The violent tremors continued as if the entire world were collapsing.
Mahina continuously poured azure mana from her palms. The dome of solid ice let out sharp, straining groans. Once the vibrations subsided slightly, Mahina let out a long breath. Mana circulated, and in this dark cave, she condensed a frost-covered bench.
“Rest for now,” Mahina said.
Her voice was hoarse, carrying an unmistakable exhaustion.
Merlin had caused too big a scene this time. In an academy where the majority were nobles, students raised with traditional noble educations would never have come up with such a low blow. Honestly…
Mahina looked down, examining her current disheveled state. Her school uniform was a disaster. Mud had splashed everywhere, soaking into the hem of her skirt. It was mixed with sticky sweat, mottled bloodstains, and earthy-smelling muck.
What she found most unbearable was the sensation on her legs. The mud-soaked black tights were gradually drying, hardening into stiff clumps of earth that clung tightly to her skin, pulling at it with every slight movement. Her shoes were also filled with muddy water, making an unpleasant sound with every step.
‘How disgusting.’
Mahina wanted to change and wash her body. But…
Mahina raised her eyes. Her gaze crossed through the dim air and landed on Merlin, who sat at the edge of the bench. She was sitting quietly, her eyes happening to land on Mahina as well. Their gazes collided silently for a moment. The instant they met Mahina’s eyes, Merlin’s eyes darted away as if burned.
“Change if you need to.”
She stood up. In the already suffocatingly narrow cave, she squeezed a few steps deeper inside and turned her back to Mahina.
“…Create a bucket.”
Mahina paused. While she didn’t immediately grasp the other girl’s intent, her fingertips subconsciously gathered an ice-blue glow. She fashioned an ice bucket to hold water.
Merlin didn’t turn around. She simply reached her hand over the bucket. A stream of clear water filled the container, accompanied by a pleasant sound. Merlin still didn’t look back; she just stared at the wall in the silent cave.
In the deathly still cavern, only the echoes of splashing water remained.
After a long time, the rustle of fabric rubbing against skin came from behind, followed by the sound of water being splashed onto skin. It was a rhythmic, suggestive sound.
“You can use magic now.”
“At most, I can only create a bit of water. I can’t even break a single wooden door. I’m a far cry from the Duke’s daughter.”
Merlin didn’t receive the mockery she expected. Mahina scooped up a handful of water, letting the cool liquid slide down her cheeks.
“Isn’t it good that you can use magic? Is it because you turned back into an elf? Did your mother say anything to you?”
“Even if she did, those are elven secrets. I won’t tell you.”
“You’re certainly playing the part of a princess well.”
“As are you, Lady Duke.”
Another long silence followed. Even though the world outside was still shaking, the two in the cave remained in a deathly silence. Observing through the ice at the entrance, one could only see the continuous flow of mud and rocks rolling by; the outside world was invisible.
The time between the two of them had been severed for too long. It had been so long that beneath the thick cocoon of intertwined love and hate, they couldn’t even find a simple greeting to share.
The splashing behind her stopped for a moment. Merlin heard the sound of fabric gliding over skin—it seemed Mahina was drying herself off. With a hint of vague provocation, Mahina’s voice suddenly rang out.
“Are you not going to look?”
Merlin’s spine stiffened slightly before she responded nonchalantly.
“What’s there to see? I saw you when we were kids. I even wiped your body down to lower your fever.”
Though they were both children then, in the eyes of Merlin—who possessed memories of a past life—it had simply been taking care of a child. There was no reason to avoid it.
“I see…”
“After I picked you up, you started running a persistent fever and were filthy. Of course, only I could help you.”
Merlin lowered her eyes, her fingertips unconsciously picking at a protrusion on the stone wall.
“Aside from me, no one else was willing to help you.”
“So it was back then…”
Mahina’s voice trailed off into a sigh. The sound of water rose again, clearer than before, as if it were right next to her ear.
“But I’m not a child anymore. I’m completely different from back then. Although it might sound conceited, I think my figure is quite good.”
“…”
“Really, won’t you look?”
Merlin knew, of course. Even without looking, she knew how legendary Mahina’s beauty was among the boys at the academy. And… she was exactly Merlin’s type.
“I’m not looking.”
“Is it because… I’ve become a girl?”
Merlin took a deep breath, feeling as if an invisible hand was squeezing her heart.
“That’s not it. It’s just because you have nothing to do with me anymore. I don’t want to cross the line.”
This time, Merlin was the one to draw the boundary.
Mahina’s voice grew soft. “Ah, I see.”
“Besides, you have so little self-respect. What would that so-called fiancé of yours think if he knew?”
Just the mention of Mahina’s fiancé made Merlin’s heart feel like it was shattering. The current Mahina, who treated her with such indifference, might show a unique smile to that fiancé. Even though she had decided to give up, Merlin was still in such pain.
Mahina’s answer was as flat as water.
“Don’t worry. We’re both girls anyway. Aren’t we both living in the girls’ dormitory now?”
Merlin’s voice grew a bit louder. “That’s—!”
“In any case, I’ve long since had nothing to do with you. Aren’t we just female classmates?”
Mahina stood up from the ice bucket, water droplets sliding down her beautiful curves with a rhythmic dripping sound. She looked at Merlin’s back. The sound of wringing out wet hair followed—drip, drip—sounding like it was tapping against Merlin’s heart.
“It seems that fiancé is just a stepping stone to you as well.”
Mahina’s voice suddenly grew several degrees colder, her original peacefulness instantly replaced by a sharp impatience.
“Yes. Because I no longer have any interest in love. Is that enough?”
Merlin thought back to that long night several years ago when they parted. Mahina had worn a blissful smile as if she owned the entire world. She remembered the happy face Mahina made when talking about that fiancé.
Mahina’s smile had been too dazzling—so dazzling that Merlin had lost heart at that moment. It was a stark contrast to her current sharpness, which was so cold that Merlin wanted to leave, just like she had back then.
“Now, it’s my turn to ask a question.”
The tights were being pulled up inch by inch along the girl’s shapely calves, wrapping tightly against her skin with a faint sound. Then came the specific rustle of dry, crisp uniform fabric being pulled on.
“Where have you been all these years?”