Seraphina POV
"Do you seriously believe I'd consider trash like you for marriage? Ew, you seriously need to get your head checked."
"...Huh?"
Bernard seems gravely affected by this rather blunt refusal and stumbles back a few steps.
"W-wait, I never said that!"
And then this less than wholesome scene gets interrupted by Lucy's voice… or rather, a different Lucy's voice coming from right next to me.
Looking to my left, I see another Lucy standing a few steps from me and I finally sense that something is wrong.
Right… we were in that underground chamber and Bernard suddenly touched that sword artifact. That means… we're already inside that dream?
It takes me a few more seconds to fully come to my senses. While I was watching that illusion play out it felt like I was rooted in place, unable to move at all and my mind felt foggy as well. Only hearing Lucy's sudden shout brought me out of my daze and made me realize that I'm just standing here.
"Lucy…?"
"Hm? Ah, we're already in the illusion. Though, I don't know why it looks like this. Arthur, you should wake up too."
Calling out to the Lucy next to me, she replies by confirming my theory and then lightly shakes Arthur awake too.
"You… You really confessed to Lucy just like that? Pffft. Hahaha! You really are something aren't you!"
"A-Arthur…"
Arthur suddenly bursts out laughing, causing Bernard's face to heat up. Lucy tries to calm him down, but she isn't met with much success.
Right, wasn't the trial supposed to be about his biggest fear and a lot of monsters showing up? Why is it showing this memory? And in such a distorted form at that… Wait, it can't be… Is this really what he fears the most? Did his failed confession really affect him this much?
"Pfft. Ahem."
"Hina…"
I quickly cover my mouth and avoid Lucy's gaze, acting like nothing happened.
"Hahaha! P-please tell me that this is some sort of illusion or something that you carelessly triggered, otherwise I- Haha."
"That… I…"
For once that idiot seems completely flustered, unable to form a coherent sentence to answer Arthur with, and it's Lucy of all people who suddenly speaks up.
"No, no! It happened completely differently!"
"Oh~? Not 'didn't happen' but rather 'happened differently'?"
"Ah…"
This time Lucy covers her mouth, having accidentally revealed the true nature of what we just witnessed.
"I heard you started hanging out with Lucy after the tournament for a few days but then you completely stopped approaching her. I always wondered what happened, but even I didn't expect you to propose to someone you just met. You really have some guts, haha! I would wish you good luck, but it seems like you already got rejected. Pfft."
…He's really having fun, isn't he?
Arthur becomes increasingly animated as he keeps making fun of Bernard while the other party just hangs his head, his arms slightly trembling, either out of anger or embarrassment. In the meantime Lucy is anxiously glancing between the two of them, clearly wanting to defuse the situation, but unable to interrupt.
Okay, as much as I might enjoy the show unfolding in front of me, we should probably move on soon and figure out what to do about this trial.
"Lucy I think-"
"What do you know!?"
However at that same moment Bernard suddenly looks up and shouts while glaring at Arthur. His eyes are bloodshot and at some point that sword artifact appeared in his hand and now he radiates a very hostile aura unlike anything he's ever shown before.
"...!"
"You always act like you're so much better than anyone else, it's really getting on my nerves. I should have put you in your place long ago!"
"Uh, you know I was just joking, right?"
By now even Arthur notices that something is wrong and he tries to calm him down, but the atmosphere around Bernard just keeps intensifying.
"T-this is bad, the artifact is influencing his mind."
"What, what does that mean?"
"He's very close to losing the trial. Ugh, how did things turn out like this…"
"Losing the trial, didn't you say we would just get sent back to reality if that happens?"
"Yes, but… then the sword loses its power too."
"Is that really important right now?"
"..."
"...Don't look at me like that. Fine, if he hasn't lost yet then we should still have a chance, right?"
"...! Yes, thank you Hina!"
Her previously anxious eyes suddenly light up once more as she thanks me.
"Take this!"
"Whoa!"
However the nice atmosphere suddenly gets broken by that idiot's shout as he charges at Arthur. Though even in this manipulated state, his moves haven't changed much so Arthur is able to dodge to the side in time. For now he should be able to hold out for a while so I turn to Lucy.
"What do we do? Should we just take him out?"
"Uh, but he also loses the trial that way. Ugh, this is such a mess already. Maybe if we target the sword instead? If we take it from him, that might clear his mind."
"That's easier said than done, ugh! If you can distract him for a second I might be… able to do it though."
Having overheard Lucy's words, Arthur speaks up while barely dodging all of Bernard's attacks.
"I could try attacking him from a distance, that might take his focus away, but um… Would you be okay?"
"I… maybe not…"
"Uh, spells are kind of my speciality though. Other than that… I don't know."
This is the first time I've regretted focusing solely on magic. Since I was really gifted at using spells, I never touched a sword or any weapon, I always thought my fire magic could solve any problems I might face.
"Agh!"
"If you could hurry up, I would appreciate it!"
While I'm racking my brain, Arthur also tries to speed us up, but nothing that would work comes to mind.
"Actually based on this trial, there is something that would disturb him for sure."
"Lucy… Ah right, could you use that move you did during-"
Hearing her mumble something next to me suddenly reminds me of her move that she came up with for the student tournament. If I can't attack Bernard, then Lucy can do it instead. Even if it isn't likely to get through his defenses, it should still get his attention a little bit. Hopefully enough to give Arthur an opportunity, however before I can finish my sentence, Lucy suddenly speaks up, her voice filling this illusionary world… though somewhat shaky and not confident at all.
"L-Lord Bernard! D-Do you seriously believe I'd consider …t-t-trash like you for marriage…? Ew, ahem. You s-seriously need to get your head checked…"
"Eh…?"
"Huh?"
"Ugh!"
Hearing Lucy shout those words causes the three of us to look at her in shock… well one of those three is also clutching his chest so he's probably feeling something else too…
While watching that illusion play out there was this strange sense of disbelief to it, like I knew I was only watching something that never happened so it only sounded a little weird.
But hearing the real Lucy say those lines hits completely differently… and it seems like I'm not the only one present who has a hard time coming to terms with reality at the moment.
When she began shouting, Lucy forcefully shut her eyes and has kept them closed since. There's also a visible blush on her face and she's slightly trembling. She barely peaks out through one eye, but then she immediately covers her face with her hands while stammering out:
"Ugh… don't look at me… Arthur… just do it already."
"...! Right! Sorry about this Bernard!"
At Lucy's urging Arthur finally comes to his senses and he quickly grabs Bernard's arm, but noticing his attempt, Bernard tries to lash out at him.
However Arthur is one step faster as he delivers a swift kick to his side. Bernard is caught off guard by this attack and his grip loosens around the sword, allowing Arthur to take it from him.
"Hah! You should always-"
"...!"
"Ah!"
With the sword in hand Arthur is about to say something with a smug expression, but before he could finish, suddenly an intense white light fills everyone's vision, followed by a somewhat familiar sensation.
Ding.
Ding.
The sound of nearby bell chimes is carried through the air, making nearby white doves suddenly take flight, creating a rather relaxing and pleasant atmosphere.
In front of the large cathedral of the capital, two figures are embraced by this idyllic feeling and seem to be in the middle of a very special moment.
With the man down on one knee, he holds out a small ring and says:
"Lucy, I know we haven't known each other for long and I even treated you terribly at the start… But after I had the chance to get to know you, I couldn't help but be fascinated by your virtue and kindness. You even forgave someone like me, so if you give me this chance to make you happy, I swear to you on my life that I will forever cherish you and spend all my time making up for my mistakes. So Lucy… will you marry me?"
"...!"
The golden haired girl looks taken aback by Arthur's sudden proposal, but then a brilliant smile forms on her face.
The direction this scene is developing makes a rather unpleasant feeling well up in my chest and my desire to intervene and stop it starts bubbling over, however my body refuses to move at all. But the more I think about it, the more this strange sense of discomfort grows.
"Arthur…! I… are you sure?"
"Of course I am! So… what is your answer?"
Lucy hesitantly asks for confirmation with a slight blush on her face, and Arthur confidently affirms his stance. So she opens her mouth and…
"Are you sure you want to ask me to become your wife, the future queen, when you don't even want to become the king yourself?"
"H-huh?"
"If you can't even deal with your own issues, how could you possibly make someone else happy?"
"I…"
Although Lucy's voice remains the same as before, there's an eerie sharpness underneath her cheerful tone that seems to cut straight through Arthur's mental defenses.
"Arthur, you liar!"
Even though there's something off about the Lucy in front of me, the moment I feel my body get released from its invisible restraints, I instantly call out to that two faced bastard.
"How dare you deceive me, when you harbored such ulterior motives towards Lucy! To think I almost believed you."
"S-Sera? Why are you…? Huh? Where are we again…?"
"Still within the dream, I think?"
Arthur's eyes widen as he seems genuinely surprised to see me here. Just as I'm about to continue to vent my frustration on him, suddenly I hear a familiar voice next to me and looking over, Lucy is standing right there with a rather confused expression. But that can't be right, wasn't she next to Arthur just now…?
"You… You also proposed to Lucy and still have the nerve to make fun of me?! You son of a bitch, I really should have taught you a lesson after all!"
"What? N-no I didn't!"
Bernard also speaks up with a rather hostile tone, though nowhere near his previous intensity, and only now do I notice his presence as well. So with the four of us here plus an extra Lucy, my mind finally clears up a little and I remember how we got here.
Right, Arthur just took that sword artifact from Bernard and then a white light filled the space, followed by that scene with Arthur proposing.
If the trial created for Bernard was a memory, even if slightly distorted, wouldn't that mean that this also took place in reality as well? I'd like to think that I would know about something like this happening, but even with Bernard I only happened to witness it by chance.
Would Lucy have told me about Arthur proposing to her on her own…?
I can't say for sure and that only makes me feel even worse. Though I don't think she would have had the chance to go to the capital recently, that part could be just a distortion of the memory.
"We all saw what you said just now! Are you saying it was fake?"
"Even if it wasn't real, the artifact showed this to you for a reason. Can you really claim that you hold no ulterior motives towards Lucy?"
"I…"
Bernard keeps up his attack and I also join in. I'm too scared to ask Lucy about her feelings, so instead I hope to receive a definite refusal from Arthur's side. But his hesitant appearance only makes my chest feel even heavier.
"...! Th-the sword! Now it appeared in his hand, take it from him quickly!"
Lucy's urgent voice suddenly brings me out of my daze, only now noticing the translucent form of the artifact in Arthur's hand.
Right, whatever the truth may be, we should first break out of this dream world. If Arthur went out of control, we would have a much harder time with him than with Bernard. So I quickly reach out and grab the sword before he comes to his senses.
"...!"
"What are you-"
By the time he notices my movement, I've already snatched the sword away.
"Whew. What should I-"
But before I can think about our next course of action, a white flash suddenly fills my vision once more.
…
…
…
Chirp. Chirp.
Through the open window of the rather large bedchamber, the lively sounds of insects are carried in by a faint breeze, the slight chill feeling quite refreshing.
Next to the luxurious vanity table a golden haired princess is sitting on a chair. It seems like she was just getting ready to go to bed, with all her jewelry already removed and no hint of makeup on her face.
She should have looked her least radiant at this moment, yet she shines brighter than any other person, her alluring features enough to captivate anyone who sees her.
Even though I am also one of such victims, I only feel fortunate to be able to witness a side of her like this. Pushing down my hesitant heart, I step forward and voice my honest thoughts filled with longing.
"Lucy, I know there might be a lot of barriers standing between us, but I don't care. I love you, I want to be with you as long as I live!"
"Hina… are you sure?"
"Yes, I love you more than anyone so I don't want you to be stolen away by some random prince. I want to be the person closest to you. So Lucy, will you marry me and run away with me?"
"I…"
At first Lucy is surprised by my words, but her eyes light up with a sparkle that I have missed seeing within her gaze lately. But she tries to hold herself back, and hesitantly asks whether I mean my words or not.
Even after I reassure her, she goes silent for a moment, but then a smile forms on her face and she speaks up:
"If you love me so much, how come you haven't given me your heart? Or is your family still more important to you?"
"...! Wh-what?"
"You're always talking about how worried you are about losing me. Yet isn't there such an easy solution for your problem? Or is your love just superficial?"
"N-no, it's…"
While talking Lucy stands up and casually approaches me. Her face looks the same, but I get a bad feeling and can't help but take a step back while trying to sort out my feelings.
That… I'm still the eldest daughter of the Lazarius family, I can't just take family matters into my own hands. Even though I do love Lucy, I can't just…
"H-Hina…? Um, this is an illusion too, right?"
Before I could drift more deeply into my thoughts, Lucy's voice comes from an unexpected direction. The golden haired princess Lucy is still standing in front of me, but she remains motionless. I turn my head to the side and a Lucy with a more familiar appearance is standing there next to Arthur and Bernard, all of whom are wearing a rather strange expression.
"Eh?"
Suddenly a series of memories come flooding back to me and I recall that we're still in the middle of the trial. I just took the sword from Arthur, then this scene started playing out.
"Miss Fiancée…"
"Sera you…"
"N-no! That's not… This is…"
Seeing the look on the two guys' faces, along with Lucy's surprised expression as well, I quickly shake my hands and try to defend myself, but I have a hard time getting any words out.
Even I didn't know I had such desires within me… Well, maybe I was a little aware of it, but I always tried to suppress it, and now it's laid out in the open for all three of them to see. For some reason elements of a certain book also got mixed into this illusion as well, just how am I supposed to explain all of this?
So I'm filled with embarrassment on one hand, but on the other, the fake Lucy's words still echo in my mind. If I had to choose between my family and her, could I really choose her…?
Overwhelmed by all sorts of emotions, I can only stammer out a few words, before stumbling back a few steps, my head suddenly aching.
"H-Hina, calm down. Let go of the sword, okay?"
"...!"
At some point Lucy appeared before me with a worried expression and she gently grabs my hand holding a familiar looking sword.
Huh? Why is it in my hand?
Confused by this whole situation, I just let Lucy pull it out from my grasp, but then a certain thought hits me.
"Wait, don't hold it-"
However by that point it's too late as another white flash fills the area.
…
…
…
By the front gate of the academy with all the large buildings in the background, stand two figures with long, golden hair. Both of them are wearing the standard school uniform and they appear to be quite close as they look at each other with a fond gaze.
One of them suddenly speaks up.
"Lucy, I love you! Please marry me!"
The golden haired girl suddenly proposes to the other identical-looking girl.
Wh-what? L-Lucy proposing to Lucy?!