Pretending To Have A Girlfriend?

Chapter 74: Weapon (2)

“...Starchis is a virgin?”

“...Is there a problem with that?”

She had heard it clearly with her own ears.

The voice of the woman screaming his name in ecstasy.

She had heard it through his clothes, enchanted with an eavesdropping spell.

Clothes she had gifted him, telling him to wear them when meeting his girlfriend.

If it were the naive Starchis, he would have done as she said.

He’d wear the clothes she had bought him, go on a date,

...Or so she had thought. But it turns out Starchis is a virgin.

“...That can’t be true. I’m sure I...”

“Hm? I’m not mistaken.”

“How could you possibly know that?”

Lily found her master’s words hard to believe.

Between what she had experienced firsthand and what someone else was telling her,

it was obvious which one she trusted more.

Seeing Lily’s doubt, her master let out a sigh.

“...Lily, your magical sight and mine are not the same.”

She began explaining slowly.

“While your ability is limited to seeing far or locating things, I can see details about a person if I wish—muscle mass, scars engraved on their body, the amount of mana, divine power, combat strength, and even something as intimate as their virginity if it’s related to magic.”

“...But...”

“Did you actually see them engaging in the act?”

Her master’s question made Lily glare at her.

“...No.”

She hadn’t seen it.

“Then?”

“...I heard it.”

Like confessing during penance, Lily felt compelled to confess her sins to her master.

“How did you hear it?”

“Through an eavesdropping spell...”

“...Haa...”

Her master shrugged.

“The more I look at you, Lily, the more I see how much we have in common—especially your tendency to use any means necessary.”

“....”

“You misunderstood. Either that boy was teasing you, or—”

“—Starchis wouldn’t do that!” Lily shouted, cutting her master off.

“...He’s not that kind of person...”

“It was just a joke. Regardless, he’s never embraced anyone before.”

Lily felt her head spin, yet an overwhelming sense of joy began to well up within her. It was as though the suffocating weight in her chest was finally being lifted.

He hadn’t been with any woman yet.

She was still the one who shared the deepest connection with him.

But Lily shook her head.

She couldn’t believe it so easily.

The prettiest apples often contained poison.

If she believed this and it turned out to be false, she feared the heartbreak it would cause.

She tried to calm herself, telling herself that her master could be wrong or might simply be testing her reaction.

“You’re just teasing me again, aren’t you, Master?”

“What?”

“You always do this—playing with me...”

“What could I possibly gain from lying about this?”

“...The fun of messing with me?”

“Ha, believe what you want, child. If you can’t trust me, then don’t.”

Her master’s indifferent response only made Lily’s heart race faster.

Could it really be true?

Could she believe it?

Had he really not crossed the line with Elza?

“...Is it true?”

“...Heh.”

“Master!”

“It’s true, Lily. Trust me.”

Her master’s reassuring words brought tears to Lily’s eyes.

She had envied Elza so much.

It wasn’t the act itself that she envied but the emotional intimacy that came with it—the connection they would have shared.

But now, she was told that wasn’t the case.

She didn’t know how or why, but the sounds she’d heard back then were not of him engaging in such acts.

“Think back carefully, Lily. Was there anything odd about the situation when you overheard it?”

Lily dredged up memories she had buried deep inside.

Memories she had tried to suppress because they were too painful to confront.

“I... I love you, Chis...! Hah...!”

She recalled the words she had heard that day.

And then, she thought of Elza again.

“Thank you, Starchis.”

“...Huh?”

They were different.

The voice she had heard back then and Elza’s tone were entirely different.

Elza always used formal speech with Starchis,

and she called him by his full name, not a nickname.

The voice... was harder to pinpoint.

The moans of an excited woman all sounded similar.

But one thing stood out—she hadn’t heard Starchis’s voice at all.

“...Haha...”

Her trust in her master’s words grew stronger.

He was still pure.

He hadn’t been sullied by another woman.

He was still untainted.

But then, curiosity crept in. Whose voice had she heard?

A woman who liked Starchis.

Lily had a good idea of most women who fancied him.

It was important to know her enemies, so she kept a close watch on any woman who approached him.

Who among them would call him “Chis”?

Elza never used that nickname.

That left only one person.

“...Luss!”

Lily gritted her teeth.

Memories of the torment Luss had caused her flooded back, filling her with anger.

Although unsure of the details,

The scenarios Lily could imagine were either  Russ sneaking into his room and hugging his clothes or comforting herself near them.

An overwhelming mix of relief and anger surged through her.

And finally, the sense of urgency returned.

The race wasn’t over.

She had thought it was done and had resigned herself to second place.

But now, the chance to be first was still within reach.

To be the one to embrace him first.

To hold him before Elza did.

“...Master, teach me.”

“Teach you what?”

“The hypnosis spell.”

“...Not for what you’re thinking,” her master said.

Judging by Lily’s current mix of doubt and relief, it was clear she was on the verge of losing herself after confirming the chastity of the man she adored.

“...I know.”

After a moment of thought, her master decided it wasn’t her problem to solve.

It wasn’t a bad thing for her either.

Watching Lily grow had always been one of her joys.

Perhaps, one day, Lily might even become someone who could assist her in magical research.

“Before I teach you, there’s something you need to understand.”

“What is it?”

“The more you try to make the subject do something they dislike, the higher the chance the hypnosis will break.”

“What?”

“What do you plan to make him do under hypnosis?”

Lily imagined the scenario.

A hypnotized Starchis, sitting still.

If it were her, she would start by taking in his scent.

Then, maybe she’d hold his hand,

or embrace him tightly.

Ultimately, her goal was to hear him say the words, I love you.

That was her final objective.

“...I want to hear him say he loves me.”

“Ha...”

Her master chuckled as though finding Lily endearing.

“That might not even work.”

“What?!”

“If that boy dislikes you, the rejection he feels from saying such words could break the hypnosis.”

“...If he dislikes me?”

Fear crept into her heart.

Those words implied that to hear his confession of love,

she’d need to confirm how he truly felt about her.

If he felt such strong rejection that he pushed her away, even imagining it made her chest ache unbearably.

“Or, if he has a lover and is reluctant to betray them, the hypnosis could fail.”

“What?”

“You know, some men are so loyal to their partners that they refuse to even look at other women.

If he’s that type, you won’t hear him say those words.”

Her plan was unraveling.

If her master’s words were true, there was no way to hear him say he loved her.

Not when he cherished loyalty above all.

Crack.

Once again, Elza.

Even with magic, she couldn’t surpass her.

As her master had said, hypnosis wasn’t as convenient as it seemed.

“...I still want to learn,” Lily said firmly.

Even if she couldn’t hear him say he loved her, being held by him would be enough to make her happy.

The stage of using mana manipulation as an excuse to touch his body was over.

Starchis had already begun to sense mana on his own.

She no longer had a pretext to touch him.

“Lily?”

“Yes?”

“Before we get into hypnosis, why don’t we revisit why I came here in the first place?”

“...Alright.”

“You wanted to know how to help him move mana on his own, right?”

“Yes.”

“Actually, that process takes quite a bit of time. You know that, don’t you?”

Lily nodded. She knew it well.

The path was long—feeling where your feet were and learning to walk with them were vastly different.

“That’s why you kept coming to me for advice, wasn’t it?”

“Yes. I just... I want him to improve faster.”

Her master raised a brow.

“What if I told you I could shorten that time?”

“...What?”

Lily could hardly believe her ears.

There hadn’t been such a method when she became a mage.

She had slowly progressed, day by day, until she finally awakened.

If such a method existed, why hadn’t it been used on her?

“There’s a way?”

“Of course. I’ve done plenty of research over the years.”

“Then, could you please use it to help him?”

Lily’s eyes lit up.

If the time could be shortened, that would be the best outcome.

Being with Starchis now was already a joy, but seeing him even happier would bring her greater bliss.

“That boy doesn’t need a vast amount of mana, right?”

“No. Just enough to unlock the flow and move his hands would be fine.”

“Hmm, this method is fast, but it has the drawback of greatly reducing the mana pool.

That’s why I’m asking.”

Lily considered this. It wasn’t a problem.

If he only needed to control his mana without expelling it, the size of his mana pool didn’t matter much.

Starchis already knew how to fight.

He didn’t need to learn new magic.

It was better to help him regain his previous skills than to teach him something new.

“...That’s fine. I’ll ask him about it next time.”

“Alright, that’s settled. Now, about the materials for this method.”

“Yes?”

“The materials are extraordinarily expensive.

The kind that can drastically shorten the time needed.

It might allow him to use his hands right away.”

“Really?!”

“Yes. But Lily...”

Finally, the side of her master Lily had always feared—and respected—emerged.

The master who would give up anything for magic.

The special treatment Lily had been receiving was an exception.

Normally, her master didn’t concern herself with others’ whims.

Her expression grew cold as she asked,

“What will you give me in return?”

It was abundantly clear this wasn’t a joke.

She wanted a fitting price.

This wasn’t something that could be settled with a trivial or simple reward.

“As I said, the materials are extraordinarily expensive.

Convince me why I shouldn’t use them elsewhere.”

“...”

“Of course, I came here because I was concerned about you,

but I didn’t come with the intention of offering help unconditionally.”

“...Is there something you want from me?”

Her master smiled seductively.

“Now we’re getting somewhere. Let’s see...”

Her master began circling Lily.

“...I’ll teach you the hypnosis spell and help that boy you like move his hands. In return...”

Tap.

Her master gently held Lily’s chin.

“You’ll come back to me.”

“What?”

“Come back and assist me with my research.

You’d be of great help.”

“...Was this your plan from the beginning?”

“No, Lily. I came here for the reasons stated in my letter.

I couldn’t focus on my research because your situation kept distracting me.”

“...”

“But, seeing you in person has awakened a lot of greed in me.

Your willingness to use any means necessary, your vast mana reserves...

I suddenly realized how valuable you could be to me.”

To return to her master meant leaving Starchis’ side.

That was unthinkable.

“...No.”

“Hm?”

“I don’t want to leave Starchis.”

“...Is that so?”

Lily raised her head and glared at her master.

“Master! Everything I’m doing is for Starchis.

And now you’re telling me to leave him? That’s far too cruel!”

“Hmm... Is that so?”

After a moment of contemplation, her master offered a compromise.

“Alright, let’s set a condition.”

“...I’m listening.”

“If that boy Starchis doesn’t choose you,

you’ll come to me.”

“...What?”

“If he doesn’t choose you, isn’t it meaningless anyway?

If he rejects you, dislikes you, or if he dies, you’ll come to me.

And when you do, you’ll dedicate your life to me—until my last breath. What do you think?”

Lily considered it briefly.

“...Fine. But I have one condition as well.”

“What is it?”

“You won’t approach Starchis. Don’t try to sway him against me with your words or actions.

And certainly, don’t... harm him.”

A sly smile spread across her master’s face.

“You know me so well. Alright, I accept.”

“...Good.”

Despite her unease, Lily shook her master’s hand.

Life is long.

And for a mage, it’s even longer.

She was prepared to stake everything.

She didn’t know if she could win his heart.

But even if she couldn’t, it didn’t matter.

First and foremost, she needed to heal his arm.

The arm that was injured because of her.

She was determined to fix it, even if it meant wagering her entire life.

After all, it was a life he had saved.

Returning it to him wouldn’t be such a bad thing.

Especially if the life she had left was one without his love.

If, by some one-in-ten-thousand chance, she ended up with him, it would be as though magic itself had made it happen.

It was a gamble where failure meant losing a great deal, but success meant gaining even more.

If she failed to win his heart, she would heal his arm but spend the rest of her days serving her master.

If she succeeded, she would heal his arm, win Starchis, and have no reason to dedicate her life to her master.

From this moment on, she was all in.

Her master stretched her body and rose to her feet.

“Well then, let’s start with the hypnosis spell.”

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