So, guess we didn’t have to wait long for the villainess to make her move. And what an unexpectedly drastic move it was.
If I had a Euro for every time someone in this series hallucinates scenes from their tragic past while poisoned, I’ll have…two Euros now. I’ll keep counting. So, now we know that Monica’s abusive adoptive parent was actually her uncle.
Btw, making someone throw up while they’re unconscious is a really bad idea. Don’t try this at home.
I asked ChatGPT if the rest of the medical stuff (like the dosage and symptoms of belladonna poisoning) was halfway accurate and it kept cheering me on to ask more questions like it wanted me to poison someone with eye drops, too 
. Apparently, it should have taken about 15 minutes until the onset of the first obvious symptoms, but I’m glad the author took some liberties here and didn’t make us sit through an extended scene with Caroline and her cronies giggling villainously behind their fans.
Major reveals about Claudia, too. She’s Cyril’s sister, didn’t see that one coming. Aaand, Neil’s fiancee. Let’s hope for Monica’s sake that that was the only reason she was keeping an eye on her, and she doesn’t also suspect that she’s the Silent Witch (though because of her familiarity with the things Monica published, she’s still in a very good position to develop certain suspicions later, even if she doesn’t suspect yet).
Another intriguing hint about Felix’s own underwhelming childhood. I fear he needs to be poisoned next so that he can also hallucinate some background story for us.
For now, Caroline has drawn his personal ire. And Isabelle has invited herself to the council chamber. That reminded me, like @TobiasW said in the last chapter thread, that we don’t really know if Felix or Cyril have figured out that Isabelle’s bullying is an act. I assume that Isabelle wants to continue her act and counter-bully Caroline to make it look like that Monica is her prey, like she said in chapter 6. But if Felix doesn’t know it’s an act, it could be risky for her.
Curious to find out how that’s going to end up for both Isabelle and Caroline.
天気が良い日にここで茶会をする令嬢は多いらしい。モニカが案内されたテーブル以外にも複数のテーブルセットが出されていて、それぞれが思い思いの時間を過ごしている。
これだけ人の目があるのなら、分かりやすく暴力を振るわれたり、お茶を顔にぶちまけられたりすることはないだろう。
Yep, that’s what I thought too when I read that first part. I’m really curious what Caroline is planning there. Even without this audience, if she keeps Monica from going to the student council room afterwards in any way, it’ll come back to bite her. So… I guess she’ll try to inflict some emotional damage, or humilate her somehow?
カロラインはパッと華やかな笑みを浮かべると、その大きな目を細めて低い声で言った。
That’s only one step from laughing behind a fan!
「なら、貴女からシリル様に言ってくださらない？ あれは、ただの事故だったって」
I mean, you heard her tell Cyrill that “she fell by herself” and that obviously didn’t stick, so why do you think this would work now?
At least now it becomes clear what she wants.
(And I guess it technically was an accident since she wanted to push Lana, not Monica! Khajiit Caroline is innocent of this crime!!)
（……でも、でも……っ）
モニカが階段から転落した後、シリルは誰に頼まれたわけでもないのに、周囲の人間に聞き込みをしてくれた。
Yeah, exactly!
モニカがカロラインの言いなりになって、あれは事故だと頷けば、シリルの苦労が無駄になる。
I mean, that too, but Cyrill already uncovered the truth on his own despite Monica insisting that no foul play happened.
But either way, I’m happy that it seems that Monica wants to show some backbone here.
「わ、わたしが、発言を翻して、アシュリー様に迷惑をかけるのは……嫌、です」
Wait… did she tell him the truth afterwards? I don’t remember that.
そう決意してモニカがカップを手に取ると、カロライン達は一斉に扇子を持ち上げて、口元を隠した。
（あっ、これは……イザベル様が言っていた悪役令嬢の基本動作……っ！）
Yeah!!!
その声は確かにモニカの耳に届いているのに、どういうわけか頭は言葉を言葉として認識できない。周囲の声が、意味のない音として耳を抜けていく。
Ugh. I thought they just brewed it for far too long, but… maybe it’s something poisonous or harmful that they didn’t think Monica would drink completely because of the taste?
……違う。この赤は紅茶の色じゃない。
炎の、赤だ。
パチパチと音を立てて飛び交う火の粉と揺らめく炎。その向こうに見える人影は……。
「おとう、さん……？」
木に括られた父の姿が炎の中に消えていく。
I think that’s the scene we already saw a flashback to in the anime. Although without the 「おとう、さん……？」… 
『異端者め！ 異端者め！ 禁忌に触れた罪人め！』
Aw. So I guess it was some kind of taboo. “Heretic” is interesting though; I don’t think we’ve seen any religion so far?
『外でそんなふざけたことを言ってみろ！ 火かき棒でぶん殴ってやる！』
「ごめんなさい叔父さんぶたないでぶたないでごめんなさいごめんなさいごめんなさいもう人前で余計なことなんて言わないから黙ってるからぶたないでぶたないでごめんなさいごめんなさいごめんなさい……」
Is… that what culminated into her becoming more and more unable to talk in public?
モニカは真っ青な顔でヒィヒィと不自然な呼吸をしながら喉をかきむしり、その合間に意味不明な言葉をぶつぶつと繰り返している。
同席していたカロライン達は、誰もモニカを助け起こそうとはせず、気味の悪いものを見るような目でモニカを見ていた。
Congratulations, Caroline, now you’re involved in two Monica incidents!
ほんの少しだけこっちを振り向いてほしくて、幼いモニカは父の背中に手を伸ばしかけ……そして、その手を下ろす。
父が大事な仕事をしていることは知っていたから、その邪魔をしたくなかったのだ。
Seems like Monica learnt early on to make herself small so she doesn’t disturb others (who do important things)
「……ご迷惑、おかけして……大変……申し訳、ありません、でした……」
言葉を発すると、それだけで吐き気がした。
それでも、モニカがお茶会の席を台無しにして、騒ぎを起こしたことには変わりないのだ。きちんと謝らなくては。
「生徒会なのに……ちゃんとできなくて、ごめんなさい……」
Man, that poor girl. Monica really doesn’t need any bullies; she can easily do that job by herself.
「……あら、医務室で何を喚き散らしているの？ ……お、に、い、さ、ま」
!!!
ベッドを仕切るカーテンが揺れて、そこから美しい顔が現れた。顔だけである。
(Side note: Are there any non-beautiful girls here? Are nobles always beautiful? 
)
カーテンの向こう側に体を隠し、宙に浮く生首のように不気味な登場の仕方をしたのは、美しい容姿と鬱々とした雰囲気の令嬢、クローディアであった。
!!!
So she’s that perfect sister that Cyrill always tried to get ahead of?
Wow, Claudia really is different with Monica. I wonder how long it’ll take us to learn why.
(She really doesn’t get along well with Monica other friends though )
「……貴女が、私の婚約者を誑かしたからよ」
?!?
だがまさか、フェリクスの婚約者に、フェリクスを誑かしていると誤解されるなんて！
Huh. But… she was much nicer to Monica so far than to anybody else.
さっきまで漂っていた鬱々とした気怠げな空気が、綺麗に消えている。
Wait wait wait wait wait. It’s not Felix, isn’t it? It’s Neil? 
フェリクスに褒められても嫌そうな顔をしていたクローディアが、今は嬉しそうな気配を漂わせているのだ。
It’s Neil! I love it.
And I love how both Monica and I were equally led astray initially. My mind also went instantly to Felix, and I didn’t even think about Neil also having been there! I guess, in my defense, Neil didn’t dance with her… and from my reader perspective he certainly doesn’t seem “seduced” by Monica.
Currently it seems to me that Neil sees her as a peer and possibly as a friend (we don’t actually know too much about him), Cyrill feels protective of Monica, and Felix mostly sees her as his plaything.
──生徒会なのに……ちゃんとできなくて、ごめんなさい……。
そう言って震えていた少女の姿が、幼い少年の姿と重なるのだ。
──王族なのに……ちゃんとできなくて、ごめんなさい……。
自分の無力さに涙を滲ませて項垂れ、震えながら叱られるのを待つ少年と。
（あぁ、やっぱり似ているんだ。あの子は……）
Oh, this again - and a bit more specific this time.
I wonder how much his interest in Monica is actually influenced by him seeing his past self in her.
「ケルベック伯爵家のイザベル・ノートン嬢が生徒会室に乗り込んできて、ノルン伯爵令嬢と話がしたいと……」
「イザベル嬢？ あぁ、子リスの妹だっけ？」
「血縁関係の無い、姪にあたるそうです」
ふぅん、と呟き、フェリクスは唇の端を持ち上げる。
「丁度良い。ならば、イザベル嬢にも同席してもらおう」
美しい顔にゾッとするほど冷ややかな笑みを浮かべて、フェリクスは宣言する。
「さぁ、楽しいティーパーティをしようじゃないか」
Uh-oh. Stay safe, Isabelle!
Yep, both of that really surprised me too! And I like both of those reveals a lot. Major tie-ins with the existing cast was just what this character needed.
Pretty sure it was, for now. Not least because she clearly admires the Silent Witch, while Monica has probably made not a very good impression on her yet.
Haha. Ask ChatGPT how much belladonna to feed him!
Yep. Considering Felix is angry… this might not end well.
Well, pretty people are kind of endemic in this kind of story…but somehow I get the feeling that Casey isn’t meant to be conventionally beautiful. At least seems more tomboyish and doesn’t fit the feminine ideals of the city nobles.
I thought he guessed correctly and she caved right in when he questioned her about it, but I’m not quite sure, either.
Bit of a weird hill to die on, but yeah. At least Monica is getting backbone practice.
My first thought was that it might be about the things considered forbidden magic in this country again, like healing. Guess we’ll see.
Tbf, Felix is the obvious red herring here because every second girl in school is simping for him and giving Monica dirty looks because they’re jealous, and by now, both Monica and the readers are used to this. And I think she did dance with Neill once during and earlier practice dance, but my memory is already getting fuzzy.
