Cath tried to call out to her yet nothing happened. Usually if he as much as try and poke at her during work, she would turn annoyed and growled at him. He clung to her legs, trying to do everything he could to gain her attention and to his shock, she kicked him!

She kicked him aside and scrubbed the floor near the garbage bin. Her usually bright silver eyes blank without a trace of emotions. Her face was impassive. She moves naturally like she always does but everything she does screamed that’s not how Aediva usually is.

Cath knows she’s the kind of person who would sighed all day long, grumbled under her breath and even glared incessantly at inanimate objects when she’s annoyed. This is not the Aediva he knows. Cath’s ears went flat and the whole day, he tried to sit on her shoulders as he would but she would toss him away, trying to smack him with the broom until he kept his distance. Even during lunch, Aediva still wouldn’t stop cleaning.

“I’ll burn things if you don’t stop right now!” Cath threatened, already breathing fire at the trash can that instantly burned but Aediva simply walked away. Cath whined.

He tried destruction yet she wouldn’t scold him. He tried to disturb her work and she immediately tried to hurt him for real. He could still feel the sting of her kick earlier.

At the end of the day, the little monster was at wit’s end. The time she returned home, she just kept doing cleaning jobs. The rubble blocking the hallways, all thrown out with her bare hands. The webs cleaned thoroughly. It didn’t stop until the morning came, where she walked back out and went straight to the office.

Cath growled when seeing Marie waiting at the door with her usual gentle smile. Desperate, Cath confronted the old lady who looked like a youthful 30-year-old woman.

“OI, OLD HAG! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY MINION!” Cath shouted. Marie looked at the little monster, her gaze turned unfriendly.

“Oh my. Oh my. Look at this dirty little rat. What a filthy thing. I supposed it’s fitting for Noi - to mingle around with filthy things” Marie said. Cath growled.

“You hag! I said, free my friend!” Cath demanded but Marie only let out a small laugh.

“Everything you say is just really amusing. Why would I free this little brat? She’s a great slave for me. I’m already old, you see. She’s just being a complete sweetheart and helping me out~” Marie said, suddenly sniffing the air. She immediately looked at Aediva with disgust.

“Agh, you’re smelly! Did you not clean yourself? I can’t let you go to work without looking presentable. If you please, clean yourself and do your duties again today” Marie said. Cath gasped when Aediva walked into the office, passed the woman who looked disgusted at Aediva.

“Aediva!!!” Cath shouted, quickly breathing out fire towards Marie who surprisingly wards off the fire that quickly extinguishes. Marie smirked triumphantly before flicking her wand at Cath that made him fly away by an invisible force. The door shut before he could even father himself and run towards it, making him all the more miserable.

“Come back… Give her back to me…” Cath whined, eventually passed out when the pain all across his tiny body became unbearable.

Cath could only watch from afar as Aediva continued with the routine he witnessed yesterday - only getting near when she sat around in the small secluded storage room during lunch break. Even in her break, she would always eat a hearty meal but now she only sits like a doll not in use. Her blank silver eyes stared emptily into the floor. Her stomach growling yet she isn’t eating. Her fingernails are broken and dirty. She was drenched in sweat.

That said, Cath too, is hungry but he couldn’t bear to eat when he sees Aediva like that. He shook her but she remained still.

“Noi are so pitifully weak aren’t they?” the familiar voice of a woman made Cath jump back, the fire at his tail flaring at the sight of the brunette lady. Marie smiled as if she was enjoying a show, silently looking at Cath with her condescending gaze as she placed one hand at the side of her head.

“Did you know, little monster? Noi, humans that are incapable of magic, are not only useless. But they are also lower than slaves. They’re the same as animals. Isn’t that just wonderful? By standards, she’s actually the same as you” Marie said idly, reaching for a sandwich from the basket in her hand and giving it to Aediva.

“If you please, eat up. Before you die from starvation” she said and Aediva reached out for the sandwich and obediently ate it. Marie chuckled.

“The headmaster is really nice, don’t you think? He hired this amazing little Noi for us. She can just do about anything. Well, that’s the only thing she’s good for anyway” the brunette said, pushing Aediva’s head roughly. Cath couldn’t even retort, only stepping away when Marie pointed her wand at him with a rather unamused smile.

“That said, I have no use for a rat. I’ll exterminate you at once. This girl isn’t going to be a student anyway. And it’s just impossible for you too, little rat” Marie said. Cath jumped away and fled right after the first attack was shot. Marie frowned as she looked at the cracked floor. She glared at Aediva.

“What are you waiting for? If you please, get back to your fucking work” Marie shouted at Aediva, slapping the girl before walking away - humming merrily to herself.

Aediva stood up, taking up the broom leaning against the wall. The broomstick started to splinter in her grip.

“C-Cath!”

The moment he thought he saw what he assumed was the shadow of that little creature, Arthur shouted for him. The young blond gulped - couldn’t stop feeling the encumbering weight in his heart after what happened yesterday.

“Cath, if that’s you, come out!” Arthur basically pleaded at that point. And fortunately for him, Cath actually came out. So it is indeed him that Arthur saw running at such blinding speed that it knocked a few students to their back during lunch hours. Cath only glanced at Arthur with an angry look. The time Arthur tried to step closer, he went on his four legs, his fur all stood up and the fire on his body flaring dangerously.

“Cath…”

“Don’t you fucking dare to try and get close to me, human!” Cath hissed, spitefully. Arthur fell speechless.

“I…”

“I heard everything, you dumbass! You think of me and Aediva as a joke too didn’t you?! That old hag did something to Aediva, you know!” Cath shouted angrily, his eyes turning teary. Arthur shook his head.

“No, listen to me! Aediva was completely fine! She greeted us this morning” Arthur explained. Cath breathed fire to the blond, scorching the grass at Arthur’s feet.

“She’s not fine! She didn’t sleep at all last night because she kept cleaning the dorm! You-- You don’t even understand!” Cath shouted. Arthur looked at Cath, eyebrows furrowing. Right after school, he tried to track Cath down to explain to him that he did go to check on Aediva the very next morning when he arrived at the main campus.

“But…” Arthur hung his words - feeling a light tap on his shoulder. He turned his head to look and to his surprise, speaking of the devil herself. Aediva stood right beside him with a broom still in her hand.

“Hi, Arthur” Aediva greeted, waving her hand at the young blond. Cath looked at the girl, shocked beyond words. She wasn’t like that before. What’s the meaning of this?

“Aediva… Good that you’re here. You see, I tried to explain to Cath…”

“Oh, about yesterday? Yeah, I was in a bad mood. And the dorm was really filthy. The headmaster did say to clean up a bit and I was in the mood to clean last night” Aediva said. Cath growled when Aediva turned to look at him. This is not right.

“Hey Cath, wanna go and eat some snacks together?” Aediva asked, immediately sending Cath fully alarmed. Arthur looked at Aediva as she tilted her head at Cath with a smile - noting something to himself. At that moment, almost everything seemed fine. Almost.

“You…” Cath hissed.

“Hey, Aediva” Arthur suddenly called. Aediva turned to look at Arthur, her expression perplexed.

“I got a bit of offering for you. I know I haven’t been around that much. How about some Fels? You need them don’t you?” the blond said. Cath looked at Arthur in disbelief when he pulled out his wallet and pulled out a thick amount of cold hard cash from his wallet.

“Here” Arthur said, placing it on Aediva’s palm.

“...” Aediva stared at the money and pulled Arthur’s hand before placing back the money back on his palm. Arthur’s eyes went wide as Aediva smiled at him.

“What are you talking about? Keep the money for yourself! I can still work for some Fels you know. That said, I shouldn’t be paid in the first place. The Headmaster could just deduct all my salary to pay the debts anyway” she said with a bright smile.