things might get worse. It might make everyone believe the rumors even more.

One of the girl’s friends huffed, roughly grabbing Monica’s wrist and pulling her up from the floor. “Quit ignoring us and say something already!”

What did they want her to say? An apology? Maybe they wanted an explanation? Not that Monica could explain even if she wanted to.

“I see what the problem is.” The girl scrutinized her behind her fan. “Of course. Why didn’t I realize it sooner? You’re just a commoner after all.” Monica had a bad feeling about this. “Someone needs to teach you how to not shame His Highness, and it might as well be me. Come along now.”

This girl clearly thought highly of herself, and while she was probably related to a noble, Monica didn’t know who she was. To be fair, she resembled a lot of the noblewomen at this academy with one exception. This girl had short hair. Not many noblewomen had short hair.

The girl turned her back on her, and any hope Monica had at them leaving her alone quickly disappeared at noticing how the girl’s friend still held on to her wrist.

… No, they couldn’t do this. She… couldn’t let them. Not now. Felix popped into her head. She couldn’t bother him. Not again.

Monica struggled in the girl’s grip, trying to break free. She needed an excuse. Quick. “I-I’m sorry, but I-I can’t. I-I’ve got a Student Council Meeting—”

“Don’t worry.” The girl turned back to her with a fake reassuring smile on her face. “It won’t take long. We wouldn’t want His Highness to worry about his fiancée, now would we?”

Her friends nodded, the girl holding on to Monica’s wrist tightening her grip, causing her to wince.

No, no, no! Scary, scary, scary! What are they saying? I’m not his fiancée! It’s just a rumor!

Monica struggled one more time, starting to panic. “N-No, I… Um, I’m sorry, but I—”

The girl’s friend tightened her grip on her wrist, causing her to yelp. “Don’t say that. All we want to do is talk. We promise we won’t take long.” She narrowed her eyes, the anger and coldness in her eyes causing Monica to tremble like a small animal. “Surely, you won’t refuse. Not after we’re doing you a favor.”

Monica quickly thought of all the spells she knew but found she couldn’t use any of them. Even a simple wind spell would out her as a magician, and that was the last thing she wanted. She reluctantly nodded and stopped struggling, although she found she couldn’t stop trembling.

This was probably one of the worst things that had happened to her while at Serendia Academy.

Lost in her panic, she didn’t even notice when they walked past Neil. Didn’t even notice his wide-eyed look.

ZZZ

Felix signed his name on the last page of the paperwork before nodding to himself. He neatly gathered the paperwork into a pile on his desk. Today, he had arrived at the Student Council Room earlier than usual, so he had decided to get his work out of the way. Thankfully, that had been the last of it.

All that was left was the Student Council Meeting. Monica popped into his head, causing him to frown.

He had, of course, denied the rumor of his engagement to Monica, and it went as expected. The students he spoke to told him they believed him, yet he’d gotten the feeling they believed differently. While none of the girls had directly insulted Monica, they clearly didn’t approve of her. Not that any of them had said as much to him, of course. He wasn’t stupid, though. He was aware of their feelings for him and aware of their feelings for Monica.

He had promised to help Monica out, but outside of denying the rumor and confronting those who insulted Monica, he didn’t know what else he could do. All everyone seemed to be doing was whisper and insult her behind her back, and that wasn’t any different from normal.

He got up from his desk, frustration flashing in his eyes.

Still… There had to be something he could do to help. He didn’t like the thought of leaving Monica to fend for herself, especially when what happened wasn’t her fault. He wanted to protect her. So badly. If he did, though, that might make things worse.

Who thought it was a great idea to spread this rumor anyway? He had asked Cyril and Elliott to investigate, but they hadn’t found anything so far. The strangest part was that no one seemed to remember where the rumor came from. It was like everyone conveniently forgot who had mentioned it to them.

Really, this was such a problem. Things would get even worse if Duke Crockford somehow managed to hear about it. No, that was the one thing he wanted to prevent at all costs. After what happened at the New Year Ceremony, he didn’t want Duke Crockford anywhere near Monica, even if Duke Crockford had spoken to the Silent Witch, Monica Everett, and not Monica Norton.

Maybe it was time to—

The door slammed open.

“President!” Neil ran into the room, worry and panic in his eyes. He stopped before his desk, bending over and panting for breath. “P-President! Y-You’ve got to… help!”

Something had to have happened for Neil to look like this. He didn’t know why he felt a pang of worry in his stomach.

Felix made his way around his desk and stood before him, smiling a gentle smile and placing a hand on his shoulder. “Calm down and breathe. You can tell me what happened when you get your breath back.”

Neil nodded a few times before taking a deep breath. “President, you’ve got to help!” he repeated, almost pleading with him. “It’s Lady Norton!” Felix’s heart skipped a beat. “Some girls ambushed her and took her away to a deserted classroom! I couldn’t hear everything they were saying, but it sounds like they believe the rumor!”

… Of course. Of course that pang of worry had to do with Monica. He should’ve known. He had been worried something like this might happen.

Right now, he didn’t have a choice. He had to help her. If he was being honest, he wanted to be the one who helped her.

Felix gave him a serious look, his normal calm or gentle smile nowhere on his face. “Lead the way,” he instructed.

ZZZ

Monica was used to being bullied. At Minerva’s, kids had stolen her stuff, insulted her, and even hurt her on some occasions. She had honestly thought Serendia would be similar, yet nothing had happened to her in the time she had been there. It was surprising. Was it because the students here had a noble upbringing? Somehow, she didn’t think that was it, as Minerva’s had kids who had a noble upbringing, too, yet that didn’t stop them from bullying her.

Whatever it was, this was probably the first time someone had bullied her at Serendia.

They took her to the empty dance room, and the girl, who Monica guessed was the leader of the group, had immediately started lecturing her on her manners and something about a noble upbringing, causing Monica to stare. This didn’t resemble any of her previous encounters with bullies. Was this how they bullied people at Serendia?

The girl, who had gotten angry with Monica and struck her with her fan when she didn’t reply earlier, didn’t seem to realize or care that Monica wasn’t replying, as she continued talking. “As I was saying before… You need to fix your attitude. A commoner like yourself will only shame His Highness.”

Maybe if she stayed quiet and nodded, they’d let her leave soon? She didn’t know what time it was and couldn’t help but worry. The Student Council Meeting had probably already started, and everyone was probably wondering where she was. Felix popped into her head, causing her to briefly close her eyes in regret.

She was bothering him. Again. It really wasn’t the time, but she found herself thinking about him.

So many questions and mysteries surrounded him. Even the Starseer Witch hadn’t been able to see his star. How was that even possible? The Starseer Witch had always been able to see people’s stars and read their future. She had even done it for Monica a few times. She paled, belatedly remembering her last visit and how she had ended up in bed with Felix.

What was it about Felix that made him so special? Made him so special to her?

Even now, she had all these thoughts and fears about him, and she still didn’t know what was going through his head. What exactly was he thinking? Why did she desperately want to know? Why did she want to get even closer to him?

“Alright, I’ve talked enough.” The girl sniffed haughtily. “Now I want you to prove it.”

Monica stared at her blankly. Prove what? She hadn’t been listening.

“Go on.” The girl pointed to a spot behind her. “Walk over to that spot and prove it.”

Again, Monica didn’t know what she was supposed to be proving to her. Regardless, she turned around and made her way over to the spot before turning to face her. The girl gestured for her to come toward her, so Monica walked back over to her, feeling a little foolish.

Someone tripped her, causing her to fall over and hit the floor with a silly-sounding yelp. She slowly sat up, rubbing her forehead and flinched when she met the girl’s scornful gaze.

“You can’t even walk properly? Did you forget your ballroom dance lessons?”

… What did ballroom dancing have to do with walking?

Noticing her blank expression, the girl scoffed. “Of course you did. You’re a commoner after all.” She glanced at one of her friends. “Sarah, get her off the floor. His Highness’ fiancée shouldn’t be on the floor like this.”

The girl called Sarah stepped forward and helped Monica off the floor, her ashamed eyes not looking at her or her friends, and Monica suddenly realized why she looked familiar. She was one of her classmates. She had committed Sarah’s face, or rather, her numbers to memory after noticing her and her friends liked to linger around Felix.

The girl closed her fan, allowing Monica to see her sneer. “Let me show you how it’s done.” She turned and started walking, and Monica immediately realized why the girl had mentioned ballroom dancing. The girl walked with a straight and confident back. She took a few more steps before turning around and walking back to her. “Now do you understand?”

Things continued like that for a while, the girl teaching her posture and behavior that wouldn’t shame Felix and her friends tripping her and insulting her when she didn’t do it well the first time. All things considered, this wasn’t too bad. Monica had been expecting a lot worse.

Of course, as soon as she thought that, the girl took out a pair of scissors out of nowhere, causing Monica to stare. More than likely, the girl had the scissors in her pocket, something that confused her even more. Who in the world walked around with a pair of scissors in their pocket?

“Now that we’ve gone through posture and behavior, I believe we should do something about your look.” The girl eyed Monica’s hair. Monica had a bad feeling about this. “Starting with your hair.”

Monica jumped backward, tripping over her own foot, causing her to flail before falling to the floor on her bottom. The girl’s friends laughed mean laughs, although Sarah looked uncomfortable doing it. Tears formed in Monica’s eyes, and she backed away. “N-No, please… I’m so… I’m so…” Her eyes darted everywhere, but she didn’t see any friendly faces no matter where she looked.

The girl sighed, looking exasperated. “It’s just a haircut. You don’t need to look so scared.” She placed her hands on her hips, giving her a harsh, stern look. “How are you going to survive in the court like this? You’re his fiancée.”

Court? Things were getting out of hand. Monica regretted not trying to speak up earlier.

“T-That’s not…” Monica backed away even further, her body trembling. “H-He’s… I’m so…” She looked around desperately, trying to find a friendly face. Trying to find something that could help. She finally spotted an open window. While she couldn’t use it to escape, it gave her an idea. She quickly cast a wind spell without chanting. A strong gust of wind ruffled everyone’s hair and their dresses, causing the girls to shriek and hold down their dresses.

I have… to go. Now.

She got to her feet and made her way to the door… or at least, she tried to. She wasn’t very coordinated; just like when she tripped over her own foot, she tripped over nothing and fell over.

“I understand what’s going on.”

She froze at the voice, slowly looking up.

The girl smiled a fake comforting smile, the sight of it sending chills down Monica’s spine. “You’re worried about the Student Council Meeting, right? About His Highness.” That was the last thing on Monica’s mind right now, but she nodded desperately. She’d do anything if it meant she was allowed to leave. “Don’t worry.” She stepped closer, causing Monica to back away still on the floor. “I promise I won’t take any more of your time. Now about that haircut…” She held up the scissors almost threateningly, and Monica cowered in terror.

When the girl’s friends approached her, no doubt trying to pull her to her feet and hold her still, Monica shrieked and backed away from them, doing her best to scoot backward as fast as possible. In her panic, she’d completely forgotten where the exit was. All she wanted was to avoid them. It’d be over once they caught her.

Monica bumped into the wall behind her, her tears starting to fall. She paled, her eyes darting everywhere. Her mouth opened and closed several times. She tried once more to speak. “P-Please, I’m not… I’m so… He’s not m-my…” She didn’t know whether she was trying to beg for forgiveness or trying to explain about the rumor.

The girl stepped closer, and Monica had never felt as small as an ant than at that moment. The girl towered over her, brandishing the scissors. “Don’t worry,” she whispered, although to Monica, she looked like a snake hissing at her. “One little cut, and it’ll be over.” She reached out and held a strand of Monica’s hair, causing Monica to freeze.

No, no, no! I’m scared, she’s scary, this is scary!

She didn’t want to be here. All she wanted was a friendly face. She’d even be happy if Nero showed up in his human form.

The door slammed open.

“Oh? What’s going on?”

Her eyes widened at the familiar voice. It couldn’t be… She didn’t need to look up to confirm who it was. The girl in front of her as well as her friends had immediately stiffened, shooting each other frightened looks. Only one person at this academy could make them do that.

She found herself looking up anyway, somehow surprised to see Felix entering the room. She stared at him with wide eyes and her mouth agape.

How? How did he appear when she needed him most? All she wanted was a friendly face. She never thought he’d show up.

Felix looked at her and the girls, seemingly taking in what was happening. He smiled his normal gentle smile, although it also looked slightly cold. “And?” He spoke at his normal volume, yet it was enough for all the girls, including Monica, to jump. “What’s going on here?”

“Y-Your Highness, it’s not what you think!” The girl holding Monica’s hair protested. She paled, belatedly realizing what she was doing and quickly let go of Monica’s hair, dropping the pair of scissors, the scissors landing near Monica’s feet. “W-We were just doing this girl a favor!”

“T-That’s right, Your Highness!” one of her friends agreed, trembling when Felix turned his attention to her. “We didn’t want her to shame you!”

Felix nodded, as if that made perfect sense. “I see.” He walked in their direction, causing them to flinch. He didn’t stop at any of the girls, though. He kept walking until he reached the other end of the room. The girl, who had been towering over Monica earlier, quickly jumped away from her, cowering in terror. He ignored her, kicking away the pair of scissors and kneeling before Monica, gently wiping away her tears before holding out a hand, his eyes soft and concerned. “Are you alright?” he murmured, as if he didn’t want the girls to hear him.

“Ik… Y-Your Highness,” Monica quickly corrected, causing amusement to flash in his eyes. She found herself reaching out and holding his hand, allowing him to help her up. She quickly looked away from him, embarrassed.

Why? Why did she almost call him Ike? He wasn’t Ike right now. She should know that, and yet, she couldn’t help but remember the last time he showed up like this. Back then, he had been Ike. Maybe that was why?

Felix gently squeezed her hand, causing her to tentatively look at him. He smiled a soft smile, his eyes soft, and Monica found she couldn’t look away from him. They walked to the door hand in hand before Felix turned around to face the girls, his eyes darkening.

The girls flinched and backed away from him.

The leader girl quickly held up her hands in surrender. “I-I promise, Your Highness. We didn’t mean to scare her. All we wanted was to help her.”

“Help her?” Felix repeated.

The leader furiously nodded. “We didn’t want her to shame you. She’s important to you, isn’t she?”

Monica looked down at her feet. She felt horrible. Not only had she worried him, but he also had to come looking for her. They might be friends, but she was only bothering him.

“That’s right.”

Her eyes widened. She looked at him with wide eyes. Had he just… said what she thought he just said?

Felix didn’t look at her, keeping his dark blue cold eyes on the girls in front of him. He briefly tightened his grip on Monica’s hand. His gentle smile as well as the soft smile he gave Monica had disappeared. “She’s our important treasurer.” … Oh, that was what he meant. Monica felt silly for overreacting. “Who are you to tell her what to do?” Even his voice sounded cold, and Monica shivered next to him.

“No, we just… That’s not… We weren’t trying to…” the girl spluttered.

Felix hummed. “Denying it, are we?” The girl immediately shut up, her whole body stiffening. “I won’t pass down any judgment right now.” He didn’t say it out loud, but everyone knew what he implied: Monica was more important right now. Her chest felt warm, and she felt that soft fluttery feeling. His eyes somehow grew even colder. “You can expect to be summoned to the Student Council Room tomorrow afternoon.”

With that, he left the room with Monica in tow, not looking behind him. Neither he nor Monica saw the way the girls fell to their bottoms, staring after him in terror, their bodies trembling.

ZZZ

Felix explained how Neil had seen what happened and reported it to him. He also told her how he’d already finished his work for the day and had already cancelled the meeting.

While she felt grateful she hadn’t interrupted his work, she still felt guilty. This was all her fault. He had cancelled another meeting because of her. She was only bothering him.

They walked inside the empty Student Council Room, and she was once again reminded of how Felix had cancelled the meeting. For her sake. She swallowed harshly, a painful lump in her throat.

She froze in the middle of the room, unable to take another step. Her mouth opened and closed a few times. She desperately tried again. “I-I’m sorry…” He stopped, turning to face her with a confused look. Her lips trembled. “I-I’m sorry… for everything. I-I’m so…” Tears formed in her eyes, and unlike last time, they weren’t out of fear. No, this time, it was out of guilt.

She didn’t think she could apologize enough to him. No, even if she tried, it wouldn’t be enough. Not after everything he’d done for her. Not after how she had caused him trouble. Again.

Felix gently wiped away her tears with his free hand. “It’s not your fault, Monica.” His voice was soft but firm.

“B-But…”

He shook his head. “It’s not your fault,” he repeated. “Like you said yesterday, whoever spread that rumor is at fault.” His eyes darkened with coldness. “And of course, those girls are at fault.”

She stared at him with wide eyes. She remembered how… cold he’d looked. Was all that really necessary? She didn’t know what to think. Did he do all this because he cared about her?

His eyes softened. “Do you understand? You’re more important to me.” He stroked her injured cheek, giving her that soft, almost tender look. “Are you alright?”

She didn’t know what it was exactly. Maybe it was the relief? Maybe it was seeing him be his kind self toward her? Maybe it was because she knew he cared about her? Whatever the reason was, she found herself crying again. She didn’t even try to quiet herself or stop. She let out a loud, pathetic sob that echoed in the large room.

Felix didn’t hesitate. He pulled her into an embrace, causing her to let out a muffled “bwah” sound. He didn’t shush her or scold her. No, he didn’t say anything, keeping his arms around her. Something about that comforted Monica. He had never hugged her before. It felt… nice. Warm and safe. It reminded her of one of her father’s hugs. She let out a muffled sob.

It was strange. She had been bullied numerous times up until this point, and yet, what just happened had been one of the scariest she’d been through. It meant a lot to her that Felix not only had shown up, but that he was also still there with her, comforting her.

She never had this at Minerva’s. Bernie had defended her from the bullies, but he had never comforted her. No, instead, he had always tried to cheer her up in his own way.

What was it about Felix? What was it about him that drew her to him? That made her want to get closer to him yet also want to stay from him at the same time? She had never felt this way about anyone before.

He… was her friend. He was special to her. She didn’t know how to describe these feelings she had for him.

She remembered what happened at the festival and how she had felt safe with him. She felt safe with him even now. When did she start feeling that way about him?

Maybe… Maybe she could think about that later. All she wanted right now was to bask in Felix’s warmth and kindness for as long as possible.

She didn’t know how long she cried. She cried until she couldn’t cry anymore.

Felix pulled away enough to look her in the eyes, his eyes soft. He reached out, gently wiping away her tears. “It’s alright,” he murmured. “I’m here with you. I won’t leave you.”

Her lips wobbled at the familiar words. He’d told them to her at the festival. Was this Ike? Tears formed in her eyes again. “Your Highness…” She remembered how she had almost called him Ike earlier and didn’t want to make that mistake again.

“It’s Ike,” he gently corrected, wiping away her tears. “When we’re alone, call me Ike.” She had already been doing that for a while now, and he had never scolded her or corrected her. Still, it was… nice to finally get his permission. To finally hear him mention it himself. Something about it coming from him made it even more special.

She sniffled, wiping away her snot. “I’m sorry, Ike.” She didn’t know what she was apologizing for. For what just happened? For crying all over him? For causing trouble? Maybe everything?

“You don’t need to apologize,” he murmured, stroking her injured cheek again. “None of this is your fault.” His eyes darkened with sadness and anger. “In fact, I probably made things worse. I'm sorry.”

She stared at him with wide eyes.

He… He was blaming himself? Again? She… couldn’t let this continue. Not after he’d shown up and helped her. Not after he was still with her, comforting her.

She immediately shook her head. “This… W-What just happened wasn’t your fault.” When he looked away from her, she found herself reaching out and holding his hand, causing him to look back at her, surprised and maybe in awe. She didn’t know why she’d done that, but the important thing was that he was looking at her again. “I’m very grateful you showed up when you did, so p-please don’t blame yourself. Don’t put yourself down.” She spoke with all the confidence she could muster.

Felix… had a point, of course. Saving her like this and holding her hand in front of everyone again would probably only make things worse. The people who hadn’t believed the rumor before might start believing in it, and the ones who had believed in it probably wouldn’t forget what happened anytime soon.

Even so… She didn’t want him to look like this. Didn’t want him to blame himself. He’d wanted her to rely on him, to seek help from him. That… had meant a lot to her, and just like how he’d promised to give her strength during the festival, he was… still here, comforting her and being her strength. While a part of her couldn’t stop the guilt that she was once again bothering him, she mainly felt relief and happiness.

She stared into his surprised eyes, hoping he listened to her.

Please… don’t blame yourself. You’re special to me. I… don’t want to see you like this.

Felix stared at her with an unrecognizable look for several moments before looking at their joined hands. He turned his hand so that he held her hand, too, and pulled her close, causing her to let out another muffled “bwah” sound. “Thank you, Monica,” he whispered into her ear before chuckling, the sound causing Monica to shiver for some reason. “I can never win against you, can I?” He pulled away enough to look at her, smiling that soft smile she always wanted to see. “Not that I’m complaining.”

She didn’t know what he was talking about and decided to forget about it. She had a feeling even if she asked, the answer would just confuse her.

“I’ve asked Cyril and Elliott to investigate the rumor, but they haven’t found any leads yet.” He stood tall and straight, and it made her think of Felix. Was this Felix? No, wait. He gave her permission to call him Ike. This must be Ike. He smiled a wry smile. “Unfortunately, this means we’ll have to live with the rumor until it dies down.”

She knew what he was trying to say. It was strange. If this had happened a long time ago, she would’ve paled and hated the idea of it. Might’ve even started panicking or fainted. Not this time.

She glanced down at her necklace before looking at him. She remembered how he’d promised to give her all the strength she needs. She took a deep breath, standing up straight. “S-So that means we’re stuck together.”

Felix gave her a soft look, one she didn’t think she’d seen before. Pride? No, that couldn’t be it. “For right now,” he reassured. “I promise I’ll do something about it.” He smiled another wry smile, something flashing in his eyes. “I’m sure you’d rather be with someone else, so I apologize.”

Someone else? What was he talking about? He talked as if… he hadn’t helped her and comforted her. As if he hadn’t proven to her multiple times already that he genuinely cared about her. Was he saying that because he’s the second prince? Because of what happened earlier?

“No.”

He blinked, confused. “No?”

Monica reached up, holding on to her necklace, drawing strength from it and keeping her eyes on him. “No, I… If I could choose anyone to be stuck with, I’d choose you, Ike.”

Even if he was the second prince. Even if what happened earlier might happen again. Monica found she didn’t care. She’d put up with it like she always had. It was just…

She didn’t want him thinking she’d rather be stuck with someone else. Sure, she’d rather this had never happened at all and didn’t want all the extra attention. They couldn’t do anything about it now, though. While she wasn’t exactly happy about the rumor, she wasn’t exactly unhappy about it either, which was strange.

Why? Why did she care so much about what he thought? Why, when the thought of getting stuck with someone popped into her head, did she immediately think of Ike?

Because he was her friend? Because he was special to her?

Felix stared at her with an unrecognizable look before laughing. Unlike his normal laugh, this one almost sounded… incredulous. He laughed again, something flashing in his eyes. “Right, of course. I understand now.” What? What was he talking about? He gently squeezed her hand, causing her to jump, as she’d forgotten they were still holding hands. “Me too. If I could choose anyone to be stuck with, I’d choose you, Monica.” His eyes softened. “Every time.”

Before, she might’ve paled and pulled away from him. She might’ve tried to come up with some kind of excuse or even deny it somehow. She… couldn’t deny it. No, she found she didn’t want to, especially not after saying what she just said about being stuck with him. Even now, she wasn’t sure why she wasn’t pulling away from him.

She didn’t know the right way to respond. Should she thank him? Maybe she should apologize again? No, apologizing didn’t sound right for some reason. She needed to respond with… something. Anything.

An idea came to her, and she opened her mouth without thinking. “I’m in your care.” She briefly bowed her head.

Felix stared at her, and if she didn’t know any better, he almost looked… bewildered. Before she could start panicking and take back her words, though, he brought his free hand up to his forehead and shook his head, chuckling. “You’d think I learned to stop underestimating you by now,” he murmured. He smiled his soft smile at her confused look, his eyes soft. “Even if you don’t realize what you just said or meant it in a different way, it makes me happy. Thank you.” He reached out and brought the necklace closer to him before leaning down and kissing the peridot, causing her to flush. “I promise I’ll take care of you.” His smile turned slightly mischievous. “I suppose I should return the favor, huh? I’m in your care, Monica.”

What… was going on? She had a feeling she had just misspoke. The problem? It had… sounded right. Wasn’t it only fair to say that since they were technically stuck with each other because of the rumor?

It was just a rumor.

It’d die down soon, and they’d return to their normal relationship. Whatever that was.

Then why?

Why did the thought of this… whatever it was disappearing make her disappointed? Why did it bring a sinking feeling to her stomach?

She didn’t know the answer, and she had a feeling she’d find out sooner rather than later.

Before, she might’ve felt scared of the answer. No, she still felt scared of the answer. She feared him, yet she also wanted to get closer to him. Wanted him to get closer to her. Before, she might’ve closed her eyes and told herself she didn’t want to know the answer. Now?

She wanted to know the answer. Desperately. Even if it changed things.