"Oh, thank god…I can finally relax." (Mizuki)
My inner thoughts slip out as I sink into a bath back at the mansion. We finished with the obligatory tour for all the guests, so I'm free.
Alto is taking Cera to the lake at his request, Alara and Zara are busy entertaining some of the guests with specific interests, Percivil is toiling away on his new projects, Nina is still orc hunting, Kara isn't back from her second train trip yet, and Cara is off getting settled in her room. This is the perfect time to enjoy a hot bath alone.
I sink deeper into the water and lean my head against the cool stone, and I involuntarily close my eyes and smile. I feel myself losing track of time, but I'm suddenly alerted to footsteps near me. I snap my eyes open and focus on the sound, and I swallow nervously.
Cara has walked into the room and is circling the bath to the entry stairs. Cara notices me staring at her and smiles mischievously.
This feels…very much like trouble for me. Why is every elf so comfortable with nudity!?
"Like what you see, Mizuki?" (Cara)
As Cara makes her inquiry, she slowly walks into the bath while keeping very uncomfortable eye contact with me. She slowly wades over next to me in the water, and I masterfully maintain an eye-level gaze through it.
"Hmm…I wonder, are you reconsidering my offer now? It seems like we're all alone here, you know?" (Cara)
Cara is leaning against the stone next to me, and she looks me over with an amused expression as she makes her proposition.
I roll my eyes at her.
"I'll admit, I was caught off guard and staring at you when you first walked in here, but I meant what I said earlier. We can have just the kind of close relationship you want without us sleeping together – you have nothing to gain by trying to seduce me, Cara." (Mizuki)
Cara directs a puzzled expression towards me.
"Mizuki…maybe you're confused. Even if you and Lady Nedonera moved into my territory and built all these absurd things for my people, that wouldn't change anything. I'd still prefer something more between us. I like your company, and I'm very curious about you romantically. Please stop accusing me otherwise." (Cara)
I raise my eyebrows at her in surprise, and I nod apologetically.
"Well, I apologize. Tell me, though, are all elven women this comfortable with nudity, because that's certainly been my impression." (Mizuki)
Cara sighs and leans her shoulder against me in the bath.
"Perhaps relative to human women. We live so long, and elves are so protective of one another, we feel more comfortable with such situations I suppose. Still, I wouldn't have climbed into that public hot spring like this…I'm just making an exception because it's you." (Cara)
Cara looks back over to meet my gaze, and she's wearing an amused grin.
"Fufufu…I hope this isn't all you meant by getting to know each other better when you asked to stay here." (Mizuki)
Cara's expression becomes very serious, and she shakes her head, then she looks at me intently.
"No. Actually, I've been thinking about what you said, and I believe I have a way to prove to you that you can trust me." (Cara)
"Oh? Well, let's hear it. I'm curious." (Mizuki)
I grin at Cara, but she just nods seriously.
"You promised me you'd never lie to me, and…honestly, I'm shocked by how seriously you seem to take that. I don't think you'd ever break it. So, I'd like to promise you that, if you tell me something in confidence and ask me to keep it secret, I will. I wouldn't reveal it to anyone, under any circumstances, and I'd take it to my grave if you asked. Does that sound like something that would earn your trust?" (Cara)
Cara is staring at me, and her face is very determined. I think she means it, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it's true. I give Cara an amused smile.
"Very well, I accept. I think you mean it, too, but I'm not sure it's a promise you can keep. Have you really thought this through?" (Mizuki)
Cara doesn't waver.
"Yes, I have, and I can keep this promise." (Cara)
Let's test that, shall we. I turn my expression serious.
"Oh? What if I told you right now that it's my ultimate goal to kill your Queen? What would you do?" (Mizuki)
Cara's face goes pale, and she stares at me in shock. Yup, so she doesn't take this as seriously as I do.
"As I suspected, you haven't thought it through. So, I can't take your promise seriously. You may think you know me, what I may tell you, or what I may do, but you can't truly know such things. If you haven't resolved yourself for the most absurd of eventualities, I don't believe you should make promises like that. Before you ask…yes, I feel that way about the one I made you." (Mizuki)
Cara becomes frustrated, then thoughtful. After a moment, she looks back to me, and her resolve has returned.
"If you told me that…I'd kill you on the spot. That wouldn't violate my promise." (Cara)
Oh ho? Now we're getting somewhere. I give her a huge grin, and she becomes confused.
"That's great! Now we're making progress. So, what if my Lady were with me when I told you such a thing? You couldn't kill me. How would you act?" (Mizuki)
Cara is apprehensive, but after a few minutes spent thoughtful, she responds with a nod.
"I'd pretend I was accepting of it, and I would make other preparations to counteract you later. There's nothing in my promise to you that says I can't act on the information, just that I can't share it or knowingly have it revealed to others without your permission." (Cara)
I study Cara's face…oh yeah, she's determined. I don't think she's lying. I give her a huge smile.
"That's wonderful. Okay! I'll take your promise seriously then. So, is your promise to me in effect from this moment forward?" (Mizuki)
Cara looks relieved, and then excited.
"Yes, consider it done. Does this mean you're about to tell me something you wouldn't have before?" (Cara)
Cara leans towards me expectantly, and I'm once again distracted. As for her question…you bet I am. Nothing too detrimental to me, just enough to test her promise.
"Oh yes…you ready? Everything you learn for the rest of the day is our secret." (Mizuki)
Cara nods and her gaze becomes intense. I smirk at her, then I hold my hand out and mutter the incantation for a fireball…it appears in my palm. Cara's face freezes, and I stare at her with an amused expression for several moments before dispelling the fireball.
Eventually, she speaks with a dumbfounded expression.
"Mizuki…you can use magic?" (Cara)
I grin and nod at her patiently. Then, she becomes visibly angry.
"What the hell, Mizuki!? You said you couldn't use magic! Even after your promise to me! What was all that condescending talk about your promises being inviolable!?" (Cara)
Cara rises slightly from the water as she yells at me, and it's more than a little uncomfortable to keep looking at her while I respond.
I give a placating gesture and smile reassuringly. She stops yelling, but she doesn't look any less angry.
"Now, Cara…I can understand why you're angry, but I never actually broke my promise. Please tell me, verbatim, what words I said to you that were false. Did I say, 'I can't use magic'?" (Mizuki)
Cara's anger seems to lessen, and she stares at me in bewilderment as she thinks about my statement. Eventually, she becomes frustrated, and some of her anger returns.
"No, I suppose that wasn't what you said, but you still lied! You were incredibly detailed Mizuki! You said that you had a genuine magic assessment, which you did not tamper with, and you described the negative test result. You even offered to take it in front of me! How is that not lying!?" (Cara)
By the end, Cara is yelling again, and I must once again calm her down before responding.
"Good, so you do remember. The answer is simple – all of that is true, but I also have magic. The magic assessment was just misinterpreted." (Mizuki)
Cara seems calmer now and sinks back into the water, but she is very skeptical. She gives me a scathing look as she responds.
"Mizuki, I'm fully aware that humans don't understand magic as well as elves, so I'd be willing to think they misinterpreted something normally. However, you described the assessment result…there is no other explanation for that result except lacking a magic class, and every elf with magic training knows it. You had to have tampered with the test or lied." (Cara)
I shake my head patiently.
"No, there's a third option…elves are extremely arrogant, and you don't know everything like you think you do." (Mizuki)
I see Cara's jaw clench.
"Is that so?" (Cara)
Damn it…I'm losing her. I sigh deeply…I can walk the line on this.
"Yes, that is so. This can be easily proven by me retaking the test in front of you, but I don't have a crystal for it lying around. So, maybe it would be good enough to show you that your faith in the elves' understanding of magic is misplaced." (Mizuki)
Cara gives me an annoyed and confused expression, but I act before she can respond.
I drop my body enhancement, then reapply it only to my fingernail. I cut my palm quickly, and I show it to Cara – her expression becomes puzzled. Then, I heal the cut, and I show my hand to Cara again. She's confused for a moment, but then her eyes go wide in shock.
"Mizuki…you're a double class!?" (Cara)
I shake my head. Then, I drop the air temperature in the room until it's just above freezing, then return it to normal. I glance at Cara – all the color has drained from her face, and her mouth is hanging open.
I smirk at her and wait patiently for her response.
"That's…you're…Mizuki…" (Cara)
"So, are you going to apologize for calling me a liar, or do you need more proof?" (Mizuki)
Cara begins stammering with embarrassment.
"I-I was…y-you couldn't expect me to believe…" (Cara)
After another few moments, Cara just stops and sighs deeply, then looks back at me with an exasperated expression.
"I'm sorry, Mizuki…to the letter of your promise, it seems you never broke it." (Cara)
I flash Cara a smug grin.
"Exactly, thank you! So, are we…good?" (Mizuki)
Cara sighs deeply, then she gives me a warm smile and nods.
"Yes, I appreciate you trusting me. I'm looking forward to becoming friends…" (Cara)
A genuine smile spreads across my face. After a moment, though, Cara gives a mischievous grin and presses closer to me.
"…and of course, there can always be more later if you want?" (Cara)
I'm going to need a spray bottle for this elf. I narrow my eyes at her, then drop the water temperature around her to just above freezing.
Cara's eyes go wide in shock, and she lets out a squeal. She quickly jumps out of the bath, then confusion and suspicion wash over her face in quick succession. Cara turns her gaze towards me, and it's full of betrayal.
I suppress my urge to laugh.
"Wahh!? The water turned freezing! Mizuki, did you do that!?" (Cara)
I smirk back at her.
"Oh, it just seemed like you needed to cool off, you know?" (Mizuki)
Cara's expression turns murderous, but after a moment she sighs deeply and shrugs. Then, she directs a smug smile at me.
"If you wanted me to quit hiding my body under the water, all you had to do was ask, Mizuki." (Cara)
I direct a bewildered expression at her. After a moment, I sigh in exasperation and shake my head.
Yeah, I have a feeling I'm going to regret letting her stay here.