The Author's Will

44 | Mirrored Blades

　　 Once Irene shut the door to the library, she ensured no one was present to hear the discussion they were about to have. She turned to face Mikael - whose blue eyes wavered in terror, but soon snapped back into reality when she faced him.

"I-Irene, I'm sorry for stealing your necklace..." He apologised, and the girl flinched for a moment. He's taking responsibility? He was clearly oblivious about the necklace until he tripped. She thought, shaking her head as he continued to try making some sort of excuse. "I-I just wanted to-"

"Mikael, I already know you didn't do it," she sighed, her golden eyes focusing on him with an air of straightforwardness about her. Irene's strangely stern demeanour left him speechless for a moment, before she continued. "I know it was Ms Cather who took the necklace and planted it on you. Can you tell me why she would do something like that?"

He froze.

For a moment, his eyes turned so dark she thought they were black. As if his pupils dilated so much - they took up his entire irises. Mikael's face turned white in horror to the point it looked like he stopped breathing.

Seeing him this way caused Irene's heart to race with an unsettling feeling. What's with that look...? He's never made such a horrified expression before.

"Why..." His voice was barely audible. "How... How do you know that?"

...What's with this reaction?

"...A maid happened to see her enter my room, and told me about it because she found it unusual," Irene lied, since Snow was still a secret to everyone except River. Her expression softened when she realised how scared he looked, and so she leaned toward Mikael with a gentle gaze. "Mikael... You can talk to me. Please, why would she do something like that to you?"

Irene then gently took Mikael's hand, but was startled when she felt it was ice cold. He didn't say anything for a moment - before his lips opened slightly.

"...It's none of your business."

Irene held him by the shoulders, trying to get him to snap out of the trance he seemed to be stuck in. Mikael was acting strangely - as if he was about to fall into a state of uncontrollable panic. As if he had seen a ghost. It pained her to see him that way - and it made Irene all the more worried. This was the first time he ever showed so much emotion all at once.

The face hes making right now...

This isn't normal.

Irene gulped.

Is there something that I'm missing...?

"Don't give me that! Mikael, has she been hurting you? Did she force you to let her join you when you came here?" Irene questioned him, her storm of words swirling through his mind, but he only stared down at the floor in silence. "Please tell me! I want to help you. I made you a promise to be by your side, didn't I?"

"You don't understand!"

Suddenly, Irene felt herself being shoved backwards, a sudden wave of pain being sent through her body as she landed on the floor with a thud. Mikael stared forward — horrified at what he had just done. He gazed at his quivering hands, which pushed Irene without hesitation.

"I-I'm sorry... I-" He became lost for words, so wrapped up in his state of anxiety he could feel himself becoming fragmented by the emotions in his chest.

Irene wasn't too hurt and didn't think too much of this action - she knew Mikael only pushed her away on impulse because she was overwhelming him. But it pained her to feel him shove her away like that.