Chapter 6: Marla’s Secret

I am the personal maid of Master Lucien, the youngest member of the Mercelious household. My relationship within the household isn’t one as honest as the one from the other servants. In my case, Master Lucien picked me up before I was meant to be given a morbid future, and as thankful as I am of it, sometimes I questions if some of my actions are truly honest…

In the past year I’ve been taught the core knowledge on how to be a maid from my elder, Claria, and every other thing that was considered necessary by Master Lucien. Despite all of that, I might have told Master Lucien a white lie…well, it might have been a white lie at the time, but after recent events it turned into a full-blown one, and the reason for that is when Master Lucien and I took the Aptitude Test. A while back, half a year to be accurate, Master Lucien asked me whether or not I could use magic, at that time we were still in the high point of the grueling daily training so I was quite tired, and because of that I said my magic manifested once but due to my lack of use, it went to a dormant state. At the time I simply didn’t want to have more things piled up on me, so I figured saying that would just leave the issue to be forgotten…but it wasn’t. After I told him that, Master Lucien began researching how to reawaken a dormant affinity, but soon he found out that first one needed to know the individual’s affinity in order to reawaken it, and…I lied, once again by saying I didn’t know my affinity. And as time went on, nothing of importance happened, the training began decreasing and I was able to spend more time with Master Lucien as his maid, so I was happy…really happy, and I tried afterwards to tell him the truth but couldn’t…

And then three days ago the issue of the Aptitude Test happened, Master Lucien had a strange premonition about himself, but I simply thought he was being pessimistic or rigorous on himself, but that wasn’t the case, of course before that, some things happened that my guilt piled up higher than ever before. The action was simple, Master Lucien finally acknowledged me with being his maid by giving me, my custom-made uniform, if it was just that I probably wouldn’t feel so bad right now, but Master Lucien didn’t stop there…he gave me a hairpin, and it was beautiful. Although he never said anything, it was clear that hairpin was custom as well, but unlike the uniform, the pin was clearly meant for me as a woman. I was very happy to see him giving it to me and even happier to see him blush when he saw me wearing it. But at that point, my guilt was about to burst for telling him those white lies…but…I didn’t bring myself to tell him. And then, at the end of that day when I saw his premonition come true, I realized how horribly I had messed up…I lied to the most important person right now in my life, simply because at the time I didn’t want to work. How must it feel now if I told him that I could always use magic, when he was shown in front of his own eyes, that no matter what he did, magic was impossible for him. Should I tell him? Could I tell him…? No, if I don’t tell him, I can’t bring myself to be around him any longer. But as it is right now, he’s soulless, he never had a goal but it was clear he looked forward to using magic himself. When should I tell him then…

As I was pondering that, I waited outside of the library on Claria’s instructions, in her words, Master Lucien was called by his parents and the meeting should be ending soon. I wonder how he’ll come out of that, should I tell him now or wait until later. No, no…I got it, I’ll do it the moment I see him return to his former self…but how long will that take…?

*slam*

“Ma-Master Lucien! You’re truly out of your room! Do you need anything!?”

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With a strong sound, Master Lucien came out of the library, his head was lowered and at a first I thought he was still depressed, so I tried calling him again.

“Master Lucien…Master Lucien…”

My patience is running thin, I want him to acknowledge I’m in front of him, but I also want him to move. From the moment he came out of the library, he just stood there in place like he was in deep thought, but that’s when I became a bit louder.

“Master Lucien!”

“Eh? Ah, yes, what is it Marla? Actually, no time for that, I’m going to my room if you need me, I’ll be there”

I was confused, he just came out and talked in a stronger tone but I still wasn’t sure, is he putting up a front or is he back to normal?

“Eh? Master Lucien, please stop and look at me!”

“What!? What is it?”

The moment he turned, his eyes, they weren’t soulless anymore. Master Lucien had returned to his former self, or at least that’s how it looked. I said I would tell him when I saw him go back to his former self, but it doesn’t have to be so soon…right…? I’m afraid of the consequences…

“Do you need anything from me?”

“Actually, I do. Marla, could you please prepare a light snack and come to my room, it’s going to be a long day.”

“Understood. But, might I ask why you need me?”

“Isn’t it obvious? We finally learned about your affinity, now we have to find how to get it out of its dormant state”

…Did he see through me? No…Master Lucien is just worried in his own way for me…I have to tell him, and I have to do it now…

“Master Lucien…I actually have something to confess”

“What is it?”

“I might have told a lie in past…well…I think it’s closer to two lies…”

As I said that, Master Lucien turned his full attention to me, I think he’s paying more attention now than in other situations…does he hate lies or does he hate the idea of me lying to him…

“I actually knew my magic affinity…furthermore, my magic…was never in a dormant state…”

I braced myself but the worse, but nothing came. Instead, Master Lucien just said two lines that for some reason pained me more than anything else I could have imagined.

“…I see. So you lied to me.”

I could feel the tears flowing, over something like this and because of his distant reaction, I couldn’t help but crying.

“*sniff* I-I-I’m truly sorry...*sniff* Master Lucien. *sniff* Please, forgive me *sniff*”

Crying my eyes out more than I’ve ever done in front of him, feeling a pain that definitely wouldn’t be found in others…I braced for his answer, for his rage to be released…Instead, I only felt a soft hand patting me head and a soft laugh complimenting it.

“Hehe, so that’s how it is. You knew all along, I won’t ask for the reason because I feel I might lose something else from that, hehe. Well that makes life a lot easier. Marla, come with me.”

“Whe-where to?”

“Isn’t obvious? I’m going to turn you and your magic into something that I can use. The lie, no more like the secret, hurt me a bit, but I’ll forgive it, after all, we all have some skeletons in the closet…”

As I cleaned the last of my tears I looked to see Master Lucien walking back to his room, his face was smiling, but his eyes were a little sorrowful when he said that... Without even raising a hand of anger, he was the man that managed to bring me to tears, both of sorrow and of joy. I regret this lie I made, I’m sure he won’t trust me as much for the near future…but I want to do everything in my power to gain it back. After all, he’s the boy...no…he’s the man who saved me, he’s my benefactor, and once again, I confirmed myself, he’s the man I’ve fallen for…

End of Chapter 6