"Nyaa!"
Carol let out a strange cry as she pulled herself out of bed.
Being a morning person, she never found waking up to be a chore. However, in her case, there was a specific reason she had to rise even earlier than most.
"Hum-hum-huuum~☆"
It was currently six in the morning.
Carol made it a point to shower immediately after waking. What followed was her time for makeup and hair styling—a process that took well over an hour combined.
She maintained this routine almost every single day. Understanding that beauty required endurance, she performed this daily action, which she viewed as nothing less than a sacred ritual.
It was all for the sake of being her most beautiful self.
Gazing into the mirror, she carefully inspected her face. Once the base was set, she layered her makeup onto her skin as if applying paint to a canvas.
Before meeting Ray, heavy makeup had been her standard, but lately, she had opted for a more restrained look. Her current style focused on a "neat and cute" aesthetic. Based on Ray’s past reactions and comments, Carol had judged this to be the most effective approach.
It wasn't as if he had explicitly stated he liked refined women, but still...
"I wonder if Ray-chan will like it..."
There was also a part of her that simply wanted a fresh start.
Until now, she had always approached Ray by acting the fool or being playfully eccentric. But that behavior was merely a shield for her anxiety.
What if I approach him seriously and he rejects me?
That single thought had constantly hindered Carol from acting with true sincerity.
She had carried a heavy sense of guilt for a long time. In the final battle of the Far East Campaign, she had been the one to devise the operation that failed. Because of that, Ray was still forced to live a restricted life as a sorcerer.
In truth, he was a man who deserved to be showered with nothing but admiration and envy.
Carol recognized this better than anyone—that in the current world, Ray stood at the very pinnacle of sorcerers.
And yet, the person who had caused him such suffering was herself. That was how Carol saw it.
"Yep! This should do it☆"
Having spent over an hour preparing for her date with Ray, Carol finally slipped into the outfit she had picked out.
All that remained was to steel her resolve and move forward.
Today, partly as an act of atonement, she intended to take his "first time." Yet, there was another emotion swirling deep within her heart as well.
How should she describe it? If forced to give it a name, perhaps it was something akin to maternal love.
Carol had adored Ray for a long time.
Knowing him as she did—since the days when he carried a traumatic past and was a hollow shell of a boy who couldn't trust anyone—the current Ray was incredibly charming to her.
That was exactly why she was determined to be the one to take his virginity.
"Fufu☆"
I wonder what Ray-chan will look like today?
—Ah, I want to see him soon.
With those thoughts in mind, Carol stepped out of her house.
◇
Ray was already at the meeting place.
His presence was now that of a grown man, a far cry from the boy he used to be. He wore a simple style—just a shirt and trousers—but the minimalism only served to make him look more striking.
Carol had always been certain he would grow up to be a handsome, fine man, but even she hadn't expected him to turn out this well.
His clothes were one thing, but his hair seemed to be styled differently than usual; his bangs were swept up slightly, giving him a crisp, refreshing look.
When she realized he had done all this for her sake, her heart felt as if it were being squeezed.
Struck by his appearance, Carol called out to him in her usual bubbly manner.
Ray looked a bit stiff, almost bold in his silence, as he stared intently at Carol before finally speaking.
"Um..."
"Eh? Is something wrong, Ray-chan?"
"No... I just think it suits you well."
"Ray-chan..."
—Ray-chan complimented me! I'm so happy! So incredibly happy!
Carol knew that while Ray didn't hate her, he had been keeping his distance. That was due to her losing control in the past, but today he was facing her with genuine sincerity.
That alone was enough to fill Carol’s heart to the brim.
She threw herself at him, hugging him with everything she had. Without a hint of hesitation, she pressed her ample chest against him, simply wanting to embrace the boy she loved.
"Whoa!!?"
"Gosh, I love you so much~☆ Ray-chaaan, I'm so happy~☆ Thank you! I'm so glad I worked so hard to look cute today...!"
"G-Get off me!"
"Geez! Both master and apprentice are such tsunderes!"
Later that day, Carol finally bared her heart to Ray.
This had been her primary objective for the day. She had lived with such a heavy debt on her conscience ever since the final battle of the Far East Campaign.
The operation she had planned had failed. No one had blamed her—anyone would have agreed that the situation was unpredictable—but the fact remained that many comrades, including Lydia and Ray, had been left with deep scars.
Since Lydia was an old friend, Carol had been able to apologize to her relatively quickly. Even then, when she had tried to apologize in the hospital, Lydia had snapped, "Hah? Don't get so full of yourself, Carol. This was my own blunder. It's not your fault, not by a long shot. I received this wound because I was immature."
Lydia had said that.
But with Ray, she hadn't been able to find the courage to face him. She felt she was the reason that the boy, who had been so young, had ended up broken.
Three years of that guilt had passed.
And now, Carol was finally able to look Ray in the eye.
"Carol. That was my responsibility," Ray said. "It was simply because I was unskilled that I caused a Magic Area Overheat. So please, don't cry anymore. I don't think it was your fault at all."
"Ugh... Ray-chan, you're so kind. You always have been..."
"Carol. Both you and I lost a great deal. But we're here, alive, right now. For me, that’s enough."
"Yeah... yeah... you're right. Thank you, Ray-chan."
When she confessed her sins and her feelings, that was his response.
It was true. It had always been like that. This master and apprentice were truly alike; the way they existed as beautiful human beings was the same.
And then, Carol took his acceptance to mean something else entirely and decided to make her move.
"We did so much shopping!☆"
"I suppose we did. But it wasn't half bad."
"Really...?" Carol asked, a bit tentatively.
Ray was currently carrying all the bags, having insisted on doing so. While they shopped, they had been engrossed in idle, silly conversation.
It was as if they were old best friends.
In truth, Ray and Carol actually got along quite well. Though she often acted strangely, it was usually a way to mask her shyness. But today, believing he had fully accepted her, she was able to interact with him normally.
Hearing him say he enjoyed himself made Carol’s heart swell.
Pressing her hands to her chest, she spoke, as if to confirm one last thing.
"Ray-chan... you used to find me... difficult to be around, right?"
"...Well, I suppose. Or rather, I did. But now, maybe not so much. After spending the day together like this, it wasn't bad. In fact, I had a good time. Thank you, Carol."
"Ray-chan..."
Visions of being united with him flashed through her mind.
This is it. It’s definitely going to happen. If I don't go for it now, when will I?
Ray’s sincere nature was inadvertently leading Carol down a dangerous path. Thanks to Lydia’s training, he faced everyone with his whole heart, regardless of gender.
In this instance, that sincerity backfired.
Unable to stop herself, Carol began to subtly lead him away.
"Hey, Ray-chan..."
The two were now walking through a hotel district. This was no ordinary street; the streetlights cast a suspicious pink glow, creating an air of heavy enchantment.
Why were they there? Because Carol had naturally steered him toward it.
Ray didn't realize where they were until it was too late. When it finally clicked, he gasped.
"Huh!? When did we get to a place like this!?"
"Hey... today is okay, right? Right, Ray-chan...?"
"W-What are you talking about?"
The distance between them closed. Ray backed away as if trying to escape, but Carol pressed forward, cornering him against a wall.
"Haa... haa... haa..."
She was completely flushed with excitement. Her breathing was ragged, her heart pounding uncontrollably. The thought of finally being joined with Ray made her lose all composure.
She slammed her hand against the wall, trapping him. In her overwhelming excitement, her Origin Magic triggered—a tragic accident born of pure love.
Ray looked back at everything he had said and realized he had given her the wrong idea, but it was far too late.
"Wait!? Carol, you—!"
"—My Truly Cute Carol in Wonderland!"
"W-Waaaaaaaah!!"
Without hesitation, Carol unleashed her Origin Magic: Carol in Wonderland.
Ultimately, her attempt to seduce Ray failed because Lydia intervened... but Carol was satisfied nonetheless. Just being able to talk normally with Ray again had made her happy.
—Hey, Ray-chan. I had so much fun going out with you today. You’ve finally become able to smile naturally again. I'm just happy that you're healthy and living a fun life... But someday, I'm definitely going to take that first time of yours, okay? So until then, stay healthy and well. Right, Ray-chan?
That was what Carol thought just before Abby knocked her unconscious.
It seemed that Carol’s daily life would continue to be a whirlwind of chaos for some time to face.