Chapter Text
The streets of the Clover Kingdom's capital were considerably emptier than usual. Six months had passed since the raid on the Spade Kingdom, and the Clover Kingdom was still recovering. They had won, yes, but it hadn’t been easy. The invasion had taken its toll on them economically, socially, and emotionally.
People who used to visit the Royal Capital for sightseeing now spent their free time working overtime. Due to the crisis, many stable families were now struggling to make ends meet.
Furthermore, the Magic Knights were not at their best, either. The conflict deeply affected them, significantly reducing the number of missions they carried out. They needed a break; otherwise, who would protect the Clover Kingdom in the future? Fortunately, the orders were gradually recovering.
After six months, some of the knights had resumed their usual activities, though these were not physically dangerous missions for the time being.
Like certain young men from the Black Bulls, whom Julius had specifically summoned to come to his palace that day.
"Hey, why do you think Julius called us?" Asta asked excitedly, practically skipping down the street. It wasn't the first time Julius had requested their presence, but every time he did, an indescribable excitement washed over him.
“I don’t know. He probably wants to tell us something important. Maybe it’s a special meeting, and other knights are going too...” Noelle sighed, amused by the boy’s euphoria. "The truth is, it was pretty sudden," she admitted. That very morning, they’d received a call from Marx telling them that Julius wanted to see them immediately. They found it strange, but Julius would always be Julius.
After walking a little longer, they arrived at the Royal Palace. Some royal guards escorted them to Julius’s new room, which had changed in accordance with the transformation his body had undergone.
"Hi, guys! You got here sooner than I expected,” the now-little Wizard King greeted them cheerfully.
The young people from the Black Bulls returned the greeting with the three-leaf salute. “Good morning, Wizard King.”
“Come on, you don't have to be so formal,” he said, downplaying his position. “Go ahead, have a seat.”
The boys sat down in front of the desk where Julius was sitting.
“Why did you call us here?” asked Asta, unable to contain his excitement.
“He’ll explain it to us now, Asta. Don’t be so impatient,” whispered Noelle, giving him a gentle nudge with her elbow.
Once Julius had finished organizing some papers, he finally began to explain why he had called them. "I know this is unexpected, but we've discovered some important new information. It has to do with the Dark Triad."
"What?!" they both exclaimed at the same time. They had experienced the war against Spade firsthand. They had defeated Spade themselves. What was all this about?
"Calm down," he said, trying to reassure them. “The Dark Triad was defeated six months ago. The information I’m bringing you concerns a noble family related to the Zogratis family, from which the Dark Triad originated.” The young people felt a tremendous sense of relief. They weren’t ready—mentally or physically—to face such powerful enemies again anytime soon. However, that last remark put them on guard once more.
"A noble family?" asked Silva. Since she was a member of the royal family herself, there was a good chance that she knew that family.
"Yes, one from the Spade Kingdom. We've been investigating nobles from different kingdoms, and we thought we had dealt with all of those with ties to Spade, but it turns out we hadn't. The Tanehms, a family who live in the far north of Spade, have a history of fairly close ties with the Zogratis. The nobles claim they no longer have anything to do with the Zogratis, but their recent actions are somewhat suspicious. That’s why I wanted you to come here,” he concluded.
“What exactly do you want from us?” Asta asked, having no idea how the conversation would end.
"I want you to infiltrate their mansion and find out if they've truly parted ways with the Zogratis or if they're plotting revenge. They're holding a masquerade ball next week, and you're invited,” the King declared, his serious expression contrasting with his usual lighthearted demeanor.
A few moments of silence fell over the room, though they didn't last long.
"A BALL?!" Asta shouted, jumping up from his chair in excitement.
"TOGETHER?" Noelle continued, bringing her hands to her head.
Julius nodded, enjoying their reactions. "Exactly. You’re some of the best Magic Knights around today, and you’re all from the same Order. On top of that, you, Noelle, are royalty and know about these kinds of things, so you can teach Asta everything he needs to know to prepare for the event. Besides, you’re really good friends, and you work well together.”
"Wait, I have to teach him noble etiquette in a week?!" To this airhead?!' the girl exclaimed in exasperation. This time, she also got up from her chair.
"Hey! I'm a quick learner, you know?" he said, feigning offense. He was more than used to Noelle's "insults."
"Oh, really? Tell me, what did you have for breakfast?" she asked. She wanted to check something.
"Um... I... Well..." He stammered, clearly unable to remember.
"See! Your memory doesn't even last two hours!"
"All right, all right. Calm down, guys. Sit down and let's talk about any questions you have," Julius suggested when he saw that they weren't going to settle down on their own.
They listened to their superior and sat back down.
"First of all, how did you even get those invitations?" Noelle knew that attending a ball for the nobility or royalty wasn't easy without a solid track record. They would either have to pretend to be nobles or come up with a plausible story.
"Oh, that... Yeah, well... Let’s just say I have my own methods. By the way, did I mention that you’re going to act as a couple?” He sidestepped the question with a much more shocking revelation.
"WHAT?!" they exclaimed, nearly falling out of their seats in astonishment.
"Well, it's a masquerade ball for charitable purposes, not to make a splash in society. If anyone went alone, it would look suspicious. I know you'll do a great job," he reasoned, finding their reactions amusing every time they spoke.
“When is this... dance?” Noelle asked. She didn't know how to feel.
"In nine days, to be exact. Since you'll have to travel there by carriage, though, you actually have about seven and a half days. It's quite far from the rest of the magical continent. The trip takes a little over a day.”
Asta was in shock. Not only was he shocked that the Wizard King had entrusted him with something so important, but he was also shocked that this would be his first mission that wasn’t supposed to end in battle. It would also be the first time he had to learn protocol. He knew, however, that Noelle would teach him well. Now that he thought about it, it would also be his first mission with her alone. They had been on several missions together before, but they had always been accompanied by other teammates.
“Your Majesty, are you expecting me to teach someone who has never set foot at a proper noble party how to behave in high society in just seven and a half days? And not only that, but also how to communicate using formal language? Oh, and we’ll also have to pretend to be a couple?” she asked incredulously. It couldn’t be real; it had to be a bad joke.
“Yes, Noelle, that’s exactly what I expect. I wouldn’t have called you if I didn’t think you could pull it off. I trust you, and I trust your results. Believe me, there’s no one better suited for this assignment than the two of you,” Julius assured her.
"Thank you for trusting us, Your Majesty. We won't let you down!" Asta smiled, immensely grateful for all the opportunities Julius had given him. "Come on, Noelle! We have to start training right away." He got up from his chair and set off.
"I'm coming," the girl sighed. She’d said many things about Asta, but she trusted him deeply. "Thank you so much for this opportunity, Your Majesty," she said, grinning gratefully, and left.
Julius heard the door close and let out a sigh he hadn’t realized he’d been holding in.
I’m curious to see how this turns out.
That very afternoon, they began Asta’s training to transform him into a true nobleman in just seven days.
Noelle made a list of how nobles behaved and went about their business. She also had to refresh her memory on how to dance. It had been so long since she’d been to a royal ball that she could barely remember. Luckily for her, however, her muscle memory was still intact.
They met in Noelle's room.
“Tell me, what do I have to do?” Asta was sitting on the girl's bed, patiently waiting for her instructions.
Noelle, on the other hand, was standing, looking at her little notebook filled with all the notes she had jotted down.
"Let's take it step by step. I know we have very little time, but keep in mind that this lifestyle is very different from the one we lead at the base. It's not easy to get used to,” she explained. She had experienced that lifestyle up close and personal; she knew all too well how rigorous the etiquette lessons taught in noble and royal households were.
Asta listened intently.
"First and foremost is your appearance—the image you project to others. The upper class always judges a book by its cover,” she said, setting her little notebook down on her desk.
"First, you must have good posture. Your back should be straight, your chin up, and your gaze should never be lowered. That shows vulnerability, which is the opposite of what nobles usually want to project.”
"Second, you can’t wear just any clothes. They usually wear designer outfits or clothing made solely for them. That demonstrates your economic status. The outfits Julius gave us are good quality, but we’ll need to accessorize them.”
As Noelle said, the Wizard King lent them outfits suitable for the occasion.
"Third and last point for this section: Nonverbal communication is key. Nobles will always try to intimidate you by squaring their shoulders and looking you straight in the forehead. That’s why you have to stay one step ahead and not let them take those liberties,” the girl concluded. This was just the first item on a long list of points.
"Okay, what should I do now?" Asta wondered. He had understood all the theory, and now it was time for the practical part.
“First, stand up straight. You need to improve your posture.”
He stood up and faced her as he was told.
"Do you think you have good posture?" she asked him.
“Why are you bringing that up now?” he frowned, confused.
"Look," she said, placing her hands on his shoulders and guiding him toward the mirror. He could see his entire body.
“Do you think you have good posture? Yes or no?”
Asta looked at himself in the mirror. Then, he turned to see himself from the side. His back and shoulders were slightly hunched, and his legs were spread apart.
"I guess... no," he admitted, taken aback by how poor his posture was.
"Good start," the girl chuckled. "Try to copy me."
She positioned herself only a few steps ahead of him, facing him sideways. Her back was straight, her shoulders were back, and her legs were spaced just right. Not to mention her face—her chin held high with a small, confident smile.
Asta tried to copy her. He arched his back, lifted his gaze, and brought his legs together. It still looked forced, but it was an improvement.
"We've got a long way to go, huh?" Noelle sighed with a sincere smile.
Those days of training weren't easy. Asta was used to training, but not like that. It wore him out.
She taught him all sorts of things during that time. She taught him how to eat gracefully with cutlery without getting dirty or choking, how to speak more elegantly so that his humble origins wouldn’t be obvious, and how to dance. Lord, that had been one of the worst days!
He remembered how Noelle had tried to teach him to dance. They were going to a masquerade ball, so he knew he must learn. At that moment, he realized he was terrible at dancing. He lost count of how many times he apologized to her for accidentally stepping on her foot. Combined with Noelle’s nerves about being so close to Asta, the lesson was a total disaster. Although Asta eventually learned just enough to get by—barely—the important thing was that he wouldn’t stand out. At least, not if no one paid too much attention to him.
They’d discussed that, too—how to avoid drawing attention to themselves. Assuming the nobles would notice his lack of mana, they made up a story that he was cursed and had so little magic that it couldn’t be detected. They didn’t know if the nobles would believe it or pay that much attention to them, but it was better to have a backup plan just in case.
It was the sixth day right now, and they were supposed to set off for the Tanehm residence tomorrow afternoon. Asta was waiting in his room. They were taking turns using the rooms for training, and today was his turn.
Today was the last day she would teach him something new. Tomorrow morning, they would review everything he had learned.
It was strange that Noelle still hadn’t told him what today’s session would be about, since she usually told him the day before so he could prepare himself. This time, all she said was, “I-it’s something minor! But necessary. Y-you’ll see tomorrow. Don’t be i-impatient!”
It didn't take long before he heard a knock on his door. He smiled; he already knew who it was.
"Hi! Come in," said Asta, stepping aside to let the girl in.
" 'Morning," said Noelle, stepping into her classmate's room. She was more nervous than she had been in the past few days, and Asta noticed.
She went straight over to sit on his bed, and he sat down next to her.
"'Well, since you didn't tell me yesterday, what are we supposed to practice today?'" he asked, looking at her. She noticed how Noelle was clutching the hem of her skirt. Thanks to their sessions together, they had become more comfortable with each other, so Noelle's reaction surprised him.
"Everything alright?
“Y-yes!” she sighed, trying to calm down. Come on, Noelle. The sooner you tell him what we're doing today, the sooner it'll be over. Ugh! This is so frustrating! Why am I like this?! It's now or never.
"So, what's on the schedule today?" he asked again. He knew how she could be, but it didn't bother him.
Noelle gathered her courage and finally blurted it out. “Today we have to practice how to behave as a couple—of the nobility, of course.”
A silence filled the next few moments.
Asta thought he must have misheard.
"What?"
“If we want people to believe us, we have to come up with a story, you know? Moreover, since we're a couple, we have to act like one," Noelle reasoned, unable to meet his gaze.
"Oh, okay, sure. Yeah… Now it makes sense,” Asta understood. “Where do we start?”
“I think we should figure out all the details about our relationship first, and then we’ll put it into practice.” She paused for a second. “First, we have to be married. Any other way, and we’d look suspicious at this kind of event. We have to decide when we got married. Nobles usually don’t care how long you’ve been together before getting married. In high society, you’re only considered ‘taken’ if you’re married. Having a boyfriend is seen as temporary and uncertain.”
“Okay... Considering that we're 18 and we're going to the party pretending to be older... How old were we supposed to be?” There was so much to learn that Asta had already forgotten a few things.
"Twenty-two years old—that'll be our new age," she sighed, cupping her face in her hands. "To make it sound more believable, we should say we've been together for at least two or three years. We could say we’ve been together since we were 19. Yeah, that would work,” she mused, almost as if she were thinking out loud.
"Okay." Asta grabbed a notebook from his nightstand and wrote it down. All the false information about them was recorded in that notebook. “Anything else?”
"We should also come up with a story about how and when we met. Some annoyed nobles can get very nosy,” the silver-haired girl said, remembering.
They both thought long and hard. It had to be believable, something that could be perfectly true and also would fit noble standards.
“What if we just tell our story as it is?” he suggested. I think I’m onto something…
“What do you mean?” she asked, bewildered.
"We could just tell the truth. I don’t know much about romance stories between nobles, but I think our story is trustworthy enough as it is. It would go something like this: We met when we were teenagers, and I saved you from a dangerous spell. Now that I think about it, it’s similar to the story Nero told us about Licht and Tetia….” Asta remembered vaguely. “What do you think?”
Noelle was taken aback by the boy's sudden statement. Similar to Licht and his wife...? Did he just… Oh my god.
"Now that you mention it, yeah, I think that'll work just fine. It's a bit fanciful, but there are worse stories.” If she thought about what he said regarding their relationship again, she would surely lose her temper, so she decided not to give it another thought.
“Great! So, what now? What’s next?” he asked, waiting for her instructions. This had been the least tiring day yet.
She wandered in her mind, thinking about what was next. “I think… we’re done with the theoretical part… Tomorrow morning I’ll ask you some things about me, though. We have to know each other. You also should prepare some questions for me”
"Okay, I'll ask you some questions about me tomorrow." he chuckled. “Does that mean that today's session is over?”
Noelle hesitated a bit before answering her friend. “No… We still have to practice how to behave as a couple. You know… including physical contact…” she was flustered. She had no idea where she had found the courage to say this to him.
Asta seemed a little confused. The girl was being ambiguous. “Do you mean like… holding hands and all that stuff?”
“Well, yes, that is part of it. However, since we’ll be playing the role of a couple, we should… Act as if it were true. Usually, in royalty the one who always takes the lead is the man. He’s the one who holds your hand first, the one that guides you through the palace, the one who protects his wife from everything, even if the wife can handle the danger on her own…” as she explained, she felt her heartbeat increase too fast for her own good.
“Oh, I think I can do that, yeah… We’re good friends after all, it’s not that awkward if it’s with you” he reasoned, grabbing his little notebook to jot down everything Noelle just said.
It’s not that awkward if it’s with you? Yeah… This man will drive me insane. How is he able to say such things without hesitation?
“Anything else?”
There was only one thing left, perhaps one of the most important ones. Nonetheless, Noelle was not able to say it out loud. She was struggling to find an answer, how on earth could she tell him that one last matter. In the end, she just spit it out.
“In every noble and royal masquerade ball there’s normally a moment in which couples have to take off their masks and… They are supposed to…” she hesitated before carrying on.
“Kiss.”
Asta blinked twice, then his eyes opened wide. He did not expect that. However, the girl didn’t let him speak.
“Why? You might ask. Well, it is said that if you kiss your partner at a masquerade ball, taking off your mask, it means you have nothing to hide from your partner , therefore implying that your relationship will be healthy and long” she finally blurted out.
A rather expected silence followed, filling Asta’s room. She wished the ground would swallow her up. Seeing no reaction from Asta, she decided to leave. Yeah, you just messed it up, Noelle. The mission will be embarrassing, thanks to no other than me!
As she reached for the doorknob, she felt a tug on her other arm that prevented her from opening the door. She spun around, and there he was.
Asta had a serious look on his face. He didn’t let go of her arm, instead, he slid it down until he found her hand. Their gazes met.
No one spoke for what seemed like hours.
“Asta, you don’t have to…It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have said that” Noelle wanted to let go of Asta’s hand, but she couldn’t. His grip was tight
“Noelle, you don’t have to apologize. You did not say anything bad.” he reassured her.
Again, the room was full of silence. They didn’t drift apart; in fact, quite the opposite—they moved closer.
Noelle could feel the warmth of Asta's body. She didn’t believe what was happening right now, but she went with the flow.
Now, they were only a few inches apart. Their noses almost brushed. They could feel their shaky, intimate breaths.
Just as their lips seemed about to meet, a sudden knock on the door stopped them.
“Asta? Can you lend me Noelle for a sec? I’ve got something important to tell her.” Vanessa asked. To avoid misunderstandings, they’ve told the other Black Bulls what they were up to. Everyone understood it, it was a mission, after all.
They immediately pulled apart and looked at each other. Their breathing was uneven and their cheeks were deeply blushed.
We almost… Asta and Noelle thought.
“Asta? Is everything alright? Vanessa called again, making them snap out of it.
“Yes! I’ll go now, don’t worry.” said Noelle, in an attempt to get Vanessa to leave.
“Okay… I’ll wait for you in my room. Don’t take too long” she was puzzled. What the hell are they doing? Vanessa thought, finally leaving.
The young Magic Knights exhaled when they heard Vanessa’s footsteps.
“Well… I think that’s all for today, I guess. Be prepared for tomorrow!” Noelle headed out of his room hurriedly.
"Bye..." Asta muttered. He was at a loss for words.
How am I going to face her tomorrow?