“Let’s calm down and sort out our situation, shall we?”
“Don’t touch my head…!”
Bellatrix’s playful jest filled with genuine affection has left Bellver in a huff.
Even if he resolves to make her acknowledge him as a man, the fact that he was teased isn’t going anywhere.
She, on the other hand, is shamelessly petting his head as if trying to soothe him.
He probably looks like a younger brother to her eyes.
Unlike when she teases him about his height, this time he doesn’t push her hand away violently.
“Why are you touching my head like that?”
“If you’re gonna do it too…!”
Bellver instinctively moves his hand toward Bellatrix upon her words but freezes when their gazes meet—her crescent-shaped eyes gleaming with amusement.
His bold movements slow down, his spread hand shrinking until only his pinky remains extended.
And then, his lone pinky lightly taps her side before falling away.
Bellver swallows hard, staring at the pinky that touched what used to be his body.
No matter how much he stares, it doesn’t feel like it was ever his own.
It feels more like he just touched some random guy’s side.
After all, just hours ago, it was still his body.
Embarrassment makes his toes curl.
“I’m going back to my room now. I’ll explore every inch of this new body. Mmm-hmm.”
“Wait! No weird stuff! It’s my body!”
“But isn’t it mine now?”
“No way!!”
“You’ll be exploring it too once I leave. Think about it—the noble lady’s soft skin. Doesn’t it sound tempting? I’m sure it will.”
Bellatrix smirks mischievously, dangling bait before him.
Of course, she won’t really explore it again later.
Truthfully, she already did before coming here.
Still, she might check it out one more time—it’s fascinating being in a male body.
There’s so much about this body she wants to try.
“Is that all? I’ll be doing much more than that.”
“Huh?! But it didn’t feel like my body earlier when you touched me, yet now it does because you’re teasing me…”
He has no idea why he feels this way.
He doesn’t even have time to think about it.
Her casual comment about “exploring” her own body causes him to instinctively lower his head.
It’s almost like the seductive whisper of a succubus.
Through the thin silk nightgown, a glimpse of her pale, soft-looking flesh tantalizingly appears.
Staring at the subtle curves, Bellver suddenly bursts out laughing uncontrollably.
“I’m not doing it!! No weird stuff!!”
“Isn’t my body pretty? I don’t think so.”
“I absolutely won’t look!”
“But don’t we need to clean it eventually? Even if you assist me, you’ll see anyway?”
“That’s not weird though!”
“So you’re secretly planning to ravage my fragile body while pretending to help? You’re surprisingly upfront about it.”
“Eek…! Absolutely not!! Stop teasing me and let’s move forward!”
Realizing belatedly that he’s being teased, Bellver’s face heats up.
As always, clarity comes only after the fact.
Lost in his flustered state, he didn’t even notice he was being played.
Bellatrix raises both hands in mock surrender as she sits down in a chair.
She’s already gained far more than she anticipated when she came searching for her original body.
The overwhelming talent embodied in this body, along with Bellver himself inside her body, is an unexpected bonus.
Sure, becoming a knight aspirant means moving around a lot, which is annoying, but she can double-major in magic, so it’s fine.
If what he says is true, he must possess innate talent in martial skills too.
Maybe there’s a rare chance to become a magical swordsman or spear-wielding mage.
Just watching Bellver makes her feel at ease.
His innocence and familiarity with her old body make interactions comfortable.
“I’ll live as Lady Bellatrix from now on.”
“And I’ll live as Bellver.”
“While we’re at it, please evaluate how well I’m doing. Since I don’t know anyone, you can guide me freely.”
“Good. What kind of evaluation? Trying to mimic me?”
“Yes.”
“Go ahead.”
Coughing awkwardly while clutching his fist near his mouth, Bellver clears his throat—an act he likely copied somewhere without understanding its effect.
Nevertheless, having cleared his throat, Bellver recalls the image of Bellatrix in his memory.
Since she was a character with significant weight, she had plenty of lines.
Thus, analysis of her tone exists.
Arrogant and dripping with elitism, it’s the typical noblewoman’s voice.
“C-could this possibly pass as food? Bring something better immediately, commoner.”
Pleased with himself, Bellver waits for Bellatrix’s critique after delivering the line.
In his opinion, it’s flawless.
This line stands out most vividly in his memory.
It’s the first encounter with the protagonist, encapsulating who Bellatrix is in a single sentence.
However, Bellatrix’s expression turns微妙.
It resembles the look one gives a student who insists they got full marks despite clearly making a mistake.
After a brief pause, she delivers her verdict.
“Your tone is spot-on.”
“Right? Don’t worry! I’ll do great!”
“But I never show such compassionate expressions or speak so softly.”
“What? Did I do that?”
“Yeah. For a moment, I thought a goddess had descended.”
“That’s impossible…”
Bellver grows dejected at her evaluation.
Because he truly believed he was portraying a venomous, arrogant, and insufferable Bellatrix to the best of his ability.
With all the effort he could muster.
Hence, he wasn’t expecting such harsh criticism.
“Anyway, since we’ll mostly be together going forward, just stay silent. I’ll handle the talking. But keep your expression blank.”
“Like this?”
“You’re good at that. Just maintain it. Once you open your mouth, you turn into someone else.”
“Understood…”
Sighing deeply, Bellver lowers his head, utterly crestfallen.
He genuinely thought he did well.
Theoretically, he scored full marks.
It’s just that his practical performance flopped.
His inherent naivety and gentle tone betrayed him.
Bellatrix lightly taps his forehead with her knuckles.
Since his mood won’t change regardless, and it’s not a big issue anyway.
She’ll take care of any necessary communication.
“Aiya! Why’d you hit me?!”
“Why so glum? There’s nothing wrong.”
“But what if….”
“If you’re that anxious, would you like to touch my chest? They say men calm down after feeling women’s chests.”
“But it’s my chest now?! And stop with the dirty talk!!”
“We’re adults, right?”
“Still forbidden!”
SNAP. Bellver quickly covers his chest with both arms.
Besides, anything remotely suggestive is strictly off-limits.
He lacks resistance to lewd jokes or comments.
They embarrass and humiliate him instantly.
Now, with two triggers instead of one, it’s doubly worse.
Naturally, Bellatrix pays no heed.
Finding him adorable and intriguing, she occasionally tosses fuel onto the fire just to observe.
How can someone who was a boy mere hours ago behave so girlishly?
She half suspects he wasn’t born into the correct body.
“How does it feel? It’s pressing against your forearm, isn’t it?”
“I moved it away!!”
“Oh? A learning girl, huh.”
“Young man!”
“Alright, alright. Let’s get back to business. Now, magic is the problem. I’ll teach you well.”
Bellver tilts his head in confusion.
What’s the issue with magic?
Won’t Bellatrix regain her magic soon?
He doesn’t understand.
“Surely, you’ll be able to use magic soon. You can already sense mana, right?”
“Not me, you. Despite appearances, I’m second in magic and overall second-in-command. Naturally, I should wield powerful spells. But you can’t use magic, can you?”
“I can!”
“Can’t you? Aren’t you a commoner aspiring to be a knight?”
“I can! Watch this. Light!”
POOF. The mana responds to Bellver’s will, forming a light orb similar to one he’d seen before.
He lifts it up to show Bellatrix.
Proof that he knows magic.
Bellatrix finds herself baffled yet again by the sight.
Today alone, she’s been surprised countless times.
According to her knowledge, Bellver shouldn’t be capable of magic.
If he knew how to cast, his circuits wouldn’t be undeveloped.
Yet here, unmistakably, is magic.
And remarkably refined magic.
A basic light spell creating such a perfectly formed orb is impressive.
Even she struggles to achieve this without intense focus.
As she observes, the orb begins to glow brighter.
Before Bellatrix can wonder what’s happening, Bellver shouts in panic.
“Close your eyes! It’s going to explode!”
“What?!”
The instant both close their eyes, the orb detonates with a flash.
They narrowly avoided blindness.
Bellatrix sighs inwardly in relief as she deduces the cause.
The explosion happened due to lack of control.
Not maintaining the orb shape but controlling the spell itself.
That’s managing the spell, not the mana.
While the spell formation is perfect, the mana isn’t controlled properly.
“Looks like you can’t control your magic. You don’t know how to disperse it or cancel it.”
“Hehe… Will you teach me…?”
“First, let me explain. Your spell control is impeccable, but your mana control is lacking. Too much mana went into the orb, causing it to explode.”
“What do you mean?”
Bellver fails to grasp her explanation.
His magic teacher consists solely of novels, manuals, and games.
Beyond converting mana into magic, he knows little else.
Even the manual mentions nothing about handling mana this way.
“Think of it like cooking. Right now, you’ve neatly plated the dish, but the ingredients are a mess. It might look nice on the surface, but tasting it would be terrible. Creating the desired form is important, but controlling the mana is equally crucial.”
“Ah! That makes perfect sense!”
“Does it?”
“Yes!”
Bellver truly understands.
Explained so simply, failing to comprehend would be foolish.
Besides, he’s incredibly intelligent.
Having memorized hundreds of novels, manuals, and games proves that.
Still, Bellatrix watches his confident smile with mild concern.
At this rate, she fears he might master everything within a day.
What can she do?
Trust him, she supposes.
“I’ll teach you mana control tomorrow. It’s getting late, so I’ll go now.”
“Okay!”
“Oh, and don’t go poking around everywhere while I’m gone, alright?”
“I won’t!!”
Bellatrix teases Bellver one last time before leaving the room.
How could she resist such delightfully girlish reactions?
The future seems increasingly promising.
“The semester starts tomorrow. I wonder if I can handle it.”
After Bellatrix departs, Bellver mutters to himself alone in the room.
True to her words, the semester begins tomorrow.
The curriculum is looser than university standards.
Attending lectures poses no issues as long as he passes practical and theoretical exams.
Even skipping classes entirely is possible with passing grades.
Bellver isn’t worried about exams.
He’s confident things will work out somehow.
What concerns him is whether he can convincingly live as Bellatrix.
Including enduring her teasing now that she’s in his body.
“I’m a guy.”
Bellver clenches both fists tightly, reaffirming his identity.
If Bellatrix were here, she’d undoubtedly find his determined stance quite fitting.
Unbeknownst to Bellver.
