Clay could barely contain his laughter as he watched Gwen teeter on the edge of exploding. He knew he was being childish, but the urge to tease her was irresistible.
Oh, she managed to hold it in, Clay thought, admiring her emotional control as Gwen composed herself. But what she did next baffled him.
Gwen stretched her palm toward Clay, and he felt subtle magic fluctuations emanating from her hand. In an instant, his appearance transformed. He now wore a light green long-sleeved shirt that matched the color of Gwen's dress, paired with tight trousers that accentuated his leg muscles. His hair was neatly combed back, emphasizing the shape of his forehead and his striking eyebrows.
Clay now looked like a prince ready for a grand ball, not someone lounging at home. Every girl around them would stop to look at the dashing prince who came out of thin air.
"This will do," Gwen declared with satisfaction. "Now, let's go!" She gave Clay a firm push toward the carriage, but to her surprise, he didn't budge.
Eh? Why can't I push him? Isn't it the second time?
"Illusions again? I don't appreciate fake appearances."
Her frustration was momentarily replaced by curiosity. Aren't most people thrilled to look extraordinarily handsome or beautiful, even if it's fake? Why doesn't he react like everyone else?
Besides, how did he recognize her illusion magic? It was perfected to the point where even a ninth-level Hunter wouldn't detect it. Yet here he was, unaffected and unimpressed.
Clay turned to face Gwen, his gaze sharp and challenging, as if daring her to try something else. Gwen even could hear his silent dare, 'What are you going to do?'
What a nuisance! If he weren't the son of the Realm Knight's right-hand commander, Gwen would've left him behind without a second thought. She wouldn't have even bothered coming to the Hawk residence to fetch him!
Gwen recalled her fourth senior brother's sneaky antics whenever he tried to evade a bet he'd lost to her. She lowered her head slightly and summoned the water elemental spirit from within her. Moments later, she raised her head, her eyes brimming with tears.
"Huwaaaa… You promised to be my boyfriend! You even smiled sweetly at me and said you'd come to my birthday party! Why are you breaking your promise? Why are you rejecting me now? Are you leaving me here? Huweee…"
Clay broke into a cold sweat as her teary-eyed accusations piled up. Every time he tried to interject, she added another claim, leaving him no room to defend himself. Worse, her tears drew the judgmental stares of bystanders, making him feel cornered.
The most bizarre thing was, he knew that those tears were fake, but he was still affected by them as if he dislike to see the girl crying.
"Ugh! Fine, I'll do as you say." He opened the carriage door and added, "Give me two minutes."
Gwen wiped away her tears and hid her face with her hands, feigning embarrassment. Beneath her fingers, however, she wore a triumphant smirk.
Exactly two minutes later, the carriage door opened. Clay emerged, dressed impeccably without the help of illusion magic. He wore a crisp blue shirt under a black tuxedo adorned with gold buttons. His hair was neatly combed to the side, his bangs artfully framing his face.
Clay's appearance was striking, exuding the charisma of a knight leading an army. But Gwen remained unimpressed. To her, he was still the same lazy, pushover senior.
"So you brought a change of clothes."
"…"
"Why didn't you mention it earlier? We wouldn't have had to stop or cause a scene."
"…" Still no response.
"Are you angry?"
Gwen realized she might have gone too far. Clay's silence, paired with his refusal to meet her gaze as he stared out the window, spoke volumes. His casual posture, with one leg crossed over the other and an arm resting on the windowsill, only added to the tension.
"I won't do it again," Gwen said softly, surprising even herself. She wasn't sure why she felt compelled to apologize, but there it was.
Oh, so even this girl can feel regret? Clay mused, deciding to let her off the hook—for now.
"I have a question for you," he said finally. "Why do you look like that?"
Gwen tilted her head, puzzled. "Would you prefer I look as usual?"
"That's not what I mean." Clay rolled his eyes. How could she think anyone would prefer her dowdy, nerdy disguise over her real appearance? While her attempt at concealment was clever, it couldn't hide the faint traces of her true beauty. Even in his weakened magic, he still could see what was behind the illusion.
"I mean," Clay clarified, "why disguise yourself as someone unattractive when you have such a beautiful face? I know this is not your real appearance."
"Have you seen my real appearance?"
Once. But admitting that would reveal too much about his identity as a Realm Knight. "I'm just good at noticing things," he deflected. "And I believe you have the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen."
Gwen frowned, feeling an unfamiliar flutter in her chest. Compliments on her eyes weren't new, but this time, it felt different. "I hear that often," she said dismissively, closing her eyes to avoid his piercing gaze.
"You still haven't answered my question," Clay reminded her.
Gwen exhaled deeply. "I just don't like being the center of attention."
"What's so bad about that?"
"How many more questions will it take for you to forgive me?"
Realizing she was uncomfortable, Clay decided to drop the interrogation. They barely knew each other, despite their pretense of being a couple. But, he strangely wished to learn more things about this girl before her.
"Alright." Clay opened his palm, revealing a storage ring. Gwen's eyes widened as a butterfly-shaped hairpin appeared in his hand. It shimmered faintly, evoking a memory.
Isn't that the Light Butterfly I summoned during the monster wave? Gwen thought. The butterfly had absorbed the demon king's poison to save the Realm Knight. Why does this useless senior have a hairpin that resembles it?