Cyril Ashley was not the kind of person who took the initiative to hold a tea party. But just two days before the school festival, he rented one of the private tea rooms in the school. Moreover, he only invited one person, and that's his sister Claudia Ashley. Both siblings were not the type who would have a friendly and harmonious chat at a tea party. In other words, he invited her to talk in private in the name of a tea party. Perhaps understanding this notion, Claudia quietly took a sip of her tea with a deeply annoyed expression on her beautiful face, and said,
"…so what do you want from me for having invited me here?"
Cyril's glad he didn't have to make some pleasantries, as he himself had no intention of making idle chitchat, so he spoke briefly of his reasons for calling Claudia.
"Let me borrow your dress."
Claudia was silent for a full ten seconds as she lifted her cup of tea. During this time, she didn't even blink, which made Cyril feel uneasy, as if he was talking to a wax figure.
After having fully stirred up her brother's anxiety, Claudia said a few words.
"……I had no idea my dear brother had a thing for cross-dressing."
Cyril felt the urge to shout, but he held it in and said with a twitch in his cheek.
"Why is it assumed that I'm going to wear it?"
"Oh, you haven't heard? Well, according to the voting held in the school secretly to decide the suitable person for the heroine of the festival play, the first Queen Amelia, Bridget Graham got the first place as a result… and you came in second."
"What!?"
He had never heard any of it.
Sitting across from Cyril, who was in utter disbelief, Claudia smiled a meaningful and eerie smile that stirred up anxiety in the viewer.
"For your information, I got the third place… To be honest, I'm not even happy to be ranked in such a thing, but I couldn't stop laughing when I saw your name and mine lined up in second and third place." smiled Claudia beautifully but emotionlessly.
Cyril, who had no idea that such a vote was being held in secret, gritted his teeth.
Well, whatever the result of the vote, student council members like Bridget and Cyril can't afford to be there on stage, and Claudia would never be in the play given her personality.
In the end, Miss Eliane, who was placed fourth, was chosen to play the role of queen. Eliane is a distant relative of Felix from his mother's side, and is one of the three most beautiful women in the school, along with Bridget and Claudia. Though she was somewhat of a dreamy, delicate, and fleeting girl, it would be another matter whether she was suitable for the role of Queen Amelia, which was a strong, noble, and wise woman.
"…So, could you tell me your reason for asking me to borrow my dress?"
After having given many sarcastic remarks to her brother, Claudia returned to the topic at hand with an indifferent look on her face.
Cyril himself did not want to continue with the current topic, so he cleared his throat lightly and told her the circumstances.
"Well, you see… I hope you could lend your dress to Treasurer Norton."
Students are expected to wear formal attire when attending the ball at the end of the school festival. Since no one participates in school uniform. However, given Monica's circumstances and personality, we can safely assume that she didn't own any dress. And as a member of the student council, she could not afford to be absent from the ball.
"If Treasurer Norton were to attend the ball in school uniform, it would be a disgrace to our student council, or in other words, to His Highness. And it's my duty as His Highness's right-hand man to make arrangements in advance so as not to embarrass His Highness…"
"Students can borrow a dress from one of their classmates, so what I heard."
At Claudia's remark, Cyril stiffened for a moment, then drank his tea with a rather restless gesture, but then snorted haughtily.
"Then, my request won't be a problem for you, yes?"
"Of course it will, there's no way my dress would fit on Monica… though it would look much better on you."
"………"
The height difference between the tall Claudia even for a girl, and the petite Monica was too great. If anything, Cyril, who was slender despite being a boy, was closer to Claudia's size.
In secret, Cyril was disturbed by this notion as a blue streak popped up on his temple, but he kept his expression as if nothing happened before opening the lid of the sugar pot.
Claudia watched him impassively and said.
"You know, I've been wondering, what made my dear brother, who would prefer death than having a tea party with me, had invited me to his tea party… I see… now I understand…"
"I told you, this is to ensure the success of the school festival…"
"You must have really wanted to see Monica in a dress."
The spoon and sugar inside the sugar pot spilled over into Cyril's teacup. But when the spoon almost dropped into the cup, he hurriedly put the spoon back into the sugar pot and glared at Claudia.
"A student council member is a role model for all students. That's why I've made the necessary arrangements so to uphold that goal…"
Claudia was no longer listening to Cyril as she took a bite of the cookie with a look of deep concern on her face, but when she looked at the vase of flowers on the table, she suddenly remembered something.
"That reminds me, is Neil…"
"Why does the name of General Affairs Manager Maywood come up here?"
"…What's wrong with me talking about my own fiancé? So, will Neil be busy this year?"
"Of course he will."
On the day of the festival, Felix was probably the busiest person on the surface since he's to greet everyone, but if you think who's the busiest person behind the scenes, it was actually General Affairs Manager Neil.
Managing supplies, arranging meals, and so on, and when there are problems that arise, he had to deal with them. Moreover, there are many other things to do, such as keeping in close contact with the heads of each department before sharing all those information with the student council members.
Once Cyril affirmed the obvious, Claudia lowered her long eyelashes and let out a sigh with a slightly depressed look on her face.
"…I see. I guess I won't get any flower this year either."
"Flower? Oh, you mean the custom giving floral ornaments."
At Serendia Academy, there's a custom of boys giving flower ornaments to girls during the school festival.
A flower ornament represents the expression of "I want you to be the first to dance with me at the ball," and if the girl who received the ornament wore it, it meant that she had accepted the invitation to dance.
The colors of the flowers and ribbons were often the same as the color of the giver's hair and eyes, so those who look at them can easily tell who gave them to them.
Though it's not a mandatory event, most of the people who participated actually have already been engaged.
"…I didn't dance with Neil at the ball last year."
"Maywood General Affairs Manager is a very busy man, after all."
"…and I didn't even get a floral ornament."
"What does it matter? Flower ornaments are just an event for fun."
Claudia tilted her head slightly with a doll-like blank expression. Her beautiful lapis lazuli eyes looked at her brother in a somewhat contempt manner.
"…you don't understand woman's heart at all."
Cyril fell silent, and Claudia mumbled to herself, hardly moving her mouth.
"…Do you know how a girl who hasn't received a floral ornament is looked at? …'A leftover who is not taken in by anyone.'"
"That's just their assumptions. At least on the boys' side, they don't look at girls that way…"
"Exactly, even if the boys don't think so, the girls just take it upon themselves to make assumptions about each other… deceitful, isn't it?"
Cyril gulped as he felt the chill in Claudia's voice that sent shivers down his spine. Then he opened his mouth to cover up the fact that he was pressured by his sister.
"But, you… you'd received floral ornaments from a dozen people at last year's school festival."
Despite the fact that she has a fiancé named Neil, there were always a number of people who come forward every year to claim that they are worthy of being Claudia's fiancé.
Claudia's overwhelming beauty and brains must be coveted by those who want excellent and beautiful children. That's why the direct bloodline of the Marquis Highon household is highly regarded even within the kingdom.
Those who think that they are more suitable to be Claudia's husband than the son of a humble baronet will flock to Claudia with flower ornaments on the day of the school festival.
"… I would never accept flowers from anyone but Neil."
Claudia looked at Cyril with a look of deep contempt. Giving him a look of ‘you should not make me say something that is so obvious now.'
Cyril felt slightly awkward and cleared his throat.
"General Affairs Manager Maywood is an honest man. The only reason he didn't send you a floral ornament is probably that he was too busy to dance that day."
Claudia probably knew that, too.
"I guess so," she muttered shortly, her lapis lazuli eyes looking idly outside. And then, as if talking to herself, she murmured.
"Actually, I neither like nor dislike you, but…"
"Now, that's out of the blue."
"If I had to pick one, I'd say I like Neil."
Cyril snorted haughtily and took a sip of his sweet tea.
"It's just that their eyes are too blind to see the capabilities of General Affairs Manager Maywood."
"Yes, they are," muttered Claudia in an unusual gentle voice.
As he sipped his tea, Cyril thought of a certain girl.
Student Council Treasurer Monica Norton was the cause of Cyril's concern. Does she also want a flower ornament from someone? Would she be feeling miserable if no one gave her a flower ornament?
…no, I doubt Treasurer Norton would want to dance in the first place.
Cyril's concerns were unfounded, of course.
Monica, who hated to be seen in public and was not good at dance, would hardly want to dance at a ball.
＊ ＊ ＊
The day before the school festival, Monica Norton arrived at the student council room, but she seemed to be acting strangely. She suddenly flapped her clothes on the spot and performed a bizarre step.
"…Treasurer Norton, what are you doing?"
Cyril gave her a stare, and Monica stiffly responded with a smile.
"W-Well… you see… I… right, I'm practicing ballroom dance for the upcoming ball… I-I'm looking forward to the ball…"
Those words shocked Cyril from the bottom of his heart.
That Treasurer Norton was interested in the dance! Not only was she interested in dancing, but she was also looking forward to it!
He had thought she would never be interested in the ball, but, could it be… no wait, come to think of it, Monica was wearing makeup on the day of the chess tournament. Maybe she has become interested in those things that normal girls like to do.
That in and of itself was not a bad thing. It's not a bad thing, but…why did he feel bothered? And so much of it.
As if to deceive his bewilderment, Cyril raised his eyebrows and stared at Monica.
"…You're not going to tell me that those bizarre steps are a dance, are you? What were those training days for?"
"I-I… O-O-Of course I remember… Look, one-two-three, one-two-three…"
After saying that, Monica tried to do some dance steps on the spot. It was a terrible step. The steps he taught her a while ago were a little better…
…Ah, now I understand.
Cyril realized what was bothering him.
If Monica performed badly at the dance ball, it would be a disgrace to the student council. The thought of it had made him feel uneasy. That's why it bothered him so much. That must be it. It had to be.
Therefore, he thought of a simple solution.
If I or His Highness take the lead, Treasurer Norton's dance will be a little better… but I can't trouble His Highness with this, so it's only logical for me to look after her.
So Cyril concluded, and the fuzziness in his chest cleared up. But he didn't seem to notice, that Neil was looking at him strangely as he began to work in a very good mood.
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