Gardenia’s Heart

”Don’t forget to bring notes about what you enjoyed most from the lesson! I’ll read them all and award extra points for the best ones.”

With great effort, Selene managed to usher even the teachers out of the arena. Once the last spectator had left, she pressed both hands against her burning, embarrassed face before turning back to the girl in the center of the arena.

”I admit defeat this time!”

The sudden declaration of surrender made Nia, for the first time, take a step back. The metamorph had assumed that, due to the intensity of the battle, Selene had decided it was better to clear the audience before continuing—not that she would outright admit losing.

”Uh...” Nia’s voice wavered slightly.

Realizing she was about to engage in a conversation she had no desire for made Nia furrow her brow. However, before she could completely lose herself in what to do next, she felt relieved when Lily resumed control of the body.

”Are you sure? We can keep going a little longer if you want.” Lily placed both hands on her hips, the wide smile on her face making it clear how proud she was of her wife’s victory.

”That spell... it wasn’t something that should be used within the grounds of a learning institution.” Peeking at Lily through her fingers, Selene tried her best to keep her voice audible, her rabbit ears flattened in shame. ”Besides, that last attack... you could have dodged it, couldn’t you?”

Her gaze drifted to the shattered arena wall, which was temporarily patched with a thick layer of hardened gray ink.

”Not only did you take it head-on to protect the students, but you also managed to reflect my own attack back at me. I shouldn’t call myself an educator if I can’t admit my mistakes. You were the victor.”

Doing her best to maintain an upright posture despite her flushed face, Selene extended her right hand toward Lily.

Though hesitant, the silver-haired girl accepted the handshake from the woman in the red dress.

“Hm?” After a few moments, as the handshake lingered longer than expected, Lily tilted her head, noticing the intense stare coming from Selene’s pink eyes.

”You really are adorable.” Closing the already minimal distance between them with a few quick steps, Selene spoke in a velvety voice despite her flaming cheeks. ”Would you be interested in having a drink with me sometime?”

(Lily, may I kill her?)

Before even waiting for confirmation, four of Nia’s tentacles were already circling the woman in front of her, ready to strike.

”!?”

Selene’s rabbit ears twitched wildly as she saw the tentacles poised to twist her neck, a pained whimper escaping her lips when her hand was squeezed so tightly she began to wonder if her bones would remain intact.

”I must decline your offer. And for your information, I’m married to the most incredible person in the world.” Lily’s voice was cold enough to freeze the soul, her smile not reaching her eyes.

Desperately pulling back, Selene realized her mistake and immediately started dodging the incoming tentacles that seemed ready to end her life.

Lily sighed, gently stroking the tentacle around her waist as she murmured to Nia that it was okay to hurt Selene, as long as she didn’t kill her.

However, before the furious tentacles could strike their target, two other women who had remained in the arena the entire time approached, cutting off the metamorph’s assault.

”Selene, you idiot! What were you thinking, using such a powerful spell in a place full of people?!”

Abelia’s furious voice echoed through the arena, the anger she had been holding back finally bursting free.

With a swift motion, the noble lady used both hands to pull the rabbit-eared girl’s cheeks as far as possible.

”Don’t hold me back, Sis! She’s going to kill me!” Selene struggled to escape Abelia’s grip, her pink eyes darting in terror toward the deadly tentacles. ”It’s not my fault! I didn’t know she was already married! Why is everyone already married? Love is a lie!”

Easily restraining the two-star mage, Abelia wrapped her arms around her and raised both eyebrows, staring directly into her eyes.

”You even flirted with Lady Lily!? You’re at least ten years older than her! This impatience of yours is why you’ve never kept a relationship for more than a week!” Abelia shouted again, shaking Selene back and forth vigorously.

”S-Shut up, Sis! Don’t you dare judge me! I just haven’t found the right woman yet!” Selene yelled back, squirming helplessly as her entire vision spun from the rapid shaking.

”Wasn’t the Mercenaries’ Guild receptionist the love of your life? Or was that when you flirted with the bakery owner the day we secretly bought your birthday cake? No, wait, I remember now—it was when you dragged me to that tavern just because the beer server winked at you through the window!”

”Don’t bring up my childhood crushes like that, Sister! That’s not fair! Absolutely unfair—Aaah! That hurts!”

With her cheeks pinched once more, Selene was forced by Abelia to face Lily again, her head pushed down so her back arched awkwardly.

”What do we say when we do something wrong?” In a commanding tone Lily had never heard before, Abelia stared at Selene so intensely it could have burned holes through her.

”...Sorry.” Selene’s subdued voice echoed softly.

For the first time since arriving at the Mage Academy, Lily had no idea what was unfolding before her eyes. Not even the smallest sound escaped her lips as her mind frantically tried to process the near-theatrical scene playing out in front of her.

(Hmph! I’ll let it slide this time, but if she tries it again, there will be no forgiveness.) Unbothered by Lily’s confusion, Nia huffed in a shy tone within her mind.

Moments later, Lily could feel the four tentacles retreating beneath her dress, curling around her body instead of vanishing. Nia didn’t care enough about the ongoing conversation to keep watching and instead focused entirely on wrapping around her wife as much as possible, ensuring no one would dare try to steal her away.

However, unlike Nia, Lily’s eyes remained filled with confusion as she continued observing the bizarre scene.

Adjusting her posture and smoothing the wrinkles in her red dress, Selene coughed a few times before turning to Abelia.

”Sis, I’ve already told you this, but even if you’re the one asking, I can’t get involved in the battle for the throne. I’m the one keeping this school running—if I leave the Mist Territory for too long, everything could fall apart. These children need me.”

Her voice was low, and her face still flushed with embarrassment.

Watching the rabbit-eared woman avert her gaze several times, Abelia let out a long sigh. Taking Selene’s hands, she guided her toward the stands, sitting down in one of the chairs while nodding for the woman to sit beside her.

”You misunderstood.” Shaking her head with a sorrowful expression, Abelia adjusted the long braid draped over her shoulder before speaking again. ”This time, it wasn’t about the throne that we tried to contact you.”

”But Sis… If it wasn’t about the throne, then why did you come to see me?” Selene’s ears drooped slightly in confusion.

Taking a deep breath, Abelia met the rabbit-eared woman’s gaze with unwavering determination.

”Alice was kidnapped a few days ago. We’ve discovered she’s being forced to work in the Caligo mines under Velmont Sunshard’s control, but we haven’t been able to rescue her. We fear the entire city is in danger. We need your help—you must cooperate with us.”

At first, Selene’s face showed little reaction, and she didn’t respond immediately. But as Abelia’s words weren’t denied as a joke, a dreadful sensation welled up in her chest. Her eyes widened, and she grabbed both of Abelia’s hands.

”No... this can’t be happening! W-Why didn’t you come to me for help sooner?!” Selene felt her heart pound harder against her ribcage, nearly breathless.

”Have you forgotten that you banned us from entering? We tried to visit you several times to ask for your help saving her, but your guards refused to let us in.”

Abelia’s pained expression, paired with her words, made Selene’s heart skip a beat.

Covering her face with both hands, Selene felt the sting of frustrated tears welling up at the corners of her eyes.

”I’m sorryyyyyy!”

All at once, the rabbit-eared girl burst into sobs, her voice choked and muffled by the uncontrollable tears streaming down her face.

”I’m sorry! I’m so sorry, Sis! I never wanted this to happen! I thought that if I made it clear I wouldn’t give in and gave you the cold shoulder, you’d eventually accept my invitation to come live with me!”

As her face grew wetter with tears, Abelia gently pulled Selene into a warm embrace. Her fingers ran soothingly through her golden hair while the arms in the red dress hesitantly returned the hug.

Watching the two women hugging in the stands, Lily quietly moved closer to Cleomel and tugged on her shirt several times.

”Wasn’t she just her childhood friend? Am I losing my mind, or is she calling Abelia her sister?”

While everyone else either seemed to understand what was happening—or simply didn’t care to question it—Lily felt like the only one struggling to piece it all together.

Realizing they had forgotten to explain a crucial detail during the entire emotional exchange, Cleomel let out a dry laugh, scratching her cheek awkwardly.

”Lady Selene’s father, a human noble, had an affair with a demi-human maid,” Cleomel explained, her voice measured, as though trying to be respectful of Selene’s past. ”Her mother died during childbirth, and the man didn’t have the courage to abandon the baby outright. Lady Abelia’s parents kept her hidden due to an old debt they owed her father. Since they were close in age, they grew up together. From what I understand, even though they have no blood relation, Lady Abelia is like an older sister to her.”

Turning back to Lily, Cleomel rubbed her short brown hair thoughtfully before continuing.

”I don’t know every detail, but you can’t keep such a secret hidden forever. The inevitable happened—she was discovered by the family’s matriarch. Outraged by the scandal, the matriarch demanded her death. Even her biological father abandoned her to protect his honor, and the family who had raised her out of obligation had no intention of defending her.”

Lily frowned at the explanation. She only knew the noble world from Abelia’s stories, but it wasn’t hard to imagine the reasons behind such cruelty. Whether it was guilt or a selfish whim, it didn’t matter. Any feelings the man might have had for the child were clearly not stronger than his desire to preserve his status and achievements.

”The two of them knew this day would come, and since they were little, they had been planning a way to save her.”

Removing the spear from her back and gripping the shaft tightly, Cleomel continued speaking, her gaze sharp.

”There was only one way for Selene to survive: to make her existence impossible to erase. To become someone no noble family could simply make disappear in the shadows.”

The silver-haired girl didn’t need to think too hard to understand what that meant, and her mind quickly arrived at the only possible conclusion.

”Become a mage?” Lily asked.

Nodding, Cleomel stopped holding her spear so tensely and returned it to her back with a sigh.

”Demi-humans are still not formally accepted as part of humanity. Even if she had been acknowledged by that house and possessed magical talent, she would never have received formal magical education from Lady Abelia’s family mages. But that didn’t stop her. From what I know, Lady Selene developed her own spells by observing mages in secret. With her life depending on it, she forced her way into the Mage’s Tower and managed to be recognized as a one-star mage at the age of twelve.”

Lily let out a low whistle of surprise. The girl who had spent most of her childhood in a cell had barely gathered the strength to escape and avoid a fate worse than death when a small opportunity presented itself. Knowing that someone, while not in the exact same situation, had faced such painful trials at such a young age made her realize once more how cruel the world could be.

”So that’s why she founded this school.”

Letting out a soft sigh, Lily glanced around at the surroundings, recalling Selene’s words before their fight began.

”Students from low-income families don’t have to pay for lessons, and the entrance exam consists of logic and social questions so that even those without basic education have a chance.”

With a gentle smile, the dark-skinned knight began to approach the sisters alongside Lily.

”Despite her personality, she’s still among the people I respect most.”

Seeing Cleomel and Lily drawing closer, Abelia gently patted the back of the rabbit-eared girl, who was still sobbing with her head pressed against her modest chest, arms tightly wrapped around her older sister’s waist.

”Feeling better?”

When her sister nodded and pulled back slightly from her chest, Abelia waited for her to wipe her face with a handkerchief before speaking again.

”Now, can you explain why you challenged Lady Lily to a duel? She’s helped us immensely these past few days. If it weren’t for her, I might never have been able to hold you like this again.”

”I thought she was a mage you brought here to defeat me. I believed that if I won, you would finally see how incredible I am... that I could protect you and your kids if you decided to hide here in Caligo...” Selene said, finishing wiping her tears.

”What a troublesome and crybaby little sister I have...”

As Abelia gently stroked her hair and rabbit ears, Selene’s pink eyes began to clear. Her tears stopped, and she rubbed her face several times with her arm.

”Alright, I understand part of the situation now.”

Standing from her chair with newfound determination, Selene pointed her index finger dramatically at the silver-haired girl and shouted:

”Lily, from this day onward, you are my rival!”

”What!?”

Lily stumbled back a few steps, utterly shocked by a declaration she never would have expected in her life.

(Lily, are you sure I shouldn’t just kill her?)

”Rival!?” Now struggling to calm Nia’s tentacles and focus on the rabbit-eared woman laughing in front of her, Lily once again felt completely lost.

”I truly thank you from the bottom of my heart for protecting my family, but I can’t keep my pride as a younger sister if I allow Sis to see me defeated. It might not be today, but remember this—I will challenge you again someday because you are now my rival!”

Selene’s twin tails swayed from side to side, matching the determination in her clenched fists.

Unable to stop Selene from speaking so boldly, Abelia lowered her head toward Lily, silently apologizing for her sister’s behavior.

”Besides, I am a person who honors debts. There is no evil in the heart of someone who protects a child, so I won’t ask why your magic feels so much like a monster’s. You can relax.” Placing a finger on her lips, Selene leaned closer to Lily’s ear, her expression turning to tease.

Both Lily and Nia immediately dropped every other thought as Selene’s words reached them. Lily’s blue gaze locked with Selene’s pink eyes. Out of everyone they had encountered, she was the second person—aside from the guardian—who had drawn a connection between Lily’s spells and the innate abilities of monsters.

”At least, not for now, of course.” 

Though she wanted to know more, Selene knew it would be unwise to press Lily for answers now. Similarly, the silver-haired girl wouldn’t act unless Selene tried to do something with that knowledge.

”Very well! Let’s head to my house. I need to hear everything that’s happened. I’ll help in any way I can. To start, is there anything you need urgently?”

Clapping her hands to draw everyone’s attention, Selene swayed her red dress dramatically from side to side.

”Anything...”

Lily’s fingers slid to her thigh, where her twin swords had once rested.

Though they were cheap magical steel blades she had taken after defeating the bandits and guards from her village, they had been her companions the longest. During the battle in the mines, they had been easily shattered by weapons forged from stardust.

”In case we really need to fight in places where magic isn’t the most viable option, I’d like to at least have weapons. Though I dislike asking for this... Selene, could you lend me some money to buy a replacement?”

”While I won’t deny I’d love to help my rival, it would have to be non-monetary. I don’t have any extra funds right now. Do you have any idea how expensive it is to run a mage academy?”

Selene shrugged as if stating something obvious, though her expression quickly soured when she noticed the blank stares from the women around her.

”Wait—why are you all looking at my clothes? Even you, Sis!? For your information, I’ve started sewing all my outfits by hand!”

Stomping her foot against the ground in protest, Selene’s rabbit ears twitched from side to side.

(Lily, what about the money we earned from the potion deal at the Stardust Spring labyrinth? I think we can withdraw it now.)

The soft voice of Nia echoed in her mind just as a purple tentacle emerged from her waist, presenting a small emerald-green coin before her eyes.

”That’s right! I can get up to fifty gold coins if I show this crest at the bank!”

Thanking her wife with a gentle caress of the tentacle that had brought her the coin, Lily examined the crest with the image of a winged lizard now resting in her hand. With everything that had happened, she had completely forgotten the agreement she made during her exploration of the labyrinth.

”L-Lady Lily, where did you get that?!”

Abelia’s agitated voice cut through the air in a sharp tone.

While Lily idly played with the green coin, she felt the widened stares of the three women beside her. Their shocked faces and dropped jaws made it seem as if they had lost the ability to speak.

”This? It’s a beautifully carved winged lizard, isn’t it? I received it in a trade some time ago.”

Upon hearing Lily’s innocent explanation, the three women nearly jumped where they stood, frozen in a state of disbelief.

”That’s not a lizard—it’s a dragon! A dragon! How you don’t know it?!”

Selene pointed repeatedly at the glowing green coin, her voice frantic.

”Dragons are... winged lizards?!”

Caught off guard by the revelation, Lily paused to reflect on those words for a moment.

Though she had heard of dragons’ existence on the continent of Phaea, she had never heard any stories describing their appearance, either during her childhood or her time in the village.

Nearly tempted to back away from the continued bewildered stares, Lily suddenly felt her hand, still holding the coin, being gently clasped by both of Abelia’s hands.

”The dragon is the symbol of the royal family! This is the same crest I gave to my son!”