"Henry! You're back. Are you well?"

Bellavarn set down his tools and rose to greet Henry as he walked in. Kerv was absent and April hasn't dropped by yet, so it was only Bellavarn in the library for the moment.

Henry was surprised to be embraced by Bellavarn.

"I was unaware of how much you missed me, master Bellavarn."

Bellavarn rolled his eyes and took back his feelings.

"I already have one Kerv, I don't need another."

"Is he stilll working on that project? I haven't seen him this motivated since back in his training days. All because of you, master Bellavarn. you inspire the people around you."

"Hah. Enough now. Which one of my parents told you to say that?"

Bellavarn huffed. The staff and his friends were full of praise all the time. It was getting stuffy. Sometimes Bellavarn wanted to be treated more like a friend without titles. Kerv was the best example of letting himself be a friend. Henry was getting there with time, but he still added 'master' in front of his name. Maybe it was a habit built over the course of working with the Duke.

"I wish you would stop calling me 'Master Bellavarn'. At least when others aren't present."

"It would cause misunderstandings."

Bellavarn scratched his head. That was technically true.

April overheard Kerv calling me 'Bell' and is tried using it. I told her it made me uncomfortable.

After being dejected for a while April bounced back by coming up with several alternatives to his name to find something unique. Each attempt was embarrassing for the both of them, but Bellavarn had to give April credit for continuing to try despite the agonizing silences in-between.

It felt odd being given a pet name by a girl. No one has ever done it in his past life except for his parents or ex. He wanted 'Bell' to be his name when speaking with close friends or family. Bellavarn detested meaningless use of his titles. He was Master of no one. He didn't act like a Lord, and Young Master was worse because it sounded childish and like he was gunning for his father's position.

"At call me least Bellavarn. A friend shouldn't act subservient. It feels fake."

Henry thought about teasing him more, but that was Kerv's thing, and seeing the genuine longing and mild hurt in Bellavarn's expression made the right decision clear.

"If you wish, Bellavarn. Forgive me, I didn't grasp the importance."

"It doesn't work if you apologize right after. Oh! That reminds me. I want to ask for your input."

Bellavarn guided Henry over to his desk. Alongside several carving implements rested a compact, pasty white object. Herny, being a trained knight, could sense the faint magic energy lurking within the small device.

"You managed to complete it already?"

"Hm? No! No. Definitely not This is just a proof of concept. The magical lines work, and the object is stable, but I have a lot of fine-tuning I need to do. I wanted your expert opinion regarding the weight."

Bellavarn picked up the object.

"It seems bulky in my grasp, but our standards may be different. Tell me, is it unwieldy? How does it relate to a dagger or throwing knife?."

Henry casually accepted the experiment in an open palm. His hand didn't drop, but Henry could feel the weight to it. Turning it around, rolling it his palm, between his fingers, tossing it up and down, Henry was not kind in his maneuvers. The prototype was enchanted for structural stability but wasn't indestructible. On the contrary, if rudely broken, there was a risk of the object becoming magically volatile.

"The weight is heavier than it appears. I can hold it easily, but it does not toss neatly. Attempting to get it to fit in between my fingers is a difficulty that isn't impossible but improbable in most others. The one is also weighted towards one end. If I were to throw this, the balance would be thrown off mid-flight. If I have multiple of these and each of them have a different weight, throwing them in battle would get me killed."

Bellavarn nodded along gravely. This feedback was why he asked.

"The magical lines also interfere with my own magic. It is common with low-tier magical items to intrinsically want to absorb mana from a recipient. The enchanter's desire when carving the runes are imprinted. If a child were to hold onto this daily, even without consciously inputting their mana supply, it would automatically drain them dry, and they would become sickly within a week's time."

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

He read that magical inscription took on some of the willpower of the enchanter but was unaware of how potent it would be.

"I want the lines to accept mana, not drain it. It is supposed to be a training device, not a torturing one. Ick. On second thought, I'll need to destroy this one entirely."

"I wouldn't say that. This is a good milestone. As long it is out of easy reach you can keep it as a memento and reminder of your first experiments. You've tossed the others; this will serve as a record of your efforts for historians."

Bellavarn looked like he inhaled a lemon. Henry didn't mince words like Kerv did. Everything he said was serious and genuine. Bellavarn counted on Henry not to pull back his words when describing the experiment's faults but didn't expect it to translate into even more praise. The fact that Henry believed Bellavarn would be written down in history was both touching and frightening.

He didn't want to be a war hero or genius merchant. He didn't want to be a great leader or person. All he wanted was to create and make his parents proud. That would be enough for Bellavarn.

"I'll accept your words only because they are genuine. Here, I've been waiting to test the function."

Bellavarn retrieved the object and held it horizontally at eye level. Placing his thumb and forefinger on the two poles, he trickled in his mana, powering the leylines.

Achingly slow, the two pieces started to turn in a clockwise direction. Its speed was unlike helicopter's blades and more like a spinning ballerina music box.

"It works. Haha! It really works."

"Congratulations, Bellavarn. You've worked hard."

"Mhm. Thank you, Henry."

The piece spun for a few more seconds before powering down. When it was fully off, Bellavarn heard a sing-song voice.

"Oooh. What's that thing?"

April peered at the object it curiosity. She examined the experiment from every angle, ducking her head above and below like an experienced appraiser. When she was done, she closed her eyes in deep contemplation, humming.

"Hmm. It isn't like anything I've read at the library. Hmm. Is one of those fancy hair clips? I've heard their imported from across the seas. They are all my mom talks about lately."

Bellavarn exchanged a glance with Henry. She was way off the mark. Accepting that she arrived out of the blue and seemed to be more confident with her eyes closed, Bellavarn corrected her.

"It is not a hair clip. This is a magical device I am working on."

She kept her eyes clothes since it seemed to be working.

"That's so cool! What does it do? It is magic, right?"

"It doesn't do anything at the moment. It is a failed experiment."

April opened her eyes. She shrunk at Henry and Bellavarn's stares but didn't back down.

"Oh. Then, what is it supposed to do? Does it light up with fancy colors?"

"Yes, actually."

It wasn't a lie—more of a half-truth.

"Can you make it green? Or, or yellow? I like yellow."

"Easily. I can paint one for you if you'd like?"

April gasped. She seemed to be waiting for a moment like this, so all her words came out in a stumble.

"Would you? That would be amazing! I need to make something for you in return. My tutor has been teaching me floral patterns recently. Maybe I can knit you something?"

Her entire face was beat red and the last sentence was a hesitant question. Her eyes swirled but she didn't look down.

Bellavarn knew that embroidered handkerchiefs held significance in noble society as a courting gesture. It showed that a woman was interested in a man. Some men received many handkerchiefs.

There were three stages to this courting gesture. The first was allowing the Lady in question to handcraft a design. Saying yes at this point didn't mean anything while refusing could be interpreted as an insult. The second stage is when the embroidery is done and presented. It can be presented in public or private to different effects. Accepting the handkerchief would be accepting her efforts and feelings, allowing courting to enter the next step.

In the case of multiple suitors, a man can choose to use one handkerchief over the others, signifying seniority among his options. Again, doing this in public or private will have significantly different outcomes.

Bellavarn liked April. He wasn't head over heels for her, but she was genuine if a bit awkward. They were both book connoisseurs, so reviewing books was a fun shared activity. They've had a few book swaps and give each other recommendations too.

Other than books, though... Bellavarn couldn't see the two of them speaking of much else.

It seemed a bit soon for something like this. His mother set up their meeting with the intention of it developing into something more, so giving the relationship a chance was all he could promise. He felt sorry that all she would receive in return was a colored spinner.

"If you wish to make me a gift in exchange, I wouldn't reject the idea. But it will take a while for me to-"

"Great! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I am going to ask Tullie to borrow some tools and cloth. I will come by tomorrow!"

Bellavarn didn't have time to utter another word as she raced out of the room. It wouldn't take April long to knit something if she was half as excited as she appeared. Hopefully, he wouldn't have to accept or reject her offer tomorrow.

Henry was perplexed by the entire interaction. He'd heard of April by name, but this was his first time meeting her.

"She seems... bright."

"Hahaha! Yeah... Bright would be a good word to describe April. She is also an avid reader and has been borrowing books from my collection over the past few days. She's been coming over every afternoon."

Henry's silence was telling. It wasn't farfetched to imagine what he was thinking. Many others were thinking about it as well. Everyone wanted to believe, some more desperately than others, but a seed of doubt once planted could not be easily unrooted.

"I know, Henry."

"You do?"

Bellavarn was forlorn as he watched the empty doorway. It didn't take a lot to admit to himself April was suspicious. He hated himself for it, but the thought occurred to him almost immediately.

"I know. I am not as naive as I once was. Her timing is too convenient.

What was the chance April would show up right when they were discussing the prototype?

"I do like her. She is bubbly. And I haven't had someone to speak to about books. The feeling in my chest is is bittersweet."

"..."

Bellavarn sighed, placing his new memento back down on his workspace.

"I keep telling myself she is not Melody. And that both comforts me and hurts me."

"..."

"For now. I will accept her feelings, whether genuine or inspired. I want to see where it leads, for better or for worse."

Henry stayed his tongue, not wanting to influence Bellavarn.

"Am I wrong in wanting to trust her?"

"Never. Always offer your trust until it is tarnished. Leave all the doubt for me to handle. That is my job, after all."

Bellavarn patted Henry's shoulder,

"Do you have anything pressing, or do you have time for a game of checkers? I've managed to tie Jeral once, so I believe that makes me a prodigy."

Henry smirked.

"My time is yours, master Bellavarn."