Luolan was awakened by the lingering glow of the setting sun.
The dim yellow light slanted through the frost-crusted window, bathing the entire room in a lazy hue. He stared at the ceiling in a daze for quite a while before realizing that he had almost slept through the whole day.
Winter days were short to begin with, and now dusk was falling outside the window. Fine snow drifted down silently, piling up bit by bit on the ground.
Luolan sat up in bed, his whole body aching terribly. He walked to the window, gazing at the distant forest rimmed in gold by the last vestiges of sunlight, only to see it quickly swallowed up by the oncoming night.
Something still felt off.
That sensation pricked Luolan’s heart like a thorn. He recalled every detail of Keluowei’s outburst of magic last night: the runes rippling beneath her skin, the feverish heat of the girl’s body, the look in her eyes before she lost consciousness.
Why did it happen? For the past seven years, everything had been under control.
A knock sounded behind him. It was Ailiya.
After receiving permission, the Head Maid entered, carrying a silver tray and setting dinner on the table.
“You’re awake.”
“Ah… mm…” Luolan was a bit surprised by her appearance. “How is the Young Miss?”
“The Young Miss just finished her dinner.” Ailiya poured him a cup of black tea, the rising steam drifting between them. “She seems well.”
Luolan nodded. As he sat down at the table, the aroma reminded him how hungry he truly was. Just as he was about to dig in, Ailiya suddenly set down an exquisite little box in front of him.
“What’s this?”
“Some Magic Crystals, and a Fatigue Relief Potion.”
Ailiya inclined slightly, causing her hair to slip from her shoulder. “It was my negligence yesterday. I failed to notice the Young Miss’s condition in time. I’m sorry to trouble you.”
Luolan’s hand paused on the spoon. He blinked, then pushed the little box back to her.
“This is what I ought to do.”
“Even so, speaking personally, I should thank you.” Ailiya did not take the box back. Her voice rippled through the room, almost imperceptible. “You… are truly a reliable person.”
At that moment, Luolan’s stomach growled at the worst possible time.
He froze for a second, then gave Ailiya a helpless wink, trying to ease the awkwardness.
Ailiya pressed her lips together in a small smile, then stepped back, preparing to leave.
“Ailiya, your cooking keeps getting better.” Luolan cut a piece of bread and put it in his mouth. “To be honest, when I first arrived, I thought you were the Young Miss’s sister.”
The Head Maid paused, turning slightly.
“After all, you do look quite alike.” Luolan took a sip of tea. “But after spending time together, I realized, Ailiya actually feels… more like a motherly figure.”
Ailiya also possessed an outstanding Mage Circuit, and before Luolan arrived, she had been responsible for instructing Keluowei in magic. After the Lufiniasi family’s sudden misfortune, she took on the roles of housekeeper, Head Maid, and Chef de Cuisine, including the Castle garden’s management.
His first impression of Ailiya was that she was earnest and a bit nagging—worlds apart from her twin sister. Although she doted on Keluowei, she was usually gentle; but with Luolan, she always put on a stern face.
And she was a total workaholic.
As Luolan finished, the air suddenly fell silent.
“Uh… don’t get me wrong.” Luolan scratched his head. “I just mean, you worry too much sometimes… Besides, the Young Miss is already an adult. She can take care of herself. You don’t have to keep yourself so tense all the time.”
He turned to look at Ailiya, meeting her slightly surprised gaze.
“A girl shouldn’t keep her lips so tight. You should smile more.”
A faint blush appeared on Ailiya’s cheeks, visible to the naked eye.
Her eyelashes trembled, the redness spreading from her delicate earlobes like a brushstroke blooming on porcelain skin.
“…Mr. Luolan, you must be joking.”
“I’m not joking.” Luolan solemnly broke off a piece of bread. “I mean it.”
Ailiya’s fingers lightly clenched and released the edge of her skirt. She lowered her head, avoiding Luolan’s eyes.
“It’s getting late. I have to prepare breakfast for tomorrow.”
She made a hurried curtsy and turned to leave. The room grew quiet again, with only the occasional crackle from the candle’s flame.
Luolan stared at the tightly closed door for a while, then smiled helplessly.
The next day, before dawn, Luolan woke up.
It was still a murky gray outside. More snow had fallen in the night. He changed quietly into lighter clothes, leaving the candles unlit, lest Ailiya suddenly pop up from nowhere.
Only the wall lamps were burning in the corridor. Passing through the hall, Luolan pushed open the heavy wooden door. A blast of cold air filled his lungs at once.
Time for morning training.
The image of a Traditional Mage: frail, short-legged, easy prey if caught up close. In his previous life, he’d seen too many mages die miserable deaths—throats cut while chanting, Magic Arrays shattered before forming by Shield Breakers.
Who still plays Traditional Mage these days? Luolan refused to be like them. He’d be a Next-Gen Mage.
“Good morning, Mr. Luolan.”
A cool voice called from behind. Luolan turned to see the female knight Silude leaning against a stone wall not far away, her silver-gold armor gleaming in the dawn.
She was the Castle’s Knight Commander, and this was usually when her patrols ended.
“Good morning.” Luolan stood up, brushing snow from his gloves. “Can you train with me today?”
Silude raised an eyebrow, her right hand already resting on her sword. “The usual rules?”
“The usual rules.”
Before the words finished, the sword flashed.
A direct, unannounced thrust straight for his chest—Luolan dodged just in time, the blade grazing his sleeve and slicing it open. Instead of retreating, he pressed forward, countering with a sharpness like a changed person.
The two exchanged blows atop the stone platform of the training ground. Silude’s sword was fast and precise, forcing Luolan to become a slippery eel.
After about ten minutes, they stepped back from each other. Luolan’s collar had a slit from Silude’s sword tip, while several shimmering magic marks now dotted Silude’s armor.
“You’ve improved.” The knight sheathed her sword, her voice for once holding a hint of warmth. “Mr. Luolan, last time you didn’t leave so many marks on me.”
Fortunately, Silude seemed to be just as stiff as Ailiya, so she didn’t notice the awkward wording of her sentence.
“A loss is a loss.” Luolan cleared his throat awkwardly. “In the end, you still landed the final hit.”
He pulled off his gloves, his hands still tingling from Silude’s sword. He looked up at the high Castle window, its heavy curtains still drawn. Keluowei must still be asleep.
“By the way, why do you persist like this?” Silude suddenly asked with curiosity. “After all, your magic skills are no less than Lady Ailiya’s.”
“Maybe because I don’t want to die.” Luolan shrugged. “Think about it. What if you run into a situation where magic is useless? You’d be as good as scrap metal. Better to prepare in advance—skills never go to waste.”
Silude said nothing, just nodded as if half-understanding, then turned and left.
Luolan stayed a while longer to steady his breathing. He raised his head, letting the cold snowflakes fall on his face.
He was still some distance from his ideal, but time waited for no one.
After finishing his training, Luolan lingered in the bath under the hot water, letting his muscles fully relax.
In the mirror, the youth’s damp black hair clung to his forehead, water dripping along his jawline, tracing out sharp features.
Luolan changed into clean clothes, still faintly scented with Ailiya’s laundry fragrance. He always felt odd having that scent on himself and had protested many times about Ailiya washing his clothes, but every time, she refused to listen.
If only she’d at least use a less girly scent…
Luolan shook his head helplessly.
In the dining hall, the fireplace burned bright. As Luolan cut the last fried egg on his plate, Ailiya poked her head out of the kitchen.
“Mr. Luolan, the Young Miss hasn’t eaten yet, but I’m tied up right now. Could you please help me out?”
Before Luolan could reply, she pointed to a meal set aside, then turned back to her work.
Luolan looked at the busy Head Maid’s back and sighed, swallowing the last bite of egg mechanically before picking up Keluowei’s tray and heading to her room.
He stopped at her door, just about to knock, when he heard the light “pat-pat” of footsteps from within, like a kitten scampering across the floor, followed by a stifled little yelp.
Luolan’s hand paused in mid-air. When the room quieted down at last, he knocked.
“Come in.”
As expected, her voice was weak.
Luolan pushed open the door. Morning light speared through a gap in the curtains. Keluowei lay “obediently” in bed, silver hair scattered across the pillow, her eyes wide and blinking at him.
“Why is it you?”
Luolan raised an eyebrow and set the tray on the bedside table.
Keluowei propped herself up, glancing past Luolan to look for Ailiya, but didn’t see her.
“Ailiya’s busy and can’t get away. I happened to have nothing to do, so she grabbed me for the job.”
“Oh…” Keluowei bit her lip, lashes trembling slightly. “My head’s still spinning, and I have no strength at all.”
As she spoke, she slid another half-inch under the covers, leaving only her eyes peeking out.
“Could you… feed me?”