Hiruko felt a cold wave of panic wash over him. He had messed up. His momentary lapse had been enough to raise suspicion. He had been so focused on learning that he'd forgotten the most important rule of all: he had to be Lukas, not Hiruko. The real Lukas was hardworking once but became a quitter after falling into despair from failure time and time again. A change of this level in Attitude in so little time was obviously dubious. He couldn't trust anyone, not even his kind-hearted sister, not this early in the game. He had to revert to the familiar, safe persona.
A few minutes later, Clarissa returned, carrying two immense, leather-bound tomes. Her brow was furrowed with a quiet question. "Here they are," she said, setting the books down on the table with a soft thud. "We can start with the theory of mana circulation and..."
Hiruko cut her off with a loud, exaggerated sigh. He slumped back in his chair, his shoulders sagging with the weight of pressure. He glanced at the books, his face a mask of disappointment. "Ugh, they're so big," he groaned, his voice flat and scared, a perfect imitation of a depressed, stressed noble. "Can I really get better from reading all of this?"
Clarissa's face relaxed instantly, the doubt in her eyes replaced by a familiar look of weary disappointment. "Lukas, we talked about this," she began, her voice softer, more patient.
"I know, I know," he said, waving his hand dismissively.
Clarissa sighed, a sound Hiruko was already beginning to recognize. "I am sure it will work Lukas. Just try to read the first chapter, okay? For me?"
Hiruko leaned forward, resting his chin on his palm. "Fine," he mumbled, his voice full of reluctance. He opened the book and stared at the first page, his face a picture of confusion. Inside, however, his mind was a whirlwind, absorbing every word with a desperate hunger. He would play the fool, but he would learn. He had to. He had the opportunity of a lifetime, and he would not waste it, even if he had to pretend to be a loser to get it.
Clarissa looked at him with an expression of pure, sisterly concern. "Lukas, have you been thinking about your upcoming practical exam?" she asked gently. "Mina told me you haven't been yourself lately. You know it's not a big deal, right? It's just duels and a demonstration."
The words hit Hiruko like a wave of ice. The exam. He remembered Mina's mention of it and his feigned panic then. Now, with the reality of what it entailed—a public display of his magical inadequacy—the fear felt far too real. He wasn't just incompetent at magic; he was a complete fraud. He'd be exposed for sure.
He had to act. He had to be Lukas. A nervous tic began in his eye, and he felt a cold sweat prickling his brow. His hands began to tremble. This wasn't a choice; it was an instinct. He let the anxiety flood his face, the fear of disappointing his father rising in his chest like bile.
"The… the exam?" he stammered, his voice cracking with genuine dread. "I… I can't."
Clarissa's eyes, full of empathy, saw only her brother's familiar despair. "Lukas, it's okay. We'll practice. We have to!"
But Hiruko was already shaking his head, his breathing becoming shallow and quick. "No, no, I can't. I'll disappoint Father again. Everyone will see… they'll all know how useless I am." His voice rose, a high-pitched, panicked whine that perfectly captured the essence of the real Lukas's fear.
He pushed his chair back with a loud screech, stumbling backward. "I can't do it! I can't!" He turned and bolted from the conservatory, leaving Clarissa alone among the vibrant flowers and spilled tea. He ran through the quiet halls of the mansion, the gilded silence a stark contrast to the frantic drumbeat of his heart. He didn't stop until he was safely locked in his room, leaning against the heavy oak door, gasping for air.
I can't be exposed. Not yet.
He had to learn. He had to master this magic. The real Lukas wasn't lazy; he was a boy who had tried and failed so many times that he had given up. He had retreated from a world that only ever saw his failures. Hiruko, however, had the memories of a life where hard work, not inherent talent, was the key to success. He would not give up. He would use his own intelligence and discipline to slowly and surely build Lukas's reputation, turning him from a disgrace into a genius.
The exam was a problem, a ticking clock of public humiliation, but it was also a motivation. He had to learn fast.
A soft, insistent knock on the door broke through the frantic rhythm of Hiruko's breathing. He froze, his hand still on the doorknob. He didn't have to ask who it was. The knock was too gentle for Theresa, too patient for Lord Tross, and too composed for Clarissa. It was Mina.
"Lukas?" her voice called, a calm, low melody. "I'm not leaving until you open the door. Clarissa is worried sick."
Hiruko's mind, a whirlwind of panic moments before, suddenly settled into a cold, calculated calm. He had a choice. He could feign another migraine and hide, or he could face the most dangerous person in the mansion. Hiding would only delay the inevitable. The magic duels were a public spectacle, and he would be exposed on a grand stage. Books and theory wouldn't save him from that. He needed a teacher, a real one. And there was no one in this world more qualified to teach him how to duel than Mina Rosewalt. He would take the risk.
He took a deep breath, straightened his tunic, and unlocked the door.
Mina stood in the hallway, her arms crossed, her expression a mix of concern and sharp inquiry. "Clarissa said you ran out of the conservatory. Are you having another one of your episodes?"
Hiruko shook his head, looking her straight in the eye, forgoing the timid, downcast gaze of Lukas. "No. I'm fine. But you're right. I can't keep doing this."
Mina's eyebrows rose in genuine surprise. This was not the timid boy who had stammered and run away. This was a different person entirely. "Doing what?" she asked, her voice now laced with suspicion.
Hiruko's voice was firm, desperate, but utterly sincere. "You've been asking me about the upcoming exams, the duels. I can read all the books in the world, but it won't help me if I can't even stand in front of a real mage. Please, Mina. I need you to train me. I know it's a huge risk for you, but I need your help. Teach me how to duel."
The request hung in the air between them, heavy with unspoken weight. Mina's gaze was penetrating, her blue eyes searching his, trying to find the lie in his uncharacteristic plea. He watched as her eyes seemed to flash for a brief, almost imperceptible moment, but they remained their same, familiar blue.
Mina's gaze was as sharp as a finely honed blade, her blue eyes seeing right through the façade of a terrified boy and straight to the desperate plea of a man who needed help. Train Lukas. It was a high-stakes request, and she took a long, quiet moment to consider it. The silence stretched between them, thick with tension. Hiruko could practically feel the weight of her thoughts, her mind running a million calculations. The reputation of her own prestigious family, the Rosewalts, was on the line. If she, a prodigy, trained the notorious Tross disgrace, and he still failed, it would be a humiliation for them both.
Finally, she let out a slow, deliberate breath. A hint of a smile, cold and knowing, touched her lips. "I'll do it," she said, her voice a soft command. "But on one condition."
Hiruko's heart leaped, a mix of relief and dread.
"In our first practice duel, you must land a single hit on me," she continued, her eyes holding his. "It doesn't have to be a powerful spell or a final blow. It can be anything—a pebble, a whisper of a cantrip, anything at all. It will show me that you have the determination to follow through, that you're not just running from your problems again."
Her gaze was unwavering, a challenge. "I'm unsure if you've actually grown a backbone or not, Lukas. This will be my test. We'll duel as soon as you're well and ready. Until then, you need to rest."
With that, she turned and walked away, leaving Hiruko to process her words. He knew her condition was not just about his determination. It was a test of whether he had changed from the listless, incompetent boy she knew. For her, the real fear was that she would invest her time and her family's reputation in a lost cause.
Hiruko leaned back against the door, a slow smile spreading across his face. He had bought himself time. He was a fraud, and she knew it on a subconscious level, but she had given him the perfect opportunity to prove her right—or wrong. He had no idea how to cast a single spell, let alone hit a prodigy with one, but he had something Lukas never did: relentless drive. He would use every moment of this reprieve to study, to practice, to learn the very magic that had haunted Lukas Tross his entire life.
He had a chance now, a real chance. His duel with Mina was no longer just a test; it was his one shot at proving he was worthy of the life he had so unwillingly stolen.