Having made the decision the night before to not leave until she got answers to her questions, Ana was, the day following the one she spent as a fake new flower, summoned, along with the two other girls, to be properly introduced to the ropes of the work at the Rose Blanche by a girl that was not Uta. A girl in front of whom Ana was left speechless upon seeing and recognizing the face

"You—"

Just like Ana had recognized her, the girl also recognized her.

So before the girl could utter a word that could sell her out, Ana approached her and dragged her to a place away from people’s eyes and ears.

"Miss Analyse…" The girl asked, confused yet clearly remembering what Ana’s full name was. "What are you doing here? Why were you—"

"Ruby, was it?" Ana asked, remembering the girl as the one she had seen leaving the house a few times, accompanied by Xavier.

"Yes." The girl nodded.

Ana knew from Xavier that she was a flower and that she posed for his nude "paintings," which he dared to call art. Yet when she embarked on this mess of an "investigation," she completely forgot about her existence.

"Miss Analyse, why were you pretending to be a new flower?"

"Please call me Lizzie here. I know this is confusing, but I can explain... I think, anyway, I’ll try."

Sighing at the tedious task ahead of her, Ana proceeded to explain to Rubi what led her to the situation she’s currently in.

It took Ana quite a bit of time and effort to recount and explain everything that happened in a single evening that led up to this point, but eventually she managed to do so.

"I hope you understand my situation?"

"I think, Miss Ana— I think I understand, but this. I don’t think it’s the right thing to do, Miss Analyse."

"I know, but I just want an explanation of what happened that day," Ana retorted obstinately.

"That I understand, but this whole affair about Lord Mael—I don’t think you’ll learn anything here, at least not from us, flower."

The girl’s words immediately made Ana suspicious.

Of course, she knew something, Ana reasoned.

Before Arte took over the confusing position he took at the Rose Blanche, Ana understood that Mael, along with the Ascending Nobility, were once connected to this establishment to a certain extent.

Ana remembered that one time Mael came over to their mansion with that strange request to Xavier, and the flowers he met all knew who Mael was, so perhaps it was also the case with Ruby.

"Rubi, you know something about it? Do you know anything about what happened that day?"

For mysterious reasons, Ruby seemed very hesitant to answer Ana’s question, but she eventually gave in and revealed, "I don’t know much about it; we were given special orders from the Matronne to never make mention of what happened with them and Lord Mael."

"Them? Are you referring to the men whose deaths were said to be Mael’s fault?"

Ruby nodded.

"Can you tell me what you know about them," Ana asked, inspirited by what she believed could be a lead to the truth she’s been seeking.

"I’m not sure if I really should talk about that." Rubi hesitated.

"Please... tell me. I just want to know the truth, and once I do, I will promptly step down from this situation," Ana begged.

Rubi let out a heavy sigh before glancing around to make sure no one was within earshot. Once she was satisfied that they were alone, she confided, "Those men who... you know... were taken care of by Mael were the only ones working on the smithing side of the Rose Blanche's business. They were the only ones handling that aspect of the establishment."

"Smithing?"

It was only then, when reminded by Rubi's words, that Ana finally remembered rumors she’d once heard years ago but never got the opportunity to confirm the veracity of. She's been here for a day, and yet has never seen that aspect of the business, so naturally it slipped out of her mind.

Rumor had it that, in addition to its main business, the Rose Blanche provided smithing services to only certain individuals, such as Fourteens or high-ranking members of the nobility. It was even said that it was from the foundation of that once humble smithing business that the Rose Blanche came to be what it is now.

"Yes, there used to be six of them before that day you’re curious about Miss Analyse. The "sooted gardeners," that’s what we used to call them due to their frequent appearance covered in soot, wandering around the establishment, Although they rarely interacted with us, Flowers, we all knew and understood that they were a part of the Rose Blanche, just as we were. Now they’re gone, and so is, with them, the Rose Blanche’s smithing business."

"I see… Do you know or have you happened to have heard anything else in particular about that said night?"

"I don’t know much about this matter, and I think it is the case for every flower you will meet. Lord Mael is a well-known figure to many of us flowers, so when it happened, we were to gossip about it among ourselves, but the Matronne issued a clear order to never make any mention of him or them."

"I see."

The situation here seemed vaguely similar to what happened in the academy.

Truth to be told, for a high-ranking noble and a well-known figure such as Mael, the matter of whether or not he did commit these alleged atrocities is of a stern irrelevance, as in that particular case the victims were commoners.

Though it was not something that happened on a regular basis, it would be refusing to see the truth at face value to think that these kinds of "incidents" involving a noble killing a commoner were rare, to say the least. It happens, often, even, it's just that among nobles very few actually care to care.

In Mael’s case, when the news spread that he was involved in an incident that cost the lives of several commoners, few of the gossips Ana heard at the academy were about how horrific that act was; most of them were just about how they were shocked to hear Mael would be punished for these commoners' deaths. Back then, the news of his imprisonment dwarfed that of the crimes he was convicted of, and in the eyes of most nobles, whatever happened to Mael that caused him to kill these commoners, he was justified.

With his position of power and popularity, Mael could have easily brushed this matter under the rug. Yet, for obscure reasons, he chose not to, and that was what Ana was most curious about: why make this matter such a big deal and go to confinement for three months straight when it could’ve so easily been cast aside and forgotten?

"Any details or gossip about what happened that day were strictly forbidden to be discussed; even now, I can't imagine what I risk by simply sharing these words with you, Miss Analyse."

"I apologize for putting you in this situation."

"It’s nothing, but may I ask you a question, Miss Analyse?"

"What is it?"

" Why do you want to know so much about what happened that day? I mean, I get that you did this to know the truth. But why?"

"Why…"

Ana hesitated to respond to Rubi's question with the simple answer she had been using up to that point: curiosity.

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"Is it because of him, Lord Ma—"

"I’m just curious, I just want to know the truth, that's all."

What else could it be but that? Curiosity was what drove her here, where she not only pretended to be a commoner but a flower as well.

"Is that so?"

"It is, more importantly, is this really all that you know about it?" Ana wanted to confirm.

"Miss Analyse, you… you intend to remain here?"

After silently pondering about it for a moment, Ana announced her decision: "I know this is obstinate of me, but yes, I intend to stay for a little while longer, at least until my curiosity is satisfied, which would be when I reach the very bottom of this. So, until then, may I request that you not reveal my identity to anyone?"

"Miss Analyse..."

Reaching for her hands, Ana begged, "Please," before proposing, "I’ll put in proper compensation."

"It’s not really a matter of money, Miss Analyse. With all that is happening within the establishment as of late, I think your presence will make things even more complicated than they already are."

"What’s happening?"

"That’s— that is something I really don’t think I can share with you, Miss Analyse."

These words piqued Ana's interest in the matter even more, but in order to persuade her to rat her out, she went on to persuade her, "Fine, I won’t ask, but please pretend I’m just a commoner; I promise I won’t be of any trouble; you have my word."

Facing Ana’s stubbornness and incessant pleas, Rubi gave in. "Fine, I will play along."

"Thank you, I promise you won’t regret this decision," Ana reassured, before announcing, "Now I think we should return to the others, we’ve been suspicious enough with how we abruptly left to have this discussion."

"Miss Analyse, wait."

"Hum?"

"Since you refuse to leave until you get your answers, I think I might know someone who might have them."

"Really, who? Is that person a flower like you?"

"No. She lives here in the establishment, but she’s not a flower. Her standing here is somewhat different."

***

"Sorry for the wait?" Rubi apologized to the two girls as she and Ana returned.

As Ana joined the two other girls, she was asked by a curious Edya, "Do you know her? Because it appeared to me that you do."

Ana confirmed, "Yes, I know her," seeing no point in denying it at this late date.

"What did you two talk about?"

As audacious as that question was, Ana didn't even feel particularly surprised at how brazen the girl had to be to ask it, as she had already, in the span of merely a little less than a day, gotten used to Edya’s lack of care for people's personal boundaries.

Despite catching that Edya's question had also piqued the stern Ina's interest, Ana responded, "Do I really have to answer that question?"

Before Edya could insist upon it, as she clearly intended to, Rubi said, "I'm here today to explain how, as a company, we at Rose Blanche function, and since we're slightly behind schedule, I think we should get going, but first I have to ask, who among you three doesn't know how to write or read?"

Ana and Ina locked their gazes on the sudden question, assessing each other's literacy before falling on Edya, whom they both saw raise a hand.

"Hum? I see; that’s fine for now. Many flowers come to the Rose Blanche every year not knowing how to read or write, but you’ll have to learn to write, or at the very least, learn to read. This can be a valuable asset that might appeal to a certain demographic of nobles that appreciate scholarly company."

"Understood."

"Ask people around to help you with it, I’m sure there’s always someone willing to help, all you have to do is ask the right person. Well now, I think we should get going, there is much I still have to show you."

As the night fell, Ana retreated to her room, barricading the door as she had expected to be joined by Edya later on, which indeed happened, though she chose to ignore her presence. Another day had passed for Ana, pretending to be a part of the Rose Blanche.

As the night deepened, Ana lay on her bed in her room, waiting for the right moment to sneak out again. She knew she had to be extra careful this time, not wanting to run into Ina or anyone else. Once she felt it was safe, she left her room and made her way through the halls of the Rose Blanche. This time, instead of running away, she had a specific purpose in mind: to find the person whom Rubi had told her might have the answers to her questions.

Ana made her way through the bustling corridors of the establishment, avoiding people as best as she could like a thief trying to remain unnoticed. She wasn't quite sure where she was going, only that she needed to find a staircase leading to the upper quarters. After a bit of searching, she finally found one and began making her way up.

As she climbed the staircase, Ana stumbled upon the entrance to the second floor, where she was confronted by guards who noticed her presence. She remembered what Rubi had told her earlier that day: "There is a certain hierarchical arrangement when it comes to the floors of the Rose Blanche."

The gardeners, the guards, and the flowers lived in the ground floor, but it had to be mentioned that a vast majority of the Rose Blanche's flowers, after achieving a certain level of financial independence from their activities, no longer lived in the Rose Blanche but, like Ana and many other nobles did when coming to study at the Academy, in houses they rented in the neighborhood.

The second floor, on the other hand, was dedicated to what Rubi called the garden. It was the place anyone familiar enough with this establishment would think of when mentioning it; it was the place where nobles met Rose Blanche’s flowers.

Ana considered pretending to be a flower in order to gain access to this particular floor, which she and the girls weren't allowed to because they were "newbies," but she realized from their expressions that they were already suspicious of her, so Ana did what she thought was her best course of action: she turned heels.

"Hey, you! Wait," halted the female guards.

Playing deaf ears, Ana ignored their orders, which prompted the guards to go after her; down the stairs.

There was little chance for them to catch up with Ana, not because she was particularly fast but rather because they simply walked past her, as she, upon noticing a nearby window on the side, jumped from it. Using her water magic, she hovered in midair until the guard walked past her, before reentering the window and climbing up the stairs.

Once Ana arrived at the guard's post, she continued up the stairs, her destination being not the second floor, nor the third, nor the fourth, but the top floor of the Rose Blanche, where the Matronne, Lady Orchid, lived.

The more she went, the more she encountered guards, so Ana was, after a couple of floors, left with no other choice but to fly her way to the top floor.

"Sigh… This time, I truly resemble a burglar, a magical-wielding burglar...but it’s too late to regret now."

She arrived at a location she thought might be the one she was looking for by deftly distracting the guards with tricks, most of which were magic tricks.

Ana now stood at three identical doors leading to what she could identify as sleeping rooms. But from how well decorated it was, Ana knew that it could not be just any room; it had to be either Matronne’s, Lady Orchid's, or the girl's that she was looking for.

Since even Rubi herself never got to this floor, the only description she gave Ana of the room where she might find that person is that she slept in a room adjacent to that of the Matronne and the Lady’s orchid room. So Ana was left with no way of identifying the right room, and given how late at night it already was, she believed that surely these rooms weren’t empty, so even with how far she had already gone, she could not simply sneak in. If she were to, it had to be the right room.

For a moment, Ana deliberated over which room to visit first and eventually chose the one on the left. Peeking in and seeing nothing because of the lack of light inside, Ana was left with no other choice but to sneak entirely inside the room.

Despite the darkness, Ana could tell how large the room was, and somewhere on a corner of the room she noted the outline of what seemed to be a bed.

Ana approached the bed, summoning blue water on top of her palm, allowing the room to finally get some light, but before she could reach the foot of the bed, something—or, more specifically, someone—grabbed her from behind by the wrist, followed by a strange pressure from behind on the back of her knee, causing her to limply fall knee bent on the ground.

"Has nobody ever taught you to knock before entering a lady’s room."

The sensation of fear and powerlessness that Ana briefly felt was promptly replaced by confusion and surprise upon hearing a voice that she instantly recognized.

"Arte?"

"That voice,… Ana? Is that you?" Arte mumbled before releasing Ana's grip on her wrist and lighting a fire atop the palm of his hand, which he used to check onto Ana's face.

"... It was really you?"

The little light provided by the Arte fire, made so that the two of Ana and him, immediately recognized each other.

"What are you doing, he—re?" he asked, but his gaze was drawn to the girl sleeping on the bed, who appeared to have been awakened by Ana and Arte's commotion.

"Arte?" The girl inquired, rubbing her sleepy and perplexed eyes."Is that you?"

The girl was not just anybody; she was the one Ana came here for, the one she believed might hold answers to questions she had.

Despite Rubi's strange description of the person she was to seek—a young girl with youthful, beautiful features that almost seemed doll-like, inducing a strange, if somewhat misplaced, sense of due duty to protect her at any cost—Ana realized upon seeing the girl that her descriptions were accurate.

While there were nobles who could easily be mistaken for commoners, as it had been the case for a certain person a few days before, there were also commoners whose appearance made them easily mistaken for nobles.

Although appearance is often an unreliable way to distinguish nobles from commoners and vice versa, Ana was inclined to believe that the girl in front of her was no mere commoner.

Something within Ana was screaming that.

"Yes, it’s me," Ana reassured, attending to her side.

"Who’s she?" the girl asked.

"She’s... a friend. And as for what she came into your room for, I’ll still have to ask her," Arte said, looking at Ana.

"I can explain," Ana was tempted to say, but remembering how tedious the task of having to explain all the thoughts and mental gymnastics that led here were, she chose to remain, wondering if, up to this point, running away was not a viable solution to avoid this dire and awkward situation she had put herself in.