Supreme Magus novel Chapter 193

At those words, Lith finally understood Phloria’s change of heart. If on one hand he found reassuring that he wouldn’t have to stand an insipid puppy love, on the other one he felt offended.

"You sure know how to catch a man’s heart." His voice oozed sarcasm.

"I didn’t get so many insults at once since that time I tripled the healing fare to a merchant for being a rude prick."

His words made Phloria chuckle, but she didn’t let him go, nor he tried to push her away.

"I didn’t insult you. I just stated the truth. I dare you to deny any of the above."

"Well, yeah. All the more reason why you shouldn’t consider me boyfriend material. Especially after hearing my story. Despite being only twelve, I’m already a broken mess. If you want to have fun, you can have much better."

"That’s not true!" She held him even tighter, like she was trying to console him

"First, you are not my boyfriend. We have a lot of time to know each other better, let’s use it wisely. Second, you are my best friend in the academy for more than one reason. Under that cynical shell, you are kind and caring.

No matter how many times we stumbled and fell, you were always there, extending your hand to help us get back up. You even did it during the mock exam, after we treated you like cr*p and almost dragged you down with us.

You made a great impression on me back then. That’s why I joined your group later."

Aside from Solus and his family, no one had ever said such kind words to Lith.

- "I would be moved if she wasn’t entirely wrong." He thought.

"I helped them only because I understood the exam’s true goal and had to deceive them since I knew we were being observed. She’s just like Quylla, seeing someone that’s not me."

"No, she is not." Solus objected

"Phloria has spent a lot of time with you, actually talking to you, instead of staring from a distance. She has also noticed your efforts to take care of the people around you as well as your flaws."–

"Also..." Phloria added.

"Don’t think that I’m not grateful to you for still being holding me despite all the things that I said and not pointing out in retort that I’m as flat as a board."

Lith feared she was actually fishing for compliments, but Phloria started laughing at her own joke and he merrily joined her.

- "Yeah, it’s sad that with her physique a B cup is barely noticeable. With her age and height, I doubt she can improve much in that department."–

"Thank you for pretending to not have seen anything back then..."

"I don’t know what you are talking about." Lith lied through his teeth, but Phloria ignored him.

"...yet swearing on your brothers’ heads was really shameless. Did you really think I wouldn’t notice?"

"A man can try." He shrugged.

"Gods, you really are like my mother." Phloria pushed him away, pretending to be angry.

"Well, ’mommy’, I hope we’ll get along. Don’t get all clingy on me, I still consider you just a friend. Try to pull a Yurial on me and I’ll kick your ass."

When Phloria calmed down, she and Lith returned to the compulsory courses’ class for the last lesson of the day. After getting everything off her chest, Phloria felt light as a feather.

On the contrary, Lith was gloomy and disappointed, but nothing of it showed on his face while they kept making small talk. Solus laughing her a*s off at his expenses surely didn’t help.

- "And here I thought that my mature charm made an impression on her. Phloria is not looking for a boyfriend, more like a father figure while she is inside the academy."

"More like a mother figure, my dear wannabe Casanova." Solus couldn’t stop laughing.

"Her words, not mine. Isn’t it better this way, though? It’s like you gained a new sister that will keep away all those gold diggers that pestered you until now. Aren’t you a little too disappointed for someone who doesn’t like Phloria as a girl?"

"It’s a matter of pride. Even if I end up rejecting a girl, being courted it’s always flattering. I much prefer being liked as a boy than coveted as a mother hen."–

When they sat down at their desks, Yurial gave him a wink and a thumbs up. In his mind, his two friends had now a new and intimate knowledge of each other. Quylla didn’t know how to face Phloria, who didn’t seem to notice her distress, greeting her with a radiant smile like she always did.

- "I’m sorry little one," Phloria thought. "but you are still twelve. You have four years before having to decide what to do with your life and you’ll probably end up working in a safe environment, like the academy or a great hospital.

I have a little more than a year for crossing off as many things as I can from my bucket list. I hope that you’ll learn from this experience. As our mother always says: when you see a good man, make your move or someone else will."–

Phloria was well aware of her adopted sister’s feelings, but she considered them nothing more than a childish crush. In all the time they had known each other, Quylla had always been passive, managing to speak to Lith only about homework and magic.

Phloria, instead, despite not knowing why his presence made her feels safe, was determined to understand her own feelings and let the answer, whatever it was, lead her way.

When the second gong resounded, a plump woman walked into the classroom. The students’ chattering stopped immediately. Their attention drawn to the newcomer.

She wasn’t a beauty nor intimidating, quite the contrary. She was in her late forties, about 1.54 metres (5’1") high with long blonde hair with shades of black that reached her hips.

Her smile was contagious and had a round, jovial face that that one would find much more fitting to a baker selling sweets rather than a powerful mage. Unlike all the other Professors, her clothes and robe weren’t pristine white but pitch black.