Remember how I said that today got a lot better? I was terribly wrong.

The next few moments were amazing. Miss Amy took me to the bathing room and she cleaned me. She was a beauty when she wasn't so pissed. 

After I was all cleaned up, she gave me a plain white tunic, but far more comfortable than the one I wore before. Immediately after, she sent me into a large dining hall with large chandeliers and decorations like wreaths and flags emblazoned with an owl. 

I took a seat as far as possibly from Celie who went back to her disapproving glances at me. Maids rushed into the room with plates of food. 

So that’s why the manor smelled like chicken.

There was a strong smell of very delicious food. 

It was only Celie and I who ate at the very long wooden dinner table. Fletcher went to his office and Miss Amy sat in the corner of the room, watching us.

I had about 6 plates of various foods. Maids kept running by filling my cup back with water everytime I gulped it down. I was offered small amounts of alcohol, and so was Celie. We both rejected it, and that’s the only similarity I could note between her and I.

We ate until the sun fell. 

Celie coughed into her hand.

“Miss Mary, why wasn’t big brother and his men here?”

Big brother? It does seem pretty empty here for such a large dining hall.

“They’re out hunting for the guild and tending to some of their land, Lady Celie.” 

“Oh…” Celie looked disappointed but went back to pigging out her chicken. She shoved aside anything that looked remotely healthy. 

 

The next morning I woke up very early. I did my usual exercises and walked around the manor. There were a lot of rooms. The manor wasn’t huge, but it was big. 

Just how rich are they…

A few men patrolling on the red carpets in each hallway gave me quick glances as we passed.

My final destination was a wide open window on the second floor. I stuck my head out and looked to the East where I could just barely make out the church. 

Sister Amy is probably losing her mind right now because I’ve been missing for 2 days. I should probably go back today…

Then I remembered one thing that troubled me. I couldn’t tell Sister Amy about my mana capability. In fact, no one was supposed to know. I had to think of another excuse. 

 

“HMMMMPH!” Celie, exhausted, sat down on the ground in her tight training outfit. “How do you do this?”
“I told you. It’s basically like gathering your mana and putting it into one spot of your body and then- well- releasing it.”

“But how do I do that?!” Celie was panting.

“You- you just do it!” I stuttered then sighed, I grew impatient very quickly.

I might have to learn to be more patient now that I’m teaching her. 

“HMMPHH!” 

“Hey, you may not have wind manipulation or anything relevant… so maybe… maybe you have a feeling for your own.” 

“Wh-what? Ughh” Celie threw herself on the ground and gazed at the light blue sky, furious with how complicated using magic was.

It took only 15 minutes for her to give up and march to her room, stomping on her way. I was glad that she gave up for the day though, because I could go back to the church for a while. 

I was still confused about how I was going to maintain two lives, but I had to do something; otherwise the consequences may become more severe the longer I’m missing. 

I went back into my old clothes and headed straight to the church.

 

Sister Amy was standing on the stone pathway, almost as if she knew I was coming. 

I waved hello, and she came down the path with a scary smile, then smacked the back of my head as hard as she could. 

I held my neck in pain as she scolded me for about 30 minutes and then shoved me into my room. A few students followed, intrigued as they’ve never seen Sister Amy act in such a way. I don’t blame her, though.

She asked me why I smelled good, but I changed the subject. 

“Are you going to tell me where you have been?”

“I- I was looking for someone.” 

“Looking for someone? FOR NEARLY 2 DAYS?!” Sister Amy raised her voice at me again. She went on and on about how reckless I was. It was much better than her finding out what I had done, and what powers I have. It took her nearly a whole hour to finish scolding me and answering questions like “What would you have done if-” “How do you think we feel?” She was a great mother figure.
She had finally left. Just when I thought I could finally relax, Eve walked into the room and sat on the bed opposite to me.

“Eve?” 

“Yes?” She shot her eyes up to mine as I quickly looked away. 

“Oh- nothing.” I scratched my head. “Sorry, I kind’ve just left you after I asked to be your friend…” 

“Oh- it’s alright. You said you were going to look for someone, right?”

“Well, yeah.”

“That’s good.” She ended. There was a long silence. It was a calming silence. I enjoyed this silence. It looked as if she did as well because we both looked in absolute peace. 

Sister Amy’s voice rang in my ears, the last thing I needed was to start a whole conversation. 

And so, that was the day. I laid in my bed for the night.

I’m sure they wouldn’t mind me sleeping elsewhere. Fletcher had to consider I had a family too, right? 

I rolled to my left to the bed where Eve sat. 

I guess I can just keep making the excuse that I was looking for someone. The food and wealthy living is worth an hour worth of scolding. 

 

The very next morning, before the sun had set, I tried sneaking out. Unfortunately, Sister Amy stopped me dead in my tracks. She waved her finger and smacked the back of my neck harder than she did yesterday. She quietly scolded me even more, quiet enough to not wake the others, but she did wake the others, and they all peered as they hid behind their doorways. 

I waited in my room until Sister Amy went to the classroom to prepare her next lesson. I exercised my mana while sitting cross-legged on my bed. 

Just when the sun was set, radiating it’s happy deadly rays of light onto my fair skin. 

I gave quick glances from my doorway to see if Sister Amy had left yet, in which she did. I scurried to the exit and ran behind the building and flew down the hill to safety. 

I made my way through the streets and, 30 minutes later, I found myself back at the Taywin Chalot manor. 

I suddenly realized that they might grow suspicious that I had my peasant clothes back on, and so I flew carefully around the manor and into the window of my assigned room Fletcher gave me. I swore a maid saw me and gave me a curious look, but I was too nervous to look down to see if she actually had spotted me. 

I changed my clothes and headed to the dinning hall downstairs where Celie was feasting on sausage and milk.

Don’t get the wrong idea, alright? It’s just a not-so-innocent girl innocently drinking milk and innocently eating sausage. 

I sat in the seat I sat the day before, waiting for the maids to bring me a plate. 

The maid who I believed spotted me gently laid a plate of sausage and pasta, and a cup of milk as well.

She gave me a curious stare, and I refused to look at her until she turned her back to return to the kitchen. 

*knock*

*knock* 

There was knocking on a door ahead of me. The door swung open, and a tall handsome man with slick reddish hair in a brown leather suit with a rose sticking out of his patch pocket.

“Hm?” He instantly spotted me. My social anxiety took control of me, and I gave an awkward smile and I gave a small sweat. My heart was rapping my ribcage, and my legs jittered. 

Behind him were a few middle-aged men in brown woolen suits with a dark red woolen hood. 

Oh shit…