Book 9: Chapter 9: Its said that the song was passed down from generation to generation and was loved by many people (2/2)
Both Cyril and Elliot were different in personality, but their pride was equal to each other. It's not hard to imagine that when it comes to a competition, they get fired up and heated up.
When Monica nodded approvingly, Elliot expressed his frustration and made an excuse.
”It's not that I made up with him or anything, it's just that I acknowledged how hardworking he was…”
”And so a passionate friendship is formed! Disputes arising from differences in status! The new harmony that comes from competing and improving each other! Oh, it's coming, it's coming, it's coming! The melodies are pouring in! I can make a song out of this… a new song is about to be born…!”
Elliot looked up to the skies with a sad face at Benjamin, who had tripped into his own world halfway through.
”I told you, it's not about friendship or anything! Our relationship is just like I treat you, Miss Norton! It's just a temporary truce to see how things go for now! If he makes a mistake, I'm going to point and laugh at him and say, ‘Look at that, you former commoner!'”
”I-I see…”
Monica was not sure if she understood or not, but what she understood was they were not so close to being called friends.
Elliot made a bitter face as he messed up his neatly coiffed amber-colored hair.
”Ah, jeez… how did we end up having this conversation? Right. It's your fault, Miss Norton. It's because you mistakenly thought that Cyril and I were friends.”
”I-I'm sorry…”
However, if someone asks Monica if Elliot and Cyril don't get along, she doesn't think so. Of course, she is not going to say it, because if she did, Elliott would be upset.
”In fact, Cyril is much closer to you than he is to me, isn't he, Miss Norton? I mean, you two work together a lot, and… didn't you two go around the school festival together today?”
”No, not really, I only saw him this morning…”
When Monica shook her head, Elliot turned his attention to the flower ornament on Monica's chest.
”But Cyril gave you that flower ornament, didn't he?”
”…? How can you tell?”
Come to think of it, she felt that Felix had said the same thing. As she rolled up the ribbon, wondering if Cyril's name was written somewhere on the flower decoration, Elliot rounded his eyes in amazement.
”What, you haven't heard of it? Floral ornaments are often matched to the color of the giver's hair and eyes. If the giver's hair color is plain like mine, he might pick a safe choice by choosing a good flower and attaching it to a brown ribbon. In Cyril's case, his hair and eyes quite stand out, so anyone can easily recognize it.”
”I see…”
Monica looked down at the flower ornament on her chest carefully. The beautiful pure white roses and blue ribbon reminded her of Cyril's platinum blonde hair and deep blue eyes.
Suddenly, Monica had an idea.
”Oh, I understand… so it's that kind of ‘charm'.”
”‘charm' what?”
Monica recalled a book she had once read in Minerva's library.
It is said that in a certain region in the southeastern part of the Ridill Kingdom, it was believed that by wearing a part of another person, one could borrow that person's power.
This flower ornament was a derivative of that, Monica thought.
”If one wears this flower ornament, one can borrow the power of the giver… In other words, it's a ”charm” that allows you to act like that person!”
”Y-Yeah…?”
That's why Cyril had said that it was a charm to protect her from humiliation, Monica thought to herself.
If she could conduct herself as Cyril did, Monica would not disgrace herself at the ball.
”I'm feeling a little braver now… If I wear this ornament, I might be able to behave in a dignified manner like Lord Cyril…”
Elliot looked at Monica with a blank look on his face, but then he slowly bent over and held his stomach, his whole body shaking.
”Um, Lord Howard? D-Did you get a stomach ache?”
”No…huhu, hahahahahahaha…no, nothing…hahaha…but, imagining Miss Norton acting like Cyril…what's that, too funny…I can't stop, I'm dying of laughter… huhu!”
”L-Lord Howard? Lord Howard??”
Monica was flustered looking at the convulsing-like state of Elliot.
As Elliot slowly straightened up, he wiped the tears from his droopy eyes then said.
”As for the matter of me and Cyril being close, I'll put that to rest now. Now I have a good story to make fun of him for.”
”…??”
”Anyway, that's it. If you see Cyril, please tell him I'm looking for him. I'll be on the first floor of the school building.”
”O-Okay.”
After giving a curt bow, Monica left the place with a quick pace
Elliot has a small smile on his mouth as he watched Monica's back.
Really, not only ‘him', but there's also Cyril or Miss Monica… why do I only get surrounded by strange people like them, I wonder.
Elliot Howard disliked anyone who is not noble to climb over the boundary of their statuses.
Nevertheless, it is also true that he can no longer deny everything about those who have climbed up.
”Still, I'm not a fan of commoner music. If you're going to write a song, make it a classy one, Benjamin.”
Benjamin did not respond to Elliot's words. After all, he, who was scribbling notes on the ground with a tree branch, had long since tripped into the world of music.