ROAV-06

The morning has already come, and the two people are still lying unconscious on the floor. In a few minutes, the first one to become conscious was the young man.

"Ack!" He sat up and scanned his surroundings.

"Where am I?" He was confused, but he still roamed the place. 

"This is an unusual place."

He stepped outside of the house, then a car passed by and beeped. He was almost hit. He immediately went back to the house.

"What the! Is this another assassination attempt?" he pondered.

"It could be, but those things that almost hit me have some unusual structure; it looks like a fast carriage without horses in front. Could it be that the neighboring country develops such things with mana stones?"

He went back upstairs to get his sword, and he just noticed a girl on the floor. He dropped the sword and immediately went to the girl to check on her. 

"She's breathing. Lady, wake up! Lady! Lady!" He gently shakes her shoulders, and she slowly opens her eyes.

Sheyiah sat up and looked at him. 

"How are you feeling, lady?"

"I'm alright. Thank you for checking on me. I'll make a breakfast. What do you want, Mister?" She got up.

"You're unbelievable, lady."

"What do you mean?"

"I thought you'd hit me and think I was a bad guy."

"Ah! Should I scream now that there's a bad guy?" he laughs. Sheyiah stares at him.

"But, yeah, I get your point. My grandparents told me to stay calm always whenever a situation arises. Ya know, when I wake up, I don't sense danger. You know why?"

"Why?"

"I heard a soothing voice asking me if I was feeling alright. If it was a bad guy, they wouldn't do that."

"What if they have a nice voice but they're really a bad guy? I have a sword, what if I harm you?"

"Which you didn't do? I don't have any bruises. I could say that you're not a bad guy.'' Sheyiah paused.

"I'm kind of hungry, so what do you want? I have many questions to ask. Better be ready." Sheyiah laughs and looks at him.

"Anything you'd prepare will do." He laughs back.

"Okay, then just wait for a moment, Mister-?"

"Duke Theodore Zavier Cavanauv from the North of the Naven Empire," he bows at her.

"Im Sheyaih Aguilar, nice to meet you, Duke." Sheyiah extended her hand for a handshake, and Duke Theodore stared at it.

"Sooo? You don't want to shake hands? *Sheyiah pauses* Ah, okay, my bad. Should I kiss your hand too? That's how you greet or welcome people in your country?"

"What! Kiss my hand? No!"

Sheyiah, just walk past the Duke and start making breakfast.

"Hey! May I ask you?"

"What?"

"The etiquette, where are your manners? You weren't being taught?"

"What about that etiquette thing? To answer your question, I have been taught good manners."

"Why did you not greet me properly? Or perhaps you are mocking me?"

"Hey! Haven't I greeted you? You just even stare at my hand. Duh! Ah, just forget it. You're just hungry. I know someone who talks nonsense when he's hungry; maybe you're the same too."

Sheyiah serves their breakfast. A cup of coffee and a sandwich.

"I forgot. I'm almost running out of food because I didn't buy it at the market yesterday. I'm sorry if I serve you the not-so-type-of-food during breakfast. Was the coffee too bitter? Do you need more sugar? Do you want to add milk?"

"You don't have a tea? The drink is black. Maybe you're an assassin. You want to assassinate me through food poisoning."

"What the? You see me making the food. I didn't put any poison. My gosh! It is a coffee. A B-L-A-C-K C-O-F-F-E-E. If you don't want it to be colored black, put some milk. I don't have a tea. I ask you what you want. You said anything. Yah! Just eat and drink. If you just accuse me of something, just get out."

Sheyiah starts eating, and Duke Theodore stands up and is about to leave when his stomach growls.

"If you're that hungry, eat. Don't make a fuss. You're not a kid. If you really don't want to eat this food, just buy something across the street."

But he sat down right away and started to eat.

"Sorry. So, where is the milk?" Sheyiah gives him the powdered milk, and he puts it in his coffee. 

"Do you need more sugar? I just put a little on it."

"No, it's fine. Why did you not put milk in your drink?"

"I like it black. It tastes bitter, but I like it."

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Hmm, go ahead."

"Are you a noble or a commoner? Why don't you have proper etiquette?" When Sheyiah heard it, she almost got choked.

"Why do you keep on asking that? I don't get it." 

"A noble should be greeted properly by bowing, which you didn't do. Also, you should have said, 'Greetings, Duke Cavanauv.' When you greet, you should include their title and their family name. Don't greet them with their first name when your lower status. Remember these because it is the basic lesson. There's a lot, but you can figure it out."

"That doesn't apply here because our country is different. We have different title names for the higher-ups."

"Really? Who's your Emperor in here?" 

"Emperor?"

"The head of your country."

"Ah! The Emperor? We called our head of the country The President. The other neighboring country still has that though. Are you perhaps lost? Or did you have an accident and end up in here?"

"Oh, why does your country not have one? Indeed, I ran into an accident and ended up here. Can you help me?"

"Aish. Our country has the President, okay? Not King or Emperor, hmm. As for today, I have a class. So, what kind of help do you need? Still, it depends on the situation."

"I want to go back to my country. My people will suffer because I wasn't there. I am the Duke, my presence is needed. So, would you help me go back to my country?"

"Oh, you are a high-ranking official then. We are both finish eating so you better help me clean up these tables first and well try to figure it out. No, complaining! I live alone here. Therefore, I don't have servants, maids, or helpers, whatever you called it."

The two were finished cleaning up the table and doing the dishes. Sheyiah got an email from their school saying that they didn't have a class because there was a building that collapsed that covered the whole road to the school entrance. All vehicles, and even people, can't enter because of the clearing operations. So, Sheyiah decided to help the Duke because she had a lot of time and it was her day off. 

"Where did you come from again, Duke?" Sheyiah asked as she was sitting on the floor, opening her laptop, and starting to search the internet.

"North of the Naven Empire, and it must be Duke Cavanauv for you." The Duke gets a chair and sits next to Sheyiah as she searches for what the Duke said.

"I haven't found anything about the Naven Empire, Theo."

"Hey! We haven't had an intimate relationship; don't call me Theo. What is that?" he pointed at her laptop.

"Sorry, my bad. This is a laptop."

"What is a laptop?"

"Seriously? You don't know what a laptop is? Does your country don't have any?"

"No."

"EH! Seriously! A laptop is a device that can be used for different functions. Like, right now, I'm using this to search your country, but it couldn't find it."

"Is that a magical device?"

"No? Magic doesn't exist."

"It exist"

"No!"

"It exist"

"It's a modern world right now. If you think magic exists, it is about technology, etc."

"Then, that's why your device can't find my country because it doesn't possess any magic. Our country has many protective barriers, and that device can't detect them."

"It's the 21st century today. It can detect anything. Maybe you just made it up. You might be a crazy person."

"How dare you!" The Duke was mad, and he unleashed his power. Ice spikes grow all over the room. One of the ice spikes pierces Sheyiah's arm. Sheyiah was shocked.

"Now, answer me. Is this not magic?" Duke Theodore's eyes are glowing blue, and his hair has become more icy-blue colored. He bent down, leveling Sheyiah, and held her chin.

"Isn't this magic?"

"Who really are you? A-and what are you?" Sheyiah asked nervously.

"Ive told you already, I am the Duke of the North of the Naven Empire, Theodore Zavier Cavanauv. Remember that?" He let go of her chin, and he flopped on the sofa nearby. 

"Are you going to help me or not?"