After the Red-haired Sorceress went to write her letter, Shade said to Miss Winslet again:
"Could you have Miss Bell go to the Council and tell Galina that I have something to do and will be back in a while? Seeing that I still haven't come home so late, she must be worried. She'll definitely either wait for news from you at the Council herself or have Tifa do it."
Shade had missed something as important as picking them up from the station. Vanessa and Galina would certainly know that he had not simply forgotten, but had encountered something major.
"I'll take Charlotte there myself. Otherwise, who knows what Galina will say about me again."
Miss Winslet spoke, then carefully examined Shade.
"But you'd better explain what happened today later."
"What happened?"
"Oh, Hamilton of Leijed, don't pretend you know nothing. What was that about two Speakers? And that elf—was she your friend whom we met outside Bennett Old House?"
She raised an eyebrow at Shade, then left with Miss Bell for her room, where they would enter the Council. Before the door closed, Miss Charlotte Bell gave Shade a helpless look, clearly well aware of her teacher's temper.
Shade sighed, carried Little Mia back to the sofa, and covered his face. After being busy all day, he finally had a brief moment of peace.
"How interesting. Ever since you came to Vesta City, you've been acting with us almost every day, yet you still have so many secrets that surprise everyone."
Not long afterward, the red-haired girl who had finished mailing her letter spoke while leaning against the suite's doorframe.
"I used to think I didn't understand your schedule, which was why you had so many little secrets. Now it seems your schedule is even tighter than I imagined."