Marriage With A Suspiciously Demure Husband - Chapter 33

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 33

Behind Dylan, a small figure with lemon-colored hair bobbed in and out of view.
That must be Faye. Curiosity got the better of me, and I tilted my head.
“Go ahead and introduce yourselves. Faye, this is my former colleague and also your senior from the Academy. Hazel Love. Hazel, this is Faye Martin. She joined the Knight Order just three months ago.”
With that brief introduction, the Illusion Mage called Faye stepped into view beside him.
The same Academy? As in, the same one I graduated from?
I only knew I’d graduated top of my class, but I had no idea who my juniors were.
I raised an eyebrow.
She was a cute-looking girl with lemon-colored hair tied into two pigtails that curled like onions, and bright orange eyes.
She looked far too fragile to be a knight. Perhaps it was because her training uniform hung so loosely on her frame.
The uniforms, including the formal ones, were supposed to be custom-tailored for every knight—yet hers looked at least two sizes too big.
Then again, for an Illusion Mage, as long as you could handle Illusion Magic well enough, it hardly mattered.
With her round face, prominent cheeks, and short chin, she looked far younger than I’d expected.
For someone without siblings, I felt an unexpected surge of affection—like toward a cute younger sister.
I extended my hand to Faye Martin.
Since I’d decided to help, I might as well do it properly.
Besides, if I just left things as they were, I’d feel unsettled.
“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Hazel Love.”
At that, Faye Martin’s face flushed the color of a plum.
“I-I’m Faye Martin! I’ve heard so much about you from the senior knights! That you’re a prodigious Illusion Mage, legendary even…! I’ve really wanted to meet you! I admire you so much!”
Good heavens.
An awkward laugh escaped me.
“Ah, well, I’m not quite that impressive. And I’m not even active right now, so please, feel free to relax around me.”
“B-but I couldn’t possibly! You’re my senior!”
I’d meant to ease her tension, but it only seemed to make her more rigid. Feeling uncomfortable myself, I turned my gaze toward Dylan.
Dylan shrugged and turned to face Faye.
“Faye, would you be able to demonstrate your Illusion Magic for Hazel, like we talked about?”
“Ah, n-now? Right now?”
Faye Martin looked visibly flustered.
I looked at Dylan.
“I told her that a great Illusion Mage would be coming as an instructor.”
“…Great? Really now.”
I shot Dylan a sidelong glance as he spouted such flattery without a shred of embarrassment, then let out a dry cough.
“Exactly. She didn’t sleep a wink last night because of what you said.”
At that, Faye nodded enthusiastically.
“Y-yes, that’s right!”
“Either way, if we don’t see what you can do, Hazel won’t be able to assess anything. Right, Hazel?”
“Of course. Feel free to do whatever you’re comfortable with. Do you have anything you’re good at?”
Faye’s visible panic escalated.
“Um… c-could I have a moment to prepare?”
Prepare?
I grew even more puzzled.
Illusion Magic, unlike ordinary magic, requires no incantations.
Since you need to deploy the technique covertly without anyone noticing, using formulas in plain sight had a high chance of ending in death.
Seeing how nervous she was, I could understand if she needed a moment to gather her courage.
I nodded readily.
“Of course. Take your time and show us whenever you’re ready.”
“Thank you!”
Faye took a deep breath.
The other knights, as if accustomed to this, sat down at a distance in the open courtyard to watch, while Dylan and I waited for Faye at our leisure.
About ten minutes had passed.
“I-I’m ready now!”
Faye spoke to me with a tense expression. I stepped back two paces and nodded.
“I’ll break the spell, so go ahead and trap me in an illusion.”
I tensed, wondering what kind of fearsome vision she was about to show me.
It was then, while I consciously braced myself to avoid counteracting the technique instinctively.
Our eyes met, and my surroundings erupted into flame as the landscape shifted.
But it wasn’t hot at all yet.
It’s literally just showing illusions. There doesn’t seem to be any problem beyond that? What exactly is the issue?
That’s what I was thinking when it happened.
“Kyaaaah! Mother, I’m scared!”
What?
A sharp scream pierced the air, the surrounding flames flickered, and the illusion shattered.
Less than two seconds had passed since being trapped in the illusion. I stared ahead in bewilderment.
I could hear the knights’ sighs around me.
What in the world was happening?
In front of me, Faye was flailing her hands frantically.
“What is this…….”
“I’m s-so sorry. Let me try again!”
Faye bowed repeatedly to me, apologizing profusely.
Only then did I realize that Faye had broken the illusion because she was extremely nervous.
“It’s fine. These things happen. Take your time.”
To be honest, I’d never encountered such a situation before. Until now, I’d only ever met one Illusion Mage—myself.
Well, aside from Faye, standing right in front of me now.
Perhaps emboldened by my reassurance, Faye attempted the illusion on me several more times.
“Kyieek! Wahhh! Mother…….”
Now her arms flapped like a bird frantically taking flight.
From a distance, it almost looked like she was desperately trying to put out a fire.
At first, I thought she was joking.
While I’m not particularly fond of this kind of humor, everyone has their own quirks.
But tears were welling up at the corners of Faye’s eyes.
The way she trembled so visibly… it looked like genuine terror.
“Hold on.”
I approached Faye through the knights’ murmurs. She flinched and looked up at me.
Tears were glistening on her lashes, ready to spill over at any moment.
“I’m s-so sorry. I’m just rather easily frightened.”
Faye trembled and bit her lip.
I forced my expression into a smile, pulling up the corners of my mouth.
“That’s all right. It happens. Why don’t we rest a bit and try again?”
“W-would that be okay?”
“Of course. Go have some water first.”
As I patted her shoulder, Faye nodded deeply. Even now, she was so frightened that I could feel her shoulders trembling faintly.
Good heavens.
Where in this world does one find an Illusion Mage who breaks her own illusions out of fear?
This wasn’t something I could solve.
Once I’d managed to steady myself, I turned away as Faye left to rest, and flashed a bright smile toward Dylan.
“Dylan?”
Dylan, who’d been shaking his head, suddenly stiffened his shoulders.
“Huh?”
“Could we talk for a moment?”

Once we were inside the office, I grabbed Dylan’s arm firmly.
“You’re joking with me, aren’t you?”
“I’m not! Why would I?”
Dylan jumped back.
“Then what?”
“Honestly, I really do need your help…….”
“Hey!”
I nearly roared at him.
Dylan flinched at my tone.
“I should have told you beforehand, I’m sorry. But as far as I know, you’re the only Illusion Mage I have access to. You know everyone in the Knight Order thinks the same way. I thought maybe if you looked at this, you might figure out a solution…….”
“Just send her back to the Academy. The instructors there can teach even without being Illusion Mages themselves. I can’t help you, Dylan.”
“Hazel, please.”
I thought her illusion work was simply imprecise or that managing Mana was difficult for her. But I’m not her teacher. How am I supposed to solve this?”
“Please. There’s a Large-scale Subjugation coming up. This one’s supposed to last three months.”
…….
“You know as well as I do—even without this, I’m gone all through autumn. Without an Illusion Mage, three months is nothing. It’ll take half a year, easily. Please, help me out, yeah? Hazel.”
I pressed my temples and tried to speak calmly.
“I’m telling you, this isn’t something I can solve. Besides, honestly, it doesn’t have to be me. If I hadn’t run into you at the Guild Association Office, you’d have found someone else, wouldn’t you?”
Dylan flinched again.
“What? Why the face? Are you hiding something else?”
“Actually, I wasn’t going to mention it, but His Highness was planning to…”
“The Crown Prince?”
“…officially summon you for this Large-scale Subjugation.”
Dylan edged backward, his voice trailing off.
“What?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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