Royal Knights Academy – Cafeteria

It was still the weekend, and tomorrow classes would start again. But even so, the cafeteria was still jam-packed with students in their more casual outfits. 

Both of us were present in the cafeteria at the moment. Feyt was waiting in line to get food, and boy, was it a long line. Meanwhile, I was eating with Eveliana, Clarissa, and Lionne as Carine. Villius and Kyro were apparently busy exploring the capital together. Good for them. This time, we got a seat at the first floor since Lionne and her cronies managed to book it early for us.

The food was really good here, so I could see why many students would prefer eating here rather than heading out. One caveat was that the food wasn’t free on the weekends, and the prices weren’t really the type you can negotiate with.

Thank god Mother and Father gave the both of me allowances.

The line was still quite long. Meanwhile, the chatter at Carine’s table was going at a comfortable pace. 

“So, how did Villius do during his aptitude test?” Eveliana asked over a cup of tea.

“H-He… did pretty great,” Clarissa answered. “The instructor was yelling at everyone except for a few, including him.”

Oh, he must have done pretty well then. 

“Then how did you do, Clarissa? I assume you didn’t get yelled at as well?”

“W-Well… I did my best…”

Yeah, not all of us could be winners, huh? Don’t worry, I feel you—

“Oh, I heard about you, Lady Clarissa!” Lionne beamed. “My friends said you were the fastest at climbing! The instructor even praised you for it.”

“W-Wait… where did you hear that??”

So… she did well, too?

Now I feel left out…

As the conversation continued idly, a shadow fell across my plate. I glanced up to see another student, a girl of the same age as us, standing there with a proud smile on her face. She wore a dress that practically screamed ‘I have money!’ with how shimmering the fabric was. 

“Lady Carine! What a pleasant surprise to see you! I was hoping I might join—”

She never got to finish her sentence.

In one fluid motion, Lionne was on her feet. She didn’t step in aggressively, but like a wall that just slid in. She stood between the girl and the rest of us. She clasped her hands together and tilted her head.

“I’m terribly sorry~!” Lionne said, her voice as sweet as sugar. “But this table is quite full at the moment!”

The sentence was delivered like a punch as the girl seemingly halted in her momentum. Her eyes darted from Lionne to the empty seat right beside Clarissa. But even with the fact that there was an empty seat right in front of her, she offered a silent, reluctant nod along with a quick apology before leaving the premises.

Lionne sat back down as if she’d merely gotten up to stretch. The other two girls seemed to pay what Lionne did any mind, almost as if it was also natural to them.

So this is what it’s like being in a clique…

This past week, every time I wanted to go somewhere or do something, Lionne would always be the first to move.

Whenever I wanted to go eat at the cafeteria:

“Let me reserve the table for you, my lady!”

When I was looking to window shop at the pop-up market:

“Perhaps I can scout ahead and see if there’s anything interesting?”

Even when we passed by each other on the way to our class:

“Let me clear the path for you!”

Of course, the way she did the last one was by announcing my name and my intention of passing by the hall. What was more surprising was that it… worked? Though people would usually make way when they saw me, this was the first time I had seen a hallway so clear before I even showed up. 

Of course, she only ever did it once, but that was a 100% success rate right there.

She really was going above and beyond for me… but why?

At first, I thought she was just a regular old friendly classmate trying to make friends, but after seeing all the trouble she went through? All the gatekeeping from strangers?

I was starting to think there were some ulterior motives.

Then, as I was waiting in line as Feyt, a certain conversation amidst a sea of them caught my attention.

“Did you just see that girl turn away lady Ringe? How tactless do you have to be to do that with a smile?”

“It’s expected, really,” another voice replied. “Haven’t you seen the kind of company Lady Carine keeps around?”

In an instant, my focus shifted from the food to that murmuring table near the stairs.

“That girl sitting right across from her? That is Clarissa Sayisied, her father owns one of the biggest restaurant chains in Setus. I’m sure you’ve heard of Sayers’ Dines?”

“W-Wait, really?! That Sayiseid?!”

Clarissa’s family is that huge of a deal?!

I always thought she was just a timid girl doing her best. But just from this day alone, I realized I need a deep reunderstanding of her.

And that girl who shooed away Lady Ringe? That’s the heir to the Astreid family, Lionne Astreid. Her family has trade contracts with almost everyone in the West, and I hear they’re trying to expand to the capital and to the north, too! ”

A trade family… So my suspicion was correct.

I had suspected that Lionne’s helpful demeanor had to do with currying favors. Whether or not that was true, though, was another matter entirely. It wouldn’t be fair of me to label Lionne as an opportunist just from a stray gossip. I, out of anyone, should know how dangerous gossip can be.

The conversation didn’t end there, however.

“S-Seriously? Then… who’s the other one? The blonde girl sitting next to Lady Carine?”

Ah. My curiosity senses are tingling. 

I imperceptibly tilted my head closer to better aim my ear.

There was a long, uncomfortable pause before their conversation continued.

“I… honestly don’t know. House Limineid… I never heard of her family name before. Must be a backwater barony or something.”

Damn, Eve… they’re really not doing you any justice.

From what I learned in passing through skimming books, House Limineid was admittedly a small-scale barony. They had no notable achievements, no scandals, just a normal barony by the outskirts of Setus. But to label Eveliana just by that alone seemed inadequate.

Of course, there was no reason to defend her name. Their conversation was held in private, as long as normal ears are concerned, and Eveliana was none the wiser, calmly sitting beside me…

…Or was she?

I felt a tiny spark of chill. I glanced to the side.

Eveliana had stopped touching her food, her hands clasped together as she leaned forward. A soft smile still graced her lips, but it was frozen… almost menacing. And her gaze… it was fixed on a specific table by the stairs.

In an instant, the murmurs of that table were silenced.

Don’t tell me… she can hear them, too?

No one else at our table seemed to notice the silent threat that just passed by. Lionne was talking about gossip with Clarissa, who nodded along in earnest, barely able to keep up.

I looked down at my plate, the food already cleaned out. Leila, who had stood behind me in complete silence up until now, reached forward to hand me a napkin, which I accepted graciously.

I had finally gotten my food as Feyt, and the girls were preparing to leave the cafeteria.

All in all, today’s get-together was more of a re-education about my friends than just a hangout. 

Clarissa might not just be a timid girl…

Lionne was a heiress to a mercantile dynasty…

Couple that with the fact that Villius’s family produces Setus’s most well-known brand of instruments…

Man, my friend group has quite the assortment.

My thoughts drifted to one piece missing, though. Mirabelle should’ve been here, too.

At least then the empty seat beside Clarissa wouldn’t be so obvious.

But I did genuinely want to talk with her. About her magic. Her family. I was even thinking of elating her a little by walking around with the fan she gifted me. But, so far, I hadn’t seen her all day. 

She must’ve been busy, I assumed. Perhaps she was busy remembering chants, learning stances, or maybe her class had extra lessons for the day. It was fine, but I do wonder how she was faring at times…

—

Mage’s Dedicated Ladies Dorm – Room 101

In a dimly lit room on the first floor of the specialized dorm, a girl with twirling amber hair lay in an elegant display of disarray. She lay sprawled across her bed, still in her comfortable, soft sleepwear, covered by a nest of blankets. 

Her eyes fluttered open for a moment as her first thoughts of the day began to form.

Oh right… No class today…

The idea of getting up, tidying up her hair, walking around… all of them felt taxing. She considered, very briefly, venturing out just to find Lady Carine. But her instinct quickly overruled it.

Knowing her… she’s probably busy today too… I don’t wanna bother her, so let’s just sleep~~~

And so, with a deep nuzzle into her pillow, she slept on, blissfully unaware that her presence was sorely missed.

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