"Elle, did anything happen in the mansion when I was gone?"
Irene asked the next day on her vanity looking at herself in the mirror.
"Nothing happened, my lady," Elle responded with her head looking down, Elle's right eyebrow raised.
"Then you are sure acting weird."
Elle couldn't hold in her sigh anymore, "Didn't you forget about what day was yesterday?"
Irene thought about how random this question was, "What do you mean?"
It was weird, Irene usually puts things on her calendar to remind her of important dates, she always looks at it after waking up.
But yesterday...
Irene's eyes widened and ran towards the calendar beside her bed, "Oh shit...I messed up."
It was marked exam entrance day.
"Oh, how could I forget that, maybe that is why Josiah was shocked to see me out," Irene started to mumble.
"Oh god, which means Alice went by herself...society is mean, they probably said stuff," Irene's head started to go downhill spiral.
"She came back in tears, my lady," Elle said with a stern tone to Irene.
"Where is Alice?"
Irene asked, "She is most likely in her room, my lady," Elle replied.
"Thank you," Irene said as she walked towards the door.
The long hallways in the mansion were always cold but bright with the windows shining light through on the shiny areas.
This mansion is beautiful, but it was called the ice palace for a reason.
Rumors went on, that there is a lonely ghost who roams these empty hallways at night, in the morning the hallways are brightened by the sun and surrounded by maids and knights.
"Good morning, young miss!"
They greeted Irene with warm and kind smiles.
Irene was still in her night grown with a small thin blanket was coverage, this was shameless in some way.
Irene's maids didn't give her any strange looks and the knights looked down on the ground and greeted her without looking at Irene.
Gentlemens.
Irene eventually made it to Alice's door, she knocked on it three times gently.
"Alice? It's me, Irene."
Irene waited for a response, but there was only silence.
Alice must be upset then...
"You have every reason to be upset, I am just going to leave you alone."
Irene said leaving until she heard the door creak open, "Come in," Alice said quietly.
Irene smiled and turned back, she knew Alice was eventually going to open the door for her. Irene had heard footsteps that were hesitating near the door.
"Please forgive my rudeness," Irene said as she walked into Alice's room, and then she saw Alice's face.
Irene's face turned sour, puffy eyes.
"Why were you crying? Is it because I didn't come with you?"
Irene said apologetically and as she walked toward Alice and touched her face, "You look kind of funny right now," Irene chuckled.
Alice stayed quiet.
Irene sighed and walked towards Alice's washroom.
Alice stayed put standing as she hear water running and then it was closed, footsteps were walking near her.
Then Alice's vision was blocked by a cold and wet towel, "This should help the swollen eyes," Irene said pressing the towel on Alice's eyes not too harshly.
Alice was touched by her action, it reminded what her mother did when she cried.'
"It reduces the swollen, sweetie, don't cry anymore."
Her mother said.
"I wish you not to cry anymore," Irene said.
Alice started to sob.
"Huh? I just told you not to cry!?"
Irene panicked.
Did I do something wrong again?
"Irene is stupid."
Irene was confused but went along, "Yes yes, I am stupid," she said repeating Alice's words.
The tears continued to flow, Irene felt like there was no end; however, they calmed after fifteen minutes.
Irene and Alice sat on the bed, "What happened?"
Alice paused for a moment, "I didn't take the test," the brown-haired girl looked down and fiddled with her fingers.
"I was afraid without you, I didn't want to receive the same looks I got during my parents' funeral."
Alice went on.
"Before I went in, everyone's gazes landed on me, and I walked away."
Alice felt ashamed, "Don't worry, there is another exam day tomorrow for the ones who didn't make it for the first one!"
Irene felt chipper, "I'll go with you for this one, let's start studying!"
She pulled Alice off the bed, "Y-yeah!"
Alice replied as she started to gain back her bubbly energy, "Ignore those gazes, focus on the path in front of you."
Irene said to her.
"Irene, sometimes I can't tell if you are my mom or my close friend," Alice started to laugh, Irene looked at her for a moment.
"I mean I can be both!"
Irene said and those two girls linked hands.
"Cheer up! Let's go to the library now," Irene said smiling, "Yes, let us go!"
We have one thing in common, we are both now motherless...
Irene felt horrible thinking about that, but at least she has a friend that she can relate to and trust.
The girls spend hours in the library, studying hard. Irene helped Alice with some questions, they even had their meals there.
"Oh gee," Roxy said walking into the library to see Alice and Irene asleep while sitting on chairs with their head laying on books.
"Should we wake them up?"
"No, let them sleep," Mal said.
"Don't you think Elle is going to scold us?"
Roxy asked terrified.
"Get the blankets," Elle said behind them, the two girls flinched from surprise.
"When did you get here? I thought you were visiting Ralph?"
Roxy asked, "She probably finished, she left two hours ago," Mal said hitting Roxy's head.
"Ah ow, alright," Roxy rubbed her head, "Be quiet and get the blankets."
Elle ordered, "Yes, head maid," Roxy and Mal said leaving the room.
The room was lit by two lanterns on the tables.
"You two girls really get along well," Elle said smiling, "I'm glad," she said looking at Irene's peaceful sleeping face.
Roxy and Mal came back with blankets, two blankets.
Then put over the shoulders of the two girls.
The three maids smiled and said their goodnight as they left one by one.
Irene and Alice spent their night sleeping in the library.
Irene's face scrunched as she left sunlight on her face, and her eyes opened slowly.
"Mmm."
Irene mumbled and looked around, "Why...am I in the library?"
Alice also woke up, "Mmm."
Irene looked at the clock, "We got some time before exams."
"What?"
Alice said half asleep.
"Let us get ready!"
Before you knew it, those two girls ran to their rooms and now they are both in a carriage going to the exam entrance.
"Let us do our very best," Alice said smiling towards Irene, who is sitting across and in front of Alice.
"Same goes for you."
~Author's Note~
HAHAHA I FINALLY WROTE THE CHAPTER! Even though I didn't reply to anyone, I hope you guys knew, I read every single message with tears. You guys are serisouly the best thing that ever happened to me.
- ANMU