"Sis..." Asha halted, then corrected herself, "Louise, I''m relieved to see you finally awake," she said, tears of happiness welling in her eyes. Her worries had grown with each passing day as her loyal guard remained in aa despite the healer assuring them she would wake up in a few days. Asha quickly stepped forward to embrace her with a wide smile.
As Asha embraced Louise, she felt a wave of relief wash over her. Seeing her friend awake filled her with a sense of hope for the future. However, amidst the joy, a lingering unease remained. The events leading up to Louise''sa had left scars on both of them, scars that would take time to heal.
With a deep breath, Asha gently pulled away from the embrace, her eyes searching Louise''s face for any signs of lingering pain or confusion.
"Are you feeling alright?" She asked, her voice filled with concern.
Louise offered a beautiful smile in response, her gaze reflecting gratitude for Asha''s unwavering support despite their different social standings. "I''m getting there," she replied softly. "But there''s something we need to discuss..."
Louise''s voice quivered as she exined how the two boys stumbled upon her when she wasn''t wearing her enchanted ne. She found herself unravelling the details, telling them about the guard''s origins.
At the same time, the boys scratched their heads in embarrassment. They shouldn''t have barged into the young guard''s room, impatient to see her awake. Their honest mistake led to her revealing one of Asha''s family secrets.
"It''s ok," Asha said, shaking her head, "Arun would have learned about this sooner orter, and I trust Julius."
Then, she took a document from her gray handbag and extended it to Louise with a bright smile, "After you almost lost your life to heroically save us, I negotiated a reward for you with Mother."
Louise''s hands trembled as she grabbed the document while biting her lips. She had caught a glimpse of the title but couldn''t bring herself to trust it was true until she thoroughly read it. Soon, tears started to flow down Louise''s cheeks after confirming everything was real.
"You shall now be known as Louise Kaur, second daughter of the Kaur county." Asha dered in a happy tone.
"It''s like a dreame true. Thank you so much, Asha." Louise sniffled while expressing her gratitude. She was now entitled to the same privileges every noble had. Moreover, she wouldn''t be forced to hide her appearance anymore.
Julius and Arun watched the emotional scene unfold, nodding approvingly and smiling widely. The girl deserved her reward after suffering so much.
Asha''s smile curled wryly as she unveiled the n she and her mother had crafted. Louise would discreetly exit the house, only to return transformed, assuming the role of Asha''s elder sister. In this guise, they would introduce her as a new persona, seamlessly blending into their scheme.
"Well, honesty works as well, I guess," Asha dered, looking mischievously at the two boys before pivoting back to Louise and adding, "If you desire, you can enrol in the college with us."
"Can I really?" Louise asked in disbelief. She never had any hope to learn magic, much less join one of the nine academies.
The three youths nodded in unison, their expressions reflecting unanimous agreement. They all held a favorable opinion of the girl, not only for her selflessness but also for her strength and sharp wit. After all, apart from Julius, she was the sole individual who harbored suspicions that their journey was being sabotaged by an unknown adversary.
Moreover, they all wished to have her join them in their academy days. The thought of their uing reunion at the academy filled the room with a sense of excitement.
The trio couldn''t help but reminisce about the adventures they had shared during their travel, and the prospect of having her join them once again brought smiles to their faces.
Amidst the chatter, Asha''s gaze lingered on the contract, a tangible reminder of her responsibilities. With a deep breath, she refocused her attention on the task at hand, knowing that there was still much to be done.
"I brought the magic contract with me," Asha said, showing a parchment covered by glowing symbols to Julius, "Its binding powers can''t be undone. In case one of the parties breaks the uses, they would be penalised by losing half their magic power."
Julius nodded, understanding that the penalty wasn''t to be taken lightly for any mage. He couldn''t help but recall how long and arduous it was to progress through the tiers. Moreover, the penalty didn''t seem to have a limit. So, if a tier four mage broke the contract''s agreements, his strength would drop all the way down to tier two.
However, as a cultivator, his path was different. He didn''t rely on mana or magic to increase his strength and thus wasn''t impacted by the penalties of those contracts. Of course, he had no intention to renege on his obligations and just analysed the situation rationally.
After taking a few minutes to read the uses, Julius nodded, satisfied.
Asha and her mother would be the owners of the design and have full rights to its productions. Aspensation, Julius would receive twelve per cent of their profits. In addition, he was forbidden to share the bag''s design or to show the production process to anyone.
Seeing nothing out of ce or suspicious in the contract, Julius signed it with a quill lent by Arun.
With their agreement solidified, the group shared a brief moment of camaraderie, their friendship strengthened by the bonds of their shared endeavors.
As they prepared to part ways for the evening, the group exchanged smiles and a few lighthearted remarks, the weight of the signed contract lifting from their shoulders. The anticipation of their coborative efforts brought a newfound energy to the room.
With a final round of well-wishes, Asha bid Julius farewell, her mind buzzing with possibilities. As she made her way home to deliver the signed contract to her mother, thoughts of the different product ranges they could create to maximise their revenue danced in her mind, filling her with a sense of optimism for the journey ahead.