-A deal? Does she have proof of my abilities?! This is...unexpected to say the least, but what does she think I can give her that she can’t get by telling Mother about me?

 

Fate: “What...do you want?”

 

She seemed to look at Fate like he was a child, but that was fair given that only he and the Witch knew of his true age. She reached up, grabbed the brown stick, and held it in front of his face while dangling it side to side.

 

Liza: “My lord, I simply wish for you to be my friend.”

 

-...What?

 

Liza: “I know that might sound odd, but I want to relate to you. You’re one of the only other kids in the manor and...your brother is...hard to be around…But don’t tell him I said that!”

 

Fate was bewildered, he had prepared for her to threaten him using his own abilities as blackmail, but was instead asked to be friends? It truly was unexpected and honestly, seemed a little too weird to be real...However, a question was now raised in Fate’s mind.

 

Fate: “Aren’t you a teenager?”

 

Liza cocked her head to signify confusion while cupping her chin with her hand. 

 

-Crap, I forgot that teenager is a word that didn’t develop until...the 1900’s! A magical world in the medieval era isn’t going to understand that…

 

Fate: “I mean...aren’t you 14 or so?”

 

She now seemed to be mad, puffing her face up and stomping her foot on the ground repeatedly! Fate believed that he had somehow invoked the taboo which comes when asking a lady’s age.

 

Liza: “My lord, that’s very rude! My mother says that you should never ask a woman about her age, it’s basic social etiquette! Besides, if you must know, I’m nine years old!”

 

Fate’s mouth gaped open while his eyes widened slightly, both responding to the shocking words that he had just heard!

 

-She’s 14?! How...she’s taller than a kid should be?! Everything about this girl is weird to me, I was expecting another tormenter I couldn’t understand, not a girl who subverts my expectations time and time again!

 

He tilted his head towards the ground.

Fate: “I’m sorry...that I mistook your age and that I didn’t consider basic etiquette, it won’t happen again…”

 

Liza’s gaze was now the one that took on one of shock, for she couldn’t understand a master bowing his head to a servant, even one he respected. The essence of a noble was completely different from that of a servant, but Fate didn’t even have a whiff of such an essence!

 

She quickly erased her shocked look and put on a humble one that suited her duty. 

 

Liza: “My lord, you don’t need to apologize. I am...somewhat misunderstood because of my height. It is an easy mistake to make.” 

 

Fate met her gaze with his slightly cold glare which made her shudder, but she continued to stare into his eyes as well. 

 

Fate: “Why would you wish to make friends with the disowned child of your lord or for that matter, why are you going to the trouble to speak with me? You are a servant of the manor, you of all people should know my reputation...Also, there’s the matter of me pinning you to the ground and threatening to burn your face off.”

 

-She definitely doesn’t want to be friends with me out of the goodness of her heart. It’s just one of Mother’s tricks...I know that people don’t want to be friends with you unless you have something they want. This should scare her away though…

 

Fate: “『Fire』!”

 

Two bubbles appeared and fused together into a small flicker of flame, which began to grow larger to the point where it was able to engulf his finger! He pointed it at her head and gave her an obviously forced frown. 

 

Fate: “Now, are you going to try saying that again?”

 

Surprisingly though, she did not show even the slightest sign of discomfort. Even though a flame that was supposed to scare her was right in front of her head, she only offered a smile.

 

Fate continued to feed mana into the flame but was definitely feeling the drain that it was creating. It cost 5.5 MP to make a real flame and he was having to burn through his mana to keep it manifested and to expand its size so that it became a semblance of a genuine threat.

 

-She’s smiling at the fact that I’m threatening her with death? It definitely wasn’t like this when I threatened her the first time, back then she was genuinely nervous! What could be giving her the confidence to smile?!

 

He questioned her and himself while his mana began to run dry, forcing him to stop maintaining the flame on his finger. Liza’s smile grew slightly larger.

 

Liza: “I will now that your flame has gone out! I want you to be my friend, young lord Fate.”

 

Fate let out a sigh, he was now feeling quite exhausted and was in no mood to continually dance around the main question.

 

Fate: “And why do you want to be my friend?! I just threatened to roast you and if you try to associate with my brother, you will probably do much better in life, so why?!”

 

He had been ignored, beaten, and nearly killed several times ever since he had been born. The fact that anyone would attempt to even associate with someone like himself was insane to him, or it had since become.

 

Liza: “It’s true that there are other children of various servants living in the manor and putting in the extra mile to forge a well-meaning relationship with your brother could be an investment towards my future…”

 

-Then why?! 

 

She made an awkward face for a moment before replying curtly…

 

Liza: “Do you think that I look pretty?”

 

This girl’s reason for asking to be his friend was...to have someone judge her looks? Was she just looking to have some broken soul compliment her for food? 

 

Liza: “I believe your words from before were, “I’d really hate to burn part of your pretty face off” that’s what you said right?”

 

-That’s the part of that encounter she cares about?! That I called her pretty while threatening to burn her face off?!

 

Liza: “Not a single boy has ever called me pretty before…”

 

She started to blush a bit, but just set the brown stick down again before covering her cheeks with her palms. This girl was truly a subversion, she was even turning a bit of unintentional banter while she was threatened into a sincere compliment!

 

Fate: “I think you do look pretty, but...that’s what you’re hung up over?!”

 

Liza: “Well it might not mean much to a noble, but whether you like it or not, you’re another outcast like me and one who complimented me to boot!”

 

Fate: “Another...outcast..? Wait, I already told you that I’m disowned! I am not a noble nor will I ever be a noble as long as I live!”

 

She put on another annoyed face, and shook her head at him disapprovingly. Liza walked to the door and stood in the doorway, propped against the wall.

 

Liza: “I’ll be leaving, for now. Be well, my lord.”

 

Liza slowly began to close the door, but suddenly stopped and pushed it slightly open so her eyes could poke into the room. She looked at Fate, once more.

 

Liza: “I won’t tell on you by the way, but you should try eating that stick! My momma says that they’re not proper food, but it’s better than that...jel. I’ll talk to you tomorrow!”

 

Fate: “H-hey!”

 

She didn’t give him time to answer her before she closed the door, he could hear the key turning in the lock. Fate pulled his knees to cover his face while he sat on his cot.

 

-What does she want from me…? 

 

Fate gazed over at the brown stick and jar of jel on the plate. He got off his cot and walked over to where they were, opening the jar and quickly devouring the tasteless substance.

 

He gazed at the brown stick menacingly, poking it several times with his finger before throwing himself onto his cot. However, he was unable to stave off his curiosity and continued to gaze at the stick.

 

-What if she poisoned it? What if I end up in another prison cell?! 

 

Despite his reservations, he returned to the plate and picked up the stick in his hands. Gradually turning it over to try and spot any abnormalities. He could smell an aroma of baked bread, emanating from it.

 

-I can’t fall for this!

 

He placed the stick down and turned his back, but soon turned around to gaze at the stick again. He clearly couldn’t make up his mind.

 

-...It couldn’t hurt to try a piece, right?

 

Fate grabbed a piece of the stick and pinched it between his fingers, making a crisp sound and breaking the piece off. He hesitated a moment, but still placed the bit in his mouth and chewed on it.

 

-...It’s salty...and sweet?

 

He was confused and took a look at the inside of the main stick piece. The outside seemed to look like a pretzel, but the inside had some sort of cream filling. They formed a taste that was odd, however...

 

-It's...delicious...