(Side S. 3) Nobility.

Alice.

The sun's bright warm light was piercing the windows striking the delicate red carpet on the ground, the smooth white stone walls filled with paintings from renowned artists, a black wood desk next to a single floor to ceiling window. A girl was sitting on the desk chair, her head was laying on the desk looking distantly at the bright sky with unfocused honey-colored eyes that matched her somewhat messy hair.

Sigh.

'Why are things like th-'

"Milady." I was interrupted by my maid as I was lifelessly muttering. I slowly lifted my heavy head turning my line of sight away from the window, I looked at the maid. She was unmoving and looking at me with worried eyes. I just did a forced smile and said with a hollow voice.

“Yeah I am fine, don’t worry about me.” She was just standing there, looking at me, opening her mouth to say something but closing it soon after. Without making a single sound. I just laid my head on my desk again while looking outside of the window, as I did that. I heard the door open and close, it was probably the maid leaving. I continued watching outside the window. It was a beautiful view of the capital, you could see the bright sun cast its light over the garden with flowers that bloomed in a myriad of colors. The black mansion gates, then multiple elegant and luxurious houses around. You could see the grandiose castle of the royal family with its imposing stone brick walls, however… I felt nothing... I felt nothing when looking at the familiar scenery, I started muttering in melancholy.

‘Why is the world like this… so uneventful… Is this what life is about? Studying at the magic academy, keeping up with the noble etiquette? I don't even want to be a mage, is this what life is truly about? Being classless and acquiring a class then die?’ I lifelessly questioned my existence. I let out a sigh when I was done. the sun was setting. ‘I guess I should move from he-’ As I was muttering I heard a knock on my door. I straightened myself on the chair and somewhat fixed my messy hair.

“Come in.”

The doorknob twisted and clicked. The door slowly opened without making much sound, there stood Gerard the head butler with his somewhat wrinkled face and white short hair.

“Milady. dinner is ready.” He just said that with an emotionless expression, as he finished he bowed and closed the door. ‘I guess it’s time for dinner. Dinner it is then! Not looking forward to it at all.’ I had such thoughts while I started changing into a more formal attire. In the middle of it, a maid came into the room to help me finish dressing. The dress was a standard noble red dress for kids. ‘Even things like this are the same…’ I murmured in disappointment. I exited my room walking without any care or rush.

Butlers and maids bowed in my presence. I walked downstairs trying to be as elegant as possible before I could think I found myself at the dining hall, it had an extremely long black wood table that was covered in white cloth filled with chairs. However, there was nothing there. No dishes, no utensils. I was looking at the scenery with a somewhat confused face as I was looking. A butler walked into the room and froze when he saw me.

“M-Milady, you are not supposed to be here. I-It’s in the other room.” He spoke in a somewhat nervous tone as if I was going to be offended by such a thing. But the other room?  I started muttering ‘Is that how it was? No one told me anything about it’, the butler’s smile cracked when he saw me muttering. ‘Ah, this is bad.’ I looked at the butler.

“Thank you.” I thanked him, and made my way to the other room, exiting the dining hall. The butler stood there unmoving. I did not see him move anyways. I kept walking with all the time in the world, and I found myself in front of a pair of imposing black oak doors with golden doorknobs, they were probably twice my height. There were no servants around so, I twisted the golden knob of one of the doors, it made a satisfying click sound. However, I could not quite open the door, placing my whole weight on it the door bulged and started to move. When the door was slightly open I straightened myself and tried to push it in the least brute way possible. Slowly but surely the door was opening, I started to see the bookshelves filled to the brim with colorful books and a pale white ceiling. When the door finally opened there was a big dark oak desk with gold borders, and a floor to ceiling window behind it with wine-red curtains, however, there was no one behind the desk. Instead, I saw that person sitting on a chair next to a wood table that clearly was put there just for the occasion, the figure stopped reading documents and slowly lifted his head to see who entered the room. As soon as he placed his eyes on me, his expression turned to one of a faint smile and emotionlessly said.

“Welcome, my beloved daughter.”

“Ah, hello father.” I said while scratching the back of my head. He frowned by my rude behaviour but decided to not say anything, I smoothly walked as elegantly as possible and sat on the chair that was across him. I struggled to get on the chair, as soon as I straightened myself after sitting. My father rang the small polished silver bell that was on the table. I heard faint footsteps and a butler entered the room and placed a white table cover with small golden frills on top of the table. As I was watching, the butler left and another butler stepped into the room and placed white ceramic plates and a variety of different sized silverware. Looking at it. Thoughts about how dumb this whole etiquette for eating is… Gerard and another butler walked into the room holding silver platters. They began serving us elegantly without wasting any movements. Looking at this I unconsciously muttered. ‘Befitting of the family of a Viscount, huh.’ Luckily no one heard me, once the plates were set they bowed and left easily closing the hulking door that I struggled so much to open. A rich and fragrant smell reached my nose, it was the food.

The food was the only thing I looked forward to, steamed shiny smooth vegetables. A juicy steak of pork meat and recently baked bread that looked so soft you could mold it. As I looked at the food with piercing eyes that would scare any person, my father spoke.

“My daughter...” I heard his cold voice followed by silence.

I have made a mistake… I slowly lifted my head to look at my father, he was frowning and looking at me with scornful eyes. A drop of sweat was running down the side of my head. I was unmoving from his piercing gaze, his muscles somewhat relaxed and spoke again, this time in a somewhat friendlier tone.

“My daughter, congratulations on your ninth birthday, I hope you grow up to be an excellent mage.” Hearing this my fake smile became somewhat stiff. I answered with a slight stutter.  

“T-thanks.” My father frowned yet again from my disrespectful reply, however, he did not say anything for the rest of the dinner. Sadly the “delicious” food was tasteless after that happened. I did not have the appetite and basically forced myself to eat. Once we had eaten the food, my father rang the small bell yet again. Gerard came into the room with another butler. The butler took all of the used dishes and silverware and left, Gerard bowed and also left.

I found myself in front of my father, with nowhere to go. He just kept looking at me with sharp and piercing eyes, I was beginning to grow uncomfortable and started to fidget with my hands while looking at them. I heard his voice again.

“My daughter, have you acquired the mage class yet?” I froze and stopped fidgeting, I looked up to see him, he still had the same eyes. I opened my mouth to speak, but I closed it again and looked down to see my hands again. I was still classless, how would he react? Would he disown me? What should I do? I guess it’s better to tell him than him figuring out…

“I-I have not.” He frowned yet again, I could see a vein pop on his head. With a somewhat weird but unfriendly tone, he spoke.

“I hope you do it soon, you may leave.” He just dismissed me like that, I was frozen for a second but got off from my chair and started walking towards the dark oak door. I tried to open it but I struggled, I heard a sigh from behind me and the bell ringing. One of the doors opened and Gerard was there, he was somewhat confused but seeing me he just moved aside for me to pass through the door. I just left without making a single sound walking up the stairs and arriving at the main hallway that leads to my room. There were no maids nor butlers. I relaxed my tense shoulders.

‘Sigh, I wonder how long this will continue.’ I muttered while walking on the endless red carpet that led to my room.

‘Are classes really that important, why a mage? I do not understand anything about this place. Do I even need a class? It is not like I will live longer if I get one. It is just for show…’ Complaining the whole way I arrived in front of my room with a way less imposing door that I could open. I opened the door to my completely dark room and hurriedly closed it without making any sound. I took off my dress in a hurry and threw it on the ground. I rushed to my bed and jumped into it letting my body hit it and lifelessly lay on it.

‘Do I really need to keep going through this? Why does my father keep insisting me on becoming a mage? Just...’ I muttered in a weak tone. My vision was turning blurry and I could feel a humid sensation run through my cheeks. I was crying. ‘I just want to see the world, I do not want to stay at a mansion and at the academy my whole life only for money or for the sake of my family’s bloodline.’ I continued muttering my complaints and dug my head on my pillow. I started to feel dizzy, and could not focus my eyes on anything. My brain was slowly drifting until I fell asleep while pouring on my pillow.

‘Rage, disappointment, and disappointment in myself’ Those are the first things that come to my mind when I think just how dinner with my daugher went, she opened that door by herself in such a brute way… She kept lifelessly looking at her surroundings and muttering under her breath. Where did I go wrong? I find myself restlessly tapping my fingers on my desk trying to think about the answer.

“How does this happen!” I slammed my clenched fist on the desk. How do you even make such a mistake, like I did? She has not even acquired the mage class yet, you would think she would be eagerly trying to learn knowing she has the amazing privilege to be able to enroll in the magic academy. Yet she hasn’t even acquired the class… ‘Is it because she is untalented? Is it my fault?’ I grabbed my head with both of my hands trying to reach the answer to my thoughts.

“M-... M-...” I was interrupted from my deep thoughts by Gerard, he was standing in front of my desk while fidgeting with his white-gloved hands, he had a drop of sweat running down the side of his head. He just had called for me but I could barely hear it. Gerard was looking at me with eyes full of worry.

“I am fine Gerard, you may go.” Gerard stopped fidgeting and opened his mouth to say something but closed it again. He bowed and left closing the extremely heavy doors making a click sound that resounded inside the whole room.

‘Sigh, I need to re-think about a lot of things.’ I muttered as I relaxed my whole body and let it slide down my chair.