Chapter 19

“Alright, maybe I was wrong. Maybe you’re not an attribute magician.”

Even though she knew Helio was an exceptional and dangerous magician, Sabina said that for now.

“But studying is never a waste. Are you overwhelmed because you’re short on time?”

“No, it’s not that. But…”

Helio hesitated for a long time, then spoke.

“All this is… an expense…”

“Expense?”

Sabina blinked wide. Expense? She hadn’t expected that.

“You’re investing in me because you think I’m a magician… but if I’m not, then… I’ll study hard so I’m not too much of a disappointment, but I’ll focus on something else so I can become independent quickly…”

His words were disjointed, but Sabina could roughly understand. Helio knew how expensive he’d been, and was afraid he’d be scolded for not living up to his price.

“Enough.”

Before Helio could start talking about ‘paying back,’ Sabina cut him off.

“I don’t expect to recover the auction cost from you. If you really don’t want to trouble me, just do your assignments more diligently.”

“…”

“Attribute testing doesn’t cost anything. The state pays for it. It’s not an expense, it’s an investment. If magic theory is really hard for you, you can take a break and think again after your test. The test is scheduled for next week.”

Helio hesitated, then nodded.

“And… Marquis Meolin died, right?”

“It’s been a week. You just found out?”

Helio shook his head. He’d just been hesitating. Should he tell Sabina what he saw at Carnival?

He felt no regret over Marquis Meolin’s death. In fact, he thought it was a good thing. But that man had seemed too dangerous at the time. The image of Don Slafdi convulsing and collapsing was vivid in his mind.

Did Sabina know what kind of person that man was? Maybe not. Maybe Helio should warn her. If she hadn’t seen it, she wouldn’t know—but he had seen it.

But… maybe it was too presumptuous.

Helio felt so frustrated he thought he might choke. When he endured all the cruel things done to him, he thought he was strong, but now, under the care of someone kind, he felt weaker.

He was afraid of losing his place here.

Just then—

There was a knock.

Vicky, the maid who had just left, spoke from behind the door.

“Miss Sabina, you have a guest.”

“Who is it?”

“Mr. Ashton Bryant.”

Helio’s breath stopped for a moment.

Ashton Bryant.

That man was tall, handsome, relaxed, and confident. Helio wondered if he could ever be a man like that. With his timid personality, he doubted it.

Helio found himself a little annoyed at Ashton, who always showed up at crucial moments and interrupted important conversations. Even though it wasn’t Ashton’s fault.

No, maybe it was okay to be a little annoyed. If Ashton hadn’t kept him quiet, Helio might not have been so timid now.

And after all, wasn’t Ashton the one who paid 540 million to buy Helio…

Confused, Helio decided to leave before he said something foolish.

“There’s a guest… I’ll go study more.”

“Alright.”

Sabina replied easily and handed him the book and papers.

As Helio took them, she held onto the book for a moment. The boy looked at her, a little confused.

“I’ll call you when Ashton leaves. Let’s talk over dinner.”

Helio bowed quickly, his face turning a little red.

When Sabina put down the book, Helio quickly turned away and fled out the door. The door slammed, then soon opened carefully. Sabina stared in confusion as Helio bowed his head and closed the door again. The sound of his quick footsteps was clearly audible.

The wariness from when he first arrived had melted away like snow. Sabina sighed in relief. She had worried she might not be able to build a trusting relationship with him for a long time, but it was fortunate that Helio had softened so quickly.  

He didn’t seem to trust her completely. She could tell by how he kept stopping himself from speaking.  

Sabina placed Helio’s teacup on the table instead of the saucer that was rippling with tea. After tidying her hair in the mirror, she slowly left the room. In the hallway, Mitchel stood politely, ready to attend to Sabina.

Ashton would be in the drawing room. This was his third visit. It was a strange feeling. No one had ever received permission to visit Sabina three times in such a short period.

Wait.  

“……”  

Sabina’s small shoes stopped in the hallway. She looked up at Mitchel, silent for a moment. Her small, clear voice asked doubtfully,  

“You let that man into the drawing room before my permission was given, didn’t you?”  

Mitchel, unusually, avoided her gaze for a moment. But soon she became confident. Having known Sabina since she was a little lady, she was now prouder than anyone in this moment.  

“But I was sure you would…”  

“Stop.”  

Sabina hurried her steps. Mitchel followed two steps behind. Sabina’s shoulders seemed to rise and fall more than usual, as if she was a bit flustered. Mitchel smiled silently.

* * *

Ashton waited, following only one of Mitchel Valium’s two instructions.  

Mitchel’s instructions were: first, do not leave the drawing room; second, sit quietly at the table. Ashton obeyed the first, but not the second.  

Instead of sitting at the table, he stood by the window with his hands behind his back, slightly lifting the thin summer curtain to gaze at the scenery outside. He heard footsteps. Sabina’s shoes sounded more like a quick pattering than a sharp click.  

Unconsciously, his grip tightened, making a rustling sound. Soon the door opened. Sabina, her hair draped over one side, blinked a few times and wrinkled her nose slightly.  

“It smells like flowers.”  

“Oh dear.”  

Ashton smiled. A bouquet the size of a tray suddenly appeared in front of Sabina’s face.  

“I was hiding it behind my back on purpose.”  

Sabina, confused, accepted the bouquet. She neither blushed nor smiled brightly like most people who receive flowers. She simply buried her face in the bouquet and inhaled the scent.  

A wonderful fragrance brushed her nose between the soft, cool petals.  

“Gracie Rose.”  

While she closed her eyes to savor the scent, she heard a rustling sound. Opening her eyes, she saw a cream-colored envelope tucked between the flowers.  

The envelope was sealed with wax. Sabina touched it with her thumb. Ashton, who had no family crest, sealed it with a plain wax seal.  

Sabina slowly broke the wax. Unbeknownst to her, she was blinking more than usual. Whenever sunlight fell from the window, her silver eyes shimmered mysteriously in many colors.  

Opening the envelope, she found a card inside. Sabina paused, then drew out the card.

『To Miss Sabina D’Vialis  

There will be a party I am hosting on June 28th at 6:30 p.m.  

I brought flowers hoping to make a good impression. Should I reserve a seat for you? What do you think?  

— Ashton Bryant』

Sabina’s lips seemed to curve up, then down.  

“If you wanted to make a good impression, you should have sent me the invitation first. The social circles have been abuzz, but I was the only one who hadn’t received an invitation, so I thought you wouldn’t send one.”  

“I wanted to invite you in person.”  

Ashton bowed slightly with his hands behind his back, lowering his gaze to match hers, then a bit further.  

“Couldn’t you give me a break?”  

Sabina frowned and pursed her lips. Her grip on the bouquet’s wrapper tightened, making a slight rustling sound.  

“You’re such a fox.”  

Her face said she was utterly exasperated.  

At this, Ashton burst out laughing. His cool laughter soon turned into giggles, and for a while he clung to the window sill, laughing almost tearfully. Sabina quietly watched his ears and nape turn a little red beneath his sandy hair. Was he embarrassed? He seemed like someone who’d never feel such an emotion.  

“Would you believe me if I said I’ve never heard that before?”  

“I don’t.”  

“Ah, yes.”  

“Are you trying to argue or accept it?”  

“Does it matter?”  

Sabina’s brow furrowed a bit more.  

“Not knowing the conclusion… It bothers me.”  

“Just like a top student.”  

“That doesn’t sound like a compliment.”  

“I mean you’re persistent.”  

“That’s not much better.”  

“Oh, is my compliment important to you?”  

Ashton crossed his arms and made a deliberately sulky face. Sabina glared fiercely.  

“Absolutely not.”  

She realized he was teasing her when his well-shaped eyebrows curved, and his eyes drooped. Sabina quickly handed the bouquet to Mitchel. Even after moving away from the flowers, the scent of Gracie Rose lingered at her nose.  

“That’s enough. I’m not going. You invited Reyes, didn’t you? I have no desire to see him.”  

“No one knows if His Highness the Prince will come.”  

“Still, you sent him an invitation.”  

“I promise. He won’t even speak to you. Making sure guests who dislike each other don’t meet at a party is the host’s job, isn’t it?”  

“If you were going to invite me, why did you send Reyes an invitation?”  

Ashton shrugged as if he had no choice.