Kelit wanted to act normal, Dante could swear that he tried, but tried was a good word for what this man was doing. He definitely didn’t have it sorted out. Only conversions he had with Dante for the rest of the day and the next one were about academics, like he was trying not only to act normal but also to take his mind off something. He didn’t look at Dante most of the time. When Alicia was near, he became a polite mess, still calling her a flower, as if his life depended on small verbal spats with her. Still, he never crossed the line between being politely cruel and just being outright cruel. Even Peter, who already had enough to worry about, was trying to make the blond man feel somewhat better.

  It was only two days, and Dante met many more people than he usually does in a whole year. Alicia’s Etiquette Club was full of nobles, who supported equality between social classes, and commoners, who wanted to learn as many languages as possible. Not what he was led to believe or what any other student thought about this club. Faye even enrolled on a spot and was welcomed with open arms. Dante’s reputation, even if smoothed by Alicia, was still weighing on club members.

  Right now, Faye was getting him ready for ‘the date’ with Alicia at the restaurant. They decided to exchange the traditional engagement gifts. The butler in training wanted to go shopping for the accessory that would suit Lady Florent. Dante stopped her. He decided to gift Alicia one of the trinkets his mother left behind. At first, he thought that he would give most of them to Rose when she grew up, but it would only catch more dust on his shelves till them. And he was sure his mother would want his best friend to have at least one of her hairpins.

  At Dhalias, everyone was prepared and eager to serve the future Duke and her fiancée. Honestly, they couldn't care less about Dante, as Alicia was the one in the centre of their attention. It was clear that everyone was trying to please her; they either wanted her to support them with money or gain popularity through her many journalist acquaintances.

  She wore black pants and a green, long, satin shirt. All that under a fluffy coat that must’ve weigh at least a ton. They sat together, and she didn’t waste time passing him a neatly wrapped box. When she unpacked the hairpin, she looked surprised and pleased at the same time.

  “Your mother really had a great taste.” She only commented and changed her hairstyle to match the pin. “That wass wonce mofers exs,” she held a hair band in between her teeth, and the words came all muffled, but it was easy to decipher what she meant.

  “I don’t know if I should be pleased or offended.” He unwrapped the box in which lay a beautiful golden brooch in the shape of a fox. It was so lovely that wearing it should be considered a crime.

  “She loved him, so pleased I guess,” she chuckled with a new hairstyle already done. The pin suited her very much. “She said she doesn’t believe that I will ever find a husband she could give it to, so she’s happy to give it to you.”

  “Tell her I say thanks.”

  “You will, the dress-shopping next week, remember?” She chuckled when he frowned. “Alright, we can gossip like old aunties after the real reason we are here.” She pointed a menu card at him before opening it, as if it became a threatening weapon in their conversation. No doubt she would smack him with it if he were so much as to distract her. He took his chances, though:

  “I thought the real reason was to show together somewhere public to stir more gossip and eat pink pastries.” She laughed, real and heart-warming.

  “Ha! You got me there!” She smoothed her shirt and cleared her throat. “But the student council. That's the other real reason.”

  “I know,” he suppressed a chuckle, nearly forgetting that they were in public and people just watched them out of curiosity. “Did you think of something?”

  “Quite a few. They’ve been messing around for far too long, and I’ve been planning to expose them, but there was no occasion for that. You know who the president is?”

  “Wasn’t that your cousin? The one that got stuck in a closet when we were playing hide and seek at your manor once?” He could remember the nine-year-old with chubby cheeks and a round belly, although not vividly; the memory was still there.

  “Funny how you remember that and not…” She sounded angry, and she gripped he menu like she was about to tear it to shreds, so he cut her off, with little detached tone and emotionless expression.

  “I do remember him tossing rocks at me, too, don’t worry.” She exhaled sharply, wanting to scold him for dismissing that matter, but he continued. “I also remember you tossing the same rocks at him and sending him to bed for over a week. I think the karma got him for that one.”

  “He’s lucky I didn’t take a brick that was lying around.”

  “Because you couldn't lift it, that’s why.” Alicia nearly snorted, but she managed to cover her lips before that. “And then Alera literally had to toss you over her shoulder when that guy started bleeding.”

  “You were bleeding too!” She retorted, which made him roll his eyes.

  “Mum patched me up.” She rolled her eyes, but didn’t say anything, just silently sulked over the menu. He opened his own too, although he already knew what he wanted to order. He just didn’t know what to do with his hands. “And don’t tell me you were watching student council so closely, because you’re still sour about that...incident.”

  “Inci..?” She cut herself and massaged her nose. “No, of course not. I mean, I’m still sour, but it’s about the people they bullied and drove out of the academy. There’s more than you can imagine. I can put my hand on it that there were even actual crimes committed, not just forgery. It’s just that nagging feeling: that it’s bigger than just “little” bullying.” The ‘little’ in that sentence was sarcastic.

  “So, do you have any evidence gathered? Knowing you, if you were interested in their downfall, you came prepared.”

  For the moment, they stopped their conversation. The waitress approached with a honeyed smile. She brought them tea and refreshments. Alicia ordered for him like he was her child, not a ‘future husband’. Asked the waitress about their selection of wines and then ordered the white with peach flower fragrance. She must have liked peaches or just that the wine looked more pink than the rest. He suddenly remembered how pink her room was back when they were children and couldn’t stop a quiet chuckle. She never dressed in that colour, but her meals and things must have been in it for her not to toss it aside.

  His change in expression, or rather, his softening, made the waitress stare at him and blush slightly, but she quickly composed herself and turned back to the kitchen.

  “What's so funny that Monster Crimson smiles in public?” Alicia teased, watching the staff member retreat with an amused expression.

  “Pink,” that word alone made her blush with embarrassment.

  “Hey! It’s not gentlemanly to make fun of your fiancée!” She chuckled. “But coming back to our main topic. Yes, I’ve got something useful.” She made a pause; Dante was sure it was her dramatic nature that wanted to create suspense. “Names of the people who were expelled or quit because of the council. When my contact finds them, we should send Ron and my handmaidens to do the talking, but it will take a while. He’s currently on a different task of mine.”

  “Your contact?” He had to ask, although he already expected the answer. She leaned forward to whisper:

  “Thane Belrose.” Of course, he knew that name; who wouldn't? This journalist was known for his unusual, almost detective-like behaviour and somehow landed in the top five most handsome men in the Velvet Whisper, the most widely read tabloid in the entire country.

  “Oh.” He wasn’t surprised. He saw Mr. Belrose come and go to Florent Mansion on many occasions. He probably was the man Dante should pity the most. “He knows about our deal, or are you pulling a one on him like on my brother and Kelit?”

  “Your brother is for pure amusement, Sunshine is for y…” She bit her tongue. “Social experiment. And of course Thane knows, otherwise we would have had a brilliant detective on our tails, who acts like a kicked puppy.” She rolled her eyes. Dante definitely should pity Thane. “Speaking of which, your brother will be of great help.”

  “Why do I get a feeling that you already composed a plan?”

  This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

  “It’s more like a snipped.” The waitress returned, and Alicia gave her her best charming smile while she was putting their orders on the table. When she was gone, Alicia continued: “For now, we should focus on gathering information. But I know what to do with them, and for that we need Headmistress.”

  “I heard she’s on vacation,” he decided to pour them the wine, so he stood up, which made some of their observers gasp.

  “For two years already, and before that, she hasn’t even been in the academy. My point is, she knows nothing of what’s going on in her precious academy anymore.” She put one leg on another and reached out her hand with a glass, like an empress. He didn’t complain and just poured the wine. “Why she doesn’t know about anything is another matter entirely. That’s when we get Thane to investigate. Some professors are pulling the strings, too. Remember the incident with Sunshine at the start of the semester?”

  “The one with the duel?” He took his place down and decided to eat.

  “That troublesome student,” it told him, she didn’t even remember the name of the guy whom she had eliminated from the academy. “He should be expelled for that spell, but he just got suspended for one semester. And the professor who took a bribe is still teaching. My guess is this situation never got to the Headmistress. She’s a righteous woman, even if lazy.” She sighed and also dug into her salad. “We have to get her back somehow. So we need someone known, influential, who isn’t a student nor a mere journalist. Edward fits the picture perfectly.”

  “She will definitely hear when the most handsome man alive approaches her academy.” He snickered, taking a sip of the wine. It had a soft peachy taste.

  “Don’t even remind me,” she rolled her eyes. “That dumb-looking guy doesn’t deserve that title. I lost all respect for Velvet Whisper when I saw his face on the cover. And guess who was the second?”

  “I know. My father.” He shuddered.

  “A joke! I’m sorry, but your family isn’t that pretty. Expect maybe Rose, but she’s ten. If it wasn’t for your reputation, you would take third place, I’m certain.”

  “Wait, are you bitter because Thane got just the third place?” She froze with a fork in her mouth for a few seconds.

  “No.” She cleared her throat. “No,” she added for confirmation. “I’m not that petty. He was on the list only because he solved that serial murder in the Obsidian Duchy. He’s not that popular.” Dante wanted to disagree, but he wouldn't want to poke at her bubble. Although no one gossiped about him anymore, he was still quite eye-catching among young people.

  “So you plan to use my brother as a catfish?”

  “Exactly. I knew we would work together so well, almost as well as when we were children.” Her smile was impossible not to match, so he smiled softly, and it lasted longer than usual. But he quickly ate up that smile with his portion of a meal. “I’ll polish the plan, while Thane will gather info. Now we can fully enjoy the meal and pleasant company!”

  “The real question is, did you order just salad, because you want to stuff your face with dessert?” He eyed her portions suspiciously.

  “You really do know me too well,” she sighed, but with a smile glued to the face. “So tell me about Sunshine?”

  He nearly chocked on the mashed potatoes. Why would she ask about him?

  “What? Kelit’s just my friend,” he shrugged, but didn’t manage to compose himself fully for the next question.

  “Just a friend? It surely doesn’t look like. You can’t even imagine what juicy gossip I’ve heard.” Dante blushed not really sure why. He didn’t feel anything for Kelit. That man was annoying, reckless, sometimes brilliant. And broken just like Dante. And knew how to listen, maybe sometimes was too good at it. And handsome sure. Had pretty eyes, smooth hair…

  He decided to drink the wine to cover his annoyingly rosy face. Alicia watched him the entire time with a smile that only a real viper could make.

  “Tell me about Mr Journalist?” He tossed her question at her. Two could play this game. Expect she didn’t had any reaction at all.

  “Oh, his totally hopeless. He blush so adorably when I do as much as prise him.” When Dante will meet this man, he will have to tell him how much he pity him. But just from the sound of that, Thane enjoyed it. “I’ll sort my stuff, get father off my head, and I’ll probably propose.”

  Alicia liked to drop a bomb where no one expected it. Dante blinked, taken aback.

  “So why your mother says you will never find a husband?” He looked at the small box in which was the brooch, that still was on the table.

  “Oh, she just know that I would never let him wear that atrocious thing,” she pointed her fork with a lettuce leaf stuck to it at the box..

  “I doubt I’ll ever wear it, too.”

  “You can give it to Sunshine it will actually suit him.” She didn’t mean it as a mocking remark, she was genuine and he had to agree with her. Somehow the fox-shaped brooch would suit Kelit and at the same time it wouldn't. “I plan to present Thane with a new typewriter or detective licence.”

  “Nice and personalised,” he commented. At the same time he realised that the gifts they’ve given each other suited them too. They considered one another a part of their family already. For a second Dante thought that they should talk about those six years give or take when they avoided meeting. Just for a second, they worked together well without that talk. “How did you meet him? And why Claude isn’t considering him a match?” He decided to ease his curiosity to cover his thoughts.

  “Three years ago, when I was looking for a newspaper to support. The Midnight Quill wasn’t my first choice mind you, crime and mystery doesn’t exactly scream future duke. After meeting chef-director I change my mind a little and he assigned me a junior journalist to follow around. You know, so that only good-looking fella in the company would sway the young girl and she would pay their expenses.” She joked, gesturing with her hand. “That may be why I didn’t liked him since the second our eyes locked in. He hated me too. It was so fun annoying him!”

  They both already ended their meals so Alicia called the waitress once again with a smooth gesture. Ordered for both of them. For herself, a peachy cake with pink topping, she even specified that part and for him a coffee with winter spice. She still remembers his aversion to sweets without any reminder. While waitress stumbled back, Alicia continued.

  “Somehow we ended as we are, but I’d never expect it. Father is blind, as always. When it comes to love he is even stupider then Thane. Both he and Alera love each-other and mum tries her best to pair these two. I’m stuck in a triangle.” It really wasn’t exaggeration and Dante sympathised with her frustration. “Well father doesn’t see him as potential suitor because firstly he don’t know, second Thane have a common background and he wanted someone with assets, and most importantly he always makes stupidest decisions.”

  After the desert, Alicia escorted him home, but didn’t walk him to the door. She said that this will be his last free weekend, so he should relax. He opened the door and was greeted by a warm, sweet smell. Faye must be baking something, but she wasn’t there to greet him.

  “Oh! But come on, you’re like an idol among commoners in the academy! What is the secret?!” Her voice came from the living room, too cheerful to be talking just to herself.

  “But there is no secret,” a very familiar honeyed chuckle answered her.

  Sure enough, when Dante walked into the living room, he saw a blond head, which Alicia’s comments made him realise is as handsome as it is annoying. Kelit was sitting on a sofa like he owned the place. With a mug that was more suited for coffee than tea in hand. They still didn’t buy a tea set after so many had been broken. On the other hand, he held a still-warm cookie. One of the many he already devoured, chocolate in the corners of his lips gave him away. All of the house ghosts were hanging around to take a look at Dante’s first visitor in years. Ghosts perked up giving him a quiet greeting, still not sure if Dante was alright with their presence without the one that always hanged the closest to him.

  Kelit spotted him instantly. A cheery smile rose to his face. He must have sorted whatever troubled him, but it didn’t explain what he was doing here? In Dante’s home.

  “Where have you been? I was waiting for ages, Trouble!” He was also back at his dramatics, it seemed.

  “Alicia…”

  “I don’t care anymore.” The blond man cut him off, spatting the words with that stiff smile he developed, because of her, and Faye nearly laughed.

  “Welcome, young master, I’ll make you tea.” She quickly thought of a paratext to escape, before she would either laugh out loud or blurt out a secret she wasn’t supposed to, ghosts decided to give him space and follow her. She and the ghosts disappeared in the corridor when Dante made his way to a seat on the armchair, suddenly not so comfortable sitting on the sofa. Next to Kelit.

  “Peter’s back home for the weekend, and I was beginning to feel bored,” he smiled sweetly at the young lord. “That’s why I decided to pay you a visit. Imagine my surprise when you weren’t home.” Something crossed his face for a moment. Something akin to disappointment, but not at Dante. Then he looked straight at the golden brooch on Dante’s chest. Alicia put it there when they were walking out of the restaurant. For the audience, she said. “What’s that ugly gold thing?”

  “An engagement gift.”

  “A what now?” Kelit looked disgusted, but knowing him, he didn’t know what engagement gifts even were.

  “It’s a custom that every engaged couple has to gift something to each other.” The blond man didn’t look happy. Like at all.

  “Uhmm…” He mussed and tapped his fingernail on the mug. “Understood.” Dante wasn’t sure what that was supposed to mean, nor if he really understood.

  “So umm…What do you want?” It was really awkward to ask, but after those two days of Kelit acting strange, Dante felt like it was necessary.

  “I wanted to see…if you can tutor me a little for Bernadette’s lectures,” even if he trailed off in the middle of the sentence and clearly wanted to say something else, he sounded genuine. “For some reason, I really want to impress that woman.”

  “And you chose to come to me, because?” He was curious. He thought that Kelit was pretty reliable and used to learning by himself.

  “What, can’t I choose you, Trouble?” Because of the way he phrased it, and the addition of this strangely affectionate nickname, Dante’s face wasn’t sure if it should be red from embarrassment or shyness.