Restricted Magic - Arc 2: The Competition

Chapter 8

"You're Gerald's former fiancé."

At Erin's blunt statement, an awkward atmosphere descended upon the group.

Finally, Catherine lifted an eyebrow and turned to her brother.

"She even knows your dirty secrets and hasn't run away from you yet?" Nodding, she praised him. "Strong work, brother."

"It's more her temperament and strength than any effort on my part." Gerald's smile was a little strained, but the gaze he leveled at Erin was filled with genuine affection.

"You're lucky then."

"I know it."

The two siblings laughed together, ignoring the beautiful girl in white who stared at Erin with an enraged expression.

"How dare you say such slander?!" The angry voice of the girl Isabelle carried out over the crowd, causing many to pause and turn to stare at the source of the commotion.

Erin faced her with a calm expression, but her eyes carried a dark look that caused the other girl to blanche and pull away. "Slander? Was my simple statement not true?" She spread her hands, shrugging helplessly. "It is a fact that you were once engaged to Gerald, and now you aren't. Thus I called you his former fiancé."

"Impudent!" Isabelle's delicate features were distorted in anger. "How dare you call him so familiarly? Do think that the prince would be interested in a powerless commoner like yourself?" She smirked, looking Erin up and down as then shaking her head as if finding her inadequate.

"So you even govern how others call him? How... attentive... for a sister-in-law."

Erin's words hit home. The girl paled with anger, but tried to regain her former calm appearance, continuing with a sneer. "I have known Gerald for years. You can ask anyone, dear, we're very...close. I know all about him and his preferences. He would never be interested in someone so worthless."

Gerald furrowed his brow in irritation at the girl's words, opening his mouth to speak... only to be stopped by a smiling Erin.

"Worthless... what an... interesting... choice of words." Erin's face was a mask of pleasantness, but slowly the air around them cooled, everyone unconsciously pulling away from the violent and bloody intent that swirled around her.

Gerald whispered, "oh no." trying to reach out to grab her, but it was too late. She stepped closer, still out of reach to the other girl but still Isabelle scrambled backwards, trying to increase the distance.

"Stay...stay away." She muttered, her eyes filled with fear.

"Why so worried?" Erin's smile widened. "I was only trying to pick the spider off of your dress."

At her words, everyone looked over to Isabelle with surprise, trying to find the mentioned creature, but before it could be spotted the other girl screamed in terror, swatting at her skirt and spinning around.

"GET THEM OFF ME! GET THEM OFF! GET THEM OFF!!! NOOO!!" She tugged so frantically at her skirt that the fabric tore, causing the girl to trip and fall heavily to the floor. Still screaming, Isabelle ran from the room, leaving only startled silence behind her.

Catherine laughed, holding her stomach as she bent over, and soon the atmosphere in the room normalized and the general chatter resumed, as if the interruption had never happened.

"... Are you all right?" Gerald reached out to touch her arm, only to pull back when he saw the raw agony in Erin's eyes.

"I need to... I'm... Excuse me." Stuttering, she pushed her way through the crowd, almost breaking out into a run once she left the room. She followed random hallways until she reached an door leading to an empty garden. Sitting on the bench, she gripped the edges of the seat beneath her, her physical enhancement working subconsciously until her fingers sunk into the stone as if it were clay.