Chapter 3: The Last Friend

Now, for a change of pace, let us go back to Saint-Noel Academy.

While Grandmother Mia, Mother Anne, and even Mr. Ludwig were off fighting their own valiant battles, what do you think Miabel was up to?

“Aaah... It’s just as I thought. This is a dream. It has to be. I’m so happy here that it’s actually a little scary...”

She was having the time of her life. Carpe-ing the heck out of that diem, so to speak. How much diem was she carpe-ing, you ask? Well, about a sweet morning pancake and a nightly cup of hot chocolate’s worth each day, every day. Plus all the stuff in between. Of course, since school life consisted of more than just pancakes and hot chocolate, and she possessed a smidge more diligence than Mia, she got a good amount of exercise in every day as well going for long walks through the beautiful campus, short runs along the lakeshore, and even jumping in for a swim from time to time. It was, in fact, the ideal example of a healthy, balanced student lifestyle.

Granted, this was all because she’d been forced to stay at school during the summer break, and that was itself the result of her dismal academic performance, making her somewhat less suitable as a model of exemplary student behavior. But with Lynsha keeping a close eye on her, she was kept from descending into abject unproductivity. After all, “being able to do a pretty decent job so long as they tried hard” was a defining feature of Mia’s bloodline. While their steps tended to be slow and of occasionally dubious directionality, they nevertheless maintained a steady pace forward.

And that was why today, like she had all the other days, Bel went to the library. With the summer break in full swing, it was almost empty inside. The only ones present were Bel, Lynsha, and the librarian. After plopping herself down on her favorite windowside seat, Bel pushed her arms high into the air and stretched before deflating onto the desk like a leaking balloon. With eyes closed, her breathing promptly began slipping into the slow rhythm of slumber.

“Milady... I thought you came here to study.”

Lynsha, sitting across from her mistress, was not particularly amused. She eyed Bel admonishingly as she picked up one of the books she’d brought for herself. While Bel was studying, Lynsha had intended to do some studying of her own. She was quite eager to, in fact. Her brother being the way he was, somebody in her family had to pick up the respectability slack.

“Aha ha, I was just playing around, Miss Lynsha. You don’t have to stare at me like that. It’s sort of scary.” Bel smiled and waved her hands dismissively. Lynsha didn’t bite.

“You’re going to finish all your homework today before leaving, got it? And don’t try to run away. I’ve got my eyes on you.”

With a groan, Bel flattened herself onto the desk again. She peeked through drooping eyelids at the small mountain of homework.

“Aaah... I’m...so happy here...”

A small but genuine smile spread across her lips.

After about an hour of honest studying, Bel began wandering through the library. They’d agreed that once she finished all her work, she could spend the rest of the time reading. Having been raised by an author, being around books made Bel feel at home. For most of her life, she’d known only a world of rampant book burning, so the sheer wealth of volumes in Saint-Noel’s library was a breathtaking sight to behold. Walking amongst its stacks, she felt like she was in heaven.

“So many choices... I wonder what I should read today? I really like illustrated books about animals. Maybe I’ll read one of those. Oh, but the ones with pictures of cute-looking plants are good too...”

“Hey, you. Would you happen to be that girl who’s close to Princess Mia?”

A voice called out to her as she was looking through the book spines on a shelf. Puzzled, she turned around to find a girl staring at her with intent interest. The girl was about her age. She had soft, wavy hair that glowed gold and beautiful gray eyes that made her look like a doll. With a sweet, flowerlike smile, she waited for Bel to answer.

“Um... Yes, I think?” Bel answered with a curious tilt of her head. “Grand— I mean, Miss Mia is someone I look up to and respect a lot.”

“Hm? What was that? Grand?”

Frowning, the girl put a finger to her chin and tilted her head. Her hair fluttered with the motion, releasing a floral fragrance that quickly reached Bel’s nose. It smelled really good, so good that Bel started to feel her mind going blank.

“Oh well. Whatever. Recently, you’re always here in the library studying. Aren’t you going home for the summer?”

“Mm hm. It’s a little embarrassing to admit, but my grades on the exam before the break were bad, so I have to stay...”

“Huh. Really. You actually care about all that?” The girl snickered. “It doesn’t actually matter, you know. But whatever floats your boat.”

Bel scratched her head, puzzled by this response.

“Anyway, would you like to be Rina’s friend?” she asked with a cute smile and big, round eyes.

“Who?”

“Hm? Oh, I mean me. It’s my name. I’m Rina.”

She took a step back, held her skirt, and performed a curtsy. Bel caught a brief but striking glimpse of the skin on her legs in the process. It was startlingly white. Dreadfully, even. Almost sickly.

“Citrina Etoile Yellowmoon. Nice to make your acquaintance. I’m a first year student like you, Miabel.” She smiled that sweet smile again. “All my best friends call me Rina though, so I’d love it if you called me Rina too.”

“I see. Okay, Rina. In that case, you can call me Bel.”

Bel returned the curtsy in kind.

“Tee hee, wonderful. Please be kind to Rina, okay, Bel?” she chirped.

The thing that stood out to Bel the most about the girl was her smile. She really did have such a sweet smile.