Chapter 1123: Interlude - Lorelei’s Transformation (Part 3) 

If Lorelei's life before was like a stagnant pool atop a mountain peak—lofty, calm, and undisturbed—then Shinji's appearance was akin to a giant octopus inexplicably falling from the sky, plunging into the still waters, and stirring up constant turmoil.

Even after his departure, the turbulence he caused could not quickly settle. The place he once occupied remained empty, and that emptiness could not be filled by reason alone. Only time could smooth things over. Until then, a part of her heart would always feel incomplete.

However, just as she resigned herself to fate and traveled to his homeland, intending to bring closure to this chapter of her life, the once-calm waters of her mind were stirred up even more violently.

First, Shinji who had been missing for days—whom she and the entire Brigade had concluded was dead, despite all efforts to find him—suddenly returned alive.

Then, one after another, people, events, and things that even Lorelei, with her lofty status, had to treat with caution, began to appear.

The Grand Dollmaker, Aozaki Touko.

The Second Magician, Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg.

The Mystic Eyes of Distortion, a Rainbow-ranked Mystic Eye.

The complete Rune system, re-emerging in the modern world.

And the deal to cancel Aozaki Touko's Sealing Designation—a feat never before attempted. When she first heard of this idea, Lorelei even thought that Shinji's brain had been damaged by Ortenrosse. After all, that was the Clock Tower's oldest and most revered institution, a transcendent existence. Even if Lorelei personally issued the order, there was no guarantee they would listen.

But when she saw the Second Magician representing the deal, her resolve wavered.

That was the only Dead Apostle Ancestor whom Barthomeloi did not view with hostility, someone with more authority and influence than a Lord, despite not holding that title. The most transcendent figure. Coupled with the conditions Shinji had presented—terms that the Clock Tower could not possibly refuse—perhaps he really could achieve this unprecedented feat.

In comparison, everything she had done seemed trivial. At best, it was on par with some of the revenge schemes plotted by the women around him.

Hmph. Just the thought of it made Lorelei feel an inexplicable discomfort.

Why were there so many women around him?

Each one is more remarkable than the last, each one more outstanding, and each possesses some unique trait that could land them on the Sealing Designation list.

What made her even more uncomfortable were the strange looks these women gave her, as if they were guarding against a thief, not treating her like an ally at all. She couldn't understand it.

She wanted to ask someone about it but had no idea who to turn to for advice. And when she was alone, she couldn't figure it out by herself.

As expected, he was a troublesome man, always able to stir up her heart into a chaotic mess.

With no other options, she decided to consult the increasingly prominent lecturer Waver Velvet, hoping for some insight.

Although Waver wasn't exactly known for his emotional intelligence, he could at least sense that something was off. Realizing that this wasn't something he should answer, he redirected Lorelei to his professor's wife, Sola-Ui.

"What? You're saying I'm in love? That I like him?"

Lorelei didn't believe it at all when she heard this answer.

How could she possibly be in love?

Love, such a thing, couldn't exist in her life. It couldn't exist in Barthomeloi!

To this, Sola merely smiled and asked one simple question:

"If you were to marry him, would you be willing?"

Lorelei was stunned.

The Barthomeloi family didn't care much about human emotions, but for the sake of continuing the bloodline, they had to consider marriage at some point. She knew she would eventually face this issue. She just hadn't thought about it because of her young age—until Sola brought it up now.

Marry... me? To Shinji?

Seeing Lorelei's silence, Sola asked again, "Let me put it another way. If he and the other people from the Clock Tower were all candidates for marriage, who would you choose? Don't overthink it. Just give me the answer as quickly as possible."

"Him."

Almost without hesitation, Lorelei gave her answer.

"See?"

"Ah!"

Sola spread her hands with a smile, and Lorelei blushed, quickly trying to explain herself.

"I—I just think he would be an excellent match as a partner, someone who fits the standards of Barthomeloi. That's all. No other intentions."

"There are others who also meet those standards, but you chose him."

"Th-that's because... because..."

Lorelei found herself unable to explain why.

"If you can't think of a reason, don't worry about it for now. Let's move on to another topic. I've met a few of the girls around Shinji, and they're all exceptional. I wonder where he found them."

"Yes, I think so too," Lorelei nodded repeatedly.

"Could Japan be as magical as the legends say?"

"Whether it's magical or not, I don't know. But I do want to ask if, when you see them, you instinctively compare yourself to them. Do you feel frustrated? Do you feel any dissatisfaction toward Shinji?"

"Yes! How do you know?"

"Because I've been through something similar."

Sola sighed, both amused and helpless.

"I'm now certain that you've fallen for him. What you're experiencing is the most common kind of jealousy."

"Jealous? Me? Of them? Why would I be jealous of them?" —If anything, they should be jealous of me!

"Because you like him, and they like him too. They're closer to him."

"Is it really that simple?"

"It's just that simple. It has nothing to do with anything else. Feelings don't follow logic. No matter how exceptional you are, if the other person doesn't like you, it's meaningless. I'm a prime example—aside from being the daughter of the Sophia-Ri family, I wasn't anything special. At the time, there were already female magi who had reached the rank of Grand and liked Kenneth. Yet in the end, Kenneth chose me. Why? I still don't know."

"Then what should I do? If—just hypothetically—I..."

After much hesitation, Lorelei finally asked the question, "If I... like him, and want... to marry him, what should I do?"

"That depends on your attitude toward marriage. If you don't mind your husband having affairs and just want the title of wife, that's simple. Just talk with those girls and make things clear. That's the most common approach in prestigious families. Which famous magus doesn't have a few lovers? I can name at least ten female magi who have designs on Kenneth, including the one I mentioned earlier who reached Grand rank."

"…What if I want a relationship like yours and Lord El-Melloi's?"

"And you said you didn't like him."

Sola teased with a smile, then beckoned Lorelei closer.

"Well, that's a bit more difficult. It's a battle between women, an invisible war without smoke."

The once aloof queen who had disregarded emotions was now ready to fight for love.

She had changed.