Mana Storm

"Is that all?" Maria asked the woman who was sitting in front of her. A rumble of thunder echoed from outside. The woman who was sitting in front of Maria crossed her legs with a smirk on her lips. She slowly nodded her head. "You are not completely useless, let me send you the payment tomorrow."

"How cold," Selena uttered in a playful tone. A light reflected in her small beautiful face when lightning strike outside. Maria couldn't help but think that this woman is truly mysterious. "You didn't even praise me for giving you such useful information."

"Do you still even need that?" Maria asked coldly while staring at the bad weather brewing outside. "You don't need praises. The payment is more important to you," Maria stated using her coldest tone. "I don't know where Gabriella gets a fox-like you."

Selena twirled her crimson short hair. "Come on, we all know that I am loyal to Gabriella. What I wonder is why do you hate me that much?" Selena asked with a smirk. "Do you see me as a threat to your friendship? Was I not her second best friend and you are the first?"

Maria's eyes squinted at the woman. "I am not childish," Maria replied to her while caressing her stomach. "And you know that I don't hate you."

"Oh, I see. You hated the fact that I can see a bit of your past," Selena uttered with a smile. "But what can I do? This is my ability. This is also the reason why I can easily gather information. The reason why Gabriella found me."

Maria darted her cold eyes to the woman.

"It's not like I can see your whole previous life, but I can say that you are truly terrifying," Selena said meaningfully. Maria gritted her teeth while trying to calm herself. "Don't worry, I won't tell to her. Just like you, I have my very own secret," Selena said.

"Secret..."

"A secret that I won't tell her," Selena uttered. "Anyway, since you are too generous to give me such a large payment. I will give you a piece of bonus information," The short-haired woman rose from her seat.

"Tell me," Maria told her.

"J'ai apprécié de la voir grandir avec vos conseils," Selena uttered. Maria stopped for a while when she heard a familiar language. It was one of the forgotten languages from the fallen Era of Ibanez. She doesn't know how to speak it but Maria is familiar with it. "The Duke told that to Gabriella," Selena added.

"What does it mean?" Maria asked.

"I enjoyed seeing her grow with your advice," Selena replied with a playful tone. "Do you want me to elaborate it to make it clearer?" Selena took out a teleportation scroll. When Selena noticed that Maria was a bit confused, a smile appeared on her lips. "That sentence is about you. Lady Maria."

Selena ripped the scroll in her hands. When she was about to disappear, Maria asked her a question. "Selena, how did you meet Gabriella?" Maria asked.

For the first time, Selena's expression became serious but soft. "I won't tell it to you," she said. Her body was starting to disappear, from toes to her head. "But I also met her when I am lost and wrecked."

Maria watched Selena disappear before her eyes.

Her face fell in her toes. "Lost and wrecked..." She uttered. "You are truly a mysterious girl."

A smile appeared on her lips as she went outside of her room. As she took a step forward, the lightning and thunder outside are becoming more fierce. Her expression was blank while going to her planned route.

Maria wanted to confront her father.

The whole manor is currently dark since it was about to be midnight. However, because of the brewing storm outside, the manor became darker and colder. It was a hot season, how could possibly a storm brew outside?

Maria fiercely pushed the door in her father's office. Her eyes fell to a man who was drinking tea while watching the storm outside. Hair as white as snow and face as cold as winter, the man who resembles Maria.

"Father," Maria uttered.

"What do you need?" Evan asked in a cold and dry tone. His eyes went to his daughter who was standing at his door. "Why are you still awake?" The Duke asked. His eyes noticed that there was something that his daughter wanted to tell him.

"Since when did you found me?" Maria asked her father.

Evan who was holding a teacup paused, but that didn't last long since he placed the cup on his table. A moment of silence came. Maria who wanted to question her father couldn't standstill. She immediately went in her father's direction as she throws away the cup on his table.

CLANG!

The cup broke.

"Please, answer me," Maria uttered with cold eyes. "Since when did you found me?" She asked.

The Duke closed his eyes. "Who told you?" Evan asked his daughter.

"It doesn't matter, just answer my question," Maria told him. A light reflected in her eyes when a flash of lightning came. "Since when did you know that I was hiding in Gabriella's care? 2 years ago? 3 years ago? 4 years ago?"

"5 years ago," The Duke uttered. "To be precise, 3 days after you run away," Evan answered his daughter. The tone that he used wasn't cold or nor dry, it was stiffed but you can hear emotions within it.

Maria took a step backward. Her face couldn't contain her emotions. "Then why...?" She asked. "It means that you knew it all along. Then why did you not take me away? Why did you decide to do that now?"

He raised his face and glanced at his own daughter.

When Maria understand that glance she quickly shook her head. "No way, how could a person like you possibly think like that?" She asked as if she just saw the worst joke in her life. "There is no way that you would think like that!"

J'ai apprécié de la voir grandir avec vos conseils.

"You grew in her care..." He paused. "...More than in this Manor," Evan told her with a straight face. "You're my responsibility, but you deserved a better person."

•••••••

Gabriella

"Why is it raining outside? It was supposed to be summer isn't it?" I uttered while looking at the window. A frown appeared on my face while glancing at the freaking window. "It was a good thing that we went home earlier or else we will be drenched in the rain," I chuckled.

I took my hot choco while hugging the bear in my arms.

This black teddy is really cute.

Look! My brother gave it to me hehe~

"Hmm," Brother replied to me. There was a letter in his hands that came from Leonardo. "The rain was quite strange," he uttered.

"It was a good thing that sunflowers in the garden were protected by magic," I sigh in relief. My eyes suddenly went to my father who was also sitting with us. I don't know what is he doing here but there was a frown on his face.

"This wasn't a normal storm," My father told us. Gabriel who was busy reading Leonardo's letter also glanced at our father. "This storm is made up of mana, it only means that it was coming from a powerful creature," He said.

Me, who wasn't that knowledgeable about mana and magic listened carefully to him.

I can't be too ignorant about magic! Just look how many times I asked myself why the Duke and my Father look younger! Just how come I didn't know of these things when I grew up in this world? Why am I so stupid?

"Powerful creature?" I asked with a curious tone. "Like dragons?"

"It is probably not a dragon," My father replied to me. "It might be Lucius..." He muttered. "But if it's him then why is he taking it too long?" He asked himself. His eyes stared at the window as he suddenly fell into deep thought.

I stretched out my body before drinking my chocolate drink.

I wonder who's that Lucius?

His name sounds powerful.

The name is also familiar too...

"Sister," My brother called me. He handed me the letter in his hands. I immediately opened the letter and read the content. After reading Leonardo's letter, I quickly glanced at my brother.

"I really hate it when he is the one who writes us a letter, he's making it too long," I said with a frown. I placed it back on my table. "So he is coming tomorrow?" I asked. "I guess Melissa will also come."

"Yes," Brother replied.

"Who's letter is that?" My father suddenly asked. I stopped. Gabriel and I glanced at each other. I gave him a nod indicating that he can tell it to our father.

He might be a coward, but he is not a fool.

Brother took the letter to my table and gave it to father. When father received it from Gabriel, he immediately read it.

A moment of silence came. "You..." He uttered. "You know this man?" Father's body stiffened while reading the letter. "The Master of Merchants?" He asked.

He kept glancing at the signature and Leonardo's seal on the letter. There was a genuine surprise on his face.

I almost forgot that he tried making connections with Leonardo but failed. Of course, it will surprise him to read that letter. Soon, I won't be shocked if he finds out that Leonardo's family is the reason why he can't find us for the past 17 years.

Gabriel nodded to that question.

"How?" Father asked. But none of us answered. He only shook his head as if an idea popped into his mind. He took a deep breath. "The banquet will be moved on the fourth day of this week," He suddenly said. "We'll still welcome your guest tomorrow."

"Huh?!" I reacted. "Why?" I asked.

Did they not send the invitations already? Besides, that day was the day before the date where we need to formally ask of Maria's hand to the Velasquez family...

He took a glance outside the window. "An important guest will arrive," He explained. A bolt of red lightning appeared in the sky. "Besides, the preparation of the banquet is too rushed," He said. "And this storm might last for three more days."

Hah? Three more days? What? What kind of storm is that?

Whoever owns that mana I want to bump that head!

"Who is the guest?" I asked.

"Lucius," He replied.

I noticed that my brother stopped for a moment when he heard that name again. His reaction looks like he suddenly remembered something funny. "Pfft, the owner of that thing?" He asked with a funny face.

He glanced meaningfully to our father.

Father noticed that look and he understand it immediately. He slightly nodded his head. "Yes, the owner of that thing," he answered him.

A frown appeared on my face. I can't understand what they are trying to say. Did I miss something? Are they perhaps talking about business? That person seemed to be important. However... "What's funny about that, Gabriel?" I asked him.

Why is that brat laughing?

"I think sister needs to hide," He said.

"Why?" I asked, but he only shook his head with a smirk.

"Nevermind," He replied. He turned to our father as his expression became serious. "Marquis, We have to talk about something," He said. "It might be important. Especially for my big sister," he said.

Father agreed with him.

"Go away, sister," Gabriel waved his hands as if asking me to go outside.

"Oi, why?" I asked. My brows wrinkled while looking at him in confusion. "It was about me, right? I should also join the conversation."

However, my brother secretly rolled his eyes at me.

This unfilial brother!

This brat!

"Go away, I have something important to talk about him, you're not allowed to hear it," Gabriel replied to me. I glared at him before rising from my seat.

"Why?" I asked him but he continued to wave his hand at me. When I noticed that my brother won't back down. I stomped my feet acting like a spoiled lil'sis. I rolled my eyes at him. "Fine! Goodbye! I hope a little new brother will fall from the sky! I will really replace you as my brother if that happens!"

"Goodnight sister," He only said with a smirk. I only sneered at him as I went to the door.

He is like this because he saw Maria.

"Goodnight, mi ija," My legs automatically stopped when I heard my father said that. "Have sweet dreams," I glanced at my father for a while before walking away from them. I did not bother to reply.

My lips twitched before looking outside of the window. "Who told them that I am going to sleep?" I uttered.

"Oh, I must write a letter to Duke-- I mean Maria."