My Disfigured Duke Husband Helps Me Plot My Revenge
Chapter 43: Protecting Herself Unknowingly

Chapter 43: Protecting Herself Unknowingly

Time slowed as Leonor found herself in an emergency. She failed to heal the injured man and the ceiling started to collapse because she wasn’t focused at all on her surroundings.

There was a split-second thought that she had failed. She wasn’t good enough to be a mage. Her father was right. Her mother– Valerio–

Her thoughts became segmented as she started to panic, but panic was what forced her to start reacting.

Eve disappeared as Leonor’s mana surged. The cat’s purpose was fulfilled in helping her master out of a tight situation.

A pale blue shield enveloped Leonor and the man she was next to. The rocks that fell slid off of the dome around them. She didn’t drop the shield until there was no more hollow echo of rock hitting her shield.

They were engulfed in dust from the collapse and both of them started coughing.

"You couldn’t have held it a bit longer?" the man asked, his voice hoarse.

She cast him a look of shock.

"I saved you!" she exclaimed.

She was only met with a smug expression as the man turned away. She was more surprised by the fact he wasn’t crying out in pain since he was buried in rocks. However, there wasn’t a moment to think logically.

The ceiling had entirely fallen into the cave and she was hit with sunlight for the first time in a few hours as the dust cleared. She had to squint at first to see anything.

She raised a shaky hand as she tried to see what was above her, but what startled her was the voice from below. It changed to one she recognized. After the past couple of weeks, it was a voice she knew well.

"Defensive magic," Quinn said, not holding back his amazement. "Not a healer, after all."

Leonor’s eyes went back to the man near her and she saw the magic illusion cast on Quinn dissolve. His short silver hair took the place of mousy brown and the wrinkles disappeared. Her mana partner revealed himself.

"Quinn!" she cried, completely overwhelmed. She resisted the urge to hug him considering she had learned he didn’t appreciate being touched. "What does this mean?"

He pushed the fake rocks off of himself. Leonor only realized then that they weren’t real and were made of something unbelievably light. The ones that fell on Leonor’s shield were fake as well. Real rocks would have certainly gone right through a shield with such a low amount of mana. However, suspension of disbelief was the only way to test students.

"On the mana scale, you’re on the opposite end of me," Quinn explained. "Your type shields while mine attacks. We’ll be compatible in quite a few training exercises though I won’t be able to teach you much more than practical experience of getting attacked. It will be the surest way to build good responses."

Leonor was still staring at him in disbelief. She didn’t know how to handle the last few moments. She didn’t know if she was processing or simply frozen.

"You won’t be having to teach her much at all," a voice said from where the cave had opened.

Both students’ heads snapped in that direction.

Walking over rubble was an instructor with a dark grey robe over her clothing. Leonor had seen her before but only from afar.

She had black hair and beautiful purple eyes that Leonor felt transfixed by. A raven flew over them and landed on her shoulder – undoubtedly the professor’s familiar.

"Professor Letizia," Quinn greeted her. "I trust that means Lady Leonor will be taking your learning path."

The professor held out a hand and revealed a shield patch Leonor would be able to sew into her robes.

"You’re correct," Professor Letizia said. "Welcome to the defensive magic path. We’re excited to have more defenders. You’re the fourth student out of thirty to finish the test but the first in the defensive magic category."

"Thank you so much," Leonor managed to utter. "I’m so excited to truly begin."

"Please believe in yourself," the professor said. "I have been told that you’ve shown impressive ability despite only being in your first year at the Academy. I have also heard from others that you’re the daughter of Countess Jara von Burien. It’s no wonder you were accepted into the Academy so easily, but that also means I have high expectations for you."

Leonor wanted to correct her and say it was all the Prince’s doing, but she simply smiled at the compliment. It was rare that someone talked about her mother rather than her father.

"Thank you," Leonor responded shyly. "Although, now that I’m thinking of my mother, I have to wonder. Why am I not a healer like she was?"

The professor smiled and thoughtfully stroked the black wing of the raven on her shoulder.

"Mana isn’t necessarily decided by family lines," she admitted. "It can be based on the environment you have experienced so far in your life. Perhaps your mana thought you needed a way to protect yourself. It works in unexplainable ways that continue to be researched by mages here in Magia."

Leonor’s eyes widened in realization. She didn’t want to admit out loud that she had always been in a combative environment where she could use the protection. Especially more recently when her father had shown his true colors.

"Thank you for the information, professor," Leonor responded quietly. "I will have to look into this research a bit later."

"That you will," she said. "Now let us go so we can see the results of the others. You can rest now. Your new class schedule will be given to you tomorrow."

As she left the cave with a new mentor and her mana partner in tow, Leonor felt a new sense of acceptance within herself. She had made it to the door, but it was time to walk through. Her life at the Academy was just beginning.

Time started going by much more quickly.

For her first year, things went smoothly. Second and third year, Leonor made it to the number two position in her class with Quinn always at the top. The year after that Quinn graduated and became a professor.

However, as she ended her fourth year and started to contemplate staying for summer sessions or returning to Burien for a few months, she lost contact with Prince Stephano. They had been sending each other consistent letters but he suddenly stopped.

The news from Coeurvalle would forever change her view of the Prince.