Chapter 8

A knock on the wooden door brought a sound that reverberated through the Student Council room the next day. Bracing her hand on the couch's arm, Diana hoisted herself up but was pushed back down to her seat.

"We'll get it, Diana!" Hannah and Barbara rushed past her.

Diana chuckled at her friends' ton of excess energy.

"It's Frank!" They chattered even as they proceeded to drag Frank into the house. He was holding a bouquet of flowers in one hand, and a cardboard box of chocolate under his opposite arm.

Frank flashed Diana a smile that somehow was both goofy and encouraging at the same time. Hannah and Barbara couldn't handle their gushing and giggling to themselves.

Diana stifled a groan from escaping her lips. She didn't have the heart to refuse a man who was obviously doing his best to woo his lady love.

"Hi Frank," Andrew greeted as Frank walked into the meeting room; he was sitting opposite Diana and munched on a biscuit. Although he seemed casual, Diana knew the nonchalant and silent disposition of his was an indicator that he knew something was about to go out of hand here.

Frank made his way across the living room to have a seat next to Diana. "Everyone takes their jobs seriously here, I wonder if all of you spend your free time actually resting."

"We do it at lunchtime," Diana said, getting the pot to refill her teacup. "So, Frank what brings you here, do you want to become a volunteer like Hannah and Barbara?"

"These are for you." He smiled, extending the bouquet.

"Oh, Frank, they're beautiful!"Diana tried her best to exclaim in joy as she brought her nose to the pink roses, so delicately arranged with ferns and baby's breath, pausing to inhale their fragrance. "And they smell so nice! Thank you!"

Frank leaned closer to envelop her in a hug, Diana seized the moment to move a few inches away from Frank, to prevent him from actually hugging her but they already touched. Frank easily noticed that she made her uncomfortable with her advances.

"Actually, Diana, these aren't from me." He began, rubbing the back of his neck with a free hand.

"What do you mean?" Diana inquired, confusion lacing her eyes.

"They're from a friend who wanted to remain anonymous." He explained, hoping the nervousness in his eyes wasn't giving too much away.

But Diana; however, was keener than that.

"An anonymous friend?" she pressed. "Would that anonymous friend happen to know I do not have time to indulge myself with the matters of the heart?"

"Uhh, maybe she I mean—he didn't." Frank gulped; he was nervously playing with his hair. Diana noticed that his hair was becoming undone by the spray that held his hairstyle together.

Andrew wanted to slap his forehead at the pitiful attempt of flirting. Though, he did, try to salvage his friend's dignity. "Mate, I have reports to hand to the Deputy Headmistress, would you mind going with me?"

"Yes!" Frank replied almost too enthusiastically.

As Frank and Andrew turned around to leave, Diana glared at the bouquet and the box of chocolate. "Bloody hell, these are Aunt Daryl's idea," she muttered in disgust. "She just doesn't know when to quit, huh? She even used Frank to have him try to make me fall for him."

Before Hannah or Barbara managed to stop her, Diana had grabbed the flowers and walked into the kitchen area of the Student Council room to find the nearest trash bin to violently throw them in, tears welling up in her eyes. She blinked them away. She was stronger than that.

The duo's surprised protest sounded from the living room, but Diana ignored it.

"Diana!" Hannah and Barbara exclaimed, obviously stunned by her reaction.

"No girls!" She protested. "You know how I feel about early marriage and marriage proposals. You know how I feel about my Aunt. I don't want to accept anything from potential suitors. It's a trap."

The girls nodded, able to understand her train of thought. It was sound logic, but Diana still wasn't drawing the correct conclusion. Or, she didn't want them to know.

Diana's thoughts wandered to what occurred after the incident in the police station. The moment Diana and Andrew were in a safe and secure place, she relayed her observations so far to him.

Of course, Andrew was encouraging and at the same time hesitant.

"Her best friend certainly is the killer."

"What proof do you have of that?" Andrew asked. "Just because Miss Manbavaran loved her dearly doesn't mean she is the killer we're looking for. If ever, we're looking at her adoptive guardian. Chariot is very much suspicious."

"I've told you repeatedly that she's another mystery and not a piece to this puzzle—I've given you countless of evidence to contradict your judgment."

"Don't you think you're being biased?" Andrew hissed. "Just because you think Chariot couldn't become evil doesn't mean she's not a suspect. I'm more inclined to believe that it's her rather than Miss Manbavaran. This isn't some crime fiction where the murderer is the seemingly harmless young girl."

"Then I shall get myself some proof that it's her. All I need is a murder weapon and everything else will be revealed."

"Diana, you know I care about you but I think this delusion of yours needs to stop. There's a difference with wanting the killer to be Miss Manbavaran and knowing the killer is Miss Manbavaran."

She chuckled, yet her sensitive heart was breaking, "So you show your true colors... since from the beginning you never believed in me."

Diana's thought process was interrupted. Her stomach rumbled, telling her that all this intellectual thinking was burning more energy than she could replenish. Asides from that, she had been making a habit of skipping meals, reluctant to spend any more time in the dining room at the Cavendish Manor.

She stared behind her, making sure that no dark shadowy figure would attack her unguarded.

"I have a killer to catch before I face my demons," Diana whispered.

Here at school, her demons could not reach her.

"Can I sit with you?" Cavendish asked a crowd different from her usual ones.

Sucy and Akko stared at her blankly.

Everyone who's present in the cafeteria had their bulging eyes at them. Complete with jaws dropped to the floor at the sight of the Student Council President wanting to sit next to Akko and Sucy.

After the incident the Sergeant caused yesterday, Akko became the favorite topic of gossip ever since. Wangari had already written three incriminating articles about the cafeteria, the interrogation, and the Sergeant's suicide—all were about Akko being at fault for everything.

But it was deemed by the authorities that Akko was innocent so all of Wangari's accusations were false, yet it fed the imaginations of the student body. Sucy wouldn't be surprised later on if everyone brings pitchforks and fire to get rid of Akko.

"Really?" Sucy quipped. "Do you want to sit by the social pariah table?"

"Your so-called pariah-ship will soon be over once everything else returns to proper order." Cavendish looked as if she didn't like self-deprecating term Sucy used for themselves, but what Sucy was concerned about was that why is Diana saint Cavendish being sociable to them.

"She does know the killer is you," Loa whispered to her, who was still carefully hidden inside Sucy's belongings. "What is your next move now?"

"Don't mind her, Diana!" Akko smiled, her eye was better than it was yesterday. She also wore a concealer to hide the dark color better. "Please take a sit!"

Between the storm and the fire, Akko was the only one who managed to smile at the upcoming clash of doomsday. Cavendish helped herself as she placed her tray of food on the table.

Sucy crossed her arms, still displeased that the Brit was sitting in front of her. "Where's your better half?"

"He is not my better half in a romantic sense," Cavendish said. "But if you meant partner in crime then he unfortunately is."

"He seems like a puppy you can toss around and keep with a leash."

Cavendish overlooked her as she continued to spread butter on her bread, taking her sweet time before answering. "Worry not about him. If you think he and I are glued like twins, you are mistaken. He's got his own business to attend to."

"So your business is here?" Sucy asked.

It was an ongoing battle. Where both of them ask incriminating questions and first to give is the loser, like whether storm or fire will come first to terrorize the city of its dangers.

Cavendish munched on her bread, giving herself the excuse not to answer the query. Nibbling her meal, she glanced around. "So," she said with a nod, looking at Akko expectantly, "Professor Ursula."

"What about her?" blurted Akko, baffled.

"I wonder why she's not around. I have morning class with her but she has a substitute."

Sucy gave up; falling back into her seat with a huff and clenching both her fists under the table for Diana Cavendish disregarded her question. She decided to zip her lips tight, fantasizing on how she would kill the Student Council President.

"Yeah, she told me she had errands to do," Akko said a little agitated as she went on. "She just left early this morning."

"Where did she say she would go?" Sucy asked, biting in the situation.

"She was in a hurry actually..." Akko said, biting her fingernail. "But I did see that her plane ticket was towards... I'm sure it was Asia. I should really focus on geography lessons."

"Is she going to Japan?"

"No," she said.

"If Akko knew which country it is, she might have mentioned it previously." Cavendish mused. "If she's stalling it means she knows and agreed to keep it a secret."

Akko turned and gave Cavendish her best-heated glare, but the Brit didn't even flinch "I didn't read the ticket longer to have memorized it. But it started with a 'P'. Phi..."

"Philippines?" Sucy gasped.

Cavendish's eyes widened, intrigued. "Isn't that where you came from, Sucy?"

"Oh yes!" Akko giggled.

Sucy gulped her minced mushroom hard. Loa wasn't making it easier for her to think. By the time Loa shut up in her thoughts, she was contemplating the floor, clearly deep in thought. "What business does Professor Ursula have there?" she asked.

Akko gulped hard this time. Her eyes darted sideward, laughing nervously. "Oh, how do I know?"

Cavendish bit on her bread with butter. "I have a rough idea."

"Oh no!" Akko grumbled. "Are you going to take a guess again?"

The question struck Sucy as odd.

Cavendish's focus shifted from her to Sucy. "Is there perchance a reason why she needed to buy something from Miss Manbavaran's home country? If so, is your birthday about to come up?"

Sucy narrowed her eyes at the two girls sharing her table. Then it came to her. With just a few social cues, Diana Cavendish was able to deduce what was happening. If the Brit wound up with the evidence of black magic, then she will be able to know that everyone with an alibi can kill the victims. She; however, wasn't afraid of someone like Cavendish.

The British girl is as good as dead.

Sucy humored her line of reasoning. With a feigned surprise, she asked. "How did Professor Ursula know my birthday is in December? I never mentioned it."

They watched as Akko's face fell. "Nooo!" she moaned before she looked at Cavendish, crestfallen. "You ruined our birthday surprise for Sucy!"

"Surely you do comprehend you ruined the birthday surprise yourself." She replied, snootily.

"NO! This is all your fault, Diana. You couldn't keep your perfect symmetrical mouth shut!"

Cavendish shifted slightly. "You find my mouth symmetrical?"

"Not just your mouth, your whole face!"

Sucy's eyes darkened in barely restrained anger. Her throat created a noise she hadn't heard in a long while.

"Oh, what a feast to behold... two girls flirting," Loa said the obvious with a snicker. "Not the first I've seen in decades."

Cocking her head slightly, Cavendish implored Sucy to answer. "Did you just hiss?"

By now, Akko had finally seen the clashing auras between the two girls. Sucy chastised herself for ever thinking her best friend wasn't observant enough. Her grimace quickly made Akko try to dissipate her anger.

"Oh, Diana, you got some dust on you!" She proceeded to brush the supposed dirt off the blonde's shoulder.

To appease her anger, Akko knew what Sucy wanted. Sucy noticed Akko's nimble hands managed to pull a loose hair from Cavendish's uniform. Cavendish wasn't aware of what was happening away from her line of vision.

Professor Ursula—Shiny Chariot—would be proud of her adopted girl.

"Why, thank you." The blonde looked away from Akko, a blush coloring her cheeks.

Sucy grinned mischievously. Diana's obvious smitten features will be the end of her.

Cavendish blinked, managing to regain her bearings. "I've been meaning to ask. Are you two heading to the Kinsley wake after school?"

Sucy narrowed her eyes at her. She was aware that the Brit was hoping to read into her reactions with apparent questions to corner her and at the same time it seemed normal. Sucy knew she won't be able to show remorse at the funeral so she rather not place attention to herself.

"You mean... Thomas hasn't been buried until now?" Akko asked.

"Oh no, I meant the Sergeant." Cavendish clarified.

Sucy needed to think of a way to turn her down fast. "As much as we would like to show our condolences to him, he still hurt Akko. Not even in death that Akko is forced to feel sorry for him, and because we feel like so, we rather not show our faces. Other than the fact that we will receive animosity once we set foot."

"Better than fuelling the rumors that Akko is a killer," Diana said, compelling them. "If a ride is a problem, ease your worries. My chauffeur doesn't mind me bringing friends."

Friends?

Sucy furrowed her brow. So that was how Diana Cavendish works, attempting to get close to her via Akko. The quickest way to cut the blooming friendship between the three of them is to refuse. Yet, doing it herself would make her look unprofessional—particularly an asshole. She needed to find a way to convince Akko not to go as well.

"Do you want to go, Akko?"

Akko looked at them consecutively. "And see the lifeless bodies of the Kinsleys again? No thanks."

"The matter has been settled, don't you think Miss Cavendish?" she snarled.

"It appears so," she said, completely receiving the message.