Vesta sighed again. “You know what’s scary, Allen? You sound so convincing, I almost believe you... But your actions tell a different story. Take Fey and Jewel, for instance. Everyone was waiting to see if the two of them could repair the antagonistic relationship between the Dragoons and the Reverences during their time at the Academy. Before the exams, Fey and Jewel actually seemed to get on quite well, but when you’ve got two prodigies with their fiery temperaments... Well, it was hard to say how things would end, but I don’t think anyone expected them to become best friends in a few short weeks, or that you’d be the glue that held them together. Thanks to you, the marquesses started speaking again, and only half a year later, the two regions held a joint gathering. You clearly knew how significant that was. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have gone to all the trouble of showing your face there, would you? And then you’ve got Leo. The Seizingers value their neutrality above all, and yet allowed Leo to attend a private barbecue held by the Rovenes—a mere viscount family—alongside Feyreun von Dragoon and Jewelry Reverence. And the rumors say Leo’s been trying to convince his family to allow him to pursue a relationship with the Rovenes ever since.” He shook his head. “The power balance of Yugrian society is being reshaped at your hand, and you’re trying to tell me you’re ‘not involved with any of it’? Who’d believe that?”
Leo, you bastard... Is that why you proposed to my sister?! Pretty dirty move for someone who likes to act like they’re the patron saint of fairness and neutrality... Whatever. I’m sick of talking about all this power balance crap. Seriously, who cares? It’s gonna go the same way it always does: Stupid gossip starts flying around, everyone blames me for something I didn’t do, and I just have to wait until they get bored of it.
Speaking of gossip... I’d just had a great idea.
I shrugged. “Well, it’s the truth, whether you believe it or not—but that doesn’t change the fact that I’ve obviously made things more difficult for you. I’m not gonna apologize for something I didn’t do, but how about this: I share some top secret information with you—something not even Fey, Jewel, or Leo know—and we call it even?”
The “top secret information” in question concerned my mother’s birth family. For some reason, everyone seemed unusually interested in the topic. I’d been asked about her many times, but I hadn’t known whether or not I was allowed to reveal the truth, so I’d managed to avoid giving a straightforward answer thus far. However, when I’d written to her recently to pass on the message Captain Randy von Dosuperior (aka her brother) had left with me and apologized for revealing that she was still alive, she’d replied.
Please, tell Randy I’ll visit him next time I’m in the capital. There’s no need to apologize; I always knew the truth would come out one day. Now that my brother knows, there’s little point in attempting to hide it anymore.
I’d already passed that message along to Captain Randy, which meant there was every chance all of Runerelia would start learning the truth before long. Basically, my “top secret information” was no longer “top secret” in the slightest—but Vesta didn’t have to know that.
“Top secret information?” Vesta looked at me suspiciously. “That doesn’t sound like something you’d suggest... You never care about things like this.”
“Oh, don’t be so dramatic. You’re gonna be shocked when you hear it, I promise. But...” I grinned. “There’s just one little thing I want to ask you in return. It’s nothing to worry about, though.”
Mwa ha ha... This is going perfectly. He’s not gonna turn his nose up at such tempting bait, and once I’ve got him on the hook, I’ll make stubborn ole Vesta spill the beans.
I chuckled under my breath, thrilled with the sheer genius of my plan. Unfortunately, the stubborn yet sharp-eyed Vesta noticed my (unintentionally external) impression of an evil villain right away, and firmly shook his head. “I’m good, thanks... Whenever you smile like that, it always means trouble’s about to follow.”
I wasn’t going to let him escape that easily, though. He didn’t need to agree. He just needed to listen.
“So get this, right? My mother, Cecilia—turns out, she’s actually the younger sister of Randy, the captain of the Royal Guard. And besides me, you’re now the only student in the whole Academy who knows that, Vesta,” I said magnanimously, as though I’d just done him a massive favor.
Vesta, to my surprise, didn’t seem shocked—in fact, his expression was entirely devoid of emotion as he adjusted his glasses before replying. “So, just to confirm... Allen, your mother is the biological sister of Captain Randy von Dosuperior of the Yugrian Imperial Guard, and therefore herself a Dosuperior by blood... Is that correct?”
“Well, yeah... I thought you’d be more surprised, to be honest. Everywhere I go, random people are always asking about my mother for some reason, so I kinda thought you’d be curious too...”
“Surprised...?” Vesta mumbled—before suddenly snapping the branch he’d been fiddling with clean in two and hurling it into the fire. “Of course I’m surprised, you idiot! Do you even understand what the hell you’re saying?! Come on! Clearly having the Dragoons, the Reverences, and the Seizingers in your camp wasn’t enough, because now you’re telling me the Dosuperiors are Team Allen too?! Forget reshaping the power balance—you’re tearing it to pieces! The king’s gonna think you’re planning to overthrow him, you freakin’ nitwit! Oh, and lucky me, being the only one who knows—not! What are you trying to do by burdening me with your stupid secrets?! This is exactly why I said I DIDN’T WANT TO HEAR IT!”
✦ ✦ ✦
Hands outstretched as though to calm a wild animal, I attempted to pacify him. “Don’t worry about it! I’m not trying to build a camp or anything. Besides, His Majesty and I have already smoothed things over, so it’s nowhere near as dangerous as you seem to think it’s gonna be.”
“YOU ALREADY MET WITH THE KING?! Stop talking, Allen! I’m begging you!” He shouted while bowing repeatedly (and beautifully; I could tell he’d been practicing recently). “I already told you that I want to become a scholar and push the boundaries of knowledge, not be pushed around by them! Why’d you tell me?! What’s your freakin’ plan here, huh?! And what the hell did you wanna ask me in return anyway?! I can tell you right now, nothing I can tell you is gonna hold a candle to that! You hear me?! Nothing!” He breathed heavily, glaring at me through teary eyes.
“C’mon, Vesta. Sit down,” I said, forcing him back down onto our log beside the campfire. He seemed to be waiting, but I said nothing—not immediately, anyway. We stared at the crackling flames in silence for a good thirty seconds, until I decided the atmosphere was just right. “Vesta... Have you got a girl you like?” The flames flickered slightly in the breeze as I asked, and the snaps and pops of the burning wood provided the perfect soundtrack to set the mood.
Flawless...
I’d finally broached my most anticipated youthful gossip topic, but to my surprise, Vesta didn’t react with the awkward embarrassment I’d expected. If anything, he seemed downright unbothered. “What? Well, yeah, I guess so? My fiancée, Canon Cainridge, from Class 1-D... She’s the second daughter of Count Cainridge, also from the Dialemack Region.”
“Canon Cainridge? Wait, isn’t she in the Hill Path Club—the cute, kind-looking girl? She’s your fiancée?”
“Yeah, that’s her. I know it’s a bit of an odd match—you know, in terms of social status—but her family was happy to agree to the engagement after I got into Class A.” He smiled. “She could have broken off the engagement at any time during the whole mess with Rudio and the club, but she stayed by my side through it all... She’s far too good for me, to be honest.” He frowned, shaking his head. “What did you want to ask me, though?”
I paused for a moment before finally replying, “What pet names do you use for each other?”
“I’m Ves, and she’s Nonnie. Now cut the crap and ask whatever it is you wanted to know!”
I slowly stood up and selected a suitably large piece of firewood from the pile nearby before proceeding to launch it into the fire (which Vesta just so happened to be sitting beside) with all my might. “DIE, YOU PIECE OF—”