"……."

Lillis had concocted a plan to fake a falling-out with Agnes to dispel McHart's suspicions. However, when Lillis suddenly provoked Agnes with an unexpected insult, Agnes found herself at a loss for words, unsure of how to respond.

The plan was simple: Lillis would pick a fight with Agnes, and Agnes would pretend to get angry, creating the illusion of a rift between them. They had even rehearsed the exact conversation, which was supposed to revolve around Agnes’s affinity with spirits—a topic they had previously clashed over.

But when Lillis abruptly shifted the topic to criticize Agnes’s magic circle, it caught Agnes off guard.

Wasn’t the plan to argue about spirit affinity?

Although confused by the sudden change in topic, Agnes quickly realized there must be a reason behind Lillis’s unexpected move. Lillis couldn't genuinely be dissatisfied with her magic circle, especially when their professor had praised it for its minimal mana loss.

So why had Lillis changed the subject? Agnes could only assume that Lillis had come up with an alternative plan, perhaps to ensure that their argument seemed more natural and believable.

Agnes quickly recalled their last conversation during the strategy session:

"Agnes, your affinity with spirits is so weak that even low-level spirits can't sustain themselves on your mana, isn't that right?"

"Yes, you're right… If it weren't for you, Lillis, I wouldn't be able to manage even a low-level spirit…"

"Wait, Agnes! You shouldn't just accept it—you're supposed to push back! Say something like, ‘You might have better spirit affinity, but there's nothing else you're better at,’ or, ‘I don't need to rely on spirits to crush you!’"

"Y-You might have better spirit affinity, but there's nothing else you're better at, you...!"

"That sounded too rehearsed. Could you add a bit more anger to it?"

"I-I don't know. I was trying my best. Maybe we should consider another approach…."

"Fine. I'll handle your awkward acting, but we're sticking with the plan to stage a fight between us."

Agnes realized that this was Lillis's way of improvising. By changing the subject, Lillis ensured that their argument wouldn't seem forced or rehearsed, a clever move to keep the deception intact.

"Lady Agnes?"

"Uh, yes?"

"Why are you so quiet? Were you that shocked to hear me say your magic circle was terrible?"

"No, it's not that…"

"Or did you not understand what I said? Do I need to clarify that a magic circle filled with curves, lacking symmetry, and without a clear starting point is nothing more than a useless, self-serving design?"

"……?!?!"

Agnes was stunned by the harshness of Lillis's words. Despite knowing it was all an act, she couldn't help but feel a pang of shock.

Is this really just an act? Or could there be some truth in what she's saying?

Agnes began to wonder if Lillis had been harboring these thoughts all along. The thought made her involuntarily retort:

"That’s nonsense!"

"Excuse me?"

"My magic circle isn’t functional because you can’t understand it? Maybe the problem is that your intelligence isn’t up to the task!"

"…What did you say?"

"It's common knowledge that curved structures in a magic circle reduce mana loss and increase power. My project is designed entirely with curves, making it more efficient. If you find it useless, it's probably because you can’t even memorize it properly and can only copy it by sight!"

That’s it, I can do this.

Even though Agnes wasn’t skilled at acting, she could definitely handle a heated debate, especially one rooted in her favorite subject—magic. She was starting to enjoy this back-and-forth, even though the initial purpose of their argument had been to deceive McHart.

But then, in a moment of overconfidence, Agnes let her emotions get the better of her and crossed a line:

"Why do you find drawing such a simple magic circle difficult? Is it because all the nutrients that should have gone to your brain went to… your chest instead…?"

"……."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Agnes realized her mistake. The conversation, which had been a disguised debate, suddenly became something far more personal. She hadn’t meant to turn it into an insult about Lillis’s physical appearance, and she quickly felt the urge to apologize.

But before she could, Lillis smiled slyly and responded:

"Oh, that was a slip of the tongue…"

"Are you saying all the nutrients that should have gone to your body went to your head, leaving you so flat-chested and short?"

"…What?"

Agnes had overlooked one crucial fact: while she might be able to keep up with Lillis in a debate about magic, she stood no chance in a battle of wits and words outside of that.

"Then again, Lady Agnes, I suppose you wouldn't understand. After all, you have one less area for nutrients to reach, which must be why your brain works better than mine."

"T-That’s not… I mean…"

"Maybe your fiery temper comes from having no space for compassion in that flat chest of yours? They say people with warm hearts have 'warm chests,' after all. Perhaps that’s why you’re so cold and calculating?"

"Lillis…? Maybe we should stop with the jokes…"

"I apologize; I forgot for a moment about the difference in our physical conditions."

As Lillis crossed her arms under her chest, emphasizing the difference, Agnes felt herself growing increasingly dizzy from the relentless barrage of insults.

What is this? This one-sided, unfair conversation.

Just moments ago, they had been in a mock argument disguised as a magical debate. How had it devolved into this? Even if the subject had shifted because of her slip-up, did Lillis really have to go this far?

I thought we were friends, Lillis. Why would a friend say things like this?

While Agnes was internally reeling from what felt like a verbal beatdown, Lillis continued to deliver her insults with a calm demeanor.

Lillis hadn’t initially intended to take the conversation in this direction. She was well aware of Agnes’s insecurities about her height and figure and had planned to avoid such topics. But when Agnes herself had brought it up, Lillis took it as a sign that she was free to pursue the topic, knowing full well that it would leave Agnes with no way to defend herself.

Naturally, the argument had become one-sided, with Agnes unable to keep up. The increasingly personal nature of the insults built up anger within Agnes until Lillis’s final remark pushed her over the edge:

"Come to think of it, I now understand why your magic circles are filled with curves. Since your body lacks any, you must be compensating by adding them to your magic circles…"

"Did you just say everything you needed to?! You, you… you fat lump of flesh!!!"

Agnes finally exploded in anger, completely forgetting the original purpose of their conversation.