Vol 4. Chapter 23: A Token of Sincerity

Even though Aesphyra kept a polite smile on the surface, it gave people the feeling that she didn’t even want to offer that much courtesy. Her tone was the same—hard to imagine how she managed to fuse “proper politeness” and “impatience and displeasure” into one.

“I have to say, it’s a very imposing way to walk,” Aesphyra said with a cheerful laugh. The tone was full of praise, but even an idiot could hear the sarcasm underneath.

Aesphyra was mocking Isatia’s little scheme.

“Thank you for the compliment, Aesphyra. To think you’ve noticed even those small details and personal habits I wasn’t aware of myself—so clearly and thoroughly,” Isatia said, having already shifted all her attention off Vinny—who had completely lost the ability to fight back—and back onto Aesphyra.

She knew Vinny’s personality well enough to be sure this couldn’t have been Vinny’s initiative. Just look at him now—shy like a girl caught sneaking around to meet a lover. It couldn’t be more obvious.

As for the girls’ clothes Vinny was wearing, Isatia didn’t find anything strange about it either. Even though Vinny’s current identity was male, maybe he simply wanted to be a girl for a few days during this special festival without exposing his real identity. There was nothing unusual about that. Isatia thought it was perfectly normal.

Her only real impression was that Vinny looked pretty cute dressed like this.

[Virtue +60]

[Current Virtue: 5059]

The key point wasn’t Vinny.

Isatia looked straight at Aesphyra. There was no emotion in her gaze—yet there was every emotion in it.

It was the look she used when trying major criminals. There was no intimidation in it, yet it worked far better than intimidation. There was no interrogation in it, yet it made suspects confess under the torment and fear of the unknown.

And yet the invisible pressure Isatia released seemed to land on Aesphyra like it didn’t exist at all. Aesphyra met Isatia’s gaze with a smiling, composed expression.

“Isatia, your eyes always make me think of that fierce bird on the Tyrel Empire’s flag,” Aesphyra said lightly, still using that same praising tone—only with unmistakable barbs. “So full of authority. So aggressive. Coiled and ready to strike, like you’re about to flap your wings and rake someone with your claws at any moment.”

It made it sound like Isatia was some feral bird that bared its teeth and flailed its talons at the slightest provocation.

“Mhm. As expected, you understand me, Aesphyra,” Isatia said with a small nod, a few deep glints flickering in her eyes. “In many ways, you and I are very similar.”

That line carried a strange weight. Her gaze lingered on Aesphyra’s eyes—so similar to her own.

“I wouldn’t dare. How could I compare myself to the noble imperial princess of Tyrel?” Aesphyra smiled faintly, casual. “Still, it does remind me of a rumor—that the Tyrel Eagle on the war banner stretches its claws forward in a hunting stance because it symbolizes conquest and claiming. Looking at you now, it seems the rumor wasn’t wrong.”

“Fighting for what you want is a positive, upward attitude. I consider it a very normal, very proper emotion,” Isatia replied flatly. “No matter what it is you’re fighting for.”

“Even if it belongs to someone else?” Aesphyra asked, meaning layered thick.

“That depends on what it is. But I believe that whether it’s a person or an object, if you can win it, that’s enough to prove the one fighting for it has more strength and charm than the original holder ever deserved,” Isatia answered without hesitation. “You agree, don’t you, Aesphyra?”

“Hm.” Faced with the faint challenge in Isatia’s words, Aesphyra gave a quiet laugh, still carrying that effortless confidence as always. “Yes. I agree with you.”

“Whether it’s a person, an object, or something less concrete—what matters most when you seize it... is strength.”

“Then it seems you really are very similar to me. Our views align in many ways,” Isatia said, refusing to yield an inch.

“Huh?” Vinny, who had finally recovered a little at the side, listened to their exchange and felt like he’d wandered into yet another weird loop.

If the atmosphere weren’t so wrong, he’d honestly think these two were flirting. Why were they hunting for common ground like this?

“Besides, Aesphyra, what you said sounds like speculation.” Isatia’s words were slow, heavy with subtext—so layered it was hard to tell what, exactly, she was referring to. “Why do you assume something belongs to you, and that you’re its original owner?”

“Heehee. Then I’ll wait and see,” Aesphyra replied. Even with Isatia’s pointed hostility being so obvious, Aesphyra showed no sign of losing the initiative. A few simple sentences and she dissolved the pressure completely, as if Isatia’s punch had been caught and dispersed without leaving a bruise.

Uh...?

Once Vinny realized neither of them was looking at him anymore, he carefully raised his head and looked at Aesphyra, then at Isatia.

The barbs in their tones were obvious—so obvious even Vinny could feel it.

And honestly, Vinny’s instincts for avoiding danger were top-tier. The moment he smelled how heavy the gunpowder was between two fate heroines, he shut up and tried to erase his presence as much as possible.

They could withstand each other’s aura and firepower. He might not. So he absolutely could not speak up and draw aggro right now.

“Putting that aside,” Aesphyra said, arms crossed, voice playful. “I’m curious, Isatia. How did you end up here this late at night? Don’t tell me you ate too much °• N o v e l i g h t •° and came out for a stroll~?”

From her smile-that-wasn’t-a-smile, it was obvious: Aesphyra was still not over it.

“Carillian Academy is huge, and you just happened to wander right here?” Aesphyra asked, mockery intact.

“It seems I really did interrupt Aesphyra’s good moment, and you’re a bit angry,” Isatia said, completely unruffled by the accusation. And then she turned it back on Aesphyra—redirecting the topic while simultaneously slapping the label of “emotionally unstable” onto her.

“Hehe~ Isatia, imagine you’ve stayed up studying and reading for several days, and you finally get a chance to sleep well.” Aesphyra sounded amused. “You’re sleeping peacefully in your own home, and then some outsider barges in and ruins your sweet dream. Would you be happy?”

“So, Isatia,” she continued, “you still haven’t answered me. How did you show up here?”

“I already found you an excuse—something like ‘coincidence happens,’ right?” Aesphyra’s smile curled.

“Then how did you end up here, Aesphyra?” Isatia shot back.

“Good question.” Aesphyra looked at Isatia and hooked her lips. “Tonight the festival is good. The night is good. The atmosphere is good. And I’m just... here, at a particular time, in a perfectly suitable place.”

“Everything is good—except the person. That part’s lacking.”

“Then my reason for being here is probably the same as yours,” Isatia said.

As she spoke, Isatia walked to Vinny. From her clothes, she took out an exquisitely wrapped box of chocolates and offered it with both hands.

“Vinny, happy Ainolin Festival. Please accept my chocolates—and my sincerity.”

“Uh—uhh?!” The blue-haired girl froze.

Still the same—absurdly powerful straight ball, huh??

“You accepted Aesphyra’s. You’re not going to refuse mine alone, are you?” Isatia tilted her head.

Ah...

Vinny remembered the tutoring from a while back. He really did owe Isatia, and it wasn’t easy to refuse her request.

And Isatia didn’t give him time to refuse. She placed the delicate chocolate gift box straight into Vinny’s hands.

“Uh...” Vinny looked at the two boxes he was holding now.

One was Aesphyra’s—tied with a beautiful ribbon into a neat bow, the silver casing glittering under the moonlight.

The other was ebony-colored, bound with a purple satin ribbon.

It was obvious Isatia had put in real work. That large box probably held more than one kind of chocolate—she’d likely made a full set, one of each.

“For some reason...” Vinny’s gaze flicked toward Aesphyra, like he was subconsciously seeking permission.

“Vinny can decide according to his own wishes,” Aesphyra said, her smile deepening, looking extremely magnanimous.

“Isatia didn’t make that chocolate easily, after all. Just accept it.”

“...” Isatia went silent, staring at Aesphyra for a full second.

Aesphyra gave her a smile that looked remarkably friendly.

“Um—thank you, Isatia,” Vinny said. “You went to a lot of trouble.”

“It’s nothing. It’s only a token of sincerity,” Isatia said. She stared at Aesphyra for a long time before shifting her eyes back. “Of course, if Vinny doesn’t want it, it can be thrown into the trash.”

“N-No, no. It’s so carefully made—who could bear to throw it away?”

“I came to find Vinny for this,” Isatia said. Before leaving, she met Aesphyra’s eyes in a deep, lingering look—as if everything was already said without words. Then she turned and walked away.

“See you, both of you.”

She knew her progress was behind Aesphyra’s.

But she wasn’t in a hurry. As the eldest imperial princess of Tyrel, she had never been someone who retreated when things got difficult. The more she was frustrated, the more she pushed forward. The greater the difficulty, the more it ignited her competitive drive.

There was no need to stay any longer tonight, because she knew—tonight, nothing was going to happen between these two.

Her footsteps faded into the distance. Once again, only Aesphyra and Vinny remained.

Now it was awkward again.

Vinny stood there, holding the two boxes of chocolates, and lowered his head again.

Silence.

Neither of them spoke first.

And once the atmosphere sank into quiet, Vinny couldn’t help replaying what had just happened—the entire sequence tonight, including Ferdi’s inexplicable performance, and every exchange he’d had with Aesphyra. Suddenly, Vinny realized something was off.

It was weird. It was really weird—do you understand??

Vinny instantly felt sweat pour down his back.

The way he’d reacted earlier, the things he’d said... weren’t they kind of... way too much like a girl??

No, that wasn’t right. That couldn’t be right.

Vinny knew that had been him—he had done all of that. That was his personality, sure. But some of those actions felt...

Like he’d gotten swept up by emotion and didn’t care about anything. And the behavior was... yeah. Pretty feminine-coded.

No—did he really do that?!

While Vinny was still reeling, he covered his face, feeling like he was never going to be able to show it in public again.

Especially in front of the “audience” who had watched the whole thing tonight.

Aaaah!

Vinny felt like he was going to let out a battle roar.

Seriously—seriously! How was he supposed to ever lift his head in front of Aesphyra again after this??

The more he thought, the more impossible it felt.

What was he even feeling right now? Was he worried he’d embarrassed himself in front of Aesphyra? Was he afraid she’d laugh at him, or something?

And then... earlier.

Vinny remembered Aesphyra’s face, flawless and impossibly close—more dazzling than the moonlight itself, enough to steal your soul.

Once that thought hit, Vinny couldn’t bring himself to lower his hands at all.

Good news: Vinny was no longer burning himself up over what was going on with Aesphyra these past days.

Bad news: after something like this, he had no idea how to face Aesphyra from now on.

“Th-Then...! About what happened today, I...” Vinny, who was always stubbornly tough-mouthed, tried hard to force it again. “Th-This Young Master—cough! Um... I wasn’t feeling well earlier! So...”

But even someone as tough-mouthed as him couldn’t keep making things up.

He couldn’t.

Vinny grit his teeth, turned away so he wouldn’t have to look at Aesphyra’s face, and fled in the opposite direction like he was running for his life.

“T-Tomorrow!”

Vinny didn’t know what Aesphyra’s expression was behind him, or what kind of mood she was in. He only knew that he urgently needed an ice-cold shower to calm down.

He didn’t know how long he ran, but eventually Vinny’s overheated brain cooled down enough for him to recognize the path. He ran all the way back to the dorm.

Aesphyra was nowhere to be seen anymore. But just thinking about what had happened a moment ago made Vinny doubt it was real.

In Carillian Citrus, the fate heroine and the villainous young master who were oil and water... ended up like this?!

Even wild history wouldn’t dare write something like that, would it??

When he finally reached the dorm, Vinny kept his head down and looked toward the lights still on ahead. He knew Shicodale was still waiting for him in the living room.

Yeah.

It was late now.

And there were classes tomorrow.