The Villainess's Hidden Talent and a Midnight Omelette
“Good work today.”
“Yep!”
“Ughhh…”
After two straight hours of pure agony, the knight commander finally declared us free. My entire body was screaming in protest, yet Marinne looked even more energetic than she had before training started. It was honestly unfair.
“My lady, are you some kind of monster?”
I’d suspected it the moment she started rampaging for over two hours, but Marinne possessed absurd stamina that didn’t match her petite frame at all.
Marinne flashed a wicked little grin.
“If you’re jealous, maybe you should’ve been born into the Derifoser family.”
She didn’t even bother denying that her ridiculous constitution was purely genetic.
“Ughhh…”
As much as I wanted to stay seated a little longer, magic class was coming up soon. I couldn’t be late on the very first day, so I forced myself to stand with a groan.
“Shall we head to magic class now?”
“Yep!”
I’d never heard that the Derifoser family had any particular talent for magic, yet Marinne wore an incredibly confident expression. Well, at least magic lessons won’t be physically exhausting.
This would be my first time learning magic since possessing this body. I was genuinely excited.
The magic lesson was held in a rather unusual place—the library.
“Ugh, the library…?”
Marinne made a face like she’d just bitten into a lemon. While she looked thoroughly disgusted, I felt my drained energy slowly returning the closer we got to my natural habitat.
Creak.
“Hohoho, greetings. I am Deren, a 4th-circle mage.”
When we opened the library door, an elderly grandfather was neatly organizing books. Marinne’s face fell in clear disappointment.
“It’s just an old man.”
She must have been expecting someone more flashy. Apparently she didn’t know the basic principle that mages only grow stronger with age.
“Hahaha.”
The mage simply laughed off Marinne’s potentially insulting remark. He placed two books in front of each of us as we sat down.
Magic Studies: The Fundamentals
Understanding Mana
Just the titles alone made my heart race with excitement. Meanwhile, Marinne’s expression had soured completely. I hadn’t forgotten how she’d tormented me earlier.
“Our refined and cultured young lady surely loves books, right?”
“O-of course…”
Marinne forced her stiff facial muscles into a smile. Seeing her so uncomfortable was incredibly satisfying.
The mage watched us both with a warm smile before taking his seat.
“These two books are essential reading for anyone beginning their journey into magic. Today’s lesson will consist of reading them. Please feel free to ask me anything if you have questions.”
I flipped open the cover with a gleeful grin and quickly fell into the world of the books.
When I finally finished both volumes and looked up, the mage was staring at me in astonishment.
“Young master, you possess truly remarkable concentration… That is the most important talent a mage can have.”
“Haha, thank you.”
Embarrassed, I scratched the back of my head and glanced to the side.
“Zzzzz…”
Marinne had fallen fast asleep with her face buried on page twenty. Considering the first ten pages had been completely blank, it was safe to say she’d passed out the moment she started “reading.” I’d have to tease her about this for a long time.
Once the mage confirmed I’d finished, he stood up.
“That concludes today’s lesson.”
“Thank you for your time.”
The original class had been scheduled for two hours, but the mage had waited well beyond that until I finished reading. I bowed deeply in gratitude. After watching him leave the library, I plopped down beside Marinne with a heavy sigh.
“Phew…”
She was now drooling in her sleep. Worried the book might get wet, I carefully pulled it out from under her and made a pillow out of my own arm for her head. It didn’t look like she’d wake up anytime soon, so I decided to enjoy some leisurely reading.
By the time the sun had completely set and darkness had fallen, Marinne finally stirred.
“Mmm…”
She rubbed her eyes and stretched with a big yawn.
“Eek!”
She jumped in surprise when her stretch bumped into someone. Turning her head, she saw Hendel sitting right beside her, completely absorbed in a book. Even after getting smacked pretty hard, he hadn’t reacted at all. Marinne stuck her tongue out, thinking what an absurd bookworm he was.
She stood up to loosen her stiff body, then gasped when she looked out the dark window. Magic class had started at four, and in the middle of summer the sun usually set around seven. That meant she had slept for at least three hours. Most people would have either left her behind or woken her up, but Hendel had apparently chosen to wait patiently until she woke up on her own.
Marinne, who still had the tiniest shred of humanity left in her, felt a small wave of gratitude toward him.
I should use my wish ticket on something light.
Originally, she had planned to torment him by demanding he fold a thousand paper cranes and then ripping them all up in front of his face. But after he waited for her like this, she decided to scrap that evil plan and make a normal wish instead. Since it was hot summer, visiting a cave for sightseeing seemed like a good idea. The Edgar Count Territory was famous for several large tourist caves.
She watched Hendel, who was still leaning against the desk reading. Since he had waited for her, she decided she would wait for him to finish his book too.
When I finally turned the last page and looked up, my eyes met Marinne’s. She had been watching me while leaning against the desk.
“Finished?”
“Yes, I’ve read it all.”
It seemed she had woken up and waited for me to finish. I felt a little touched.
“You could have just called me when you woke up.”
Marinne shook her head.
“You waited for me, so I should wait for you too.”
“Whoa…”
I never imagined such warm words could come out of Marinne’s mouth. Overcome with emotion, I actually clapped for her. I had wondered if the girl who tormented people at every opportunity could truly escape her fate as the villainess and reform herself. Today, I felt like I had seen a glimmer of hope.
Gurgle.
Right on cue, Marinne’s stomach clock went off. She blushed in embarrassment.
Come to think of it, we hadn’t shown up for dinner. I stood up before it got any later.
“It’s pretty late, but let’s head to the dining hall anyway.”
If nothing was left, we could just ask the night-shift cook to whip up something simple.
When we arrived at the dining hall with Marinne, the table was already neatly cleared, with only a single note left behind.
I heard you two were in the library. Books are wonderful, but don’t skip meals. Ask the night-shift cook to prepare something for you.
I had expected the food to be cleared away since it was so late, so I wasn’t too disappointed. Marinne, however, had clearly been hoping there would still be food left. Her face showed obvious disappointment.
“It’s fine. In situations like this, we can just ask the night-shift cook to make something simple.”
“Okay…”
She had thrown a fit yesterday saying she wouldn’t eat, but now she looked completely deflated because there was no food. She really was like a child whose emotions changed hundreds of times a day.
I took Marinne’s hand and headed to the kitchen, only to freeze when I saw the note posted on the door.
The night-shift cook has suddenly fallen ill, so the kitchen will not be operating tonight.
“What do we do…?”
Marinne’s voice trembled with tears at the cruel realization that she wouldn’t get to eat. We could have asked a maid who knew how to cook in an emergency, but I didn’t want to go that far.
I turned to look her straight in the eyes.
“My lady, do you trust me?”
“Huh?”
Back on Earth, I had often cooked as a hobby. Even though I hadn’t stepped foot in a kitchen since possessing this body, I should at least be able to handle something simple, right?
“I’ll make you a dish that perfectly suits your taste, so just wait a little while.”
“Have you ever cooked before?”
“Um… maybe?”
I had cooked on Earth, but never in this body, so the question was hard to answer. I trailed off awkwardly.
“They say you shouldn’t take cooking lightly.”
It seemed our young lady didn’t trust me at all. Well, that was understandable. Anyone would be skeptical if someone who had never cooked before claimed they’d make something perfectly to their taste.
In times like this, the only option was to prove it with skill. It looked like I’d have to reveal my hidden true power.
I grabbed some eggs and a spatula, then stood tall with confidence.
“Prepare yourself, my lady! I will make a dish so delicious you’ll never be able to escape its spell!”
“Uh… good luck?”
I cracked the egg with passionate energy and dropped it into the frying pan.
“Ah…”
It had been so long since I last cracked an egg that the very first one had shell fragments in the yolk. Marinne’s expression hardened instantly.