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Book 12: Chapter 1: To My Eternal Rival

As Monica boarded the Kerbeck Count\'s carriage, Isabelle, who had boarded earlier, embraced Monica tightly.

"Big Sister Monica, I\'ve been longing to see you! I heard that last month, you and Prince Felix together defeated the cursed dragon in Reinberg! As expected of Big Sister Monica You\'re as amazing as ever! My spirits are soaring!"

Agatha, Isabelle\'s maid, chided the excited Isabelle with a calm tone.

"Excuse me, My Lady, the coachman can\'t bring out the carriage like this."

Reprimanded by Agatha, Isabelle blushed and took her seat. Nevertheless, since Isabelle was still holding onto Monica\'s arm, Monica naturally ended up sitting beside her.

As the carriage started moving slowly, Isabelle bombarded Monica with questions about the dragon-slaying incident. How big was the dragon, and how did they manage to defeat it?

While Monica stumbled through the barrage of questions, Agatha interjected gently.

"My Lady, perhaps it\'s better to tell Miss Monica about the recent matter?"

Isabelle suddenly looked up and covered her mouth with her hand.

"You\'re right, that\'s true."

"The recent matter?"

"I have something important to report to you, Big Sister Monica."

Isabelle straightened herself properly and proceeded to explain an incident that had occurred right after the winter break had started.

Apparently, there had been someone in the Kerbeck Count\'s territory asking around about the existence of a girl named Monica. This person had been inquiring at various places, including a monastery within the Kerbeck territory.

Moreover, it seemed that this person had managed to sneak into the Kerbeck Count\'s mansion.

Hearing this, Monica turned pale.

As part of her cover to infiltrate Serendia Academy, Louis had devised a backstory for Monica Norton: "She had been living in a monastery but was taken in by the former Countess of Kerbeck." And the fact that someone had specifically looked into the monastery meant that someone was doubting Monica\'s background.

"During the winter break, Agatha posed as you, Miss Monica. The townspeople are also cooperating with our story. I don\'t think anyone has caught on."

"Th-thank you"

Monica expressed gratitude while feeling uneasy inside.

If someone was questioning the existence of Monica Norton, it was highly likely that the person was somehow connected to Serendia Academy.

And the person with the highest likelihood, at this point, was

Could it be Prince Felix?

Back in the Reinberg Duchy, Felix had been convinced that the Silent Witch was someone from Serendia Academy. Therefore, investigating Monica\'s background as a potential candidate for the Silent Witch was entirely plausible.

Judging by the reaction during the New Year\'s ceremony, I don\'t think my true identity has been exposed I hope

If the one inquiring about Monica Norton wasn\'t Felix, then Monica couldn\'t fathom who else it might be.

As if sensing an invisible enemy lurking behind her, Isabelle took something out of her baggage.

"In light of that I\'ve come up with a plan for after the winter break."

".? A plan?"

"Yes, here it is."

Isabelle presented Monica with a diary.

Taking it and flipping through the pages, Monica realized that the diary contained detailed accounts of Isabelle\'s experiences during the winter break. The noteworthy aspect was that the diary contained entries involving Monica herself.

"Today, I went on an inspection to Averon. But honestly, why must that woman accompany me on these visits? Instead of having her as an attendant, I made her carry my belongings, and she immediately started whining. So, I skipped her meal as punishment (continued)."

"Oh, what a disaster! That woman, with her carelessness, managed to break my favorite cup. That new aqua-colored cup from Phalim May I adored the delicate vine rose pattern! Naturally, there was no way I could forgive her, so I banished her to the stable. Having such a woman in the same estate is no joke! She\'s even worse off than livestock, that woman. Even the stable is too luxurious for her! (continued)."

Seeing Monica utterly speechless, Isabelle\'s eyes sparkled as she spoke.

"How do you like it?"

How should Monica respond to that? For now, she decided to ask what she genuinely thought.

"Um, well What is this?"

"It\'s my winter holiday diary. A masterpiece I wrote with Agatha\'s input."

The diary, for all intents and purposes, was remarkably detailed in its descriptions. It covered everything from the interior of Count Kerbeck\'s estate to the colors and designs of Isabelle\'s dresses, and even the design and pattern of the (supposedly) broken cup Monica was responsible for. The level of detail in the descriptions was extraordinary.

Seeing Monica\'s confusion, Isabelle spoke with a serious expression.

"After the winter break, discussions at tea parties usually revolve around what happened during the holidays. So, even if your friends ask you about your winter break experiences, having read this, you\'ll be perfectly prepared!"

"I see!"

Monica\'s actual winter holiday consisted of the dragon incident in Duke Reinberg\'s territory, going to her foster mother\'s house, and attending New Year\'s ceremonies and banquets at the royal palace. Naturally, she couldn\'t honestly divulge all of that. However, if she kept the contents of this diary in mind, she could smoothly handle winter break conversations without having to come up with excuses.

But I wonder if I can really share this with anyone?

Monica pondered this question as she mentally simulated the situation.

First, Monica thought of Lana.

"What did you do over the winter break, Monica?"

"I helped Lady Isabelle with her luggage, but I was made to skip meals."

Next, Monica thought of Glenn.

"What kind of delicious meals did you have during the break, Monica?"

"I was driven to the stables and had nothing but muddy water for meals."

This was still somewhat difficult to talk about with others but dismissing Isabelle\'s goodwill was also something she couldn\'t bring herself to do. For the time being, Monica resolved to read through this diary, which was the thickness of a short story, by tomorrow morning.

The attic, untouched for a long time, had gathered a bit of dust.

Monica opened the window for some ventilation and pulled Nero out of her luggage bag. Nero seemed to still be in hibernation, occasionally waking up to drink a little water before immediately curling up to sleep again.

Monica lined an empty basket with a warm cloth and gently placed Nero inside, whispering, "Wake up soon."

About to roll up her sleeves to start cleaning, Monica suddenly noticed a letter placed on the desk. It seemed that during the winter break, a letter had arrived for her and the dorm supervisor had delivered it to her room.

Curious about the sender, Monica picked up the envelope and was surprised by the name written on it.

Bernie Jones.

He was a former schoolmate from her time at Minerva, now a boy who had become her rival.

Setting aside her cleaning plans, Monica carefully opened the envelope with a paper-knife.

"To my eternal rival, how have you been?

I, the capable one, have been diligently studying and touring my estate every day, preparing to become the next Earl.

Although I would have liked to attend the New Year\'s ceremony as the next heir, I am unable to do so due to my brother\'s recent passing, which is regrettable.

Now, despite my busy schedule, I have taken up the pen to provide you with useful information. As your lifetime rival, I thought it fitting to offer you assistance through this letter.

Though you might want to sob in gratitude, once you lay your eyes upon the information I\'m about to disclose, you might find yourself sobbing for an entirely different reason.

Are you ready? Take a deep breath now, make sure not to scream, and read the second piece of paper."

As the letter instructed, Monica took a deep breath and covered her mouth with her hand, then unfolded the second sheet of paper.

"Are you mentally prepared? Very well, then I shall convey the message to you.

One of the most notorious troublemakers at Minerva, Senior Hubert Day, has recently been expelled from Minerva and is set to transfer to Serendia Academy this winter.

Yes, that\'s right. The same Hubert Day who ardently pursued you during your time at Minerva, continuously challenging you to magical battles, that eccentric combat enthusiast.

Senior Day is likely unaware of your undercover status at Serendia Academy. Nevertheless, it\'s undeniable that if he were to find you, he would undoubtedly challenge you to a magical battle.

Please be sure to avoid being discovered by Senior Day and continue to fulfill your mission while keeping your shaking tendency day and night.

Yours truly, your lifelong rival, Barnie Jones."

Monica didn\'t scream, but her breathing turned into a hoarse gasping as she covered her mouth with her hand. Her small frame trembled, and sweat beaded all over her body.

"Se-se-se, Senior Day is coming!?"

Hubert Day was a senior during Monica\'s time at Minerva. He was known for being the nephew of one of the Seven Sages, the Altilery Magician, and was notorious for his aggressive and dangerous nature.

Coming from a prestigious family, Hubert had caused numerous violent incidents during his time at Minerva. Due to his behavior, he had repeated multiple years and was one of Minerva\'s top five infamous troublemakers.

About a decade ago, there was a legendary problem child at Minerva known as the "Minerva Delinquent." Although not as widely recognized, Hubert was said to rival this title and was referred to behind closed doors as the "Second Minerva Delinquent."

Hubert had a penchant for magical battles conducted within special barriers and would challenge anyoneteachers, upperclassmen, it didn\'t matter. He had a fiery temperament similar to that of the Artillery Magician, but his inability to communicate effectively was where Hubert excelled. His overbearing behavior surpassed even that of Nero, and it was truly challenging to put into words.

Three years ago, which Monica vividly remembered, she had found herself in a magical battle against Hubert. Overwhelmed by fear, as soon as the match began, she unleashed every attack spell she could muster without chanting In simple terms, she had soundly beaten Hubert.

Since then, Monica had been firmly on Hubert\'s radar, chased and challenged to magical battles whenever the opportunity arose.

The reason Monica had become more reclusive and spent more time in her study wasn\'t just due to her shyness; it was also to evade Hubert\'s relentless pursuit.

"Wh-wh-wh-what should I dooooo?"

Even if she used makeup or disguises, there was little chance of fooling Hubert. While he appeared rough and uncouth, he had an astonishingly sharp observational eye.

Once she entered his field of vision, she would inevitably be dragged to a magical battle arena, and he would challenge her without mercy.

As if the stress of potentially being discovered by Felix or someone else digging into her background wasn\'t enough, now this additional problem had arisen!

Clutching Barnie\'s letter tightly, Monica\'s sobs grew more intense.