I Want to Read Your Heart (3)
Duke Katram looked at me with a distinctly unimpressed expression. Residual mana from a teleportation spell still shimmered faintly around his body.
And standing right behind him, dressed in an Academy uniform, was none other than the Young Lady herself. Whoa, Young Lady in a school uniform is way too gorgeous— wait, no. Why a school uniform?
"Wh-what?"
"Frey? What is the matter?"
"W-well. I sensed teleportation energy coming from the Young Lady's room, so… I apologize. It seems you and His Grace had gone somewhere."
Duke Katram's brow twitched. Had I angered him by barging into the Young Lady's room uninvited?
"Indeed. Aylin said she was curious."
"Th-that's right! I begged Father because I was so curious. I wanted to see what Frey's Academy was like."
"So that's why you're wearing the uniform."
That explained it. Walking around inside the Academy without a uniform would have drawn far too much attention.
"Ahem. Frey. I have once again witnessed your loyalty today. However, I would prefer that you not open Aylin's door so freely from now on. Within this estate, I am the only one capable of teleportation."
"I will keep that in mind, Your Grace. I apologize."
I bowed my head in apology. Looking back on it, the idea that someone could be kidnapped via teleportation inside the Katram household — a house renowned for its magical lineage — was utterly absurd.
"Well then, I shall take my leave. You came because you had something to discuss with Aylin, I presume?"
With that, the Duke swept out of the room. Only the Young Lady and I remained.
"Y-Young Lady! That uniform. It suits you wonderfully!"
I wasn't just saying it. The Young Lady was always beautiful, but in an Academy uniform she radiated the pure, fresh charm of a girl her age. That youthful quality was amplified so much that she looked twice as lovely as usual.
Though the slender wrists peeking from beneath the uniform sleeves were almost painfully delicate. The Young Lady scratched her cheek, looking a little embarrassed.
"R-really? Haha. Thank you."
"First of all, I must apologize!"
"Pardon?"
I bowed as deeply as I could before her.
"I must have upset you somehow without even realizing it. I thought that was why you wouldn't see me yesterday. So I prepared a gift for you!"
"No."
Her refusal was absolute. No?
"I wasn't upset because of you, Frey."
"What? Then why yesterday…"
"Th-there were circumstances. I'm sorry if you misunderstood."
"Not at all! I was the one who jumped to conclusions on my own. Phew."
So she hadn't been angry with me. Right. I hadn't even done anything!
In the end, the only way to understand someone's heart and clear up a misunderstanding was to talk to them directly. Iren's advice had hit the mark so perfectly. I really ought to get her a gift later.
"I'm so relieved. Your happiness is the joy of my life, Young Lady."
"Eep."
"Young Lady?"
For some reason, her face flushed red.
"Are you unwell? Did the outing give you a fever?!"
"No. The uniform. The uniform must be a bit thick."
She slipped off the uniform robe. I nearly squeezed my eyes shut. The Young Lady in just her uniform shirt looked far too noble and refined.
I was desperately holding myself together when she spoke again.
"So, what kind of gift did you prepare?"
"Ah, well, you see…"
I hurriedly pulled out what I had prepared.
"Cookies filled with my heart."
I held out the bundle of cookies. She took it and opened it right away.
"These are… chocolate cookies?"
"Yes. I thought you might like them."
"Thank you, Frey. I'm not hungry right now, so I'll eat them later and tell you what I think."
"No. You need to eat them now."
"What? But I'm not…"
"Those are cookies that won't fill you up no matter how many you eat."
"Cookies that don't fill you up?"
She looked at the cookies with a puzzled expression. Then she took a bite.
"These are—!"
Her eyes sparkled as she popped one cookie after another into her mouth. The ten or so cookies vanished in an instant.
"Frey! How on earth did you make these?"
"Illusion magic."
"Illusion magic? But I'm perfectly awake right now."
"I picked up a simple hint today."
It was the same illusion magic Professor Violet had first demonstrated, and that Iren had cast on me earlier. The cookies I'd given the Young Lady had been crafted using that spell — the one that showed the target whatever they most desired. I'd narrowed the range and intensified the effect.
If you made the appearance exquisitely detailed and mouthwateringly appealing, a person looking at it would automatically conjure their own image of it. That must be incredibly sweet and delicious. Someone put real care into giving this to me, so it has to be amazing, right?
The magic embedded within reflected every thought of the person who put it in their mouth. The result: cookies that tasted incredible but left you not the slightest bit full.
"Did you like them?"
"They're wonderful. I've always been frustrated that I can only eat a little of anything delicious — but with these, I can eat as many as I want!"
"Haha. I'll make you plenty more. Still, since they're illusions, you do need to eat real food as well, all right?"
"Of course! Thank you so much, Frey!"
She beamed at me with a bright, pure smile. Encouraged by that smile, I made her a few more cookies.
She was happily eating those too when she suddenly startled with a little gasp.
"Young Lady?"
"Ah, I shouldn't do this."
"Pardon?"
"It's nothing. If I get too used to these, real food will be hard to enjoy. I'll stop here for today."
"As expected of you, Young Lady. Your self-control is remarkable."
After exchanging a few more pleasant words with her, I left the room.
Once outside, I steeled my resolve. In the end, there was only the Young Lady for me. So I would forget the illusion I had seen today.
The illusion Iren had cast on me. It had shown me something I could never, ever accept.
In that future, I had been holding both the Young Lady and Iren in my arms, whispering words of love. As a man, wasn't that the absolute worst?
Talking so happily with the Young Lady today had made me realize that such a future would never come to pass. The Young Lady alone was the reason for my life, my light, my salt.
"Ah."
Something rolled out of my pocket. It was the Truth Serum Karl had given me earlier.
"Hmm. Using it on the Young Lady would be sacrilege. Maybe I'll try it on Iren later as a prank?"
That princess didn't seem like the type to hide her true feelings anyway. If she were, would she keep spilling imperial secrets to me?
Using it probably wouldn't matter much. I picked up the Truth Serum and carefully tucked it away against my chest.
Frey left the room.
"Phew."
Aylin let out a sigh of relief and sank onto the bed.
"I should arrive a little earlier next time."
The problem had been lingering at the Academy, fretting over what illusion Frey had seen. Even though Duke Katram had urged her to hurry, she had dragged her feet.
Thank goodness she had cast the transformation magic before teleporting — she had nearly been caught by Frey.
"Ahh, I really shouldn't have looked so happy in this form today."
Aylin scolded herself for how deliciously she had eaten those illusion cookies earlier.
The one Frey was supposed to fall for was Iren — the Third Princess — not Aylin. So what was she doing, making Frey happy while wearing Aylin's face?
Her current appearance was the result of True Transformation Magic, which subtly altered even her personality. This was not her true self.
"But I can't help how happy it makes me."
Even so, knowing that Frey thought of her filled her with joy. It felt as though he thought of Aylin twenty-four hours a day, and whenever he showed it through his actions, she was overwhelmed with happiness.
Frey had been the one who became a sanctuary in her nauseating life. That was why she had been able to survive this long even with a distorted personality.
"I wonder what Frey would think if he found out I've been hiding this."
Aylin gave a bitter smile. She remembered what she had shouted at Irina Varian just a few days ago.
Frey likes genuine people, so he wouldn't spare a second glance for a woman in disguise like you.
Those words applied to herself as well. She was hiding the fact that she was Iren, smiling only in Aylin's form.
"If only I could have been like this for real, it would have been so much easier."
Aylin pictured Iren's appearance.
"Is my real self really that unappealing?"
It was true that she treated Frey roughly when she was in Iren's form. But beyond that, she had also been trying to get physically closer to him.
Yet Frey only flushed a little — he never showed any sign that his heart was moved. And blushing? Any man would turn red if a girl his age pressed up against him.
"This is hard. So hard. How am I supposed to win him over?"
Lost in thought, Aylin changed clothes, sat on the bed, and opened a book. Reading always soothed her mind.
She usually preferred academic texts, but lately she had been completely absorbed in novels. Opening the book she had been reading, Aylin's eyes lit up.
"This might be perfect."
The title was The Wanderer and the Noble Girl. The part she was reading was the moment the wanderer fell in love with the noble girl.
"Frey is a commoner by birth, just like the wanderer, so maybe this would work on him?"
It would definitely work. Thinking that, Aylin smiled.