“So how do I actually do it?”

The same conversation had been repeating for a while now. Both Ilias and Cordelia were growing frustrated at the same point.

Cordelia explained as kindly as possible, taking into account that magic circles drawn with mana are invisible to ordinary people.

“First, find the weak spot in the magic circle.”

“Okay.”

“Then stab mana into it. That will break it.”

“…Is that all?”

Ilias asked back incredulously. Seeing that he didn’t seem to understand at all, Cordelia looked at Ilias with pitying eyes.

“Is what I’m saying too difficult?”

“You only gave two lines of explanation. And with that I’m supposed to break a 7-layer magic circle?”

“Which part of those two lines is difficult?”

“Forget it, this is why I hate talking to geniuses.”

Ilias grumbled. He stared blankly at Cordelia while half-heartedly eating. That gaze made Cordelia uncomfortable, and she couldn’t even manage a few spoonfuls.

“Why are you staring at me like that?”

“Do you have a lover?”

“Pff.”

Fortunately there was no food in her mouth. Otherwise, she would have spit something onto the face of someone she just met. Cordelia was taken aback by the totally unexpected question.

“Ah, no. I don’t.”

“Really? Then want to date me?”

“What did you say?”

“Why are you speaking formally? I told you to speak comfortably.”

“No, wait. We just met less than an hour ago. What exactly do you see in me?”

“Your face and brains. As for personality… well, you don’t seem like a serial killer who enjoys murdering people. So that’s good enough.”

Having grown up in a conservative family and married into a similar one, Cordelia was shocked by every word Ilias said.

Whether it was because Wilas was relatively southern or because the mages of the Magic Association had a custom of dating people they just met, Cordelia couldn’t understand either possibility.

“Uh…”

She was at a loss for words, her mouth hanging open foolishly. Ilias didn’t miss the opportunity.

“Uh? You just said ‘uh’, right? That means we’re-”

“No!”

At this rate, she seemed about to promise a future with a man she met today for the first time. Cordelia put down her spoon with a clang and looked straight into his eyes.

“I have no intention of getting married.”

“Neither do I.”

“What? Then why are you asking to date me?”

Cordelia was taken aback once again. Wasn’t a relationship between a man and woman inevitably premised on marriage?

But Ilias casually shattered the common sense she knew.

“To have a good relationship.”

“A good relationship? What does that mean?”

“I’ll tell you if you date me.”

Ilias said with a wink. Strictly speaking, Ilias could be considered handsome, but to Cordelia who was used to Leonard and Rosenblur’s faces, he was just a lifeform in human form.

So she said to the lifeform before her:

“I’m sorry, but-”

She wasn’t actually sorry at all, but Cordelia was a person who knew manners, etiquette and common sense, so she politely conveyed her rejection.

“I don’t want to have a ‘good relationship’ with someone I just met today.”

“Why? Oh. Are you worried I might be a commoner? Don’t worry. Nassau is quite an old noble family in Ansen, and I’m the second son of that family.”

“Ansen? You’re from Ansen? I couldn’t hear any southern accent at all.”

“That’s because I’ve lived in Wilas since I was six. Usually people are chosen to become mages when they’re young. Cases like you, learning magic as an adult, are extremely rare. Not just rare – I’ve never seen a case like yours before.”

He looked at Cordelia with eyes full of curiosity.

Having just joined the Magic Association barely two weeks ago, Cordelia was still fumbling to get used to its customs and order. Recently, she learned about how one becomes a mage – generally, mages bring talented children under 10 years old to the Association and raise them.

This requires tremendous luck. First, mages who rarely leave the Association must by chance go outside and fatefully meet a child with talent for magic at a young age.

In fact, since this possibility is very low, mages often take on disciples who are children of acquaintances or relatives.

“What else is holding you back?”

“What do you mean?”

“What other reasons do you have for hesitating to date me?”

There were so many reasons it was hard to list them all. Cordelia both envied and found ridiculous his confident attitude.

“Cordelia.”

Just then, a familiar voice called out as someone placed a hand on her shoulder. Knowing the owner of that voice, Cordelia’s expression brightened. She turned around to see Rosenblur standing there with a gentle smile.

“Lord Rosenblur.”

“Ah, L-Lord Elfenbaum.”

For the first time, Ilias’s expression, which had been sly from start to finish, stiffened. He jumped up from his seat and nervously greeted Rosenblur.

“Hello, sir. I’m Ilias, studying under Master Duona of the Besette school…”

“I’m not interested, so you’d better leave now.”

Though his tone was gentle, the content was aggressive. Ilias hurriedly left with his tray, his face turning pale.

Cordelia was a bit taken aback by Rosenblur’s sharp attitude.

“Are you upset?”

“No, not at all. You were in the middle of a meal, I see. Is the food to your liking?”

“…Yes. It’s fine.”

Rosenblur naturally sat down in the seat Ilias had just vacated. His face was still gentle and kind, making what had just happened feel like a dream.

“I’m glad. Oh, by the way, I know some delicious restaurants near the Association. Would you like to go together when you have time?”

“I’d love to, but I’m not sure if my master will let me go outside the Association. Even coming to this cafeteria today is the first time in a week.”

“So that’s why I haven’t seen you lately. I saw that official document, by the way.”

“Oh no. You saw that document too, Lord Rosenblur? My master seems to think I’m actually a seven-year-old child.”

Cordelia sighed deeply, as if embarrassed.

“After seeing you today, I think I can understand his feelings a bit.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s like seeing a young child left by the water’s edge.”

“That’s too much. I may not look it, but I passed the intermediate mage exam, and I’ve tasted the bitterness of life in various ways…”

Cordelia tensed her stomach and was about to explain at length about the hardships she had experienced. But Rosenblur, still wearing a gentle smile, cut her off mid-sentence.

“Don’t take his words to heart.”

“His? You mean my master?”

“No, the man who was sitting here earlier. It’s best not to get close to men who smile and flirt with women they’ve just met.”

“Y-You were listening?”

Cordelia’s cheeks flushed hotly. It was embarrassing enough to know by herself, but to think that someone else, and Rosenblur at that, had found out made her feel unnecessarily ashamed.

“I didn’t hear everything, so don’t worry. I just want you to know that many will approach you with such intentions.”

“What intentions?”

“The night between a man and woman.”

“Ah…”

With this somewhat direct explanation, Cordelia belatedly realized what Ilias meant by a “good relationship”. She clicked her tongue, looking in the direction the now-absent Ilias had left.

“The Magic Association seems to be a very open place. To make such a proposal to someone you’ve just met.”

“Mages don’t often marry. Light romances became fashionable, and now some take it for granted.”

“Oh.”

Cordelia let out a short exclamation. Light romance – a term she had only seen in books.

“So please be careful. Cordelia especially stands out in many ways.”

“Because I’m your disciple?”

“No. Because you’re beautiful.”

“Hahaha.”

She couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Rosenblur waited until Cordelia stopped laughing before asking:

“Which part of what I said amused you?”

“It’s the first time I’ve been called beautiful. Lord Rosenblur, aren’t you overdoing the compliments, even if we are close?”

“To my eyes, Cordelia is the prettiest.”

“…”

His tone didn’t seem joking at all.

She didn’t know whether to tell him not to joke, not to tease her, or to ask if he was serious. Cordelia quickly lowered her head to hide her reddening cheeks.

“B-Beautiful is a word for Lydia.”

“If Lydia is beautiful, does that mean Cordelia isn’t?”

“No, um. I mean. Ah, Lydia! That’s right. How is Lydia doing these days?”

Cordelia desperately tried to change the subject. Perhaps finding her effort admirable, Rosenblur willingly went along with her words.

“She’s fine. As Lady Matilda said, it seems she was very excited in the early stages of the contract. Now, I’ve spoken to Lord Cannon and temporarily accepted her into the Diduasel school.”

“Wow, then you’ll be able to learn magic together with Lydia now.”

“No. As soon as the contract is nullified, we’ll send Lydia to the Elfenbaum main castle.”

“Hmm… But, I see.”

Rosenblur spoke more firmly than ever before. Cordelia hesitated, then closed her mouth.

“You think I’m being too harsh.”

“Just a little. I don’t know what Lydia was thinking when she made a contract with a demon, but it couldn’t have been an easy decision, right? To ignore her wishes and return her to square one… Of course, disappearing for a month without a word and making a contract with a demon was clearly wrong, but shouldn’t we give her a chance to learn magic? Um. I’m sorry if I’m out of line.”

Cordelia earnestly took Lydia’s side and defended her. Though the situations were clearly different, she was reminded of the days half a year ago when she had desperately clung to Leonard.

Then suddenly feeling that going on about Lydia might be crossing a line, she hunched her shoulders slightly. Rosenblur stared at Cordelia for a while, then slowly opened his mouth.

“Lydia was born as a daughter of Elfenbaum. Thanks to that, she could have anything just by reaching out her hand.”

It was a somewhat different answer from Cordelia’s question. But instead of pointing that out, Cordelia quietly listened to Rosenblur’s words.

“There’s just one thing Lydia can’t have.”

“What is that?”

“Leonard Atilei. Your master.”

“Ah.”

“He’s arrogant, but a person who shines alone. Moths are enchanted by that light and jump in without realizing they’re dying.”

Rosenblur smiled faintly, but it was not a warm or friendly smile. Rather, it was closer to a sneer.

“I don’t want Lydia to jump into that fire and have her wings burned.”

“But I heard Lydia has been in love with my master for a very long time. Can she give up easily?”

“It’s time for her to accept that there are things she can’t have. I’m Lydia’s brother, but I’m also her guardian. I can’t let her cling to a place with no hope forever.”

The gentle tone was just a way of packaging the firmness within. Rosenblur continued:

“As soon as she returns to Elfenbaum, I’ll receive marriage proposals and choose the man who will make Lydia happiest. Once she marries, has children, and raises them, that vain desire and wrong decision will fade away.”

The word “wrong decision” contained the answer. Cordelia raised her head and looked into his eyes.

“Does that mean… Lydia made a contract with a demon because of my master?”

“Well. If not for that, it’s hard to understand all her actions.”

With those final words, Rosenblur stood up from his seat. Cordelia got up as well, about to greet him, but he gently pressed down on her shoulder.

“There’s no need for that. And no need for formalities between us.”

“But you’re the head of the Elfenbaum family.”

“I’d like Cordelia to see me just as Rosenblur. I’d also like you to stop being so polite.”

“Th-That’s too difficult.”

Cordelia tried to imagine not speaking formally to Rosenblur for a moment, but it seemed as impossible as speaking casually to her master.

“You can break a 7-layer magic circle in one minute, but it’s difficult to just call me by my name?”

He laughed like the clear ringing of a bell. Somehow, Cordelia felt shy about meeting his eyes and lowered her gaze. Rosenblur’s voice reached her from above.

“And I meant what I said earlier.”

“What did you say?”

“That I think Cordelia is beautiful.”