"T-thank you for having me."

I squealed and ran to hug Marina. "You really came!"

"Kyaa!" Marina squeaked and tensed up.

"Ah, sorry." I stepped back and cleared my throat. "Ahem. Thank you for taking the time to visit, Marina."

She shook her head. "N-no, for the lowly me to visit a ducal estate..."

"Don't say that about yourself. Come on!" I took her hand and led her to the library.

Marina gaped around in awe at the books as Lescia prepared tea for us. "There's so many..."

"You can read any that you want." I smiled, pleased at how excited she looked. "Or we can sit and talk while we have treats."

Marina balled her hands up to her chest. "I-I can read at home, so..." She looked at the ground. "I'd rather talk with you," she whispered.

So cuuuuuute!

I grabbed her hands. "That makes me so happy!"

"Really?" Marina blushed and covered her mouth with a hand.

"Really!"

We sat down together, and Lescia brought in some pastries.

I asked the thing that concerned me the most. "Is anyone still harassing you after the tea party?"

Marina shifted around in her seat. "Not as much. My family started feeding me more, and sometimes they would ask about you." She did seem like she had more meat on her, and the clothes that she wore today were of a higher quality. She raised her eyebrows. "Did you act close to me so people would treat me better?"

I shook my head. "I wasn't acting, I really do want to get close to you. And since I care about you, of course I want people to treat you well."

Marina turned a deep shade of crimson again and sipped her tea with both hands.

She was so adorable, I want to just keep teasing her all day.

"What about you, Tia? What happened since last time?" she asked.

"I started learning magic and swordsmanship at the castle!"

"At the castle?"

"Unn! Lux from the mage department and Dan from the royal knights are teaching me!"

Marina's eyes were wide. "You're so amazing, Tia."

"I still have a long way to go." I showed her the crystal ball with the bead. "I'm supposed to guide the bead through those streaks with my magic, but I can't even get it to be stable yet..." I put in a bit of my power. The bead didn't fly and crash around constantly anymore, but it still shook and looped around in random directions.

"I still think that's amazing! I wish I could learn magic too."

"Do you have any elemental affinities?"

"I don't know. I was never tested."

I tilt my head. "Before I was tested I just sort of already... felt it. Like, there was this thing swirling inside me, and when I tried pushing it out like whoosh there would be wind."

Marina stared at her hands. "Push it out how?"

"Like, paah!" I held my hands in front of my chest then threw them in the air.

"Paah!" Marina copied me and a small fire flew out of her palms. "Kyaa!"

I canceled it out with my water magic before the fire could damage anything.

"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry!" Marina held her head in her hands.

"It's okay. That was amazing Marina!" I pat her head. "You can use fire magic!"

"I'm a mage?" Marina looked up at me.

"You could be one!" I got up from my chair and went around the table to hold her shoulders. "You have an affinity for fire, and possibly more!"

There were sparkles in Marina's eyes. "I want to learn to be a mage like you, Tia. Though I guess I will be years behind..."

Normally, magic was taught at a school that nobles and occasionally rich commoners attended from the ages of 12 to 18. Sometimes commoners that were discovered to have a high aptitude for magic were given scholarships.

Exceptions were high ranking nobles, who were sometimes taught by private magic tutors. Being taught by a mage currently in the palace's mage department was even rarer and usually a privilege only for royalty.

"I'll try and ask Lux if we can be taught together."

"Isn't that..."

"At the very least, I think she'll be okay with testing out your affinities and aptitude. It wouldn't hurt to try, right?" I winked.

"Y-yeah!" Marina nodded repeatedly. "Thank you."

"No problem, I want to have a friend to study with too." I beamed.

Lescia knocked on the door and came in. "Ojou-sama, it's time for dinner."

"Already?"

Marina stood up in a hurry. "I'm sorry for staying for so long, I'll head back now."

"Stay for dinner!" I clasped Marina's hand.

"But I can't possibly intrude any longer."

"Please, I want to have dinner with you. I can even send you back on our carriage afterwards." I begged with my eyes.

Marina slowly nodded.

We went to the dining hall, where an elaborate meal for two was prepared. Papa was working late again, so Lescia must have guessed my intentions ahead of time.

"This is fancier than anything I've ever had at home," said Marina.

"I hope you like it." I sat down and gestured for Marina to do the same.

Her face showed several expressions as she ate, and it filled me with joy to see her enjoying her food. We talked about magic and books for a while until tears suddenly fell out of Marina's eyes.

"What's wrong?" I leapt out of my seat.

"I-I'm just so happy." Marina wiped her eyes with her hands. "I always ate alone, so to have someone to eat with..."

I hugged her as tightly as I could. "I'll eat with you anytime, Marina."

"Tia..."

"Come over as often as you would like. If something happens at home that you can't bear, run to me." I pat her back. "If your family tries to do something bad to you... bring up my name."

"I can't-"

"Please. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"...Thank you." Marina hugged me back and cried into my shoulder.

My heart was heavy as I saw Marina off on my house's carriage. She was a nice young girl, she deserved to be treated much better than she was by her family. I wanted to stay by her side to keep her company. A part of me wished that she could come live with me.