Royal Research Institute

The next morning, I woke up before dawn, as usual. If I didn't hurry up and clean, I'd get another whipping from Lady Raven. As I slipped out of bed, rubbing my eyes, I realized something.

"Oh... I'm not at the manor anymore," I mumbled, flopping back onto the bed. I won't be whipped here for not cleaning first thing in the morning, I think. Apparently. Lady Coco had said that no one here would lay a hand on me, so I should be fine, right?

But since they're letting me stay here, shouldn't I at least do the cleaning? Nodding to myself, I got up again. If I was going to clean, I'd have to get changed first. I decided I would wear the old rags I was in when we first left the manor. After Lady Weiss gave me my new dress, I'd put them in the small bag I was carrying as well.

Looking around the room, I didn't see it. I remember getting undressed before we went into the bathroom, so it should be around here... Thinking that, I peeked into both the dressing room and the bathroom, but there was nothing. I checked in the walk-in closet too; still nothing. Not that I'd expect it to be in there...

Giving up on my search, I checked the walk-in closet for something else to wear. Unfortunately, they were all so pretty and nice that I couldn't bring myself to dirty them by cleaning. I'd have to give up for now. I'll ask Militia and Melanie about where the bag with my old clothes is later.

As I sat on the edge of my bed, sighing, I heard a quiet knock on the door. "Come in," I responded, only for Melanie to rush inside.

"I was sent for by the knights outside your door," Melanie said, breathing heavily.

The Xiao Long Barony wasn't all that wealthy, and I didn't think useless trash like me was of any value other than as a maid... So why would I need knights waiting in front of my door?

When I tilted my head, confused, Melanie answered, "The brand-new Skill that you possess has yet to be investigated, Lady Ruby. It may be useful, or useless, but it could also be used to make money, or for war. Since everything is still unknown, that would make you a very enticing target for people both within our country and outside of it. That is why you will always have knights guarding you."

I see! My mouth dropped open in shock.

"So you needn't worry about anything, because the knights will protect you. But I was told that they heard sounds from your room. Is anything the matter?"

The fact that I was being guarded had surprised me, but her words brought me back to reality.

"I-I'm so sorry for making noise!"

Since everything I did made a lot of noise, Lady Raven had always scolded me, telling me to be as quiet as possible... S-She's angry with me! I faced downward, bracing myself.

"It wasn't loud at all. Can you not sleep?" Melanie asked, kneeling in front of me to look me in the eyes. I shook my head no. "It's still before dawn. It's much too early to get up."

"Um... I always get up around now..."

"This early?" she fretted.

I gave her another nod. "Um, I... I would wake up before dawn, and clean the manor. When I woke up at my usual time, I started looking for something to change into that I could wear to clean..."

"So you were looking around your room for a change of clothes..." I nodded to her once again.

"It seems as if I'll need to explain things..." Melanie murmured with a sigh, placing a hand on her cheek. "You're a very important person because of your new Skill, Lady Ruby. You must sleep and eat well so that it can be investigated properly."

Lady Weiss had asked me to participate in the research of my Skill. I knew that I would need to do my best with that, but I didn't see how that connected to eating and sleeping.

When I tilted my head in confusion, Melanie did so in kind.

"Um... I just don't see how eating and sleeping would affect that..." I said, choosing my words carefully so I wouldn't make her angry.

She looked at me blankly before replying, "If you don't get a good night's sleep, you might get sleepy in the middle of tests, and if you don't eat properly, you might be too hungry to concentrate on research."

I see... I nodded again in understanding.

"And cleaning is a job for the special cleaning maids. If you do it for them, they won't have any work to do! And it should be done while it's bright. If you do it before dawn, you wouldn't be able to see well enough to clean."

So that's why I always got yelled at for not cleaning properly! I was surprised, but I should have realized this sooner.

"We thought that the clothes in your bag may be important to you, so we sent them off to the laundrymaids. They should be back in a few days."

The old gardener had given them to me, so their assumption was spot on. "And listen closely, because this is important. Your personal maids must wake up before you do," she chided.

That meant... If I got up before dawn, Militia and Melanie would have to wake up even earlier than that? Oh no! They wouldn't have time to sleep, then!

Melanie smiled as I became flustered. "So you understand, now. If you can't sleep, would you like for me to bring you some hot milk?"

I shook my head, climbing back into bed. "I'll sleep. I'm sorry."

"It's alright, my lady. It was our fault for not explaining properly," she said, adjusting the duvet covering me. It made me feel kind of nice. "Have a good sleep," she said softly before leaving the room. I fell back asleep soon after.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

It was a little before the eighth morning bell when Melanie returned. "Good morning, Lady Ruby," she greeted me.

"Good morning, Melanie," I replied from my spot on the bed, getting a smile in return.

"Let's get you ready."

Preparations started the moment she said that. My face was washed, hair brushed, and I put on a black and red dress. Of course, she helped dress me, just like she did yesterday, so I just kind of froze. The dress was the type where the skirt would swirl out when you spun around, which I loved. It was so fun that I just kept spinning, until Melanie stopped me.

Once I was all dressed and ready, Militia wheeled in a cart carrying breakfast. There was a small piece of bread and warm soup. There was also ham and vegetable salad, both chopped up into small bits. I could tell that it had been prepared while thinking of my small stomach. I felt kind of bad.

The yummy smell made my stomach rumble. I sat down in my child-sized seat, thanked the goddess of light for the meal, and went to start eating... until Melanie stopped me.

"As we mentioned yesterday, we'll begin teaching you noble table manners today. Since it would be difficult to remember them all at once, we'll do it bit by bit. Let's start with how to eat bread and soup."

Bread was to be eaten by ripping off small, bite-sized pieces, while soup should be eaten with a spoon. There were lots of other rules, but apparently, we were only covering those today. I thought it'd be harder, but both seemed easy to do and remember! I ate slowly, taking care to follow Melanie's instructions. Of course, it didn't take long for me to get full. I thought about forcing myself to eat more, but then stopped, thinking that it would just cause more trouble.

After breakfast, I moved to the sofa in the parlor to wait for Lady Coco. "I've made you some tea, so please drink it while you wait."

Even though Militia went through the trouble of making me tea, I was so nervous that I didn't drink a drop. Just before the tenth bell, there was a knock on the door. Militia opened it slightly to see who it was.

"Lady Coco has come for you," she said, turning back to me.

I stood up from the couch, heading to the door excitedly. Lady Coco was outside, wearing the same white robe and red stole as yesterday.

"Wow... I almost didn't recognize you, Ruby! You look super cute!" she said with a big smile. Melanie seemed to be puffing herself up proudly, but I might have been wrong.

"This dress is really cute!" I responded, pinching the skirt and spreading it out for her to see. Melanie may have picked it, but it really was cute!

"Ah, uh, I mean, the dress is cute too, but I meant... Anyway, let's get going." She scratched her cheek before slowly starting to walk, and I fell in step behind her. Neither Militia nor Melanie were coming, so they just smiled as they sent me off.

Stepping into the hallway, I saw the two knights Melanie mentioned standing by my door. Both of them had little yellow capes over one shoulder.

I gave them a little bow, trying to apologize for causing a ruckus before dawn, and as thanks for protecting me. They didn't say anything, but both looked surprised.

We left the lodging house, moving to the entrance of the gray building next door. It was five stories tall, with lots of windows.

"Come on in."

I nodded at Lady Coco, stepping inside. As soon as we entered, she showed something that must have been identification at the reception desk nearby. When I started getting flustered because I didn't have any of my own, the lady at the desk just smiled at me.

"I've heard all about you. Welcome!"

Giving her a little bow, I kept following Lady Coco. After walking through the hallway for a little bit, my view suddenly expanded. There was a very large atrium in the center of the building, filled with more people than I could count. There was a woman with blond hair and glasses wearing a white robe with a red stole standing on a platform by the wall. As soon as she saw me, she beckoned me over.

"Ruby, over here."

Doing as she asked and stopping beside her, I could see the faces of the people in the hall. Off to the side was a group of girls and boys around my age or a little older, all wearing the same black clothes and gray robes. I could see that Lady Yang was one of them, giving me a scornful look. Besides them, everyone wore white robes with red, blue, yellow, or green stoles.

Is it okay for me not to be wearing a robe at all? I wanted to ask, but it really didn't seem like the time to. I'd have to ask Lady Coco later.

The woman clapped her hands loudly, and the hall fell silent.

"This is Ruby. She has just awakened to a new type of Skill. Make sure you treat her well."

I froze up as everyone's eyes fell on me. I could see Lady Coco signaling for me to bow in the distance, so I rushed to lower my head politely.

"I'm the Chief of the Royal Research Academy, Glynda. The kids in gray robes are the control trainees, and the people in white robes are all researchers. You can tell who works where by the color of their stoles. Yellow means martial arts, red means magic, green means technical, and blue means unique. We'll be doing research and observation of your Skill, but I will promise you that we'll never be rough with you. That's it; meeting's over."

The moment she finished, everyone who had gathered around her split off to their own sections again. The only ones who were left were the Chief, Lady Coco, and Lady Weiss, who had appeared during the Chief's introduction. "Let me welcome you once again to the Royal Research Institute," the Chief said after we stepped down from the platform, holding her right hand out towards me. I immediately took it with my own right hand, shaking it. "I'll be leaving everything else to Coco. She's a lot more capable than she looks, so you can depend on her."

Unlike the strict air she had about her on stage, she was smiling now. "Eugh... What do you mean by that... Stop it already..." Lady Coco groaned.

"I'm only telling the truth. I'll be returning to my room now." The Chief walked away, leaving Lady Coco looking doubtful. Lady Weiss moved closer to fill in her place.

"You cut your hair. It looks nice," she said with a gentle smile. She really is like an angel... "Due to the special circumstances, I'll be taking part in your research too, Ruby."

I nodded at her words, only to get another pat on my head. She'd patted my head a lot since we first met. Is she treating me like a little kid? I mean, yeah, I was short, but... I was fifteen, and in three years I'd be an adult, just like her. But even as I started to think that way, I remembered Lady Raven calling me "ugly, useless, and unsuitable to be a member of the Xiao Long Barony," and I fell silent again.

"And Coco, while I'm here, make sure to treat me like Weiss the researcher," Lady Weiss said, fluttering her white robe.

"What? You can't be serious... Only in front of Miss Ruby, okay? It'll all be on you if the higher-ups get after me later, okay?"

"Yep. I'll take care of it."

They started whispering to each other partway through, but I couldn't really catch what they were saying.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

The three of us left the hall, moving to a sunny laboratory in the south part of the building. Inside the lab was a big table with four chairs, a desk and chair for studying, a three-seat sofa, and a lot of bookcases.

"This is your personal lab, Miss Ruby," Lady Coco said, sitting me down in a chair by the table. She sat on the other side, while Lady Weiss sat down on the sofa. "Gotta check first, but what is your Skill?"

"My Skill is, apparently, making any kind of seed I wish for."

After I told her what Lady Weiss had told me, Lady Coco started flipping through some papers.

"'Kay, just as the report says. Can you show me once as an example?" she asked, pointing to a tray laying on the table. When I just looked at the tray, tilting my head, she said, "Is something the matter?"

"Um... How do you use Skills?"

"Oh, that's right, you only got appraised a few days ago. Of course you wouldn't know." She grimaced, before explaining, "With most Skills, you just think of what you want it to do while saying the Skill name out loud. You can also say what you want to happen out loud before the Skill name, when you don't wanna mess up, or while you get used to it."

When Lady Weiss had used [Cure] back in the carriage, she'd added "Cure her emaciation" before saying the Skill name, too.

"Now then, try it."

I nodded, before whispering, "Make a seed — [Seed Creation]."

A round, flat seed the size of my thumbnail appeared out of nowhere, dropping onto the tray with a plink.

"You did it. What kind of seed is this?" Lady Coco asked, looking at the seed from all angles.

"A pumpkin seed," I replied. That's what I'd been imagining before I said the Skill name.

After you break a pumpkin open, the seeds are all inside mixed with the guts. And when you break through the seed's shell, you can eat what's inside. I was so happy when the old gardener told me that... Since the cooks usually threw them out anyway, Lady Raven couldn't get mad at them for giving seeds to me. I was shocked to learn that I could create something to eat on days when I went without food.

"'Kay, so we've got one pumpkin seed. How many can you make with one cast?"

"Let me try. Make some seeds — [Seed Creation]."

This time, I said the Skill name while imagining lots of pumpkin seeds.

But only a single seed appeared... "Just one, huh..."

"I'll try again. Make some seeds — [Seed Creation]."

I tried again, doing the same thing. But still, only one seed dropped down onto the tray.

"Seems like you can only make one per cast," Lady Coco noted, jotting something down in her notes with a pen. "Next, I want you to try to make some other seeds."

"Is any kind okay?"

"Yep, as long as it isn't a pumpkin seed."

I nodded, imagining a different kind of seed as I whispered, "Make a seed— [Seed Creation]."

A sunflower seed dropped down onto the tray. You could eat the insides of them, too.

"That's a sunflower seed, right? Great! Now try another one."

I was about to nod again, but then I froze. I couldn't think of any types of seeds other than pumpkin and sunflower... There were no flower beds back at the Xiao Long manor, and all the old gardener did was cut the grass, take care of the lawn, and trim the shrubbery. I'd never seen him plant any seeds.

When she noticed I wasn't moving, Lady Coco tilted her head, asking, "What's wrong?"

"Um, I... I don't know any other seeds..."

"Ahh, I see... That's a bit of a problem."

"Anything she doesn't know, she can learn." Seeing Lady Coco and I fall silent again, Lady Weiss spoke up from her spot on the sofa. "We can ask the gardeners to show her lots of different seeds."

Oh yeah... I can just learn... Before, I'd done nothing but get yelled at, so I never had a chance to learn, so I could just start now! I nodded to myself at her words.

"That's true! Then let's just see how many you can make for now."

"Alright," I said, before making a bunch of sunflower seeds in a row. "'Kay, we've got three pumpkin seeds, and six sunflower seeds. Next'll be number ten."

I nodded. Since I'd made more sunflower seeds, I'd switch to pumpkin again to even things up. I cast it again. "I'll make pumpkin seeds next — [Seed Creation]."

At the same moment a pumpkin seed dropped onto the tray with a plink, my body suddenly felt super heavy, and I lost consciousness.