The Definition of First Love
"Did you devise this entire plan yourself, my lady?"
Keres, having reviewed my wonderful plan from start to finish, spoke with a look of blatant admiration on her face.
"I-I worked quite hard on it, agonizing over every detail. Helene was briefly caught by Laura's magic, but Clafoutis helped her right away."
"If it was merely Laura's magic, Princess Helene would have eventually broken free on her own, my lady. If that was your reason for formulating this plan, it is indeed a splendid motivation."
Keres's eyes were deadly serious. She flipped through the notebook, examining it with an expression she had never shown me before.
"In any case... I want to make Helene mine."
"Do you have a particular reason, my lady?"
"Well..." I lowered my head, my fists clenching involuntarily.
"Helene is just so pretty and beautiful. When you look at a sparkling gem, doesn't everyone feel the urge to possess it?"
Thinking of Helene's hair, shining like the morning sun, made my heart flutter regardless of my will. My palms grew clammy, and my thighs tensed up.
"Pretty and beautiful... If that is your only reason, there are many other young ladies you could possess, even putting Laura aside."
"Helene's beauty doesn't just come from her goddess-like, sculpted features. It's... how should I put it, her inner beauty. There's a warmth hidden within her, like the gentle sun."
I rubbed my hands together unconsciously and let out a soft sigh.
"A warm heart... a kind personality... Do you mean to say you wish to possess those qualities as well, my lady?"
"That warmth she shows to everyone... if only... if only the day came when it was directed solely at me, how wonderful would that be? That's what I was thinking."
"...And, as a side benefit, you also wish to fondle her large breasts, correct?"
It was a comment that made my face turn bright red, but I couldn't deny it.
"I-I want to lick her breasts, and touch them too. I want to feel her butt, and... and I want to see her pussy."
"And what if Princess Helene were to do those things to you, my lady?"
"...I think I would be incredibly happy. J-Just imagining it makes my heart race."
Keres let out a tiny smile.
"My Lady Ramnusia, you are slightly mistaken."
"M-Mistaken? Is there something wrong with my plan again, like last time?"
"No, my lady. You have simply fallen in first love."
Keres delivered this absurd piece of news with an incredibly beautiful smile.
"F-First love? What are you... that's ridiculous..."
"To wish to make someone yours, to want them to look only at you, while simultaneously experiencing genuine physical arousal... If that is not love, then what is?"
"It's just... greed..."
"Since ancient times, humanity has simply referred to that emotion as 'love,' my lady."
Keres gently took my hand and stroked the back of it.
"You have fallen in love with Princess Helene, and that is why you wish to make her yours."
"...C-Can I really... love someone?"
"If this loophole-ridden plan of yours is executed successfully, you will obtain a love that no one can dare point a finger at."
Keres assessed my plan with brutal honesty once again. But I liked this about her. Rather than blindly cheering me on with toxic positivity, she drew a sharp line between business and pleasure, coolly judging the likelihood of success or failure. It actually made me feel more at ease because I could use her judgment as a solid baseline. I couldn't afford to blindly assume everything would work, execute the plan on Helene, fail miserably, and get my head chopped off.
"I-Is it really that full of holes?"
"Yes. My Lady Ramnusia, you do not yet... fully grasp Princess Helene's social circle."
Keres tapped the notebook with her finger.
"One must know the enemy to formulate a plan. Only by understanding that fire is hot can one cook with it, or put out a blaze."
"B-But... I'm Ramnusia."
I wasn't a complete idiot either.
"Laura said she didn't know everything either. In the first place, she didn't seem to like Helene very much anyway."
The first person I had thoroughly interrogated was, of course, Laura.
"Still, I managed to get some information about Clafoutis... and that's how I put this plan together."
"And that is precisely why it is so full of loopholes, my lady."
"...It's the best plan I could make with what I have."
There would surely be variables when I actually put it into action. I knew that. But this was the absolute limit of what I could achieve using the magic the Armonomicon had taught me and the only resource at my disposal, Laura.
"You have not yet utilized everything in your possession, my lady."
Keres gave me a soft smile.
"Does that mean you'll help me, Keres?"
My hopeful question received no answer. Keres merely maintained her gentle, enigmatic smile.
Come to think of it, last time too... Keres had swept in and gathered all the information on Laura in an instant, like she was cleaning a room. Keres was undoubtedly the greatest power I could wield. If she would just help me, she could bring perfection to my plan.
"...But you said you wouldn't help me with anything that isn't related to revenge."
"You remember well, my lady."
"But... the mood right now... unlike before, you aren't flatly refusing to help me."
Was I right? Keres gave me a lovely, soft smile as she refilled my glass, which was packed with ice, with a fresh drink.
"That is correct, my lady."
"...Is there something I must do?"
Keres nodded.
"Indeed. I cannot catch the fish for you every time, my lady."
"So this is another trial I have to pass."
A strange silence fell between Keres and me. Keres seemed to be pondering and agonizing over something.
"My Lady Ramnusia. Please find a rational and valid reason why I must assist you with this plan."
"Is that the nature of this trial?"
"Yes, my lady. If it is you, My Lady Ramnusia... I am certain you will find the reason why I must help you."
I swallowed hard, meeting Keres's gaze.
"...I understand what you're saying. But Keres, isn't there something strange about this?"
"What might that be, my lady?"
"If the premise of the trial is true, it means there already is a reason why you should help me. But the fact that you aren't helping me yet means..."
"Because unless you discover that reason yourself, my lady, it holds no meaning."
Keres, who usually did everything for me, had handed me an incredibly cryptic trial.
To make Helene mine, there was something I absolutely had to do. I needed to gather data and investigate 'Clafoutis Magica'.
To be honest, I wanted to solve Keres's trial right away, but I didn't have a single clue. Finding a needle in a haystack was an impossible task. For now, it was best to focus on what I could actually do.
"Laura... can you do me a favor?"
"To be honest, I'm wondering why you suddenly want to know about Senior Clafoutis, Ramnusia, but..."
Laura took a leisurely sip of the tea Keres had brewed, then shrugged her shoulders as if to show off.
"I'm not so incompetent that I can't answer a simple question like that."
"Then tell me about her. Tell me about Senior Clafoutis."
"Aren't there things you can tell just by looking at her name? Clafoutis Magica. She's a princess of the Magica Kingdom. On top of that, she's an incredible mage, widely hailed as a genius."
"The... the Magica Kingdom?"
Laura let out a snort, seemingly finding my question pathetic.
"Don't tell me... you don't know what that is?"
"I-I don't."
"Oh, my god! Ramnusia! You are seriously so ignorant! How can a noble...! How can you lack such basic common sense?"
Despite sitting in front of me wearing nothing but a pair of panties, Laura put on airs, letting out a haughty huff.
"Honestly! It's the Trident! The Trident! The Magica Kingdom, the Galagon Kingdom, the Gregorio Kingdom, and the Britannia Kingdom! Surely you know that these four kingdoms serve His Imperial Majesty and contribute to protecting the Empire and its people?"
"S-So, Senior Clafoutis is the p-princess of the Magica Kingdom?"
"Are you finally starting to understand? She is on a completely different level from us! Even if she doesn't become the Empress, she is destined to become the Queen of the Magica Kingdom."
Since Helene was destined to become the Emperor, I hadn't realized Clafoutis was also such an incredible figure. And she was an outstanding mage to boot! How on earth was I supposed to make someone like her mine? I would have to cast my hypnosis magic on her to properly separate her from Helene.
"S-She really is an incredible person, fitting for someone by Helene's side."
"Of course. And her reputation is excellent. She's the princess of the Magica Kingdom, after all! Do you have any idea how many students are lining up just to join the same club as her? And that's not all."
With her pale breasts completely exposed to me, Laura leaned forward, gripping the table with both hands as she spoke passionately.
"Her magic skills are truly... she's hailed as a once-in-a-generation genius. Honestly, she can effortlessly cast ancient spells that I can't even begin to comprehend."
"S-So, you can't beat her in magic, Laura?"
"It's impossible. It would be like entering a tournament completely naked. I could never win. She's the kind of person who could neutralize my magic just by looking at the magic circle I'm drawing."
"Are there any other g-good things about her?"
"Of course! Though not quite as much as Princess Helene, she has a wonderful personality. She's famous for never getting angry and always responding to rudeness with a smile. She truly possesses immense power yet carries herself with such grace."
Laura spoke without pause, as if she was quite fond of Clafoutis.
"Ah, she's just like Princess Helene. I wonder if the students at this Academy look like mere insects to the two of them... Yet they never show anger, and they even shy away from well-deserved praise. They really are fascinating."
"S-So, Senior Clafoutis is quite famous, kind, and exceptionally skilled. That's the c-conclusion."
"Absolutely! Honestly, I can't comprehend how you didn't even know who she was! Why do you even need to know this? Senior Clafoutis is just as amazing as Princess Helene!"
Clicking her tongue, Laura crossed her legs, covering her left breast with her hand as she sipped her tea.
"Is there a reason why I must know her?"
"Of course there is, Ramnusia! Don't you remember?"
"...W-Well... I'm asking because I don't."
"Ugh, you're so annoying, leaving me speechless like this..."
Laura huffed, raising a finger to meet my gaze.
"Senior Clafoutis is...!"
Laura suddenly stopped speaking.
"Laura?"
"Senior... Senior..."
"Laura, what's wrong all of a sudden?"
"...There's no way you shouldn't know her, Ramnusia."
Suddenly, as if the middle of her sentence had been completely erased, Laura stared at me with a blank expression.
"Anyway... yes."
"W-What do you mean, 'anyway'? Laura! It's my wish, so answer me! Why is it so obvious that I should know Senior Clafoutis?"
Laura stared at me for a long time, her eyes wide. She looked like she was desperately trying to say something, but in the end, she grabbed her head with both hands and let out a pitiful groan.
"R-Ramnusia... ugh, I'm sorry. I really want to grant your wish, but..."
Laura broke into a cold sweat, writhing in agony.
"I... I can't remember."
"You can't remember?"
"Yes, yes... It's so strange... Ugh! My head hurts so much! You definitely should know Senior Clafoutis, Ramnusia. There's no way you wouldn't...!"
"...So you can't tell me because you can't remember?"
This look on Laura's face. It was the same look I had seen in that classroom before.
"I'm... I'm sorry... but I just can't remember..."
"It's my wish. You don't have to answer, Laura."
"Phew...! Haaaah...!"
Laura was unable to recall a certain 'memory'.
Could it be... someone other than me has been tampering with Laura's memories...?
If she couldn't recall it even under my New Order magic, and she was agonizing just like last time, there was only one answer.
Laura was under a spell that I didn't know about.
And I possessed the power to break that spell.
"Laura. I have a wish. First, could you look at my handkerchief?"