Turn up meeting 3

Now that I look at the students and the open classrooms, I can see how similar our two worlds are in terms of student life. The lesson is over and some of the boys must have gone out, while a small group of boys is staying inside to chat. On the other hand, girls who do not have access to these floors, gather in front of their classes to admire the ones they find attractive.

It makes me laugh when I think about my experience in high school, because every time the teacher left and even before we started the lesson, the girls would gather in front of our door and push each other toward one of the boys. This happened in every class where there was someone who stood out, but in our class those kinds of girls were very loud and annoying. At least these girls are just standing there looking at them because they know they are going to get in trouble if one of the professors sees them here. It is kind of creepy when you just stare at someone from afar, but still not my business.

"Sir, were you waiting here the whole time for my arrival, or did you just hear me ask for his highness whereabout from those girls over there?"

"Considering the circumstances, I would say both are reasonable answers, and certainly both correct."

So, it was pre-planned that I had to come here on this floor for his aide to escort me, and not him showing up at the entrance where it would have been an appropriate way to start. But this doesn't tell me if he really knows the person Alastair is going to meet, and he might as well take someone else to the meeting room except for me.

"I am not trying to be rude, so correct me if I am wrong but were you actually prepared beforehand for someone's arrival? Because from what you just said, to be honest, I am not sure if you know what you are doing and if you are certain that the person you are taking is really the same one as the prince has ordered you to bring. And to hide the fact that you are not sure with the statement "certainly they are both correct" is making me question how proficient you are."

"Young lady, I am not trying to hide anything with my words and certainly I know very well which person or not I am ordered to escort to his highness. But if you are anxious or concerned, and of course, you have all the right to be, and also doubt my abilities to do my work since I didn't introduce myself properly from the beginning, but bear with me for just a little longer, at least until we can pass the eyes and ears of all the crowd you have created without knowing."

"Huh?! What crowd?"

Certainly, I wasn't prepared to see so many people actually watching me walk across the corridor, and it took me by surprise that I somehow forgot how this body causes this intense feeling when I am being watched. I always hear them scream and cry, gathered in a small group in the middle of the room, afraid that I will do something to them. This is so much different from the imperial palace or Mireyas coming of age ceremony where they didn't even care about my presence and continued with their day, and even more questionable than the children in that cabin. I don't see any fear in their eyes nor disgust in their faces, but it still bugs me why they can't see what they saw. Why are they intrigued and not scared? And why does it bother me so much that it is making my blood boil?

"I want them to burn…"

"Pardon?! Did you say something?"

"…No, don't mind me! I was just thinking out loud."

Yes, I of course did say something! And in a matter of fact, I also want you to burn along with your prince so these people won't get lonely and you will also have someone to talk with until your turn to be dragged down into the depths of hell comes, and then you two can writhing in agony together. It will be a wonderful sign of piety coming from you and also a terrifying sign for my sanity that I went and imagined this all in my head without Raphael's indication!

I really have to be careful and think about my surroundings more next time or there will be consequences. I nearly forgot about him while looking and being so into their expressions that I almost said something uncalled for. But I don't like the silence and of course, I don't want to be stared at so intensely when I walk by someone. I just have to calm myself down and stop looking at them until this man thinks it is the right time to talk, but something tells me that he is just going to leave it like that until we reach the room, which I am certain he only did it to save some time or to spare me from any of those useless excuses that will only make us go around in circles without even answering the question.

"Sir, if I may ask, how far is the room where I will meet his highness and how long will this take? Them staring at me I mean."

"Well is going to take us a while, since the meeting room is a little far from the classrooms. Its purpose is to prevent any noise coming from outside and let me tell you, during the lunch break the academy is very noisy. That's the way his highness choose it as being the most suitable place to hold your meeting and in that way, you will have a peaceful time to talk with no one disturbing or making a scene during your conversation."

He really talks too much! It actually reminds me of someone from when Nasya had her coming-of-age ceremony in the story. He talks a lot like him and is just as annoying when it comes to explaining something, but he doesn't have any reasons to be here.

However, it is pointless to follow what he is saying when most of it is praise about how "thoughtful" his prince is. I don't want to know how smart is he for choosing "a good place" as he did two weeks ago when he took me to a garden where no one would have come even if I screamed. And I also don't want to know that the room he has chosen does not allow the noise the enter, and if I am correct, does not allow the noise to be heard outside either. Just say that it is far and get it over with, that way I wouldn't have had the chance to overthink this!

"Regarding the student's actions, you don't have to worry about anything, they have yet to know about some parts of the history and some must have even neglected it, so you don't have to feel bad or cornered."

"Yeah, yeah, thank you for the concern!"

So it does not matter if they hear him talk about how uneducated they are or how great his highness is, but it does matter when I ask him about his work and how sure he is about me being the right person.

Sigh! I was supposed to meet with Mireya here on the seventh floor when I was done searching, but this is going to take me a while. As long as she is still here, everything is going to be fine! At least they are not going to look at her the same as me, so I hope she is fine by herself, far from the boys. I repeat, far from these impure boys!

"Ahem! Young lady, you seem to have quite…a dull and inexpressive face. I never thought I would see the day when I meet someone who can be so lifeless when they are about to meet a member of the royal family. I think they are right when they say that opposites attract each other, and maybe that crazy prince has found your lack of emotions attractive. I guess now I have seen it all!"

"Excuse me, where did this come from? And yes, you are correct about the face part, but the other one needs an explanation. What do you mean with, crazy prince?"

"Lower your voice please, there may still be curious people who want to see and hear something that attracts other's attention, and such things are quite interesting among the aristocrats! I told you that I am going to answer your question after we pass their eyes and ears, right? Well, I can't guarantee that what I am about to say is going to answer your questions, but I will say what I know and you, on the other hand, can or can not find something useful from them."

Is he being serious right now? He is going to tell me what he knows just like that. It is too good to be true and he does not win anything from answering my question. Then again, he is Alastair's aide, so why should I trust him? Only if he actually hates him, that would explain why he called him crazy in from of the person he is about to meet. No, that would be reckless and stupid of him and I am afraid he knows the consequences.

"I am willing to listen to anything you have to say if you can do something for me in exchange for my silence."

"Very well then, I didn't think that you would actually propose me a deal, so it caught me a little off guard, but I guess it will be more fun if I accept and see how far will this go. So, let's stop with the empty talk, and let me introduce myself. I am Axel Dormer, as you already know I am his highness's aide and your escort for today. To answer your question about how certain I am…"

"Stop right there, I don't need to know!"

"Pardon!? Y-you…you don't need to know? Um, I am sorry young lady, correct me if I am wrong, but was it you who asked?"

"Just forget what I said and go on with your day, I am leaving!"

Sigh, I wasted all that precious time following someone who seemed to lead me to Alastair's location, and it turns out he is just what I thought. That annoying person, one of the queen's relatives, and a hater of the empress and Alastair's.