* * *

“Really, really?”

When I told Deborah about the Magic Tower entrance exam, she was astonished, her eyes and mouth wide open.

I tossed my hair back and nodded confidently.

“The exam is next week, so prepare well.”

“I’m really going to the Magic Tower…”

Deborah, overwhelmed with emotion, covered her mouth and stood up abruptly.

She then wandered around the room, unsure of what to do.

Could she be that happy?

Feeling a strange sense of satisfaction and pride, I asked without much thought.

“But are you good at magic? You can pass the exam, right?”

Come to think of it, I didn’t know Deborah’s level of skill.

I assumed she had the ability to pass the entrance exam, but…

“…….”

Deborah remained silent, looking uneasy.

Wait, wait. This can’t be!

If you’re a noble lady who loves magic, shouldn’t your abilities be guaranteed?

“Deborah, you’re confident, right?”

Even when I asked again, Deborah didn’t answer.

She just crossed her arms with a complicated expression.

This is troublesome.

I spent 400,000 gold to get you into the Magic Tower!

“Do you even know how to use magic?”

“Of course I do!”

“Then why aren’t you saying anything?”

“…I don’t think my skills are enough to pass the exam.”

Deborah’s voice trailed off. I grabbed her shoulders, becoming serious.

“Let’s call a magic teacher starting tomorrow. We’ll learn intensively.”

“Who are you going to call? Do you know any mages?”

“Of course not. Shouldn’t you know someone?”

You’re the one who loves magic.

You’re the one who wants to enter the Magic Tower.

So naturally, Deborah should know a mage, right?

“…I don’t know anyone either.”

But Deborah’s connections were as sparse as mine.

I was taken aback and incredulous, so I asked again.

“Why don’t you have anyone? How is that possible?”

“I don’t know… I just don’t have friends, what can I do!”

Deborah, whose face turned red for a different reason, snapped in frustration.

No, I wasn’t asking if you have friends.

‘This is a big problem. What should I do?’

I never imagined Deborah would be so unprepared.

Why did she make a deal with me then?

Feeling a strong sense of urgency, I went to find Dain.

I thought he might know a mage since he’s sociable.

When I explained the situation honestly and asked for help, Dain’s eyes widened.

“You helped Deborah take the Magic Tower entrance exam? Why?”

“I wanted to get closer, and she seemed to really love magic. She seemed to desperately want to enter the Magic Tower, so I wanted to help.”

Dain looked thoughtful for a moment at my words.

Pressed for time and feeling anxious, I urged him.

“So, do you know any mages? They need to be skilled enough to teach Deborah to pass the exam.”

“…Alright, I’ll try to find someone. But do Father and Grandfather know about this?”

I closed my mouth with a guilty expression.

Of course, I hadn’t gotten their permission. I didn’t even bring it up because I knew they’d oppose it.

Sensing my hesitation, Dain laughed heartily.

“Well, that can happen! I’ll secretly find a magic teacher too.”

Fortunately, he agreed to keep this a secret from Lord Diart and the Duke.

But we were unaware.

That there could be someone more cunning than us…

* * *

Dain introduced us to an elderly mage who had retired from working at the Magic Tower.

With a temporary teacher, Deborah sought a secluded place to practice magic, away from the prying eyes of the household elders.

That place was the western garden of the main house where I stayed.

It was an ideal location for secret training since people rarely came by.

Deborah came alone, leaving her maid behind.

“First, let’s assess the level of your skills, Miss.”

The kindly-looking elderly mage said. I watched the two from the balcony.

She set up a translucent barrier and instructed Deborah to break it.

Deborah mustered her magical power until her face turned red, but the barrier didn’t budge.

“What’s going on? Why isn’t this working? My magic power is being drained!”

“Endure it. Attack as if you’re reclaiming the stolen magic power.”

“Ugh.”

At the firm words, Deborah grimaced and released more magic power.

“Hang in there, Deborah! You’re doing great, great, great!”

I clasped my hands by my mouth and cheered for Deborah enthusiastically.

But Deborah only continued to lose her magic power and couldn’t break the barrier.

Eventually exhausted, she collapsed to the ground, panting. I watched her with concern.

If she’s already this tired, won’t she fail the exam?

“Your magic power is excellent, but your ability to control it is severely lacking.”

“Then what should I do—?!”

Lacking the energy to answer, I shouted the question instead of Deborah.

“You need to learn how to control your magic power. You’re struggling because you haven’t built a proper foundation.”

“Ah, I see. Please teach Deborah well!”

“Yes, don’t worry. Hoho. You seem to care a lot about your younger sister.”

“…I’m not her sister.”

Deborah, who had barely managed to stand, retorted sharply.

I leaned against the railing and leisurely watched her being put through her paces again.

And I timed it so that I brought water and snacks when the training ended.

I saw Deborah sitting on the ground with a soulless expression.

Oh dear.

She looked like a pampered city puppy turned into a scruffy country dog.

I approached, extending a hand.

“Deborah, are you okay?”

“…Hmph.”

Ignoring my hand, Deborah tried to stand on her own but wobbled.

I quickly grabbed her thin arm. Although our builds were similar, I was taller, so she naturally ended up in my arms.

“Be careful. What if you get hurt?”

“…Hmph! My legs just gave out for a moment, that’s all.”

Deborah, her face flushed, retorted petulantly and stood up straight.

I brushed the dirt off her clothes and said.

“You worked hard. It must be tough, but you’re doing great.”

“…Well, that’s only natural.”

When I offered her water, Deborah gulped it down.

“Eat this too.”

“…Raspberry cookies?”

“They’re your favorite, right?”

It was information I picked up while asking around about Deborah.

Deborah hesitated before accepting the cookies. As she took a bite, her expression softened.

I occasionally handed her water while she devoured the cookies.

Once the cookies were gone, Deborah cleared her throat and spoke as if she had something to say.

“…You know.”

“Yeah?”

“I’m not the cute, affectionate sister you want. Are you okay with that?”

What kind of question is this all of a sudden?

I shrugged and replied.

“I never wanted that kind of sister. I just want to go to parties together.”

“Seriously, what’s so great about me…”

“Huh? I never said you’re great.”

“…I-I don’t like you either!”

Deborah, her neck turning red in an instant, stood up with a huff. There was a certain fun in teasing her.

I called out to her as she stomped away.

“Take care! See you tomorrow, Deborah!”

“I hate you!”

Yeah, but we’ll see each other again tomorrow.

The kindly-faced elderly mage worked Deborah hard like a demon.

It reminded me of when Carl taught me swordsmanship.

You really can’t judge people by appearances…

“You’re doing great, Deborah!”

I went out to the balcony to cheer for Deborah during her training sessions.

“Wow, amazing! You’re the best!”

“Oh, shut up!”

“Yeah, yeah! Keep it up!”

Deborah would throw a fit like an angry chihuahua, but once training ended, she’d collapse to the ground, drained.

I would unfailingly bring her water and raspberry cookies.

“How’s the training going? Getting used to it? It’s still tough, right?”

“…Well, it’s nothing much.”

Despite her nonchalant tone, Deborah’s arms were trembling.

Suppressing my laughter, I suddenly grew curious and asked.

“By the way, where and how did you learn magic?”

It was intriguing that she could use magic at all without being able to control her magic power.

Deborah pursed her lips as she closed the cap on the empty water bottle.

“Dad and Grandfather wouldn’t let me learn formally. So I secretly taught myself… and it turned out like this.”

“Why do they oppose you becoming a mage?”

“That’s because Mom…”

Deborah, who had been answering fairly well, suddenly clammed up.

Her round eyes seemed to shimmer with moisture under her lowered eyelashes.

“Deborah?”

“…I don’t know. Stop asking annoying questions. It’s really irritating.”

“Why? What’s so irritating?”

“It’s just irritating! And even if I tell you, would you understand?”

Deborah snapped, her eyes narrowing sharply as she glared at me.

For a young lady raised in a noble household, she sure had a lot of irritation and complaints.

“Well, I won’t know unless you tell me. But if you don’t say anything, I’ll never know.”

I tried to reason with her softly, but it was of little use.

“It’s irritating, so stop watching my training. And stop pretending to care.”

Deborah, baring her teeth like a growling puppy, returned the water bottle and cookies and turned away.

Her retreating figure looked more like an eight-year-old than an eighteen-year-old.

A troublesome eight-year-old.