"Haha, but Charlotte never gave me that chance."
Even after being rejected, Felix still wore his perfect smile.
"I believe I've already made my refusal quite clear. Could you please stop pestering me?"
Charlotte's merciless words caused Felix's smile to twist slightly.
He lowered his head bitterly, as if the girl's harsh words had wounded his heart.
Yet, after a few seconds, he seemed to think of something and looked up again.
This time, his expression was serious, different from before as he gazed at Charlotte.
"Then, perhaps we could cooperate—"
"No!" The blunt reply made Felix clutch his chest in mock hurt.
"Why not?" he asked, his voice laced with sorrow.
"First of all, after all this... pursuing behavior, having you join my team just wouldn't be appropriate."
Charlotte seemed slightly uncomfortable even saying the word 'pursuing.'
It was as if she'd never had to use that term before, and it brought a faint blush to her cheeks.
But her words continued to batter her suitor relentlessly.
"Secondly, cooperation requires a foundation." Charlotte glanced around Felix. "You don't seem to have brought your automaton with you?"
"She doesn't like going out much," Felix explained with a helpless shrug.
"Your automaton has never appeared in public, has she?" Charlotte's tone grew even colder.
"Come to think of it, no one's ever seen what your automaton looks like, have they?" Alice, resting her chin on her hand, added with a light laugh. "We only know your alias is 'Valkyria.' Is your automaton a girl wielding a silver lance?"
"..."
The vivid expressions on Felix's face gradually smoothed into neutrality.
"Felix, could you at least share a little information about your automaton?"
If his automaton was anything like the Kirakishou next to Alice, and it betrayed them during a fight, the consequences could be severe.
"..."
Felix's silent stance made Charlotte's expression frostier. She pointed towards the restaurant entrance. "So, could you please leave now?"
After she spoke, a heavy silence fell over the area.
In the distance, many students were pointing and whispering amongst themselves.
"Look, two of the Thirteen are together."
"Are they forming an alliance?"
"Isn't that Felix? He must be trying to woo the Tyrant again."
"Is that all? I thought some of the Thirteen were actually teaming up."
"You've got to admit, Felix has guts, daring to make a move on the Tyrant. Isn't he afraid she'll..."
"Shh... she's looking this way."
Though the students kept their voices low, they couldn't escape the hearing of Alice and the others.
Simultaneously, the clinking of cutlery in Alice's hands became more frequent, mirroring her growing displeasure.
Hearing the surrounding whispers, Felix slowly raised his head.
In those few seconds, he had already recomposed his expression, looking at Charlotte with the same smile he had entered with.
"Ha... I've been presumptuous. It seems I should have sought an alliance before pursuing you."
Felix pressed a hand to his forehead, feigning regret for his actions.
But his playful antics found no audience.
His eyes, partially obscured by his hand, discreetly scanned everyone at the table, lingering on Alice for a fraction of a second longer.
Then, he bowed slightly in apology. "My apologies for disturbing you ladies during your lunch. I shall take my leave."
He straightened up and turned to go, but paused mid-turn. "With the case of the destroyed automaton appearing on campus so soon after the term started, please do be careful when you're out."
Having said that, he walked steadily towards the door. A clear, sharp click of the door closing signaled his departure from the restaurant.
Watching him leave, Charlotte finally let out a sigh of relief, but then immediately looked nervously at Alice. "About this—"
"Charlotte."
Her words were cut off by Alice's icy voice.
The previously pleasant mood from their earlier intelligence gathering had been shattered. Alice looked at Charlotte with eyes even colder than her tone.
"Don't let this kind of thing happen in front of me again."
"It won't happen again," Charlotte quickly assured, her expression turning serious.
Alice gave a silent nod, the movement of her knife and fork relaxing slightly.
Alice watched the scene before her with great interest, her fingers interlacing.
So Miss Charlotte really is a piece Alice is using to compete in the Night Party.
"What position does that person hold within the academy?" Alice's query reached the ears of Charlotte and Alice.
The information Felix had just mentioned hadn't been publicly released by the academy, making his source rather suspicious.
Either he held a position that gave him access to such cases, or he was leveraging his family's influence.
"He's this school's discipline committee member." x2
Eager to make up for bringing trivial matters before Alice, Charlotte's reply was slightly rushed.
Alice, who had been enjoying the spectacle, still spoke with her characteristic amused lilt.
"The Kingsfort family holds significant power in the House of Lords. His father, Walter, was a hugely influential minister even back during the previous Queen's reign."
Alice glanced in the direction Felix had departed, her tone finally gaining a hint of seriousness.
"Rumor even has it the Kingsfort family has ties to British intelligence agencies."
Alice gave a slight nod, gently set down her knife and fork, and turned her gaze to Alice sitting beside her.
"Let's return to our earlier topic. What is this cooperation you mentioned?"
A smile played on Alice's lips as her finger tapped the air, much like Charlotte had done before.
"From No.74 to No.87, fourteen people in total, will unite to form a group to oppose others in the Night Party."
Her words, delivered in a calm tone, sent shockwaves through Charlotte's heart.
Forming a group?
She truly hadn't prepared to fight against multiple opponents. If a group suddenly banded together, it would undoubtedly catch her off guard.
Though, with her current ranking, she wouldn't face them just yet.
Charlotte furrowed her brow tightly, mentally reviewing the information she had gathered.
After a few seconds, she said doubtfully, "If my research is correct, all of them are from different nationalities. How could they possibly...?"
Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, she turned sharply to look at Siegmund. "Who is backing them?"
Siegmund, who had been in the middle of eating some chicken, paused, startled, and began to recall the intelligence he had previously reviewed.
His head drooped over the chicken, his furrowed brow looking like it could pinch the meat right up.
After gathering intelligence, Charlotte primarily focused on the higher-ranked students. She only skimmed the information on lower-ranked students before leaving it to Siegmund to organize.
He rapidly sifted through the previously compiled data. No.74 seemed to be someone named Rosenberg, but the backer... he had no recollection at all.
A few seconds later, a sigh escaped the dragon's snout. "My apologies, I don't recall..."
"How embarrassing. Can't you just remember everything?"
"...Charlotte, I'm just a dragon."
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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If you guys wanna check it out.