A bright yellow hue filled the air, shining carefully on the valley, and barely any people walked through the streets. The yellow rays landed on Ena's skin, countering the cold atmosphere.
Her footsteps echoed through the narrow pathway, breaking the silence, while she pressed forward. She had just escaped her father's nagging by escaping her manor, and she flailed her arms upwards, her bones cracking as she did.
Ena's father would always lecture about her mischievous behaviour and her constant attempts to sneak out of the mansion. But she hated the idea of her own freedom getting taken away.
His overprotectiveness had been nothing short of pure annoyance. Her father always insisted on having a servant by her side, like a butler or a maid, but she would always drive them out the moment they were introduced or just disappear completely from their sight.
She had never really understood his persistence. She was capable in many ways: Combat, academics, and… That's about it; she never really thought about anything else except those two things.
BUT still, she was a prodigy in those two categories. Yet his paternal instincts still took over, insisting on going with at least a guardian.
And as the years pass, these instincts have only become more intense. Though it wasn't noticeable, it wasn't subtle enough for her not to notice. His wariness eventually caught up to Ena, and he became more cautious in going out alone.
Her father was always one of those types who remained calm and collected during intense situations. But the single idea of Ena shopping without accompaniment made him panic.
Though it felt silly, she just scoffed at him as someone who was overprotective for no reason. The real issue was doubting his own daughter's independence.
'How'd he even find my old route!?"
She shook her head aggressively, her long hair swaying along with the motion. Her palms were gripping tightly to her scalp. She continued for a good while before finally stopping.
She calmed herself; her hair spread out in all directions—Especially the front—blocking her sight. She took her index and middle fingers and parted the front like a curtain.
'What am I doing? I look like a lunatic. Who cares about that route anyway? I was getting tired of it.'
She recalled her first time using that route —the sewers. Especially that one time she fell on the liquid, which ruined her favourite sundress, so because of that, she had to return to the manor and take a shower.
Now seeing it differently, she could imagine how her father discovered it in the first place. And for once, she felt thankful he did. She could no longer stand how much it smelled after getting out.
'Maybe it wasn't that bad.'
She nodded to herself before gazing at the sky. A wild smile appeared as she took a deep breath of the clean air.
As she stared at the bright silver sky… Silver?
She regained her composure and cleared her vision. A silhouette of a youthful man covered the sky, creating a large shadow beneath him as he jumped from the building next to her.
He wore a formal suit that resembled a butler's attire. His features were memorable; his grey eyes complemented his white, eerie hair. Her eyes widened, observing closely as if she saw a portrait.
In his hand was a briefcase, which he carried with him as he leaped. Then he disappeared from her vision.
'What the hell? Is that guy insane? Who would jump from one building to another, that guy probably thinks his special or something.'
'This would've been the perfect day if it weren't for that man deciding to be Spider-Guy all of a sudden.'
She rolled her eyes, scoffing while she scratched her neck.
'Who cares, none of my business anyway.'
She pressed her hand on her hips, her eyes widening once more. She crumbled her hand into a fist, preparing to punch the wall, but stopped just inches from its surface. She had forgotten one of the most important things when strolling outside.
She forgot her wallet.
"Fuck…"
'Of course… I knew it was too good to be true, finding a new route just after Dad found the old one. It's okay, I can just go back and get it before he comes back.'
He clenched her teeth, grinding them before turning back to the manor.
***
'Ah, right, I forgot. The tie broke.'
She sprawled on the ground, screaming through her sleeve, muffling the noise. How she got out of the manor in the first place was… Cringe. She had tied up multiple cloths together and formed them into a rope.
Classic princess style… It became clear to her that she shouldn't imitate fantasy with reality, just because they're fascinating.
What was more embarrassing was that she ignored that code and did it anyway. Luckily, no one was around to see her beet-red face.
She was scared to use her ability. Her father might sense it if she activated it, or if not, at least follow its strong scent. A palm covered her forehead while she tapped it carefully.
An Idea struck her like a thunderbolt. She stared at the walls, nodding in agreement to her own plan. Just when her skin was inches from the cement, she hurried to pull it back.
'No, I can't climb, he added, runes to prevent robbers from intruding in."
She had no choice but to use a skill. Though her father might detect it, it was still infinitely better than using her ability, which is more detectable.
Skills were a substitute for abilities that used mana as fuel instead of stamina—like abilities. Skills can range from natural—cooking—to unnatural—like producing venom straight out of their hands. They could either be learned or acquired through a scroll.
'I'm sure he won't notice as long as I make it subtle'
She bent her knees, charging up for a jump. She released her feet from the ground and instantly appeared on the railing of her window. She had acquired his skill when she was still a little kid. She had learnt this skill on the playground whilst playing tag.
It proved to be very useful when running away or chasing kids; some kids stopped playing the game entirely after that.
But it was relatively useless to her now, whereas she could jump ten times that amount. The only difference was that the skill allowed her to move without a trail or sound.
She darted her gaze toward the door, carefully studying it before she let go of her paranoia and allowed herself to relax. Then the door clicked just as she let her guard down. She panicked and gritted her teeth.
She kicked the tied cloth behind the chair. Turning her head forward to bow. She pressed her hand on her chest—changing her demeanour.
"I, Ena Hyakagure, greet the family patriarch."
Her father didn't say a word; only silence filled the air as they stood still in their position. Ena's face turned, instantly realised why he wasn't responding.
Slowly raising her head, she was met with her father's confused and cringed expression. His mouth was slightly open, too stunned to even move. Ena only redirected her gaze away from him while they remained in the awkward tension.
"What are you doing?" He asked.
"I have a play coming up…" She responded.
"Did you sneak out again? Why even ask that question? That should already be given. How did you even find a new route? I just caught you today, and you're doing it again!?"
She scoffed it off, flicking her wrist dismissively.
"What do I look like sixteen to you? I'm not that immature; those things are beyond me. If anything, I like staying home!"
He nodded at her statement while he stared at the tied cloth that looped around her feet. "Uh huh."
He pinched his nose bridge in disappointment. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it before it could even come out. He scratched the back of his neck whilst he studied her.
He used multiple gestures to express his disappointment without speaking his mind. Ena only stared with a stern expression.
"So why are you here?"
"Follow me, I have someone I'd like you to meet."
He turned his back toward his daughter and walked away. After he disappeared from her view, he reviewed what he had said. 'Like you to meet,' she had heard her father say those same words before, and had already realised what type of person she was going to meet.
"I don't need a servant! I can take care of myself!" She exclaimed from her room, rushing beside him.
"This is for your own good. Besides, there aren't a lot of people who even have servants like you do; you should be grateful you're a semi-pure"
After the awakening period, everyone's genetics have mixed due to overproduction and foreigners reproducing with other foreigners. But despite that, nationalities remained tied to birthplace. So if you were born in Russia, you'd be Russian.
But… Not everyone was mixed; some wanted to preserve their traditions exactly—Many families had decided to maintain their 'pure' nationality and would only engage with other families that had the same mindset.
But through the course of 100,000 years? Only a few sums had managed to maintain it till this day, somewhat pure. These families would go on to be political due to their representation and respect from humanity.
Ena had known about this since she was a child, but had never experienced training or preparation to be one.
After traversing through the halls, they had made it to her father's office. As the door opened, a youthful man stood next to her father's desk, his posture absolute and proper. His white hair highlighted the room, while his grey eyes gave brightness.
He bowed elegantly, his hand on his chest, before speaking.
"I greet the head."
"I'd like you to meet Haruo, your new butler."
Ena's face exploded with surprise; she had recognised the man in a single glance, for she had just met him earlier.