As Ansel finished processing nearly half of the documents, a faint knock sounded from outside the study.
"Please come in."
Anticipating who it might be, Ansel set down his quill.
"..." A frail and haggard Marlina gently and cautiously pushed open the door. Seeing that Ansel was not working, she breathed a sigh of relief but still spoke softly, "I apologize for the disturbance, Lord Hydral."
"It's nothing; I was just about to take a break."
Ansel scrutinized the girl's complex expression and asked warmly, "Is something the matter, Miss Marlina?"
"... No, nothing, please don't worry about it."
Marlina, filled with regret and confusion in her room, quickly considered another matter.
— That was Seraphina's inability to control her volume; their quarrels were likely overheard by a maid.
So, Marlina had little time for concern or sadness; she knew she had to do something to make amends... Ansel might not care, but she couldn't foolishly assume she didn't need to act.
For Marlina now, the only thing she could do was strive not to be a burden to Seraphina, do her best to demonstrate her value in front of Ansel, and as long as she performed better, Seraphina, as her bound sister, would be treated better by Ansel. Even if it only improved her evaluation by a fraction, Marlina didn't mind, as long as it allowed Seraphina to stay by Ansel's side.
Marlina firmly believed that her sister would eventually grow up, and until that day arrived, protecting her, educating her, and helping her were all her responsibilities… everything was her duty.
Thus, the girl tried to hide her exhaustion and sadness, smiling at Ansel, "If you have some free time, may I ask you some questions?"
"Of course."
Ansel, who had observed Marlina's expression, smiled, "I've already annotated your previous documents; take a look first."
"...What?"
Marlina stared blankly at the documents handed to her by Ansel. Her earlier efforts to maintain composure vanished, replaced by bewilderment.
She looked at the clear and elegant handwriting on the documents, seamlessly integrated with her own writing, the numerous annotations without any confusion or complexity, and the final evaluation... A surge of bitterness welled up in her heart.
Just as the gifted Seraphina placed her dignity above her life, the intelligent and resilient Marlina, who had to endure even more hardships than Seraphina, how could not she long for that thing, how could not she long for respect from others?
She was merely a village girl from a remote village, and aside from her appearance, she could never catch the eye of someone as important as Lord Hydral, or maybe, her appearance was not presentable either.
Yet, despite this, he still respected her, not treating her as a mere accessory to her genius sister. He had never made any frivolous moves or even spoken carelessly, and he had not simply given her a job to get by.
Every meticulous stroke on the documents reflected the genuine respect this young and tolerant nobleman had for her.
Seri... How could you be so disrespectful to Lord Hydral?
The thought of her sister repeatedly offending the esteemed Lord Hydral, yet time and time again receiving his unconditional patience and tolerance, made Marlina's heart ache uncontrollably.
[If, if the one with such talent were me, would Lord Hydral also...]
A dark, cold light flashed through Marlina's mind, disappearing as quickly as it came.
"Miss Marlina?" Ansel inquired softly, "Is there something you don't understand?"
"... Ah, no, no! Your annotations are quite clear!"
Marlina suddenly snapped back to reality, responding to Ansel in a flustered manner while feeling ashamed of her previous thoughts.
"To be precise, your analytical abilities are exceptional, Miss Marlina."
Ansel regarded Marlina with polite and gentle eyes, causing her to shift her gaze nervously: "I... I'm not as remarkable as you say, Lord Hydral."
"Excessive modesty is not a good trait, Miss Marlina."
Ansel chuckled, "Or are you doubting my judgment?"
The young lady hastily replied, "No! I, I wouldn't dare!"
Doubting Lord Hydral's judgment would be tantamount to admitting that he had misjudged Seraphina as well, wouldn't it?
"Then you should speak to me with your head held high and your chest puffed out, Miss Marlina."
The handsome young nobleman rested his chin on his hand, not intentionally displaying a charming smile, but speaking gently, "You possess talents that I acknowledge; you can take pride in that without any reason to shrink back, can't you?"
The young girl with her long, snow-white hair braided into a simple braid gazed at the face that seemed so close yet so distant. She felt her inner timidity gently lifted, and the weariness and loneliness she had rarely shared with others were illuminated by warm sunlight.
In Lord Hydral's eyes, she was not just a pretty-faced girl, not a coarse village girl, nor a mere accessory to her genius sister.
She was a person of value, dignity, and ability, standing tall and proud.
"Yes."
Holding back her tears and unwilling to appear weak, Marlina straightened her posture, raised her head to meet Ansel's gaze, and responded softly yet firmly, "I will, I will not let your approval down."
"Bring a chair over and sit across from me."
Ansel smiled, "You can ask me any questions, regardless of their size or simplicity."
At this moment, Marlina was no longer ecstatic or excited. She obediently nodded, sat across from Ansel, and without hesitation or concealment, sought his guidance on everything she didn't understand.
Ansel, in turn, explained various documents he had handled in detail, including affairs from the Red Frost territory and personal letters sent specifically to him.
The young girl listened intently, only now realizing that her tactics against the tax officer were like child's play compared to Lord Hydral's effortless maneuvering between two grand dukes, which left her in awe.
If Seraphina were here, she would only shout that all nobles were hypocritical scoundrels, while Marlina earnestly absorbed the knowledge and skills Ansel provided to help her thrive and grow in this society, acutely aware of her own inadequacies.
"Lord Hydral, regarding this application for the mobilization of Count Stoneheart's private soldiers, why—"
"Grr —"
The girl's face instantly flushed crimson as she covered her stomach, her throat emitting a soft, cat-like sound of panic, "Um, I, I..."
"Has it been three hours already?" Ansel remarked as if he hadn't heard the previous sound, "Even I lost track of time. Miss Marlina, as a student, you are far more outstanding than I anticipated."
"I should have my meal as well. Miss Marlina, shall we conclude today's lesson?"
Marlina stood up, holding the notebook Ansel had given her, and bowed deeply to him, "I will not let your guidance go to waste, Lord Hydral."
Ansel waved his hand with a smile, "Don't put unnecessary pressure on yourself; enjoy your meal first, Miss Marlina."
With her ears burning, the young girl curtsied to Ansel, her movements becoming more refined, then covered her cheeks and fled like a startled deer.
Ansel watched Marlina leave with a contented smile, stretching leisurely.
"You don't have much time left, dear Seraphina."
He leaned back in his chair, speaking to himself with amusement and delight:
"So, what choice will you make?"
"Truly... I can't wait to see."