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“THE headmaster actually gave us a great lead!”
After school, I opened the door to the second-story library with a grin on my face. I’d imagined a few bookshelves would make up their collection, but the actual library had a wall that stretched two stories high, lined with shelves full of books.
Books were valuable items. It was hard to imagine a boarding school owning so many of them, so they probably belonged to the original castle founder.
“Guard the entrance for me, you two,” I said. “Be sure to run to me if I call for you.”
“Okay!”
“Okay!”
I left the twins by the door, looked up at the wall, and searched for books about demons.
The rich amber shelves had leaf veins carved into them, and the pillars, ladders, and even the curtains were finely crafted like works of art. Simply walking by them was a thrill.
I was supposed to be searching, yet different bookshelves kept drawing my eyes. While I stared at the bookshelf covering local history, I heard a warning from behind me.
“That one has lots of spiders.”
Wearing glasses today, Charles was sitting at one of the old tables in the reading section. He startled me since I’d thought I was alone. My response came out somewhat shrill.
“Good day, Charles! This is such a beautiful library.”
“I like how quiet it is here, seeing as how not many people visit. I always come here when something’s bothering me. It feels like all the books will lead me down the right path.”
“So even someone like you has his troubles?”
“That’s all I have. Especially since I became a prefect…” Charles trailed off with sadness in his voice.
It was hard to imagine what could trouble such a perfect student. He probably only pretended to be aloof so other people wouldn’t worry about him. I’d thought he was frightening at first, but I was beginning to understand the strange form of compassion he possessed.
“Would you mind helping me look for something, Charles? The headmaster told me to come here if I wanted to research demons.”
“What do you want to know about them?”
“I’m looking for a demon who can turn human bodies larger or smaller.”
Charles furrowed his brow. “Was there ever such a demon…?”
He flipped through the pages of his notebook. Next to it on the table was a thick encyclopedia of demons, a pen, and an open bottle of ink. Each page of his notebook was packed full of writing. It looked like a report about demons he was working on.
“You’re diligent about your studies, aren’t you?” I commented.
“Students here have to write and submit a thesis before they graduate. I’m the fifth son of a nobleman, so I have to end up in a good line of work, like a banker or an attorney. Anyone would study like I do if it was the only way to overcome their situation.”
Noble families with an entail in place welcomed the birth of sons, but being the fifth son was nothing short of a guarantee that you wouldn’t inherit anything. The younger boys had to study, form connections, find work, and receive a salary to make a living.
“Ark School used to be the place for young noblemen who weren’t heirs. Those deemed the best students and made prefects were given a chance to have an audience with His Majesty,” he explained. “If he took a liking to you, you’d be employed. They say that the top prefects, the ones chosen by the king himself, have their portraits hanging on the top floor of this castle in a closed-off room.”
The king’s employment guaranteed a lifetime of security. I wondered if Queen Victoria had Ark School graduates working for her now that it was her reign.
“So you and Robins are going to have an audience with the queen this year?” I asked.
“Unfortunately not. Her Majesty has been refusing audiences with students for the past few years. She says she’s too old for it now.”
“But she seems so energetic…”
I recalled the queen heading out for a hunting trip, rifle in hand. She was old but still very active. Her Majesty and her maids were always looking for something cute to entertain them. It was hard to imagine her turning down the opportunity to meet boarding school students, what with all the excitement they could bring her.
Charles looked puzzled. “Do you mean to say you’ve met Her Majesty before?”
“Huh?! Oh, um, she spoke to me when I was a debutante!”
I quickly tried to smooth things over with a lie. A baron’s daughter should never be privately corresponding with a queen under normal circumstances.
It’s proof of how powerful Alice really is.
“You’re looking for information on demons, right? I don’t know if you’ll find the right one, but I can show you the best reference books.” Charles stood up and walked to the back of the library. He picked books that classified demons and heavy-looking reference books from the various shelves. “These books cover the rarest demons, but they’re really heavy, so I’ll take them to the dorm for you. In exchange, could I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
Once I gave permission, Charles’ face turned serious.
“Miss Alice, you came here on the last boat to Ark School. Did you run into any other nobles who spoke of coming here for a visit?”
I instantly knew he was talking about Dark. He’d mailed a letter to Ark School informing them of his planned visit before we left London. The staff must have been waiting for Earl Knightley’s arrival.
Charles was probably concerned about the matter as a prefect. After all, it was their job to guide visitors around the island.
Since I couldn’t reveal the truth, I answered him with a feigned smile.
“I didn’t see anyone like that.”
“I see…”
Looking disappointed, Charles began to walk. He was staggering a bit, perhaps from carrying such hefty books. While I was considering lending a hand, a clanking noise reached my ears.
I looked out the window and saw the students from Unicorn Dorm gathering for a game of cricket. Some were playing while others were there to cheer them on. I gazed at their smiling faces until I spotted Robins, sitting on the chain fence in a corner of the playing field.
I wondered why, as a leader of Unicorn Dorm, he hadn’t been invited to play with them.
The game came to an end as I pondered this question. The losing team complained about the outcome, resulting in a near-brawl on the playing field. But that was when Robins used the commotion to slip over the fence.
What?!
The Nameless Woods were on the other side of that fence. Students were forbidden from entry.
“Oh no, Charles! Robins just went into the forest!”
Charles stood next to me and watched Robins disappear into the greenery.
“There’s no need to stop him. Us prefects are taught the ins and outs of the island’s geography.”
“But what about the monster? Getting lost isn’t the only danger. I’m going to go bring him back.”
“No, don’t!” Charles’ shout came out involuntarily. Panting like he’d just run laps around the sports grounds, he gave me a stern warning. “Don’t you dare go there. If a demon caught sight of you…”
“A demon? I thought it was a monster!”
Could that be the demon who laid the “Drink me” trap?
I changed my expression and made a plea to Charles.
“That’s just all the more reason why he needs to be brought back. It would be dreadful if something happened to Robins.”
I was ready to charge into that forest like a bull. But Charles stopped me again.
“Ordinary students aren’t allowed in the Nameless Woods. No exceptions. Sorry, but you’ll have to carry these books yourself.”
There was no use arguing. We regrouped with Dum and Dee, and I made them take the books for me. I said goodbye to Charles and headed to the upper floor—not Lion Dorm.
I wanted to chase Robins into the forest, but I knew Charles would keep an eye out for me.
Even then, I couldn’t stay silent.
A forest with a demon in it. I might be able to find the person behind those traps in the woods.
The best heroines acted on new information as soon as they obtained it.
I climbed the stairs and opened the door at the end of the third floor. It was the school infirmary, with simple beds, chairs, and white sheets hung up as partitions.
Leeds, the head of this room, was sitting with his legs crossed, listening to Fry and Batta speak.
“So he went missing in the Nameless Woods, hm? And he still hasn’t been found?”
“No, and they say more students went missing ten years ago.”
“He thought he would be okay when he heard about how students used to go into the forest as a test of courage, but he hasn’t returned since yesterday… Do you think he was eaten by the monster, Nurse Leeds?”
“Hmm, well… Oh, looky here. We have visitors.”
Leeds spotted us. Fry and Batta instantly blushed and stood up.
“Thank you for listening to our troubles.”
“We’ll be going now!”
“Of course. No more silly things like tests of courage, okay?”
The twins grimaced, watching the two run out of the infirmary.
“What…”
“…Was that?”
“I’d diagnose them with ‘puberty.’ They came to ask if the girl they liked would be impressed if they went into the forbidden forest as a test of courage. What’s with all the books?”
“You see…”
I sat on the bed with Dum and Dee at my sides. When I told Leeds I’d heard about a demon living in the Nameless Woods, he squinted at me.
“So how come prefects can enter the forest if it’s so darn dangerous? If I were in charge, I’d never let anyone set foot in that place. Sure, this isn’t one of the nine famous schools, but noblemen still send their sons here. Wouldn’t it be just dreadful if something happened to one of them?”
“Would it really?”
“Who knows?”
“Who can say?”
I cocked my head—Dum and Dee did the same.