“The way I see it, wouldn’t us simply waiting lead to no progress at all?”
We were having one of our lunchtime training sessions when Colette lowered her brows, swallowed the food in her mouth, and broached the subject as if it had just come to mind.
Without naming the individual in question, there was no need for any one of us to point out exactly what this wall was we had hit. Even without her there, she was always at the center of our conversations.
“I’m watching you…!”
We were talking about our little spy—Melissa Tullio du Lulutrois.
Perhaps out of negligence, Melissa had closed the gap between us ever since our first contact. But over the past few days, she had stopped getting closer.
She never let down the veneer of surveilling us, but she was hiding herself less and less now. She was observing our actions out in the open.
But nothing more than that. Melissa had halted her gradual approach. She had stopped at a comfortable distance and was not making contact.
She was like a twig on the surface of a lake. The breeze that was carrying her to the shore had completely halted on its waters—that’s the vision her behavior evoked.
“You wanted to ask her some questions, didn’t you, Mylene? Well, you’re at a stalemate now.”
“I’m well aware of that, thank you…”
I sensed a twinge of annoyance in Colette’s tone. She was probably out of patience. And to be honest, I felt like I wasn’t being myself either lately.
It would be so much easier just to nab Melissa and make her talk. But instead, I cast a glance at her. Despite the aura of timid terror that shrouded her, Melissa was now able to glare back at me.
That was why I couldn’t nab her… I’m not sure what to call it—burning with a sense of duty? Anyway, she strangely gave off the impression of someone with a strong sense of obligation. At the very least, she didn’t seem like I could get her to speak freely to me by using normal classmate tactics.
And yet, I still couldn’t bring myself to use force either—
I’d never met Melissa face to face in my past life. I only knew her in name as the badass duchess who’d spent her final moments standing up to the tyrannical Mylene to protect the common people.
But even in that rotten version of Eltania, there had still been many who were ardent supporters of Melissa Tullio du Lulutrois. Maybe it was because my best friend martyred himself for her…but I just couldn’t see myself taking a hard line against her.
Then again, looking at her now, I wasn’t sure I should believe this badass duchess shit in the first place.
“Prince Albert. Do pardon my asking, but couldn’t you be the go-between and arrange a chat with her?”
“I would be honored to do anything I can to help, Miss Mylene…but I’m afraid she’s already rejected my offer once.”
If she wouldn’t even listen to her own prince, then I guess it was time to start considering my more forceful options (as much as it didn’t sit right with me).
“That was a lovely lunch. See you both later,” I said.
It went without saying, but even amid all this stress, I still got hungry. With a silent moment of gratitude over another day of great food, I gathered my empty dishes and rose from my seat to return them.
“That was quick.” Colette tilted her head and gave me an odd look. “Why don’t you wait until we’re finished so we can go together?”
Usually, we always put back our dishes together, even when we finished eating at separate times.
“Oh, I left my uniform for the afternoon physical education class in my room. So I’m just going to retrieve it now. I’ll see you later in class.”
Ordinarily, I would do as Colette suggested…but I wasn’t doing this on a whim.
When I gave the excuse that I’d forgotten something, Colette gave an understanding nod. I grabbed my tray of dishes and took them to the counter. I thanked the cafeteria dishwasher, then sighed quietly to myself.
Okay. I’d better get my stuff quickly so I won’t be late to class.
I put the cafeteria behind me. And as I marched swiftly toward the dorms, I sensed the presence of a little rabbit, scurrying behind me.
I slowed my gait to match the little presence behind me…and heaved another quiet sigh.