Reincarnated As The Villainess's Best Friend

Freya's smirk returned, but it was softer, without malice. Almost playful.

"You know I can't tell you that for free. Two dates can only get you so far."

"Freya, this is serious," I snapped, my patience fading with the hour. "Lucy could be in trouble."

"And I'm serious about our deal," she shot back, her tone firm. "You think I care about Lucy?"

I wanted to argue... To shake her until she spilled everything she knew. But I could see it in her eyes... She wasn't going to budge.

"You want another date?"

"I want assurance," she replied, narrowing her eyes. She straightened herself, her voice dropping to a whisper. "There's a tavern in Viridale. A beautiful one, with glowing lanterns and decent wine. I want you to take me there. Tomorrow night."

For a moment, we stood there, the tension between us so thick, it was almost visible. The moonlight cast long shadows across the room, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I was running out of time.

Freya Lillith played by her own rules, and I was caught in her web. I had no choice but to play nice with her.

"Fine," I said, gritting my teeth. "Tomorrow night. But if you're lying..."

"I'm not," she interrupted. "I've been called a lot of things, but liar isn't one of them."

She called me a cheater for a month, even though there was no evidence that I cheated.

"Just tell me who it is," I sighed.

"Come with me," she said, turning toward the door. "And pray no one else sees you."

I didn't respond. I simply walked into the hallway after her. My mind was already racing ahead, piecing together what little I knew.

Lucy was gone, Kyro was with her, and the old gate was my only lead. Freya's mystery person might hold the key to finding them, but I'd have to navigate her deal first.

The weight of it all pressed down on me, heavy as the night itself. I clenched my fist, hoping Freya was being sincere. If she wasn't, she was going to regret it.

"Relax," she muttered, as if reading my thoughts. "We'll find your girlfriend. Pardon me... your ex-girlfriend. She's probably cheating on you right now."

"She's not."

"I'm just saying. Kyro had his finger on her for a while."

"Shut up, Freya."

"Loosen up, Rin," she scoffed. "Why is everyone so uptight these days?"

She veered right, into another hallway, her pace slow and majestic. I wished I could make her walk faster, but it was probably useless to try.

We made another right turn until we were on the side of the courtyard opposite Lucy's room. Her pace slowed until she made one final stop in front of a door. Her fingers moved to the wooden panel, and she made four loud knocks on it.

After a while, the door fell open with a creak. A soft yellow light beamed out of the room, illuminating the dark corridor.

Standing in the way was Ginny Lillith, dressed in a long thin night robe which fell to her feet. Her hair and body were drenched, the wetness seeping through the night gown, revealing her smooth curves and two small mounds on her chest.

"Thought you'd be asleep," Freya muttered.

"Was about to," Ginny replied, her voice soft and steady. She patted her hair with a soft piece of cloth, massaging it into her scalp. "Just had my bath."

"I'm glad to hear that, because we have a visitor."

I stepped closer until the light from Ginny's room illuminated my figure.

She froze for a moment, dropping the cloth in her arm. Then her eyes widened, and her jaw dropped.

"It's a bo..." she screamed.

Freya quickly cupped Ginny's mouth with her right hand, muffling her voice.

"Save it for later sis," she said, pushing her sister into the room. "Right now, he needs our help."

I stepped in afterwards, closing the door behind me. Ginny sat on the bed, narrowing her eyes at me, while Freya stood over her.

"What are you doing in my room?" she fumed, her face reddening.

"Calm down, Ginny. I just need to ask you something."

I moved even closer. The room was warmer than Lucy's, and I felt the urge to take off my dark cloak.

"Lucy left the school this afternoon with Kyro. Do you know where they went?"

"No, I don't," she replied, "Get out of my room."

"Tell me what you know and I'll leave."

"I don't know anything."

I turned to Freya, creasing my forehead. "What is going on here? I thought you were taking me to someone who could help us."

"Yes," she replied, a smirk on her face. "Here we are."

"You said she knew where they went."

"No... I said she could tell us," She turned to Ginny. "Right sis?"

I paused, turning to Ginny as well. Her frown had faded, but she rested her palms on her knees, folding the fabric within.

"You said you weren't going to tell anyone," she replied to Freya, her voice lowering to a whisper.

"I'm sorry, sis, but I made a deal with him. I won't tell anyone else, I promise."

"Tell anyone else what?" I cut in.

Freya turned to me, then back to Ginny, who nodded silently.

"Ginny invented a new spell."

My eyebrows shot up. "Invented?"

"Yes, she did."

Inventing new spells was no ordinary feat. It was usually carried out by Arch-mages, and even then, it usually took ages to master.

As the Grand Mage, I had spent months trying to invent new spells. Needless to say, it wasn't as easy as I thought.

Ginny was in 1C, which meant she was merely an E-Rank spellcaster. How she managed to create a new spell, was beyond me.

"What does it do?" I asked, curiosity burning through my skull.

Freya's gaze darted back to her sister. "Ginny here can find anyone in Westumberland."

"Not anyone," Ginny cut in, "and it doesn't work all the time. It's not a perfected spell."

"But can you find Lucy?" I asked.

Ginny hesitated for a moment, lowering her head. Then she turned to me and gave a slight nod.

I stepped closer to her, my curiosity piquing.

"Show me."