Liliana’s daily life changed slightly with the return of her voice. She still kept her social interactions to a minimum, studying and practicing magic at her estate when she wasn’t meeting Riley at the palace, but now she also visited Petra at the Ministry of Magic to learn about hexes. The mage had recently secured permission for her to visit Ben Draco’s manor, and the day had come for them to travel there together.
Liliana swayed with the coach as it rolled toward the vice minister’s estate, her eyes vacant. Petra sat in front of her, drifting in and out of sleep after staying up all night. Olga rode alone up front; Gildo would have joined them, but he had the day off.
Ben Draco is the brother of one of the game’s romanceable characters. And yet...here I am.
Ben’s younger brother was the fourth romanceable hero, after Crown Prince Riley, the aspiring royal guard Austin, and her own brother, Clyde. Seeing the vice minister at the ministry was one thing, but visiting his estate dramatically increased the risk of running into the love interest in question. Liliana took some comfort in knowing they weren’t headed to the family’s principal residence but to Ben’s private manor—a place he had purchased for work.
I won’t run into him there, right...?
Ben knew her voice had returned. He was also extremely curious about her aptitude for hexes and magic and about the “abnormally high” amount of mana she apparently possessed. Taken together, those facts made it nearly impossible for her to refuse his invitation.
Sure, his lectures on magic are interesting, but he’s too passionate. How am I supposed to explain casting without incantations, or how my spells function at all?
They used entirely different systems of magic. Liliana crafted her spells using knowledge from her previous life, while Ben was confined to the logic of the world around them. From his perspective, it surely looked as though she had refined the magic he knew—her spells cost less mana and activated faster, and her incantations were shorter—but learning her methods required scientific knowledge from a world he’d never known. Explaining centuries of development from memory was an impossible task.
The coach passed through central Hudore, approaching the district where the wealthier merchants lived. Ben’s manor would be close now.
Should I have refused to come? No, I want to see the books and implements I can’t find anywhere else.
In the end, she had prioritized curiosity over minimizing risk. She told herself she needed the knowledge to protect herself, but the truth was that she was just as obsessed with hexes and magic as Ben.
“We’re almost there,” Petra said, having woken up at some point.
Liliana simply nodded.
Soon, the coach stopped before the main gate. Petra opened the door, stepped out first, and helped Liliana disembark. The estate was smaller than those owned by nobles in Hudore yet still far larger than the homes of wealthy merchants. Its design was simple, and the courtyard was neatly kept. Considering the state of the vice minister’s office, it wasn’t hard to imagine the servants here worked tirelessly to maintain some semblance of order.
“Ben doesn’t care about keeping things tidy, so it’s all on Paul,” Petra said, noticing Liliana’s curious look.
“Paul?”
“The steward here—and Ben’s foster brother.”
Liliana blinked. It was unusual for a commoner household to have a steward at all.
“As the eldest son, Ben’s supposed to oversee things at home, but you’ve seen how obsessed he is with research. Without Paul, nothing around here would get done.”
Ben fulfilled his duties as vice minister well enough, though he constantly complained that administrative work kept him from his research. From the sound of it, Paul acted more like a secretary than a traditional steward.
Petra opened the gate with casual ease and stepped through. The courtyard was lined with pretty flowers—nothing at all like the image Liliana had of Ben Draco. Petra must have caught her expression, because she started chuckling.
“Paul’s tastes stand out even more than last time.”
“Does he like cute things?”
“He loves embroidery and romantic operas. Just the other day, Ben came to work looking sick to his stomach. When I asked what happened, he said Paul had made a five-layer cake and insisted he eat it.”
Evidently, Paul had rather girlish tastes despite his talents as a steward. Liliana and Petra took in the courtyard so clearly shaped by his personality as they made their way to the entrance. When they arrived, Petra walked in without bothering to use the knocker.
The lobby was just as pretty: a large vase overflowing with flowers here, a frame of pressed blossoms there. Liliana found herself captivated by the delicate decorations. Petra, meanwhile, seemed long accustomed to the sight and headed straight for the staircase—only to stop short with an abrupt “Oh.”
The front door opened, and a tall young man strode in—a muscular figure dressed in a well-tailored uniform. “Ms. Myyrylainen, how many times have I asked you to tell me when you arrive?” he said, wearing a sullen expression.
“What does it matter? If you’ve got guests, don’t worry. We’ll keep quiet in another room.”
“That’s not the problem.” He turned to Liliana and bowed with practiced grace. “A pleasure to meet you. I’m Paul Purcell, the steward of this estate.”
Liliana stared at him, caught off guard. Based on the courtyard and the lobby, she had expected someone far more feminine. She kept the thought to herself and offered him a polite smile in return.
So this mountain of a man arranged that lovely courtyard and made a five-layer cake. I suppose one shouldn’t judge by appearances.
She glanced at Petra, who caught the cue and took over the introduction.
“This is Lady Liliana of House Clarke. She can’t speak, so be mindful of that. She’ll probably be coming here rather often.”
“As you wish,” Paul replied.
Petra’s claim made Liliana blink. She had never intended to frequent Ben’s estate. She shot Petra a smile edged with quiet reproach, only to receive a smug, unrepentant look in return. Paul seemed blissfully unaware of their silent exchange.
The mage turned toward the stairs as though the matter were settled, but the steward stopped her.
“Please wait. It isn’t a guest, but...perhaps you should wait for him to leave.”
“There’s someone here?”
“Yes, well... A tempest.”
Paul’s tone was cautiously evasive, but Petra understood at once. “Oh... Should we come back later?”
“Oh, no. He arrived a couple of hours ago, so he’ll most likely leave soon.”
“Okay. Guess we’ll wait, then.”
Paul gestured for them to head toward the door he’d come from—but before they could take more than a step, a loud crash echoed through the estate, and a door on the second floor burst open.
“You’re my brother, not my father!” a young boy shrieked in a high, furious voice. “Stop acting like you know anything other than research!”
Liliana snapped her head toward the commotion. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Paul drag a hand down his face and slump forward. So this was the “tempest” he’d mentioned.
The boy stormed down the stairs. When Liliana finally saw his face, she froze.