There was much to say about how unfair it was for me to expect Fermina to determine our course of action, given that she was not a magian, lacked knowledge of arcana, and until yesterday, did not even know her sister was not entirely herself. I offered an apology for my outburst and outlined several possibilities.

  I had heard of Lords and Ladies possessing enviable libraries that might hold resources we could use. None matched the immensity of my father’s collection, but they were still worth investigating. Lady Delancour and the Duke of Paladia were passionate collectors of rare items; Lord Attinford, the Baron of Enman, was among the most avid readers in the known world, and Lord Chrisostumus, the Count of Valtin, was a powerful magian.

  Beyond them, most prominent Lords had a Magister or two in their service, and King Elijah commanded a small group of elite war magians. Magians were also occasionally encountered by chance, though infrequently. My father made it a point to befriend many and welcomed them regardless of their past deeds, but with my departure, it was unlikely they would continue to receive such invitations.

  Princess was a noble Lady. It was not impossible she could be invited to any of the courts I had enumerated, but it would not be by fortuity alone. The best plan would be to gain notoriety and mingle with the high society, and the only method we had other than her innate beauty would be through my painting, and perhaps we could insinuate we had some talent for arcana to entice those who could be interested in sharing knowledge with us, like the Count of Valtin.

  It was not so simple, as my father had full rights over all the de Irchard sisters as if they were his daughters and could, at his convenience, deny them of traveling or have them reside elsewhere if it suited him, even marry them off without so much as a warning. Traveling and researching could be a complicated and delicate endeavor. It could potentially take months or even years, and all of it could be skipped if we simply sneaked into my father’s library or my old room.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  The idea was also not well-received by Fermina on the merit that we had an obligation to consider Princess’s life after my extrication. Were I to exploit my talents and earn her fame as a paintress, aspiring magian, or alchemist, she could be dreadfully embarrassed and even ostracized as she seemingly lost all her abilities overnight.

  Fermina persistently maintained that there must have been an additional element to consider, but I had exhausted all possibilities currently in sight. She had this strange notion I was withholding vital intelligence. Our conversation was interrupted by Rascal, who came to inform us that the preparations were made. Lord Niyulgen had agreed to be painted this morning; he was finished with breakfast, adequately attired for the picture and awaiting on us.

  Not wanting to disobey or inconvenience a Baron and having agreed that we would not speak of this to Rascal, we made our way to the art room, a little hungrier than I would have liked, being so late.

  We were not the first to arrive. Opening the double doors to the room, we were greeted with clamorous but polite clapping. Fifteen people must have been inside, expecting us. There were known and unknown faces, but all were of noble birth, as attested by their attires.

  “Surprise!” Rascal cheerfully exclaimed, extending her arms in a circle and walking backward so she could face us. “All these people came to see you!”

  “R-Riatna… w-what is…?” Fermina stuttered, impressed but not pleased.

  “What do you think I’ve been doing all morning? I’ve been spreading the news! These people came to watch Aufelia work. Incredible, right?” Rascal was very proud of herself. “But I could not have done it alone.”

  Someone from the crew of people on the back came forth. It counted as one of the known faces.

  “Good morning, Aufelia!” she came to greet me and warmly held our hands with hers. “Guess who’s back? I have amazing news for you! I’ll tell you all about it later. So, how did you like this? Your little sister and I organized this little show.”

  Lady Tirrha Lunatora was radiant as ever. She had changed into a new dress, something a little warmer.

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