Duelcrest Academy

27. Suspicion

A few hours later I was standing in front of the door to Celeste's room. I still had no idea what she wanted from me.
Maybe she hoped that I would tell her how Chloe committed those impossible murders.
I would've needed to be really carefull with what I said to her.
I didn't need Sophia's warning to understand that I couldn't really trust Celeste.

"Well, here goes nothing."

I knocked.

«Come on in, the door is open!» the cheerful voice of Celeste answered immediately.

When I made my entrance into her room I was immediately stunned.
For a moment I thought I had passed through aportal that had transported me back in time to my old bedroom.
Aldric's attractive face stared back at me from the numerous portraits with which Celeste had adorned the walls of her room. I recognized several that I myself owned.
And that frame on her bedside table... That was the picture I had made so many sacrifices to obtain!

Celeste, who was waiting for me sitting at a small table, giggled.

«You're not the first one to give me this reaction. I know it's a bit over the top... My friends say I'm obsessed...»

I was certainly surprised, but not for the reasons she thought.
After all, my old room was even worse. The only thing it lacked was an Aldric shrine.

No, what had surprised me was the fact that Celeste was also a fan of his.
From what I knew Aldric was not well regarded among the noble class. The fact that the most powerful wizard in the kingdom was a commoner without a drop of noble blood had turned many aristocrats' noses up.
That Duke Fitzroy's daughter was an admirer of his showed for the umpteenth time how strange that girl was. Perhaps today I would have a chance to understand why.

«It's not excessive at all! I was just amazed because I'm a big fan too.»

«Oh girl, sit down, sit down! We've already found something we can chat about for hours! No one I know here likes Aldric...»

That was what I expected. After all, the girls who gravitated around her were all from noble families.
I approached the small table and took a seat opposite Celeste. The latter placed a steaming cup of tea in front of me.

«How come you have these things in your room? I mean the coffee table and the tea?» I asked her.

Our rooms were all identical after all. And food and drink, outside of water, were provided to us from the magic table in the dining room.

«Oh this one? Magic! I duplicated the desk and changed its shape a bit,» Celeste replied nonchalantly, «as for the mugs and tea leaves, they are from my collection that I brought with me. I don't sleep at night thinking that sooner or later I will run out of them. Duplicating them causes them to lose their flavor, as you well know.»

"I don't think I'd ever put running out tea among my main concerns in this situation."

Nevertheless, I sipped it with pleasure. It was delicious.

«So...» began Celeste.

There it was, after those pleasantries it was time to get down to business.
She was going to tell me what she invited me here.

«Aldric!»

Celeste began to sing his praises.
At first I was taken aback.

"Does she just wants to chat after all?"

Soon, however, as a die-hard fan, I couldn't help but join her.
We ended up talking about him for several minutes.

«... And you don't know how much I cried when Father told me I couldn't marry him!»