Goddammit. I was certain we had finally found sothing against Florentia. Her assignnt for the economy classes was so much different than the last ti, so I knew she must have so way to get help from outside the Palace. I called the selection supervisors and even Theodore here, so we could finally just snatch her. How does soone who does the bare minimum suddenly write sothing like that?
But I guess I need to trust Theodore on this if he really says that she did all that on her own. I just don't understand why she would decide to do the assignnt differently from the last ti. Her assignnt was honestly good and helpful. So part of is grateful for her. Grateful for the enemy’s daughter? This really isn’t going as it should be. And it’s true what Theodore also pointed out. She really hasn’t sent any letters to Duke Callum. So I really am confused here.
I watch the others leave so Theodore can spill out what he wants. It was way obvious that he still wants to talk to about sothing in private. If he wouldn't, he would storm through that door the mont he stated his opinion on the matter. But now he stayed, and I'm more than curious what he is going to say. He really is acting out of character here.
“You know, Theodore, first you contacted , and now you want to talk in private. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you actually like ,” I say with a pleased smile.
His face twists in annoyance.
“I tolerate you. That’s complint enough.”
I get up from my chair, place my hand on the table, and lean closer to him with excitent.
“Did you just give a complint? Okay, three possibilities: One, you’re not Theodore, just soone pretending to be him. Two, your experints failed and gave you partial amnesia, altering your personality. Or three, after eight years, I finally won you over! Actually, don’t tell which. Let pretend it’s option number three.”
He suddenly sends a wave of his dark mist toward , making slam back into my chair. I pretend to be shocked by his sudden act.
“You’re probably the only one who dares to attack the Crown Prince in the palace.”
“Weren’t you the one who said you liked that I don’t treat you like a Prince?”
I suppress my chuckle and just sigh.
“So tell , Theodore. What did you want to talk about?”
I really am dying to know. This is a once-in-a-lifeti experience for . I’m dying out of curiosity. But he stays silent. Goddammit, I need to know. The hesitation in his mind is overwhelming. I have kind of given up even trying to probe his mind, since all there is is only darkness, anger, or annoyance. So it’s futile. But this is the first ti I have sensed hesitation from him. I keep smiling at him, trying to encourage him to speak.
“It’s about her,” he finally says.
“Lady Florentia?” I raise an eyebrow.
He nods and falls silent again. So is he finally reporting whatever he did that broke our contract?
He rubs the back of his head with his hand and lowers his gaze.
Is this person really Theodore? I always thought he was rather cute while being grumpy. But I think this is so much more adorable from him.
“She’s been having headaches. One night, she even fainted. I don’t know if it’s just stress or sothing else. Could you make sure a physician checks on her? And give her a decent maid. I swear, if I have to keep watching that annoying, useless one, I might actually go through with that world domination plan.”
I tilt my head while listening to him speak. I stay silent for a while, too shocked by this. Oh, I have no idea what happened to my grumpy mage. But this surely is the best thing ever. Since I sense sothing from him that I would have never thought I would sense.
I sense affection.
I’m so fucking stunned that I can’t speak. I want to tease him so much about this. To think that Theodore, of all people, would have so kind of interest in Duke Callum’s daughter? The sa woman he was disgusted by before. What the hell happened?
But I can’t tease him. I have to be gentle about this. I need to behave as a good friend would. Or else I scare this crumpy mage away.
“Sure. I’ll make it happen.”
“Really? Just like that? Aren’t you going to ask why?”
Oh, you have no fucking idea how much I want to ask why. But I just smile at him warmly.
“Theodore. This is the first ti you’ve ever asked for anything. Normally, you just command. I saw how hard it was for you to even bring it up. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious, but I trust you. I won’t pry. You asked for a favor, and I’ll do it. That’s what friends are for, right?”
He stands up and smiles. And that is not his usual grin or smirk. It is a real smile, a faint one, but still clearly there.
“Well, maybe saving your life wasn’t such a bad choice after all. But this still doesn’t an I like you, Felix.”
He turns around to leave and lifts his hands lazily in goodbye. Before he closes the door, I shout at him.
“Keep telling yourself that lie, Theodore!”
When the door closes, I imdiately teleport to my pretty flower’s room. I have to tell this to soone. This is like the news of the century.
“Holy crap, Felix! Stop just appearing out of nowhere! You scared the crap out of !”
“Sorry, but I have so amazing news, and I just had to co tell you straight away!”
“You got the evidence from Master Loneflare?”
“No. I got sothing so much better!”
“Sothing better? What?”
“You are never going to believe it. But Theodore has a crush on Florentia.”
“WHAT?”
“I know! Is there a possibility that when a loop starts over, it might affect so people’s personalities?”
“I don’t think so. I an, so events do occur differently. So people make different choices. But I have never noticed anyone’s personality changing. Are you sure he has feelings toward her? I thought he hated watching her.”
“He did hate it. He loathed it. But he defended her way too firmly. He also asked that I send a physician to examine her headaches and also that I change her maid, who is clearly treating her poorly.”
“Maybe he is just annoyed at seeing the maid or her whining about the headaches?”
“I’m pretty sure that’s not the case, since I clearly sensed affection in his mind. I don’t think he even realizes it himself yet. But it was definitely there. His mind is always so dark, so it’s impossible to miss if sothing remotely normal appears inside his head.”
“I would have never guessed that an emotionless person like him could feel sothing like that.”
“I know! This is the best thing ever!”
“So are you going to do what he asked?”
“Of course I am.”
“Even when we know that she is plotting treason with her father?”
“Maybe that’s not true anymore.”
“Why would you say that?”
“Well, she hasn’t sent any letters back ho for a week now. She never stopped sending those before. And you said yourself that she is acting differently during classes. So maybe she really changed sohow. Or just made the decision not to follow her father anymore. Maybe sothing happened that made Theodore go to her room, and they just started to fall for each other or sothing. Love can change people. That could also explain why the contract was broken, since he was forbidden to ddle with her doings.”
“So you are not worried about Florentia anymore?”
“I just have this gut feeling that things are about to change.”
“Did you ask him why he broke the contract?”
“Oh… I forgot. Goddammit! Well, I will definitely ask about it next ti. We will start planning the monster campaign soon anyway, so I will be seeing him a lot more.”
“Felix. There is one thing I have not ntioned to you yet.”
I go sit next to her on the couch. She seems rather worried all of a sudden.
“What is it?”
“It’s about the Dark Wild.”
“Is sothing going to happen during the campaign?”
“No, at least nothing I would know. There really wasn’t any news when the monster campaign was going on. At least nothing that reached my ears. But sothing happens a short while after the campaign ends.”
“What is it?”
“There is a dragon in the Dark Wild.”
I just stare at her, dumbfounded. A dragon? They have been extinct forever. I don’t think there is even much literature about them anymore. She continues before I manage to get my thoughts together.
“I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true. It has been hibernating in the Dark Wild. And a couple of weeks after the monster campaign, it cos out. Master Loneflare will slay it, but it will still destroy a couple of cities before that.”
I still just keep staring at her. Soon, she starts to wave her hand in front of my face to get a reaction from .
“Felix? You okay?”
“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be? There is just a huge-ass dragon waiting to destroy my country. I’m perfectly fine with that.” My voice turns more squeaky, betraying my obvious lie.
“You surely don’t sound or look like you are fine.”
“Well, I will be fine. I just need to strategize this. The monster campaign starts soon, so we have to handle it after that. Maybe we should just go in there to slay it before it cos out.”
“In the Dark Wild? Are you nuts?”
“You are probably right, that could be suicide. I think I have to think again about the troop rotation in the campaign, since we need to make sure we have enough strong n after the campaign too. Do you know how Theodore killed the dragon, and did he do it alone? I know he is a beast, but a dragon?”
“No, I don’t. I’m sorry.”
“The good part is that I know that Theodore will definitely co in a heartbeat if I just tell him that a dragon is waiting for him. But he most definitely will need so backup. So we just need to form a strong group that can fight alongside him. His magic is pretty explosive, so not just anyone can handle it.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I didn’t think about it at all earlier. It just ca to my mind today.”
I kiss her forehead.
“Don’t worry about it. We couldn’t have done anything about it sooner anyway. Since it’s not an option to go into the Dark Wild, we have to wait until it cos to us. Thanks, Lo. I really don’t know what I would do without you.”
“You can repay later,” she says with a smile.
I lean close to her.
“Later? Why not now?”
She shoves my head away with her hand.
“Because you are still on duty. And I’m going to have tea in the garden with the other candidates.”
I sulk.
“My pretty flower surely is a an one, preferring the company of her rivals over mine.”
“Rivals?” She raises her brow. “Do you consider them as my rivals?”
Umm… Am I in trouble?
“Of course not! Bad choice of words. I ant to say just other ladies.”
She squints her eyes at before grabbing my collar and pulling closer to her face. Her voice drops low and serious.
“I swear to God, if you even entertain the idea of so other lady, I will end this loop earlier than planned.”
I stare at her in shock. I know I should probably be worried that she is threatening both of our lives. But goddammit, I’m so turned on right now. She is way too cute for to handle, being obsessive like that.
She lets go of my collar and just smiles innocently.
“I’m having tea with them only because I think it’s good to know them a little. If I’m really going to be a Queen, I need to know people, and it’s good that they have positive opinions about too.”
This is really turning out to be the best day ever. When I’m so happy with her, it’s hard to rember that all the hardship is still ahead of us. I hate that there is nothing we can do but just wait.
Wait and see if I can really handle my mana when it grows more potent as ti passes by.
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