The golden flash I unleashed struck Katerina head-on.
The light of the Lightning Bolt burst with a roar, and Katerina’s body was sent flying. She slammed into the ground on her back and lay there, limbs spread wide.
She didn’t twitch so much as a muscle.
—Wait... did I overdo it?
No, I was sure I hadn’t botched the magic power adjustment. She’d just fainted, right? Pushing the worry to the back of my mind, I rushed over to Silvia.
"Silvia!"
Silvia was slumped on the ground. Blood was trickling from the back of her hand, but it didn't look like a particularly deep wound.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
She didn’t respond immediately.
Huh? What was with her?
"Silvia?"
"Eh? Oh... Albert-kun. Is something wrong?"
What was that? Was she just so focused on checking her injury that she hadn't heard me?
"I'm asking about your hand. How’s the wound?"
"Thank you. I'm fine," Silvia responded airily. She pulled a hemostatic cloth from her pocket and began to wrap it around her hand.
Something felt off. She lacked her usual crisp, efficient manner; there was a certain sluggishness to her movements.
Suddenly, I recalled the black liquid that had coated Katerina’s dagger.
"Was it poison? Do you feel... off?"
"No, nothing like that."
...Was I just overthinking things?
"Don't worry, what I smeared on the dagger wasn't poison," Katerina said as she suddenly sat up. She rose using only her abdominal muscles—a rather unsettling, doll-like movement.
Well, at least she wasn't dead. See? My magic control is top-tier.
"Not poison? Then what was it?"
"I'll give you a hint."
Katerina stood up and tossed something at my feet. It was the hilt of her dagger; the blade had been completely obliterated.
"There’s no 'hint' left to look at!"
Where did the poisoned part go?!
"My, my, how's that for destroying evidence? Though technically, you’re the one who did it."
Katerina let out a soft "Ufufu" laugh.
"That magic of yours was truly remarkable. If I hadn’t guarded with the dagger, it might have ended with more than just a momentary blackout."
She tilted her head curiously.
"Isn't that a bit much power for a simple 'Lightning Bolt'?"
My heart skipped a beat.
"I’d like you to think of it as the hard-earned fruit of my daily diligence."
"Silvia’s reports did mention power that didn't seem possible for a 'Lightning Bolt,' but I certainly understand it now that I've felt it myself. Won't you tell me the trick?"
"As if I’d ever tell you."
"I see, so there is a trick. Well, knowing that much is enough for now."
Dammit! She was weaving her psychological maneuvers into every single sentence.
"Stop dodging the question. What was on that blade?"
"It’s the same as a woman’s face mask. Even daggers have to worry about skin irritation these days, you know?"
She was clearly messing with me, which meant she had no intention of explaining. There were no typical symptoms of poisoning in the wound, but... I still had a bad feeling.
"Well then, I'm leaving."
Katerina picked up her wide-brimmed hat, which had fallen when she was blasted back.
"Is your 'punishment' over already?"
"Yes. As long as she has such a formidable 'boyfriend,' I've reached my limit for today. Besides, you did warn me not to ruin your mood. I’ve realized that Silvia has ingrained herself into your life to a satisfactory degree. I’ll place my expectations on my repentant daughter's future and withdraw for now."
"You think I'm just going to let you walk away while you're still being vague about that dagger?"
"Unfortunately, you won't be able to catch me. Just as you are stronger than me, my feet are swifter in retreat. If you want to go for a midnight run, I won't stop you."
Then, she turned her sharp gaze toward Silvia.
"Silvia, listen well. You are to fulfill your mission, understood?"
"I understand, Mother."
Nodding with satisfaction, Katerina walked away with a brisk pace, acting as if the entire ordeal was already a thing of the past.
It was over... finally.
Exhaustion hit me like a physical weight. Just pretending to be her boyfriend was draining enough, but being targeted by a mother with such a twisted personality had pushed me past my limit a long time ago.
I was done. I just wanted to go back to my room.
I stood up and offered Silvia a hand.
"Can you stand?"
"Yes."
Silvia stood, but she stumbled unsteadily. Good grief, was she that exhausted too? I moved to support her.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
But her eyes weren't focused on me. Gazing at something far in the distance, Silvia whispered to herself.
"My... mission—"
◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇
Arcana Academy is fully residential, but the dormitories are strictly divided by gender. Since we are entrusted with the sons and daughters of nobility who are expected to grow up pure and righteous, separating the sexes is considered a natural duty.
And so, after parting ways with Silvia, I finally made it back to my own room.
I collapsed onto my beloved bed, the only thing in this world that truly heals me.
I unbuckled the dagger at my waist and tossed it onto the bedside table. I might actually love this bed more than any person.
It really drains the soul when my main problems are all romantic drama. In my previous life, I was just a hardcore gamer and a corporate slave; I have zero interest in or tolerance for that kind of stuff. To make matters worse, the original host of this body—the villainous noble Albert von Kronstadt—is undeniably lecherous, so I have to constantly struggle to keep his impulses in check. Calm down, buddy.
Add a life-or-death battle with Silvia’s mother on top of that, and I was completely burnt out.
I was calling it a night. This was the end. One way or another, Katerina’s lecture was over, so everything was fine—a happy ending.
Just as my consciousness began to drift into sleep—
Click.
I heard the sound of a door being unlocked.
What?
I sat up with a start and glared at the door. The lock I had definitely engaged was being turned from the outside.
Did someone just pick my lock?
The door swung open, and someone stepped into my room. The footsteps approached my bedroom with a brisk, confident rhythm.
"Silvia?"
"Ehehehe, I'm here!"
"Don't you 'Ehehe' me! This is the Boys' Dormitory, and women are strictly forbidden! Get out!"
I barked the retort with all the energy I had left, not even worrying about being a nuisance to the neighbors. The soundproofing in this dorm is top-notch; I’ve never heard a sound from the rooms around me. The Academy is a microcosm of high society, after all; the rooms were likely designed to keep secret family discussions private.
"It’s okay, I’m not clumsy enough to get caught. You know what I do, don't you?"
A master intelligence agent, right.
She hopped onto the bed and sat down right next to me.
...She was way too close.
"Did you use an Intelligence Agent Skill to pick the lock?"
"No, I just used a normal duplicate key."
Silvia pulled a key from her pocket.
In that instant, a flood of memories that never happened surged into my mind—
“Silvia, if you ever feel lonely, come to my room. Here, take a duplicate key.”
“Thank you, Albert-kun! I'll treasure it. I love you!”
I remembered the warmth of love as I watched the sunset with Silvia clinging to my arm.
—It was an utterly, undeniably false memory.
That never happened! We don't have a past like that!
"Why do you even have that?!"
"Eh? I made it myself a while back. It came in handy, didn't it?"
"You're terrifying, youuuuuuuuuu!"
To think she’d actually gone and made a duplicate key! And here I thought Silvia was one of the sane ones...
"I'm sorry for barging in. But I just... I really wanted to see you, Albert-kun. A lot happened today, and I couldn't organize my emotions."
Silvia gazed at me with an intense look in her eyes.
Before I could say a word, she leaned her weight against me. Her softness and warmth radiated through her clothes and against my skin.
W-What the—?
"Hey, Silvia...?"
Silvia began to stroke my arm with an affectionate, almost possessive touch.
"I feel so calm... when I'm with you, Albert-kun. Please, just a little longer like this..."
The sweetness of her breath began to melt my consciousness, pulling me into a hazy, dangerous daze.