Brak!
Right after those eyes closed, her bedroom door opened. Aether appeared with a cold and sour face walking toward Cassandra.
"Cassandra! Are you awake?"
Cassandra moved her body slowly, and she was good at acting like someone who had just woken up from a long sleep.
Aether's face looked severe looking at his beloved princess, and he was waiting for Cassandra to open her eyes. Cassandra then frowned and slowly opened her refreshed eyes.
"Dad…" Cassandra mumbled in a voice that sounded like she had just woken up.
"You've been asleep for almost ten hours, how's your head now? Still feeling dizzy?"
Cassandra nodded her head and said, "A little. Can I rest longer tomorrow? I want permission for just one day not to participate in the study with Madam Rosaline, Dad…."
"Cassandra, you can't stop even for a day. Our time is so short, and you haven't even mastered the basics of black magic. Remember, Cassandra! This is a battle between territories, and you don't want your parents' faces to be trampled on by the white magic kingdom! I also don't want to see you lose the battle with Prince Dylan. What's more, if they find out you have natural powers as a white magician! I would be so embarrassed!" said Aether firmly. He stared intently at his daughter, who seemed to swallow her saliva in nervousness and fear.
However, all her fear could not stop Cassandra from being curious to ask the things that made her heart restless.
"I know, Dad. B-but… why do we have to keep arguing with the white kingdom? I mean… why don't we just make peace? Isn't that beautiful?" Cassandra asked, tilting her head at Aether.
The man wrinkled his forehead and took a deep breath. Then, he remained silent and turned his body, saying, "Wake up, Cassandra, hurry up and have dinner, and don't ever ask that question again. We should be separated, and there will be no peace between these two works!"
After saying that, Aether immediately stepped out of the her room. Cassandra could only contemplate staring at Aether's steps closing the door to her room. For some reason, neither of her parents explained the reason for the conflict between the two kingdoms.
"Why does he always act cold and don't tell me what's really going on. They always narrate that the white kingdom is a bad kingdom. I'm so curious to go there immediately," Cassandra muttered.
She turned her gaze back to the wand she had kept under the pillow. She was still unsatisfied with playing with the white magic power that ran in her blood.
So before going downstairs for dinner, she'd try one more swing of the moonlight stick. However, when her beautiful hand held the wand towards the moon, suddenly, in front of her, a black shadow appeared that made Cassandra's eyes hurt so much.
"OUCH!"
Cassandra screeched and closed her eyes as she lowered her wand toward the moon.
"You will be chosen, be prepared!"
The whisper entered Cassandra's ear very clearly. The voice sounded like an older man being possessed by a robot. Cassandra dared to look up, but the black shadow that had appeared earlier disappeared when she looked out the window. The moonlight was shining again.
"What happened?" Cassandra muttered.
Her eyes returned to the wand in her hand. Seeing the strange occurrence just now, Cassandra decided to cancel her desire to reuse white magic to summon moonlight.
After putting the wand back in the box and hiding it under the pillow, Cassandra stepped out of the room to eat dinner at the table.
***
"Cassandra, before you eat, try to point your hand at the candle and move the flame towards another candle that has not been lit, you must have memorized the basic black magic techniques that have been given so far, right?"
Suddenly the mother's voice, Lilya Maggie Clarke, appeared behind Cassandra. She looked at the girl with a sharp gaze. Lilya was tougher on Cassandra than Aether. We could say Cassandra was more afraid of Lilya.
What Lilya asked Cassandra was something that had been around for a long time, and Cassandra should have memorized it very well and understood it by heart. However, since the white magic flows in her body, Cassandra is having difficulty absorbing every black magic that exists. So even for basic abilities, Cassandra couldn't.
"Why are you silent? Isn't that an easy thing? You've been taught that since childhood, even two weeks ago you were taught again by Madam Illiana. Do it now and you'll get your dinner! Remember, Cassandra, it's only two weeks before the celebratory party comes! This is no longer your time to hide from all the weirdness in your body, and… you won't be able to get any more protection from your father, I'll be watching you closely from now on!" said Lily firmly.
Even though Aether was scary and strict, she still often protected Cassandra and spoiled her by not putting too much pressure on Cassandra when she really couldn't understand the black magic being taught.
Cassandra swallowed her saliva, of course, she couldn't do that.
'I swear I will dead! How can I do this?! I don't even know what the spell is!' Cassandra muttered to herself.
Seeing the pensive child, Lilya immediately moved Cassandra's arm forward and said, "Do it now! Say the spell!"
"B-b-b… But, I can't, Mom! You know, I can't afford to memorize every single one of those spells! Even Madam Illiana doesn't have the patience to teach me! So, I--"
Prang!
All the food on the table was suddenly closed tightly by an iron box with a lock and a chain wrapped around it. Lilya let go of the child's arm. She said, "Bring your black spell book and memorize at least ten spells! Otherwise, you'll never eat, Cassandra! Understand?!"
Cassandra held back tears, but she couldn't possibly stand up to her mother. Inevitably, the girl could only say, "I understand, Mom."