Luca grew flustered seeing her bare back. It was one thing to catch glimpses of women near whorehouses, but this was different. Erina was a noble.
Was she not embarrassed?
That was his first thought, but a moment later he realized something important.
'If she isn't embarrassed, then I have no reason to be embarrassed either.'
It was as simple as that to him.
Instead of looking away, he let his eyes linger on her pale back as she reached for a light dress shirt on the bed.
These shirts had become popular among noblewomen for wearing indoors. They were more comfortable than gowns, corsets, or revealing nightgowns.
Her room was huge. At least twice the size of all the rooms in the place Luca rented now. A massive carved wooden bed sat in the center, flanked by short tables and a stool at the foot. Two sets of windows let in the afternoon light, and at the far end a transparent balcony door stood shut.
The silence pressed on him until he finally spoke.
"Should you really be changing in front of me?"
"What does it matter? One scream from me and you'd be on a stake before you could blink."
Luca's brow twitched.
"That's fair."
"Actually, I'd say you were a mage, " she continued, her grin hidden from view.
Luca didn't flinch from the sudden accusation. Accusing people of being mages had long since become a sort of ironic joke in the Empire.
"Don't slander my name. It's a rather absurd accusation, I don't even look like a mage!"
"No, you don't. But what if the poor, frightened daughter of a Duke said you were?"
Finally, she turned. Her grin stretched wide and her messy hair made her look almost unhinged.
"I guess they'd believe you," Luca said with a laugh.
'But bold of her to throw that accusation around when she's a mage herself. Not a bad plan… if it were anyone else.'
"What's your name?" she asked, sitting on the bed and propping her chin on her hands while kicking her legs back and forth.
Her stare was sharp, but Luca knew it was an act. If she'd seen through him, she would have already confronted him.
"Luca, milady."
"Drop the 'milady' nonsense. You clearly don't care about it," she said. "Still… Luca. No last name?"
"It's Kaldreth. Luca Kaldreth, at your service."
Her eyes widened.
"That surname… you're from Thule?"
"A small branch of my father's family migrated here during the Winter War three hundred years ago. My mother's side is Hesperian."
Thulemen were easy to spot. Their surnames stood out, along with their larger builds and sharp features. They often had blonde or red hair.
But Luca , on the other hand, barely looked the part. He had black hair and his piercing blue eyes were the only giveaway, but even those weren't enough to tell since a lot of Hesperians gained those features from reproducing with Thulemen who migrated to Hesperia.
Erina herself had some Thule blood, though she probably didn't even know.
The 5 year Winter War was still remembered across the continents, and most especially Hesperia.
The story went that a Thule spellcaster had cast Hesperia into an endless winter, blotting out the sun and weakening the Church of Sol. In the end, Sol supposedly sent an angel to end it, sparing only a few "innocent" Thulemen to live in Hesperia.
Of course, not many Thulemen were innocent. Most came to plunder and conquer, so resentment lingered for generations. Luca's family had been no exception.
Eventually with the integration of these people into the Empire, all of that was forgotten. Most people didn't even know that and only knew the part about the angel descending.
'An angel… I wonder how true that was,' Luca thought.
"In any case, I don't think you called me here to ask about my heritage," he said.
Erina's eyes narrowed slightly. She flicked a shining gold coin across the room. Luca caught it without trouble.
"You're quick. I want you to work for me."
"Work?"
"Yes. Accompany me a few days a week, fetch things when I need them, that sort of thing."
Luca raised a brow. But in truth, that was exactly what he'd been aiming for.
"Last I checked, you had a butler. Alfred seems like a nice man. Why not use him?"
"These are private matters," she said flatly. "And I won't be going in any official capacity."
'Because you're going to practice magic,' Luca finished in his head.
"Does the young miss have a secret lover? Don't worry, I won't tell."
Erina scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous. Are you in or not?"
"What's the pay?"
"Is money all you care about?"
"Of course. Nobles wouldn't understand, but for most people in the slums, the only way to survive another day is money. No money and you were dead, or worse, you sold yourself to keep breathing."
A flicker of pity crossed her face.
"That sounds miserable. How much do you want?"
"One Crown per week."
"Deal."
'Damn it, I should've asked for more,' he cursed inwardly.
Still, a Crown was worth more than his entire savings. He wouldn't push his luck.
"When do I start?"
"Not right away. I'll let you know. I'll get a special Messenger Falcon that can track your scent. It'll bring letters with instructions whenever I need you. One-way only. You won't be able to reply."
"That works," Luca nodded. "Then may I take my leave?"
"Yeah, go on."
He turned, satisfied. He'd gotten exactly what he wanted without lifting a finger.
'Still too convenient. But convenient in my favor.'
After settling that, he faced his other priorities right now, such as getting catalysts for the new spells and figuring out who No girl was and what he wanted.
Gradually, Luca had already begun formulating a longer term goal. Right now all he was doing was a collection of side quests.
And there was an important side quest. It was his most important priority!
A mage gathering was happening tonight.
***
Note: I fell unexpectedly sick yesterday!! Updates will proceed as usual!!