Leo stopped dead in his tracks when he heard that, 'What you mean how much for that one? Does she want me? Does she want to rid me of my disease?!'
Leo turned around and saw that there was a hand pointing to him. He grinned in response, 'Is life finally going to add sugar to the lemonade (1).'
Revena shook her head and sighed, "This one has no talent for magic at all. He doesn't have a shred of mana. But this one, he has all the talent you are looking for." She said pulling Austin to her side. He grinned revealing his best smile.
However, the lady was obstinate, "How much for that one?"
"Miss Bellows, I'm serious when I say he's useless to you. The only thing he is good for is cleaning the house."
"I know! I can see that he has no mana. What do you take me for!? I'm asking how much does he cost. So shut up with your useless crap and answer!"
"Y-yes, I will answer you right away. Uhm, no magic, no other skills other than cleaning. I can sell him to you for 10 silver coins,"
"10 silver coins. You sure are trying your luck but I accept." Then she handed her the money.
Revena took the silver coins from her, "If you don't mind me asking… What do you plan on using him for?"
"What else can he be but a servant?"
When Leo heard this, he furrowed his brows. Then he gripped his black bags and made a break for it, 'Sorry but I'm nobody's servant anymore!' He was about five large steps in before he was petrified in a running position.
The lady saw Leo running away and then cast a petrification spell on him sealing him in place, "You are not running away. You are mine!"
Leo let out a wail, 'What does life have against me? Can I never be free?!'
After she had Leo she turned around ready to leave.
"Aren't you going to buy Austin too? He was the reason I called you here. My other eighteen -year -old boy ran away but this one is of top quality."
Miss Bellows snickered, "This trash, he isn't even worth being target practice to my daughter. I can tell his understanding of mana is higher than normal due to the purity of the mana in his system. However, his mana capacity is below average. He might be something now while he is at a low level but he will NEVER be anything great."
When she said that, Austin felt another slap against his face. However, this one was done with words. To be called trash by a beautiful noble lady was worse than a thousand deaths for him. A tear dripped down his face. Then walked back in the house but he was stopped before he could.
"Pack your stuff and get out!" Revena said with a stern tone.
"But I have nowhere else to go…"
"Not my problem! I want you out in five minutes. Or else…" She said pushing back the sleeves on her arms. Revena was angry because she wasn't going to make a return on him. She sold Leo but he never had anything to offer so she couldn't sell him for much. All in all this year was a big loss for her. She sighed and then said goodbye to the noble and went back inside.
Miss Bellows was smiling as she left the orphanage. Then she told one of her lackeys to pick Leo up and put him in the shard powered carriage with her.
They complied and then shoved him inside the carriage. It was a rather large and snazzy carriage. It had a golden exterior with a maroon leather seat interior. Once he was inside, she undid the spell reanimating him back to the world of the mobile.
Being able to move his body again, he looked at the door of the cart. Then he looked at her.
Miss Bellows laughed, "You can't escape the door is locked and you wouldn't be able to touch me before I release my magic. Just accept your fate."
Leo sighed but then he remembered he still had hope. In his pocket was something he could finally open. However, he had to do it in a place where he was alone. Coming to that conclusion, life returned to his eyes and he remained peaceful all the way to their place.
When the doors opened and they got out, he saw that he was standing in the front of a huge mansion. There were waterfalls, flowers and pillars. It was a magnificent sight. The architecture of the building was exquisite. It had a touch of the Elizabethan era yet it was a lot more modern.
All the servants came out at the arrival of Miss Bellows. They lined up on the pathway one for one.
Looking at his fellow servants, Leo looked at them and not one of them were ugly. Not even average they were all people that could be classified as attractive. In this mansion, there wasn't a single bannered nationality missing. There were people of all the shades of colours lined up. When he saw this, he gulped, 'Is she some beauty collector. Whether or not, I need to get out of here a.s.a.p!'
However, as if reading his mind she smirked at him, "Don't even think of leaving. You will have guards on you twenty-four- seven and because you have been such a bad boy. You will be sleeping in the shed. If you behave like a good boy, I'll allow you to come inside…"
Then she turned to the guard on her left, "Show him where his room is and then take him to Octavia so she can change him out of those pauper's clothes."
"Yes ma'am," The guard complied and took him to his room. Just like she said it was a wooden shed with a tin roof. The workmanship on this building was shoddy at best. It also showed clear signs of dilapidation.
"Here, this is where you stay. Now come with me."
"Can't I check my room out first, it's my first time here and I'm a bit scared," Truthfully, he wanted to hide his gift. If they were going to change his clothes they would see it. Maybe even take it even though it could only be opened by him. Unless they paid a lot of money to have the ward magic broken, this was something they could do.
"You have one minute."
"Thank you!" He rushed in and then closed the door. Then he looked for a place to hide it. Once he found one, he hid it under the toolbox buried beneath the tools. He made sure he didn't make a noise so the guard didn't suspect something.
When he was done, he came out and then he was led inside the mansion. The walls were white and there was golden chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. He felt that he could fit his previous home in the passageway of this place. The tiles had all sorts of beautiful designs. There were large beautiful paintings on the wall as well as gold and white pillars appearing from time to time.
Leo admired what money could do. One day he wanted a place like this but more than that he wanted people he could share it with, 'Money is nice and all but it is pointless when there is nobody to share it with. I'd rather be broke and surrounded by people I can trust than alone, forlorn and wealthy.'
Leo and the guard continued to walk to the maid's room. Once he got there the guard said, "Octavia this is a new one. Miss Bellows wants you to take care of him."
She frowned in displeasure, "Sigh, bring him in."
The guard pushed him into the room and so he took a few steps. In front of him, the maids were brushing each other's hair and gossiping. The boys joined the conversation too. They were on break and now they had to take care of some new recruit.
They glared at him showing their displeasure. Then, Octavia, the blonde bombshell walked up to him, "Do you know your measurements?"
"No, I don't?"
"Bring me the measuring tape!" Then one of the maids scampered off to find one. Octavia was the oldest one here making here the boss. She was 24 years of age and had a fiery attitude.
When the measuring tape arrived, she measured each part of his body and then wrote it down on paper. That paper was then sent to another room. Then after five minutes, a suit was created and Leo was told to put it on.
He asked where the bathroom was but they said they all change in here. He sighed and then unclothed himself. While doing so a few girls snuck a few glances at him and his package. However, he just brushed it off and quickly put his clothes on. Living in a shared house, he had changed in front of girls and guys alike. Now he was standing in a black and white suit with a black tie. He looked dapper.
Coming closer to him to fix his hair, Octavia gasped at how his sex appeal had skyrocketed. Then she wet his hair with water magic and then dried it off with wind magic. Lastly, she applied some gel on his hair to bring it all out of his face. When she was finished she took one last look at her workmanship and her heart thumped. Leo looked like the incarnate of handsome himself. Her cheeks turned red and then she coughed to regain her composure, "You are done."
Kevin will now show you the ropes. As the newcomer, you will be doing most of the grunt work so don't complain. It's one of our unspoken laws here."
Leo nodded his head and then Kevin a 180 cm tanned young adult with black hair said, "Come with me to the toilets."
Leo wanted to cry inside but he remained stoic, 'One more day just one more day! Tonight when I'm alone, I'll have time to myself to open the box.'
1- Lemonade- There is a saying, "When life gives you lemons make lemonade," But in order to take the sour taste out of lemonade you still need sugar. So in the end, it's still just as distasteful to swallow no matter how you take it. But Leo is now questioning whether he is finally going to be able to take sourness away. Is something going in his favour for once?