I gulped as I looked up at the silver gates in front of me. Behold, it seemed to be saying, casting its giant shadow on me. Behold, and be afraid.

On the way back from the Winter Palace, with our disheveled selves slammed right back into the carriage by a harassed Miss Mary, we'd been joking back and forth about the Crown Prince and picking off leaves from our hair when I had been suddenly reminded of what Sheriff had told me, way back when¹in Chapter 40.

"Now listen carefully," he'd said. "The apothecary told me that somebody's someone's someone's somebody" (or something like that) "told him that they may have made a new medicinal cure at the Academy that could apply to your mother."

"Right!" Straightening in my seat from where I'd been half-lying about on (in the presence of a true noble! I should've known better!!), I'd faced Rosa. "Sheriff told me about a commoner research project for a new medicinal cure that's going on in the Academy. Do you know anything about it?"

Rose had shook her head. "No, but I can look into it for you." Her eyes had glinted a bit dangerously when she'd added, "I have many sources." I hadn't had the nerve to ask about what kind of sources, but Lady Mildred and I had traded a silent, raised eyebrow.

She did as she said she would by the very next day, when her footman with the very good memory skills had approached me as I was buying some lettuce. 

"Lady Rosa wishes to express the following to Miss Filian," he'd drawled, and launched into the following speech in complete monotone. "'I've figured it out, Fi, and I've put in a good word for you and Auntie, so come on by tomorrow morning. I can't be there because he's going to be there, but I'll send a carriage. Ha, that sounded like a true noble didn't it!'"

And so here I was now, in my best outfit, staring up at the giant concrete walls surrounding me. All of Rosa's horrific descriptions about the Academy seemed to be rushing back to me.

"It's not a place of learning," her ominous whisper seemed to echo in my mind. "It's a place of--" wait, what was it that she'd said? Flirting and relationships and whatnot, wasn't it? That wasn't... that wasn't scary.

"On second thought," I muttered to myself, surveying the rather drab gray walls again, "I'm not really feeling that scared."

"Filian!" yelled a very familiar voice.

I turned to (who else?) Rosa in surprise. "Rosa? But I thought you said you couldn't be here!"

She made a face, huffing and puffing in her very pretty Academy uniform. Ooh, those seams were so well-done, and that fabric-- but anyways.

Grimacing, she said, "Sorry! I can't stay for long, he showed up faster than expected." She clicked her tongue.

Ah, so it was Glitcherman once more.

"I'd send a maid with you if I could, but I've employed all of them as spies. You'll have to make it on your own for now." She shoved two rolled-up pieces of paper into my hands before I could even open my mouth to respond to that. "Here's the map. You need to go to this office, the Research Center, that I marked in red, and they'll have information for you about commoner research subjects for a cure they're coming up with. Tell them the Chesterfield family sent you, and give them this letter. They'll be able to help you from there."

Taking a deep breath after spewing out all that, she clapped a hand on my shoulder with a refreshed grin. "Wow, I feel like an NPC! Bye!"

"Wait, where are you--"

But before I could even finish my question, she hopped right into her carriage and drove off. She flung her handkerchief outside the carriage window, waving it in the air, as she called out, "Good luck on your quest!"

And just like that, the Chesterfield carriage and their illegitimate daughter's mad cackles faded away into the distance. Leaving me, a poor dusty commoner, alone at the looming gates of an academy for nobles.

"Great," I said faintly, not feeling great at all. But at least I had a map. I opened up one of the scrolls that Rosa had thrown at me, then gasped when I opened it. "Oh, Rosa, you drew the map yourself? You shouldn't have," I cooed out loud. No, seriously, she shouldn't have. Rosa was absolutely terrible at drawing. This map was evidently what she'd drawn trying to get all the details of the buildings precise. Why, Rosa, why? Why didn't  you just stick to the squares and rectangles and circles you love so much? Is it because you couldn't label them? Maybe I really should've learned to read, as lazy as I'd felt! Then at least she wouldn't feel the need to draw so much.

I squinted at the squares and scribbles. This was not going to get me anywhere, but I thought those long lines might be the gates? And the arrow was straightforward enough. Wait, was that an arrow or a drawing of a tree? Hm, that spiky thing looked like it might be a fountain. An abstract depiction of spouting water, perhaps.

Staying still would get me nowhere, though, so I sighed and faced forward. "There's nothing to lose!" I declared, and began stepping forward. Maybe I would miraculously find myself in front of the Research Center! It was possible!

---

No it wasn't!

It was now fifteen minutes since I'd been wandering in this giant place, and I'd found a spa, five different gardens, two tea shops, a relaxing lake, and what seemed like a parking lot for carriages, but I had yet to see a building that seemed like it belonged to an academic institution.

"You were right, Rosa," I wistfully whispered to myself as I encountered yet another gazebo in yet another sprawling garden. "This is not a place for learning. It's a place for everything else."

I sighed. I'd been reluctant to interact with anyone in the place simply because I felt as if they'd be reluctant to talk to me, so out of place as I was, but I was running out of choices.

Trudging past the garden and the gazebo, I retreated into the cool shade of the next majestic building. The path here was set in a more serious concrete instead of the pretty stones of everywhere else, so maybe I was on the right track. I nodded to myself. The next person I met, I would ask about the Research Center.

A group of chattering students appeared, and I immediately changed my mind. The next person I met who was not a student, I would ask. A reasonable change, yes.

About five minutes later, after bypassing groups of side-eyeing maids and dolled-up students and vowing to ask if they were also alone, I finally came across the right person in an open corridor lined with giant pillars. By himself, check. Not wearing student uniform, check. Finally!

Before I could lose my nerves, I rushed up to him from behind and called out, "Excuse me, sir!"

He turned around with an indifferent look on his face that changed into a peculiar expression the moment he saw me. He even stepped back a bit. I held back a cringe-- was my outfit that out of the norm?

Yes, yes it was. The guy was wearing all black, but it was obvious that even as a servant, the quality of his clothes were such a huge contrast from my aproned blue frock. I dusted it off a bit; I couldn't very well stop being a poor commoner, but at least I didn't have to be a dusty one.

"..yes?" he asked, his voice distant. My eyes rose up to his face, where his green eyes looked a bit hesitant behind locks of hair. Hm, why did he seem a bit, I don't know, familiar?

"Have we met--" I stopped abruptly. What was this sudden feeling of deja vu? As if I might have almost asked him the very same question before, in an incident including a sunflower handkerchief and a chuckling professor explaining chandeliers to me?²hello, Chapter 42

My eyes widened and I pointed an accusatory finger at him. "Oh! You're that guy from the city hall!"

Right, the guy in black I'd basically used a cheesy pick-up line on without realizing it! The brown-haired, green-eyed person Rosa had told me to look for back then! His dark brown hair looked almost black in the shaded hallway, but it was brown alright. I broke out into a smile. "What a coincidence!"

While I'd been digging through my memories, the guy had stepped backwards again, tense.

"Ah, I'm not hitting on you, so please don't worry," I said automatically, holding up a hand. My thoughts continued whirring. He must be a knight, then. He'd been under the professor's wing, hadn't he? His face had a young-ish look to it, so maybe I could relax. I exhaled in relief. "I'm very sorry for being rude. I was simply trying to ask for directions, and I was wondering if you could help me with that?"

He stayed a bit guarded for a second, but he finally nodded.

I let out the breath I hadn't even realized I was holding. I grinned up to him. "Thank you very much-- I've been wandering around this Academy for about twenty minutes now. I'm looking for the Research Center, could you maybe point me in the direction?"

The guy hesitated, his eyes flitting left and right a little before shaking his head. "Follow me," he said instead, and he started off into the opposite direction we'd been walking.

We walked in silence, our footsteps echoing against the marble floor of the corridor. I walked half a step behind him since I wasn't exactly sure what sort of position he held. What if he wasn't a knight, like I thought? What if he was very high-up, too? His black outfit was pretty fancy, what with the perfect seams and the subtle embroidery on the edges of his jacket.

I sighed to myself. I wasn't someone who held nobles in reverence or wished to become one of them, but I did wish we could have some better clothes. All the clothes and fabrics we could afford were so scratchy and easily ripped.

"...is something the matter?" the guy said abruptly.

I raised my eyebrows in surprise, then frowned. For some reason, I'd been expecting him not to talk at all, but why would I do that? "Oh, um, it's nothing," I said slowly. Hm, maybe he reminded me of Lindent, which was why I was so comfortable in the silence. Before I knew it, I was saying, "You remind me of a friend I know."

He stiffened, and I cringed. Oops, was that not okay? Since all my friends would probably be commoners, was it rude to say that? Wait, but wasn't he also a servant? Oh, but if he was one of those gentlemen servants--

Before I could continue panicking, he said, "A friend?"

"Uh, yes, he's a government official," I said. Maybe that might make it better. It was a respectable position, right?! In a hurry, I added, "A very respectable person."

He didn't answer, though (maybe I was just thinking it to myself??) he seemed to become a bit remorseful. But why would he be? "Respectable," he finally repeated.

I nodded vigorously, though he couldn't see me from behind. "Yes, very. He's always hard at work-- I always see him running around doing things for his job. Um, he's pretty quiet, which is why I think you reminded me of him, but he's very nice. He's helped me once or twice, too, and he's, um, very talented." I wracked my brain for more compliments about him. I couldn't think of any, though, so I lamely finished with, "So yes. Respectable."

True to the Lindent aura I must have sensed from him, he only nodded briefly in response.

We walked in silence once more, and the way I just casually and comfortably went with it was big proof that this guy had big Lindent energy. I bit back an amused smile. Since when had Lindent energy become a standard when meeting people? First Lady Mildred, and now this random guy. I was surrounded by Lindents.

Aw man, I really hoped he wouldn't avoid me after what happened. Then we could have a big laugh over this, and that would be fun.

The brown-haired guy came to a stop, and I emerged from my thoughts to blink at the door in front of us. Or should I say, doors.

Two giant (was there anything not giant in this Academy for nobles?! Would it hurt them to make things normal-sized for once?!) double doors of a rich oak-y color stared back at me.

"Whoa," I breathed.

The guy turned to look at me, and I transferred my gaze to him. "I'm guessing this is the Research Center, then?"

He nodded once, curtly.

A big smile sprang up on my face. "Thank you very much! I wouldn't have known where to go at all!"

Another nod, and he gave me a slight bow. I took that as a sign of him getting ready to leave, so I dropped into a small, clumsy, and very quick curtsy. "Have a good day, sir. I hope the heavens smile upon you for the good deed you've done."

That was a line from Mother Lily's favorite high society romance series, <The Duke Is In Love With Me?!>, which she'd read to us so many times I'd practically memorized it. Who would've thought it would come in handy at a time like this!

He stepped away, hesitated, then nodded one more time before he left. That was a lot of nods, but I saw him off with a smile. Heh, that little hint of awkwardness was such Lindent energy, too.

Now, for the actual reason I was here. I took a deep breath and turned to the door, and pushed right in.

"Excuse me--"