The Runaway Maid is Loved by the Archmage - Chapter 70
“Oh, Maili? You’re back really fast.”
Clearing her throat to announce her presence, Maili stood there with an unfamiliar boy beside her. He looked about sixteen or seventeen years old. Just a bit more growth, and he would lean more toward a young man than a boy. His short, neatly trimmed blond hair suited him well, as did the gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose.
However, he seemed oddly stiff, as if struggling to suppress something.
“I am Josef Amasto, the second son of the Marquisate of Amasto.”
“Don’t be fooled by how he looks—he’s our family’s genius. He’ll definitely teach you much better than I could.”
Thump!
Maili gave the boy a hearty slap on the back, causing him to wobble like a leaf in the wind. He shot her a fierce glare, his sharp eyes an exact replica of Maili’s.
“Wow, even the way they glare is exactly the same.”
Pfft. Roina unconsciously let out a laugh. Josef immediately looked awkward.
“Uh, well, he probably knows a lot about history and politics and stuff. He’s studying, like, four majors at the academy.”
“National Economics, Imperial History, Ancient Linguistics, and Magic Studies.”
“Wow, that’s impressive. They’re somewhat related, but still entirely different fields.”
At Roina’s praise, Josef’s face instantly turned red. Maili’s expression clearly said, “Oh? Look at this guy.”
“Hey, why are you acting all coy?”
“Sister, when have I ever acted coy?”
Josef shut his eyes tightly as he answered. It was obvious he absolutely hated Maili’s amusement.
Maili narrowed her eyes and let out a thoughtful hum, staring at Josef. He averted his gaze, clearly uncomfortable.
Roina thought that Maili must be really close with her younger brother.
“He’s not usually like this, but he gets shy.”
“I’m jealous. Maili, you and your brother are really close.”
She had no siblings. In fact, she barely had family at all. Naturally, she envied relationships that felt like family.
“Me? Close? With him?”
“What?!”
A disgusted groan immediately burst out. Usually, the more people act like they can’t stand each other, the closer they actually are. Roina vaguely wondered if that applied to siblings as well.
“Anyway, thanks for introducing me to such a reliable teacher. I’ll do my best. Maili. I look forward to working with you, Lord Josef.”
Just seeing how naturally the two interacted eased Roina’s tension a little. Though the younger sibling was a bit more formal, both of them seemed to view excessive decorum and noble pretensions as unnecessary.
“Now I’m curious about the Marquis and Marchioness.”
With children like these, their parents were bound to be equally remarkable.
Maili soon excused herself, saying she’d leave them to it, and Roina was left alone with Josef—or rather, not entirely alone, since Fia was still bustling around, diligently handling chores.
Thanks to Fides, a tea set was soon placed between her and Josef.
“Fia may look like a small child, but she brews excellent tea. Please, have a taste.”
“Ah, that child—is she not human?”
Josef had seemed to be struggling to hold something in all this time. Was he suppressing his curiosity? She could understand that urge, so Roina smiled and briefly explained what she knew.
“There exist sentient beings who are born through such principles? Then, does he engage in biological functions? Things like eating or excreting—”
Realizing that he had gone overboard, Josef cleared his throat politely. Roina honestly admitted that she still didn’t know much.
She had never been someone who lacked curiosity, but when it came to magic, she found it academically unfamiliar. After experiencing so many incomprehensible events, she had developed a tendency to simply accept that anything was possible as long as magic was involved.
Come to think of it, she had only ever thought of magic instinctively—never as an academic subject, a theory, or a logical system. Now that she reflected on it, Lutan was the same. He treated magic as naturally as breathing.
“Lord Josef, you said you studied magic, correct? If you don’t mind, could you explain some of the basic theories to me?”
“The basics of magic? Of course, I can.”
Josef smiled brightly and picked up a pen. It was the most joyful expression Roina had seen on him so far.
“He looks just like a grad student who finally found a chance to explain his field of expertise.”
And, in truth, the comparison wasn’t far off. Watching the boy enthusiastically sketch out diagrams as he explained, Roina felt a sense of warmth. A researcher fully immersed in his field, without worrying about others’ opinions. She was grateful to witness such pure enthusiasm, even in this world.
