Ruby-red eyes filled his vision.
‘What’s going on?’
Kaon was stunned. Too many unexpected things had happened in quick succession.
If he understood the situation correctly, Alessia was now the one interrogating him, not the other way around.
He observed her, unable to avert his eyes, noting how her silver hair reflected the moonlight just as it always did, her features just as beautiful…
But the person in front of him didn’t look like her at all.
She, who always had a soft smile when their eyes met, was now staring at him with a breathtakingly unfamiliar chill.
“What did you just say…?”
“You see it. You see something that others can’t. Am I wrong, Kaon Ferdinand?”
Alessia, who always used a light, careful tone, was now questioning him with an aggression that seemed more appropriately used by someone holding a knife to one’s throat.
The addition of his family name, too, created a sense of distance.
“What do you mean? What’s wrong with you all of a sudden, Alessia?” Kaon smiled, knowing that it was time to back off.
He would regroup and ask her again later.
“Explain to me why you were only looking at my ring, right after asking me if I was truly a mage?” she pressed, cornering him. “I hope you don’t use the mage from the Tower as an excuse. He’s seen me cast spells many times already, and he hasn’t said anything. If he had noticed anything, he would have reported it already.”
“…”
Kaon faltered, thinking of another excuse.
Alessia laughed, smirking coldly. “There’s only one other mage in this place, and he didn’t doubt me at all. Meanwhile, you’ve only seen me wield fire twice, and yet you started acting weirdly after the first time.” She stepped closer.
He felt a wall against his back. “…!”
Just as he was about to tell her to put more distance between them, she grabbed him by the collar of his coat and pulled.
Her eyes were close enough for him to see his face reflected in them.
His mind went blank. He couldn’t push her away, nor see anything else but her.
“What did you see that time that pushed you to ask that question?” Alessia asked, quiet but not uncertain. “You are right, Kaon Ferdinand.”
He struggled to pay attention to the soft words, thoughts running wild.
In the end, the most important issue was whether she was a mage or not, deceiving the entirety of Ferdinand including himself. The truth would ultimately determine what to do next.
“I’m not a real mage,” she whispered, only audible because of their proximity.
Kaon’s eyes widened. This was the answer he had been looking for, but it was still somehow hard to believe.
Alessia wasn’t a mage, and she had been fooling everyone the entire time.
Also, the Alessia that Kaon knew would have been apologizing by now, explaining her situation and asking for forgiveness. The person in front of him didn’t seem at all inclined to do so. For someone caught in the act, she seemed overly composed, even relaxing as time passed.
“But how are you going to prove it?” She released his collar and gently pushed him back. “The people here love you so much. They’re proud of you; I heard a great deal of anecdotes from them.”
Kaon knew she was right. He wouldn’t be able to prove to anyone that she wasn’t a mage.
“But no one ever mentioned that you had such a special ability. Isn’t that strange? If a knight had the ability of a mage, it would make sense to show off.”
“…”
“I guess they didn’t know, did they?” She grinned like a child who had found treasure.
In contrast, Kaon’s expression had darkened worryingly. He’d been planning on persuading Alessia to tell him the truth, so he wasn’t prepared for her to openly admit her guilt and turn the tables on him.
“Does your sister know about this? That her brother can see mana? If she does, what reason does she have to hide it?”
The barrage of sharp questions flustered him.
“I see. She doesn’t know either, does she?”
Kaon wasn’t able to deny anything. This scenario was totally unfamiliar to him, who lived simply and straightforwardly.
“Still, I want to know. Why didn’t you think of telling your sister about the truth about me? She seems like the sort of person who would listen to you in earnest.”
“That’s…” Kaon paused.
If he’d spoken to Leonida, she certainly would have listened. He knew that he’d have to tell her eventually, but…
“Or is that not the case?”
“…”
“Why haven’t you told her?”
Alessia’s red eyes stared deep into his soul, tilting her head when he tried to look away due to the irrational fear that she would be able to see all his secrets.
“Do you like me?”
“You…!” Well and truly embarrassed, Kaon snapped his mouth shut.
It was one unbelievable thing after the other in this conversation.
She’d asked so nonchalantly about his feelings, making him realize that everything she’d shown to him so far was a lie.
A dull pain rushed into his heart.
“Do you? If so, just pretend you don’t know anything, Kaon.” Alessia bit her lip, the perfect image of the girl he knew and liked.
“You knew all that?” He clenched his fist.
He didn’t even know if he genuinely wanted confirmation. He just felt like he should ask something, say something.
“How could I not know? I can see the way you look at me,” she replied, raising her gaze from his whitened knuckles.
‘Then why did you pretend otherwise?’
Even though he would look like a fool if he asked, he really wanted to. If it was as obvious as she made it out to be, why did she pretend not to know for so long? His life would have been much easier if she’d given him a hint that she knew.
Kaon was prepared to give her his heart even if she wasn’t ready to share hers. If there was something she didn’t like about him, he would fix it, and he was ready to step aside if she preferred to be with someone else.
Even if it wasn’t possible to do all that, she would at least try.
He might have even tried to cover for her secret. If she had explained the situation to him and not used threats, he would have helped.
Alessia’s conjecture was right. Kaon hadn’t run to Leonida to tattle because he liked her.
Perhaps inherited from his father, he was so intent on giving his all for the person he liked.
“Let’s make a deal, Kaon Ferdinand.”
Something in his chest sank at the sight of her cold gaze. It was proof. Proof that she had never liked him, not even a little bit, that every bit of sympathy and affection was all an illusion.
‘It’s not the first time I’ve seen those eyes.’
Kaon belatedly recalled that he’d seen a fleeting glimpse of coldness once, in between smiles. At the time, he’d brushed it off, but it turned out to be the real thing.
‘Was everything really fake? Do I even know anything about her?’
“It’s simple. I’ll hide your secret, and you’ll hide mine,” Alessia said with a finality, the confidence of knowing that there was no other option.
Without waiting for an answer, she turned on her heel without hesitation, and Kaon didn’t stop her.
Neither of them knew or realized that Alessia’s fingertips were trembling just then.
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