Chapter 40

Thanks to everyone's support, the book has been published, so I will post a short story as a token of gratitude.

Thank you very much.

I hope you will continue to support me in the future.

---

To Whom It May Concern,

These days, the green of the trees is soothing to the eyes. How are you doing?

I am only worried that your frail body might be in poor condition.

Even though it has become warmer, the nights are still cold.

I can't help but wish that you take care of yourself and spend each day well.

By the way, did you read the letter I sent last month?

No, I'm not urging you to reply.

I just thought I would write about what happened next.

It's about Cecil Admina, whom I recently met.

You've known him for quite a while, I hear. I learned this from him.

Since you can't attend the academy due to your frail health, I thought I would share the story of our mutual friend today.

I hope that by reading this, you can experience a bit of the academy life.

I mentioned "Cecil Admina's story" earlier, but when I think about writing about him, countless episodes come to mind.

As you know, there's always some commotion around him.

So this time, I'll share one of those many episodes.

It was just about a week ago.

In the common room of the boys' dormitory, Gilbert, your stepbrother, myself, Cecil, and Dante decided to play some card games.

We played games like Concentration, Old Maid, and Poker.

During these games, it became clear that Cecil is the type whose thoughts show on his face.

Usually, it might not be that noticeable, but in this card game, all his cards were written on his face.

Because of this, Cecil lost one after another. In the end, he had to play the penalty game that Dante proposed. The penalty game was quite a prank.

He had to wear a girl's uniform.

He was initially reluctant to wear it, but Dante said something like, "If you don't, I'll take it off by force," and in the end, he obediently complied.

Cecil, dressed in a girl's uniform, looked like a real girl.

I feel bad for Cecil, but he really has a feminine face.

By the way, when I look at Cecil's face, I sometimes get a strong sense of déjà vu. Why is that? I met him in April this year, and I haven't met him before that, yet it feels like I've known him for years...

Well, it's no use asking here, as I won't understand.

So, Cecil dressed up as a girl, and it was quite well-received by the male students in the dormitory. In the end, Gilbert and I suggested that he take it off immediately.

We thought he might really get attacked if he kept it on.

Cecil was smiling and basking in the compliments, but he doesn't know the terrifying side of men.

However, I regret not taking a photo to show you, as I think you would have laughed.

I swear, it's not because I wanted to keep the photo for myself!

Dante always turns things into that kind of story and teases people, which is really annoying.

Well, that's it for this time.

By the way, there's a plan for all of us to visit the Silvy family's estate during the summer break.

Gilbert will be there too.

We don't intend to show up in a large group, but I hope you can join us if you can.

I look forward to seeing you after a long time.

Take care of yourself—

Sincerely,

Oscar Abel Prospero

---

The sound of paper tearing caught Cecilia's attention, and she lifted her gaze from the notebook.

In front of her, her stepbrother was tearing up a letter.

"Gil, what are you doing?"

"Huh? It's just some junk mail from home that I'm getting rid of."

Gilbert said this with a smile.

Letters addressed to both of them were generally delivered to Gilbert.

Curious, Cecilia peered at the stack of letters in front of him.

"Is that so? Was there a letter for me?"

"Yeah, there was. ...This one. It's from the maids Martha and Camille."

"Wow! Thanks!"

Cecilia took the two envelopes with a happy smile.

These two maids had taken particularly good care of her.

Then, she looked at the torn letter in his hand.

"What about that letter?"

"Oh, this one?"

Gilbert crumpled the letter in his hand.

"It's a monthly routine, I guess."

"Monthly routine?"

Cecilia tilted her head.

"For the past few years, someone has been sending a letter of misfortune every month."

"Wow. There are such sinister people..."

"Well, if we're talking about being sinister, I'm not far behind."

"Gilbert is sinister? How so?"

"If you don't understand, it's fine."

Gilbert smiled wryly and put the shredded letter in his bag.

The second part of the series will start after the three-part series "The Duke Hates Women!" is completed.