"What's this?"
"A glove."
Alice placed the embroidered glove before Alice Kuonji.
It was a special glove, similar to Charlotte's, one only possessed by participants of the Night Party.
Some time had passed since that night. The British winter was bitterly cold, and students had long since switched to thick winter attire.
Yet, the room's temperature was quite comfortable. Alice wore only a simple black long-sleeve, her heavy black coat hanging on the stand.
The Rozen Maidens crowded around curiously. Even Trimmau rose slightly on her toes, widening her eyes in curiosity.
"Nursery Rhyme?"Suigintou read out the words stitched in gold thread, syllable by syllable.
"Based on the subsequent investigation and photographic evidence, the school officially declared Felix the Cannibal Candy. His Night Party qualifications were, of course, revoked."
Alice propped her cheek on her hand, a sly smile blooming at the corner of her lips.
"So his spot naturally goes to our ever-helpful classmate, Alice Kuonji, who captured him. Though, due to her academic rankings, she's placed at number one hundred."
She knew Alice disliked getting involved in trouble, but also that Alice would never concede defeat in the Night Party.
'This year's Night Party is going to be lively,' she thought, her smile growing wider.
"There was supposed to be a conferment ceremony, but I figured you wouldn't attend, so I brought it over instead."
'Did Felix have some lingering effect or something?'
Alice sighed helplessly, looking at the glove with distaste. "...Who came up with this title?"
"Your supervising professor applied for it." Alice's eyes curved into crescents, she said delightedly.
"...Don't they have anything better to do at night?"
The choice of this code name likely meant someone had witnessed the fight that night.
"They're the Magician's Association's watchdogs, the 'Grey Cross', after all. They love to observe. Any commotion at the school, and they show up."
"...This academy really has all sorts of people."
The aroma of black tea filled the air. Trimmau, carrying a tray, walked over and stood beside Alice.
Having finished looking at the glove, she had quietly gone off to brew tea.
Alice silently picked up her teacup.
While waiting for her tea to be refilled, Alice Kuonji glanced around the dorm room.
Only the dolls were present; the figure of a certain blonde girl was conspicuously absent.
"Quite rare for Charlotte not to be here with you."
"She's still taking her exams."
It had been a while since Alice had afternoon tea in her dorm with just the dolls for company.
Alice Kuonji elegantly lifted her cup and took a brisk sip.
"My, what excellent skill," she said, her eyes widening slightly; the tea suited her taste perfectly.
"But of course," Trimmau and Shinku puffed out their chests with pride.
Alice leaned back in her chair, the warm tea soothing her weary nerves.
For a moment, the only sound in the room was the gentle clink of teacups. The mild winter sunlight spilled over the girls.
Tap.
A little while later, Alice gently set down her cup; the tea inside was gone.
"Welp~ that's about it for me, I should take my leave." She stretched her arms and let out a languid sigh.
Seeing her like this, Alice Kuonji asked softly, "The matter in Germany?"
Alice looked at her, surprised she'd show interest in such things.
"Yes, why the sudden curiosity?"
"Mmm... I saw a girl."
Hinaichigo's frequent comings and goings had allowed Alice some contact with Frey and her brother, Loki.
Loki was also a Night Party participant, one of the Thirteen, known as 'Sacred Blaze'.
They'd barely exchanged words, but they had seen each other in passing.
The Six Singing Chocolates had previously seen him in the woods, dating a young girl. According to the feedback, that girl seemed to be... an automaton.
An automaton constructed entirely from human parts. It was possible that not long ago, this girl had been human.
"A petite girl with long hair, a doll. Seems to be part of your... German group."
The birds had seen her going to the German faction's base.
"What 'group'? We have a proper title: the 'Kreuzritter'," Alice said, tilting her head as she pondered the description.
After a few seconds, the image of a petite, masked knight appeared in her mind.
"That one... must be the automaton beside Rosenburg."
"She has rather a lot of... human components inside her."
"That's Germany's latest technology."
Alice's tone was matter-of-fact.
"They're called 'Maschinensoldat'. A type of Banned Doll Germany created based on their own unique theory, aiming for the 'Divine Machine'."
"They're Banned Dolls made using an entire human body as the base material."
Having said that, she blinked in confusion.
"Why the sudden interest? German technology should be of little use to you, right?"
"Just happened to see it."
Alice Kuonji responded indifferently, raising her cup as the tea passed her lips.
"Alrighty then."
Alice slowly stood up. "My task here is done, so I'll take my leave now."
Alice Kuonji nodded quietly.
The click of Alice's heels echoed on the dorm floor as she walked towards the door.
Click. The door opened gently.
But the footsteps that should have continued paused right at the doorway.
Puzzled, Alice Kuonji looked up. A girl with off-white long hair was standing outside.
Frey's raised hand hung in the air. Seemingly stunned by the unfamiliar face emerging from the familiar room, she stood frozen in place, a look of bewilderment on her face.
"Frey!" Hinaichigo, sitting next to Shinku, happily waved her hands.
Alice smiled and nodded at Frey, then stepped past her with a light gait.
Frey responded belatedly and entered the room.
"What brings you here suddenly? Is something the matter?"
It wasn't the usual time she came to pick up Hinaichigo.
Frey slowly sat down opposite Alice Kuonji. Her soft, gentle voice broke the silence. "Um... would it be possible for Hinaichigo to stay here with you during the break?"
"Huh?" Hinaichigo looked at Frey, confused.
"Of course," Alice Kuonji replied without hesitation.
She too looked somewhat puzzled as she asked, "Did something happen?"
"W-well... It's because on my side..."
Frey's voice grew fainter and fainter, eventually trailing off into silence.
"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. Hinaichigo can stay here as long as needed."
Alice Kuonji gently placed her teacup back on the saucer, producing a clear, crisp sound.
"Thank you." Frey stood up and gave a slight bow. She paused, then turned to Hinaichigo. "Hinaichigo, be good while you're here, okay?"
"Don't worry, Frey~" Hinaichigo held up a half-eaten cake, a bit of cream smeared at the corner of her mouth. An innocent smile spread across her face. "With Shinku and the others here, I'll be very happy."
"Okay."
Frey responded softly. Seeing Hinaichigo's happy expression, a faint smile touched her own lips.
She bid a quiet farewell and prepared to leave.
But as she turned, her gaze caught the glove on the table—the one symbolizing the qualification to participate in the Night Party.
Charlotte often visited, so leaving her glove here wasn't unusual.
But the words embroidered on it weren't Charlotte's 'Tyrant Rex'. It was an unfamiliar 'Nursery Rhyme'.
Frey suddenly froze in place, her attention fixed on the glove on the table.
A long moment passed before her voice, barely a whisper, sounded in the room. "...Is this your qualification glove, Alice?"
"Mhm."
"...What's your rank?"
"One hundred," Alice said, her tone laced with distaste.
A hateful ranking. It meant she'd have to participate from the very first night of the Night Party.
Come to think of it, her first opponent, the student ranked ninety-nine, seemed to be...
Frey.
Alice Kuonji slowly raised her head, her gaze settling on the girl with off-white long hair before her.
Frey's eyes widened in astonishment—it was the first time Alice had seen such a clear, strong emotion on her face.
Silence spread through the room, broken only by the sound of Hinaichigo happily eating her cake.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.