Chapter 56 â White Turned Black (1)
Louise was worried. What kind of letter should she write to Ian? She understood that the words âHappy Birthdayâ should be written in the first sentence, but she couldnât think of other words to follow. She wondered why it was so difficult. Her white sheet of paper loomed blankly before her.
âWellâ¦maybe.â
Maybe she should write her letter without thinking of the other personâs reaction? The paper didnât have the look or eyes of Ian.
âI didnât think this would be much more difficult than a test.â
Louise pressed the tip of her pen against her lips, then jotted down a few words.
Youâre an adult now. How does that feel? Of course, you didnât feel it did you? Even if you divide yesterday from today, you didnât change from a child to an adult in one day.
Ugh, what was this? She was stringing out useless sentences. From the next one on, she would wake up and write straightforwardly.
You know, Iâve always wanted to tell you
Louise hesitated again. She wondered if she was being too frank. However, it was impossible to erase the words so she kept writing.
thank you for listening to my stubbornness. I mean, when I asked you to keep our relationship silent.
Ah. She shouldnât have used this. She didnât think it was very polite to say thank you for breaking their engagement on his birthday. But it wasnât a real breakup, and the engagement was like a childhood prank, so it didnât matter, right?
At this point Louise felt the need to clarify her relationship with him more clearly.
I hope you will remain a good friend in the future. And I donât know if this is possible but
Listening to the smooth scratch of the pen on paper, Louise finished writing her letter. She could already imagine Ianâs reaction to it.
âWhere on are those sweet and pretty words? Do you see anything like that? My eyes are bleeding at every spot.â
Sorry. Stella was the sweet and pretty one. Just allow Louise Sweeney to have the top grades and a fair tax rate.
After finishing the letter, Louise stretched her arms for a long time. She turned in her seat to look out the window and saw students heading to the library early in the morning. Including Louise, they were the pitiable ones who had not yet completed their exams. Everyoneâs exam schedule was different. Ian, for example, had already completed his. Louiseâs two exams today were her last, and Simon still had three more. Louise envied Ianâs freedom.
âThereâs nothing good about finishing early. It means that I have to start my royal duties earlier. Besides. â
Yesterday the two of them were alone in the student council room. He had sighed, leaning against the comfortable chair reserved for the president. He went on complaining.
âI received a letter telling me to come home for my birthday at this ageâ¦Iâm not sure you understand the indignity of having to write âhome birthday partyâ on a permission slip.â
His ears were a little red as spoke. He really must have been embarrassed. Louise paused her studying, laughing at the brilliant mystery of the administrative term that changed the royal princeâs birthday banquet into a cute phrase.
âAnyway, Louise Sweeney.â
âYes?â
âYour last exams are tomorrow?â
âThatâs right, so I can go ask the dean too. Itâs the presidentâs home birthday party.â
Ian grimaced lightly at her answer.
âMake sure you show up looking perfect. I wonât forgive you if you appear looking like a ghost after the exams.â
âOne of the exams is my favorite subject, so itâs okay. I studied ahead of time when I prepared for the entrance exam. And if there is a problemâ¦â
âA problem?â
The last afternoon exam was Professor Juliana Lassenâs classâ¦
Anyway, Louise couldnât tell Ian what Professor Hill said about Professor Lassen.
âI still havenât finished writing your letter.â
âThen stop studying right now and write the letter. This is an order.â
âDo you really want my letter that bad?â
Ian didnât answer Louiseâs question, but he looked over and gave her a soft smile. Pretty, so very pretty. Really, what should she do with that man? Such a bewitching smile made the original Louise have a crush on him.
âBut Iâll never be caught! I will never fall for it!â
Presently, Louise finished writing the letter as she promised. She gazed down at her words dried in ink, folded the paper and placed it in her bag.
*
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*
She couldnât say for sure, but she thought she performed pretty well on her morning exam. Her good mood lasted well until the beginning of her afternoon exam. She arrived to the classroom a little earlier than usual to reserve her favorite window seat. Several other students had arrived early for some last-minute studying. Among them was Stella.
âStella?â
Louise called to her in a soft voice. Stellaâs condition seemed a little different today. She was a traditional aristocratic young lady who always studied in a dignified manner, but today she lay flat on her desk, looking as worn out as Louise felt. It was not like her.
âStella, whatâs wrong?â
Louise ran to her, forgetting to take her seat.
ââ¦Louise?â
Stellaâs voice was horribly cracked and her face, which she could barely lift, was pale. Louise quickly touched Stellaâs forehead. It was very hot. Maybe her body was in pain.
âHave you taken any medicine?â
Louise looked at her in concern, but Stella shook her head.
âNot yetâ¦Iâm going to the infirmary after the exam.â
âBut you canât take a test like this.â
âItâs okay, I was just lying down for a little bit..â
âTell me the symptoms so I can go to the infirmary and get some medicine.â
Louise quickly pulled out a small notebook. It didnât make sense for Stella to be sick on Ianâs birthday. If she couldnât go to the party, then Louise will not be able to see the main charactersâ wonderful scenes. Ian would also be disappointed to not receive a kind and beautiful letter.
And most of all, Stella was working so hard to live up to her professorsâ expectations, not to mention trying to take an exam while sick on top of that. Given her genuine passion, it was natural that Louise wanted to help. Besides, Louise was feeling good today.
âI canât be any trouble to you.â
âCut it. Youâll feel better if you take the medicine. Besides, the infirmary isnât that far away.â
âBut you have to take an exam tooâ¦â
âDonât worry. Iâm perfectly prepared. Iâm pretty confident.â
âPerfectlyâ¦?â
âAh, Iâm not trying to be conceited. But if I donât say this, you wonât feel better.â
ââ¦So youâre confident?â
âJust tell me, when did your fever start?â
At Louiseâs urging, Stella reluctantly described her symptoms. After taking careful note of Stellaâs words, Louise rushed to the doctorâs office. She soon arrived there, panting, but there was no healer in the room. She waited fifteen minutes, nervously kicking her feet before the healer came back.
âTell her to drink this bottle at once.â
The bottle was fairly large, so Louise asked about it more carefully.
âDoes she have to drink it all at once?â
âIt doesnât matter, but once you take your mouth off, donât drink it again.â
âWill this make Stella completely better? Until late evening if possible, or until dawn.â
âOh, well, somehow. If she has the will.â
Thank goodness. Magic really was amazing.
Louise dashed out of the infirmary, her knees aching and her lungs out of breath from the lack of exercise. When she returned to the classroom, she found that there were more students in the room than before. Louiseâs favorite window seat was already taken, but she couldnât do anything about that anymore. Protecting Stella was more important than having a seat she wanted.
âTake this, Stella.â
Louise sat behind Stella and handed her medicine.
âYou have to drink it all at once. Just one time!â
Louise gave her a worried look, concerned that Stella might not be able to drink it all. The medicine must be really bitter, but Stella grimaced as she quickly downed the liquid. She was kind of cute. Louise smiled. At that moment the professor walked in, sadly signaling the beginning of the exam. Louise and Stella hastily put away their sheets and notebooks that were on their desks.
Now, the final exam.
Louise wished herself and Stella the best. That way, it would be more satisfying to beat Stella.
â¦Was she being too much of a villainess?