A week had passed since Ethan visited his grandparents in the countryside.
During this time, Chloe’s father, Soren, sparred with him every day.
Every time they fought, the more certain the older man was with his conjectures. Ethan was not only a good fighter, but he was also holding back on him.
At first, he thought that he was just imagining things, but it didn’t take long for him to confirm his assumption.
Soren had been an active guard for a good part of his life. Although he wouldn’t say that he was an extremely talented swordsman, he was better than most people.
Someone with his experience was more than capable of gauging the strength of the person he was fighting with, especially since he had been fighting the same opponent many times already.
Ethan wasn’t aware that he had impressed Chloe’s father to a certain degree that the latter felt at ease, knowing that the handsome young man was capable of protecting his daughter.
Soren understood that Brynhildr Magical Academy wasn’t simple, and his daughter had to do missions from time to time. Some of these missions were dangerous, and truth be told, he was very worried about her.
When he learned that Chloe and Ethan were part of a team that was referred to as Duo, his worry decreased a lot, especially after knowing that Ethan was still holding back on him.
“I concede,” Soren said after Ethan managed to disarm him in their latest clash.
He shook his head helplessly and picked up the sword on the ground before glancing at the handsome young man with a calm expression on his face.
“Ethan, make sure to protect my daughter,” Soren stated.
“I will, Uncle,” Ethan replied. “I won’t let anyone bully her either.”
Soren gave Ethan a brief nod before going back to the house. Today was the day that they would return home, so this was the last time that he would be able to spar against Ethan.
The young man watched his uncle go with a calm expression on his face. When he could no longer see Soren’s figure, he felt something brush against his leg, making him look down.
There, he saw a black cat who was busy rubbing its body on his leg while purring at the same time.
The Pitchfork in his hand disappeared, and he crouched down to pet the cat, which he had only seen for the first time since he arrived at their farm.
To Ethan’s surprise, the fur of the cat was very smooth and silky, making it feel very good to the touch.
The cat purred happily and even laid down on the ground, allowing Ethan to pet it more.
It seemed to be so satisfied with the way Ethan was treating it that its eyes closed, and its purring became louder.
At that moment, Emma appeared to tell Ethan that lunch was ready.
The young lady’s gaze briefly landed on the black cat on the ground before shifting her attention to her Master.
“Lunch is ready, My Liege,” Emma said with a smile. “I helped cook the beef stew. I hope you enjoy it.”
Ethan nodded and played with the cat’s ears one last time before reluctantly standing up.
“Thank you, Emma,” Ethan said. “Let’s go.”
Emma bowed. “Yes, Master.”
The two then returned to the house, leaving the cat behind.
When they could no longer be seen, the cat ran towards the nearest tree overlooking the house and climbed up onto it.
It settled on a tree branch and laid down. Its tail swung from side to side, and its feral eyes looked into the house with an amused expression on its face.
‘So, that is Master,’ the Black Cat thought. ‘He is more gentle and handsome than I thought he would be. It’s quite regrettable that I hadn’t been the one to find him first.’
Suddenly, a faint smile appeared on the cat’s face.
‘Well, there is still a chance,’ the Black Cat mused. ‘As long as the daughter of the Meredith Clan fails to prove her worth, I can take over her position easily. But it won’t be easy. I’m sure that the others are also eyeing her position.’
The Black Cat pondered for a bit.
A moment later, it thought of a good idea that would allow it to be one step closer to its goal.
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lightsΝοvεl ?οm
“You be careful in the academy, okay?” Jessica hugged her daughter. “Don’t forget to write us letters on a regular basis.”
“I will, Mother,” Chloe replied.
Jessica nodded and kissed her daughter’s cheek.
“Don’t do anything dangerous,” Soren said before hugging his daughter.
“I’ll do my best, Father,” Chloe replied as she hugged her father tightly.
Jessica and Soren then gave Ethan a brief nod, and the latter returned this gesture.
There was an unwritten promise between them, and they trusted Ethan to take good care of their daughter while they were still in the academy.
After saying their last goodbyes, the carriage, manned by Ethan’s Grandpa, Benjamin, departed and headed toward the station.
“You have good parents, Chloe,” Luna said with a smile.
“Un.” Chloe nodded. “Next time, it will be my turn to visit your place. I want to know what your parents are like as well.”
The smile on Luna’s face widened as she nodded her head.
She had already written several letters to her parents that mentioned her best friend, Chloe.
They were very curious about her and even asked Luna to bring Chloe with her when she came back home for a visit.
The two young ladies then walked back to the house together, leaving Ethan and Emma behind.
At that moment, the black cat walked up to the handsome young man and once again rubbed its body against his leg.
“Are you a stray?” Ethan crouched down and patted the body of the cat. “I think not. Your fur isn’t dirty, and you look very healthy. You must certainly have an owner.”
Suddenly, Ethan heard a voice inside his head, which surprised him.
“I don’t have an owner.”
At first, Ethan thought that he was just imagining things, so he looked at Emma and wondered if she was playing a prank on him.
Emma, who didn’t hear the Black Cat’s words, looked back at her Master in confusion.
“Yes, Master?” Emma asked. “How may I help you?”
“Did you talk to me just now?” Ethan inquired.
Emma shook her head. “No.”
The Black Cat found their interaction quite amusing, but in order to prevent the handsome young man from having a bad impression of it, it once again spoke to clarify its intention.
“The one who talked is me. I’m the cat in front of you, Master.”
Ethan looked at the Black Cat with a calm expression on his face.
He could tell that the cat wasn’t showing any signs of hostility, but after it talked to him, he understood that it wasn’t a simple creature.
Ethan knew that this magical creature wouldn’t approach him without a purpose, so he decided to be straightforward and took the initiative to ask it some questions.
“Who are you?” Ethan asked. “Why did you approach me?”
Emma, who finally had a gist of what was happening, immediately approached Ethan and stood by his side.
She was already holding her wand in her hand.
If the Black Cat were to try anything funny, she wouldn’t hesitate to riddle its body with holes to ensure that her Master would be safe from harm.