Chapter 101
His serious gaze seemed genuinely concerned for her.
“Why is Edwin at risk?”
“ā¦That’sā¦”
“Is this something you can’t talk about?”
“There are parts I can’t speak about, and parts I can.”
“Then just tell me what you can.”
Illein met Edwin’s gaze as he looked at her with a strange expression.
“Logically speaking, it’s quite rude for a man to visit the room of a young lady, especially at night. And right now, I am in your bedroom.”
“I opened the door for you.”
“Exactly. You shouldn’t have done that. You should have been cautious. Even if I am here, you should be suspicious, especially if you didn’t open the front door yourself.”
“Edwin has visited here often. Why should I be cautious now? After all, you came because of the magic control device I have.”
“ā¦ā¦”
“And I was waiting for Edwin. Without the power of the control device, wouldn’t you be in danger?”
Illeinās words were very sharp. Edwin struggled to find a response to her pointed remarks.
“What if it was another man, not me?”
“I’d report him to the police.”
“Thenā¦ you should report it too.”
“But I see Edwin every day.”
“Even if you see me every day, donāt meet me if I come at this late hour.”
“Thatās my choice.”
“Consider my feelings too.”
“I want to trust Edwin.”
“It’s fine during the day. But not in the evening.”
“But Edwin, you came here covered in blood at this late hour and expressed your concern. Doesnāt that mean you trust me a lot? If you were hurt like this and went to someone you didn’t trust, you might suffer even more.”
As Illein spoke and took Edwinās hand, he let out a deep sigh.
She led him to the sofa, and Edwin followed her with her gentle grip. Once they were seated, Illein took out her wand and began cleaning the stains from his clothes.
“Illenas.”
“Yes?”
As she carefully removed the bloodstains from his clothes, Edwin spoke with a sense of resolve.
“How about learning offensive magic while weāre at it?”
“Should I? Isnāt that a bit much?”
“Iāll teach you lightning magic.”
“Really? Isnāt that quite difficult?”
Illein was surprised by Edwinās offer to teach her lightning magic, especially since she was attuned to water magic. She wondered if she, who had no talent for offensive magic, would be able to master an area-effect spell like lightning.
“Just learn for now. And if you suspect someone, use it with water.”
“…Iāll do that.”
“Using water will make it more effective. You understand that, right?”
“You mentioned that earlier.”
“Itās important.”
Illein was intrigued by Edwinās kind tone. It seemed like he was more relaxed with her, almost as if he was interacting with a same-gender friend.
Although she felt oddly unsettled by this thought, she wasnāt sure why.
“Iām curious about how to use lightning magic.”
“You need to sense the electric current flowing within your body. Itās not that difficult.”
“Why are you so good at everything?”
Illein complained slightly, feeling as though Edwinās skills were almost overwhelming.
“Wellā¦ itās because I learned it a long time ago.”
“You must have studied really hard back then.”
Illein tightened her grip on her wand as she spoke.
“Back thenā¦ I thought if I studied hard, my mother would live longer.”
“…What?”
“Forget it. Itās nothing.”
Illein, affected by his recent words, found herself staring at him with wide eyes.
“How about focusing on the palm of your hand? Leave the wand out.”
“I canāt focus on that right now after hearing what you said.”
“…What?”
“Please finish what you were saying. I think that will help me focus better.”
Illein said this while looking at Edwin.
Edwin, though initially looking perplexed, soon gave a small smile. He found her eyes strikingly similar to his own, their clear gaze reminiscent of a glacial melt.
“Why are you so curious about that?”
“Just because. Is it wrong to be curious?”
“There’s nothing good to be gained from learning about me. It would only put you in danger.”
“If Iām in dangerā¦ Iāll find a way to deal with it.”
She said this and looked at Edwin once more.
Edwin, finding her response intriguing, smiled again.
“Youāre quite fascinating. Not expecting help from others is one thing.”
“…Why is that?”
“Your brother is the same. He doesnāt seem to expect help from anyone.”
“Well, itās not like Iāve relied on anyoneās help.”
He smiled again at her words.
“Is that so?”
