Phyllis’s method was effective.
During the new etiquette class, the bat decoration that Carola had transformed into, although it hadn’t returned to the mirror magic tool, also stopped harassing Phyllis.
However, Phyllis could still feel the bat decoration brushing against her skin with her every breath or slight movement, extremely subtle, bringing waves of indescribable itch and flutter.
When the priest teaching the class announced the end of the lesson, Phyllis practically sprang up from her seat.
“Mia, I have something urgent, I’m leaving first!”
Phyllis hastily tossed out a sentence, not even bothering to check her friend’s reaction, and clutching her belongings, she quickly slipped out of the classroom.
Instead of going to the dining room to eat, Phyllis came to a secluded, empty little garden.
Green trees shaded the area, and there was a small fountain, usually visited by few people.
After confirming no one was around, Phyllis carefully took out the mirror magic tool from her bosom.
At this moment, the bat decoration that Carola had transformed into had already returned, quietly lying on it, its ruby-like eyes reflecting light in the sun.
“Carola…?”
Phyllis lowered her voice, with a hint of grievance and accusation.
“You almost made me look bad meow! And during class!”
The bat decoration didn’t react.
“I know you might be… well, a little upset that Bella came to talk to me,” Phyllis sighed, gently poking its little wing with her finger.
“But I was really just answering questions. She’s a classmate and also a rival. It’s not a bad thing for me to know more about others’ levels… Besides, my heart only has you, really!”
As Phyllis spoke, her cheeks grew a bit hot.
Even though she had said it a few times, this straightforward confession still made her shy.
The bat on the mirror magic tool finally moved.
It spread its wings, lightly flew up, circled around Phyllis once, and finally landed on her shoulder, rubbing its little head against the hollow of her neck.
It tickled a bit, but the movement was very gentle.
‘It doesn’t seem like Carola?’
Phyllis guessed that it might be the instinctive consciousness left behind when Carola was asleep during the day.
‘You won’t let me go even when you’re asleep? Honestly, you Blood Princess, you…’
She tilted her head and gently pressed her cheek against the little bat’s body.
“Not angry anymore?”
The little bat nuzzled her again.
“Then let’s go back, okay? I… I’m a little tired.”
Phyllis said softly, but in truth she wanted to quickly return to the space that was just the two of them.
Here, she felt it wasn’t safe enough, nor… intimate enough.
The little bat landed back on the mirror magic tool.
Phyllis sighed in relief, tidied her slightly messy clothes and hair, and prepared to leave the garden.
However, just as she reached the archway at the garden’s entrance, a figure made her stop.
It was Bella.
The cat girl with chestnut hair held a clipboard, seemingly recording the characteristics of some plant in the garden.
Bella was also a bit surprised to see Phyllis.
“Eh? Phyllis? You’re here too!”
“Ah… yeah, class was a bit stuffy, came here to get some fresh air meow~”
Phyllis smiled a little unnaturally.
Bella seemed to notice the blush that hadn’t completely faded on Phyllis’s face and her slightly flustered expression, but didn’t ask further.
“Just now… thank you for answering my question!”
Bella paused, her tone more serious than before.
“Your thinking is very clear. If possible… in the future, if I have math problems I don’t understand, could I come ask you again? In exchange, I can help you with etiquette practice, I’m good at that.”
This was a friendly exchange proposal, and also showed that Bella recognized Phyllis’s strength and saw her as a worthy companion to communicate with.
If it were before, Phyllis might have considered it.
Having one more ally in the saintess election wasn’t a bad thing, and Bella didn’t seem hard to get along with.
But now…
Phyllis thought of Carola whom she had just appeased.
‘Better forget it!’
“Uh… well…”
Phyllis tried to make her smile look natural and polite.
“Mutual help is certainly good meow… but lately I might need to spend more time reviewing myself, not sure if I have a fixed schedule… How about we communicate when needed?”
Phyllis gave an answer that left some room but wasn’t a complete refusal.
“Okay, I understand. Then… I won’t bother you.”
Bella seemed a bit disappointed, but didn’t insist, and nodded.
Watching Bella’s retreating figure, Phyllis helplessly sighed.
‘It seems, before successfully appeasing that yandere blood princess at home… any “friendly exchanges” with other cat people need to be cautious and extra cautious.’
The noon sun was just right.
It shone on Phyllis’s face.
She was now heading to the dining room.
Although the cat people’s cuisine didn’t have many varieties, they had full categories, with various fish dishes naturally being the main focus.
Phyllis carried a tray and found a quiet seat by a window in the dining room.
On her tray were a pan-fried white fish, a grilled fish, and a small bowl of milky white fish soup.
Just as she picked up her fork, the seat opposite her was pulled out.
Mia sat down excitedly with her tray.
“Phyllis! You ran so fast! I guessed you must have come to grab food too.”
The portion on Mia’s tray was more than twice as much as Phyllis’s.
‘As expected of an orange cat!’
“Mm… a little hungry meow~”
Phyllis smiled, cut a piece of fish, and put it in her mouth.
Today’s fish was indeed good, the skin slightly crispy and the inside tender and smooth.
She took a small sip of the milky white fish soup.
The hot soup warmed her belly, making her squint in comfort.
“It seemed like Bella wanted to study with you earlier?”
Mia asked vaguely while devouring a fish steak.
“Huh? Did she?”
The fish on Phyllis’s fork nearly fell back onto the plate.
“Yes, but you left too fast, she couldn’t find you,” Mia nodded, her eyes sparkling with gossip.
“You seem to be… avoiding her or something?”
“I’m not, not avoiding her meow! It’s just… I feel that setting up a separate appointment time is a bit… um, not very appropriate?”
Phyllis struggled for an excuse.
“Everyone is competing fairly, so maybe too much private communication isn’t good?”
“Oh——”
Mia drew out the sound, obviously not convinced, but didn’t press further, instead turning to chat with Phyllis about the new afternoon class of meditating before the Cat God statue.
Communicating with the Cat God through meditation before the Cat God statue is one of the required courses to become a formal saintess.
Because of Iona, Phyllis had started this learning earlier than the other candidate saintesses.
But fairly, this course wouldn’t be ranked like other courses.
It only focused on whether one could communicate with the Cat God through meditation.
Actually, the reason this course was only opening now was because the Cat God seemed to have been busy recently.
Only today had a high priestess successfully communicated with the Cat God.
Hence this new course.
“Meditating before the Cat God statue…?”
Mia swallowed a piece of fish.
“Just thinking about it makes me nervous.”
“It’s fine. The main point is whether you can establish a connection with the Cat God.”
Phyllis comforted Mia, then forked the last piece of fish from her tray and put it into her mouth.
‘I hope the Cat God will agree to our matter.’
Phyllis, she herself was actually quite nervous inside!