The sky was still tinged with a pale gold when the first rays pierced through the windows of the noble wing of the Valemortis mansion. Elyandra's room remained silent, except for the soft sound of peaceful breathing and the light rustle of silk sheets.
At least... until someone began to shake her shoulder lightly.
— Miss Elyandra... wake up... — whispered a sweet but persistent voice.
Elyandra let out a soft, sleepy groan, stretching her arms under the blankets. Her eyelashes fluttered before rising, revealing golden eyes that shimmered as they reflected the morning light. The world was still a bit blurry... and then, there was the face.
A beautiful face. Young. And definitely unknown.
The woman, with delicate features and light brown hair pulled back in a loose bun, smiled at her naturally. Elyandra blinked twice, seeing her so close.
— Wow... you're so pretty... — she murmured, still caught between sleep and confusion.
It was only after the sentence escaped that she realized the situation, and an instant strangeness ran through her body like a lightning bolt. She sprang up in bed with almost feline agility, clutching the blanket against her chest like a magical shield, her eyes wide now in total alert.
— ... Who are you?
The woman stepped back slightly, still smiling serenely.
— Oh! Forgive me, Miss. My name is Siris. I was hired by your father as your new personal maid. It is a pleasure to meet you.
Elyandra froze. Her mind, which until then had been semi-awake, activated "emergency analysis" mode.
"New personal maid? What do you mean new? Where is the other one? Was she promoted? Fired? Did she eat a poisoned sweet? Did she become a priest? Wait... what exactly is happening here?!"
She narrowed her eyes, knitting her brows dramatically while mentally scanning the house protocols. "Right, right... they changed servants sometimes. I remember there was even a rotation by sectors. A type of periodic rotation to avoid bonds... or espionage, or whatever."
Logic began to reconnect the threads of reason.
"Yeah... it makes sense. I'm just overthinking... It's not very normal to wake up with a face pressed against yours..."
Because if there was one thing Elyandra didn't much like, it was being surprised by strangers. Especially beautiful women. Mainly in the morning. And absolutely before breakfast.
She was still holding the blanket as if ready to duel when Siris, with an air too innocent and maternal for someone so young, approached slowly and... touched her face with the tips of her fingers.
— You look a bit pale... are you feeling well, Miss?
A shiver ran down Elyandra's spine like a thunderclap.
— AAAH!
The cry was more of a sharp gasp than a shout. She scrambled two steps to the side of the bed like a startled cat, her eyes wide in pure alarm.
— W-Why are you touching me like that out of nowhere?! — she shouted, collapsing into a tone both nervous and offended. — I haven't granted that level of intimacy yet! We don't even know each other!
Siris blinked, surprised, and then... laughed. A low, gentle laugh, as if she had dealt with this before.
— I'm sorry, Miss Elyandra. I only wanted to check if you were feeling ill. You had such a... pensive expression. I thought you might have had a nightmare.
— I-I'm fine! — she said, pulling the blanket back as a sacred shield. — You don't need to worry about that, quite the contrary!
Siris placed a hand over her chest, still with an enchantingly calm smile.
— I understand. You prefer not to be touched, then? Don't worry, I will respect that. And if you wish, I can wait until I've laid out the simpler garments before helping with the ceremonial attire.
Elyandra huffed, still trying to regain her royal composure, her face red as a ripe tomato.
— That would be... the bare minimum, thank you.
But inside her mind, the little noble was seething from the sudden surprise. Still frowning, Elyandra climbed down from the bed with dignity—even while wearing bunny slippers, a heritage from a cold night—and tilted her chin with a royal pose.
— Very well, Siris. Since you are new... I hope you know how to handle morning grumpiness and strict protocols regarding physical proximity.
Siris made an elegant bow.
— Understood, Miss. I am at your disposal. And... if I may say so... you look adorable even when pouting.
Elyandra turned around without responding, but her face was slightly flushed.
"The nerve of her. Already trying to win affection. It's not that easy to enter my mind."
Siris was patient, like someone who knew exactly how frightening it was to deal with the unpredictable, even if that unpredictable person wore embroidered linen nightgowns and spoke like a princess indoctrinated from the cradle.
After the small initial shock, Elyandra prepared for her morning routine. The golden sunlight was already touching the marble floor, tinging the room with a warm and slightly divine glow.
She had already put on the simpler pieces herself, as usual. The white inner tunic and the refined fabric stockings were already perfectly aligned on her small body, and now the more complicated details remained: the upper bodice and the black ceremonial ribbon that tied her hair in a refined knot at the nape of her neck.
Siris approached in silence, holding the ribbon delicately between her fingers.
— Excuse me... may I?
Elyandra nodded with a slight gesture, her arms still crossed. The young woman began to work behind her, fastening the ribbon with dexterity. Her fingers were firm yet gentle. And suddenly, something changed in the cadence of the touch.
Siris paused for a moment.
— Ah... so it is real... — she murmured.
Elyandra blinked, her face intrigued by what she meant. Before she could turn her head, she felt the maid's fingers lightly brush her neck, moving up and touching the black earring—a gentle, almost reverent movement. The jewelry was small, but its unmistakable shape—a teardrop ring with an engraved inscription—was a clear symbol of the bearers of Ancient Blood.
— I always knew what they looked like... I mean, these models made for nobles, but I had never seen one so close — Siris whispered. — It's even more beautiful than I imagined...
Elyandra's skin burned a vivid red all the way to her ears.
"What was that?! To touch someone's earring like that? Slowly and softly? That is not maid protocol. That is an absolutely shameless way to touch others! What comes next? Smoothing my bangs? Kissing my forehead? Handing me flowers and asking for the family blessing?"
Her gaze went blank for an instant as her mind spiraled in a whirlwind of formal indignation and emotional confusion.
"This must be a crime in at least three kingdoms."
— Miss Elyandra?
Siris's voice pulled her back to the real world. Elyandra blinked several times, shaking her head as if to ward off a spell.
— I... I'm fine. Just... I have a lot on my mind — the little girl said, looking away with a red face.
Siris smiled, satisfied, and adjusted the final bow with a slight tug.
— There. Perfect as always.
Elyandra cleared her throat discreetly and stepped away with noble airs.
— Hm. I appreciate... the assistance.
But inside: "How do I keep living alongside this woman without collapsing once a week?"
Elyandra walked to the washbasin, with Siris two steps behind, carrying a perfectly folded towel and an ornate toothbrush.
— I've got it — Elyandra said, taking the brush firmly. — I can brush my teeth without assistance. I've done it since... forever.
— I know — Siris replied with a sweet smile. — But if you let me, I can stay to ensure no stray hair falls into the water. It's a tragedy when that happens.
— ... That is not a tragedy. It's just physics; it's not as if it were that bad.
— Physics doesn't prevent colds.
— That doesn't even make sense!
The exchange continued with a slight philosophical clash over autonomous brushing versus attentive supervision, won only by Siris's disarming patience. In the end, Elyandra brushed her teeth with exaggerated elegance, as if participating in a public ceremony.
When she reached the main hall, Elyandra found the table already set with candied fruits, flower-wheat bread, spiced honey, and juices extracted from the fruits of the Aurivallis Valley. As usual, her parents were already present—her mother in a graceful posture, her father hidden behind a newspaper printed by the Imperial state.
Siris, of course, did not move away. She stood discreetly to the side, according to the protocol for higher personal servants. Elyandra sat down calmly, but inside:
"Right. Just eat. You've learned etiquette since you were two. It's not hard. Just ignore her and everything will be fine. Fork on the right, knife on the left, don't stab your face with the spoon. Simple. Simple. Simple."
But it wasn't that simple. Because Siris was at her side, her eyes watching her peacefully, as if waiting to be summoned. The beauty in her face was practically an unmatched lure that Elyandra struggled to ignore. And she had the maternal look of someone who knows your sins before you even commit them.
"How do you eat next to someone like that without looking like an idiot?"
She cut a piece of bread and brought it to her mouth with a refined movement... which lasted 200% longer than it should have. Siris tried to offer a linen cloth to wipe an imaginary crumb, to which Elyandra responded with a sweet yet sharp retort:
— I appreciate it, but I still have full motor control; I can do this myself.
Siris only laughed softly, as if that were the cutest thing she had heard all week.
— Of course, Miss. It's just that, sometimes, even prodigies forget they are 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 light laugh, subtle and noble, as if allowing herself a moment of tenderness without breaking decorum.
For a brief moment, the tension in Elyandra's chest only increased. It wasn't normal for her to have maids so close; her previous ones usually maintained a certain distance, almost as if it were a pre-established program. But Siris was different—intrusive in a sweet way. This caused a warm doubt to arise in Elyandra, a doubt she did not know how to name.
"What exactly is happening today?"
She picked up the chalice with both hands, with an extra touch of restrained royalty, and sighed internally.
"I need to start studying mental defenses urgently."
After breakfast, where Elyandra, despite her impeccable manners, could barely decide how to hold a spoon without looking foolish before Siris, the little Valemortis headed to the mansion's library. It was a vast room with high ceilings and walls lined with golden shelves and books arranged with almost obsessive precision. Amber light filtered through the windows, touching the magical dust in the air as if the wisdom of the ancients themselves were alive there.
Elyandra glided her fingers along the worn spines until she stopped before a dark green tome with the symbol of three interlocking circles: "Arcane Magics and the Limits of Tertiary Channeling - By Magister Harlun of the Veridiana Empire."
— Hmm... Veridiana... — she murmured, sitting in a wooden chair before a large table. Siris sat in the chair next to her, 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. — "Runic art does not demand innate talent, only precision..." — she recited aloud, then commented to herself in a serene and noble tone. — How interesting. 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 crystals and magic at the same time must be the magical equivalent of fighting with a flaming sword while mounted on a golden griffon. Total broken build."
— I agree — said Siris beside her, with a little smile.
Elyandra raised her eyes, surprised to have been heard, while simultaneously feeling somewhat aghast.
"What is this? Can you read minds now?"
— But look here... — she continued, sliding her finger over a crystal drawn on the page —, imagine conjuring magic while using a mana crystal at the same time. It doesn't seem very intelligent to me, perhaps even a waste of time.
— A waste of time? You would have the possibility of having two sources of magic, wouldn't you? It seems like a grand spectacle of possibilities — Elyandra stated, trying to sound like an intellectual.
— An inefficient spectacle — said a familiar voice right behind her. Elyandra almost jumped from her seat, though her posture remained noble. She only slightly turned her face, with a glint of demand in her eyes.
— Dalia... — she said with a sweet voice and upright posture. — It is not appropriate to approach a lady in such a manner.
— You were so immersed in your bellicose fantasies that I doubt you would have noticed a troop of knights entering through that door — Dalia replied, with her usual gentle coldness.
Without asking, she took the book from the girl's hands with a subtle gesture.
— Mana crystals... they are beautiful, yes — she began, turning the page — but completely unnecessary for magic knights.
— But why? — Elyandra inquired, narrowing her eyes, still maintaining her pose.
— Because people like us — she said, lightly poking the center of Elyandra's forehead with the tip of the book — are natural channelers. Magic flows through our bodies like wine in well-carved chalices. Using an object to channel what already flows is like... building a bridge over a river and deciding to take a boat ride before crossing it on foot.
Elyandra blinked.
— That was... extremely specific.
— And effective.
— Then what is this knowledge for? — she asked, crossing her hands over her lap.
Dalia closed the book and returned it to the shelf.
— For the cursed.
Siris raised an eyebrow but remained silent.
— There are people, Miss Elyandra, who were born with an anomaly... their bodies reject mana. — Dalia's serious look as she gave this information contrasted with Siris's serene gaze directed at Elyandra. — Instead of channeling it, they are wounded by it. These are called negative channelers. If they try to use magic, they become ill... or they simply die.
Elyandra leaned forward, fascinated.
— This book... it was written by an author from the Veridiana Empire. Does that mean... it is formed by these people?
— Originally, yes. They couldn't use magic like us, so they created ways to use it indirectly. They developed apparatuses, magic crystals that channeled mana coming from third parties — she explained. — They called this outsourced magic. They used the power of others to fuel their inventions. A common example? Magic lamps.
Elyandra frowned.
— So... they never knew the sensation of mana running under the skin... nor the shiver of a perfect conjuration...
— Nor the pain of a magical explosion — Dalia said, looking at her own hand.
Elyandra watched her closely; then a thought came to her mind while staring at Dalia's hand—she remembered the training from days ago.
— When you held my magic orb...
— Yes. If I didn't have affinity with the magical flow, I would have lost this hand. — She held it up for display, still impeccable.
"You almost lost your hand?!" Elyandra thought, stunned. She coughed lightly and tried to hide a nervous smile.
— I apologize for any... irreversible damage I might have caused — she said, making a formal bow.
— There's no need to apologize, see? No damage — Dalia said, showing her hand. — Just be careful not to end up blowing yourself up without supervision next time.
Siris, on the side, couldn't contain a small laugh, covering her lips with her fingers. Elyandra looked at the two women around her. One, too beautiful to be so close. The other, too cold not to be trustworthy.
She crossed her arms and looked at the books on the shelf.
"Fine... maybe learning about negative channelers wasn't so useless after all. After all... you never know when you'll need to turn on a lamp with style."