"You did a great job playing piano last night."
The crown prince was immediately intrigue and can only assume it's the lady of Wisteria grand duchy, glancing by his stand where he's waiting with the scholars under the oak tree with the other boys their age.
Only to be disappointed to see a group of girls but the silver haired one wasn't in that group but instead talking about another child who played the piano too last night.
Who even performed last night?
'I was too busy catching up with the heir apparent of the Grand Duchy, asking if I can visit their manor, curious about his little sister whom I met shortly earlier on the trade at the port, but wasn't able to introduce properly since the adults are talking.'
And Dritan has been acting way to vigilant after catching me staring at her sister, especially last night, I only let him deliberately corner me away from his precious little sister who cling on their father, the Grand Duke, after performing a piano piece that only in the academy was taught and not even our music professor can perfect without missing a note.
From what I heard coming from Sir Colin, she only read books in their library and ended up finding his brother's books from academy that he left in their home, apparently she memorized the whole piece by only reading the score.
She wasn't normal in the first place, her shiny silvery white hair alone indicates the royal linage of Ilia, their family is still part of the history even with the empire being ruined, she's the only one that exist in this world with that appearance after their mother, the sole princess of Ilia, died of giving birth to her, even though his brother share the same blood, they do resemble quite a bit but the hair and eye color Dritan have is obviously inherited from the Grand Duke.
"The Grand Duke." the scholars scramble from their spot, everyone especially boys admires the Warlord who kindly sponsors their study and living, even with the man's cold demeanor, he never miss on the opportunity of finding great talents and helping them up to not go to waste.
Two black and gold carriages but the Grand Duke and heir apparent are both riding their hrses along their knights.
It contradicts the imperial family's bright white and gold.
I can only watch by afar and smile brightly to Dritan who nodded shortly and get off the horse to go to the first carriage and the knights open the door.
Two female servants step out and the small silver haired girl, who made her existence known last night, was assisted out of the carriage and was pick up by the Grand Duke.
Her dress was partly hidden due to the black cape but her hair covered in bonnet that has a hint of pink was too highlighted.
She looks like a light in the sea of the darkness, oddly she looks like she's the one leading them.
"She's here." the girls whispered in hush and displease, while the boys looks all curious but trying to suppress it out of fear of the respective Grand Duke, after all, he's a grand master and a warlord before being a Grand Duke who kindly help the scholars.
The family of three enter the glass conservatory, greeting the emperor who's obviously, way too obvious of being a fond of the little girl.
But what catch my sight is Paul who dismiss himself along the knights, servants and part ways with his father, Viscount Terezia who went to his wife.
Paul walk out and walk his way here, bowing to me for a greeting.
"It's a pleasure to greet you on your birthday, your imperial highness." Paul greeted as I hum dismissively and look back to observe, only to find the Grand Duke, heir apparent and the little lady disappear.
'Where did they go?'
"Tell Sir Colin to call Lord Dritan, everyone is here except him, I'll go for a short walk, don't disturb me." I said, as one of my knight, Sir Herald bowed and go while I wave my hand dismissively to Paul who nodded as I go for a walk myself with the knights on guard on a safe distance.
I stand in front of an empty bird bath with dried leave piling on it.
I'm curious.
I snap my finger, a small fire floating as I round it on the marble surface, casting a spell for spying and throw the fire in the pile of leaves.
An appearance of small crow showed up, the last entity that touch made contact with this bird bath.
"It's been awhile, go find what I'm seeking for." I muttered as the bird fly and charge pass the glass to smoke and turn to bird again before going in the garden.
I beckon my hand to left which made the fire smaller but the smoke was created and appear like a water in the bird bath that has a mirror form.
The little girl appear, looking on her right while sitting on the day bed, the Grand Duke talking to the servants and the heir apparent looks worried.
She looks so pale.
Is she really that sick?
I heard it from Dritan before, he said he left the baby that his mother trusted him to take care of, before coming to the academy, he couldn't sleep for the first year of our study since we share a dormitory mansion with Paul and the other scholars.
He's always been anxious since then and often writes to his nanny who was left to look after his sister, how she was doing and all.
He always address it as a baby, because that's how he last saw it.
As tough as he looks, as much as everyone fears him in the academy, even I don't want to get on his bad side, he still have a soft side, but only for his sister.
Only then I saw Sir Colin come and get Dritan out.
He'll find out soon, but I'm too curious to care and made the crow go closer to the branch where I can see the little girl.
"My lady, I'll get you something to drink and eat, is there anything you wish to eat?" the nanny asked and the silver haired girl shook her head.
"Anything will do, get enough that we can all eat here." she mumbled even pointing at the imperial guards.
"We can't do that here, my lady, we can only do it anywhere but the imperial family's presence." the nanny said with a tone of hesitation.
"Then I don't want to eat anything." she said stubbornly, getting off the day bed.
"My lady."
So she eats with the servants when she's in the Grand Ducal Mansion.
I observe her looking around, watching the roses and butterflies, she looks so fragile.
A silvery blue colored butterfly landed on her finger, and she seem so happy about it.
The butterfly flew up and stop on top of the tip of her nose which cause her to sneeze out of control, stumbling aback.
"Oh." I stifled a laugh, gripping on the marble's sides.
Cute.
"Oh my God, my lady!" the nanny immediately caught her before she even land on the floor.
She looks so flustered when the servants and knights look all trying to not laugh.
I want to see her surprise and flustered face more, it's funny.
I made the crow move closer to fly over the girl.
"Caw!"
"Ahh!" she yelp in surprise, and fall on the floor in shock, I made the crow land on the floor in front of her, making it act like a real crow and hopping closer and closer to scare her as I chuckle on my own in amusement.
"Oh no! Lady Althea!" the servants cried out as I made the crow stop on her knee.
She looks so much better up close.
Wait, what am I thinking?
"So tiny." she mumbled with a soft voice, fearlessly trying to pet the crow's head as I buried it's face to her hand, I made it fly and hop to land on her small dainty hand.
"Caw!"
"My lady." the nanny help her up while I feel sorry for surprising her for my own amusement.
"It's cute." she mumbled referring to the crow.
She find the crow cute? A normal lady will probably find the little creature scary.
Didn't Sir Colin said girls likes cute and colorful things? But a crow?
"It looks like it has an owner already." the nanny said, pointing out the tiny gold leg band on it's right leg.
My caster band, any magic performed has a band that indicates it is magic but it's conceal to a material that no one can figure.
"Caw! Caw!"
I sense a familiar presence approaching her which cause me to panic, trying to make the bird fly away but ended up head butting her face unintentionally causing her to squirm in shock.
I made it fly away and Dritan suddenly appear by the door way and catch the crow with his water magic, forming a rope like around the bird's body, his face now filled the smoke.
"Caw! Caw! Caw!"
"You're so curious, you even wasted spell to spy on my sister, you rascal." Dritan said with a sardonic smile, the last thing I heard is a scream as I made the spell disperse to air.
This greedy-
"Your imperial highness, the emperor is looking for you, the hunt is about to start." Sir Herald called as I compose myself, walking my way back to the glass conservatory.
I walk in and greeted the delegates and my father who's only smiling brightly with the Grand Duke who greeted me shortly and I did back, I feel chills hoping the Grand Duke to not find out that I spied on his daughter.
"Lord Dritan is looking for you, he went back to the gazebo, go." my father, who so obviously have another intention, asked me which made the Grand Duke seem visibly displease.
They're both father and son indeed, how did that little lady even survived living with both cold hearted men.
"Excuse me then." I said going my way to the back where no one is allowed to enter without the emperor's approval.
Walking through the tall arch way of roses, I heard foot steps when I'm almost at the end.
"Lady Althea, where are you going?" I stop on my track hearing Sir Colin's voice called out.
"Brother killed a crow! I saw it! The poor bird exploded to ball of fire! He drown it first them boom!"
"My lord did? Ball of fire?"
"Uhuh." a cry with hiccups started.
She thought Dritan killed the bird.
I'm so dead, oh no.
"It's just a magic spell, my lady, my lord only save you away from a small curious beast." Sir Colin explained in a hush.
Small curious beast?!
"Let's go back to Wendy to wipe those tears away, the hunt is about to start, you're only resting here for awhile and needs to go back where the Grand Duke is."
I heard them walk away as I look up to my knight.
"Go get Lord Dritan, I'll just wait back at the platform." I said smiling innocently, walking away.
He might hunt me instead, I didn't know his sister will falsely thought of her brother killing the crow.