Chapter 11
1059 Words
After that day, no one could ever see Jean Noreau anymore. Despite the academy also hired a searching troop to find any clues where he was, the result was still a zero. Even his family at Viscount Noreau's castle told everyone that Jean didn't come home as well. Then, his disappearance raised a worry of the students why and how he could vaporize without leaving any trace. The rumor began spreading with their guessing theory: Someone already killed him or he had known an unknown magic pattern to flee away.
"Or maybe his parents lied the academy?"
"It's usually impossible to happen. This academy is built by the fund of the kingdom. Once they lied, they lied to the king as well and it'd be a death sentence."
Maria listened carefully on what Jacques explained. Meanwhile, he hold the spoon with a bow of medicine soup to feed Gerald.
"Come on, buddy~ Let me feed you. Say Ah!"
"What the hell this is so cringy..."
"Lady Beauvallet cannot see where your mouth is right? So she can't feed you, let me do it instead~"
Gerald showed his disgusted face. Maria imagined them being so close with each other by listening their conversation, somehow it made her laugh.
Suddenly, Jacques asked her.
"My Lady, will you be free today?"
"Of course, since it's weekend now."
"Is it ok if my brother William and I want to borrow your noon?"
Gerald and Maria were confused. Why do both the princes want her this afternoon?
Jacques accompanied Maria to help her picking up the lunch. After that, he guided her to William's office room.
"Brother." Jacques knocked the office's door "I have Richard now."
"Come in."
***
"You remember that I need to have a magic project since I'm 3rd year student right? And I need you to support us."
Maria understood. The reason Jacques and William wanted to see her was to help them doing Jacques's magic project. It'd also help her in the future where she can freely study, read and write with her disability.
"We need to ask some questions with Richard first. Usually, how can you read book?"
"I never read book..." Maria answered when feeling ashamed.
"Gerald had been the person reading for you?"
"Yes."
"And..... don't tell us.... you don't ever know how the alphabet looks like right...?"
"Yes I'm sorry.. That's why I need Gerald to take the note for me."
Both Jacques and William were thinking a while, then they discussed.
"I think we have some ideas to design a magic pattern which can read a book for him. However, it cannot help him at writing."
"Hm... Maybe you can consider my idea." William said.
"What is it?"
"Richard is blind so he cannot see our usual alphabet right? We need to make a complete new alphabet set for people like him."
Hearing that, Jacques and Maria were surprised.
"A complete new alphabet set?"
"Yeah. For example, the 'a' letter can be signed as a dot, 'b' as two dots. Richard can touch them to recognize our normal alphabet. We can make a magic devise which translates our normal book into his personal alphabet. Whenever he touched the book's page, the normal alphabet will automatically turn into dot alphabet."
"And that magic devise can translate back from dot alphabet to our alphabet?"
"Exactly."
"That's an excellent idea!!!" Jacques hold Maria's hands and was excited "Richie!! We will bring the light to you soon!!"
"Really thank you so much everyone!!"
Seeing Maria's smile, Jacques and William felt like something invisible just punched on their heart because of her cuteness. Somehow, their will to complete the magic devise became more intense.
So the princes divided themselves into two different tasks: William built the dot alphabet while Jacques researched on its magical mechanic. Three of them went to the academy's library, worked at the special meeting room for the royal members. While Jacques dived himself in the mountain of advanced magic books, William and Maria sit at the desk next to Jacques's. Maria and he were together trying to build the alphabet.
"In the normal alphabet, there were 26 letters and 10 numbers. Let me try to think anyway to convert them into the dot signs so you can recognize them... Here, this is 'a' letter." William guided Maria's hand to the paper with a hole. "And this is 'b', 'c' and 'd' letter."
It was the first time Maria had contacted with this new knowledge so she was confused like a preschool child. William could understand that, he then began guiding her from the start, by teaching her an alphabet song.
"a-b-c-d-e-f-g.... If you keep singing this, you will never forget them. Now it's your turn to try."
Unexpectedly, William never thought Maria was so good at singing, as an echo of an angel that he felt like his ears had been blessed. William shook his head, kept reminding himself that in front of him was currently a boy, also his student. It'd be so sinful if he fall in love with this person...
"Hey my dear brother~" William felt a dangerous aura spreading behind him. Its origin was from the owner of the voice - Jacques. "Keep your eyes on the work please."
"Hahaha my bad." Without any fear, William laughed at his little brother "How about you? You also heard him singing so come here right?"
"Urgh... Ignore me!"
Suddenly, someone knocked at their meeting room.
"Come in."
"My honor to see you here, your highnesses."
It was a student. William thought maybe he was from Land Management class because he had never see him before.
"Good afternoon." William answered. Jacques also stopped his research, looked at that student and said nothing "What can we help you?"
"I would like to ask your permission if I can have a talk with your student for few minutes outside?" Maria could guess that he talked about her.
"No problem. However, because he is blind, so let me accompany him the way."
"It's ok, professor." Maria told William "He can guide me to go outside as well."
"Sure if you say so..."
The student then guided Maria outside the library, to the corner of the building. Suddenly, Maria felt her hands being hold tightly.
"Please, can you help me one thing?? Only you who can do that!!"
- Writer
