Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
With no classes to attend, Layla dedicated herself to mastering her magic, while Mary was responsible for bringing her meals. Layla's determination to control her powers was unwavering.
By the end of the second lady, Layla felt confident enough not to drop her weapons and other essentials around.
She meticulously listed all the items she had packed, ensuring she wouldn't forget anything crucial for her journey.
"Miss, are you ready to head out? I will take you to the entrance of the test forest. Be careful. Many other students will target you because you belong to the Duke's household and are the youngest in the class."
Layla nodded, knowing fully well how people looked at her.
Most other students in the class did not have a problem with Layla at first. She was six, while the others started at 8-9. But children this young had no concept of jealousy…in most cases.
Just because the children had not minded Layla's young presence and incredible performance did not mean it was the same for other children's guardians.
It did not help that the teacher mainly focused on the top 5 children in the class while almost dismissing others.
And since Layla was ranked #4, she automatically fell into this category to be hated.
"Miss, you just need to say the word, and I will take care of most of these people. It will not even take me a minute. After all, they're all incredibly weak."
Mary assured Layla with a smile on her face.
Her words caused people to tense up, and many even grabbed their swords to attack Mary back.
"Mary, didn't you tell me not to cause trouble for Duke Lockhart? Don't you think we are killing people just because we want to cause the Duke a lot of trouble? Will you be able to explain it all to the Duke?"
Layla asked, and Mary went quiet.
The older female still looked amused, but she also had respect in her eyes.
"You are right. The Duke will eat me alive once he realizes that I did. It looks like I am stuck here like this. Ah, what a shame! It's good that I have a smart mistress to keep me in check."
Mary assured with a grin on her face. To most, it might look comedic, but Layla had realized that this was a trap Mary had set up.
The female wanted to see if Layla would give in to her emotions and ask her to get rid of other people. And it looked like Layla had passed that test.
"Ugh, it's fine! I don't mind you helping me out….as long as it is in moderation. Now, will you let me go? I need to head inside now. The portal will close any second now."
Layla pointed out as Mary let go of her.
The maid still looked a little regretful but did not reach out to Layla again.
"Fine, have fun in there and learn a lot. I will prepare a party for you to take the number #1 spot."
Even when Mary was biding Layla farewell, the older had to cause trouble for Layla.
Layla noticed how the person in the #1 spot this time looked at her with an annoyed look.
His eyes looked ready to kill Layla for daring to say that she would cross him.
'Ugh, I am sure that most of this hostility is because I can overtake the fool and win against him. I will need to be careful once I go inside. It will not be easy to fight against all these people.'
Layla sighed but finally stepped into the portal before Mary could make things worse. From now on, she needed to focus only on her survival.
...
'How interesting. It is so much fun to tease my young Miss. She tries hard to hide her emotions, but she is a kid. Shall I take care of the garbage gathered around my miss?'
Mary deliberately used provocative words to lure out the people who wanted to take advantage of her young niece.
She had already noticed many people looking at Layla and calculating how to get close to her.
And Mary did not like the fact.
She was surprised that she had grown rather…fond of her young miss.
It was a rare occurrence for a high-class demoness like Mary. She did not even like her contractor, the Duke, for the most part, much less a kid like Layla.
"Oi! What are you looking at? Do you have a problem with me? Just because you are from the Duke's house, can you come here and do what you please? Just wait and see! I will file a complaint with your house and get you fired."
A random maid spoke to Mary in such an arrogant manner.
The maid's charge had already left, and this felt like a perfect time to get rid of her.
But Mary remained smiling for the time being. She did not show that she felt irritated by this lady.
She just took all the abuse that was being thrown her way and turned it into indifference.
"I can see just how your inferiority complex is shaping you. But I am afraid I cannot help you out for the most part. Maybe you should get reborn under better circumstances next time? It might help you feel better?"
Mary asked, but the maid only huffed in anger and left.
That evening, Mary made sure to pay the dues for being disrespected.
The body of the maid who had insulted Mary lay dead at her feet.
"See! I told you that I cannot help you out. You may be born into a better household in your next life. But thinking back at it again, it feels like such a waste. Then, I will take your soul. I am sure it will give me some pleasure to consume it."
Mary was sure that the Duke would turn a blind eye to this. He always did, which was why their contract lasted as long as it did.