The Journal II
"Laura! You're finally home! Come and take a seat."
Count Harrison looked at Laura while pushing her to sit in front of Tine, who seemed to be happy. It was about time where Tine would make her move and it was time for Laura to fight back.
Laura took her seat and moved her hands as she ignored Tine and the prince talking and having fun. She regretted not looking at her surroundings carefully before she had walked down the carriage.
It is because she did not see any soldiers inside or outside the house, and that is why she had never thought that the prince would have come. She had one more year to stop their engagement and if not, she will be in so much trouble.
She continued eating in silence. Not until the prince had shifted his interest at Laura who had not spoken a word since she had taken her seat. Tine had seen the prince looking at Laura and immediately started a new conversation with him.
Tine didn't want the prince to become interested in Laura. She thought Laura had no chance at all because she had already set her eyes for him. Suddenly, Laura had noticed Tine looking at her and she felt uncomfortable.
She wished that they treated her like a ghost and ignore her presence instead.
"So miss Laura, how old are you?"
The prince had started the conversation, and she wished that she could pretend not to hear the prince, but it would be considered as rude to do so. She placed her fork and knife down and used a napkin to dab on her mouth.
"I am currently 15. But I'm turning 16 after three months."
"Oh, you're just one month older than Tine? You look younger than what I thought."
"I am glad to hear such a compliment from you."
"I won't disturb you anymore, please continue eating."
Laura picked her fork and knife up again and continued eating. She somewhat expected the prince to talk to her more, but it was Laura's first time meeting the prince. In her past, Tine had always found a way for the prince to not be able to meet Laura in person.
But today it was out of pure luck that she was able to get this opportunity. Laura had not thought of wanting to steal or befriend the prince, but if the situation becomes worse. She'll need to do so.
After Laura finished her meal, she quickly excused herself as she wanted to get some rest since she had been out the whole day. She had also felt out of place as Tine and the prince were talking happily.
Laura couldn't find a way to relate with their conversation as she didn't really know much about the recent trends in the city. She continued walking back to her room not until her name was suddenly called out.
Laura noticed that someone had called her, and she turned around to see the prince calling her. She had not expected this, but maybe it was a chance for her to know more about the prince.
"I'm sorry to suddenly have called you when you're about to take your rest."
"No, not at all. I was just not expecting your highness to call my name."
"Was I a bit informal?"
"Your highness does not need to worry about that. Why have you called me? Is there a problem with the food?"
The prince laughed softly and shook his head. Then the gentle face that he had worn suddenly disappeared. He rested his hand on his chin and intensively looked at Laura as if she had done something wrong.
Laura then noticed that she did not need to act in front of the prince as he had found out the true nature of Laura. Laura gave him a frown as the silence continued. She didn't know why the prince had a sudden change of expression despite not doing anything wrong.
His grey eyes had continued looking at Laura and she continued looking up to him and was suddenly envious of his height. She was ashamed that the prince was so much taller than she was.
Laura had scrapped that idea away from her head and continued being cautious of the prince. Even if he was a prince, it doesn't mean you could fully trust him. Have you heard of the saying 'trust no one because they can bring you great pain?'
Laura had kept that in her head ever since she had entered the estate. That is because she was scared to trust again.
"You...I can feel someone's mana in you. I wonder why."
The silence had finally broken, and she had wondered why he said that because only the chosen people and the royal family had manas. A girl like Laura couldn't possibly have been able to obtain mana.
"I think you have been mistaken."
"Are you saying that a royal like me makes a minor mistake?"
Laura felt something crawling at her back and shivered as she felt the intense aura coming from the prince. She had made a great mistake, and she bowed for forgiveness.
"That is not what I mean. How can an orphan like me just suddenly obtain mana?"
The prince had lightened his face and agreed with Laura. He then asked Laura if she had met someone with mana. Laura thought of it for a second and it could be possibly coming from Tiyne.
Laura had thought that the worn-out journal that had given to her had mana in it but she couldn't just say it and told the prince that she hadn't. Laura also added that she had only met Serena and Scott Smythe.
The prince then let out a loud sigh and had his gentle face on again. He apologized to Laura and although he was sure that he had seen it correct. He became interested in her. He wanted to become friends with her because she was different from any ordinary girl. She wasn't one of those girls who fawned just by seeing him.
Not only that, he only had a slight interest at Tine because she was small and had treated her like a younger sister.
"Please call me Winston. I'm only a year older thank you, but you have caught my interest. Consider yourself lucky that I want to be your friend."
"I don't have the right to call you that, Your Highness."
"It's an order miss Laura."
"Then... your highness Winston."
"Just Winston."
"Sir Winston."
Laura had to add a formality instead of just calling him Winston because she thought 'what would the other nobles think after seeing her calling him like that. She didn't want to make a fuss about it especially when he was already that famous amongst the ladies.
"I'll let go of that for now. I shouldn't hold you longer, please take your rest now."
"Thank you, Sir Winston. I shall go back to my room now. Please have a safe trip."
"I look forward to seeing you in the ball."
"Likewise, please excuse me now your high- I mean Sir Winston."
Laura gave a bow before walking back to her bedroom. Her heart almost stopped after Winston had mentioned mana. She didn't want to reveal Tiyne because she had no reason to and had no right to do so.
Winston looked at Laura with interest; He had finally met a girl who would not fawn over him. He laughed at himself as he remembered her expression changing. He couldn't believe a girl like her who had started living in high society could act like that.
He also never expected himself to have such an interest in her. Laura sighed out of relief as she continued walking down the long hallways. She was relieved that the prince had finally let go of her.
She wouldn't know what to do if the prince had kept her longer. She wanted to read the journal as soon as possible because she felt that something might happen in the celebration.
In the past, she wasn't able to go to the celebration because she had caught a fever. It was very unfortunate, but this time she was lucky to learn how to properly take care of herself.
Laura had no idea what would happen in the celebration, however. What she knows is that the clogs to her clock had just started to move.