Clop clop clop…
On the early morning streets, the fog had yet to dissipate, and the crisp sound of horse hooves rang out through the stillness.
A blaze of raging flames cut straight across most of the city district and came to a stop right at the gates of the Connor Estate on the southern edge of the Royal Capital.
…
“Atia, actually… the words I said back in Crisel weren’t a lie. I truly love you so very much. Are you willing to spend the rest of this life with me?”
The Eileen before her dropped to one knee, holding up a glittering diamond ring in a clear proposal pose.
“E-Eileen, Miss Eileen, isn’t our progress… a bit too fast? Didn’t we agree to start as friends first? How did it suddenly jump all the way to a pro-proposal?!”
Atia was so shocked she began to stammer.
They had clearly known each other for less than a month. How had it fast-forwarded to the proposal stage?
She admitted she did harbor some feelings for Eileen beyond ordinary friendship, but she was fundamentally a rather traditional person.
In her view, a healthy relationship needed to go through meeting, understanding, falling in love, and then true love before stepping into the hall of marriage. Yet Eileen had completely skipped every step in the middle…
“Atia, I can’t hold back any longer.”
Eileen suddenly stood up, domineeringly pulling her into her arms. She took Atia’s left hand and aligned the diamond ring with her ring finger. “You know I’m an impatient person. Once this ring is on, you will be mine.”
“Wait… Miss Eileen, this is way too rushed!”
Even as she said so, Atia made no move to stop Eileen, as if she had already accepted this fate.
Knock knock knock!
But just as the ring was about to touch her ring finger, the rough knocking sound jolted the sleeping Atia awake from her dream.
“Huh? Where is Miss Eileen? Where is the ring?”
Atia abruptly sat up in bed, looking left and right in a panic as she urgently searched for Eileen. Yet before her eyes was only an unfamiliar room, with not a single trace of Eileen in sight.
Only then did Atia realize.
So it was just a dream!
At that thought, her little face flushed red all the way to the roots of her ears in an instant.
Why would I have a dream like that?!
It’s too embarrassing!
But if one day Eileen really proposed to her the way she did in the dream, how should she answer?
Refuse or accept?
Let Eileen take the lead or seize the initiative herself?
Or perhaps…
“Atia, time to get up!”
Outside the door, Eileen’s voice interrupted her wild thoughts.
Only then did she remember that today was the day they were supposed to set out to complete the investigation commission.
Before sleeping last night, Eileen had already told her they needed to depart early today and try to reach Mordin City before nightfall.
But she was puzzled. Mordin City was several hundred li away from the Royal Capital. Based on her previous experience in the merchant caravan, even if the convoy traveled at its fastest, it would still take at least several days. Why did Eileen think they could reach such a distant place before nightfall?
She had asked, but Eileen had deliberately acted mysterious and refused to tell her.
Helpless, she could only give up on pressing the matter.
After stretching, Atia subconsciously glanced out the window, intending to get out of bed and wash up.
Yet she would never have known if she hadn’t looked. One glance nearly scared her out of her wits.
Outside the estate, flames soared into the sky, and she could faintly see raging fire flickering beyond the gates.
In an instant, all sleepiness vanished. She hurriedly scrambled out of bed and rushed out of the room, crashing straight into Eileen who was standing outside.
Eileen looked at the bewildered Atia in her arms.
What was this girl going crazy about first thing in the morning?
“Miss Eileen, it’s bad! There’s a fire outside!”
Atia pointed at the firelight beyond the window, her voice frantic.
Eileen craned her neck to look out the window. “A fire? Where? How come I don’t see it?”
“Right outside the estate!”
Atia was truly anxious now.
How could anyone miss a fire this big?
If they didn’t run soon, the flames would burn into the estate itself!
“Pfft hahaha…”
Upon hearing that, Eileen burst out laughing. “Take another careful look?”
Atia was full of question marks. She turned her head to look again—wasn’t it still firelight?
The next second, Eileen suddenly slipped an arm around her waist and lifted her clean off the ground.
Atia instantly panicked.
“Miss Eileen, this this this…”
“Don’t talk. Look outside again.”
Atia didn’t understand, but still obediently looked out the window.
Once Eileen had lifted her up, she could finally see the complete scene outside.
A luxurious carriage was parked at the estate gates, but the horses pulling it were not ordinary horses. They were a type of horse whose entire body burned with flames.
“Ignis?”
Atia tilted her head.
“That’s right. These are the C-rank magical beasts known as Ignis, and also one of the few magical beasts that have been successfully tamed in the Human Realm.”
Eileen explained, “Ignis are especially precious within the Principality. Generally, only the Duke’s direct blood relatives have the qualifications to ride in carriages pulled by them.”
“You nearly scared me to death…”
Atia let out a long breath of relief.
She had truly thought the Royal Capital was on fire.
“Actually, you could have seen it clearly just by standing on the bed.”
Eileen chuckled softly.
Atia’s face was full of embarrassment.
She had been scared half to death just now. How could she have had the mind to think of something like that?
“Miss Eileen, is this the reason you said last night that we could reach Mordin City within a single day?”
Eileen nodded.
Ignis were typical speed-type magical beasts. When an adult individual ran at full speed, they were even faster than cars, and they had also been the primary means of transportation in the early game.
However, ever since Eileen had learned teleportation magic, she had never used these things again.
After all, no matter how fast their four legs could move, could they compare to teleportation magic that sent you straight there?
“Miss Eileen, Miss Atia, breakfast has been prepared. Would you prefer to go to the dining room, or shall we bring it to your rooms?”
Trenton, who had been following behind Eileen the entire time, asked.
After seeing Kate’s attitude toward Eileen yesterday, he had more or less understood. Eileen’s status within this estate was second only to Kate’s, and she had to be served properly.
“No need to go to that much trouble. We’ll eat in the dining room.”
Eileen still wasn’t quite used to being looked after like this, especially since she was currently in Kate’s home. If she could avoid inconveniencing others, she would try her best to do so.
“Understood.”
Trenton nodded, then looked toward Atia. “Miss Atia, there are clothes prepared for you in the room. Before leaving yesterday, Lady Kate instructed me that you must change into them and not bring shame to Miss Eileen.”
“Ah?”
Atia froze for a moment, but upon second thought, she had been wearing the same patched-up coarse linen clothes day after day. Her appearance truly wasn’t great.
“Then go change first. I’ll wait for you in the dining room.”
After leaving these words, Eileen followed Trenton to the dining room.
Yet what she hadn’t expected was that, aside from the maids currently preparing the dishes, there was also an uninvited guest in the dining room.
“Mia?”
Mia stood up, removed her mage’s hat, and gave her a slight bow. Silver hair cascaded down like a waterfall, yet those gem-like purple eyes carried a trace of disdain.
“Good morning, Miss Eileen.”
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