Volume 3 - CH 1.2

The year 1924.

The Kingdom of Sauville, a small nation in Europe.

Like a narrow, secret corridor, it stretched from the Gulf of Lyon, a summer resort for the aristocracy along the Mediterranean Sea, through inland Europe, and up toward the high Alps. Its border with Switzerland lay deep in the mountains, the border with Italy in the gorgeous region near the sea, and the border with France in an inland city where the royal palace was located. Surrounded by great powers, Sauville boasted a long and grand history, surviving even the Great War. It was called the little giant of Western Europe.

At the foot of the Alps was St. Marguerite Academy, a school with a long and grand history, though not as long as the kingdom itself. Known throughout the kingdom as the educational institution for the aristocracy, it stood grandly in a quiet environment. The majestic school building, shaped like a U when viewed from above, was surrounded by a vast garden and high hedges. Only students and staff were allowed entry to this secretive academy.

But after the end of the Great War, St. Marguerite Academy began accepting promising youth from allied nations as exchange students.

Fifteen-year-old Kazuya Kujou was a student with excellent grades and good conduct. He received a recommendation to attend St. Marguerite Academy partly because of his family background—his father, an Imperial soldier, and his two outstanding older brothers.

However, what awaited the thrilled Kazuya was the prejudice of the noble children, the language and cultural barriers, the mysterious horror stories that were rampant throughout the academy…

…and Victorique de Blois, a beautiful but strange and somewhat ruthless girl.

After a few months of studying abroad, Kazuya was finally getting used to life in Sauville, despite the difficulties he continued to face.

“Blue Rose?” Ms. Cecile inclined her head.

Kazuya nodded and sat down with his teacher on a wooden bench in a corner of the lawn.

The academy campus housed a huge U-shaped school building, a lavish dormitory for students, a grand library, and a chapel, and all around the paths connecting each facility were intricately-landscaped gardens that were a sight to behold. Fountains. Trimmed flowerbeds. Pleasant lawns.

Kazuya showed the letter he received from his sister. “My sisters wants me to buy her some things here in Sauville. Clothes, shoes, stationery.” At the end of the letter, it said, ‘and one Blue Rose. Thanks!’ Kazuya had no idea what she meant. “I thought a woman might know,” he added.

“You don’t know about it?” Ms. Cecile gave him a look of astonishment.

“I-I have no idea what it is. Is it supposed to be well-known?”

“Boys really are clueless about these things, huh?”

“Sorry…”

Because of Victorique and Avril, it had become a habit of his to apologize at the littlest of things. But he never really thought he was to blame.

“The Blue Rose is one of the largest blue diamonds in the world.”

“A diamond?”

“Yup. It’s about this big. It’s called the Blue Rose because it’s shaped like a rose. It’s the royal family’s national treasure and integrated into its emblem. Didn’t you see a picture of it in the textbooks?”

Kazuya nodded, remembering a picture of a blue diamond in his art textbook. But a moment later, he frowned. “Sending that to my sister will cause an international problem.”

Ms. Cecile laughed. “Oh, Kujou. Your sister is talking about a glass replica of the Blue Rose. It’s used as paperweight. They’re very popular among women right now. I believe they’re only sold at Jeantan.”

“Jeantan?”

“It’s a big department store in Saubreme.”

Kazuya’s brows furrowed.

Saubreme was the name of the capital of the Kingdom of Sauville. A city located on the plains near the border with France, it was far from the village where St. Marguerite Academy stood. He had passed through it once when he first arrived in Sauville, but he had never been there since, because it was too far and he had no business there.

“I see. So I have to go to Saubreme to buy one.”

“Why not just tell your sister that it’s too far?”

“Hmm. I think she’s really looking forward to it, though,” he said, wearing a thoughtful look.

Staring at his face, Ms. Cecile reached her hand out and stroke Kazuya’s head.

“Wh-What are you doing?!”

“You’re such a good little brother!”

“Stop it!” Kazuya backed away. “Anyway, I was scared there for a second. I thought she meant a real blue diamond.”

“Actually, the real blue diamond is gone.”

“What? Gone?”

“It disappeared from the royal treasury during the Great War, along with countless works of art. I’m sure it’s been taken out of the kingdom and put on display in the mansion of some collector from the New World.” Ms. Cecile looked a little dejected.

“The Blue Rose has been a very important symbol of this kingdom. It’s been on the throne for generations. Apparently, the royal family suffered a great loss when it disappeared. There’s also a story about a past beautiful queen that involved the diamond. That’s why girls in this kingdom love it. It has a beautiful color and it’s shaped like a flower. Such a shame. I wonder where it is now.” She got up and turned to leave, but then remembered something. “Oh, Kujou!”

“Yes, Ma’am?”

“If you’re going to go to Jeantan to buy a Blue Rose…”

“I know. I need to apply for a permission to go out on the weekend, and I’ll make sure to be back before nighttime.”

“Can you buy one for me as well?”

“…What?”

“I’ve always wanted one,” she said happily. “But Saubreme’s too far.”

“I’m not an errand boy.”

“I’m counting on you. And don’t slack off in your studies.”

Ignoring Kazuya’s grumbling, Ms. Cecile walked away with a smile on her face.

“Ever since coming to Sauville, women have been playing me left and right. I gotta show them a man’s true worth one of these days.”

“Kujou, get one for me too!”

Kazuya screamed and jumped up from the bench. Trembling, he turned around and saw a familiar girl’s face behind.

Short blonde hair that dazzled in the sunlight. Bright blue eyes always sparkling with joy. Slender arms and legs. The perfect example of a blooming and energetic girl.

Avril Bradley, a foreign exchange student from England. She joined Kazuya’s class about three months ago, and they became friends after an incident involving a purple book.

For some reason, she was creeping along the grass. Her skirt was slightly pulled up, revealing her long, radiant legs.

Kazuya blushed a little. “Wh-What are you doing?” he asked.

“Get one for me too, Kujou.”

“Get you what?”

“A Blue Rose paperweight.”

Kazuya sighed and sat back down on the bench. Avril peeked her head out from behind, wearing a big smile on her face.

“How long have you been there?” he asked.

“I was lazing around on the lawn over there. Summer’s close, and the weather’s nice and sunny.”

“Hmm…”

“Then you and Ms. Cecile came. I could sense the good vibes, so I thought I’d disturb you.”

“Good vibes how? First, the gardener threatened me with his gardening shears, and then Ms. Cecile asked me to do some shopping for her.”

Avril cackled. “You’re such a wimp.”

Her casual remark hurt Kazuya deeply. He looked the other way, pretending to be fine. He felt taps on his shoulder. He looked over, pouting, and Avril’s forefinger poked him on the cheek.

She laughed. “I got you! You fell for it!”

“What were you doing on the lawn?”

“Oh, yeah.” Avril pulled her finger away from Kazuya’s cheek and stood up. She scuttled to the other side of the lawn, her skirt fluttering, then came back clutching something to her chest. She was as quick on her feet as ever.

“Here!” She sat down next to Kazuya. “Ta-da!”

It was a book. It had many illustrations and large, easy-to-read characters. It looked like a book for children.

“I ordered it from the village bookstore,” she said proudly. “It finally arrived, and I’ve been reading it since last night. So I’m lacking some sleep. See these red eyes?” She pulled her lower eyelid.

Kazuya could find no hint of tiredness from the healthy-looking Avril.

He took the book. The title was straight to the point—Horror Stories. Kazuya tried to return it, but Avril put her hands behind her back.

“It’s an interesting book. You should read it too!”

“I’m not really a fan of this kind of stuff,” he said. “Besides, this is a children’s book.”

“It’s a pretty difficult book, you know.” Avril took the book from Kazuya and flipped through the pages, explaining the stories. “A noblewoman enters a fitting room in a department store. But when the clerk opens the door, all that’s left is a bloody head. Kyaaaah!”

“I told you I’m not falling for that anymore.”

“Also, there’s a story about a beautifully-dressed little girl crying. People call out to her, thinking she’s lost, and then disappear. When they turn a corner, they’re gone, and only their clothes are left. A ghost in the form of a little girl takes them away to the underworld!”

Not paying any attention to Avril, Kazuya turned his eyes to his sister’s letter.

Hmm?

He’d been thinking that the mail was quite heavy. It turned out there was something else in it besides the letter. He glimpsed what looked like a light blue cloth.

“There’s also a murderer who dresses as a hobo. He hangs dead children’s bodies inside his old clothes. The hobo is actually an evil devil-worshiper from some colonial nation. Dried corpses sway inside his clothes as he walks! Hmm? What’s that?”

“Uhm, well. I found it in the parcel.”

Kazuya unfolded the light blue cloth from the mail with both hands. He breathed a sigh of admiration. Avril gasped as well.

It was a silk fabric. It looked somewhat familiar to Kazuya. A small, soft, light-blue kimono with thin, white lines depicting fresh water lilies floating in the water.

It was his sister’s old kimono that she treasured as a child. She used to wear it when going out.

A note fell onto Kazuya’s lap, and he picked it up.

“Compensation for the shopping trip. You mentioned making a friend. A small girl, you said. Please give this to her. From Your Sister.”

A small girl? Kazuya narrowed his eyes.

He had once written in a letter to his family that he had made a friend. A little girl. Apparently, his sister mistook her for an actual child. The kimono was indeed breathtaking. Avril’s breath even caught in her throat. But it was child-sized.

Victorique’s the same age as me, though.

It occurred to Kazuya, then, that the kimono might be the perfect size for Victorique’s smaller body. Although she had a big brain that even a bunch of adults could not match, her figure was as tiny as that of a child. If she removed all the layers of frills and laces wrapped around her, there wouldn’t be a lot of her left.

Smiling, Kazuya immediately got up, intent on showing the kimono to Victorique.

“Kujou?” Avril called curiously.

She almost got up to follow him, but she was still sleepy. She rolled over on the bench and watched Kazuya as he walked away.

“You’re probably headed there again,” she mumbled. “I know all about it.” She rubbed her blue eyes and slowly closed them. “You always end up in that place.”

An early summer breeze blew past, flipping the pages of the children’s book.