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Chapter 33 - Cards on the Table (1)

When Michael returned to his room, exhaustion weighed heavily on him. It was clear that, at least for now, he wouldn't be able to resist Shirley, who had taken it upon herself to care for him.

It wasn't all bad; in fact, it was quite heartwarming. He had learned that she grew up in an orphanage, taking care of her younger siblings and acting as their mother hen.

This explained her nurturing nature.

Michael had originally planned to read the magic theory book Charles had given him before bed, but fatigue overtook him. Crawling into bed, he drifted into sleep within minutes.

His exhaustion granted him a dreamless, restful slumber.

The next morning, a soft knock on the door roused him, followed by the familiar, cheery greeting.

"Good morning, sunshine~" Shirley's voice echoed through the room. "I brought you some breakfast."

She entered, placing his plate of food on the desk before drawing open the curtains. A glance outside revealed that the sun had barely kissed the horizon.

"Morning…" Michael murmured, slowly sitting up.

"Oh, what's this?" Shirley picked up the green book from the desk and examined it.

"That's just a book on mana theory," Michael explained. "Charles says I need to work on my control before he starts teaching me. I'm afraid I'm rather useless…"

The vulnerability in his voice surprised even him. It turned out he still had a complex about magic, despite now being a Crimson mage.

Shirley didn't reply immediately. She flipped through the book, her face thoughtful. "Wow… I don't understand a thing," she said with a giggle, dramatically closing the book.

Michael blinked, incredulous. Now that he thought about it, he wasn't even sure what kind of mage Shirley was—or if she was one at all.

"Shirley, did you learn magic at the orphanage?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Hmm? No, I'm not a mage, young Michael. How could I learn magic?" she replied, her tone light and cheerful despite the implications.

Shirley is ringless?

Michael was taken aback. While it wasn't unusual to meet someone without rings, it was rare to find such individuals employed in the noble class, who typically looked down on people like her.

Even in the Aurelius household, all servants were at least able to perform chore magic. It was the bare minimum. The fact that Shirley had no magic was startling.

Shirley chuckled, noticing his surprise. "Why are you looking at me like that? Do you think I'm any less of a person just because I'm a null?"

Michael flinched at the word.

"Null" was a derogatory term for those without magic. Even he, with only a single white ring, had occasionally been called that behind his back by the servants, their tone dripping with disdain.

"Shirley… you shouldn't say that word," Michael said, his voice tinged with sadness.

Without a word, Shirley moved closer and wrapped him in a deep, warm hug. "You're a kind boy, Michael. Kinder than most," she said, gently rubbing his back.

"But don't worry about me, kiddo. Even though I'm ringless, I'll run circles around any of the servants here," she joked, pulling back and flashing him a smile.

"Now hurry up and eat. The young miss will be awake soon. If you have any questions on mana theory, just ask her. She's already received offers from several of the big mage academies based on her control alone," Shirley explained.

Ask Melody? Would she really help me? Michael wondered silently.

"Right, I'll leave you to it," Shirley said, giving him a hearty smack on the back. "I'll be back after dinner to help you bathe."

Michael felt the wind knocked out of him, followed by the punch of her final words. Before he could even respond, Shirley was already out the door.

Once he recovered, Michael dug into his breakfast and quickly dressed, ready for the day ahead. This was his second day as Melody's personal butler, but unease still gnawed at him.

Things were awkward between the two of them, and now, with the knowledge of her parents' plans, it was worse. While he had agreed that there were benefits to this arrangement, it didn't mean he was eager to marry her.

Perhaps, if things had been different, I'd have been used for a political marriage in the Aurelius household as well…

Michael shook his head, pushing those thoughts aside. For now, nothing was set in stone. All he needed to do was perform his duties well, and he would have everything he needed.

Knowledge. Connections. Status.

Three years until we attend the mage academy. I'll just need to hold on and learn everything I can until then, he concluded.

Michael moved to the mirror, adjusted his collar, and nodded with satisfaction. Though his clothes weren't as fancy as when he was a young noble, they still looked good on him.

"Let's do this," he announced to his reflection.

Leaving the room, he made his way through the servants' quarters, into the main hall, and eventually arrived at the family residential wing. There, he found Melody seated, bringing a teacup to her lips as one of the maids brushed and braided her hair.

"Good morning, Melody," Michael greeted, bowing slightly.

At the sound of his voice, the young girl flinched, then turned to him, muttering a quiet greeting. It was as though she was still uneasy around him.

For some reason, this irritated Michael.

When he had first met her in the dining room, she had been harsh, even calling him a wild dog. Later, during their tutoring session, she had sharply criticized his mother for not teaching him mana control.

And now she was acting like a meek girl?

It didn't make sense.

Even if she knew about her parents' plans, it shouldn't have caused such a shift in her behavior. At least, that's how Michael saw it.

His gaze wandered to the maid, who had just finished with Melody's hair. The older woman nodded and left, leaving the two of them alone.

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