Chapter 15: One more second of emotion is unnecessary
Seven months later.
Edith sat upright in the Turner family's carriage, supporting her sister's head with her left hand to make sure she wouldn't fall to the ground because of sleepiness.
"The winter semester of Bo Yunis College starts on July 15th. If we want to avoid the summer carnival, the entrance exam before that can only be arranged before July 7th." Heda, aware of being a native of the capital, discussed with Edith with great interest, "However, in previous years, the exam was arranged from the 3rd to the 6th. For some reason, this year it was moved forward to the 1st - but the end time is still the 6th."
"The test time has doubled, and the format has also been changed. People couldn't find a reference, so they even knocked down the door of the person who wrote the test."
"Has the person who will set the test this year been decided?" Edith tilted her head. "I heard that we won't know until the exam."
"No, but weren't the deans of the academy the ones who set the questions in previous years? There are only five deans in total. We can try our luck and eventually we'll meet someone we can't beat." Heda smiled and raised her chin in a pretentious manner, showing off the intelligence network of the eldest daughter of the Duke's family. "At worst, the principal will set the questions himself, and only a few big families will have the chance to get the questions in advance. We will definitely be included."
"My great-grandfather asked around for me in advance, but several deans evaded the question by saying they didn't set the questions. It seems the confidentiality measures were well implemented this year." She leaned back, her lips curled slightly, "Things are starting to get interesting."
"Not too far off the mark." Edith said calmly, "It's divided into two parts: theory and practice. You're already familiar with the theory, and as for the practice, I've been training you for so long, so you should have no problem taking the exam."
Seven months may seem like a long time, but those children who have been enlightened since childhood have studied for more than ten years, and the inadequacy is obvious in comparison. Fortunately, the entrance examination does not test potions and the use of difficult spells, but focuses more on the recitation and use of spells. Seven months is enough for the examination skills alone.
Hedda swung the wand in her hand, raised an eyebrow, and hummed confidently.
She was confident in her own abilities, and if things got badly damaged, Edith would be there to back her up.
After spending seven months with her, she had a rough idea of Edith's strength. The reason why it was a rough idea was that she only knew that she was much stronger than herself, but to what extent - with her level, she couldn't tell for the time being.
Edith held a crude magic wand, but was at ease in every battle. Not only could she beat her, but she could also point out her weaknesses in real time, change her offensive system according to the weaknesses, and conduct special training for her.
She had never met other tutors, but based on what she usually heard from other noble men and women at the ball...what she had snatched by force might not just be an unpolished gem.
"Miss, we're here."
A respectful voice outside the carriage door interrupted her thoughts. Hedda slapped her face. To sober herself up, she stepped halfway out of the carriage. Suddenly, as if remembering something, she turned back and told Edith, "I have to go see my father first. You and Doreen follow my personal maid and go directly to the room. You don't have to wait for me."
Father? Is that the Duke of Turner who Hedda said killed her mother and then married a new lover?
Edith nodded. Fearing that the other party would be moved by the scene, she was about to say a few words of comfort, but when she looked up, she saw Hedda's majestic back.
She shut her mouth silently
The young lady was filled with joy as she was about to go to the fight, and there was no trace of pain on her face. It seemed that she was worrying too much.
Hedda hurriedly disappeared from Edith's sight. Edith withdrew her gaze from the person and turned to look at the street outside the window.
We are back in the capital again.
......
Heda walked slowly back to her room, step by step, through the dark corridor.
Her body, which had been relaxed for almost half a year, was obviously unable to adapt to this fragmented family reunion. Her great-grandfather was in poor health and fell asleep early. Only her father, stepmother, and her two brothers and sisters who were forcing smiles remained in the reception room.
As soon as her father came, he started to scold her, accusing her of not listening to him and forcibly breaking off the engagement, and accusing her of staying out on Christmas Day and not coming back to meet the new marriage partner he had chosen.
If it were just this, she would have been used to the nonsense from this man who inherited the title but had no background. She had prepared her retorts in advance and bombarded her father with them, making him gasp for air while holding his chest.
But the stepmother's two children still hurt her.
When she mocked that "the Fire Christmas outside is not as old-fashioned as yours", her useless "brother" actually opened his mouth and shouted, "The Fire Christmas without you finally realizes the Turner family reunion."
A six-year-old child could say such a thing, she didn't dare to think about what other family members thought of her. Furious, she picked up her screaming brother and raised her wand while her father was cursing.
"If you can't speak, shut up." She smiled and cast a mute spell on the boy, ensuring that his unpleasant voice could rest for a week. The moment she let go, she cast two more spells on the "parents" who rushed over, leaving a Turner family crest on each of their faces to ensure that the family honor would always be with them.
"It's a pity that with your talent, you will never be able to hold a wand in your life." Hedda looked down at his brother with vicious eyes, said the last words lightly, and left in a leisurely manner.
Of course, she also locked the reception room from the outside.
Don’t you like “family reunion”? We will create the conditions for you to have a full reunion.
…
She finally walked to her room, pushed the door open and saw the cold furniture, and suddenly she no longer felt like resting.
"I wonder how Edith has packed," Hedda muttered to herself, taking a box from the servant and turning to the direction of the companion's room.
"Welcome." Edith lazily lay on the bed, and it was Doreen who got up from her bed playing with her pocket sword and opened the door. Hedda wiped the moisture from her eyes in advance and put on her confident look again.
"You're right. All pain comes from lack of strength." She thought of her brother covering his throat in fear, and then thought of her father and stepmother screaming after seeing the mirror. She still felt extremely happy. "I've never felt so happy even when I won an argument."
"I will continue to work hard until I become the strongest in the world!"
Edith had long been immune to Hedda's occasional domineering remarks. She barely raised her head from her book to pay her some attention. "Congratulations on winning the family battle." She praised calmly, and then said, "You came to me in the middle of the night just to tell me this?"
"No. I wanted to give this to you." Heda was used to her calmness and took out the box she had just picked up without a care. "Before, I couldn't find a good craftsman in Hulda City, so I wrote a letter to my great-grandfather and asked him to make one in the capital. I just got it now."
Edith took it in confusion, opened the lid, and raised an eyebrow at what was inside.
A...magic wand.
It was black in color, of moderate length, and rounded all over. The grip was wrapped in mithril, which not only reduced the chances of magic backlash, but also greatly improved the aesthetics.
There was a small sapphire inlaid on the tip of the wand. Edith recognized the material at a glance and raised her eyelids in surprise.
Heda on the side raised her chin and introduced it with some pride.
"Millennial ebony, refined mithril, the magic core material is dragon skin, tough and indestructible. The tip of the staff is made of magic gathering stone. Although it is so small, it is very pure and can gather magic power to the maximum extent, enhance its power, and reduce its own magic power consumption."
"There are still three days before the exam. You can practice first to get familiar with the feel. You really can't get used to carrying that old wand."
Seeing Edith's gentle caress and the obvious expression of love on her face, Hedda patted her shoulder with satisfaction and said, "Just tell me if you want to change anything else on it - my friend, you are not allowed to be worse than anyone else!"
Edith: “…Thank you.” Although she was used to it, she was still not completely immune to the other party’s “bullying”.
She put her things away, and Hedda said good night in just a few seconds, preparing to go back to her room to sleep. Edith sighed, turned around and grabbed her: "Don't go."
Heda: “?”
She paused in confusion, "Is there something wrong with the wand?"
"That's not it." Edith sighed and looked up at the watch. "It's twelve o'clock."
Hedda: “So?”
"Happy birthday."
Edith pulled out a package from her luggage: "You don't need anything, and I don't have much money, so I made a small gift by hand."
She held the package in front of the stunned Heda and said, "I asked your maid. In order to avoid the exams at Beaujolais College, your birthday party in previous years was postponed to the Carnival holiday. But your real birthday is June 28th."
Edith shrugged. "I heard that it's quite common in the capital to change the date of the party to avoid special days. Over time, even the person himself will recognize the date of the party as his birthday. But I think the real date of birth is more memorable."
"So, happy birthday, Hedda."
Hedda's eyes trembled slightly. Since her mother's death, almost no one except herself remembered that the eldest daughter of the Turner family's birthday was not on the carnival. After all, to those people, her birthday was not something worth celebrating, but the birthday party was a good opportunity to make connections and should not be missed.
She let out a long sigh and opened the letter with the graffiti pattern on it.
A pair of earrings lay quietly in the package.
"It's made of a metal that's a specialty of the city of Hulda. When placed under a light source, you can see tiny golden spots. It's not expensive, but it's still interesting." Edith snapped her fingers. "I don't know much about jewelry, so I don't know what kind of pattern would be suitable, so I carved a magic circle as decoration."
"This is a gift that only a conservative person could design."
Heda complained, but her body honestly took off the jewelry on her ears, put on the gift she received, and wiped away her tears very quickly.
The tears that she had not shed just now could not be controlled and wet her sleeves.
She sniffed unladylike, took a step forward, and hugged Edith: "But, I like it very much, thank you."
Edith chuckled.
"As long as you like it."
She patted him on the back gently. "Memorize the magic circle on the earrings tonight. I will check it tomorrow."
Hedda: “…”
Thank you, I'd be grateful for even a second longer.
......
Three days passed in a flash.
Edith and Hedda worked hard for a few days, doing their best within their abilities, and finally the exam day arrived.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
