"What do you think you are doing?" His hand is suspended by another hand; twisting it as he suddenly spins around, freeing his hand off. He raised his dagger and tried to cut Boaife's throat, she evaded it by transforming into a small bird and then moved swiftly behind him as she created a rope made of fire, wrapping on the cloaked man's body.
"Who are you and what are you after?" she asked, however she was answered with Silence. She let out a low groan as she felt a small drowsiness is slowly entering her system.
This is a worst time for the effect to kick in and the man felt the ropes loosened up as he looked at Boaife. Her eyes are fighting off the drowsiness. She still didn't get answer from the intruder and right now she's worried about leaving Wren alone.
The last thing she did is to send a small fire outside, betting that the idiotic knight is awake.
"..."
"You better answer me–"
Before Boaife could even finish her sentence, the man threw a round thing on the ground as it exploded loudly. Smoke engulfed the whole room. The man jumped outside the balcony creating a loud thud as he ran away. Boaife coughed a few times before realizing the situation, her eyes were on the verge of closing when she heard the ground thumps.
She spun around Wren's bed. Luckily she is still sleeping heavily, snoring loudly as she turned around, inhaling a small amount of smoke that filled her nostrils. The room is a mess and obscure with the thick smoke.
She let an intruder to be escaped and the only thing she can count on is the idiot knight. Seeing how prepared he was and to think the man is exceptionally hiding his talent.
"Boaife what happened?" Wren asked in dazed, still not progressing the state of her room not until she inhaled it, burning her nose as she sneeze. Boaife hissed at her own master. She was such a heavy sleeper that not even the explosion could wake her up.
then a fleeting memory— almost like blurry that she couldn't grasp before collapsing on the ground.
"He was oddly... familiar..."
She tried to remember where she felt that kind of sensation when Wren tugged her sleeves and said, "hey! Don't you dare close your eyes!"
her voice is being muffled by covering her face as she scanned the room. She closed her eyes and shared some of her mana to Baoife, preventing her from falling asleep. Then suddenly, a loud sound of something broke far away from them.
"Shit!"
"Wai—!"
the door opened and Cervi is standing there panting with some maids holding a lamp behind, "What is going on?!"
He run like a mad dog upon seeing Boaife's fire flicking before he return to his room and because of how heavy his foot steps are, the maids woke up and saw him.
"Cervi there is someone who sneaked —" Wren didn't finish her sentence when Cervi jumped over the balcony.
Kids do not try to copy them. Don't jump from the 2nd floor or any building.
"Young Miss were you harmed?"
Boaife then vanished from the room, transforming into a bird and followed Cervi. Wren watched as her spirits went out to chase the intruder.
---------------------------------------------------
this is embarassing. How could I sleep when someone entered my room and Boaife is fighting with her state? I should have given them my mana earlier.
"We should triple the security around the castle." Mom said after visiting me. She heard the screams and news after my spirits chased the intruder outside.
"did no one checked the locks in her room before she sleep?" my father asked my maids.
He showed up a little later with his glasses on, probably doing paperworks late at night or sneaking out on mother again. Other than that, his brows creased as he inspects my room.
"I see no difference." Adara commented after hearing Wren's thoughts.
"We checked, your grace. The maid said she latched the lock properly."
"Apart from that, your grace, it is unbelievable that the intruder erased his trail for a short time."
I sip on my milk. After Boaife comes back, Cervi is sleeping on her back and has some bruises over his face.
She told me that she found Cervi lying under the tree and that is where she lost the intruder's trail. He is indeed talented he even bruised this guy's face.
"Call Antonio." Noland bowed and left the room. Now it is us and there is an awkward silence between us.
"Are your spirits still suffering from Yessenia's time reverse?"
"Yes, Mom. It will take another 2 weeks before the effects wear off."
But today is the day where I Cervi will leave to gather information about the Marchioness so I'm slowly giving mana to him while he's asleep.
But it was weird. The way Boaife find Cervi is. She said he's leaning at the tree and covered by cape.
"Wren," mother called me, her blue eyes were gazing at me, "is there someone who knows that you're a summoner?"
No one knows... ah... except the princes.
"who are they?"
"Prince Asterion, Zairon..." and obviously our family. Besides the person I mentioned there's no one comes to mind.
"Then the emperor must be likely to know about your magic," Father leaned over his chair and looked at us when mother spoke, "If the Imperial family knows it, it will be easy for someone to find about you being a summoner."
they both look at me and sigh. That sigh kinda annoyed me to be honest.
"what are you sighing at?!"
"You will be killed in an instant. This is humiliating."
?!?!
"Dear me, then the spirits she had contracts are kind of useless now," If Boaife will hear that she will be boiling mad in anger here.
is that the only thing they can say in front of me?
"anyway, did this thing only happen today?"
"Yes, I think–" a loud slap rang inside the room and Boaife said, "The intruder... he was here 3 years ago"
Come to think of it. There was one time she told me that someone was inside my room and looking at me and I... totally forgot it as I was preoccupied with something at the time she told me!!
the three of them were looking at me once again, the reason why I avoid their gazes is because it feels like they are insulting me. I mean... I buried it deep in my memories. I never thought that she was serious about it!
I could feel their gaze drilling into my body.
"3 years ago... it is the time where you have your unique magic."
clearly, I must have done something at that time for someone to visit me.
"they have realized her unique magic," he sighed when someone knocked on the door, "Your grace, I have brought the head knight."
my father did not lift his head and told them to enter the room. Sir Antonio bowed and looked at my father's stressed face which I enjoy watching.
"Antonio, I want the knights to search for the man. Find him and bring him to me," Sir Antonio accepted it and left after acquiring the left traces and information.
"meanwhile, you sleep now and change shifts with the remaining spirit," Boaife stared at him and said, "You are really connected by blood. Tsk." she hissed and grabbed my wrist.
"By that, I should get her ready in the morning as she was being summoned at the palace." My eyes grew wide at the sudden announcement. Why will I be summoned at the palace at a time like this? Even my parents were confused.
"Why?"
"The third Prince wants her to come after knowing the incident." Suddenly, a paper is being torn and something cracked... well, the ink is now puddling over the documents.
Boaife added, "Prince Asterion was the one who sent me a letter by Magic earlier."
"Did something happen?," I asked over my parents. A suppressed chuckling came from behind. The spirit must find everything funny.
"That kid lost his mind," my father exclaimed and gestured to his secretary to put away the papers.
"The 3rd prince doesn't even called you in the past..."
I could feel that they were very surprised by this. It is true though, he never invited me ever and he even ignores me which is favorable for me.
"The letter said that he has something to discuss with you and..." that hesitation with her grin tells me otherwise that whatever comes out in her mouth is a bad thing.
It seems like I am not the only one who felt it as my mother is intently staring at her.
"What is it Boaife?"
"Well, the prince also invited my master for a small tea~"
***
"Boo, he did not even let you meet him," Boaife is sulking because I cannot go to the palace today. I am happy that he said that and that is the only thing my father did something I approved of.
Boaife then held my shoulders and said in a joyful voice, "Aren't you forgetting to try healing the concubine?"
"..." my happiness instantly blew off. Until now I haven't visited the palace after the rise of the dragon... and I instantly forgot it.
"Well then, we should visit the palace," my spirit is enjoying this moment while I am having a hard time accepting this. She used Zairon's mom as an excuse!
"Sister are you going to the palace?" Astreia's voice came out from behind, holding some cat in her arms, she tilts her head and said, "you should inform mom first,"
"...yes..." and when I entered the office once again to tell them about it. Both of them did not say anything other than that Mother will also accompany me.
"... this is so weird." I whispered while gazing outside the carriage. This carriage is so quiet that I cannot even talk.
"oohh..." Joelle's voice rang inside the carriage as she played with her rattle. Mother also brought her along since Joelle is stuck inside the castle.
"Wren, next year you will enter the academy," I nodded at my mother, "time flies so fast." she said as she gazes at my little sibling then smiled.
"..." I do not understand why she has that kind of look. The carriage stops suddenly, we have arrived before we could realize it.
"Well, where did he say he will wait for you?" I look away since my mother's gaze is like she's testing me
Boaife grinned beside me and said, "He said he will wait at the Rose Palace, in his room."
Mother stopped walking as she smiled, "Tell the prince they should have tea time in the living room."
"mother before that we should visit Lady Agatha," this is the reason why I am here after all...
"All right." they followed us through the Rose palace where the concubine resides. One maid led us to her room.
There are curtains around the bed, blocking the woman on the bed. "My lady, Duchess Vacarella and her daughters are requesting for audience." the maid announced behind the curtains.
A silhouette moves inside it as the curtains suddenly push aside. The concubine is skinny... I cannot help, but to feel guilty since I keep forgetting about her.
"I'm sorry you have to see me like this, your grace." she showed a weak smile, then coughed several times that the maids moved quickly.
I saw how she spit blood between her coughs in a basin. Another guilt added. "Adara, does she also have it?"
a tiny light appeared as it rested upon my shoulders, "Yes. Her body is 70% poisoned by it."
She flew towards Lady Agatha as she grew in size. "What brings you here?" She asked me.
"Everyone leave this room." Mother looked around, the other servants were skeptical as they glanced over Lady Agatha. She smiled at them, probably encouraging to follow my mother.
We waited for a moment to see that we were the only ones here when Lady Agatha spoke weakly, "Is it something important that you even made them leave?"
"Yes, Adara you can start now." Lady Agatha's eyes shot open wide seeing Adara floating in the air, in front of her.
Flower scent wafts around the room, its aroma is refreshing and sweet.
"..." her hands glowed as she put it on her chest and small brown lights surrounds Lady Agatha as it seeped inside her body.
after a long time, Lady Agatha is sleeping peacefully on the bed. Mother drew back the curtains as we left the room.
"Lady Agatha is sleeping. Do not disturb her," then a maid runs on the hallway, lifting her skirt and says, "Greetings Duchess Vacarella... The Emperor wishes to discuss something with you."
...
I glanced over Boaife and she was smiling so hard that she didn't even hide it. "What is it?"
"I... I don't know," she said, lowing her head. My mother sighs, "Wren, go first to the prince. I will come get you after I met the emperor." Before I could utter something, she left along with Joelle.
That's where I felt Boaife's hands grabbing my wrist. "Let's go now or else you might not have enough time~"
Seriously, why is this bird like this?!