Steven started to clear everything on the table. His graceful movements displayed a fascination with Anasthasia's eyes.
She eyed the siblings, who seemed to calm and act with prim and proper, except for Lucy with her fingers that shook in subtlety. Meeting her gaze, she gave a wink at her, and it made corners of the little girl's lips curled up.
Anasthasia asked Steven as soon as he finished his duties, "Do you mind if I talk to Lucy for a moment?"
Steven flashed his eyes with surprise. Her approach baffled him. He then cleared his throat and took his time to respond, trailing off his tone, "Not at all, Lady..."
"Anasthasia."
"Not at all, Lady Anasthasia. Please do enjoy and take your time while I prepare for something else?"
"Something else?"
He remained steadfast. "His Grace would like to have a word with all of you at the reading room."
All of them shifted their head towards him, and Anasthasia squinted her eyes from his reply. She shut her eyes for a moment while she uncrossed her ankles.
"How many minutes from now?" Lucy queried.
"Two, my Lady Lucy."
"Then—"
This time, Anasthasia intervened as she didn't want Lucy to think much about it. "It would be best if we shall go to this instance."
"That is, indeed, a wise choice." Steven gave a curt bow once more and nudged the trolley.
Anasthasia rose from her seat, and the rest followed. Steven led them the way. He opened the door and a maid, in a prim and proper outfit, bowed deeply. She could only see her kempt orange hair and vague profile from an angle.
Moving on, Steven ordered the maid to take care of the aftermath and the food trolley. They all walked, and she had no idea where he would take them, but her thoughts were filled with questions left unanswered.
'I finally have no longer the need to hide, but how did that man know I was here all along?'
'Did I miss something? I'm doing my utmost skills to prevent such detection, but how—' Eyes widened from the mere thought of it. She gnawed her teeth as she pondered again.
'There's no mistake; it has to be that, otherwise.'
Her eyes narrowed, staring daggers at Steven's back. Even to the minute details, nothing deemed noteworthy other than the large mana reservoir on his body.
Time flew so fast; everything was consumed from her roundabout thoughts and analysis without noticing the path they strolled, then putting them to a stop. Which, presumably, the archway to the reading room.
Upon entering, what Anasthasia's eyes blue eyes darted over to the Archduke, who sat comfortably on the near end of the couch, reading a pamphlet, with propped elbow unto the armrest while he rested his chin on the palm.
The Archduke glanced upward with eyes that remained dull until she noticed Anasthasia, gleaming in wonders. He closed the pamphlet and set aside as he sat upright.
As they drew closer and stopped, Liam stated foremost, "We are here, Father."
The Archduke hummed deep. "Please, have a seat."
The opposite couch occupied the three of them from his seat while Anasthasia sat on the one-seater couch. Steven swiftly moved as he prepared tea.
The minute she relaxed, the atmosphere ran dry and cold when he started to speak.
"So, you're Anasthasia." He leaned forward as he clasped his fingers. "I have heard different things about you."
Anasthasia laid her hands on her lap, then crossing her ankles, as she mused, "I wonder where did you hear it, and how much did you know?"
The Archduke gave a deep chuckle and laid his back on the couch again. "With my title and position, I have eyes and ears all over the kingdom. Wouldn't that be the case?"
Steven brought in some tea for all of them to drink. Silence took over as a series of clinks and chimes heard from his smooth actions. After pouring the tea, he moved to the side and stood as though he never existed in the first place.
Lucy and the twins never budged from their seats. They all sat frozen solid; on the other hand, the Archduke and Anasthasia reached their teacups, but they gaped in surprise.
"You are indeed a sassy and fearless lady, as what the hearsays claimed."
"I would guess that it's a compliment for me to take."
The two prominent figures sipped the warm tea in unison. Anasthasia eyed carefully, now in such proximity, and noticed how his body enveloped a reservoir of rich cyan hue.
"In what way was I compromised?"
He revealed a smug smirk while he pointed out towards Steven, "The head butler in this household has a special talent."
"A special talent? To such an extent?" She then hummed. "You won't be able to fool me and come up with measly reasons."
"You—!" Before he could finish his utterance, she shifted to the side, facing the twins, and entertained them.
"Do you vouch for his word?"
Liam bulged his eyes from her thought-provoking questions in which no way would remedy the situation quickly if things go south. Levi, meanwhile, scratched his head and averted his gaze.
Lucy was cowered beside Liam, unable to face them all with bravery.
"How dare you question His Grace—"
"The Carbuncle Race." Anasthasia sipped her tea, trying her best to indulge the flavor despite the atmosphere.
Both the Archduke and Steven, right now, froze despite the clueless reactions of the siblings.
'Did I hit the nail in the head? Let me probe further.'
"I have heard of what they call 'Eye of Truth' as their primary racial talent—"
"Seal that mouth of yours this instant!" The Archduke howled, heaving as he lost his composure.
Anasthasia was taken aback, albeit ever-so-slightly. She then placed the teacup and crossed her legs.
"My, I never thought it was rude for me to guess."
"Sister Ana…" But Lucy halted as Anasthasia shove her hand while her blue eyes glared at him.
"Also, since we cut off the introductions. Should you continue not to introduce yourself, Archduke?"
She placed the teacup back while her eyes glinted, which gouged their eyes out of disbelief.
The Archduke harrumphed as he did the same as hers. "Isn't the Archduke fine enough?"
"I'd like to call you by your name—"
"Preposterous!" This time, Steven bellowed, seething in anger as he stared at her. If looks could kill, then she was dragged and dismembered.
But the Archduke gave a dismissive wave of a hand to Steven. He gnashed his jaw in futility, clearing his throat, and then stood as he tried to regain his calm.
"I don't mind. That is, though I'm aware of your prowess, I'd like to acknowledge them myself if you're deemed worthy of teaching Lucy!"
When he ended his declaration, his hand twitched, and the air around Anasthasia coalesced, surrounding her, then formed tiny, long needles that pointed her way.
'Close but not enough for it to threaten me!'
She snapped her fingers, and the temperature around her rose, vaporizing the remaining moisture.
'Apparently, with this rich manor, it's easy and faster for me to pour more energy than he removed it.'
The Archduke narrowed his eyes and now sent larger ice spikes her way but still failed to hurt her.
'He has a good grasp of his control and the aspect of magic sequence, too bad I can hear him mumbling but in a super low voice. Would things change if he equipped a weapon?'
Anasthasia chuckled, which astonished them. In that second, her voice echoed back.
"This place is rich with mana and not that I'm complaining. Allow me to show you how the true power of ice!"
Her eyes gleamed. The moisture in the air froze instantly: ice spikes burst from the couch and ground, striking, touching the tip of almost every part of his body and inverted pyramids of ice suspended up, shaking as though it ached to break free from her whims.
Water drops trickled down, hitting his arms and face. His beads of sweat could no longer be discernible from how damp he got.
Before Steven could pounce, branches of ice shrouded around him. He was maimed, worse than a caged animal.
It was torture.
The twins couldn't bear any longer and said in unison, "Ana!" They jolted up from their seat as they mustered for courage.
Ana eyed sideways, checking their reaction but went back to The Archduke, who found himself in a predicament. His eyes, however, blazed resolutely.
'If you don't want to concede, then have a good look at this!'
The ice above him glowed brightly; he could feel the warmth that seared his head. His eyes rattled by the sight of it, only to speak astounded.
"The Numeric Ice!"
Levi's glasses almost fell off as he jerked away from his seat. Liam and Lucy went agape from what happened.
"You picked the wrong enemy, Archduke of Aureole."