I Have Time On My Side!

Both of them climbed the stairs to the second floor of the house, where the atmosphere was calmer, almost deserted.

As they walked down the long corridor, a maid appeared and approached Nolan with a slight bow.

"Allow me to carry the basket, Mr. Nolan," she said respectfully.

Nolan handed her the basket of bread and, in a relaxed tone, instructed,

"Prepare them well and bring them upstairs in about five minutes. We'll be studying."

The maid nodded quickly and left to carry out the task.

Emily watched her leave, still bewildered by the formality of everything happening around her.

They continued walking until they reached a spacious room, with finely decorated stone walls, large windows letting in sunlight, and a series of shelves filled with books, artifacts, and scrolls.

Emily stood in awe as she entered.

The room was larger than any she had seen in her life.

The simplicity of her own home seemed like a distant dream compared to this place, where everything seemed designed for luxury and comfort. She felt a mix of awe and nervousness, and as she looked around, she couldn't help but think she didn't belong there.

Finally, gathering her courage, she spoke, though her voice trembled slightly.

"What… what do you expect me to do?"

Nolan, sitting in one of the chairs near the window, looked at her with a slight expression of confusion.

"Nothing," he replied simply, as if he didn't understand why she was so nervous.

"Sit down," Nolan added, gesturing to the chair near his.

Still confused, Emily did as he asked and sat down, though her posture was stiff, as if she were constantly on alert.

Nolan looked at her calmly and, after a brief pause, asked,

"So, what was it you wanted to know about the academy?"

Emily, remembering her initial reason for being interested in him, began speaking quickly, almost without thinking.

"Well, it's just that I don't want to do my job poorly now that I'm working with you, I don't want to distract you or make mistakes, and I don't want you to think I'm not capable, it's just that… I don't know if I should be asking you this now or if I should be paying more attention to what I should be doing because… well, I don't want to be a burden…"

Emily's words tumbled out, driven by nerves, and Nolan could barely keep up.

Seeing her so agitated, he raised a hand gently to calm her.

"Relax," Nolan said in a serene voice, "I don't mind telling you about the academy, nor teaching you magic, if that's what you're interested in."

"T-teach me magic?" Emily repeated, her eyes widening. "Are you joking?"

"No," Nolan answered, straightforward but sincere.

Emily shot up and began pacing the room.

Excitement and nervousness enveloped her, and her mind raced.

She couldn't believe what she had just heard.

She was going to learn magic!

Real magic!

Her steps, growing more and more frantic, started to become a little chaotic, which Nolan found amusing. He watched with a slight smile as Emily moved in circles, overwhelmed by excitement.

After a few moments, she stopped abruptly, realizing she had been acting somewhat ridiculous.

"I'm so sorry," she said, embarrassed, lowering her head.

Nolan chuckled softly.

"Don't apologize so much, it's okay," he assured her, easing the mood.

"It's just… everything is happening so fast, I can hardly process it…" Emily confessed, letting the uncertainty and amazement show in her voice.

"You can take your time to think about it," Nolan said, always calm. "If you want, while you think it over, I can tell you about my time at the academy."

Emily nodded automatically, as if her body was responding for her.

It was hard to keep her emotions in check when everything that had happened today felt like something out of a fairy tale.

Nolan began to speak.

"I got into the academy because I scored the highest on the entrance exams."

Emily's eyes widened.

"The highest score?! But… that exam is extremely difficult!"

Nolan shrugged modestly, but before he could continue, the door opened, and the maid entered, carrying a tray with the breads they had bought.

The breads were perfectly prepared, decorated with fine herbs and accompanied by small dishes of honey, butter, and exotic fruit jams.

Everything was so different from what Emily had known.

The maid, though surprised to see her master behaving so casually with an unknown young woman, maintained her composure and set the tray on the table.

Nolan dismissed her with a gesture, and the maid left, leaving the two of them alone again.

As Emily took a small piece of bread and began eating it quickly, Nolan watched her with curiosity.

"So, what kind of magic would you like to learn?" he asked.

Emily, swallowing her bite hastily, answered enthusiastically,

"I'm interested in wind magic. I've heard you can fly with it, and… I've always dreamed of exploring the world from the sky…"

Nolan smiled, amused, but his tone was a bit more serious when he replied.

"Flying sounds great, but if you don't manage your mana properly, you could fall from a dangerous height. Or even become an easy target for hunters or enemy mages."

"Please don't burst my bubble!" Emily exclaimed with a playful hint of frustration, making Nolan laugh.

The conversation continued, and Nolan asked,

"At least, do you know the state of your mana core?"

Emily shook her head, lowering her gaze to the bread.

"No, I've never been able to see it. I don't know how, and I don't have the money to get it checked…"

"We could use tomorrow to have the healer check your core," Nolan suggested casually.

Emily looked up, surprised.

"Would you really do that for me?"

"Of course," Nolan replied without hesitation.

Emily's joy was palpable, but at the same time, a new doubt arose in her mind.

As she sat and looked at him, she thought to herself,

'Why is Nolan being so kind to me?'