The sky was still tinged with pale gold when the first rays pierced the windows of the noble wing of the Valemortis mansion. Elyandra's room remained silent, except for the soft sound of quiet breathing and the faint rustle of the silk sheets.
At least... until someone starts to swing it lightly by the shoulder.
"Miss Elyandra... Wake up... Please..." whispered a sweet but insistent voice.
Elyandra let out a faint sleepy grumble, stretching her arms under the blankets. Her eyelashes trembled before they rose, revealing the golden eyes that sparkled as they reflected the morning light. The world was still a little blurry... And then came the face.
A beautiful face. Young. It's definitely unknown.
The woman with delicate features and dark hair tied in a loose bun smiled at her naturally.
Elyandra blinked twice.
"Wow... You're so beautiful..." he murmured, still between sleep and confusion.
It was only after the phrase escaped that she realized the situation — and the instant strangeness ran through her body like lightning.
She rose to her feet on the bed with an almost feline agility, clutching the blanket to her chest as if it were a magic shield, her eyes wide now on full alert.
— … Who are you?
The woman backed away slightly, still smiling serenely.
"Ah! Sorry, miss. My name is Seris. I was hired by his father as his new personal servant. It's a pleasure to meet you.
New servant?
Elyandra froze. His mind, which until then had been half-awake, activated the "emergency analysis" mode.
"New personal servant? What do you mean new? Where's the other one? Was it promoted? Fired? Did you eat a poisoned candy? Did you become a priest? Wait... What exactly is going on here?!"
She narrowed her eyes, frowning dramatically as she mentally went through the protocols of the house. Right, right... They exchanged servants sometimes. I remember that there was even rotation by sectors. A type of periodic rotation to avoid bonding... or espionage, or whatever.
Logic began to reconnect the threads of reason.
"It's... makes sense. It's still weird, but not exactly suspicious. Maybe just... socially uncomfortable."
Because if there was one thing that Elyandra — or rather, the being reincarnated as Elyandra — didn't like, it was being touched by strangers. Especially women. Especially in the morning. And absolutely before coffee.
She was still holding the blanket as if ready to duel him when Seris, looking too innocent and motherly for someone so young, slowly approached and...
He touched his face with his fingertips.
"You look a little pale... Are you feeling well, miss?
The shiver ran down Elyandra's spine like thunder.
"AAAH!"
The scream was more of a high-pitched breath than a scream. She retreated two steps to the side of the bed, like a frightened cat, her eyes wide in pure alarm.
"Q - Why are you touching me?!" He shouted, breaking down in a nervous and offended tone at the same time. "Is there some kind of obligatory curse here that I lost?!"
Seris blinked, surprised, and then... Laughed. A low, gentle laugh, as if he'd dealt with it before.
"I'm sorry, Miss Elyandra. I just wanted to check that you weren't feeling sick. It's just that I had such an expression... Thoughtful. I thought I had a nightmare.
"I woke up!" Thinking! That's... normal! She said, pulling the blanket back like a sacred shield. "It's not a trauma, it's just life!
Seris placed a hand on her chest, still with a charmingly calm smile.
"I see. Would you rather not be touched, then? You can leave it, I'll respect that. And if you want, I can wait until I've put on the easiest clothes before helping with the ceremonial attire.
Elyandra snorted, still trying to recompose her royal composure.
"That would be... The minimum, thank you.
But inside, the former player in his mind was already manifesting himself with venomous sarcasm:
"Great. Wonderful. Another beautiful and charismatic NPC who wants to join the party by force. Maybe there is a secret sidequest. I'll bet you a hundred gold coins that this woman has a tragic personal drama and a three-page monologue just waiting for a sentimental moment."
Still frowning, Elyandra climbed out of bed with dignity, even wearing bunny slippers—an inheritance from a cold night—and lifted her chin with a royal pose.
"Right, Seris. Since it's the new... I hope you know how to deal with precocious children, bad morning moods and strict protocols of physical proximity.
Seris bowed elegantly.
"Understood, miss." I am at your disposal. And... If I may say... The lady looks adorable even sulking.
Elyandra turned around without answering, but her face was slightly flushed.
"Cheeky NPC. He starts out wanting to win affection. It won't be easy."
Seris was patient, like someone who knew exactly how scary it was to deal with the unpredictable—even if that unpredictable wore embroidered linen nightgowns and spoke like a princess indoctrinated from the cradle.
After the initial small scare, Elyandra was preparing for her morning routine. The golden light of the sun was already touching the marble floor, tinting the room with a warm, slightly divine glow.
She had already worn the simplest pieces on her own — as usual. The inner white tunic and the magic fabric pantyhose were already perfectly aligned on her small body, and now the most complicated details remained: the upper bodice and the black ceremonial bow that tied her hair in a refined knot at the nape of her neck.
Seris approached in silence, holding the noose gently between her fingers.
"Excuse me..." Can?
Elyandra nodded with a slight gesture, still with her arms crossed.
The girl began to work behind her, deftly fastening the lasso. His fingers were firm but soft. And suddenly, something changed in the cadence of the touch.
Seris paused for a moment.
"Ah... So it's true..." he murmured.
Elyandra piscou.
Before he could turn his face, he felt the servant's fingers lightly brush against his neck, touching the ruby-black earring with a gentle, almost reverent movement. The jewel was small, but its unmistakable shape—a teardrop-shaped ring with an engraved rune—was a clear symbol of the bearers of the Ancient Blood.
"I always knew what they looked like... but I had never seen one so close," Seris whispered. "It's even more beautiful than I imagined...
Elyandra's skin burned a bright red to her ears.
"But what was that?!"
"Touching someone's earring like that? Slowly and smoothly? This is not a servant's protocol. That's an absolutely shameless way to touch others!"
"What's next? Straighten my bangs? Kiss the forehead? Deliver flowers and ask for the family's blessing?"
His gaze wandered for a moment as his mind spiraled into a swirl of formal indignation and emotional confusion.
"This must be a crime in at least three kingdoms."
"Miss Elyandra?"
Seris' voice pulled her back into the real world. Elyandra blinked several times, shaking her head as if fending off a spell.
"I... I'm fine. Only... Reflecting.
Seris smiled with satisfaction and adjusted the final bow with a slight tug.
"That's it." Perfect as always.
Elyandra cleared her throat discreetly and walked away with a noble air.
"Hm. Thank you... for the assistance.
But inside:
"How do I continue to live next to this woman without collapsing once a week?"
Elyandra walked to the lavatory, with Seris two steps away, carrying a neatly folded towel and ornate toothbrush.
"You can leave it," Elyandra said, picking up the brush firmly. "I can brush my teeth without assistance. I've been doing this since... since always.
"I know," Seris replied with a sweet smile. "But if you let me, I can follow along to make sure not a hair falls into the water." It's a tragedy when that happens.
— … This is not a tragedy. It's just physics.
"Physics does not prevent flu.
"That doesn't even make sense!"
The exchange followed with a mild philosophical clash about autonomous brushing versus attentive supervision, won only by Seris's disarming patience. In the end, Elyandra brushed her teeth with exaggerated elegance, as if participating in a public ceremony.
When she arrived at the main hall, Elyandra found the table already set with candied fruits, wheat flower breads, spiced honey and juices extracted from fruits of the Aurivallis Valley. As usual, his parents were already present—his mother in graceful posture, his father hidden behind an enchanted parchment newspaper.
Seris, of course, did not walk away. He sat discreetly next to him, according to the protocol of higher private servants.
Elyandra sat calmly, but inside:
"Right. Just eat. You learned etiquette from the age of two. It's not difficult. Fork on the left, knife on the right, do not prick your face with the spoon. Simple. Simple. Simple."
But it wasn't that simple.
Because Seris was next door. And she was beautiful. Very pretty. And he had the maternal look of someone who knows your sins even before you commit them.
"How do you eat next to someone like that without looking like an idiot?"
She cut a piece of the bread and brought it to her mouth, with a refined movement... that lasted 200% longer than it should have.
Seris tried to offer a linen cloth to wipe away an imaginary crumb, to which Elyandra replied with a sweet but sharp retort:
"Thank you, but I still have full motor control.
Seris just laughed softly, as if it was the cutest thing she had heard that week.
"Sure, miss." It's just that sometimes even prodigies forget that they're children.
On the other side of the table, Elyandra's mother watched with tender eyes. She covered her mouth with her hand as she let out a slight laugh—subtle and noble, as if she were allowing herself a moment of tenderness without breaking the imperial decorum.
Elyandra froze, slightly surprised.
"Did she laugh? Did mom laugh? And it wasn't that usual mechanical and polite laugh... Was... real?"
For a brief moment, the tension in Elyandra's chest disappeared, replaced by a warm doubt she couldn't name.
"What exactly is happening today? And why does this woman named Seris seem to be messing up my routine as much as my head?"
She picked up the chalice with both hands, with an extra touch of restrained royalty, and sighed inwardly.
"I need to start studying mental defenses urgently."
After breakfast—where Elyandra, despite her impeccable manners, could hardly decide how to hold the spoon without looking foolish in front of Seris—little Valemortis made her way to the mansion's library. It was a large room, with high ceilings, with walls full of golden bookshelves and books arranged with almost obsessive precision. An amber light filtered through the windows, touching the magical dust in the air as if the very wisdom of the ancients were alive there.
Elyandra slid her fingers down the worn spines until she stopped before a dark green tome with the symbol of three intertwined circles: "Arcane Runes and the Limits of Tertiary Channeling - By Magister Harlun of the Empire of Veridiana."
"Hmm... Veridiana... He murmured, as he sat on a fuzzy beanbag. Seris settled to the side, crossing her legs with a casual air that only made her look more beautiful than necessary. Elyandra cleared her throat, opening the book with excessive care.
"The runic art requires no innate talent, only precision," she recited aloud, then remarked to herself in a serene and noble tone. A way to manipulate magic without the body's natural channel... It's almost like cheating in a game where the rules are already unfair.
"Hmm... using runes and magic at the same time should be the magical equivalent of fighting with a flaming sword mounted on a golden griffin. Total theft."
"I agree," Seris said next to her, with a small smile. Elyandra looked up, surprised to have been heard.
"Ah... So you were listening. Cute nosy."
"But look..." he continued, sliding his finger across a rune carved into the page, "imagine casting magic and engraving runes at the same time. It would be a form of battle... elegant. Domineering. A real spectacle.
"An inefficient spectacle," said a familiar voice close behind. Elyandra almost jumped out of her seat, though her posture remained noble. She just turned her face slightly, with a sparkle in her eye.
"Tutor Dalia," he said in a sweet voice and upright posture. "It's not proper to approach a lady like that." You were so immersed in your war fantasies that I doubt you would have noticed a troop of knights entering that door," Dalia replied, with her usual gentle coolness.
Without asking, she took the book from the girl's hands with a subtle gesture.
"Runes are beautiful, yes," he began, turning the page, "but completely unnecessary for magic knights." Elyandra asked, squinting her eyes, still holding her pose. "Because you," she said, lightly poking the center of Elyandra's forehead, "are natural channelers." Magic flows through their bodies like wine in well-sculpted goblets. Using an object to channel what already flows is like... make a bridge over a river and decide to take a boat ride before crossing it on foot.
Elyandra piscou.
"That was... extremely specific.
"And effective." "So what is the use of this knowledge?" He asked, folding his hands on his lap. Dalia closed the book and raised it a little.
Seris raised an eyebrow, but remained silent.
"There are people, Miss Valemortis, who were born with an anomaly: their bodies reject mana. Instead of channeling, they are hurt by it. These are called negative channelers. If they try to use magic, they get sick... or they simply die.
Elyandra leaned forward, fascinated. "And Veridiana's Empire is made up of these people?"
"Originally, yes. They couldn't use magic like we do, so they created ways to use it indirectly. They developed apparatuses, runes and magic stones that channeled energy from third parties," she explained. "They called it outsourced magic. They used the power of others to fuel their inventions. A common example? The magic lamps.
Elyandra frowned. "So... they never knew the feeling of mana running under their skin... nor the shiver of the perfect conjuration...
"Not even the pain of a magical explosion," Dalia said, looking at her own hand.
Elyandra stared at her attentively, remembering the training from days ago.
"When you held my magic orb...
"Yes. If I didn't have an affinity for the magical flow, I would have lost this hand. She lifted it up for display, still impeccable.
"You almost lost your hand?! "
Pensou Elyandra, bands.
"Could I have left my owner crippled?! That would be a scandal... A headline! "Saint Dismembers Tutor Before First Test!""
She coughed lightly and tried to hide her nervous smile. "I apologize for any damage... irreversible that it may have caused," he said, making a formal bow.
"No harm. Just be careful not to blow yourself up unsupervised next time," Dalia replied calmly.
Seris, on the side, couldn't contain a small laugh, covering his lips with his fingers.
Elyandra looked at the two women around her. One, too beautiful to be so close. The other, too cold to be unreliable. How did my life become this?
She crossed her arms and looked at the book on the table.
"It's okay... Maybe learning about negative channelers wouldn't be so useless after all. Anyway... You never know when you'll need to light a lamp in style."