“If you trace a line down the middle, it turns the sigil into Nu, changing the property of the transmutation circle from water to ice.” Penelope tucked her raven hair behind the ear, smiling while passionately explaining magic theory. Don’t know why she denied it at first, but anyone could tell she enjoyed teaching, making our outdoor training all the more fun as we sat on a bench in the garden, going over the book bought from the auction. “. . .and if you–. . . Alex? You listening to me?”

“Huh? Yeah. Sorry. . .” Penelope caught me staring at her with a coy smile, charmed by her determination to dive into the tiniest details if she believed it’d help me pass the entrance exam. “So, Nu? Yeah? Water into ice. Got it.”

Penelope sighed, closing the book before gazing back into my eyes. “Maybe we should take a break.”

“What? No. Look, I’m sorry. I’ll pay close attention.” I tried stopping her, but she simply shook her head.

“We’ve been at it since earlier this morning, and it’s already past noon.” Penelope set the book to the side and turned to face me. “Besides, between your fighting ability and now some basics, you’ll be fine.”

“Does that mean you’re done teaching me?” I asked, raising an eyebrow, hoping she doesn’t say yes.

“So dramatic.” Penelope shyly smiled, dropping her gaze toward her hands that now rested on her lap. There was still awkwardness between us at times, but we were working through it one step at a time. Even now, I worried we’d suddenly go back to how things were before the ambush if she stopped teaching me, which was just about the last thing I wished. “Don’t worry,” she spoke up, breaking the silence. “I’ll teach you for as long as you wish, but in less than four weeks, you learned three spells and even some of the theory. I’m afraid if you keep up this pace, I won’t have anything to show by the end of the year.”

“You’re exaggerating.” I laughed it off, knowing how well-versed Penelope was.

“Oh, yeah?” Penelope furrowed her brows, crossing her arms while staring with her head slightly tilted. “It took you half as much time to learn the spell from this book, and you also learned two of mine that took me months.”

“You said it yourself the more spells you knew, the harder it is to memorize new ones. And what? I know like ten spells, cantrips included. Meanwhile, you’re out there mastering twenty or so.”

“Wish it was twenty. . .” Penelope huffed before shaking her head again, her blue eyes gleaming under the sun. “Look. I’m not saying I won’t teach you, but you’re more than ready, and we have a party to attend tonight. We’re leaving for the Academy soon, so a bit of rest before the exam might do us good.”

“You’re right. . .” I sighed, awkwardly scratching my nape while averting my gaze.

“Besides. . . It’d be great if you caught up quickly.” While slightly hesitant, Penelope poked my side, drawing my attention to her eyes that went wide the moment I started brazenly staring. Her gaze softened a second later, showing no intention of looking away. “You know. . . Instead of me teaching, we could learn side by side, and who knows, maybe one day you’ll teach me instead.”

“Not sure I’d be good at it, but I wouldn’t say no.”

“Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.” Penelope broke eye contact to look at the garden. “You’re sticking with being a combat mage, aren’t you?”

“Yeah? What about it?”

“Nothing. Just wondering why you chose me over Eliot.” Penelope raised the question, pausing a second. “He’s experienced and matches your style better. To be honest, I’m surprised you haven’t sparred once since we arrived. You used to do it almost every day back home, but it’s as if suddenly, neither of you wants to challenge the other. Everything alright?”

“That’s a. . . hard question.” I sighed as she wasn’t wrong. Eliot and I both actively avoided picking a fight with one another as our relationship changed after the ambush, but I wasn’t sure it was for the better just yet. Maybe it was guilt or regret, and I could only speak for myself, but I hoped we could overcome our past with enough time. “We used to spar a lot under the pretense of seeing which of us was stronger. It was our way of talking without admitting we cared about the other, but now that reality hit us, I’m struggling to find a way to approach him, and sparring doesn’t work anymore.”

“Why not?”

“Because. . . in the past, we knew he was stronger. Had he used magic at any point, I would’ve stood no chance. But now? Now I have it too, and that changes things.” Kicking my feet out, I leaned back into the bench, head tilting backward as I looked at the clear sky, birds flying overhead. “The next time we fight, our pride will be on the line.”

“And if either of you loses. . . It’d ruin your relationship as it is now.”

“Yeah. . .” Taking a deep breath, I smiled, placing my hands behind my head as I looked at Penelope, who still had her back turned toward me. “Besides, can you imagine him teaching me theory?”

Penelope giggled. “No.”

“And. . . I don’t want to fight him.”

“You don’t?” Penelope turned, glancing with curious eyes.

“Yeah. I don’t,” I said, closing my eyes for a moment, feeling surprisingly relaxed. “Honestly, it doesn’t matter who's stronger if you ask me. All that matters is that we can keep the two of you safe.”

“That’s what I want too, to be able to keep you all safe. . .”

“Is that why you started learning how to fight? Thought it was for self-defense.”

“That’s what I told Father so he’d let me, but I want to get stronger. I. . . I don’t want you or anyone else I care about to leave me again.”

Her soft-spoken voice and meek gaze made me want to pat her head, so I did. Her shoulders raised in response, and head dropped slightly, but she accepted my touch nonetheless.

“That’s great, but I’ll keep you all safe, so don’t worry your pretty little head, okay?” I reassured her with a soft smile before she surprised me with a hug.

“Don’t do anything reckless again. . .” She mumbled into my chest as my hand gently cupped the back of her head.

“I’ll try, but you know. . . We have something else we should discuss,” I pointed out, making her break away in slight confusion. “The party tonight. We haven’t talked about it, but you should go with Eliot. I don’t want you thinking I wasn’t going to ask you, but I also don’t want him feeling as if I’m stealing you away, okay?”

Though he thought he was being slick, I’ve caught Eliot turning corners whenever he saw us together. I was worried he kept his distance because he felt guilty for creating a rift between the three when we were mere kids. If one thing was obvious enough, it was that our communication needed a lot of work.

“Then what about you? Surely you’re not planning on taking that guy you met on the street, are you?” Penelope teased.

“Ron? God, no. What would people think of me?” I chuckled.

“With your reputation? Not much, I’m afraid.”

“Ouch. . .” I laughed, knowing she was just messing with me despite there being truth to her words. “Talk about friendly fire.”

“Sorry.” Penelope tried holding her laugh back, ending up snickering in the end.

“Anyway. . . I was thinking of taking Rose with me if she’d like.” Her eyes expressed surprise well enough that I didn’t even need to guess what she was thinking. “Don’t act like you weren’t planning on her going. I know Father said to keep her power a secret from Grandfather, but he already knows she’s attending the Academy, and I also know Mother helped pick out a dress for Rose to wear.”

“Maybe. . .” Penelope pleaded ignorance.

“You don’t want me going with her?”

“No, no. Please do. . . I’m sure she’ll be thrilled.” Penelope exhaled quickly. “Honestly, I was a bit worried about her going alone, and she’s a bit intimidated by Eliot, so you’ve eased my mind a bit.”

“Eliot intimidates her? What about me?”

“Nah. She finds herself feeling at ease around you. Probably because you’re more relatable while Eliot’s more like–”

“Father?” I asked, often finding myself comparing the two.

“You’ve said it, not me. . .” Penelope sighed, standing back up. “Anyway, we should grab a bite.”

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“Sure. Let me talk to Rose first, and I’ll meet you out front.”

“We’re eating out again?”

“Have you seen me eating at the house lately?” I furrowed my brows, knowing she knew what had happened.

“No? But I think you’re being a bit overly cautious. Surely they wouldn’t pull something with us around.”

“Wouldn’t put it past them, I’ll be honest. Not worth the risk.”

“Fine, but you’ll have to wait a bit.”

“Dressing up?”

“Maybe.” Penelope turned around and started walking away.

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

Two hours before the party, while everyone was taking their time getting ready, I decided to wander the mansion, killing time as my room began feeling a bit claustrophobic. Luckily, Rose accepted my invitation, and just as Penelope said, she was more than happy to be my plus one.

Honestly, I should’ve known better than to walk around the estate, but my impatience and nerves clouded my judgment. Just the thought of having to go to the upcoming party made my stomach turn, knowing I’d be meeting familiar faces. Only when I reached my grandfather’s office did I realize what a grave mistake I’d made.

The doors were slightly open, and I could hear voices from inside that sounded like my uncle and probably grandfather. Of course, I couldn’t help but listen in as I leaned against the wall without peeking inside.

“He’s making a mockery of us again by going with a commoner. You can’t let him!” Uncle raised his voice, slamming Grandfather’s desk.

“Compose yourself. Acting no different than an ape won’t help.” Instead of matching Uncle’s energy, Grandfather remained monotonous, taking his time. “Though, I thought I already told you not to cause trouble while the Duke stays with us.”

“If this is about the maid–”

“Silence,” Grandfather commanded, calm as ever. “Think before you speak. Even a child knows better. Now, about the party. It’s pointless to discuss something we can’t influence, or would you like to take it up with the Duke?”

Despite being hidden, I could imagine Grandfather’s cold gaze that made my uncle mute.

“But Father, I–”

“Leave my office if you got nothing else to say.”

“Yes. . . Father.”

“And tell our little eavesdropper to come inside,” Grandfather said just as I was about to leave before Uncle spotted me.

“What?” Uncle rushed to the door, his gaze quickly locking onto me. “What are you doing here?!”

“Passing by?” I shrugged. “Don’t worry. I’m leaving.”

“Alexander,” Grandfather called out my name, interrupting my uncle, who was on the cusp of yelling, turning red in the cheeks due to my carefree attitude.

Letting out a sigh, I stepped to the side, letting my uncle leave the office before making my way inside.

“Grandfather.” The tone of my voice clearly expressed my displeasure, but at least the office was impressive.

Once again, I found our similar tastes disheartening as the blue-eyed devil sat behind the desk piled with documents. The office resembled a library more so than anything else, candlelit as the red curtains blocked out the moonlight.

“Close the door,” Grandfather said, refusing to even look at me as he was far too busy writing out a document.

“If you invited me to tell me not to go with Rose–”

“Close the door.” He put down his quill, shifting his cold gaze at me.

At the very least, I knew he wasn’t going to do anything while Father was around, so there was no harm in hearing him out. Closing the door behind me, I took a step closer.

“Happy?” My tone carried a bit of an attitude.

“If I were happy, I’d be smiling instead of dealing with imbeciles.” Grandfather moved the parchments to the side, resting his elbows on the desk and cupping his fist that reached around his chin.

“If you’re going to insult me, I’m just going to leave. . .”

“Alexander. You’re many things, but an imbecile isn’t one of them.” Grandfather’s words took me by surprise as he paid me a compliment for the first time without being forced by Mother. “Sit.”

Maybe it was my confusion, but I found myself pulling the wooden chair back that scraped against the floor before sitting down.

“Surely you’re not going to try and mend our relationship, so spit it out. I got a party to attend.”

Before I knew it, my leg started to twitch. Regardless of how detached I was, Grandfather’s presence was hard to ignore.

“Save me your spite.” Grandfather sighed, his expression unchanged from the moment I entered. “If you wish to be an adult, act like one.”

I clicked my tongue, annoyed with everything he said, especially since he was right.

“Fine. The sooner we get to the point, the sooner I’ll leave, anyway.”

“Very well. I’ll keep it short.” He suddenly stood up, walking over to the bookshelf on his left, tracing his finger across various titles. “How did you dispel the curse?”

My eyes went wide with realization as a thought that had never crossed my mind before popped into my head. Clasping my wrist, I tried my best to control the evoked anger, knowing it was baseless speculation at best.

“Grandfather.” My voice refused to comply, trembling at the mere thought of him validating my suspicion. “Tell me. The curse placed on me when I was a child. Were you behind it?”

Grandfather stopped, lowering his hand that brushed against the hardcovers before slowly turning toward me, forcing fierce eye contact. There was a moment of silence where we just stared at each other, both on edge for different reasons.

“Quell your bloodlust.” His icy eyes gleamed with mana before all traces of it faded out of existence. “Before you make such outrageous accusations, think carefully. Why would I do something like that to my grandchild.”

“Grandchild? Ha.” I couldn’t help but laugh at his remark. “You’ve never treated me as such. Turning a blind eye to what they’ve done to me. Glaring at me with those dead eyes of yours.”

“You think you’re so special for me to waste time hating you? Ignorant child, capable only of throwing a tantrum and acting rebellious. Just like your mother.” His words made me jump to my feet, clenching fists while already imagining smashing his head. Despite being stronger than me, I refused to back down. However, my actions only provoked a sigh. “Legacy. There’s nothing more important than that. The day your mother allowed a stranger to defile her was the day she tarnished our reputation. Why would I dig deeper by cursing a child, making it a bigger disgrace than it was already?”

“Don’t bring my mother into this!” I raised my voice as my blood boiled. “You’ve treated me like garbage. A child who didn’t even know how to speak at the time!”

“Had I seen you as garbage, I would’ve thrown you out in the streets to starve to death, but no. I’ve let you stay with us. Fed you. Gave you a roof over your head!” He stepped up to me. Limping, yet daring to stare me dead in the eye from below. If my hand reached his throat before he could chant a spell capable of obliterating me, I’d snap his neck. “Your arrogance and overbearing self-importance shame me the most.”

To keep myself in check, I bit my lower lip until the taste of iron graced my mouth.

“Fine. Keep your delusions to the day you die." Turning my back toward him, I made my way to the door.

My questions weren’t getting answered by someone as cruel as him anyway.

“Who told you you could leave?” Grandfather’s voice tremored, making my head turn as I looked back with a scornful glare.

“The only reason I listened to you in the first place was because of how you treated Elena. If that were to ever change, I swear to see to it that your legacy burns.” After warning him, I stormed out, overwhelmed with rage.

Marching through the hallway with pain in my chest as my heart wanted to explode, I began hearing incoherent whispers, causing my head to spin. Despite not knowing what they said, I felt as if they were trying to urge me to drain someone’s life. Realizing how messed up my thoughts were, I looked at my trembling hand and realized I couldn’t control it.

My first instinct was to lean to the side, but I ended up knocking over a vase that shattered upon hitting the ground. The loud drop likely alerted everyone, but at least it calmed me down.

“Alex?” I heard Rose’s voice as she opened her bedroom door, standing behind me with a look of worry as she caught my heavy breaths. “You okay? Your lip is bleeding.”

“I–” Grabbing my head, I realized the whispers had stopped, and my pain slowly subsided. “I’m fine. . .”

“You don’t look fine.” She stepped into the hallway wearing her red dress, grabbing my arm and pulling me toward her room. “Come on. Let’s clean that up."

The moment we entered, I sighed in relief and took a deep breath. My eyes finally caught a glimpse of Rose’s stunning pleated off-shoulder red dress that tightened around the waist, flaunting her perfect figure.

Rose immediately took a piece of cloth, dipped it into a bowl, then snapped her finger, infusing mana. When she got back to me and pressed the wet fabric against my bleeding lip, the cold touch mixed with a tingling burn turned out to feel oddly satisfying. Whatever she did, that wasn’t regular water.

“Thanks.” The cloth muffled my words, but the point got across.

“Yeah. . .” She moved her hand to have a look before wiping away the blood again. “The good news is that it’s not a deep cut, so you won’t have a scar if you just let it heal, but it’s surprisingly bleeding a lot.”

Cupping her hand that held the cloth, I moved it down. “It’s just a light bite. . .”

“Light? Sure. . .” She sighed, taking a step back. “Sadly, I’m not so good at healing magic, but that should’ve sped up recovery. You’ll be fine in a few hours.”

“Sorry to bother you while getting ready,” I said, noticing her shoes resting beside the side and a jewelry box on the table.

“I was just about done. Struggling to put on a necklace.” She huffed, walking over to the jewelry box, taking out a diamond necklace with a silver chain. “Not used to such luxuries. . .”

“Need help?” I asked, stepping closer and extending my palm.

She glanced at my cut, then at my hand, giving me the necklace before turning her back and pushing her hair up. “Thanks.”

Clasping it together, I took a step back and took a good look at her again as she turned around. “You look beautiful.”

“Thank you, My Lord.” She curtsied with a shy smile before getting closer, checking out the cut again. “May I?”

“Please do.” My voice finally softened.

While wiping my blood away with the cloth until there was none left dripping down my chin, all I could think about was how thankful I was that Rose didn’t ask any questions.

“There. All done.” She dabbed the cut one last time before going over to the table, setting the reddened white cloth down. “It seems you’ve finished getting ready as well. Would you like to go on a stroll through the garden before we meet up with the others? Fresh air helps me clear my mind at times.”

“It’d be my pleasure.”

Chapter End.

Thank you for reading.