Eui and her disciples gathered in one of the guest mansion’s many sitting rooms to go over the details of Haeun’s upcoming test. As promised, Seong Min had a servant drop off a package containing all of the relevant details.

As she flipped through the seemingly endless sheaf of papers detailing the nature of the test, its requirements, its grading methods, and so on and so forth, she pinched the bridge of her nose and groaned.

“Haeun, was your cousin always such a stuck-up bitch?”

The young princess winced and shook her head.

“No, Cousin Min is actually one of my nicest relatives, after Eunae. Or...she was. She started to change after replacing Do Hye as prime minister.”

“All those titles getting to her head?”

“No—well, maybe a little. Min has always been proud, but I think she might be struggling under all the responsibilities. Do Hye, despite his failings, is one of the greatest mages who ever lived, and Min’s pride doesn’t let her accept the fact that she can’t live up to that standard.”

Eui raised an eyebrow at her.

“And you figured all that out when you were, what—six years old?”

Haeun blushed.

“It’s mostly retrospective. I didn’t really get it at the time, but I can remember it now and reframe things with my current understanding.”

“Hmm. Must be nice, awakening as a mage so young.”

“Vividly recalling every moment of one’s childhood does have some rather excruciating downsides.”

Eui regarded her disciple as she stared vacantly into the table, and recalled some of the trouble the little princess had gotten into back then.

“I’ll bet.”

To spare the poor girl from reliving her most embarrassing moments, Eui returned her attention to the exam documents.

“It looks like the test has three main sections—written, practical, and ‘theory.’ I expect you’ll both handle the first two just fine, but I’m a little concerned about the last one.”

Narae jerked to attention at that.

“Huh? Both?”

“Yeah, I’m having you take the exam as well. You’ve been slacking on your academics, and this should be a good wake-up call.”

“Aww...do I have to?”

Eui nodded solemnly.

“If you fail, I’m enrolling you in the colleges to study abroad for a while. I’m not too proud to admit my own weaknesses, and academics has never been my strongest suit either. I don’t want to pass that weakness down to you.”

Haeun frowned.

“Narae has nobody to blame for her grades but herself, Master. You’ve given her every resource to improve, she simply lacks the will.”

“Then I should have instilled that will into her. It’s like Min said, I’m the one being judged here, and I plan to take that judgment seriously.”

Narae crossed her arms and pouted.

“I’m right here, you know. And what would Mom say if she knew you were threatening to leave me behind here?”

Eui cocked her head.

“I just asked—she says it’s fine.”

“That’s cheating!”

“She also says she loves you and she’s proud of you. She knows you can do whatever you put your mind to, and she’ll be rooting for you from Jiaguo.”

Narae sank down into her seat and groaned miserably.

“Uuugh, now I have to pass it!”

“Master Yumi adds that there’s no pressure. Failure isn’t something to be ashamed of, as long as you can still get back up to try again.”

“Stoooop!”

Eui smirked, but graciously decided that was enough teasing for now.

“Anyway, the written portion is simple enough—just a test to demonstrate your understanding of mana theory. Expect a lot of questions about how elements interact and how those interactions can impact spellforms.”

Narae planted her face on the table, looking like she wanted to die.

“The practical exam is split into two portions—one where you are expected to draw some randomly determined spells and formations on command, and one where you present a spell and/or formation of your own choosing, which you’re expected to prepare in advance.”

They had to do all this in two weeks? Eui was a little annoyed at how little time they were given to prepare, but Min hadn’t been subtle about stacking the deck against them.

“Finally, the theory portion. Honestly...this one seems a little unfair. Haeun, did you know about this?”

The princess nodded slowly.

“I wasn’t expecting to have to do it so soon, but I do have a few ideas about what to present.”

Narae glanced between them, furrowing her brows.

“What? What are we talking about?”

Eui sighed.

“The theory portion of the exam requires the student to ‘demonstrate novel insights to advance the greater understanding of arcane pursuits.’”

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“What? What is that even supposed to mean?”

“To put it simply, you have to tell them something they don’t know about magic, then prove it.”

Haeun frowned.

“It’s not quite that simple. It has to be a useful advancement, and it’s entirely up to the discretion of the panel to determine whether you’ve sufficiently proven your theory and whether it represents a meaningful contribution to the colleges.”

Narae blinked.

“How do we do that in two weeks?!”

“Usually, you don’t. Some mages spend their entire lives working on a graduation thesis, and most don’t pass on their first try.”

Eui pursed her lips.

“What was Eunae’s thesis about?”

Haeun put a finger on her chin and looked up as she answered.

“Um...I think it was about Soulfire and the mutability of human souls. One of the proctors volunteered for a demonstration and uh...it was pretty conclusive.”

“I’m impressed that someone would willingly subject themselves to Eunae’s technique like that.”

Narae scoffed.

“Other than you, you mean?”

Eui raised a finger to protest, then crossed her arms and frowned. She’d pay for that one later.

“Anyway, that’s the one that’s going to take the most time. Since they are obviously putting an unfair time constraint on us, I don’t feel bad giving you each full access to academy resources to work on your theses.”

“Uh...isn’t that all the way back in Jiaguo?”

“And? So am I. If you need anything, it’s yours—don’t hesitate to ask. I’ll have Dae put together some study materials for you, and Hwang Sung can help evaluate your spells and theories. They want to see what our academy is capable of, so let’s show them!”

----------------------------------------

Hayakawa Kaede was glad that she’d decided to return to Jiaguo for a while, even if the assembly of world leaders had been a failure. While Jia and Eui were busy with their respective duties, Kaede took the opportunity to pick up some of the slack and attend to the work that had piled up in the meantime. Sorting through reports and signing approvals was a welcome reprieve from corralling the rowdy lords of Yamato.

She wouldn’t be able to stay long, unfortunately. Shogun Ashikaga was already growing restless, and as crabby as she’d been lately, Kaede didn’t want to upset her any further. Thankfully, Lady Sae also knew how to relax, and Kaede hoped that the break would be refreshing enough to renew the Shogun’s zeal towards implementing the reforms they had planned for their homeland.

Until then, Kaede was happy to enjoy a little peace and quiet.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the approach of a familiar presence. She’d been expecting a visitor, so it came as no surprise, but her guest was unusually prompt.

Kaede quickly finished skimming the request in front of her and signed her approval before rising with a stretch. Her home was a fairly simple one, designed in the style of her homeland with spacious rooms and detached buildings surrounding an open courtyard. It was larger than she needed, especially since she was absent so often, but she didn’t expect to live alone forever, and it was good to prepare for the future.

She considered dressing up, but thought better of it. Kaede’s casual wear still maintained an air of elegance and practicality, but without the military flair and high class embellishments. Besides, it was more comfortable, and she doubted her guest would judge her attire.

Kaede made her way to the front of the house, where she found Hyeong Aecha waiting patiently at the threshold. She hadn’t announced herself or tried to enter—just walked up to the property and stood quietly at attention. She didn’t even make eye contact as Kaede approached, waiting to be addressed first.

“Good morning, Miss Hyeong. You’re earlier than I expected.”

She bowed deeply.

“My apologies, Your Majesty. I can come back at a later time if you prefer—or another date.”

Kaede shook her head.

“No, it’s quite alright. And please, just call me Lady Hayakawa.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Kaede knew better than to expect informality from Hyeong Aecha, and wasn’t as comfortable with it as her fellow aspects anyway. That said, Aecha could be a little too stiff, at times—she was still bowing.

“Raise your head. Please, come in and follow me.”

Aecha did as she was told, following in silence as Kaede led her back to the same office room that she’d been working in a few moments ago. Normally, she would have preferred a sitting room and offered tea or refreshments, but part of being a good host was managing the comfort of one’s guests, and Hyeong Aecha was the type who found comfort in ritual and formality.

Kaede sat behind her desk and regarded Aecha critically.

“So, how can I help you Miss Hyeong?”

That might have been an unfair question—especially since Kaede already knew exactly why she was there—but it was important to set the tone. Aecha was calm and level in her response.

“My lady, as you likely already know, I recently resigned from my position as Princess Seong Haeun’s handmaiden and am now looking for work. I humbly request that you consider my application.”

“And I was your first choice?”

“With respect, my lady, I believe you would be anybody’s first choice.”

Kaede smiled.

“Some might consider it presumptuous of you to go directly to the empress.”

Aecha kept her back straight and met Kaede’s eyes, and there was a measure of pride in her response.

“I think you’ll find that I have the qualifications to match such a presumption. Did you receive my letter of recommendation?”

“I did. Your brother is a dear friend of mine—not just as Yoshika, either. We worked quite closely together while I was ambassador to Goryeo, and I value his opinion greatly—not to mention the glowing review of my disciples.”

“Thank you, my lady.”

Kaede frowned.

“But I’m not interested in what you have done for others, I’d like to know what you presume to be able to do for me. I want you to tell me yourself why I should hire you.”

Aecha swallowed nervously before smoothing out her skirt and bowing.

“I believe that depends greatly upon your needs, my lady. As a maid, it is my duty to manage your household, but housekeeping is only a small part of it. To put it bluntly, what I presume to be able to do for you is simply whatever you require of me.”

Not a great answer. Kaede pursed her lips and drummed her fingers on the desk. She liked Aecha, and she really did value the recommendations she’d gotten from Dae, Eunae, Haeun, and even Narae. It was worth a second chance.

“Miss Hyeong, you may have noticed that this house has no servants or staff. That is because when I was young, I surrounded myself with toadies and sycophants, and it made me weak. They never questioned me, so I never learned to question myself. There is no room in my household for slaves or mercenaries. What I require from you is someone I can trust as much as, perhaps even more than I trust myself—and who returns that trust in kind.”

Aecha wrung her hands together, furrowing her brows.

“That is...very demanding. My lady.”

Kaede sat back and crossed her arms.

“And?”

The maid took a deep breath to steel her resolve, then met Kaede’s gaze with a fierce one of her own.

“I am confident that you will never, throughout your entire life—may it be eternal—find someone who fits that criteria.”

Kaede raised her eyebrows, but Aecha continued before she could respond.

“At least, not right away. Such a bond requires time to build. I think you misunderstood my previous answer. When I said I would be able to do whatever you require of me, I did not mean merely that I would do whatever you asked. A good maid is proactive in the service of her mistress—and that may mean attending to needs you did not realize you had.”

She held her head high, projecting absolute conviction in her words.

“I do not presume to be perfect. In all likelihood, I will make mistakes in the process of learning to predict your needs. However, if I can trust you to forgive such mistakes, then I can promise not to repeat them. With time, I believe that we can both achieve the level of trust you seek.”

Kaede grinned. Now that was a good answer.

“Well, in that case Miss Hyeong, I’m looking forward to it.”

Aecha bowed.

“Likewise, Mistress.”