The Heroine's Best Friend

Chapter 5 Part 1: A Contest of Wits

***Thanks for hanging tight, everyone! I had a big move and finally have the time to get back into this.***

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It turns out both Maria and I had lucrative trips to town. She spent entirely too much time trying to apologize for my teleportation sickness, which was just silly. It's not like it was her fault. Since the sword was a bit inconspicuous, I had to tell my story first. We had a good laugh at the expense of Sir Grey. Maria got her CG event. Lady Veronica tried the whole tea spilling thing again! Couldn't this bully try a different tactic? After Duke Victor - as much as it pains me, I need to stop calling him mean nicknames - smoothed things over, he took Maria to The Silver Nightengale to buy a new dress. Of course, he had to do that thing they do in all the rich guy takes poor girl shopping dramas - fashion show! I'm actually glad I skipped that. I've never been one to try on a ton of clothes and parade them around friends. Those scenes in the dramas always look like an endurance test. Maria was quite happy with her new light blue dress and her opinion of Duke Victor was much higher than mine. 

The following week at school didn't differ much from the previous weeks. Although I found out that I was changing to a short sword soon, so I am pretty excited about that. I'll get an idea if I want to keep the sword I bought. Since I finished my classes before Maria, I was wandering around the common grounds when I noticed a crowd gathering around one of the notice boards. I make my way over to see what the fuss is all about, although I can't get very close. As I am hoping slightly to see over everyone's head I feel someone tap on my shoulder. 

"It's rather unbecoming to be hopping up and down like a frog." 

Lady Veronica. Great. 

Since I avoided her last weekend, she so far hasn't thought of me as a threat. I'm not super thrilled to be socializing with her, she is someone I can gather intelligence from. That is until she goes bat shit crazy when the love conquest picks up with Maria. 

"Oh, Lady Veronica," I coo and curtsy. "I apologize for my unsightly behavior, but I can't fathom what the excitement is all about." 

"It's just the announcement for The Hankerchief Contest," she says with a shrug of her hand. 

"Hankerchief contest? I assume you design a handkerchief and someone important like the prince judges it?" If that's the case, Maria has already won. 

"What a simple mind you have," she says with disgust. "It's much more than just a normal contest. All the eligible noblemen choose a color handkerchief and is assigned a random number. The eligible ladies then pick one and design it. Then there's a hunt where we find who the handkerchief belongs to."

"Oh. So you have no idea if the handkerchief your working on belongs to the prince or not." Let's be honest. Maria has main character aura. She's going to get the guy she likes the best no matter what. 

"Yes, yes. So your color choice is extremely important. For instance, the Royal Family is likely to choose dark blue." 

"But don't pick black!" one of Veronica's lackys shouts out suddenly. All the girls start gossiping about how horrible that would be. 

"Why?"

"Because," the lacky explains, "it belongs to The Demon of the North! He is the only one who ever submits a black handkerchief." 

"Demon of the North?"

"I seriously question the education you recieved at home, Lady Christine!" Veronica exclaims. Tsk. I'm putting up with this because I am (mentally) a mature adult and recongnize when I need to intelligence gather. 

"It wasn't for my parent's lack of trying. I got sick shortly before coming to the academy and suffer from amnesia. Sadly, I have forgetten a lot." I pout a little bit to really sell the sad tale. 

"I knew something was wrong with your brain." A sigh escapes Veronica's lips. "The Demon of the North is Archduke Ellis Wintergard. He's the commander of The Black Guard, cousin to Prince Levi - on his mother's side, and holds the vast lands of the Wintergard estate in the north. He's a brutal warrior and someone to stay away from." 

"And he participates in The Handkerchief Contest? He's not married?"

"He's 28 and not married. Honestly, I pitty the poor lady that ends up with his hand. What a miserable life she would have."

Wow. This guy is rich, had a superior title, in line for the crown (sorta), young and none of these girls want to take a stab at him. Is he a villian? I don't remeber him in the game at all. Although I didn't play all the routes, so maybe Maria knows more. 

"Ah......" I say like I totally understand. "Thank you for your insightful warnings." A thought suddenly occures to me. Lady Veronica is destined to go after whichever capture target Maria chooses. Maria hasn't really made any strong advances towards anyone in particular but maybe Maria and Veronica are connected by fate. If Veronica has strong feelings towards someone specific, perhaps Maria does too and is too dense to realise it yet. It wouldn't suprise me if she doesn't understand her own feelings. "Is there anyone in particular you are hoping to catch?" 

She narrows her eyes at me. "Why should I tell you?" 

"Oh come now!" I fake jovility. "While it's true we are all looking to match a good match, I am not such a poor sport to intentionally steal a man away from another lady. I only desire to know your preference so that I may strike the man from my list. I would be at an exteme disadvatage if I went against you and honestly, no man is worth such a fight." 

"Hmmmm..... I suppose there is some sense in you," she says with a sigh. "Obviously I will be aiming for either of the Princes, though I would say since Prince Levi is the crown prince, he is top choice." 

The manner in which she delivered this was done in such a way I could tell she was saying what we all expected her to say. I guess she won't fully commit to someone until Maria does. 

"I can't wait to see both princes!" a lacky squeals with joy. 

Ah right. The older brother who for some reason is not the crown prince and is rumored to be one of the capture targets of Doki Doki Love Academy 2. 

"Will the 1st prince come?" I ask. "I thought he had disapeared somewhere."

"He hasn't disappeared!" Veronica hisses. "He's been in Rubar securing peace for both kingdoms." 

"How noble!" another lacky sighs like a love struck puppy. 

"So......he's been in peace talks with Rubar this whole time? But will make time for The Handkerchief Contest?"

"Like he would miss an event with single ladies," Veronica almost growls. Interesting. It seems as though she has no interest in the 1st prince. Is it because of his reputation? Or that he isn't the crown prince? Or because this is a game world and she is only capible of wanting capture targets? "Anyways, we have lingered long enough. Lady Christine, while I have - enjoyed - our conversation I almost forgot to chastise you on something important." 

"Chastise? Me.....?"

"Yes! You went to town without a hat! Such a shameless show of impropriety!"

"Ah...haha... well.... I did  have a hat on, you see," (a lie) "but I became sick after using the teleporter and in my stupior I lost it somewhere. And I was too ill to think on it." 

...

She is doing that thing that only villianesses can do. Staring down her nose with disgust. 

"Don't let it happen again. Ladies!"and with an air she turns walking away with lackies in tow.