“Lady Angelina Grey has been suspended from school indefinitely?”
Catching the words in passing, Milly, walking down the corridor, lifted her head with a twitch.
“Yes, they say she was the mastermind behind the tea party incident.”
“She’s the one who forced Lady Bickel into poisoning the teacup, wasn’t she? To think she made such a show of accusing the grand duke’s daughter, only for this to come out... How disgraceful.”
Glancing over, Milly saw what seemed to be a pair of upperclassmen whispering together. She quickly stopped listening in and quickened her pace toward her destination. This was no time to loiter.
It’s been two whole weeks, and people are still talking about Angelina.
That was her thought as she climbed the stairs. True, it was the hottest topic in Grandor, but at this rate, she would have to keep hearing about Angelina for another month. The idea alone was wearying. Still, this did mean that even if Angelina’s suspension were ever lifted, the girl would be met with nothing but cold stares.
The reason for her absence was not made public, but anyone who knew of the incident could put two and two together. And now, with both her suspension and the affair under an official gag order, it was all but impossible not to. Even in society, Angelina would have a hard time restoring her reputation.
Just as Milly reached the top of the stairs, an unfamiliar girl suddenly addressed her. “Ah, Lady Milly! A good day to you.”
“Oh, yes. A good day to you as well.”
“Isn’t the weather wonderful today? Where might you be headed?”
“To the tearoom, you see.”
“My, for a tea gathering? Whoever gets to join you is truly fortunate.”
“Perhaps. Well then, if you’ll excuse me.” Milly returned the girl’s polite curtsy with a small nod and let out a quiet sigh. She still wasn’t used to this. It was one of her new troubles. Ever since Angelina had been suspended, Milly had found herself addressed far more often.
According to Nicholas, because Angelina—the one spreading Milly’s bad reputation—had been exposed as the true culprit behind the incident, Milly’s reputation had risen in turn. But the suddenness of it all was overwhelming. It wasn’t that she was displeased, but rather, she genuinely didn’t know how to respond.
This should be the tearoom, right? The attention was exhausting, and so she quickened her pace, determined not to be waylaid by anyone else, until at last, she arrived at her destination.
The tearoom, as the name suggested, was a space for students to enjoy tea or host tea parties freely. Needless to say, the pre-reset Milly had never had any use for it, so this was her first time entering.
With a faint trace of nerves, Milly rapped gently on the door, then steeled herself and stepped inside.
“Ah, Milly!” The one waving enthusiastically to greet her was Sierra, busy fussing over preparations. Her smile was as sweet as ever. Feeling her own lips curve despite herself, Milly gave a small wave in return.
“Lizbel! Look, Milly’s here!”
“Bwuh?! A-Already?! Oh no, I’m not finished setting things up yet!”
Like Sierra, Lizbel was bustling about, flustered but cheerful. They both wore such bright smiles, as though the whole dreadful incident had never happened.
“Heh, it’s fine,” Milly said. “I’ll help too. What should I do? Is this the cloth we’re spreading over the table?”
Simple joy welled up inside Milly, laughing as she helped with preparations for hosting a tea party for the first time in her life. In her excitement she managed to tear one corner of the tablecloth, but, well, that just added character.
In fact, that day, those same three girls had gathered under the pretense of redoing the tea party that had ended in such disaster, possible only because the incident had at last been resolved. Angelina had been suspended indefinitely, Sierra had returned to the academy, Lizbel’s strain had eased, and Milly herself had seen various matters through. At long last, they could sit together in peace.
Most of all, it was nothing short of a blessing that Sierra, who had been poisoned, could return after a mere few days. She suffered no lingering effects from the poison and had actually gained new friends because of it. Hearing that left Milly with feelings that were both a little lonely and quietly glad.
As for Angelina, Nicholas had seen to it that her punishment stopped at a mere suspension. He also paid Sierra’s family an appropriate sum in reparations. Milly didn’t know the exact amount, but judging from how Sierra had rushed up to Nicholas on her first day back, pale and flustered, it must have been considerable. Sierra had apparently tried to return the money, but Nicholas flatly refused.
“Phew, finally done! Getting ready for a tea party is more work than I thought,” Sierra sighed, wiping her brow in mock exhaustion.
Since Sierra and Lizbel had done most of the preparations before Milly arrived, it took less than five minutes to finish setting up.
“Still,” Lizbel said, glancing uneasily around the room, “are you sure this is enough? I mean, the furnishings are all mismatched, there’s no sense of unity...”
Sierra only laughed. “Oh, it’s fine. Following each and every rule of etiquette is a waste of time. Don’t you agree, Milly?”
“Mm. My father always said rules are made to be broken.”
Lizbel smiled faintly. “I think he meant it in a rather different sense.”
The three of them sat down in the four chairs surrounding the large round table.
One seat remained empty. It was the place for the last member who hadn’t yet arrived, who was due soon. As Milly glanced at the clock, the tearoom door opened right on cue.
“S... Sorry I’m late!”
The girl who rushed in, bowing her head and panting for breath, was none other than Brima Bickel, still carrying a hint of nervous timidity in her demeanor. Suspended for two weeks as punishment for being the perpetrator, Brima finally returned to school that day, and immediately flung herself at Sierra’s feet in a blur of motion.
“Aaah! Wh-What’s going on?!” Sierra yelped, blanching.
“I’m so sorry! So, so sorry! I’m sorry for cutting your hair. I’m sorry for making you drink poison! I-I’ll die to make amends!” Brima wailed, pressing her forehead into the floor as if to grind her way straight through it.
“Huuuh?! N-No, really, I don’t hold it against you! Please lift your head!” Sierra begged, face pale as paper.
The scene was so absurd that Milly couldn’t help but let out a laugh.
“This is no time to be laughing, Milly!” Sierra scolded. And, well, she had a point.
“Heh. Sorry, I couldn’t help it. Brima’s been like this all day. She even groveled to me earlier. She says she can’t relax unless she’s apologizing to someone.”
“Ah! L-Lady Garcia, forgive me too! Because of the likes of me, you ended up being suspected even for a moment, and I’m so terribly sorry!”
“Oh, goodness. It’s all right,” Lizbel said with a helpless smile. “After all, the grand duke’s daughter came to my defense that day. Isn’t that right?” she added, glancing toward Milly.
Milly shook her head. “No, it wasn’t anything so admirable. In fact, considering what my father has done to the Garcia viscountcy, I should be the one apologizing to you.”
“Oh, pshaw. Didn’t we agree to leave that matter in the past?” Lizbel replied gently. “Your father may have wronged my family, but then again, my little brother spoke rudely to you. It balances out.” She gave a serene smile that could have belonged to a celestial maiden.
It’s still hard to believe Ike was born into the Garcia viscountcy, that he and Lizbel are blood siblings. And yet, when Milly looked closely, their matching hair and features made the claim undeniable. The thought that it was her own father who had torn the two apart made her lips press into a thin line, until Lizbel’s gentle laugh broke through again.
“Please, don’t frown like that. I won’t pretend I feel no resentment toward His Grace the Grand Duke, but you two are entirely different people, parent and child though you may be. And you know? Ike seems to be reconsidering his opinion of you, just a little.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. I may have spent an hour or so telling him just how remarkable you are,” Lizbel said with a mischievous little smile. Then, with surprising strength, she scooped Brima up and set her neatly on the empty chair. Clapping her hands together, Lizbel raised her voice cheerfully. “Well then, now that everyone’s here, shall we begin? Lady Milly has prepared us a very special cake.”