“Miss Meidell burned Miss Selmin’s arm?”

“Imagine doing something so violent in the middle of a test!”

“But I thought the Red Fairy had turned over a new leaf…”

The comments were flying so fast, Brigitte thought the trees might start swaying. Lisa was shaking as Ms. Naha held her. But Brigitte could see the smile on her lips.

“Hush, hush, everyone,” Ms. Naha said for the tenth time, but the students ignored her.

The students scattered through the woods must have heard the fuss, because they were arriving in a steady stream. And most were staring rudely at Brigitte. Sitting in the muddy road, she watched them detachedly.

…Just like always.

She had tried to change starting on the day Joseph ended their engagement.

From an arrogant person to a slightly down-to-earth one.

From ugly clothes to ones she liked a little more.

She had faced her problems head-on. She’d wanted to peel off her heavy makeup and try smiling one day.

Even here at the magic-stone hunt, I was trying so hard!

Despite all that, people were talking about her again. She was too overwhelmed by that reality to speak or stand up.

In the end, I—

“Brigitte.”

Suddenly, she heard a voice right next to her. She looked fearfully up…and was shocked to see someone she’d assumed had already left.

“Sir Yuri…”

There was tension on his face instead of his usual cool detachment.

“Brigitte, don’t look at the ground.”

His voice was distinctly lower than usual.

She wondered if he was angry with her for spoiling their competition. She stared harder at the ground, growing increasingly frightened. She was used to other people looking down on her. But Yuri—if Yuri did the same, well… Even the thought was enough to make her feel like she was choking.

Don’t cry…

She sniffled. Yuri shook her shoulder with a hint of frustration.

“Brigitte, can you hear me?”

“…”

“You didn’t do it, did you? Then hold your head high!”

Huh?

She couldn’t believe her ears. When she jerked her face up, he was looking straight at her. His eyes glowed with conviction and not a hint of dishonesty.

“I never doubted you, and neither did those two.”

Brigitte looked behind him. “Those two?”

“You still don’t remember our names, do you, Yuri…?”

There was a grumpy Nival and a despondent Kira.

Oh…

She finally understood.

She hadn’t seen anything in the darkness.

She had assumed that everyone hated her again. But when she finally looked around, she saw that most of her classmates were watching her anxiously. They were concerned for her, as if that was the natural response to all this. As for Yuri, he was smiling so faintly, she wasn’t sure if she was imagining it. That slightly ironic smile was so like him.

“Do you understand now? I’m saying we believe you.”

“…!”

The world blurred, and Brigitte scrubbed her eyes. This was no time to cry. She had something important to do.

“Can you stand?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

Rejecting the arm he offered, she stood up slowly. She tottered slightly, but she felt much stronger than she had a few minutes ago.

Calm down. Breathe in, breathe out. You’re fine…

“Ms. Naha?”

She managed to keep her voice from shaking. Ms. Naha looked rather nonplussed with Lisa clinging to her. She gazed at Brigitte.

“Ms. Naha, I did not hurt Miss Selmin,” she said confidently. Another buzz ran through the gathered students.

Kira stepped forward. “I can testify to what I saw. Li…Miss Lisa suddenly appeared with a torch at the cave where Miss Brigitte and I were resting. Miss Brigitte told me to run for help, since something seemed very wrong!”

Kira must have been terrified to stand up in front of so many people, because her legs were shaking, and her voice broke…but for Brigitte’s sake, she stayed where she was.

Lisa stared at the two of them hatefully.

“Don’t let them fool you! They’re liars!” she screamed. “Ms. Naha, Brigitte has been harassing me because she’s jealous of my relationship with Prince Joseph! She’s trying to frame me again!”

The contradictory stories inspired another rising wave of hubbub, and Ms. Naha seemed unsure what to do. As a teacher, she could not casually take one side or the other.

If there was only some proof…

Brigitte racked her brain. She thought about showing her the hair ornament that had partially broken after being used…but that wouldn’t be decisive. Plus, although Brigitte was contracted with a tiny spirit whose type of magic she didn’t even know, she belonged to the Fire Clan. If someone accused her of breaking the hair ornament herself, she’d have no response.

Just then, as if to ease the deadlock, a gentle voice rang out overhead.

“If you please, I can solve this problem,” the familiar female voice said. Brigitte looked up in surprise.

The undine?

Yuri’s contracted spirit came floating down delicately from midair.

“Is it real…?!”

“Wow, what a beautiful spirit…”

Excitement ran through the crowd at the sudden appearance of such a lovely first-class spirit. Opportunities to glimpse the spirits that stood at the pinnacle of their countless peers were extremely rare.

Yuri, however, sighed and grimaced. “I was wondering where you went…”

“My apologies, master. This brook is very pleasant.”

She giggled seductively. Even in the dark, Brigitte could see several students blush.

That reminds me…

The forest surrounded the academy, and a brook ran alongside its edge. She had seen Yuri letting his undine play in that stream before, and now she realized the undine had probably been doing exactly as she pleased.

“…Undine, did you appear just now for the reason I think?”

“Indeed. How like you to understand so quickly, master.” Then in a casual but far-reaching voice, she said, “Have those of you gathered here heard of the undines’ reflecting pool?”

Brigitte knew instantly what she meant.

It can’t be…

Reflecting pools were a special skill of undines. Once they saw something, they had the power to re-create it on the water’s surface. A tragic short story called “Undine’s Reflecting Pool” told of an undine who used this skill to reveal her human husband’s unfaithfulness, only to be killed in retaliation. The story was so famous, everyone in the crowd likely knew it.

As the meaning of the spirit’s words sank in, a murmur spread among the students. The undine gazed calmly over the crowd. She smiled, pressing her palms to her cheeks. To Brigitte, it was the smile of a goddess, but to Lisa, who had turned a ghostly white, it would have been the smile of a demon.

“I saw that girl press the torch to her own arm,” the undine said, giggling. “Shall I reflect it in my pool?”

A painful silence fell over the woods. The students must have understood everything in an instant. They saw how agitated Lisa was. And in direct contrast, they saw Brigitte sighing in relief at her unforeseen good fortune. Who was speaking the truth and who was lying?

It was Ms. Naha who broke the silence.

“Thank you, undine. I am grateful for your cooperation,” she said, her stern tone a moment earlier replaced by her usual gentleness.

“There’s no need to thank me. I simply couldn’t stand by and watch a girl in trouble.”

She glanced gracefully at Brigitte and winked. Brigitte smiled back awkwardly.

“For the sake of formality, I would like to look at the reflecting pool with the other teachers. Brigitte, is that all right with you?” Ms. Naha asked.

“Yes, of course.”

“Lisa, no objections?”

“Um…uh…we don’t need to look at it!” Lisa was frantic, perhaps realizing the situation had taken a turn.

“Of course we do. If a reflecting pool can show us the truth, won’t it prove your innocence?”

“B-but…the undine is Sir Yuri’s contracted spirit! Brigitte’s been currying favor with Sir Yuri. Please don’t trust the reflecting pool!”

“…Lisa.”

Lisa flinched.

“You have called another student a liar in public. Do you understand what that means?”

“…!!”

The students who were watching whispered mercilessly among themselves as they stared at the profoundly miserable Lisa. Brigitte didn’t enjoy witnessing this, but at least Ms. Naha seemed to be giving Lisa basic consideration.

“Students, the test is temporarily suspended. Everyone will return to the academy dorms for the night. Boarding students, please use your own rooms. Everyone else, the annex is open, so you may sleep there. My spirits will notify any students who have not yet gathered here,” Ms. Naha announced briskly before dispatching her korpukkurs. Then she began walking, one hand on the shoulder of the listless, downcast Lisa.

Several students followed her, looking confused. The students in Brigitte’s class tried to run over to her, but Nival held them back.

“Come on, everyone, let’s go to the dorms. The road is dark, so those of you who can use light magic, please make some lanterns,” he said, assuming his role as the class president. Just before the class set off together, he looked back and pointed sharply at Yuri, his eyes wide.

“You owe me—you got that, Yuri?”

“…Then don’t make me go into debt in the first place.”

“Nice try! …I’m counting on you, dammit!” he shouted as he disappeared into the darkness.

Kira walked up to Brigitte, her eyes darting around nervously.

“Miss Brigitte, I—”

“It’s all right. I’ll walk her back to school,” Yuri interrupted.

“…Oh. I’ll just run to the cave and get the bags we left there, then!”

Yuri watched her run anxiously off before looking up.

“It’s not often that you help someone like that,” he said.

“I could say the same about you, master,” his undine replied, smiling as she flipped in midair to wave her tail. “Good-bye for now. I’ll leave the Red Fairy to you.”

With that, the undine melted into the air. The woods were so silent Brigitte almost wondered if she had imagined the uproar earlier.

Yuri was watching her. “Brigitte.”

“…”

“Brigitte?”

His voice was unbelievably kind. Although she had been unable to speak until then, her energy suddenly drained away, and she blurted out, “…I was so scared.”

He did not laugh. Instead, he simply nodded and said, “Ah.” All the feelings she’d been holding back began to pour out.

“I couldn’t stand it, not again— It was so painful; it hurt so badly…”

“…I know.”

Something was stroking her head gently. It took her a few seconds to realize it was the palm of his hand.

“You were so strong…Brigitte.”

“…”

Tears sprang to her eyes. She couldn’t be strong any longer. She threw her arms around his chest.

“Whoa!”

She pretended not to hear his obviously reluctant yelp. Her eyes were hot behind her tightly closed eyelids. Tears kept falling until she wondered if they would melt her cheeks right off. A pitiful wheezing sound escaped her throat. She was like a little child letting their most miserable self be seen.

Yuri didn’t seem to know how to respond. “Why are you crying?”

Even his voice wavered with confusion.

“Because you’re saying things that make me cry.”

She knew it wasn’t fair to blame him. But if she didn’t say something, she didn’t think she would be able to keep breathing.

“…I see. Then cry as much as you want; it’s my fault.”

Even his exasperated nod was unbearably kind. So she went on sobbing convulsively, whimpering every now and then.