The western garden. Located not far from the trail leading to my dorm, it was a part of the garden that always felt more… sophisticated than the others.

Some say it was due to the fact that our magnificent dorms adorn its horizons, some say it was due to the sheer presence of greatness around the flowers. But in reality, whenever I pass through here, I just see several attendants of students cleaning and attending to the garden alongside the academy staff.

It made a certain kind of sense; if you have a servant with little to do and a social code that deems idleness a sin, you put them to work. The garden just happened to be the nearest canvas for work. Always in need of cleaning. Always in need of viewing.

Knowing that, the western garden felt less like an impressive phenomenon and more like a byproduct of meticulous upkeep.

As Alishia led the way, the noise of the main academy faded into a calming silence. The pavilion loomed ahead, a sprawling marble structure guarded by several servants. Their faces were so devoid of emotion I wondered if they were statues. But then I remember how stoic Leila’s face was, and realised they had nothing on her.

As we approached, the servants pivoted their heels to clear a path towards the steps.

“After you, Your Grace,” Alishia said.

I took the steps, my boots clicking against the marble with each one I took.

Inside, the air smelled of an aromatic tea along with the lingering smell of fragrant flowers from the garden around us. A circular marble table sat in the middle, adorned with a high-quality tea set, several confections, and a singular figure sitting across from where I stood.

With short but lustrous brown hair, wearing a cared-for but well-worn white academy uniform. A male student sat with a gentle smile plastered on his face. His hands were clasped together as he stared at me.

This must be the accomplice Alishia mentioned.

“Lady Carine,” he said smoothly. “I am very glad that you took up on our offer. Allow me to introduce myself.” He stood up and performed a deep, respectful bow. “I am Nicholas of House Egreid. It is an honour to make your acquaintance.”

I gave him a nod. “Likewise.” 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

He gestured to an open seat. “Please, have a seat.”

I accepted and lowered myself onto the cool marble chair.

Alishia walked into the pavilion soon after, but instead of taking a seat, she reached out for the tea set, pulling out a cup to place it before me.

She dangled the teapot over the empty cup and began pouring. The tea landed smoothly without any kind of splashing. Clearly, she trained well in tea etiquette.

Once the cup was full enough, she pulled back and retreated to a chair of her own.

“Thank you for the tea.”

I took a sip, and indeed, it was a high-quality blend.

It tasted sweet, but not too sweet that I would worry about it. It had a gentle aroma that didn’t feel sticky in my throat. And the warmth was just right as well.

I set the cup down gently without causing a sound and turned to Nicholas and Alishia.

“I trust the tea is to your liking?”

“It is,” I replied.

His smile lingered, as if waiting for something more, perhaps a further comment about the tea from me? When none came, he continued.

“We took the liberty of preparing a blend that’s not commonly found in Setus. It felt appropriate, given the company.”

I hummed faintly, neither impressed nor dismissive.

Across from me, Alishia folded her hands neatly over her lap. “I have also brought confections of various tastes. They are all of the highest quality, I can ensure.”

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I briefly eyed the choice of pastries on the table. Indeed, they all look quite tantalising. However, that could wait until the main concern was over with.

“I believe we are here to discuss the upcoming tournament,” I began. “The two of you are my seniors, correct? Could you care to share your insights and experience?”

“Of course,” he said smoothly. “And we will. But let's not forget that patience is a virtue we all must strive for. Surely, a bit of social seasoning is required before we dive into the gritty details of the tournament?”

I suppressed a sigh. It was going to be one of those meetings.

…

..

.

I stared into the depths of my teacup, watching a single leaf swirl in the amber liquid. We had been sitting here for mere minutes, and yet I felt as though I had aged a semester.

The word "tournament" had not been uttered since I first brought it up.

Instead of brackets, gear, or opponent analysis, I was currently being treated to a dual monologue on the "deplorable" state of the academy.

“The halls have been quite packed this year, hasn’t it?” Alishia added. “I believe the academy made a mistake in taking in this much… rabble. I believe they either have to expand the halls, or cut out the unnecessary, and it’s clear which option is the most efficient, am I right, Lady Carine?”

“Hmm,” I hummed as I took a sip of the tea.

“I also heard about your combat class, Lady Carine,” Nicholas continued off of Alishia’s rhythm. “I heard it’s a… hybrid class, if I heard correctly? I’m not sure what the academy was thinking when designing such a class.”

“Uh-huh,” I took a bite of a macaron. Not bad.

This back and forth had been going on for a while. Like, I actually got time to head to the cafeteria as Feyt and order some takeaway for God's sake.

Was this how these gatherings always functioned? A marathon of verbal fluff where the finish line was perpetually moved back by anecdotes after anecdotes? I wasn't sure if I should be compliant and be patient, or if I should just tell them that I am here for one thing and one thing only, information.

And so far, they’ve been spewing nonsense after nonsense!

What do you mean commoners should have their own dedicated bathrooms outside the main building? Are you insane?! I’m not running down several flights of stairs just for a bathroom break!

I took a slow, deliberate sip of tea to keep from grinding my teeth.

—

As I was trying my best to tolerate the irritating droning comments from Alishia and Nicholas, I was walking down the path as Feyt, heading back to the dorm. Food in one hand, mysterious bag in the other.

That was when a sudden loud voice echoed far behind me.

“Hey, you!” a shout came. “Stop right there!”

I blinked and turned back to see who shouted. There, I saw several figures… quite a lot, actually, around a dozen of them.

All of them wore white uniforms. Some boys, some girls. And though all of them I weren’t familiar with, one of them was an exception.

The student leading the charge had light blue hair, his eyes narrowed in what I could assume was smug confidence. But trailing not far behind him was none other than Ravilenna, her eyes sharp and pointed at me.

"Uhh… what’s the problem here, folks?" I asked, looking at the small army marching toward me.

The student leading this army stomped to a stop a few paces away, his light blue hair practically shimmering with self-righteousness. He looked at Ravilenna, as if waiting for a signal.

Ravilenna stepped forward, her eyes narrowing onto me. She lifted a trembling finger, though it felt a little forced.

"That’s him, Markus," she breathed, her voice loud enough for the entire group to hear. "He’s the one I saw lurking by my window! He’s the one who took them!"

"Wait, what?" I blinked, looking around. “I’m sure this is all a misunderstanding—”

“—Hah!” Markus let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "Still trying to act slick, commoner? The act is over. We know what you’ve been up to, sneaking around like a rat with your mischievous hands."

The hell kind of insult is that?

"Hey, listen, I think this is all a misunderstanding. Really. You’ve clearly confused me with someone else. I’ve only been in classes and the cafeteria for the whole day. See?” I said, lifting my lunchbox.

"Is that so?" Markus’s gaze dropped to the brown paper bag in my right hand. His smirk widened. "Then you won't mind if we take a peek at your little souvenir there, will you?” He extended his hand and gestured for the bag. “Hand it over."

I pulled the bag back instinctively. "Actually, I do mind. This is for Lady Carine’s eyes only, I’m afraid."

"Oh, really now?" Markus scoffed, looking back at his goon squad.

Before I could defuse the situation any further, Markus lunged. He was faster than he looked. He grabbed my wrist with a firm grip and snatched the bag from my fingers.

"Hey! Get your hands off me!"

He let me go, making me stumble back as he examined the bag in his hands.

“Give that back!”

As I considered lunging forward, I stopped.

As Markus began to open the bag, the world started to slow down as my brain did some calculations.

The frantic girl.

The way she practically threw the bag at me.

"Crucial that Lady Carine gets her hands on it."

And Ravilenna and her crew 'coincidentally' show up not long after with a search party.

My stomach did a slow, sickening turn as I realised…

I made a huge mistake.

Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.

"Let's see what the 'attendant' is so protective of," Markus sneered.

He reached into the bag and, with a triumphant flourish, pulled out a delicate, lace-trimmed piece of white silk. He held it up high for the crowd to see.

Ravilenna covered her face in theatrical shame as the contents of the bag were revealed.

It was an undergarment.

Hers, allegedly.

And also, the one I stole, allegedly.