My Fiancé Fell in Love with My Older Sister. After Locking Myself in My Room for Five Days, 500 Years Had Passed. - 52 - Temporary Friends

When I answered with a wry smile, Magnolia gave me a sympathetic look.

She must be a sincere girl.

Though… maybe a bit too honest.

As a high-ranking noble, she might be too open. But I think she was raised with love from her family.

Her honest opinions were probably seen as charming or cute, and her free actions were accepted as part of her personality.

Even though she’s also a duke’s daughter like me, it seems we grew up in completely different environments.

That makes me a little jealous.

If only I could speak as honestly and fearlessly as she does.

I thought about it a bit, then realized, “Hmm… probably impossible?” That was my answer.

Because—

(Father was strict with me. If I acted without reading the room, I’d get punished. And Mother would probably cry even more than she already did.)

My governesses were also terribly strict.

If I made a mistake, a whip would often come flying.

Remembering that, I quietly let out a sigh.

(How did I even manage not to grow up twisted in that kind of household…?)

If I were sent back to my childhood again, I might actually go crazy and run away this time.

I can only think that way now because I’ve regained memories from my past life.

My values are now updated from that life, so corporal punishment just feels like abuse. I don’t think I could bear that kind of unfair violence anymore.

I’m not that patient.

“…If you want to stay in the Empire—”

Suddenly, Magnolia said.

When I looked up, she spoke clearly, even as she curled her lips into a slight frown.

“I could introduce you to someone to marry.”

“Um… thank you?”

I gave a confused smile, and she spoke again, pouting but sounding confident.

“My brother is a great choice.”

“Uhh… well…”

(Why does this feel like a matchmaking session for me!?

Wait a minute, isn’t Magnolia’s brother a duke’s son!? No way!!)

I cleared my throat with a little cough.

Trying to steer the conversation back on track, I spoke.

“…Anyway, I want to return to the Tsaobellar Dynasty. To do that, I need to learn how to sense magic.”

I asked Magnolia, hoping for some kind of clue.

“Magic? You can’t even sense magic? Are you serious?”

Magnolia’s eyes widened in shock.

Since it was true, I nodded. She looked at me like she couldn’t believe it and suddenly raised her hand.

Then, from her palm, sparkles began to shine.

(Wow… It’s like butterfly dust…)

“…This is magic. Did that help?”

I also tried to imitate her, waving my palm in the air.

…But my hand just cut through empty air, producing nothing.

Whoosh, whoosh—I sliced through the air over and over.

“…………”

Waving my hand up and down pointlessly must have made me look like a complete weirdo.

I kept doing it with a straight face, but Magnolia’s expression slowly stiffened.

Then, with a stiff voice—as if looking at a crazy person—she said,

“…You should give up. You don’t have talent.”

I answered Magnolia’s words right away.

“No! If I give up, it’s over. Somehow, I feel like I can do it!!”

I kept waving my hands wildly, but eventually my arms got tired, and I gently lowered them onto the table.

“…………”
“…………”
“…………”

The silence of three people quietly hung over the table.

So awkward.

My wrists hurt from all the waving.

I felt tired for no reason, and I started to wonder what I was even doing.

(…So hard!! This is way too hard…!!)

Magic is a concept!!

Feeling empty inside, I quietly thought about my future.

(Forget about going back to the past—can I really even use the power to cross time…?)

☆

On the way back to my room, I remembered what Magnolia had said.

After that, she taught me a kind of trick… for using magic.

But she warned me that magic was still like a concept, so it would come down to a feeling.

‘I fell in love with Prince Lian, so I want to become his fiancée.’

While touching the candy gem she had given me, Magnolia continued.

‘Prince Lian is popular not just in the Empire, but also among nobles from vassal states.’

‘That’s part of it, but maybe it’s more because Crown Prince Lumière is already married.’

“Wha—!?!!”

Crown Prince Lumière… He!? Got married!?!!

That was so unexpected that I shouted in surprise, and Magnolia looked at me with half-lidded eyes.

Her face said, “You didn’t even know that?”

‘You didn’t even know that?’

She said it out loud too.

Magnolia held her hand over the candy gem, and a few candies appeared—four in total.

She placed them on the table and kept talking.

‘Before that, everyone ignored him because he was the second prince, a spare. But now they’re all suddenly interested—how selfish. I’m not going to lose to nobles like that… Listen, Felicia. You’re a duke’s daughter, so you should understand this…’

Magnolia stopped speaking there.

She stared at me and said,

‘There will definitely be people who get jealous of you and try to use their power against you. So—’

For some reason, Magnolia blushed a little at that point.

Then she quickly turned her face away and said in a proud voice,

‘You can use my name when that happens. …Since we’re friends now, at least for the time being.’