The Glove and the Trap
I had to see the dormitory room first! If everyone ended up believing that I had been the one to issue the duel challenge, the explanation would need to be crystal clear. In the original story there had been an episode where several mob characters lined up to harass Elena by challenging her to duels. On the surface it looked like they were simply looking down on a commoner, but in truth it had all been orchestrated by Maria. Once Elena—encouraged by Erika—completely crushed the ringleader in a duel, the rest grew terrified and frantically withdrew their challenges. In that episode the narration made it clear that, among mages, withdrawing a duel challenge before it was officially accepted was considered a significant disgrace. In other words, losing was preferable to forfeiting, and the only way to cancel a duel was for the one who received the challenge to reject it outright. Of course, rejecting a duel also meant fully acknowledging and accepting whatever grievance the challenger had raised.
It was a little different from the unwritten rules about duels in the world I came from, but if that was how things worked in this novel, so be it. If I told everyone the truth—that I had never issued any duel challenge—and they refused to believe me, I would look like an idiot who had arbitrarily challenged Elena, got caught, and then panicked and withdrew it myself. That was the last thing I wanted.
So I had to push through. I was still weighing my options when I felt Elena’s eerie smile from across the hall. In that instant I realized this entire situation had been manufactured by the special-class student on purpose. No one else seemed to have noticed that smile. I didn’t know her exact reasons, but the girl standing before me clearly wanted to destroy me. By forcing me down the path of a villainess. By dragging me onto the battlefield.
Fortunately, aside from Erika and the faculty, no one else had rushed into the auditorium. With relatively few eyes on me, I decided it was worth accepting a small amount of dishonor here.
“No, there was no duel challenge, Erika.”
“…Really? But no matter how I look at it, the situation…”
Erika watched with a calm expression as the academy professors hurried over to Elena and began casting healing magic to mend her wounds. I continued.
“While we were talking, the chandelier started shaking. I tried to stop it with magic, but I was too late. Everything happened so fast that I had no choice but to fling away the glass and glove I was holding.”
“And the special-class student’s injury was a result of that?”
“Yes, exactly.”
“It’s a plausible story. All right, I understand for now.”
I had considered telling the truth, but if I revealed that Elena Kerru had shown insane, manic hostility and threatened me, it would simply turn into an all-out truth-telling war with her. When ordinary villainesses clumsily tried to forge evidence or lie in a truth contest against the protagonist—who held the real “truth”—they always ended up utterly crushed. Elena Kerru was not the same character described in the original novel. Therefore, there was no guarantee that her “lies” wouldn’t be more convincing than my “truth.”
So the method I chose was also a lie.
The moment Erika nodded, apparently finding my story reasonable, Elena Kerru—who had just finished receiving treatment from the professors and was leaving the auditorium—approached me carefully and held out my white glove.
“Please… reconsider this, Lady Maria.”
Elena spoke clearly, pressing the glove into my hand. To anyone listening, it sounded exactly like the response of someone rejecting a duel challenge. Erika Waldmark’s eyebrows twitched, but she seemed to have decided not to press me any further on the matter inside the auditorium.
Zophy simply looked around the hall in silence and said nothing to me.
Erika shrugged.
“There must have been some misunderstanding. Shall we leave, Maria? The mood for enjoying the ball is gone, and it’s already late. We should head back to the dormitory.”
“What do you think, Zophy?”
I turned to Zophy, who still hadn’t spoken. She nodded at Erika’s suggestion.
“Yes, let’s go, my lady. You should check that all our luggage is safe and then get some rest.”
We hadn’t brought much, so it wouldn’t take long, but it was obvious Zophy also wanted to get out of the main building as quickly as possible. I shook the glass shards off the glove, slipped it back on, and walked out of the main building with Erika and Zophy, heading toward the dormitory.
On the way, Erika spoke.
“If this were simply a matter between you and that girl, I wouldn’t interfere any further. But… if it has to do with dissatisfaction toward the special-class student policy itself, then this becomes a political issue, Maria. It could be seen as the daughter of the Letiaponk family raising an objection to the imperial decision to accept special-class students. That kind of approach is unacceptable.”
“I told you, there was no duel challenge.”
“Then it’s an absurdly powerful trap.” Erika hesitated. “Whether your words are true or not, it’s clear that special-class student wanted to brand you as someone who issued a duel challenge. She seemed to be watching how you would react. She left the end of her sentence vague, giving you an escape route while still pushing forward. When the other party acts like that, it becomes very difficult for me to take your side without reservation, Maria.”
“Thanks for the advice. I’ll keep it in mind, Erika.”
“…Go inside and rest. Classes start tomorrow. We’ll talk about what happened later.”
Inside the dormitory building, in front of the stairs, I parted ways with Erika. Her room was on the first floor, while mine was on the second. Since Zophy was also assigned to the second floor, we had a little more time together.
As we climbed the stairs side by side, Zophy asked,
“I’m sorry. Did I cause you trouble by leaving you alone, my lady…?”
“My response was clumsy, Zophy. Don’t blame yourself. Besides, even if it was troublesome, it doesn’t seem like it will blow up into anything too serious. The wound was small. The chandelier was a bit expensive, but it’s manageable.”
“…May I ask exactly what happened?”
Zophy Polinbaroque. In the original story, even after Maria sued Elena, she continued to stand on Elena’s side as one of her villainous aides. She had hesitated when it came to opposing Erika, but considering Zophy’s role in the original work, I realized that if I kept the truth from her as well, I might eventually have no one left to confide in.
I nodded and pointed toward my room.
“Follow me. We’ll talk inside.”
“Yes, understood, my lady.”
Zophy smiled with a look of relief. It was probably because she felt reassured that I, who had been unable to let go of distrust and anxiety even toward Erika, had decided to place even greater trust in her.
I led Zophy into my room and examined the interior. The room was even more luxurious and extravagant than the one I had used at the Letiaponk ducal residence. Rich red velvet decorations, a bed so enormous that three people could lie on it with room for a bear beside them, two bathrooms plus a separate powder room—three toilets in total…
I was careful not to react too strongly; if I showed my honest feelings I would seem far too unsophisticated for a noble young lady. I sat down on the edge of the bed with restrained poise.
“I thought this was a private party room. The academy really doesn’t do things by half, does it? They’re giving me this entire room to myself?”
Zophy let out a small huff of amusement.
“It must be the special treatment they give to someone from Letiaponk. My room definitely won’t be this nice.”
“The bed is too big. Bigger isn’t always better when it comes to mattresses—this thing is so soft that if you sink into it, you might need magic just to get back up.”
“For a young lady who is never satisfied with just one woman, isn’t this size just right?”
She was clearly still holding onto what happened during the dance with Erika.
“Hey, Zophy. I keep telling you I’m not some playboy…”
“Then you’re the kind of playboy who takes them one at a time. Though I suppose you might think this bed is a little large for just two people.”
“In that case, would you like to be the first one to climb in after me, Zophy?”
“The first? That’s quite the honor, my lady. To be first while Her Highness the Imperial Princess Waldmark is present… though whether it’s truly the very first might require further verification…”
I walked over to Zophy and gave her a light knuckle on the head. Zophy’s eyes widened in surprise for a moment, but when she saw my expression she burst into giggles and rubbed her own head.
“You really are restless. You know I’m not actually jealous, right?”
“Zophy, I can believe almost anything you say, but I’m not sure I can believe that one.”
“It’s true. You’re such a kind person, my lady. It’s so entertaining to watch you fidget and worry that you might have hurt me if I act even a little clingy. But I should stop teasing you for today. After all, we didn’t come here to talk about Her Highness the Princess.”
Zophy walked over to the bed and plopped down right beside the spot where I had been sitting.
“Please tell me, my lady. What exactly happened in that auditorium?”