Chapter 123

It looks like I have to put a bell on the cat (Prince Keith). I read the student council rules before the dinner bell rings.

“Isn’t it a bit too late to be reading those now?”

I borrow the school rules booklet from Princess Margaret and read the student council rules listed near the back. I had skimmed through the school and dorm rules, but I hadn’t read the student council rules at all. Since I don’t have much time, I only read the rules regarding clubs.

I see. The reason Caesar was so desperate to recruit members was because of a rule stating that any club with fewer than five members would be disbanded.

Right, since time is short, I am mainly reading the section about disbandment.

The rule regarding the Knight Club this time is: [A club will be disbanded if it interferes with the activities of another club and causes them disadvantage.] It’s this one.

Wait, the rule right below that is bad news! I show that rule to Princess Margaret.

“Oh my, this is truly terrible. It could end up permanently destroying the Knight Club.”

[Any club that forms a faction and causes trouble for other students will be permanently disbanded.] Ah, if things go on like this, they’ll form a faction with Prince Keith as their figurehead and go storm the student council. We have to get him to calm down right now, or we’re in big trouble.

“Yes. The Knight Club is a traditional club, and if it gets permanently disbanded, the senior members in the Order of Knights won’t stay silent either. My cousin, Lord Salies, also said he would punch Captain Hammond, and it seems there are a lot of hot-headed people among them.”

I consult with Princess Margaret on what to do.

“First, I will have dinner with Keith and his friends. That way, the heated members of the Knight Club will sit at other tables to eat dinner, too. With this, at least everyone will have something to eat. Being hungry only makes people more hot-tempered.”

It seems Princess Margaret will invite Prince Keith to dinner. That’s a relief. But the problem starts after that.

“And I assume you will be the one to mention signing the petition to save the Knight Club, Princess Margaret?”

Princess Margaret smiles. Really? Me?

“Please wait a moment. I will read the student council rules.”

Were there rules about petitions? I flip through the student council rules.

“[Petition… Students who are dissatisfied with a student council decision may submit a petition by gathering signatures from more than half of all students. Afterward, the student council will review the contents of the petition and decide whether to alter their decision.]”

Hmm, gathering signatures from more than half the student body sounds really tough.

“Getting more than half will be difficult. First of all, the students in the Mage Course won’t sign. Nor will the students in the Riding Club. If someone like Percival asks directly, the Domestic Arts Course students might sign. If Keith asks, he might be able to gather signatures from the elementary students. But many students in the Civil Servant Course originally disliked the Knight Club. The final count seems like it’ll be touch and go.”

Even in the Music Club, the female students might sign if Percival asks them, but the male students probably won’t.

While we are talking about this, the dinner bell rings—clang, clang.

“Now, let’s calm the commotion.”

I head down to the dining hall with Princess Margaret. The commotion hasn’t settled down yet. The dorm students who came down to eat are also at a loss.

Princess Margaret, with her back straight and posture perfect, approaches Prince Keith, who is at the center of the commotion. Even the excited Knight Club members notice Princess Margaret’s imposing presence and make way for her. Oh, it’s like Moses parting the Red Sea, I think to myself as I follow behind Princess Margaret, having strange thoughts. I’m surrounded by a wall of muscles. It’s terrifying!

“Keith, let’s have dinner together. Ralph and Hugo, you too.”

Prince Keith briefly has a face that says, “This is no time for that,” but he yields to the strength of Princess Margaret’s gaze.

“Yes, Sister.”

A long line of us grab trays, queue up, and sit at a table.

“Keith, eat first.”

Prince Keith made a dissatisfied face after giving in to Princess Margaret, but once he took a bite, he devoured everything all at once. It seems Ralph and Hugo skipped lunch, too. Teenage boys in their growth period sure have incredible appetites. I don’t feel like eating much at all.

“Would you like this, too?”

I offer him my untouched plate.

“No, I already ate,” Prince Keith refuses, but his eyes can’t leave the plate.

“Keith, eat mine. Skipping lunch is unacceptable. If you don’t eat, I will tell Mother.”

Princess Margaret offers her plate to Prince Keith, too.

“Please keep this a secret from Mother,” Prince Keith says as he reaches for Princess Margaret’s plate.

“Lord Ralph and Lord Hugo, you must be hungry as well. Please split my meal between the two of you.”

Ralph and Hugo were both raised with strict upper-class noble manners hammered into them. They want to refuse, saying they can’t take food away from a young lady, but right next to them, Prince Keith is eating Princess Margaret’s dinner. I divide my dinner from my plate onto theirs. Yeah, I’m used to doing this since I always split ham for my younger brothers.

Princess Margaret signals me with her eyes: Talk about the petition! So it really has to come from me? Wouldn’t Princess Margaret be more suitable for the job? I beg for mercy with my eyes, but Princess Margaret lightly taps my shoe with hers, urging me to speak. It seems she won’t let me off the hook.

I take out the school rules booklet from my inner coat pocket. This is Princess Margaret’s booklet, but she gave me permission to fold it.

“Prince Keith, please read these student council rules.”

Since I’m a coward, I decided to have him read the student council rules and put the bell on his own neck. I even underlined the important parts. As long as the outcome is good, it’s fine, right?

“Ralph, Hugo! If we gather signatures from more than half the student body for a petition, the student council’s decision will be overturned!”

We finally made it here. What were Ralph and Hugo doing all this time? Percival, too!

“Prince Keith, let’s gather the signatures!”

Now that I’ve set the stage, I’ll leave the rest to them. Still, I’m so hungry. I didn’t feel like eating at lunch and only ate half of it then, too.

“Princess Margaret, let’s ask if there are any leftovers in the dining hall.”

The Knight Club members who finished eating seem to be gathering in Prince Keith’s private room to prepare the petition and signature sheets. In the quiet dining hall, the dorm students who had been afraid of the commotion and hadn’t come down are finally eating their dinner.

“I wonder if there are any leftovers?” Princess Margaret says, but she also gives in to her hunger and holds a tray.

“Excuse me, are there any leftovers from dinner?”

The dining hall staff ladies seem to have witnessed the earlier commotion, too.

“Ah, nobody asked for seconds, so there are plenty left.”

It turns out seconds were free in the dining hall. I didn’t know that. Right, that makes sense. A portion that fills up little Patience isn’t enough for a 15-year-old student in the Knight Course.

Princess Margaret and I had a full dinner, feeling a sense of relief like our mission was complete.

“Still, did nobody in the Knight Club read the student council rules?”

That’s true, but it’s too late for that now.

“I wonder if they can gather signatures from more than half the students?”

I think it’ll probably be fine, but the Knight Club bought a lot of resentment during this whole commotion.

“What is Percival doing, I wonder?”

Since he’s not a dorm student, maybe he’s going around convincing the day students?

“He might have decided it was better for Prince Keith to start the signature campaign himself. He’s probably convincing the other club members from behind the scenes.”

As I read the student council rules, a sudden anxiety comes over me.

“Um, is it okay for the Music Club to interfere with the Glee Club’s presentation at the Aoba Festival?”

Princess Margaret smiles gracefully.

“They aren’t interfering. They are merely providing wonderful songs. See, it says ‘clubs that caused disadvantage’ in the rules, right?”

Is that really how it works? Club President Albert is giving a lot of assistance to the Glee Club, which split off from the Chorus Club. I can’t imagine that Club President Albert is doing this purely out of goodwill. I feel uneasy.

“Um, is there a chance the Chorus Club might complain? Saying it’s unfair for the Music Club to provide songs to the Glee Club, or something like that?”

Princess Margaret tilts her head, too.

“Now that you mention it, this is far too kind for Albert. Even if he wants to increase opportunities to showcase the Music Club’s new songs, it’s strange.”

Even Princess Margaret has realized that it’s strange for Albert to be kind to others. Until now, we were too distracted by being able to listen to many new songs.

“Anyway, as long as it’s not causing a disadvantage, it should be fine. There must be other clubs doing joint activities, too.”

Is that so? I didn’t have much interest in club activities, so I really don’t know.