Chapter Twelve – Shadows and Masks
It had been three days since the Royal Magus Envoy left the Caelthorn estate.
On the surface, life returned to normal. The servants relaxed, her parents smiled again, and the tension that once filled the mansion began to fade.
But for Aveline, it was only the beginning.
Sylph hovered lazily above her desk, watching Aveline draw a series of glowing runes on parchment. Each line was careful, precise, and faintly pulsing with mana.
> "You've been working on that for hours," Sylph said. "It's not like you to obsess over one spell."
"It's not one spell," Aveline replied, eyes focused. "It's a cover."
"A cover?"
"I can't risk being detected again. If the Royal Magus Order scanned me once, they'll do it again."
She raised her hand slightly. The Lumivorn's mark on her wrist glowed — but instead of summoning light, she channeled it through her system.
> [Initiating Concealment Protocol…]
[Error: No Elemental Template Found.]
[Suggestion: Generate False Signature?]
Aveline smirked. "Exactly."
> [Processing… Creating Illusion Core: Element – Wind.]
A small pulse rippled across her body, faint and harmless.
Sylph blinked. "You're faking an elemental affinity?"
"Yes," Aveline said simply. "If they scan me again, they'll find a faint wind signature. Nothing too strong — just enough to look believable."
She sat back in her chair, watching the soft green shimmer fade into her skin. "There. Now I'm just another noble girl with average magic."
Sylph gave a low whistle. "You really are terrifying sometimes."
"I prefer 'prepared.'"
---
The Letter from the Capital
That evening, during dinner, a royal messenger arrived.
He was dressed in formal attire, bearing the seal of the Royal Magus Council.
The Duke took the letter, broke the seal, and read silently. His expression tightened slightly.
> "What is it?" Selina asked.
"The Capital," Reinhardt said quietly. "They're sending a student representative from the Royal Academy to stay here for a time. They say it's part of an 'exchange initiative.'"
Selina frowned. "At this time of year?"
"Yes. Odd timing indeed."
Aveline kept her eyes on her plate, eating slowly.
She already knew what this meant.
They were sending someone to observe.
Sylph whispered in her ear, "An investigator."
"Obviously," Aveline muttered under her breath.
> "His name is Elias Vareen," her father continued. "A prodigy from the Royal Academy. Only twelve years old but already an advanced mage-in-training."
Selina smiled faintly. "That's wonderful. Maybe he'll inspire Aveline to study magic more seriously."
Aveline forced a small, polite laugh. "Maybe."
But inside, she was already calculating.
Twelve years old, academy-trained, from the capital — definitely not just here to study.
---
Arrival of Elias Vareen
Two days later, the carriage arrived at the estate gates.
Aveline stood beside her parents, her hands neatly folded, as the visitor stepped down.
Elias Vareen wasn't what she expected.
He had short white-blond hair, sharp gray eyes, and an expression that looked far too calm for his age. He wore a formal black uniform trimmed with silver runes — the mark of an elite student from the Royal Academy.
> "Welcome to the Caelthorn estate," her father greeted.
Elias bowed politely. "Thank you, Duke Caelthorn. It's an honor to be here."
His gaze shifted to Aveline — just for a second — but she caught the way his eyes flickered faintly, analyzing.
That wasn't curiosity. That was mana sensing.
> "Lady Aveline," he said. "I've heard a lot about you."
"All good things, I hope," she replied smoothly.
He smiled faintly. "Of course."
But Sylph whispered instantly, "He's scanning you."
Aveline's smile didn't fade. "Then he'll find exactly what I want him to."
The faint green shimmer of her fake wind signature flickered subtly.
Elias blinked once, then smiled again. "Wind affinity. Rare for your family line."
Aveline tilted her head. "Lucky, I suppose."
For a brief moment, their eyes met — calm, polite, but sharp. Both understood this was more than a friendly visit.
---
Behind Closed Doors
That night, Aveline sat on her bed with her notebook open, reviewing data from her system.
> [Mana Concealment: Active – Stable]
[Illusion Core (Wind) – 96% Integration]
[Detection Risk – Minimal]
She smiled slightly. "So far, so good."
Sylph floated upside down above her. "You really fooled him?"
"For now," Aveline said. "He's good — I could feel it when he scanned me — but he's still a student."
"And if he reports back to the Royal Magus Order?"
"Then I'll make sure he reports nothing worth investigating."
Sylph frowned. "You sound way too confident."
"I learned from the best," Aveline said softly. "Myself."
---
Elias's Observation
The next morning, Elias joined Aveline for a "study session" arranged by their parents. They sat under the terrace, surrounded by books on magic theory.
> "So," Elias said, "you failed your ritual. Yet now you show signs of mana circulation. How did that happen?"
Aveline's smile didn't falter. "I guess I was a late bloomer."
Elias chuckled. "That's one way to put it."
He leaned back slightly, tapping his finger on the table. "You're interesting, Lady Aveline. Most nobles would sulk or give up. But you seem… calm."
"I've had practice at being patient," she replied simply.
Their conversation continued, light and polite, but every word was layered with caution.
Aveline knew he was watching her mana.
And he knew she was aware.
> "He's sharp," Sylph whispered, watching from the shade.
"I noticed," Aveline thought back. "But so am I."
---
Late Night
That night, Aveline stepped outside again, walking quietly into the garden. The Lumivorn's presence stirred faintly in her mind — calm, patient, as always.
> "We have company now," she said softly.
The mana thread pulsed faintly, as if the creature was listening.
Sylph floated beside her. "Do you think he's dangerous?"
"Not yet," Aveline replied. "But he's curious. And curiosity can be dangerous if I'm not careful."
She looked toward the forest — where faint blue light shimmered again between the trees.
> "If they're going to keep watching," she said quietly, "then I'll give them exactly what they want to see."
"And what's that?" Sylph asked.
Aveline smiled faintly. "A normal girl with average magic."
The Lumivorn's aura pulsed again — like approval.
---
Closing Scene
Inside the mansion, Elias stood by the window of his guest room, gazing toward the same forest.
His eyes glowed faintly as a small detection spell rippled from his hand.
For a split second, he felt it — a mana pulse unlike anything he'd sensed before. Deep, ancient, alive.
Then it vanished.
Completely.
> "She's hiding something," he muttered. "And whatever it is… it's not human."
Outside, in her room, Aveline closed her window and whispered to Sylph,
> "We're just getting started."