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"Lady Katarina," a maid called to the young noblewoman, who had been daydreaming for quite some time.
A lady with long brown hair and a right-parted fringe turned her head. She had fair skin and a pair of blue eyes. Unlike other noble ladies who usually wore gowns, she was dressed in a garden uniform, a white bandana on her head, and a pair of white gloves.
She was Katarina Claes, the daughter of a duke, and although she was unaware of it, she had quite the reputation at school.
"Ah, Anne. Since when have you been standing there?"
The maid, Anne, walked up to Katarina and handed her a clean towel. Katarina used it to wipe the dirt off her face.
"Lady Katarina, the bell is about to ring. I suggest you return to the dorm and clean up before you're late."
'This is exactly why I told her she shouldn't be gardening right before class,' Anne thought to herself.
"Is that so? I should go now," Katarina said, suddenly realizing the time. Anne would take care of the equipment, allowing Katarina some extra time to run back to the dorm.
'Lately, I've been daydreaming a lot… even my friends have noticed,' Katarina thought as she ran toward the school building.
But she stopped for a moment. Why not take the shortcut?
With that thought, she turned away from the hallway and dashed into the forest. It was a dense, quiet place—most students avoided it. But Katarina, bold and fearless, didn't hesitate.
As she ran deeper, her attention was drawn to her surroundings. The area had changed. Ornamental structures shaped like flowers were scattered around. The trees looked different from the ones she usually saw around school, and even the grass was neatly trimmed, clearly taken care of.
Then, she saw it.
A single huge tree, far larger than the others. As the wind passed by, pink petals gently fell from its branches like snowflakes.
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POV - Katarina Claes
A sakura tree!?
I was genuinely surprised. I didn't know we had something like this at school. If it existed, surely it would've been mentioned in the game, right? This place is so beautiful—it feels like it should've been part of an important event.
Slowly, I walked toward the tree. The sight of the pink petals reminded me of home—of Japan. It made me feel... homesick.
I didn't know how long I stand there under the tree. At some point, I almost tripped and nearly stepped on a book. When I crouched down to pick it up, I realized something.
There was someone here.
Sleeping soundly, resting against the tree.
Red hair—deep crimson like blood, even more vivid than the student council president's. That's right… red hair was rare here. Hers looked so soft. Her skin was pale, her cheeks round and delicate, almost inviting a gentle pinch. Her lips, pale pink like a peach, made one wonder if they tasted as sweet. Long, fluttery lashes framed her closed eyes. Then they opened—
Eyes like molten gold and sharp black pupils.
"What are you staring at?"
I flinched. I hadn't realized how long I'd been staring. Even her voice was nice… Her sharp cat eyes-like sharply glance at me.
I turned my head away quickly, my face burning with embarrassment. My whole face—no, even my neck—felt warm.
"S-sorry!"
I slowly turned back to her after calming down a little. She stretched her arms up, and I couldn't help but notice how the movement slightly pushed her chest forward.
"H-here," I said, handing her the book I picked up. "This is yours, right?"
She nodded and reached out. Our fingers brushed slightly—and my heart skipped.
"Thanks."
"No problem."
"By the way, what's your name?"
She give me a quick glance as she brushing all the petals from her head and body. "Claire Keres. You're Katarina Claes, isn't is? I've heard a lot about you."
"I-is that so?"
She knows about me.
Both of us got up and began walking back to the school together — or rather, I just followed a step behind her. We quietly walked down the hallway, and I realized we were heading in the same direction.
"Um…" I tried to break the silence, "what was that place? I never knew we had something like that."
"It's called the Verdant Garden," Claire replied calmly. "That place used to be one of the old gardens a long time ago, before they built the new one. It's been abandoned for years." No wonder no one knows about it anymore.
"I see…" I murmured, feeling a bit excited. I want to go there again.
Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice.
"Lady Katarina!"
Looking up, I saw Sophia and Mary rushing toward me.
"Where have you been? Class is about to start!" Sophia scolded lightly.
"Ah, right! And this—" I turned to introduce Claire, but when I looked beside me, she was gone.
"Huh? She was just here…"
"Lady Katarina, let's hurry!" Mary urged.
"Ah—coming!" I called back, glancing once more down the hallway. I wonder if I'll meet her again…
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'My head feels a bit strange today. Well… not the first time, I guess.'
Claire lightly massaged her temple, feeling the dull throb in her head.
"Are you alright, Lady Claire?"
"Yeah… I'm fine. Just didn't sleep well."Claire gave a small shrug and turned back toward the front of the class, ignoring the teacher's voice droning on.
Even though she played it off, Janetta still looked a bit worried.
Before long, the class ended, and students began packing up to head off to their next classes or club activities.
"I'll head off first," Claire said, gathering her things swiftly and leaving without much pause.
"Alright then," Janetta replied, glancing at her friend Annisa Yermin, who stood nearby.
"Don't you think Lady Claire's been acting strange lately?" Janetta murmured as they walked together toward the library.
"I dunno. She seems as cold and distant as usual," Annisa replied with a raised eyebrow. Janetta sighed softly but didn't push it further.
Meanwhile, Claire walked down the hallway, passing groups of students without sparing anyone a glance.
'Lately, my sleep has been all over the place. I'm not even sure what's causing it. The headaches keep coming and going out of nowhere…'
She sighed, gently rubbing her forehead.
'Still, at least I've been able to focus on my latest project. For now, let's—'
Thump!
"!?"
Claire stumbled back, startled, as her forehead slammed straight into a wooden door that had just swung open from the other side. She lost her balance, books and papers slipping from her hands and scattering on the floor. But the sharp sting in her forehead pulled her attention away from everything else.
"Oh! I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention!"
Claire blinked, looking up. Before her stood a girl with short blonde hair, some of it tied back with a ribbon, and warm blue eyes. Her face radiated kindness and gentle worry.
"L-Let me help you—"Maria crouched down, reaching out as a faint healing glow gathered in her palm.
But Claire sharply pushed her hand away with the back of her own.
"Tch. No need." Her cold voice made Maria flinch slightly, the magic fading from her fingers.
Without waiting, Claire swiftly scooped up her scattered things and rose to her feet, walking away briskly before Maria could say another word.
Maria watched her go, still slightly shaken.
Maria stood there for a moment, hugging her books to her chest, her blue eyes lingering on Claire's retreating figure.
'She didn't even let me help…' Maria's lips pressed together, worry flickering across her gentle face. She had seen Claire around before — always quiet, always distant — but this was the first time they had directly crossed paths.
"I wonder if we could get along," Maria murmured softly to herself before turning and heading off to the student council room.
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POV - Claire Keres
Can my day get any worse?
I don't even know who I'm complaining to, but I feel the urge to release this emotion. Ah, why does it hurt so much?
It's always like this — unexpected accidents every single day. It reminds me of how Lady Annisa once gave me a nickname: "Black Cat," symbolizing bad luck.
I gently rubbed my forehead. I think it might leave a mark for a while.
After a long walk, I finally arrived at the door of the Magic Research Club and slowly opened it before stepping inside. I could hear the door softly closing behind me with a gentle thump.
"Nice to see you here already, Lady Claire," greeted Armin Grey, the club president. With his medium-long dark brown hair tied in a low ponytail and his thoughtful brown eyes, Armin was a year older than me — and one of the top five students in his year.
But beyond that, Armin had a secret business not many students or teachers knew about. He gathered information — whether from studies, rumors, exams, or even unrelated matters, he usually knew something about them. It was thanks to him that I first heard about the long-forgotten Verdant Garden.
I gave him a small nod, watching as he approached with a pile of papers in hand and set them on the table in front of me.
"Here's the information about each magic potion I could gather for you," Armin said. "If you want more specific details, I recommend checking the library. I'm not sure if they have everything, but you'll likely find some useful material."
"Thank you for your hard work. I'll send my maid later with the payment." I placed a small item on top of the pile before picking up the papers and heading to the door. Armin walked with me, holding the door open.
"If there's anything else you want to know, don't hesitate to come see me."
I offered him a faint smile and a nod before walking away.
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Inside the student council room, Maria Campbell looked troubled as she stared at her paperwork, unable to focus.
"Maria-san, are you alright?"
Maria snapped out of her daze as she heard the student council president approach, holding a file in his hand.
"Ah, Sirius-san… No, it's nothing much. I just… feel a little bad about something," she said softly, glancing down at her now-cold tea.
"What's wrong? Maybe I can help?" Sirius asked gently, concern in his voice.
"Well, I kind of accidentally bumped into someone… or rather, I opened a door right into someone. It looked painful, and I wanted to help, but she refused. I just… feel a bit guilty even though it was an accident."
"Really? Do you know who she was, if I may ask?" Sirius asked, a hint of curiosity in his tone.
"Lady Keres. Do you know her?"
Sirius's eyes widened slightly, but he quickly composed himself — though Maria noticed the brief pause.
"You mean Claire Keres, right? Well… she's been something of a topic around the school, so I've heard about her," he said, walking over to the cabinet to file some papers. "Don't worry too much. Even if she seems cold, I'm sure she's actually warm on the inside."
Maria lowered her gaze for a moment, lost in thought.
Bam!
A hand slammed onto the table beside Maria just as she sat down with her tray of food, making her flinch.
When she looked up, she saw a group of noble ladies surrounding her — the same ones who had bullied her ever since she arrived at the academy.
Lunch had only just started, so there weren't many students around yet.
"Well, look who's here," sneered the girl who had slammed her hand down. "Daring to eat in the same place as nobles. Don't you know your place, commoner?"
Maria hesitated, unsure of what to do. The other students turned a blind eye, some quietly slipping away, while others continued eating as if nothing was happening. The hall was so silent you could probably hear a needle drop.
Clang—clang—clang—!
Before Maria could say anything, the sharp sound of metal hitting the floor echoed through the cafeteria, followed by the sound of a chair scraping back.
Maria and the noble girls turned their heads toward the source, eyes landing on a red-haired girl who had just stood up — not far from Maria's table.
"Sigh… I don't think I'm in the mood to eat anymore," Claire Keres murmured, her yellow eyes slowly lifting to meet the noble girls.
A cold shiver ran down their spines as her gaze settled on them — sharp, accusing, even though she hadn't said a single word to them. Still, none of them dared respond.
"Aria, help me clean my tray and prepare some tea. I'll be in the experimental room," Claire said calmly to the maid standing behind her before walking out of the cafeteria. The maid gave a small bow before dutifully gathering Claire's things.
"Tch. Let's go," the lead noble girl muttered, and the group walked away, as if the bullying had never happened.
As they left, the room filled with murmurs and whispers.
Maria sat in silence, staring blankly at the food in front of her, barely processing what had just happened — until faint gossip reached her ears.
"Did you see that? That was Claire Keres, wasn't it? Even those nobles don't want to mess with her."
"Yeah, I heard she's the child of a commoner. Just look at her hair color."
"Even so, she's adopted by Duke Harvey. Commoner or not, even an idiot knows not to mess with someone tied to the Harvey family."
"Forget it, noble or not, I wouldn't dare get close to her. Did you hear what she did to that noble guy who bullied her friend? The one who's mute?"
"Wasn't that guy engaged to one of those girls who were about to bully Maria? If it were me, I'd never show my face at school again."
Maria, still staring down at her untouched meal, silently tightened her grip on the spoon in her hand.