I stared and stared at my hand as we went back to the mansion, never minding to close my eyes to sleep.
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Why did I shake hands at that wizard and felt comfortable? When did I ever felt comfortable with someone shaking hands or even touching me? What is it in him that made me want to accept his gloveless hand?
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And even though I'm asking myself these questions, I never cringe. Not like in my past embarrassments that I thought of and makes me wanna punch myself. I put my arms in the back of my head to make it as my pillow as I stared at the ceiling of the room.
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I tried so hard to close my eyes to sleep. I tried inhaling and exhaling for 3-4 times, hold onto the silence of the room, and held the wooden stick to swing it until it felt tiring. None of it was working, it only made me energize in the middle of the night.
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I wore my slippers on and tiptoed on the way outside the small room, minding the maids who's sleeping in the opposite rooms. I silently went to the kitchen to fix me some warm milk. While at it, I saw the Sir Maven's two crows by the window and they're staring straight at me.
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I opened the cabinet on my left side to grab some corn and feed it to them as they flew to the table. I watch them ate while I'm drinking my milk. I placed my palm on the table with the additional corns as they spread their beak to take it.
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I took a deep breathe as the sense of falling asleep gone through me. I failed to go back to the room. Feeling that I can't take it anymore, I fell asleep.
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When I woke up the next early morning, a dark cloak was placed on me, covering me throughout the night and protecting me from the cold. I took and look at it, wondering.
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"Severine?" I heard the hoarse voice of Dame Blanche from the entrance of the kitchen. She's scrubbing her eyes. "It's so early, why are you here? Are you hungry?"
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I blinked. I was thinking of asking her if she somehow put the cloak on me while I was sleeping. But it turns out her asking me.
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"I fell asleep here, I'm sorry."
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She swayed her hands, telling me to not to bother. "It's fine, it's fine. I always fall asleep here too."
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"A-Alright. Uhh, wait here, I'll cook."
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Dame Blanche sat on a chair and place her head on the kitchen table, closing her eyes. "Don't worry, I'm not asleep. I just really need to close my eyes. I'll wait here."
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I nodded my head as I started gathering the ingredients for a morning soup. Some maids quietly entered the room. Seeing Dame Blanche with her eyes closed on the kitchen table, they smiled as if she had done it before.
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Sister Terevina helped me prepare Dame Blanche's breakfast.
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After doing my task in the kitchen, I took the coat with me knowing that no one in the maids, servants, and Dame Blanche hadn't knew where the blanket came from.
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Dame Blanche just said to me, "Maybe it was my brother, he had cloaks 'cause he's a wizard. But...he hates black, he only wears red or blue cloaks 'cause he's so petty and wants to stand out. Plus, he already burned all his cloaks the day before yesterday, you know?"
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"Al...Alright."
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"By the way, Sev, come with me in the marketplace in the afternoon. I want to buy something---I wanna go out, is that alright?"
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I nodded and my head and exited the kitchen. When I went back to my room, my window was slightly open and I saw Sir Maven's two crows there.
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"Oh, you two opened my window. That's bad. I hate colds." I said as I close the window.
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They flapped their wings and flew on top of my small cabinet.
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Are they sticking with me 'cause i feed them last night? or they just want more corns?
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I smiled with the thought of it before I immediately went back to the kitchen to fix them some corn. When I had gone back to my room, the window was open again and they're gone so I put the corns in my clean and unused jar.
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Hours later while I'm cleaning dust in my room, they came back. They let go of something on their beak and it fell on the floor heading to the cabinet. When I pick it up, it seemed to be a rock---no. It's more like a very tiny crystal to be exact. I'm seeing a hint of wonderful colors.
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"This is beautiful. Where'd you get it?"
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The two crows tilted their heads. They started making sounds as I opened the jar of corns and fed them. After that, I opened the window as they get out. They'll be able to open it again since my window lock is broken.
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I heard from Sir Maven that this two crows aren't any just ordinary crows. They have magic because they were born under the magic tower. He told me so that I wouldn't be surprised if they did something unusual.
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I dressed myself up as I heard Dame Blanche's voice calling me from the outside. I closed the door of my room and followed her in the carriage. When I look at her, I noticed a very large eye bags under her eye that I didn't realize earlier because I barely saw her face.
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"Dame, did you cry?"
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She gazed at me in surprise. "How did you know?"
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"Uhh, well..."
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"Oh, shoot it! I cried! The novel I was reading last night was really good and I'm going to buy its sequel now!"
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I laughed. She proceeded to tell me the plot of the story and what happened inside the book as we're riding the carriage. I smiled and laughed throughout the whole ride. I love how the Dame make expressions while she was telling me a story.
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Suddenly, the carriage stopped and it's our sign to get outside. I handed Dame Blanche his yellow hat and followed her as we got inside the bookstore.
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"You can just wait for me here or would you like to roam around?"
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"I'll just roam around," I answered her and she smiled.
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"Alright! I'll see you here later then?"
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I nodded as we parted ways. Dame Blanche asked the librarian on the counter and she went to the second floor and I stayed in the ground floor. I walked through the shelves and carefully picked up some science-related books but got bored and I shifted to the next shelf.
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I paled as my heart almost left my body when I saw someone so high while he picks up a book on the very high part of the shelf. He was casually flying and looks unbothered. I paled more.
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It's like he realized my presence and look down. I don't know what face in the grave I have right now but I know he took ahold that I'm losing blood in my face. He carefully flew down and I heard his tiptoe.
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I slight calmed down when I recognized him.
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I immediately bowed my head. I don't know how to greet him.
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"You don't need to do that."
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I looked up at him and he asked again.
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"Did I startled you?"
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I nodded. "Please don't fly around, Sir. Some of us are just ordinary citizens who easily get surprise. Please not in public."
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He stared at me in silence. I waited for him to reply. "I apologized, I'm just finding some book."
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"You could've just ask the librarians on the counter for help, Sir..."
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He looks down. "T-That's right. Didn't think of it."
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I sighed. "What is it that you're finding?"
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"The History of Persuavia Empire. I needed a copy of all its versions and republished books. Some of my copies of it were burned." He scratched his cheeks.
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I tilted my head and a question popped up my mind.
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Why does he need every version of it somehow?
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"Oh, follow me. I know the way." I said. I could feel a stinging gaze behind me as he followed me over. I peaked behind me and he flinched. I ignored it as that stinging gaze faded.
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I brought him to a shelf not from afar where the collection and volume of The History of Persuavia Empire is at. He stopped and scrolled his fingers through it.
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"Thank you,"
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I nodded at him. "You're welcome, Sir."
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I turned my back and started to walk but I felt that I was being pulled back. When I turned again, I witnessed how he held the hem of the dress I'm wearing using his visible black-colored magic. I was even more surprised.
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"W-Why?" I asked confused.
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"Where are you going?"
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"Uhh, leaving?"
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"Did you come here alone?"
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Even though I don't need to answer his question and I can be sarcastic, I chose not to. He's still a wizard.
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"No, Sir. I'm with my Miss. She's Dame Blanche Kervioa. She's on the second floor and I just strolled around."
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"Oh,"
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He let go of the hem of my dress. I bowed to him to bid my official goodbyes.
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"W-Wait..."
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I turned around once again. "Yes, Sir?"
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"How...How old are you?"
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"I just turned 15, Sir."
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I blinked. I felt a sudden uncomfortable force coming from him. It felt dready. It felt too powerful.
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"No, no. You're not." His voice shakes. My heart almost dropped.
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I got really scared and step back. There was something at the back of my head aching. I tried holding unto the shelf to find my balance. After a few seconds, I saw him flinched as he stared at me intensely, worrying and extending his hand.
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"I'm sorry---"
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"Sev??? Sev, where are you? I found it! Let's eat!"
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I heard Dame Blanche's voice finding me and approaching over. When her eyes met mine, she stopped as she noticed the person in front of me. She immediately run towards us and bowed her head.
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"Greetings, Sir Graves!"
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He seemed to know Dame Blanche 'cause he nodded his head. I heard Dame Blanche whispered to me that I needed to bow my head too. Even though I already did it a while ago, I did it again. The beating of my heart is still rapid.
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"Greetings," He said.
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Dame Blanche asked a few questions for her greetings while the wizard answered it politely. I stared at him for a little while before Dame Blanche and I bid our goodbyes. Walking away, I turned to peak at him for the last time.
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All I saw was his back facing the shelf.
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