The day of the school inspection arrived before Brigitte knew it. Now that she was competing with Yuri, she woke up raring to go.
But the truth is, I don’t have to do anything special.
Students were called into a separate room one by one to summon their spirits in front of the priests. After that, the priests and spiritologist interviewed the students and sometimes their spirits for up to ten minutes. On a later date, the names of the students invited to the shrine were announced at school. It was all extremely simple.
Because the inspection was part of the academic program at all schools of magic, it was relatively straightforward and relaxed, compared to the magic-stone hunt. But for Brigitte last year, it had been hellish. Back then, she had still believed she was contracted with a tiny spirit, and she didn’t yet know how to summon it. Engaging in a few minutes of leaden conversation with the uncomfortable priest and spiritologist made her stomach ache.
But this year, I’ll be with Peep!
She squeezed her fists. As if in response, the chick spirit peeped cheerfully.
As there were nearly a hundred students in each grade, the interviews lasted four days. On the first two, all the first-year students had finished their interviews. Today, the third day, second-year Class 1—Yuri’s class—and Class 2—her class—would have their turns.
That reminds me, Prince Joseph hasn’t been around to see me since that day.
She thought about it as she flipped through a library book while she waited for her turn. It had to be because she’d turned him down in front of everyone. Ever since, he’d stopped coming to the cottage or talking to her at school.
Maybe he’d finally lost the urge to interfere in her life. That was a reassuring thought but also a little sad. When she was young, she’d viewed Joseph as the only person on her side. She had depended on him and looked up to him. Now she didn’t understand him at all.
Maybe I never really understood him…
“Miss Brigitte, I’m going to see Miss Lisa again today,” Kira whispered, interrupting Brigitte’s train of thought.
Kira had already finished her interview. Evidently, she planned to go back to the dorms and visit Lisa, who was still holed up in her room.
Brigitte thought for a moment before standing. “Then I’ll go with you.”
“Um, but…”
“After all, I’m a part of all this.”
Students were encouraged to study while they waited, but lots of people passed the time chatting or left the classroom until their turn. Brigitte was toward the end of the list and had plenty of time before she was called. Leaving the class would probably be fine.
Kira looked hesitant but finally nodded and said, “All right.” She had been visiting Lisa since before the summer. Maybe she felt at loose ends, since Lisa refused to respond to anything she said.
To be safe, the two of them told Nival, the class president, they were leaving.
“Nival, we’re going to the dorm for a little while,” Kira said.
“Should I come?” he asked, jumping up, but Brigitte stopped him.
“Wait, isn’t it almost your turn to be interviewed?”
“You’re much more important, Miss Brigitte— I mean, what you’re doing is much more important,” he answered.
“What are you talking about? You’re the class president! You need to set an example for all of us,” she said, exasperated.
“Oh, I suppose you’re right…,” he mumbled, sitting back down dejectedly. For some reason, Kira and their other classmates seemed to pity him.
“Stop looking at me like that…!” he moaned.
“Let’s go, Miss Brigitte,” Kira said.
“Okay.”
Leaving the anguished Nival behind, the two of them left the classroom. But as they walked down the hall, someone called out.
“Meidell, would you lend me a hand?”
Brigitte stopped and turned around. Mr. Inad, the young medicinal herbology teacher, was standing in the hallway. He was the same teacher who had flown into a rage when Brigitte answered her summer written test in blood, changing her perfect score to a zero and telling all the other classes about it. Brigitte had apologized at the time, but their relationship remained strained.
Aware of this situation, Kira timidly stepped forward.
“I can help you, Mr. Inad. I’ve already completed my interview.”
“That’s all right. Meidell’s help will be adequate.”
Kira cocked her head, and Brigitte frowned, but they couldn’t very well stand there arguing with him.
“All right,” she said to the teacher, before turning to Kira. “Kira, can you go on ahead to the dorms?”
Kira nodded, and Brigitte followed Mr. Inad down the hall.
“What would you like help with, Mr. Inad?” she asked.
“You’ll see when you get there,” he said firmly.
They continued silently down the hall. After going downstairs to the first floor, they turned down several more hallways and finally ended up in the storage area of an unfamiliar meeting room.
I thought he wanted help with his class. What could he need down here…?
And they had interviews that day. Couldn’t he get ready for class after the weekend?
“Um, Mr. Inad?”
“We’re almost there,” he said, without stopping. Finally, he pointed to a door. “Here we are.”
Taking out an old key, he opened the door. Beyond it was a small room crammed with scrolls and boxes she assumed were full of class supplies. He gestured to go inside, and she did. It was dusty and damp in the room; nobody was cleaning down here.
“So what should I—?” she was saying, when the door slammed behind her.
She spun around, then froze. She could hear the key being turned hurriedly in the door.
“…Don’t hate me for this,” Mr. Inad’s muffled voice said from the other side.
I already hate you…!
She almost said it out loud but stopped herself. She couldn’t talk back to him the way she did to Yuri. That would only make the situation worse. She covered her mouth and waited silently.
Mr. Inad was evidently pleased with her response, because she heard his footsteps fading away.
When she couldn’t hear them anymore, she took her hand off her mouth. First, she tried the doorknob, but as expected, it was locked and would not open.
Next, she looked around the room. There was a small window high on one wall, and while it did let in a dim light, it was too high for her to reach, even if she stood on a shelf.
Is there any other way out of here…?
She inspected the room again as she considered the situation. She could only think of one reason why Mr. Inad would do something like this to her.
He’s harassing me.
She knew how outraged he’d been by her behavior during the test, and how he’d spread the word around—but that was two months ago. Why would he do something like this now? She sighed.
“Hello there, Brigitte,” a voice said.
Someone stepped casually from the shadows. Thanks to the light, the figure was silhouetted—but there was no mistaking that familiar voice.
Brigitte gasped. “Prince Joseph…”
“Thank you for coming. I’ve been waiting for you.”
She guessed the gist of the situation from those words. Mr. Inad was in league with Joseph, although his task probably ended with bringing her here.
Why…?
She knew this was no time to sit around speculating. She stepped backward. “I’m very sorry, but I have something I need to do.”
“Brigitte.”
He ignored her and closed the distance again. She took another step—but there was nowhere to go in the small locked room. Her back against the wall, she gulped.
“If you get any closer—”
“You’ll do what? You can’t use magic, can you?”
She clenched her teeth. Strictly speaking, she could use magic. But even when she’d tried to use the most basic magic, she’d produced a terrifically powerful ball of fire that she couldn’t control, even with Yuri’s help. She could not knowingly create an explosion in this small room. If her luck was poor, it would kill them both instantly. As Brigitte struggled to find another option, Joseph smiled kindly.
“Say you’ll come back to me, Brigitte.”
“No.”
The perfect smile twitched. “…What?”
“I don’t want to go back to you, Prince Joseph.”
I thought I told him that the other day…
She glared at him, trying to communicate that thought.
His golden eyes slowly narrowed. “…Is that so? I see.”
Huh?
He took her rejection surprisingly well. As she wondered what was going on, he lowered his voice to a sultry whisper. “Are you pouting because I never kissed you when we were engaged?”
“…What?”
Taking advantage of her moment of incomprehension, he stepped forward and grabbed her jaw. While she was frozen in shock, his handsome face approached hers. She screamed and tried to push his chest away.
But he was so much bigger than she was that he didn’t even flinch.