Even from where Valerio sat, the blue mana Leonor produced was warm. He had seen magic before but it was always a different color than that.
"My mother was a healer," Leonor explained. "My mana established just before she passed away."
Valerio's eyes widened and the light from Leonor's magic reflected in his pupils. After the initial shock passed, a grin spread across his lips.
"Does that mean you're a healer as well?"
"I don't think so," Leonor admitted. "I've tried to test it but it tires me out too much to go much further than this."
She had to pull her mana back in and a big yawn escaped her lips that she quickly covered with her finally warm hands.
"Tires you out quite a bit, by the looks of it," Valerio observed with a smirk.
"I'm sorry," she quickly apologized. "That was rude of me. I only learned about mana for two months before I lost my mother. She wasn't well and never told me how to expand my capabilities and my father took magic books out of the library."
Valerio tried hard for his smile not to wane. However, each time Leonor revealed something about her father, it wasn't anything good. Valerio was starting to despise the very man who paid him every month. His doubt began when Leonor was injured and he seemed inconvenienced.
"Then I ought to let the lady go to sleep," Valerio said. "You need to rest since you're injured anyway."
The tired smile spreading across Leonor's lips was genuine and made Valerio feel dizzy. He wanted to see her smile more often.
"You're right," she relented. "My father says I shouldn't leave my room until I can walk normally. He doesn't want anyone to doubt his next in line."
She brushed her words off as if they were nothing but Valerio was hardly managing to hold back his anger. At times she seemed to know she was mistreated, other times the mistreatment went over her head.
Deciding it was best to rest because the mana was making it hard to keep her eyes open, Leonor started to stand and Valerio was immediately at her side.
"You shouldn't walk or I'm going to feel guilty," he said. "Please, let me."
She paused with her palms pressed against the cushion of her chair, wondering what he was going to do next.
Since she wasn't stopping him, he lifted her carefully with an arm under her knees and the other around her waist.
Leonor was inexperienced and innocent while Valerio was overly helpful and blurring normal boundaries. Immediately, the lady felt a rush of confusion while it always took a little longer for Valerio to feel an electric sort of connection. It wasn't until after he carefully placed her on her bed that he realized he much preferred to have her in his arms.
He found himself hesitating as he realized his interest in her was becoming less innocent. She was so far above his station he didn't know how his heart had jumped to the conclusion that he could do anything except admire her from afar.
For once, it was him who was nervous.
"Thank you," Leonor muttered, finding herself heavy with tiredness since she was placed in her bed.
She wouldn't tell him that she was still in clothing suitable for daytime and would have to get out of her dress at some point. He would feel guilty about that as well it seemed.
"Is it alright that you're this tired?" he asked, genuinely concerned. "I've never seen someone tire out so quickly."
"I have bad control of my mana," Leonor admitted. "I can't control it and it's constantly seeping out even when I don't want it to."
Valerio observed her from afar but he soon returned to her side. How someone who easily fell into a bad state was unlucky enough to have an uncaring father and terrible sister was beyond him. She was vulnerable in a house fighting against her.
"I'll stay until you fall asleep," he decided, settling down and leaning his back against her bed.
"If that's what you would like to do," Leonor uttered. "Though I feel awful at how horrible of a host I've been."
Whenever she depleted herself in the past, she would simply fall asleep and wake up feeling restored. It felt strange to have someone worry over her for that.
"Please don't apologize," he said. "I was the one who invited myself here."
"Then I'll bid you goodnight," she said. "My eyes feel heavy."
"Goodnight, my lady," he whispered.
"Leonor…" she corrected him and he smiled.
He kept his eyes forward but he could hear her breathing change as she allowed the embrace of sleep to claim her. Once he was certain she was out, he gained the courage to look at her.
"I know someone who could help you with your magic," he whispered to himself. "So you never have to be vulnerable like this again. At least not in a place like this."
He wanted to stroke her cheek but the realization that he was interested in her more than he thought was eating at him. He didn't know how he could ever be someone who deserved her.
She was so beautiful and didn't seem to know it. It was a shame that such a ruthless father made her undervalue herself.
He leaned towards her, wondering if she would wake up if he touched her face.
Before he could go further, something darted out from underneath the bed and sprung into his lap. He had to put a hand over his mouth so he wouldn't yell in sheer shock.
Almost immediately, Valerio realized it was a black kitten who didn't seem to have any ill will towards him. When he picked up the kitten, he brought it to eye level.
Staring back at him were mesmerizing blue eyes that looked an awful lot like Leonor's.
The cat struggled to get more comfortable and he held it to his chest.
"Stay here with Leonor," he said. "Make sure she sleeps well."
He placed the kitten on the bed and, after staring at Valerio for a moment longer, it walked towards Leonor's neck and settled down.
Valerio picked up the cloak he was given and the old one, deciding he could repair it and give it to one of the other orphans.
He looked at Leonor and the kitten before he walked out of the room, but before he shut the door, he could have sworn he saw the kitten get even smaller.
He decided his eyes were playing tricks on him.