With Shenley looking completely dispirited, I led her out of the room, asking for a chance to talk things through.
“Aoi-sensei…” She called out my name in a voice trembling with tears.
“It’s okay. I’ll figure something out. Let’s try persuading them again. But for that, I need to know why you aren’t allowed to attend the magic academy,” I said. “Does anything come to mind?”
Shenley lowered her gaze anxiously. “I don’t know… Ever since I went to Fiddiq Academy, I haven’t heard anything…”
Her response was weak and uncertain. Just hearing it made my heart ache.
As I pondered what to do, I noticed two figures walking down the hallway. One was Lewis, and the other was a girl I didn’t recognize. She had white hair and a white tail, just like Shenley, and I couldn’t help following them with my eyes.
“That girl…” I quietly murmured.
Shenley noticed my gaze and whispered, “Kathy… She’s my younger sister. She should be attending a magic academy in a neighboring territory…”
Shenley’s sister. That explained the resemblance. But despite introducing her as her sister, Shenley’s voice sounded hesitant. Something was off.
“… Are you not close?”
“We’ve barely ever spoken… But unlike me, Kathy has a talent for healing magic…” she said, her expression darkening again. She must have been compared to her sister many times in the past. But even so, there seemed to be an excessive focus on healing magic.
While I was thinking, Shenley, still looking dejected, spoke again. "… Aoi-sensei, would you like to go to the courtyard? There's a place where I can calm down."
"That sounds good. I'd like to see it." I nodded in agreement to Shenley's suggestion. She didn't seem to know why she had to drop out either. Sitting here endlessly trying to figure it out was pointless.
With this thought, I followed Shenley to the courtyard.
It appeared to be a garden nestled inside a U-shaped building, but it was a spacious courtyard with a large garden and even a fountain. I had once heard from someone, maybe Cote, that the lavishness of castles, estates, and gardens was for others to see.
In other words, it was a display of status, power, and wealth. With this thought in mind, it felt harder to appreciate the beauty of the courtyard.
However, Shenley gazed nostalgically at the large tree beyond the fountain.
"… This place holds memories with my mother. Even when I cried alone because I couldn’t use healing magic, my mother was the only one who gently comforted me," Shenley murmured softly as she walked toward the tree and gently placed her palm against the trunk.
"Looking back now, my mother was the only one who accepted me, even though I couldn’t use healing magic… After she passed away, my father…"
Still resting her hand against the tree, Shenley bowed her head.
At this moment, I noticed a figure on the other side of the tree. It was the elderly butler, Lewis.
He looked at us expressionlessly and approached.
Lewis glanced at Shenley, then asked me, "How did the discussion go?"
"The situation isn’t looking good. We still don’t know why Shenley has to leave the magic academy, so it’s hard to find a way to persuade them."
Judging Lewis to be on Shenley's side, I honestly shared my concerns.
He seemed to think for a moment, then quickly raised his head. "… Please wait a moment."
Lewis walked away without waiting for a response. Even Shenley, who was feeling down, couldn’t help but glance at him.
As we wondered where he had gone, we soon heard a female voice from a distance.
“Here? What’s so special about this place…?”
“Kathy-sama, this is a spot where your mother often came when she had something on her mind. Shenley-sama also frequently spent time here. I thought, since you seemed to be contemplating something, this would be the perfect place,” Lewis explained as he led Kathy toward the tree where we were. Since we were on the other side of the large tree, she hadn’t noticed us yet.
Instinctively, Shenley and I exchanged glances and huddled closer to the tree, trying to stay hidden.
Why did Lewis bring Shenley’s sister here? From their conversation, it didn’t seem like he was trying to get them to talk.
As I pondered this, I heard Kathy let out a deep sigh.
“… Ridiculous. I barely even met our mother, and I couldn’t care less about that failure. Besides, I’ve already done my part. I gave Father the information he requested, and as planned, the failure is withdrawing from the academy. Now, Father can rest easy.”
Hearing the disdainful tone, I furrowed my brow with anger.
Not only was I outraged by the way she referred to her own sister, but the fact that someone was actively orchestrating Shenley’s withdrawal was also a serious issue.
Who could be behind this, and why?
While I processed the thoughts swirling in my mind, Shenley suddenly darted out from behind the tree.
“Kathy… what do you mean by that…?” Shenley questioned Kathy, her hands anxiously clasped in front of her chest.
Kathy, taken aback, blinked in surprise before quickly narrowing her eyes and shooting Shenley a sharp look. “Eavesdropping? How unrefined of you. No wonder you’re not even fit to be a candidate for sainthood.”
Kathy's words were far too harsh for family, causing Shenley to tremble and recoil in fear.
Seeing no other choice, I stepped out from behind the tree and stood beside Shenley.
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