Chapter 11.2

“So that’s why the house is so clean.” I smiled awkwardly, changing the subject.

“They’re really coming.”

Looking at the documents related to the Tower of Magic that was on top of his desk, I couldn’t contain my smile.

“Dad, what do I do? My heart is all…”

Pounding and fluttering.

With my hands to my cheeks, I giggled out of excitement.

Since some people had been hurt by the appearance of the monsters, I shouldn’t be too happy, but it was still a huge deal. To be blunt, what other occasion could there be for magicians of the Tower of Magic to come all the way to a remote area like our place in the future? And three of them, to boot.

When I returned to school, I was definitely going to brag to my friends.

Reading and re-reading the documents over and over again, I hummed a happy tune almost naturally.

***

“Miss, your cheekbones could pierce the sky at this rate.” Stifling a snicker, Rita turned around as she opened the curtains.

“Of course, you know how long I’ve been dreaming of this.”

After spreading out all the magic books I’d collected so far on my bed, I made a satisfied expression.

With a pleased look of her own, Rita gathered all the laundry and asked for the last time, “Miss, you don’t have anything else to wash, right?”

“Yeah, thanks for all your hard work.”

Only after Rita left did I carefully turn to look.

The place my eyes immediately landed on was the red hardcover, emanating from where it was on my desk.

With slightly trembling hands, I picked up the book.

My hands found the page that I had now become familiar with: the part in which my ending was revealed.

“‘You said so yourself, Noah, that liking someone is something you can’t control. That’s the same for me. I did it because I like you so much. Am I not allowed to have this much to myself?’

Noah looked down at me with cold eyes and spoke. ‘That’s not my business. What’s important is that Flora had a hard time because of you.’”

The Kate inside the book protested at first before crumbling down at Noah’s cold response. It felt weird, looking at myself crying and clinging and even sobbing at the end of the story.

But if Noah treated me so scarily like that, would I be able to not cry like I had in the book?

“Hmm…”

Since I thought I really might have done that if I hadn’t known the future through this book, I couldn’t feel at peace.

It’s alright. Soon I would be able to forget him.

I’d been in love with him for almost two years, so it was natural that I couldn’t shake it all off so suddenly. Especially since I’d thought Noah would kick me away harshly if I confessed, only for that not to be the case.

I’m sure I’d gradually give up the more I saw Flora and Noah together.

“It’s going to be… Okay.” Muttering to myself bitterly, I closed the book.

***

I couldn’t fall asleep until the sky was completely dark. Eventually, I gave up on sleeping and was sitting on my bed blankly.

It was then that far away, a few small points of light glowed outside the window.

“What is that…?”

Putting something on over my pajamas, I walked through the hallways and out the door.

“Miss Kate, where are you going?! Miss Kate!”

I could hear voices calling for me from the direction of the mansion, but I didn’t stop.

The place where I could see the lights was at the border of Grania Forest. Our family’s knights had crowded around with torches in their hands.

Wrapping my clothes around me closer, I joined the crowd surrounding the forest.

“Excuse me, is something the matter?”

“Miss Kate? You shouldn’t be here right now. Quick, please…”

The moment Sir Zion turned his body in surprise, the identity of what the knights were crowded around was revealed.

“That- that’s…!”

A monster.

This was a monster? Wow, gross. Was there a reason it had to look so gross?

Furrowing my eyebrows, I looked at the monster that was black from head to toe. In the meantime, its—should it be called eyes? Anyhow, the monster’s attention turned to me and would you know it? Its tentacles flew quickly towards me.

I hastily drew out a defense magic circle in the air.

“Erk.”

Maybe because I’d activated it too quickly, but the magic was a bit unstable when I unleashed it. It was a relief that I had a defense spell memorized and was able to put it to good use when I needed it, which was now.

“Miss Kate!”

“I’m fine. Everyone, stay back!”

Scrunching up my face, I tried to maintain the magic circle.

The monster looked a little different from the illustrations in the textbook. Its uneven surface had dark colors, so it felt like I was looking into the abyss.

It was when I was distracted by the strange appearance of the monster that with a crash, the magic circle shattered.

“…!”

Since this was the first time my magic had been canceled forcefully, I was a bit flustered. Shaking off my tingling hands, I stood still unaware of the approaching monster, when a knight threw his sword at the monster.

“Hya!”

It was a brave choice but not enough to stop the monster.

In order to help him, I began activating any offensive magic I could think of. My hands were still numb and tingly, but it was doable.

“…!”

A part of the monster’s body caved in as it got hit by the magic, and it made a strange cry before combusting in the air.

Was it over?

With a bit of a dumbfounded face, I stood there, rubbing my still tingly hands together.