When we got back to our room, I wearily plopped down on the sofa. There’d been a lot of customers, and after all of the bustle, I was exhausted.
“Michelle, how about you take off your cloak and your mask too?” I said. She’ll be much more at ease like that.
“I will but...can you close your eyes?”
“I can, but why?”
“I wanna change into something that’s a little more comfortable.”
“All right.” I closed my eyes and hid my face behind my hands. I was definitely not thinking about sneaking a peek between my fingers while she was changing. I won’t lose to temptation!
With a rattle, the sound of an opening suitcase reached my ears, followed by the rustling of clothes. I guess she’s getting undressed now... I suddenly remembered the first time I had seen her true face. It wasn’t just her face I’d seen—I had also glimpsed her entire naked body... My face was suddenly burning.
“Can I open them now?”
“Not yet! Just a bit longer.”
I heard the pitter-patter of Michelle’s footsteps grow fainter as she headed toward the bathroom. I continued to sit in silence with my eyes closed, adjusting my posture as I sank deeper into the couch. Girls probably just take a while to get ready. Keeping my eyes closed was gradually making me sleepy, though.
“You can look now, Yusuke.”
“Hm? All right.” I had nearly fallen asleep. As I yawned, I looked over at Michelle...and suddenly found myself at a loss for words.
“Ah...”
“What do you think?” she asked shyly. “I wanted to show you this, so I bought it. It’s sad I can’t wear it outside, though...”
All my sleepiness evaporated at once. Michelle was wearing a new evening dress. It was black—a fitting color for her—and her knee-length fishtail skirt was made of several layers of fluffy fabric. Her long, white legs stretching from beneath the skirt were radiant. The open chest and sleeves were decorated with lace and had a chic and sensuous charm. Even though she was shy, she moved her body a little and showed off the dress’s details.
“Very beautiful—both you and the dress,” I said, words of praise naturally rushing from my mouth.
“Y-You think?” she squeaked. “Can I confirm it through a truth-judging magic experiment? I’ll draw up the magic circle right away.”
Wait, there’s such a thing as a magical lie detector?!
“Just believe me!” I said, a little alarmed. “I’m being serious here.”
“Sorry, I’ve just always been insecure about my appearance.”
“I’m telling you, you’re really pretty.”
I actually found her so attractive, I didn’t know what to do with myself.
“Yusuke.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Do you really like me?” she asked, gazing up at me through her eyelashes.
“If I didn’t, then we wouldn’t be dating.”
“Then can’t you put my worries to rest?”
Huh? Where is this going?
“How can I do that?” I asked.
“I want you to let me use a Mobile Force unit to determine if you’re telling the truth!” she said. “I believe you, but I did have my engagement broken off once...”
Has she come to distrust men by any chance? If that was the case, then I supposed I had no choice...
“Okay, I understand.”
“Just wait a bit!” Michelle spread out a large piece of paper and started drawing a magic circle. First, she drew a circle then arranged various shapes and characters around it. Lastly, she split it in half and labeled the left side with a circle and the right side with an X.
“There, I’ve completed the preparations. Yusuke, put Kian against your forehead.”
As Michelle and I put the Mobile Force Kian between our foreheads, she recited a spell. Then with Kian as the bridge, a magic link was established between the two of us.
“Hey, this is...”
“Don’t move,” she warned, carefully putting Kian in the middle of the magic circle. “The link is really sensitive, so it can easily break.”
Once she’d set it down, she told me, “Now put out both of your hands.”
“Don’t ask me anything weird,” I said.
“...Okay.”
That strange pause had me a bit concerned, but I put my hands on top of hers.
“This is my first time using this magic, so let me practice a little,” she said.
“Got it.”
Michelle took a deep breath.
“Answer all my questions only with ‘yes.’ Yusuke, you like plum cakes.”
“Yes.” The dried plum cake that Michelle made was just the best. She probably knew very well that I liked it since I’d badgered her to make it so many times. When I answered, “Yes,” Kian, which had been placed in the center of the magic circle, turned ninety degrees and pointed its sword at the circle mark. In other words, it had ruled I was telling the truth.
“Whoa!” I exclaimed.
“Let me test it out some more.”
“Great! Just amazing!” I would expect nothing less from a mage of her prowess. She’d used her Mobile Force to put together this kind of magic. Even I was starting to enjoy this.
Michelle returned Kian to its original position and asked more questions.
“We didn’t sell any Mobile Forces today.”
That wasn’t true. They’d sold out today.
“Yes.” Kian’s sword pointed at the X. I see, so this is how she’ll determine if I’m telling the truth.
“Looks like it’s working properly. Then we should go ahead already...”
We both gulped. I knew that my love for Michelle was nothing but true, but I was still nervous.
“Here I go,” she said. “Yusuke, you like Michelle more than you like Mira.”
“What the hell is that?”
“Don’t question it. Just answer, ‘Yes!’ Yusuke likes Michelle more than he likes Mira.”
“Yes...” As it should, Kian aimed at the circle with its sword. Michelle let out a sigh of relief.
“That wasn’t fair,” I said. “I told you, I love you more than anyone.”
“I’m sorry. It’s just that I know you’re always glancing at Mira’s boobs.”
Huh?! She noticed?! I supposed I needed to repent too.
“Now on to the next question.”
“The next?” No way, there’s more?
“Yusuke likes Michelle more than he likes Meryl.”
“Hey, hold on a second! That’s enough!” I protested. “You need to let this go already!”
“But you’re always worrying about Meryl over the least thing,” she said. “I thought that maybe you had some romantic feelings for her...”
“Ugh! Okay, how about you ask this instead? Ask if Yusuke Yahagi loves Michelle more than anything in the world.”
“Huh?”
“You want to check if I love you, right?” I said. “So, hurry up and ask.”
“S-Sure. Is that okay?”
“You’re chickening out now? Just ask already.” I was also dying of embarrassment knowing I was going to be asked this question.
“D-Do you love me more than anything else in the world?” she stammered.
“Yes.” Kian pointed its blade straight toward the circle mark. Even if I’d been pretty sure of my own mind, I hadn’t been able to help worrying, What if? Now that Kian had made the correct judgment, I breathed out a sigh of relief.
“I’m so glad...” Michelle said with big tears glistening in her eyes. “I believed you, but I just couldn’t shake off my doubts.”
“Hey, now. You don’t have to cry.”
“Let me ask one more thing!”
“Say what now?”
“Are you okay with a girl who has a big butt?” she asked.
More than okay, I love it...
“Yes.”
“Th-Then, tonight we should go to bed together and—”
“Wh—!” I sputtered. “You’re asking way too many questions!”
I shook myself free of Michelle’s hand. At once, I heard a small snapping sound in my head, so I knew that the magic link had broken off.
“Let’s lay off the truth-finding for the day and have some dinner, huh?” I said.
“Sure...” She seemed just a bit unsatisfied, but she let it go since she had confirmed that I did love her. I decided we’d order some room service so she could stay in her evening dress for dinner tonight.