[V13C29] A Secret Night

“Ike, there’s something important I have to tell you.”

After saying that, Monica took a deep breath.

There was something she had been contemplating since witnessing the interaction between Ray Albright and his fiancé Frieda Blanquet.

Could she express it well? Honestly, she wasn’t very confident in herself. But it was important, so she had to try her best.

As Monica clenched her fists above her knees, Isaac gently prompted her to continue.

“What is it?”

“I, um, haven’t been paying much attention to such things, but… I know that you are an adult man, Ike.”

Isaac widened his eyes slightly, interlacing his fingers above the table. His hands were much larger than Monica’s, further reminding her that he was an adult man.

“I understood this logically, of course,” Monica continued. “But I think I failed to fully comprehend it until now…”

Monica had secluded herself in a mountain cabin for so long. Then, the undercover mission at Serendia Academy forced her to interact with people. There, she met many of her beloved friends.

Among them, the young man named Isaac Walker was very difficult to categorize.

The prince she needed to bodyguard. Her delinquent friend. Her senior in the student council. Her self-proclaimed disciple.

Since it was difficult to choose one of the above, Monica ended up placing him in a position somewhat similar to Nero.

The familiar who joined her out of the blue, Nero. The disciple who suddenly appeared at her door one day, Isaac.

To Monica, Nero was just Nero, and Ike was just Ike.

Monica was satisfied with this categorization, but now, she realized that she had forgotten something fundamental.

“Ike, you’ve been treating me like a woman all along… But I haven’t been doing the same for you.”

Monica realized this while observing the interaction between Ray and Frieda. The two of them clearly cared about each other, and respected the other’s dignity.

Meanwhile, she had not been treating Isaac with the respect he deserved.

“Ike, you’re an adult man… That’s why, from now on…”




Isaac felt his heart pounding at Monica’s every word. Cold sweat seeped between his interlocked fingers.

Isaac understood how unfair he was being right now.

By barging into her life and claiming the position of disciple, he was taking advantage of Monica’s kindness and lack of romantic experience.

His desire to learn magic from the woman he admired was completely genuine.

But at the same time, he had the underlying motive of wanting to stand next to the woman he loved, and have her reciprocate his feelings.

“From now on…”

Monica raised her face with an expression of determination.

If she were to say, “From now on, we can’t live together anymore,” Isaac would have to give up on his dreams. This house belonged to Monica, after all, and he was merely a disciple.

(Just laugh it off. Smile and accept it.)

Isaac felt as though someone was squeezing his heart. His fingertips grew cold, and his throat tightened so hard that he couldn’t utter a single word.

(No. I don’t want to give up on you.)

Isaac clenched his teeth, resisting his urge to scream like a child.

(I love you. I love you so much.)

As Isaac struggled to suppress his passion, longing, anguish, and various other emotions, Monica continued…

“Let’s put a lock on your room too!”

“…Huh?”

Isaac Walker possessed a quicker wit than the average man, but even he needed a considerable amount of time to ponder the meaning of Monica’s words.

Despite mulling over this for a while, he still failed to understand her intention.

“Um, you’re a man, so you would be unhappy if I entered your room without permission, right? I’m really sorry. I wasn’t thinking about that kind of thing at all…”

Monica made an apologetic face as she fidgeted with her fingers.

“I was lacking in delicacy!” Monica continued.

The usual Isaac would nod and say, “That’s true,” but he was still frozen stiff.

“And since I’m a woman, you don’t want to see me fainting while taking a bath.”

The usual Isaac would nod and say, “That’s very, very true,” but he was still frozen stiff.

“I’ll try to be more careful about those things in the future, so… um…”

Isaac’s lovable master put on a determined expression and made her declaration.

“Ike, I promise to protect your dignity!”

“…”

Isaac struggled to find the right response.

The girl he loved had promised to protect his dignity.

At least, it didn’t seem like he was being kicked out, assuming that his interpretation was correct.

“…Do you want me to continue being your disciple?” Isaac asked in a half-desperate tone.

“Huh?” Monica gasped in surprise. “D-Did you want to stop? Um, I was happy researching magic on my own for years… But after you became my disciple, I realized how fun discussing magic with other people can be… I found myself wanting to share all of my knowledge with you.”

This was the girl who had once struggled to convey her feelings. Now, she was doing her best to explain her joy at having Isaac as a disciple.

Isaac remained silent, so Monica leaned forward and continued.

“There’s still so much I have to teach you. First, we’ll move onto the next step in mana manipulation… You already have a good understanding of magical formulas, so once you learn the basics of mana manipulation, the rest should be easy. I’ll make sure you never have to divide a spell again.”

Her determination against spell division carried an unexpected amount of force.

Isaac pressed his interlocked fingers against his forehead, as if in prayer. He did his best to suppress the laughter rising in his throat.

The girl he loved had acknowledged him as an adult man.

The great witch he admired so much had promised to share all of her knowledge.

Right now, he felt overwhelmingly fulfilled. Every single part of his body, from his fingertips to his toes, was overflowing with joy.

(This is like a dream come true.)

That said, his beloved master’s declaration to “protect his dignity as an adult man” was certainly unexpected. She always went far beyond Isaac’s expectations.

The suggestion to put a lock on his door was undoubtedly the result of Monica thinking about the best way to treat Isaac as a man.

(I’ve finally reached the starting line.)

The man named Isaac Walker had just come back to life. He still had plenty of time.

“Ike? Ike, what’s wrong? Um…”

Monica seemed worried, as Isaac was still sitting with his hands against his forehead and his shoulders shaking.

Isaac lifted his head and stared at the girl he loved with a passionate gaze.

“Master, if you will permit, please let me stay by your side.”

Isaac placed a hand over his chest. His heart was beating absurdly fast.

This proved that he was indeed alive.

“And, if possible… I hope you get to know the revived Isaac Walker a bit more.”

I will make you understand how much I love you. Prepare yourself, Master, he murmured internally.

Meanwhile, his beloved master returned a smile.

“I already know a lot about you, Ike. You’re studious and hard-working. Oh, and considerate too. That comes from your kindness. I’m proud to have such a kind man as my disciple.”

The girl Isaac loved was praising him with a smile. She was so cute that Isaac had to resist the urge to embrace her.

He was so full of bliss that he felt a strange sense of dizziness, like his head was about to go haywire.

“Also, you’re strong, good at cleaning and cooking, an expert at removing tea stains, and…”

Of all the things, why tea stains? Apparently, Monica had been very impressed by his tea stain removal techniques.

Isaac decided to take it positively by thinking about how cute the statement was.

Meanwhile, Monica continued to praise her disciple with increased vigor.

“And you always finish your carrots even though you dislike them! That’s amazing!”

The smile suddenly vanished from Isaac’s face.

Isaac had never once told Monica that he hated carrots.

“When did you notice…?”

She was praising him for doing his best to eat carrots. The dignity of a twenty-two year old man was in tatters.

As Isaac froze in shock, Monica suddenly brightened her face, having recalled something wonderful.

“Also the cat! You went ‘meow’ and gave me the handkerchief cat. My disciple is just so kind.”

This was the finishing blow to Isaac’s dignity.

If it had been with Felix’s face, Isaac would not feel so embarrassed. The handsome prince meowing to sooth a crying girl seemed like a perfect fit.

But the face of Isaac Walker was a different story. An intimidating man with a scar on his face going meow? That was not okay.

Isaac leaned forward and pleaded with a grim expression.

“Monica, or rather, Master… Can I ask you to keep what happened that night as our secret?”

His naturally intimidating face combined with his desperation, exuding a great deal of pressure in his stare.

Monica did not show any signs of fear, but it seems his desperation got through, as she returned a serious nod.

“Okay, I’ll keep it to myself.”

He had managed to get Monica’s promise, but inwardly, Isaac still felt distressed.

(…What a mess.)

It seemed that Isaac’s beloved master did find him “cool” in the slightest. He would need to try harder to make her think that way.

(I should have expected as much. I knew I could never hope to compare with her!)

Isaac pressed a hand against his forehead and let out a feeble chuckle.

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