Chapter 32

"Good afternoon, you seem to be in quite a predicament. You look so flustered and undignified. Your behavior and attitude are a disgrace to Carelia Academy."

"Ah, Lady Mary!"

At the familiar voice, Alicia turned around. Her face lit up with joy, as if to say, "A friend has come to help!" This made Mary, who had intended to deliver a scathing remark, let out a small groan. Despite her harsh words, Alicia showed no signs of being affected, which only made Mary feel more defeated. Perhaps she should resort to physical means after all...

But being a thoroughgoing non-confrontational person, Mary thought, "Well, never mind, I'll think about physical attacks later," and turned back to Alicia.

--- This attitude is one of the reasons why things don't go as planned in the game, but Mary herself doesn't seem to realize it. After all, she is fundamentally non-confrontational and tends to procrastinate, so it's unlikely she will change her ways ---

With that, she added a futile sarcastic remark, "Did you monopolize the counter without considering the inconvenience to others?" Alicia, holding an envelope, lowered her eyebrows and looked confused, glancing back and forth between Mary and Addy.

"I was trying to submit the application documents, but I was told to seal this..."

As she spoke, Alicia showed them a candle and a seal. When Mary tilted her head and asked, "What are these for?" Alicia, still looking anxious, glanced around and even lightly shook the seal. It was a childish and awkward sight, but Mary, who was wide-eyed, had no time to mock her.

"What are you doing by shaking it? Do you think something will come out if you shake it? What are you trying to do?" Mary and Addy exchanged glances, and it seemed Addy had an epiphany as she snapped her fingers.

"Oh, I see, Alicia, you don't know about sealing wax, do you?"

"Sealing wax...? Ah, that's what it is!"

Alicia's face brightened as if she had finally understood. Sealing wax, as the name suggests, is used to seal letters by dripping wax and pressing a seal with a family crest into it. This not only proves the sender's identity but also prevents unauthorized opening. While more secure methods of sealing and preventing leaks are available, many still use sealing wax for its aesthetic appeal, especially among the nobility who value appearance and self-expression.

Mary, who grew up in the world of nobility and assumed sealing wax was a given, and Alicia, who rarely sent letters, naturally had a gap in their understanding.

"So, you use this to seal it. But how?"

"Well, you just do a 'juu' and a 'gyu' and a 'gu,' and it's done."

"Miss, there's a limit to onomatopoeia."

Mary's unhelpful advice only added to Alicia's confusion. Unable to bear it, Addy shrugged and reached for the candle and seal to help Alicia...

"Why don't you use your own seal to seal it?"

Mary's words made her pause.

"Miss?"

"My seal?"

Under the curious gazes of Addy and Alicia, Mary smiled slyly.

"Lady Mary, I don't have a seal."

"Oh, you must have one. A fine seal with your family crest."

"I was an orphan, so I don't have a family crest..."

Alicia hesitated to explain her background, but Mary insisted, "You do have one."

Mary's expression showed no contempt or sarcasm; rather, it conveyed a sense of certainty.

It was obvious to anyone that Alicia didn't have a seal. Seals were primarily used by nobles and those of similar status to show off their family crests. Moreover, Alicia had looked at the tools curiously and even shook the seal. Anyone would conclude that she didn't have a seal. But Mary was certain. No, she knew.

"Alicia has a seal. A seal with her family crest... her true family crest."

This was an event from the latter half of the game, a crucial moment leading to the final chapter. When Alicia, who had sealed a letter with the only seal she had when she was placed in the facility, was identified as a royal family member, or even a missing princess, based on the crest on the seal.

While Mary wasn't the one to prompt this in the game, a slight deviation was inevitable given that things weren't going according to the game's script. --- Though, it couldn't be said that they were completely off-script either ---

The important thing was that Alicia's royal identity would be revealed, and if it was thanks to Mary, it would be even more ironic than in the game.

With this certainty, Mary smiled, and Alicia tilted her head in confusion.

After a moment, Alicia seemed to realize something and exclaimed, "Ah!" She hurriedly rummaged through her bag and pulled out a small, old cloth bag. She spoke happily, "This was made by the lady," and gently took out a seal.

"Alicia, is that...?"

"This is what I had when I was placed in the orphanage. I always carried it as a good luck charm, but it's a seal."

Alicia smiled and gently stroked the seal in her hand. Addy, who knew Alicia's true identity, looked puzzled. If Alicia was a princess, the seal would bear the royal crest, which could trigger the downfall of the Albert family. The clerk, unaware of this, glanced at them and returned to her work, her expression clearly saying, "Just seal it quickly, with your own or the school's."

"Right, a 'juu' and a 'gu' and a 'gyu,' right?"

Repeating what Mary had said, Alicia carefully dripped wax onto the envelope. A slow, red drop fell, forming a red mound to seal the envelope. She then gently pressed the seal into the wax. When she lifted it, the crest was clearly imprinted.

The moon and the sun. A crest that no one in this country would mistake, reserved for the royal family.

"...Is this...?"

Alicia looked at the seal, tilting her head. But before she could realize the truth, the clerk poked her head out of the window.

"Are you done?"

"Yes, I'm sorry for the wait!"

The clerk's carefree voice seemed to dispel Alicia's doubts. She lifted her head and, like a child showing off her drawing, held out the envelope. The envelope, sealed with the royal crest of the moon and the sun. No one in this country, especially a clerk at Carelia Academy, would mistake it.

The clerk's face when she saw it, and the commotion in the office when she held the envelope high, were indescribable. Mary, who watched the scene calmly, simply muttered,

"Still a farce."

And laughed through her nose.