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It took a full minute of standing at the door before Monica raised the courage to knock. Once she had managed it, her knuckles rapping lightly against the wood, she stood there a moment longer before flushing hot enough to start a blaze.
Her knock had been too light; of course no one could have heard it.
She took a deep breath and knocked again—louder, though perhaps not more firmly. Her hand still trembled a little beneath the effort. This time, the door opened after a few seconds to reveal the inquisitive face of a servant, and Monica was left to wish she'd spent more time preparing her explanation than she had.
Ten minutes of reciting it to herself, it turned out, had not been enough. The words seemed to have fled from her mind.
"L-lady Claudia," she said instead of her carefully prepared speech, even though the woman standing in front of her was definitely not Claudia Ashley. She was so started she nearly dropped the small box she was holding tucked against her chest with her other hand.
"Did you come to bring me my homework as well?" a morose voice said from within the rooms, saving her from the need to try again.
The servant moved aside to let Monica enter, revealing Claudia Ashley's slim form reclining on a small, beautiful but understated couch. Claudia looked even paler than she normally did, and her eyes were wide and tired. Even her voice soudned more listless than usual, beneath the rough scratch of it. The only thing that seemed unchanged was the dark shine of her lustrous hair.
The rumours going around Serendia Academy that Marquess Highown's daughter had come down with a terrible cold were true, it appeared. It had been the only thing anyone talked about when Claudia didn't show up for classes. Monica felt a flash of concern as she took a few small steps into Claudia's room.
"Um…as well?" she managed, clutching the small box even tighter to her chest.
Claudia lifted one hand and gestured at the small, elaborately carved writing desk across the room. It was overflowing with books and stacks of paper, to the point that Monica wondered how it hadn't folded in on itself.
"It seems that every single person at Serendia Academy is concerned I'll fall behind in my studies," Claudia said glumly. Her lips twisted up into something that Monica thought was supposed to be a smile. "Truly a fate worse than death. After all, the only thing I'm known to care about is books and studying, is it not?"
Monica blinked. "Ah…no, I d-didn't bring any homework," she said, bowing her head. Both hands fidgeted now around the box, and she took a small step backwards towards the door. It seemed Claudia had already had a number of visiting well-wishers today, judging by the state of her desk. It only made sense; Claudia was one of the most beautiful girls at Serendia, and her admirers were always vying for her favour.
Perhaps Monica should leave. Claudia could surely use the rest; she really did look tired. It was only that the rumours had made it sound like Claudia was truly very sick, and Monica hadn't been able to stop worrying all afternoon.
"What do you have there, then?" Claudia asked, her eyes fastening on the box. Her voice sounded a little more curious, now, and Monica couldn't help but peek up at her.
Reversing direction and taking a few steps back into the room, Monica held out the box in question.
"You taught me so much about tea," she managed. "I thought…um, this one is for h-healing. It smells really nice. I thought you might enjoy it."
Claudia's eyes narrowed as she frowned. Reaching out, she accepted the box from Monica, and when she peeked inside, she frowned even harder.
"You made the perfect choice," Claudia muttered, and Monica immediately brightened up.
"Really?" she asked, so pleased her voice didn't waver at all. It had been Isabella who had provided the tea when Monica rushed to her rooms after class to ask for a favour, but it had been Monica who had made the selection.
"Yes," Claudia confirmed. She stared at Monica for a long moment. "Why did you bring it yourself? I assure you I'm not dying, as the rumours likely say."
Monica blinked. That was, in fact, what the rumours had said. She had known they were likely exaggerated, but still—
"Aren't we…f-friends?" she asked. Claudia was always saying so, even if she had a look on her face that almost put Isabella's most villainous smile to shame as she did. At first, Monica had thought that having a friend like Claudia would be too scary to even imagine, let alone embrace, but—
Well, it was Claudia who had helped her to understand the etiquette surrounding tea.
And it was Claudia who had saved her life when Caroline Simmons tried to poison her, and then been there when she awoke.
And it was Claudia who had been making her heart do funny little flips that Monica couldn't figure out every time she saw her watching her across a room.
And—
Monica twisted her hands together in front of her, at a loss as to what to do with them now that she wasn't holding the tea. "I was worried," she finally said. "You always take care of me, and, um… I wanted to take care of you too. Isn't that what friends do?"
Claudia tilted her head in thought, and the silence stretched for a long moment. Monica usually preferred silence, but she found that she really did wish Claudia would say something now.
She was just starting to think about finding a way to excuse herself when Claudia held the tea out to her servant with a few murmured words.
"I'll brew this for you right away, Lady Claudia," the servant said cheerfully, and bustled off to do just that.
Monica felt her face go red as the door closed, leaving her and Claudia alone. It felt good, to know that Claudia had enjoyed her gift, and that she even wanted to drink it right away.
She was just wondering if perhaps she should follow the servant out and leave Claudia to her tea when Claudia's voice stopped her thoughts in their tracks.
"Are you intending to drink your tea standing up, Monica dearest?"
Monica looked at her. "No, I….you want me to join you?"
"Why, of course," Claudia said. Her eyes gleamed with something that was still a little scary, but more than anything, Monica thought Claudia looked satisfied. It made something in Monica's heart speed up, though she wasn't entirely certain what. "Isn't that what friends do?"