"Healing... so... my face can be restored?"


    "Hmm... I''m not sure, magic inflicted injuries are supposed to be problematic for your people."


    The ck-haired boy asked, touching the thick bandages covering his face to which the red-haired girl shrugged her shoulders dismissively.


    "...alright... Virgo."


    Aku took a deep breath and focused, trying to repeat whatever he did before with thew of Aquarius.


    "And...?"


    Kierul leaned forward, putting her hands on the mattress and looking expectantly at the boy''s face.


    "...I am not sure, mydy... My face feels numb... but my leg started to itch a little bit... I can''t tell whether it''s working or not..."


    Aku lowered his head apologetically and sulked.


    "Meh. Apparently, the wound in your leg will heal up by itself anyway and should not hamper your mobility too much, that''s the only thing that matters. As for your face... I will find a solution for you so don''t think about it."


    Kierul scoffed, waving her hand dismissively, and got off the boy''s bed.


    "Mydy...!"


    "Hmm?"


    Having said everything that she wanted, the red-haired girl walked towards the door but was stopped by Aku''s timid voice.


    "Thank you... I will do my best to be a good attendant."


    "That much is obvious, Aku~ After all, everyone would love to serve me~"


    The ck-haired boy took a deep breath and dered, to which the red-haired girl snickered and shrugged her shoulders before leaving the room.


    Aku soon discovered that thew of Virgo that Kierul told him to use did work – partially.


    Thanks to it, the hole in his leg closed up and healed within a week – but unfortunately, there was no change to his face.


    His jawbones and teeth werepletely exposed and he had to relearn how to eat to not spill out food from the right side of his face.


    Although it wasn''t an easy thing to do, he began getting the hang of it within a week.


    Within the said week, Kierul would visit him all the time to check on his health and make sure that he will be up for the task of starting the attendant training.


    "You see, my territory is well known for training the best attendants, maids, and butlers in the whole kingdom. I might be just the fourth daughter of the fifth son of the Helterose family, but it is absolutely unthinkable for me to have a subpar attendant. That''s why I expect you to perform better than anyone else"


    Kierul informed Aku while putting on a white mask that would cover the whole face.


    The mask had a somewhat fox-like shape and didn''t actually have holes for eyes, mouth, or nose.


    It was basically a white ceramic te.


    "Mydy...?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Aku reached out and took the mask, raising his brow and looking at Kierul for an exnation.


    "I said that I will do something about your face, haven''t I? You said that you discovered that your ears are so sensitive that they can basically rece your eyes so this should be perfect... or were you lying just to impress me? I do not like empty boasts from my servants, Aku..."


    The red-haired girl exined while squinting her eyes, leaning forward and ring at the ck-haired boy and tapping on the white mask in his hands.


    "I waspletely serious, mydy."


    "Good."


    Aku straightened his back and dered to which Kierul smirked and nodded with satisfaction.


    The ck-haired boy looked at the mask one more time and then put it on, adjusting it so it would be a good fit.


    "Whoa, I kind of expected it to look odd, but this might surprisingly be right up my alley~"


    Kierul tilted her head and her eyes widened when Aku faced her very clearly waiting for her opinion.


    "Learn to eat without taking it off or at least to eat in such a way that you don''t need topletely remove it. Also, I notified the head butler that you are starting the attendant training tomorrow so don''t bete. It''s time for you to learn how to earn your keep."


    "As you wish, mydy."


    The red-haired girl instructed wagging her finger at Aku and the masked boy bowed towards her without a second of hesitation.


    --------


    Therge ballroom was decorated in the most pompous manner to the point that only the parties in the royal castle couldpete with its splendor.


    Such a thing was both a deration and a challenge – the up-anding Helterose family was extending its power and reaching toward the title of one of the great families.


    After all, even though there were no records of the six great families ever-changing their members, at the same time there was now or tradition forbidding any additions...


    ...not to mention that the sixth great family ceased to exist a few years prior...


    Bellcephora, Banemor, Espine, Derizno, Victureo, Moyena... amongst them the Banemor line was extinguished because of the alleged treason and rampant corruption, leaving a nice vacant spot that Helterose was eyeing out hungrily.


    As for the reason the party was organized in the first ce – it was a joyous asion, the eleventh birthday of the youngest child in the Helterose family.


    Youngdy Kierul Berra Helterose.


    Normally, a fourth daughter of a fifth son would not get nearly as much recognition nor money put into a celebration under her name, but Helterose''s family head was desperate to show off to other nobles.


    Truth be told, youngdy Kierul was destined to y second fiddle at her own birthday, if to gather any attention at all.


    All of her older siblings and cousins would use the opportunity to make contact and hopefully befriend the youths from other noble families.


    ...and even before she had her grand entrance people were already whispering amongst each other pointing at her father and talking nonchntly with the current family head.


    Honestly, not being apanied by the male parent while that parent was alive and well during a female''s birthday was the ultimate sign that the family had no hopes for the girl.