🍵🍵🍵
DUKE Eslan’s estate was a bit far from the heart of the royal capital. Many aristocrats’ mansions lined the streets in this district, creating a miniature town of noble residences. Each dwelling and the plot it rested on were so large, though, that the miniature town felt like a world unto itself, where even time passed leisurely. Any visitors to this locale could be forgiven for thinking they had left the capital entirely.
“You say you wish to speak to Lady Rashida…?” The gatekeeper looked troubled by Emma and Ian’s unexpected arrival.
“That’s right. My name is Emma Grace Seagrove, and I’m in the same class as her at the Magic Academy.”
“I apologize, but…the master has decreed that Lady Rashida is not to receive any visitors.”
He won’t even allow her friends to see her?! What in the world happened? The situation was much worse than Emma had imagined.
“Hello, sir. I hope you remember me from my last visit.” Then Ian stepped forward, taking the reins.
“If I recall correctly… You’re Marquess Stephenson’s son, Lord Ian, yes?”
“To be honest, I received a letter from Duke Eslan and am here today to fulfill his request. Specifically, I have something for Lady Rashida. Might we call upon her now?”
Ian smiled charmingly and flashed something resembling a letter from his breast pocket to the guardsman. Defeated by her friend’s overwhelming brilliance, the gatekeeper opened the door to the mansion and ushered them inside, where a maid guided them to Rashida’s room. It was located on a section of the third floor that received the most sunlight. The woman spoke once they arrived at her friend’s door.
“My lady has been despondent for quite some time now… So please be aware that she may not agree to see you.”
“Thank you for informing us.” Once Emma nodded, the woman knocked on Rashida’s door. She rapped it twice.
“I’m sorry… I don’t need any tea…” Rashida’s voice trickled out faintly from the other side.
“Rashida? It’s me, Emma. Can we talk? Just for a bit…?”
Silence. And then footsteps pounded on the floor before the door opened with excessive force.
“Emma!”
The instant before her friend threw her arms around her, Emma noted Rashida’s puffy eyes. They were so red and swollen that she suspected the other girl must have been crying for the entirety of their summer recess.
“Rashida! I was so shocked when I found out you withdrew from school that I had to rush over to see you,” Emma said. “What happened?”
“…Come in.”
Emma stepped inside her friend’s pitch-black room. Ian waited outside, giving them privacy. The maid followed the two of them in and opened the curtains, sending light flooding through the windows, brightening the interior. Emma’s heart squeezed in pain, seeing Rashida flinch like she hadn’t seen sunlight in far too long.
“It… It was the third day of our summer recess. My report card from the Academy arrived.” Rashida spoke slowly, haltingly. “Father looked at it and… He found out I had chosen to major in life magic for those aiming to become servants. It only made him angrier when I tried to talk my way out of the situation. He refused to listen to me, and before I knew it, I learned he had forcibly withdrawn me from the Magic Academy. When he finally calmed down, he commanded me to go on exchange at the school in the Empire of Ulster. And this time, I would study what he chose.”
“Oh, Rashida, I’m so sorry to hear that.”
Emma rubbed her friend’s back, trying to alleviate some of the heartbreak she saw on her friend’s face. She could hardly believe how haggard and exhausted her friend looked when normally she was so much more responsible, energetic, and hardworking than most.
Gleaning her friend’s unspoken question, Rashida continued. “Also…do you remember when I told you there was someone I wanted you to meet? Well, Father expelled him from the estate because of my defiance.”
“Him…?” Emma cocked her head, puzzled, by the mention of this “him.”
“Besides my exclusive maid, I also had an attendant who doubles as my bodyguard. He was the one who taught me all sorts of magic. But…Father blamed him for my wanting to be a lady’s maid, so he dismissed him.”
“That’s awful…”
“He… Eugene…is an outstanding, marvelous person, you know? So it was outrageous of Father to discharge him from his post.”
Tears spilled again from Rashida’s bloodshot eyes. Her anger overtook her briefly as she viciously pressed her clenched fists against her eyelids in an attempt to stop the tears. But her efforts were in vain.
“Father’s fury went so far… He wouldn’t even allow me to write any letters. I read your letter, Emma, but I’m so sorry I couldn’t reply. I so badly wanted you to meet Eugene, too.”
The Rashida Emma knew overflowed with confidence and dignity. Yet she detected no signs of either in the girl before her as her shoulders shook with sobs. Her pale face and gaunt cheeks made it clear how Rashida had spent her long summer holiday.
I wish I could use my power to help her. Emma startled herself with how naturally the thought floated into her mind since a time traveler couldn’t use their ability for their own ends. Until now, she had never once considered breaking the cardinal law drilled into her very body.
But then she remembered how Rashida had treated her so kindly from the beginning of their time at the Academy. Emma’s time affinity had never bothered the other girl, either. It hadn’t taken her long to comprehend that Rashida’s generosity of spirit was a result of the strict circumstances governing her life as a duke’s daughter.
I know I can’t use my power selfishly… But I can’t stand to see her like this either.
“All right… I’ll handle this.”
“Emma…? I don’t…understand?”
Emma stood up, radiating determination. Rashida looked on, surprised by her friend’s abrupt change in aura.
“Rashida. We’ll meet again at school.”
“But, Emma… I… I’ve already been…”
Emma didn’t let her finish her sentence before she strode out of the room. She had let her emotions take control and rode their clamoring drive now. If she lost any bit of the intensity churning inside her, she knew she couldn’t do what she was about to.
“Emma, what’s tumbling through that head of yours?”
A forbidding, thunderous expression settled on Ian’s face as he waited patiently by the door. Right now, her friend was acting in his capacity as the Stephenson heir, whose duty was to protect the time traveler. She wasn’t surprised to see his suspicion of her. It was proof of how well he knew her, and he darn well should, considering their long years together.
But Emma ignored him. She stared at the back of her right hand and chanted the spell.
“Sigil, activate.”