Chapter 52 - Apprenticeship
The Castellan spoke but found the atmosphere rather oppressive. With his acumen, he naturally caught on quickly that the people he was about to introduce to each other had already met previously. However, Isaac was tactful in his approach. After he had grasped the situation, he did not reveal it on his face. He gently patted the redheaded beauty’s hands that were holding him. “Come, Rowling. Let Father introduce you to the famous Mage Felic.
“Mage Felic, this is my daughter, Rowling. She has been very fond of studying medicine since young and is also interested in potion making. If Mage Felic ever has the time, you might as well guide her along. Take it as giving me some face.”
“You must be joking, Master Castellan. Miss Rowling has superior medical skills, how could she need my guidance…” Lin Li joked lightly, planning to play this matter off.
The speaker had no intention in his words, yet the listener read her own meanings into it. The phrase “superior medical skills” fell into the ears of Rowling, and at once her pretty face turned ghastly pale. Although Ina had never blamed her, what happened that day still weighed heavily on her mind. If it had not been for the young mage’s insistence, she would have nearly killed her best friend’s father. The thought was like a viper, lodging itself in Rowling’s heart, and kept her in constant self-reproach and remorse.
The Castellan noticed his daughter’s odd expression and asked out of concern, “Rowling… Rowling? What happened, are you feeling unwell?”
“It’s nothing, Father. Go on without me, I’ll be fine after taking a short rest here.”
“Then, take a good rest.” Isaac hesitated for a moment. Still slightly worried, he asked Lin Li for help. “Mage Felic, could you help keep an eye on my daughter for the time being? There are many guests today and I really can’t excuse myself. Rowling has not been in good health since young, I’m afraid. Just in case…”
“This… Alright.” Lin Li paused for a while, but nodded in response.
After Isaac left in a hurry, the atmosphere in the secluded corner became even more awkward.
Both of them did not speak at all until the redheaded beauty broke the silence. “Sorry…”
The sudden apology confused Lin Li. “Hmm?”
“I was wrong the other day. I shouldn’t have doubted your intentions towards Ina, and even more so I shouldn’t have stopped you from treating Mr McGrenn when I wasn’t even confident…” Rowling was as proud as a swan since a young age. Although she had recognized her mistake now, when it came to apologizing, her pretty face was still flushed and her voice quiet like a mosquito.
Lin Li spared a great deal of effort before finally making out what she had said, and felt it amusing in that moment. “You sent the Castellan away on purpose just to tell me this?”
“I… I only wanted to apologize…” Being seen right through at once, Rowling blushed even brighter.
“There’s no need for an apology, we don’t know each other well anyway. If you’re looking for peace of mind, save your apology for Mr McGrenn. The one who was nearly killed in your hands was him, not me.” Lin Li always felt unsettled at the redheaded beauty who had nearly killed McGrenn. At her apology, he suddenly felt irritated for no reason, and put down his wine glass with a cold expression on his face. “If there’s nothing else, can you please leave? I’m not used to being alone with a pretty girl, so leave lest I can’t help my animal instincts from acting up and do something bad…”
“I…” Rowling had never been treated so unkindly by others before. She was aggrieved and angry in that instant; her beautiful eyes fogged and tears were glistening in her eyes, looking ready to fall anytime.
“Anything else?”
Rowling’s red lips opened slightly, but she couldn’t get the words out. Her expression was even more aggrieved, and tears started dripping on the dining table.
Lin Li was made even more frustrated by her crying. He placed his wine glass down and stood up. “You’re not leaving? Then I’ll leave!”
As soon as his obstinacy acted up, he had no care whether it was a black-haired beauty or a red-haired beauty. He kicked his chair aside and walked towards the center of the banquet hall.
Rowling was slightly taken aback, then realized he was indeed leaving. She couldn’t care about the embarrassment anymore; with clenched teeth, she came to a decision. “I… I’d like to learn potion making from you!”
“What?” Lin Li stumbled and nearly fell on the thick carpet. He turned around with a look of disbelief and stared at Rowling for a long while before repeating what she said with much difficulty, “You… You’d like to learn potion making from me?”
“Yes!” Rowling’s flushed face was masked with a look of determination now. “I’d like to learn from you!”
“…” Lin Li stood there in a daze for more than a minute, and asked unsurely, “Are you muddled from anger?”
“I am serious.” Rowling’s eyes were resolute, with a hint of enthusiasm.
“Looks like it’s not mild. I’ll have someone prescribe some medicine for you…” Lin Li did not dare to look into those fervent eyes. He mumbled a curse and was ready to slip away. That fervent look had frightened him, and he did not dare to continue hanging around this wench anymore.
“…” Rowling really wanted to learn potion making. She studied medicine from an early age and had been instructed by a pharmacist. After her medical skills gradually became profound, she discovered that the problems which couldn’t be solved with medical skills could actually be solved with a small bottle of a potion. But pharmacists in Anril were rare; even with Rowling’s noble status, to learn potion making was a purely imaginary matter.
… Until that day at Ina’s place—after the ridiculous misunderstanding, she realized that the person she had misunderstood was actually the pharmacist she had been looking for all along. At that moment, Rowling had been utterly ashamed and regretful. She had been ashamed for she had almost killed her best friend’s father, and regretful for she had let slip a pharmacist. Many times she had wanted to visit the Guild of Magic to apologize in person, but was held back by the hint of reserve in her heart.
To think that she would see the young pharmacist again at her father’s banquet two days later.
This time, Rowling had abandoned her reserve. But the answer she got was “You’re ill, and it’s not mild…”
The aggrievement in Rowling’s heart that she could not express turned into glittering tears that swirled in her eyes before falling in drip drops on the red carpet.