That Child Is Strange - 9

Raymond turned around the same hallway and there was that same oak carved door. He pushed the tray further and stepped past the window. The sun was rising.

The governess hard arrived yesterday so Julia's education was going to start that day.

'After serving the lord's morning tea, I must make arrangements in the adjoining library for classes.'

Raymond pondering over these, realised that he had reached the door. He knocked.

" It's Raymond, my lord."

"Come in."

A voice came from within as usual.

Raymond opened the door and pushed the tray in as he walked in behind it.

He looked at the Marquis. Bags below eyes, shuffled hair like some wild animal and a wine bottle hidden behind the pile of finished papers.

Raymond sighed and looked sarcastically at the Marquis.

"Did you pull an allnighter again, my lord?"

The Marquis sneaked his gaze away and mumbled," Not exactly, I did sleep for a while."

"Closing your eyes for five minutes is not considered sleep."

" Come on, I have somewhere to go so I finished my work for today during the night."

"Yes, you are a wonderful person, my lord."

"You are cursing me right now in your head, correct Raymond?"

"You are mistaken, my lord."

Raymond said in a sarcastic tone as he gently (?) placed the tea cup on the table.

The Marquis was well aquainted with Raymond's personality. He knew that if he nagged any longer, he would spend the rest of the month hearing sweet ( translation: dreadful) comments and enduring intense glances ( translation: glares) from Raymond.

"Well there is something I want you to do."

Raymond looked at the Marquis and said,"Please just ask."

"Send a letter to Karnov and ask him to come to the Shuzar estate."

"Pardon?"

"I said send a letter to Karnov."

"You mean that Karnov?"

"Yes, that Karnov."

" Sir Karnov Sebastian, right?"

" Raymond, is there any other Karnov Sebastian that I know? I'm pretty sure that this is not a name you usually come across around the street."

"Yes, but, my lord, aren't you both on bad terms?"

" Yes, we are. But there is something I need from him, so just send the letter."

" As you wish, my lord."

Raymond turned around with the tray and reaching the door, asked," Shall I prepare a carriage for you?"

"No, I'm going with Dusk."

"I hope that poor horse get through this winter."

" Are you saying I treat him badly, Raymond?"

" You are mistaken, my lord."

Raymond passed a sarcastic smile towards the Marquis and left. The Marquis on the other hand felt chills as he witnessed that smile.

Only he knew that whenever Raymond gave that apparently innocent (?) smile, he was actually a devil pretending to be an angel.

"I think I'll get only greens in my meals for a week."

The Marquis sighed and looked out of his window.

"Time to go. Let's get started."

And he left the room with the tea cup still warm and letting out the remainder of the steam.

           **********************

Frank walked along Raymond and opening the kitchen door, asked," Brother, do I really have to serve refreshments for the governess?"

Frank pouted as he stared at Raymond.

"Yes, there is no changing it."

"But why the governess?! Just assign me someone else?"

" Like?"

"Like..... like........."

Frank dropped his head, defeated. There was no one else to serve. The Marquis was taken care of by Raymond and Miss Julia was in the hands of her nanny. It was only the governess left.

"Well, instead of this, I can just do odd jobs like running errands, delivering letters....."

"Frank."

Frank looked up at Raymond's face and saw a traumatizing smile.

Raymond said," You and the lord have this rebellious contour in common. Just doing things your own way stubbornly and having a stuck up attitude towards an uncomfortable situations. My dear little brother, you are a butler's ward, not a steward's. Running errands, you say. Just try asking that again and I will make you regret it in a single day."

Raymond handed Frank the tray and said,"Now be a good boy and deliver this to the library. Make sure you don't make any mistakes."

Before Raymond could say anything else, Frank had disappeared with the speed of light.

"Ha, that brat. This method always works."

Higgins, who had witnessed the whole scene, sighed and said," No wonder everyone in this house trembles with fear when go around for checking."

Raymond looked at Higgins and asked," It's best for Frank to learn this fast. The sooner the better."

           **********************

Hannah raised her head out from the book and looked at Julia who was sitting in front of her on the other side of the table.

She could very clearly see that the little girl was nervous to the bone.

'Maybe she thinks I know it was her in this library yesterday.'

Hannah couldn't help herself to control bursting out in laughters as she saw that little squirrel tremble and flinch everytime she called out her name.

"Etiquette class is complete, so now we are going to have an introduction about magic," Hannah said after sneering for some time.

'Let's keep her rattling on her own.'

But when she looked at Julia, that child had a very bright expression unlike the strained and nervous one before.

"Are you going to teach me magic, teacher?", Julia sprang up from her chair and leaned over the table.

"You seem quite interested in magic seeing how you reacted. Well as for me, I'll only teach you what is necessary as common knowledge. But if you are more interested, I can recommend some books to you."

"Thank you, teacher," Julia almost shouted, then got embarrassed for acting like that and sat back in her seat silently.

Hannah smiled and continued with the class.

"As you know our world contains magic in its atmosphere. People are divided into two categories based on their capabilities to use this atmospheric magic.

First are those who don't, it's not like they can't, they just don't.

Second are those who can use magic. Such people have another organ near their hearts called the 'mana core'. This mana core absorbs the atmospheric magic and turn it in to a form that can flow through human blood, called 'mana'. Once magic passes through a mana core, it becomes mana, it's usable form.

Based on whether the mana core is congenitally present or acquired during lifetime, magic users are further divided into two categories.

First are acqirers. They include mages and soccerers. They don't have a mana core since birth. Mages train themselves to convert atmospheric magic in to mana, and with time develop a mana core. On the other hand, soccerers kill people with mana cores and take them away. That is one of the reasons why soccery is prohibited in Alkezar. Our empire punishes soccerers very harshly.

Then comes the naturals. They are people born with a mana core already functioning within their bodies. They include witches and healers. These kinds of people are very rare.

Witches and healers are not much different in abilities. The most significant difference between them is that while healers grow normally, witches metamorphosize. Witches cannot see people's intentions however healers can see their feelings as lights emitting from their bodies."

Julia sat there, deeply immersed in the words of the governess.

"You must like magic a lot, right?," Hannah said looking at her.

Julia smiled and said,"Yes, I like magic. But...."

Julia looked down at her hands and said in a sad, trembling voice," But magic is also scary. Having power is not everything. If you can't control it then it's pointless. Hurting others with your power is what scares me the most. Even if you didn't mean it, you did hurt someone in the end. The guilt never goes."

Before Hannah could react to the words Julia had just said, they heard a loud crash near the door.

They both turned around to look in that direction. There was Frank, hands and feet trembling, and with a careless manner, he was collecting the glass pieces of the shattered cups and plates in which he had brought the refreshments.

"Are you okay, Frank?", Julia shouted and darted towards him the moment she saw it all.

Frank looked at her approaching him and hurriedly tucked all those glass pieces into the tray before Julia could arrive.

He stood up and said,"It's alright, Miss Julia. I apologise for the disturbance. I'll go first."

"But the glass on your hand....."

Before Julia could finish her line, Frank had already left shutting the door behind him.

Julia's heart throbbed as she remembered the look she saw just now in Frank's eyes. Was it regret or was it.... sadness?

She couldn't tell.

Frank turned around the corner and collapsed against the wall. Tears rolled down his eyes. Shocked, he moved his bloody hand to wipe them off.

The glass cuts didn't hurt that much. But something else did, much more.

'Magic is scary.'

'If you can't control it, then it's pointless.'

'The guilt never goes.'

These words had pierced through his heart.

'Why am I so hurt? It's not like I expected something from her. I always wanted to keep my distance. To not get her involved with me. Then why does it hurt so much?'

Frank pondered as more tears rolled down his eyes.

In the end, he stood up, with his eyes blank just like they were when he had killed Jonathan Lart.

'Maybe this is for the best. Good thing I realised this earlier. Miss Julia can never be....... involved with me. Afterall, the guilt never goes.'

Frank walked away to the kitchen and blood stains disappeared from the carpet where he had cried his heart out, like if they never existed.