Clayton froze in place, completely taken by surprise that the girl actually followed through on his request. While the shock left him speechless, he couldn't deny the unexpected, yet undeniably pleasant feeling that surged through him.
"You must keep your promise. We'll make it through the first round!" Gwen's words rang with fierce determination.
Clayton couldn't help but smile, amused by the bold and unapologetically fierce expression on the face of the girl he had grown fond of. "Just answer me this, Gwen," he said, his tone light with teasing. "Why do you want to fight alongside me? Aren't you afraid that I might end up being a burden?"
Gwen blinked a few times, clearly lost in thought as she tried to come up with an answer. To be honest, she hadn't given much thought to Clayton's weakness or the possibility that he might be a burden. She simply couldn't ignore the strange calmness that spread through her after his hand had lightly tapped her shoulder. It had quelled the overwhelming power of her magic, and that alone had intrigued her.
She wanted to know more—wanted to understand if Clayton had a unique ability that could be of use to her. If what had happened was just a coincidence, then perhaps the answer to this question wouldn't even matter.
"I don't know," Gwen admitted with honesty. "Senior Clayton, have we met before?" Her voice held a hint of curiosity.
"Hm? Don't we see each other at school?" Clayton replied, genuinely confused by the shift in their conversation, though still trying to maintain a pleasant demeanor.
"I mean, before I came to your class," Gwen clarified.
Clayton paused for a moment, his thoughts flickering back to the night when the red moon appeared. "I don't know. Do you think we've met before?"
Gwen was uncertain. However, something about Clayton's touch—when his hand gently tapped her shoulder—felt inexplicably familiar. It was as though it triggered something deep within her, something she couldn't quite place. But the memory eluded her, and all she could do was shrug in confusion.
"I don't know," she muttered, looking down in frustration. "Forget it. If you don't want to battle, I won't force you." For the first time, Gwen offered a respectful bow. "Sorry for bothering you."
Clayton felt a pang in his chest seeing the disappointment on her face. "Are you tired?" he asked, his voice soft but filled with concern. He offered her a smile—genuine and warm, without a hint of arrogance. "Would you like to hang out for a while?"
Gwen nodded quietly, her gaze still averted. She was surprised when Clayton suddenly reached for her glasses. "What are you doing?" she exclaimed, trying to reach up to retrieve them. "Give them back! Are you bullying me just because I'm shorter than you?"
Clayton let out a soft laugh, clearly entertained by her reaction. "Trust me, no one's going to bully you with that illusion magic of yours. I just want to see your eyes. I've told you before—your eyes are the most beautiful I've ever seen." He blinked several times, a confused expression crossing his face. Did she just blush?
"Okay," Gwen muttered, feeling her face warm up at his compliment. She quickly turned her head to avoid his gaze. "But I don't want you to mess with my makeup! You must promise not to use any truth spells to remove it."
"Relax," Clayton replied, taking a step closer and standing behind her. His voice dropped to a whisper, tickling her ear as he spoke. "I don't want anyone else admiring your beauty. I'm a jealous person."
Gwen bit her lip, feeling her heart race. Was she sick? Had she drained too much mana during the match? Why was her body reacting this way?
"Let's go before sunset," Clayton suggested, gently guiding her out of the room. As they stepped into the hallway, they were greeted by their teacher standing in the middle of the corridor. "Oh, Teacher Harvey," Clayton greeted casually. "I'm taking Gwen out for a bit."
Teacher Harvey sighed a mixture of resignation and amusement in his expression. "Alright, go ahead and enjoy yourselves. But don't stay out too late. We never know when a demon spy might show up."
"Got it!" Clayton called back, giving the teacher a wave as he led Gwen toward the shopping district.
As they wandered through the stalls, Clayton stopped at one selling women's hair accessories. "Look at this!" he exclaimed, picking up a butterfly-shaped decoration. "It's just like the hairpin I gave you. By the way, did you keep it safe?"
Gwen froze, remembering the unfortunate fate of the hairpin Clayton had given her. "It... has been destroyed."
"What?" Clayton's tone was playful, but there was a slight edge of disappointment. "That was something I worked hard on."
"Who told you to cast a truth spell on it?" Gwen retorted, blaming him for the mishap. "Why did you put a spell on it in the first place?"
"One of the maids in my house is a mage. I asked her to cast a spell on it," Clayton explained casually.
"Coincidentally, the day I came to pick you up?"
"Not exactly. It was installed from the start, and I saved it for someone."
"Who?"
"Just someone," Clayton said dismissively, but for some reason, Gwen felt a strange pang in her chest at his words.
"Do you have a girlfriend?" she asked, the question slipping out before she could stop herself. Even as she spoke, she feared hearing the answer.
Fear? Did she truly feel fear? Was this what it felt like? She had never felt this way before. In the days since meeting Clayton, emotions she hadn't realized she could feel had been surfacing—excitement, disappointment, anger, and now... fear.
"What kind of answer are you hoping for?" Clayton asked, a wry smile playing on his lips.
"I... don't understand," Gwen muttered, confused by his response.
"You asked me to be your boyfriend two months ago," Clayton reminded her. "But you were just doing it to win a bet. You came to my house and called yourself my girlfriend, even though I barely knew you. I even didn't know your name. Now, we're supposedly in a relationship, but it doesn't feel like it. So, do you even care about me?"
Gwen felt a pang of guilt. "I... I'm sorry."
"You've apologized before," Clayton said, his tone softening. "And I forgave you. What I really want to know is how you feel about me."
Gwen hesitated. Did she like him? It was clear that she no longer disliked him, nor did she feel indifferent. But was it love? She couldn't quite understand her own feelings.
"Would you be upset if I said I didn't know?" Gwen asked cautiously.
"Do you hate me?" Clayton asked, his voice serious.
"No," Gwen replied quickly. "I don't hate you."
"Do you care if I get upset with you?"
"A little. I don't like it when you're angry with me."
Clayton smiled softly at her words. For some reason, that smile seemed to ease the confusion and anxiety she had been feeling. "That's enough for me," he said, gently picking up a butterfly-shaped hairpin and placing it in her hair. "Don't ruin this one, or else, you'll see me angry."
Gwen's fingers instinctively touched the hairpin. "Why?" Why are you kind and sweet to me right now?
Clayton's expression softened as if he could hear what she wanted to ask. His voice was tender as he answered, "Because I like you, and I intend to win your heart."