friend chapter 15

“….”

I glared daggers at him. Edward finally offered a mischievous grin and revealed what he’d done. “I cast an illusion spell over the entire academy. Everyone perceived time as an hour faster than it actually was.”

I paused, trying to process what he meant. It didn’t take long for the pieces to fall into place. Illusion magic was a form of mental manipulation. It meant he could control people’s minds. The range and duration depended on the caster’s skill, but Edward was certainly capable of casting it over the entire academy. Which meant…

“I thought it was six o’clock, but it was actually five?”

“Precisely.”

No wonder time seemed to fly by. I’d just assumed it was because I kept falling asleep in class. Ugh.

I thought this time was perfect!

Edward seemed to have anticipated my plan all along. He’d tricked me, predicting I’d submit my application at the last minute.

“So you used that hour to find out which club I joined?”

“Something like that.”

I remembered him bringing me the list of Transfiguration Department applicants. He seemed to be quite adept at investigating. It looked like I’d seriously underestimated him. He showed no sign of releasing my hand, its firm, warm touch lingering.

Jade observed us and murmured, “Luna, you’re in big trouble.” I agreed. My hand was captive, and it felt like my life was, too. Edward, as if aware of my inner turmoil, smiled wickedly.

Damn it.

***

The news of Edward joining the student council spread like wildfire. Everyone seemed incredibly interested in the crown prince. Probably because he was a handsome lunatic. Along with it came a strange rumor: that he’d joined because of Lumina from Class B of the Magic Department.

Well, it’s true.

I didn’t pay much attention to it. Even if I denied it, Edward wasn’t going to leave the student council. There wasn’t anything for me to lose. It was actually rather nice that my classmates constantly checked in on me. Thanks to that, I even made a friend like Mary Jane. Recently, a boy named Nielson Cage had also started talking to me. He was lively and talkative, which made conversations with him quite entertaining, though his persistence could be a bit bothersome at times.

Anyway, aside from Edward, I was enjoying a relatively peaceful school life. Until today, when Mary said something that bothered me. “Lumina, I think Edward… likes you.”

My legs almost gave way at her words. It was after class, and I was about to hurry out of the classroom because of the student council meeting. I had to escape quickly before Edward came looking for me. I didn’t understand why he insisted on fetching me when we were going to see each other in the student council room anyway. But Mary’s sudden nonsense stopped me in my tracks.

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Honestly, it’s suspicious. At first, I thought he was bullying you, but now I don’t think so. If he really wanted to bully you, you’d be dead by now.”

“Wow, that’s terrifying.”

I replied as if reading from a textbook. My nonchalant attitude made Mary clutch the back of her neck in frustration. She must be stressed from studying lately. To the point of saying such absurd things. I should probably get her a healing potion.

“You don’t understand how serious this is, do you? Other people probably think Edward likes you too.”

“Bad thoughts, stop.”

I held my hand up to Mary. She ignored me and continued her rambling. She had a surprising knack for not listening to others. I didn’t think her misunderstanding was completely unfounded. Without knowing the circumstances, it was a reasonable assumption. If it weren’t Edward but an ordinary boy, wiping my mouth with a handkerchief wouldn’t have looked like attempted murder. Edward’s image had masked it until now, but it was about time for the dating rumors to start.