“It’s just... I wanted you to know that I did see it. Your letter, that is.”
There was no mistaking what he meant. It had to be the one she had sent recently, asking if they might speak at the entrance welcome party. The very letter meant to question him about his connection with Angelina.
“I hadn’t the time to send a response. My apologies.”
“It’s quite all right. I did send it out of the blue, after all.”
“I-Indeed... Now, concerning what you wrote...” Gilbert’s voice wavered strangely, his eyes darting about in almost comical panic.
Might he actually be nervous? Tilting her head, Milly watched as he gathered himself with all the gravity of a life-or-death decision.
“L-Let’s speak again at the party.” With that, he turned on his heel, looking embarrassed, and strode off with the heroine in tow.
Left behind, Milly watched his retreating back, a question mark in her thoughts. Was Gilbert always the type to stammer like that?
The Gilbert in her memory had spoken with more clarity. Perhaps he had something stuck between his teeth? She made a mental note to recommend toothpicks the next time they met and finally sat down in her now-vacant seat. At any rate, everything had ended more or less peacefully.
She was well aware of her poor communication skills, but hadn’t realized she was this awkward. If not for Gilbert, the situation might have gone terribly awry. She would have to reflect on all of it.
I overreached and wound up floundering. Honestly, I’m hopeless. Looked at positively, it meant she had nothing but room to grow. Still, her social ability was sorely lacking. She would have to have Bibi teach her the basics of human interaction.
It must be father’s blood in me. Comforting herself with that bit of blame-shifting, Milly straightened her back and looked ahead. The chapel was beginning to bustle with activity as the ceremony drew near.
Next up would be the entrance welcome party. She would need to be ready for that in particular.
In the end, despite her resolve, the entrance ceremony passed without anything worth remarking on.
If she had to note anything, it was that the headmaster’s speech leaned suspiciously toward themes of love and fateful encounters, and that the commemorative organ performance had been oddly discordant. Otherwise, the ceremony had been utterly ordinary. The fact that she hadn’t yawned outright was praiseworthy in its own right.
“Welcome back, my lady!”
The moment Milly stepped out of the chapel, Bibi was already hurrying toward her. In her arms she clutched a bag of melon bread, apparently a local specialty from one of the nearby stalls. Milly wondered if she’d kept her waiting, but clearly Bibi had enjoyed her time well enough on her own.
“Oh, are you tired?” asked Bibi. “Shall we stop somewhere to rest?”
“Not at all. Just bored, really. Let’s head straight to the party.”
She recalled once more how dull it had been. There hadn’t been any familiar students around her, and Angelina—the one she was keeping an eye out for—hadn’t shown up either. Simply sitting and listening to speeches had been entirely tedious.
But at last, the party. I’ll make a friend there if it kills me.
Quietly stoking her fighting spirit, Milly drew in a determined breath. In truth, she had spent the entire ceremony brainstorming potential conversation topics with her peers. She was as prepared as she could possibly be.
And she also had that promise to meet Gilbert. This wasn’t the time to indulge in weariness. Milly began scanning her surroundings eagerly.
“The party venue was in the courtyard over that way, wasn’t it?” asked Milly.
“Yes, my lady. I scouted ahead a little, and it looked as though the upperclassmen and faculty were already gathering.”
“I see.”
Those invited to the welcome party were the sons and daughters of families that had made significant donations upon enrollment. Most would certainly be nobles, and among them were likely members—or future members—of the student council. As she walked toward the courtyard, Milly found her thoughts drifting.
What was she going to do about the student council?
The headmaster’s letter had practically begged her to join, repeating something along the lines of “Please consider joining the council” every other line, but Milly still hadn’t come to a decision.
She was interested—and tempted, honestly—but couldn’t quite commit. She had never belonged to an organization like that before.
If I join the student council, will I just get in the way?
The council held more sway than any other body within Grandor Magic Academy. They were self-governed and dealt with problems directly as they arose. The judgments they rendered were absolute within the academy.
The headmaster’s plea for Milly to join was surely for the sake of appearances, so he could say, “The grand duke’s daughter is part of the governing body.” She could understand his reasoning. Simply having someone of high birth present would give the organization weight, and above all, the council’s authority would soar. Milly’s membership would be nothing but a boon to the academy.
But I really don’t want everyone shrinking away from me like that girl from before.
She thought back to the chapel earlier. If the council members reacted the same way, she might actually burst into tears.
“My lady? The entrance is right here.”
Lost in thought, she had apparently veered off course. Startled, Milly quickly corrected her path and shook her head hard. This wasn’t the time for fretting. What she needed to focus on was how to make friends at this party.
“My lady, are you sure you’ll be all right? I can’t accompany you inside the party hall.”