"So that means probability wise, it's 1 out of all of his current proposals which are most likely from noble families… Many families are already wed and some have no available daughters… Hypothetically, let's say 1 out of 200?"

"1 out of 200 seems so low and yet so high…"

"It is unlikely that every available daughter wants or has sent a proposal but we're just speaking hypothetically. Your chances are most likely also improved by the fact that you knew each other when you were young, so cheer up."

Manami holds her heated face, squishing her proportions together, and slides them down to rub her neck. She sighs and begins filing away her papers once more, occasionally flipping through the pages and labelling the books and shelves.

"So…how do you know him?" Kotaro asks, peeking around the book she was holding with a sly grin. She looks at him, a little frustrated at his teasing tone.

"His father and mine were friends and he stayed at our house for a few months when we were both 6 years old."

"Why don't you use that as leverage then?"

"Don't be absurd, I would never ask such an embarrassing request from my father. He would never let me out of the house if I suddenly brought up marriage like that, not to mention how he'd ridicule me for it... Falling in love as quickly as that-not that it is love, okay? And well, Lord Akabane has passed. Didn't you know that since you're so caught up in the nobility gossip."

"Kotaro's hand shoots up to his mouth to cover it,

"Oh right... my apologies for being insensitive. Did you go to the funeral?"

"At the time I was working at the frontline medic tent, there was simply no time for me to return as the one with the most practical knowledge in the field. The empire's over-reliance on divinity is quite frightening to see on the battlefield... Ah but, my father did bring up the subject of the Akabane family when I returned but…" she pats her skirt to rid it of dust, "there were no details."

A sudden knock on the door startles the both of them into slightly jumping out of their skin in sync, disturbing the conversation with the opening of the door. A small scoff escapes the perpetrator at the sight of the two timid scientists.

"You must be the newly appointed royal apothecaries?"

Speak of the Devil and he shall appear.

Manami instantly panics and begins bowing to an inappropriately low angle for someone of her status, being above that of a knight or even lord. Kotaro follows, though his posture is more according to that of his status.

"Y-yes! W-we're…we are the new royal chemists. M-my apologies for earlier, subjecting you to such a sight."

"No need. I was sent here by His Imperial Majesty to help acquaint you with the palace and to express his dearest gratitude for healing his son. My name is Karma Akabane, a royal knight to be your guide for the day."

Manami raises herself from her degrading posture, meeting his golden eyes. They're sharp, cold and vicious. She steps back slightly, hitting her head on the bookcase behind her and winces and holds the sore spot in pain.

"Quite clumsy aren't you?" the redhead observes.

"Y-yes, I suppose embarrassingly so, much like my assistant-"

"Aah! My dear friend Manami! I was suddenly reminded that I must return home to my sickly brother." Kotaro suddenly quips, rather unnaturally.

"W-what? Your older brothers are the healthiest people I-"

"No time to spare, Manami can simply show me the important places when I return tomorrow. You two must go off now."

"Kotaro!" She yelps, flustered at him quickly dashing out the room.

"So your name is Manami my lady?" Karma remarks, with the same cold, polite smile adorning his face.

"Ah-where are my manners…I am of the Okuda family, my name is indeed Manami."

"Marquess Okuda is that? I believe we have been acquainted before then. My father was awfully fond of yours." He gently holds open the door for her to pass through, and begins to guide her through the corridors.

"Y-yes, I was so awestruck at your appearance having grown so tall that I so rudely stared at you earlier…"

"My…apologies. I'm afraid my memories of when I was younger are very vague, I am unable to remember you- this is where the assembly hall for the royal guards are and many of them are often walking through here." His face is turned towards the room he is pointing out to her, masking his expression to the former statement.

"Ah I see." She replies a little dejectedly to the former, though he takes it as her reply to the latter.

"W-well, we only met when we were 6. That much is only natural, my memories of the time are vague as well." She laughs, a little awkwardly. Lying through her teeth.

Karma continues to point out miscellaneous rooms for a while of their tour as the little small talk that there was seems to have died. Suddenly he asks, after a period of time,

"Do you know the rumours of you are quite extreme?"

"E-eh? I-I have heard nothing of them."

"In fact, I was somewhat intimidated entering the apothecary. They call you a witch behind your back, blessed by forbidden knowledge that the Church bans." Despite saying that he was intimidated, Karma has maintained the same poker face he has had since she first saw him.

Her face pales and her jaw almost drops to the ground as she halts in her place, utterly confused and surprised at the news. Karma looks behind and snickers.

"I-I have no intent to go against the Church, nor the Goddess Acnes. Science, w-well medicinal chemistry in my case, is the study of the composition of our surroundings for the greater good of pharmacy and healing!" she livens up a little, and begins to walk alongside him as he starts walking once more, "Particularly when I was stationed at the frontlines, there were certainly more opportunities for advancement thanks to the dwindling divinity the priests could offer where I was allowed to test my theories in medicine... B-but that has nothing with forbidden knowledge! You see-" She suddenly halts again, embarrassed by her rambling.

"Is there something you cannot tell me, Lady Witch?" he snickers, a little rudely despite knowing that Manami is of higher status than him.

"I-Is that a nickname for me?"

"Especially made for you by me just now. The knights, who were under your care however, call you the Poison Witch because the concoctions you forced upon them were apparently absolutely vile enough to feel like they were damned and dying."

The red of her face reaches the tips of her ears, absolutely mortified by her reputation.

"...Which brings me to the question, why was the daughter of a Marquess on the battlefield? I believe no one else has even tried to question it but the more I think about it the more I feel intrigued."

"I…I have no magical ability, well specifically I have no mana."

Karma's eyes widened at the statement. The norm is that everyone has mana within them, and most certainly nobility.

"For me…I used it as an opportunity to prove myself and that the medicines I spent all of my time making in my room were real and that they could work for everyone. My studies were particularly focused on the fact that people without mana feel nauseous when encountered with magic and yet the only cure available is through divine healing from the Church. I was locked-uhm…kept in my house for prolonged periods of time and the need for medics and military enrolment had reached my father. Our family has no sons so I volunteered myself, with the promise of anonymity of my status at the medic tent. My father was furious of course at first, but I do think it worked out quite well. He's quite proud of me now."

"It almost sounds like you ran away from home." A hint of bitterness and empathy underly his somewhat accusatory statement.

"I-it does, doesn't it. Ah-I also would like to clarify, my lack of mana has never been an issue."

"Hmm...I also chose to be enlisted, though my father wanted to go in my stead. We have some similarities it seems, Miss Witch?" he cheekily grins, with more emotion than he had ever shown to her in their hour long tour. She blushes,

"L-Lord Akabane, I can't help but feel that my rank in your nicknames keeps declining…"

"Take it well, my comrades in my squadron also loved to squabble about etiquette and status to me but it means nothing to me."

"Even with the princess?"

"So you've heard of that?" He smiles devilishly endearingly.

That's unfair.

"T-the rumours about you are also quite…extraordinary."

"Is that so?" He opens the door to her office, "Well, it seems we've returned. This conversation must be left for another time."

He bows and gestures his hand towards her. She bashfully complies and places her hand, albeit shaking a little, in his. Inching it towards his face for what feels like an eternity, Karma's lips gently brush her fingers and he then quickly looks up with a courteous grin towards her.

"I will see you around Lady Okuda…or rather Miss Witch."

Mustering her crumbling sanity, she quietly says,

"T-thank you for today, Lord Akabane."

"The way you ramble when you are excited and nervous is cute."

Her face implodes with heat and she feels as if every nerve in her body has been overstimulated. Overheating and stammering, she can barely form a coherent farewell as Lord Akabane walks away nonchalantly.

Unfair.