Chapter 40 - The Shadow of the Past
"It has been a long time, Rachel-sama."
That soft, gentle voice made my heart skip a beat. Her long blonde hair was tightly curled, and her eyes, which were naturally drooping, were made to look otherwise by her heavy makeup. Her lips, painted bright red, were curved into a clear smile. There was no mistake; the girl before me was Katrina-sama, the person I had once believed to be my best friend.
Behind her stood the twin daughters of a Count, Wilhelmina and Euphemia.
"It has been a long time, Katrina-sama."
I made sure not to let my cold sweat show and put on a smile just like hers. Katrina-sama seemed pleased and nodded, then lowered her brows in feigned concern as she peered at my face.
"I was so worried. You didn't contact me at all, and I thought you might have forgotten about me..."
"No, of course not."
"I thought so. After all, you and I are best friends, aren't we?"
Best friends... were we?
Katrina-sama, still smiling, turned to the twins behind her. "Isn't that right?" she asked. "Yes, of course," they replied in unison, following her lead.
It seems they're still together this time as well.
Still, I felt a sense of dissonance. In the past, these two would agree with anything I said. Now, they seemed to be gauging Katrina-sama's reactions. Perhaps the fact that I didn't enroll at the usual time had caused a shift in their social dynamics.
I had first met Katrina-sama when I was ten years old, at a tea party hosted by my family. Since then, we had seen each other at various tea parties. Gradually, we spoke more, and we began visiting each other's homes. Having few friends, I was happy to be welcomed by the Higgins family and began visiting them almost every week.
However, our relationship shifted slightly when the topic of His Highness's fiancée arose. Since Katrina-sama and I were both daughters of Marquises and close in age to His Highness, there were rumors that one of us would be chosen. In the end, I was selected. The reason, however, was simply my high magical power. It wasn't that Katrina-sama's magic was low; it was above average for a noble daughter. Still, it seemed the Higgins family wasn't particularly pleased. Katrina-sama's mother, who had hoped her daughter would be the fiancée, always seemed unable to hide her jealousy when she saw me. Because of that, we had grown somewhat distant in the year leading up to enrollment.
As I was lost in thought, Katrina-sama clapped her hands together in front of her chest and blinked her long eyelashes.
"Oh, I know, Rachel-sama. Are you free after school?"
"After school?"
"Yes, we usually spend our time in the cafeteria after school. Would you like to join us?"
I had forgotten. Back then, it was our daily routine to spend an hour or so chatting at a specific window seat in the cafeteria. Now, I wondered what we could have possibly had to talk about every single day. But after school... I remembered my conversation with His Highness. He had said he would come to pick me up.
"I'm sorry. I have plans after school..."
"Oh? Is something the matter?"
"Yes, His Highness is scheduled to give me a tour of the school."
I looked down apologetically. Katrina-sama seemed surprised by the mention of His Highness's name, her eyes widening for a split second. It was only for a moment, and she quickly regained her smile. However, her eyes weren't smiling at all; instead, they were filled with irritation.
"A tour from His Highness... as expected of his fiancée. But His Highness must be busy, so perhaps we could show you around instead?"
"Katrina-sama is so thoughtful!"
"Yes, let's do that!"
Katrina-sama looked as if she'd had a brilliant idea, and the twins chimed in with their agreement. I tried to decline politely, but she wouldn't listen. In fact, her tone became slightly sharp when she mentioned His Highness.
She was like this before, too, I thought with a wry smile. But while I had been manipulated by her in the past, I wouldn't be now. I decided to refuse firmly. Just as I opened my mouth, a dignified voice spoke from beside me.
"Why don't you leave it at that, Miss Higgins? You're troubling Miss Marcel."
I turned my gaze to the side. Abbott-san, who was sitting next to me, had snapped her textbook shut. She was scolding Katrina-sama in a stern voice. Katrina-sama furrowed her brows and glared at her. "Don't butt into our conversation."
Abbott-san didn't seem bothered by the glare at all. "Miss Higgins, class is about to start. I understand you like to talk, but shouldn't you be getting to your seat?"
"I know that without you telling me!"
Katrina-sama gave Abbott-san one last glare and reluctantly returned to her seat. A moment later, the twins also glared at Abbott-san before following her.
I let out a small sigh. At this rate, she'd likely say something else later. I'd have to be careful. Still, I felt a sense of respect for Abbott-san for speaking so clearly. To settle my past, I might need to follow her example.
"Abbott-san, thank you."
"No, I overstepped my bounds."
"Not at all, you helped me."
"I've been wanting to say something to them for a while now. It was a good opportunity," Abbott-san said with a mischievous smile, and I couldn't help but let out a giggle.
"Um, Abbott-san. If you don't mind, could you tell me how far the lessons have progressed?"
"Yes, of course."
I used the excuse I'd thought of earlier to start a conversation, and she nodded readily. The teacher arrived shortly after, ending our talk. However, I found more opportunities to speak with Abbott-san between classes. We started with schoolwork, but eventually moved on to our favorite books. Finding that our tastes were similar, the conversation flowed better than I expected. As a result, I didn't feel awkward during the breaks, and my first day of school ended in a flash.
Ah, what a waste I've been making. I didn't realize there was such a wonderful person in my class.
Incidentally, Katrina-sama seemed to find Abbott-san difficult to deal with. I felt her gaze several times, but she didn't approach while I was talking to Abbott-san. Still, I was relieved to have finished the day without incident. The tension in my shoulders felt much lighter.
As I was packing my textbooks and reflecting on the day, the hallway outside began to buzz with excitement. I looked around the room, and everyone was staring at the door. "It seems your ride is here," Abbott-san said, pointing toward the door. I turned around and saw a figure peeking into the classroom.
"Rachel."
The moment I turned, His Highness peeked his head through the door and gave me a sweet smile. I felt my face flush at that meltingly gentle expression. But I wasn't the only one shocked by his smile; high-pitched squeals and sighs echoed from all over the classroom.
"Are you ready to go?"
"Ah, yes!"
I hurriedly grabbed my bag. I took a step forward, then remembered something and turned back. Abbott-san looked surprised by my sudden movement. "Abbott-san, thank you for today."
"No problem. See you tomorrow."
I bowed slightly, and she waved with a gentle smile. I waved back, feeling a bit embarrassed but happy. "Yes, see you tomorrow."
Then, I walked toward His Highness, who was waiting for me with a kind smile.
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