I do not own either "Sailor Moon" or"To catch a thief".
Enjoy:)
Chapter 2 – A hungry stomach cannot hear
The morning bell rang just as Serena arrived at the school gate. She desperately wished she had some kind of excuse for justifying her tardiness, be it a fire in the kitchen, a flood in her private chambers or a plague of locusts in the back garden. Not that Serena would have been expected to do something if any such disaster occurred, but one never knew how the shock of it would affect her delicate nerves. If she milked her sorrows just right, she could be excused from lessons for as long as a week.
None of it mattered, of course, as Serena passed the great entrance. The hall was pleasantly quiet, though just moments before it had been filled with young women exchanging the latest on-dits and fashion plates, their bright morning dresses and ribbons in blunt contrast with the bleached walls. The classroom door loomed at the end of the East wing and Serena tried to remember how the morning sun lit her small corner desk. It was her little escape, for she knew that her transgression would be punished.
'Miss Tsukino, you are late again!' The teacher's voice was more resigned than upset, which greatly confused Serena. Miss Haruna always spoke in a quiet tone rumored to make even the loftier peers quake and it never failed to send shivers down Serena's spine and freeze her limbs.
'As I will not have you disturb our lesson, you may wait in the hall until we are done. Besides, some self-reflection is in order in your case, Miss Tsukino.' Her expression broke no refusal, but Serena was more relieved than upset. This was by far the lightest punishment she had ever received and therefore decided not to question whichever benevolent god had made it possible. Thoughts such as "How dare she make me stand out in the hall?" did not even cross her mind. Excusing herself with the curtsey she had been denied upon entering inside the classroom, Serena softly closed the door and breathed a sigh of relief.
Her pocket watch ticked delicately and the almost frantic movement of the seconds hand made Serena uncomfortably aware of the sensation starting in the pit of her stomach. Hunger was a feeling she simply could not abide and it had always been a trying experience to follow proper etiquette where meals were concerned. In fact, she was quite sure she had disregarded the rules more times than anyone could count. One more could not possibly matter. Serena pulled out the large cheese sandwich from her pouch, an item that Cook had been specifically instructed to make and that she never failed to grab on her way out to school, tardiness being in no way a hindrance.
'Miss Tsukino, what do you think you are doing? It is because of such mischief that you receive terrible test scores. It perplexes me how you manage so well in the end of the day appraisal, but completely fail the semester ones.' Serena had not heard the classroom door open. The teacher's frown had been growing darker with each word and as always when she was truly upset, her enunciation had become slower and more precise, until her accent was clipped and cutting.
'You may come in now and take your paper. I will deal with you accordingly tomorrow, do not dare be late!' The last sentenced was both a warning and a promise. Serena knew that her fate had been decided and it was not to be a kind one. All she could do was take her seat and not get lost in her fantasies when the lesson continued.
Author's note:
*The common way of testing students in the 19th century was to evaluate their knowledge at the end of the day; corporal punishments were considered normal, both for boys and girls.
*A fashion plate was an illustration demonstrating the highlights of fashionable styles of clothing and was extremely popular in the 19th and 20th century.
*In the Victorian era, pocket watches were ubiquitous and worn by women as well.
*The sandwich became popular in the 18th century and is attributed to John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich.