When Iva hesitated, unable to speak outright, Rai thought she was finally relying on him.

It felt good to know that this woman, so confident and capable of doing anything on her own, seemed to need him.

“In that case, could you please step aside?”

But Ray was startled by her entirely unexpected request from what he expected.

“Pardon?”

“I’d like to speak with Medi alone from now on.”

He swiftly masked his surprise, but a hint of disappointment still lingered.

“Why is that?”

“I’d like to keep matters of magic a secret.”

Iva met Ray’s eyes directly as she spoke, pleading.

She couldn’t thoughtlessly be with him when she herself didn’t yet understand the magic that was in play.

“I don’t want to.”

Ray averted his gaze, refusing sternly.

“The duke told me to use him, did you not?”

“This isn’t using; it’s pushing me away, isn’t it.”

Ray’s voice lowered as a surge of emotion swept through him. The air around him felt suddenly chilly, causing a frightened Medi, holding Mainy, to step back a couple of paces.

Instead, Iva stepped forward, lightly gripping the tips of Ray’s fingers.

In response, Ray, emotions slightly mollified, fully embraced Iva’s hand.

“What if something dangerous happens?”

“It won’t be dangerous.”

“That’s speculation, isn’t it.”

Talking about magic in the middle of the night, alone with a boy she had just met, without even knowing the geography of the place.

Ray wasn’t at ease. He had often visited Grace since childhood and was familiar with discussions about magic. That didn’t mean he believed in it, though.

He had always thought that what people labeled “magic” was simply fortuitous events conveniently aligning.

After all, he’d never actually seen it, only heard of it.

Thinking it was a light matter, he had suggested going to Grace with Iva. But after stepping aside, he worried about Iva getting even slightly hurt in a place out of his reach.

“I will stay with you.”

“Your Grace. Just for a moment, briefly.”

“If it’s just for a moment, all the more reason not to be distant.”

Iva was taken aback as Ray, who always used to follow her lead, now stood firm.

Yet she didn’t want to confirm the magic with him, risking revealing that she was an outsider and that this world was a tale from a book.

If the story became chaotic, her own life would be in jeopardy.

As Iva wondered how to persuade him, she lifted her unclasped hand.

Placing it lightly on Ray’s cheek, he, who had been averting his gaze, looked at Iva with trembling eyes.

Indeed, skinship was most suitable for swaying a person’s heart.

“Do you remember when I was in danger from the Viscount Botri?”

“Of course I do. The audacity he had to lay a hand on you!”

“At that time, Mr. Ray, you saved me. Even from afar, you knew I was in danger, didn’t you? I’m making this request now because I trust you.”

“Oh, Miss Iva…”

“I trust you, Mr. Ray. Don’t you trust me?”

She chose her words carefully, ensuring they would soften his resolve.

Seemingly very effectively, Ray, holding Iva’s hand against his cheek, slightly tilted his face into her touch.

Closing his eyes, he wrestled with his thoughts for a moment before gazing back at Iva.

“If something dangerous happens, call me immediately. If you cannot speak, clap or whistle. Anything will do. I’ll rush over instantly.”

How could I possibly refuse you? Eventually, Ray nodded in agreement.

Iva responded with a bright smile.

“Yes, I’ll definitely call you, Mr. Ray.”

He instructed Iva to stay vigilant several times before retreating from the lakeside with Mainy in his arms.

Finally, alone together, Medi asked Iva tensely, 

“Miss Iva, what are you curious about?”

Iva broached the main issue only after Ray’s shadow was no longer visible.

“But before that, can you keep everything I’ve asked about today a secret?”

“Even from Teacher Bear?”

“Of course, it’s a secret. Everything that happens here should only be known to you and me, Medi. We don’t know what dangers might be present. I don’t want you to worry. Please?”

Iva pleaded so earnestly that Medi nodded in agreement.

“Yes, I won’t tell anyone. It will be a secret even from Mainy.”

“Thank you, I appreciate it.”

The two hooked pinkies, promising each other.

“First, I want to check if I’m under a spell. An old woman told me I was under a complex magic spell.”

“She must be quite adept at magic. I can’t identify it all at once. I need to practice, but I didn’t have time while earning money.”

“So, you can’t check it?”

“No. It’s not that I can’t check it right away, there is a way. Please wait a moment.”

* * *

“Phew, it’s done.”

Medi completed a wide magical circle on the damp ground by the lake.

The circle was colossal, its diameter both horizontally and vertically measuring twice Iva’s height.

“Is it always drawn this large?”

“No. I’m not skilled in magic, so the spell must be big. The more skilled you are, the more the spell is condensed.”

She found herself regretting letting the old woman go.

“Now, would you please stand in the center of the magic circle?”

“…Yes.”