Anna returned to the classroom after several minutes, feeling the stares of her classmates settle on her the moment she walked through the door.
Though she tried to ignore them, her discomfort grew when the teacher, arms crossed and with an impatient expression, looked at her sternly.
"Why did it take you so long?" he asked, his voice severe.
Anna, trying to stay calm, answered in a low voice.
"I had trouble finding the place…"
The teacher sighed, rolling his eyes with obvious disdain.
"Fine, but you'd better finish the activity before class ends."
Nodding, feeling a mix of shame and frustration, Anna returned to her seat and took out the notebook her maid had given her, along with a quill and inkwell.
Sighing, she tried to shake off the unpleasant encounter. She opened the notebook and looked at the phrases on the board:
"I want to be a mage" and "I want to be a swordsman."