Master of Minds, Master of Me

Goddammit. I was certain we had finally found something against Florentia. Her assignment for the economy classes was so much different than the last time, so I knew she must have some way to get help from outside the Palace. I called the selection supervisors and even Theodore here, so we could finally just snatch her. How does someone who does the bare minimum suddenly write something like that?

But I guess I need to trust Theodore on this if he really says that she did all that on her own. I just don't understand why she would decide to do the assignment differently from the last time. Her assignment was honestly good and helpful. So part of me is grateful for her. Grateful for the enemy’s daughter? This really isn’t going as it should be. And it’s true what Theodore also pointed out. She really hasn’t sent any letters to Duke Callum. So I really am confused here.

I watch the others leave so Theodore can spill out what he wants. It was way obvious that he still wants to talk to me about something in private. If he wouldn't, he would storm through that door the moment he stated his opinion on the matter. But now he stayed, and I'm more than curious what he is going to say. He really is acting out of character here.

“You know, Theodore, first you contacted me, and now you want to talk in private. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you actually like me,” I say with a pleased smile.

His face twists in annoyance.

“I tolerate you. That’s compliment enough.”

I get up from my chair, place my hand on the table, and lean closer to him with excitement.

“Did you just give me a compliment? Okay, three possibilities: One, you’re not Theodore, just someone pretending to be him. Two, your experiments failed and gave you partial amnesia, altering your personality. Or three, after eight years, I finally won you over! Actually, don’t tell me which. Let me pretend it’s option number three.”

He suddenly sends a wave of his dark mist toward me, making me slam back into my chair. I pretend to be shocked by his sudden act.

“You’re probably the only one who dares to attack the Crown Prince in the palace.”

“Weren’t you the one who said you liked that I don’t treat you like a Prince?”

I suppress my chuckle and just sigh.

“So tell me, Theodore. What did you want to talk about?”

I really am dying to know. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me. I’m dying out of curiosity. But he stays silent. Goddammit, I need to know. The hesitation in his mind is overwhelming. I have kind of given up even trying to probe his mind, since all there is is only darkness, anger, or annoyance. So it’s futile. But this is the first time I have sensed hesitation from him. I keep smiling at him, trying to encourage him to speak.

“It’s about her,” he finally says.

“Lady Florentia?” I raise an eyebrow.

He nods and falls silent again. So is he finally reporting whatever he did that broke our contract?

He rubs the back of his head with his hand and lowers his gaze.

Is this person really Theodore? I always thought he was rather cute while being grumpy. But I think this is so much more adorable from him.

“She’s been having headaches. One night, she even fainted. I don’t know if it’s just stress or something else. Could you make sure a physician checks on her? And give her a decent maid. I swear, if I have to keep watching that annoying, useless one, I might actually go through with that world domination plan.”

I tilt my head while listening to him speak. I stay silent for a while, too shocked by this. Oh, I have no idea what happened to my grumpy mage. But this surely is the best thing ever. Since I sense something from him that I would have never thought I would sense.

I sense affection.

I’m so fucking stunned that I can’t speak. I want to tease him so much about this. To think that Theodore, of all people, would have some kind of interest in Duke Callum’s daughter? The same woman he was disgusted by before. What the hell happened?

But I can’t tease him. I have to be gentle about this. I need to behave as a good friend would. Or else I scare this crumpy mage away.

“Sure. I’ll make it happen.”

“Really? Just like that? Aren’t you going to ask why?”

Oh, you have no fucking idea how much I want to ask why. But I just smile at him warmly.

“Theodore. This is the first time you’ve ever asked me for anything. Normally, you just command. I saw how hard it was for you to even bring it up. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious, but I trust you. I won’t pry. You asked for a favor, and I’ll do it. That’s what friends are for, right?”

He stands up and smiles. And that is not his usual grin or smirk. It is a real smile, a faint one, but still clearly there.

“Well, maybe saving your life wasn’t such a bad choice after all. But this still doesn’t mean I like you, Felix.”

He turns around to leave and lifts his hands lazily in goodbye. Before he closes the door, I shout at him.

“Keep telling yourself that lie, Theodore!”

When the door closes, I immediately teleport to my pretty flower’s room. I have to tell this to someone. This is like the news of the century.

“Holy crap, Felix! Stop just appearing out of nowhere! You scared the crap out of me!”

“Sorry, but I have some amazing news, and I just had to come tell you straight away!”

“You got the evidence from Master Loneflare?”

“No. I got something so much better!”

“Something better? What?”

“You are never going to believe it. But Theodore has a crush on Florentia.”

“WHAT?”

“I know! Is there a possibility that when a loop starts over, it might affect some people’s personalities?”

“I don’t think so. I mean, some events do occur differently. Some people make different choices. But I have never noticed anyone’s personality changing. Are you sure he has feelings toward her? I thought he hated watching her.”

“He did hate it. He loathed it. But he defended her way too firmly. He also asked that I send a physician to examine her headaches and also that I change her maid, who is clearly treating her poorly.”

“Maybe he is just annoyed at seeing the maid or her whining about the headaches?”

“I’m pretty sure that’s not the case, since I clearly sensed affection in his mind. I don’t think he even realizes it himself yet. But it was definitely there. His mind is always so dark, so it’s impossible to miss if something remotely normal appears inside his head.”

“I would have never guessed that an emotionless person like him could feel something like that.”

“I know! This is the best thing ever!”

“So are you going to do what he asked?”

“Of course I am.”

“Even when we know that she is plotting treason with her father?”

“Maybe that’s not true anymore.”

“Why would you say that?”

“Well, she hasn’t sent any letters back home for a week now. She never stopped sending those before. And you said yourself that she is acting differently during classes. So maybe she really changed somehow. Or just made the decision not to follow her father anymore. Maybe something happened that made Theodore go to her room, and they just started to fall for each other or something. Love can change people. That could also explain why the contract was broken, since he was forbidden to meddle with her doings.”

“So you are not worried about Florentia anymore?”

“I just have this gut feeling that things are about to change.”

“Did you ask him why he broke the contract?”

“Oh… I forgot. Goddammit! Well, I will definitely ask about it next time. We will start planning the monster campaign soon anyway, so I will be seeing him a lot more.”

“Felix. There is one thing I have not mentioned to you yet.”

I go sit next to her on the couch. She seems rather worried all of a sudden.

“What is it?”

“It’s about the Dark Wild.”

“Is something going to happen during the campaign?”

“No, at least nothing I would know. There really wasn’t any news when the monster campaign was going on. At least nothing that reached my ears. But something happens a short while after the campaign ends.”

“What is it?”

“There is a dragon in the Dark Wild.”

I just stare at her, dumbfounded. A dragon? They have been extinct forever. I don’t think there is even much literature about them anymore. She continues before I manage to get my thoughts together.

“I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true. It has been hibernating in the Dark Wild. And a couple of weeks after the monster campaign, it comes out. Master Loneflare will slay it, but it will still destroy a couple of cities before that.”

I still just keep staring at her. Soon, she starts to wave her hand in front of my face to get a reaction from me.

“Felix? You okay?”

“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be? There is just a huge-ass dragon waiting to destroy my country. I’m perfectly fine with that.” My voice turns more squeaky, betraying my obvious lie.

“You surely don’t sound or look like you are fine.”

“Well, I will be fine. I just need to strategize this. The monster campaign starts soon, so we have to handle it after that. Maybe we should just go in there to slay it before it comes out.”

“In the Dark Wild? Are you nuts?”

“You are probably right, that could be suicide. I think I have to think again about the troop rotation in the campaign, since we need to make sure we have enough strong men after the campaign too. Do you know how Theodore killed the dragon, and did he do it alone? I know he is a beast, but a dragon?”

“No, I don’t. I’m sorry.”

“The good part is that I know that Theodore will definitely come in a heartbeat if I just tell him that a dragon is waiting for him. But he most definitely will need some backup. So we just need to form a strong group that can fight alongside him. His magic is pretty explosive, so not just anyone can handle it.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I didn’t think about it at all earlier. It just came to my mind today.”

I kiss her forehead.

“Don’t worry about it. We couldn’t have done anything about it sooner anyway. Since it’s not an option to go into the Dark Wild, we have to wait until it comes to us. Thanks, Lo. I really don’t know what I would do without you.”

“You can repay me later,” she says with a smile.

I lean close to her.

“Later? Why not now?”

She shoves my head away with her hand.

“Because you are still on duty. And I’m going to have tea in the garden with the other candidates.”

I sulk.

“My pretty flower surely is a mean one, preferring the company of her rivals over mine.”

“Rivals?” She raises her brow. “Do you consider them as my rivals?”

Umm… Am I in trouble?

“Of course not! Bad choice of words. I meant to say just other ladies.”

She squints her eyes at me before grabbing my collar and pulling me closer to her face. Her voice drops low and serious.

“I swear to God, if you even entertain the idea of some other lady, I will end this loop earlier than planned.”

I stare at her in shock. I know I should probably be worried that she is threatening both of our lives. But goddammit, I’m so turned on right now. She is way too cute for me to handle, being obsessive like that.

She lets go of my collar and just smiles innocently.

“I’m having tea with them only because I think it’s good to know them a little. If I’m really going to be a Queen, I need to know people, and it’s good that they have positive opinions about me too.”

This is really turning out to be the best day ever. When I’m so happy with her, it’s hard to remember that all the hardship is still ahead of us. I hate that there is nothing we can do but just wait.

Wait and see if I can really handle my mana when it grows more potent as time passes by.