Chapter 293: A Morning of Plans and Opportunities

The second day of the tournament arrived with the same loud trumpet as the first.

I jolted awake as Carine did, while Feyt woke up just in time.

Is that trumpet going to be a recurring thing?

I wasn't even sure whether I should start hating it yet. I mean, it woke Carine up early enough to give me time for a leisurely jog. That was something.

I was about to head out into the halls with Carine when I opened the door and found Leila standing there.

“Leila?”

“Good morning, Lady Carine.” She gave a polite bow. “I have brought your breakfast. I would also like to discuss your lunch arrangements.”

“Ah, of course.”

I had asked her yesterday to start preparing my lunch for the tournament. After all, I had had enough of Lionne's matchmaking games, and I wasn't about to give her another excuse to start betting on Feyt buying something for Carine.

Besides, I doubted the food stalls could offer the same nutritional balance as carefully made home cooking.

“It’s a shame I won't be able to help prepare it,” I said. “But I'm sure you'll amaze me with your skills as always, Leila.”

“I shall endeavour to achieve that expectation, My Lady.”

Leila remained standing there in the doorway, completely silent.

I tilted my head ever so slightly, confused.

“Is… there something else?”

“Not particularly, Lady Carine,” Leila responded. “To clarify, my only job for today is to cook lunch for both you and Sir Feyt and deliver it at noon, is that correct?”

I blinked for a moment. “Correct.”

“I see,” she added. Then, after a moment of silence where we just stared at each other, she spoke again. “Are you certain there are no other matters requiring my assistance today?”

“I’m… not sure what you’re—”

I cut my sentence short as my mind immediately connected the pieces.

For the past few weeks, Leila had barely left her room.

She would come out in the morning to clean my room, prepare our meals, and deliver lunch to Feyt. Once that was done, she had practically nothing else to do.

For anyone else, that would probably sound like paradise. But for Leila?

If I had to sum it up, I had basically tortured her.

I mean, it wasn't as though I had much of a choice. Servants weren't really allowed inside the main academy building, let alone in classes.

The cafeterias were more lenient, and plenty of noble students had their servants reserve seats and handle their meals there, but I already had Lionne for that. Calling Leila over would just feel redundant.

Should I perhaps have her work in the gardens like most of the other noble students' servants did to keep up appearances? Would she even find that kind of work fulfilling?

And if not, what else could I have her do?

Back in the estate, Leila was more than just my personal maid. She was literally the head of many different things. The kitchen, the garden, the cleaning… Patrolling and tutoring the other servants probably gave her a lot of work to do.

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But here? She held no real authority to manage anything since none of the servants she was around were affiliated with my house. But judging by how the other servants reacted to her presence, I had no doubt Leila had tried “tutoring” them to no avail.

But right now, I needed a job for Leila. Something that would give her ample time to do something rather than sit alone in her room.

Then, an idea struck me.

“Ah, I almost forgot,” I said, hitting my palm. “Leila, are you perhaps free after you finish making our lunches?”

“Yes, I have the rest of the day free besides my usual duties.” Leila’s ears perked up as she said that in a faint show of excitement.

You really want to work, don’t you?

I cleared my throat before continuing. “Well then, in that case, after you finish cooking and delivering our lunches. Could you perhaps be my bodyguard for the day?”

“Bodyguard?”

“Indeed.” I nodded. “However, this isn't merely me assigning you something to do for old times' sake. I have genuine reasons to believe that I may be in danger of sabotage.”

Leila's gaze narrowed.

“Sabotage?”

“Yes, sabotage. From another student, perhaps. Or even one of the tournament's bettors. Somewhere out there, there’s bound to be someone who would love to see me fail in the tournament.”

“I see,” Leila said. “That is indeed a legitimate concern.”

In reality, that was just a really fancy way of saying she was free to hang around with me the whole day and think of it as a job. I was worried she might see through it, but after saying my reasoning out loud, even I could find that it doesn’t sound too far off from reality.

“Can I trust you with this task, Leila?” I said, keeping a solemn expression and tone. “If not, I’m not sure who else to ask…”

Leila didn’t respond right away. Instead, she took a step back from the doorway and offered a full bow.

“It is an honor to receive such an important task, Lady Carine. I shall see to it that no harm shall ever befall you.”

Well, someone’s excited to work.

“Very well. Once you've finished with the lunch preparations, you may report back to me. I shall have Lionne reserve a seat for you in the spectator stands.”

“Understood, Lady Carine.”

Leila turned and headed down the hallway, her steps as composed as ever.

I watched her disappear down the stairs before letting out a satisfied sigh of relief.

Spending every day with barely anything to do must have been torture for someone like Leila.

I doubted having her follow me around every day would count as meaningful work for long, though.

Maybe I should speak with one of the instructors or faculty members about giving her some additional... privileges when it comes to finding work around the academy.

But that was a matter for another time.

Right now, both of my bodies were in need of two very important things.

A hearty breakfast.

And a satisfying morning jog.

—

That same morning, in another dorm, a gentle knock echoed through one of its residents’ doors.

“Lord Nicholas? It is me, Nina. I have come bearing a package.”

“A package? Is it finally here?” Nicholas called out from inside his room. He stood up from his chair and faced the door. “Come in.”

The door opened, and Nina stepped inside carrying a small parcel wrapped in plain brown paper.

“It’s a package from your uncle, Lord Pagen. The courier said it is a gift from him, your favorite book,” Nina said with a soft smile.

Nicholas's eyes snapped onto the package as his hands shot out.

“Give it here.”

He took it from her a little too quickly, then glanced at her hands.

“How many times do I have to tell you to be careful when holding my packages?” He weighed the package in his hand as he glared at her. “This here is no mere book. It is something much more important than that.”

Nina was confused for a moment, blinking, before taking a step back and offering a bow. “F-Forgive me, Lord Nicholas!”

“Hmph…”

Nicholas didn’t pay much attention to her apology. Instead, he placed the parcel on his desk and began removing the wrapping himself. His fingers were careful as he tore open the packaging. The package had arrived exactly as promised, at exactly the right time.

He pulled the final strip of paper away, revealing a heavy leather-bound book underneath.

“Uncle Pagen sure is creative,” he said with a low scoff.

He opened the cover of the book, revealing the true contents hidden inside.

The center of the book had been hollowed out, leaving a narrow compartment hidden between the remaining pages. Nestled inside were two tiny glass bottles, each barely larger than his thumb, filled with a clear liquid.

A smirk crept across Nicholas’s face.

He picked up one of the bottles and held it up against the pale morning light spilling through his window.

For something so crucial to his plans, it looked so utterly harmless.

“Uncle Pagen truly is a miracle worker.”

He had been waiting for these for days. With every passing day, he had felt the slightest bit more uneasy. Plans could be perfect on paper and still collapse over something as insignificant as a delayed shipment.

But not anymore.

The final piece was finally in his hands.

“Excellent.”

Nicholas lowered the bottle and looked down at the book, his smirk widening.

“With this, everything is in place.”

He let out a quiet laugh.

“Just you wait, Carine… Feyt…”

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