Chapter 17: Mana capacity

"Lady Celia," Mariette said gently, stepping closer. "You're bending the grass."

I squinted upward. "Let the grass suffer with me."

She knelt anyway, brushing a blade off my cheek like I was something precious and ridiculous all at once. "There's another method we could try. Something simpler. Quiet, focused."

I blinked. "Now?"

Her eyes flicked toward Valeria, who was currently correcting a student's posture across the courtyard. "She won't notice if you're subtle."

I sat up, curiosity stirring. "Will it work?"

Mariette offered me a small nod. "You've practiced your mana for years. Trust that. Breathe deeper. Don't force control—invite it."

It sounded a bit like spiritual nonsense, but I closed my eyes and followed her words anyway. A slower breath. A gentler pull. This time, I didn't reach for my mana. I let it come to me.

And it did. All at once.

Suddenly my mana is forcibly increasing it feels like.

Warmth surged in my chest—not wild like before, but deep and steady, like a rising tide. My skin tingled. The air around me thickened. Somewhere close by, Mariette shifted.

"Slow down," she said quietly. "You're drawing too much—"

But I didn't hear the rest.

Because Seraphina's thoughts, serene and controlled, suddenly jolted. Her concentration cracked like glass under pressure.

…That's too much mana.

She tried to re-center, but the sudden pulse had shattered her flow. When she opened her eyes, they landed on me.

I sat there, calm and oblivious, completely unaware that the mana around me was swelling into something unnatural. Dense. Alive.

Mariette stood quickly, tension in her posture. "Celia, you need to stop. Now—"

But it was too late.

The pressure broke.

A thunderous pulse of mana exploded from my core, soundless but heavy—rippling across the courtyard like a dropped stone in still water.

Far across the field, Valeria froze mid-step.

Her skin prickled.

That wasn't a student's mana. That was something far more advanced. Refined. Massive.

Her breath caught, her spine tensed. A grandmaster? An intruder?

No—her eyes narrowed, irises briefly flashing with the golden hue of her trained vision. A private spell. A secret few knew she had.

And then she saw it.

The mana was coming from me.

From Celia Averna.

From a ten-year-old girl sitting in the courtyard, blinking in confusion like she'd dropped a cup, not a continent's worth of magical pressure.

Valeria didn't move closer. She didn't need to. She watched. Studied. Her voice didn't rise, but it carried across the grass with intent.

"Did anyone else feel that?"

The other students looked around blankly.

No one raised a hand.

Seraphina remained quiet, her eyes fixed on me with new focus. Her thoughts reeled.

Impossible… She doesn't even realize it.

Mariette exhaled sharply beside me, smoothing her sleeves as if to hide her moment of panic. "Well," she murmured, almost to herself, "that was dramatic."

"What was?" I asked.

She turned her eyes on me. "You just knocked out half the birds in the trees, Lady Celia."

I glanced upward. "Oops?"

A second later, Valeria appeared, arms crossed, expression unreadable.

"Tell me," she said, voice cool, "were you trying to vaporize the courtyard, or was that just a bonus?"

I sat up straighter, nervous. "I was just… focusing."

Mariette stepped in smoothly. "A method adjustment. She succeeded. A little too well."

Valeria's gaze flicked between us, then back to the faint shimmer of mana still clinging to my skin like fog. "You've been training," she muttered. "Outside of my sessions."

I didn't deny it. She didn't sound angry.

Just thoughtful.

"Well," she said after a pause.

"Congratulations, Lady Celia. You just ruined the practice field."

I glanced at the nearest patch of grass. It was slightly singed.

Mariette handed me a damp cloth to wipe my face like it was just another Tuesday. "At least you didn't explode."

Valeria rubbed the bridge of her nose, sighed, and finally pointed to the far side of the yard. "Ten laps. Now. And no mana this time. Run like the rest of us peasants."

"What?!"

"That was your warm-up," she said without sympathy. "Next time, control your output or I'll start the lesson with burpees."

I groaned loudly. "Mana training is a scam!"

As I dragged myself to my feet, Seraphina stood as well, quiet as ever.

Her eyes lingered on me longer than usual.

Not with pity.

But with… interest?

Mariette smiled faintly as she brushed off my sleeves. "I believe you've made an impression."

"I don't want to make impressions," I muttered. "I want breakfast."

"You had toast."

"I want second breakfast."

Valeria waved her hand. "Run faster and you might earn it."

And so I ran—hair a mess, mana unstable, and under the very intense gaze of my stoic, judgmental, possibly new fan of a roommate.

Got it! Here's the revised section with Celia trying to save herself by claiming she was just joking:

Just as I was basking in my well-earned glory, Valeria crossed her arms.

"Well then," she said with a smile that did not reach her eyes, "since it was nothing, let's increase it to a hundred laps."

My brain short-circuited.

"W-What? I was just joking!"

Valeria raised an eyebrow. "Your stamina says otherwise."

"You can't take that seriously!" I wailed. "That was classic post-victory nonsense talk!"

Mariette placed a hand over her heart, utterly deadpan. "Your humble servant believed in you completely, my lady."

I turned to Seraphina for backup.

She simply blinked at me. "You're fast. You can do it."

"Ms. Valeria, I was just joking!" I said quickly, hoping to save myself.

Valeria stood firm, her arms crossed. "Joke or not, I command you—as punishment—to run a hundred laps."

"But I just finished ten!" I protested.

"Then stop complaining and get moving. The sooner you start, the sooner you can rest.".

 I groaned and trudged back to the starting point, dragging my feet like a martyr heading to the gallows.

She didn't even glance back. "Start running, Celia."

I groaned, dragging my feet as I resumed my laps. "This is child cruelty…"

By the time I finished the hundredth lap, the sky had shifted into soft hues of orange and rose. Dawn light spilled over the training ground, bathing everything in a peaceful glow. My legs felt like jelly, but the view was almost worth it.

Almost.

Got it! Here's the continuation of the scene with a natural flow, keeping the tone grounded with small bits of humor:

We returned to the room in silence—my legs dragging behind me like they'd given up on life, Seraphina looking like she'd just come from a quiet walk in the garden, and Mariette completely unfazed as if she hadn't just witnessed someone run a hundred laps at sunset.

As we stepped inside, Seraphina suddenly paused. Her eyes locked onto the room.

I blinked.

"...Wait a minute," I said slowly, pointing. "Why are there three beds now?"

Mariette stepped forward calmly and began unpacking folded linens. "Because I will be staying with you from now on, Lady Celia."

"What?! Since when?"

"Since Duke Hadrian's orders. I am to remain by your side at all times."

I groaned. "At all times?"

Mariette didn't miss a beat. "Especially at night. In case you try to sneak out again."

I narrowed my eyes. "That was one time."

"Four times," she corrected gently.

It was already night when I sat up again, ready to complain more—only to realize Seraphina was gone.

"...Did she just vanish?" I asked.

Mariette shrugged. "She's quiet. Like a cat."

Not a minute later, we heard Seraphina's voice echo faintly from the bathroom door. "Celia."

I jumped. "Wha—You scared me! What is it?"

She stepped back into view, her golden eyes thoughtful.

"I just wanted to say… earlier, during training… your mana was enormous. Powerful. It felt like—like something far beyond what I've ever felt before. You looked amazing."

I stared at her, dumbfounded. "Wait. What?"

"I'm being honest. You were incredible."

I looked at Mariette. She nodded silently.

"…Huh," I said, scratching my head. "I didn't feel anything."

"That's what makes it scarier," Seraphina said, quietly, and went back into the bathroom.

I turned to Mariette again, unsure how to feel.

She handed me a towel.

"Don't think too hard about it, Lady Celia. Just take a bath. You stink."

After my bath—which I absolutely needed, no matter how much I pouted about it—I changed into my nightdress and crawled onto the bed furthest from the window.

Mariette moved around the room, blowing out the candles one by one until only the moonlight lit the space.

She sat at the edge of her new bed, still perfectly straight-backed, as if sleeping was just another mission.

Seraphina had chosen the bed by the window. She lay on her side, eyes open, watching the stars as if they were whispering secrets only she could hear.

I rolled over to face the ceiling. "Did she really mean all that?"

No one answered. I hadn't even meant to say it out loud.

Mariette tucked the blanket around my shoulders like she always did. "Yes."

I looked up at her.

"She doesn't speak often. But she's observant," Mariette continued softly. "If Seraphina Noir says you have powerful mana, then you do."

"But I didn't feel anything special…" I mumbled. "It was just a burst, like the usual. I've been practicing for three years, and it just sort of... happened."

"Exactly," she said. "You've worked hard. It's paying off."

I frowned. "So why did Valeria look like someone slapped her with a divine revelation?"

Mariette gave a very tiny, rare smile. "Maybe because you did."

I groaned and buried my face into the pillow. "Please tell me she won't make me run two hundred laps tomorrow."

There was a beat of silence. Then Mariette said, completely deadpan, "No promises."

A soft laugh escaped Seraphina from across the room.

I peeked over the blanket. "Was that a laugh?"

She turned her head just slightly, enough for the moonlight to catch in her golden eyes.

"Don't get used to it."

I grinned and closed my eyes.

Even if my body felt like mush and my legs might fall off tomorrow, somehow… tonight didn't feel so bad.

I was sore, exhausted, a little confused, and maybe still slightly suspicious of my own mana reserves. But for once, I wasn't scared of it.

I had allies now.

A maid who never left my side.

A quiet girl with eyes like sunlight and a sharp tongue she hadn't used on me—yet.

Although she probably act like this right now because she is still a 10 y.o child unlike when she is at the academy which is very cold.

And maybe, just maybe, a future that didn't involve me becoming a 3rd rate villainess that is doomed and destined to be forgotten.

One step at a time. Or, in today's case… one hundred laps at a time.