A Fairytale for Wizards

A carriage came not long after Azriel started waiting in front of the Aurora Society. Along with Marthi, she headed to the mansion of the duke of Madriol. Inside the carriage, she heard roughly what had happened last night. She almost fainted when she heard that Rhema came and brought her back.

“How did Rhema know to come?” she asked.

“I’m not sure… Isn’t it suspicious? As I thought, he seems to be your enemy,” Marthi speculated.

“…No. He probably came to see me in worry because it was my first ball.” She denied Marthi’s speculation.

“Master, you’re defending him again,” Marthi said.

“…”

Azriel closed her mouth.

‘I shouldn’t have drunk. I must’ve been hideous.’

‘I would have shown a properly adorned look with the things he gifted me. If he praised me, saying that I looked beautiful, I would’ve been so happy…’ Absently thinking such thoughts, she was astonished by herself.

‘What am I saying when I’m the one who left the house like that—not to mention what happened earlier?’

‘Am I still drunk?’ There was no magic to heal a hangover among the spells she knew. Azriel slammed her forehead into the carriage window.

“M-master?” Marthi called.

“It’s nothing…” she said.

Soon, the carriage arrived at the Madriol’s mansion. Lexina von Madriol received her in the reception room.

“Welcome, Miss Azriel Esthera. I am Lexina von Madriol.”

Lexina, who sat in an upright posture with her blue hair neatly flowing down, was the very picture of a dignified duke’s daughter. It was hard to recall what Azriel saw in the garden house. After exchanging greetings and having tea, there was a long and embarrassing silence. Eventually, Lexina, who had been looking down, opened her mouth first.

“Do you remember?” she asked.

“…Yes,” Azriel replied.

“All of it?” Lexina asked.

“Everything before I drank…” Azriel said.

“…What about after drinking?” Lexina asked.

“Barely anything… Well, what about you, Lady? Do you remember?” Azriel asked back.

“…Yes,” Lexina answered.

“Everything?” Azriel asked again.

“…”

There was a long and awkward silence again. A strange bond flowed between them. It was natural to feel intimate in a short period of time if people shared an embarrassing memory that they wished to forget. After a long while, Lexina murmured with a pale face, “If only I didn’t remember…”

“Right,” Azriel replied.

“No, you are in a much better place than I am,” Lexina argued.

“That is also right,” Azriel agreed.

“…That is true, but it saddens me to hear you say it,” Lexina grunted.

“Oh, umm… I’m sorry…” Azriel apologized.

“No. You don’t have to apologize. It is my fault after all.”

Lexina, who had been sitting straight up, suddenly lost her posture and pressed her forehead. Seeing her appearance as if she was carrying all the troubles of the world, Azriel hastily said, “Don’t you worry, Lady. I won’t tell anyone about what I saw and heard.”

“It doesn’t mean anything even if you don’t say anything,” Lexina replied.

“Pardon? Why is that so?” Azriel asked.

“His Majesty saw it,” Lexina said.

It was a fact that made even a listener feel faint. Azriel became absent-minded for a moment and quickly fixed her expression. “It-it’s going to be all right. His Majesty is a kind person.”

“You don’t have to comfort me.” Lexina’s face was downcast.

Azriel looked at her pitifully and carefully said, “Then, you must remember what I said as well, Lady.”

Azriel was concerned about the things that she subtly shared with Leixna the night before. Moreover, she showed Marthi how she acted when she was drunk—not to mention the fact that Rhema escaped there using teleportation openly in front of Lexina. She had not been exposing it only because she did not want to be bothered, but if Lexina saw them, there would be a lot to explain.

“Oh.” Lexina’s face suddenly turned red. “Can you please pretend that you didn’t hear it?”

“Pardon? About what?” Azriel asked.

“About how I feel about His… His Majesty,” Lexina stammered.

Since the lady did not continue, Azriel asked, “You mean that you like him?”

“Please forget about that, please…” Lexina buried her face in both hands. Her face turned red up to her ears. “I-I am not really head over heels i-in love with him. It was my first time drinking yesterday. So, I’m saying, I kind of exaggerated a bit. It was nonsense.”

“Were you not being earnest?”