Silent Witch
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Volume 12 Chapter 12: The Happiness of Unchanging Things
According to the words of Mr. MacLegan, who said, “Chu guys, it’s easy to say magic duel, magic duel, but the barrier for magic duel is very difficult to prepare, maintain, and manage. And, if chu do a magic duel with this amount of mana, it’s dangerous if chu don’t make the barrier sturdy, right? Huh, chu want me to make it possible to watch too? Wait a minute, wait a minute, how much trouble do chu think that is? …I’ll call for help, but it’ll take three days. Stop using this old man too much, okay?”
The magic duel for Monica Norton was held three days after the duel declaration, after school.
Monica felt like she was dead for these three days.
After all, because the commotion in the student council room was witnessed by passers-by, the rumor spread throughout the school in no time that day.
Especially, the relationship between Monica and Hubert was highlighted.
“Monica Norton is Hubert Dee’s former mistress, and Hubert Dee is obsessed with Monica.”
That’s what the most rumor was.
She wanted to say that it was not like that, it was a misunderstanding, but if she was asked what kind of relationship it was, Monica couldn’t answer.
We were seniors and juniors at Minerva, and if she answered honestly, Monica’s Minerva origin would be exposed.
As a result, Monica, who couldn’t explain anything, was branded as “Hubert’s former mistress” and was exposed to malicious rumors and gazes everywhere she went.
It was painful enough to have rumors about herself, but what was more painful was the rumor that Monica seduced and sold her body to Robert and Glenn. Monica knew that Glenn and Robert were also exposed to malicious rumors because of her, and she became more and more emaciated.
“…You look like a dried fish that’s about to be discarded.”
At lunchtime, when Monica was lying on her desk in despair, Claudia, who came from the next classroom, said with a doll-like expressionless face. Lana, who was worried about Monica, glared at Claudia.
“Don’t you have a heart?”
“…It’s a better comparison than a dried mandrake, right?”
Monica didn’t even have the energy to retort to that. Normally, she would go to the cafeteria at lunchtime, but she didn’t feel like it at all. She would attract attention from everyone just by walking in the hallway.
“Um… You two, please go and have lunch… I’m fine…”
If she went to the cafeteria with them, Lana and Claudia would be bothered too. That’s what she thought, but Claudia grabbed Monica by the scruff of her neck and stood her up.
“…Lady Claudia…?”
Monica looked up at Claudia with a vacant look, and Claudia walked briskly with Monica still in her grip. Normally, Lana would scold her, “What are you doing?” but this time Lana followed Claudia silently.
They were heading in the opposite direction of the cafeteria. Therefore, there were hardly any people in the hallway.
“Um? Uh? Lana? Lady Claudia? Where are you…”
“The duel is after school today, right? It’s a joke to have a dried fish as a prize.”
“…Prize… Dried fish…”
“You should at least hydrate yourself.”
Claudia stopped in front of an empty classroom, opened the door, and threw Monica inside.
Monica stumbled into the classroom and slowly looked up, her eyes widened.
“Monica, we’ve been waiting for you!”
Glenn waved his hand energetically. Neil was next to him.
They had laid a carpet on the floor of the empty classroom and arranged snacks and drinks on it. It was as if they were having a picnic. Monica stood there dumbfounded, and Glenn urged her, “Hurry up and sit down!”
Monica was pushed by Lana and sat down on the carpet.
“…Um, what is this…?”
“Heh heh heh, this is my special, skipping set!”
Glenn proudly showed her the dried fruits and card games he had taken out of his bag at the end.
You’d think he’d want to skip the afternoon classes and stay in this classroom, but Neil, the honor student, calmly said.
“We also have blankets, so you can take a nap. Miss Norton, you don’t seem to be sleeping much, so you should take a nap until after school.”
“Um, but, I…”
Monica mumbled and Lana pushed a cup of hot tea into her hand.
“Ah, I feel like skipping classes today!”
“Lana, um…”
“Monica, join us. It’s okay, right?”
A large drop of tear fell and made a ripple in Monica’s cup. Once the tears overflowed, they wouldn’t stop. Monica held the cup with both hands and sobbed, rubbing her nose.
“I’m… sorry… It’s… my fault… I’m causing trouble… for everyone…”
Monica rubbed her eyes and Lana and Glenn clenched their fists and got angry.
“Stupid! It’s not Monica who’s causing trouble, it’s that red-haired senior!”
“That’s right! Monica has nothing to worry about at all!”
“Besides, that ring is so tacky and tasteless!”
“That’s right! His sense and personality are, well, anyway, everything is the worst!”
Lana and Glenn were cursing Hubert with all the insults they could think of. However, they were both limited in their vocabulary, so it was only at the level of childish name-calling.
Monica kept sniffling and bowed her head to Glenn.
“Glenn, I’m really, really sorry… It’s my fault that you got involved in this weird rumor…”
“Uh, you mean the one about the mistress or something? I don’t care about that at all. I have nothing to hide, so I just need to be confident!”
“That’s right! Monica doesn’t have to worry about anything at all! There’s nothing shady about us, so we just have to be confident!”
Glenn smiled like the sun and next to him, Claudia smiled like the moon… or rather, smirked and said.
“…The prize should be brazenly saying ‘Don’t fight for me’…”
“It’s not ‘for me’ but ‘because of me’ that they’re fightiiiing!”
Monica broke down in tears again, and Neil hurriedly intervened.
“L-Lady Claudia, that’s counterproductive! Um, Miss Norton, this is Lady Claudia’s way of comforting you, or rather, she was the one who planned this meeting today…”
“Well, as expected of Neil. You’re the only one who understands me.”
Even at this time, Claudia was the usual Claudia.
Lana snorted at Claudia with a disgusted look, spread rillette on a thin slice of bread, and handed it to Monica.
Then, Glenn quickly interjected.
“That rillette, I made it!”
“Um, you did…?”
“I’m good at meat dishes!”
Glenn usually preferred chunks of meat, but the dishes prepared were all finely chopped or mashed so that Monica, who ate little, could eat them easily.
Monica thanked him and took the bread, opened her mouth small, and nibbled. Come to think of it, she hadn’t had a decent meal since the day of the duel declaration.
“…It’s really, delicious… Ehe…”
She remembered the hunger she had forgotten and chewed the bread. Suddenly, the door of the classroom opened with a bang.
“Claudia! What on earth is this!?”
“Oh, they’re at it again.”
Shouting with spit flying, Cyril, and behind him, peering into the classroom with a wry smile, is Elliot.
Claudia elegantly tilts her teacup, savoring a sip for a while. Then, as if just noticing her brother, she looks at Cyril with an attitude as if she noticed him just now.
“Oh my, greetings, dear brother.”
“What’s the meaning of having a tea party in an empty classroom? At least apply for the tea salon!”
“Well, it wouldn’t be skipping class then, would it?”
“Don’t boldly declare it as skipping class!”
Despite Cyril’s angry voice, Claudia, not even smiling, puts a fan to her mouth as if hiding a smile.
“Oh my, would you overlook it if we do it secretly then?”
“…Guh.”
As Cyril fell silent with his mouth forming a ‘へ’ shape, Elliot scratched his cheek with a wry smile.
“You’re going to skip out on class and go to Maywood General Affairs? Geez, I may look like this, but I’m a straight-A student, so I don’t take kindly to slackers.”
At Elliot’s words, Monica and Neil stiffen at the mention of the General Affairs. Elliot sighed, picked up a baked good from the basket, and munched on it.
“This is my favorite snack. Let’s consider this as hush money. Also, Miss Norton.”
“Yes!”
“You don’t have to worry about Roberto Vinkel.”
“…Huh?”
At the sudden mention of Roberto’s name, Monica blinked in surprise.
Roberto was also one of the people who got involved in this commotion. Spread by baseless rumors shortly after transferring, Monica secretly worried that he might be troubled.
However, Elliot, while nibbling on the snack, nonchalantly shruged his shoulders.
“He’s probably worried that he got you involved because of himself, right? No need to worry about it from the bottom of your heart. If he wins the duel, he plans to invite you to the chess club. He came to get the necessary documents for that just now.”
“…Whaah…”
Moreover, Roberto apparently responded to the rumors about Monica seducing him with this straightforward comeback:
“I regret to inform you that I am not in any physical relationship with Miss Monica. Therefore, I will endeavor to make it possible for Miss Monica to seduce me in the future.”
A refreshing retort, to say the least.
But Monica found his unwavering attitude relieving. Not just Roberto, but Lana, Claudia, Glenn, Neil, and Elliot, all treated Monica with the same unchanged attitude.
Monica knew the moment when people around her could easily turn their backs on her.
When her father was taken away by officials, the friendly neighbors threw stones at her father in unison.
When Monica learned the chantless spell, her classmates and teachers changed their attitudes, and Barney distanced himself from her.
That’s why what Monica gained at Serendia Academy is a precious treasure for her.
After swallowing the last piece of bread, Monica summoned up all her courage and bowed her head to Cyril, whom she hadn’t spoken to since that day.
“Th-th-this time, I caused you a lot of trouble, but I… I don’t want to quit the student council.”
In a trembling voice, Monica lowered her head, and Cyril, unsure where to look, looked right and left.
When he looked to the right, he met Claudia’s meaningful smile, and when he looked to the left, he saw Elliot grinning.
Cyril awkwardly clears his throat and, in his usual arrogant manner, bends backward.
“Hmph, even if you say you want to quit, I don’t think you can quit that easily. Be prepared, I’ll thoroughly discipline you until I graduate.”
To that very Cyril-like remark, Monica lowered her eyebrows and laughed weakly.
“It’s the usual Lord Cyril…”
Cyril scowled, “What do you mean by that?” but even that brings comfort to the current Monica.
＊ ＊ ＊
The most luxurious private tea room in the senior division had a rather unusual group of people gathered.
The student council president, Felix Arc Ridill.
His half-brother, Albert Flau Robelia Ridill.
And the daughter of the Duke of Laneburg, Eliane Hyatt.
Felix and Albert were royalty, and Eliane was also a person who had the blood of the royal family, albeit distantly. They were the most noble group of people in this academy, and it was no exaggeration to say so.
Felix, who had called out Albert and Eliane, offered them some tea and sweets, and then took a sip of his own cup of black tea and smiled gently.
“Sorry for calling you out so suddenly, both of you.”
Albert answered in a stiff tone, and Eliane answered in a somewhat absent-minded manner, each saying “No” briefly.
Albert was simply wary of Felix. It had been several weeks since Albert had transferred to Serendia Academy, but Felix had never spoken to him at school until now. It was only natural to think that something was going on when he called him out at this time – right before the duel at the end of the day.
Eliane was restless because she was worried about Glenn.
Glenn, who had jumped into the commotion caused by Hubert Dee in the student council room, was rumored to be on good terms with Monica Norton. Eliane was very concerned about that.
…Both of them are easy to understand, and that helps.
He muttered that in his chest, and Felix cut to the chase.
“Actually, I have something to consult with you two. You know about the duel that will take place after school today, right? The cause of this duel was a transfer student named Hubert Dee, and because of him, rumors are spreading that Monica Norton is being slandered.”
He didn’t dare to say the content of the rumors, but they must have heard them.
Monica was Hubert’s former mistress, or she had deceived Glenn and Robert, or other unbearable rumors.
“I can’t overlook the rumors that tarnish the honor of my student council members.”
Felix declared in a lower and colder voice than usual, and Albert and Eliane, who were hit by his quiet anger, tensed up their faces.
He changed the tone of his voice and narrowed his eyes slightly, and the atmosphere around Felix changed.
And with that, he was able to dominate the people in the room with just that, just like the Duke of Crockford.
And then Felix relaxed the tense atmosphere of the place a little bit and asked Albert in a gentle tone.
“By the way, Albert. You seem to be getting along well with Dudley and Monica lately.”
“Y-Yes, Senior Dudley and Miss Monica are my friends!”
Felix knew that Albert had been in contact with Glenn and Monica recently.
He probably wanted to pull those two into his camp and trip up Felix.
Felix decided to use Albert’s childish scheme to his advantage.
“Then, you’ll help me to eradicate the dishonorable rumors about your friends, right, Albert?”
“Of course!”
He muttered “well done” without saying it out loud, and Felix smiled slightly.
And then he turned his gaze to Eliane.
“Dudley is your benefactor. As the daughter of the Duke of Reinberg, you don’t want his dishonorable rumors, do you?”
“Y-Yes, it’s as Your Highness says! As the daughter of the Duke of Reinberg, I’m very unhappy about the dishonorable rumors about Lord Glenn!”
As long as he emphasized the title of “daughter of the Duke of Reinberg” rather than Eliane as an individual, Eliane jumped at it.
Albert, who had influence in the junior division, and Eliane, who had influence in the senior division. If he could get these two to work for him, the unwanted rumors about Monica and Glen would eventually subside.
…I don’t like it when I see her cries.
By the way, the rumors were also about Roberto Vinkel, who was in love with Monica.
But Felix didn’t care about helping Robert at all, so he didn’t bother to do anything.
