As Andromeda gracefully entered the room designated for study, her presence defied her tender age. Her delicate form seemed to exude an air of ancient wisdom, and she moved with the poise of a seasoned warrior. Since she wasn't in the presence of her parents anymore, she felt no need to maintain the pretense. Dennis silently followed her, but Andromeda didn't wish for her to be here today. She swiftly sent Dennis away with a simple, authoritative gesture.
Andromeda, her tone firm, "Dennis, you may leave. I shall call for you when I require your assistance." Dennis nodded, her loyalty unwavering, and silently exited the room.
Alone at last, Andromeda settled into the chair at the study table. Her seat embraced her with an almost regal aura, as though it had been waiting for her and her alone. Her eyes, usually adorned with a hazel loveliness that bespoke her youth, now held a profound transformation. Within their depths, a haunting darkness swirled, an enigmatic abyss that whispered secrets of ages long past.
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Sylvette entered the room, draped in a gown of ruffled mauve. Her fair complexion was a canvas upon which intelligence was painted, her dark brown hair neatly braided as if to contain the knowledge that flowed within her. Brown eyes, usually alight with intellectual curiosity, found themselves ensnared by Andromeda's gaze. Her mind brimming with the usual enthusiasm for teaching. Her scholarly pursuits were her passion, and sharing her knowledge with young minds always ignited a spark of joy within her.
Upon her entrance, her eyes fell upon Andromeda, seated with an air of profound serenity that belied her tender years. There was something unsettling in the air—an inexplicable disquiet that emanated from Andromeda herself. It was as though the young girl before her held depths of experience beyond her years, an intricate tapestry of emotions woven from the threads of time. Sylvette couldn't deny the strange sensation that prickled at her skin, for in Andromeda's presence today, there was an undeniable sense of the poetic and the mysterious, as if the very room itself had transformed into a canvas upon which destinies were being rewritten.
She decided to ignore the strange ambiance of the room and start the lessons. Sylvette spoke with her voice tinged with uncertainty, "Good morning, Princess Andromeda. I trust you are ready for our lesson?"
Andromeda regarded Sylvette with a level of scrutiny that a child her age shouldn't possess. Her hazel eyes bore into Sylvette's, and her lips curled into a sardonic smile. "Lady Sylvette LeBlanc, the renowned scholar, gracing me with her presence. How fortunate I am." Her tone was mocking when she parted her lovely small lips.
Sylvette felt irritation creeping into her voice as she replied, "Let us begin, Princess. Today, we shall start with the basics of elemental control."
Andromeda chuckled, the sound sending a shiver down Sylvette's spine. Her words dripped with condescension as she continued, "Elemental control? Oh, dear Lady Sylvette, you truly underestimate me. I already know everything there is to know about elemental control." Her voice was chirpy yet unsettling.
Sylvette's patience was wearing thin, and she couldn't believe the audacity of this child. Her voice came out strained as she insisted, "Princess, we are here to learn, not to engage in idle banter. Now, please focus."
Sylvette couldn't understand just what was wrong with the young princess today, but she couldn't be impolite to Andromeda even if she felt frustrated. "So, Princess, since you claim to be well versed in basic elemental control, can you tell me about the theory of elemental resonance?"
Andromeda's eyes glinted as she rolled her curly locks around her finger, her voice dripping with condescension, "Elemental resonance, you say? How quaint. It's the fundamental principle that governs the interaction of elemental energies, creating harmonious or discordant effects depending on their frequencies. Still quite basic, really."
Sylvette was taken aback by her precise answer, and it flustered her. "Yes, well, it's an important concept to grasp. Let's move on to elemental transmutation. Do you understand the process?"
Andromeda raised her delicate brow and sneered, perhaps in the most graceful ways possible, "Elemental transmutation, dear teacher? That's child's play. It's the conversion of one elemental energy into another through controlled catalysts and precise calculations. A fundamental skill, don't you think?"
Sylvette's patience waned with each exchange, her frustration bubbling to the surface. She couldn't comprehend how a child could possess such knowledge and wield it like a weapon. Surely, Andromeda was an arrogant child, but she always remained polite and studied diligently. What had happened in the span of two weeks?
Sylvette had no more patience; she didn't like her authority being challenged and had many insecurities. This was a nightmare for her. "Princess, you seem to know everything already. Why are you even here if you have all the answers?" Her voice was breaking a little, as if it was hard to talk in a lowered tone, and the look on her student's face made her heart thump louder. Andromeda seemed to be enjoying this and doing it on purpose.
Andromeda's response was a sardonic smile, a glint of mischief in those unsettling hazel eyes. She smirked unapologetically, "Oh, Lady Sylvette, I'm here for the entertainment, of course. It's rather amusing to see how the esteemed Lady of LeBlanc House imparts her wisdom."
In that moment, Sylvette realized that she was not the one in control, and the young girl's enigmatic darkness had cast a shadow over her very essence. Andromeda's mockery continued, her words cutting through the air like a cold, biting wind. Her chuckles and smirks seemed to mock not just Sylvette's knowledge but her very existence.
Andromeda spoke with an air of superiority, "Lady Sylvette, do tell me, how did you secure this esteemed position as my tutor? It couldn't possibly be your own merit, for your family's reputation rests solely on the shoulders of your brother and father. I heard they are exceptional scholars. One wonders why you didn't choose the path of marriage and leave scholarly pursuits to those more capable."
This was her biggest insecurity. Since her childhood, she was compared to her brother so much that Sylvette couldn't physically even absorb it. Sylvette's temper flared, with her emotions no longer in her rein, "I have a passion for knowledge, Princess, just as much as my esteemed brother and father. I am here to teach you, and I expect respect in return. I will not tolerate such rudeness from my student!"
Andromeda's laughter rang through the room, a haunting melody that seemed to echo with her perplexing darkness. Andromeda tauntingly asked, "Respect, Lady Sylvette? Respect is earned, not granted freely. I see no reason to hold you in high regard when your intellect pales in comparison to those of your family."
Sylvette struggled to maintain her composure, her frustration and humiliation mounting. She was used to being the intellectual superior, the one imparting wisdom to eager students. But in Andromeda, she had encountered a formidable challenge—one that questioned not just her knowledge but her very worth. Andromeda was poking needles at her most venerable spots, making her feel conscious of the things she would rather forget. Her face had become warm, and her mind felt fuzzy with anger as she gripped the arm of the chair. The once-comfortable chair now felt like it was infused with flames.
Sylvette put her trembling hands in her lap, trying not to burst. She spoke through gritted teeth, "Princess, I may not have the same reputation as my brother or father, but I am more than capable of teaching you. If you continue to mock me, there will be consequences."
Andromeda's expression shifted from mockery to a chilling calmness. Her eyes bore into Sylvette's with unsettling intensity. Andromeda tilted her face to the side, raising her hand, and her fingers placed on her lips as she softly asked, "Consequences, you say? Lady Sylvette, I welcome them. For in consequences, one often finds the true measure of a person. So, by all means, let us see what you are truly made of. And let me show you my true self too~"
Sylvette's frustration and humiliation reached a boiling point as she felt utterly crushed by the child before her. A low growl escaped her lips, and in a moment of maddened anger, she issued a challenge that seemed to surprise even herself.
Sylvette's voice trembled with rage, her fingers clenched harshly in her lap, and her eyes now red with fury, "You think you know everything, Princess Andromeda? Fine! Let's settle this. I challenge you to the Knowledge Fair held by the Academy of Pyro. I will make you bow down in front of the entire crowd, and you'll acknowledge my expertise."
Andromeda's laughter grew even more sinister, her eyes gleaming with cruel amusement that sent shivers down Sylvette's spine.
Sylvette's challenge hung in the air like a gauntlet thrown in a duel, and Andromeda, with a wicked glint in her eyes, was more than eager to accept.