Chapter 53: Your voice will be heard.

After Yulan and Mirania left for the library, the two who remained in the room were… well, to put it bluntly:

Violet, who was only ever relaxed around Yulan, and Claudia, who still had no idea how to act around Violet.

“…………”

“…………”

Of course it was awkward.
It wasn’t anyone’s fault in particular, but the air felt heavy and stiff all the same.

(What did we even talk about when Yulan was here…?)

Violet wasn’t the talkative type to begin with.
Even when it was just her and Yulan, she mostly responded with nods or followed the topics he brought up.
Silence between them had never bothered her once.
She had thought she simply didn’t mind quiet, but apparently it depended entirely on the person.

They were supposed to be “taking a break,” yet the current atmosphere was anything but restful for her mind.
At this rate, going back to studying would feel more relaxing.

“…By the way.”

“Y-Yes?!”

She hadn’t expected him to speak first and nearly choked.
She managed a nod; that had to count as safe, right?

His gaze stayed fixed on the teacup in his hand, as though searching for the right words; clearly he felt the awkwardness too.

“The Caldina tea leaves have officially been adopted.”

“So the trial period is over?”

“Some objected because the harvest season is limited, but the taste won out in the end.”

The tea-leaf change Violet had once suggested had been accepted surprisingly smoothly; first on a trial basis, of course.
Those in power both craved novelty and resisted it; a ridiculous contradiction, yet the older people got, the fewer seemed to notice, so the habit persisted stubbornly.
An academy full of flexible young students was better than most places, but hesitation still existed.
Having a trial period at all had been surprising; having it become permanent was beyond expectation.

“I haven’t visited the salon myself yet, but I’ve heard attendance has gone up.”

“It’s our duty to recognize quality. The approval process was easy because of that.”

The student council seemed satisfied with the results.
He didn’t express joy openly, but the corners of Claudia’s mouth had lifted, and the atmosphere around him felt somehow gentler.

For someone who had added to their workload with an unnecessary suggestion, seeing their efforts bear fruit was genuinely pleasing.
A temporary cat’s-paw helper like her could easily have been ignored.

“It’s thanks to you, Violet. Thank you.”

“No, I didn’t really…”

“But how did you know about it? When we researched Caldina before the trial, almost no information was available.”

“It’s a country with very little name recognition, after all.”

Anyone decent at geography would at least know the name; some, like Claudia, even knew its location.
But most stopped there.

A small nation with nothing particularly distinctive.
Knowing its name alone was already impressive, so the fact that Violet possessed deeper knowledge clearly puzzled him.

“Our head chef at home often served rare tea leaves and ingredients.”

The veteran who had worked for the Vahan family since before she was born was not only skilled but incredibly knowledgeable.
He was obsessive about sourcing ingredients and constantly developed original recipes.
He used to be passionate about “food education” and force huge portions on her; she had found him intimidating.

That changed around the time Violet began being treated as a “boy.”

Forced to eat the same things and in the same manner as her father, tears in her eyes as she desperately chewed and swallowed; watching her, the chef realized what he truly needed to do.

Food education was the least of their worries.
At this rate she would end up hating meals altogether.
Her body would start rejecting food before long.

From then on, he cooked every dish imaginable to discover her preferences; from classics to exotic delicacies, even sweets and tea.
Since her sense of taste had already begun to die, his first goal was simply food she could eat without suffering.

Little by little, he changed her relationship with food.
Now he could plan menus that accounted for both taste and nutrition.
There were still many things she had come to hate because of that period, but if she could identify dislikes, improvement was possible.

She had learned about Caldina during that time.

Whenever he heard of something delicious, he acquired it.
Hearing the faintest rumor of Caldina, he had immediately served it to her.

“It was so good that he always told me the moment he could get more.”

But now that her father was back in the house, that was no longer possible.

In the past, no one had questioned spending money on ingredients; because her real mother had still been alive.

With Mother gone and Father living there again, any move that prioritized Violet would have consequences.
At best she would be forced to share; at worst she would be blamed, and the benefit would be transferred to Mary-June.

The people who could help Violet understood perfectly: shielding her would only bring her more harm.
So they did nothing, and she herself didn’t want them to.

She knew giving up was far easier and more peaceful.
That was why she had regretted speaking up that day.

“I never thought I’d get to drink it at the academy… I guess it pays to say something.”

She hadn’t believed her words; her opinions; could ever reach anyone.

Small voices went unheard.
Shouting only annoyed people.
Still, she had screamed the feelings overflowing from her entire body.
Until the day she was condemned, she never realized how pointless it was.

Yet now there were people who listened to her, who considered her words.

Claudia; the very person she had once hurt and toyed with; was listening to her.

“I’m the one who should be thanking you. Thank you.”

She could no longer say “I’m sorry.”
She had committed sins heavy enough to regret, but she had forever lost the chance to apologize to him.

If nothing else, she wanted to convey gratitude without hesitation.
Not some grand atonement; simply, for all the feelings she had twisted on those mistaken days, she could now be honest.

“…Then let’s call it even.”

“Eh…”

“I’ll accept your thanks. So… you accept mine too.”

What a tyrannical line.
Trying to escape her stunned stare, Claudia turned away with a sullen expression.

The ear peeking through his hair was bright red.

Was he… embarrassed?

She almost doubted her eyes, but his sulky profile was just as flushed, and his gaze swam uncomfortably.

There was a crease between his brows, yet it looked less like anger and more like pouting.

It was so rare; no, the first time she had ever seen that face; that for a moment she could only stare in shock.

Then warmth and something almost smiling filled her chest.

“…Pfft.”

“…!?”

“Pfft… hehe… I-I’m sorry…”

She couldn’t hold it in.
She covered her mouth, but it was useless.
She managed to turn it into soft giggles, but Claudia’s startled face made it obvious she had failed.
Even her apology trembled; there was no convincing anyone.

“Don’t laugh, idiot.”

“Y-Yes… hehe…”

“…Good grief.”

Claudia was the one who gave in first.
The scowl that had initially screamed displeasure softened; a helpless, wry smile leaked out.

As he finally gave up trying to stop her and lifted his cup,

Click; the door opened.

“We’re ba— …Lady Violet, what’s wrong?”

“…Vio-chan?”

“…I’ve got no idea. Just ignore her.”

The returning pair could only tilt their heads in bewilderment at Violet still giggling behind her hand and Claudia wearing a look that was somehow both exasperated and amused.