Fletcher fixed my hair to make it look more professional. I was alright with it as I started living in the manor.

I didn’t want to risk getting caught sneaking out to go back to the church.

I felt bad for Eve and the students having to put through her complaints of how irresponsible I am.

I fixed my jacket again as I looked into the bathroom mirror.

Should I just ask her? Would that be too brash?

I rested my hands on the sides of the sink and looked more thoroughly into my eyes through the mirror.

Now that I realize it… how am I going to get an answer by sneaking around?

It took a few minutes for me to decide to just ask her when she was alone.

I realized how stupid it would be to try and investigate before I even asked her about it when we were alone.

That opportunity came after the very next dinner when I was cleaning the long table with the manor’s servants who tried their best to ignore me.

I cringed every time I had to address Mason as “Sir Mason,” and he clearly took note of this and kept provoking me about it as he shot quick glances at his men to see if they were laughing, in which they were, but they were awkward forced laughs.

Ceile still sat at the table, pigging out until everyone had left.

Miss Mary refused to let me be alone with Ceile so she always had a servant or two standing by me, watching me.

Sir Fletcher was standing in the corner of the room giving a gentle smile and squinting his friendly eyes.

I gave him a look clearly indicating help, and he swiftly caught on to the situation.

He called the two servants over and started chatting with them.

Mason… Sir Mason had left with his men, but not before kicking me with all his might in my calf and giving a hysterical laugh.

Prick…

I limped over to Celie, who hadn’t noticed me standing behind her as she was digging into her meats and throwing her greens to the side.

I went to tap on her shoulder, but I quickly withdrew my fingers and coughed into my white gloved hand.

Celie turned around her shoulder and immediately gave me a glare.

“What?” she said almost disappointed

“Uh- I wanted to ask you something.”

She sighed and waved her hand for me to continue as she continued to pig out.

“Why did you lie about me hurting you?”

She suddenly stopped, and froze for a second before wiping her mouth with a handkerchief and throwing it on her empty plate.

“Why would you care?” she scoffed

She’s such a dick…

“Because I’m stuck being a servant to your house when I have my own dreams.”

She gave a deeper sigh and got up from her seat then turned to me and looked me in my eye with the intent to just shove me out the way.

“I taught you how to use magic, and you just betrayed me. That’s terrible!” I instantly lowered my voice after shouting to not draw any attention. “I actually thought we could be friends.”

“Friends?” She gave an empty chuckle. “You don’t know anything about me. You work for me, and that’s all it ever was. Don’t get the wrong idea, I don’t care about you.” She placed her hands on her hips and scanned me up and down.

“You’re a prick, you know that?” I blurted.

“If I tell Mason you told me that, you and Fletcher will die.” she warned.

“But you wouldn’t. I know you wouldn’t.”

“Stop acting like you know me!” She shouted, and the watchdogs for servants jogged towards me.

“What is the matter here?” asked one of the servants. Celie looked at the servant, back to me, and then back to the servant.

“Nothing. Excuse me, I must go.” She shoved me out of the way as she stormed to her room.

My anger towards Celie only grew from there, and my taste for an answer dried out.

That night I was just planning to book it through my bedroom window and fly away. Unfortunately, I had to immediately but quietly shut the window as I heard a gentle rapping on my bedroom door.

As I opened the door, I saw more red flaming hair standing outside my room. It was Celie, and she was dressed in a dark red flannel housecoat.

“Let me in.”

“What?”

She immediately lost patience and shot her arm at my chest, pushing me backwards as she entered my room and shut the door behind her.

“What’re you doin-”

“Friends? What’re you talking about friends? Do you know what my brother will think of me?”

Huh? Wait a minute… this sounds all too familiar…

“Hm? What do you mean?”

She sighed, sounding disappointed that I was too soft headed to understand what she meant.

“Sit down.” She pointed to my bed, and I hesitated before giving in and taking a seat.

She pulled a chair from my desk and sat it across from me, plopping down on it.

“I’m grateful to you. You taught me how to use magic.” Her voice died down and grew more gentle as she continued.

“Mhm…” I followed along.

“And I guess… you deserve to know this much?”

“Right…”

Of all people… hearing her speak so gently and speak in my favor… ha! I must be dreaming.

I gave a little smirk and pinched my skin.

I’m not dreaming!?

“What are you doing?”

“Nothing. Please, continue.” I gave an awkward smile, and she hesitated for a few seconds before continuing.

“Anyway… my brother means a lot to me-”

Didn’t he just try to kill you?

“And… I don’t know how to put it… I just want to be appreciated by him… to be seen not as worthless and a disgrace, but as a valuable little sister.”

Hm… So it is exactly what I have thought

Celie went on about how her brother stuck up for her against their father who constantly harassed their mother and her for being burdens on him.

He would constantly be attacked by his father for every little mistake he made, and she assumed that his father’s personality just grew onto him and overshadowed who he truly was.

Hearing this didn’t make me feel any different for Mason, but I could forgive a little bit of Celie for her actions.

If Mason were to get caught trying to kill her little sister, he would certainly be arrested. To her, I was nothing more than just an instructor.

This made me realize that relationships may take time to build, and I shouldn’t try rushing it. As much as I wanted a harem, this was my new reality, and I just have to accept it.

“I don’t know if I can be your friend. But for now, you can be my assistant.”

“But I’m Fletcher’s assist-”

“Shut up.” She coughed into her hand. “Anyway, you can keep teaching and training me, and we can both go into Palmer’s Magic Academy.”

It sounds like she just wants to use me more than anything…

“Alright- alright…” I laid on my back and stared at the ceiling.

“That doesn’t fix me not being a servant, though.”

“Idiot. You don’t really have to be a servant, it’s just an excuse so your head doesn’t end up rolling on the ground by big brother Mason.”

Big brother…

“Hm, alright…”

I could’ve escaped after she left, but I didn’t. I mean, I could hold off from going back to the church until Mason leaves for another city as I heard from one of his men.

Apparently, from what I heard, he goes around cities taking B+ tier missions from guilds and finding new ladies to sleep with.

I assumed that a mission’s difficulty was represented by a tier from all the video games and anime I’ve watched.

The whole week was me cleaning dust from unreachable parts of the manor and training Celie.

I was also given the privilege to read books from the small library in the eastern wing of the manor.

Although it was a small manor, it contained a lot of books. Two titles from the many were “How to Bewitch Objects!” and “Taking Down a Ghoul.” I was antsy to read all these books and broaden my knowledge.

I spent the rest of the night reading “Casual Spells for Peasants and Kings Alike!” which immediately caught my attention. I didn’t know there were spells that anyone with decent mana could use.

They were spells like opening doors that were originally bewitched for the purpose of spells, which was what Fletcher had done when he opened the wagon’s door when I first met him.

I also read some of “Sword Art of Kraves” which taught me a lot of offensive moves with long swords.

I loved swords as much as I did with magic.

I loved the feelings I had when I learned techniques that I apply in actual duels. It almost felt like a video game.

Near midnight, when I was reading a spell called Object Animation to turn little objects animate for 5 seconds, the spell translated was “Behtea vi Jehbe’,” I heard a voice outside my door that caught my attention.

“Did you hear about the attack on Mora City?” said one dark voice

“Yeah, the attackers got wiped out.” said a slight squeaky voice.

“Yeah, but Sir Fuller was gravely wounded.”

“Hm? You mean that warrior myth?” the squeaky voice scoffed

“He’s not a myth! He’s real! I’ve met him once in an adventure.”

Attack on Mora City…

My attention quickly dispersed as I continued digging into the book without a care in the world.

Whatever was in store for my life in the near future, I had to be prepared for anything and everything.

My journey has yet to begin.