"That's impossible," interrupted the man whom Lucy had never seen before. He was tall and thin, with an air of wealth and neatness. He wore a long-sleeved doublet and loose trousers that tapered at the ends. His shoes were the kind of ancient footwear Lucy had often seen in her grandfather's paintings. A thin mustache curled at the ends of his lips. "This is the most ridiculous story I've ever heard."
"I'm not lying!" Lucy snapped, her emotions stirred. "The demon was real. If you don't believe me, they were there as witnesses." She pointed at Daniel and Ash.
"It's not the demon part that Cornelius finds hard to believe, but the part where your sister turned into smoke," Daniel explained. It turned out the man's name was Cornelius.
Lucy furrowed her brows. "Oh!" She felt embarrassed. "I would doubt it too if I hadn't experienced it myself."
"Experienced it?" The woman standing behind the girl grew curious. "What do you mean, dear? Please explain it to us."
"The demon killed Mags after she refused to answer his question. Then, he turned to me. He wanted to kill me, but suddenly Kathy appeared and struck his hand, forcing him to release me. The demon swung his claws to slice Kathy, but she suddenly turned into smoke and enveloped me. I felt like I was floating, literally. I couldn't see my body, but I could feel myself as light as air. My mind was blank. I drifted through the corridor and landed in front of the door before Daniel and Ash arrived."
"Did Kathy touch you, dear? When you felt like air?" the woman asked again.
Lucy nodded.
"And did Kathy also turn into air?"
"Yes," Lucy replied before realizing. "I mean, I don't know. It felt like she was floating with me."
"Lies!" Cornelius shook his head.
Lucy wouldn't accept it. "I felt someone holding me, but I couldn't feel the pressure. I told you, I became air. My mind was blank!"
"But that's impossible. You aren't even descended from the seven noble families chosen by the Angel."
"Calm yourself, Cornelius." Ahn finally spoke. He turned to Lucy. "Which family are you from, child?"
"Dimitri," Lucy answered. "My father is Alexander Dimitri."
"I don't even recognize the name Dimitri." Cornelius placed one hand on his waist. "Where is he from?"
"My father inherited the title from my grandfather. He was once a landowner on the outskirts of Burgin City."
"I've never heard of that city either."
"The city is on the kingdom's border. You wouldn't know it because you've never left this one," Ash pointed out.
Cornelius scoffed.
Ash continued, "Burgin is under Lord Lockwood's rule, on the opposite side of Lord Nightshade's domain."
Hearing Lockwood's name, the people became uneasy. There were many tales about that family, most with tragic endings. Those who knew the stories kept them to themselves.
"Yes," Lucy continued, "after my father married, he moved here. Once he left, my grandfather fell ill. All of his land was sold to pay for treatment. When he died, my father inherited only the title. We had to work to survive. Sometimes my mother would teach in rural schools."
"And what's your mother's name?" the woman asked again.
"Mags."
"Her maiden name?"
Lucy shook her head. "I don't know. She never mentioned it."
A moment of silence followed as everyone exchanged glances, their thoughts unreadable. Then Maximilian asked, "What about you? Do you have any magic?"
The girl shook her head.
"Are you and your sister truly siblings?" Ahn asked.
Lucy nodded. "As far as I know, yes."
"Why aren't you sure?"
The girl shrugged slightly. "I don't know."
"Why don't we call her sister in?" Cornelius suggested.
Daniel immediately stepped forward, rejecting the idea. "Katherine is injured."
Ash snorted. "So is this girl." He pointed at Lucy.
"But Katherine's injuries are more severe." Daniel was adamant.
"Nonsense!" Ahn commented. "She's well enough to be present. Her wounds have fully healed."
Daniel clicked his tongue. He had lost the argument.
Ahn promptly exited and instructed someone to fetch Katherine. While waiting, the others whispered among themselves. Daniel conferred with Cornelius and Maximilian, discussing something Lucy couldn't hear.
The women also murmured together. Meanwhile, Lucy restrained herself from looking at Ash. From the corner of her eye, she knew he was watching her. But when Lucy finally checked, Ash was asleep, his chin resting on his hand.
Katherine was seated beside Lucy when she arrived. She appeared healthy, as if she had never been injured. Her gown was new, cleaner, and finer than Lucy's. She looked confused, glancing repeatedly at her younger sister who was already there.
"Are you Katherine?" Maximilian continued his questioning. His booming voice woke Ash, who rubbed his eyes before paying attention again.
The girl nodded.
"When did you realize you had magical abilities?"
Katherine opened her mouth briefly, then closed it again. Her eyes sought Daniel's help.
All he could do was sigh. He was just as powerless as the girl.
"Since I was a child," Katherine finally replied.
"And you've been hiding it all this time?"
The girl nodded again, nervously wringing her fingers. "Am I in trouble?"
Ahn and the woman beside him whispered, making Katherine even more anxious.
"Don't worry, dear." The woman standing behind Lucy tried to reassure her. "We just want to ask you a few questions."
"Do you know exactly how your magic works?" Maximilian asked again.
Katherine answered, "I can transform myself into anything I want."
"Anything?" Maximilian seemed intrigued. "Can you show us?"
Katherine turned to Lucy. She held her sister's hand, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. She concentrated, closing her eyes. In a moment, she transformed into her sister, so perfectly that no one could tell them apart.
"I can also turn us into other objects. But it requires intense focus," said Lucy on the left.
Once again, the real Lucy was shocked. Her eyes widened as she witnessed her sister's transformation.
Ahn whispered again to the woman beside him, who nodded in response.
"That's remarkable!" The woman behind Lucy was impressed. Her eyes sparkled. "Do you have a mark?"
"A mark?" Katherine returned to her original form but didn't release her sister's hand. She frowned at the question.
"A symbol that appears on your body. It's a sign that you've been chosen by the Angel. You don't even need to draw the symbol when using it."
"Don't be ridiculous!" Cornelius interrupted. "Only the seven noble families chosen by the Angel have that mark."
"Do you mean like a birthmark?" Katherine asked again.
The woman pulled up her sleeve, revealing a symbol engraved on her shoulder. It looked as though it was tattooed on her skin with black ink. "Like this."
Katherine nodded. She brushed aside the hair on the back of her neck. Right in the center was a symbol engraved. It was entirely different from the one the woman had shown.
Cornelius was stunned. "H-how is that possible? Magic, plus the mark? I can't believe you're just an ordinary person. Who are you, really?"