episode_0052

Charlotte was more tense than ever as she listened to the class.

The reason was because she could feel someone’s gaze. Lily’s gaze, to be exact.

‘Why is she staring at me…?’

Swallowing nervously, Charlotte quickly racked her brain to see if she had recently done anything to make Lily uncomfortable, but she couldn’t recall anything.

Lily never interacted with anyone. No, it wasn’t that she didn’t interact, but rather that no one approached her.

Lily had shown incredible performance in the practice duels.

With wings and a tail being the only things missing, she looked like a demon in human form. Her overwhelming power, ominous black mana, and brutal fighting style had earned her the nicknames of demon and witch among her peers.

Charlotte had been avoiding Lily as much as possible. She tried to stay away from any involvement with her.

‘Could it be… because of that incident?’

Charlotte recalled an incident that had happened a few days ago.

As usual, Mari was waiting for her after class, but this time, there was a tall woman standing next to her.

The woman seemed a bit odd because she was covering half of her face with a veil.

At first, Charlotte thought Mari had finally made a friend. Mari, rejected by the elf village due to being a half-elf and unable to make friends due to past traumas.

So, Charlotte became curious about the woman next to Mari.

But when she asked who the woman was, her answer made Charlotte’s heart drop.

Nari Estelle Lily.

Charlotte had no idea that Lily also had a maid. To think that such a violent and demon-like woman had a maid by her side.

Charlotte wondered if the maid was also abnormal. I mean, who wears a veil to cover their face?

Moreover, the mana composition and structure she felt from the veil caught her attention, and she realized that it was an illusion-inhibiting magic, the same type of magic she was using.

However, she felt no mana coming from the woman’s body, and she looked like an ordinary human. So, her attention was drawn to the veil with the illusion-inhibiting magic even more.

It was an absurd item, something that should never exist.

Elves are fundamentally against magic enchantments. Magic is a very noble thing, and the subject of magic should always be nature. Enchanting objects that are not created by nature is strictly forbidden.

Moreover, while ordinary magic might be acceptable, illusion-inhibiting magic is a type of magic used by the high elves, who are exceptional even among elves. And illusion-inhibiting magic is known and usable only by high elves.

So why was there an illusion-inhibiting enchantment on that veil? Was it cast by a high elf? But high elves never enchant things. Then who enchanted that veil with illusion-inhibiting magic?

As she delved into these thoughts, a chilling voice echoed in her mind.

It was Lily, her owner. Charlotte was shocked by how surprised she was back then.

As she tried to calm her startled heart, she watched in fear as the cruel Lily ran towards the maid with the veil. She wondered what Lily was planning to do.

Lily embraced the maid like a normal girl. The maid, who wore the veil, gently stroked Lily’s head. And to make things even stranger, Lily seemed to enjoy the gesture.

Charlotte quickly looked around, but no one seemed to pay any attention to Lily and the maid.

‘Surely not.’

Enhancing my eyesight, which I only use during battles or when I need to confirm something important, I looked at Lily. As I suspected, Lily was under the influence of an illusion spell.

“Does Lily know how to use illusion magic? But she’s human, isn’t she?”

Confused by Lily’s use of illusion magic, I turned to walk away as her maid greeted me. Lily looked at me, put her index finger to her lips, and smiled slightly.

Clearly indicating to keep quiet.

From then on, I tried to keep my distance from Lily as much as possible. It’s not like I’m afraid of Lily’s warning. Really. In fact, only Mari and I at the academy can recognize Lily’s magic.

But I don’t understand why she keeps staring at me from the side. Not just glancing, but really staring intently. I haven’t said a word about Lily to anyone, not even in my heart.

Lost in various thoughts, as the class ended, I made a quick escape before Lily could do anything.

-Thud.

I was caught by Lily.

Now I am walking towards Lily’s dormitory with her. No words were exchanged during the process.

Lily spoke to me in a straightforward manner.

“Help me.”

It was a voice that could not be taken as a joke. So, without realizing it, I nodded my head, abandoning my vow to stay away from Lily until graduation.

“Should I run away now…? Why are we going to the dormitory? Does Lily need my help there?”

“Gulp.”

Lost in countless thoughts, I suddenly found myself at the dormitory where Lily was staying.

“Here is…”

Although I live in this dormitory, I didn’t know this place existed. I was sure there was a separate top floor, but I knew that there were only five floors, and yet the place I got off was marked as the sixth floor.

The dormitory door visible as soon as we got off the elevator looked ordinary, but the inside of the dormitory was anything but ordinary.

While marveling and looking around, Lily stopped in front of what seemed to be the bedroom door.

“Thank you for offering to help.”

“Oh, it’s nothing! But what do you need my help with…?”

I hope she’s not going to make some strange request. I started feeling uneasy as she led me into the dormitory and spoke in front of the bedroom door.

But that unease turned into a different kind of unease.

“Charlotte. High Elf, right?”

In an instant, my body turned cold, and mana surged from deep within me.

High Elf.

Among the elves, the High Elves, born of noble lineage, are the representatives of the elves. That’s how it used to be.

But in this era, High Elves have fallen to become ingredients for alchemy.

Just the rumor of being a High Elf is enough to drive otherworldly beings crazy, doing whatever it takes to get a drop of their blood.

That’s what a High Elf is.

It must not be revealed to anyone. How difficult it was to hide being a High Elf. My parents never let me out, prevented me from getting close to anyone, and isolated me completely.

So, I became even closer to Mari, who was ostracized by other elves. Fortunately, my parents accepted Mari as my maid.

But Lily, rumored to be a witch, a demon, looked at me and revealed that I was a High Elf.

“You don’t have to be so guarded.”

“What should I believe?”

Helping out and the academy no longer mattered.

“I will keep Charlotte’s secret, and Charlotte will keep mine. Wouldn’t that make us both a little more at ease?”

Right now, Lily wanted to push Riri down and keep the secret, but the image of Lily during the practice duel came to mind, and quickly nodded as she listened to Lily’s words.

“Is it Lily’s secret?”

“Actually, it’s not my secret, but a very important secret to me.”

It’s not her own secret, but an important secret to Lily? I just can’t grasp it.

“I’m keeping Charlotte as a high elf a secret.”

‘What kind of secret is this…’

“Charlotte is my maid, no. I mean, I keep the identity of my wife, Amelia, a secret.”

“… What?”

Did I just hear that wrong? Lily’s voice just now. Pretty and cute, but scary, cruel, and ruthless Lily is correct.

And she changed it from saying maid to wife. And Amelia.

Amelia was clearly Lily’s maid. The maid who always accompanied Lily, wearing a veil of identity concealment. Always by Lily’s side.

And what about the maid? The wife of Lily, the head of the Estelle family? So, they’re married?

They’re both women!? So, that means a same-sex marriage…?

Suddenly, my head is spinning with incredible information.

I was dumbfounded by Lily’s coming out. Lily’s words just don’t make sense no matter how much I think about it.

But Lily spoke again, driving the point home.

“Please cast an identity concealment spell on my wife, Amelia.”

“So… um… Lily’s maid…”

“Zap.”

“Lily’s wife! To Amelia, who is Lily’s wife, an identity concealment spell?”

Lily nodded.

“And please keep it a secret about Amelia.”

“But why bring her to the academy…?”

Honestly, it’s puzzling. If she wants to protect her maid, no, her wife, Amelia, like this, why bring her to the academy?

“I want to confine her so she can’t go anywhere.”

“…Ah.”

Lily’s words reminded me of my parents. In fact, when I was young, I didn’t like my parents. But now I understand a little. They did those things to protect me.

Still, a prison-like life was terrible. But Lily wants that… I felt sorry for Lily’s maid, Amelia. She seemed to be in a situation similar to mine.

Who is Amelia anyway, that Lily would mention confinement to that extent? How important of a person must she be.

I should tell Lily. That kind of mindset is not right. You shouldn’t think that way. A prison-like life due to confinement is terribly cruel.

Lily took me carefully and quietly entered the bedroom.

There, I saw Amelia without the veil. Amelia was lying on the bed, sleeping peacefully.

The pinnacle of elven beauty, the epitome of beauty was right in front of my eyes.

‘Should I confine her?’