I Start with a Bad Hand!

I felt a sense of déjà vu, surrounded by hostile gazes.

‘…Who put it in my bag?’

Instinctively, I glanced at Agnes, who looked even more shocked than I did. In the silence, someone began to speak.

“Degoph, could it be that you…”

But then,

“Hey! You had it? Wow, that’s a relief. I thought I’d lost it and freaked out.”

The voice was oddly stilted, familiar yet strange. I turned to see Agnes forcing a stiff smile.

“I asked her to hold it for me. I forgot. I use a different pen for notes, so there was no need to take it out. I don’t carry a bag, after all.”

…You never said that. From her awkward tone, it was clear that Agnes had just realized her pen was in my bag.

‘Making up stories on the spot makes your speech sound weird.’

Feeling uneasy, I could only nod silently. But her words quickly diffused the tension.

“Really? That’s a relief. Be more careful next time. Degoph almost got blamed for nothing.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

What was this? The tension evaporated unexpectedly, unlike the incident in the student council room. Despite the potential for suspicion, everyone accepted Agnes’s quick explanation without issue.

Once class was over and the students had filed out, it was just Agnes and me left in the classroom. I didn’t think an explanation was necessary, but… since she was the one involved, she might have her own thoughts. I decided to break the silence.

“I didn’t steal it.”

“I know.”

Agnes glanced at me and responded. In truth, what I wanted to do first wasn’t to offer an excuse but to apologize. I didn’t know why Agnes insisted on sneaking into the Ducal House, but it was clear there was no malicious intent behind her actions.

“I don’t know who put my fountain pen in your bag, but whoever it was must be an idiot. Anyone who spends even a few days with you would know you’re not a thief.”

Oddly, I felt a wave of relief and a surge of emotion at her words. I tried to keep my voice neutral as I replied.

“How do you know? I might have actually stolen it.”

“If someone walked into your room and lay on your bed, you’d just tell them to take their socks off. That’s it.”

“So what?”

“That shows you don’t even consider the idea of stealing or being stolen from. People tend to think according to their own standards, right? If someone would steal just because the door is open and no one is around, they’d assume others would do the same. But you don’t.”

What? For such a seemingly trivial reason? But her straightforward explanation strangely comforted me. Her reasoning was based on her observations of my behavior, and it directly countered my current, unavoidable suspicion of her.

In a situation where every mistake could be critical, missteps had severe consequences for me. In moments of caution and suspicion, I had indeed found myself doubting Agnes. I wondered if she could have swapped the notes or how she had entered my locked dormitory room.

‘Wow, here I am, doubting those around me again.’

But Agnes’s words put the brakes on my growing negative thoughts. Kind and gentle words can be faked, but the trait of speaking bluntly and truthfully, even if it’s likely to be disliked, can’t be fabricated. 

More than that, there had been several opportunities for Agnes and me to drift apart. When the senior members of the drama club asked if I wanted to partner with them instead of Agnes for the midterm evaluation, if I had taken that chance, Agnes and I wouldn’t be as close as we are now. When Agnes hit Aiden on the head with a tray, if I had decided to distance myself, thinking it was too much, she would have undoubtedly been expelled from the academy and we wouldn’t have remained friends.

The opposite was true as well. Despite many chances to drift apart, we had stubbornly stuck together. The point is, Agnes’s behavior towards me had never been an act. Despite a few suspicious circumstances right now, Agnes was still someone I could trust.

An awkward silence fell between us again. I watched Agnes as she opened and closed her book repeatedly, then I spoke.

“No matter how many times we argue, my opinion won’t change. It’s dangerous, and there’s too much to lose. We can’t just rush in there based on a vague line in a letter mentioning a ‘blue-grey jewel’ without any other information.”

Agnes remained silent, flipping through her book a few more times before replying.

“…I come from a family of merchants. We don’t make deals that result in losses. If I think it’s worth the risk, I’ll invest. You’re right. I want you to become a princess because it benefits me, and that’s why I’m doing this.”

“Agnes.”

My tone became unintentionally firm. But I felt this needed to be said.

“That’s a surefire way to fail in business.”

A merchant who acts impulsively and lets emotions dictate their actions is doomed to fail. I knew this all too well from someone close to me. Father… Please don’t start another business with your insurance money… Just use it for your retirement…

“And I have no intention of sending one of my few friends into a dangerous situation.”

I spoke without looking at Agnes. It used to feel natural when we were silent, but now the air between us felt awkward. To dispel the tension, I added something unnecessary.

“You’re too reckless. You’re impulsive and always jump into things without thinking.”

Agnes retorted sharply.

“What about you? Are you so cautious that you let people walk all over you? Are you always trying to handle things carefully?”

“What? Why are you bringing that up now?”

“Because I hate it.”

“…What?”

“You always say you’re fine, but I hate how people here treat you. Even today, they suspected you without asking me first.”

She added bluntly, “They’re funny, aren’t they? They usually don’t talk to you, but they knew about the jewel on my fountain pen.” We often kept to ourselves in the classroom, without other friends, so I could understand Agnes’s frustration. I was worried too when I saw everyone surrounding her.

Agnes began to pour out her grievances like a torrent.

“And this isn’t the first time something like this has happened, is it? I heard everything from Yuri. Why didn’t you tell me about it?”

“That was before I even met you. Why would I bring it up?”

“That’s what I hate. It makes me angry that people here treat you like someone they can just push around. It’s not just one or two people. I hate seeing them mess with you and ignore you while you just stay quiet, always saying you’re fine. And I hate that I understand why you say that.”

“…Agnes.”

“But if you really become a princess, at least people won’t treat you so badly. That’s why I did it. I don’t think I was wrong. If you were me, you would’ve done the same thing.”

Her question left me speechless. If this wasn’t my issue or Dietrich’s issue, but someone else’s, would I have acted like Agnes? In the reverse situation, I couldn’t have done what she did.

Agnes was willing to do something for me that I could never do for her, revealing her own cards in the process. It was an act of kindness I might never experience again in my life. Slowly, I opened my mouth.

“…I have a question.”

“What?”

Agnes sniffled.

“So how did you get into my room? Without a key. I let it slide before, but…”

“You don’t know?”

Agnes looked genuinely surprised, her eyes wide.

“Of course I don’t. You never told me.”

“No, not that. My ability. I thought you knew. Did you really think I was going to sneak into the Ducal House without any plan? You underestimate my ability.”

“That… might be a skill, but opening the dorm door and breaking into the Ducal House are different things.”

“No, I mean my magical ability. My power.”

Agnes’s eyes now sparkled with excitement.