My head started turning away from him,
"Are you sure that I can be ready for it?"
His words brought my gaze back,
"You are the most talented kid I have met. You just need some time and focus and you will be ready. You might be able to match Caleb if you continue like this for the coming years..."
The smile he showed felt convincing.
"I can't even use essence now..."
"That is why I gave you two years... the prerequisite is to truly master the two techniques I showed you."
"But what about the third one...?"
"That one will come, just focus on those two first."
"Wait, two years is quite a lot of time?"
"Hm... It might be the case—normally."
"Do you know how long it took me to learn it?"
He leaned further back into the couch,
"Five years."
"I was older, had more experience using essence, and was stronger than you are now. The only advantage you have is that you are a clean slate with just a single style etched into you—the necessary style."
"...can I even do it in two years?"
It was silent, both Katherine and I looked at Edward waiting for an answer, as he was tapping his palm against his forehead, making it clear that he didn't have one.
He looked up once again, leaving a red spot on his forehead and said,
"It is not a matter of whether you can or not, it's something you have to do—and I believe that you can."
I straightened my posture, and looked into both of his eyes, nodding as I said,
"I will do it—I'm sure of it."
"Perfect, just as I expected from you," he said, drawing his lips together to prevent them from showing his true expressions.
"And Katherine—you and Albert will stay here while I search for the seer."
"I was planning to stay at the very least, but are you sure that Albert should stay as well?" Her eyes narrowing as she looked at Edward.
"Yes, it's no problem—I have people I can rely on with the search." He looked back at Katherine, his face straight, and unreadable.
Does he have that much power...?
"But while I train... what will Mim do?"
"..."
"I had been thinking about it, school would be good for her... it might help her become more independent as well..." He said, his caring eyes unwavering.
"...But I am afraid that she is unable to do it now..." I nodded to his words, even when I felt a stab in both sides of my chest.
"I have the same feeling..." Katherine added, looking down in front of her.
"There is one person that should decide this don't you think." Both looked at me.
"Let's wait for Albert and her to be done then," Katherine said.
"...I'm curious about how it came out..." I said, turning towards the kitchen.
He looked into the same direction as me, and said,
"Hahaha, you need to wait for a bit longer I guess." He ruffled through his beard,
"But she is hanging on quite nicely with Albert."
"Yes—I'm really proud of her..." I smiled, my face tensed—unable to hold my feelings back.
"You really do love her, don't you..." He said smiling back at me.
"Of course I do—she is the only one left after all." I still held the same expression as before.
Through my narrowed eyes I saw Edward turn towards Katherine, both having lost the smile they held.
"Uh... sorry... I mean the only one I have left from my old home..." I said, unable to hold my gaze high.
"I am sadly unable to see you two as my mom and dad..." My head dropping lower as I kept speaking, jumping up with the next words,
"But I hope that time will come."
I looked over at Edward—his eyes felt empty and cold—before my sight got interrupted by Katherine's words,
"I am sorry... it's just a selfish desire of mine..." As I looked into her eyes, I saw something far beyond simple sadness.
I kept silent, tapping my feet against the floor, hoping for something to interrupt us.
"But honestly, I don't mind if you see me as your son... I would feel honored..." I was unable to see the people opposite of me through my narrowed smile.
"...We both already see the two of you as our children... I hope one day you will be able to see us as your mom and dad..." She returned a genuine smile, but one unable to hide that look in her eyes.
All of us were wallowing in the silence, rethinking each word I said, my heartbeat increasing with each word I thought about.
"See who is coming there!" Edward broke through the ambiance from behind me.
As Katherine and I turned around, we heard a voice from below,
"NO!! DON'T TURN AROUND YET~!"
Both of us turned back as soon as we heard it, it was Mim carrying a plate in her hands.
"...Sorry Mim... I already saw it..." Edward said, covering his eyes.
"...It happens! We should have said it when we came in!" She said while passing by me.
"Tada! Look I made this, and Albert made that." She pointed at the plate in front of me and then at the plates in front of Katherine and Edward.
My plate looked almost like a charred corpse on a plate, especially compared to Albert's—but the smile on her face was enough to add color, and make it seem as the best meal under this sky.
"It looks amazing! Did you make it all by yourself?" I said ruffling through her hair.
"...Albert helped me a little bit..." Clutching her fingers as she shuffled her shoulders back and forth.
I turned to Albert, and he nodded,
"She really did almost everything... She might be a prodigy..."
"Prodigy..?" She turned towards me.
"It's someone who is really good at something... or something like that," I said.
As I explained it she started shining, and sang,
"Hehe, I know~!"
I looked around at the others who sat with their air-filled cheeks.
The moment we met each other's gazes we couldn't hold it in anymore, bursting out in laughter at the same time.
"Let's eat now!!" She screamed, interrupting our laughter.
"Okay, okay sorry—you are right," I said after I took a breath.