The Perfect Knight and the Illusionist (BL)

MARIUS

I sat at the table in the dining hall, staring at my empty plate after Skylark had left.

What in the world did I just say to him...?

"Marius, are you okay?" a girl’s voice asked me.

"No," I said without recognizing who it was, my eyes still fixed on the plate.

"Did you have a fight with Leo?" the voice asked me again.

I finally looked up from my plate to see that Isabelle was taking the seat next to me. She didn’t bring her tray, so it seemed she had already finished her dinner.

"I don’t know," I said.

"You guys seemed to be arguing or something... at least that’s how it seemed from afar," she said.

"It was nothing. Really."

"I see."

With that, she just sat with both hands on the table, her palms touching the surface.

"Was it... about his magic?" she asked.

I had completely forgotten about that, but now that she spoke of it, I was alarmed.

"Isabelle, did you tell anyone about it?" I asked.

"No."

"Good. Let’s keep it that way."

She then tapped on the table a few times, each palm alternating.

"Why do I feel like you are hiding something from us, Marius?"

"I’m... just being cautious."

"Is Leo in any sort of danger?"

"No. He’s in good hands. I can assure you of that. You don’t need to worry."

Isabelle tapped on the table one more time, this time with both hands.

"Right. If you say so," she said.

But she remained seated and did not leave.

The silence was uncomfortable, but I knew it wasn’t because of her.

Maybe I just needed... someone to talk to as well.

"Isabelle."

"Yeah?"

"Do you think Skylark is likable?"

I couldn’t believe I had just asked that so directly.

"Ha, what are you saying?" she asked.

"Just a question."

"Well, he’s a good guy. He’s kind. And he understands people more than he can put into words, I think. So yeah, he’s ’likable,’ I suppose."

That was true. Skylark was a good guy—somehow.

Anybody would like him, and there was nothing strange about that.

But then I had another niggling question in my mind.

"Is he likable in the same way that Dimitri is? Or Briant? Or Alexis?"

"They are all nice in their own ways, so I guess, yeah."

But why did I feel Skylark was... a little different?

I had to get to the bottom of it.

"Is he likable in the same way as Thomas?"

Then Isabelle let out a short laugh and poked me jokingly on the shoulder.

"Don’t ask such silly questions. What’s gotten into you?" she asked.

"I don’t know."

Isabelle leaned toward me, bringing her face a little closer, and kept her eyes on mine for a few seconds.

I couldn’t understand what she was trying to do or say. We just kept eye contact and let the time pass.

Then she broke into a big grin and said,

"I think I see now."

"Wha—what do you see?"

"It’s not right for me to say it. I’ll just leave you to it."

After those cryptic words, Isabelle tapped on the table one more time, then got up and said,

"Don’t think too much, Marius. I really believe that eventually, everything falls into the right place if that’s how things were meant to be. If it doesn’t, then well, it just wasn’t meant to be."

"I don’t understand you at all," I said.

She simply smiled, placed her hand on my shoulder for a short second, then walked away.

Now I was even more confused.

And I didn’t quite agree with her philosophy.

Things never fall into the right place just like that—whatever those things are.

Nothing clicks together unless you put it together. One and one become two only if you combine them. Otherwise, they stay as two separate ones.

But I suppose... it must be comforting to let fate decide things for oneself.

I let out a sigh, picked up my tray, and returned it to the counter.

My feet felt heavy as I headed toward my room. My body felt tired, my mind restless.

"Oh, what could be troubling the noble mind of young Valenkraft?"

A voice asked me from behind, almost in a whisper.

I immediately turned and confronted him.

"I’m not in the mood for your words, Dorian."

"I can see that," he said.

"Then leave me be," I said and turned away from him.

"Why the rush? We are heading the same way anyway," Dorian said. Just from his voice, I could feel that he was grinning.

"You are welcome to keep up with me, then," I said.

"Falken. You’ve been seeing him a lot lately," Dorian said suddenly, and there was a hint of seriousness in his voice this time.

I stopped walking and turned to face him.

"Right, let’s stop these games. What is it? What do you really want to say?" I asked.

"I’m just curious," he said, looking directly into my eyes without wavering.

"Curiosity killed the cat."

"Then so be it. I wouldn’t mind sacrificing one of its nine lives to satisfy my curiosity."

This was the first time I felt that Dorian was being serious. He wasn’t mocking me. He really wanted to know something. It’s just that I didn’t know what that something was.

"Ask away. I will answer if it’s something I can say. But mind you, I don’t have a lot to say."

"Tell me—why is Falken so interested in Leo?"

Then something seemed to flicker in his eyes, his gaze almost piercingly sharp.

"I have no idea," I said.

"You don’t lie very well."

"What’s it got to do with you?"

"Everything."

"Like I told you once, I’m not interested in your riddles."

"Then let me give you another one—why is a village boy who can’t even use his magic properly accepted by the Academy and pampered by Falken?"

"Because he’s likable. Skylark is a good guy, and Falken is a kind man," I shot back immediately, not quite realizing or being in control of what I was saying.

Dorian flinched, for the first time ever since I met him, stood frozen for a good few seconds, then burst out laughing.

"Oh dear. Dear oh dear."

With that, he shook his head as if he was in disbelief, still laughing, and walked away.

Something didn’t quite feel right.

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