"Aww!" she sighed and placed a hand over her forehead. Even though Elise was sure that she bumped into a person, the person's body was to firm that she almost thought that she actually bumped at a wall. "I'm sorry," she mumbled out, realizing that it was her mistake for walking without looking at the road ahead of her.

The person that she bumped had a skinny yet tall firm covered in a deep black cloak. He must be a sorcerer, Elise thought silently, scrutinizing her eyes to examine the person that she bumped without minding that it was rude for her to stare.

The man narrowed his eyes for a moment at the young lady that bumped him before looking to the red bracelet at her hand. "No, it was also my fault for delaying the walk to stand in the middle of the road," he spoke with a refreshing tone.

Elise didn't say much and bowed her head a little to continue her walk to the house. William turned his head a little and saw the man stood still for a moment.

"The sweet child." The man in the black cloak hummed out. "It seems my journey here isn't to bad." When a large number of people passed before him, William saw him disappeared.

Elise continued her uneventful yet peaceful life with her daily routine of household chores and studies. When a week finally passed to the day of her birthday, Diana woke up early to prepare her birthday celebration. Cakes and Elise's favorite menus lined up from the edge of the table to the opposite side.

Elise walked up toward her mother and rolled her sleeve, wanting to lend a hand in the kitchen but was quickly rejected by her William and Diana, the shooed her off to the living room. When a sound a knocking from the door echoed to the silent hall near the living room, Elise stood up in a hurry to greet her uncle and aunt with her father beside her.

When Elise opened the door, a bouquet of flowers greeted her in advance, followed by the gruff voice of Russel. "Happy birthday, Elise!"

Elise took the bouquet that was made up of her favorite vivid pastel pink Peony Flowers and thanked Russel and Sharon who appeared after the flowers. "Thank you, uncle Russel and aunt Sharon, for the beautiful gift."

"Gift? This flowers? Nae, nae, nae." Russel shook his head and helped Sharon to give out a present box that they hid from behind.

"Happy birthday." Sharon wished her mildly.

Elise felt Gilbert patting her shoulder. "Come inside, the evening weather is not good for a pregnant woman."

Elise nodded and stepped aside for her uncle and aunt to enter. Diana and William greeted them and helped them to put away their trunks in the guest's room. The small family gathered in the dining room and shared some stories for a few moments to wait for Diana to bring up the birthday cake.

Sitting in the table, William who smelled the cake from afar sent a faint signal with a glance to her the other people in the table and clapped out to sing the happy birthday song for Elise. Elise was a little shy to hold a birthday party with her as the main person for the celebration but nevertheless she truly felt happy from the bottom of her heart.

After making a wish so that her peaceful life and family would be protected under God's compassionate light, they placed the cake aside to eat the food first before having the cake as their desert.

"I heard that tomorrow you'll be attending the Church's test, Elise." Sharon spoked first, bringing the topic that both Scott siblings had a hard time bringing on.

Elise could spot the worried tone that her aunt used and placed down her spoon to reply. "Yes, well. But I can't say that I have the confidence to pass as it is said to be the most difficult test in the Empire."

"I also heard that Mr. Ford's son fancy you. What do you say about the young man?" Sharon asked a little curious. Mr. Ford's son, Frank Ford was the only son of the farmer family, he was a gentle young man that often greeted Elise when she hanged the clothes in the backyard that was near the farm. Perhaps for his admirers, his greetings was an event to look upon. However, for Elise she didn't saw the man with the same eyes of the girls in her town. If only she saw him as a very good person but not to the point of liking him.

"He's a good man," Elise replied briefly. Sharon sang out a long oh in a little bummer that she wasn't able to ask more of what Elise could be interested in other than working in the Church.

Although her family didn't oppose her strongly, Elise knew that they didn't favor her idea of working in the Church due to how dangerous the work was but Elise felt the need to work there to cultivate her power as the Sweet Child and perhaps learn a way to protect herself without having to depend on the red bracelet on her hand.

Gilbert cleared his throat lightly and steered the conversation. "Speaking about that, the Church seemed to be posting another announcement in the Town's notice board. It seemed that hunters and sorcerer would be placed in each town to defend the towns in Runalia from the advance that the dark sorcerers made."

"That's great." Sharon praised. "The Church may be hell-bent on building a bridge between the Mythical beings and humans, but from my perspective, it doesn't sound that bad. The land grew more prosperous than before, don't you think?"

Elise nodded to her aunt's words and heard Russel speaking. "The one and only enemy humans have now are the dark sorcerers. Even if someone opposes the Church's idea, they wouldn't be able to as the only people who could fight them are the mythical beings."

"The Duke of Downbridge, Duke Norton seemed to be wanting on making the land exclusive for humans, or so that what the gossips said." Russel continued and Elise shown some intrigued to the matter that her uncle spoke.

"But humans who live Downbridge have lived with mythical beings for over than two centuries why did he change it all of a sudden?" Elise asked and Russel replied by shrugging his shoulder.

"I don't know perhaps Duke Norton hated mythical beings, unlike the previous dukes that ruled Downbridge." He stated simply.

"Stop speaking about that now. The conversation would only make our cake to have a bitter aftertaste. Speaking about the Lords are forbidden, you know." Diana spoke and placed the triangular-cut slice of cakes to the people in the table.

"But there're no one is here other than us, mom," William spoke and felt her mother pinching his cheek.

"Walls have ears, darling," Diana replied.

William slanted his head to the side unable to understand what her mother was saying and tugged to Elise's dress hoping that she'll give him an answer. "It means someone can overhear us. Have this, Will." Elise steered and gave him another slice of cake which he received with a sparkling smile.

When the night ended and dawn break to bring a dampened morning after the light rain last night, Elise woke up earlier than the days before to review some of the books she deemed as important and breath in to calm down her nervousness.

After breakfast, Elise prepared herself to take the carriage to Afgard where the Church test would be held on and walked out of the house.

"Bring this too." Diana spoked from behind, giving her sandwiches wrapped in a red handkerchief.

"You don't have to mum, I could have buy something in the town." Elise took the sandwiches and felt a soft flick on her forehead from her mother.

"You should have something before you left. Don't tire yourself too much." Diana replied and felt Sharon coming from the back. "Are you going now, Elise?"

"Yes." Elise nodded and reached her hand out to rub her aunt's stomach carefully. "I'll go now the distance to Afgard is far. Bye, mom, aunty, and betty."

"Take care." They wished as Elise ran to catch the closest coach to Afgard when she turned her back a little to wave her hand at the two figures, she faintly saw a vague image of a man with a black cloak beside them. When she blinked twice and rubbed her eyes, the black figure disappeared.

She didn't think much of the image as she heard a scruffy voice coming from the carriage. "A ride, young lady?"

"Yes, please." Elise replied and get inside of the carriage.