As Leonora continued her trek of putting up the amnesia act and acting as a becoming lady, nobles grew less wary of her. Word had gotten around about her loss of memories and sudden personality change. Though some were skeptical of the rumors, in due time they found them to be the truth.
However, her mother was still bedridden from shock while her father, although saddened, showered her effortlessly with love. Anything she asked for he got, although her demands were much more sensible and reasonable than they were before.
Walking into her father's office after poking her head in another magic book, Leonora curtsied deeply with a bright smile. "Father."
As usual, he would spring up onto his feet, pick her up, and have her sit down on his lap. The Duke liked it when she accompanied him for work. It eased the stress of dealing with his wife and work issues.
Leonora wasn't a petty person to where she would demand things and leave straight afterward. Instead, she would look at what her father was doing and try to understand what exactly he was signing off on and revising. She had dabbled a bit in economics, but nothing too big to where she could point out his mistakes.
The nib scribbling on the parchment paper gave off a calm sound, something that she would doze off too. She had done it before, embarrassing as it sounds.
Finishing up one more paper, her father gave her a peck on the cheek. "What does my little Leonora want today? More books perhaps?"
On multiple occasions, she had asked for books that she couldn't find in the private library. It came as a surprise at first as she wasn't the type to like studying but he caved in after seeing her adorable smile. How could he possibly say no to such a face?
"Father, I wouldn't want to impose on you more, " she mumbled, feeling a bit shameful that she had to rely on other people.
Ryoko had always been an independent person. People her age had always complained about wanting to be independent so wouldn't she want to be like that again?
"Nonsense!" he exclaimed, eyebrows furrowing, "You can never be a burden on me, my little treasure!"
It was no wonder than the previous Leonora grew up to be how she did.
"Okay, " she nodded, a sparkle growing in her eyes, "I want a magic tutor."
There was only so much that Leonora could learn in books and the basics of magic weren't exactly included in them. Yes, she had asked for such books, hoping to learn just from the text itself but the expressions themselves were vague. The next best option was someone with their own profession based around magic.
He paused midway through bringing his freshly dipped pen to the next paper on the pile. His eyes acquired a thoughtful glimmer as his left hand rubbed his chin. "I see... I'll make sure that we hire the best tutor out there right now."
Her expression changed to a frown. "It doesn't have to be the best. Father, please don't spoil me rotten."
He rubbed her head, making a mess of her identical, purple hair. "Thank you for your concern, Leonora, but you don't have to worry. You're from the house of Wynard. Anything less than the best tarnishes our name."
The words that left his mouth were rather false as Duke Ernst was known to be a rather conservative and frugal man. Though he lived a lavish life in wealth, it was all just enough to get by to not be mocked by other noble households. Everything changed once his darling daughter was born, however.
"Thank you!" Leonora cheered, still trying to keep her image up as a young child.
If she had acted too mature for her young age, questions would be asked. It was best to be a bright young girl... just like Ryoko had to be before receiving her final revelation.
A young man about ten years more her senior arrived at their door a week later. He had grey hair that would shine silver as soon as it caught a glint of the sunlight. His skin was sun-kissed tan and his sky blue eyes glowed mysteriously. On the other hand, his clothes, although proper looking had a rough and messy way to them, emphasizing a lax attitude.
Leonora always had a good eye for people and their personalities. From just looking at the way he looked and posture at their front door- may she remind the wealthiest Ducal family's door- she could tell that he was arrogant, blunt, and couldn't care less for his image.
How could she possibly see such a thing?
Her spacial magic, although mana consuming, allowed her to view things from angles outside of her own peripheral view by placing a mana signature. Though it was still in the works and a bit blurry since she was still a novice at magic, it still worked.
She watched as his own eyes looked directly at the mana signature, directly at her. Breath caught in her chest, she released the connection that she had created and felt her own heart thumping loudly at her chest.
He had detected her magic on the door. She was going to get found out all because she wanted her own version of 'Ring' doorbell in this world for extra protection.
That was when she knew that he was the tutor that her father had hired for her. Who would act in such a manner if they were the ones being begged to come, after all?
The guards opened the door and in walked the man, hands stuffed in his pockets and not a care in the world as he whistled to the wind.
Leonora trembled slightly and her knuckles whitened. She had to calm down. He didn't know that it was her that had placed the shabby magic on the door. There was no way that he could.
Making her way down to the parlor, she gave the head butler a slight nod to let her into the room where her new tutor was. He opened the door for her and closed it directly behind her. The door echoed as soon as it slammed shut, welcoming in the awkward quietness.
Flustered and nervous, Leonora took a deep breath and bent her knee, hoping that she could make some blood rush to her face to make it look less pale. "Esteemed Sorceror, I welcome you to the Wynard residence. Please make yourself at home and ask for any accommodations. My father should be joining us momentarily."
Once she looked up, blue eyes clashed with her violet ones and she unconsciously gnawed at her bottom lip. His expression was blank and she could tell nothing from it.
Calling in for a maid, tea came in a few minutes later and she refrained from drinking any, afraid that her sipping would be too loud in such a quiet room. As the clock ticked by her father had yet to make an appearance, making the stress amass more.
Clearing her throat, she smiled anxiously, "I believe that you're the one that my father hired to teach me. If I may be rude to ask for your name...?"
"It's Cecil Godwin, " he replied easily, finally reaching down to grab a teacup.
A sigh escaped her lips as the odd tension in the room began to dissipate. Mulling through her head for noble households and last names, she came to a dead-end when trying to figure out the Godwin family's rank.
In the end, she decided that it was a commoner family, which was actually better for her. To even think that the best wouldn't even have noble blood in him.
"Hmm..." she trailed off, thinking hard, "What of your occupation?"
"Just some odd jobs but now I'm teaching you, Squirt."
"Ah, " she paused, totally ignoring the pet name that he had called her, "Well then, I look forward to your lessons, Teacher Cecil."
The door then busted open and her father came in with a sheepish look on his face. "I do apologize for keeping you waiting for so long, Mage Cecil. I hope that my daughter was able to entertain you. Now for that teaching job, I know that you came here to decline-"
"No, " Cecil grinned cockily, "I accept the job. The Squirt grew on me in the time that I knew her."
"Really?!" her father sputtered, looking back and forth between his daughter and the Sorceror.
"Yep, " he smiled cheekily, "And I would like the pay as promised."
"Alright."
From the sounds of it, her father was practically bribing Cecil to come and teach her. Still, she had no idea exactly how powerful he was for her father to accept the Mage's rudeness.
"Lessons will start today, " the silver-haired man declared, snapping his fingers.
A gust of wind pushed Leonora up and into the air where she was suddenly carried out an open window and placed down gently on the grass in the garden.
He looked to her eyes narrowing, his aura suddenly losing his laxness. "You were the one that put that seal on the gate right? I couldn't imagine anyone less than a child to place such a sloppy thing on there."
Leonora was a bit embarrassed and angry. There was only so much she could learn on her own on something that had to be practiced. Without proper guidance, she could only settle for the thing that she made. Moreso, she was only seven years old. "Why do you think I asked for a tutor then? I'm not exactly a magical prodigy."
Right, she had a large amount of mana but nothing compared to the magical prodigies. They were blessed with a bountiful amount and somehow an easier understanding when it came to magical seals and properties.
"What was the seal used for?" he asked curiously as he had never seen something drawn like that before.
"It lets me watch things through it."
"Interesting, " he muttered, "To think that spacial magic can be used in such a way. Not bad, Squirt."
She scowled slightly at the small amount of praise that he gave right after insulting her. Maybe she was a bit too paranoid about her magic being found out.
It wasn't like they knew that Ryoko and Leonora were now the same person. This magic wasn't going to be used during her purification times because it was too unrefined. Surveillance around the manor was just enough for it. It wasn't as though it could be linked to the ever-so weak spacial magic.
"Alright!" he exclaimed with a clap of his hands, "Show me your mana control."
Calmly, she allowed her mana to flow continuously and equally throughout her body. Careful not to disrupt the current, it became an unending loop around her body.
"No, no, no, " he sighed with disappointment, "You have to also draw on your surroundings otherwise you won't be able to enlarge your mana capacity or replenish faster. Being a mage also relies on how well you can regain the magic you've lost in spellcasting."
Leonora's eyebrows creased as she tried to have the mana particles in the air gravitate toward her but it was too slow. No matter what she did, the replenishment process was slow.
"To think that you'd be able to create new magic and be terrible at the basics, " he commented negatively once more, "You're imagining the replenishment process wrong. The mana particles are just swirling around you and amassing. That's not how you do it."
Irritated purple eyes flashed at him as she struggled to understand what he was alluding too. She hated how he was going in a roundabout way while explaining magical basics. Why couldn't the man just be straightforward and clear?
As her annoyance grew, the mana particles around began to shift closer, adding more the many particles that were already there. It was then growing into a storm with Leonora right in the center of it. Although she couldn't see it, Leonora could sense a change of magical density in the air.
"Fine, " she huffed.
Yeah, she was going to a sponge, just like what she had used before to soak up some of the blood from a corrupted that she had killed in one hit in the head with a wrench. Yes, she was going to absorb it all and make it all clean.
Suddenly the mana began to be drawn in like a vacuum into Leonora, being sucked up at an abnormally large rate. Power surged through her veins, almost to the point where she could hear the dense magic crackling.
"Is this fine?" she asked, violet eyes staring him down coldly.
"... Are you trying to kill yourself?"
"Are you done testing me? You accepted being my teacher and I've acknowledged it. Why aren't you acting like one now?"
He held his head in exasperation. "I am done. Now release that pent up mana before you explode."
With a sour expression, she wrung the access mana that she had out of her body, expelling it with a tremendous force that caused ripples in the air. The Mage had to throw up a quick shield around him from it.
She knew that she was acting like a child. That was indeed the point. Had she controlled her expressions too much, a man such as Cecil would've lost his interest in her quickly. Her perfect lady mask would have to be slowly built with him around as a sign of maturity.
"Did it!" she exclaimed with a pleased smile.
"Hah..." he sighed, "Yes, you did. Now I'll really be your magic teacher now. However, it's not going to be easy on you, Squirt. Nobility doesn't matter when it comes to me."
Yes, that was exactly what she wanted. Her father had chosen a great teacher indeed. He wouldn't sing her praises at every little thing but would push her to her limits to further expand her growth. Though it was a hard road, it was something that Leonora could deal with.
Ryoko could do it, and so would she.
Still, this was only a part of the road that she could take. Competence in magic still wouldn't guarantee a filth-proof identity in the high-status life. No, she would have to hire other tutors to fulfill her role as the future crown princess of a neighboring country. Of course, the engagement wouldn't be announced until she reached the ripe age of fourteen, but everything needed preparing.
Though she would have to ask her father for more, it was only beneficial for the future. All of it was investing in the future prosperity of the people and her household.
Investigating through the rumors of servants, information from her father, and the commoner newspapers, she was able to decisively choose tutors for each subject that she needed. Though she had been studying etiquette, her teacher would then find fewer faults but also still correct things that are unwritten. She couldn't make a mess of herself in the balls, meaning that she had to also learn of dance. Being in a military country also meant swordsmanship, so finding a good swordsman was also in working order. Regular subjects like math, literature, history, and other languages were also included on the list.
Branching out to other households, she was able to find suitable teachers for everything. From the ranks of Count, Marquis, and so-forth, Leonora was able to gain the knowledge of well-known nobles. Whether they wanted to gain a trickle of the power of the Wynard house or just came due to the good graces of her father did not matter to her.
What mattered the most was getting rid of her ill-reputable image and changing it with a good-mannered girl whose demeanor could rival a Saintess. Yes, that was exactly what she wanted. Whilst performing phenomenal in her studies, the very same people teaching her would talk. Of course, the gossip-hungry ladies or clever-minded men would pause to hear about it.
The people that she was hiring would be doing all of the work for her. Even they wouldn't understand that the gold coins being spent on them meant nothing to the future profits.
Connecting with them would also lead to more information and rumors for her next targeting. She could also find herself being graced with the favors of others or gaining a deal that most people wouldn't hear roll off the tongues of others.
Running up to her room and getting ready per the maids' help, Leonora soaked in her bath alone, trailing her fingers along the surface of the water to make ripples. The rose petals in the water delicately bumped into each and floated around. The color of the petals were so vibrant, just as though the beauty of blood had been personified into one being, a crimson rose.
Gripping a towel and wrapping it around herself, she made way to her room, squeezing out the water in her hair into the fluffy towel. Her neatly folded nightgown was already laid upon her bed.
A tired exhale escaped her yet she knew that there was no time with that. Her plan had already commenced so she needed to be aware of her own actions. Leonora had amnesia and had now changed into an angel, shedding all of the negative attributes that she had before. It had to be that way.
Looking out the window, she could see the moon high in the sky, the color a beautiful shining white. That glow was much more preferable to the yellow glow of the moon. Sure, to the church the Sun was pure. However, nothing in her mind could beat white, the purest of colors to have been seen through her eyes.
It was strikingly similar to the moon that had illuminated the alleyways during her missions. The moon was the only light in the darkness for Ryoko, the only light that had seemed to care. She wasn't welcomed in the sunlight that people somehow liked to bask in.
The moonlight fitted her image just fine.
If Leonora was going to be the Sun, then Ryoko was going to be the Moon. One loved while the other shunned but the balance can only be there when both exist.