Luo Lan was woken by the fading rays of the setting sun.
Dim yellow light filtered through the frost-covered window. The room was dyed in a lazy hue. He stared at the ceiling for a long time before he realized he had almost slept the entire day.
Winter days were short. Outside the window, dusk had already arrived. Fine snow fell silently and piled up on the ground.
Luo Lan sat up in bed. His entire body felt incredibly sore. He walked to the window and watched the distant forest. The last remnants of the sunset gilded the trees with gold before the night swallowed everything.
'Something is still wrong.'
The feeling was like a thorn in his heart. He recalled every detail of Clove's [Mana] berserk state from the previous night. He remembered the patterns moving under her skin. He remembered the girl's burning temperature. He remembered the look in her eyes before she fainted.
'Why did it trigger? It has been controlled perfectly for the last seven years.'
A knock came from behind him. It was Elia.
After receiving permission, the Head Maid entered with a silver tray and placed dinner on the table.
"You are awake."
"Ah... yeah..." Her appearance surprised him. "How is the Princess?"
"Her Highness just finished her dinner." Elia poured him a cup of black tea. Steam rose between the two of them. "She seems to be doing well."
Luo Lan nodded. He sat at the table and smelled the aroma of the food. He realized just how hungry he was. Just as he prepared to dig in, Elia placed a small, exquisite box in front of him.
"What is this?"
"Some [Mana Crystals] and fatigue recovery potions."
Elia bowed slightly. The movement caused her hair to slide off her shoulder. "Yesterday was my failure. I did not notice Her Highness's abnormality in time. I have troubled you."
Luo Lan's hand stopped mid-motion with his soup spoon. He blinked and pushed the small box back toward her.
"This was just my job."
"Even so, I personally felt the need to express my gratitude." Elia did not take the box back. Her voice carried a faint ripple of emotion. "You... are a very reliable person."
Right at that moment, Luo Lan's stomach growled loudly at the most inappropriate time.
He froze for a second. He winked at Elia to try and ease the awkward atmosphere.
Elia pursed her lips and smiled at him. She bowed and stepped back a few paces to leave.
"Elia, your cooking is getting better and better." Luo Lan cut a small piece of bread and put it in his mouth. "Honestly, when I first arrived, I thought you were the Princess's older sister."
The Head Maid stopped and turned her body slightly.
"Your appearances are quite similar." Luo Lan took a sip of tea. "But after spending time together, I feel like Elia is more like... a motherly figure."
Elia possessed excellent [Magic Circuits]. Before Luo Lan appeared, she was the one responsible for teaching Clove magic. After the Lufienias family met with disaster, she took on the roles of housekeeper, head maid, and head chef. She even managed the castle gardens.
When Luo Lan first met her, she seemed very serious and liked to nag. She was the complete opposite of her twin sister. Although she loved Clove dearly, she was usually very gentle with her. However, she always showed a much stricter face toward Luo Lan.
'Right, she is also a workaholic.'
The air in the room suddenly became quiet after Luo Lan finished speaking.
"Uh... don't misunderstand." Luo Lan scratched his head. "I just mean that you worry too much sometimes... Besides, the Princess is an adult now. She can take care of herself. You don't need to stay so tense all the time."
He turned to look at Elia. Her eyes were wide with surprise.
"It isn't good for a girl to keep her mouth in a tight line. You should smile more."
Elia's cheeks turned red at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Her eyelashes trembled. The red flush spread from her delicate ears across her porcelain skin like a stroke of paint.
"...Mr. Luo Lan, you are joking."
"I'm not joking." Luo Lan broke his bread with a serious expression. "I'm being serious."
Elia's fingers gripped her skirt and then let go. She lowered her head to avoid his gaze.
"It is getting late. I must go prepare tomorrow's breakfast."
She performed a hurried bow and turned to leave. The room became quiet again, save for the occasional crackle of the candlelight.
Luo Lan stared at the closed door for a while and then laughed helplessly.
...
Luo Lan woke up the next day before the sun was even up.
The world outside the window was a chaotic gray. Another layer of snow had accumulated overnight. He quietly changed into light clothing. He didn't light a candle because he was afraid Elia would suddenly pop out from nowhere.
Only the wall lamps were lit in the hallway. Luo Lan passed through the corridor and pushed open the heavy wooden door. The cold air rushed into his face and filled his lungs.
'Time for morning training.'
Traditional mages were usually squishy. They had short legs and were like lambs to the slaughter once an enemy got close. In his previous life, he had seen too many mages die pathetic deaths. Either their throats were slit while they were halfway through an incantation, or they were steamrolled after their [Shields] were broken before a [Magic Circle] could form.
'Who plays a traditional mage these days?' Luo Lan didn't want to be like those people. He wanted to be a next-gen mage.
"Good morning, Mr. Luo Lan."
A cold voice came from behind. Luo Lan turned and saw the knight Slude leaning against a stone wall. Her silver-gold armor glowed faintly in the dawn light.
She was the Knight Captain in charge of castle security. Usually, this was the time she finished her patrol.
"Good morning." Luo Lan stood up and brushed the snow off his hands. "Can you spar with me for a bit today?"
Slude raised an eyebrow. Her right hand was already resting on her sword hilt. "The usual rules?"
"The usual rules."
Before he finished speaking, a cold sword light arrived.
It was a simple and direct thrust with no warning. It aimed straight for the boy's chest. Luo Lan leaned to the side and barely avoided it. The sword edge grazed his robe and tore his sleeve. The boy did not retreat. Instead, he lunged forward. His movements were as sharp as if he had suddenly become a different person.
The two of them went back and forth on the stone platform of the training grounds. Slude's sword was fast and precise. Luo Lan was forced to act like a slippery eel.
About ten minutes later, they both backed away. A hole had been poked in Luo Lan's collar by the sword tip. However, Slude's armor now had several glowing [Mana Marks] on it.
"You've improved." The female knight sheathed her sword. A rare hint of warmth appeared in her voice. "Mr. Luo Lan, you didn't leave this many marks on me last time."
Fortunately, Slude seemed to have the same rigid personality as Elia. She didn't notice the slight double meaning in her words.
"A loss is a loss." Luo Lan cleared his throat awkwardly. "I still got hit in the end."
Luo Lan took off his gloves. His hands were numb from the vibrations of Slude's sword. He looked up at the high windows of the castle. One window still had heavy curtains drawn. Clove was probably still dreaming.
"But speaking of which, why do you insist on this?" Slude asked curiously. "Your [Magic] talent isn't inferior to Lady Elia."
"Maybe because I'm afraid of dying." Luo Lan shrugged. "Think about it. What if I run into a situation where magic doesn't work? I'd be a total waste. It's better to be prepared. You can never have too many [Skills]."
Slude didn't say anything else. She just nodded as if she half-understood and then turned to leave.
Luo Lan stayed in place to adjust his breathing. He tilted his head back and let the cold snowflakes fall on his face.
'I'm still a bit far from my ideal goal. But time waits for no one.'
...
After finishing his morning training, Luo Lan spent extra time in a hot shower. He let his muscles fully relax.
The mirror reflected a boy with damp black hair. Water droplets slid down his jaw and traced his sharp features.
Luo Lan changed into clean clothes. The air still held the faint scent of Elia's laundry detergent. He felt it was a bit weird for this scent to be on him. He had protested many times to Elia about washing his clothes, but she had rejected him every single time.
'At least change it to a scent that isn't so girly...'
The boy shook his head helplessly.
The fireplace in the dining room was burning brightly. As Luo Lan cut into his last fried egg, Elia poked her head out from the kitchen.
"Mr. Luo Lan, the Princess hasn't eaten yet. I have some things I can't walk away from right now. Could you please help me out?"
She didn't wait for a response. She pointed at a tray nearby and went back to her work.
The boy looked at the busy back of the Head Maid and sighed. He mechanically swallowed the egg in his mouth. Then, he picked up Clove's tray and walked to the girl's room.
He stopped in front of Clove's door. Just as he was about to knock, he heard a 'patter patter' sound from inside. It sounded like a small cat running on the floor. This was followed by a short, muffled gasp.
Luo Lan's hand froze in mid-air. He waited until the person inside finally became quiet before he knocked.
"Come in."
As expected, her voice sounded weak.
Luo Lan pushed the door open. Morning light pierced through the gaps in the curtains. Clove was lying 'obediently' in bed. Her silver hair was scattered across the pillow. The girl opened her eyes and looked at him.
"Why is it you?"
The boy raised an eyebrow. He placed the tray on the table by the bed.
Clove propped herself up. Her gaze drifted from Luo Lan's face to behind him, but she didn't see Elia.
"Elia is too busy to leave. I happened to be free, so she grabbed me."
"Oh..." Clove bit her lip. Her eyelashes trembled slightly. "I'm still a bit dizzy. I don't have any [Stamina]."
As she spoke, the girl secretly slid half an inch deeper into the blankets. Only her eyes remained visible.
"Can you... feed me?"