Seraphina studied both of them and could tell they were not lying to her, yet they also did not believe her completely. She observed their body language and sensed their stunned expressions. There was little hope in their eyes, and as she read them, she struggled to understand their feelings. "Why are you two reacting like this?" Seraphina questioned, watching them closely. Her question drew their attention, prompting them to stand from their chairs and step toward her. She felt tense at their reaction as she fixed her gaze on Emily.
Emily closed the distance, leaning down to look at Seraphina. Seraphina tilted her head up to meet Emily's cold, expressionless gaze, ready to defend herself against any sudden move. "Are you sure that person can counterattack your magic?" Emily asked seriously. Though she still didn't fully believe Seraphina, she needed confirmation and hoped that there were others outside the village who could counteract magic like them.
"Yeah, I'm sure. He lives in the capital," Seraphina replied. She could see their serious looks and sensed that the prince might be connected to them, which made her think about how she could learn from them. It would take time to reach the capital—enough time for her to recover and gain more knowledge. Seraphina contemplated how to manipulate the situation with her words.
Emily scrutinised her, sensing no deceit in Seraphina's expression. "Can you find him? If we take you with us," she asked, looking intently at her. Jane, standing slightly behind them, observed the interaction with her usual expression. Though she also doubted Seraphina, she felt the need to engage with the matter.
Jane began to wonder if that was why her master had struggled to heal Seraphina properly. 'I had used anti-magic skills, known as Null, which were created by a master and learned by the villagers. Only a few had been able to master such skills; the number was so small it could be counted on one hand, and none had traveled outside the village. How, then, could someone learn this skill?' This made Jane skeptical of Seraphina, even as her condition presented undeniable evidence.
"Yes, I can find him," Seraphina declared, determination shining in her eyes. She was confident she could locate Aeren, the prince; it would be simple to track him down since his name would be well-known wherever he went. However, she was careful not to reveal his name, as doing so would undermine her own importance.
Seraphina considered everything carefully, pleased that her plan seemed to work on Emily and Jane, who were eager to meet Aeren. She had manipulated them easily. When she mentioned the capital, Emily immediately asked for her assistance in finding Aeren.
"Very well, you're coming with us," Emily replied, truly wanting Seraphina's help as she needed to meet someone with anti-magic skills to confirm something important. "But how will you find him? The capital is enormous; it's not like he'll just come to meet you, right?" Emily was confused and uncertain about Seraphina's confidence.
"I know everything about him, so don't worry; I will find him," Seraphina replied coolly, her expression emotionless.
"Hmm, sure," Emily replied, still doubting her words. However, her desire for answers was evident in her eyes, and she also felt guilt for Seraphina's situation, which is why she wanted to involve her. "I have to speak with the master," Emily said, remembering that she needed to discuss Seraphina's involvement with her master.
As she contemplated the conversation with her master, a voice interrupted her thoughts. "You don't need to speak to me." All three of them turned toward the sound.
They saw a handsome young man standing at the gate, smiling at them. The three were slightly taken aback by his appearance, staring at him with wide eyes. "Master, you're here!" Jane broke the silence, her surprise evident.
With a smile, he turned to Jane. "Yes, Jane. You don't have to speak to me. I understand the situation and would like to meet the person you've all been discussing." He looked at Seraphina. "You can come with us; your assistance in finding him will be helpful, and then we can decide what to do next." His voice reached all of them in the hut, and his smile was still evident on his face. His expression was hard to read and barely showed any emotion. Seraphina looked at him with confusion in her eyes as he spoke to her, but because he had helped her and she could tell that he was maybe beyond her strength, she did not think much and accepted his words.
"Thank you, Lord Samarth," Seraphina replied sincerely, bowing slightly. However, she studied him closely, sensing that something about him was not quite right.
Samarth noticed her expression and nodded to her. "Good. Get ready for tomorrow. We will leave in the morning, and I will teach you anti-magic while you help me find this man." He looked at Seraphina, and she smiled at him. Her smile elicited one from Samarth in return.
"Thank you so much. I will never forget your kindness, and I will do everything I can to help you," Seraphina said earnestly. Inside, she thought, 'And I will kill you all first before I kill the Prince. You all are simply a means to my goal.' She smiled, locking her eyes on him, appearing soft and trustworthy.
"You don't have to," Emily chimed in, interrupting their conversation. "We haven't treated you well, so you don't need to feel obligated. Just tell us what you need, and we will handle it. Even if you can't find the man, we won't blame you at all." Emily wanted Seraphina to know she cared.
"Hmm, okay." Seraphina felt awkward about Emily's expression and was disgusted by her overly helpful nature. She didn't like people like Emily in her life—too selfless, giving up everything for others without thinking of themselves.
"Good, let's meet tomorrow," Samarth said, glancing at Emily and Jane as he signaled them. They both understood his cue and responded accordingly.
Jane and Emily nodded and began following their master. Seraphina walked with them to the hut door and watched them return to their place.
"Bye!" Emily and Jane waved as they said goodbye.
"Yeah, bye! We'll see each other tomorrow," Seraphina replied, her smile and polite tone evident.
As they disappeared from view, Seraphina returned to her usual expression, thinking, 'I will wait for the right moment.' She glanced into the distance and noticed that the child and the grandmother were no longer playing. She then returned to her hut in her wheelchair, suppressing her emotions. Upon entering, she sensed something was off about the empty hut—the air felt heavy with suspicion.
'He knows I'm not who I've claimed to be,' Seraphina contemplated, feeling as if someone was watching her. Her instincts told her that it might be Samarth.
Meanwhile, at Samarth's place, he sat silently in his yard, watching Seraphina. He could tell that she had sensed his gaze on her. "She's more than she appears," he thought, surprised by how difficult she was to understand and even harder to keep track of. She didn't exhibit any suspicious behavior, which in itself seemed peculiar. In the past, anyone who had lived here revealed their reactions and greed through their eyes, which was typical for this place.
Samarth smiled as he observed her. "You're quite intriguing, but how long can you keep suppressing yourself, Seraphina?" he whispered to himself, feeling he understood her on some level. As he sat in his chair, staring at the blue sky and the fluffy white clouds, he noticed the sun peeking from behind one of those clouds. It made him smile, realising how the sun could be concealed by something that seemed so insignificant.