47 When the night still young
“Valorian book of law? What exactly you’re intending to do with this, Henry?” Asked Xavier, he scratched his head, confused but also curious.
“I need to see the law about the civil service exam, I found it in the second edition. Now, look into the clause about aptitude test.” Henry explained to all of them in the living room.
Vale took the law book and read the clause loudly, “Aptitude test, regarding stamina, magica, and skill, every participant is equal in the eyes of the exam committee, regards of the age and status,” He cleared his throat and continued to read, “Stamina and magica need to be measure using the right tools and condition, while still need to be observed by the right branch of the intended job.”
“Alright that’s the basic law for civil service, and then?” Asked Xavier once again.
Vale raised his head and turn around to Henry, “I get it, that’s genius, Henry.”
“I know you’re going to be the one who catches my intention, Vale!” Said Henry with a grin on his face.
Anne was busy pouring them buttered moomilk, and although she realized the law had its flaws, she smiled while handing them their drinks, Vale took a glance at Anne, he can see there was a hidden meaning behind her smile.
“Did you understand Henry’s intention, Anne?” Asked Vale to Anne.
Hesitation came into her, to be discreet and look as normal as she can be is her way, she know completely what Henry was trying to say. In the clauses, there is never a mention of how many magica a person needs, which means, Anne will never get a dismissal because of her lacking any magica.
.....
“In a way, yes.” Said Anne, nodding her head, although she knew completely about his plan.
“Great!” Said Henry, a bit enthusiastic that he intended, “So, we presented this to the exam committees and argued our case.”
Horrified by the prospect of four nobles trying to help her, Anne holds Henry’s hand immediately, “Wait, please let me argue about my case, alone.”
Vale, Xavier, and Henry were quiet suddenly, it was Xavier who then tried to pry some answers from Anne.
“You don’t want our help?”
Panicking, Anne raised her hand and explained her reason. “No... Not like that! I was so grateful for all of your help, I truly am!” Suddenly she holds one of her wrists, “But...”
The three of them suddenly realized her wrist, which yesterday was still being covered by bandages. Burn marks are still visible if you look closely, thanks to her own skill, she managed to treat the wound faster. They know, there’s a bit of regret in Justice’s mind, when they knew about the bullying that she needs to endure.
“Then you can just do it from here?” Asked Vale to Anne. He understood deeply. This is one of the moments that they couldn’t give more attention to Anne. Henry already took her to lunch. Vale basically her date for tonight. For now, they need to be in the shadow, and let her take care of her problem.
“Vale! Are you serious? You will let her go to debate about the problem with the exam committee on her own?!” Xavier yelled at the magi captain, he was so upset that Vale seems reluctant to help her now.
Henry holds his friend at once, and he tried to calm Xavier’s nerves, the anger issue is one of his main problems for Xavier. Sometimes, he just couldn’t control his anger. Henry whispered to him, and the Huntsman scoffed and go back to sit on the sofa. Our heroine saw everything. The tiny gesture, the tension between Xavier and Vale, even a tiny glimpse of panic from Henry’s eyes.
“Look, it’s almost midnight, probably it’s best for me to go back to my dorm,” Said Anne to the three of them, suddenly she took the book of law and even grab into Henry’s hand, “Henry, would you be kind to be the one who takes me back to my dorm?”
Henry was flustered, never in his mind, Anne was going to ask him, “What? but... You came here with Vale?”
Anne took glanced at Vale and then Xavier, “Uhm... I want you to teach me to defend myself from the exam committee.”
“Okay, but Anne!”
She never let Henry argue, with a swift move she said her goodbye and practically wrangled Henry away from the room. Vale and Xavier look at the two of them with some amazement. Their eyes were wide with gaping mouths, shocked by her action and chuckles came to the two of them.
“Safe to say. She heard us arguing on the terrace,” Xavier said to Vale, trying to open a conversation.
“Yeah... The poor future Duke Spencer though, Heirim will chew him alive if she knows he abandoned his sister to take home a silver pass peasant.” Vale told him, full of sarcasm.
Then they grew quiet again. Xavier rustled his hair in frustration while he stands up from the sofa. He took a document from a desk and step out of the room.
Vale tried to call him, and said, “Xave! Give me some time, I’ll give you the answer soon.”
“Whatever. I need to report the incident anyway, not to mention one casualty. That poor servant...” Muttered Xavier, He stopped and turned his head to Vale, “Just... don’t take too long, okay?”
Nodded at Xavier, they part ways while the night has begun to linger. Vale went back to the barrack and took a rest. On the other side, inside Duke Spencer’s carriage, Henry and Anne were sitting while looking around uncomfortably, while the blue eyes Knight captain was sulking in his seat.
“I can’t believe you dragged me out from the palace, while I wasn’t even your partner in the first place.” Gruntled Henry.
Anne felt guilty for Henry. The reason she pulled him was for Vale and Xavier to speak about their problem. “I’m sorry Henry, I really want you to teach me about these Civil Service Exam Rules.”
Henry let out a sigh and smiled at her, “Gods! I don’t know what should I do with you! Here, let me explain it to you.”
For the rest of the journey, Henry mentored Anne on how to argue her case, in case the exam committee gives her a hard time. She was impressed by how fluent the playboy knight captain was with the Valorian law, and then it came to her realization, a dukedom is one step behind the royal family, they’re the first in line when the royalty perishes.
The royalty and the duke’s children, probably growing up together, have the same education. Henry caught her staring at him.
“I know that I have one of the most beautiful faces in this kingdom, but must you stare at it for that long?” Chuckled Henry, while Anne was blushing in her seat.
“Oh, shut up! I was curious. Why do you choose to become a knight, rather than a magic knight?” Said Anne to Henry. That was in fact the truth. She knows about Heirim took the exam to become a magic knight, but Henry is choosing to become a regular knight, which baffled her, “Your sister took the magic knight entrance exam, but why did you decide to become a knight? Although it is totally fine if you don’t want to answer my curiosity.”
He loved how she was kind of noisy and also reserved smiling at her, Henry then said, “Don’t worry, It wasn’t a big secret anyway, I became a knight because I have a low percentage of magica.”
Our heroine’s eyes got widened, she never knew that a noble could have a low level of magica, “Really? Like how low? Wait, you don’t have...”
“No, I have told you it is okay. My percentage is twenty percent, while Heirim has like eighty-two percent.”
“Oh wow! She has a lot of magica, almost as much as Vale.”
“Well, to tell you the truth, Vale’s percentage of magica is the highest in all the kingdom.”
She remembered the peered eyes of the nobles at the dorm, “Yeah, I can see people stared at him when he comes to the dorm. He is famous, now I can see why.”
“Yes, there are so many lords that want him to offer their daughter to him.” Henry winked at her, trying to tell her about how massive Vale’s popularity was.
Laughter came from the carriage, Henry’s charm was spreading around, and it kind of rubbed on Anne. Suddenly, when they passed one of the parks, Henry told the driver to stop.
“Wait, Henry, why do we need to stop here?” Asked Anne, a bit confused.
Henry just gave her a grin and extended his hand. “Come on, you’ll need to see this.”
The moment she goes out of the carriage, her mouth gaped open and her eyes sparkle with amazement. They were inside the citizen festival, and the large majority of the people that didn’t get invited to go to the palace were having their own festivities in the park. Henry knows she doesn’t have much time to enjoy the palace ball.
“Oh, Henry this is amazing!” Squealed Anne, while her hand tightly held onto his arm. “Thank you so much.”
A feeling of Joy came into him, nudging at her. He whispered to Anne, “This is just one of my surprises.”
In the middle of the crowd, the knight captain pulled her into the middle of the festival. Anne’s heart was throbbing as crazy, anticipation and excitement came into her at the moment. What could be the surprise that Henry was telling her?
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