ã€ŠThe Accounts of An Ordinary Bookstore&#x2026;ã€‹


 Chapter 1: Continuous Noise

    A grandfather clock''s pendulum swings continuously. Right to left, left to right, click¡­ clock¡­ click¡­ clock. Unwavering just the same is a certain clock in a quaint shoebox of a shop. Dimly lit books were always swallowing up all gaps. The clock seemed to exude an air of pretentious superiority over the crowded and aged interior. Click¡­ clock¡­ click¡­ cloc- ding, ting, ding, ting-a-ling, the brass bell sang as the door swung open letting in a cool autumn breeze. The source of the noise did not seem to phase the clock nor the scrawny shop boy who blended quite well with the lethargic room. Adjusting his glasses ever so slightly he sighed and kept his focus on the newspaper in front of him.

    ¡°Hey Neil, are you seriously going to ignore me like that?!¡± her deep brown curls seemed to bounce as her words shattered the quiet room. His eyes seemed to widen and his tiny frame seemed shaken. His feet had been rating right up on the desk and he rushed to fix his posture. Click¡­ clock¡­ click¡­ clock, the pendulum kept swinging. In his frazzled state, he fell from the chair quickly picking it up and turning red with embarrassment. Eventually, he managed to readjust himself but not without getting his straw blond hair tugged by an opening in the desk.

    ¡°I guess I didn¡¯t notice you coming in, I thought you¡¯d be out for much longer¡±. Trying to hold back a laugh at his state the girl smiled playfully before switching to a more stern face. She took a step towards the desk and rolled up the newspaper before pointing it at the clerk.

    ¡°Are you saying you wish I had not returned?¡±. Neil looked startled once again

    ¡°Of course not i¡¯m quite happy to see you, I mean even if you were here all the time¡­ I mean I just thought it would take longer¡­ not that I wanted¡­.¡± In the short silence the Cliiick¡­ clock¡­ cliiick¡­ clock carried on. As Neil continued to trail off hoping to find the right words the girl was yanked back by a youth with a stiff expression and ash-colored hair.

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    ¡°Watching you two interact is painful and sad. Can we get this over with?¡±. Slipping out of his grip in an instant the girl crossed her arms and furrowed her eyebrows baring deep into his.

    ¡°Whatever. Quite honestly if it weren¡¯t for you I would be keeping the bookstore company every day. Neil may be able to relax and put his feet up in peace but regrettably, I cannot say the same.

    My unfortunate fate is interacting with you and your absolute lack of social skills.¡± The boy''s hooded mahogany eyes twitched with annoyance at her for a split second before returning to a level state.

    Hardly affected by the comments he indifferently replied, ¡°Why would I need social skills when the only person who actually knows me well enough to care is you.¡± With that he took the newspaper from the girl and tossed it back to Neil before reaching under the counter to produce a key.

    Neil started, ¡°Um you know that is part of my job so if you need any help¡­¡± Paying him no mind, the two visitors made their way up to the clock, CLIICK¡­ CLOCK¡­ CLIICK¡­ CLOCK the clock seemed swayed steadily louder.

    With all eyes on it, the clock''s grandiose was on full display. The warm chestnut brown wood seemed to shame the cloudy marked-up floor. The carefully carved base and bonnet put even the finest clocks to shame. Of course, its brass feature shone like sun in the ill-lit room and the pendulum proudly swayed back and forth. CLIICK¡­ CLOCK¡­ CLIICK¡­ CLOoo¡­ with a swift movement, the boy turned the key in the key lock door the clock froze and the confident pendulum fell flat. A single cleeck was heard from behind and the clock had now become just an entrance into a deep hallway. Passing the key to Neil the boy looked back at his begrudging accomplice who was already mourning the loss of her shop clerk dreams once again.

    ¡°Should I take him along instead?¡± He pointed sharply at Neil who flinched and looked worriedly between the two.

    ¡°Leave him be, he could pass out just from your presence¡± she huffed and quickly followed, smiling and waving to Neil before the clock door clanked back into place. The scrawny boy relaxed himself once again, the pendulum started its swing, and the clock, hiding whatever lay behind it, began its march once again Click¡­ clock¡­ click¡­ clock Click¡­ clock¡­ click¡­ clock.

 Chapter 2: SHOP, SELL, and sold

    (Her View)

    Cleeck. As the door shut behind the two, they were unaware of the clock starting its pursuit or Neil who was relieved of their presence.

    The girl tossed a glowing circular light no larger than her amber eyes staring into the orb. ¡°I was wondering where mine went!¡± she said accusingly.

    The boy pulling out his orb paid her attitude no mind, ¡°That boy, do you find that skittish child so amusing?¡±

    By now it was clear that the path they had started down was only going further into the depths of the ground but the two walked with little caution.

    ¡°Who?¡± The girl seemed confused but uninterested.

    She sauntered along dragging her hands along the cragged cavernous path. Her hand trailed across an especially sharp part and she pulled it back before pausing and looking ahead at the boy. ¡°You can¡¯t possibly mean Neil, right? You can¡¯t exactly call him a kid when I¡¯m sure we¡¯re all about the same age. For all we know he could be older.¡±

    ¡°I highly doubt that, and in any case, his age is hardly my concern. My point is that he is entirely irritating but also unfit to work there and generally odd¡±. The boy spoke with little malice but a cold tone.

    The girl knew this to be his usual manner, but his sudden interest in someone else piqued hers.

    ¡°And what makes him odd exactly?¡± Hastening her pace so she would not be left behind, her words had clear curiosity rolling off them.

    The boy seemed to notice her intrigue and continued.

    ¡°I mean, that boy can hardly speak in front of you, yet chose to be a part of SELLERS. Besides the simple fact he isn¡¯t cut out for it, he seldom talks to anyone back at the SHOP. I highly doubt a squirmy little thing like that, someone who even avoids his sister, would go out of his way to work in any position here even as just a clerk¡±.

    They were walking side by side now, and the girl could see the faint blue glow illuminating the boy as he spoke, his monotone voice directed from that frigid face, staring into the dark ahead.

    ¡°I guess you could consider that a bit abnormal¡­¡± She paused before smiling a mischievous grin and continuing,

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry though, I¡¯m sure Neil won¡¯t tattle on you and the slights you threw at him. Besides I¡¯d have to consider you even worse if having no friends was a crime.¡±

    The cavern had expanded, trailing off into three directions. The girl confidently skipped left with the boy following along, both leaving the other paths deserted and pit-black. The girl already knew she had earned another flash of annoyance from her colleague and she grinned to herself in the dark.

    She watched as he composed himself quickly as always and feigned a smile before commenting, ¡°It isn''t uncommon for people like us to have few acquaintances but he has more than enough time to find a companion."

    He looked around assessing their position "We are almost there, aren¡¯t we? ¡±

    The girl rolled her eyes and kept on. The labyrinth under the city was complex for sure, but if you¡¯d used it as your primary way to get around for years, it proved to be less complicated than above ground. At least, that''s how she thought about it. After some time of plodding along, she took a final turn left and they began heading up. She noticed the boy had started lagging behind her and turned expectantly.

    ¡°You''re the one who acted as if you were on pins and needles waiting to get back, and now it''s YOU slowing me down!¡± she crossed her arms as she waited.

    The boy looked up at her, and as if unaware of her impatience, he casually asked ¡°Are you upset you don¡¯t have that clerk job?¡±

    She looked perplexed ¡°Do you care whether I say yes or no?¡±

    Before he could respond she spoke again ¡°I¡¯m sure I already know your answer so never mind. As much as I like the idea of relaxing and doing whatever Neil does all day, it wouldn¡¯t suit me at all. Besides you and I were assigned, we didn¡¯t have any good reason to choose our position like Neil did. After all, it¡¯s not like you asked to work with me anyway.¡±

    ¡°¡­..¡± The boy shifted nervously, his gaze deviating in the light blue glow.

    The girl''s mouth gaped watching his reaction and she looked at him with slight disgust.

    ¡°Did you seriously beg to be my partner?¡±

    ¡°I never did anything like that,¡± he said flatly but still shifted uncomfortably.

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    Her annoyance was not directed at him directly but primarily at the fact that even if he hadn¡¯t asked, they would have been put together anyway. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t let him know that. She sighed and they continued walking the cavern finally getting brighter as they headed up.

    ¡°If I¡¯m to be mad about anything it¡¯d be that we got assigned to commute from that lousy

    bookshop on Ainemerr Street. What''s the point in seeing it if I won¡¯t work there anyway? Not to mention it smells of dust and the pathway from there is practically the longest. I know it¡¯s because no one goes there and we¡¯re still considered inexperienced but¡­¡±

    She trailed off as the lights rendered the orbs unnecessary and a wooden trapdoor flung open revealing a boy with two missing teeth and greasy brown hair. His face full with the evidence of his last meal, he reached out a hand.

    ¡°Hey you two, how about ya come in now I could hear your groanin¡¯ fore I could hear your feet.¡±

    Without a twinge of embarrassment, the girl climbed up the ladder taking the boy''s hand, and climbed out. With a triumphant huff, she brushed off her skirt and started over to join what seemed like more than one hundred faces staring right back. The boy followed her and then took a seat, not realizing the girl had been waved over by a much younger child.

    The girl had hay blonde hair up to her neck and an excited look in her green eyes as she scooched up to the boy. Through bites of a bread roll, she whispered, albeit not very quietly, ¡°I think you''re a teensy bit late for lunch¡±.

    Several others at their table and nearby heard this comment and tried to suppress laughter. The girl gave her colleague a stern look and he attempted to offer the little girl a kind smile. After achieving a very unnatural smirk he whispered back in the same manner, ¡°Cami, we are aware and thanks to you I¡¯m sure everyone else will be too¡±.

    Cami¡¯s face twisted into a frown and the girl looking at the boy with pure exasperation quickly changed the conversation.

    ¡°Cami, have you seen Grandpa Ed today?¡± The dining hall may have been packed but it wasn¡¯t as if everyone joined every day. The girl didn¡¯t understand why her partner had to be so blunt with the kid.

    Cami¡¯s face swiftly lit back up at the prospect of being helpful again and it was clear to see gears turning in her head. She opened her mouth to share and then closed it quickly. Forgetting that the boy was the one next to her she pointed her spoon in his direction and asked expectantly.

    ¡°Can you tell me what my brother was doing first?¡± Her eyes widened as soup from her spoon flew right onto the pant leg of the boy''s slacks.

    ¡°Oops?¡± Cami said with a slight smile that seemed to say ¡°It was an accident though?¡±

    Before he could react the girl pulled his handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to him. She then turned, giving him a firm pat on the shoulder and whispering ¡°Don¡¯t you dare say anything.¡±

    To this, he simply lifted her hand off his shoulder with a slight frown and started wiping his pant leg. Focusing her attention back on Cami the girl smiled cheerfully ¡°Neil was having a lovely day but he was a bit upset that he wouldn¡¯t get to see you until the shop closed.¡±

    Cami nodded as if her brother missing her that much was only understandable.¡°He must be really sad without me. Next time you see him upset you should tell him that when I get older I¡­ I''ll become a shop clerk for SELLERS too so¡­ so he better focus on his work so I can do mine.¡±

    Despite Cami tripping over several thoughts to get to her sentence the girl genuinely thought the child had a good yet naive resolve. It wasn¡¯t like she even knew what SELLERS (often called SELL for short) did or meant but since she was growing up in the SHOP she would already know most of the rules needed to become one. All she needed was a few more years and school... The girl''s thoughts were disturbed by Cami who continued shoveling soup into her mouth swiftly. Finally, the child seemed momentarily satisfied and remembered the girl''s initial question.

    ¡°Oh right, I saw Grandpa Ed with the redhead girl. You know the one with really big dangly earrings who always has the short freckled girl following like how you have him.¡±

    Cami pointed, rather carefully this time at the boy, which meant she must have been talking about two people who were partners like them. Most of the younger children like Cami in Sellers Home and Orphanage for the Poor would never know SELLERS individuals personally. After all, getting rid of your name was the first thing to do for those joining SELL unless you were an elder who ranked highly or a shop clerk with little contact with SELLERS.

    It was even common for some orphans who disliked or didn¡¯t have names in the first place to stay "nameless" as the boy had. The girl looked at him, irritation in her gaze,

    ¡°So that means we¡¯ll probably get leftovers again. That redhead always takes the interesting stuff.¡±

    She stood up and began briskly walking towards a large flight of stairs in the corner while her partner followed shortly after with two bread rolls. One he tossed to her and she was forced to stop and catch it. Annoyed at him for slowing her pace she took a large bite before questioning,

    ¡°I didn¡¯t see these on the table? Where did you even ge-¡±, she coughed as she tried to swallow it.

    Not surprised in the least, the boy handed her a flask of water which she drank quickly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter where I got it since we haven¡¯t had it in a while.¡±

    It was true that they were often too busy in the society to come back to the orphanage for what was considered ¡°home-cooked meals¡± so she stopped arguing and they walked up the last flight of stairs to the very top floor. Just as they made their way off the final step they were met by a man who looked to be in his sixties but had a youthful glow about him.

    ¡°There you are! Why is it that my family members are always the last to show up?¡± He uncomfortably reached his hand out as if for a hug, fist bump, or high five. The girl couldn¡¯t tell but he soon cleared his throat and patted his sides as if to move on.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not saying you two should be rushing in here to see your Grandpa. I mean, after all, they say birds gotta fly the nest sometime. By that I mean you two baby birds grew up.¡± With that, he shaped his hands into birds and started chirping.

    The girl watched as the boy next to her twitched his brow with annoyance, something that always happened when a comment like this was made. She just rolled her eyes and nudged him slightly to keep him from causing any trouble.

    This was because the man was Grandpa Ed. He came from a line of one of the main founders of the SELL and he only had one daughter, the girl¡¯s mother. Her mother had wanted little to do with the Society of Espionage and Leaders of Labor in Extensive Requests and Services. Often the extensive requests and services were just words for difficult jobs no one else would do and the girl''s mother decided she would marry rich to avoid working as someone from SELLERS. A long story short, her mother''s match ended up with a con man, and the beautiful life she imagined went up in flames that engulfed her as well. The only family she knew was two people after that. One was a grandfather who insisted she forget her name, become his star pupil, and live like every other SHOP kid. For some reason, the other was this boy who she had known to be her other family since childhood. She didn¡¯t know if this was because she had brought him in that winter morning or if it was because he just scared everyone else off. All she knew was that for one reason or another, they were close. All of this made Grandpa Ed consider them his only family and yet the same information is what made the two youths feel less connected to the old man as time went on.

    Seeing their lack of response to his comments, the man chuckled awkwardly, his almond face revealing his normally hardly noticeable wrinkles. Then he sighed a long sigh and said, ¡°Come along then.¡±

    Finally, the three of them walked into the first of the three offices on the top floor, the other two belonging to Grandfather Richie in charge of initial job placement exams and requests, and Grandmother Cal who managed the orphanage and overall funds allocation. Grandpa Ed was mainly supposed to explain your next mission, what your names would be, and how much money you got out of it. Well, that was what he was mainly in charge of, but most of the time he spent hanging out around the orphanage, asking the SELL individuals about the interesting stories of their missions, and telling stories of his youth as a member of SELLERS. When he wasn¡¯t doing that, his demeanor changed drastically.

    The old man sat up with his hands resting on the file in front of him.

    ¡°You two have little to say as usual, so let''s move on to this.¡± He opened the file up to reveal¡­ and fifty minutes later, they were back to making their way through the dark and craggy pathway.

 Chapter 3: SELL it till you make it

    (His view)

    Diing, don, diing, dong, the school bell chimed along with delight. diiing, don, diiing, do-

    ¡°I swear to every godforsaken royal in Fleur if these Maryjane¡¯s won¡¯t fit I¡¯ll just go back home!¡± The school bell chimed behind the girl''s frustration.

    Constance Winthrop: A real proper lady who had been homeschooled because of an especially weak constitution.

    At least¡­ that¡¯s who she should be, the boy thought, bending down to undo the buckle on the shoe she was attacking.

    ¡°I don¡¯t ask for much but seriously, the redhead got some aristocrat murder case and ours is what? Standing in for a little miss perfect for a WHOLE semester?!¡±

    He finished undoing the buckle as she rambled on and slipped into her argyle socks in the brand-new shoes making sure to tighten the buckle just enough, so he wouldn¡¯t have to do it again soon. Pushing off his knees to stand up he narrowly avoided her flying arms as she kept on.

    ¡°I truly cannot fathom why this old guy wants me to pretend to be a dead girl instead of finding out what killed her, and anyway the fact that there just happened to be another man paying to pretend his son wasn¡¯t skipping classes is just perfect.¡±

    If they hadn¡¯t been in a back alleyway straightening themselves off after the uncomfortable ride in the back of a local SELLERS associates wagon he would have found some way to stop her prattling so she didn¡¯t reveal their whole life story to the Academy¡­ Or maybe he wouldn¡¯t have, he was just as annoyed since that old geezer Ed had practically handed it to them like a promotion. He straightened out his face as it had twisted in anger after remembering the conversation.

    After showing them the brief file of Constance¡¯s¡­ incident he¡¯d immediately shut it and said ¡°Well, ordinarily we¡¯d be asked to solve this, but no cigar¡± he¡¯d mimed puffing one and shook his head.

    ¡°You see, what I need you to do is go to The Fleur Academy for the Esteemed and maybe¡­¡± He had paused, bringing out two school uniforms in dry cleaning bags. Looking back the boy should have known it would have been good at that point.

    ¡°Learn some new things, make friends, do whatever seems appropriate. Don¡¯t work too hard or you might blow your cover just have fun so that no one starts asking where dear little Constance went.¡± When he had finished he glanced at the girl who he was clearly warning to stay out of the customer''s business.

    The boy had almost stood up and said a few choice words to the old man who had raised the girl to be a highly skilled member of the society yet suddenly decided to discard her whenever he wanted. No other team memorized the labyrinth of pathways when they had barely lost baby teeth but she did and as soon as she brought him in he had started learning as well.

    Unfortunately, he was stopped, as always by her, and a quick stomp on his foot. The old man then pulled out another file that was simply one page. He had flicked it for good measure and looked up at the boy.

    ¡°You bear a resemblance don¡¯t you think?¡± The boy had thought that Grandpa Ed could have shown any picture of a little kid and if they had similar hair and eye color of course they would look like him. The picture was of a child no older than Cami with a plain expression, it seemed whoever submitted it couldn¡¯t even be bothered to send a current picture. After that, Grandpa Ed handed him the paper without explaining and went back to his usual completely light-hearted old-man act.

    ¡°¡­Back when I was in your shoes¡­ get it because I gave you those shoes of mine? Oh, you don¡¯t seem to be wearing them today but it doesn''t matter. I was quite a ladies'' man and¡­.¡±

    They both tuned the old man out for an additional fifteen minutes before finally taking their leave and walking silently back out to the old shop on Ainemerr Street.

    He had stared down the whimpering deer who supposedly worked as the shop clerk and after she¡¯d conveyed his little sister''s message? Something of the sort that ended in him dragging her along so they could prepare.

    So now they were sitting in the alley while she rambled on about solving actual issues and helping people, and here we go so you better not drag me down. Yes, here we¡­ wait what?

    He snapped back into motion and briskly walked to catch up with her. As they approached the golden metal gates they both froze for a second. Or so he thought they would but she kept walking so he did too. The main building had 5 huge spires and the castle-like structure was covered in aesthetically placed vines. The fountain bubbled with clear blue water and the courtyards bustled with students. In awe, he lamented his inability to adapt as fast as her and followed along closely. Maybe a bit too closely because all of a sudden she was the only thing he could see. Waving a hand in front of his face he could tell she was upset again

    ¡°Seriously, do you want to see my dorm room first or not?¡± She asked impatiently but he didn¡¯t understand if she was asking because she wanted him to help her set up or because she wanted him to make sure the room was no less than what she expected from their home. Most partners lived together with two other groups as they did but it wasn¡¯t as if they acknowledged each other at home and they were rarely home anyway so why would she be nervous about a new room? He was trying his best to choose his words wisely as she cut in.

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    ¡°It¡¯s never that serious but I¡¯d suppose it¡¯s needed, I mean you would need to know where to look for me if you gather any information in this prison¡±

    As she¡¯d been talking they made it to the girls'' dormitory hall and he watched as she¡¯d begun mindlessly tracing the wall with her hand, a habit from the tunnel hallways she frequented. Instead of reminding her that they were not supposed to ¡°work too hard¡± or find out about Constance. He sighed and readjusted his hands on their suitcases.

    ¡°Hello, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, I¡¯m your roommate Elodi Beatrice!¡± An annoyingly sweet tone and a very refined appearance. He noticed her eyes darting between them before Lady Elodi spoke again although there wasn¡¯t much of a gap between her flapping gums. At least that¡¯s how he felt.

    ¡°Oh dear, where are my manners? You must be a very esteemed lady to have brought your very own butler. I don¡¯t believe the rules say servants are permitted however¡­¡± her gabby jibber jatter was easily ignored by the girl so he figured he should remain calm as well¡­ but would this blabbering butterbrained girl ever get a grip!

    ¡°Um I don¡¯t mean to interrupt but I¡¯d like to introduce myself if that¡¯s okay.¡± Good grief at least she had stopped ¡°Bellowdi¡± and her noise or he would have found a way to get it done.

    Young lady Beatrice blinked a few times and then looked slightly embarrassed. ¡°Go ahead please, I was just a bit nervous.¡± Although she smiled shyly after he failed to find this endearing as his partner later said it had been.

    The girl chuckled and said ¡°Alright then my name is Constance Winthrop and this is my first year at the academy. As for him..¡± She turned to look at him and he changed his expression to a flat smile since she had said he was best at that. ¡°Pf- ahem this young man is the heir to Flannerdam barony, Oswald Flannerdam.¡±

    Whether it was his awkward expression or odd cover name, ¡°Oswald¡± couldn''t tell what had prompted her to laugh at the beginning but he tried his best to bow and greet her roommate. As the girls began chatting again he quickly lost interest and he felt Elodi must have noticed his general lack of intrigue in the conversation because she practically pushed him out of the room.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take good care of Constance so you should find out your living situation!¡± With that, she slammed the door before ¡°Constance¡± could give him a single glance.

    He hardly cared whether his roommate was sociable or not, he thought as he approached his assigned quarters.

    Bam-thunk-CRASH! Interrupting his thoughts was the door swinging wide open to reveal a boy with his hair pulled back in a long black braid and his long silk garments devouring him in a heaping mess. He looked up and offered a weak hand for a handshake. Shaking his hand and pulling him off the floor, the boy noticed numerous silk pieces that seemed to have escaped the bundle from which they had originally been allocated. Maybe he was an exchange student from the East?

    ¡°Thanks for your help, as you can see I may have overpacked, and then my sleeve was stuck in the door and.. well I¡¯m sure you can see what a disarray we have.¡±

    He swung his long braid over one shoulder and began cleaning but his intonation and word choice puzzled the boy. Surely, he wasn¡¯t from Fleur but most people from different places had sought outdated text to learn the language which often resulted in slightly different styles of speech. He decided he didn¡¯t care enough to ask and took a seat on the clean bed watching the boy clean.

    ¡°Oh right, what¡¯s your name?¡± He looked up and ¡°Oswald¡± found his face familiar. His eager expression was reminiscent of Grandpa Ed when he would tell them about his stories of youth. The boy guessed this was because he was probably happy to have someone who had no choice but to become his captive audience.

    ¡°I¡¯m Oswald Flannerdam, and you?¡± He figured speaking less would in turn create fewer troubles.

    Looking slightly amused, the boy said lightly, almost under his breath ¡°So your Oswald¡­¡± Then louder ¡°My name? Right, you can just call me¡­¡± He scrambled around before quickly scribbling out his name into a notebook and ripping out the page. As the paper was handed to him, Oswald looked down at the almost unintelligible writing with confusion.

    ¡°Your name is Aslow D.? Is D. a surname or¡­¡± Upset by his confusion Aslow snatched the paper and responded with a hint of combativeness.

    ¡°Call me whatever you like, I just wrote what I¡¯m usually known as.¡± Oswald figured his colleague would not be too happy if he returned to her with an enemy created in less than a day so he put his confusion aside and began to open up the suitcase. It was not like he needed to make friends with everyone anyway.

    After a few minutes of silence, Aslow D. spoke up ¡°So why did you decide to come back to school Oswald?¡±

    ¡°Huh? I believe this is our first meeting, so what''s the meaning behind such comments?¡± The boy stopped in his tracks and started to wonder if his cover was already exposed.

    ¡°....Are you not aware? You may not be from a large family but it isn¡¯t like the average gossip cares. Everyone knows that you skipped school so much even the Headmaster started to think you didn¡¯t exist.¡± Aslow D. said all this very dramatically as if retelling a story about some forbidden romance or a cruel murder.

    Relieved, Oswald simply stated, ¡°I ought to get an education at some point.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ by the way, I don¡¯t mean to pry but is there a reason you have women''s clothes or is that because you ought to try them out at some point.¡±

    Whipping around to look at the suitcase he had partly opened, he realized it¡¯s contents were overflowing and primarily composed of skirts, dresses, and lots of layering items to go with. He vaguely took note of his roommates'' amusement before closing the case hurriedly and heading for the door.

    While the school was hardly as eventful as their normal jobs the boy felt it was probably a safer position as well. The first day had gone off without any trouble and he was sure today would too.

    Thunk. He looked up to see a girl with wavy, sandy blonde hair staring down at the books he knocked down. ¡°I know you probably didn¡¯t mean it, but you¡¯ll get into trouble if you walk around without paying attention.¡±

    Her smile seemed to insinuate this advice was genuine but her words and tone suggested otherwise. He didn¡¯t have to do anything since his roommate helped the girl up and grabbed her books. He also apologized for both of them before the girl sashayed away.

    ¡°I honestly can¡¯t tell if that means you''re on good terms or not but I¡¯m guessing she¡¯s mad at you about something.¡± The boy had observed that Aslow D. always found a way to dramatize things and oddly enough since Oswald had always assumed him to be foreign, his information about everyone exceeded most others. He also found the roommate had a keen interest in being the one to share his information and enlighten the clueless.

    ¡°There''s nothing for her to be so upset over since we have no connection whatsoever.¡± He was more focused on getting to the courtyard to see Constance and pass off his conversational duties.

    ¡°How could you not know her?! She¡¯s Belladonna Winthrop? Like the cousin of the one and only girl you treat like a person?!¡±

    With exasperation and pity that felt oddly insulting to Oswald, Aslow D. pat his shoulder patronizingly. ¡°Pardon my surprise, I forgot that you would probably forget me too if we didn''t share a room. Not to worry though you have me and I appreciate your silence.¡±

    While he was sure he must have learned about this cousin somewhere along the line it hadn¡¯t occurred to him that he might just bump into her without Constance. Honestly, it was already weird for his partner to pretend to be a dead girl but the employer had even stated that the girl needed to fool most of the extended family who hadn¡¯t seen their ill relative in years. He felt both Constance and Oswald¡¯s parents must have been obsessed with their appearances to an extreme degree to even consider hiring stand-ins for their children.

    Whatever the case, because of their brief encounter, Oswald would now face a barrage of information regarding Belladonna as they headed out into the bright sparkling sunlight of the courtyard.

 Chapter 4: Once A SELLoutâ€¦

    (Her view)

    Plink, plink¡­ plink. Through the rain, the girl gazed down through the frigid glass upon the ant-like students running to and fro to escape a waterlogged fate.

    It was raining the day Grandpa Ed had found her (or so he claimed). In a neatly arranged muslin blanket, she had fled out of the house directed by her mother before the foundation collapsed and she became an orphan.

    Grandpa Ed claimed he would never have known about her or the fire if it were for society. He had apparently jumped out of his seat and rushed out to see a wide amber-eyed toddler with honey-brown skin and ¡°curls just like his daughter¡± staring back at him.

    It turned out that going to the academy was a lot like her tutelage under Grandpa Ed. Taking classes wasn¡¯t something new, and the frequent feigning illness required to be Constance simply reminded her of the out-of-place feeling she would get when Grandpa Ed would send her back to the orphanage after her lesson. The stares and the resentment caused by these seemingly unfair situations didn¡¯t phase her.

    Her greatest challenge so far had honestly been the disguise itself. Wearing tight shoes made her extremely uncomfortable and the stuffy long sleeves were no better.

    While picking out gloves and stockings she had even remarked that she felt like a porcelain doll only existing for show. There were some things she needed more than an outfit to convince others to fall for her facade. Her hair, skin tone, and eye color bore no resemblance to Constance so only carefully crafted instruments could help.

    She had to use the sorcery orb and meticulously design who and what she would appear as to others. Often these orbs were used for simple things like lighting up passageways and communicating basic messages.

    The advanced orbs used solely by SELLERS in certain situations were something of an extreme feat for those who managed to create them. Of course, they still had quirks, loss of communication use, slightly less bright, and fully controlled by the SELLERS. What more could you ask for when essentially casting a spell on all people within 1000 feet of you?

    She wondered if the boy had found his way out of the rain. As far as she could tell, while he wasn¡¯t necessarily enjoying the school he had no qualms about not having to alter his appearance and just creating Oswald Flannerdam¡¯s attendance record.

    She started rummaging around in her storage chest before pulling out a locked diary. She had stowed away her notes about Constance in the middle of the book with the writing of no substance preceding or following the content. The compact leather-bound book was wine red and had purposeful signs of use besides the iron-clad lock she had mapped out.

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    Maybe her partner was fine with staying here a whole semester but she was not. Even the prospect made her want to rip off the confining gloves and she clenched the orb currently disguised as her brooch.

    She had never belonged in this school and had been raised to profit off secrets, illusions, and betrayal. Why would she blindly follow orders that made her want to tear off her skin? She could instead find a way to be privy to the confidential matters being used to force her hands.

    Finding out the root of the matter, namely, the killer, did not necessarily negate her role as Constance. However, she felt it was more likely than not that the hidden villain behind this had ties to whoever had requested their services.

    Of course, SELLERS were not completely opposed to the complexities surrounding homicide but there was one integral qualification to be met before accepting a job of that nature. The truth.

    Well, complete candor was not always necessary but the validity of the service being requested was. For example, you could not request a guide to take you out of Fleur without stating an explanation as to why you need to get out. A simple motive like "I want to run away from my family", would suffice unless information surfaced that said otherwise. If this happened SELLERS could back out of the job entirely or request a higher sum.

    In other words, she was banking on the fact that she would be able to discover information that pointed the client to the murder so she could clean her hands of this insufferable position and move on.

    If what she found indicated an unrelated murder, she was hoping Grandpa Ed and the client would find the information more valuable than her role as a porcelain doll.

    She took a careful seat at the mahogany writing desk she previously was using as a way to observe the rainstorm in the ensuing chaos. Scanning her notes, she recapped the information gained from her disguise. Based on SELL intel they were hired directly by Sir Winthrop.

    The reasoning was simply that he wished to fulfill the wish of a dead family member who passed before getting to experience academy life. Anyone could see that this was absolute hogwash, that is except grandpa Ed, who seemed to think this was an honorable way to respect the deceased.

    Through her research to become the late young miss of Winthrop she had been able to view all recent events in the family history. The previous head of the family had been a lowly merchant until he made his big break with custom dress shoes ¡°sealed against the forces¡±.

    From there, he took off, accumulating quite a fortune. He handed all of this down to his second son who he deemed as younger but more responsible.

    As if to prove him right, the current master of Winthrop had continued his father''s success with little conflict save for a small scandal six years ago where some money had ended up escaping in a servant''s hands.

    The intelligence had also included direction on interactions with Belladonna Winthrop who hadn¡¯t physically seen her cousin in years but kept close contact through letters and gifts exchanged. Since they were so close the client had requested she interact with the girl just enough to keep her cover but not too much to blow it all.

    So far, she had yet to meet Belladonna, which she was hoping to do as naturally as possible.

    Considering how she might do so, she noticed a dark-haired figure with his square face and intent gaze fixed on her window. His face being pelted with drops of rain, it was clear he had not brought an umbrella and was succumbing to the sky¡¯s lashings.

    Right, I forgot about his dilemma. She figured solving the matter of Oswald would undoubtedly come to light along the way. Her foolish partner had no reason to be loyal to SELLERS but he tended to follow each order despite this.

    He can keep playing pretend until I put a stop to my charade. Thinking her solution was quite reasonable, she glanced down at the boy for a few more seconds.

    Sighing, she shut the book and locked it, stuffing it back into the depths of her chest, and bounded across the room to grab a coat. Taking a second to readjust she took hold of two umbrellas and began weakly trekking down the stairs out into the darkened, drenched, and oppressive outside where she was no more than a spineless puppet.

 Chapter 5: _____ Always SELLs

    Plink! Plunk. A few minutes ago Oswald had been standing outside his partner, no, his friend Constance¡¯s dorm.

    He hardly noticed the rain washing his face clean because he was too caught up in whether checking on a ¡°friend¡± who went back early sick would make him more or less believable as an average student.

    While pondering his options he¡¯d watched the amusing sight of Constance delicately traversing around several puddles to approach him.

    Now they were plodding across the wet ground as the tirade slowed to a soft shower. He was almost glad to enjoy something like the rain since he couldn¡¯t remember ever doing so.

    Possibly because of her disguise designed to fool everyone else but most people they passed as they walked seemed sympathetic to Constance¡¯s sickly mannerisms. Quite frankly it was just funny to him how far from reality this was, though, every now and again he went along with it, guiding her around like an aide to an elder.

    ¡°Did you have a meaning behind your appearance outside my building or was it simply coincidental?¡±

    The girl¡¯s eyes shone with excitement as she continued, ¡°Perhaps we were given additional details?!¡±

    Since she had been given one of the fancy appearance-altering orbs he was left with the regular communication one he realized he seldom acknowledged. Patting around he pulled it out just in time to see it illuminate and flash once, twice, and a third time. This visible signal meant a communication was to be delivered.

    The boy was bewildered when his hand was grabbed by the girls. Her slender gloved fingers and the orb slipped discreetly in his pocket. Still recovering from this he watched as she frowned at him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you knew there would be a message at this time but there is no need to be casting it out for the whole world to see!¡± He noticed that her frustration was often a bit more simple to decipher than others, at least to him.

    She had moved so fast that her switch of the hand holding the umbrella had almost escaped his view. Her hand moved to readjust her neckerchief while he took note of it gracing the brooch as well.

    He¡¯d been wondering where she had placed the orb today since it varied between her choice of accessories. She ironically began directing him and they ended up in the school gardens which were vast, mesmerizing, and abandoned by the majority of the population.

    Once successfully hidden amongst the greenery he took out the orb again. It beamed radiantly against the dark lighting of the day and then expanded about the size of a baseball. The scrolling message moved across the orb warning:

    storm clouds prey ¡­on careless scholars, dress warmly. - G.E.

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    The boy squinted trying to make out the meaning behind Grandpa Ed¡¯s fashion advice. He knew how these things worked but had always been slower than his companion at deducing meanings.

    Sure enough, he soon heard an audible groan from her so he knew she must have found the answer before him. In a matter of seconds he too was frowning, the command was simply busy work.

    The academy''s records were pretty much futile to check since most of the students were of royal and aristocratic origin. If you were not aware of those who attended the school it would most likely be because they were foreign like his roommate most likely was or from less influential merchant families like Elodi Beatrice. That old geezer was only insisting on gathering this knowledge because of his belief that the more information the better.

    ¡°I suppose we know the true purpose for him sending us here. That cheapskate just wanted free admission for someone to report the current admissions information to see if they matched current SELLERS data.¡±

    He said this with little surprise but plenty of distaste. Grandpa Ed had always taught them to make sure a client wasn¡¯t taking advantage of them for a hidden reason while the most common culprit of this was himself.

    As he focused on the message he noticed the girl bob her head in modest acknowledgement of his assertion.

    His eyes drifted to her, wanting to see if she would soon burst out in a justified rage that would personify what he felt as well.

    Surprisingly, her full light mauve lips were not frowning or even pursed. Instead, they began to spread into a small smirk that seemed to raise her turn-up nose ever so slightly. It seemed she would be using Grandpa Ed¡¯s order to her advantage and she had little intention of revealing.

    Whatever plans she had were of little importance to him. It wasn¡¯t like she could do much stuck inside as Constance all day.

    In any case, if it was not an issue for her he supposed it was not such a big deal after all.

    ¡°copy¡­records¡± He pondered on the message one more time before squeezing the orb tightly so it could regain its original form and then promptly plunged it back in his pocket.

    It¡¯s just reviewing, and it won¡¯t be difficult, just tedious. He thought this might be a good way to satisfy her desire to have a real goal and his own desire to keep her away from disobeying the original orders.

    Holding out his arm to act as her prop once again they set back out of the garden.

    Just as they had reached the crossing between the direction of the boy''s dormitory and the women¡¯s, they were approached by Oswald¡¯s roommate.

    ¡°Hey, what are you two doing out here?! The cold isn¡¯t good for a sickly lady like you.¡±

    Clearly interested in her decision to come out after he¡¯d been the one to inform Oswald of her ¡°sudden flare up¡±, the conversationalist sidled over to her the side opposite Oswald as if he were somehow being helpful to the ¡°frail¡± girl.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t tell me what you two were discussing all ALONE, but I will be honest. I am a bit hurt that you never addressed me even though we¡¯ve met several times.¡± This was just a ruse to convince the girl they were closer than mere acquaintances in Oswald¡¯s opinion.

    Constance¡¯s eyes shifted from one side to the other nervously which he took to mean that since he had never introduced or discussed with her about the roommate she¡¯d been talking to him with no idea who he was.

    ¡°Aslow D. you shouldn¡¯t bother her too much, she isn¡¯t feeling well already.¡± Although he rarely addressed him by name, doing it this once would be fine since it was to relay the name to Constance.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯d hate to bring down the mood but I should probably be retiring to my room again. Thank you for accompanying me, sir Flannerdam and Lord¡­ Aslow.¡±

    There was a tinge of confusion in her tone since her character as perfect lady Constance meant she should be addressing everyone in the most proper manner possible, but then again how could she possibly know how to greet Aslow d. Speaking of, Oswald twinged in embarrassment, already knowing what would come next.

    His roommate narrowed his black beady eyes and tried to hide his displeasure.

    ¡°Yes- well you should get going then, and for future reference¡­. my name is Aslow D. Ah-s-loo-w D.¡± For whatever reason, the roommate insisted on this, and Oswald did not care to know why, but was ashamed of his association with Aslow D. when he reacted this way.

    He noticed Constance¡¯s face flared with annoyance at both him for never informing her of such a thing, and at his roommate for being so ill-mannered about the whole thing. Playing her role meant this was soon replaced by a plastered-on smile and an awkward chuckle.

    ¡°My apologies, I¡¯ll be heading back now, Aslow¡­. D.¡± With that, she hurried off as fast as one pretending to be weak could have. He and Aslow also started back to their room. Back inside, he was bombarded by questions about him and Constance.

    He had to admit drama was always a bestseller for Aslow D. If he added on to rumors about someone else (rumors Aslow D. had introduced upon him), he would be able to get away from the interrogation.

    As the roommate began his next retelling of the students'' escapades and endeavors, Oswald settled into his bed, thinking that the useless assignments weren¡¯t all that bad. He was annoyed by Grandpa Ed¡¯s dismissal of mainly the girls and his abilities but personally, hanging around the school was somewhat comfortable.

    The sun had finally burst its way out of the clouds and the boy drifted off into a relaxing cat nap.

 Chapter 6: Dont overSELL it

    (Her View)

    Scritch. ¡°So as we can see while the borders of Fleur are very distinct on our maps, geographically it can become hard to separate our territory from those beyond¡­.¡±

    The lecturer seemed interested in her content which could not be said for her pupils, especially a certain espionage agent.

    Maybe if they talked more about the foreign territories in more detail there¡¯d be something of note but as it stands these lessons are about as entertaining as Grandpa Ed.

    It didn¡¯t help that the girl was not able to participate in any sort of intellectual curiosity or debate that would make her stand out.

    The boy next to her was gawking once again. His hands constantly smoothed out his already flat clump of brown locks practically dripping in some sort of lubricant. He had already asked several questions about whether she needed a pencil, help understanding, aid in taking notes, etc.

    He¡¯s rather bothersome for an idiot.

    Unfortunately for him, all he had proved was that his strengths were not history and did not lie in his appearance.

    She thought his lack of tact might be helpful though. She had been looking for an opportunity to depart from the lessons. Having what she considered more important things to do, the class was becoming increasingly difficult to leave. This was because faking sickness often required someone to take her back to the dorms or caused a great deal of attention to be put on her.

    Every time she so much as coughed, people were practically on the edge of their seats hoping to be able to use her leaving to their advantage. She needed someone who would be easy to deal with and did not have much ability to question her.

    One other factor was that it needed to be a person with as little of a social skill as possible. If the information that she had left earlier than planned reached Aslow D. and therefore ¡°Oswald¡± things could become a bit more troublesome. It seemed this greaseball with no acquaintances and little credibility fit the categories seamlessly.

    Chester something or other was the perfect match. Since he wanted to help her so bad she would gladly take his offer.

    Under the cover of her disguise, she began to shake her hand as she wrote. Pretending to steady it with the other hand she discreetly made sure it tumbled on the floor. This disruption almost made the boy look giddy as he reached over and whispered,

    ¡°No need to worry, I will retrieve that for you.¡±

    She could see his nasty smirk stretch across his wide face as she gave him a polite smile and nodded in appreciation.

    This might be enough to catch other students'' attention, but the real challenge is getting out.

    Seeing her shaky state she heard a few classmates begin to whisper. One girl a few rows up was even audible to Constance.

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    ¡°I understand she has¡­ special circumstances but it still feels unreasonable for her to be causing disturbances so frequently.¡±

    She couldn¡¯t disagree with these remarks. She also felt annoyed that she was only allowed to stand apart when it was to maintain a weak countenance for Constance. It would all be over with quicker if her plan succeeded today.

    Clutching her head suddenly she felt the eyes burning into her more furiously. As if buried under their weight she rubbed her temples and forced out a few large tears.

    By this time Chester had reemerged from under the table and produced the pencil with a proud expression. This soon turned to dismay as she quickly turned in what looked like an attempt to hide her tears.

    ¡°Are you alright? If you¡¯d like anything at all I¡¯d happily oblige.¡±

    If she could have she would have smiled at how easy he was to manage but instead she whipped back around with watery eyes and a pitiful face. Still holding her head and wincing in ¡°pain¡± she scanned his face carefully before she made her next move.

    ¡°I apologize, I seem to have developed a slight chill.¡± She offered a delicate smile and continued her act.

    As if on cue, the boy raised his hand. He exaggerated her condition although little was needed to build off her original base. She claimed to be completely fine but the show of losing her strength said otherwise. Thanks to this, the instructor reluctantly let the sleazeball Chester accompany her to her dorm.

    According to Grandpa Ed, Constance¡¯s file required that she be sent to her dorm instead of the school doctor. The guise of being very selective with her treatment was certainly beneficial today.

    As she walked she was made painfully aware of the greasy guy next to her by his constant fussing and pandering to her non-existent needs.

    ¡°Should we take a break now? I could always carry you if needed, no reason to be ashamed if you¡¯d like to sit down somewhere.

    Her counterfeit smile dropped slightly in the absence of others.

    ¡°I may be ill, but It isn¡¯t as if I have no wits about me, sir Chester. If you truly find no issue in carrying me, I hope you will be prepared to take responsibility for my ruined reputation afterhand. The price won¡¯t be a small sum either.¡±

    Her face further contorted to reveal a sullen expression that accentuated Constance''s naturally pale skin and sunken eyes. Approaching the boy¡¯s bony nape, one shaky finger traced across his neck like a dagger before retracting. He took a few steps back and looked at her in panicked horror.

    Too harsh? I suppose I¡¯ll have to reign it back in to keep his mouth shut.

    ¡°You- I, what¡­.¡± he stumbled trying to make sense of her sudden change.

    She giggled harmlessly and returned to a more ¡°normal¡± appropriate weak smile.

    ¡°I was only joking so no need to react so much. If you don¡¯t mind, however, I¡¯d like to walk the rest of the way¡­. alone.¡± She paused in her walk and glanced at him sideways and was pleased to see his expression had hardly softened at all. He was deeply confused and uneasy about her presence.

    ¡°I¡¯ll bid you goodbye then so recover soon.¡± With that, he practically disappeared which made her almost disappointed but all well that ends well.

    Immediately after he departed from sight, she changed her direction and began to proceed toward the records room. While the plan was not to meet until much later, she had her reasons for arriving in advance.

    Admittedly she was not too happy about the additional message originally. She soon realized it was an opportunity to find out additional information about two missing in-action students. While Grandpa Ed was extremely annoying in the way he toyed with them he was right about one thing.

    All information is important, even the smallest detail.

    Hopefully, the cousin of Constance¡¯s record could shed some light on how to retain her cover right under Belladonna¡¯s nose. This would be especially difficult since it would already be odd she had not written to her in so long. Besides that, the case of the truant Oliver might just make more sense after reviewing the administrative files on his lack of attendance.

    Each student file was available to look at in the records room. She had already scoped out the scene and the general information was easy to access. Although the room was rarely frequented by anyone in particular, it was still best to be cautious. The more detailed content was only revealed after getting past a lock on the wood floor-to-ceiling filing cabinet drawers. Labeled A-Z for last names the almost 100 files per drawer meant she was confident two files wouldn¡¯t be missed.

    Her lock-picking skills were certainly nothing to scoff at and the drawers soon revealed themselves to her. She reviewed some of the information of interest starting with Belladonna. To her disappointment, the cousin''s file only disclosed her average grades excellent attendance, and somewhat quiet nature.

    The notes about her did confirm that she sent out letters diligently to her parents and Constance, which meant she was still a good lead to get in touch with. Perhaps meeting Belladona could guide the girl toward Constance''s family situation and the head of Winthrop¡¯s real reason for hiding her death. The file could still be helpful if she analyzed it hard enough anyway. Since they were so close, it would be easy to catch a slip-up if she mentioned anyone who had previously been on bad terms with Constance.

    Now for Oswald. Just as she glanced down at the attendance records hurried footsteps became discernable outside. They were approaching the door quickly and she sprung forward shutting the cabinets to look untouched. Gingerly the files were folded and then tucked into a meager pocket hidden in the lining of her underskirt.

    Wearing these extra pieces could be helpful after all. If only they were comfortable as well as concealing.

    Her eyes darted around for a place to duck into. The footsteps became increasingly louder mimicking the pounding of her chest. The doorknob began to turn and the hinge creaked, cautioning her of what was to come¡­

 Chapter 7: HimSELLf and his Thoughts

    His View

    Creak. The boy opened the door slowly¡­ only to find the records room empty and still. He was surprised since he would have expected his impatient partner to have arrived before him. As he gently pressed the door shut behind him his eyes scurried around looking for any sign signs of life.

    The warm room was centered by an abandoned sturdy espresso-colored desk in the middle facing him and two oversized armchairs bulging with packing. The armchairs faced the large desk and the walls were floor-to-ceiling file cabinets essentially.

    Oddly enough, I feel more welcomed in this room than when I step into the bookshop, then again I suppose this one is not housing a weasely boy like Neil.

    Suddenly his eyes went dark and there was immense pressure over them. He could hear a familiar breathing cadence behind him and was sure whose arm had covered his face. Everything about her was distinguishable to him, be it her subtle scent of orange blossoms or her quick soft steps.

    ¡°I see you already found your way here.¡± Though his voice remained flat he wondered if she noticed his subdued satisfaction when he felt her arm loosen over his eyes after his rapid response.

    He watched as she sighed, her nostrils puffing out dissatisfaction. ¡°You are no fun. Couldn¡¯t you have at least faked a nervous response?¡±

    Fumbling around in his pocket he produced a small key. ¡°I¡¯m not brainless enough to give you a chance to claim I cannot identify my partner.¡±

    Studying her expression, he could tell this comment entertained her to a certain degree.

    ¡°When did you arrive, I don¡¯t think you¡¯d have any business in an empty room with no key.¡±

    Sure she could certainly have hidden intentions but with no access to the files, what damage could she do? Suppose she had picked the locks instead¡­ no she wouldn¡¯t waste effort when there was little payoff. She already knew everything about the young nobles and the minority information on merchants and commoner youth would hardly intrigue her enough to warrant secrecy. Besides that was what they would be reviewing together anyway, no reason to look into it on her own.

    ¡°I can tell from your face you¡¯re racking that mile-a-minute brain of yours but you can stop overthinking it. I only came here a few minutes earlier than you, just like usual, you were late.¡±

    He thought her casual shrug and dismissive expression would have been a bit irritating had it been another person but in this case he figured it meant she was either genuine in her words or she didn¡¯t need any help in achieving whatever alternative goals she had.

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    ¡°Fine. You arrived here earlier than me and did nothing while you waited.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t that he had no curiosity about her thoughts but more so that there was no point in asking a question that wouldn¡¯t be answered. It wasn¡¯t like he was always straightforward with her either. After all, when they were younger he even got her involved in his conflicts with other SHOP kids with little to no explanation. Since she had always helped him without asking anything more about the situation, he often decided to not pursue her secrets too much.

    He was pulled away from his thoughts by the girl''s tiny hand briefly gracing him with heat as she snatched the key. The emptiness in his hand was soon filled by the girl placing her gloves in his pocket.

    ¡°No one¡¯s around so I might as well get a break from these stuffy things while I can.¡± She rolled around her wrists and stretched her fingers.

    He pulled out a large notebook from his briefcase and opened it up to the first blank page while she strolled around swinging the key around her finger.

    ¡°I¡¯ll start at the records in the A category then. Since I¡¯ve memorized more SELLERS information, it¡¯ll be easier if we just record what I haven¡¯t seen in our files.¡±

    He had to admit she had more knowledge in the category but he was reluctant to accept all the writing responsibility.

    ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll compile all of this in a few hours?¡± He asked wryly, anticipating how painful the task would be. Moving to the desk he lazily pulled out the chair with his empty and took a seat.

    ¡°Well, we have to return a few times to get all the information copied. It would be way too much to record today.¡± Turning the key into the lock there was an audible click and he watched as she pulled open the drawer and pulled out the first folder.

    Whenever she was focused on something her eyebrows would scrunch slightly. As he watched he finally set the gloves down neatly on the table. With the sun''s rays filling the room, the girl''s reddish brown curls shone. He noticed her eyes panning from the top down to the bottom of the pages without a twitch of her mouth, she must not have seen any new information yet.

    It¡¯s a shame people here only see the facade of Constance since her appearance without the orbs spell is much more... On second thought maybe that¡¯s a positive.

    ¡°This might be important to note, are you going to continue baring a hole through my head, or will you at least pretend to focus and pick up a pencil.¡± Her appetite for catching him off guard could never be satiated.

    He winced a bit with embarrassment before picking up the pencil and burying his stare in the pages of the blank notebook.

    ¡°Go ahead then, read it.¡± He couldn¡¯t possibly be distracted after that.

    ¡°You know you¡¯re a lot more endearing this way.¡± Clearly intending to get another rise out of him, the boy tried his best to hide his reaction from her.

    She began reading the records again showing little interest in what she was doing or how fast he was writing to keep up with her.

    ¡°All right we¡¯re on D now.¡± She was now fully leaning against the file cabinet wall. He watched her yawn before picking up the next file.

    ¡°Arthur Damien, age 17, from the notorious merchant turned aristocratic family.¡± He saw her hold the first page in the folder closer to her face squinting.

    ¡°Don¡¯t we already have several sources about the Damien family? Why do we need to re-record his story?¡± He shook out his hand and held his wrist.

    ¡°Oh we don¡¯t, I just think he looks a lot more attractive in this school photo. That reminds me, isn''t he the student representative advertising that Academy party?¡±

    More attractive?

    He frowned at her nonsense remarks.

    ¡°Don¡¯t waste our time looking at useless things.¡±

    She rolled her eyes ignoring him, and turned her attention back to what the boy thought could only be more unimportant ideas.

    He could hardly hear her muttering, ¡°¡­might work, I¡¯ll have to check out the student council at some point¡­¡±

    Is she really distracted by some subpar schoolboy? She¡¯d rather investigate him than¡­ Maybe it¡¯s because we weren¡¯t given an interesting task so that boy is a substitute to escape boredom? If she ends up getting too involved in this should I stop-

    ¡°Christian Delian, age 18¡­.¡± Unaware of the inner turmoil she''d caused him the girl started reading again. He picked back up the pen flustered and tried to catch up.

    The sun''s glow burned a deeper shade of marigold, the plush chairs still beckoned for visitors, and the girl was still as charming as usual. The boy tried his best to focus on her reciting while attempting to balance his anxious thoughts. The room may have been comfortable, but his mind was not.

 Chapter 8: Pre-CounSEll

    Her view

    After her and her partner''s first day in the record room, they had managed to get to the letter g in the files before calling it a day.

    She reluctantly accepted the boy''s invitation to walk her back home. The girl watched him glance back several times as he pulled away from the doorway and disappeared from her view. She assumed he¡¯d return the key to wherever he got it from.

    She hurried back to her room hoping to get a chance to look at her stolen files. Opening the door, she saw a familiar face waiting with an expectant expression. It was clear that reviewing anything would not be possible under Lady Beatrice''s supervision.

    ¡°Constance?! Where were you? I haven¡¯t seen you all day and then you come back when it¡¯s practically dark with Oswald?! You really ought to be careful, someone like him isn¡¯t trustworthy.¡±

    Elodi was standing with her arms crossed and her ash brown loosely curled hair framing her stern expression. Her olive skin was barely illuminated by the sunset, the girl had already donned a baby blue nightgown.

    So she saw us arrive at the dorms. Once again he¡¯s set off another person somehow. I have to come up with something to cover us and tell him to watch himself later.

    ¡°I apologize for worrying you, I wasn¡¯t feeling well earlier so I left class early. When Oswald found out I was ill he took me out for some entertainment in the city.¡±

    ¡°Hmph! What kind of person brings out a patient to such a chaotic space?! You said you met each other at the school gates and quickly became friends after that, right? It may be presumptuous of me to say but I¡¯d wager he has other intentions in befriending you.¡±

    She sure has a wild imagination. It would be fun to give her a bit of fuel but that might impact ¡±Oswald¡±.

    Elodi helped Constance to her bed and sat alongside her watching her face for an explanation.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure he has no negative intent.¡± Constance decided she would have to wait until Elodi was sleeping so she could hide away the files.

    Since I can¡¯t read the folders I might as well get started on the student council front.

    ¡°Speaking of meeting new acquaintances, is your previous invitation to observe your club''s activities still available?¡± Constance had not taken off her shoes and sat cross-legged on the plump bedding.

    ¡°Are you interested? I thought Oswald mentioned too many people and a busy setting like that could be too taxing on your health. Then again, who would know better than you after all? Well, I¡¯m not sure our next meeting would be very entertaining for you, we¡¯re supposed to interview a few of the student council members again. As if we have not done enough stories on them already.¡± Elodi¡¯s frustration was clear and Constance could sympathize with her being given a trivial job.

    It¡¯s unfortunate for little lady Beatrice, but lucky for me the school''s newspaper is known for its unoriginal reporting.

    ¡°Ah, I see, I was hoping to gain some insight into the newspaper interviewing process but if you don¡¯t think it¡¯s suitable for me to join.¡± Avoiding eye contact, she displayed her ¡°disappointment¡± in her comments and twiddled her fingers restlessly.

    Flustered, Elodi tried her best to comfort Constance, ¡°What? No¡­ I mean that isn¡¯t what I meant at all! I simply thought you wouldn¡¯t find it enjoyable but I probably misjudged how exhausting it usually is for you to be trapped inside all day.¡±

    Easily swayed and kind almost to a fault. Other than her odd distaste for Oswald, Elodi truly lived up to her reputation of being ¡°beautiful inside and out¡±. Whether she realized this praise existed was debatable since she was seemingly oblivious to other people¡¯s admiration. When her illness wasn¡¯t considered, people generally had positive things to say about the character of Constance as well.

    The difference is that Constance is the image I¡¯ve created and has no relation to my real identity.

    ¡°No it¡¯s alright Lady Elodi, if you need any assistance I¡¯ll be sure to help out. Of course, I understand if my current state wouldn¡¯t be suitable as well.¡± Her meek smile seemed to glide out smoothly gaining an even more sympathetic expression from her roommate.

    After a few moments, Lady Beatrice fixed her expression to be a bit more authoritative. ¡°Ahem, it¡¯s settled, you will be my assistant interviewer for next week''s meeting!¡±

    <i>Gotcha. </i>

    "Really?!"After thanking her profusely, the two conversed about classes, campus, etc., and by the end, the darkness had consumed the room leaving a single lamp. Eventually, the lamp also lost its fight to the power of the night and the two girls settled into their respective beds.

    She spent most of her time the next few days in the records room with her partner. The task of copying information was quite frankly, boring. By the start of the new week, she was completely annoyed.

    It didn¡¯t help that her partner seemed to be preoccupied with whatever delusion he had concocted about her this time.

    ¡°So it¡¯s his appearance, you¡¯re attracted to his clean appearance? I don¡¯t think he¡¯s too special and for you he hardly¡­¡± She watched as his monotone voice trailed off.

    She couldn¡¯t even roll her eyes at his completely off-base examination. While he seemed to believe she¡¯d been overcome with infatuation for Arthur Damien just because she had made a quick comment. Her real interest lay in his photograph, or rather the badge on his uniform in his image. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    The special label was partly blurry in Belladonna Winthrop¡¯s image but Damien¡¯s photograph revealed a student council symbol.

    At the time she¡¯d thought:

    If I happen to run into the elusive, letter-sending, cousin of Constance through a student council meeting it will seem fairly natural and I can finally get intel on the Winthrop family through her.

    Of course, her associate, a paradoxical character who looked emotionless but was highly sentimental towards certain things, would fret about her ¡°focus¡± on Damien. This misunderstanding did distract him from seeing her true goal of solving the case, but his worry and curiosity over the matter were also tiresome.

    She replied bleakly ¡°Yes, I suppose attractive is another way to say he looks quite put together.¡±

    If he was any less neat I wouldn¡¯t have been able to decipher the club insignia he and Belladonna shared.

    ¡°Where my interest lies is hardly the most important thing right now. We¡¯re onto the T files so, if you don¡¯t hope to be stuck on writing duty another week, you¡¯d better get your head on straight.¡± She eyed his writing callus with discontent.

    A wave of some emotion flashed over her partner''s face causing her to squint and cock her head in confusion. To her, it seemed as if his words were overflowing with little control.

    ¡°No, I think this is entirely as important! Well¡­ what I mean is what is it about him that you haven¡¯t seen before? If it has nothing to do with the mission then isn¡¯t it simply a distraction?! I¡¯m sure that there has to be something behind your attention on him unless you are secretly content to take on this new life!¡± She sighed and watched his eyes give away his fear and irritation.

    I¡¯m starting to feel a bit bad about lying but I¡¯d rather not get him involved. At least one of us should remain focused on following the rules. Besides that, if things get¡­  complicated he should be able to escape on his own.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about things that don¡¯t concern Oswald. Unless, don¡¯t tell me? Ah, I see so you¡¯re hoping to be here with me for-EVER.¡± She smirked knowing her provocation would work just the way she hoped.

    ¡°You- !¡± His eyes shyed from her view.

    "That isn¡¯t what I said at all. Always acting so casual as if everything is some comedic theatre performance.¡± She ignored his grumbling and watched him grip the pen tighter, his veins swelling again when he began writing.

    What kind of reaction is that? Is he angry or just motivated to finish? He never fails to entertain me though.

    Hours later, the two had finally completed the work. They had finished just in time to catch dinner in the dining hall. The large arches framing it and luxury tables practically beckoned for anyone to pay attention. The red velvet-lined chairs and spotless parquet floors certainly took time to adjust to when compared to the warm, full, and simple SHOP eating area. The carefully adorned chandeliers lit everything up but it was still empty. Many of the nobles had private chefs or little obligation to eat in the designated room.

    Despite their earlier scuffle, Oswald still made sure to clear off a chair and practically usher her into it. He then took his seat next to her as they joined their roommates who had already been occupying the space.

    ¡°You two are just odd. Taking long walks together in secret and only returning after hours have passed, would make anyone think you¡¯re involved in a certain type of way.¡± Constance watched her roommate''s eyes narrow at Oswald as she said this. Her position opposite him at the table made her feelings even more apparent.

    ¡°Lady Beatrice, give it rest for once. Considering all he does is quietly follow Constance around, I¡¯d say they seem more like master and some kind of servant or bodyguard.¡± Across from Constance, Aslow D. seemed very uninterested in this situation which must¡¯ve meant he didn¡¯t deem it worthy of gossip.

    Oswald responded with a stone-cold expression, ¡°We have a completely normal friendship.¡±

    If I could slap him on the back of the head I would. He really thinks a response like that makes things any less suspicious. Especially since his blunt way of talking only upsets Elodi further. I suppose I¡¯ll have to diffuse things.

    Looking at the two friends, she smiled and chuckled softly. ¡°You have some interesting ideas, but those stories are rather¡­ far-fetched. After all, I often spend long periods with you Elodi, and if spending time alone was indicative of that sort of relationship then I believe you and Aslow D. would have something to explain as well. After all, you do spend time together alone when we aren¡¯t around, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Elodi seemed stunned for a bit, and Constance adjusted her napkin on her lap. She relinquished her plate to Oswald in silence while keeping her gaze on the girl across from her.

    Frowning Elodi murmured, ¡°That is true but¡­¡±

    Before she could finish her unsure thoughts, Constance interjected, ¡°Speaking of stories, the interviews for the written column in the newspaper are this Wednesday, correct?¡±

    Lady Beatrice lit up, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right! The student council members will be excited to have a new visitor for their interview!¡±

    ¡°Really¡­ I hope so.¡± She began showcasing her meek expression.

    I just hope they won¡¯t be too distracting to me while I¡¯m finding ¡°my¡± cousin Bellatrix.

    Screeech!

    She and the two others at the table turned their focus to the source of the ear-splitting sound. The culprit was none other than Oswald who was trying hard to pretend he hadn¡¯t just scratched up the plate of steak he¡¯d been cutting for her.

    Looking down at his task he said, ¡°So you''re going to the student council meeting? I wasn¡¯t aware. For that- I mean for what reason?¡±

    In front of these two, she was the weak and shy Constance who did not need to respond in every conversation. Instead of acknowledging him she simply watched as his knife slid through the steak finishing it off to reveal the blood-rare interior. The plate was then set in front of her along with his inquiry.

    ¡°Seriously, I don¡¯t know how you deal with him, Constance.¡± Turning to face Oswald, Elodi continued in a huff.

    ¡°What¡¯s it to you whether she goes or not?¡±

    Constance took her fork with a shaky hand and pricked her food lifting it daintily.

    ¡°I¡¯m just curious about this sudden decision. That kind of setting isn¡¯t exactly one fit for fragile individuals.¡±

    Fragile? He¡¯s committed to the act. I almost laughed.

    She glanced up to meet his eyes bearing into her before smirking just enough that he would notice.

    Ooh, that glare is going to backfire on him.

    Swallowing her small bite she wiped her mouth and neatly placed her napkin back in its place.

    ¡°Oh dear, it almost seems as if I¡¯ve done something wrong. I¡¯m sure Lady Beatrice will make sure I¡¯m not uncomfortable. Is it not acceptable for me to attend?¡±

    ¡°Hah! You just want to know more about her, is that so? You may want to review your actions beforehand because if anything you''re the one who should be looked into. Who are you to say I''m unsafe when if anything that scary scowl of yours will knock out Constance long before one club meeting will?

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about her, but your ladyship Bellowdi would certainly be an easy target to stun.¡±

    Almost knocking her chair back, Elodi stood up the table shaking in her wake. ¡°What did you call me?!¡± Sitting back down she crossed her arms at Oswald.

    ¡°Ugh, well don¡¯t expect an invitation to come with us then. Look! Just look at him! As soon as someone else starts talking other than Constance he suddenly has no expression, it¡¯s like I¡¯m talking to a rock!¡±

    Needless to say, Constance had dinner and a show that night, and she could only assume Oswald''s worries were not relieved by her roommate''s lecture. The interview and more importantly her chance for clues was now one day away.

 Chapter 9: DisguiSELLess

    <b>His View</b>

    <i>Bam!</i>

    Aslow D. burst into the room throwing back the door carelessly.

    Unbothered by his noise Oswald continued grabbing his coat and fixing himself up.

    ¡°Oh, going somewhere? You¡¯ve had an especially serious expression lately but you seem to be less concerned today. Judging by the fact that there are only a few things that affect your mood¡­ are you going somewhere with Constance?¡±

    Oswald sighed, turning back to the excited face ¡°We may look similar but that personality of yours doesn¡¯t match me at all.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re telling me! Hard to believe people get us mixed up.¡±

    Oswald shook his head.

    Aslow D. fell back on his bed kicking off his shoes, ¡° I have better things to worry about than whatever the relation between you and her is, but it¡¯d be nice to know if I¡¯ll have to worry about ¡°Bellow-di¡± charging at me to find her roommate later on.¡±

    <i>A scarf or no scarf? Is it cold enough to warrant self-induced suffocation? </i>

    He pondered on this as his roommate''s whining continued. Then he opened the door and headed out. He could hear Aslow D. bounding towards the door he left open and yelling some parting words.

    ¡°Hey, at least tell me when you¡¯ll return! Do you know how hard I¡¯ve been working to help you-?¡±

    The boy rounded the corner his roommate''s voice no longer audible and began walking more swiftly.

    <i>Help me? There is one more day until that meeting. I don¡¯t care what he¡¯s been doing as long as he finds a way for me to get in. I don¡¯t want to interfere, but I¡¯d rather not be kept in the dark about her connection with that Damien kid.</i>

    After making his way out the school gates he ducked into a nearby alley to wait. Odd as it was, the memory of the two of them standing there before entering the school felt faded already.

    He had gotten used to the school and even her fragile act. Even if she had acted more like herself in the records room, she was still not as relaxed or free as he knew her to be.

    Now, as he watched her darting out towards him he was relieved to see the smile on her face and her eyes bright.

    <i>I¡¯ll figure out her student council ¡°interest¡± tomorrow so maybe I shouldn¡¯t bring it up today. </i>

    He watched as she shed the last of her Constance act, throwing off one of her shiny shoes and thick coat.

    ¡°It¡¯s still cold even if you aren¡¯t sick.¡± He went to pick up the articles she¡¯d strewn on the floor while she hopped around.

    He sighed as she shoved on her first boot before pulling off the other Mary Jane to replace it with her aged footwear.

    <i>If I¡¯d known she''d be doing this maybe I would have brought the scarf.</i>

    He studied her expression, noticing a slight drop in her smile when her eyes fell on the coat.¡°I¡¯d rather not take it with me to the bookstore, at least for now there¡¯s no need to be Constance.¡±

    ¡°Right. I suppose it would be smarter to leave it¡± he responded, hoping he hadn¡¯t dampened the mood.

    <i>It¡¯s probably difficult to pretend to be some sickly girl all the time. I shouldn¡¯t have mentioned it.</i>

    ¡°Good, that coat is the wrong color for me.¡± Her mouth widened back to its original sunny state and she stepped forward into the mouth of the dark alley.

    <i>Nevermind. I guess I overthought again.</i>

    ¡°Alright, you coming? We need to get the copied files there before it gets dark.¡±

    ¡°We could¡¯ve already been finished by now if we had just skipped class.¡° He mumbled this while tossing the Constance accessories in a close by broken wagon.

    <i>It would be better to come get them on the way back rather than carry them along.</i>

    They started heading through the back alleys and it was clear to see that his partner was exceedingly glad to be walking along normally. She sauntered along the cobblestone path ahead of him.

    ¡°What did you do with the orb?¡±

    He hadn¡¯t seen it in her discarded items and losing it would be a problem.

    ¡°Oh, you mean this?¡± She grabbed out the blue orb and tossed it up. He nervously watched as she caught it. There was little time to be relieved because as soon as it landed, nestled in her hand it was immediately tossed at him.

    He fumbled, barely catching it and tucking it in a pocket.

    ¡°If you¡¯re gonna worry about it the whole time, you should just hold it¡­ but hand it back when we get to the bookstore.¡± As she spoke he could see her mischievous smirk appear for a second.

    He assumed she was planning on tricking someone again but more importantly, he already regretted asking for the disguise orb as it and the communication orb clanked around in his pocket irritatingly.

    Weaving through the alley until they were far enough from the school, they eventually joined the hustle and bustle of the street. He quickened his pace so they wouldn¡¯t be separated.

    <i>If that old man had just picked us up with the same enthusiasm as he sent us, he could''ve gotten back much easier. I knew he had no intention of helping when we let him know we had finished copying and he sent no response but still¡­</i>

    After about 20 minutes and a few turns they made the last left turn down Ainemerr Street where the noise and business were almost nonexistent. They were still a few steps away from the bookstore though.

    He caught up to the girl who had finally slowed her pace nudging her with his elbow.

    ¡°I thought you said you wanted the orb back here?¡±

    As she turned back he noticed that trick playing face was back.

    ¡°Oh right, I just wanted to make sure you wouldn¡¯t break it while we were walking.¡±

    His face didn¡¯t falter at the comment instead a bit puzzled.

    <i>Is this all? Somehow I expected a more annoying trick.</i>Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    ¡°I¡¯d wager that you¡¯d not only lose but also destroy it long before I cause any damage.¡±

    He hoped to end the conversation and get this trip to the Shop over with.

    ¡°Huh¡­ Sounding pretty guilty right now, hand it over.¡±

    Shaking his head in irritation, he pulled it out and placed it gently in her outstretched hand.

    He looked at her examining it for a little bit but after a few minutes, his foot was tapping and his eyes wandered the street with impatience.

    After what felt like entirely too long he noticed her stuff the orb back in his coat pocket and walk again.

    <i>Why take it if you¡¯re still going to have me carry it? She¡¯s something odd, isn¡¯t she?</i>

    He followed her until they reached the gloomy bookstore with its claustrophobic energy and shiny brass bell on the door. The girl paused and he opened the door for the two of them to reveal that the familiar clerk was once again too immersed in something to notice.

    <i>At least he¡¯s found something useful to spend time with this time.</i>

    He could see the account book was fairly empty, but Neil seemed focused on fact-checking every purchase and payment.

    The girl sidled up to him whispering ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you say hello this time, since you¡¯ll just nag me about wasting time if I talk to him.¡±

    <i>True, she did tend to spend too much time on the jitterbox, but¡­ since when did she care? Whatever.</i>

    Clearing his throat he looked down on the sitting boy, ¡°Hey¡­ Neil, we¡¯re here so hand over the key¡±

    ¡°I said to say hello, not command him,¡± the girl said under her breath but loud enough for him to hear.

    Realizing their presence, Neil''s mouth turned upwards but the series of events following were a blur.

    ¡°Oh, you two are back¡­¡± All of a sudden as his eyes landed on the boy''s face, Neil froze and turned pale. His ghostly appearance and bulging eyes made for quite a scene. He shot up rocking the desk and knocking his chair once again. He ran to the boy who at this point was thoroughly confused. Neil¡¯s shaking hands moved to the boy''s shoulder and firmly grasped the boy. The boy saw the girl''s cheeky smile fade slowly out of the corner of his eye, but he was a little preoccupied watching the possessed-like clerk baring his eyes into him to think too much.

    ¡°Con-¡± He stopped and looked at his desperate hand''s grip and stepped back almost tripping over himself.

    ¡°You¡¯re not-¡± He trailed off, and in the silence, he crumpled to the floor, his glasses became tinged with a cloudy glaze and his sniffling nose was uncomfortably loud.

    At this point, the girl next to them practically flew into the boy''s pocket and slipped one of the orbs into her pocket. After this, she slowly approached Neil. Crouching beside Neil, the girl¡¯s hand reached out and slowly patted his back while the boy watched in almost awe at the absolute absurdity that was this situation.

    ¡°Sorry about that, it was¡­ supposed to be... Well, I¡¯m guessing it meant something completely different to you.¡±

    <i>click¡­ clock¡­ click¡­ clock</i>. <i>click¡­ clock¡­ click¡­ clock</i>.

    The insufferable awkwardness lasted for several minutes with the boy standing in shock, Neil on the floor, and the girl next to him.

    <i>click¡­ clock¡­ click¡­ clock</i>. <i>click¡­ clock¡­ click¡­ clock</i>.

    It was almost 20 minutes later when one of them moved. Neil rose to his feet and stiffly pulled the key from its spot before stopping the clock movements to open the tunnel door.

    <i>Well, I¡¯m certainly not sticking around in this depressing scene.</i>

    Briskly, the boy headed to the tunnel and beckoned the girl with his eyes and hand to come along. Reluctantly she followed and entered the tunnel. He turned to look ahead but heard Neil¡¯s rushed feet against the wood chase her. He could also hear him reach out for something and then faintly the words ¡°...dead, is she?¡± flowed to his ears.

    The girl must''ve nodded or given some other nonverbal response because he did not hear her answer when he finally turned. His surrender to the curiosity of the situation caused him to witness the end of the interaction where the now haunted and haggard Neil closed the last window into his lonely and limited life of literature.

    The boy could not distinguish whether there was a thud-like collapse on the other side of the door or if that was simply the clock coming back to life. Either way, he and the girl were fairly silent for half of that walk.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing that was your doing, right?¡±

    ¡°I-¡±

    ¡°To be clear I don¡¯t mean his reaction, there''s no way you would¡¯ve predicted that wreck. I just mean you did something with the orb.¡±

    He looked back at her now serious expression and crossed arms ¡°You were Constance.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± He stopped with her almost running into him.

    Sighing, his eyes followed her gaze as she looked at the orb they were using to light up the passage.

    ¡°I just thought it would be funny to hear your voice come out of Constance, but since it was set so we could both see through the sorcery orb disguise, I thought it would be funny for Neil to see¡­sorry¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯d he cry about it though, was it seriously that shocking to see some weak girl with my voice?¡±

    ¡°Well if you were in his situation¡­Wait, you¡¯re not even going to blame me at all?¡±

    ¡°Like I said, how would you be able to know the effect of that joke, plus it isn¡¯t like I was affected so I¡¯m not the person to be blaming you. Just don¡¯t try pulling those kinds of stints¡­ at least without letting me know.¡±

    ¡°You know I¡¯m not going to feel better just because you say this. But, thank you anyway.¡±

    He turned towards the pathway to hide his face. He began walking again, pleased to hear her hand trailing along behind.

    <i>At least she won¡¯t be sulking about it for too long.</i>

    ¡°So what did he ask you back there? Did it have something to do with him grabbing me? Almost sounded like he said, Constance.¡±

    ¡°Nothing. How would he even know her, he¡¯s an orphan and she¡¯s some uptight heiress.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­ ¡±

    <i>As if your voice doesn¡¯t give away the fact you are practically racking your brain to patch together just what their connection is. Hardly matters though, we¡¯re not investigating and there is some truth to there being a wide gap between those two. Someone who stays in her manor all day and another stuck in a shabby old bookstore? It is more likely the sorcery orb in action just freaked him out but still, that wouldn¡¯t explain-</i>

    Interrupting his thoughts as usual, the girl leaned near his shoulder, the orb illuminating her narrowed eyes as she looked him up and down.

    ¡°You just forgave me because I''m your only friend right?¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so you have no friends then.¡±

    ¡°Let''s just get the files to the old man and go back.¡±

    ¡°Why rush to get back and be fill-ins?¡±

    ¡°Do you have to retort every time?¡±

    ¡°No, but if I didn¡¯t we would both be bored and alone¡±

    He didn¡¯t respond this time because he could admit she was right. Odd as it was, he realized that the fact they had always been together was comforting and that if they stopped talking to each other¡­ <i></i>

    <i>Still, why does she always have to be right?</i>

    After reaching the SHOP they had a short conversation with Cami, namely the girl reassuring her that Neil was fine and would come to visit sometime. She also spent a few too many seconds watching Cami which seemed like guilt or interest? He couldn¡¯t tell what her face meant and it bothered him a bit.

    The two delivered their files up to the top level of the SHOP. Grandpa Ed was ¡°busy¡± picking out new missions for other SELLERS so luckily they had no interaction and just handed the information to Grandfather Richie.

    The tall, thin, and firm man certainly contrasted Grandpa Ed.

    ¡°You two¡­ thank you for delivering this, I won¡¯t waste your time with meaningless drivel just get back to it and don¡¯t mess up.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for the kind wishes, Richie!¡± The boy knew she was only casual with the old man because he was honest and always rather stern compared to the irresponsible and playful Grandpa Ed.

    He wasn¡¯t a fan of this old man either. The memories of the frigid, snowy dawn the girl had brought him to the SHOP and off the street, Grandfather Richie had scolded her for being frivolous and gullible. The scarf she had handed him that day was much too large and he could tell it wasn¡¯t a child''s size but it still thawed his coldness.  Once again her actions earned her another speech about how she shouldn¡¯t have wasted so much money on an adult scarf for some child who wouldn¡¯t even speak to thank her.

    There were several other times this man had scolded them and each time the boy felt it was just because Grandfather Richie believed he was superior to everyone else. He wasn¡¯t bad, just objectively annoying to the boy.

    ¡°By the way, I¡¯d be careful while pretending to be that deceased young lady, those with money and power tend to keep the most secrets.¡±

    With that they left, in a hurry to reach the academy before the sunset. Even though they were rushing the boy still took notice of the empty bookstore and he was certain the girl was probably more aware of Neil¡¯s disappearance but neither mentioned it.

    When they got back to the alley he helped her put back on the hefty coat and her shoes were switched, covering up the events of the day. He watched her adjust the orb with a twinge of bitterness.

    Their eyes met and she spoke, luckily still in her normal tone and not Constance.

    ¡°At least I''m less cold now. Speaking of, your nose is pink, you should''ve at least worn your scarf, it''s almost like you think I bought it to be room decoration. You hardly wear it.¡±

    ¡°Your nose is red too.¡±

    ¡°So what, we could have shared the scarf then.¡±

    A chilly wind blew by and the two of them shuddered.  He blew hot breath on his hands and rubbed them quickly but the warmth didn¡¯t last long. To her credit, his nose really was freezing.

    The boy made sure she got back to her dorms and when she had finally left and he was alone, there was only one thing on his mind.

    <i>I really should have worn the scarf.</i>

 Chapter 10: My OverSELLous Cousin

    (<b>Her View)</b>

    <i>Thump! </i>The door shut swiftly behind her as if blocking out all the events of the day, but the truth was that everything was still swirling around in her head like claws sinking into her skin begging to be released. She was silent throughout Elodi¡¯s usual droning and thus the one-sided conversation fizzled out quickly.

    She waited until the real young lady was asleep before robotically throwing on Constance''s thick coat and hesitatingly taking her notebook to the school garden. In the inky black night, the moon was engulfed in a puff of pearl gray clouds, and the girl curled up into a ball on an old wooden bench, her gaze fixed on the world above.

    Even as the sparse stars in the sky became blurred puddles of silver in her view, her eyes stayed intently glued upwards. The tears streamed like gentle rivers lightly gracing a landscape. The feeling was warm and comforting until the tears dropped past her nose creating cold, stinging channels in their wake. Even as her teeth chattered and her hands chilled to uncomfortable temperatures she remained stuck in her place.

    She had been able to curb her feelings with the distraction of her partner but in his absence, she couldn¡¯t help but succumb to the discomfort. She felt guilty for Neil¡¯s reaction and for him finding out the death of someone who meant something to him. His question, ¡°My- No that woman she isn¡¯t really dead, is she?¡± and his desperate grasp on her arm was made worse by the fact that she couldn¡¯t even look him in the eye or muster up anything but a slight nod. It wouldn¡¯t have mattered whether the gesture indicated yes or no because his wild eyes and quivering lips must¡¯ve already known the answer.

    The situation also reminded her of herself. While she may have become a nameless prodigy for Grandpa Ed, forgetting the majority of any information about her parents and life, she distinctly remembered the emotion when she was swept up by a stranger and taken to the SHOP and helplessness of having her mother¡¯s death confirmed by Grandpa Ed a few days later.

    She wiped her face with the thin cotton of her sleeve. A chill traveled up her arm from the damp cloth nightgown. The girl took a deep breath, a little cloud escaping from her mouth in the frigid air.

    So far all their missions had been fairly quick and successful with minimal involvement. Not only were they deeply immersed in this situation, but now it was clear Neil was too.

    <i>Although it would be boring, a clerk wouldn¡¯t have such convoluted situations at a bookstore, cafe, or other buildings owned by SELLERS. Of course, that¡¯s what I thought when I was younger, but now... I suppose I¡¯d rather have the ability to do something other than sit in loneliness and helplessness all day.</i>

    The girl pulled out her deep red book and sniffed again, gaining some composure.

    <i>Since I have the ability, there¡¯s even more reason for me to solve Constance Winthrop¡¯s death. It was an unexpected development, but in the grand scheme of things, an added connection could prove favorable for both her and Neil. Of course, his emotional reaction did not absolve him from suspicion.</i>

    She made notes of Neil''s words and expressions. She also cross-checked her previous notes on Belladonna Winthrop with what she¡¯d collected from the records room.

    She analyzed for another few minutes before her tiredness finally set in.

    <i>The chance to meet Belladonna is a few hours away, I should at least get some prior rest.</i>

    Hopping off the bench, she started back, towards the dorm just in time to see a scarcely visible figure darting out from the library. If not for his distinct braided hair she might¡¯ve not recognized him.

    <i>Aslow D¡­ why is he out so late? Where is he coming from? That¡¯s the back door of the main hall. The only places accessible would be the library, lunchroom, music hall, and auditorium. </i>

    She crouched behind a nearby statue as she watched him slinking further into the shadows of the opposite <i>direction. </i>

    <i>How did he manage to slip out of his room without being noticed? Is Aslow D. exceptionally skilled or has my dear colleague let his guard down completely?</i>

    Frowning at this added concern she swiftly shrunk away from the hiding place. Then she was back to her roommate, who she confirmed was still peacefully dreaming.

    Setting everything in its original place she erased her outing with the stars and the sky. Climbing into the warm blankets she couldn¡¯t help but loosen up and at long last she succumbed to exhaustion.

    Her slumber only lasted a few hours, and she figured it was a good thing her altered appearance wouldn¡¯t reveal evidence of tears or her tiredness.

    Although she was still curious to discover what the meaning of Aslow D.''s midnight run was, she had decided to stay far away from any interaction or situation that might include her partner. She didn¡¯t want his less-than-approving feelings towards her joining the club meeting to affect her plans.

    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s just about time, Constance, are you ready?¡± Elodi and Constance stood just outside the student council door, a satchel across her roommate''s body while her other arm linked the two girls.

    ¡°I suppose so¡­¡±

    ¡°Just remember, you have to let me know if you aren¡¯t feeling well or need anything. We can leave anytime you need so don¡¯t be shy. Also, don¡¯t stress yourself out, most of the student council members are exceptionally good-natured and-¡°Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    Constance put a gentle hand on the arm linked with hers.

    ¡°I understand, I¡¯ll be sure to inform you if I feel unwell. Since I¡¯m just going to be observing as your assistant there¡¯s no need to worry about me.¡±

    She offered her gentle signature Constance smile and Elodi looked relieved as they opened the door.

    The student council room was fairly average for a club room. Large meeting table in one corner, a set of sofas and armchairs in the other. If it weren¡¯t for the looming banner with the club insignia, the room could have belonged to any other group on campus.

    A boy with copper brown hair walked up with a friendly and most likely rehearsed smile.

    ¡°Greetings Lady Beatrice, I was unaware you¡¯d be bringing another guest along for your interview. May I ask for your name?¡±

    <i>Arthur Damien, you were of great help to me.</i>

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Secretary Damien. I am Constance Winthrop.¡±

    With the help of Elodi, she curtsied politely, which she could tell fed the boy''s ego enough for his smile to become more genuine. Then she saw the gears in his head finally turning.

    ¡°Perchance, are you related to Bellado-?¡±

    He was interrupted by a blonde girl sharing the same emblem as she practically pushed him out of the spotlight.

    ¡°Constance?!¡±  The girl stared with wide bulging eyes. Her mouth and hands quivered slightly and her eyes almost looked to be watery. Then she was pulling Constance into a tight hug.

    <i>Finally.</i>

    ¡°Cousin Belladonna?¡±

    At long last ¡°Constance¡± was now reunited with the person who could be regarded as her closest confidant and family member and ultimately the person who could help the girl solve her death.

    Brushing off his shoulder, clearly annoyed that his presence was not being appreciated anymore, Arthur brushed off the shoulder Belladonna had bumped and then cleared his throat.

    ¡°¡­Well it seems you two certainly are related, however, such theatrical reactions aren¡¯t necessary-¡°

    Belladonna seemed to pay him no mind. She stepped out of the embrace still holding Constance''s shoulders as her eyes traced her cousin from head to toe.

    ¡°How are you? No wait, this isn¡¯t the place to talk, we should go find a quieter spot.¡±

    Belladonna seemed especially eager to talk so Constance looked over at Elodi with a worried expression.

    Elodi had also been abruptly moved away from Constance and she looked a bit surprised by the overall situation.

    ¡°You two should go ahead, I¡¯m fine to interview on my own, make sure you stay safe though. I don¡¯t want Oswald to claim I didn¡¯t take care of you well.¡±

    Constance smiled first at Elodi to tahnk her and then at Belladonna. Belladonna narrowed her eyes into a questioning look, muttering something under her breath. ¡°Oswald¡­?¡±

    Then the two of them headed out beside one of the fountains in the front of the school. Belladonna laid out her handkerchief for Constance and helped her sit.

    <i>She¡¯s rather attentive, they must have been close.</i>

    Belladonna grabbed Constance''s hands and started speaking again with what seemed to be pure enthusiasm.

    ¡°Uncle said he would be sending you to school but I assumed he was just being unreliable again! I can¡¯t believe you¡¯ve been at school. You should¡¯ve written to me about this! Then again, you probably were taken aback trying to see if  Uncle¡¯s promises were true, after all, he¡¯s practically been hiding you away all this time.¡±

    <i>Has he now? Anyway, I¡¯d better not make her suspicious.</i>

    ¡°Yes, well... it took me a while to get adjusted, and I thought it might be odd to send you a letter when we attend the same school.¡± She watched Belladonna¡¯s reaction hoping to catch any discrepancies.

    ¡°That¡¯s your problem, Connie, you think an awful lot. It¡¯s probably because of all that time you spent alone inside. ¡°

    <i>Was Constance a prisoner in her own home, or was it honestly only because of her illness as the employer claimed?</i>

    ¡°Oh well, at least the two of us can spend time together in person now.¡±

    <i>Yes¡­ hopefully, we¡¯ll spend a whole LOT of time together</i>

    ¡°That would be nice¡­ Bella.¡± The signature smile was offered to Belladonna and the two continued about trivial matters.

    She was essentially tested on how well she had adjusted to the school. Belladonna didn¡¯t mention much about their family after her initial comments, other than how her father and mother were or what their great-uncle had done and so on.

    As the sun began to set Elodi ran out towards the two of them.

    She stood in front of them just catching her breath for a few minutes.

    ¡°Constance I¡¯m all done and if I don¡¯t hurry back for supper, I¡¯ll develop indigestion from the glare of your devoted Oswald.¡±

    Belladonna frowned at Elodi and stood up brushing herself off.

    ¡°Lady Beatrice, one should watch their words in public to prevent fallacious claims from spreading. You¡¯ve failed to consider how you may have negatively affected Constance.¡±

    <i>Rather protective, aren¡¯t we? I suppose if she¡¯s always this careful, she and ¡°my devoted Oswald¡± would get along quite well.</i>

    Elodi shifted uncomfortably, her gaze shifting toward the ground.

    ¡°My apologies, I should¡¯ve taken that into consideration.¡±

    Constance kept her cheerfulness unaffected as she took hold of Elodi¡¯s arm as her aide again.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t offend me in any way, and you were simply trying to help me eat on time.¡±

    Belladonna looked between the two girls and sighed before her face softened slightly.

    ¡°I apologize as well. My comments were a bit harsh. I¡¯m simply a bit worried for my cousin as she¡¯s never been in this sort of environment before and I¡¯d hoped she wouldn¡¯t encounter anything too unwelcoming. However, as for this Oswald boy¡­¡±

    She paused her face tensing up when she continued.

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯d rather enjoy meeting him.¡±

    <i>That¡¯s not a good idea in the slightest, especially as he''d be unprepared, that attitude of his would certainly cause trouble if she met him now.</i> <i>Rejecting her would not be good either¡­</i>

    ¡°Seriously, you¡¯ve been out here all this while! I understand you haven¡¯t seen your cousin in a while but you do know we have business to go over, right? That charity event isn¡¯t far off and today we need to decide which orphanages to include.¡±

    ¡°Well I¡¯d love to help with that after-¡°

    ¡° Besides that, everyone was so busy with those two boys that we¡¯re all having to stay after the meeting to finish up¡±

    ¡°Pardon, what two boys?¡±

    ¡°Now come along, assistant Winthrop.¡° Arthur grabbed Belladonna by her sleeve cuff and began back the way he came.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to visit you more often Constance!¡± the cousin warmly shouted.

    ¡°Wow, your cousin sure has a lot of sides to her.¡±

    <i>Right?</i>

    They watched the two as the secretary was still, rattling off about how busy they were, and Belladonna remained waving.

    Eventually, it was quiet as Elodi and Constance were left thoroughly surprised and confused.

    ¡°Did you catch any of what sir Damien just said? I suppose it was good I interviewed the president in a separate room because he certainly made it sound hectic in the club room.¡±

    <i>Yes, I would say that¡¯s a positive for her, but I¡¯m a bit curious about what went on.</i>

    ¡°It was a good choice. I¡¯m glad you were not in that room when whatever he was speaking about happened.¡±

    With their respective interviews over, the two headed to the dining hall.