For the first time in her life, Noire is running away. Not literally, of course, that would be far too undignified, but there is no doubting that, if her pride permitted it, Noire would have run as fast as her booted feet would carry her away from that lilac-haired impostor, that horrible, taunting voice that dared speak the words of her soulmate.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
What does she think she's doing? She's a troublemaker who always breaks things and fights with the teachers, and she wants to lecture me?! What does she know about manners, about behaving properly?!
"What does she know about being a Candidate?!"
The angry words escape her lips in a snarl, and only when Kei looks at her questioningly, does she realize that she's talking out loud. Crimson flushes her cheeks as she tries to regain her composure under her caretaker's searching gaze.
"W-W-Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Something is troubling you." The white-haired woman states with a calm tone of absolute certainty, as she always does when Noire has problems. Kei's blunt and straightforward approach to problem solving has helped Noire many times in the past, and on any other day, in any other situation, Noire might have considered confiding in her. But this matter is too personal, too undignified, to be trusted to anyone but herself.
"I-it's alright, just something that happened in school."
Rallying all of her impressive self-control, Noire calms her features and shows the outside world, and, most importantly, Kei, her calm, perfect face once more.
"Nothing I can't deal with, of course."
Kei doesn't seem convinced, and Noire internally berates herself for trying to blow off the woman who has been taking care of her upbringing and education for years. Kei Jinguji had never settled for anything less than excellence, and what made her such a brilliant assistant to Brave Schwarzherz also meant she never accepted weakness from the Candidate he had entrusted to her. In body or mind.
So Noire needs to come up with something better.
"There was some trouble with another Candidate at school. She-" Noire had to think for a second how to summarize the confrontation without giving away what really troubled her. "She accused me of behaving improperly. But it didn't escalate any further."
Kei's eyebrow rises at the slight hesitation and then she is silent for a few seconds, apparently mulling over Noire's words and evaluating her truthfulness, before relenting with a nod.
"Fine. I trust you to be able to handle the situation if this other Candidate causes any more trouble." Her tone of voice and the minute expressions on her face make it clear to Noire that Kei thinks Blanc is the Candidate in question, and Noire is glad that she managed to fool the perceptive woman, at least for now.
"Of course I am." She accepts Kei's unspoken challenge with a firm nod, unwilling to admit that she actually feels distressed, and completely out of her depth for the first time in her life.
Not to mention she still can't really figure out what the situation actually is. It goes beyond being angry about being denied her chance to demonstrate the superiority of her way to Blanc.
It's not like she ever wanted a friend, and she certainly isn't angry at the other candidate for not meeting her expectations.
And the newcomer definitely doesn't make her even more sad and angry with her hostile first impression, because that rude, troublemaking, cute, smart and perceptive girl definitely isn't her soulmate.
She can't be. Her soulmate would never have attacked Noire like that!
Which is another thing that greatly infuriates the proud candidate.
Why did I fold so easily there?! I can't let that delinquent beat me!
She makes a decision, right there, to challenge and defeat the girl, and prove to her that Noire is the best, and that no one is fit to stand against her.
That she doesn't need a soulmate. Or friends.
As they get into the car, she immediately contacts all of her trainers and schedules extra lessons.
I'll challenge her to- to something! I'll challenge and beat her, and then they'll both know that my way is the best way. A-and I'll know for sure that she's not worthy of being my soulmate! Yeah! Because I don't need one anyway!
Now Noire has a clear goal in sight, she can feel herself be filled with confidence again. The fires determination that have fueled her since she was old enough to understand her destiny are burning brighter than aver at the challenge. They burn bright enough that she can almost ignore the confusing mix of feelings that fill her mind when she thinks of the purple-eyed girl. Or how her Soulmark is burning on her skin.
In the aftermath of the fight at school, surprisingly little changes for Blanc at first. Her parents scold her, mostly for getting her dress torn up, and also for getting defeated so easily. Thankfully, headmaster Ganache apparently hasn't made her responsible for the damages, and so she doesn't bring it up, stoically weathering the stream of hurtful words that comes at her over her father's mahogany desk.
For what feels like hours she stands in his study, enduring yet another lecture about proper behaviour and pride and all the other things he likes to talk about.
But as the familiar storm of words and disapproval washes over her, Blanc only feels the steady pulsing of her Soulmark on her ankle, and the warmth shelters her soul from the torrent of criticism her father is heaping on her. Her face shows the appropriate mask of supplication as she is banned from the library for a week and she heads straight to her room when he dismisses her.
But that changes as soon as the old wooden door closes behind her, her ever trusty barrier between Blanc and the rest of the world. Her lips twist into a dopey grin as she falls onto her bed and hugs her hat close to her chest in giddy happiness. Her face lights up in a luminous blush as she allows her mind to wander back to her brief but oh so wonderful meeting with her soulmate.
Briefly recovering, she rips off the ribbon on her leg and touches the fingers of her right hand against the purple patch of skin curving up around her right ankle.
"Yikes, that was nasty. You okay?"
Getting swept away in the surge of happiness at the words, now forever tied to a wonderful memory, the Candidate lets out a quiet, high-pitched sound that she would never let anyone else hear out of her mouth, and would vehemently deny if anyone ever did.
Blanc squeals in delight.
"She kissed me!"
She screams her delight into the pillows, kicking her legs in the air in an effort to release all the pent-up excitement that's been bubbling inside of her ever since Neptune's hasty departure and the kiss.
Oh goddesses, the kiss!
Blanc squeals into her pillow once again, because she still can't believe that she found her soulmate and she feels that her cage has been opened, that there is more to her world now than what her parents want from her.
So absorbed is she in the rush of feelings and fantasies that swirl through her mind that she doesn't notice how the door opens again, and a blonde woman in a red maid's dress stands in the doorway, regarding the girl with a fond smile.
"You seem to be in quite the good mood today, Blanc. I was almost afraid I'd have to bring you cocoa and books later, after all that shouting your father did." Closing the door behind her, Financier steps fully into the room.
"So, what has you so happy?"
Initially shocked by the sudden intrusion, Blanc whirls around, tangling her legs in the sheets in the process and almost falls off the bed, before calming down when she recognizes her visitor.
The kindly housekeeper has been her only friend and confidante for the entire eight years she has been working for the Alba family, and her voice, initially grating to the young Candidate's ears, has long since become a soothing melody that promises understanding and advice.
Trying to calm her still rapidly beating heart, sped up by her Neptune-induced happiness and her panic at being so suddenly addressed, Blanc takes a few deep breaths and, once she is suitably in control of herself, attempts to sit up on her bed. Which does not work, as her legs are still tangled in her blanket, so she just flops around ungracefully for a few seconds before relenting, a blush and a frown chasing each other over her face at hearing Financier's amused chuckle.
As if this couldn't get any more undignified.
"Let me help you with that."
Blanc's face is currently turned away, but she feels the shifting of the mattress under the added weight as Financier sits down next to her, and feels the warmth of her hands as the woman begins to unwrap Blanc from her white linen prison.
Once the younger brunette is freed, she sits up next to her rescuer, cheeks still flushed a faint crimson. They sit in silence for a few seconds, before Financier resumes her earlier inquiry.
"So, what happened today that you're still so happy after the tongue lashing you just took?"
"I- not much. I just feel good. No reason." Even in the privacy of her own room, with the woman she trusts most in the world, Blanc can't bring herself to talk about it. She turns her head away, partly to hide her own face, and partly so she doesn't have to see the concerned expression in Financier's.
After a few more seconds of awkward silence, Financier renews her inquisition.
"Of course you do. Was it something at school? Good grades maybe? Or did something happen to Noire?"
Blanc's embarrassed smile twists and grows wicked at the memory of the pompous bitch getting verbally mauled.
Now that I can enjoy talking about.
"Yeah. We fought, and she threw me into the wall. But then Ne- a girl from another class stepped in and gave little miss perfect a verbal bitchslap, and the arrogant princess ran away in shame. Serves her right." Her satisfaction evident in her once more quiet voice, Blanc quickly paraphrases the encounter in the hallway, but she still can't bring herself to talk about Neptune, and finishes up with: "So, as much as it still hurts to be screamed at by him, getting to see the queen bitch cut down to size was absolutely worth it!"
Financier nods in understanding, a mischievous smirk appearing on her lips.
"You're certainly swearing a lot today. She's got you really riled up, huh?"
"Oh, you have no idea. But it's going to get even better now, I'm sure of that." Grinning in anticipation now, Blanc's grip on her silk ankle band, which she's still holding from earlier, tightens.
Too late, Blanc catches the triumphant grin spreading across Financier's visage as her attention is drawn to the ornamental cloth.
The ornamental cloth that usually hides Blanc's Soulmark.
For a brief moment, Blanc dares hope that the woman might spare her the embarrassment, might just leave it at a knowing smirk and a pat on the shoulder, but the rational part of her knows that's not going to happen. Her rational part is almost immediately proven right.
"Oh, so you ran into Pudding Girl then?"
The fierce blush on Blanc's face probably tells her everything she needs to know, but the girl nods once anyway, suddenly not trusting her voice.
Financier's smile lights up even more, and the next thing Blanc is aware of is Financier's arms crushing the life out of her in an excited hug.
"Ohhh, that's wonderful. How did you meet? What happened? Is she everything you ever dreamed of? Is she pretty?"
The excited stream of questions flowing from Financier's mouth passes by Blanc unheard, the Candidate too preoccupied with regaining control of her airflow without having to break anything.
"Stop crushing me!" she manages to get out, and thankfully that gets her older friend's attention, and the pressure lessens.
"Hehe, sorry about that. I'm so happy for you, I got a little carried away." A sheepish look on her face, Financier scoots a few centimetres to the side, giving Blanc some space to collect herself, before resuming her interrogation at a more sedate pace.
"But seriously, this is great news. That's a huge event in your life. Tell me everything!"
Only too happy to return to gushing about her adorable saviour, Blanc once more launches into a retelling of the events from earlier in the day, this time leaving nothing out, and manages to not squee too hard whenever she mentions how amazing Neptune is.