《The World Without My Sister Who Everyone Loved》 Chapter 0 My older sister, Loreina, was like the main character on a stage. She was loved by all and enraptured all who saw her. When the sun was shining over her wavy, golden hair, Loreina looked like an angel. The world loved the moments when the passionate Loreina cried, laughed, and sulked. Indeed, my sister held the most favor in high society. I was also part of that world. No, my older sister was the world to me. And I believed that my sister also valued me. But¡­ ¡°¡­you framed me because you were afraid of getting caught?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not only because of that.¡± My older sister laughed. It was the angelic smile that I loved. ¡°I hate you enough to want to kill you, Sienna.¡± That was the expected answer. I laughed bitterly. ¡°For your information, nobody will save you. You only loved me. But I had always despised you. Unless, would you like His Grace to do it in my stead?¡± ¡°¡­I suppose so.¡± Everyone hated me. It was an undeniable fact. When Loreina saw me willingly admit it, she smiled happily. ¡°Finally! I¡¯m so glad I can kill you myself, Sienna.¡± ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t it too early to celebrate?¡± ¡°¡­ What?¡± My older sister, who was dancing happily, stopped suddenly. Her beautiful green eyes widened. ¡°Sienna, you, how¡­!¡± ¡°Sorry, sister, you wanted to kill me, but I simply can¡¯t grant you your wish.¡± Rather, in the face of an unbearable shock, laughter came out. ¡®I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t want to cry.¡¯ I smiled lightly and drank the poison I had prepared in one gulp. ¡°No!¡± Loreina stretched out her arm. However, a heart-shaped barrier was firmly placed between us. ¡°You, you must die more miserable than anyone else! I won¡¯t allow you to die so easily!¡± ¡°That dream¡­is big¡­sister.¡± Cough. Blood burst out with a cough, but there was no pain. I smiled, relieved. ¡°Sienna!¡± The sound of my sister¡¯s evil roar slowly drifted away. An unloved existence. ¡®I¡¯m glad there¡¯s something I can do as I please, even if it is in my last moments.¡¯ Then, I lost consciousness. That¡¯s how my world ended. ¡­No, I expected it to be over. ¡°Sienna! Come on, get up!¡± I never expected the life that ended would start again at some point before I met my sister seven years ago. In the face of an impossible reality, I was the only one who could appreciate it. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m screwed.¡± But one thing was clear. The ending was decided from the beginning. Even if I came back in time, my older sister, the lovely angel Loreina, was a person who I could not win against, no matter how much I struggled. So, on the day I went back in time, I made up my mind. I did not know why I was given this miracle, but¡­ I needed to avoid getting involved with my sister again. ********* Chapter 1 - Persephone in Hell (1) The Kendall Orphanage did not differ much from other orphanages which were on the outskirts of the capital. It was a place where meals were provided in a poor living environment but were inadequate to help children grow properly. A place where a snake-like director leads over a hundred children keeping a strict watch over them. The only reason why this orphanage, which seemed to have been cut from the same mold, was special is¡­ ¡°Once again, you, as wizards, have a duty to defend this empire with all your body and mind in the future.¡± The point was that this orphanage only took in children who would become wizards in the future. ¡°That is why Grand Duke Nacht comes to see orphans like you today. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± In the midst of a hundred children singing in chorus, a green-eyed child shed a bleak smile. ¡®Oh right, it was a place like this.¡¯ Just a few days ago, Sienna had come back to the past. Having woken up on a hard, shabby bed in an orphanage for the first time in many years, she felt sorry for herself. Although it was unpleasant to live my life twice, this time there was hope. Fortunately, Sienna and Loreina were not biological sisters. To put it bluntly, the two were just guardians supported by the same family. P/N: Guardians are wizards who guard the empire. Even after the Hangma War of the founding era, the world was still fighting their enemies. The empire strove to defend the human land, drawing borders and calling the occupied areas of the beasts as ¡®separates¡¯. The foreign powers tried to destroy the human capital at all costs. It was an instantaneous quasi-war situation, and local wars took place in various places, and sweeping operations were conducted periodically. Those who could use magic in this situation were an important resource. For this reason, nobles and even commoners, could become guardians if they had excellent talent. Orphans didn¡¯t care if they had really outstanding qualities. Being sponsored meant complete incorporation into an aristocratic society. This is because, in the empire, it was common for aristocrats to marry their children to guardians. ¡®To build a more powerful bloodline of wizards.¡¯ Sienna and Lorena were the guardians of a particularly great family. In the empire, there were three great guardians which were known for being above nobility and even above the Royal Family. Euros Change Pereto Changhae And the Grand Duke Nacht. Change and Changhae respectively defended their airspace and waters, while Nacht defended their territories. The ruler of the time, Grand Duke Nacht, was the head of the Army of Hades, which consisted only of wizards. No matter how you looked at it, he was not in a position to support ordinary people and orphans. Nevertheless, he offered to sponsor Sienna. ¡®I haven¡¯t done much for you.¡¯ No, it would be more accurate to say that I was not capable of doing something because you were in the city. ¡°She¡¯s the one sponsored by Lord Nacht, but isn¡¯t she worse than a junior in the military academy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s already ridiculous to be sponsored by Nacht when she¡¯s only a commoner orphan.¡± Being sponsored by Nacht meant being able to marry one of Nacht¡¯s sons.. ¡®That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. It¡¯s not even as likely as her having good etiquette.¡¯ In any case, it was a completely different matter from what was and was not possible. And it drove people crazy. ¡®You, a mere orphan, received an opportunity that even my child and I weren¡¯t able to get!.¡¯ People accused Sienna of being a shameless orphan who didn¡¯t even appreciate her luck. Especially since Loreina was next to Sienna. Unlike Sienna, who was lacking in many ways, Loreina was the light of the historic Count of Minangsi, and was so gifted that she could be called a genius. Therefore, people praised Loreina in order to criticize Sienna. Now that I think about it, if it weren¡¯t for me as a shield, Loreina could have been exposed to threats and criticism. No, Loreina was flawless. Would she be okay without me¡­? Sienna shrugged indifferently. ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s going to be unrelated to me anyway.¡¯ Fortunately, it was easy to avoid her at this point. ¡®This time, I don¡¯t need to be sponsored by the Nacht family.¡¯ If you can¡¯t win, avoid it. Now that I¡¯m back in the past, I may ask to have a bigger dream, but Sienna knew it well. She stood no chance against Loreina. Even dreaming of revenge is beyond my reach. ¡®I¡¯d lose either way.¡¯ While Sienna was lost in thought, the director¡¯s speech continued. ¡°Thank you very much for your visit to the inspection today, Grand Duke Nacht, the head of the Army of Hades which consists of ten thousand wizards¡­¡± Kendall¡¯s director¡¯s lengthy explanations left his son¡¯s eyes dull. In the end, the director chose a more straightforward method. ¡°Wake up! If he frowns, orphans like you may die in an instant!¡± ¡°Hui¡­¡± ¡°Do not make a fuss, do not cry, do not do anything! There is no possibility that He will support you anyway. If you don¡¯t want to die, shut up and stay quiet!¡± Although it was scary, the director¡¯s policy was not very different from Sienna¡¯s thoughts. ¡®Let¡¯s not stand out.¡¯ It was because of her distinct behavior that Siena had become the so-called ¡°Child of Nacht,¡± sponsored by the Great Ruler. In the past, Sienna made a grave mistake when she tripped and fell in front of Grand Duke Nacht, who had been on an inspection trip to an orphanage. Instead of punishing her, he offered to support Sienna. At that time, I was only glad that I didn¡¯t get scolded by the director. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ll go through in the future. ¡®Anyway¡­ so this time, you just have to be invisible.¡¯ Sienna calmed her heart that was about to beat out of her chest. Orphans who are not sponsored usually enter military academies and serve as soldiers. Sienna was this time thinking of going down the same path as other ordinary orphan wizards. ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re here!¡± The heavy sound of footsteps ringing through the space. ¡®Let¡¯s calm down.¡¯ If nothing else, Sienna was confident she would not make such a childish mistake like falling down because she lost her footing. The only thing left is to wait for Lord Nacht to leave after his inspection. With more than a hundred children holding their breath, the sound of footsteps grew closer. ¡®It¡¯s all right, it¡¯s all right.¡¯ Sooner or later, it will be over with a little patience. As she held her breath anxiously, Sienna waited for the sound of Lord Nacht¡¯s footsteps to pass her. But¡­. ¡°¡­.¡± Tck, the sound of footsteps stopped. They had stopped right in front of Sienna. The Duke, who was carefully strolling in front of the children, stopped right in front of her. Bump, bump, bump. My heart, which had been trying to keep calm, began racing. ¡®Oh my god¡­.¡¯ I don¡¯t think so, Maybe I¡¯m just imagining things¡­? Fortunately, Grand Duke Nacht had only stopped in front of Sienna, but did not apathetically declare, ¡°Let¡¯s do this child,¡± as he had done in the past. ¡®It¡¯s just an coincidence,¡¯ Siena eagerly waited for him to move his feet once something caught his interest. But the strange coincidence did not end there. ¡°Oh, my God, Your Grace¡­¡± Something more unbelievable happened. Grand Duke Nacht knelt on one knee in front of Sienna. ¡°¡­..¡± The Grand Duke lowered himself as low as he could, but still failed to make eye contact with Sienna. He had such a large frame, that small, skinny Sienna was a distinct contrast in comparison. However, I felt something even though I didn¡¯t look at his face. ¡®Just standing close to him you can feel powerful magic¡­¡¯ A chill that spreads the cold like a person who comes home through the misty dusk. An overpowering sense of oppression. All from Grand Duke Nacht. ¡®But, Why¡­¡¯ He¡¯s in front of me¡­ why? She was so surprised that Sienna even forgot to breathe. ¡°¡­What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± I didn¡¯t want to answer. The child next to her, unable to see Sienna¡¯s face, which had hardened, elbowed her hard. ¡°¡­ Sienna greets your Majesty.¡± Thanks to the director, the words he made us practice tumbled out despite my unwillingness. At that moment, Grand Duke looked somewhat relieved. However, Sienna did not see. ¡°Yes, Sienna.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°By any chance¡­.¡± The Great Duke drew out his words hesitantly. But soon after, he asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you come with me to Nacht?¡± Chapter 2 ¡°¡­..¡± This guy¡­ What did you just say? I felt dizzy. ¡°Sienna?¡± I could hardly hear the calls of the Great Duke over the sound of my pounding heart. As if he felt that something was wrong, the Duke carefully tried to reach out to Siena ¡°Ah..¡± At that moment, Sienna unwittingly avoided the hand of the Great Duke. ¡°..euk!¡± Then, she made a loud noise and fell back. ¡°Sienna! What are you doing!¡± The director was shocked and sharply rebuked Siena, but neither the Grand Duke nor Siena paid attention to the words. Awkwardly, she couldn¡¯t reach his hand which stopped in the air, and the Grand Duke was staring at Sienna, who had fallen to the ground. ¡®¡­Aren¡¯t you embarrassed¡­?¡¯ It seemed so unrealistic. ¡®No, it must be an illusion.¡¯ Sienna clenched her trembling hands Anyway, I have to answer. She stuttered with her dry mouth. ¡°I¡¯m¡­.¡± Honestly, I hated this. The castle of Grand Duke Nacht was Sienna¡¯s grave. Sienna lived there like a ghost for nearly a decade, and was never loved by anyone. She was then betrayed by her older sister, who she thought loved her and took her own life. ¡®The place where my miserable ending is scheduled.¡¯ I never wanted to step into that castle again. No, not even just that, I wanted to leave this capital and go to a faraway place even if I died. ¡®Even if I end up dying, that¡¯s not bad either.¡¯ I have to make those words sound polite and spit them out. Her mouth couldn¡¯t move. It was to be expected. Unlike Sienna¡¯s mature spirit, her body was still eleven years old. Her terrified child¡¯s body was almost in a panic. As she sat on the floor where she had fallen in a cold sweat, stuttering her words, the Grand Duke attempted to reach out his hand once again. First of all, I was thinking of raising a child¡­ ¡°..Heu Euk.¡± ¡°Sienna!¡± ¡°N-n¡­¡± Sienna couldn¡¯t even say the word no. However, she was overwhelmed by an indescribable fear that made her faint before his hand could reach her. ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Oh my God, Sienna!¡± While the frightened director approached and took care of the fallen child, the Grand Duke froze in place with his hand left hanging in the air. ¡®Just now..,¡¯ Her actions clearly spoke ¡®rejection¡¯ more clearly than words could. * * * It¡¯s been like that for a long time. Next to the perfect Loreina, Sienna was seen as being less than what she was. But paradoxically, Loreina was the only one who was good to me. A long time ago, at their first meeting¡­ ¡°Oh, my god, you¡¯re Sienna!¡± ¡°N-Nice to meet you, Miss Loreina. I¡¯m¡­ ¡°What do you mean Miss Loreina!¡± On the first day we met, Loreina held my hand in the city and said, ¡°We¡¯re guardians of the same family. So let¡¯s be sisters.¡± ¡°Yes? Watching Sienna¡¯s eyes widen in disbelief, Laureina burst into laughter. Her laughter was so clear and sweet. It seemed to be the sound that a silver bell would make if it were shaken by a breeze. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted a younger sister. So why don¡¯t you call me sister?¡± And so, Sienna became a sister to Loreina. ¡°Sienna, I¡¯ll be staying at my family¡¯s villa this summer. Why don¡¯t you come with me?¡± ¡°Sister¡­¡± ¡°My parents were also very curious about you when I told them I had a sister. Let¡¯s go, shall we?¡± The summer I spent with Loreina was fun. ¡°You must be Sienna.¡± ¡°Thank you for coming along with Loreina.¡± Lorraine¡¯s parents were also warm to Sienna, who was just a commoner. But that was not the only surprise. ¡°Sienna, are you sleeping?¡± One late night in the summer, Loreina visited Siena. ¡°I came here to do something with Sienna before I go to bed.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Sienna always did her best to play with Loreina. I wanted my sweet sister to enjoy her time with me, so I would do my best to respond to Loreina¡¯s suggestions, even if it was a little too much. ¡°Let¡¯s do this together.¡± Loreina opened an old book on the bed. It was a book made of leather. The old, spot-stained cover seemed unappealing to young Sienna¡¯s eyes, but Loreina seemed excited. Since Sienna couldn¡¯t read, Loreina told her what the book was for.. ¡°Here, there is a way to share mana with others.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Shh! You can¡¯t get caught, Sienna. I want to give you mana. I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t have a lot of it.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Sienna had to be a useful wizard. Otherwise, it would have disgraced the face of the Grand Duke who had chosen her. But you don¡¯t have much mana¡­¡­ Loreina soothed Siena, who had paled as she became anxious.. ¡°It¡¯s all right, Sienna. I can give you some. I have a lot of mana.¡± ¡°But¡­.¡± The sensible Sienna thought that Loreina having a lot of mana and sharing it with Sienna as two separate matters. ¡°No, no. How can you¡­ That¡¯s how you lie to other people.¡± ¡°Do you want to go back to the orphanage, Sienna?¡± Sienna became speechless at the painful question. ¡°I want to be your sister forever. Don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Sister¡­¡± Sienna¡¯s eyes dimmed in an instant. No one has ever been as friendly as Loreina. Sienna nodded because she wanted to stay with Loreina. So Sienna and Loreina secretly held the ceremony.. ¡°It¡¯ll be a secret that only we know.¡± A secret. I remember my heart started pounding at the words. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll keep this secret, Sienna.¡± I should have known then. There was no turning back from that point on. ¡®No, it doesn¡¯t matter if you knew.¡¯ Things had already reached an irreversible point. At that time Sienna wanted to be next to Loreina at any cost. At that time, I didn¡¯t doubt it was worth it. ¡®It was all a mistake¡­.¡¯ How naive she was to trust and expect something from others. ¡®So, I can¡¯t be like that this time.¡¯ Siena slowly began to wake up after her nightmare. ¡®I don¡¯t think waking up means the end of the nightmare.¡¯ It was time to go back to a nightmarish life that she could never wake up from. * * * While Sienna was unconscious- P/N: After this, describes what happens while Sienna is unconscious. ¡°Mr. Marnan Kendall.¡± The Grand Duke was questioning the orphanage director. ¡°You may not know this, but very few children are born with the gift for using magic.¡± The director, who shook and bowed his head, was severely criticized. ¡°Though these children are the guardians who will serve the Emperor and the Empire¡¯s people, I will say this.¡± ¡°R, Royal Highness¡­¡± ¡°Neither I, nor these children here, are the military resources of the Empire. They should not be damaged or exploited for any reason.¡± Director Kendall swallowed visibly and scrambled to make an excuse. Though he had always scolded others with an arrogant attitude, he had never experienced it himself. And in the face of an opponent such as the Grand Duke of Nacht, it became even more difficult for him to respond properly. ¡®Damn it¡­ you humiliated me just because that girl fainted!¡¯ Sienna had fainted after hearing the Grand Duke¡¯s suggestion to go with him. The Grand Duke looked down at the fallen child with a stiff face. It was as if she had fainted, refusing to touch him¡­ ¡®I must be wrong.¡¯ The timing was terrible, but there were plenty of other reasons for the child to fall. ¡®Either, you¡¯re very nervous¡­¡¯ Still, he was a grand duke who was called King of the Underworld. It wasn¡¯t impossible for a small frightened child to pass out because of him. ¡®¡­However.¡¯ However, it seemed that the child who fell in the arms of the Grand Duke was a bit skinny, and her complexion didn¡¯t seem too well. Despite having bathed and put on clean clothes, the fact that she was malnourished could not be hidden. Even the condition of the children around her didn¡¯t seem all that different. Chapter 3 - Caught in a Lie (1) ¡®Ha¡­¡¯ Every year, a considerable amount of subsidies and donations are given to orphanages. However, the money is never completely spent on taking care of the children. Of course, they¡¯re not going to be abused. This is because one day they will enter a military academy, or if they¡¯re lucky, have aristocratic sponsors. The management philosophy of most orphanage directors was to provide the minimum amount of care without abusing their charges. To the grand duke, it seemed that Mr. Kendall was far more faithful to management than other directors. ¡°As the director is found to be incapable of performing his duties, he shall be suspended from his duties for the time being. Then keep your head above water and wait for the final judgement.¡± T/N: ¡®keep your head over water¡¯ is an idiom. P/N: Basically, they¡¯re telling the director to not make more of a disturbance. ¡°Come on, hold on! Your Highness! I¡¯m sorry, I¡­!¡± ¡°Take him out.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do this! This orphanage is my private property! No matter how you accuse me¡­ Hey, come on!¡± The friendly-looking aide covered his mouth forcefully. He then warned Kendall who was about to stomp on his foot. ¡°If you keep your mouth shut, or else you will lose your life as well as your property.¡± ¡°¡­.!¡± The Director and the nursery teacher, Lisa, who was holding Sienna, trembled at the sincere warning. It was a good opportunity for Sienna, who was searching for the perfect time to wake up. ¡°Euu¡­¡± ¡°Oh, Sienna! Are you awake?¡± Sienna slowly opened her eyes while rubbing them. It wasn¡¯t acting. It was because I wanted to delay meeting with the Great Duke face-to-face for as long as possible. However, if she kept pretending to be unconscious, she could have been dragged into a mess which she wouldn¡¯t be able to remove herself from. ¡°Ha¡­¡± Sienna opened her eyes and met the red eyes of the Grand Duke who looked at her. At that moment, the Grand Duke frowned a little, as if he had seen something unpleasant. ¡®Ah¡­ Sienna was very relieved. It seemed that the Grand Duke did not like her. ¡®Maybe¡­¡¯ Sienna carefully guessed. The Grand Duke regards wizard orphans as military resources. P/N: Uhhh..no, it¡¯s the complete opposite. ¡®He declared that he was going to take me on a whim, but it turned out that I was a weak child, so I wonder if he wants to take back his words.¡¯ This was an opportunity. I have never acted like this before in my life, but now is not the time to pretend to be brave.cover myself as a strong minded child. With her trembling hands, she tightly gripped the edge of Lisa¡¯s clothes. ¡°No, no¡­..¡± ¡°Sienna? ¡°I¡¯m scared¡­.¡± Sienna¡¯s acting was very realistic. It was because she was not acting completely, but acting one percent with the rest being her body¡¯s honest reaction. Sienna¡¯s small body trembled with the thought of being dragged into a mess and overwhelmed with fear, quickly shed tears. She seemed to be close to fainting again, but Sienna held back and shed her tears silently. ¡°Sienna¡­¡± When Lisa saw that the poor child, who had already passed out once, was crying without making a loud sound, she was heartbroken. But she couldn¡¯t let her continue crying like this. She could offend the grand duke. ¡°Sienna, you can¡¯t cry.¡± ¡°Li-Lisa. Can I not go?¡± Lisa tried to soothe the child, but Siena began to cling to her desperately, as if she were the only one in the room. ¡°I¡¯ll, I¡¯ll be a good girl. I¡¯ll only eat a little, and take good care of the younger ones. Yeah?¡± Lisa held the unconsolable child tightly in her arms. She then began console the grand duke in hopes that he would be understanding towards the child. ¡°Oh, she¡¯s still a child, Your Highness. She¡¯s probably scared to leave since she¡¯s attached to this place. If you talk to her to help her understand¡­¡± ¡°Hueengg¡­!¡± Sienna began to cry out loud, as if she was being taken by force.. ¡®Really?¡¯ At first, I closed my eyes and made a loud noise, but I burst out crying more naturally than I thought. Sienna¡¯s face quickly turned red as she cried so loudly that she forgot she was acting. ¡°Oh, my. No, no, no, sir, forgive her, please?¡± ¡°Sienna, if you keep crying¡­¡± Before I knew it, Lisa¡¯s face was red, too. On behalf of the sighing Duke, the aide quickly stepped out. ¡°Teacher, if you cry, the child will be more surprised. Both of you dislike the grand duke don¡¯t you?¡± It sounded like something directed at Lisa, but it was for the child to listen to as well. ¡°Huh?¡± As expected, Sienna¡¯s cries died down a little. The aide quickly looked at the Grand Duke. ¡®Tell him you won¡¯t take me!¡¯ ¡°¡­.¡± However, it was frustratingly silent. Again, tears began to form in Sienna¡¯s green eyes. I began wondering if my eyes would be red if I cried so frequently. In the end, he declared with a displeased look. ¡°Let¡¯s just leave her here for now.¡± ¡°Haha.¡± Sienna¡¯s cry stopped, but laugh was noticed. ¡®Ha?¡¯ No matter how great the Grand Duke was, he could not help but be stunned. ¡°¡­.¡± Sienna slipped back into Lisa¡¯s arms, pretending to cry. Fortunately, the Great Duke didn¡¯t say anything more about the child. After a while, the sound of footsteps moved away from the director¡¯s office. Siena sat dazed, listening to Lisa¡¯s voice to say goodbye to the grand duke. I¡¯m not going back to that mess. Not that easily. ¡°¡­.¡± I was successful, but I wasn¡¯t happy. Those miserable times, what was the point of it all? ¡®It was something that could be easily avoided¡­¡¯ It all ended in vain. ¡®What will happen to me now?¡¯ An 11 year-old orphan. No longer protected by Nacht. No older sister who would love her for all her life. P/N: You¡¯re free now.. I hope. Go find people who will truly care for you. For the first time in her life, Sienna was feeling lost. ¡°Sienna, are you okay?¡± Lisa approached Sienna, who was staring blankly. ¡®Even though I made a fuss like that¡­¡¯ Lisa wasn¡¯t displeased with Sienna. Her honest worries and regrets were seen in her eyes that were looking at Sienna. ¡°Teacher¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, His Highness is gone. So let¡¯s stop crying now. You should show your pretty face.¡± Sienna realized once again with the sweet words of comfort. Compared to Lisa, Loreina knew that she hadn¡¯t treated Siena well very much. Her words were sweet and her laughter was gentle, but she was unlikely to act any further than that. What she thought was kindness was actually a sneaky trick to get Sienna at her beck and call. That was why she made the proposal to share her magical powers with her. ¡®A sneaky trick.¡¯ Siena recalled a conversation with Loreina, who had come to defeat her until the last minute just before she died. ¡°That¡¯s right. I took poison and framed you. To kill you.¡± It was an expected answer. Of course, just because I expected it didn¡¯t mean I wasn¡¯t disgusted. ¡°I can¡¯t help it. You tried to leave me.¡± It was true. Sienna no longer wanted to have anything to do with Nacht and Loreina. So even if I was to work as a maid or a tutor, I decided to accomplish it on my own. ¡°Sienna, you cheated with me at that summer retreat. How can I trust you if you try to leave me? Was that your plan all along?¡± P/N: This annoying two-faced Missy. ¡°¡­then I¡¯ll ask you one more question.¡± Sienna asked calmly. ¡°At that summer retreat¡­ Was it really me who recieved the mana?¡± Loreina¡¯s smile spread around her mouth. The beautiful green eyes glistened like a snake. ¡°¡­you finally noticed, my stupid sister.¡± I know. Sienna laughed in vain. Indeed, there was nothing to say even if Lorraine called me stupid. ¡°You stole my mana, Loreina.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say it wasn¡¯t fun fooling you. But it was so easy to fool you that it was destestible.¡± ¡°One more thing, sister.¡± Sienna wanted to check for the last time, even if she was deemed pathetic. ¡°¡­you framed me because you were afraid of getting caught?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not only because of that.¡± My sister laughed. It was the smile of an angel that Sienna loved. ¡°I hate you enough to want to kill you, Sienna.¡± Chapter 4 I was compelled to admit that¡­ Actually, I wasn¡¯t loved for a single moment. At the end, the emotions did not change. Loreina hated Sienna from beginning to end and was only thinking of using her. ¡®I was stupid,¡¯ Just admitting that fact made my heart feel as if it was burning. Rather than being sad, I couldn¡¯t stand it because I was starving to the point of losing my life because of it. P/N: She was starving for love. Perhaps you will never love anyone else again. My previous life had ruined my desire for love. At least, this way I won¡¯t be so miserable again. That fact gave me a small amount of comfort. Seeing Sienna lost in her thoughts, Lisa felt uncomfortable with the situation. ¡°Sienna, what are you thinking?¡± ¡°¡­Teacher Lisa.¡± If I had met her in my first life, maybe I would¡¯ve ended up a little different. It was meaningless to think about it now. ¡°Today¡­ thank you for your help.¡± ¡°Yes, yes¡­.¡± Although Sienna was a sincere person, Lisa was not comfortable not knowing the circumstances. In fact, Lisa thought she had no idea how big of an opportunity Sienna had just thrown. ¡®I think she¡¯ll regret it.¡¯ I was so embarrassed that I was just trying to calm her down, but wouldn¡¯t a really good teacher be supposed to grab her by the pants in front of the Grand Duke and take her away? ¡®But how can a child cry so loudly¡­¡¯ Among the three guardian families, the Nacht family was the most notorious. A little bit of an injury or an extra tax. This was due to the brutal suppression method of Myeongwang Army, which would not tolerate even the simplest minor situation. ¡®Once this has happened, there¡¯s nothing we can do.¡¯ Anyway, thanks to this, the director who brutally squeezed the orphanage dry had disappeared, so for the time being, we will be able to raise children a little more leisurely. P/N: The director was taking every little bit of money he could from the orphanage. If you all find these explanations unnecessary please tell me. I don¡¯t know if you all understand the figurative language and whatnot. Sadly, however, her little hope didn¡¯t last long. ¡°Where¡¯s the beggarly girl!¡± Kendall was not fired. By law, all the wizard orphanages in the capital belonged to the emperor. To be exact, ¡®management rights¡¯ were owned by the emperor. The Grand Duke was not able to judge Kendall, who ¡®paid for the right to manage for the emperor¡¯s possession.¡¯ It was because it was beyond his authority. As a result, Kendall managed to escape the law by offering a bribe. Of course, he needed far more bribes than usual because he was a prisoner who was reported by the Grand Duke personally. In order to survive, Kendall had to squeeze 90 percent of his assets out of his pocket Then, he still had ten percent, right? He didn¡¯t even have that. The remaining 10 percent was taken as fines for quick indictment. Kendall, who became penniless overnight, lost his sanity. ¡°You! You cost me all my property!¡± As soon as he entered the orphanage, Kendall, who found Sienna in the building, grabbed the child¡¯s hair without hesitation. ¡°Don¡¯t do that, sir!¡± ¡°Hey, get out of the way!¡± Kendall pushed Lisa out of the way. ¡°Ah, oww¡­¡± Kendall gave a oily smile to Sienna, who couldn¡¯t even give out a scream. P/N: A glistening/oily smile is a sly and creepy smile. ¡°You stupid little girl, if I don¡¯t sell you to a slave dealer by the end of the day, I won¡¯t be Kendall but a dog! ¡°Ugh¡­.¡± Sienna stared at him with tears in her eyes. Of course, Kendall wasn¡¯t empathetic. He even smiled. ¡°You¡¯ll fetch a good price with your face, then¡­¡± ¡°Your hand¡­.¡± A rumbling voice that sounded as if it crawled up the stomach of an animal ¡°Can¡¯t you let go right now?¡± While telling him to let go of his hand, he didn¡¯t give him the chance and kicked Kendall¡¯s head. Pang! ¡°Whoa..!¡± The sound was so loud that my ears were ringing. Boom, Boom, Boom! Kendall rolled to the end of the hallway and finally stopped. At the unbelievable sight, Sienna blankly blinked her eyes. It was a boy in a pure black suit with a white face dressed up from head to toe. He was gritting his teeth and was struggling to calm himself. His white neck was stiffened like a sculpture. The red and blue veins on his forehead had popped out, wriggling like a snake. P/N: They¡¯re not actually wriggling but more like throbbing. ¡­His red eyes were like some kind of evil spirit. ¡®Wait, red eyes¡­?¡¯ I had never seen him so angry, so I didn¡¯t realize it right away, but he was definitely someone Sienna knew. ¡®Grand Duke Heir!¡¯ He was the eldest son of Grand Duke Nacht, Ashiel. * * * Ashiel was not alone. He was also with the Grand Duke. As soon as they heard that Kendall had not been fired, they came in and solved the situation in person. The fainted Kendall -if the head and neck are depressed and bleeding can also be called fainting ¨C couldn¡¯t even scream and was dragged away to a place of no return Sienna didn¡¯t feel relieved. She felt hopeless. Sienna just endured. It was not Loreina who betrayed her, but the orphanage director who made her situation look worse than it was. This was the only way to avoid Loreina. ¡®What kind of life¡­.¡¯ But as soon as the great Duke appeared, the situation was solved like magic. She laughed in vain. Siena finally realized the meaning of what was called ¡®a child protected by Nacht.¡¯ In any case, she could survive without starving or being sold until she was betrayed by Loreina. ¡°Sienna¡­.¡± Lisa called out to the surprised child. However, despite her affectionate touch, the child seemed to have lost her sanity. ¡°Why can¡¯t I cry, today¡­¡± She was sorrowful even when she cried sorrowfully, and the appearance of sitting listlessly under the shock was enough to make her [Lisa] heart bend. The Grand Duke remained silent with an uncomfortable appearance. Ashiel, who had hidden his anger, had his arms crossed with an unfathomable look in his eyes. ¡°Ka Haa.¡± At that time, the archduke¡¯s aide, Devon, coughed gently. ¡°It looks like the child was quite shocked. I think it¡¯ll be difficult for her to remain in the orphanage¡­¡± ¡°Sienna.¡± It was the call of the Grand Duke. Sienna, who didn¡¯t know how he knew her name, was furious and looked up at the Grand Duke. The duke, who she thought would be emotionless, surprisingly had an expression on his face. No, rather than an expression¡­ Should I say that there is something like a barely decipherable sign of discomfort from enduring a small throbbing pain. Anyway, there was something like a very thin emotional shadow. It was such a face that Sienna had never seen before. ¡°Don¡¯t ask again.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Will you follow me through these troubles?¡± Why does this person persistently ask me to go with him? It seemed that my original self was greater than I had thought when Loreina stole my mana. That was the only reason I could think of. ¡®I was disappointed that he brought me only to see this little¡­¡¯ For daring to be Lord Nacht¡¯s guardian even though she was only a commoner orphan, there was no one who looked at her favorably. The housekeepers were not on Sienna¡¯s side. But Lord Nacht was indifferent to all that. It was okay though. At that time, Sienna was so grateful that he didn¡¯t kick her out because she believed she was deceiving the public by stealing her sister¡¯s mana. ¡®I felt so guilty at the time that I was cheating these people¡­¡­¡¯ Sienna had struggled to find something she could do, even if it was insignificant. But for all her effort, the Grand Duke was only silent. The Grand Duke was very annoyed and said: ¡°I know what you¡¯re trying, Sienna. Your efforts are worthless.¡± He was right. Sienna was a useless woman making useless efforts. Now that I had been foolishly robbed of what was mine, I no longer deserved to be a child of Nacht. ¡®Even as useful as I am now, I lost my purpose.¡¯ When Loreina was framed, the Great Duke promptly imprisoned Sienna. ¡®¡­that¡¯s how it ended.¡¯ Anyway, this gave Sienna one more lesson. The future had to be changed little by little. It becomes difficult to adapt if a large part of my destiny changes all at once like now. ¡®What if we reject the offer as it is now?¡¯ The orphanage will probably have a new director instead of Kendall. But he may also be the one who purchased management rights with huge amounts of money. Those running a wizard orphanage receive subsidies from the country and donations from nobles. The tighter the orphans, the faster they can receive money. The more orphans they rounded up, the faster they can receive ¡®funding¡¯. There was no guarantee that someone better than Kendall would come. It¡¯s rare, but there were orphanage owners who set foot in full-scale human trafficking. ¡®On the other hand, if you go to Nacht¡­¡¯ After half a year, I will meet Loreina. The older sister who betrayed her completely. ¡®Unnie¡­.¡¯ She was betrayed by Loreina. No doubt. But now? Sienna¡¯s dull eyes twinkled suddenly. ¡®I might not know anything now, But I know for a fact I can¡¯t be betrayed.¡¯ Chapter 5 Sienna would no longer believe Loreina. The younger sister, who loved her Unnie more than her own life, is now dead and gone. Sienna lost her life because she loved Loreina more than her own life. ¡­You will no longer be betrayed by those you love. When I realized that fact, I felt a little relieved. ¡°When I¡¯m 15, I can enter an academy. I just have to endure it for now,¡¯ Fortunately, the act of taking away mana could never be done without Sienna¡¯s cooperation and consent. ¡®Then¡­¡¯ How about going to the Grand Retreat and living within a reasonable distance between Loreina and the Grand Duke¡¯s family, then entering the academy and being appointed as an officer and then independent. Is it because he had already thought about becoming independent once in his previous life? Sienna was able to plan without difficulty. But she had something that bothered her. ¡®Ms. Lisa¡­¡¯ If I went to Nacht, I had to stay away from her. Lisa opened her mouth, noticing Sienna¡¯s hesitation. ¡°Sienna, how would you like to follow your Majesty the Grand Duke?¡± ¡°Teacher¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, teacher is lacking and couldn¡¯t keep Sienna safe. I mean¡­ I want you to seize the opportunity that the Highness has given you.¡± Then Ashiel blurted out. P/N: Maybe I¡¯m trippin¡¯ but, where did he come from??? Ok, I¡¯ll be serious. If you were like me and were wondering who this person is, Ashiel is the Heir that they¡¯ll be referring to later on. He is the eldest son of the Grand Duke Nacht. Q/N: Young master ( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã). P/N: Oh my god, stop. XD ¡°Why don¡¯t we let Ms. Lisa Melanche become the director of this orphanage?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Surprised by the sudden remark, Sienna and his highness¡¯ aide, Devon, quickly met eyes with Lisa. ¡°That¡¯s good! In addition, the castle is not far from the orphanage. You can come and go from time to time if you want.¡± Sienna had not yet become the guardian of Nacht, but he was already polite. However, instead of being smart with her words, she just nodded, ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Say¡­¡± All right, if Lisa becomes the director, Sienna would want to stay in the orphanage. But unfortunately, it¡¯s under the condition that Sienna become a child of Nacht. It seemed she was fated to walk the same path as her previous life ¡®Is this¡­?¡¯ Did you think Sienna¡¯s hesitation to accept was because of such extraordinarily favourable conditions? ¡®Am I just that talented?¡¯ Well, I would have to be talented. After all, Loreina took my mana away for a reason. Anyways, there was no reason to hesitate anymore. Sienna nodded softly. ¡°¡­.Then shall we head back?¡± An orphan without a place to go became a child of Nacht. The atmosphere was not good even though such an unprecedented event had taken place. The child had a dark face as if she had lost all hope, and the Grand Duke and the Heir were also hesitating strangely with a blunt face. ¡®Oh dear.¡¯ Devon only ticked his tongue inside. He thought the atmosphere was very strange. ¡®It looks like the young lady has been through a rough patch, and now you¡¯ve lost your nerve. how nice it would have been if you could have gotten along with me easily?¡¯ . Would it be nice if either of you held out your hand first and took me with you? It was decided without words that Lisa hugged Sienna and took her to the carriage while the Grand Duke and the Heir followed behind. Lisa was sweet while holding Sienna for the last time. While he was walking, Devon worked hard behind the scenes to give Ashiel a hint. Whispering, ¡°In front of the carriage! When we get there! Like this! Hug her!¡± . I couldn¡¯t help but notice the signal given by the 30-year-old aide. The Grand Duke sighed. However, I did not hate the sight of his reluctance. When he arrived in front of the carriage, he turned awkwardly, saying, ¡°Hmm.¡± P/N: The ¡®he¡¯ being mentioned here refers to Ashiel, the Heir. Sienna was still cuddled close to Lisa. Fortunately, Lisa was not oblivious, so she tried to hand Sienna to the Heir naturally. But¡­ At this moment, Sienna wrapped her arms around Lisa¡¯s neck and clung to her as if she would never let go. ¡°Sienna¡­.¡± She is very mature. She isn¡¯t a child who would act like this. Lisa thought that she was afraid to go to a strange environment away from a familiar person. ¡®This isn¡¯t going to work.¡¯ ¡°-Your Grace, excuse me,¡± Eventually, Lisa boldly ignored the powerful men standing there and walked into the carriage with Siena. ¡°Teacher¡­.¡± ¡°Sienna, let me set a date to meet with you.¡± Holding a small box of Siena¡¯s few belongings in her lap, Lisa asked. ¡°Your teacher will visit Sienna often, so be well. All right? ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Be nice, be cute, be happy¡­ ¡° Sienna, who had been told to be cute to the Grand Duke, burst into a small laugh. ¡°¡­Thank you for your concern, miss.¡± Unlike her words, her laughter was not as innocent as a child and was dry. Lisa¡¯s heart fluttered at the moment as she looked on with a blank expression mixed with deep resignation. P/N: In case anyone doesn¡¯t understand, a dry laugh is laughter without humor and is usually used sarcastically or in awkward situations. ¡®This child¡­ Is it alright to send her off like this?¡¯ I hesitated too late, but there was nothing more Lisa could do. All Lisa could do was pat Sienna¡¯s head a couple more times before getting out of the carriage. Soon the Grand Duke and the Heir got in the carriage. Siena sat silently, hugging the little wooden box Lisa had given her. There was only silence in the moving carriage. Sienna, who had been living in good health for more than 20 years, thought to myself, ¡°Should I say thank you to these two people saving me?¡± ¡®¡­.I¡¯m tired.¡¯ Everything is annoying. I didn¡¯t want to be a good girl by trying hard. There was no reason for that. Sienna clasped the wooden box without a word. And soon I closed my eyes and fell asleep. * * * So Kendall orphanage became the Melanche orphanage overnight. The white-and-pale orphans, still confused and unaware, will be able to start a better life starting tomorrow. Sienna also became a child of Nacht overnight. Better than the bright future of orphanage. It was a place where a much brighter future and comfort were promised. But the orphan who took the good fortune, holding only one old, dirty box¡­ ¡°¡­She¡¯s sleeping.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡­I was only asleep For some reason, Ashiel felt as if his mouth had dried. Finally, the carriage arrived at the residence and stopped. ¡°Father, I¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡± The Grand Duke slowly reached out and raised Sienna, asleep. The sensitive child made a groan of ¡°Mmmhh..¡± Making the two nervous, but fortunately, fell asleep again. ¡°What about the room?¡± ¡°The butler would have prepared everything in advance. Isn¡¯t he like a ghost?¡± Ashiel grasped the handle, feeling anxiousness for some reason. The Grand Duke looked back at his son and asked, ¡°Ashiel, aren¡¯t you busy?¡± I knew. It was going to be asked. At this point, I could go back to my business, but strangely, my steps did not divert. ¡°¡­It should be alright,¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± It was an insincere answer, but fortunately the Duke was focused on hugging the child who was held in his arms instead of questioning his eldest son more. ¡°Father!¡± Then, a young boy who appeared running down the stairs shouted. ¡°Oh, Youngest Master!¡± ¡°Is that her?¡± Michael, who came down the stairs in an uncharacteristic hurry, was impatient. ¡°That¡¯s not like you. Be quiet, Michael.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Leaving his noisy youngest son with his mouth shut, the Grand Duke headed to the room he had prepared for the girl in his arms. Behind the Duke, Michael said to his brother, ¡°How old is she? Is she staying at our house from now on?¡± A steady stream of questions was asked. Ashiel answered the first question, ¡°She¡¯s a year older than you.¡± Michael blinked his red eyes and nodded. ¡°I thought she might. Anyway, she¡¯s staying at our house, right? He couldn¡¯t ignore the question twice. Ashiel sighed for a moment and replied: ¡°Yes, she is.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Michael was staring at the scene where his father laid the girl in bed carefully. It wasn¡¯t a small thing for them to be interested in somethings. Micheal wasn¡¯t the only one who thought it was strange. It¡¯s not like he had ever been against a child before. Although Ashiel was known to be the only person in the family who was friendly, He was never nosey. It was not like him to place too much of his attention on such useless information. ¡®¡­No, that man did not deserve such a thing.¡¯ As soon as he remembered it, the deepening that he barely calmed down felt like a fire raging within him. However, if it had been normal, I would not have turned my eyes like that and went out from my own actions. ¡­Perhaps? All of the men in this family, including him, were behaving strangely. The strangest thing was that even though I was aware of it, I couldn¡¯t control it. ¡®Why?¡¯ Even though he was pretending not to be, he was a very talented child. But that alone could not explain their behavior. I tried to put on an emotionless face, but the agitation I felt did not cease. ¡®This time¡­ definitely.¡¯ Leaving the two children in silence, Ashiel withdrew from the room with the Grand Duke as he made a pledge to himself, despite not knowing why. Chapter 6 Sienna was having a dream. ¡®Sienna.¡¯ ¡®Sienna, I hate you.¡¯ Stop it, sister. I know now. I know very well that you¡¯ve been dreaming for my death. I wanted to say that, but my mouth couldn¡¯t open. ¡®Sienna, answer me.¡¯ ¡®Are you happy to take my place?¡¯ What does that mean? Sienna, who had never tried to take Loreina¡¯s place, was being treated unfairly. She wanted to insist on her innocence, but her voice wouldn¡¯t come out. In her dream, Loreina began laughing madly when seeing that Sienna¡¯s faces paled upon realizing she couldn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Heuk¡­¡± Breathing in, Sienna finally opened her eyes in the dark. ¡®Is it a dream¡­¡¯ In the pitch-black darkness, Sienna briefly blinked. Her pupils quickly expanded and adjusted to the darkness. Little by little, the view opened up, and familiar landscapes began to come into Sienna¡¯s eyes. This is¡­ ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Gulp. Sienna swallowed. If her eyes aren¡¯t wrong now, this place is¡­ ¡°Loreina, sister¡­.¡± It was Loreina¡¯s room. As soon as she realized it, she got goosebumps from head to toe. When she first entered Nacht, Sienna was given a room of a very mediocre level. Of course, it was just mediocre by Nacht¡¯s standards, but for Sienna who had previously shared a room with seven orphans younger than her in Room 6 of Kendall Orphanage, it was the best thing ever. A desk, mirror and closet, plus a plush, clean bed. I loved the room I could have to myself for the first time, so much that I didn¡¯t even notice that the room was in a little shadowy corner in a wide castle. Unlike Sienna, Loreina received the ¡®Cradle of the Moon.¡¯ The Cradle of The Moon was the best room in the castle except for the one used by the Grand Duke and the Heir. Unlike Siena¡¯s room, where the bed and desk were placed in the same room, The Cradle of The Moon room was equipped with a study, a bedroom, a drawing room, a dress room and a bathroom, as well as a small bedroom for a trusted maid. When Loreina had first stepped foot into the Duchy, she begged him to let her use it after taking a liking to that room. This was unlike Sienna, who would have accepted any room given to her. However, the Grand Duke did not refuse the request. Maybe it was from there that I knew for sure Loreina and I were in different situations from then on. But then why was I in this room? There was no way Nachts would give Sienna this room. Perhaps¡­ ¡°¡­Did I crawl into this room while asleep?¡± Sienna believed it was possible, in her last life she spent more time in Loreina¡¯s room than in her own. The bed containing warm sheets was comfortable and flames were rising from the fireplace, but Sienna began to tremble like a cold person. As she heard in her dream, Loreina¡¯s voice seemed to ring in her ears. ¡®Are you happy to take my place like that?¡¯ This room was not hers. It wasn¡¯t a place that she dared to occupy. Sienna did not enter Nacht to take Loreina¡¯s place. I didn¡¯t want to win against my sister, nor did I want revenge. ¡°I¡¯m just going to stay quiet for a few years and then run away to the academy.¡¯ I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m in this room¡­. Sienna quickly pushed the blanket. ¡®You shouldn¡¯t make unnecessary misunderstandings.¡¯ If Sienna was found sleeping in this room, everyone may misunderstand that she was having indecent and presumptuous ideas. If you think about it a little bit, you might have noticed that there was a water bag in the bed, and that the bonfire that was lit was comfortable and helped me sleep. Sienna, who had just woken up from a nightmare, was simply in a state of confusion. Sienna quickly got out of bed in a pair of pajamas, struggling to make the bed before going back to the bed she slept in my last life. As soon as Sienna had made the wide bed with her weak arms, she ran out of the room without even thinking about taking a lamp. ¡®My room¡­ My old room¡¯ The little barefoot girl began to run down the cold corridor. Sienna was in a hurry to find her old room¡­ ¡°¡­.Uh!¡± I slipped on the ground despite there being nothing and fell down. ¡®It hurts¡­.¡± Sienna groaned and held her sore knees. I couldn¡¯t see it, but it felt like blood was starting to seeping from my knee. But I didn¡¯t have time to sit here and take care of the wound. I quickly got up again and limped to the corner, where ¡®my room¡¯ was. ¡®Next, Next¡­. Ah, This one.¡¯ Is it because it¡¯s night or because it¡¯s an 11-year-old child¡¯s body? It was only after a while that Sienna could find her room. The door opened with a squeak. She didn¡¯t care, It was unpleasant for her, but Sienna was glad to have come to her old room. She closed the door with her back and slid down. The corner room had not been cleaned for a long time, so there was a chill in it. The sight of white cloth covered with furniture covered in dust instead looked like a dead place¡­ ¡°¡­This is my room.¡± My heart, which was pounding, gradually subsided. Maybe it¡¯s because she had arrived at the place where she had stayed for more than a decade, but, Sienna was greatly relieved. After that, she began to feel drowsy from the effort it took to leave the room she had found herself in . ¡°Euu¡­.¡± Sienna rubbed her eyelids. And went up to the bed as if she was accustomed to it. There wasn¡¯t a cozy blanket, but it was good enough to grab and cover herself with one of the nearby dust covers. ¡°Haaaam¡­¡± Shortly after yawning a little, Sienna fell asleep. * * * The next morning. Having become Nacht¡¯s new head maid, Mrs. Bora began her routine early in the morning. Not long ago she heard a very surprising story from the butler. ¡°Deborah, as you only know, the Grand Prince has brought in a guardian.¡± ¡°Yes Really?!¡± Mrs. Deborah was surprised. ¡°Well, that means that we are finally going to have a future Grand Duchess¡­¡± ¡°No, no, That¡¯s not it. This time, the guardian is from an orphanage.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. A child. From an orphanage.¡± She still regretted it. ¡°It¡¯s a great opportunity to see the future of the potential future grand duchess when she comes in as a guardian.¡± Mrs. Deborah had a plan. I plan to serve the future Great Duchess from a young age to be trusted in the Duchy, and to remain in power as a loyal maid of this house until she dies! Unfortunately, the opportunity hadn¡¯t arrived yet. The butler said, ¡°Anyway, His Highness the Grand Duke has shown deep interest in the young lady,¡± and ordered for her to be taken care of. ¡°She seems to be a very talented person. Give her The Cradle of The Moon.¡± ¡°What? The Cradle of the Moon?¡± Mrs. Deborah frowned. Just because she¡¯s talented, he wants to give her such a nice room? ¡®Why would a commoner orphan be given a room suitable for a good noble lady?¡¯ It was a bit of a surprise, but once the instructions were given, she couldn¡¯t help it. Mrs. Deborah arranged the room for her. And yesterday, the orphan finally took the room. ¡®Tsk. I was wondering if I¡¯d be taking care of the Grand Duchess in the future¡­¡± Apart from being uncomfortable with planning, I was curious about the orphan¡¯s face and how she was. So I got up early, finished my morning routine, and ran to the room. ¡°Hmm.¡± Mrs. Deborah coughed, and knocked on the door. But was quiet in the room. ¡®Hm.¡¯ She¡¯s been asleep since she came yesterday evening. Is she sleeping still? She seems to be lazy. Mrs. Deborah opened her door without asking for further permission with a stern face. ¡°¡­..Oh my goodness?¡± However, instead of a lazy orphan sleeping like the dead, a neat empty room greeted her. Her bed was neatly arranged as if it had just been put in order by a skillful maid, and her cold water bag lay on her armchair. ¡°What?¡± Mrs. Deborah hurried around but nothing changed, she was gone. Eventually, the other maids were called in to search the women¡¯s room, the reception room, the study room, the dress room, but¡­ ¡®Not here.¡¯ ¡®Not here. I even opened a box that I don¡¯t use.¡¯ The child literally disappeared like smoke. ¡°Ha¡­¡± I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re giving me trouble this early in the morning. But even if I was angry, I couldn¡¯t hide it. ¡°I have to go see the butler.¡± ¡°Sorry? But ma¡¯am, then the other maids¡­.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s look for a little more.¡± ¡°You guys.¡± Mrs. Deborah looked at the maids who were saying stupid things. ¡°Are you out of your mind? The lady was brought by the Grand Duke last night and was given The Cradle of the Moon room. Wouldn¡¯t it be strange that the maids couldn¡¯t find the lady if the fact that she disappeared in the morning was hidden?¡± Q/C: Ugh, this sentence, the confusion it caused. So if you were like me and the PR, read the following¨C> If the maids don¡¯t tell anyone about the missing Siena then it would be strange to everyone else in the Duchy- if the maids can¡¯t find Sienna. Mrs. Deborah had great ambition that showed in her even in her greater judgment. ¡°Ah¡­.¡± The maids who had not thought of that point shut their mouths at once. Mrs. Deborah clicked her tongue. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that all these things are happening all at once. Especially during my time as Head Maid. I felt like I had a lot of work to do as the new head maid. ¡®¡­We¡¯ll have to find her first.¡¯ I don¡¯t know where you¡¯re hiding, but please be found safely. Mrs. Deborah tapped her feet nervously. Chapter 7 ¡°Tell me again.¡± When he heard that the child had disappeared, the eyes of the Grand Duke grew cold immediately. ¡°I¡¯m ashamed, Your Highness.¡± Mrs. Deborah bent down deeply. ¡°The child¡¯s disappeared from the castle.¡± The sigh of the Grand Duke was as heavy as thunder. ¡°Just how negligent can you be. Do I have to order you to have someone to stand by the child at night? Can¡¯t you at least think of that much before receiving an order? The Grand Duke was a man who usually did not scold his subordinates for making mistakes. But this time it was different. ¡°I¡­I have no excuse.¡± It was to the point where the head maid, who expected a harsh admonishment, was in cold sweat. It was clear that this orphan was much, much more important to the Grand Duke than they had expected. Mrs. Deborah fell to her knees without hesitation as soon as she realized so. ¡°I¡¯m ashamed of myself, Your Highness! The servants are going through the house, so we will be able to find her soon.¡± ¡°?¡­.¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡± The underground castle was renovated from an old castle during from an ancient era P/N: Everyone, thank Jay, our new TL, because otherwise¡­ well, you¡¯d be seeing ancient prosperity period instead of ancient era. All around the castle lying dormant was dangerous magic that has not yet been clearly identified. It wasn¡¯t a place to let a child go around on their own. ¡°I will go too,¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± Mrs. Deborah, kneeling down on her knees, suddenly raised her head. What did I just hear¡­?? ¡°I said that I will find the child with you.¡± It was an emergency. It has been like that for 30 minutes; but it was a real emergency from now. * * * While Mrs. Deborah was reporting to the Great Duke, the servants were searching the whole house at the butler¡¯s instruction. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t have gotten on the wrong foot and dragged into the sewers right? The butler shook his head. ¡°Of course not. The ones on duty would have found her by now if she had.¡± ¡°For now, it would be better to start searching from the near vicinity of the Moon¡¯s Cradle. ¡° ¡°We¡¯d better search the Cradle one more time. It¡¯s quite a big place¡­ Huh?!¡± One of the servants let out an unsightly scream. The butler, who was about to reprimand him¡­ ¡°Your Grace?¡± ¡°Your Highness said he would search for the missing lady together.¡± The butler was a bit surprised by Mrs. Deborah¡¯s words. However, the veteran butler quickly regained his composure. ¡°Everyone! Do not be intimidated and do what you have to do!¡± Don¡¯t be intimidated? The servants yelled in dismay. ¡®Just what is so special about that orphan!¡¯ ¡®Perhaps it¡¯s not just an orphan, but a hidden bloodline of a high-ranked royal family?¡¯ It was a situation where the unbelievable would sound believable. It was because there was no way the grand duke would search this anxiously for an ordinary orphan. . ¡°Your Grace? Where are you going? The third floor has not yet been searched¡­¡± ¡°Hush.¡± The butler stopped Mrs. Deborah. The others didn¡¯t even have the thought of stopping him. When he finally arrived at the end of the corridor on the third floor, the Grand Duke carefully pushed the door. The unmaintained door slowly opened with a creak. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Chilly air was emanating from the walls and floor of what seemed to not have had a fire lit for a million years. A dust cloth was crumpled on the bed that lacked even sheets. ¡­As if someone in this cold room used it to cover themselves. ¡°The child was in this room.¡± She was given the best unused room in the castle. (T/N: It still was a good room, Just was never used nor cleaned.) So why did you come to sleep in such a room? The Grand Duke bit his lips unconsciously. He felt strange because it was like he could see a child sleeping soundly in this dusty room¡­ it felt weird ¡®My heart¡­¡¯ If I had to choose a word, it seemed to be crushed by something huge. To the point where I forget to breathe for a moment. ¡°¡­wait.¡± There were unusual traces on the white cloth on the bed. It was a trail of blood. The child must have been hurt. ¡°Call the servants here. Search the perimeter as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± * * * Grand Duke and Butler came out of the room to search the third floor in earnest. Mrs. Deborah was just about to follow suit. Creak (Sfx: Door creaking) ¡°!¡± The closet door, which had been tightly closed in front of Mrs. Deborah¡¯s eyes, slowly opened. And in there¡­ ¡°¡­Ah¡­Miss?¡± ¡°Shh¡± A girl with a white face and strangely calm green eyes stood her index finger on her lips. ¡°I¡¯m trying to hide my presence.. Could you speak a little bit softer, please?¡± ¡°¡­.Why are you hiding in such a place?¡± You must be in trouble because I¡¯m missing, I thought it would be worse if the Grand Duke found me himself. As soon as Sienna woke up, things were different from her past life. Just as she had guessed. This room was obviously the one she used in her last life. And no matter how she looked at it, it wasn¡¯t ready to greet people. ¡®It¡¯s weird¡­.¡¯ It was the grand duke that told her to ¡®go sleep on the ground¡¯ twice. It didn¡¯t look like I was going to be sleeping in this unprepared room. ¡®Ah.¡¯ That¡¯s why I had a nightmare last night, when I opened my eyes in Loreina¡¯s room. Though I was half asleep, I remember visiting my original room because of how startled I was at that time. Sienna let out a sound. ¡°I¡¯m done for¡­.¡± Of course, the maid would not have a good impression of Sienna because of her disappearance. However, there was no way she could think well of me when I disappeared without a word and ended up in a place that was not even my room. ¡®If I want to live peacefully, I have to maintain an amiable relationship with the maids.¡¯ Sienna was about to go out and greet him herself. But at that moment, the maid shouted, ¡°Your Highness!¡± and a loud approach was heard. There was no time to think. Sienna quickly hid before being found by the Grand Duke. Fortunately, even if she didn¡¯t know anything else, she was good at hiding her presence. ¡®I¡¯ve gone through a few moments like this before when I didn¡¯t want to bump into you.¡¯ Anyways, Sienna hid safely in the closet and waited quietly. I was going to act as if the maid had suddenly found me somehow. ¡°In a moment, bring me out and say you found me¡± ¡°Are you trying to help me?¡± ¡°No¡± You can¡¯t possible be doing this to be kind. I just hope that I don¡¯t need to put on an act with Mrs. Deborah. Sienna assessed herself for such a rational act.. ¡°¡­¡­ ¡± Mrs. Deborah looked at Sienna with an inscrutable expression, and nodded her head as she sighed lightly. ¡°I understand, it¡¯s not a bad suggestion.¡± Chapter 8 Mrs. Deborah brought Sienna out a moment later, pretending to have found her. ¡°Where¡­¡± ¡°She was in the closet.¡± The gap between his eyebrows narrowed. ¡®You hid right there and I didn¡¯t know?¡¯ ¡°I think you need treatment because you¡¯re hurt.¡± Ah, yes, the first priority is to treat the wound. He quickly forgot about his suspicions thereafter. ¡°Give me the child.¡± The Grand Duke stretched out his arms to take Sienna. But at that moment, Sienna shivered and grabbed Mrs. Deborah¡¯s sleeve. No matter how you looked at it, it was clear that she was afraid of the Duke. Before the atmosphere became tense, Mrs. Deborah quickly asked for permission. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Highness. I¡¯ll carry her carefully.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, do that.¡± They headed to the nearest living room. An armchair was placed near the fire and people wrapped Sienna in blankets. Soon the doctor arrived at the order of the Great Duke. Sienna was treated by a doctor who treated her as carefully as a feather. ¡®Um¡­.¡¯ I thought it would be uncomfortable to be an uninvited guest in this house, but I realized that it would be uncomfortable to be treated with the utmost care when I had never received it before. ¡°Oh my god, you fell hard.¡± The wound became more serious than expected as a result of neglecting it for one night. Still, I could concentrate only on the pain when the disinfectant was applied. ¡°You did well, young lady. Would you like a candy?¡± After bandaging it, the doctor even gave out candy. Sienna, who didn¡¯t expect this kind of kindness, was a little surprised and looked at the candy (T/N: take the damn candy.) ¡°No¡­¡± I smiled unconsciously and shook my head. ¡®I¡¯m not a kid anymore¡­.¡¯ Also, it was not good to relive the past which I had buried. In the past, no one called for a doctor even if Sienna was injured. This would be the first time. It was to the point where the maid would be reluctant to give her medicine. But now I¡¯m being treated so wholeheartedly by a doctor and offered candy. ¡®Perhaps, I didn¡¯t go back in time but entered a new world?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t even imagine this nonsense. Unexpectedly, the doctor, who offered candy after seeing the child handle the pain without a fuss, gave up and left. The Grand Duke, who watched the whole scenario, asked. ¡°¡­why did you go to sleep in such a small room?¡± Sienna, who had nothing to say, answered honestly. ¡°When I woke up, it was hard to believe that such a nice room could possibly be mine.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± The straightforward words left little room for imagination. It was heard by the Grand Duke and others that the young child was injured while wandering around the castle in the middle of the night in search of a shabby room to avoid being scolded. ¡°Oh my¡­¡± ¡°Oh my god, child.¡± Sienna thought while looking at the face of the Grand Duke who was looking at her while sighing. ¡®Again. That¡¯s the look he made at the orphanage yesterday.¡¯ An expression of patience with slight annoyance. It looks like you had a reason behind why you gave such a nice room to me. ¡®Well, I don¡¯t want to ask you about that¡­.¡¯ Now, Sienna didn¡¯t want to get emotionally involved with the Grand Duke¡¯s employees. She set aside the questions she had heard and left it as it was. ¡®Whether I¡¯m an orphan or spoiled¡­¡¯ What are you doing, is it because you know the reason for the different treatment? It is just a fantasy that will disappear like fog when Loreina arrives. Sienna knew. There was a deep gap between her and Loreina that could not be filled with talent. So I just wanted to live quietly in this house until I turned 15 and became eligible to enter the academy. It¡¯s best not to have useless questions and worse to have useless hopes. ¡®I hate it.¡¯ Sienna decided to wrap things up neatly at this point. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I won¡¯t make a fuss like this again.¡± ¡°Why did you¡­.¡± No, it¡¯s not. The Grand Duke shook his head and sighed. It was the maid¡¯s fault that she failed to select a nanny to stay by her bed. The error of the servants below is also his fault. Sienna did not need to be questioned, nor was an apology needed from Sienna ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize because it¡¯s not your fault.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°It¡¯s your room from now on, so just start getting used to it.¡± Instead of answering, Sienna only looked up at the Duke. ¡°¡­do you have anything to say?¡± Sienna hesitated for a moment. ¡®Should I or should I not say the room is too good for me?¡¯ The Cradle of the Moon was for Loreina, not for Sienna. ¡®If she were to come back, I would be annoyed when I would have to give it back to her.¡¯ Should I tell you or not? Thinking about it made me feel annoyed. Sienna shook her head in silence. If Loreina comes and asks for the room anyway, Sienna will naturally be able to go to another room. ¡®I wouldn¡¯t be the one bothered in the process.¡¯ If you show yourself giving up your room and leaving, Loreina will at least know Sienna has no intention of confrontation. ¡®Nothing bad will happen.¡¯ Come to think of it, there was at least one space in the room that I was familiar with. I can just stay there quietly. After she was finished considering the situation, Sienna shook her head quietly. The Grand Duke looked at the child, who quietly shook her head, with a puzzled look on his face. When I first saw her at the orphanage, she was still like a pitiful child, but she didn¡¯t look like one when she spoke maturely. ¡®It¡¯ll take a little more time to adapt.¡¯ Even though it was unclear, I thought I had no choice but to think so now. * * * Mrs. Deborah brought Sienna back to the Cradle of the Moon. The room decorated with fresh sky blue and white was the most beautiful when the sun poured down on the windows filled with high floors. A child who wakes up on a dusky night and is surprised by a nice room. Wouldn¡¯t they be even more surprised now? Curious, Mrs. Deborah glanced at Siena. But Sienna¡­ ¡°¡­hoo.¡± She just sighed as if looking at a messy room. A child who seemed to have a headache just by being in the room. ¡®Such an odd child.¡¯ Mrs. Deborah thought to herself. As she had no intention of downgrading a child who seemed to be cherished by the Grand Duke, the most powerful man in the family, she said in a polite tone- ¡°Then, my lady, I will bring you a meal while you rest.¡± She¡¯ll probably be surprised no matter what she¡¯s given. She¡¯ll grow quickly if she¡¯s spoiled rotten, so she¡¯ll soon forget about her past and enjoy being a child of Nacht. Mrs. Deborah believed so. It took less than ten minutes to prove that the judgment was hasty. ¡°¡­miss?¡± It took Mrs. Deborah about ten minutes to return with a maid pushing a cart with breakfast. But in the meantime, Sienna disappeared again without a trace. ¡®You¡¯re not going to be in that third floor room again right¡­?¡¯ As soon as the head maid began to frown, a small door inside the bedroom opened. ¡°You came back already?¡± ¡°Did you only go there?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a ladies¡¯ room, but¡­¡± ¡°Did you?¡± Sienna blinked her eyes naturally. ¡°I didn¡¯t know. I felt better when I was in there.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a place for you to stay. Come out here and I¡¯ll attend to you.¡± Instead of insisting on eating in that room, Sienna complied and came out. P/N: That room is the ladies¡¯ room, so she came out into the bedroom. She¡¯s planning on living in the ladies¡¯ room. I can¡¯t-, don¡¯t do that Sienna! That¡¯s just- cold and gross. T.T ¡®You don¡¯t have to be so stubborn.¡¯ She decided to stay there as long as she could. Every time Mrs. Deborah or the Grand Duke say something, she can answer back, saying, ¡°I feel comfortable in there.¡± I¡¯m not going to leave that room because I¡¯m an orphan who knows her place. ¡®If you keep insisting, they may prevent you from living there.¡¯ Sienna made up her mind to give in a little to prevent a messy event from occuring. ¡°It is so comfortable to not try.¡¯ It was a new realization that would help in a very positive way in the future. ¡°Please have a seat over here.¡± It was a very carefully prepared diet, most likely to soothe the anxious child. Soft, tender omelettes were in small children¡¯s dishes. It looked warm and delicious, but I didn¡¯t have an appetite. Oh, come on. ¡°¡­¡­aaham.¡± I was so sleepy that I could yawn. ¡°You¡¯re sleepy because you didn¡¯t sleep.¡± Mrs. Deborah persuaded Sienna and urged her to hold the table. ¡°Just have a little. When you¡¯re done eating, I¡¯ll take you to bed.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± With a child¡¯s body, rebelling against an adult is useless. Siena finished a small prayer and cut the omelette into small pieces and brought it to her mouth. Mrs. Deborah¡¯s eyes glistened. ¡®She¡¯s got good manners for a child who¡¯s never even seen etiquette.¡¯ Chapter 9 Whatever is the Miss thinking? ¡®I¡¯m sleepy¡­.¡¯ Sienna kept feeling sleepy. That¡¯s odd. Were you supposed to sleep this much? I tried to recall my childhood, but all I could remember was being suddenly dragged into the mess and panicked and scared about everything. ¡®Well, they say children are supposed to sleep a lot¡­ I guess.¡¯ Anyway, as I was sleepy, the speed of chewing food naturally slowed down. Sienna ate slowly with the momentum to melt a bite of an omelette and eat it. Eventually, Mrs. Deborah surrendered. ¡°Would you like to stop eating it?¡± ¡°Yes please.¡± The head maid ordered the servant to eat as much as the leftover and clean up afterwards. ¡°Wake up nicely.¡± ¡®Milk.¡¯ Sienna gently touched the head maid and laid on the bed she had previously touched the night before. Even when she was sleepy, she still felt a little resistant the moment I laid on Loreina¡¯s bed, but I didn¡¯t show it. ¡°Go to sleep.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Sienna seemed to have fallen asleep in an instant, as she was restless without a big moon to shine through the window. ¡°Keep your eyes open.¡± ¡°Okay, ma¡¯am.¡± The same thing should not happen earlier, so the head maid left the room leaving the maid behind. The maid kept her head straight at first, but¡­ Quietly. Seeing the child sleeping well made the maid wonder what all this was about. ¡®Oh, my God, I¡¯m not a babysitter, and I¡¯m protecting a child I don¡¯t know if I carry you on my back you¡¯ll just weigh me down.¡¯ As I was looking at the child who was sleeping well in a soft chair, I slowly started to fall asleep just by looking on her eyelids. ¡­after a while, Sienna opened her eyes. ¡®And another nightmare.¡¯ This time again, Loreina was sarcastic, asking if playing with a girl was fun. ¡®I think I¡¯ll keep having nightmares if I fall asleep in this bed.¡¯ I noticed that the maid watching her was completely hungry and was even snoring through her small nose. ¡°¡­¡­ ¡± Sienna silenced the sound of her feet and snuck into the little bedroom. There was an attic above which luggage was stored, so it was a room with a low floor height. The furniture included a small bed, a table, and a washbasin. ¡°Haa.¡± It was literally a small room, but Sienna was finally comfortable. Is it because she used this room more often than her own when she was on good terms with Loreina and so unilaterally believed that we were close? ¡®Reminds me of bad memories.¡¯ When she believed that she was deceiving others by stealing Loreina¡¯s mana, Sienna steadily mastered various cultivations. She practiced to bleed and bend her fingers to learn graceful handwriting, write a letter for Loreina, and even learn to braid her hair and sew a handkerchief to take on the role of Loreina¡¯s maid. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to know this subject well, right?¡± ¡°Hey, I use it all the time! When Loreina Young-ae becomes the grand duchess, she will ask me to make her a maid!¡± ¡°Oh my God, if you are going to be a maid of the Grand Duchess, you should at least be a lady who is more than a self-sufficient writer, right?¡± It didn¡¯t matter what people misunderstood. Sienna returned from her outings and did her best to brush Reina¡¯s golden hair by pouring out her joyful things. ¡°I wish Sienna could have come with me.¡± ¡°Thanks to you, I rested well at home.¡± ¡°Well, Sienna¡¯s quiet and shy. It would have been uncomfortable if I went. Everyone.¡± When you hear something that is unexpected, your heart aches as if you were stabbed by a needle. Sienna laughed vaguely and swallowed her inside. Loreina didn¡¯t seem to notice. ¡°But I¡¯m so happy to have Sienna.¡± The small disappointment melted away with just a few words. ¡°Would you like to sleep with me tonight, Sienna?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯d love to.¡± Somehow, Sienna thought Loreina was the only one. The only person who is willing to accept Sienna¡¯s humble efforts, allowing her to be called an elder sister. A grateful person who helped me not to be kicked out of this house by handing out a piece of mana. When I was next to Loreina, I felt like I was of any help to the world. ¡­weird. Thank you. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re grateful. Sometimes I wanted to run to the lake, far outside the mansion¡¯s fence, or farther away. If I could do it, I wouldn¡¯t survive through the ruins, terrible monsters infested the border¡­. ¡®¡­Do you want to disappear?¡¯ It was unknown. I thought so at the time. ¡®I was naive.¡¯ At the time, Loreina¡¯s word ¡°let¡¯s sleep together¡± meant Siena was going to grow up in this room. The more I thought about it, the more she didn¡¯t notice that Loreina hated her, and thought she was great. When Loreina comes to the mansion¡¯s ground half a year later, what would she think when she sees Sienna, who was currently occupying the cradle of the moon, which originally should be hers? ¡®¡­I hate to think about it.¡¯ Sienna curled up even more on her little bed. Then she fell asleep again sometime later. Fortunately, I didn¡¯t have nightmares in that familiar room. * * * Fortunately for Sienna, shortly afterwards, the Grand Duke launched a punitive operation with an appearance at the capital. Ashiel returned to the academy, and Michael did not show any interest in Sienna. It was fortunate that Michael was at least the same as he was in her memory. ¡®The problem is that all other people are acting weird¡­.¡¯ Representatively, there was Mrs. Deborah. In the past, Mrs. Deborah regarded Loreina as an ideal Grand Duchess, and she didn¡¯t say much about Sienna, She didn¡¯t dare to. She said, ¡°I can¡¯t help it if Loreina Young-ae will have her by her side, but I won¡¯t sit down if she¡¯s acting or being presumptuous.¡± She was a maid who used to give this kind of warning whenever she had the chance. Sienna believed Mrs. Deborah would hate her again this time, I¡¯d didn¡¯t doubt it. ¡®No, I don¡¯t think you like me very much right now, but¡­¡¯ However, it would be too blunt to say ¡°I don¡¯t like her.¡± ¡°Lady, you¡¯re in here again.¡± ¡°Mrs. Deborah.¡± Especially since She¡¯s visiting me, who is stuck in the small maid¡¯s bedroom. ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± ¡°Stop. I¡¯ve heard that you¡¯re comfortable staying in your room. I¡¯ve already told you, right? The head maid who raised her glasses looked much stricter than usual. ¡°You¡¯d better spend less time in that room and get used to your position here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­.¡± There¡¯s no need to get used to it because it¡¯s not my place. It was only a pity that I could not be honest. ¡°You are lacking in effort. Come on.¡± ¡°Well¡­ .¡± Due to repeated conversations, Sienna came out of the comfortable room as as if she were a snail¡¯s shell. ¡®This is definitely weird.¡¯ Sienna thought that Mrs. Deborah would be the antagonist and go stop her a few times and then let her do whatever she wanted. Or take a more active step forward and suggest, ¡®Since you¡¯re not getting used to it, so we should give you a simpler room instead of the cradle of the moon. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect this to happen.¡¯ At this point in the past, the problem was that I couldn¡¯t compare Mrs. Deborah¡¯s past attitude because I couldn¡¯t remember well. ¡®¡­maybe Mrs. Deborah is more faithful to the orders of the Grand Duke than I thought.¡¯ There¡¯s something uncomfortable about it, but Sienna didn¡¯t want to dig deep. So I memorized a magic spell once again. ¡®Well, these people are acting weird right now, but whatever the reason is, it¡¯s all going to be over when Loreina comes.¡¯ You just have to endure up to half a year. Before that, you might be disappointed in me and stop bothering me. Let¡¯s not think too deeply. The one who thinks deeply always ends up with losses. ¡°Whoa.¡± My mind calmed down again. But as soon as Sienna finished her meal, Mrs. Deborah began to rush her with a disapproving face, proving that such a wish was far from being realized. ¡°Are you going to stay in the room doing nothing else?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m doing nothing¡­¡± Sienna read her with a clumsy smile. I¡¯ve read thousands of books, but Mrs.Deborah was not in the mood to leave this time, ¡°You¡¯re planning on going to sleep in that windowless bedroom again aren¡¯t you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s comfortable there¡­.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re constantly comfortable in that humble place, you¡¯ll have to accept it as an insult to the Nacht Duchy.¡± ¡°What?¡± By the time the conversation reached that point, Sienna thought this was absurd. Chapter 10 No, so can I take that as an insult to me, too? ¡®I¡¯ve lived here for half my life before I died¡­.¡¯ Unable to say that, Sienna sighed again. ¡°You¡¯re just sighing because you¡¯re in such a gloomy place. Come on, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Ah¡­.¡± ¡°Today I must show you what a great place this castle is.¡± No, I really do not want to know. I know most of the rooms already. Is there anything else? ¡°Let¡¯s go out and get some sunshine, have a good look around, and drive out the darkness.¡± Mrs. Deborah took Sienna to the second floor hallway. ¡®Ah.¡¯ Sienna had a rough idea of where the head maid was taking her. There was a simple exhibition room on the second floor of the castle. ¡°Of course, simplicity is based on Nacht, but¡­¡± Grand Duke Nacht was also one of the richest men in the country. As he protected his territory, it naturally took up a lot of trades from the territory. From grains that grow and take root in the soil, to many of the copper, iron, and gold treasures. Nacht¡¯s simple exhibition hall meant that the large corridor on the second floor of the castle contained portraits of the family¡¯s ancestors. It also displayed various kinds of art as well as numerous medals. The exhibition even changes quarterly to match the theme. ¡°Originally, I was going to give you a formal tutor, but I¡¯m not going to let you miss out on this family exhibition. Oh, my little Prince?¡± Unfortunately, there were people in the exhibition room. A boy whose cheeks are still round and big like a cat and whose eyes are slightly raised. It was Michael Nacht, the second son of the Grand Duke. ¡®Oh, my God.¡¯ Should we say hello? But she and Michael had never been on good terms before. More precisely, Michael unilaterally hated Sienna. Her worries did not last long. Sienna grabbed Mrs. Deborah¡¯s skirt and hid herself. ¡°My Lady? Say hello to the second young master.¡± Sienna remained steadfast despite Mrs. Deborah persuasion. There was a reason. Michael hates the weak. He has a habit of saying a few harsh words and leaving first when he is offended. In other words, Sienna¡¯s sudden pretense to be scared contained this meaning. ¡®He¡¯ll get mad and then disappear quickly.¡¯ However, Michael¡¯s reaction was not as expected. ¡°¡­¡­Okay. You¡¯re here to see the showroom, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Ah, yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Then you can go now. I¡¯ll show her around.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡®I¡¯d hate that¡¯ But Mrs. Deborah reacted faster than her. ¡°Good for you, Second Young Master is more qualified to be a guide than I am. All right, Miss.¡± ¡°Yeah, I am.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll be on my way.¡± Pushing Sienna to the young master, Mrs. Deborah left quickly after the brief greeting. It was clear that she believed that they would become close if they were alone. Anyways, it was too late. Without any time to do anything about it, Sienna was left in front of Michael, who blinked his pretty red eyes. ¡°Would you like to say hello?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Young Master.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Michael stared at Sienna with a glare, unable to understand what she was thinking. Sienna thought she would have been quite nervous if she was really eleven. ¡°Ye-.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I advise you, don¡¯t think about staying in this house for long.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± I was wondering what you were going to say. I could not feel hurt. It was the same as the past. He still hates me even in this unknown world. ¡®It¡¯s nice to see you again.¡¯ Michael, looking at Sienna, questioned her with suspicion. ¡°Do you understand me?¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± Sienna nodded mildly and kindly repeated it. ¡°You told me not to stay here for long.¡± ¡°If you understand, why didn¡¯t you answer me with your opinion?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s what I am thinking.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Michael opened his mouth with a straight face. Sienna realized one thing at this time. ¡®Wait.¡¯ This can be an opportunity to be comfortable with Michael. We do not need to like each other, but we also do not need to be as unfriendly as we used to be. ¡®I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll bother you.¡¯ Sienna decided to think about what Michael will like to hear. The answer would be found in the past. Come to think of it, Michael hated me the most when I worked as hard on chores as if I am Loreina¡¯s maid or a Nacht¡¯s family maid. ¡®You¡¯ve been fed up with it, telling me not to let it show.¡¯ He said exactly this. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just get out of this house if you know you¡¯re humble enough to take away the maid¡¯s work?¡± Then what I have to say is¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know that being a child of Nacht is too great for an orphan like me. I¡¯m going to apply to the academy when the time comes.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°It means that I will go out and become self-reliant without embarrassing the Nacht¡¯s name.¡± Rather, it was quite the childish response, but it would make sense considering it was coming out of an 11 year olds mouth. ¡°I¡¯ll be a little noticeable, but I¡¯d appreciate it if you can ignore me until then.¡± Sienna thought it would be close to the answer he wanted to hear. But¡­ ¡°You¡­!¡± Unexpectedly, Michael¡¯s face was upset. ¡°How could you say such nonsense? I can¡¯t believe you want to get out of here!¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± What are you talking about? I didn¡¯t say it in words, but the sentence ¡°you¡¯re the one who told me to get out?¡± was shown on my face. ¡°Ugh!¡± Michael, who was not a fool, soon noticed his contradiction. He turned red at that moment. Sienna tilted her head as she saw the colorful face turning blue. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with you?¡¯ ¡°Hey, let¡¯s talk about this later.¡± Sienna had nothing to talk about with him, even until ¡®next time¡¯. However, it was not important to let him know, so she just nodded her head. ¡®He¡¯s offended anyways, so he¡¯ll be out of here soon enough.¡¯ That was what Sienna expected. But Michael did not leave. ¡°¡­Young Lord?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Follow me.¡± ¡°Err yes?¡± No, why the hell? Thanks to the distracting items in the exhibition room, Michael didn¡¯t see the look of annoyance on Sienna¡¯s face. ¡°I made a promise to the maid to show you around here!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to¡­¡± Should I have him continue? Sienna was in a bind. So she decided to throw a fastball. ¡°You don¡¯t like me, do you?¡± Let¡¯s get on our way, please. ¡°That¡¯s¡­! Come on! I can¡¯t be a man who doesn¡¯t keep his word.¡± ¡°Hmm, that¡­¡± Was that the problem? Sienna was convinced. ¡®I¡¯m bothered, but I can¡¯t help it.¡¯ Come to think of it, if Michael leaves right away, the head maid will ask what had happened. It was entirely Sienna who will be at a disadvantage if it was revealed that she offended the young lord by messing around with words. ¡°You¡¯re shameless.¡± ¡°¡­Follow me.¡± * * * ¡°You can think of the portrait in this corridor as going back to the Nacht¡¯s genealogy from the inside out.¡± Obviously, he had come to hate Sienna as perfectly as before, but Michael¡¯s explanation this time was very sincere. ¡°This is my grandmother. She is the sister of the present Emperor.¡± When I think about it, it seems that Michael was the least flexible among the three men in this family. ¡°This is my great-grandfather, but two portraits are hung on it because they are two of¡­¡± No, it wasn¡¯t like ¡®that¡¯, it was definitely accurate. ¡®If you think about it, the young lord has always pointed out all the things that just went over in history, and that¡¯s true¡­.¡¯ I used to be a quiet and timid person, but at that time I couldn¡¯t evaluate calmly because I was overwhelmed with luxuries. Anyway, if I was the same Sienna in my first life, I probably would have listened to him even if I did not know what he meant, but it was a pity. Sienna, who was scheduled to enter an academy at the age of 15 and finish her education at the end of that same year, only listened to Michael¡¯s easy explanation with one ear. Naturally, her eyes began to wander elsewhere, but not at the portraits. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Then, something shiny caught Sienna¡¯s eye. Chapter 11 ¡°¡­¡­¡± It was a beautiful necklace in the center of the corridor. It was an item that was familiar to Sienna, even though she was not interested in jewelry. ¡®What¡­?¡¯ I¡¯m worried about this feeling of desperation¡­ ¡°You aren¡¯t paying attention to my explanation, and where are you looking now¡­ Oh, you¡¯re looking at that. You have good eyesight.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Michael pointed to the portrait he had been talking about so far. ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s the necklace my great-grandmother was wearing.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I wasn¡¯t focusing on the explanation enough to recognize the necklace in the picture, but I decided to make an attentive expression. Sienna nodded sharply. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Would you like to see it up close?¡± Perhaps he liked that Sienna was focusing on his explanation, as Michael¡¯s attitude was quite relaxed. ¡®It¡¯s awkward, though.¡¯ It was a hundred times better than yelling and picking a fight. The two stood in front of the exhibition table in the middle of the building. On it, a scarlett, fair-cut jewelry the size of a baby¡¯s fist. ¡°The flame of Hesaros, one of the Named.¡± ¡°Named¡­¡± ¡°You know? It¡¯s a famous construction. A new thing sealed in a millennium box. Ancient legacies that only submit to qualified people.¡± ¡°Ah yes. That.¡± ¡°There are thirteen eligible, and there are four of them in Nacht alone.¡± Michael raised his nose. ¡°Two belong to my father and brother, but I do not know who the other one belongs to. But one of them is special. They say it has never been subjugated to others yet.¡± Listening to his explanation brought back a blurry memory. ¡®You almost got in trouble when you touched this before.¡¯ P/N: The ¡®you¡¯ in here is referring to Loreina. It was not long after Sienna and Loreina¡¯s unforgettable summer events. Loreina, who came to see the gallery exhibition room alone, touched the jewel out of curiosity, fell down, and had to lie down for about two weeks. Later on, Loreina said she almost died. ¡®What did she say? Her magic was so powerful that when she came into contact with it, something like a collision happened.¡¯ The jewel that drove Loreina to the brink of death was also not safe, and broke in two on the spot. For that matter, Loreina became famous as a ¡°genius who couldn¡¯t even handle the body of a millennium box,¡± and the Named Hesaros disappeared from Nacht. That was why Sienna did not recognize the object that threatened her sister¡¯s life at a glance. ¡®¡­wait.¡¯ Sienna suddenly thought. If Loreina¡¯s mana almost killed her in a collision, wouldn¡¯t something similar happen if she touched it? Not dark blood reds like Ruby and Garnett, but the fiery jewel caught the eye. ¡®Maybe I¡¯ll die¡­.¡¯ Huh¡­. The more you look at it, the more you seem to see it, the more it seemed like a fire that was trapped in a clear glass, the more mysterious and powerful it seems to have the power to kill at least one person. ¡°¡­What is it? You¡¯re going to touch it?¡± ¡°What?¡± At Michael¡¯s words, Sienna came to her senses and was confused. ¡®Uh.¡¯ And I realized that my hand was just above the red jewel with only a finger¡¯s distance left. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I do not dare too¡­¡± When Sienna quickly pulled her hand away, Michael shrugged it off. ¡°You can touch it. Touching doesn¡¯t mean anything.¡± Whether or not Sienna listened to his explanation well, he was very generous. Sienna smiled and shook her head. ¡°¡­¡­no, I¡¯m okay for now.¡± Yet. She was worried she was going to die right now. But she did not want to yet. Sienna decided to keep in mind that there was such a way for now and bit her hand back. ¡°Hmm¡­ well, if you don¡¯t like it.¡± Michael, who had no idea what I had just thought, tried to lead me and continue guiding me to the exhibition room in earnest after that. But in a moment¡­ ¡°Hey, you¡¯re¡­¡± ¡°¡­ah.¡± When Sienna heard the explanation, she suddenly fell asleep. It was a major accident. ¡°I¡¯m talking, and you¡¯re falling asleep? You must have been bored.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Sienna rubbed her eyes That was too much. Michael seemed to have been completely offended by the dry apology. ¡°That¡¯s enough! It¡¯s not like I even know you well enough!¡± Michael shouted and left the exhibition room. Do I have to hold onto him? I had that thought for a moment, but Sienna soon changed her mind. ¡®We¡¯re not meant to be.¡¯ Fortunately, Mrs. Deborah soon came to pick up Sienna. ¡°How are you?¡± Unfortunately, the Head Maid hoped the two children would become moderately close, and had arranged a place for refreshments to promote friendship. ¡°He left first.¡± Sienna who was young but honest, confessed, ¡°He was explaining everything well, but he was angry because I fell asleep.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. You must be disappointed.¡± No way. Sienna laughed silently. ¡°But today was rather good. Because you have to prepare yourself again later.¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± I had a bad feeling in an instant. ¡°I just got a telegram. I heard that the operation ended very successfully. His Highness will return home early, so there will be a family dinner for the first time in a long while.¡± ¡°Oh dear.¡± Deborah¡¯s eyebrows twitched at my sincere words that came out unconsciously. ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Sienna tilted her head. It was an innocent gesture. Mrs. Deborah looked at her with suspicion, but instead of continuing to question Sienna, she led her into the room. ¡°Well, that¡¯s all right. You might be out of words. Anyway, you have to hurry. Hurry up and get ready.¡± It seems, each and every one of the strict maids are excited? ¡°Well¡­, ma¡¯am, I¡¯m still not very well-mannered. I¡¯d like to eat alone in my room like i do now, until I finish studying¡­¡± ¡°Absolutely not. His Highness has ordered you to prepare for your first dinner with them. Besides, a very good thing is waiting for you.¡± There¡¯s no way out. Sienna clicked her tongue secretly inside. ¡°Oh, Young Master Ashiel will also attend.¡± That just made things worse. ¡°The Young Master has even been granted permission to stay here to welcome you. You should be grateful.¡± ¡®Why the hell are you so¡­¡¯ I didn¡¯t want to go before, but now I was against going even more now. ¡®Would it hurt.¡¯ It was only but a dinner meeting. If I avoid them today, there will be tomorrow, and waiting till tomorrow would cause even more problems. Sadly, there was no way out. I¡¯ll just have to deal with it. * * * Night was the same wherever the sun went down, but the night that came to this castle was unusual. A toxic, heavy, solem, and deep night. As if the daytime, which seemed to be a place where people lived, was a joke. Delicate air flowed everywhere that made people as wary as prey. P/N: Delicate is describing how the air seems to be thin which implies that there¡¯s a heavy pressure weighing down on everyone. Even the shadows cast in the corridor were like swamps, so if I went in the wrong way, it seemed to be entangling my ankles. The memories of falling asleep while crying softly every night when I first came to this castle, loomed. ¡®It doesn¡¯t happen as often now, but¡­¡¯ After she returned to the age of 11, she began to try and adapt, but this darkness was beginning to feel creepy again for the first time in three years. ¡°Come on, Miss. Follow me.¡± Without anyone opening it, the door to the dining room opened. ¡°¡­are you here?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± We have eaten here together several times before. But today¡¯s atmosphere was somewhat different. At the top of the long table sat the Grand Duke, on the right side of the table were his two sons. ¡°Sit down.¡± Would it be an illusion if everything in the dining room was polished more brightly than in her memory? The furniture wasn¡¯t exceptionally shiny. But The Grand Duke and his sons were all dressed up regally. ¡®You¡¯re dressed embarrassingly¡­¡¯ On the other hand, Sienna was dressed up in the orphanage¡¯s clothes because her new clothes were not ready yet. All the clothes went through Mrs. Deborah¡¯s hands, but the leftover rough cotton fabric could not be transformed into silk. I was past the age to be ashamed of one¡¯s clothes anyways. But I was a little curious about their intentions. ¡®Are you doing this to kill me?¡¯ The Grand Duke, Ashiel, and Michael were also silently watching Sienna sitting on the left side. Sienna sighed inside. Yes, I know. Even if I don¡¯t look at them, I know very well myself that I¡¯m a foreign object that doesn¡¯t fit in this place. Anyway, I didn¡¯t want to make eye contact with any of the three, so I began to open the centerpiece of the table. ¡®It was not a common flower.¡¯ It was a fruit. On a golden embossed plate like a giant fountain, fresh khaman grapes were hanging on it like the water of the fountain, and a large pomegranate that was cut open appeared above it, showing red beads. The Nacht crest contains pomegranates. Perhaps that is why it was adopted as an ornament instead of a flower. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s begin.¡± Seeing Sienna concentrating on pomegranate seeds one by one, the Grand Duke gave up and called over his servant to say something. Rumble, bang. A roar sounded like a huge earthquake. The butler clicked his tongue. ¡°Suddenly it¡¯s raining heavily.¡± Lightning flashed one after another along with the sound of rain. ¡°I think it¡¯s going to interfere with your meal, so I¡¯ll pull down the curtains.¡± Chapter 12 As heavy velvet curtains covered the windows of the dining room, the sound of thunder and rain disappeared. ¡°I¡¯ll bring out the appetizer.¡± ¡°Seafood delicacy soup.¡± Sienna¡¯s small silver plate also contained a ladle of unknown soup. It was steaming hot, but Sienna thought cynically. ¡®Sitting with three out of four people, who don¡¯t want to sit around a table, and eating something with unknown ingredients in it. I¡¯m dying of joy.¡¯ It¡¯s a relief if you don¡¯t have an upset stomach. ¡°If it doesn¡¯t suit your taste, you can leave it.¡± The Grand Duke hinted as if he had seen through her thoughts. But Sienna interpreted his words as this. ¡®I¡¯m telling you to have a drink.¡¯ I had no appetite, but I couldn¡¯t refuse. Sienna picked up a heavy silver spoon and dipped it into the soup. Only then, as if time had stopped moving, did the Grand Duke and his sons also pick up their tableware at once. ¡°You said that the extermination with the monsters was going to be pretty rough, but you came back early. Father?¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad it was over before the weather got bad.¡± ¡°Yes, The beasts tend to get worse when the weather is bad. It¡¯s not a good conversation to talk about at a meal, though.¡± Sienna decided to taste the food instead of listening to the conversation. ¡®Hmm.¡¯ The soup I had taken less than a spoonful of was surprisingly not bad. ¡®The spoon is a bit heavy.¡¯ I tried to hold it with my small hand, but the silver spoon only repeatedly confirmed to me that it was still heavy to handle. It may be overly self-conscious, but it seemed that only my plate was making excessive noise. I didn¡¯t want to attract attention, so I moved the dishes as quietly as possible, so it seemed as if I was eating. ¡®Well, I didn¡¯t really want to eat it anyway.¡¯ ¡°Potato puree and grilled sea bream.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a steak with cresson, grilled cauliflower, and pomegranate sauce.¡± Sienna focused on listening to the rest of the conversation and pretending to eat the food set in turn. ¡°¡­ You don¡¯t seem to like it.¡± Startle. ¡®I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d get caught¡­¡¯ Actually, Ashiel took things as they came, but kept an eye on everything. Q/N: Basically, he is laid back but observant. ¡°I¡¯m eating.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t touch the meat.¡± As Ashiel pointed out, Sienna had not touched the main steak, but had only a slice of asparagus. Have you ever observed me before? Sienna awkwardly apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡± Ashiel narrowed his eyebrows. He didn¡¯t know why, but he didn¡¯t want to hear her apology. He felt terribly wrong. ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize for the food you don¡¯t like.¡± ¡°Butler.¡± When the Grand Duke intervened, the butler came. He received the words without hesitation. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll remind the chef to pay attention. What else would you like on your plate?¡± Sienna shook her head gently in the eyes of the Grand Duke. ¡°That¡¯s all right.¡± If I eat anything more than this, I¡¯ll have to get digestive medicine in about an hour. ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± If I said that they didn¡¯t need to do that because of me, I would need to try to persuade them, but I couldn¡¯t say anything, so I just cut it off and said it was okay. ¡°¡­Tell the maid if you are hungry later.¡± Sienna nodded her head calmly, but she strongly felt that the Grand Duke would never do what she asked him to do. ¡®It¡¯s too soon¡­ I didn¡¯t know you prepared this kind of event.¡¯ I belatedly thought I was being hasty, but I couldn¡¯t help it. The Grand Duke hit his glass twice to signal he had finished eating. The servants cleared the traces of their meal. But¡­ ¡®What is it?¡¯ Instead of bringing dessert, the butler brought four small gold plates and put them in front of the Grand Duke. The Grand Duke nodded and ordered. ¡°Bring the pomegranate.¡± ¡°What?¡± The butler moved the ripe pomegranate from the golden plate of the centerpiece onto the gold plate of the Grand Duke. ¡®¡­Wasn¡¯t it just a decoration?¡¯ It was a pomegranate the size of Sienna¡¯s head, but it looked like a small orange in the Grand Duke¡¯s hands. It occurred to me that it didn¡¯t seem to be just about sharing pomegranates. Does the pomegranate mean anything? In a way, it¡¯s more like a main dish than a meal. In a room that was still enough to hear the sound of candles flowing, the Grand Duke cut the pomegranate in half along the open grain. Then, the broken pieces were carefully divided into two. As he was tearing the pomegranate with his bare hands, red juice fell on his hands like blood. The butler placed a piece of it on a gold plate and put it in front of Sienna. A kind smile filled my face. ¡°Congratulations, Miss.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°In Nacht, when welcoming a new member, there is a custom of eating pomegranate handed out by the patriarch himself. It means to enjoy as many blessings as this pomegranate.¡± Well, in Sienna¡¯s view, the torn pomegranate in front of her looked like bleeding flesh rather than a symbol of blessing and hospitality. Is this what Mrs. Deborah said? ¡­This is? ¡®Their hospitality has a little bit of a barbaric aspect to it. It was as if the wolf pack was sharing the prey the captain had been hunting. I was not the same as a wolf, but I was trapped and got a piece of raw meat, so I couldn¡¯t help but feel embarrassed. No, she wasn¡¯t the only one who was in trouble. ¡®I¡¯ve never heard of or experienced anything like this when I was with Loreina.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ll hold it..¡± While I was embarrassed by the first custom, my thoughts were cut off there. At the words of the Grand Duke, Ashiel and Michael began to eat pomegranates without a care. Does not raising an objection mean that Sienna was welcomed, or does it simply mean that everyone agrees with the Grand Dukes¡¯s decision? It was just a few pomegranates, too little to find fault with. All together in this atmosphere, I couldn¡¯t dare to question, ¡°Why?¡± Besides, it doesn¡¯t mean that I could just eat this and get out of here, but it means welcome, so what objections should I even have? Inevitably, Sienna roughly swallowed some red grains into her mouth. Before I knew it, the Grand Duke, Ashiel, and Michael were watching Siena eating the pomegranate. The three pairs of eyes were as red as the pomegranate seeds mashed in Sienna¡¯s mouth now. I got goosebumps. ¡®¡­Stop eating.¡¯ When I cleaned my hands with the napkin, the butler congratulated me by clearing the dishes. ¡°Good job. Now only the deep night and the power of Nacht will protect you.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good thing, but the congratulations only made me feel uncomfortable. ¡®I feel like I¡¯ve joined something I shouldn¡¯t have¡­¡¯ It was ominous. A few pomegranates now seem to lie within me now. The Grand Duke words only showed how he misinterpresented Sienna¡¯s quiet attitude. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t understand right now. We only need to understand the custom of recognizing you as Nacht¡¯s child.¡± ¡°¡­For what reason?¡± I tried not to ask, but I couldn¡¯t hold it in¡­. Really Sienna had endured enough. ¡°I¡¯m just an orphan. No matter what your expectations are, I won¡¯t be able to live up to them.¡± ¡°Hey! What do you expect from us¡­¡± Michael, who had managed to stay still until now, finally raised his voice, but the Grand Duke raised his hand to block him. ¡°¡­That¡¯s m not an appropriate thing for a child to say.¡± His red gaze was cold. Sienna thought that the criticism of being ¡®insolent¡¯ would fall roughly upon her. ¡®You could now be cold-hearted about the favors you¡¯ve already given.¡¯ Or at least that¡¯s what I hoped for. Sienna was determined and waited for his next word. But- ¡°Call Mrs. Deborah.¡± He missed my expectations. ¡°It seems like someone has been talking, presumably, the head maid. I¡¯ll ask the head maid and ask her personally.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± She tried not to, but Sienna opened her eyes like a surprised rabbit. ¡°That¡­.¡± Without any time for Sienna to say anything, the maid waiting outside the dining room door immediately arrived. ¡°Well, Mrs. Deborah.¡± When the butler delivered the message with a perplexed look, the head maid was startled. ¡°What?¡± Quickly, Mrs. Deborah bowed her head. ¡°Your Highness, I swear that Deborah never said that. I haven¡¯t seen her for a long time, but she is calm and clear, unlike her peers, so the Grand Duchy¡¯s judgment is correct. Please believe me!¡± P/N: She¡¯s saying that the Grand Duchy¡¯s judgement in choosing her to be head maid is correct/ a good decision. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Sienna, who was worried for a moment that Mrs. Deborah might get a punishment, was speechless. It was inevitable that she was embarrassed. ¡°Then why did the child think that way? Don¡¯t you have any idea?¡± ¡°I didn know she thought that way, but is there any chance¡­¡± Mrs. Deborah replied, gritting her teeth. ¡°While she was unavoidably away, I might have been mischievous and impolite.¡± All eyes were on Sienna. Chapter 13 ¡°So, have you ever heard anything? It¡¯s all right, tell me.¡± If I had to pick the one who said the most, it was Michael. However, instead of pointing out the fact, Sienna kept her mouth shut like a statue and shook her head. Ashiel sighed instead. ¡°It¡¯s no use questioning the child, Father.¡± ¡°Well.¡± The Grand Duke ordered Mrs. Deborah to see if she felt the same way. ¡°Be careful with your words. We will determine whether your actions were appropriate or not.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± ¡°Calm down, Your Grace.¡± The butler intervened softly to soften the suffocating atmosphere. ¡°From how this old man sees it, since Lady Sienna has received the pomegranate, no one will be able to say anything about it.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± The Grand Duke nodded with mixed eyes. ¡°With all due respect, Your Grace, may I have a word?¡± At that time, Mrs. Deborah intervened while looking around. ¡°As I said, I haven¡¯t seen you for a long time, but your qualities are not unusual. If you¡¯ve given her a pomegranate, why don¡¯t you find the right tutor for her?¡± Sienna was surprised. Education, tutor? ¡®Already?¡¯ In the past, due to Sienna having trouble adapting and the insensitivity of the Grand Duke, it wasn¡¯t until nearly three months later that she began to be educated. Compared to then, everything was happening too quickly now. But she seemed to be the only one who was surprised. The Grand Duke, the butler, and even Ashiel were nodding their heads. ¡°There¡¯s no need to delay the education.¡± ¡°Well¡­ You can take a class with me if you need to.¡± Ashiel is usually the one who would say that kind of thing, but Michael is being really weird. ¡®I¡¯m sure he told me not to stay in this house for a long time at noon today.¡¯ In many ways, it was ridiculous, but the Grand Duke was already nodding his head. ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s no need to postpone it. I¡¯ll put you on the list for seeking potential tutors. And¡­¡± The eyes of the Grand Duke looked at Sienna again. Everyone¡¯s eyes were on Sienna, to be exact, her dress. ¡°¡­I think we need many other things besides teachers.¡± ¡°Honestly, Your Grace. It really is needed.¡± Mrs. Deborah was flattered. The Head Maid, who appeared like a strict private teacher at a girls¡¯ school, was proving again and again that she was surprisingly very talented in femininity. ¡°We¡¯ll try to allocate the necessary budget.¡± ¡­Budget? No, but to Sienna, who is now starting to get sick of being surprised, the Grand Duke said. ¡°You are the child of Nacht that I acknowledge. I don¡¯t know what nonsense you¡¯ve heard, but don¡¯t just hold it, forget it.¡± P/N: Basically, the Grand Duke is telling her to remember that she is an acknowledged child of Nacht and she should not take any discourtesies being made against her. ¡°¡­.¡± Sienna¡¯s expression, which was puzzled by the words, calmed down serenely. Forget it¡­ Ironically, his words stabbed the deep memories in Sienna. ¡®Don¡¯t hold it in, forget it.¡¯ Yes, Sienna can¡¯t get over her sad and painful experiences. But I wondered if Sienna wanted to include such a thing in me? Q/N: The current Sienna was wondering if the past ¡®her¡¯ would want to still remember those experiences, since she technically has a second life now. ¡®I never wanted to go through any of it.¡¯ If it was something I could do on my own, I would have thrown everything out right away. ¡­No, let¡¯s push this dread to the side. Would I feel better if I did that? My heart was pounding. It was just probably my imagination, but I didn¡¯t seem to be feeling well. ¡°Wait¡­¡± At that moment, a really intense feeling of nausea squeezed into Sienna¡¯s guts. If you throw up like this, it would be a big accident. Sienna tried hard to bear it because she didn¡¯t want to show a dirty image. ¡°Wook¡­¡± ¡°Oh, my lady!¡± Sienna, who was white as snow when forced to endure, bent down hurriedly. The frost was rumbling, and the golden plate and pomegranate on top rolled the floor. ¡°Are you all right, Miss?¡± Mrs. Deborah hurriedly helped Sienna. Meanwhile, Sienna¡¯s foot, which slipped from the chair, unintentionally trampled on the fallen pomegranate, but no one cared about it. ¡°Suddenly, what the¡­¡± ¡°Doctor, I¡¯ll call a doctor!¡± ¡°Lady!¡± Sienna kept on feeling nauseous, but she couldn¡¯t get anything weird out. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Lady!¡± Someone grabbed Sienna¡¯s shoulder, while she was wriggling along the floor in agony. She could see the face of the man who had grabbed her, biting his lips in embarrassment. It was a great achievement¡­. T/N: Sienna finally got the Grand Duke to change his expression. P/N: Lol, she¡¯s making history. Q/N: More is yet to come heh. ¡®Oh, to the very end¡­¡¯ Sienna closed her eyes tightly. The Grand Duke consoled Sienna after interpreting it as just her being ¡°sick.¡± ¡°Hold on, I¡¯ve called a doctor¡­¡± I would rather have him leave me alone than call a doctor. However, the Grand Duke could only use his trembling hands to calm Sienna¡¯s body and lean her against his chest. Careful actions, like he was taking care of something precious. Sienna trembled because she hated it so much. Maybe someone thinks she¡¯s grumbling happily over all of this happening. Sienna, who was in pain, believed that someone might ask what¡¯s wrong with her. Being friendly doesn¡¯t mean you don¡¯t have to choke me. T/N: She¡¯s being sarcastic. ¡®I don¡¯t like it here.¡¯ Every moment in this castle, my miserable past was a wreck. I started to feel so ashamed of myself that I didn¡¯t even want to think about it again. Sienna cried a little because she was sad. Why. ¡®How wrong am I in this humble life, how wrong am I to go through this¡­¡¯ P/N: I think she¡¯s asking how many bad deeds did she do to have to go through this life again. Fortunately for Sienna, she was slowly losing her sanity as if she were suffocating. I hope I lose my mind and hope this place is rather a dream than reality. That¡¯s what I thought, but at the same time, I knew very well that it couldn¡¯t be. Even what I thought was death was not death. So I hope it¡¯s a nightmare¡­ But of course it¡¯s real.¡¯ It¡¯s terrible¡­. * * * There was a great disturbance surrounding the child who was in pain because of some trouble with her body. ¡°There¡¯s no particular abnormality. I guess you¡¯ve often been in long-term pain. The doctor¡¯s diagnosis surprised the grand duke. ¡°Do you walk on the streets because you¡¯re in a state of tension?¡± T/N: The Grand Duke meant that people who are in pain, would they still walk even when they know the pain they would have to endure? ¡°Those¡­ Some young children can.¡± ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. My sons have never had this when they were young.¡± The doctor only expressed his opinion about the situation, but the Grand Duke¡¯s reprimand came out of the blue. The butler stepped in because he could see the doctor was in a bind. ¡°Please understand, Your Grace. The princes are very strong, just like your majesty.¡± Both sons looked exactly like the Grand Duke and lived with all kinds of good things. Such Guardians and orphans who grew up in poor conditions could not be compared. ¡°You look so small and skinny, and I think the doctor¡¯s words are reasonable.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t do a rough examination?¡± T/N: ¡®Rough Examination meaning something out of conduct ¡°What? No way!¡± The doctor jumped. He was in his right mind. The Grand Duke was watching with his eyes clearly open, and there¡¯s no way he¡¯ll be able to see a doctor lie. ¡°I speak to you in my honor as a doctor; I¡¯ve never done such a thing.¡± Besides, he¡¯s not from an orphanage. The doctor quickly protested. ¡°She¡¯s never eaten greasy food before, so there¡¯s a high possibility that she might have a stomachache.¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t eat that much to the point of getting sick.¡± The doctor¡¯s voice grew louder due to Ashiel¡¯s cool-headed comments. ¡°Then it¡¯s probably because she¡¯s nervous because it¡¯s her first time here! The reason she fainted is because she is weak because she doesn¡¯t usually have a nutritious diet!¡± There was no room to refute. ¡°That is, I was forced to treat a weak and unprepared child to dinner, and I got upset. The sound of¡­ Eup.¡± ¡°Michael, shhh.¡± Ashiel sighed and blocked his brother¡¯s overly honest mouth, but it was too late. ¡°¡­Your Grace, why don¡¯t you let her rest for now? Mrs. Deborah was entrusted the duty of taking care of Sienna with the traffic control of an experienced butler. P/N: Traffic control as in directing people; telling them where to go and determining what should be done in any circumstance. ¡°You¡¯ll open your eyes tomorrow. Lady Sienna, from now on, Mrs. Deborah will take care of you so that you can adapt slowly. I¡¯ll pay attention to this insensitive butler.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Please.¡± The Grand Duke sighed. For some reason, he thought it was going to be a long night. However, contrary to the promise, Sienna woke up two days after that. Chapter 14 Sienna was dreaming. Most of her dreams were based on her old memories. Therefore, most of Sienna¡¯s dreams were nightmares. In her dreams, Sienna saw herself during her pathetic days, who tried to help everyone in any little way she could. After spending the summer at Loreina¡¯s house, Sienna was often anxious. Originally, she felt unqualified to stay in Nacht, but the guilt of secretly sharing her sister¡¯s mana and deceiving others gradually ate into Sienna¡¯s conscience. Loreina often pretended to soothe the anxious Sienna, but changed her attitude after several similar exchanges were repeated. ¡°Sienna, you looked so anxious. I was thinking of you, but¡­ Was it too much for you?¡± Loreina, who blinked her bright green eyes as if she was disappointed, looked very upset. Sienna had no choice but to shake her head, saying, ¡°I¡¯m not¡±, in a hurry. After that, she began to calm herself down and to not worry Loreina. From then on, Sienna suffered from terrible nightmares. ¡®How dare you!¡¯ You¡¯re such a disgusting bastard!¡¯ ¡®How lovely Loreina is! ¡®Parasite!¡¯ After the ceremony, geometric patterns remained on the bodies of Loreina and Sienna. Sienna trembled with her clothes sticking to her skin, thinking about how she stole Loreina¡¯s mana. She had dreamt of leaving behind traces which would lead to her being found out. I couldn¡¯t adapt to seeing the same dream hundreds and hundreds of times. As time went by, I would wake up with a cold sweat every time. The guilt of stealing from my sister and deceiving our benefactors. Time passed and she turned 18, but the guilt only grew greater and greater. Rather than disappearing, it was crushing Sienna. To forget that feeling of guilt, Sienna worked tirelessly. She tried to do whatever she could do. While receiving the same support, she unilaterally served Loreina as a maid. In addition, Sienna tried to do her best for Grand Duke Nacht and his sons. Even though all she could do was very little. Making a harness to help them go out to the battlefield every time, heat up a cloth to cover their wounds¡­ ¡°At most, you act just like a maid, you¡¯re barely a guardian.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s not enough, actually. It¡¯s impossible to be an employee of Nacht if you¡¯re an orphan with an unclear origin.¡± To be a servant of a noble family like Nacht, one had to be a person whose background, growth and survival could be estimated by his or her immediate family. Of course, there should also be a letter of recommendation from a reliable person. An orphan who couldn¡¯t even dream of becoming a maid. Sienna tried to understand exactly where she was and be humble. Sometimes she had put in more effort than she should have. [P/N: ¡°where she was¡± as in her position.] It was the same with making magic tools. Loreina gave away, or to be precise, left a very small amount of magic behind for Sienna to make low-level self-defense tools. While Loreina herself made grand items for the Grand Duke and his sons. Even that required self-studying for a long time due to her lack of proper education, and there was no one to guide her, so it had to go through trial and error until it succeeded. Mana is a force that can be used by both magicians and guardians. The difference was in the way that power was handled. Guardians born from stagnant mana, and only a few other people were allowed to possess and deal with it. In short, that can be called ¡°the talent to become a sorcerer¡±. Anyway, the nature of magic was chaos, and it was a power that was easily stained by greed. Sometimes humans could turn into demons when their power became completely dominated by their greed. To use magic, that is, to become a magician, means that you are exposed to the risk of being stained by darkness. And that you are always at risk of turning into a beast, or going crazy. Speaking of prejudice, sorcerers are quite the closet lunatics. For them, self-defense tools act as their pain reliever, just like panadol is for migraine sufferers. However, the Grand Duke of Nacht, who was a magician specialized in healing magic, which was also known as purification magic, had no need to be paranoid about being stained by darkness or have a need for self-defense tools. It was Loreina who encouraged Sienna, who could discern that much. [P/N: Sienna could discern that the Grand Duke doesn¡¯t need her low-level self-defense tools.] ¡°Sienna, I thought you were doing the best you could, but you really don¡¯t have anything else to do, so wouldn¡¯t it be better for you to show some sincerity? You¡¯re in a position where you¡¯re indebted to the Nacht family.¡± They were words that subtly pricked Sienna¡¯s heart, that was racked with guilt. ¡®My sister was a person who knew exactly how to strike a person¡¯s heart.¡¯ In hindsight, I started to see things I hadn¡¯t seen before. (P/N: the Sienna now could tell what Loreina was trying to achieve back then, i.e. guilt tripping her, making her feel useless¡­) Anyway, since then, Sienna steadily had more self-confidence. After all, self-defense did not seem to deviate much from Sienna¡¯s personality. Even though most of her efforts didn¡¯t produce fruit, Sienna spent days and days to make things right. Especially if you knew the ending of that life. It was not pleasant to watch the days of that sincere idiot who would never give up. (T/N: She is calling herself the idiot) After a while, the scene changed and Sienna was standing in front of Ashiel. ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± No, I was standing. There was a little bit of a gap between them. It was because Ashiel, who led a group of his men, went straight past her. He didn¡¯t even pretend to know, let alone say hello, but she couldn¡¯t tell whether he had not seen Sienna, or he had ignored her while he was busy. ¡°Oh, Miss Sienna! There you are. Would you please clean up Asie¡¯s room when you have time?¡± (T/N: Asie is Ashiel¡¯s nickname.) Sienna, who had no family and was now a noble¡¯s guardian, was more reliable than the average employee. And Sienna was trying her best to become a guardian bride, that she had left a gift under Ashiel¡¯s desk everyday. (P/N: in case y¡¯all forgot, guardians often become the spouse of their benefactor¡¯s kids.) ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡®¡­.You were mistaken.¡¯ Sienna, who brought trash and amulets, climbed the stairs helplessly. I saw it. ¡°Michael-nim.¡± ¡°Good for you to be busy.¡± Sienna held back a sigh, and smiled as if it were plastered on her face. ¡°Because it¡¯s something I can do.¡± ¡°Is this something no one told you to do?¡± The boy stared. Ashiel didn¡¯t show any signs of disrespect for her, while Michael clearly hated Siena. ¡°Why don¡¯t you get out of here if you think you¡¯re humble enough to take away the maid¡¯s work?¡± Sienna quickly lowered her head, wondering if she was showing that her feelings were being hurt. ¡°¡­I will be careful.¡± ¡°Well, that can¡¯t be true. I¡¯m having a false dream that doesn¡¯t fit my personality, and I can¡¯t miss the chance to stay close to you.¡± I seemed to have some ridiculous misunderstanding, but I didn¡¯t have the energy to answer. ¡®No, it¡¯s actually a misunderstanding.¡¯ I didn¡¯t want to bother you. Sienna didn¡¯t want to do anything but eat in this house like a plant and remain on her own. I wanted to do something that I could do even if I was struggling. I don¡¯t even dream of being loved or recognized. If I could be a little useful, that would be enough. But is even that an unreasonable dream? Michael probably wanted to say that, Sienna thought. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°How brazen.¡± Michael left with words of contempt for Sienna, who repeatedly apologized. That was the situation for Sienna at that time. ¡°¡­..¡± Maybe it was because I had such a dream, and thus fell asleep for two days. Sienna barely opened her stiff eyes because she had been suffering for a long time. It was past midnight. No wonder I thought my dream was harsh, I was lying on Loreina¡¯s bed again. Surrounded by lavishly soft and fluffy bedding, Sienna sighed with disdain. I simply fainted and woke up. I had no energy at all. My back was wet with sweat and my eyes were very stiff. In fact, two days had passed since the dinner incident, but Sienna didn¡¯t know that yet. Looking around, the fireplace was burning warmly, and Mrs. Deborah was dozing off in an armchair next to it. ¡°¡­¡­ ¡± Sienna came down from the bed carefully. She didn¡¯t want to sit in Loreina¡¯s bed after that dream. Even after considering that it was now Sienna¡¯s. It was amusing just imagining it. With or without Loreina, nothing was Sienna¡¯s. ¡­Nothing. Sienna just walked towards a bed where she could sleep without having nightmares. A fluffy carpet hid the sound of Sienna¡¯s little feet. Unlike the previous room, which was warmed by expensive coal in a fireplace and tangpa, the bed in the small room was cold. (P/N: a tangpa is like a bed warmer, see picture list at the end of the chapter.) Sienna dragged herself into the cold bed, laid flat, sniffing the familiar smell of dust. And fell into a deep sleep again. Chapter 15 ¡°¡­Hey!¡± Sienna opened her eyes wide in surprise at the sound of a loud roar. ¡°Why are you sleeping here?¡± ¡°Calm down, Young Master. Aren¡¯t you surprised?¡± Mrs. Deborah stopped him, but it didn¡¯t work. Michael was rather furious. ¡°What are you talking about? Why is she sleeping here?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you been sick for two days because your fever was bad? You must have come to this room while sleeping¡­.¡± ¡°Why is she leaving the nice and warm bed?!¡± Sienna sighed, rubbing her eyes. It was surprising that she was sick for two days, but she wondered what kind of manners it was to scream in front of a person who was sick for two days. ¡°Head Maid, you didn¡¯t just pretend to be good in front of my father but tell her to grow up here, did you?¡± ¡°Oh my God, that¡¯s not true!¡± Eventually, an arrow went all the way to hit Mrs. Deborah. I didn¡¯t think I could just lie down anymore. ¡°¡­Stop it, Michael.¡± Sienna rose quietly. ¡°As the Head Maid said, I¡¯m the one who came into this room on my own.¡± ¡°¡­Are you asking me to believe that?¡± What will you do if you don¡¯t believe us? Sienna, who had been sick for two days, was very tired. ¡°Why would I lie?¡± ¡°It would be to cover the maid¡¯s foolishness.¡± That¡¯s a naive thought. Sienna shrugged. ¡°No way. I¡¯m not so good that I¡¯d be deliberately covering up for a person who is condemning me.¡± ¡°Lady¡­.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Mrs. Deborah seemed to have been moved by something unusual, but Michael felt like he had a strange desire to refute the statement. It was a regrettable feeling, and he does not know the reason himself. ¡°¡­Then why did you leave your room alone and get stuck in a closet like this?¡± Sienna sighed. This person and that person are all like that, and why is everyone complaining about these things. ¡®It would have been nice if we had a sense of the problem before things became like this.¡¯ I¡¯m sorry but I won¡¯t be buying their pity anymore. It¡¯s over now. This is not just an emotional problem. ¡®Even the ending where I had nothing was miserable.¡¯ It was clear that if you had something presumptuous or received good treatment, you would fall further into the abyss. (P/N: ¡®you¡¯ referring to Sienna.) Sienna repeated the excuses she had made to the Grand Duke the other day. ¡°Because that room is a very nice room. This is similar to the place I used to have, so I keep coming here to sleep.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Sorry for making a fuss.¡± Michael, who had lost his words, had an impressive expression on his face. Q/C: In this case the ¡®impressive¡¯ is used in such a way which emphasizes the exact opposite meaning of the word. As in, Michael has a thunderstruck, a very surprised/shocked, expression. ¡°¡­It¡¯s similar to the place you were in? ¡°Yeah. You know, I¡¯m from an orphanage.¡± Sienna¡¯s attitude was calm even though it was a story of a person who once was ashamed and humiliated. Her calmness was excessive but yet she seemed confident. ¡°That, but¡­¡± When Michael heard that, he was rather embarrassed. The boy stuttered and tried to persuade the young girl. ¡°Eh, not anymore. You¡¯re a child of Nacht now, and you¡¯ve gotten blessings from the pomegranate. Don¡¯t you remember?¡± Oh, that. ¡°I remember.¡± There is no disease and you cannot forget what you endured. It¡¯s a problem because it makes me sick rather than deeply moved and grateful. Unaware of other people¡¯s speed in comprehending, Michael began giving a speech about how great was the pomegranate that Sienna received. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you know, but my father doesn¡¯t give the pomegranate to anyone. I mean, it¡¯s complicated to explain¡­¡± ¡°You mean you¡¯re going to regard me as family, right? ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right! We are about the same.¡± Michael nodded vigorously at her well-timed aid. ¡®So what do you make of that?¡¯, he seemed to express as he looked at Sienna with confidence. Sienna blinked her eyes. ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Thank you¡­?¡± It was a great honor to be a member of the Grand Duke¡¯s family. Unfortunately, however, some people do not want that honor. ¡®If that¡¯s true, I just want to throw up all that¡¯s already digested in my stomach.¡¯ Once again, I couldn¡¯t be honest. Mrs. Deborah intervened. ¡°Your Majesty, this is how it is. She¡¯ll get used to it.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Moreover, now I think you¡¯ll have to step aside so that the lady can change and rest.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± I left early in the morning when Mrs. Deborah was dozing off. She must have been so angry that I was sleeping in the maid¡¯s room when she opened the door. ¡°?¡­.¡± ¡°That¡­¡± Michael, who was ten years old but regarded himself as a gentleman, wanted to hide like a mouse in a hole. ¡°Your Highness?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. I-I-I will go back.¡± The boy hurried back with his face reddened. ¡°It¡¯s finally peaceful,¡± she thought deeply. ¡®I don¡¯t want to see you any more today.¡¯ If Michael knew her thoughts were like this, he would have cried, but fortunately, the Young Master didn¡¯t have the talent to read people¡¯s minds. * * * Soon after, a doctor came and examined Sienna, who had been ill, and diagnosed that there was nothing wrong. ¡°I¡¯m glad you woke up safely.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Sienna only knew the doctor who treated the wound in front of the Grand Duke, but the doctor who came today was someone else. ¡®Well, doctor, you didn¡¯t even know me before.¡¯ If the Grand Duke doesn¡¯t force you to do it again, you wouldn¡¯t want to examine an orphan. Sienna thought so trivially. The doctor of the Nacht Duchy disappeared from his workplace because he couldn¡¯t estimate Sienna¡¯s age, but even Sienna couldn¡¯t even imagine a way to figure it out either. Rumors began spreading among the employees of the castle due to the demotion of the doctor, that the orphan girl was despised, and then a big rumor began to spread. ¡°Lady, you haven¡¯t eaten in two days, so do you want a quick bite before you take the medicine?¡± ¡°Yes, please.¡± ¡°A soup boiled with potatoes, a soft egg dish¡­.¡± I didn¡¯t feel like eating anything, but when Mrs. Deborah picked up something to eat, my mouth began to water. Sienna, who was not even in a state of hunger, nodded her head gently. ¡°I want some soup.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be ready in a minute.¡± Soon, a steamy potato soup was placed in front of Sienna. When I smelled the savory smell, I had an incredible appetite. Come to think of it, I have never eaten anything properly since I came to Nacht Castle. Sienna picked up a small spoonful and began to drink the soup quickly. (T/N: Remember she got sick last time.) ¡°You¡¯re done eating!¡± Mrs. Deborah exclaimed. ¡°Good job, Miss.¡± I can¡¯t believe you complimented me for eating all the food I was given. But Mrs. Deborah did not stop there. But she brought an apple and began peeling it with a silver spoon. ¡°Since you¡¯re eating well, you should eat dessert, too.¡± ¡°Oh, goodness.¡± The treatment I had never received before was more irritating than good. At this time, I was a little fed up. Apple juice scraped by someone in the position of overseeing the employees of Nacht Duchy. It was a treat that even Loreina didn¡¯t receive. ¡®I can¡¯t eat it because it¡¯s embarrassing¡­.¡¯ Tired, Sienna shook her head, saying she was full. But Mrs. Deborah told her the apple is good for her, and begged her to take a bite. ¡°Just try one bite, okay? If it doesn¡¯t suit your taste, I won¡¯t recommend it any more.¡± ¡®Why the hell¡­¡¯ Why is she trying so hard? In the end, Sienna was embarrassed, and after losing the fight, a bite of a sweet, softly peeled apple was forced into her mouth. ¡®¡­I thought she was a person who was very sensitive to power and figures of authority¡­.¡¯ She wasn¡¯t one who would treat orphans so seriously just because the Grand Duke was merciful. Mrs. Deborah fed the apple to Sienna, squeezing it into her open mouth. ¡®Oh.¡¯ After being absent-minded and taking in a few bites, the apple was sweet and now hard to refuse. I can¡¯t help it. Mrs. Deborah scraped an apple for Sienna, who gave up and ate it well. ¡°What a great improvement!¡± Mrs. Deborah, who succeeded in feeding her a bowl of soup and an apple, proudly praised Sienna. ¡°I¡¯m sure that Ms. Deborah¡¯s sincerity has touched you.¡± No, instead of raising your nose, it seemed to me that you were more proud of yourself rather than complimenting Sienna. ¡°Now that you¡¯re done eating, shall we get up? Actually, I have something very important to do today.¡± ¡°Ah¡­.¡± How did I not expect anything? However, look of anticipation in Mrs. Deborah¡¯s eyes made Sienna inquire. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I called the tailor to fit the lady¡¯s clothes,¡± she said. Chapter 16 Just in case, it was me. It was clear that the reason why she opposed going to the tailor was not because of her health, but because of their schedule. ¡®You look tired.¡¯ It didn¡¯t mean that the process of measuring and matching clothes was annoying. (T/N: She¡¯s being sarcastic.) But God, it¡¯s irritating enough. In the eyes of Sienna, who was stuck tagging along, the gift of clothes did not come from pure goodwill. ¡°If you take off your clothes that don¡¯t suit the grand public, the restrictions on your appearances in private events will be removed.¡± If you are not a shame to be seen by others, various troubles would be awaiting for Sienna. ¡°I¡¯m going to get a bunch of pretty clothes for you. You¡¯re looking forward to it, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Sienna crawled into the bed. ¡°I-I don¡¯t think I¡¯m feeling well, as you said. Please let me rest a little more¡­¡± ¡°Young Lady?!¡± Instead of answering, Sienna flipped under the blanket. Mrs. Deborah tried persuading her from flipping over to the side of the small bed. ¡°No, you can¡¯t! The Grand Duke called the tailor himself!¡± Really? Sienna was surprised and disappointed. She wanted to take the medicine off herself, who had been sickened from attending the important dinner table and had a horrifyingly heroic struggle. Unfortunately, Michael and the Grand Duke are much better than I thought. It looked like she had to have a strong stomach. ¡®I can¡¯t believe I¡¯ve been so mean and unresponsive.¡¯ Why on earth did they hate her so much in the past? Because her talent is terrible? ¡°Come on, wake up!¡± Unable to overcome Mrs. Deborah¡¯s touch, Sienna stopped thinking and stood in front of the dress room mirror. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to see you, miss. Now, would you like to come over here?¡± Led by a tailor, Sienna stood on the main platform of the Tuleraint Room. ¡°What beautiful green eyes. Her hair is bright, so it¡¯ll look like a nice gold in the sun.¡± To be exact, it¡¯s just grayish brown hair. And compared to Loreina¡¯s fresh green eyes, Sienna¡¯s was just a dark green with gray mixed in. ¡°Your skin is white, and you have a milky white texture too, so you look good in lemon or apricot or pink. Oh, my God.¡± ¡°Unexpectedly, you look good in red.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. She¡¯s a lucky lady. It¡¯s not easy to match any color.¡± ¡°Hmmm.¡± The maid shrugged her shoulders with a proud look. But the tailor tilted her head. ¡®That¡¯s weird. What a dull look on her face.¡¯ Usually, if a tailor came to you like this and gave you a lot of praise, no matter how self-contained a child is, they would always end up excited. But Sienna didn¡¯t look too happy, let alone excited. An expression that was dull, and looked like it was going to collapse if you touched it. Instead of a child, it almost seemed like she aged a decade more. ¡®No, no of course not.¡¯ She, who had been dealing with the aristocrats for a long time, knew well. What she had seen, heard, and felt in such a place should not be floating around. She even had to be careful about his own thoughts. While the tailor was being careful with his words, Sienna stood on a small platform and glanced at herself in the mirror. Loreina, who was standing on this beautiful platform, came to mind. Throughout her life, she enjoyed such wealth, and was so skilled and lovely. However, it was not Loreina, but her, who stood on the golden platform and had herself reflected in the three-sided mirror. A child who is still wearing shabby and rough clothes. A pale and thin complexion that seemed to be fresh from the orphanage. ¡­I felt like I was imitating Loreina on such a subject. ¡®There are going to be a lot of misconceptions.¡¯ The world had been going a little strange now, but Sienna was still Sienna. If you live unnoticed, the world that was already moving will regain its original story. By that time, Sienna planned to enter the academy quietly, maintain an ambiguous grade at around three percent of the total rankings, and then at the end join the regular army, where the full salary is adequate. The more she thought about it, the more it was a perfect life plan. If her dreams of her humble life were just this much, no one would be willing to try and disturb her. Just when Sienna was satisfied with the conclusion. ¡°Are you there?¡± With a neat knock, a young servant appeared. He was holding a huge bouquet of flowers that overflowed in one arm. ¡°Oh, my God, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you see it, Mrs. Shue? It¡¯s a bouquet.¡± The man grinned and held out the bouquet of flowers to Sienna. ¡®Me?¡¯ Sienna unexpectedly received a bouquet of flowers. Instead of being distant, she was excited instead. The unusually red sunset-like color was enough to distract the eyes. The petals were gathered together to form a round bloom, which itself was very colorful. It was only pretty as each and every one was chosen perfectly. A beautiful bouquet of flowers without any injury or damage¡­ ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Lady!¡± It was very heavy. On behalf of the weak Sienna, Mrs. Deborah instead gave her the card which was inside the bouquet of flowers. ¡°You have a card.¡± Sienna received a card from Mrs. Deborah. It was written in a familiar handwriting. ¨C I pray for your recovery, Ashiel. ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°The Young Master must have cared.¡± ¡°Oh, my God, it¡¯s romantic¡­ I¡¯m sure he just spent at least one gold coin for one of these gifts.¡± It looks like I¡¯ve received at least 50 gold coins. I would have appreciated it if I had just gotten the coins directly. Enter the military academy and commission. However, it would not cost me any living expenses, so I just needed money, even if it was not urgent right now. ¡®A flower that is not in kind, but less valuable every minute.¡¯ Above all, it was a gift from Ashiel. ¡®Huh? Wait.¡¯ At that moment, there was a thought that passed through Sienna¡¯s head. ¡°Hey, it can¡¯t be that way. You¡¯re having a dream that doesn¡¯t fit you at all, so there¡¯s no way you have the chance to be stuck near my brother.¡± Ah¡­. Suddenly, at this very strange time, I noticed why Michael hated her back then. It seemed that Michael had a ridiculous misunderstanding that she dreamed of marrying Ashiel. ¡®Oh, my God, that doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡¯ Sienna, who became as detached as she possibly can to the world, was lost for a moment. How broad was his imagination to think of her in that way? ¡®Is it possible that Loreina¡­?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t without impossibility. Loreina stole Sienna¡¯s mana and secretly manipulated her actions with subtle ways of speaking. It wasn¡¯t strange that she used other kinds of tricks in the middle. ¡°¡­..¡± Since I was fooled by Loreina, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible to be close to her from now on and throw it to the back of my mind. Rather, my head cooled down much more than before. ¡®If you¡¯ve been deceived once, you can be deceived again.¡¯ There is one more reason for Sienna to get out of Nacht¡¯s shadow. First of all, what¡¯s urgent now was the handling of this bouquet. Maybe it¡¯s the source of trouble that can lead to useless misunderstandings. ¡°Lady?¡± ¡°Please say thank you for the gift to His Highness. And¡­¡± Fortunately, there were many people around today. The people who joined to assist the tailor, a maid and the Head Maid. ¡°I think it¡¯s too pretty and there are too many flowers for me to just have by myself.¡± ¡°Oh, you want to share?¡± This was important. She could have given the impression that she would rudely refuse the gift given by the young master. ¡°In the orphanage where I was, when I got a good present, it was always divided¡­ Can¡¯t we do that?¡± ¡°No way. Being generous is a virtue that one should have as a superior. It¡¯s nice that you know even if I don¡¯t teach you.¡± Mrs. Deborah spread the bouquet of flowers on the table, praising Sienna for such a minor things. Confrontation could lead to unnecessary misunderstandings and hostility from Michael, so it was almost like a curse in Sienna¡¯s eyes. As she began to break up the bouquet, Sienna quickly stepped in. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Sienna divided the number of scarlet flowers into bundles according to the number of people. (PR to QC: no such thing as dog hali flowers lol so I just put scarlet since it can¡¯t be confirmed what exactly it is. QC: Kekeke welp. Scarlet it is.) ¡°Thank you so much, My Lady.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± The maids were shocked, and could not hide their smiles and gratitude. Flowers were a luxury. Anyone could have wild flowers grown on the street, but the common people had to go through a lot of hard labor to get these flowers that bloomed beautifully from the care of human hands. There was no reason to refuse, as such pretty items could decorate rooms, or decorate hats or clothes, or drying them well for incense, or making colors made of pressed paint. Anna, the tailor, also happily received the bouquet from Sienna. ¡®I don¡¯t know, but this type of flower probably wouldn¡¯t be sold unless it was a noble with a certain level of status¡­ Huh?¡± Anna looked around. Everybody, up to the attendant who was assisting Mrs. Deborah, was given a bouquet of flowers. Except Sienna. ¡°Oh my goodness, but there¡¯s nothing left for you.¡± ¡°I just need one thing.¡± ¡°But¡­.¡± ¡°I also got a card.¡± It was a neat answer with no need to dig into it strangely. The maid just laughed happily at the young lady¡¯s generosity. ¡°I got a very precious gift out of nowhere. I¡¯ll have to pay him back¡­ Benny, would you please open that trunk?¡± Chapter 17 Nacht¡¯s head maid was thorough. She wasn¡¯t one to overlook the amount of time it takes to make custom clothes. From the time Anna was wanted, Mrs. Deborah asked for some ready-made clothes that were roughly Sienna¡¯s size. They were the one in the trunk over there. ¡°Let¡¯s see!¡± Anna rummaged the trunk with an ambitious attitude. She wasn¡¯t calm, as she hoped to make the solemn child that seemed somewhat depressed a little brighter. Thus, she pulled out a dress in the color of a cute chick, which looked like a terrifying youthful yellow to Sienna. ¡°No, there.¡± There were no likes or dislikes about clothes, but Sienna knew. That wasn¡¯t her taste. ¡°As you know, there¡¯s nothing special about ready-to-wear in our dressing room. But at the request of the Grand Duke of Nacht, I brought some sample clothings.¡± The sample clothes that were presented by season showed a good representation of the fashion of the year and the ability of the dressing room. Naturally, it was made from the highest quality of fabric and subsidiary materials, and it was a garment made with a sentimental touch from the owner from the beginning to the end. ¡°It¡¯s a piece made with effort that is fit to be the clothes of a queen or a princess. I¡¯d like to give it to you as a present.¡± ¡°Thank you very much! If you have those clothes, you can start your classes tomorrow.¡± Like a bolt out of the blue again? ¡°¡­So fast?¡± Sienna¡¯s words meant ¡®what exactly¡­¡¯, but Mrs. Deborah understood it in a different way and raised her nose. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to my sympathy that this Deborah urgently considered your education.¡± Thanks to me, the tutor said that he got attached so quickly. Sienna was just laughing. ¡®Lets see if you¡¯ve changed, my tutor¡­¡¯ Sienna¡¯s former tutor was a wizard who belonged to the Myeongwang Army under the command of the Grand Duke. Like Sienna, he was a great person from an orphanage who entered the military academy and succeeded in joining the Myeongwang Army, but Sienna had no good memories of him. ¡°The Grand Duke of Nacht is the most courageous and loyal to the Empire.¡± The tutor hated Siena, too. ¡°I have given you mercy for an orphan like you. Remember that I have been gracious.¡± When I recalled the dim memory of a tutor who was gritting his teeth, I realized something. ¡®He was jealous of me.¡¯ He was an orphan just the same, but he took the entrance examination to the military academy with all his might, and while it was with difficulty that he stepped into the Myeongwang Army, he failed to get ahead, thus becoming a teacher for orphans like Sienna. On the other hand, Sienna was rumored to have been lucky to have caught the eye of the Grand Duke. ¡®It¡¯s a more difficult condition for the truth not to be distorted.¡¯ Well, it can¡¯t be helped. It was not something that Sienna could not understand, that he was jealous, because she thought she was lucky without knowing it all. The problem was that he spent more time pouring out his feelings of inferiority than teaching class. ¡®His Majesty happened to like you¡­ You¡¯re lucky. Thank him for the rest of your life and it will still not be enough! Every hour, Sienna was repeatedly educated about how great Nacht was and how great it was for such a humble orphan like her. It was an education accompanied by insults and smacking. ¡®I was always threatened that if I didn¡¯t become a useful wizard, I¡¯d be kicked out and sent back to the orphanage.¡¯ However, he did not give much help for her to become a useful wizard. While Sienna was lost in one thought or another, Anna and Mrs. Deborah decided to match all of Sienna¡¯s clothes together and reached a near-perfect agreement. Five outdoor dresses, five casual clothes, three pajamas, a cape, a riding suit, and a variety of other clothing. This was the amount agreed to prepare for the first time, and it cost so much that I didn¡¯t even want to know about it. Mrs. Deborah even counted all the money in the blank checks given by the Grand Duke. ¡°You can go to the top of the Nacht Street and claim what you want.¡± ¡°Oh, my God¡­¡±. Anna¡¯s hand trembled when receiving the first blank check of the Grand Duke Nacht, but surprisingly, Sienna was not very shaken. I already knew well enough that there was money to rot in the Nacht family. It was an enormous size that could be wasted on useless things, and it was not Sienna¡¯s will to stop it. ¡®You¡¯ll all know.¡¯ Anyway, these clothes were justly received by me, so I thought I could take some buttons with me when I enter the military school later. It was much better than Ashiel¡¯s random flower gift. Mrs. Deborah, who was satisfied after the long session, declared. ¡°Have a good rest today, as you¡¯ll be taking difficult classes starting tomorrow. I¡¯m sure the Grand Duke has given you a good teacher.¡± It was something you could say because you didn¡¯t know the situation. But Sienna had no intention of telling her in advance. ¡®I¡¯ll have to experience it tomorrow anyway.¡¯ Maybe this time, since I am getting a teacher three months early, a different teacher may come. Whatever it is, it is clear that it is not important for Sienna. * * * The next morning was bright, and Sienna ate as she was told, and then was dressed up in a chick-colored outfit that seemed to make her look crazy. ¡°You look better than I thought. The color of your eyes and the color of your hair look like a bloom of forsythia!¡± Sienna, the main character of the praise, looked gravely in the mirror and swept the hem. Delicate frills and lace with a small saw-like shape of cherry blossom petals. In the meantime, of course, the cute and lovely design of the dress with ribbons hanging lightly like waltz dancers was not new. ¡®I don¡¯t know what the button on this side is made of, but it¡¯s some kind of gem. I have gold trimmings, ribbons of high quality silk, and expensive lace.¡¯ Even if it was a bit out of fashion, it could be sold out as a whole. Even if they sell subsidiary materials in pieces because they failed to do so, they would be able to take a proper amount for them. At least you don¡¯t have to worry about the monthly rent for half a year. Thinking about it like that, I thought that I could not stand this lively color that makes people smile. ¡®Half year¡¯s rent!¡¯ For Sienna, this dress felt more reassuring than the armor worn by knights on the battlefield. There¡¯s no such thing as an insane person who thinks about the design of armor on the battlefield. Sienna pledged to love the clothes for half a year, and without prejudice and discrimination in the future. ¡°Now, shall we go.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Satisfied, though each with different thoughts, Mrs. Deborah and Sienna soon set out to study. But Sienna, as it always happened in the past few days, faced a situation outside of the current situation. In a sunny room, a blackboard and podium were placed and a desk was seen. It was a good room, where carpets and cushions were placed in the corner so as to not forget creating a comfortable atmosphere. ¡°¡­My lady?¡± ¡°What, Why.¡± The problem is, there were two desks for small children, and one of them was for Michael. ¡°I have to study for class, too.¡± ¡°No¡­.¡± Of course it¡¯s something that I was going to get from a tutor, I couldn¡¯t question further. I have to do it, but it was annoying to choose words and talk to look like a child. (T/N: Remember she originally was older in her past life, So she has to start over now and speak like a child, despite her older aged mentality.) ¡°What are you doing? Hurry up and don¡¯t sit here.¡± ¡°Okay¡­.¡± I didn¡¯t want to, but I couldn¡¯t do much. Sienna sat next to Michael. Michael stared at Sienna to the point that it was starting to become a burden. ¡®¡­Is he a cat?¡¯ His beautiful eyes were raised up and the static, unblinking expression really looked like one. It didn¡¯t mean he was cute. Then and now, Sienna didn¡¯t like small animals like cats. ¡°¡­You said you¡¯d buy new clothes.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°It¡¯s less disturbing.¡± (T/N: He¡¯s expressing his distaste for her old clothes, He¡¯s actually being nice and wanting her to have nice clothes.) (P/N: Such a tsun.) Sure, but it¡¯s half a year¡¯s rent. Despite being a good match and not a good match, it should not be worth the cost of a village. That way, it would be worth spending money. While Sienna was so convinced, Michael turned his head in excitement. ¡°You two have gotten along well.¡± For Sienna, each of Mrs. Deborah¡¯s conclusions were at a level that she didn¡¯t want to correct. I didn¡¯t want to know why Michael didn¡¯t refute, instead having a shy expression. Fortunately, the tutor in question appeared at that point. ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯m¡­ Hmm? He was a man who looked more neat than I thought. My memory was blurry, so I couldn¡¯t clearly tell if he was my old home teacher or not. The tutor muttered with a confused expression. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I heard that I will only be in charge of education for the girl here¡­.¡± ¡°Young Master came to observe.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Michael shrugged. It was clear that he liked the title of ¡®observer¡¯ given by Mrs. Deborah. ¡°Oh, I see.¡± I didn¡¯t know what it was, but the tutor hurriedly nodded as if he thought it would be better not to interfere. ¡°I am Samuel Lowell, who will be in charge of her classes from today. You can call me Mr. Lowell.¡± She heard the name, but nothing came to mind. ¡°Mr. Lowell. Take good care of me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Please also take good care of me. Then, I will start the class right away.¡± As her class was about to begin, Mrs. Deborah quietly left. Chapter 18 ¡°We will solve a few questions first to start the class in earnest.¡± Roy presented the questionnaire. Upon receiving it, twenty-six letters were drawn for the consonants and vowels of the official language of the kingdom. ¡°Could you write the letters you know?¡± Next to her, Michael immediately began moving his pen with a serious attitude. Perhaps, if it was the old Sienna, she would have been embarrassed by this questionnaire and be greatly discouraged by Michael¡¯s flaunting appearance¡­ ¡®¡­How much should I do to make it look like I¡¯m struggling like a normal kid?¡± Now, Sienna was getting embarrassed for a different reason. Sienna had been dedicated to the role of Lorraine¡¯s Head Maid. It included learning perfect handwriting by practicing until calluses formed on her hands so she¡¯d be able to write Loreina¡¯s letters. I don¡¯t think it should be too perfect, but I wasn¡¯t confident that it wouldn¡¯t be perfect. ¡®I should pretend to not know my letters¡­¡¯ ¡­But it was a bit embarrassing to do this next to a 10-year-old who had already completed his questionnaire and was looking this way. Anyway, I grabbed a pen because I wanted to give it a try. Fortunately, the necessary muscles needed for writing were still underdeveloped, and poor handwriting was shown. ¡°Yes, yes, try a little more. No, you have to lean in a little more from here.¡± It was so naturally crooked that Michael, who sat beside her, taught her. ¡°Good job!¡± When Sienna finally completed the writing of 26 consonants, Michael was greatly relieved and even praised her. ¡°You¡¯ve never learned it properly, but you know the letters. You¡¯re amazing.¡± ¡®I was praised by a 10-year-old for writing.¡¯ That¡¯s cool. Sienna, who sighed inwardly, returned the answer sheet to Mr. Lowell. Lowell nodded slowly. ¡°¡­Yeah, well, fortunately you know how to spell. You¡¯d better practice for a while. so that others can recognize what they are reading.¡± It was just then. ¡°Little duke! Oh, you were in class. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± ¡°Oh, why are you¡­?!¡± ¡°Why not?¡± The gentle-looking young man who suddenly appeared replied with a vicious smile. ¡°Since the little duke didn¡¯t come to class, I came to find him myself.¡± No wonder. I was wondering if he came here because he had time to kill before his class, but I guess he was skipping. Feeling helpless, Michael blushed as Siena looked at him blankly. ¡°Che, don¡¯t get me wrong! Did you think I came here because I was worried about you?¡± (P/N: The ¡®che¡¯ is a scoffing sound that people make sometimes before mocking others or in this case, being a little tsun tsun. It¡¯s similar to ¡®tch¡¯ XD ) ¡°No, it¡¯s not¡­¡± ¡°Now, stop, stop it.¡± The young man entered with a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s stop interrupting the class. If you haven¡¯t forgotten your spelling, get up right away.¡± ¡°¡­.Tch.¡± Michael stood up with a pout. But he didn¡¯t go out right away and sent a warning to Lowell. ¡°Teach her properly. I won¡¯t stay still if you tell her unnecessary things.¡± ¡°Oh, my God! I wonder if they¡¯ll take care of themselves. Are you not going to come over? Do you want me to grab you by your ears and drag you out?¡± ¡°Okay, okay, okay!¡± Following the teacher, she could hear Michael asking, saying, ¡®What will she see me as if you talk to me like that!¡¯, the sound of protests went down the hallway and disappeared. As the whole place became quiet and they were left alone, the tutor looked down at Sienna with a cold look. ¡°You¡¯re an orphan who came out of nowhere and you even annoyed the little duke¡­¡± Oh. Sienna lamented a bit. She still couldn¡¯t recall his face, but that look in his eyes was familiar. It seemed this was the same tutor she had in the past. ¡°It¡¯s terrible that you¡¯re so brazen and clueless. It¡¯s even worse than a beggar.¡± Listening to the abusive language, Sienna thought. ¡®It¡¯s good that there¡¯s someone who hasn¡¯t changed.¡± This blatant hostility was better than those who acted sweet but went crazy, as if they were being strangled with silk Since that is the case, I just hope the hostility will remain consistent in the future. ¡°I don¡¯t know how full of yourself you are, but you¡¯d better get your head on straight.¡± I thought it was great, and I was going to cooperate with you¡­ ¡°He¡¯s the descendant of the great Grand Duke, who is connected to the blood of the Great Empire, and you¡¯re just an orphan of unknown origins.¡± ¡­The more he spoke, the more he was getting out of line. Suddenly, I thought, it is good my attitude did not change since I won¡¯t be confused by his words. But do I need to be listening to all this nonsense? In the past, I held back no matter what happened, but that¡¯s when I was scared. As long as the grand duke didn¡¯t know what she was doing, there¡¯s no way she¡¯d be scared of the tutor. ¡°¡­I have a question, sir.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°If you keep on calling me an orphan, does that mean it¡¯s your weak point?¡± ¡°What¡­¡± ¡°I understand then.¡± Sienna smiled nonchalantly. It was a gentle smile, though there seemed to be something missing. Even so, the words she spoke were not in the least bit gentle. ¡°It turns out, people know that the most painful part of themselves can hurt others. Because teacher is like that too.¡± He had thought a cotton ball was flying towards him, but instead, he was suddenly hit on the head with a brick. The face of the tutor, who belatedly understood the slanderous language, quickly heated up. ¡°So arrogant¡­. I¡¯ll teach you a lesson!¡± The man who couldn¡¯t overcome his anger strode up and raised one hand up high. Sienna clicked her tongue. ¡®I¡¯m in trouble.¡¯ I wanted to avoid it, but I thought it wouldn¡¯t be bad to just take the slap and change her teacher. Sienna closed her eyes in preparation of the incoming shock. It was then. ¡°Enough!¡± A voice which sounded like a low roar. There was a heavy sound of a cane hitting the floor. Kangg! Sienna¡¯s eyes flew open upon hearing a voice which she shouldn¡¯t have been able to hear at this time. ¡°¡­Your, Your Highness the Grand Duke!¡± The Grand Duke stood at the door. ¡®Ah.¡¯ Sienna was unknowingly relieved. It was one thing to rush out just because you were not afraid of death, and another to be subjected to violence. ¡°I, Your Grace, this is not it¡­¡± ¡°Young lady!¡± Mrs. Deborah called Sienna from behind. Sienna quickly escaped in her direction. ¡°You are mistaken, Your Highness! Why would I hit the child for no reason? I¡¯m telling you, that kid first insulted me with words that are not suitable for you to hear!¡± This was complete nonsense. What could an eleven year old say to make an adult lose their reason and want to slap them? Even if the child cursed at their late parents, it would still be the adult¡¯s fault for losing their reason. However¡­ In Sienna¡¯s eyes, the Grand Duke was someone who could believe that nonsense. Being behind his back, it was hard to guess how the grand duke was taking these words.. She was rude to the tutor. Although Sienna wouldn¡¯t be in any big trouble for now, she didn¡¯t want to be misunderstood anymore. I¡¯ve had enough of being framed. I hate it as much as I did when I died. There was no time to think deeply. Sienna walked out from Mrs. Deborah¡¯s arms and approached the Grand Duke. And¡­ ¡°¡­.!¡± I grabbed the hem of the robe with a small hand. ¡®Not. Not even slightly wrinkled¡­¡¯ It was a rather passive gesture to claim innocence, but this was her best bet. The Grand Duke looked down at the tiny, fluffy duff of a child holding onto his robe, and lost his words for a while. ¡®This kid¡­¡¯ Are you hiding? Grabbing my clothes¡­? It was unbelievable. No matter how he looked at her, she was the child who would freak out and faint whenever she saw him. Though, it didn¡¯t seem much different this time. Her hands on the hem of my clothes looked like feathers, which made him think they would fly away if he made the smallest mistake. The handsome face of the Grand Duke cracked in moments. ¡®How many times have you scared this child in this short period of time?¡¯ How deeply would it be that the child would have to overcome the fear and think about hanging on to him? ¡®It seems she thinks it¡¯s safer to hide behind me¡­¡¯ Thump. That small bit of trust weighed down on his whole heart. She didn¡¯t put down her guard or laugh at him. Her trust was to the extent that she believed him to be capable of solving this kind of situation. However, that alone shook the rock-like heart of the Grand Duke. Maybe it was because he had only raised sons who weren¡¯t afraid of anything. He had no immunity to the feeling of a small fluffy chick tickling his ribs from the inside. He was utterly helpless against it. It was a small piece of faith sent by a child who trembled at the sight of him. I thought I¡¯d die if I didn¡¯t repay you. ¡°I, Your Majesty, I, I¡¯ve been wrongly accused¡­¡± He didn¡¯t want the child to see his appearance when speaking to the tutor. The Grand Duke raised his hand and coldly cut off his words. ¡°Devon.¡± ¡°Yes, Grand Duke.¡± The aide replied with a friendly smile. ¡°Don¡¯t mind it. This Devon will take my time to find out whether that guy has an extra life or an extra liver to spare.¡± Chapter 1 One. My older sister, Loreina, was like the main character on a stage. She was loved by all and enraptured all who saw her. When the sun was shining over her wavy, golden hair, Loreina looked like an angel. The world loved the moments when the passionate Loreina cried, laughed, and sulked. Indeed, my sister held the most favor in high society. I was also part of that world. No, my older sister was the world to me. And I believed that my sister also valued me. But¡­ ¡°¡­You framed me because you were afraid of getting caught?¡± My older sister laughed. It was the angelic smile that I loved. ¡°I hate you enough to want to kill you, Sienna.¡± Two. That was the expected answer. I laughed bitterly. ¡°For your information, nobody will save you. You only loved me. But I had always despised you. Unless, would you like His Grace to do it in my stead?¡± ¡°¡­I suppose so.¡± Everyone hated me. It was an undeniable fact. When Loreina saw me willingly admit it, she smiled happily. ¡°Finally! I¡¯m so glad I can kill you myself, Sienna.¡± ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t it too early to celebrate?¡± ¡°¡­ What?¡± My older sister, who was dancing happily, stopped suddenly. Her beautiful green eyes widened. ¡°Sienna, you, how¡­!¡± ¡°Sorry, sister, you wanted to kill me, but I simply can¡¯t grant you your wish.¡± Three. Rather, in the face of an unbearable shock, laughter came out. ¡®I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t want to cry.¡¯ I smiled lightly and drank the poison I had prepared in one gulp. ¡°No!¡± Loreina stretched out her arm. However, a heart-shaped barrier was firmly placed between us. ¡°You, you must die more miserable than anyone else! I won¡¯t allow you to die so easily!¡± ¡°That dream¡­ is big¡­ sister.¡± Cough. Blood burst out with a cough, but there was no pain. I smiled, relieved. ¡°Sienna!¡± The sound of my sister¡¯s evil roar slowly drifted away. An unloved existence. ¡®I¡¯m glad there¡¯s something I can do as I please, even if it is in my last moments.¡¯ Then, I lost consciousness. Four. That¡¯s how my world ended. ¡­No, I expected it to be over. ¡°Sienna! Come on, get up!¡± I never expected the life that ended would start again at some point before I met my sister seven years ago. In the face of an impossible reality, I was the only one who could appreciate it. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m screwed.¡± But one thing was clear. The ending was decided from the beginning. Even if I came back in time, my older sister, the lovely angel Loreina, was a person who I could not win against, no matter how much I struggled. So, on the day I went back in time, I made up my mind. I did not know why I was given this miracle, but¡­ Five. I needed to avoid getting involved with my sister again. Chapter 2 to 20 Note: This chapter consists of kkp episodes 2 to 20. The Kendall Orphanage did not differ much from other orphanages which were on the outskirts of the capital. It was a place where meals were provided in a poor living environment and were inadequate to help children grow properly. A place where a snake-like director led over a hundred children, keeping strict watch over them. The only reason why this orphanage, which seemed to have been cut from the same mold, was special¡­ ¡°Once again, you, as wizards, have a duty to defend this empire with all your body and mind in the future.¡± The point was that this orphanage only took in children who would become wizards in the future. ¡°That is why Grand Duke Nacht comes to see orphans like you today. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± In the midst of a hundred children saying in chorus, a green-eyed child shed a bleak smile. ¡®Oh right, it was a place like this.¡¯ Just a few days ago, Sienna had come back to the past. Having woken up on a hard, shabby bed in an orphanage for the first time in many years, she felt sorry for herself. Although it was unpleasant to live her life twice, this time there was hope. Fortunately, Sienna and Loreina were not biological sisters. To put it bluntly, the two were just guardians supported by the same family. (P/N: Guardians are wizards who guard the empire.) Even after the Hangma War of the founding era, the world was still fighting their enemies. The empire strove to defend the human land, drawing borders and calling the occupied areas of the beasts as ¡®separates¡¯. The foreign powers tried to destroy the human capital at all costs. It was an instantaneous quasi-war situation, and civil wars took place in various places, and sweeping operations were conducted periodically. Those who could use magic in this situation were an important resource. For this reason, nobles and even commoners, could become guardians if they had excellent talent. They didn¡¯t care if they were orphans if they had really outstanding qualities. Being sponsored meant complete incorporation into an aristocratic society. This was because, in the empire, it was common for aristocrats to marry their children to guardians. ¡®To build a more powerful bloodline of wizards.¡¯ Sienna and Loreina were the guardians of a particularly great family. In the empire, there were three great guardians which were known for being above nobility and even above the royal family. Euros Change. Ferrato Changhae. And the Grand Duke Nacht. Change and Changhae respectively defended their airspace and waters, while Nacht defended their territories. The ruler of the time, Grand Duke Nacht, was the head of the Army of Hades, which consisted only of wizards. No matter how you looked at it, he was not in a position to support ordinary people and orphans. Nevertheless, he offered to sponsor Sienna. ¡®I haven¡¯t done much for you.¡¯ No, it would be more accurate to say that she was not capable of doing something because she was in the city. ¡°She¡¯s the one sponsored by Lord Nacht, but isn¡¯t she worse than a junior in the military academy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s already ridiculous to be sponsored by Nacht when she¡¯s only a commoner orphan.¡± Being sponsored by Nacht meant being able to marry one of Nacht¡¯s sons.. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. It¡¯s not even as likely as her having good etiquette.¡± In any case, it was a completely different matter from what was and was not possible. And it drove people crazy. ¡°You, a mere orphan, received an opportunity that even my child and I weren¡¯t able to get!¡± People accused Sienna of being a shameless orphan who didn¡¯t even appreciate her luck. Especially since Loreina was next to Sienna. Unlike Sienna, who was lacking in many ways, Loreina was the light of the historic Count of Minangsi, and was so gifted that she could be called a genius. Therefore, people praised Loreina in order to criticize Sienna. Now that she thought about it, if it weren¡¯t for her as a shield, Loreina could have been exposed to threats and criticism. No, Loreina was flawless. Wouldn¡¯t she be okay without her¡­? Sienna shrugged indifferently. ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s going to be unrelated to me anyway.¡¯ Fortunately, it was easy to avoid her at this point. ¡®This time, I don¡¯t need to be sponsored by the Nacht family.¡¯ If you couldn¡¯t win, avoid it. Now that she was back in the past, one might thought she would have a bigger dream, but Sienna knew it well. She stood no chance against Loreina. Even dreaming of revenge was beyond her reach. ¡®I¡¯d lose either way.¡¯ While Sienna was lost in thought, the director¡¯s speech continued. ¡°Thank you very much for your visit to the inspection today, Grand Duke Nacht, the head of the Army of Hades which consists of ten thousand wizards¡­¡± Kendall¡¯s director¡¯s lengthy explanations left his son¡¯s eyes dull. In the end, the director chose a more straightforward method. ¡°Wake up! If he frowns, orphans like you may die in an instant!¡± ¡°Hui¡­¡± ¡°Do not make a fuss, do not cry, do not do anything! There is no possibility that he will support you anyway. If you don¡¯t want to die, shut up and stay quiet!¡± Although it was scary, the director¡¯s policy was not very different from Sienna¡¯s thoughts. ¡®Let¡¯s not stand out.¡¯ It was because of her distinct behavior that Sienna had become the so-called ¡°Child of Nacht,¡± sponsored by the great ruler. In the past, Sienna made a grave mistake when she tripped and fell in front of Grand Duke Nacht, who had been on an inspection trip to an orphanage. Instead of punishing her, he offered to support Sienna. At that time, she was only glad that she didn¡¯t get scolded by the director. She didn¡¯t know what she would go through in the future. ¡®Anyway¡­ so this time, you just have to be invisible.¡¯ Sienna calmed her heart that was about to beat out of her chest. Orphans who are not sponsored usually enter military academies and serve as soldiers. Sienna was this time thinking of going down the same path as other ordinary orphan wizards. ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re here!¡± The heavy sound of footsteps ringing through the space. ¡®Let¡¯s calm down.¡¯ If nothing else, Sienna was confident she would not make such a childish mistake like falling down because she lost her footing. The only thing left was to wait for Lord Nacht to leave after his inspection. With more than a hundred children holding their breath, the sound of footsteps grew closer. ¡®It¡¯s all right, it¡¯s all right.¡¯ Sooner or later, it will be over with a little patience. As she held her breath anxiously, Sienna waited for the sound of Lord Nacht¡¯s footsteps to pass her. But¡­. ¡°¡­.¡± Tck, the sound of footsteps stopped. They had stopped right in front of Sienna. The duke, who was carefully strolling in front of the children, stopped right in front of her. Bump, bump, bump. Her heart, which had been trying to keep calm, began racing. ¡®Oh my god¡­.¡¯ She didn¡¯t think so. Maybe she was just imagining things¡­? Fortunately, Grand Duke Nacht had only stopped in front of Sienna, but did not apathetically declare, ¡°Let¡¯s do this child,¡± as he had done in the past. ¡®It¡¯s just an coincidence,¡¯ Sienna eagerly waited for him to move his feet once something caught his interest. But the strange coincidence did not end there. ¡°Oh, my God, Your Grace¡­¡± Something more unbelievable happened. Grand Duke Nacht knelt on one knee in front of Sienna. ¡°¡­..¡± The Grand Duke lowered himself as low as he could, but still failed to make eye contact with Sienna. He had such a large frame that small, skinny Sienna was a distinct contrast in comparison. However, she felt something even though she didn¡¯t look at his face. ¡®Just standing close to him you can feel powerful magic¡­¡¯ A chill that spreads the cold like a person who comes home through the misty dusk. An overpowering sense of oppression. All from Grand Duke Nacht. ¡®But, Why¡­¡¯ He¡¯s in front of her¡­ why? Sienna was so surprised that shheeven forgot to breathe. ¡°¡­What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± She didn¡¯t want to answer. The child next to her, unable to see Sienna¡¯s face, which had hardened, elbowed her hard. ¡°¡­Sienna greets your Majesty.¡± Thanks to the director, the words he made us practice tumbled out despite my unwillingness. At that moment, Grand Duke looked somewhat relieved. However, Sienna did not see. ¡°Yes, Sienna.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°By any chance¡­.¡± The Great Duke drew out his words hesitantly. But soon after, he asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you come with me to Nacht?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± This guy¡­ What did he just say? She felt dizzy. ¡°Sienna?¡± She could hardly hear the calls of the Great Duke over the sound of her pounding heart. As if he felt that something was wrong, the Duke carefully tried to reach out to Sienna ¡°Ah..¡± At that moment, Sienna unwittingly avoided the hand of the Great Duke. ¡°..euk!¡± Then, she made a loud noise and fell back. ¡°Sienna! What are you doing!¡± The director was shocked and sharply rebuked Sienna, but neither the Grand Duke nor Siena paid attention to the words. Awkwardly, she couldn¡¯t reach his hand which stopped in the air, and the Grand Duke was staring at Sienna, who had fallen to the ground. ¡®¡­Aren¡¯t you embarrassed¡­?¡¯ It seemed so unrealistic. ¡®No, it must be an illusion.¡¯ Sienna clenched her trembling hands Anyway, she had to answer. She stuttered with her dry mouth. ¡°I¡¯m¡­.¡± Honestly, she hated this. The castle of Grand Duke Nacht was Sienna¡¯s grave. Sienna lived there like a ghost for nearly a decade, and was never loved by anyone. She was then betrayed by her older sister, who she thought loved her and took her own life. ¡®The place where my miserable ending is scheduled.¡¯ She never wanted to step into that castle again. No, not even just that, she wanted to leave this capital and go to a faraway place even if she would die in the process. ¡®Even if I end up dying, that¡¯s not bad either.¡¯ ¡®I have to make those words sound polite and spit them out.¡¯ Her mouth couldn¡¯t move. It was to be expected. Unlike Sienna¡¯s mature spirit, her body was still eleven years old. Her terrified child¡¯s body was almost in a panic. As she sat on the floor where she had fallen in a cold sweat, stuttering her words, the Grand Duke attempted to reach out his hand once again. First of all, he was thinking of raising a child¡­ ¡°¡­Heuuk.¡± ¡°Sienna!¡± ¡°N-n¡­¡± Sienna couldn¡¯t even say the word no. However, she was overwhelmed by an indescribable fear that made her faint before his hand could reach her. ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Oh my God, Sienna!¡± While the frightened director approached and took care of the fallen child, the Grand Duke froze in place with his hand left hanging in the air. ¡®Just now..,¡¯ Her actions clearly spoke ¡®rejection¡¯ more clearly than words could. * * * (Flashback, when Sienna was unconscious.) It¡¯s been like that for a long time. Next to the perfect Loreina, Sienna was seen as being less than what she was. But paradoxically, Loreina was the only one who was good to her. A long time ago, at their first meeting¡­ ¡°Oh, my god, you¡¯re Sienna!¡± ¡°N-Nice to meet you, Miss Loreina. I¡¯m¡­¡± On the day they first met, Loreina held her hand in the city and said, ¡°What do you mean Miss Loreina!¡± ¡°We¡¯re guardians of the same family. So let¡¯s be sisters.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Watching Sienna¡¯s eyes widen in disbelief, Laureina burst into laughter. Her laughter was so clear and sweet. It seemed to be the sound that a silver bell would make if it were shaken by a breeze. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted a younger sister. So why don¡¯t you call me sister?¡± And so, Sienna became a sister to Loreina. ¡°Sienna, I¡¯ll be staying at my family¡¯s villa this summer. Why don¡¯t you come with me?¡± ¡°Sister¡­¡± ¡°My parents were also very curious about you when I told them I had a sister. Let¡¯s go, shall we?¡± The summer she spent with Loreina was fun. ¡°You must be Sienna.¡± ¡°Thank you for coming along with Loreina.¡± Lorraine¡¯s parents were also warm to Sienna, who was just a commoner. But that was not the only surprise. ¡°Sienna, are you sleeping?¡± One late night in the summer, Loreina visited Siena. ¡°I came here to do something with Sienna before I go to bed.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Sienna always did her best to play with Loreina. She wanted her sweet sister to enjoy her time with her, so she would do her best to respond to Loreina¡¯s suggestions, even if it was a little too much. ¡°Let¡¯s do this together.¡± Loreina opened an old book on the bed. It was a book made of leather. The old, spot-stained cover seemed unappealing to young Sienna¡¯s eyes, but Loreina seemed excited. Since Sienna couldn¡¯t read, Loreina told her what the book was for.. ¡°Here, there is a way to share mana with others.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Shh! You can¡¯t get caught, Sienna. I want to give you mana. I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t have a lot of it.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Sienna had to be a useful wizard. Otherwise, it would have disgraced the face of the grand duke who had chosen her. But she didn¡¯t have much mana¡­¡­ Loreina soothed Sienna, who had paled as she became anxious.. ¡°It¡¯s all right, Sienna. I can give you some. I have a lot of mana.¡± ¡°But¡­.¡± The sensible Sienna thought that Loreina having a lot of mana and sharing it with Sienna as two separate matters. ¡°No, no. How can you¡­ That¡¯s how you lie to other people.¡± ¡°Do you want to go back to the orphanage, Sienna?¡± Sienna became speechless at the painful question. ¡°I want to be your sister forever. Don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Sister¡­¡± Sienna¡¯s eyes dimmed in an instant. No one has ever been as friendly as Loreina. Sienna nodded because she wanted to stay with Loreina. So Sienna and Loreina secretly held the ceremony.. ¡°It¡¯ll be a secret that only we know.¡± A secret. She remembered her heart started pounding at the words. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll keep this secret, Sienna.¡± She should have known then. There was no turning back from that point on. ¡®No, it doesn¡¯t matter if you knew.¡¯ Things had already reached an irreversible point. At that time Sienna wanted to be next to Loreina at any cost. At that time, she didn¡¯t doubt if it was worth it. ¡®It was all a mistake¡­.¡¯ How naive she was to trust and expect something from others. ¡®So, I can¡¯t be like that this time.¡¯ Sienna slowly began to wake up from her nightmare. ¡®I don¡¯t think waking up means the end of the nightmare.¡¯ It was time to go back to a nightmarish life that she could never wake up from. * * * While Sienna was unconscious- (P/N: After this, it describes what happens while Sienna is unconscious. ???? ¡°Mr. Marnan Kendall.¡± The Grand Duke was questioning the orphanage director. ¡°You may not know this, but very few children are born with the gift for using magic.¡± The director, who shook and bowed his head, was severely criticized. ¡°Though these children are the guardians who will serve the Emperor and the Empire¡¯s people, I will say this.¡± ¡°R, Royal Highness¡­¡± ¡°Neither I, nor these children here, are the military resources of the Empire. They should not be damaged or exploited for any reason.¡± Director Kendall swallowed visibly and scrambled to make an excuse. Though he had always scolded others with an arrogant attitude, he had never experienced it himself. And in the face of an opponent such as the Grand Duke of Nacht, it became even more difficult for him to respond properly. ¡®Damn it¡­ you humiliated me just because that girl fainted!¡¯ Sienna had fainted after hearing the Grand Duke¡¯s suggestion to go with him. The Grand Duke looked down at the fallen child with a stiff face. It was as if she had fainted, refusing to touch him¡­ ¡®I must be wrong.¡¯ The timing was terrible, but there were plenty of other reasons for the child to fall. ¡®Either, you¡¯re very nervous¡­¡¯ Still, he was a grand duke who was called King of the Underworld. It wasn¡¯t impossible for a small frightened child to pass out because of him. ¡®¡­However.¡¯ However, it seemed that the child who fell in the arms of the Grand Duke was a bit skinny, and her complexion didn¡¯t seem too well. Despite having bathed and put on clean clothes, the fact that she was malnourished could not be hidden. Even the condition of the children around her didn¡¯t seem all that different. ¡®Ha¡­¡¯ Every year, a considerable amount of subsidies and donations are given to orphanages. However, the money was never completely spent on taking care of the children. Of course, they were not going to be abused. This was because one day they would enter a military academy, or if they¡¯re lucky, have aristocratic sponsors. The management philosophy of most orphanage directors was to provide the minimum amount of care without abusing their charges. To the grand duke, it seemed that Mr. Kendall was far more faithful to management than other directors. ¡°As the director is found to be incapable of performing his duties, he shall be suspended from his duties for the time being. Then keep your head above water and wait for the final judgement.¡± (T/N: ¡®keep your head over water¡¯ is an idiom.) ¡°Come on, hold on! Your Highness! I¡¯m sorry, I¡­!¡± ¡°Take him out.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do this! This orphanage is my private property! No matter how you accuse me¡­ Hey, come on!¡± The friendly-looking aide covered his mouth forcefully. He then warned Kendall who was about to stomp on his foot. ¡°If you keep your mouth shut, or else you will lose your life as well as your property.¡± ¡°¡­.!¡± The Director and the nursery teacher, Lisa, who was holding Sienna, trembled at the sincere warning. It was a good opportunity for Sienna, who was searching for the perfect time to wake up. ¡°Euu¡­¡± ¡°Oh, Sienna! Are you awake?¡± Sienna slowly opened her eyes while rubbing them. It wasn¡¯t acting. It was because I wanted to delay meeting with the Great Duke face-to-face for as long as possible. However, if she kept pretending to be unconscious, she could have been dragged into a mess which she wouldn¡¯t be able to remove herself from. ¡°Ha¡­¡± Sienna opened her eyes and met the red eyes of the Grand Duke who looked at her. At that moment, the Grand Duke frowned a little, as if he had seen something unpleasant. ¡®Ah¡­ Sienna was very relieved. It seemed that the Grand Duke did not like her. ¡®Maybe¡­¡¯ Sienna carefully guessed. The Grand Duke regards wizard orphans as military resources. ¡®He declared that he was going to take me on a whim, but it turned out that I was a weak child, so I wonder if he wants to take back his words.¡¯ This was an opportunity. She had never acted like this before in her life, but now was not the time to pretend to be brave and cover herself like a strong minded child. With her trembling hands, she tightly gripped the edge of Lisa¡¯s clothes. ¡°No, no¡­..¡± ¡°Sienna? ¡°I¡¯m scared¡­.¡± Sienna¡¯s acting was very realistic. It was because she was not acting completely, but acting one percent with the rest being her body¡¯s honest reaction. Sienna¡¯s small body trembled with the thought of being dragged into a mess and overwhelmed with fear, quickly shed tears. She seemed to be close to fainting again, but Sienna held back and shed her tears silently. ¡°Sienna¡­¡± When Lisa saw that the poor child, who had already passed out once, was crying without making a loud sound, she was heartbroken. But she couldn¡¯t let her continue crying like this. She could offend the grand duke. ¡°Sienna, you can¡¯t cry.¡± ¡°Li-Lisa. Can I not go?¡± Lisa tried to soothe the child, but Siena began to cling to her desperately, as if she were the only one in the room. ¡°I¡¯ll, I¡¯ll be a good girl. I¡¯ll only eat a little, and take good care of the younger ones. Yeah?¡± Lisa held the unconsolable child tightly in her arms. She then began console the grand duke in hopes that he would be understanding towards the child. ¡°Oh, she¡¯s still a child, Your Highness. She¡¯s probably scared to leave since she¡¯s attached to this place. If you talk to her to help her understand¡­¡± ¡°Hueengg¡­!¡± Sienna began to cry out loud, as if she was being taken by force.. ¡®Really?¡¯ At first, I closed my eyes and made a loud noise, but I burst out crying more naturally than I thought. Sienna¡¯s face quickly turned red as she cried so loudly that she forgot she was acting. ¡°Oh, my. No, no, no, sir, forgive her, please?¡± ¡°Sienna, if you keep crying¡­¡± Before she knew it, Lisa¡¯s face was red, too. On behalf of the sighing duke, the aide quickly stepped out. ¡°Teacher, if you cry, the child will be more surprised. Both of you dislike the Grand Duke, don¡¯t you?¡± It sounded like something directed at Lisa, but it was for the child to listen to as well. ¡°Huh?¡± As expected, Sienna¡¯s cries died down a little. The aide quickly looked at the Grand Duke. ¡®Tell him you won¡¯t take me!¡¯ ¡°¡­.¡± However, it was frustratingly silent. Again, tears began to form in Sienna¡¯s green eyes. She began wondering if her eyes would be red if she cried more frequently. In the end, he declared with a displeased look. ¡°Let¡¯s just leave her here for now.¡± ¡°Haha.¡± Sienna¡¯s cry stopped, but laugh was noticed. ¡®Ha?¡¯ No matter how great the Grand Duke was, he could not help but be stunned. ¡°¡­.¡± Sienna slipped back into Lisa¡¯s arms, pretending to cry. Fortunately, the Great Duke didn¡¯t say anything more about the child. After a while, the sound of footsteps moved away from the director¡¯s office. Siena sat dazed, listening to Lisa¡¯s voice to say goodbye to the grand duke. She was not going back to that mess. Not that easily. ¡°¡­.¡± She was successful, but she wasn¡¯t happy. Those miserable times, what was the point of it all? ¡®It was something that could be easily avoided¡­¡¯ It all ended in vain. ¡®What will happen to me now?¡¯ An 11 year-old orphan. No longer protected by Nacht. No older sister who would love her all her life. For the first time in her life, Sienna was feeling lost. ¡°Sienna, are you okay?¡± Lisa approached Sienna, who was staring blankly. ¡®Even though I made a fuss like that¡­¡¯ Lisa wasn¡¯t displeased with Sienna. Her honest worries and regrets were seen in her eyes that were looking at Sienna. ¡°Teacher¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, His Highness is gone. So let¡¯s stop crying now. You should show your pretty face.¡± Sienna realized once again with the sweet words of comfort. Compared to Lisa, Sienna knew that Loreina hadn¡¯t treated her well very much. Her words were sweet and her laughter was gentle, but she was unlikely to act any further than that. What she thought was kindness was actually a sneaky trick to get Sienna at her beck and call. That was why she made the proposal to share her magical powers with her. ¡®A sneaky trick.¡¯ Sienna recalled a conversation with Loreina, who had come to defeat her until the last minute just before she died. ¡°That¡¯s right. I took poison and framed you. To kill you.¡± It was an expected answer. Of course, just because she expected it didn¡¯t mean she wasn¡¯t disgusted. ¡°I can¡¯t help it. You tried to leave me.¡± It was true. Sienna no longer wanted to have anything to do with Nacht and Loreina. So even if she was to work as a maid or a tutor, she decided to accomplish it on my own. ¡°Sienna, you cheated with me at that summer retreat. How can I trust you if you try to leave me? Was that your plan all along?¡± ¡°¡­then I¡¯ll ask you one more question.¡± Sienna asked calmly. ¡°At that summer retreat¡­ Was it really me who recieved the mana?¡± Loreina¡¯s smile spread around her mouth. Her beautiful green eyes glistened like a snake. ¡°¡­you finally noticed, my stupid sister.¡± ¡®I know.¡¯ Sienna laughed in vain. Indeed, there was nothing to say even if Lorraine called her stupid. ¡°You stole my mana, Loreina.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say it wasn¡¯t fun fooling you. But it was so easy to fool you that it was detestable.¡± ¡°One more thing, sister.¡± Sienna wanted to check for the last time, even if she was deemed pathetic. ¡°¡­you framed me because you were afraid of getting caught?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not only because of that.¡± Her sister laughed. It was the smile of an angel that Sienna loved. ¡°I hate you enough to want to kill you, Sienna.¡± She was compelled to admit that¡­ Actually, she wasn¡¯t loved for a single moment. At the end, the emotions did not change. Loreina hated Sienna from beginning to end and was only thinking of using her. ¡®I was stupid,¡¯ Just admitting that fact made her heart feel as if it was burning. Rather than being sad, she couldn¡¯t stand it because she was starving to the point of losing her life because of it. (P/N: She was starving for love.) Perhaps she would never love anyone else again. Her previous life had ruined her desire for love. At least, this way she wouldn¡¯t be so miserable again. That fact gave her a small amount of comfort. Seeing Sienna lost in her thoughts, Lisa felt uncomfortable with the situation. ¡°Sienna, what are you thinking?¡± ¡°¡­Teacher Lisa.¡± If she had met her in my first life, maybe she would¡¯ve ended up a little different. It was meaningless to think about it now. ¡°Today¡­ thank you for your help.¡± ¡°Yes, yes¡­.¡± Although Sienna was a sincere person, Lisa was not comfortable not knowing the circumstances. In fact, Lisa thought she had no idea how big of an opportunity Sienna had just thrown. ¡®I think she¡¯ll regret it.¡¯ Lisa was so embarrassed that she was just trying to calm her down, but wouldn¡¯t a really good teacher be supposed to grab her by the pants in front of the Grand Duke and take her away? ¡®But how can a child cry so loudly¡­¡¯ Among the three guardian families, the Nacht family was the most notorious. A little bit of an injury or an extra tax. This was due to the brutal suppression method of Hell Army, which would not tolerate even the simplest minor situation. ¡®Once this has happened, there¡¯s nothing we can do.¡¯ Anyway, thanks to this, the director who brutally squeezed the orphanage dry had disappeared, so for the time being, we will be able to raise children a little more leisurely. Sadly, however, her little hope didn¡¯t last long. ¡°Where¡¯s the beggarly girl!¡± Kendall was not fired. By law, all the wizard orphanages in the capital belonged to the emperor. To be exact, ¡®management rights¡¯ were owned by the emperor. The Grand Duke was not able to judge Kendall, who ¡®paid for the right to manage for the emperor¡¯s possession.¡¯ It was because it was beyond his authority. As a result, Kendall managed to escape the law by offering a bribe. Of course, he needed far more bribes than usual because he was a prisoner who was reported by the Grand Duke personally. In order to survive, Kendall had to squeeze 90 percent of his assets out of his pocket Then, he still had ten percent, right? He didn¡¯t even have that. The remaining 10 percent was taken as fines for quick indictment. Kendall, who became penniless overnight, lost his sanity. ¡°You! You cost me all my property!¡± As soon as he entered the orphanage, Kendall, who found Sienna in the building, grabbed the child¡¯s hair without hesitation. ¡°Don¡¯t do that, sir!¡± ¡°Hey, get out of the way!¡± Kendall pushed Lisa out of the way. ¡°Ah, oww¡­¡± Kendall gave an slimy smile to Sienna, who couldn¡¯t even give out a scream. ¡°You stupid little girl, if I don¡¯t sell you to a slave dealer by the end of the day, I won¡¯t be Kendall but a dog! ¡°Ugh¡­.¡± Sienna stared at him with tears in her eyes. Of course, Kendall wasn¡¯t empathetic. He even smiled. ¡°You¡¯ll fetch a good price with your face, then¡­¡± ¡°Your hand¡­.¡± A rumbling voice that sounded as if it crawled up the stomach of an animal ¡°Can¡¯t you let go right now?¡± While telling him to let go of his hand, he didn¡¯t give him the chance and kicked Kendall¡¯s head. Pang! ¡°Whoa..!¡± The sound was so loud that my ears were ringing. Boom, Boom, Boom! Kendall rolled to the end of the hallway and finally stopped. At the unbelievable sight, Sienna blankly blinked her eyes. It was a boy in a pure black suit with a white face dressed up from head to toe. He was gritting his teeth and was struggling to calm himself. His white neck was stiffened like a sculpture. The red and blue veins on his forehead had popped out, wriggling like a snake. ¡­His red eyes were like some kind of evil spirit. ¡®Wait, red eyes¡­?¡¯ I had never seen him so angry, so I didn¡¯t realize it right away, but he was definitely someone Sienna knew. ¡®Grand Prince!¡¯ He was the eldest son of Grand Duke Nacht, Ashiel. * * * Ashiel was not alone. He was also with the Grand Duke. As soon as they heard that Kendall had not been fired, they came in and solved the situation in person. The fainted Kendall -if the head and neck are depressed and bleeding can also be called fainting ¨C couldn¡¯t even scream and was dragged away to a place of no return Sienna didn¡¯t feel relieved. She felt hopeless. Sienna just endured. It was not Loreina who betrayed her, but the orphanage director who made her situation look worse than it was. This was the only way to avoid Loreina. ¡®What kind of life¡­.¡¯ But as soon as the great duke appeared, the situation was solved like magic. She laughed in vain. Sienna finally realized the meaning of what was called ¡®a child protected by Nacht.¡¯ In any case, she could survive without starving or being sold until she was betrayed by Loreina. ¡°Sienna¡­.¡± Lisa called out to the surprised child. However, despite her affectionate touch, the child seemed to have lost her sanity. ¡°Why can¡¯t I cry, today¡­¡± She was sorrowful even when she cried sorrowfully, and the appearance of sitting listlessly under the shock was enough to make her [Lisa] heart bend. The Grand Duke remained silent with an uncomfortable appearance. Ashiel, who had hidden his anger, had his arms crossed with an unfathomable look in his eyes. ¡°Keuk-haa.¡± At that time, the archduke¡¯s aide, Devon, coughed gently. ¡°It looks like the child was quite shocked. I think it¡¯ll be difficult for her to remain in the orphanage¡­¡± ¡°Sienna.¡± It was the call of the Grand Duke. Sienna, who didn¡¯t know how he knew her name, was furious and looked up at the Grand Duke. The duke, who she thought would be emotionless, surprisingly had an expression on his face. No, rather than an expression¡­ Should he say that there was something like a barely decipherable sign of discomfort from enduring a small throbbing pain. Anyway, there was something like a very thin emotional shadow. It was such a face that Sienna had never seen before. ¡°Don¡¯t ask again.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Will you follow me through these troubles?¡± Why does this person persistently ask me to go with him? It seemed that her original self was greater than she had thought when Loreina stole her mana. That was the only reason she could think of. ¡®I was disappointed that he brought me only to see this little¡­¡¯ For daring to be Lord Nacht¡¯s guardian even though she was only a commoner orphan, there was no one who looked at her favorably. The housekeepers were not on Sienna¡¯s side. But Lord Nacht was indifferent to all that. It was okay though. At that time, Sienna was so grateful that he didn¡¯t kick her out because she believed she was deceiving the public by stealing her sister¡¯s mana. ¡®I felt so guilty at the time that I was cheating these people¡­¡­¡¯ Sienna had struggled to find something she could do, even if it was insignificant. But for all her effort, the Grand Duke was only silent. The Grand Duke was very annoyed and said: ¡°I know what you¡¯re trying, Sienna. Your efforts are worthless.¡± He was right. Sienna was a useless woman making useless efforts. Now that I had been foolishly robbed of what was mine, I no longer deserved to be a child of Nacht. ¡®Even as useful as I am now, I lost my purpose.¡¯ When Loreina was framed, the Great Duke promptly imprisoned Sienna. ¡®¡­that¡¯s how it ended.¡¯ Anyway, this gave Sienna one more lesson. The future had to be changed little by little. It becomes difficult to adapt if a large part of my destiny changes all at once like now. ¡®What if I reject the offer as it is now?¡¯ The orphanage will probably have a new director instead of Kendall. But he may also be the one who purchased management rights with huge amounts of money. Those running a wizard orphanage receive subsidies from the country and donations from nobles. The tighter the orphans, the faster they can receive money. The more orphans they rounded up, the faster they can receive ¡®funding¡¯. There was no guarantee that someone better than Kendall would come. It¡¯s rare, but there were orphanage owners who set foot in full-scale human trafficking. ¡®On the other hand, if you go to Nacht¡­¡¯ After half a year, she would meet Loreina. The older sister who betrayed her completely. ¡®Unnie¡­.¡¯ She was betrayed by Loreina. No doubt. But now? Sienna¡¯s dull eyes twinkled suddenly. ¡®I might not know anything now, But I know for a fact I can¡¯t be betrayed.¡¯ Sienna would no longer believe Loreina. The younger sister, who loved her sister more than her own life, was now dead and gone. Sienna lost her life because she loved Loreina more than her own life. ¡­She would no longer be betrayed by those she love. When she realized that fact, she felt a little relieved. ¡®When I¡¯m 15, I can enter an academy. I just have to endure it for now,¡¯ Fortunately, the act of taking away mana could never be done without Sienna¡¯s cooperation and consent. ¡®Then¡­¡¯ How about going to the Grand Retreat and living within a reasonable distance between Loreina and the Grand Duke¡¯s family, then entering the academy and being appointed as an officer and then independent. Was it because he had already thought about becoming independent once in her previous life? Sienna was able to plan without difficulty. But she had something that bothered her. ¡®Miss Lisa¡­¡¯ If she went to Nacht, she would have to stay away from her. Lisa opened her mouth, noticing Sienna¡¯s hesitation. ¡°Sienna, how would you like to follow His Majesty the Grand Duke?¡± ¡°Teacher¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Teacher is lacking and couldn¡¯t keep Sienna safe. I mean¡­ I want you to seize the opportunity that the Highness has given you.¡± Then Ashiel blurted out. (P/N: Maybe I¡¯m trippin¡¯ but, where did he come from??? Ok, I¡¯ll be serious. If you were like me and were wondering who this person is, Ashiel is the heir that they¡¯ll be referring to later on. He is the eldest son of the Grand Duke Nacht.) ¡°Why don¡¯t we let Ms. Lisa Melanche become the director of this orphanage?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Surprised by the sudden remark, Sienna and his highness¡¯ aide, Devon, quickly met eyes with Lisa. ¡°That¡¯s good! In addition, the castle is not far from the orphanage. You can come and go from time to time if you want.¡± Sienna had not yet become the guardian of Nacht, but he was already polite. However, instead of being smart with her words, she just nodded, ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Say¡­¡± All right, if Lisa becomes the director, Sienna would want to stay in the orphanage. But unfortunately, it¡¯s under the condition that Sienna become a child of Nacht. It seemed she was fated to walk the same path as her previous life ¡®Is this¡­?¡¯ Did you think Sienna¡¯s hesitation to accept was because of such extraordinarily favourable conditions? ¡®Am I just that talented?¡¯ Well, she would have to be talented. After all, Loreina took her mana away for a reason. Anyways, there was no reason to hesitate anymore. Sienna nodded softly. ¡°¡­.Then shall we head back?¡± An orphan without a place to go became a child of Nacht. The atmosphere was not good even though such an unprecedented event had taken place. The child had a dark face as if she had lost all hope, and the Grand Duke and the Heir were also hesitating strangely with a blunt face. ¡®Oh dear.¡¯ Devon only ticked his tongue inside. He thought the atmosphere was very strange. ¡®It looks like the young lady has been through a rough patch, and now you¡¯ve lost your nerve. how nice it would have been if you could have gotten along with me easily?¡¯ ¡®Would it be nice if either of you held out your hand first and took her with you?¡¯ It was decided without words that Lisa hugged Sienna and took her to the carriage while the Grand Duke and the heir followed behind. Lisa was sweet while holding Sienna for the last time. While he was walking, Devon worked hard behind the scenes to give Ashiel a hint. Whispering, ¡°In front of the carriage! When we get there! Like this! Hug her!¡± She couldn¡¯t help but notice the signal given by the 30-year-old aide. The Grand Duke sighed. However, she did not hate the sight of his reluctance. When he arrived in front of the carriage, he turned awkwardly, saying, Hmm.¡± (P/N: The ¡®he¡¯ being mentioned here refers to Ashiel, the heir.) Sienna was still cuddled close to Lisa. Fortunately, Lisa was not oblivious, so she tried to hand Sienna to the Heir naturally. But¡­ At this moment, Sienna wrapped her arms around Lisa¡¯s neck and clung to her as if she would never let go. ¡°Sienna¡­.¡± She is very mature. She isn¡¯t a child who would act like this. Lisa thought that she was afraid to go to a strange environment away from a familiar person. ¡®This isn¡¯t going to work.¡¯ ¡°-Your Grace, excuse me,¡± Eventually, Lisa boldly ignored the powerful men standing there and walked into the carriage with Sienna. ¡°Teacher¡­.¡± ¡°Sienna, let me set a date to meet with you.¡± Holding a small box of Siena¡¯s few belongings in her lap, Lisa asked. ¡°Your teacher will visit Sienna often, so be well. All right? ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Be nice, be cute, be happy¡­ ¡° Sienna, who had been told to be cute to the Grand Duke, burst into a small laugh. ¡°¡­Thank you for your concern, miss.¡± Unlike her words, her laughter was not as innocent as a child and was dry. Lisa¡¯s heart fluttered at the moment as she looked on with a blank expression mixed with deep resignation. ¡®This child¡­ Is it all right to send her off like this?¡¯ She hesitated too late, but there was nothing more Lisa could do. All Lisa could do was pat Sienna¡¯s head a couple more times before getting out of the carriage. Soon the Grand Duke and the heir got in the carriage. Siena sat silently, hugging the little wooden box Lisa had given her. There was only silence in the moving carriage. Sienna, who had been living in good health for more than 20 years, thought to myself, ¡°Should I say thank you to these two people saving me?¡± ¡®¡­.I¡¯m tired.¡¯ ¡®Everything is annoying.¡¯ She didn¡¯t want to try hard to be a good girl. There was no reason for that. Sienna clasped the wooden box without a word. And soon, she closed her eyes and fell asleep. * * * So Kendall orphanage became the Melanche orphanage overnight. The white-and-pale orphans, still confused and unaware, will be able to start a better life starting tomorrow. Sienna also became a child of Nacht overnight. Better than the bright future of orphanage. It was a place where a much brighter future and comfort were promised. But the orphan who took the good fortune, holding only one old, dirty box¡­ ¡°¡­She¡¯s sleeping.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡­I was only asleep For some reason, Ashiel felt as if his mouth had dried. Finally, the carriage arrived at the residence and stopped. ¡°Father, I¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡± The Grand Duke slowly reached out and raised Sienna, asleep. The sensitive child made a groan of ¡°Mmmhh..¡± Making the two nervous, but fortunately, fell asleep again. ¡°What about the room?¡± ¡°The butler would have prepared everything in advance. Isn¡¯t he like a ghost?¡± Ashiel grasped the handle, feeling anxiousness for some reason. The Grand Duke looked back at his son and asked, ¡°Ashiel, aren¡¯t you busy?¡± He knew. It was going to be asked. At this point, he could go back to his business, but strangely, his steps did not divert. ¡°¡­It should be alright,¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± It was an insincere answer, but fortunately the duke was focused on hugging the child who was held in his arms instead of questioning his eldest son more. ¡°Father!¡± Then, a young boy who appeared running down the stairs shouted. ¡°Oh, Young Master!¡± ¡°Is that her?¡± Michael, who came down the stairs in an uncharacteristic hurry, was impatient. ¡°That¡¯s not like you. Be quiet, Michael.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Leaving his noisy youngest son with his mouth shut, the Grand Duke headed to the room he had prepared for the girl in his arms. Behind the Duke, Michael said to his brother, ¡°How old is she? Is she staying at our house from now on?¡± A steady stream of questions was asked. Ashiel answered the first question, ¡°She¡¯s a year older than you.¡± Michael blinked his red eyes and nodded. ¡°I thought she might. Anyway, she¡¯s staying at our house, right? He couldn¡¯t ignore the question twice. Ashiel sighed for a moment and replied: ¡°Yes, she is.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Michael was staring at the scene where his father laid the girl in bed carefully. It wasn¡¯t a small thing for them to be interested in somethings. Micheal wasn¡¯t the only one who thought it was strange. It¡¯s not like he had ever been against a child before. Although Ashiel was known to be the only person in the family who was friendly, He was never nosey. It was not like him to place too much of his attention on such useless information. ¡®¡­No, that man did not deserve such a thing.¡¯ As soon as he remembered it, the deepening that he barely calmed down felt like a fire raging within him. However, if it had been normal, I would not have turned my eyes like that and went out from my own actions. ¡­Perhaps? All of the men in this family, including him, were behaving strangely. The strangest thing was that even though I was aware of it, I couldn¡¯t control it. ¡®Why?¡¯ Even though he was pretending not to be, he was a very talented child. But that alone could not explain their behavior. I tried to put on an emotionless face, but the agitation I felt did not cease. ¡®This time¡­ definitely.¡¯ Leaving the two children in silence, Ashiel withdrew from the room with the Grand Duke as he made a pledge to himself, despite not knowing why. * * * Sienna was having a dream. ¡®Sienna.¡¯ ¡®Sienna, I hate you.¡¯ Stop it, sister. I know now. I know very well that you¡¯ve been dreaming for my death. I wanted to say that, but my mouth couldn¡¯t open. ¡®Sienna, answer me.¡¯ ¡®Are you happy to take my place?¡¯ What does that mean? Sienna, who had never tried to take Loreina¡¯s place, was being treated unfairly. She wanted to insist on her innocence, but her voice wouldn¡¯t come out. In her dream, Loreina began laughing madly when seeing that Sienna¡¯s faces paled upon realizing she couldn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Heuk¡­¡± Breathing in, Sienna finally opened her eyes in the dark. ¡®Is it a dream¡­¡¯ In the pitch-black darkness, Sienna briefly blinked. Her pupils quickly expanded and adjusted to the darkness. Little by little, the view opened up, and familiar landscapes began to come into Sienna¡¯s eyes. This is¡­ ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Gulp. Sienna swallowed. If her eyes weren¡¯t wrong now, this place was¡­ ¡°Loreina, sister¡­.¡± It was Loreina¡¯s room. As soon as she realized it, she got goosebumps from head to toe. When she first entered Nacht, Sienna was given a room of a very mediocre level. Of course, it was just mediocre by Nacht¡¯s standards, but for Sienna who had previously shared a room with seven orphans younger than her in Room 6 of Kendall Orphanage, it was the best thing ever. A desk, mirror and closet, plus a plush, clean bed. I loved the room I could have to myself for the first time, so much that I didn¡¯t even notice that the room was in a little shadowy corner in a wide castle. Unlike Sienna, Loreina received the ¡®Cradle of the Moon.¡¯ The Cradle of The Moon was the best room in the castle except for the one used by the Grand Duke and the Heir. Unlike Siena¡¯s room, where the bed and desk were placed in the same room, The Cradle of The Moon room was equipped with a study, a bedroom, a drawing room, a dress room and a bathroom, as well as a small bedroom for a trusted maid. When Loreina had first stepped foot into the Duchy, she begged him to let her use it after taking a liking to that room. This was unlike Sienna, who would have accepted any room given to her. However, the Grand Duke did not refuse the request. Maybe it was from there that she knew for sure Loreina and her were in different situations from then on. But then why was she in this room? There was no way Nachts would give Sienna this room. Perhaps¡­ ¡°¡­Did I crawl into this room while asleep?¡± Sienna believed it was possible, in her last life she spent more time in Loreina¡¯s room than in her own. The bed containing warm sheets was comfortable and flames were rising from the fireplace, but Sienna began to tremble like a cold person. As she heard in her dream, Loreina¡¯s voice seemed to ring in her ears. ¡®Are you happy to take my place like that?¡¯ This room was not hers. It wasn¡¯t a place that she dared to occupy. Sienna did not enter Nacht to take Loreina¡¯s place. I didn¡¯t want to win against my sister, nor did I want revenge. ¡°I¡¯m just going to stay quiet for a few years and then run away to the academy.¡¯ I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m in this room¡­. Sienna quickly pushed the blanket. ¡®You shouldn¡¯t make unnecessary misunderstandings.¡¯ If Sienna was found sleeping in this room, everyone may misunderstand that she was having indecent and presumptuous ideas. If you think about it a little bit, you might have noticed that there was a water bag in the bed, and that the bonfire that was lit was comfortable and helped me sleep. Sienna, who had just woken up from a nightmare, was simply in a state of confusion. Sienna quickly got out of bed in a pair of pajamas, struggling to make the bed before going back to the bed she slept in my last life. As soon as Sienna had made the wide bed with her weak arms, she ran out of the room without even thinking about taking a lamp. ¡®My room¡­ My old room.¡¯ The little barefoot girl began to run down the cold corridor. Sienna was in a hurry to find her old room¡­ ¡°¡­.Uh!¡± I slipped on the ground despite there being nothing and fell down. ¡®It hurts¡­.¡± Sienna groaned and held her sore knees. She couldn¡¯t see it, but it felt like blood was starting to seep from her knee. But she didn¡¯t have time to sit here and take care of the wound. She quickly got up again and limped to the corner, where ¡®her room¡¯ was. ¡®Next, Next¡­. Ah, This one.¡¯ Was it because it¡¯s night or because it¡¯s an 11-year-old child¡¯s body? It was only after a while that Sienna could find her room. The door opened with a squeak. She didn¡¯t care, It was unpleasant for her, but Sienna was glad to have come to her old room. She closed the door with her back and slid down. The corner room had not been cleaned for a long time, so there was a chill in it. The sight of white cloth covered with furniture covered in dust instead looked like a dead place¡­ ¡°¡­This is my room.¡± Her heart, which was pounding, gradually subsided. Maybe it¡¯s because she had arrived at the place where she had stayed for more than a decade, but, Sienna was greatly relieved. After that, she began to feel drowsy from the effort it took to leave the room she had found herself in . ¡°Euu¡­.¡± Sienna rubbed her eyelids. And went up to the bed as if she was accustomed to it. There wasn¡¯t a cozy blanket, but it was good enough to grab and cover herself with one of the nearby dust covers. ¡°Haaaam¡­¡± Shortly after yawning a little, Sienna fell asleep. * * * The next morning. Having become Nacht¡¯s new head maid, Madam Deborah began her routine early in the morning. Not long ago she heard a very surprising story from the butler. ¡°Deborah, as you only know, the Grand Prince has brought in a guardian.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Really?!¡± Madam Deborah was surprised. ¡°Well, that means that we are finally going to have a future Grand Duchess¡­¡± ¡°No, no, That¡¯s not it. This time, the guardian is from an orphanage.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. A child. From an orphanage.¡± She still regretted it. ¡®It¡¯s a great opportunity to see the future of the potential future grand duchess when she comes in as a guardian.¡¯ Madam Deborah had a plan. She plan to serve the future grand duchess from a young age to be trusted in the duchy, and to remain in power as a loyal maid of this house until she dies! Unfortunately, the opportunity hadn¡¯t arrived yet. The butler said, ¡°Anyway, His Highness the Grand Duke has shown deep interest in the young lady, and ordered for her to be taken care of.¡± ¡°She seems to be a very talented person. Give her The Cradle of The Moon.¡± ¡°What? The Cradle of the Moon?¡± Madam Deborah frowned. Just because she¡¯s talented, he wants to give her such a nice room? ¡®Why would a commoner orphan be given a room suitable for a good noble lady?¡¯ It was a bit of a surprise, but once the instructions were given, she couldn¡¯t help it. Madam Deborah arranged the room for her. And yesterday, the orphan finally took the room. ¡®Tsk. I was wondering if I¡¯d be taking care of the Grand Duchess in the future¡­¡± Apart from being uncomfortable with planning, she was curious about the orphan¡¯s face and how she was. So she got up early, finished her morning routine, and ran to the room. ¡°Hmm.¡± Madam Deborah coughed, and knocked on the door. But was quiet in the room. ¡®Hm.¡¯ She¡¯s been asleep since she came yesterday evening. Is she sleeping still? She seemed to be lazy. Madam Deborah opened her door without asking for further permission with a stern face. ¡°¡­..Oh my goodness?¡± However, instead of a lazy orphan sleeping like the dead, a neat empty room greeted her. Her bed was neatly arranged as if it had just been put in order by a skillful maid, and her cold water bag lay on her armchair. ¡°What?¡± Madam Deborah hurried around but nothing changed, she was gone. Eventually, the other maids were called in to search the women¡¯s room, the reception room, the study room, the dress room, but¡­ ¡®Not here.¡¯ ¡®Not here. I even opened a box that I don¡¯t use.¡¯ The child literally disappeared like smoke. ¡°Ha¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t believe she was giving her trouble this early in the morning. But even if she was angry, she couldn¡¯t hide it. ¡°I have to go see the butler.¡± ¡°Sorry? But ma¡¯am, then the other maids¡­.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s look for a little more.¡± ¡°You guys.¡± Madam Deborah looked at the maids who were saying stupid things. ¡°Are you out of your mind? The lady was brought by the Grand Duke last night and was given the Cradle of the Moon room. Wouldn¡¯t it be strange that the maids couldn¡¯t find the lady if the fact that she disappeared in the morning was hidden?¡± Madam Deborah had great ambition that showed in her even in her greater judgment. ¡°Ah¡­.¡± The maids who had not thought of that point shut their mouths at once. Madam Deborah clicked her tongue. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that all these things are happening all at once. Especially during my time as Head Maid.¡± She felt like she had a lot of work to do as the new head maid. ¡®¡­We¡¯ll have to find her first.¡¯ She didn¡¯t know where the girl was hiding, but please be found safely. Madam Deborah tapped her feet nervously. ¡°Tell me again.¡± When he heard that the child had disappeared, the eyes of the Grand Duke grew cold immediately. ¡°I¡¯m ashamed, Your Highness.¡± Madam Deborah bent down deeply. ¡°The child¡¯s disappeared from the castle.¡± The sigh of the Grand Duke was as heavy as thunder. ¡°Just how negligent can you be. Do I have to order you to have someone to stand by the child at night? Can¡¯t you at least think of that much before receiving an order? The Grand Duke was a man who usually did not scold his subordinates for making mistakes. But this time it was different. ¡°I¡­I have no excuse.¡± It was to the point where the head maid, who expected a harsh admonishment, was in cold sweat. It was clear that this orphan was much, much more important to the Grand Duke than they had expected. Madam Deborah fell to her knees without hesitation as soon as she realized so. ¡°I¡¯m ashamed of myself, Your Highness! The servants are going through the house, so we will be able to find her soon.¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡± The underground castle was renovated from an old castle during from an ancient era All around the castle lying dormant was dangerous magic that has not yet been clearly identified. It wasn¡¯t a place to let a child go around on their own. ¡°I will go too,¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± Madam Deborah, kneeling down on her knees, suddenly raised her head. What did I just hear¡­?? ¡°I said that I will find the child with you.¡± It was an emergency. It has been like that for 30 minutes; but it was a real emergency from now. * * * While Madam Deborah was reporting to the Great Duke, the servants were searching the whole house at the butler¡¯s instruction. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t have gotten on the wrong foot and dragged into the sewers right? The butler shook his head. ¡°Of course not. The ones on duty would have found her by now if she had.¡± ¡°For now, it would be better to start searching from the near vicinity of the Moon¡¯s Cradle. ¡° ¡°We¡¯d better search the Cradle one more time. It¡¯s quite a big place¡­ Huh?!¡± One of the servants let out an unsightly scream. The butler, who was about to reprimand him¡­ ¡°Your Grace?¡± ¡°Your Highness said he would search for the missing lady together.¡± The butler was a bit surprised by Madam Deborah¡¯s words. However, the veteran butler quickly regained his composure. ¡°Everyone! Do not be intimidated and do what you have to do!¡± Don¡¯t be intimidated? The servants yelled in dismay. ¡®Just what is so special about that orphan!¡¯ ¡®Perhaps it¡¯s not just an orphan, but a hidden bloodline of a high-ranked royal family?¡¯ It was a situation where the unbelievable would sound believable. It was because there was no way the grand duke would search this anxiously for an ordinary orphan. . ¡°Your Grace? Where are you going? The third floor has not yet been searched¡­¡± ¡°Hush.¡± The butler stopped Madam Deborah. The others didn¡¯t even have the thought of stopping him. When he finally arrived at the end of the corridor on the third floor, the Grand Duke carefully pushed the door. The unmaintained door slowly opened with a creak. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Chilly air was emanating from the walls and floor of what seemed to not have had a fire lit for a million years. A dust cloth was crumpled on the bed that lacked even sheets. ¡­As if someone in this cold room used it to cover themselves. ¡°The child was in this room.¡± She was given the best unused room in the castle. (T/N: It still was a good room, Just was never used nor cleaned.) So why did you come to sleep in such a room? The Grand Duke bit his lips unconsciously. He felt strange because it was like he could see a child sleeping soundly in this dusty room¡­ it felt weird ¡®My heart¡­¡¯ If I had to choose a word, it seemed to be crushed by something huge. To the point where I forget to breathe for a moment. ¡°¡­wait.¡± There were unusual traces on the white cloth on the bed. It was a trail of blood. The child must have been hurt. ¡°Call the servants here. Search the perimeter as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± * * * Grand Duke and Butler came out of the room to search the third floor in earnest. Madam Deborah was just about to follow suit. Creak (Sfx: Door creaking) ¡°!¡± The closet door, which had been tightly closed in front of Madam Deborah¡¯s eyes, slowly opened. And in there¡­ ¡°¡­Ah¡­Miss?¡± ¡°Shh¡± A girl with a white face and strangely calm green eyes stood her index finger on her lips. ¡°I¡¯m trying to hide my presence.. Could you speak a little bit softer, please?¡± ¡°¡­.Why are you hiding in such a place?¡± You must be in trouble because I¡¯m missing, I thought it would be worse if the Grand Duke found me himself. As soon as Sienna woke up, things were different from her past life. Just as she had guessed. This room was obviously the one she used in her last life. And no matter how she looked at it, it wasn¡¯t ready to greet people. ¡®It¡¯s weird¡­.¡¯ It was the grand duke that told her to ¡®go sleep on the ground¡¯ twice. It didn¡¯t look like I was going to be sleeping in this unprepared room. ¡®Ah.¡¯ That¡¯s why I had a nightmare last night, when I opened my eyes in Loreina¡¯s room. Though I was half asleep, I remember visiting my original room because of how startled I was at that time. Sienna let out a sound. ¡°I¡¯m done for¡­.¡± Of course, the maid would not have a good impression of Sienna because of her disappearance. However, there was no way she could think well of me when I disappeared without a word and ended up in a place that was not even my room. ¡®If I want to live peacefully, I have to maintain an amiable relationship with the maids.¡¯ Sienna was about to go out and greet him herself. But at that moment, the maid shouted, ¡°Your Highness!¡± and a loud approach was heard. There was no time to think. Sienna quickly hid before being found by the Grand Duke. Fortunately, even if she didn¡¯t know anything else, she was good at hiding her presence. ¡®I¡¯ve gone through a few moments like this before when I didn¡¯t want to bump into you.¡¯ Anyways, Sienna hid safely in the closet and waited quietly. I was going to act as if the maid had suddenly found me somehow. ¡°In a moment, bring me out and say you found me¡± ¡°Are you trying to help me?¡± ¡°No¡± She couldn¡¯t possibly be doing this to be kind. She just hope that she wouldn¡¯t need to put on an act with Madam Deborah. Sienna assessed herself for such a rational act.. ¡°¡­¡­ ¡± Madam Deborah looked at Sienna with an inscrutable expression, and nodded her head as she sighed lightly. ¡°I understand, it¡¯s not a bad suggestion.¡± * * * Madam Deborah brought Sienna out a moment later, pretending to have found her. ¡°Where¡­¡± ¡°She was in the closet.¡± The gap between his eyebrows narrowed. ¡®You hid right there and I didn¡¯t know?¡¯ ¡°I think you need treatment because you¡¯re hurt.¡± Ah, yes, the first priority is to treat the wound. He quickly forgot about his suspicions thereafter. ¡°Give me the child.¡± The Grand Duke stretched out his arms to take Sienna. But at that moment, Sienna shivered and grabbed Madam Deborah¡¯s sleeve. No matter how you looked at it, it was clear that she was afraid of the Duke. Before the atmosphere became tense, Madam Deborah quickly asked for permission. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Highness. I¡¯ll carry her carefully.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, do that.¡± They headed to the nearest living room. An armchair was placed near the fire and people wrapped Sienna in blankets. Soon the doctor arrived at the order of the Great Duke. Sienna was treated by a doctor who treated her as carefully as a feather. ¡®Um¡­.¡¯ I thought it would be uncomfortable to be an uninvited guest in this house, but I realized that it would be uncomfortable to be treated with the utmost care when I had never received it before. ¡°Oh my god, you fell hard.¡± The wound became more serious than expected as a result of neglecting it for one night. Still, I could concentrate only on the pain when the disinfectant was applied. ¡°You did well, young lady. Would you like a candy?¡± After bandaging it, the doctor even gave out candy. Sienna, who didn¡¯t expect this kind of kindness, was a little surprised and looked at the candy ¡°No¡­¡± She smiled unconsciously and shook her head. ¡®I¡¯m not a kid anymore¡­.¡¯ Also, it was not good to relive the past which she had buried. In the past, no one called for a doctor even if Sienna was injured. This would be the first time. It was to the point where the maid would be reluctant to give her medicine. But now she was being treated so wholeheartedly by a doctor and offered candy. ¡®Perhaps, I didn¡¯t go back in time but entered a new world?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t even imagine this nonsense. Unexpectedly, the doctor, who offered candy after seeing the child handle the pain without a fuss, gave up and left. The Grand Duke, who watched the whole scenario, asked. ¡°¡­why did you go to sleep in such a small room?¡± Sienna, who had nothing to say, answered honestly. ¡°When I woke up, it was hard to believe that such a nice room could possibly be mine.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± The straightforward words left little room for imagination. It was heard by the Grand Duke and others that the young child was injured while wandering around the castle in the middle of the night in search of a shabby room to avoid being scolded. ¡°Oh my¡­¡± ¡°Oh my god, child.¡± Sienna thought while looking at the face of the Grand Duke who was looking at her while sighing. ¡®Again. That¡¯s the look he made at the orphanage yesterday.¡¯ An expression of patience with slight annoyance. It looks like you had a reason behind why you gave such a nice room to me. ¡®Well, I don¡¯t want to ask you about that¡­.¡¯ Now, Sienna didn¡¯t want to get emotionally involved with the Grand Duke¡¯s employees. She set aside the questions she had heard and left it as it was. ¡®Whether I¡¯m an orphan or spoiled¡­¡¯ What are you doing, is it because you know the reason for the different treatment? It is just a fantasy that will disappear like fog when Loreina arrives. Sienna knew. There was a deep gap between her and Loreina that could not be filled with talent. So she just wanted to live quietly in this house until she turned 15 and became eligible to enter the academy. It¡¯s best not to have useless questions and worse to have useless hopes. ¡®I hate it.¡¯ Sienna decided to wrap things up neatly at this point. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I won¡¯t make a fuss like this again.¡± ¡°Why did you¡­.¡± No, it¡¯s not. The Grand Duke shook his head and sighed. It was the maid¡¯s fault that she failed to select a nanny to stay by her bed. The error of the servants below is also his fault. Sienna did not need to be questioned, nor was an apology needed from Sienna ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize because it¡¯s not your fault.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°It¡¯s your room from now on, so just start getting used to it.¡± Instead of answering, Sienna only looked up at the Duke. ¡°¡­do you have anything to say?¡± Sienna hesitated for a moment. ¡®Should I or should I not say the room is too good for me?¡¯ The Cradle of the Moon was for Loreina, not for Sienna. ¡®If she were to come back, I would be annoyed when I would have to give it back to her.¡¯ Should I tell you or not? Thinking about it made me feel annoyed. Sienna shook her head in silence. If Loreina comes and asks for the room anyway, Sienna will naturally be able to go to another room. ¡®I wouldn¡¯t be the one bothered in the process.¡¯ If you show yourself giving up your room and leaving, Loreina will at least know Sienna has no intention of confrontation. ¡®Nothing bad will happen.¡¯ Come to think of it, there was at least one space in the room that she was familiar with. She could just stay there quietly. After she was finished considering the situation, Sienna shook her head quietly. The Grand Duke looked at the child, who quietly shook her head, with a puzzled look on his face. When he first saw her at the orphanage, she was still like a pitiful child, but she didn¡¯t look like one when she spoke maturely. ¡®It¡¯ll take a little more time to adapt.¡¯ Even though it was unclear, he thought he had no choice but to think so now. * * * Madam Deborah brought Sienna back to the Cradle of the Moon. The room decorated with fresh sky blue and white was the most beautiful when the sun poured down on the windows filled with high floors. A child who wakes up on a dusky night and is surprised by a nice room. Wouldn¡¯t they be even more surprised now? Curious, Madam Deborah glanced at Siena. But Sienna¡­ ¡°¡­hoo.¡± She just sighed as if looking at a messy room. A child who seemed to have a headache just by being in the room. ¡®Such an odd child.¡¯ Madam Deborah thought to herself. As she had no intention of downgrading a child who seemed to be cherished by the Grand Duke, the most powerful man in the family, she said in a polite tone- ¡°Then, my lady, I will bring you a meal while you rest.¡± She¡¯ll probably be surprised no matter what she¡¯s given. She¡¯ll grow quickly if she¡¯s spoiled rotten, so she¡¯ll soon forget about her past and enjoy being a child of Nacht. Madam Deborah believed so. It took less than ten minutes to prove that the judgment was hasty. ¡°¡­miss?¡± It took Madam Deborah about ten minutes to return with a maid pushing a cart with breakfast. But in the meantime, Sienna disappeared again without a trace. ¡®You¡¯re not going to be in that third floor room again right¡­?¡¯ As soon as the head maid began to frown, a small door inside the bedroom opened. ¡°You came back already?¡± ¡°Did you only go there?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a ladies¡¯ room, but¡­¡± ¡°Did you?¡± Sienna blinked her eyes naturally. ¡°I didn¡¯t know. I felt better when I was in there.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a place for you to stay. Come out here and I¡¯ll attend to you.¡± Instead of insisting on eating in that room, Sienna complied and came out. ¡®You don¡¯t have to be so stubborn.¡¯ She decided to stay there as long as she could. Every time Madam Deborah or the Grand Duke say something, she can answer back, saying, ¡°I feel comfortable in there.¡± I¡¯m not going to leave that room because I¡¯m an orphan who knows her place. ¡®If you keep insisting, they may prevent you from living there.¡¯ Sienna made up her mind to give in a little to prevent a messy event from occuring. ¡°It is so comfortable to not try.¡¯ It was a new realization that would help in a very positive way in the future. ¡°Please have a seat over here.¡± It was a very carefully prepared diet, most likely to soothe the anxious child. Soft, tender omelettes were in small children¡¯s dishes. It looked warm and delicious, but I didn¡¯t have an appetite. Oh, come on. ¡°¡­¡­aaham.¡± She was so sleepy that she could yawn. ¡°You¡¯re sleepy because you didn¡¯t sleep.¡± Madam Deborah persuaded Sienna and urged her to hold the table. ¡°Just have a little. When you¡¯re done eating, I¡¯ll take you to bed.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± With a child¡¯s body, rebelling against an adult is useless. Siena finished a small prayer and cut the omelette into small pieces and brought it to her mouth. Madam Deborah¡¯s eyes glistened. ¡®She¡¯s got good manners for a child who¡¯s never even seen etiquette.¡¯ Whatever was the young ladythinking? ¡®I¡¯m sleepy¡­.¡¯ Sienna kept feeling sleepy. That¡¯s odd. Was she supposed to sleep this much? She tried to recall her childhood, but all she could remember was being suddenly dragged into the mess and panicked and scared about everything. ¡®Well, they say children are supposed to sleep a lot¡­ I guess.¡¯ Anyway, as she was sleepy, the speed of chewing food naturally slowed down. Sienna ate slowly with the momentum to melt a bite of an omelette and eat it. Eventually, Madam Deborah surrendered. ¡°Would you like to stop eating it?¡± ¡°Yes please.¡± The head maid ordered the servant to eat as much of the leftovers as possible and clean up afterwards. ¡°Wake up nicely.¡± ¡®Milk.¡¯ Sienna gently touched the head maid and laid on the bed she had previously touched the night before. Even when she was sleepy, she still felt a little resistant the moment I laid on Loreina¡¯s bed, but I didn¡¯t show it. ¡°Go to sleep.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Sienna seemed to have fallen asleep in an instant, as she was restless without a big moon to shine through the window. ¡°Keep your eyes open.¡± ¡°Okay, ma¡¯am.¡± The same thing should not happen earlier, so the head maid left the room leaving the maid behind. The maid kept her head straight at first, but¡­ Quietly. Seeing the child sleeping well made the maid wonder what all this was about. ¡®Oh, my God, I¡¯m not a babysitter, and I¡¯m protecting a child I don¡¯t know if I carry you on my back you¡¯ll just weigh me down.¡¯ As she was looking at the child who was sleeping well in a soft chair, she slowly started to fall asleep just by looking at her eyelids. After a while¡­ Sienna opened her eyes. ¡®And another nightmare.¡¯ This time again, Loreina was sarcastic, asking if playing with a girl was fun. ¡®I think I¡¯ll keep having nightmares if I fall asleep in this bed.¡¯ She noticed that the maid watching her was completely asleep and snoring even through her small nose. ¡°¡­¡­ ¡± Sienna silenced the sound of her feet and snuck into the little bedroom. There was an attic above which luggage was stored, so it was a room with a low floor height. The furniture included a small bed, a table, and a washbasin. ¡°Haa.¡± It was literally a small room, but Sienna was finally comfortable. Is it because she used this room more often than her own when she was on good terms with Loreina and so unilaterally believed that we were close? ¡®Reminds me of bad memories.¡¯ When she believed that she was deceiving others by stealing Loreina¡¯s mana, Sienna steadily mastered various cultivations. She practiced to bleed and bend her fingers to learn graceful handwriting, write a letter for Loreina, and even learn to braid her hair and sew a handkerchief to take on the role of Loreina¡¯s maid. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to know this subject well, right?¡± ¡°Hey, I use it all the time! When Lady Loreina becomes the grand duchess, she will ask me to make her a maid!¡± ¡°Oh my God, if you are going to be a maid of the Grand Duchess, you should at least be a lady who is more than a self-sufficient writer, right?¡± It didn¡¯t matter what people misunderstood. Sienna returned from her outings and did her best to brush Reina¡¯s golden hair by pouring out her joyful things. ¡°I wish Sienna could have come with me.¡± ¡°Thanks to you, I rested well at home.¡± ¡°Well, Sienna¡¯s quiet and shy. It would have been uncomfortable if I went. Everyone.¡± When you hear something that is unexpected, your heart aches as if you were stabbed by a needle. Sienna laughed vaguely and swallowed her inside. Loreina didn¡¯t seem to notice. ¡°But I¡¯m so happy to have Sienna.¡± The small disappointment melted away with just a few words. ¡°Would you like to sleep with me tonight, Sienna?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯d love to.¡± Somehow, Sienna thought Loreina was the only one. The only person who is willing to accept Sienna¡¯s humble efforts, allowing her to be called an elder sister. A grateful person who helped me not to be kicked out of this house by handing out a piece of mana. When she was next to Loreina, she felt like she was of some help to the world. ..Weird. Thank you. She was sure she was grateful. Sometimes she wanted to run to the lake, far outside the mansion¡¯s fence, or farther away. If she could do it, she wouldn¡¯t survive through the ruins, terrible monsters that infested the borders¡­. ¡®¡­Do you want to disappear?¡¯ It was unknown. She thought so at the time. ¡®I was naive.¡¯ At the time, Loreina¡¯s word ¡°let¡¯s sleep together¡± meant Sienna was going to grow up in this room. The more I thought about it, the more she didn¡¯t notice that Loreina hated her, and thought she was great. When Loreina comes to the mansion¡¯s ground half a year later, what would she think when she sees Sienna, who was currently occupying the cradle of the moon, which originally should be hers? ¡®¡­I hate to think about it.¡¯ Sienna curled up even more on her little bed. Then she fell asleep again sometime later. Fortunately, she didn¡¯t have nightmares in that familiar room. * * * Fortunately for Sienna, shortly afterwards, the Grand Duke launched a punitive operation with an appearance at the capital. Ashiel returned to the academy, and Michael did not show any interest in Sienna. It was fortunate that Michael was at least the same as he was in her memory. ¡®The problem is that all other people are acting weird¡­.¡¯ Representatively, there was Madam Deborah. In the past, Madam Deborah regarded Loreina as an ideal Grand Duchess, and she didn¡¯t say much about Sienna, She didn¡¯t dare to. She said, ¡°I can¡¯t help it if Lady Loreina will have her by her side, but I won¡¯t sit down if she¡¯s acting or being presumptuous.¡± She was a maid who used to give this kind of warning whenever she had the chance. Sienna believed Madam Deborah would hate her again this time, I¡¯d didn¡¯t doubt it. ¡®No, I don¡¯t think you like me very much right now, but¡­¡¯ However, it would be too blunt to say ¡°I don¡¯t like her.¡± ¡°Lady, you¡¯re in here again.¡± ¡°Madam Deborah.¡± Especially since she¡¯s visiting me, who was stuck in the small maid¡¯s bedroom. ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± ¡°Stop. I¡¯ve heard that you¡¯re comfortable staying in your room. I¡¯ve already told you, right? The head maid who raised her glasses looked much stricter than usual. ¡°You¡¯d better spend less time in that room and get used to your position here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­.¡± There¡¯s no need to get used to it because it¡¯s not my place. It was only a pity that I could not be honest. ¡°You are lacking in effort. Come on.¡± ¡°Well¡­ .¡± Due to repeated conversations, Sienna came out of the comfortable room as as if she were a snail¡¯s shell. ¡®This is definitely weird.¡¯ Sienna thought that Madam Deborah would be the antagonist and go stop her a few times and then let her do whatever she wanted. Or take a more active step forward and suggest, ¡®Since you¡¯re not getting used to it, so we should give you a simpler room instead of the cradle of the moon. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect this to happen.¡¯ At this point in the past, the problem was that she couldn¡¯t compare Madam Deborah¡¯s past attitude because she couldn¡¯t remember well. ¡®¡­Maybe Madam Deborah is more faithful to the orders of the Grand Duke than I thought.¡¯ There¡¯s something uncomfortable about it, but Sienna didn¡¯t want to dig deep. So I memorized a magic spell once again. ¡®Well, these people are acting weird right now, but whatever the reason is, it¡¯s all going to be over when Loreina comes.¡¯ You just have to endure up to half a year. Before that, you might be disappointed in me and stop bothering me. Let¡¯s not think too deeply. The one who thinks deeply always ends up with losses. ¡°Whoa.¡± Her mind calmed down again. But as soon as Sienna finished her meal, Madam Deborah began to rush her with a disapproving face, proving that such a wish was far from being realized. ¡°Are you going to stay in the room doing nothing else?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m doing nothing¡­¡± Sienna read her with a clumsy smile. She had read thousands of books, but Madam Deborah was not in the mood to leave this time, ¡°You¡¯re planning on going to sleep in that windowless bedroom again aren¡¯t you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s comfortable there¡­.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re constantly comfortable in that humble place, you¡¯ll have to accept it as an insult to the Nacht Duchy.¡± ¡°What?¡± By the time the conversation reached that point, Sienna thought this was absurd. ¡®No, so can I take that as an insult to me, too?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ve lived here for half my life before I died¡­.¡¯ Unable to say that, Sienna sighed again. ¡°You¡¯re just sighing because you¡¯re in such a gloomy place. Come on, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Ah¡­.¡± ¡°Today I must show you what a great place this castle is.¡± No, I really do not want to know. I know most of the rooms already. Is there anything else? ¡°Let¡¯s go out and get some sunshine, have a good look around, and drive out the darkness.¡± Madam Deborah took Sienna to the second floor hallway. ¡®Ah.¡¯ Sienna had a rough idea of where the head maid was taking her. There was a simple exhibition room on the second floor of the castle. ¡°Of course, simplicity is based on Nacht, but¡­¡± Grand Duke Nacht was also one of the richest men in the country. As he protected his territory, it naturally took up a lot of trades from the territory. From grains that grow and take root in the soil, to many of the copper, iron, and gold treasures. Nacht¡¯s simple exhibition hall meant that the large corridor on the second floor of the castle contained portraits of the family¡¯s ancestors. It also displayed various kinds of art as well as numerous medals. The exhibition even changes quarterly to match the theme. ¡°Originally, I was going to give you a formal tutor, but I¡¯m not going to let you miss out on this family exhibition. Oh, my Little Prince?¡± Unfortunately, there were people in the exhibition room. A boy whose cheeks are still round and big like a cat and whose eyes are slightly raised. It was Michael Nacht, the second son of the grand duke. ¡®Oh, my God.¡¯ Should we say hello? But she and Michael had never been on good terms before. More precisely, Michael unilaterally hated Sienna. Her worries did not last long. Sienna grabbed Madam Deborah¡¯s skirt and hid herself. ¡°My lady? Say hello to the second young master.¡± Sienna remained steadfast despite Madam Deborah¡¯s persuasion. There was a reason. Michael hates the weak. He has a habit of saying a few harsh words and leaving first when he is offended. In other words, Sienna¡¯s sudden pretense to be scared contained this meaning. ¡®He¡¯ll get mad and then disappear quickly.¡¯ However, Michael¡¯s reaction was not as expected. ¡°¡­¡­Okay. You¡¯re here to see the showroom, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Ah, yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Then you can go now. I¡¯ll show her around.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡®I¡¯d hate that¡¯ But Madam Deborah reacted faster than her. ¡°Good for you, Second Young Master is more qualified to be a guide than I am. All right, my lady.¡± ¡°Yeah, I am.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll be on my way.¡± Pushing Sienna to the young boy, Madam Deborah left quickly after the brief greeting. It was clear that she believed that they would become close if they were alone. Anyways, it was too late. Without any time to do anything about it, Sienna was left in front of Michael, who blinked his pretty red eyes. ¡°Would you like to say hello?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Young Master.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Michael stared at Sienna with a glare, unable to understand what she was thinking. Sienna thought she would have been quite nervous if she was really eleven. ¡°Ye-.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I advise you, don¡¯t think about staying in this house for long.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± She was wondering what he was going to say. She could not feel hurt. It was the same as the past. He still hates me even in this unknown world. ¡®It¡¯s nice to see you again.¡¯ Michael, looking at Sienna, questioned her with suspicion. ¡°Do you understand me?¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± Sienna nodded mildly and kindly repeated it. ¡°You told me not to stay here for long.¡± ¡°If you understand, why didn¡¯t you answer me with your opinion?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s what I am thinking.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Michael opened his mouth with a straight face. Sienna realized one thing at this time. ¡®Wait.¡¯ This can be an opportunity to be comfortable with Michael. We do not need to like each other, but we also do not need to be as unfriendly as we used to be. ¡®I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll bother you.¡¯ Sienna decided to think about what Michael will like to hear. The answer would be found in the past. Come to think of it, Michael hated her the most when she worked as hard on chores as if she was Loreina¡¯s maid or a Nacht¡¯s family maid. ¡®You¡¯ve been fed up with it, telling me not to let it show.¡¯ He said exactly this. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just get out of this house if you know you¡¯re humble enough to take away the maid¡¯s work?¡± Then what she had to say now was¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know that being a child of Nacht is too great for an orphan like me. I¡¯m going to apply to the academy when the time comes.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°It means that I will go out and become self-reliant without embarrassing the Nacht¡¯s name.¡± Rather, it was quite the childish response, but it would make sense considering it was coming out of an 11 year olds mouth. ¡°I¡¯ll be a little noticeable, but I¡¯d appreciate it if you can ignore me until then.¡± Sienna thought it would be close to the answer he wanted to hear. But¡­ ¡°You¡­!¡± Unexpectedly, Michael¡¯s face was upset. ¡°How could you say such nonsense? I can¡¯t believe you want to get out of here!¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± What are you talking about? She didn¡¯t say it in words, but the sentence ¡°you¡¯re the one who told me to get out?¡± was shown on her face. ¡°Ugh!¡± Michael, who was not a fool, soon noticed his contradiction. He turned red at that moment. Sienna tilted her head as she saw the colorful face turning blue. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with you?¡¯ ¡°Hey, let¡¯s talk about this later.¡± Sienna had nothing to talk about with him, even until ¡®next time¡¯. However, it was not important to let him know, so she just nodded her head. ¡®He¡¯s offended anyways, so he¡¯ll be out of here soon enough.¡¯ That was what Sienna expected. But Michael did not leave. ¡°¡­Young Lord?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Follow me.¡± ¡°Err yes?¡± No, why the hell? Thanks to the distracting items in the exhibition room, Michael didn¡¯t see the look of annoyance on Sienna¡¯s face. ¡°I made a promise to the maid to show you around here!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to¡­¡± Should I have him continue? Sienna was in a bind. So she decided to throw a fastball. ¡°You don¡¯t like me, do you?¡± Let¡¯s get on our way, please. ¡°That¡¯s¡­! Come on! I can¡¯t be a man who doesn¡¯t keep his word.¡± ¡°Hmm, that¡­¡± Was that the problem? Sienna was convinced. ¡®I¡¯m bothered, but I can¡¯t help it.¡¯ Come to think of it, if Michael leaves right away, the head maid will ask what had happened. It was entirely Sienna who will be at a disadvantage if it was revealed that she offended the young lord by messing around with words. ¡°You¡¯re shameless.¡± ¡°¡­Follow me.¡± * * * ¡°You can think of the portrait in this corridor as going back to the Nacht¡¯s genealogy from the inside out.¡± Obviously, he had come to hate Sienna as perfectly as before, but Michael¡¯s explanation this time was very sincere. ¡°This is my grandmother. She is the sister of the present Emperor.¡± When she thought about it, it seemed that Michael was the least flexible among the three men in this family. ¡°This is my great-grandfather, but two portraits are hung on it because they are two of¡­¡± No, it wasn¡¯t like ¡®that¡¯, it was definitely accurate. ¡®If you think about it, the young lord has always pointed out all the things that just went over in history, and that¡¯s true¡­.¡¯ She used to be a quiet and timid person, but at that time she couldn¡¯t evaluate calmly because she was overwhelmed with luxuries. Anyway, if she was the same Sienna in my first life, she probably would have listened to him even if she did not know what he meant, but it was a pity. Sienna, who was scheduled to enter an academy at the age of 15 and finish her education at the end of that same year, only listened to Michael¡¯s easy explanation with one ear. Naturally, her eyes began to wander elsewhere, but not at the portraits. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Then, something shiny caught Sienna¡¯s eye. ¡°¡­¡­¡± It was a beautiful necklace in the center of the corridor. It was an item that was familiar to Sienna, even though she was not interested in jewelry. ¡®What¡­?¡¯ I¡¯m worried about this feeling of desperation¡­ ¡°You aren¡¯t paying attention to my explanation, and where are you looking now¡­ Oh, you¡¯re looking at that. You have good eyesight.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Michael pointed to the portrait he had been talking about so far. ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s the necklace my great-grandmother was wearing.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± She wasn¡¯t focusing on the explanation enough to recognize the necklace in the picture, but she decided to make an attentive expression. Sienna nodded sharply. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Would you like to see it up close?¡± Perhaps he liked that Sienna was focusing on his explanation, as Michael¡¯s attitude was quite relaxed. ¡®It¡¯s awkward, though.¡¯ It was a hundred times better than yelling and picking a fight. The two stood in front of the exhibition table in the middle of the building. On it, a scarlett, fair-cut jewelry the size of a baby¡¯s fist. ¡°The flame of Hesaros, one of the Named.¡± ¡°Named¡­¡± ¡°You know? It¡¯s a famous construction. A new thing sealed in a millennium box. Ancient legacies that only submit to qualified people.¡± ¡°Ah yes. That.¡± ¡°There are thirteen eligible, and there are four of them in Nacht alone.¡± Michael raised his nose. ¡°Two belong to my father and brother, but I do not know who the other one belongs to. But one of them is special. They say it has never been subjugated to others yet.¡± Listening to his explanation brought back a blurry memory. ¡®You almost got in trouble when you touched this before.¡¯ (P/N: The ¡®you¡¯ in here is referring to Loreina.) It was not long after Sienna and Loreina¡¯s unforgettable summer events. Loreina, who came to see the gallery exhibition room alone, touched the jewel out of curiosity, fell down, and had to lie down for about two weeks. Later on, Loreina said she almost died. ¡®What did she say? Her magic was so powerful that when she came into contact with it, something like a collision happened.¡¯ The jewel that drove Loreina to the brink of death was also not safe, and broke in two on the spot. For that matter, Loreina became famous as a ¡°genius who the body of a millennium box couldn¡¯t even handle¡± and the Named Hesaros disappeared from Nacht. That was why Sienna did not recognize the object that threatened her sister¡¯s life at a glance. ¡®¡­wait.¡¯ Sienna suddenly thought. If Loreina¡¯s mana almost killed her in a collision, wouldn¡¯t something similar happen if she touched it? Not dark blood reds like ruby and garnett, but the fiery jewel caught the eye. ¡®Maybe I¡¯ll die¡­.¡¯ Huh¡­. The more you look at it, the more you seem to see it, the more it seemed like a fire that was trapped in a clear glass, the more mysterious and powerful it seems to have the power to kill at least one person. ¡°¡­What is it? You¡¯re going to touch it?¡± ¡°What?¡± At Michael¡¯s words, Sienna came to her senses and was confused. ¡®Uh.¡¯ And she realized that her hand was just above the red jewel with only a finger¡¯s distance left. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I do not dare too¡­¡± When Sienna quickly pulled her hand away, Michael shrugged it off. ¡°You can touch it. Touching doesn¡¯t mean anything.¡± Whether or not Sienna listened to his explanation well, he was very generous. Sienna smiled and shook her head. ¡°¡­¡­No, I¡¯m okay for now.¡± Yet. She was worried she was going to die right now. But she did not want to yet. Sienna decided to keep in mind that there was such a way for now and bit her hand back. ¡°Hmm¡­ well, if you don¡¯t like it.¡± Michael, who had no idea what she had just thought, tried to lead her and continue guiding her to the exhibition room in earnest after that. But in a moment¡­ ¡°Hey, you¡¯re¡­¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± When Sienna heard the explanation, she suddenly fell asleep. It was a major accident. ¡°I¡¯m talking, and you¡¯re falling asleep? You must have been bored.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Sienna rubbed her eyes That was too much. Michael seemed to have been completely offended by the dry apology. ¡°That¡¯s enough! It¡¯s not like I even know you well enough!¡± Michael shouted and left the exhibition room. Do I have to hold onto him? She had that thought for a moment, but Sienna soon changed her mind. ¡®We¡¯re not meant to be.¡¯ Fortunately, Madam Deborah soon came to pick up Sienna. ¡°How are you?¡± Unfortunately, the head maid hoped the two children would become moderately close, and had arranged a place for refreshments to promote friendship. ¡°He left first.¡± Sienna who was young but honest, confessed, ¡°He was explaining everything well, but he was angry because I fell asleep.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. You must be disappointed.¡± No way. Sienna laughed silently. ¡°But today was rather good. Because you have to prepare yourself again later.¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± She had a bad feeling in an instant. ¡°I just got a telegram. I heard that the operation ended very successfully. His Highness will return home early, so there will be a family dinner for the first time in a long while.¡± ¡°Oh dear.¡± Deborah¡¯s eyebrows twitched at my sincere words that came out unconsciously. ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Sienna tilted her head. It was an innocent gesture. Madam Deborah looked at her with suspicion, but instead of continuing to question Sienna, she led her into the room. ¡°Well, that¡¯s all right. You might be out of words. Anyway, you have to hurry. Hurry up and get ready.¡± It seems, each and every one of the strict maids are excited? ¡°Well¡­, ma¡¯am, I¡¯m still not very well-mannered. I¡¯d like to eat alone in my room like i do now, until I finish studying¡­¡± ¡°Absolutely not. His Highness has ordered you to prepare for your first dinner with them. Besides, a very good thing is waiting for you.¡± There¡¯s no way out. Sienna clicked her tongue secretly inside. ¡°Oh, Young Master Ashiel will also attend.¡± That just made things worse. ¡°The Young Master has even been granted permission to stay here to welcome you. You should be grateful.¡± ¡®Why the hell are you so¡­¡¯ I didn¡¯t want to go before, but now I am against going even more now. ¡®Would it hurt.¡¯ It was only but a dinner meeting. If she avoid them today, there would be tomorrow, and waiting till tomorrow would cause even more problems. Sadly, there was no way out. She would just have to deal with it. * * * Night was the same wherever the sun went down, but the night that came to this castle was unusual. A toxic, heavy, solem, and deep night. As if the daytime, which seemed to be a place where people lived, was a joke. Delicate air flowed everywhere that made people as wary as prey. Even the shadows cast in the corridor were like swamps, so if she went in the wrong way, it seemed to be entangling her ankles. The memories of falling asleep while crying softly every night when she first came to this castle, loomed. ¡®It doesn¡¯t happen as often now, but¡­¡¯ After she returned to the age of 11, she began to try and adapt, but this darkness was beginning to feel creepy again for the first time in three years. ¡°Come on, Miss. Follow me.¡± Without anyone opening it, the door to the dining room opened. ¡°¡­Are you here?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± We have eaten here together several times before. But today¡¯s atmosphere was somewhat different. At the top of the long table sat the Grand Duke, on the right side of the table were his two sons. ¡°Sit down.¡± Would it be an illusion if everything in the dining room was polished more brightly than in her memory? The furniture wasn¡¯t exceptionally shiny. But The Grand Duke and his sons were all dressed up regally. ¡®You¡¯re dressed embarrassingly¡­¡¯ On the other hand, Sienna was dressed up in the orphanage¡¯s clothes because her new clothes were not ready yet. All the clothes went through Madam Deborah¡¯s hands, but the leftover rough cotton fabric could not be transformed into silk. She was past the age to be ashamed of one¡¯s clothes anyways. But she was a little curious about their intentions. ¡®Are you doing this to kill me?¡¯ The Grand Duke, Ashiel, and Michael were also silently watching Sienna sitting on the left side. Sienna sighed inside. ¡®Yes, I know. Even if I don¡¯t look at them, I know very well myself that I¡¯m a foreign object that doesn¡¯t fit in this place.¡¯ Anyway, she didn¡¯t want to make eye contact with any of the three, so she began to open the centerpiece of the table. ¡®It was not a common flower.¡¯ It was a fruit. On a golden embossed plate like a giant fountain, fresh khaman grapes were hanging on it like the water of the fountain, and a large pomegranate that was cut open appeared above it, showing red beads. The Nacht crest contains pomegranates. Perhaps that is why it was adopted as an ornament instead of a flower. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s begin.¡± Seeing Sienna concentrating on pomegranate seeds one by one, the Grand Duke gave up and called over his servant to say something. Rumble, bang. A roar sounded like a huge earthquake. The butler clicked his tongue. ¡°Suddenly it¡¯s raining heavily.¡± Lightning flashed one after another along with the sound of rain. ¡°I think it¡¯s going to interfere with your meal, so I¡¯ll pull down the curtains.¡± As heavy velvet curtains covered the windows of the dining room, the sound of thunder and rain disappeared. ¡°I¡¯ll bring out the appetizer.¡± ¡°Seafood delicacy soup.¡± Sienna¡¯s small silver plate also contained a ladle of unknown soup. It was steaming hot, but Sienna thought cynically. ¡®Sitting with three out of four people, who don¡¯t want to sit around a table, and eating something with unknown ingredients in it. I¡¯m dying of joy.¡¯ It¡¯s a relief if you don¡¯t have an upset stomach. ¡°If it doesn¡¯t suit your taste, you can leave it.¡± The Grand Duke hinted as if he had seen through her thoughts. But Sienna interpreted his words as this. I¡¯m telling you to have a drink. She had no appetite, but she couldn¡¯t refuse. Sienna picked up a heavy silver spoon and dipped it into the soup. Only then, as if time had stopped moving, did the Grand Duke and his sons also pick up their tableware at once. ¡°You said that the extermination with the monsters was going to be pretty rough, but you came back early. Father?¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad it was over before the weather got bad.¡± ¡°Yes, The beasts tend to get worse when the weather is bad. It¡¯s not a good conversation to talk about at a meal, though.¡± Sienna decided to taste the food instead of listening to the conversation. ¡®Hmm.¡¯ The soup she had taken less than a spoonful of was surprisingly not bad. ¡®The spoon is a bit heavy.¡¯ She tried to hold it with her small hand, but the silver spoon only repeatedly confirmed to her that it was still heavy to handle. It may be overly self-conscious, but it seemed that only her plate was making excessive noise. She didn¡¯t want to attract attention, so she moved the dishes as quietly as possible, so it seemed as if she was eating. ¡®Well, I didn¡¯t really want to eat it anyway.¡¯ ¡°Potato puree and grilled sea bream.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a steak with cresson, grilled cauliflower, and pomegranate sauce.¡± Sienna focused on listening to the rest of the conversation and pretending to eat the food set in turn. ¡°¡­You don¡¯t seem to like it.¡± Startle. ¡®I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d get caught¡­¡¯ Actually, Ashiel took things as they came, but kept an eye on everything. ¡°I¡¯m eating.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t touch the meat.¡± As Ashiel pointed out, Sienna had not touched the main steak, but had only a slice of asparagus. Have you ever observed me before? Sienna awkwardly apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡± Ashiel narrowed his eyebrows. He didn¡¯t know why, but he didn¡¯t want to hear her apology. He felt terribly wrong. ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize for the food you don¡¯t like.¡± ¡°Butler.¡± When the Grand Duke intervened, the butler came. He received the words without hesitation. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll remind the chef to pay attention. What else would you like on your plate?¡± Sienna shook her head gently in the eyes of the Grand Duke. ¡°That¡¯s all right.¡± ¡®If I eat anything more than this, I¡¯ll have to get digestive medicine in about an hour.¡¯ ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± If she said that they didn¡¯t need to do that because of her, she would need to try to persuade them, but she couldn¡¯t say anything, so she just cut it off and said it was okay. ¡°¡­Tell the maid if you are hungry later.¡± Sienna nodded her head calmly, but she strongly felt that the Grand Duke would never do what she asked him to do. ¡®It¡¯s too soon¡­ I didn¡¯t know you prepared this kind of event.¡¯ She belatedly thought he was being hasty, but she couldn¡¯t help it. The Grand Duke hit his glass twice to signal he had finished eating. The servants cleared the traces of their meal. But¡­ ¡®What is it?¡¯ Instead of bringing dessert, the butler brought four small gold plates and put them in front of the Grand Duke. The Grand Duke nodded and ordered. ¡°Bring the pomegranate.¡± ¡°What?¡± The butler moved the ripe pomegranate from the golden plate of the centerpiece onto the gold plate of the Grand Duke. ¡®¡­Wasn¡¯t it just a decoration?¡¯ It was a pomegranate the size of Sienna¡¯s head, but it looked like a small orange in the Grand Duke¡¯s hands. It occurred to me that it didn¡¯t seem to be just about sharing pomegranates. Does the pomegranate mean anything? In a way, it¡¯s more like a main dish than a meal. In a room that was still enough to hear the sound of candles flowing, the Grand Duke cut the pomegranate in half along the open grain. Then, the broken pieces were carefully divided into two. As he was tearing the pomegranate with his bare hands, red juice fell on his hands like blood. The butler placed a piece of it on a gold plate and put it in front of Sienna. A kind smile filled his face. ¡°Congratulations, Miss.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°In Nacht, when welcoming a new member, there is a custom of eating pomegranate handed out by the patriarch himself. It means to enjoy as many blessings as this pomegranate.¡± Well, in Sienna¡¯s view, the torn pomegranate in front of her looked like bleeding flesh rather than a symbol of blessing and hospitality. Is this what Madam Deborah said? ¡­This is? ¡®Their hospitality has a little bit of a barbaric aspect to it. It was as if the wolf pack was sharing the prey the captain had been hunting. She was not the same as a wolf, but I was trapped and got a piece of raw meat, so she couldn¡¯t help but feel embarrassed. No, she wasn¡¯t the only one who was in trouble. ¡®I¡¯ve never heard of or experienced anything like this when I was with Loreina.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ll hold it..¡± While she was embarrassed by the first custom, her thoughts were cut off there. At the words of the Grand Duke, Ashiel and Michael began to eat pomegranates without a care. Does not raising an objection mean that Sienna was welcomed, or does it simply mean that everyone agrees with the Grand Dukes¡¯s decision? It was just a few pomegranates, too little to find fault with. All together in this atmosphere, I couldn¡¯t dare to question, ¡°Why?¡± Besides, it doesn¡¯t mean that I could just eat this and get out of here, but it means welcome, so what objections should I even have? Inevitably, Sienna roughly swallowed some red grains into her mouth. Before I knew it, the Grand Duke, Ashiel, and Michael were watching Siena eating the pomegranate. The three pairs of eyes were as red as the pomegranate seeds mashed in Sienna¡¯s mouth now. I got goosebumps. ¡®¡­Stop eating.¡¯ When I cleaned my hands with the napkin, the butler congratulated me by clearing the dishes. ¡°Good job. Now only the deep night and the power of Nacht will protect you.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good thing, but the congratulations only made me feel uncomfortable. ¡®I feel like I¡¯ve joined something I shouldn¡¯t have¡­¡¯ It was ominous. A few pomegranates now seem to lie within me now. The Grand Duke words only showed how he misinterpresented Sienna¡¯s quiet attitude. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t understand right now. We only need to understand the custom of recognizing you as Nacht¡¯s child.¡± ¡°¡­For what reason?¡± Sienna tried not to ask, but she couldn¡¯t hold it in¡­. Really, she had endured enough. ¡°I¡¯m just an orphan. No matter what your expectations are, I won¡¯t be able to live up to them.¡± ¡°Hey! What do you expect from us¡­¡± Michael, who had managed to stay still until now, finally raised his voice, but the Grand Duke raised his hand to block him. ¡°¡­That¡¯s not an appropriate thing for a child to say.¡± His red gaze was cold. Sienna thought that the criticism of being ¡®insolent¡¯ would fall roughly upon her. ¡®You could now be cold-hearted about the favors you¡¯ve already given.¡¯ Or at least that¡¯s what she hoped for. Sienna was determined and waited for his next word. But- ¡°Call Madam Deborah.¡± He missed my expectations. ¡°It seems like someone has been talking, presumably, the head maid. I¡¯ll ask the head maid and ask her personally.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± She tried not to, but Sienna opened her eyes like a surprised rabbit. ¡°That¡­.¡± Without any time for Sienna to say anything, the maid waiting outside the dining room door immediately arrived. ¡°Well, Madam Deborah.¡± When the butler delivered the message with a perplexed look, the head maid was startled. ¡°What?¡± Quickly, Madam Deborah bowed her head. ¡°Your Highness, I swear that Deborah never said that. I haven¡¯t seen her for a long time, but she is calm and clear, unlike her peers, so the Grand Duchy¡¯s judgment is correct. Please believe me!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Sienna, who was worried for a moment that Madam Deborah might get a punishment, was speechless. It was inevitable that she was embarrassed. ¡°Then why did the child think that way? Don¡¯t you have any idea?¡± ¡°I didn know she thought that way, but is there any chance¡­¡± Madam Deborah replied, gritting her teeth. ¡°While she was unavoidably away, I might have been mischievous and impolite.¡± All eyes were on Sienna. ¡°So, have you ever heard anything? It¡¯s all right, tell me.¡± If she had to pick the one who said the most, it was Michael. However, instead of pointing out the fact, Sienna kept her mouth shut like a statue and shook her head. Ashiel sighed instead. ¡°It¡¯s no use questioning the child, Father.¡± ¡°Well.¡± The Grand Duke ordered Madam Deborah to see if she felt the same way. ¡°Be careful with your words. We will determine whether your actions were appropriate or not.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± ¡°Calm down, Your Grace.¡± The butler intervened softly to soften the suffocating atmosphere. ¡°From how this old man sees it, since Lady Sienna has received the pomegranate, no one will be able to say anything about it.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± The Grand Duke nodded with mixed eyes. ¡°With all due respect, Your Grace, may I have a word?¡± At that time, Madam Deborah intervened while looking around. ¡°As I said, I haven¡¯t seen you for a long time, but your qualities are not unusual. If you¡¯ve given her a pomegranate, why don¡¯t you find the right tutor for her?¡± Sienna was surprised. Education, tutor? ¡®Already?¡¯ In the past, due to Sienna having trouble adapting and the insensitivity of the Grand Duke, it wasn¡¯t until nearly three months later that she began to be educated. Compared to then, everything was happening too quickly now. But she seemed to be the only one who was surprised. The Grand Duke, the butler, and even Ashiel were nodding their heads. ¡°There¡¯s no need to delay the education.¡± ¡°Well¡­ You can take a class with me if you need to.¡± Ashiel is usually the one who would say that kind of thing, but Michael is being really weird. ¡®I¡¯m sure he told me not to stay in this house for a long time at noon today.¡¯ In many ways, it was ridiculous, but the Grand Duke was already nodding his head. ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s no need to postpone it. I¡¯ll put you on the list for seeking potential tutors. And¡­¡± The eyes of the Grand Duke looked at Sienna again. Everyone¡¯s eyes were on Sienna, to be exact, her dress. ¡°¡­I think we need many other things besides teachers.¡± ¡°Honestly, Your Grace. It really is needed.¡± Madam Deborah was flattered. The Head Maid, who appeared like a strict private teacher at a girls¡¯ school, was proving again and again that she was surprisingly very talented in femininity. ¡°We¡¯ll try to allocate the necessary budget.¡± ¡­Budget? No, but to Sienna, who is now starting to get sick of being surprised, the Grand Duke said. ¡°You are the child of Nacht that I acknowledge. I don¡¯t know what nonsense you¡¯ve heard, but don¡¯t just hold it, forget it.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Sienna¡¯s expression, which was puzzled by the words, calmed down serenely. Forget it¡­ Ironically, his words stabbed the deep memories in Sienna. ¡®Don¡¯t hold it in, forget it.¡¯ Yes, Sienna can¡¯t get over her sad and painful experiences. ¡®But I wonder if Sienna wanted to include such a thing in me?¡¯ (Q/N: The current Sienna was wondering if the past ¡®her¡¯ would want to still remember those experiences, since she technically has a second life now.) ¡®I never wanted to go through any of it.¡¯ If it was something I could do on my own, I would have thrown everything out right away. ¡­No, let¡¯s push this dread to the side. Would I feel better if I did that? My heart was pounding. It was just probably my imagination, but I didn¡¯t seem to be feeling well. ¡°Wait¡­¡± At that moment, a really intense feeling of nausea squeezed into Sienna¡¯s guts. If you throw up like this, it would be a big accident. Sienna tried hard to bear it because she didn¡¯t want to show a dirty image. ¡°Wook¡­¡± ¡°Oh, my lady!¡± Sienna, who was white as snow when forced to endure, bent down hurriedly. The frost was rumbling, and the golden plate and pomegranate on top rolled the floor. ¡°Are you all right, Miss?¡± Madam Deborah hurriedly helped Sienna. Meanwhile, Sienna¡¯s foot, which slipped from the chair, unintentionally trampled on the fallen pomegranate, but no one cared about it. ¡°Suddenly, what the¡­¡± ¡°Doctor, I¡¯ll call a doctor!¡± ¡°Lady!¡± Sienna kept on feeling nauseous, but she couldn¡¯t get anything weird out. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Lady!¡± Someone grabbed Sienna¡¯s shoulder, while she was wriggling along the floor in agony. She could see the face of the man who had grabbed her, biting his lips in embarrassment. It was a great achievement¡­. ¡®Oh, to the very end¡­¡¯ Sienna closed her eyes tightly. The Grand Duke consoled Sienna after interpreting it as just her being ¡°sick.¡± ¡°Hold on, I¡¯ve called a doctor¡­¡± I would rather have him leave me alone than call a doctor. However, the Grand Duke could only use his trembling hands to calm Sienna¡¯s body and lean her against his chest. Careful actions, like he was taking care of something precious. Sienna trembled because she hated it so much. Maybe someone thinks she¡¯s grumbling happily over all of this happening. Sienna, who was in pain, believed that someone might ask what¡¯s wrong with her. Being friendly doesn¡¯t mean you don¡¯t have to choke me. (T/N: She¡¯s being sarcastic.) ¡®I don¡¯t like it here.¡¯ Every moment in this castle, my miserable past was a wreck. I started to feel so ashamed of myself that I didn¡¯t even want to think about it again. Sienna cried a little because she was sad. Why. ¡®How wrong am I in this humble life, how wrong am I to go through this¡­¡¯ Fortunately for Sienna, she was slowly losing her sanity as if she was suffocating. I hope I lose my mind and hope this place is rather a dream than reality. That¡¯s what I thought, but at the same time, I knew very well that it couldn¡¯t be. Even what I thought was death was not death. So I hope it¡¯s a nightmare¡­ But of course it¡¯s real.¡¯ It¡¯s terrible¡­. * * * There was a great disturbance surrounding the child who was in pain because of some trouble with her body. ¡°There¡¯s no particular abnormality. I guess you¡¯ve often been in long-term pain. The doctor¡¯s diagnosis surprised the grand duke. ¡°Do you walk on the streets because you¡¯re in a state of tension?¡± (T/N: The Grand Duke meant that people who are in pain, would they still walk even when they know the pain they would have to endure?) ¡°Those¡­ Some young children can.¡± ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. My sons have never had this when they were young.¡± The doctor only expressed his opinion about the situation, but the Grand Duke¡¯s reprimand came out of the blue. The butler stepped in because he could see the doctor was in a bind. ¡°Please understand, Your Grace. The princes are very strong, just like your majesty.¡± Both sons looked exactly like the Grand Duke and lived with all kinds of good things. Such Guardians and orphans who grew up in poor conditions could not be compared. ¡°You look so small and skinny, and I think the doctor¡¯s words are reasonable.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t do a rough examination?¡± (T/N: ¡®Rough examination meaning something out of conduct.) ¡°What? No way!¡± The doctor jumped. He was in his right mind. The Grand Duke was watching with his eyes clearly open, and there¡¯s no way he¡¯ll be able to see a doctor lie. ¡°I speak to you in my honor as a doctor; I¡¯ve never done such a thing.¡± Besides, he¡¯s not from an orphanage. The doctor quickly protested. ¡°She¡¯s never eaten greasy food before, so there¡¯s a high possibility that she might have a stomachache.¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t eat that much to the point of getting sick.¡± The doctor¡¯s voice grew louder due to Ashiel¡¯s cool-headed comments. ¡°Then it¡¯s probably because she¡¯s nervous because it¡¯s her first time here! The reason she fainted is because she is weak because she doesn¡¯t usually have a nutritious diet!¡± There was no room to refute. ¡°That is, I was forced to treat a weak and unprepared child to dinner, and I got upset. The sound of¡­ Eup.¡± ¡°Michael, shhh.¡± Ashiel sighed and blocked his brother¡¯s overly honest mouth, but it was too late. ¡°¡­Your Grace, why don¡¯t you let her rest for now? Madam Deborah was entrusted the duty of taking care of Sienna with the traffic control of an experienced butler. (P/N: Traffic control as in directing people; telling them where to go and determining what should be done in any circumstance.) ¡°You¡¯ll open your eyes tomorrow. Lady Sienna, from now on, Madam Deborah will take care of you so that you can adapt slowly. I¡¯ll pay attention to this insensitive butler.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Please.¡± The Grand Duke sighed. For some reason, he thought it was going to be a long night. However, contrary to the promise, Sienna woke up two days after that. Sienna was dreaming. Most of her dreams were based on her old memories. Therefore, most of Sienna¡¯s dreams were nightmares. In her dreams, Sienna saw herself during her pathetic days, who tried to help everyone in any little way she could. After spending the summer at Loreina¡¯s house, Sienna was often anxious. Originally, she felt unqualified to stay in Nacht, but the guilt of secretly sharing her sister¡¯s mana and deceiving others gradually ate into Sienna¡¯s conscience. Loreina often pretended to soothe the anxious Sienna, but changed her attitude after several similar exchanges were repeated. ¡°Sienna, you looked so anxious. I was thinking of you, but¡­ Was it too much for you?¡± Loreina, who blinked her bright green eyes as if she was disappointed, looked very upset. Sienna had no choice but to shake her head, saying, ¡°I¡¯m not¡±, in a hurry. After that, she began to calm herself down and to not worry Loreina. From then on, Sienna suffered from terrible nightmares. ¡®How dare you!¡¯ You¡¯re such a disgusting bastard!¡¯ ¡®How lovely Loreina is! ¡®Parasite!¡¯ After the ceremony, geometric patterns remained on the bodies of Loreina and Sienna. Sienna trembled with her clothes sticking to her skin, thinking about how she stole Loreina¡¯s mana. She had dreamt of leaving behind traces which would lead to her being found out. I couldn¡¯t adapt to seeing the same dream hundreds and hundreds of times. As time went by, I would wake up with a cold sweat every time. The guilt of stealing from my sister and deceiving our benefactors. Time passed and she turned 18, but the guilt only grew greater and greater. Rather than disappearing, it was crushing Sienna. To forget that feeling of guilt, Sienna worked tirelessly. She tried to do whatever she could do. While receiving the same support, she unilaterally served Loreina as a maid. In addition, Sienna tried to do her best for Grand Duke Nacht and his sons. Even though all she could do was very little. Making a harness to help them go out to the battlefield every time, heat up a cloth to cover their wounds¡­ ¡°At most, you act just like a maid, you¡¯re barely a guardian.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s not enough, actually. It¡¯s impossible to be an employee of Nacht if you¡¯re an orphan with an unclear origin.¡± To be a servant of a noble family like Nacht, one had to be a person whose background, growth and survival could be estimated by his or her immediate family. Of course, there should also be a letter of recommendation from a reliable person. An orphan who couldn¡¯t even dream of becoming a maid. Sienna tried to understand exactly where she was and be humble. Sometimes she had put in more effort than she should have. It was the same with making magic tools. Loreina gave away, or to be precise, left a very small amount of magic behind for Sienna to make low-level self-defense tools. While Loreina herself made grand items for the Grand Duke and his sons. Even that required self-studying for a long time due to her lack of proper education, and there was no one to guide her, so it had to go through trial and error until it succeeded. Mana is a force that can be used by both magicians and guardians. The difference was in the way that power was handled. Guardians born from stagnant mana, and only a few other people were allowed to possess and deal with it. In short, that can be called ¡°the talent to become a sorcerer¡±. Anyway, the nature of magic was chaos, and it was a power that was easily stained by greed. Sometimes humans could turn into demons when their power became completely dominated by their greed. To use magic, that is, to become a magician, means that you are exposed to the risk of being stained by darkness. And that you are always at risk of turning into a beast, or going crazy. Speaking of prejudice, sorcerers are quite the closet lunatics. For them, self-defense tools act as their pain reliever, just like panadol is for migraine sufferers. However, the Grand Duke of Nacht, who was a magician specialized in healing magic, which was also known as purification magic, had no need to be paranoid about being stained by darkness or have a need for self-defense tools. It was Loreina who encouraged Sienna, who could discern that much. ¡°Sienna, I thought you were doing the best you could, but you really don¡¯t have anything else to do, so wouldn¡¯t it be better for you to show some sincerity? You¡¯re in a position where you¡¯re indebted to the Nacht family.¡± They were words that subtly pricked Sienna¡¯s heart, that was racked with guilt. ¡®My sister was a person who knew exactly how to strike a person¡¯s heart.¡¯ In hindsight, I started to see things I hadn¡¯t seen before. Anyway, since then, Sienna steadily had more self-confidence. After all, self-defense did not seem to deviate much from Sienna¡¯s personality. Even though most of her efforts didn¡¯t produce fruit, Sienna spent days and days to make things right. Especially if you knew the ending of that life. It was not pleasant to watch the days of that sincere idiot who would never give up. After a while, the scene changed and Sienna was standing in front of Ashiel. ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± No, I was standing. There was a little bit of a gap between them. It was because Ashiel, who led a group of his men, went straight past her. He didn¡¯t even pretend to know, let alone say hello, but she couldn¡¯t tell whether he had not seen Sienna, or he had ignored her while he was busy. ¡°Oh, Miss Sienna! There you are. Would you please clean up Asie¡¯s room when you have time?¡± (T/N: Asie is Ashiel¡¯s nickname.) Sienna, who had no family and was now a noble¡¯s guardian, was more reliable than the average employee. And Sienna was trying her best to become a guardian bride, that she had left a gift under Ashiel¡¯s desk everyday. (P/N: In case y¡¯all forgot, guardians often become the spouse of their benefactor¡¯s kids.) ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡®¡­.You were mistaken.¡¯ Sienna, who brought trash and amulets, climbed the stairs helplessly. I saw it. ¡°Michael-nim.¡± ¡°Good for you to be busy.¡± Sienna held back a sigh, and smiled as if it were plastered on her face. ¡°Because it¡¯s something I can do.¡± ¡°Is this something no one told you to do?¡± The boy stared. Ashiel didn¡¯t show any signs of disrespect for her, while Michael clearly hated Siena. ¡°Why don¡¯t you get out of here if you think you¡¯re humble enough to take away the maid¡¯s work?¡± Sienna quickly lowered her head, wondering if she was showing that her feelings were being hurt. ¡°¡­I will be careful.¡± ¡°Well, that can¡¯t be true. I¡¯m having a false dream that doesn¡¯t fit my personality, and I can¡¯t miss the chance to stay close to you.¡± I seemed to have some ridiculous misunderstanding, but I didn¡¯t have the energy to answer. ¡®No, it¡¯s actually a misunderstanding.¡¯ I didn¡¯t want to bother you. Sienna didn¡¯t want to do anything but eat in this house like a plant and remain on her own. I wanted to do something that I could do even if I was struggling. I don¡¯t even dream of being loved or recognized. If I could be a little useful, that would be enough. But is even that an unreasonable dream? Michael probably wanted to say that, Sienna thought. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°How brazen.¡± Michael left with words of contempt for Sienna, who repeatedly apologized. That was the situation for Sienna at that time. ¡°¡­..¡± Maybe it was because I had such a dream, and thus fell asleep for two days. Sienna barely opened her stiff eyes because she had been suffering for a long time. It was past midnight. No wonder I thought my dream was harsh, I was lying on Loreina¡¯s bed again. Surrounded by lavishly soft and fluffy bedding, Sienna sighed with disdain. I simply fainted and woke up. I had no energy at all. My back was wet with sweat and my eyes were very stiff. In fact, two days had passed since the dinner incident, but Sienna didn¡¯t know that yet. Looking around, the fireplace was burning warmly, and Madam Deborah was dozing off in an armchair next to it. ¡°¡­¡­ ¡± Sienna came down from the bed carefully. She didn¡¯t want to sit in Loreina¡¯s bed after that dream. Even after considering that it was now Sienna¡¯s. It was amusing just imagining it. With or without Loreina, nothing was Sienna¡¯s. ¡­Nothing. Sienna just walked towards a bed where she could sleep without having nightmares. A fluffy carpet hid the sound of Sienna¡¯s little feet. Unlike the previous room, which was warmed by expensive coal in a fireplace and tangpa, the bed in the small room was cold. (P/N: a tangpa is like a bed warmer.) Sienna dragged herself into the cold bed, laid flat, sniffing the familiar smell of dust. And fell into a deep sleep again. ¡°¡­Hey!¡± Sienna opened her eyes wide in surprise at the sound of a loud roar. ¡°Why are you sleeping here?¡± ¡°Calm down, Young Master. Aren¡¯t you surprised?¡± Madam Deborah stopped him, but it didn¡¯t work. Michael was rather furious. ¡°What are you talking about? Why is she sleeping here?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you been sick for two days because your fever was bad? You must have come to this room while sleeping¡­.¡± ¡°Why is she leaving the nice and warm bed?!¡± Sienna sighed, rubbing her eyes. It was surprising that she was sick for two days, but she wondered what kind of manners it was to scream in front of a person who was sick for two days. ¡°Head Maid, you didn¡¯t just pretend to be good in front of my father but tell her to grow up here, did you?¡± ¡°Oh my God, that¡¯s not true!¡± Eventually, an arrow went all the way to hit Madam Deborah. I didn¡¯t think I could just lie down anymore. ¡°¡­Stop it, Michael.¡± Sienna rose quietly. ¡°As the Head Maid said, I¡¯m the one who came into this room on my own.¡± ¡°¡­Are you asking me to believe that?¡± What will you do if you don¡¯t believe us? Sienna, who had been sick for two days, was very tired. ¡°Why would I lie?¡± ¡°It would be to cover the maid¡¯s foolishness.¡± That¡¯s a naive thought. Sienna shrugged. ¡°No way. I¡¯m not so good that I¡¯d be deliberately covering up for a person who is condemning me.¡± ¡°Lady¡­.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Madam Deborah seemed to have been moved by something unusual, but Michael felt like he had a strange desire to refute the statement. It was a regrettable feeling, and he does not know the reason himself. ¡°¡­Then why did you leave your room alone and get stuck in a closet like this?¡± Sienna sighed. This person and that person are all like that, and why is everyone complaining about these things. ¡®It would have been nice if we had a sense of the problem before things became like this.¡¯ I¡¯m sorry but I won¡¯t be buying their pity anymore. It¡¯s over now. This is not just an emotional problem. ¡®Even the ending where I had nothing was miserable.¡¯ It was clear that if you had something presumptuous or received good treatment, you would fall further into the abyss. Sienna repeated the excuses she had made to the Grand Duke the other day. ¡°Because that room is a very nice room. This is similar to the place I used to have, so I keep coming here to sleep.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Sorry for making a fuss.¡± Michael, who had lost his words, had an impressive expression on his face. Q/C: In this case the ¡®impressive¡¯ is used in such a way which emphasizes the exact opposite meaning of the word. As in, Michael has a thunderstruck, a very surprised/shocked, expression. ¡°¡­It¡¯s similar to the place you were in? ¡°Yeah. You know, I¡¯m from an orphanage.¡± Sienna¡¯s attitude was calm even though it was a story of a person who once was ashamed and humiliated. Her calmness was excessive but yet she seemed confident. ¡°That, but¡­¡± When Michael heard that, he was rather embarrassed. The boy stuttered and tried to persuade the young girl. ¡°Eh, not anymore. You¡¯re a child of Nacht now, and you¡¯ve gotten blessings from the pomegranate. Don¡¯t you remember?¡± Oh, that. ¡°I remember.¡± There is no disease and you cannot forget what you endured. It¡¯s a problem because it makes me sick rather than deeply moved and grateful. Unaware of other people¡¯s speed in comprehending, Michael began giving a speech about how great was the pomegranate that Sienna received. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you know, but my father doesn¡¯t give the pomegranate to anyone. I mean, it¡¯s complicated to explain¡­¡± ¡°You mean you¡¯re going to regard me as family, right? ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right! We are about the same.¡± Michael nodded vigorously at her well-timed aid. ¡®So what do you make of that?¡¯, he seemed to express as he looked at Sienna with confidence. Sienna blinked her eyes. ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Thank you¡­?¡± It was a great honor to be a member of the Grand Duke¡¯s family. Unfortunately, however, some people do not want that honor. ¡®If that¡¯s true, I just want to throw up all that¡¯s already digested in my stomach.¡¯ Once again, I couldn¡¯t be honest. Madam Deborah intervened. ¡°Your Majesty, this is how it is. She¡¯ll get used to it.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Moreover, now I think you¡¯ll have to step aside so that the lady can change and rest.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± I left early in the morning when Madam Deborah was dozing off. She must have been so angry that I was sleeping in the maid¡¯s room when she opened the door. ¡°?¡­.¡± ¡°That¡­¡± Michael, who was ten years old but regarded himself as a gentleman, wanted to hide like a mouse in a hole. ¡°Your Highness?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. I-I-I will go back.¡± The boy hurried back with his face reddened. ¡°It¡¯s finally peaceful,¡± she thought deeply. ¡®I don¡¯t want to see you any more today.¡¯ If Michael knew her thoughts were like this, he would have cried, but fortunately, the Young Master didn¡¯t have the talent to read people¡¯s minds. * * * Soon after, a doctor came and examined Sienna, who had been ill, and diagnosed that there was nothing wrong. ¡°I¡¯m glad you woke up safely.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Sienna only knew the doctor who treated the wound in front of the Grand Duke, but the doctor who came today was someone else. ¡®Well, doctor, you didn¡¯t even know me before.¡¯ If the Grand Duke doesn¡¯t force you to do it again, you wouldn¡¯t want to examine an orphan. Sienna thought so trivially. The doctor of the Nacht Duchy disappeared from his workplace because he couldn¡¯t estimate Sienna¡¯s age, but even Sienna couldn¡¯t even imagine a way to figure it out either. Rumors began spreading among the employees of the castle due to the demotion of the doctor, that the orphan girl was despised, and then a big rumor began to spread. ¡°Lady, you haven¡¯t eaten in two days, so do you want a quick bite before you take the medicine?¡± ¡°Yes, please.¡± ¡°A soup boiled with potatoes, a soft egg dish¡­.¡± I didn¡¯t feel like eating anything, but when Madam Deborah picked up something to eat, my mouth began to water. Sienna, who was not even in a state of hunger, nodded her head gently. ¡°I want some soup.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be ready in a minute.¡± Soon, a steamy potato soup was placed in front of Sienna. When I smelled the savory smell, I had an incredible appetite. Come to think of it, I have never eaten anything properly since I came to Nacht Castle. Sienna picked up a small spoonful and began to drink the soup quickly. ¡°You¡¯re done eating!¡± Madam Deborah exclaimed. ¡°Good job, Miss.¡± I can¡¯t believe you complimented me for eating all the food I was given. But Madam Deborah did not stop there. But she brought an apple and began peeling it with a silver spoon. ¡°Since you¡¯re eating well, you should eat dessert, too.¡± ¡°Oh, goodness.¡± The treatment I had never received before was more irritating than good. At this time, I was a little fed up. Apple juice scraped by someone in the position of overseeing the employees of Nacht Duchy. It was a treat that even Loreina didn¡¯t receive. ¡®I can¡¯t eat it because it¡¯s embarrassing¡­.¡¯ Tired, Sienna shook her head, saying she was full. But Madam Deborah told her the apple is good for her, and begged her to take a bite. ¡°Just try one bite, okay? If it doesn¡¯t suit your taste, I won¡¯t recommend it any more.¡± ¡®Why the hell¡­¡¯ Why is she trying so hard? In the end, Sienna was embarrassed, and after losing the fight, a bite of a sweet, softly peeled apple was forced into her mouth. ¡®¡­I thought she was a person who was very sensitive to power and figures of authority¡­.¡¯ She wasn¡¯t one who would treat orphans so seriously just because the Grand Duke was merciful. Madam Deborah fed the apple to Sienna, squeezing it into her open mouth. ¡®Oh.¡¯ After being absent-minded and taking in a few bites, the apple was sweet and now hard to refuse. I can¡¯t help it. Madam Deborah scraped an apple for Sienna, who gave up and ate it well. ¡°What a great improvement!¡± Madam Deborah, who succeeded in feeding her a bowl of soup and an apple, proudly praised Sienna. ¡°I¡¯m sure that Ms. Deborah¡¯s sincerity has touched you.¡± No, instead of raising your nose, it seemed to me that you were more proud of yourself rather than complimenting Sienna. ¡°Now that you¡¯re done eating, shall we get up? Actually, I have something very important to do today.¡± ¡°Ah¡­.¡± How did I not expect anything? However, look of anticipation in Madam Deborah¡¯s eyes made Sienna inquire. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I called the tailor to fit the lady¡¯s clothes,¡± she said. Just in case, it was me. It was clear that the reason why she opposed going to the tailor was not because of her health, but because of their schedule. ¡®You look tired.¡¯ It didn¡¯t mean that the process of measuring and matching clothes was annoying. (T/N: She¡¯s being sarcastic.) But God, it¡¯s irritating enough. In the eyes of Sienna, who was stuck tagging along, the gift of clothes did not come from pure goodwill. ¡°If you take off your clothes that don¡¯t suit the grand public, the restrictions on your appearances in private events will be removed.¡± If you are not a shame to be seen by others, various troubles would be awaiting for Sienna. ¡°I¡¯m going to get a bunch of pretty clothes for you. You¡¯re looking forward to it, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Sienna crawled into the bed. ¡°I-I don¡¯t think I¡¯m feeling well, as you said. Please let me rest a little more¡­¡± ¡°Young Lady?!¡± Instead of answering, Sienna flipped under the blanket. Madam Deborah tried persuading her from flipping over to the side of the small bed. ¡°No, you can¡¯t! The Grand Duke called the tailor himself!¡± Really? Sienna was surprised and disappointed. She wanted to take the medicine off herself, who had been sickened from attending the important dinner table and had a horrifyingly heroic struggle. Unfortunately, Michael and the Grand Duke are much better than I thought. It looked like she had to have a strong stomach. ¡®I can¡¯t believe I¡¯ve been so mean and unresponsive.¡¯ Why on earth did they hate her so much in the past? Because her talent is terrible? ¡°Come on, wake up!¡± Unable to overcome Madam Deborah¡¯s touch, Sienna stopped thinking and stood in front of the dress room mirror. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to see you, miss. Now, would you like to come over here?¡± Led by a tailor, Sienna stood on the main platform of the Tuleraint Room. ¡°What beautiful green eyes. Her hair is bright, so it¡¯ll look like a nice gold in the sun.¡± To be exact, it¡¯s just grayish brown hair. And compared to Loreina¡¯s fresh green eyes, Sienna¡¯s was just a dark green with gray mixed in. ¡°Your skin is white, and you have a milky white texture too, so you look good in lemon or apricot or pink. Oh, my God.¡± ¡°Unexpectedly, you look good in red.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. She¡¯s a lucky lady. It¡¯s not easy to match any color.¡± ¡°Hmmm.¡± The maid shrugged her shoulders with a proud look. But the tailor tilted her head. ¡®That¡¯s weird. What a dull look on her face.¡¯ Usually, if a tailor came to you like this and gave you a lot of praise, no matter how self-contained a child is, they would always end up excited. But Sienna didn¡¯t look too happy, let alone excited. An expression that was dull, and looked like it was going to collapse if you touched it. Instead of a child, it almost seemed like she aged a decade more. ¡®No, no of course not.¡¯ She, who had been dealing with the aristocrats for a long time, knew well. What she had seen, heard, and felt in such a place should not be floating around. She even had to be careful about his own thoughts. While the tailor was being careful with his words, Sienna stood on a small platform and glanced at herself in the mirror. Loreina, who was standing on this beautiful platform, came to mind. Throughout her life, she enjoyed such wealth, and was so skilled and lovely. However, it was not Loreina, but her, who stood on the golden platform and had herself reflected in the three-sided mirror. A child who is still wearing shabby and rough clothes. A pale and thin complexion that seemed to be fresh from the orphanage. ¡­I felt like I was imitating Loreina on such a subject. ¡®There are going to be a lot of misconceptions.¡¯ The world had been going a little strange now, but Sienna was still Sienna. If you live unnoticed, the world that was already moving will regain its original story. By that time, Sienna planned to enter the academy quietly, maintain an ambiguous grade at around three percent of the total rankings, and then at the end join the regular army, where the full salary is adequate. The more she thought about it, the more it was a perfect life plan. If her dreams of her humble life were just this much, no one would be willing to try and disturb her. Just when Sienna was satisfied with the conclusion. ¡°Are you there?¡± With a neat knock, a young servant appeared. He was holding a huge bouquet of flowers that overflowed in one arm. ¡°Oh, my God, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you see it, Madam Shue? It¡¯s a bouquet.¡± The man grinned and held out the bouquet of flowers to Sienna. ¡®Me?¡¯ Sienna unexpectedly received a bouquet of flowers. Instead of being distant, she was excited instead. The unusually red sunset-like color was enough to distract the eyes. The petals were gathered together to form a round bloom, which itself was very colorful. It was only pretty as each and every one was chosen perfectly. A beautiful bouquet of flowers without any injury or damage¡­ ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Lady!¡± It was very heavy. On behalf of the weak Sienna, Madam Deborah instead gave her the card which was inside the bouquet of flowers. ¡°You have a card.¡± Sienna received a card from Madam Deborah. It was written in a familiar handwriting. ¨C I pray for your recovery, Ashiel. ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°The Young Master must have cared.¡± ¡°Oh, my God, it¡¯s romantic¡­ I¡¯m sure he just spent at least one gold coin for one of these gifts.¡± It looks like I¡¯ve received at least 50 gold coins. I would have appreciated it if I had just gotten the coins directly. Enter the military academy and commission. However, it would not cost me any living expenses, so I just needed money, even if it was not urgent right now. ¡®A flower that is not in kind, but less valuable every minute.¡¯ Above all, it was a gift from Ashiel. ¡®Huh? Wait.¡¯ At that moment, there was a thought that passed through Sienna¡¯s head. ¡°Hey, it can¡¯t be that way. You¡¯re having a dream that doesn¡¯t fit you at all, so there¡¯s no way you have the chance to be stuck near my brother.¡± Ah¡­. Suddenly, at this very strange time, I noticed why Michael hated her back then. It seemed that Michael had a ridiculous misunderstanding that she dreamed of marrying Ashiel. ¡®Oh, my God, that doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡¯ Sienna, who became as detached as she possibly can to the world, was lost for a moment. How broad was his imagination to think of her in that way? ¡®Is it possible that Loreina¡­?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t without impossibility. Loreina stole Sienna¡¯s mana and secretly manipulated her actions with subtle ways of speaking. It wasn¡¯t strange that she used other kinds of tricks in the middle. ¡°¡­..¡± Since I was fooled by Loreina, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible to be close to her from now on and throw it to the back of my mind. Rather, my head cooled down much more than before. ¡®If you¡¯ve been deceived once, you can be deceived again.¡¯ There is one more reason for Sienna to get out of Nacht¡¯s shadow. First of all, what¡¯s urgent now was the handling of this bouquet. Maybe it¡¯s the source of trouble that can lead to useless misunderstandings. ¡°Lady?¡± ¡°Please say thank you for the gift to His Highness. And¡­¡± Fortunately, there were many people around today. The people who joined to assist the tailor, a maid and the Head Maid. ¡°I think it¡¯s too pretty and there are too many flowers for me to just have by myself.¡± ¡°Oh, you want to share?¡± This was important. She could have given the impression that she would rudely refuse the gift given by the young master. ¡°In the orphanage where I was, when I got a good present, it was always divided¡­ Can¡¯t we do that?¡± ¡°No way. Being generous is a virtue that one should have as a superior. It¡¯s nice that you know even if I don¡¯t teach you.¡± Madam Deborah spread the bouquet of flowers on the table, praising Sienna for such a minor things. Confrontation could lead to unnecessary misunderstandings and hostility from Michael, so it was almost like a curse in Sienna¡¯s eyes. As she began to break up the bouquet, Sienna quickly stepped in. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Sienna divided the number of scarlet flowers into bundles according to the number of people. PR to QC: no such thing as dog hali flowers lol so I just put scarlet since it can¡¯t be confirmed what exactly it is. QC: Kekeke welp. Scarlet it is. ¡°Thank you so much, My Lady.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± The maids were shocked, and could not hide their smiles and gratitude. Flowers were a luxury. Anyone could have wild flowers grown on the street, but the common people had to go through a lot of hard labor to get these flowers that bloomed beautifully from the care of human hands. There was no reason to refuse, as such pretty items could decorate rooms, or decorate hats or clothes, or drying them well for incense, or making colors made of pressed paint. Anna, the tailor, also happily received the bouquet from Sienna. ¡®I don¡¯t know, but this type of flower probably wouldn¡¯t be sold unless it was a noble with a certain level of status¡­ Huh?¡± Anna looked around. Everybody, up to the attendant who was assisting Madam Deborah, was given a bouquet of flowers. Except Sienna. ¡°Oh my goodness, but there¡¯s nothing left for you.¡± ¡°I just need one thing.¡± ¡°But¡­.¡± ¡°I also got a card.¡± It was a neat answer with no need to dig into it strangely. The maid just laughed happily at the young lady¡¯s generosity. ¡°I got a very precious gift out of nowhere. I¡¯ll have to pay him back¡­ Benny, would you please open that trunk?¡± Nacht¡¯s head maid was thorough. She wasn¡¯t one to overlook the amount of time it takes to make custom clothes. From the time Anna was wanted, Madam Deborah asked for some ready-made clothes that were roughly Sienna¡¯s size. They were the one in the trunk over there. ¡°Let¡¯s see!¡± Anna rummaged the trunk with an ambitious attitude. She wasn¡¯t calm, as she hoped to make the solemn child that seemed somewhat depressed a little brighter. Thus, she pulled out a dress in the color of a cute chick, which looked like a terrifying youthful yellow to Sienna. ¡°No, there.¡± There were no likes or dislikes about clothes, but Sienna knew. That wasn¡¯t her taste. ¡°As you know, there¡¯s nothing special about ready-to-wear in our dressing room. But at the request of the Grand Duke of Nacht, I brought some sample clothings.¡± The sample clothes that were presented by season showed a good representation of the fashion of the year and the ability of the dressing room. Naturally, it was made from the highest quality of fabric and subsidiary materials, and it was a garment made with a sentimental touch from the owner from the beginning to the end. ¡°It¡¯s a piece made with effort that is fit to be the clothes of a queen or a princess. I¡¯d like to give it to you as a present.¡± ¡°Thank you very much! If you have those clothes, you can start your classes tomorrow.¡± Like a bolt out of the blue again? ¡°¡­So fast?¡± Sienna¡¯s words meant ¡®what exactly¡­¡¯, but Madam Deborah understood it in a different way and raised her nose. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to my sympathy that this Deborah urgently considered your education.¡± Thanks to me, the tutor said that he got attached so quickly. Sienna was just laughing. Thanks to me, a tutor was found quickly. Sienna was laughing. ¡®Lets see if you¡¯ve changed, my tutor¡­¡¯ Sienna¡¯s former tutor was a wizard who belonged to the Hell Army under the command of the Grand Duke. Like Sienna, he was a great person from an orphanage who entered the military academy and succeeded in joining the Hell Army, but Sienna had no good memories of him. ¡°The Grand Duke of Nacht is the most courageous and loyal to the Empire.¡± The tutor hated Siena, too. ¡°I have given you mercy for an orphan like you. Remember that I have been gracious.¡± When I recalled the dim memory of a tutor who was gritting his teeth, I realized something. ¡®He was jealous of me.¡¯ He was an orphan just the same, but he took the entrance examination to the military academy with all his might, and while it was with difficulty that he stepped into the Hell Army, he failed to get ahead, thus becoming a teacher for orphans like Sienna. On the other hand, Sienna was rumored to have been lucky to have caught the eye of the Grand Duke. ¡®It¡¯s a more difficult condition for the truth not to be distorted.¡¯ Well, it can¡¯t be helped. It was not something that Sienna could not understand, that he was jealous, because she thought she was lucky without knowing it all. The problem was that he spent more time pouring out his feelings of inferiority than teaching class. ¡®His Majesty happened to like you¡­ You¡¯re lucky. Thank him for the rest of your life and it will still not be enough! Every hour, Sienna was repeatedly educated about how great Nacht was and how great it was for such a humble orphan like her. It was an education accompanied by insults and smacking. ¡®I was always threatened that if I didn¡¯t become a useful wizard, I¡¯d be kicked out and sent back to the orphanage.¡¯ However, he did not give much help for her to become a useful wizard. While Sienna was lost in one thought or another, Anna and Madam Deborah decided to match all of Sienna¡¯s clothes together and reached a near-perfect agreement. Five outdoor dresses, five casual clothes, three pajamas, a cape, a riding suit, and a variety of other clothing. This was the amount agreed to prepare for the first time, and it cost so much that I didn¡¯t even want to know about it. Madam Deborah even counted all the money in the blank checks given by the Grand Duke. ¡°You can go to the top of the Nacht Street and claim what you want.¡± ¡°Oh, my God¡­¡±. Anna¡¯s hand trembled when receiving the first blank check of the Grand Duke Nacht, but surprisingly, Sienna was not very shaken. I already knew well enough that there was money to rot in the Nacht family. It was an enormous size that could be wasted on useless things, and it was not Sienna¡¯s will to stop it. ¡®You¡¯ll all know.¡¯ Anyway, these clothes were justly received by me, so I thought I could take some buttons with me when I enter the military school later. It was much better than Ashiel¡¯s random flower gift. Madam Deborah, who was satisfied after the long session, declared. ¡°Have a good rest today, as you¡¯ll be taking difficult classes starting tomorrow. I¡¯m sure the Grand Duke has given you a good teacher.¡± It was something you could say because you didn¡¯t know the situation. But Sienna had no intention of telling her in advance. ¡®I¡¯ll have to experience it tomorrow anyway.¡¯ Maybe this time, since I am getting a teacher three months early, a different teacher may come. Whatever it is, it is clear that it is not important for Sienna. * * * The next morning was bright, and Sienna ate as she was told, and then was dressed up in a chick-colored outfit that seemed to make her look crazy. ¡°You look better than I thought. The color of your eyes and the color of your hair look like a bloom of forsythia!¡± Sienna, the main character of the praise, looked gravely in the mirror and swept the hem. Delicate frills and lace with a small saw-like shape of cherry blossom petals. In the meantime, of course, the cute and lovely design of the dress with ribbons hanging lightly like waltz dancers was not new. ¡®I don¡¯t know what the button on this side is made of, but it¡¯s some kind of gem. I have gold trimmings, ribbons of high quality silk, and expensive lace.¡¯ Even if it was a bit out of fashion, it could be sold out as a whole. Even if they sell subsidiary materials in pieces because they failed to do so, they would be able to take a proper amount for them. At least you don¡¯t have to worry about the monthly rent for half a year. Thinking about it like that, I thought that I could not stand this lively color that makes people smile. ¡®Half year¡¯s rent!¡¯ For Sienna, this dress felt more reassuring than the armor worn by knights on the battlefield. There¡¯s no such thing as an insane person who thinks about the design of armor on the battlefield. There¡¯s no crazy guy who thinks about the design of armor on the battlefield. Sienna pledged to love the clothes for half a year, and without prejudice and discrimination in the future. ¡°Now, shall we go.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Satisfied, though each with different thoughts, Madam Deborah and Sienna soon set out to study. But Sienna, as it always happened in the past few days, faced a situation outside of the current situation. In a sunny room, a blackboard and podium were placed and a desk was seen. It was a good room, where carpets and cushions were placed in the corner so as to not forget creating a comfortable atmosphere. ¡°¡­My lady?¡± ¡°What, Why.¡± The problem is, there were two desks for small children, and one of them was for Michael. ¡°I have to study for class, too.¡± ¡°No¡­.¡± Of course it¡¯s something that I was going to get from a tutor, I couldn¡¯t question further. I have to do it, but it was annoying to choose words and talk to look like a child. (T/N: Remember she originally was older in her past life, So she has to start over now and speak like a child, despite her older mentality.) ¡°What are you doing? Hurry up and don¡¯t sit here.¡± ¡°Okay¡­.¡± I didn¡¯t want to, but I couldn¡¯t do much. Sienna sat next to Michael. Michael stared at Sienna to the point that it was starting to become a burden. ¡®¡­Is he a cat?¡¯ His beautiful eyes were raised up and the static, unblinking expression really looked like one. It didn¡¯t mean he was cute. Then and now, Sienna didn¡¯t like small animals like cats. ¡°¡­You said you¡¯d buy new clothes.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°It¡¯s less disturbing.¡± (T/N: He¡¯s expressing his distaste for her old clothes, He¡¯s actually being nice and wanting her to have nice clothes.) (P/N: Such a tsun.) Sure, but it¡¯s half a year¡¯s rent. Despite being a good match and not a good match, it should not be worth the cost of a village. That way, it would be worth spending money. While Sienna was so convinced, Michael turned his head in excitement. ¡°You two have gotten along well.¡± For Sienna, each of Madam Deborah¡¯s conclusions were at a level that she didn¡¯t want to correct. I didn¡¯t want to know why Michael didn¡¯t refute, instead having a shy expression. Fortunately, the tutor in question appeared at that point. ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯m¡­ Hmm? He was a man who looked more neat than I thought. My memory was blurry, so I couldn¡¯t clearly tell if he was my old home teacher or not. The tutor muttered with a confused expression. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I heard that I will only be in charge of education for the girl here¡­.¡± ¡°Young Master came to observe.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Michael shrugged. It was clear that he liked the title of ¡®observer¡¯ given by Madam Deborah. ¡°Oh, I see.¡± I didn¡¯t know what it was, but the tutor hurriedly nodded as if he thought it would be better not to interfere. ¡°I am Samuel Lowell, who will be in charge of her classes from today. You can call me Mr. Lowell.¡± She heard the name, but nothing came to mind. ¡°Mr. Lowell. Take good care of me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Please also take good care of me. Then, I will start the class right away.¡± As her class was about to begin, Madam Deborah quietly left. ¡°We will solve a few questions first to start the class in earnest.¡± Roy presented the questionnaire. Upon receiving it, twenty-six letters were drawn for the consonants and vowels of the official language of the kingdom. ¡°Could you write the letters you know?¡± Next to her, Michael immediately began moving his pen with a serious attitude. Perhaps, if it was the old Sienna, she would have been embarrassed by this questionnaire and be greatly discouraged by Michael¡¯s flaunting appearance¡­ ¡®¡­How much should I do to make it look like I¡¯m struggling like a normal kid?¡± Now, Sienna was getting embarrassed for a different reason. Sienna had been dedicated to the role of Lorraine¡¯s Head Maid. It included learning perfect handwriting by practicing until calluses formed on her hands so she¡¯d be able to write Loreina¡¯s letters. I don¡¯t think it should be too perfect, but I wasn¡¯t confident that it wouldn¡¯t be perfect. ¡®I should pretend to not know my letters¡­¡¯ ¡­But it was a bit embarrassing to do this next to a 10-year-old who had already completed his questionnaire and was looking this way. Anyway, I grabbed a pen because I wanted to give it a try. Fortunately, the necessary muscles needed for writing were still underdeveloped, and poor handwriting was shown. ¡°Yes, yes, try a little more. No, you have to lean in a little more from here.¡± It was so naturally crooked that Michael, who sat beside her, taught her. ¡°Good job!¡± When Sienna finally completed the writing of 26 consonants, Michael was greatly relieved and even praised her. ¡°You¡¯ve never learned it properly, but you know the letters. You¡¯re amazing.¡± ¡®I was praised by a 10-year-old for writing.¡¯ That¡¯s cool. Sienna, who sighed inwardly, returned the answer sheet to Mr. Lowell. Lowell nodded slowly. ¡°¡­Yeah, well, fortunately you know how to spell. You¡¯d better practice for a while. so that others can recognize what they are reading.¡± It was just then. ¡°Little duke! Oh, you were in class. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± ¡°Oh, why are you¡­?!¡± ¡°Why not?¡± The gentle-looking young man who suddenly appeared replied with a vicious smile. ¡°Since the little duke didn¡¯t come to class, I came to find him myself.¡± No wonder. I was wondering if he came here because he had time to kill before his class, but I guess he was skipping. Feeling helpless, Michael blushed as Siena looked at him blankly. ¡°Che, don¡¯t get me wrong! Did you think I came here because I was worried about you?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not¡­¡± ¡°Now, stop, stop it.¡± The young man entered with a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s stop interrupting the class. If you haven¡¯t forgotten your spelling, get up right away.¡± ¡°¡­.Tch.¡± Michael stood up with a pout. But he didn¡¯t go out right away and sent a warning to Lowell. ¡°Teach her properly. I won¡¯t stay still if you tell her unnecessary things.¡± ¡°Oh, my God! I wonder if they¡¯ll take care of themselves. Are you not going to come over? Do you want me to grab you by your ears and drag you out?¡± ¡°Okay, okay, okay!¡± Following the teacher, she could hear Michael asking, saying, ¡®What will she see me as if you talk to me like that!¡¯, the sound of protests went down the hallway and disappeared. As the whole place became quiet and they were left alone, the tutor looked down at Sienna with a cold look. ¡°You¡¯re an orphan who came out of nowhere and you even annoyed the little duke¡­¡± Oh. Sienna lamented a bit. She still couldn¡¯t recall his face, but that look in his eyes was familiar. It seemed this was the same tutor she had in the past. ¡°It¡¯s terrible that you¡¯re so brazen and clueless. It¡¯s even worse than a beggar.¡± Listening to the abusive language, Sienna thought. ¡®It¡¯s good that there¡¯s someone who hasn¡¯t changed.¡± This blatant hostility was better than those who acted sweet but went crazy, as if they were being strangled with silk Since that is the case, I just hope the hostility will remain consistent in the future. ¡°I don¡¯t know how full of yourself you are, but you¡¯d better get your head on straight.¡± I thought it was great, and I was going to cooperate with you¡­ ¡°He¡¯s the descendant of the great Grand Duke, who is connected to the blood of the Great Empire, and you¡¯re just an orphan of unknown origins.¡± ¡­The more he spoke, the more he was getting out of line. Suddenly, I thought, it is good my attitude did not change since I won¡¯t be confused by his words. But do I need to be listening to all this nonsense? In the past, I held back no matter what happened, but that¡¯s when I was scared. As long as the grand duke didn¡¯t know what she was doing, there¡¯s no way she¡¯d be scared of the tutor. ¡°¡­I have a question, sir.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°If you keep on calling me an orphan, does that mean it¡¯s your weak point?¡± ¡°What¡­¡± ¡°I understand then.¡± Sienna smiled nonchalantly. It was a gentle smile, though there seemed to be something missing. Even so, the words she spoke were not in the least bit gentle. ¡°It turns out, people know that the most painful part of themselves can hurt others. Because teacher is like that too.¡± He had thought a cotton ball was flying towards him, but instead, he was suddenly hit on the head with a brick. The face of the tutor, who belatedly understood the slanderous language, quickly heated up. ¡°So arrogant¡­. I¡¯ll teach you a lesson!¡± The man who couldn¡¯t overcome his anger strode up and raised one hand up high. Sienna clicked her tongue. ¡®I¡¯m in trouble.¡¯ I wanted to avoid it, but I thought it wouldn¡¯t be bad to just take the slap and change her teacher. Sienna closed her eyes in preparation of the incoming shock. It was then. ¡°Enough!¡± A voice which sounded like a low roar. There was a heavy sound of a cane hitting the floor. Kangg! Sienna¡¯s eyes flew open upon hearing a voice which she shouldn¡¯t have been able to hear at this time. ¡°¡­Your, Your Highness the Grand Duke!¡± The Grand Duke stood at the door. ¡®Ah.¡¯ Sienna was unknowingly relieved. It was one thing to rush out just because you were not afraid of death, and another to be subjected to violence. ¡°I, Your Grace, this is not it¡­¡± ¡°Young lady!¡± Madam Deborah called Sienna from behind. Sienna quickly escaped in her direction. ¡°You are mistaken, Your Highness! Why would I hit the child for no reason? I¡¯m telling you, that kid first insulted me with words that are not suitable for you to hear!¡± This was complete nonsense. What could an eleven year old say to make an adult lose their reason and want to slap them? Even if the child cursed at their late parents, it would still be the adult¡¯s fault for losing their reason. However¡­ In Sienna¡¯s eyes, the Grand Duke was someone who could believe that nonsense. Being behind his back, it was hard to guess how the grand duke was taking these words.. She was rude to the tutor. Although Sienna wouldn¡¯t be in any big trouble for now, she didn¡¯t want to be misunderstood anymore. I¡¯ve had enough of being framed. I hate it as much as I did when I died. There was no time to think deeply. Sienna walked out from Madam Deborah¡¯s arms and approached the Grand Duke. And¡­ ¡°¡­.!¡± I grabbed the hem of the robe with a small hand. ¡®Not. Not even slightly wrinkled¡­¡¯ It was a rather passive gesture to claim innocence, but this was her best bet. The Grand Duke looked down at the tiny, fluffy duff of a child holding onto his robe, and lost his words for a while. ¡®This kid¡­¡¯ Are you hiding? Grabbing my clothes¡­? It was unbelievable. No matter how he looked at her, she was the child who would freak out and faint whenever she saw him. Though, it didn¡¯t seem much different this time. Her hands on the hem of my clothes looked like feathers, which made him think they would fly away if he made the smallest mistake. The handsome face of the Grand Duke cracked in moments. ¡®How many times have you scared this child in this short period of time?¡¯ How deeply would it be that the child would have to overcome the fear and think about hanging on to him? ¡®It seems she thinks it¡¯s safer to hide behind me¡­¡¯ Thump. That small bit of trust weighed down on his whole heart. She didn¡¯t put down her guard or laugh at him. Her trust was to the extent that she believed him to be capable of solving this kind of situation. However, that alone shook the rock-like heart of the Grand Duke. Maybe it was because he had only raised sons who weren¡¯t afraid of anything. He had no immunity to the feeling of a small fluffy chick tickling his ribs from the inside. He was utterly helpless against it. It was a small piece of faith sent by a child who trembled at the sight of him. I thought I¡¯d die if I didn¡¯t repay you. ¡°I, Your Majesty, I, I¡¯ve been wrongly accused¡­¡± He didn¡¯t want the child to see his appearance when speaking to the tutor. The Grand Duke raised his hand and coldly cut off his words. ¡°Devon.¡± ¡°Yes, Grand Duke.¡± The aide replied with a friendly smile. ¡°Don¡¯t mind it. This Devon will take my time to find out whether that guy has an extra life or an extra liver to spare.¡± ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m sorry! Your Highness!¡± ¡°Oh, my God, don¡¯t be so mean, sir.¡± ¡°Just because of a few words from an orphan, I¡¯m¡­!¡± ¡°Yes, I know. There has always been controversy and disagreement over the legal status of the defendant. In some homes, children are treated like cheap servants, especially young girls, but what should I do?¡± The middle-aged aide overpowered the arrogant man with power and dexterity that did not match his caring face and continued to explain, covering his mouth. ¡°Geez, Nacht is a place that treats orphans like their own children.¡± ¡°But, Wait!¡± ¡°Now, let¡¯s stop mistaking this girl for a servant and go to the army to pay the price.¡± So Mr. Lowell was dragged out like Kendall. Sienna¡¯s hand slid off the skirt of the grand duke. The grand duke gazed at her small hand falling from him with his red eyes staring in a manner that was hard to understand. Unfortunately, she was a fearful child. She could not be burdened with adult greed and impatience. This was supposed to be the start. There will be plenty of time ahead. ¡­It was supposed to be. Skillfully hiding an urgency that she could not even understand, the grand duke gave a brief order to the maid. ¡°The child must have been very surprised, so pay special attention.¡± ¡°Worry not, Your Grace. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Before leaving, the Grand Duke looked back at Sienna once more. Faded green eyes stared at him. It was like someone who was seeing daylight for the first time in their life. ¡°¡­¡­¡± It seemed like the Grand Duke had something to say, but gave up. He wasn¡¯t the best speaker. ¡°¡­Take a break.¡± It was best he create a line in between them both to not burden Sienna. After the grand duke had left, Sienna also had a strange feeling and looked down at her hands for a long time. ¡®It¡¯s not as realistic as anything that¡¯s ever happened.¡¯ When a rock is thrown into the lake, the lake embraces the rock and drowns it. Who threw it, for what purpose, what does it mean? Why? But what if a sack of stones falls in? So Sienna neatly gave up. ¡®Let¡¯s not think about it.¡¯ If she tried to put meaning into it, things wouldn¡¯t end there. Sienna felt this instinctively. There¡¯s a certain limit to the things she can handle. The more she thinks about it, the more she will destroy the maximum capacity. She wasn¡¯t confident of holding out when the limit would run out. Yet. Chapter 21 to 35 Note: This chapter consists of kkp episodes 21 to 35. The next day, the employees of Nacht¡¯s duchy naturally raised this topic when they met. ¡°Did you hear that? The cradle of the moon.¡± ¡°The orphan?¡± ¡°Shh!¡± The maid was frightened by her colleague¡¯s insensitive reply and quickly looked around to see if there was anyone who would overhear. ¡°Be careful! She just got pomegranates.¡± ¡°Pomegranate? The one in the Nacht family?¡± The crest of the Nacht family was of a crow holding a pomegranate with one foot and spreading its wings. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but as I walked by, I heard that it means that ¡®They¡¯ acknowledge her as a member of Nacht¡¯s family.¡± (T/N: ¡®They¡¯ meant the grand duke and his sons.) That means if you mention anything related to her and orphans, you¡¯ll end up being in danger. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t tell me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not kidding. A member of the Ming army was called as a tutor this morning, and said that ¡®she¡¯ was an orphan in front of her face and is now enlisted.¡± ¡°Oh, my God, he was kicked out and joined the army in a day?¡± Serving under the Grand Duke of Nacht meant wealth and honor were guaranteed for a lifetime. It was a position that countless cadets of the military wanted to bet their life on. But the maid snorted as if she was sick and tired of it. ¡°He got kicked out? Thank God then.¡± ¡°How lucky is he to be kicked out?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a saying going around, ¡®whether you belong to this world or the underworld,¡¯ not the removal of your position.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s exactly what Nacht does.¡± ¡°I mean, to be honest with you, I wouldn¡¯t have worked here if my father hadn¡¯t owed him any money.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s something gloomy about this castle. If you observe, it seems that it is not wrong to say that the people of the Grand Duke family give off an evil aura¡­¡± As with other high aristocratic families, in Nacht, higher-ranking employees were more likely to be employed by inheriting their parents position, but the position of simple employees increased toward the end. The two maids here were like that. Even the maids, who had to be somewhat kept in the dark about the family affairs, knew all the news about Sienna. Sienna couldn¡¯t help but wonder. She said she wouldn¡¯t think about it, but as it was, she had one of the largest boulders in a sack of stones, resting very heavily on her chest. ¡°Now, let¡¯s stop mistaking this girl for a servant and go to the army to pay the price.¡± An innocent child. He said Sienna was like his daughter in faith, a blood-related daughter. ¡®¡­How important is that pomegranate.¡¯ She had a headache. She hadn¡¯t felt good since Madam Deborah made a big deal out of it. She thought she made a mistake when she had family luck, but it got worse as time went by. She couldn¡¯t get rid of the thought that I had committed a terrible taboo unexpectedly. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Eventually, when asked by Sienna, Madam Deborah shrugged with a look on her face as to why she was degrading the situation. ¡°Just as Michael explained at the time. Sharing a pomegranate, which symbolizes the family¡¯s power, is a meaning of welcome, blessing and recognition, and everyone quickly recognizes and accepts your presence.¡± ¡°Uhh¡­.¡± In Sienna¡¯s ears, it still sounded confusing and plausible. ¡®I think there¡¯s more to it than that superficial meaning.¡¯ Madam Deborah readily admitted to Sienna¡¯s lackluster expression. ¡°Actually¡­ this is an old custom of the family, but I don¡¯t know all the details.¡± Madam Deborah was a relative of a former head maid and was still unfamiliar with their customs. Although she was a very influential figure in the employment system of the duchy, which was difficult for outsiders to penetrate, Sienna could not be given the answer she wanted. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask the young masters if you want to hear more?¡± ¡°Pardon? No, that¡¯s a little¡­¡± Sienna refused at once. But before Madam Deborah could say anything back, it suddenly became noisy outside. ¡°Ya!¡± The door burst open. Surprisingly, it was Michael. ¡°Little Duke!¡± This was not the first time Madam Deborah had rebuked him harshly. ¡°I told you not to do this when you visit the young miss!¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Michael, who had rushed in like a runaway engine that no one could stop, was surprised by her words. He immediately backed up. It seemed as if he was going to slam the door.. Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock. It was an impatient sound, more like banging on the door rather than knocking. ¡°¡­.What do you do?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll open the door¡­?¡± He seemed so anxious that he turned a blind eye to the door. I¡¯m scared of what¡¯s going to happen when it opens. Suddenly, the door opened and Michael shouted out loudly. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry! I knocked again, so let me off the hook!¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. Well¡­¡± ¡°By the way, you!¡± Did I make a mistake again? Sienna thought with a heavy heart. ¡°When I first saw him, he gave me a bad impression! He was a jerk!¡± ¡°What?¡± It was so out of the blue that Sienna quickly didn¡¯t understand who Michael was talking about. ¡°Your tutor!¡± ¡°Ah.¡± I was wondering what it was. Rumors that heated up among the servants throughout lunchtime seemed to have finally entered Michael¡¯s ears. ¡°If I were standing by you, I wouldn¡¯t have had that happen.¡± A young man who didn¡¯t know anything was saying the most terrible thing. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Sienna had never been so sincere, but Michael was furious. ¡°It¡¯s not okay!¡± Everything was fine, but it seemed like it would take a long time to talk about it. Sienna swallowed her throat vaguely. ¡°Anyways I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­ no, you don¡¯t have to apologize. It¡¯s all settled.¡± Was it this hard to talk about the situation and just saying that it was okay? Michael sighed as he looked pitifully at Sienna, who was stumped. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Anyway, I told my father. You can learn with me for the time being.¡± ¡°What?¡± Unbeknownst to me, it seems that there is a rule in this house that says you must be interrogated for the truth. ¡°That¡¯s a bit¡­.¡± The expression on Sienna¡¯s expression, which didn¡¯t want to say thank you or that it went well even if her mouth was frowning, became subtle. Michael¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°You¡¯re worrying for nothing again, aren¡¯t you?¡± Sienna nodded blankly. Worried¡­if it¡¯s worrying, then I¡¯m doing it. As a person who was being sentenced to spend over three hours a day with a person I didn¡¯t want to run into, of course I¡¯d be worried¡­ ¡°It¡¯s remarkable that you don¡¯t want to cause trouble to me, but it¡¯s already decided that way, so you can¡¯t change it.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­?¡± She felt like she was waking up from a dream that didn¡¯t make any sense because of all this nonsense he keeps speaking. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Of course it will be difficult for you to keep up with my class progress, but what can I do? What if another guy is brought, and he¡¯s similar to the last?¡± ¡®What should I do, what should I do?¡¯ Even if I get hit, I won¡¯t feel the blow as much, but this time I have to treat this calmly. Don¡¯t make it a big deal. ¡°I don¡¯t know you well yet, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to tell me if such a thing happens.¡± Flinch. I didn¡¯t know that a 10-year-old could read the inside story accurately. Seeing the careless Sienna flinching, Michael smirked. ¡°Look. I guess I¡¯m right. That¡¯s what my father said anyway. I¡¯m going to be careful until he finds a suitable person.¡± ¡°Then if I just wait until then¡­¡± ¡°No, I mean, there are a lot of people who despise you as an orphan right now. Don¡¯t you want to flatten their noses as soon as possible, huh?¡± Michael laid out blueprints with his jewel-like red eyes twinkling. ¡°Now, how many people would rather support a child other than you! Don¡¯t you want to show them that you have received a pomegranate and that you are good enough to be educated in a short period of time?¡± ¡°Yes. Not really.¡± I don¡¯t have a hobby of building a sand castle where the waves will someday sweep it away. If I do something wrong, not only the castle, but also my whole body will be swept away by the strong waves. Whether others despise her or not. It was no longer Sienna¡¯s business. ¡°Hey! What are you¡­¡± Michael, who was about to scream at the harsh and prompt reply, tried to calm down when he saw Sienna¡¯s gentle gaze looking up at him. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry I keep getting angry.¡± What¡¯s wrong with him? Sienna was puzzled, but she nodded meekly. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°What are you saying you¡¯re okay with all the time? I think I¡¯m allergic to your saying it¡¯s okay now.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ woohoo.¡± ¡°Just eat this.¡± Michael put an apple in Sienna¡¯s mouth. The apples Madam Deborah carefully chose and brought were very delicious, and Sienna chewed the apples without much complaints because she was afraid of future troubles if she spat them out. ¡°Eat all of this and go to class.¡± The apple was delicious, but there was a moment when she missed the cold-blooded Michael, who used to keep a distance because he hated Sienna. * * * Michael¡¯s study room had a more academic atmosphere than Sienna¡¯s study room, which had a semi-playroom feel. ¡°Are you here, Miss?¡± It was already her second meeting with this gentle young man. ¡°My name is Seth. I am in charge of the education of His Highness, and for the time being, I will also be in charge of the education of the young lady. Please take care of me.¡± Even though Michael¡¯s class was disrupted, Seth did not seem to regard Sienna as a thorn. ¡°Come here.¡± No¡­ If it sounds like they are very welcoming, am I mistaken? Unexpectedly, Sienna sat in the seat recommended by Seth. Textbooks and writing tools were already neatly placed in the seat. ¡°Can you read the title of the book?¡±¡± ¡°Basic Magic¡­¡­.¡± ¡°See? She knows how to read letters.¡± Sienna was the one who read, but Michael shrugged. Seth deliberately ignored the boy and nodded. ¡°Good job. You will learn magic from me in the future.¡± Seth explained that it hadn¡¯t been long since the second young master began taking classes from him anyway, and it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to make progress. ¡°Of course, if the Second Young Master allows it, will you?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Excuse me¡­¡­.¡± Why am I suddenly learning magic here? Sienna was a little perplexed. ¡°I know how to read, but I can¡¯t write properly yet. The teacher who came to me a while ago told me to practice my handwriting.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Seth asked in surprise. ¡°Hey, excuse me. Was that person going to make you practice your handwriting?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I listened carefully.¡± Michael is ten and Sienna is eleven. Usually, it was around the age of ten when aristocrats started teaching magic. One child was moderate and one was a bit slow. ¡®I can¡¯t say it¡¯s too late, but she still can¡¯t waste time practicing spelling and such.¡¯ In front of the children, Seth just clicked his tongue inwardly. Anyway, it was fortunate that the man who could not be called a nightmare in the tutor world became either alive or dead early on. ¡°Um¡­ First of all, another teacher will come, not me, for the other general education classes. And I don¡¯t think you need to learn how to write.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Sienna tilted her head at Seth¡¯s explanation. She even looked more docile and lovely because she contrasted with Michael who was sitting next to her. A kind reply came from the depths of his heart. ¡°Anyway, there are things to take notes on during class, so you¡¯ll get used to writing quickly. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°What is that¡­¡­.¡± Michael muttered with tired eyes. Teacher Seth said it kindly, but to be honest, doesn¡¯t it sound crazy that he will train her with a tremendous amount of study until she gets used to it? But it was Sienna. ¡°I see, thank you.¡± It was of course better to learn magic that I had not learned properly before than to review the basics I already knew. If I want to enter the military academy, the knowledge I will learn from now on will be of great help. Naturally, Sienna¡¯s eyes began to twinkle with a passion for learning. She was on the verge of being compared to the rebellious second young master sitting next to her. Seth¡¯s heart pounded. ¡®Hey, maybe this¡­¡­¡¯ Am I finally going to teach a model student? ¡°¡­¡­Teacher?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to start class?¡± ¡°Ah, ah, yes. Now, would you like to open the book first? Today, I will only explain the overall direction of the class.¡± Unlike Sienna¡¯s book, which was brand new, Michael¡¯s book had traces of being opened, but only the front page. It seemed to prove that he had just started his education. Well. The noble families do not educate their children in magic early, even if they don¡¯t know everything else. If you do not reach a certain level of mental maturity, you will be sensitive to even the smallest fraud. Early education had to be avoided in order to avoid an accident in which precious heirs went crazy prematurely. (P/N: Fraud refers to the corruption of their mana, which will drive the child crazy.) ¡°As you may already know, magic refers to ¡®supernatural phenomena caused by people who possess and can use magic¡¯.¡± Although he asked them to open the book, Seth hardly looked at the book. ¡°In the world we live in, this energy called magical power is distributed. This flow of energy is called mana. Occasionally, when fraud seeps into a stagnant place, a beast is born. Beasts instinctively know how to handle magic from the moment they are born, and they distinguish it from human magic by calling it justice.¡± Seth picked up the chalk and sharply scribbled the words ¡®Human-Magic¡¯ and ¡®Magical-Judicial¡¯. ¡°Hmm.¡± Michael only listened, but Sienna picked up a pen and started taking notes on the prepared notebook. Seth¡¯s eyes lit up at that sight. ¡®You¡¯re a good student!¡¯ Although the way she was holding the pen and writing was awkward, it didn¡¯t matter much. What was important was the attitude. Sienna¡¯s attitude was clearly the ideal model student that Seth had dreamed of. Seth was thrilled. But since he was conducting class, he couldn¡¯t express himself. Above all, Sienna was concentrating, so he didn¡¯t want to interrupt her. He went on to explain. ¡°Mages are very vulnerable to fraud. So the first priority in magic is always to maintain stability¡­ to put it simply¡­¡± At the bottom of the small note earlier, Seth wrote this: Eleven-year-old Sienna and Michael both became silent at the naked sentence. Seth smiled apologetically. ¡°It may be a little early, but this is the fact that you two must always face and live as wizards in the future.¡± ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s bloody, it¡¯s horrendous. It¡¯s okay for me, but¡­¡± Michael glanced at Sienna, and was a little surprised to find out that Sienna was writing down Seth¡¯s words in a blunt manner as usual. Seth comforted the children again. ¡°Don¡¯t be too surprised. As I said, stability is a top priority in modern magic. In the process, a very special kind of wizarding genealogy was born. That is¡­¡± ¡°Among those specializing in healing or purification, it refers to a very highly specialized type of wizard.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Simply put, they are people who help other wizards to use their magic freely. And that¡¯s it.¡± Seth spoke cheerfully and looked through the elementary magic book. And he stopped a little before the half-way mark. ¡°This is an overview of the contents of up to page one hundred and thirty-five. Following the framework I outlined, the two of you will be tasked with summarizing the contents of the first half of the book in one notebook. Let¡¯s see, by next week will be enough time.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± Instead of taking notes, Michael, who had been listening roughly, stopped and stiffened. He told him to open the book, but he did not ask him to read it together, it¡¯s not that! To make matters worse, Seth smiled softly and raised his index finger. ¡°Ah, one more! In today¡¯s class, you can¡¯t share your notes.¡± ¡°Sorry¡­?!¡± Not minding whether Michael refuted it or not, Seth immediately paid attention to Sienna, a model student candidate. ¡°Lady, how was it? Was my class understandable? If you don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be able to do your homework, this time¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No.¡± Sienna responded quickly with a strangely urgent attitude. ¡°You¡¯re asking me to write what you said today. I understand. I¡¯ll try.¡± ¡°Oh my¡­¡­!¡± Seth¡¯s expression darkened. Even if he knew that his four-year-old daughter was a genius, he thought it would be difficult to make him laugh more than this. Even now, an unidentified hymn, ¡®She¡¯s a model student, she¡¯s a model student~¡¯ was resounding in his ears. ¡°Then don¡¯t overdo it and just try as hard as you can.¡± ¡°Yes, Teacher.¡± * * * Sienna, who succeeded in accumulating additional points under the relative evaluation system by answering nicely and calmly, returned to her original study room. A teacher for general education as well as etiquette had already arrived there. Fortunately, the new teacher had heard enough of Lowell¡¯s unknown ending before coming here. It was for Sienna, but it was also a life-saving measure, so the new teacher taught Sienna in a very exemplary manner. Sienna followed the dry teachings that completely relieved her thoughts. Originally, she pretended to be learning something new, so she seemed to be learning very quickly. After an hour or so, the general education teacher, who was nervous and stiff at first, nodded with satisfaction. ¡°I¡¯ll wrap it up for today. I¡¯ll see you at this time tomorrow for the next class.¡± After the general education teacher had returned in satisfaction, Sienna opened her basic magic book and notebook to do the homework Seth had given her. ¡°Did he say it¡¯s until one hundred and thirty-five pages?¡± To estimate the amount in advance, Sienna jumps straight from the introduction to page 135. The first sentence of the page began like this: The Terraformer owns the space and declares it as its own realm, and at the same time begins purification within the scope. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± In the past, Sienna had never been properly taught magic. This was because, after being bullied by Teacher Lowell, she lost her magical powers to Loreina and became ¡®incapable of salvaging and does not need to be taught¡¯. The first sentence on page 135 was very unfamiliar to Sienna. She could read it and knew the meaning of each word, but it was difficult to put it together and understand the context and content. But the more she faced that sentence, the more her heart pounded strangely. Ironically, she felt like she was at the starting point now. Like a traveler who had traveled a very long way, then turned around and belatedly started a proper journey. Her clothes were old, her shoes were worn out, and her body and mind were exhausted. Nevertheless, the moment she realized that this was the starting line, surprisingly, she wanted to run. Glancing at the sentences she could not fully understand yet, Sienna left page 135 again and returned to the introduction of the book. And she started from there. * * * It was the weekend. The sky was gradually turning blue as winter had passed. However, the air in the sky blowing against the watchtower was still cold, so white breaths puffed out. The watchtower of the Sioban Military Academy was the only place where one could see the whole of the military academy¡¯s citadel and the historic academic city. If it was a tourist attraction, it would be a popular spot, but only seasonal. It was not just mere words that being on the watchtower can sting your flesh in winter, but it was also a very dangerous place because of the sudden gusts of wind in the air. ¡°So, to come at this time of year, doesn¡¯t it mean that he doesn¡¯t care if he falls down the cliff of the tower and his head is harpooned?¡± The other person whistled at Jonas, who was trembling and staring at Ashiel¡¯s back. ¡°I can¡¯t help it, Dehan. Since he¡¯s doing that over there with the intention of dying, let¡¯s just kill him. And we¡¯ll go down here as if nothing had happened.¡± ¡°Well, maybe our highness is confident that he won¡¯t fall.¡± ¡°I know that! But why are you so fine!¡± ¡°I¡¯m from the North.¡± ¡°You¡¯re both going crazy!¡± Whether a friend was going crazy or he jumped or not, Ashiel was only staring at the distant sky, standing in front of a windowless window that had a single wide gap pierced open to expose his whole body. No, it wasn¡¯t a distant sky. It was something that appeared in the distant sky. What appeared as a dot in the distant area quickly grew in size. It steadied its gigantic wings to ride the wind without flapping its wings vigorously. As the hawk closed the distance and opened its mouth, there was a terrible sound as if it were tearing the sky. It was about to rush in and tear anything caught in his claws, but Ashiel calmly stretched out his arm and called out. ¡°Yi-oh.¡± It was a moment that felt like he could be eaten, but surprisingly, the wings of the hawk slowly folded. Two hook-like feet gripped the boy¡¯s outstretched arms. Keeek! ¡°Yes, yes.¡± The hawk slowly calmed it¡¯s twitching feathers at the gentle soothing sound. Hushing so as to calm the hawk down, Ashiel skillfully unwrapped a letter from the it¡¯s ankle. ¡°Using the skies as a transport route is not something I would highly recommend.¡± Ashiel calmly sent the hawk back. ¡°There was no other way.¡± ¡°Recently, you¡¯ve been receiving letters from home almost every day. Is something going on?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Nothing?¡± He said it was nothing as if it was flowing casually, but Dehan quickly caught the sign of something hidden from Ashiel¡¯s tone. At that age, like an active volcano, Ashiel¡¯s sharp blade-like attitude was strangely familiar to the men. ¡®Essentially, he¡¯s almost the same as the Grand Duke..¡¯ Once he decided to hide something with that mouth, it never leaked. Dehan just shrugged. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll go back to the duchy this weekend as well.¡± Ashiel shook his head with an expressionless face. ¡°Let¡¯s just go down. If it¡¯s a conversation, we¡¯ll go down and have it.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. I agree. I thought I would kill Jonas if I heard him complaining that he was freezing to death one more time.¡± Jonas protested against the cold comments of his friends. ¡°I thought about it very early, you idiot! By the way, I¡¯m already half-frozen to death, so you better think about how to revive me.¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have been bad if half of you was frozen to death, and your mouth was frozen.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± ¡°Ah, but were these bastards serious from a while ago?¡± Jonas grew annoyed and tried to negotiate with his friends who were quickly ahead of him. ¡°Grand Prince, show me your construction engineering report when we go down.¡± Now it was clear why Jonas had followed Ashiel even though he cursed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I haven¡¯t touched it yet.¡± Of course, even if Ashiel did, he wouldn¡¯t be one to reveal it. ¡°Lies! I know that you¡¯re building a tower with construction books on your pillow because you don¡¯t have enough tables these days, but you haven¡¯t written a report yet?!¡± Ashiel turned towards the stairs first and spoke. ¡°You also put Princess Perrato¡¯s letter on the bed or on the table, but you never read it.¡± ¡°Is that and your case the same?¡± The sound of the three boys walking down the stone steps rang, and the watchtower soon became as still as it was in the beginning. * * * The weekend came, and Sienna was still busy with the homework Seth had given her. ¡°It¡¯s terrifying, it¡¯s terrifying.¡± To some extent, even Michael put his tongue out (in protest) against the barrel of the finger protectors that children put on when using a pen. Like it or not. Sienna was only copying the passage, ¡®The talent of a Terraformer is imprinted on the soul and manifested at birth¡¯. It was also surprising that, as Seth had predicted, the messy handwriting had changed to a more pleasing sight in three days. Michael was fed up. ¡°Compared to her, my talent for studying is not imprinted on my soul, right?¡± It was a surprising praise, but Sienna didn¡¯t accept it right away. ¡®No talent, what nonsense.¡¯ Ever since he entered the military academy, he was very strict about the subject he was going to occupy. Madam Deborah happily responded to Michael¡¯s exaggeration. ¡°The young lady is really working hard. Isn¡¯t this all from the wonderful desire to repay the kindness of Nacht?¡± Madam Deborah¡¯s ability to positively perceive the situation was something far beyond Sienna¡¯s realm of understanding. Even if we say that it¡¯s a part of graceful speech, it¡¯s not because Sienna is good at holding on to her homework for a long time. If she does well, she will be able to finish it in two hours without taking notes like Michael did and be sleepy. ¡®It¡¯s because I¡¯m an inferior student, an inferior student.¡¯ It was Sienna¡¯s first time studying magic. There were times when she had to go through the piles of books in the study room to fully understand a sentence in the book. Actually, there was no need to do that. Anyway, what Seth suggested was to summarize the contents of the book according to the outline presented, not to understand the book alone. It wasn¡¯t a big deal to keep up with Michael¡¯s pace as long as she just copied and filled the pages with what seemed to be roughly important. It was Sienna¡¯s stubbornness to hold onto it for this long¡­. ¡®¡­¡­I can¡¯t help it. It¡¯s fun.¡¯ The process of struggling to understand what she was seeing for the first time was simply enjoyable. As she lined and annotated the new book to make it tattered, Sienna felt a kind of pride she had never experienced in her life before. Perhaps Michael¡¯s displeasure was because he instinctively noticed that Sienna was in the early stages of becoming a major magic maniac. Perhaps if time passes smoothly like this, Sienna will fully awaken as a researcher and say, ¡®Research is really interesting¡­¡­!¡¯ Because it was in a situation where she would go around making crazy noises that he couldn¡¯t tolerate as an ordinary person. In this way, Sienna¡¯s career plan was just to the point of being in the top 30 percent, so she was making a sharp turn from being a low-level soldier in an ambiguous position to a researcher who can take her salary on time. But anyway, the castle was peaceful after a long time. Madam Deborah pretended to squeeze out tears that she couldn¡¯t get out from her emotions. ¡°When she just came to the castle, she was so poor that she couldn¡¯t eat properly and just laid down and slept.¡± Her attitude was grand for something that she remembered about a week ago. Anyway, compared to that time, it was true that Sienna was eating well and getting a good night¡¯s sleep. Although the habit of going to the maid¡¯s room and staying locked up in the Cradle was still there, Madam Deborah accepted Sienna¡¯s travels as ¡®a quirk that every child with outstanding qualities possesses¡¯. Of course, she had no intention of leaving it as it is, she would just change the plan, to try to improve it in the long run. The woman suddenly looked out the window. Winter was coming to an end, and green energy was shining in the expansive garden. It was the season where the greenery returned. ¡®It¡¯s a pity to just sit and study in one place.¡¯ Recently, Sienna started walking through the garden on her own for a light walk. However, that alone felt insufficient. ¡®Looking at the time, it¡¯s also a good idea to take them on an outing to bask in the spring sun¡­ Huh?¡¯ An unfamiliar sight caught by Madam Deborah¡¯s gaze as she searched the garden for a good picnic spot. ¡®A messenger?¡¯ A well-dressed man was delivering something like a letter to the attendant at the entrance. ¡®To send a servant directly without going through a postman¡­¡­ Is it an invitation?¡¯ It was soon revealed that the letter was no mere invitation, and the madam did not yet know that the brief peace was coming to an end. * * * On a weekend afternoon, Ashiel returned. This time, the butler greeted him instead of the grand duke, who had gone on a subjugation operation to a farther place than the suburbs. ¡°It¡¯s a really strange thing, Young Master. It¡¯s been three years since you entered the academy, and only now do I know that you can return home from the military academy so often.¡± Ashiel shook away the chill from his clothes and smiled a little bitterly. ¡°I¡¯d rather be openly swearing that he¡¯s this ungrateful bastard.¡± The butler was only smiling gracefully and kindly. ¡°Recently, the young lady has been busy with her studies. She will probably be in the study room at this time.¡± ¡°Do you have to make it so obvious that you read everything inside me¡­.?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the privilege of an older person? If you don¡¯t like it, wait until the day I die.¡± ¡°You mean I won¡¯t be able to win even a single word until you die. It¡¯s understandable.¡± Shaking his head, Ashiel could not readily decide what to do. The child his father had recently brought to the castle as a guardian did not adapt easily. From the moment the grand duke first invited her to come to the grand duchy, she was terrified of it. His father was a man of great stature and few words. Objectively, he was a handsome man, but¡­¡­. ¡®Jonas said this. He said ¡®it looks like a masterpiece made by a genius sculptor who broke his temper by wielding a knife at random.¡¯ It was a really Jonas-like expression, and although it may have been insulting to some extent, it was also accurate enough to make him laugh. To put it bluntly, the grand duke, who had no soft lines anywhere on his body, was supposed to be the one who ruled the underworld of Natch. To be honest, it is not reasonable to expect the child to follow quickly at a time when he was nicknamed the underworld king. At first, he simply thought so. But now Ashiel knows. Sienna¡¯s refusal was not due to her childlike fear.¡­ There was something special about it. ¡®Should I say that it feels like she¡¯s throwing a tantrum, or that she¡¯s sick and tired of it¡­¡­.¡¯ It might be a speculation of leaps and bounds for a child. ¡®However¡­¡­¡¯ Why? Ashiel couldn¡¯t forget the green eyes of Sienna that he sometimes encountered. What should he say when those big, empty-looking eyes look at him, full of vigilance? There were times when he had a strange feeling, like he had to fold because he made a mistake without any good reason. It was a factor that caused irrational change. What¡¯s even funnier was that he kept wanting to look into the child and check to see if she was okay there. After all, she was a ward of the grand duchy, and she was a child who even received a pomegranate. Even if the significance of the pomegranate was not known to everyone in the underworld, it must have been clear that the Grand Duke would treat the child as a family member. Even if he doesn¡¯t care, the vassals will take good care of her. If she¡¯s sick, they¡¯ll call a doctor, if she¡¯s hungry, they¡¯ll give her food, and they¡¯ll buy her clothes with the allocated budget and give her education. So, it meant that he didn¡¯t have to go and check up on her often, as a member of the family, even if the child felt nauseous and faint. It wouldn¡¯t help at all for the child to adapt. If the grand duke was a person who suppressed his emotions with reason, Ashiel was a person who had learned to control it. With this kind of natural disposition, he would have to find a different reason aside from his position. But anyway, Ashiel¡¯s reason has never failed to persuade and suppress his emotions like a crazy foal¡­¡­. ¡°¡­¡­Well.¡± Ashiel let out a low groan. Come to think of it, it happened recently. Didn¡¯t he almost smash the vicious head of the orphanage in front of the child in question? It was unusual. Even the expression of an accident or a mishap would be appropriate. So far, Ashiel had been the type of eldest son that others praise as ¡®evidence that the eldest son fell from heaven¡¯. To borrow Jonas¡¯ expression, it was also ¡®the incarnation of discipline and norms that make people spin¡¯. The grand duke, who was indifferent to everything, used to let his eldest son do whatever he wanted to do. With that in mind, the butler showed an elegant expression of ¡®conventional trust¡¯, but well. Ashiel chose not to think deeply. In any case, even such a grand duke would have said something about it. ¡°It¡¯s rare for you to act like that. Is there anything I should keep in mind about your feelings?¡± He was the one who asked the question, but it was Ashiel who was most confused at the time. ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll be more careful in the future.¡± While staring at the eldest son who was avoiding giving an exact answer, the grand duke stopped reprimanding him at that point. It was because Ashiel was the eldest son who was too capable until now to ask again if he will do well on his own. In any case, it happened that Sienna was the catalyst. If that¡¯s the case, wouldn¡¯t it be okay to admit that Ashiel was losing control over Sienna-related matters? ¡®No, it¡¯s a leap.¡¯ Even if it¡¯s not a one-sided meal, isn¡¯t she a child with only two sides? Ashiel had other reasons to think logically. ¡®This is all¡­¡­.¡¯ Ashiel pressed his hand on the spot where his pounding heart should be. But there was something he couldn¡¯t justify. The butler, who was staring at the reliable young master who was thinking for a long time, made a jab. ¡°Didn¡¯t you send flowers when you heard that she was awake? It would be less embarrassing to go see her at least once.¡± ¡°That¡­¡± Was it satisfying to drive people to a point where they can¡¯t refute? Ashiel sighed. He did. He sent flowers. It was inexcusable. She wouldn¡¯t want to think of him because he showed a terribly violent appearance from the first meeting, but he sent flowers and inevitably inserted a card with his signature. Later, when he prodded the messenger and heard the story, he found out that the child had broken up the bouquet and shared it with everyone present. Was it something that a child who grew up in an orphanage in need and being squeezed by a careless director can do? His heart felt pathetic and proud as if looking at a small flower that barely bloomed on a parched ground. ¡®¡­¡­Wouldn¡¯t it be okay to ask if she received the flowers well because I gave her flowers?¡¯ Perhaps as they passed by, he would lightly say hello. Maybe that would be fine. Ashiel, who was born without feeling attachment and lived in a position where it was not necessary to develop sociability, had never asked anyone for their greetings from the heart. But he thought it might be okay to change it up a bit. That child is not a stranger, but a child who has become a member of Nacht. In an instant, Ashiel¡¯s emotions succeeded in persuading his reason. It happened unconsciously. * * * It was a matter he had considered over and over again, but in the end, the child was not in the study room. ¡°Well, the lady went out for a walk a while ago.¡± The new maid, named Madam Deborah, greeted him with an awkward look on her face. ¡°All right¡­¡± Ashiel felt dejected. In the end, he was surprisingly ashamed that he¡¯d thought so much about what would happen. Perhaps because he was embarrassed, he couldn¡¯t leave easily. Naturally, he could see the scenery in the deserted room. A cute little desk, a table with tea utensils, small bookshelves filled with books, and blackboards. There was also a cozy carpet and cushion in one corner. It was a place carefully prepared according to the age of the person who will use this room. ¡®At least I¡¯ve confirmed that the child is being treated as one of Natch¡¯s even when she¡¯s out of sight.¡¯ Now that he¡¯s seen this, he may not have to do anything scandalous this week, such as sending a reliable attendant to deliver a rushed letter. With that in mind, he looked around the room again, and this time, a sense of familiarity stung his eyes. ¡°¡­Come to think of it, isn¡¯t this the playroom I used to use?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s the closest room to the Moon¡¯s Cradle and there¡¯s still furniture for children, so I asked the butler and had it decorated as a study room.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± He didn¡¯t know. Unexpectedly, it was the room he used as a child. ¡°The desks and bookshelf there were used by His Highness at the time.¡± Did it feel intimate because it was originally his room? Or was that simply an excuse. In any case, Ashiel quit pacing in front of the doorway and suddenly entered the room. Then, he swept a hand over a surprisingly small desk. In one corner, there was still a small accidental mark left from when he was young. He casually looked at it a little longer¡­ ¡°¡­¡­.¡± He found a sight which could not be laughed at. A red shadow under the desk caught his eye at first glance. At first, he thought something like a play block rolled under. Since he came all the way here, he thought he should pick it up, so he looked closely and realized it wasn¡¯t. In the corner of the shadow of the desk, a large, round, half-stomped flower was lying on the floor. He could not recognize it. It was a flower that he hand picked and sent himself. An indescribable feeling thumped and pressed down on his chest like a stone. Ashiel looked down at the floor without saying a word, Madam Deborah, who was puzzled, approached¡­¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness. I made a mistake while installing and cleaning.¡± Madam Deborah quickly claimed it to be her mistake, but Ashiel did not notice. He was only staring at a dying flower on the floor with a strangely long and deeply trembling gaze. As if someone had nailed all of his gaze to it. No, no¡­¡­ It may have been his mind, not his gaze, that was unwittingly stabbed. ¡°Your Highness?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Ashiel was shocked and surprised at the fact that he was shocked. ¡®Why?¡¯ Objectively speaking, it was just a flower. And a bouquet of flowers, which was, in fact, nothing that he couldn¡¯t send to an enemy if necessary. Considering the age of the person, it was not unusual for one of the flowers to be lying on the floor of the study room. It was a rather unreasonable request to expect an eleven-year-old to put a great meaning to these flowers just because a prince gave them as a gift. It could be. That could have been the case. Ashiel tried to understand. But the septum was not easily healed. (P/N: Talking about the stinging one can get in their nose when they are upset.) Although he was never the kind of person who wanted to give someone a gift and have them cherish it as if they were looking at his face. Even though he was the type of person who gave meaninglessly and forgets easily¡­¡­ ¡°Your Highness, even if you¡¯re upset, it¡¯s all Deborah¡¯s fault, so let go of your anger¡­¡± The maid tried to say something, but she had misunderstood the situation in the first place. ¡°I¡¯m not angry¡­ I¡¯m not.¡± He wasn¡¯t. He wasn¡¯t angry. It just felt like his heart was breaking, and the problem was that he didn¡¯t know the cause¡­¡­ So it was just frustrating. Besides¡­ ¡®Have I ever experienced something similar to this?¡¯ There was no way he did, but he felt a strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn¡¯t figure out the answer. ¡°Your Highness?¡± Finally, Madam Deborah looked at him as if it was strange. Ashiel secretly took a deep breath and gave an order in a low tone to keep his voice from cracking. ¡°Don¡¯t let the child know that I¡¯ve been here.¡± ¡°All right.¡± ¡°Your Highness, you are here!¡± Just then, a group of people appeared. Everyone had a bewildered expression, as if they had certain intentions. ¡°¡­What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°We brought you a letter from Count Gildinak.¡± If it was Count Gildinak, Ashiel knew him too, but he didn¡¯t leave a particularly noteworthy impression. No matter if that person sent a letter, it was impossible to guess why it warranted for so many people to make such a commotion to deliver it. ¡°So?¡± ¡°A request to let his daughter claim ownership of the 13th Named.¡± * * * When Sienna returned from her walk, the atmosphere inside the castle was a bit strange. Madam Deborah also looked strangely frantic before she disappeared somewhere and only Michael was left to answer Sienna¡¯s puzzled questions. ¡°The Count sent a letter asking what the procedure is.¡± ¡°What?¡± Is the grand duchy overturned like this with only a count¡¯s letter? ¡°Do you remember the necklace you saw in the corridor exhibition room before?¡± Sienna nodded her head. The 13th Named Hesaros. She couldn¡¯t forget the flame-like jewels she had kept in mind for a time when living here would become unbearable to death. ¡°The Named in the Ancient Millennium Box are the treasures of humans. There is some historical background, but it is thanks to the Named that we have secured our territory up to this point against the beasts.¡± Up to this point, it was a legend that even Sienna knew. ¡°Basically, a Named takes a qualified wizard as its master. And any wizard can challenge the ownership of a Named without an owner.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Of course, most people don¡¯t try. They¡¯re sure to fail. But why did the Count ask to let his daughter challenge the ownership?¡± Then the puzzle was put together. Nacht had four strategic weapons called Named. Among them, two belonged to the grand duke and the grand prince, one was missing, and one had no owner. ¡°Hesaros has never had a master before. It¡¯s not an object to rush into¡­ Anyway, that¡¯s why everyone went crazy.¡± It was an incredibly accurate ability to judge reality at the age of ten, but Sienna, who¡¯s age transcends that of an eleven year old, sensed that there were more circumstances than what Michael explained. ¡®Are you going to become the master of an ancient weapon that has never chosen a master before in human history?¡¯ It smelled rancid. If it was Count Gildinak, he was a figure in Sienna¡¯s memory. He was the kind of aristocrat who didn¡¯t pick exactly which camp, but changed his position according to the situation. It meant that he was a character who only pursues practical interests to the extent that it is somewhat unscrupulous. ¡®And this has never happened in the past.¡¯ Hesaros slept in complete silence until destroyed by Loreina. It was said that no one had disturbed the historic and venerable Named¡¯s sleep. At that moment, Sienna was convinced. If something that didn¡¯t happen in the past is happening now¡­¡­. ¡®I¡¯m the cause.¡¯ Sienna was the only foreign substance that could change the world¡¯s variables, memories, and more. ¡®I¡¯m the cause, so what can I do to provoke the Count of Gildinak?¡¯ From there, the inference was easy. ¡®Come to think of it, the little prince once said something like that.¡¯ She didn¡¯t listen to it carefully, but she was able to roughly remember the content. When he heard the news that Sienna became a ward, he said that there were many people who would rather support his children than orphans. The fact that Grand Duke Nacht had decided to support the orphan was not left unanswered. Because it was impossible in the first place. The nature of the underworld was not simply the castle of just any lord, but the ¡®kingdom¡¯ of the Grand Duke of Nacht. It was not a title that included autonomy over an independent state, and it was not called a court because of its somewhat closed nature, but in any case, all kinds of people, including employees, vassals, and merchants, had no choice but to enter and exit from time to time. It was impossible for the emperor, but not for the grand duke, to control even the words that were carried by so many people. ¡®Even if a beast falls from the sky and we become dumb together, we will spread the word through writing.¡¯ Sienna knew that better than anyone. In any case, after Sienna appeared, the Grand Duchy of Nacht was no longer a pie in the sky. (T/N: reminder; wards of Nacht often end up as the spouse of the princes/young masters.) ¡®If I had been without existence as in the past, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem¡­¡­¡¯ This time, the orphan lived in the ¡®Cradle of the Moon¡¯ and even received something called ¡®Pomegranate of Sentences¡¯. It was something everyone should mourn over, for the noble Grand Duke Nacht cared so much about the commoner orphan who no one even knew where she had rolled in from. Maybe if you just stretched out your hand, the place could have been yours, and so you think you¡¯ve missed your chance. They must be grumbling through their teeth for losing the place to an orphan. ¡®It¡¯s probably the same context as asking him to challenge the ownership of Hesaros.¡¯ It¡¯s not really a serious challenge. During the challenge, he will meet the grand duke and will try to appeal that his child is excellent enough to seriously consider as the owner of the Named. ¡®¡­¡­That¡¯s a good idea for someone like Count Gildinak to come up with.¡¯ The Counts of Gildinak and the couple had a similar argument against Loreina in the past, but they committed suicide. This time, the target happened to be Sienna. Sienna decided to turn her mind off at this point. Whatever it was, she thought it was none of her business. * * * Sienna¡¯s guess was correct. The Count of Gildinak was always a person who snoops, sniffing around for profits, and therefore reacted very quickly to news that Grand Duke Nacht had brought in a ward. ¡°Oh my God, who knew? It¡¯s not just between us, it¡¯s going to be on the front page of Page Six. The Grand Duke is raising orphans!¡± ¡°I¡¯m a little angry. No, there are a lot of girls who are more qualified than anyone else and have a guaranteed pedigree.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. For example, Young Lady Loreina of Count Minangsi, and ours, too, there are plenty of children right? But leaving all those children aside and choosing an orphan, it¡¯s as if the Grand Duke decided to insult the mothers of our society!¡± It was a stretch, but the problem was that it sounded plausible to those who were overheated at the same time on the same topic. When Count Gildinak also came to his senses, he noticed that he was nodding his head between them. Returning from the salon party that day, the count said to his wife. ¡°Viscount Dalmas¡¯ words are a bit extreme, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s too wrong.¡± ¡°I think so too.¡± The couple couldn¡¯t get along better than this in that they both pursued the interests of the family like ghosts. ¡°People say that the Count of Minangsi¡¯s child is the best, but our Isabelle isn¡¯t the kind of child that is lacking, isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not lacking. If given a chance, she¡¯ll stand out from everyone else. It¡¯s just that our Isabelle didn¡¯t have the same luck as the Minangsi girl.¡± If so, it would be the parent¡¯s job to feed that luck. ¡°Honey, how about doing this?¡± ¡°What good ideas do you have?¡± ¡°Nacht has a Named whose owner has not been decided yet.¡± ¡°The thousand-year-old treasure?¡± The count was astonished. ¡°But it¡¯s something no one has ever owned¡­¡± ¡°Oh my gosh, honey. Who cares about having it?¡± The Countess of Gildinak persuaded her husband, as she often did. Up to this point, it was exactly what Sienna had guessed. There was nothing wrong with the fact that it was not an idea from the count¡¯s head, who had a similar greed, but was far inferior to his wife in intellectual ability. And Ashiel was looking through the same thing. He asked in one word. ¡°Has His Excellency been less notorious lately?¡± It was sarcasm with the meaning of not knowing why he would, with a sane mind, think of bringing his daughter into the corner of this house otherwise. Last year, in the Battle of Thandeville, after rumors of the grand duke roaming the battlefield with the staked head of a beast, which was cut off by the Named Il Rusgetter, in his possession spread, didn¡¯t things settle down after that?. The butler shook his head as if he had no jaw. ¡°The position is so attractive that it can be covered by such a small notoriety.¡± It was said that the drug had fallen off. (T/N: ¡®drug¡¯ as in ¡®fear for the grand duke¡¯.) Ashiel smirked. ¡°He¡¯s a little infamous for slaughtering a beast for an hour with its bloody head pierced with/staked on a spear, it¡¯s really a character that drove the nation crazy.¡± No matter how common war, death, plague, and monsters are in a country, isn¡¯t it too much? The butler pretended to appease Ashiel, who reacted particularly sharply. ¡°Endure it. Doesn¡¯t that mean that Your Highness is a good groom? You have to bear it.¡± ¡°There is no law that a ward must marry the son of the household.¡± ¡°But everyone believes that it is a place where marriage to the Grand Prince is guaranteed.¡± In that fanatical atmosphere, there was no way that objective statistics were mentioned. Damn it. In spite of the habit of wanting to spit it out like that, Ashiel smiled coolly. ¡°It¡¯s my fault right now.¡± ¡°Your Highness is bright. Now, what will you do?¡± The prince sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll let my father know first. But I don¡¯t think he can do anything about it.¡± In principle, the appearance of the owner of a Named contributes to the public interest of mankind. Therefore, the person or family who kept the Named without an owner was obliged to treat the challenger at the level of public interest. The challenge was very sacred and valuable to the empire. Of course, that¡¯s why, until now, everyone hadn¡¯t carried out the bold idea of ??showing off their skills by challenging the Named. Wasn¡¯t there a minimum of common sense and shame? Gildinak had broken that common sense. If it was very poor or there was a reason for disqualification, he could have refused the challenge, but unfortunately Young Lady Gildinak did not fall under that category. As much as the greed of the parents, the skill of their daughter was genuine. ¡®Besides, to become the owner of a Named, your skills are not necessarily the only condition.¡¯ Ashiel, the owner of a Named, knew it well. Named ones were sometimes picky like the ladies who ordered clothes as they like for spring but returned them 30 times. In addition, Hesaros had no record compared to other Named, whose ownership conditions were revealed more than once in history. Logically, it meant that a drunkard lying on the street could suddenly become the owner. So¡­¡­ There was no reason to refuse. ¡°You must be bothered for the time being. It might be better for you to go back to school, but¡­ until the Grand Duke returns, it won¡¯t be a big deal.¡± If the final decision maker was absent, and such a request had been made, the successor had to remain in place. ¡°Because it¡¯s good to end the situation as soon as possible. There¡¯s nothing much to say.¡± Whatever the other party¡¯s intentions were, it didn¡¯t matter. It wasn¡¯t a difficult thing to do. Invite them, let them do whatever they want. If they fail? Send them back politely. End. ¡®But why.¡¯ It was a feeling of irritation and uneasiness for no apparent reason, slowly permeating like ink smearing. Ashiel muttered involuntarily. ¡°There is only one child of the great Nacht this time.¡± That¡¯s the way it was. It seemed like it had to be. * * * Grand Prince Ashiel sent a reply as the full authority in the absence of the grand duke, allowing the challenge for the ownership of the Named Hesaros, which was sent by Lady Isabelle, the youngest daughter of Gildinak. At the same time, the servants of the castle began to prepare for the reception of guests. It didn¡¯t seem like a very welcomed guest from the owner, but a guest was a guest. Moreover, whether to be welcoming or not was a matter for the grand duke¡¯s family, not from the point of view of ordinary people. ¡°Rather than the orphan, isn¡¯t there a higher possibility for Count Gildinak¡¯s maiden?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious? Hey, you know that. Originally, aristocrats do not treat them unless they have the same blue blood as them.¡± It is said that the Grand Duke¡¯s family doesn¡¯t appreciate visitors like this, but people don¡¯t know anything about it. As not long ago, no one knew that the grand duke would bring an orphan and sponsor him. ¡°The case of Lady Gildinak is a possibility, and the Moon Cradle child thing should be called an accident. Usually, such rare luck doesn¡¯t happen twice in a person¡¯s life.¡± These ignorant people didn¡¯t think they could cut corners in treating a guest who might become the future grand duchess. Naturally, even their head maid, Madam Deborah, who had been watching Sienna for a while, had a hard time seeing her face. Rather than simply increasing the amount of time away from work, she neatly removed her hands from taking care of Sienna by sending a new maid to replace her. ¡°From today, I will take care of you.¡± The explanation was that. She didn¡¯t even have the least bit of sincerity to make excuses like, ¡®The madam was busy, so she only helped for a little while in the beginning¡¯, but Sienna didn¡¯t dare raise any questions. ¡®After all, I am well aware that Madam Deborah was sensitive to power relations.¡¯ Anyway, it was strange that she had paid attention to Sienna until now. If she hadn¡¯t woken up now, robbing herself of a more probable line (person), Sienna would have thought it was even more strange. The problem was that the introduction of the new maid on behalf of the head maid was not only insincere. In a nutshell, the time without Sienna was longer than the time with Sienna. It was fortunate that Sienna wasn¡¯t a real child in need of delicate care. ¡®It¡¯s not like I¡¯m afraid to get hurt again.¡¯ Really, everything was fine. Until yesterday, she had no problem sitting at her desk to study, putting on the arm warmer that Madam Deborah had given herself. ¡­¡­No, there was one minor problem. It was really a very minor issue. A book in a high place. It was a six-story bookcase. The book she needed was on the fifth. She had to raise her heels and stretch her arms to the fullest, but she still wondered if she could grab the book on the fifth shelf with her underdeveloped height. After thinking for a moment, Sienna went back to her desk and pulled a chair. With the help of the chair, it was at eye level with the fifth compartment. ¡°Um¡­ ah.¡± The book was so heavy that her arms were shaking. Her feet were unstable and it was difficult to use her strength. ¡°Oh.¡± Eventually, the chair shook and Sienna rolled onto the floor. ¡°Aww¡­¡± She wasn¡¯t seriously hurt because of the carpet, but her sides, which had been crushed with her weight, were a bit sore. It¡¯s not a big deal. Sienna roughly rubbed the area near the most painful spot and forgot about it. Anyway, she didn¡¯t take out the book. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± But the fact that she rolled so flashily and no one responded, just silence¡­¡­ Oh my God. It was surprisingly unfamiliar. ¡°Shit.¡± Sienna mumbled abusive language without realizing it and washed her face dry. So to be precise, that¡¯s exactly what Sienna was afraid of all this time. Unwanted care and attention approaching her, making her get used to it even though she didn¡¯t want it, and then leaving. Being alone and realizing that she had gotten used to it all of a sudden, even if she tried not to be conscious¡­¡­ It made people miserable. Sienna pursed her lips tightly. And instead of being immersed in useless thoughts, she dragged a chair right in front of the bookshelf and opened the book on the desk. She tricked her senses by rubbing her hip bone, as if it didn¡¯t hurt. It was the same when she was in pain. Stop looking at the wounds and focus on something else. Sienna threw her little spirit into a magical world that was so deep and vast without hesitation. * * * The homework that she worked harder than necessary on was completed. There was no way that Sienna¡¯s homework could avoid the majestic truth that everything in the world has a beginning and ending. When she put a period on the last sentence and looked up, the sunlight reflected on the floor of the study room was the sunset. She had been locked up in this study room since morning, and no one visited Sienna and time passed like this. ¡®What.¡¯ Sienna paused, as she tried to think if something was wrong. ¡®¡­¡­Hungry.¡¯ This time, it was a more serious matter, rather than a trivial matter. The moment she realized the passage of time she had forgotten, the hunger she had also forgotten came flooding in. No matter how much she had the spirit of an adult, it was her body that contained the spirit. She looked around, but there was still no one and it was quiet. Sienna has been stuck for a long time. ¡°¡­What should I eat?¡± The question was not exactly what to eat, but how to eat it. ¡®Actually, there is a way.¡¯ When Sienna was really eleven, there were times when she had to starve if the employees forgot about her. After Loreina came, she was able to get food and daily necessities without being forgotten, but not until then. She remembered being bitter about how easy it was to actually get food in this castle when she started working like a semi-employee as time went on. There¡¯s nothing she could do. She couldn¡¯t just starve like this. She didn¡¯t like it because it wasn¡¯t a matter of being patient or not, it was making herself miserable. ¡°Shall I go?¡± After tapping her skirt, Sienna went out of the study room. The nature of the castle was such that there were several passages through which the servants could travel unnoticed. No, actually, there were too many passages. Built in ancient times, this castle had too many secrets. Although it was remodeled to some extent, it did not completely solve the existence of all magical devices. Most of them were just so spooky that the rumors got weird, but there were real reasons not to go to some places. Still, at least one person goes missing from this castle every year¡­¡­ Sienna had experienced it before, but it wasn¡¯t just because the castle was too wide. Fortunately, Sienna, who had been a servant in the castle for many years, knew several safe, barely used passages. One of them, the stairs of Gujeong Pavilion, was in the corner of the hallway on the second floor. On the way, there was a fruit basket decorated to look good and smell good, so Sienna picked a red apple out of the bunch. She rubbed the apple against the tied apron that she wore so as not to ruin her clothes with pen ink. It was sweet and crunchy when she took a bite. Crunching an apple with her little mouth, Sienna slowly walked up and down the occasionally curved stairs that were like an ant-dug burrow. There were a total of three exits from the crooked stairs, one of which led to a small door towards the castle¡¯s kitchen. This small door was always closed, because sometimes a creepy sound like a ghost crying was heard when the door was open, whether it was because of the complicated structure of the stairs or something really was asleep. This door was locked at first, but one day after the chef started claiming, ¡®I heard something crashing and thumping from the inside!¡¯ Anyway, thanks to this, the southern kitchen has almost become a storage warehouse for food ingredients. Sienna grabbed a small cake wrapped in oil paper from the shelf. And as she was accustomed to, she went out the other side of the exit¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± She ran into a grown-up boy who was looking at her with eyes that showed he didn¡¯t know what to do. Red eyes. Just like a cadet who came home on the weekend, he wore a comfortable outfit consisting of a shirt and pants. It was Ashiel. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Silence passed. Sienna nodded, bowed and greeted him. ¡°¡­His Highness the Grand Prince.¡± ¡°How are you here¡­ No, why did you come here?¡± Ashiel¡¯s voice was different from usual, with a tinge of embarrassment. To her amazement, he too had half a piece of muffin in his hand. Amazing. Siena thought dully. The two seemed to have encountered each other in this kitchen for the same purpose. In the past, they had never seen each other so often at home. When he was attending the military academy, Ashiel only came back on New Year¡¯s Day and Thanksgiving. Even so, he would come in the morning and return before the evening of the same day. Sienna, who became a child of Nacht at the end of February, had first met Ashiel on Thanksgiving in October of that year, as originally, there was never a second visit to the orphanage to collect Sienna. How was it when they first met? At that time, she must have thought that the prince didn¡¯t hate her. Because Ashiel was consistent with his cold attitude that was perfect towards everyone. At that time, Sienna could like him by the mere fact that she was not hated. ¡°¡­I never knew the kitchen¡­ How did you get here?¡± There was no need to lie, but Sienna answered with a good attitude. A partially omitted version. ¡°I was hungry, so I was walking¡­¡± Ashiel narrowed his brow. ¡°Didn¡¯t the maid bring snacks?¡± They didn¡¯t bring a meal, let alone snacks. But it was cumbersome to explain it in detail. ¡°The Madam is busy.¡± ¡°Come to think of it, it seems like they¡¯ve been busy in the lobby since before lunchtime¡­ Wait. Then you didn¡¯t get your meal at all?¡± Well, Sienna thought that although Madam Deborah left to grab a fine rope instead of a rotten rope, it was not deceptive to abandon her irresponsibly. ¡°The Madam sent someone else.¡± ¡°So¡­¡­.¡± Anyway, he guessed they starved the child. Ashiel sighed in shock, his gaze staying on the small bite marks that Sienna had made on the red apple. Seeing that it was polished, it must have been a decorative apple. It must have been that she could not stand her hunger as she followed the smell of food to the kitchen. Because she couldn¡¯t stand her hunger. In his castle. The boy who once broke the head of the orphanage clenched his teeth. It was not because he was angry, but because his heart seemed to be crushed for a moment. Even at that moment, Sienna was just spaced-out. Rather than not knowing what she had suffered, it seemed like a very daily routine to suffer from this. ¡®Damn it.¡¯ Ashiel buried his face in the palms of his hand for a moment in order to hide his face that was about to become sharp and showed his feelings of misery. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s put that down and go up. I¡¯ll fix it¡­¡± What? Sienna took a step back without realizing it. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± It was embarrassing. She didn¡¯t like meeting this guy here, and she didn¡¯t want him to step up for her. It was like this before. Sienna hastily decided that this person doesn¡¯t hate her. The reason why she learned and made a self-defence tool on her own and presented it to Ashiel was because she believed that he would not despise her best humble efforts. It was speculation and blind faith. ¡°Sienna.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want other people to get scolded because of me.¡± Ashiel was speechless. Come to think of it, it was like that. After paying a little less attention, the people who he thought would do well on their own starved the child. It wasn¡¯t hard to guess how the child would be treated if the employees were punished for this. ¡°Yeah. I know what you mean¡­ But it¡¯s better to go up first. I¡¯ll take you there¡­¡± ¡°I can go alone¡­¡± Seeing her green eyes full of careful vigilance, Ashiel regretted what he thought he should have never done. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have broken that scumbag¡¯s head then.¡¯ Of course, it was not that he wanted to respect the life of a human species as a life itself. It was just painful to see the child in front of him fearing him so much. * * * Facing the terrified child¡¯s rejection, Ashiel couldn¡¯t do much. Reluctantly, he secretly called the butler to pick up the child, and insinuated that the butler should take care of this. ¡°Uh-huh¡­¡± Mentally, he was angry to quietly move on from everything he wanted to do from start to finish, but he couldn¡¯t help it. It¡¯s not like he can be next to her every day. He wanted to do so only if he could, but the biggest challenge was that Sienna herself was afraid of him and did not want him unless there were realistic conditions. ¡°You should approach it slowly.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Because the butler¡¯s words were comforting, he roughly replied that he knew, but he wasn¡¯t really sure. Will it be forgotten in her mind that he crushed the orphanage director¡¯s head horribly just because he approached slowly? ¡­¡­No, is it right to fear him because of it in the first place? That was the only thing he could point out, but an unfounded feeling that somehow it wasn¡¯t the only thing tormented him quietly. The butler gently added a word of consolation. ¡°Once Young Lady Gildinak¡¯s business is resolved and as time passes, people will gradually accept her.¡± ¡°It should be.¡± The ice-cold prince uttered his words in a voice that was rarely angered. The next morning, a certain maid¡¯s theft was discovered in the castle. ¡°It¡¯s not me!¡± The maid, whose complexion had grown pale, desperately made excuses, but no one believed her. Thus, the maid was kicked out of Nacht with just her body without receiving any letters of recommendation or severance pay. * * * Early in the evening, after the maid was kicked out for a small unsavory thing. ¡°Hello, Grand Prince.¡± The Gildinak girl in question appeared. ¡°Lady Isabelle.¡± A thirteen-year-old lady got off the carriage and elegantly gave her greetings. ¡°Even at the sudden request, you gave me permission in consideration of the cause, so I¡¯m grateful.¡± Lady Isabelle looked very confident while giving her thanks. The figure that has been calculatively trimmed to make even little stray hairs look attractive¡­In any case, it was not like a person who came to challenge the position of the owner of a Named that had no owner for 2,000 years of recorded history. Looking at it, the Countess of Gildinak laughed. ¡°Oh my, I¡¯m speechless because Isabelle greeted so perfectly.¡± From the start, this was to paint their child¡¯s face with gold. (T/N: to make her seem like the perfect lady.) ¡®It¡¯s good that they¡¯re not confused about what purpose they came here for.¡¯ Ashiel did not express his desire to be sarcastic and respectfully treated Isabelle and her mother as challengers. ¡°From now on, the maid will serve the ladies.¡± ¡°My name is Deborah Anis. It is an infinite glory to serve noble people. I will do my best to make sure you don¡¯t feel uncomfortable. Here¡­¡± After a while, after Madam Deborah showed her extreme politeness and took the Gildinak mother and daughter to the guest room. ¡°Young Lady.¡± ¡°?¡± Without Madam Deborah, there was no one who would devote their intelligence to stopping Sienna, who had been locked up in the maid¡¯s room in earnest. The new maid didn¡¯t repeat the mistakes of the old maid, but instead of actively stopping Sienna, she opted for the simple way of knocking on the maid¡¯s room door whenever she had business. ¡°What?¡± ¡°A guest has arrived. The prince has ordered the young miss to attend the supper.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± If she was an eleven-year-old, she would have barely understood the phrase ¡®you have to have dinner with the guests¡¯ in that sentence, but now Sienna can fully appreciate the depths of the ocean beneath the tip of the iceberg. ¡®Gildinak, Hesaros, the challenge.¡¯ Sienna closed the book she was reading. ¡°Okay.¡± * * * The dinner was set to be a small family dinner. ¡°There is no need to formalize the visit of the mother and daughter by gathering all the vassals.¡± ¡°Yes. Your Highness the Grand Prince must have judged that too.¡± Anyway, the Countess of Gildinak and Lady Isabelle deserved an escort. Fortunately for Ashiel, since the grand duke was absent, he chose to escort the Countess of Gildinak from among the mother and daughter pair. It may not be very fortunate, but the mother was better than the girl who thought of him as her future husband. Of course, if it was a public place, it would have been a scandal for both of them. In that sense, the fact that this was the nature of Nacht was not just fortunate, but a one in ten million case of luck. Well, because of that, his younger brother who incidentally took on the role of escort for Young Lady Gildinak, unlike him, did not find anything to be particularly grateful for. Michael even complained when he ordered him to be Isabelle¡¯s escort. ¡°If father was here, you would have escorted her¡­¡± ¡°Michael.¡± ¡°This girl, I heard she¡¯s here to take her place? I don¡¯t like it.¡± Ashiel immediately noticed that he was talking about Sienna. It was surprising that the clearly picky younger brother quickly became attached to that child¡­ Ashiel was a more experienced older brother than he looked, and he knew well that if he pointed out that he was surprised here, he could ignite his brother¡¯s high self-esteem. So Ashiel said only one word. ¡°Michael Nacht. As the Grand Prince, I ask for your help. Officially.¡± ¡°Brother. What can I do if you¡¯re like this?¡± His brother, who was as distant as his father, asked for help. Only then did Michael nod in a reluctant manner. Even now, Lady Isabelle was talking excitedly about this and that¡­¡­ ¡°Oh my God, being treated to dinner at Nacht. It¡¯s like a dream.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It will be remembered for the rest of my life. I¡¯m more nervous in this moment than challenging Hesaros.¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± Ashiel smiled bitterly. ¡®He didn¡¯t respond with more than a word at all.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t help it that it was Michael¡¯s limit. When the brothers and the mother and daughter entered the banquet hall, Sienna had already arrived and was waiting patiently for them. ¡°What, why are you here so early?¡± Michael was the first to react. ¡°You could have come a little late. Why are you so early?¡± Ashiel, who knew that Michael was attached to her, thought he was surprisingly rude. Michael didn¡¯t even show Isabelle, who he was escorting, where to sit, and just sat down next to Sienna. ¡°Little Prince.¡± Sienna answered in a small way, not expressing that she was uncomfortable or shy. Ashiel was a little shocked. ¡®You two¡­¡­¡¯ They got close. Although Michael was hitting Sienna, who didn¡¯t seem particularly comfortable unilaterally, he couldn¡¯t find anything that showed she was afraid of Michael. It¡¯s because she sees him often, although Michael¡¯s attitude wasn¡¯t gentle at first¡­ As for Ashiel who made Siena take a step back even with kind words of help¡­ ¡°Your Highness?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Sorry.¡± This. It wasn¡¯t the time to be silent. Ashiel sat the countess in the seat across from Michael and Lady Isabelle in the seat next to him, and headed to the top. ¡°Oh my gosh, this child is¡­¡± ¡°Sienna. A child of Nacht.¡± Ashiel deliberately avoided explanatory comments such as ¡®They recently sponsored an orphan¡¯. Isabelle¡¯s expression stiffened at first glance, but the Countess of Gildinak laughed as if she understood it. ¡°Okay. Well then, let me see. It¡¯s still too rude to call her Miss Siena¡­?¡± It was a tone that urged her to reveal her last name. Of course, it wasn¡¯t meant to be polite. The countess must have already known that Sienna was an orphan. So, asking for her last name means¡­ ¡°I am an orphan.¡± ¡°Oh my gosh¡­ I see.¡± It was just a cornerstone to get those words out of Sienna¡¯s mouth. Instead of Sienna, who roughly threw out all the words she wanted and drew attention, Michael raised his head with a glare. But the second son, who could not match her daughter¡¯s age, was not in the countess¡¯ interest. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± As soon as the wife apologized to Sienna roughly, she immediately began to focus on Ashiel. ¡°By the way, thank you for the generous hospitality despite my sudden visit. How should I repay this favor¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a favor, and it¡¯s not something to repay.¡± It was clearly visible that she was going to bite onto an excuse to reciprocate, so Ashiel cut off her words. ¡°It¡¯s just our responsibility as the owner of the Named.¡± ¡°How come you have such a sense of responsibility¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s my father¡¯s decision.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. As the eldest son of the great Grand Duke, you must have resembled your father, right? You are very good at the military academy, and you have leadership.¡± Even after cutting her off with a cold attitude, embarrassing praise continued. Even with Ashiel¡¯s hardened expression, it was becoming increasingly difficult to hide the uncomfortable look. Besides, somehow, he kept seeing Sienna¡¯s eyes. However, Sienna was so busy savoring the meal that it was lost to Ashiel whether or not she noticed him. ¡®It seemed that she couldn¡¯t eat well in the past.¡¯ It was nice to see them all and eat well. Perhaps Michael felt the same way, as he spoke, next to Sienna, ¡®What kind of ingredients is in that?¡¯, ¡®Try it because it¡¯s delicious.¡¯ He was busy making a fuss. ¡®Ha¡­¡¯ Since his younger brother was born, there have been countless small things he envied about the second son, but not at any moment as much as now. ¡°¡­Nacht really cares about the child.¡± Then, Isabelle opened her mouth. ¡°I envy you. Sienna, you are undeservedly blessed.¡± It just sounded nice at first glance, but¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Sienna noticed it calmly. This was hostile. It was roughly what she expected, and she wouldn¡¯t have been surprised even if she didn¡¯t expect it. Originally Sienna was not immune to goodwill at all, but she was a person who was disproportionately trained so that even if she was stabbed with a knife, she would not blink an eye. ¡°Sienna?¡± ¡°¡­I am grateful to the Grand Duke for being merciful.¡± Everyone except Michael was a little surprised by the overly mature tone. Sienna added bluntly. ¡°¡­I¡¯ve learned to express my gratitude.¡± It was a very insincere act. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯ve learned¡­¡± Seeing Isabelle recovering from the attack, Sienna measured. ¡®It¡¯s nothing.¡¯ Loreina¡¯s hostility was kept secret for nearly ten years without her even realizing that it was a sword, and it was sharp enough to pierce her throat at once. To put it bluntly, Isabelle¡¯s quarrel is like¡­ a child¡¯s? ¡®It¡¯s cheesy. There¡¯s no benefit in touching something like me.¡¯ Sienna let go of the hostility like dust that could be wiped off. That indifferent attitude stimulated Isabelle. ¡®Cheeky¡­¡­¡¯ Isn¡¯t she really such a cheeky girl! Even though she had come prepared mentally in anticipation of her shamelessness, it was unacceptable. She couldn¡¯t stand it because it was disgusting that she got the position she and her parents wanted to die for in such an unconcerned manner. Of course, Sienna shouldn¡¯t know what to do because she¡¯s embarrassed, and she should be restless to see her, who has more legitimate qualifications. How can she be so quiet? ¡®Is this to say that she ¡®won¡¯?¡¯ Isabelle can¡¯t do this. She wasn¡¯t going to do this. ¡®I have to make my subject known publicly.¡¯ It would be her duty as a noblewoman to make such a humble person understand the subject. ¡°I have a good idea. How about if Miss Sienna here and I challenge the ownership of Hesaros tomorrow?¡± ¡°Isabelle!¡± ¡°What nonsense is that¡­¡± Everyone, to be exact, Ashiel was stunned, Michael was furious, and even the Countess of Gildinak was startled by her daughter¡¯s sudden action, but Isabelle didn¡¯t stop there. ¡°No one has ever had the honor of receiving the patronage of Grand Duke Nacht. So Sienna, you must have more qualities than me. I think it¡¯s absurd that I am the only one to challenge Hesaros, while leaving you aside.¡± Isabelle thought soberly that it was unlikely that she would ever own Hesaros. ¡®If there is no possibility even for me, then that orphan bitch has no possibility at all.¡¯ If both challenge Hesaros¡¯ ownership, the gap will be stark. Isabelle, she will fail unfortunately, while that will fail miserably. ¡°How is it?¡± Convinced of that, Isabelle smiled sweetly like a melting dessert. Sienna¡¯s eyes were unimpressed, then a little bit of thought came to mind. ¡®Look at this¡­¡¯ Things are becoming fun. ¡®Is this an opportunity?¡¯ This life is ruined, so get out quickly, that kind of help? * * * Named Hesaros, or Flame of Hesaros. It was one of the thirteen weapons contained in the Millennium Box, the most representative of the few relics that have barely survived the Great Destruction of the Ancient World¡­ ¡°It¡¯s never, ever, literally, never had a master!¡± There wasn¡¯t much Sienna had to say to Michael, who was exclaiming that everything he knew was about to happen. ¡°Incredible.¡± ¡°You¡¯re being carefree again? Hey, you¡¯re sure to fail! Don¡¯t you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­.¡± According to Sienna¡¯s reasoning on the day she first met the necklace, something more terrible than a simple failure was going to happen, but she didn¡¯t intend to say it outright. (T/N: she¡¯s thinking about her first life, not this one.) ¡°Look here.¡± Michael took the book from Seth¡¯s hand and held it in front of Sienna¡¯s eyes. ¡°That¡¯s how it is here. The Flame of Purification, Hesaros, has never chosen a master, hence the nickname ¡®untamed¡¯ !¡± At that moment, Sienna¡¯s mind was just jumbled with simple thoughts, such as, ¡®It sounds like the people of the Empire really like to give things nicknames.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s going to fail. There¡¯s nothing more to see.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Thinking of Loreina¡¯s case, Sienna thought. If Loreina, who had her original magic power and Sienna¡¯s magic power, only managed to win and survive¡­ ¡®Isn¡¯t it enough to find the probability of dying?¡¯ It¡¯s not bad to simply fail. For Sienna, she didn¡¯t have to, and she didn¡¯t really want to, to prove that she was qualified as a child in this house. In lieu of Sienna, who behaved more than casually, Michael held his own head. ¡°That¡¯s the problem! If you fail and, I really do not want to imagine it, but what if that grumpy girl succeeds?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s very unlikely, though.¡± Seth, who was still, intervened, but Michael was not persuaded. ¡°It means there¡¯s almost none. It doesn¡¯t mean there¡¯s none!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, but¡­¡± ¡°If that one thing happens, her situation will be difficult. Hey, what would you do if it really happened?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Then it¡¯s like that. What can she do? ¡°Now that she¡¯s beaten you, the ward, the girl will claim that she deserves more. What if she sends you back to the orphanage and says she¡¯s going to receive the support instead?¡± If so¡­ ¡°I should go back to the orphanage.¡± I¡¯ll just see Teacher Lisa again, right? Michael was shocked by Sienna, who was not affected at all. ¡°You, you¡­ how can you say something like that so casually? Do you think I, me, my father, or my older brother would abandon you so easily¡­?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­.¡± No matter how much Sienna wanted to say ¡®yes¡¯. She knew she couldn¡¯t answer with that. Reluctantly, Sienna changed her words a little. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what I should do?¡± Aristocrats are always willing to patronize a better child. A world that requires one to have double the talent if the blood that flows is weak. If it turns out there is a lack of talent, then of course, there was no need for further care. ¡°How¡­ hey, such a misunderstanding¡­ it¡¯s not at all. You are already a child here.¡± ¡°The sponsorship may be cancelled.¡± ¡°It can happen to sponsorships, but not to you.¡± Michael made a serious affirmation with a slightly different attitude than before. ¡°You ate the pomegranate.¡± It was the pomegranate again. A topic that was inevitably boring. ¡°That¡¯s it¡­¡± Sienna tried to go lightly, but¡­ ¡°You don¡¯t know, but it was already some kind of magic. It¡¯s irreversible.¡± ¡­A story that could not be overlooked came out. * * * Isabelle had an accident, but the Countess of Gildinak remained calm. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a good opportunity. Now that this has happened, let¡¯s make sure the orphan and you are further contrasted.¡± ¡°Mother¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Yes, my daughter. Don¡¯t blame yourself. You did very well.¡± ¡°But the Prince did not assure us that he would let the child challenge too!¡± ¡°Mom will figure it out somehow.¡± Isabelle bit her lip as if anxious, despite her reliable affirmation. ¡°Why so, my dear daughter?¡± ¡°¡­Mom, what if¡­ the orphan wins over me?¡± ¡°Where are you talking about such a big deal! How could that be?¡± When the countess shouted loudly, Isabelle sniffled and tried to make herself feel relieved. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Really, really, even if that orphan bitch is better than you, she doesn¡¯t have this mother?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ that¡¯s right!¡± ¡°A maid in this house is an acquaintance of your mother¡¯s relatives. And I¡¯ve already contacted her before coming here.¡± As a result of our conversation, the recently changed maid, Mrs. Deborah, was a person who could speak, unlike her strict predecessor, who was an infinite insider. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my daughter. You only need to trust this mother.¡± The countess muttered with a somewhat fanatical look, as if hypnotizing herself and her daughter. ¡°Only trust your mother. You will surely become Nacht¡¯s child and the future grand duchess. I will make that happen. You just need to trust your mother¡­¡± * * * ¡°I¡¯ve got a headache.¡± Ashiel evaluated the situation with a firm face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t think anything else will happen other than the both of their failures¡­¡± ¡°The Named is not, as it is known, a kind weapon that only saves the world.¡± There was a more possible threat than that. ¡°¡­They may not be able to get out of it.¡± A Named measures the challenger¡¯s vessel with their own insight. ¡°We have no idea what vessel Hesaros is measuring. Of course, in most cases they will simply fail¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that it¡¯s a very small probability that they can¡¯t get out.¡± When Isabelle Gildinak said that she would take on the challenge, the probability was so small that he could not be concerned at all. But when that small possibility was put in Sienna¡¯s, Ashiel reacted in a completely different way. ¡°What are the qualities of that child?¡± ¡°As you know, we don¡¯t know exactly before ¡®first manifestation¡¯. If you¡¯re the grand duke, you¡¯ll have a vague guess.¡­ He never gave us a word.¡± The grand duke in question was now stuck on the battlefield. Ashiel muttered sharply. ¡°He¡¯s still not here when we need it the most.¡± ¡°He said it¡¯s almost finished, so he¡¯ll be back in a day or two at the most.¡± One day, two days. It was the same as Ashiel¡¯s calculations. ¡®At least a half a day to two days.¡¯ It meant that he would not be back until after this bloody test was over unless he¡¯s really lucky. ¡°I¡¯d rather not let her take the test.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to let Gildinak sit still. No, not just Gildinak.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure she talks a lot. In Nacht, you don¡¯t have to listen to every single thing.¡± ¡°If she talks too much, you will suffer in the future.¡± For Ashiel now, it was more effective to say this than to speak about the image of the grand duchy. As expected of the butler, the grand prince bit his lip and sank. ¡°In my opinion, it¡¯s better to let both of them fail.¡± That was also the most probable. ¡°Since she ate the blessed pomegranate, won¡¯t this land and castle help her? It¡¯s too much to worry about.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°At the end of the day, Gildinak¡¯s young lady is very talented, so after Gildinak fails, no one will try this foolish method.¡± Just once. He only had to do this once. Ashiel knows. If only she had been the one he had to hang out with, he would have nodded his head a hundred times already¡­ (T/N: ¡®she¡¯ as in Sienna.) Just then, a presence was felt outside. ¡°¡­Brother! It can¡¯t be! Brother, try to stop her! She¡¯s been talking nonsense since a while ago!¡± Of course, it was his younger brother Michael who came screaming and shouting, and the one he was pointing at was¡­ ¡°¡­Sienna?¡± ¡°Grand Prince. I have something to tell you.¡± Green eyes like a misty forest looked at him. Every time this happened, Ashiel felt like she¡¯s a lost child in a distant place¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll challenge Hesaros too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± * * * Actually, Michael didn¡¯t know much about the topic of ¡®irreversible magic¡¯. The boy was just thinking it was a magical way to become a family. ¡°It¡¯s a complicated explanation, but the essence won¡¯t be much different.¡± Seth explained. ¡°Sometimes old customs can become magic when they have power. It¡¯s not common, but¡­ isn¡¯t this the nature of Nacht?¡± The legacy of a prosperous era when human magic was the only way to surpass law. ¡°If it¡¯s a custom that has been practiced for a long time in a place like this, it might have met the conditions to call it magic.¡± ¡°Is it irreversible?¡± ¡°If a custom has become magic, reverse spells do not exist. It is not a deliberately designed magic, so it is quite difficult to guess the extent to which its effect on the body.¡± When Sienna¡¯s expression hardened, Seth hurriedly waved his hand. ¡°No, it¡¯s not like a curse. Rather, it¡¯s just to help make life easier in this castle. Originally, this place was only allowed to the blood of Nacht.¡± ¡°A place only allowed for blood relatives?¡± ¡°Yes, there is a powerful magic field in this castle¡­ that makes non-blood-related wizards quite uncomfortable.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°So today, I also cast a spell to resist the magic field.¡± Sienna nodded her head. It was because she remembered that Loreina had said a similar thing back in the day and periodically cast resistance spells. Of course, Sienna, who was hardly a wizard, didn¡¯t need that magic. ¡®I mean, so¡­¡¯ The pomegranate¡¯s magic was making this castle recognize Sienna as a blood relative of Nacht, and it meant that there was no way to get rid of it. Those words sounded almost like this to Sienna¡¯s ears. ¡®¡­Since this life is definitely ruined, aren¡¯t you telling me to just run away?¡¯ Spilled water cannot be picked up and lost time cannot be reversed. In general, this is the case. In general, yes. The owner of the unusual experience of drinking poison and waking up again in Room 6 of Kendall Orphanage thought: If you die again, will you go against time again? It was an interesting speculation, but it was only a hypothesis. The price of a hasty test was life. But Sienna didn¡¯t care. ¡®Well, in such a ruined situation, if I can¡¯t get it back, isn¡¯t it okay to die?¡¯ It could have been a completely insane experimental spirit that if the senior professors in the magical sciences knew it, they might have praised it as ¡®a sacrifice for the development of great magic¡¯ and try to take her into apprenticeship¡­ ¡°You can¡¯t.¡± Fortunately, there were obstacles. Seeing Ashiel coming out stronger than expected, Sienna blinked. The resolute refusal was unexpected. ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t deserve it, but¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying that¡­¡± There was a slight crack on his ice-cold face. Ashiel sighed and explained. ¡°Challenging the Named is not something that can be easily decided like taking a walk after eating. Isabelle Gildinak is unfortunately a well-trained wizard¡­¡± ¡°But I heard that you don¡¯t need any training to challenge the Named.¡± ¡°¡­Who said that?¡± Behind the children, Seth smiled modestly. Ashiel sighed. ¡°This can be a pretty dangerous problem.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the probability?¡± Sienna¡¯s stab was the deadliest loophole in Ashiel¡¯s ¡®don¡¯t do it because it¡¯s dangerous¡¯ logic. Seth, who couldn¡¯t help it, coughed in and intervened. ¡°Your Highness, I have no doubt, but may I say something?¡± ¡°Sestian.¡± ¡°All wizards have the right to challenge the ownership of the Named. The same goes for Lady Sienna. If you don¡¯t like it, it¡¯s a bit¡­¡± Ashiel never thought about it from that perspective, but¡­ That was correct. What the Named tests is not the degree of training, but the innate qualities. Even for Isabelle Gildinak, it could not be said that it was not possible for Sienna to do what was allowed. That would be an unfair decision. ¡°But Teacher, I asked you earlier.¡± Instead of his brother, Michael opened his mouth. ¡°What if she fails and the other succeeds?¡± ¡°The probability of that is¡­¡± ¡°Brother, do you know? She believes that if Isabelle Gildinak succeeds, she should go back to the orphanage!¡± ¡°What?¡± Ashiel frowned at the nonsense he had never considered. But Sienna was just calm. ¡°I thought you would do that.¡± Did she really think that if Isabelle Gildinak was superior to her and succeeded, his father would send her back to the orphanage right away? As if there was something wrong with her, so she¡¯s going to be treated as if he bought the wrong thing¡­ His head went numb as if he had been hit with a blunt object. There was no way the boy could know what to say in the face of such a strong trust, or even distrust. Sienna looked unscathed. On the contrary, Ashiel and Michael were to the point of being hurt by such an attitude. ¡®Why?¡¯ In Ashiel¡¯s mind, the image of Sienna he met in the kitchen came to mind. Even though she was starving because they didn¡¯t give her food, she chose to wander through this wide and dangerous castle rather than go to him or someone else to ask for help. What was the child thinking as she wandered through the winding, dark passages in search of food? Maybe that¡¯s when she started distrusting him. ¡®Yeah, I¡¯ll be more careful from now on¡­ If there are more crackdowns in advance to prevent that from happening¡­¡¯ Can we break down the distrust that¡¯s as strong as a wall? He thought he could do it in his head, but his instincts did not, it shouted. That¡¯s not enough to change the mind of a child who doesn¡¯t doubt that Sienna Nacht will be treated unfairly. ¡®Why¡­?¡¯ Anyway, at this moment, one thing was certain. Neither he nor his father could decide something in an unfair direction for Sienna. Because that was the only way to break the child¡¯s distrust. Even if it doesn¡¯t work at all. * * * Sienna was allowed by Ashiel to challenge, but the test did not come immediately. ¡°I heard that the situation on the front lines is going well. Perhaps in a day or two, the Grand Duke will also return? It meant that she wanted to show off her outstanding skills in front of the grand duke rather than others. In the end, the mother and daughter were allowed two more days of probation. Meanwhile, Sienna¡¯s maid changed once more. ¡°Please, Miss.¡± Surprisingly, this time, the person wanted her to eat even one more spoonful. From her pleading attitude, Sienna easily guessed the circumstances behind it. ¡®What would he say if she didn¡¯t take care of me properly¡­¡¯ Although she had become a better eater than when she had just arrived at the mansion, Siena was originally a small child. In the end, unable to overcome the discomfort, Sienna chose to escape to the garden. ¡°¡­¡­Oh my goodness.¡± Of course, if she had known that she would meet Isabelle Gildinak in that garden, no matter how much the maid pleaded, she wouldn¡¯t have come out. ¡°Who is this? Isn¡¯t that Miss Sienna?¡± The face filled with triumph approached with the flapping of a fan and a sudden change in her eyes. It seemed to say, ¡®You got caught well.¡¯ Of course, she wasn¡¯t afraid of the 14-year-old girl even with this atmosphere. ¡®It¡¯s just annoying to deal with.¡¯ ¡°How can you walk around so shamelessly? If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t be able to lift my head in a situation like this. After all, I can¡¯t expect shame from an orphaned baboon who doesn¡¯t even have parents, can I?¡± Sienna was wondering what she was talking about considering she dressed up and appeared as if she was targeting. ¡®By the way, was this person originally a person who spoke so openly about this?¡¯ The Count of Gildinak and his wife were profit-conscious and cunning, and Isabelle was a proud, noble young lady. ¡®Still¡­ I don¡¯t know, but I thought they weren¡¯t the kind of people who tried their best to trample on others¡­¡¯ Come to think of it, I think I had similar thoughts when they attacked Loreina in the past. They¡¯re not like this, I thought. Preoccupied with such thoughts, Sienna reacted lukewarmly to the insulting lines Isabelle had devised all night long. ¡°¡­Are you ignoring me now? How dare you?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± A light came back in her hazy green eyes, it was not certain as to what she was thinking, but Sienna quickly smiled softly. It was a little funny because she wondered how much she had to roll her head to study insulting words, even though it wasn¡¯t her aptitude. ¡°¡­Are you laughing now?¡± Jeez. Isabelle was trembling with her hairs raised. ¡°Yeah, to be able to laugh right now¡­ It¡¯s like an insect.¡± Staring at her mysterious green eyes, Isabelle gave a clear warning with each and every syllable. ¡°Listen to me. Being a child of Nacht is an honorable position that only those with the right qualifications and qualities can occupy.¡± Sienna nodded her head calmly. Since she said it¡¯s not a laughing matter, this time, with a serious attitude. ¡°I think so too.¡± As much as they agreed, Isabelle¡¯s expression was still not good. ¡°The person who knows that is now¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m rooting for you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± Isabelle¡¯s mouth widened at the words that transcended the realm of understanding. The fan that had been released from her grip rolled down the floor. ¡®Oh no. It looks expensive.¡¯ Sienna picked up the fan without much thought and put it in Isabelle¡¯s hand. Normally, she wouldn¡¯t have grabbed dirty things again after it fell on the floor, but Isabelle was so shocked that she held the dirty fan as Sienna gave her. Sienna patted the back of her hand a couple of times and smiled gently. ¡°Please work hard and take my place.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m rooting for you. Sincerely.¡± ¡°What, what, what¡­¡± Isabelle¡¯s face heated up. Sienna thought she seemed to be very angry. ¡®If I say more, there will be a firestorm.¡¯ She didn¡¯t want to be bothered. So Sienna quickly moved away and waved. ¡°Then, bye.¡± Isabelle, who trembled, was left alone like that. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± No one listened to her even if she shouted belatedly. * * * That evening, Grand Duke Nacht returned. He was home half a day earlier than expected. Sienna was a little worried when she heard that the owner had returned and she had to have dinner with the guests again. ¡°¡­Cough.¡± It was such an insincere coughing sound that felt shameless. ¡°Are you sick?¡± Since his father is here today, the red eyes of the boy, of course, the youngest, who thought he would be escorting Sienna, glanced at her. She thought he would be displeased and scold her for the acting where he couldn¡¯t find even the slightest bit of sincerity, but.¡­. ¡°¡­¡­Yeah, you¡¯re not in the mood to eat in front of the people you¡¯re openly competing with.¡± What? He understood it like this? Michael kicked his tongue while Sienna widened her rabbit-like eyes in surprise. ¡°If it was just me, I¡¯d like to kick them out¡­¡± Michael sighed and swept his hair. ¡°Anyway, yes. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve done all kinds of shit, but I can¡¯t do anything at this time.¡± Anyway, Michael even comforted Sienna like that, saying that it would be over tomorrow because his father returned early. Sienna was so surprised that she nodded her head gently at his expression. A smile spread around Michael¡¯s mouth. ¡°You¡¯re nice.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Suddenly, she thought of this. ¡®If a 10-year-old knows how to say this, this is innate.¡¯ Come to think of it, marriage proposals used to come to Ashiel more, who was icy cold, but I think Michael was actually more popular than him.¡­. ¡®Well, let¡¯s be careful.¡¯ For whatever reason, if you hang around next to a popular person, you will get tired. Since it is an eternal truth, Sienna slightly widened her distance from Michael. ¡°Are you going in? Okay, take a rest.¡± However, it was not a day or two for Sienna to slowly avoid him, so Michael did not pay much attention. * * * The next day, the fateful day dawned. While Madam Deborah was away, Sienna was enjoying the freedom of confinement in the small room. However, as time passed that day, no one came to wake her up. ¡°Did I wake up early?¡±¡® Well, she¡¯s not a real lady, so it doesn¡¯t make sense that she wakes up in the morning only when there¡¯s someone waiting for her. ¡°Let¡¯s go out for now. Huh?¡± Clank, clank. Of course, the handle that was supposed to turn did not turn as if it was tightly blocked. Clank, clank. Sienna grasped the situation only after confirming that she did not make a mistake by turning the handle a couple more times. ¡°¡­It¡¯s locked up.¡± Oh, they know how to use this classic method? The people who imprisoned her in hopes of her being upset and frustrated would be disappointed to find out that Sienna was not very frustrated at all, only letting out a laugh. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect it, but it¡¯s not a very unfamiliar situation¡­¡¯ She truly graduated from panicking over such light bullying when she was 12 years old. ¡®What¡¯s left is to escape or just sleep while it¡¯s like this¡­¡­.¡¯ Of course, she had to escape to stick to the original plan, but she was strongly attracted to the latter. ¡®¡­Yes, it¡¯s not just me anyway.¡¯ She didn¡¯t really want to see Isabelle Gildinak fail to become the owner of Hesaros. They will open it when the time comes. If they don¡¯t open it, all she has to do is wait for Michael to come and kick the door¡­ The moment Sienna started crawling back into her bed. ¡°¡­¡­Lady!¡± It was noisy outside. It was Madam Deborah¡¯s voice. ¡®What?¡¯ The experienced Madam Deborah turned the doorknob a few times, and she cried out, ¡°Wait a minute!¡± and she opened it right away. ¡°¡­¡­Madam?¡± Sienna, who floundered around, looked like she was about to go to sleep again. She had gone through a few peaceful moments that didn¡¯t fit Sienna¡¯s situation, and the eyes of Madam Deborah, who knew her well, were sharpened. ¡°Are you going to sleep again, maybe?¡± ¡°That¡­ it seems like that, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re locked up, didn¡¯t you think of asking for help?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think there will be anyone who can help me if I ask for help¡­¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right, but¡­¡± There weren¡¯t many people who could defeat an orphan who used pity as a weapon. ¡°Anyway, wake up!¡± Sheesh. She thought she¡¯d take a little break today with this excuse. Madame Deborah widened her eyes at Sienna, who kicked her tongue so softly but it could still be heard. It wasn¡¯t scary at all, but I couldn¡¯t keep talking in front of the person who ran to save me, so Sienna had no choice but to get up from her seat. Madam Deborah grumbled as she changed Sienna¡¯s clothes herself. ¡°Whatever it is, it is. You didn¡¯t really believe that Deborah was seduced by Countess Guildinak, did you?¡± Sienna 100% believed so, but she didn¡¯t think she should answer it right away. ¡°¡­¡­Let¡¯s hurry up, you said it was too late.¡± ¡°Lady! You have to answer!¡± * * * The place we arrived at was the theater of Nacht Castle. The wizards dispatched from the tower after being contacted in advance about the Named Challenge. And in the seats, many of Nacht¡¯s senior officers were also present. People whispered to each other as if it was absurd. ¡°She¡¯s late on a day like this¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s really absurd.¡± At this rate, Sienna¡¯s reputation was about to fall to the ground before it even started¡­ ¡°His Majesty the Grand Duke!¡± ¡­There was Madam Deborah on this side. She looked like a strict teacher, but surprisingly good at showmanship. A person who was well versed in the physiology of power and was on Sienna¡¯s side. The madam started by kneeling down so that there was a loud thud. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s all my responsibility that she¡¯s late today! Please punish me.¡± Madam Deborah did not refine her disorganized attire at all as she ran around to perfectly refine Sienna¡¯s attire. Anyone could tell that she was guilty as if something had happened, so the grand Duke roughly guessed the situation. He did not pass it over by saying ¡®Tell me after the ceremony is over,¡¯ but asked like this. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± The madam bit her lips and pretended to be wary. It was passionate acting that reached the point of admiration. Sienna was amazed. On the other hand, Isabelle and her mother, who looked at them anxiously, quickly turned pale. ¡°As the Grand Duke knows¡­ Recently, I brought the young lady around in person to see if there was any unsatisfying possibility like someone ignoring her.¡± This was what a head maid should be, and she showed loyalty that should be used as a textbook. At that desirable appearance, all of Natch¡¯s senior officers nodded at once, saying, ¡®Ah.¡¯ ¡°But I¡¯ve been paying attention to the guests for the past few days¡­ Oh my God, just because I¡¯m busy, the people below me starve her.¡± ¡°What?¡± The grand duke¡¯s eyebrows rose sharply at the words that could not be overlooked. ¡°They starved a child, is that true?¡± ¡°¡­It is true.¡± Ashiel was next to him, and he confirmed while blocking Michael¡¯s mouth, who was about to shout something violently. ¡°I did it because the child didn¡¯t want to make a fuss and asked me to keep it a secret.¡± The archduke was speechless. The same was true for those who had no feelings for Sienna. In particular, the resentment of the loyal vassals was great. ¡°Even though she is an orphan, isn¡¯t she the one the Grand Duke decided to support?¡± ¡°By the way. Starving Nacht¡¯s child¡­ They¡¯ve decided to tarnish the name of the family.¡± ¡°Before that, does it make sense to starve such a small and thin child? Isn¡¯t it something that you can¡¯t accept?¡± Sienna was amazed by the sudden change of public opinion that was like a palm flip. ¡®Is it magic? This is magic, right?¡¯ The wizard, Madam Deborah, did not stop there. ¡°But today, after paying close attention, the newly appointed child locked the lady in the small room!¡± ¡°Oh my god¡­¡± ¡°Oh, my!¡± Now, not only the vassals but also the wizards belonging to the tower have begun to sigh together. ¡°It¡¯s all because of the lack of Deborah, so it won¡¯t be unfair if you punish me. But¡­ would a maid have done that to Nacht¡¯s lady out of personal resentment?¡± It was the climax of the story. People gulped and swallowed saliva all at once. Madam Deborah got up from her seat. Then, with her eyes shining fiercely, that she pretended, she pointed to exactly one side. ¡°When I questioned that part, she immediately vomited. A precious guest from Guildinak promised to give her a hundred gold coins if she wouldn¡¯t let her come here!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Oh, my. Such a vicious¡­!¡± Everyone was perfectly impressed by Madam Deborah¡¯s amazing storytelling skills. ¡°No, it¡¯s not! How could we have done such a rude thing?¡± Countess Guildinak desperately denied it, but the atmosphere did not change. ¡°The Madam argument is¡­¡± Finally, the duke¡¯s mouth opened slowly. ¡°Is my maid lying to frame the countess?¡± ¡°Your Majesty¡­!¡± ¡°Well¡­ Interesting.¡± Of course, it was ironic. Everyone here agreed that there was no reason for a maid to side with an orphan and frame the countess. ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m upset, I¡¯m¡­.¡± The countess, who had become frantic, desperately tried to make excuses, but it did not go well because she was weighed down by the fierce spirit of the grand duke. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± At that time, an old wizard belonging to the Magic Tower, who came as the organizer of the ritual, stepped out with an embarrassed face. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, but it¡¯s almost time for the ceremony.¡± Challenging the Named was a significant magical ritual and was not something that could be canceled on the day. Even if one committed a rebellion against the emperor, he could be punished once he completed the ritual. ¡°¡­¡­Let the ceremony be held, Grand Duke.¡± A cold voice, excluding all emotions, intervened without hesitation. It was Ashiel. ¡°If you fail and then get punished, you will be much more miserable.¡± The mother and daughter of the county turned white. ¡°¡­¡­I see. You¡¯re right, Ashiel.¡± It was a reliable opinion of the eldest son. The grand duke nodded. ¡°Perform the ceremony. Nacht will cooperate. However, everything else will not be related to the Tower, but between families.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s anything like that.¡± ¡°One more thing.¡± The grand duke nailed it in a clear tone. ¡°Even if Isabelle Gildinak becomes the owner of the Named as of today, Nacht will not excuse you from this matter, so keep it in mind.¡± Everyone got it. Although it was not revealed openly, the grand duke was angry. The wizard hesitated, but nodded, saying they would know soon. ¡°Well, Young Lady Gildinak, and Miss Sienna. Please come this way.¡± With a pale face, Isabelle responded to the call. These words rang in her ear. ¡®That girl!¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s all because of that girl!¡¯ Isabelle bit her lips and tried to stay calm. desperately reflecting on what her mother had whispered. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m sure His Majesty was just harsh on us because he misunderstood that we insulted Nacht. You just have to show off your superior skills. Baby. Everything will be solved. Got it? Baby?¡± Yes, as her mom said. If her skills are proven, everyone will look up to her. She can be forgiven for bothering her so much.¡­. With the power of brainwashing close to hypnosis, Isabelle glared at Sienna, and faced her like she was her foe. ¡°¡­¡­How dare you challenge Hesaros with me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It wasn¡¯t like I was trying to do anything out of necessity¡­¡± Sienna thought today was not the day to die, but she didn¡¯t think things would go like this. She smiled and shrugged. ¡°¡­How did this happen?¡± Isabelle trembled to overcome her hatred at the answer that seemed to say it was not a big deal. Just then, something strange flashed in Sienna¡¯s eyes. ¡®Huh? What is it?¡¯ At first glance, the blue eyes of Isabelle seemed to show black energy. It¡¯s something too dark to simply grow so suddenly, and something that¡¯s so close that it¡¯s creepy for a moment¡­¡­. ¡°Hmm, hmm.¡± Sienna¡¯s thoughts did not continue further. This was because a wizard dispatched as a member stepped up. ¡°It¡¯s a little late, but let¡¯s get started. First, the two ladies.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Isabelle clenched her teeth, gracefully grabbed her skirt, and responded to the call. Sienna looked at the senior wizard silently. ¡°The gods of the Millennium Chest have egos and choose their own qualified owners. What you should keep in mind is that there is no reversal of the choice of God. It means that if you are rejected, you have to understand. Did you get that?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± In response to Isabelle¡¯s answer, people whispered, saying, ¡°It¡¯s shameless.¡± It was only quiet when the wizard coughed once again. ¡°All right. Being the owner of the Named means winning the honor of being the guardian of all mankind. Once qualified, the Named will allow possession in return for your full wisdom and heart.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°The contract will be made as soon as you¡¯re recognized by Named Hesaros. Are you ready?¡± Looking at the wise man¡¯s eyes, the grand and wonderful thought of protecting mankind automatically came to mind¡­ Not. Sienna nodded her head in public. ¡°Then, come here.¡± On the platform, there was a basin made of white stones. Hesaros remained calm in the water. ¡°Of course, Young Lady Isabelle Guildinak.¡± Isabelle stood in front of the basin with a nervous expression. The wizard instructed Isabelle to put her hand in the water. But¡­ ¡°Oh¡­¡± As soon as Isabelle¡¯s finger touched the surface, purified water flowed after it broke off slightly with a spark. ¡°Hey, this can¡¯t be!¡± She couldn¡¯t even put her hands in the purified water¡­ Before anyone could say anything, Isabelle hurriedly took off her gloves and tried to dip her hands in the purified water once more. ¡°Ahh¡­!¡± At first glance, a stronger spark occurred. The old wizard shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but that¡¯s all. Young Lady, please step back.¡± ¡°Hey, this is absurd, I¡­¡± The other wizards grabbed Isabelle and made her go down the platform. ¡°Isabelle!¡± Madam Gildinak quickly approached and hugged her daughter, but she couldn¡¯t stop everyone¡¯s scornful eyes from saying ¡®That¡¯s right¡¯. Now they are waiting for the imminent doom. But there was something else that had to come first. ¡°Then.¡± The old wizard blinked at Siena. Sienna calmly stood in front of the basin. In the water, Hesaros wobbled quietly. Sienna slowly dipped her hands into the purified water. The purified water did not reject Sienna. But that was it. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Nothing happened. She paused for a moment, but Sienna soon understood. Right now, Sienna only has the power of one person, but back when this necklace was destroyed, Loreina had the power of two people. The arrogant Hesaros probably wouldn¡¯t even respond to one person¡¯s magic. ¡®I guess it¡¯s not the day I¡¯ll die?¡¯ That¡¯s true. That¡¯s my fate. If life had gone as planned, I wouldn¡¯t have returned to the past like this in the first place. ¡®Because I¡¯m not dead¡­ ¡­ At least Madam Deborah will be happy.¡¯ The moment Sienna, who had lost steam, tried to remove her hand from the purified water. [¡­Don¡¯t go.] ¡­What? Pretty sure it just said ¡®don¡¯t go¡¯¡­ Sienna hurriedly looked around and everyone was just staring at her. ¡®Did I hear it wrong?¡¯ The only person who spoke out was Michael, who looked at Isabelle on the other side, saying, ¡®You¡¯re so arrogant, but you¡¯re not as good as a child from our family.¡¯ ¡®I only put my hands in the water and it seems that I failed too¡­¡¯ [What are you saying.You did not fail.] ¡­No, wait. It was a voice so clear that she could not deny that she had heard it wrong. Come to think of it, the old wizard clearly said this a while ago. ¡°The gods of the Millennium Chest have egos and choose their own worthy owners.¡± There is an ¡®ego¡¯. ¡®That means¡­¡¯ Did it talk? The handsome Named? Why? ¡­You want me to be your master? [You got it right, human. I, Hesaros, have been waiting for you for two thousand years. You, who will be my first owner¡­] Sienna had goosebumps all over her back. ¡®No way!¡¯ As soon as she made that decision, Sienna quickly withdrew her hand from the purified water. ¡°Miss Sienna?¡± ¡°Oh, my hand suddenly stings.¡± She is the owner of the name. What kind of nonsense is this! ¡°Ouch, it hurts.¡± Sienna¡¯s acting had a fatal characteristic that the more urgent it was, the less sincere it would be. ¡°Anyway, it seems that I failed too, so let¡¯s stop¡­¡± Sienna¡¯s hope for the future was to be a salary thief at an acceptable level. If not, it wouldn¡¯t be bad to walk the path of a researcher who could not leave her name in history because there were countless in the magic world. But being the owner of the Named, of which there are only a dozen of such people in the whole human race? A guardian of humanity? Haha. It was absurd, so Sienna wanted to laugh instead. ¡®Give it to the dogs.¡¯ The moment when she wanted to quickly step away from the podium to avoid the cause that would throw her fate into a storm¡­ [Hey!!] A loud shout rang in her ears. [You, I¡­ I told you not to go!] There¡¯s a crack in the necklace. Thousands of diamonds split and became shiny powder. Amidst the five-colored debris like the breaking sunlight and rainbow, the only red jewel that was left was poured from the water. No, it was no longer a gem. ¡­It was a flame. At the same time, flames erupted from the basin. ¡°Hey, this is¡­!¡± The alarming voice of the old wizard could not be heard. Sienna stared at the flames that were ten times taller than her height. ¡°Oh, oh. Hesaros¡­! The flames of purification¡­!!¡± At that point, Sienna had an intuition. ¡®¡­I screwed this up.¡¯ Sadly, the prediction was not wrong. The flames that soared as if to fill the hall enveloped Sienna. It wasn¡¯t hot. It seemed to be submerged in slightly warm water. She couldn¡¯t hear other people¡¯s voices well. The conversation between people who were astonished outside the flame barrier was roughly like this. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t those in the prosperous era know more about the Untamed Hesaros? But in our time, no one has subjugated it yet¡­!¡± ¡°Then what is that?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the first time in two thousand years since it has had a master!¡± [That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying!] The cold and stern voice answered with a strong tone, but unfortunately only Siena could hear it. Let¡¯s calm down. If you are swept away here, you will not have either porridge or rice. (T/N: You¡¯ll not get anything if you just stay put or don¡¯t stand your ground.) Sienna, who had made up her mind, spoke politely. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m sorry, but the Named Haesaros¡­ Sir?¡± Can I address you like this? ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I haven¡¯t even said a word about becoming your owner yet.¡± [Ha! Do you think I¡¯m here to ask your opinion?] At this point, Sienna also teared up. ¡°Isn¡¯t the contract originally under the mutual consent of both parties?¡± It was a logically valid point, but¡­ [I do not know. What is that? I do not know. Besides, I¡¯m not even the first Named you met!] The fire, which had been quiet for a while, blazed fiercely once again. [I don¡¯t know what kind of guy it is, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯re not arguing with me over that Named?] ¡°No¡­¡­.¡± Hesaros was the only Named who I actually saw, let alone weighing them. (T/N: ¡®weighing¡¯ as in ¡®deciding between¡¯.) ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re misunderstanding, but I¡¯ve never seen another Named, and I¡¯m not weighing anything.¡± Despite the calm explanation, Hesaros could not easily dismiss his doubts. [That¡¯s weird. I can¡¯t see the scars wrong¡­] It mumbled in a doubtful voice. [Let¡¯s say that¡¯s true. But if you¡¯re not weighing, why don¡¯t you sign a contract?] ¡°What? Of course, it¡¯s because I don¡¯t want to be your owner.¡± [¡­¡­.] She threw a good fastball with no frills, and she crushed the pride of the high-spirited Named with her authenticity. The Named¡¯s voice, which was irrecoverably shocked, trembled. [No, by the way¡­ Why?] ¡°That¡­¡­.¡± ¡®Uh?¡¯ Sienna¡¯s eyes, as she was about to answer further, suddenly darkened. Hesaros said ¡®Oh my¡¯, then asked. [You! Could it be that this is the ¡®first manifestation¡¯?!] She couldn¡¯t answer. Sienna staggered and tried to balance, but to no avail. Soon after, as if her feet had suddenly entered a swamp, she felt like she was being dragged in¡­ ¡®Ah¡­¡¯ Consciousness faded away. It was a familiar feeling. * * * All children with the aptitude to become wizards begin their education around the age of ten. It was also to prepare for the madness caused by early education, but it was usually because of the ¡®first manifestation¡¯ around that time. First manifestation. It referred to the first magic that comes out instinctively, unconsciously, before formal education. The scale and disposition of this magic could measure what kind of wizard a child would become and how powerful he would be. It was very important because it was an indicator that could roughly infer future growth limits, not simply the total amount of power he currently has. So there were many people who faked the scale of the first manifestation. There was even an old saying that said ¡®the sound of a wizard talking about his first manifestation¡¯ is nonsense that you can¡¯t listen to at all? ¡°Perhaps we would have said the same thing if we hadn¡¯t seen and heard it today.¡± The old wizard admired with a rare excited tone, but the grand duke only looked down at Sienna, who was sleeping quietly. The child who successfully completed their first manifestation a while ago. ¡®¡­No, it¡¯s overly successful. This.¡¯ She was chosen as the owner by the twelfth Named, Untamed Hesaros, who had not chosen a master over two thousand years of recorded history. At the same time, the area was purified with the fire of Hesaros. It was absurd. Nacht Castle was an ancient castle that was originally abandoned. Numerous magics resided, and at the same time, they seemed almost drenched in the fraud that had been drawn to them. The fraud that could not be completely removed even if the Terraformer cleaned up periodically was hardly felt now. ¡°If she was able to achieve this level of purification in the first manifestation, this humble wizard dares to predict that the owner of Hesaros will probably grow up to be an excellent Terraformer.¡± ¡°Oh my gosh¡­¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯m really anticipating it, Grand Duke!¡± ¡°How can there be such a joyous thing!¡± Everyone was busy giving their congratulations. ¡°It must be so.¡± Michael muttered cynically. ¡°It¡¯s funny that people who were arguing about it an hour ago are now talking about ¡®Nacht¡¯s good fortune¡¯.¡± Saying that not everyone was like that did not work on Michael, who was already hurt. ¡°¡­Because Terraformers are that rare.¡± Ashiel said in a voice whose emotions were hard to read. To some extent, to use magic is to risk being crazy or becoming a monster. Losing one¡¯s ego or oneself¡­ The Terraformer was the only one who could protect wizards from such a fatal danger. ¡®And any true wizard is sensitive to the threats posed to the Terraformer.¡¯ The stronger the wizard, the more violently he reacts to the threat posed to the Terraformer. Now that Sienna¡¯s purifying fire swept through the castle once, Ashiel was feeling the effect through his skin. If he had to use an analogy, it used to feel like breathing underwater, but now it feels refreshing as if he was being hit by a cool breeze in an open field. ¡®It¡¯s so peaceful around here¡­ It must be the first time since I was in my mother¡¯s womb.¡¯ It seemed like a lie. What was even more like a lie was the scenery outside the window. There were sprouts on each branch, but it was still early March. It was a time when winter had not gone away, so the garden was desolate. But now¡­ Every tree has green leaves. The star magnolia tree species, whose flowers appear before the leaves, had their white petals in full bloom. Every time a cold wind blew, the flower petals that bloomed prematurely flew away. ¡°It¡¯s the last snow of this winter.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really surprising. I¡¯ve heard that the purifying power of Terraformers often affects natural objects, but I didn¡¯t know I¡¯d actually see it with my own eyes¡­¡± Hearing the praises of the people, Ashiel stared blankly at the spring that Sienna had called. Why? He thought that he would never forget this spring scenery, which was as clear as ice and as cold as winter, until he died. It was intuition. ¡°¡­Yes, it¡¯s all good. It¡¯s good. It¡¯s good¡­¡± Michael looked dissatisfied with Ashiel, who was generally reliable but was now somewhat absent-minded on a subject, sighed in relief. ¡°So when is she waking up?¡± Yes. Sienna, who had actually done such a great job, passed out without even receiving any congratulations. ¡®I don¡¯t like it.¡¯ The person who really deserved the congratulations had fainted, but the ignorant humans were so noisy that the child couldn¡¯t even rest¡­ Michael was experiencing firsthand what it meant to be boiling. ¡°Stop it, everyone be quiet and leave.¡± That thought was the same for the grand duke as well. Those who were excited about the child¡¯s need to rest put on a humble expression on their faces. ¡°Then we¡¯ll go back to the hall.¡± ¡°We will prepare to make a quick decision about Count Gildinak.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If they dare to harm a child of Nacht, they can¡¯t go on like this.¡± ¡°Well.¡± When the seniors retreated, only the three from the Nacht family and Madam Deborah were left in the room. Blood relatives and closest staff. When there was no danger of words leaking, the grand duke quietly opened his mouth. ¡°Now that they have returned, you can open your eyes.¡± ¡°What?¡± Michael opened his eyes wide. And at the same time, Sienna opened her eyes. ¡°You¡­¡­!¡± His eyes were wide, didn¡¯t she pass out? But it seemed that Michael was the only one surprised. ¡°Did you know too?¡± Ashiel did not answer, but Michael read the affirmative answer and scrunched his brows in annoyance. Sienna made a blunt excuse. ¡°There are too many people¡­¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s understandable.¡± Looking down at the child who was quietly wiggling her hands, the grand duke asked. ¡°Can you comprehend what you have become today?¡± Shake, shake. Sienna shook her head. The grand duke¡¯s expression became slightly complicated. Sienna¡¯s acting skills didn¡¯t improve, but that didn¡¯t matter. One day, after Sienna took hold of his hem, it was as if a part of the grand duke¡¯s hard heart had been withdrawn only for Sienna. She was still a small child, so it was difficult to know where to start talking when she was in front of him. ¡°¡­Yes, then, take a break for now.¡± Unable to do so, the grand duke changed the order slightly. Before talking to Sienna, he decided to settle the matter with the Count of Gildinak. * * * Of course, Sienna understood exactly what had happened today. ¡®I¡¯m probably ruined.¡¯ [No matter how bad it is, isn¡¯t it a bit harsh?] Sienna could hear Hesaros¡¯ squeaks in her head, but to her, it was just a headache. ¡®I roughly expected that I might not die, but¡­¡¯ Suddenly becoming the owner of Named was not part of the plan. At all. An orange ball of fire rose from the troubled Sienna¡¯s fingertips with a small rustling sound. [It¡¯s the first time in two thousand years that I¡¯ve stopped imitating a necklace! It seems that all my stiff shoulders are relieved.] Only you will know how the small fireball with an odd structure was attached to the shoulder and whether it actually was attached. [Oh my ! How could it be this good.] The small ball of fire burned actively, stretching from side to side as if it was really stretching. It was absurd in many ways. Sienna glared at it tiredly and warned. ¡°This is a scam.¡± [Uh-huh, scam! What nonsense is that? You are very harsh.] ¡°It¡¯s a scam because you unilaterally signed a contract after knocking someone out.¡± [One-sided, what does that mean?] Hesaros giggled softly. [You don¡¯t seem to know it well, but to dip your hands in purified water is an oath to be clean in front of the contract. An ancient apocalyptic custom of asking for a contract.] ¡°¡­¡­Yes?¡± [In other words, you have already requested a contract from me by customary action!] ¡°Would it?¡± [I was in a situation where I just had to accept it, I mean.] Sienna¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°The world calls it a scam.¡± [Uh-huh. because it¡¯s not. Anyway, the contract has already been done fairly, and I can¡¯t back down.] Hesarros tried to stretch out like a fussy man who had not chosen his owner for 2,000 years. ¡®If I wrestle with it on this topic, I¡¯ll stay up all night.¡¯ To lower its vigilance, she should ask it something else first. Because that was not the only thing to ask. ¡°What do you mean I purified this area?¡± [That thing?] As if waiting for a question, Hesaros said, ¡°Ahem,¡± and increased its size. [I did it! It is a gift to commemorate the contract.] No, why didn¡¯t you do it¡­? Sienna was stunned. However, Hesaros, who seemed to be a bit ignorant even though it was great, was only showing off to the fullest. [I didn¡¯t know it was your first manifestation, so I took a lot of energy and used it¡­] ¡°So did I faint?¡± [Well, if that¡¯s enough, I won¡¯t touch you recklessly wherever I go. Isn¡¯t that important?] An excited Hesaros leapt frantically in front of Sienna¡¯s eyes. [How? Isn¡¯t it close? Isn¡¯t that great?] ¡°Yeah¡­ it¡¯s so amazing that I can barely breathe¡­¡± [Of course it is. Now everyone will look up to you. Because you¡¯re the owner of this Hesaros, and you¡¯ve shown such a great purification!] In the end, isn¡¯t it for its own pride? I¡¯m in trouble. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for saying this while you¡¯re having fun, but¡­¡± Sienna said, rubbing her aching head. ¡°I said I didn¡¯t want to be the owner because I didn¡¯t want to be seen.¡± [Eh.] Hesaros, who had only thought of receiving praise, denied it for now. [Hey, that¡¯s a lie.] ¡°I¡¯m not lying.¡± It was sincere. In the past, Sienna had the magical power to covet about a subject she knew nothing about. That¡¯s why it got involved with Loreina and was destroyed. ¡®Well, now I won¡¯t be fooled by my sister twice¡­¡¯ If there was a confrontation or entanglement, it would not end with just a bit of a headache. Sienna had no grand dreams or wishes. Instead of wealth or fame, she could be satisfied with a simple life that would not be taken away. [Gee, really?] ¡°Yes.¡± Sienna nodded, looking at Hesaros tiredly. Slowly, very slowly. The orange flame slowly turned blue. Hesaros asked in a trembling voice. [Are, are you going to throw me away?] ¡­Oh? ¡°Can I throw you away?¡± [It can¡¯t be! It¡¯s an eternal contract!] Oh, what. Was it like that? Hesaros, who was blue in response to Sienna¡¯s harsh reaction, quickly turned red and began to burn. [I tried to pretend to be pitiful because I thought you would take pity on me, but you look like a human without blood or tears!] ¡°You sprinkled ashes on my simple dream first.¡± [It¡¯s really ruthless. Really heartless. It¡¯s all about doing good¡­ You didn¡¯t even know that there was someone so near you who was contaminated with fraud.] ¡°Yes?¡± Contaminated by fraud, who? [Why, there was a kid who they call Isabelle. who dared to touch me with fraud.] At that moment, Sienna recalled the mysterious black energy she had seen in Isabelle¡¯s eyes. [The child¡¯s mother was also stained with the same color. Maybe recently, they both did things they hadn¡¯t done before, and their personalities changed somehow. Didn¡¯t you know?] * * * At some point, she came to her senses. There really was no other way to explain it. At the moment when flames erupted from the basin that contained Hesaros, the Countess of Gildinak was astonished in a different sense/ ¡®I¡­ What the hell am I doing?¡¯ ¡°Your Majesty, I, I, I¡­¡± But there was no excuse that it was unfair. Everything she did was right. She openly insulted a child who was smaller than her daughter as an ¡®orphan¡¯. She tried to feed her a poison that temporarily disperses her magic, but she failed. Even when it didn¡¯t work, she ordered someone to lock up the child. ¡®I, what the hell am I¡­¡¯ The Count of Gildinak and his wife were clearly bright but somewhat disrespectful. But the means and methods were obscured. ¡®More than anything else, just because we harm that child doesn¡¯t mean that our child will become a ward¡­¡¯ Why would she do such a stupid thing? For the past few days, she had been unable to understand herself. It was as if possessed by a demon. However, if she said such a thing in front of all the crimes that had been revealed, it would only add to the guilt. ¡°I, Your Majesty. My daughter doesn¡¯t know anything. It¡¯s all me, I made it up by myself¡­!¡± As one of the four judges directly appointed by the emperor, Grand Duke Nakht, the king of the underworld, was able to exercise judicial power alone. In other words, if the grand duke was happy, even if the mother and daughter were cut off to death immediately, no one could hold him legally responsible. In a desperate crisis, the Countess of Gildinak tried to save at least the life of her daughter. ¡°Sir, please¡­!¡± ¡°Stop.¡± But the grand duke¡¯s face was only cold. ¡°You wanted to harm the child I sponsored.¡± ¡°Ah, ah, ah, my lord¡­¡± With red eyes, the king of the underworld sentenced her. ¡°Let her know by death. Nacht has no mercy.¡± That was then. ¡°Come on, wait a minute!¡± It was Sienna. ¡°If you send a child in here, are you thinking of getting paid without working?¡± ¡°Your Majesty the Grand Duke.¡± When Ashiel reacted more sharply than the grand duke, the gatekeepers panicked. ¡°I asked them to let me in. I have something to tell you.¡± Sienna intervened calmly. ¡°I was a bit forceful, so I hope you don¡¯t scold them.¡± Astonishingly, Ashiel shut his mouth. Oh? People¡¯s eyes were different. ¡®Isn¡¯t he the one who takes into account unavoidable circumstances?¡¯ I don¡¯t know the principle, but it was true that Sienna quieted Ashiel Nacht, the incarnation of discipline and norm, and that ice blade-like thing in a word. People were amazed. ¡°The owner of Hesaros is also very mature.¡± ¡°As expected, geniuses are extraordinary.¡± ¡°Sienna.¡± When the grand duke called her name, Sienna flinched, at least slightly. Maybe that¡¯s why, every time the grand duke called Sienna¡¯s name, it felt like he was making a big mistake. But for the first time, he asked without making such an expression. ¡°What do you have to say?¡± ¡°So¡­¡­.¡± After a while. When Sienna finished explaining, everyone gave a strange expression. ¡°It¡¯s an unbelievable story.¡± That¡¯s right. Sienna thought it was a story she couldn¡¯t believe either. So she decided to put all the blame on the culprit. ¡°Hesaros told me.¡± ¨C Ahem. ¡°Oh¡­ then¡­¡± The effect was awesome. Sienna admired it inwardly. ¡®I said it hoping it would work, but does it work better than I thought?¡¯ Perhaps it was because Siena was the only one who heard the voice that was showing off. ¡®Anyway, I think it¡¯ll be good for when I make excuses after committing a crime.¡¯ There were no plans to do anything yet, but Sienna decided to keep this in mind. The old wizard nodded. If they were tainted by fraud, the somewhat absurd and reckless behavior of the Countess of Gildinak and her daughter was understandable. ¡°If the master of Hesaros hadn¡¯t appeared at the right time, both would have become a madman, both of you.¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not a sane thing to believe that someone can bribe a maid of Nacht¡¯s nature.¡± (T/N: Maids of Nacht are unlikely to be bribed because their fear for the grand duke is bigger than their greed for money.) Madam Deborah was a relative of a former maid, but by the standards of the closed underworld, she was an outsider. ¡®But it¡¯s not that she¡¯s an outsider that needs to be emphasized.¡¯ Despite her fatal weakness as an outsider, she became a maid. The position of a maid, in nature, was not a place to be taken lightly. She was a person who served close to Grand Duke Nacht, who had 10,000 magicians and 100,000 elite soldiers alone. He couldn¡¯t just roughly pick. She had to be good at her work, have charisma to control and discipline, and above all, she had to be a person with strong loyalty. ¡°If you look at it, she¡¯s ten times more talkative than Madam Dulcia, the former maid¡­¡± When his assistant, Viscount Devon, shook his head, Madam Deborah coughed, saying, ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I just wanted to pay back the kindness.¡± ¡°Kindness?¡± ¡°There is such a thing. It¡¯s a secret between me and her.¡± Madam Deborah pretended neatly. She didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of saying anything. Devon smacked his lips. ¡®What the hell did the lady in our cradle do?¡¯ Was that picky maid taking sides with her? He was curious, but he wouldn¡¯t get the answers just because he asked more questions. Devon, unfortunately, stopped wondering. The Countess of Gildinak and Isabelle looked up at Sienna in disbelief, who had dramatically opened a way for their lives. It was then that Sienna slowly realized one thing. ¡®This¡­¡¯ It¡¯s like the courtroom before she was taken to prison. The moment she realized that fact, various voices passed Sienna¡¯s ears like a fantasy. ¡°There are traces of witchcraft on Lady Loreina¡¯s body.¡± ¡°Sienna¡­ Sienna! She¡¯s my younger sister, but that child¡­ It can¡¯t be¡­ Oh!¡± ¡°You¡¯re like a vicious girl who deserves to die! Even if you rip and kill her, it¡¯s not cool!¡± ¡°You must kill the traitor and get rid of it, Grand Duke!¡± Among the sporadic voices, the clearest, lowest, and most distinct voice gave the sentence. ¡°I¡¯ll lock her in the deep prison.¡± Among the dungeons of Nacht, the deep prison was notorious for imprisoning prisoners with magical barriers. There were only two ways to get out of there. Either you¡¯re dead, or destined to die. The feeling that all hope was lost when she received that sentence. She remembered the moment when a bottle of poison in her pocket was the only thing she could count on¡­ ¡°Sienna, why are you doing this all of a sudden?¡± At this moment, the voice that ordered her to go to prison asked how she was doing. Sienna looked up at the grand duke with trembling eyes of fear without realizing it. Then, suddenly, Ashiel opened his mouth. ¡°¡­Why?¡± ¡°?¡± Everyone looked at the prince. ¡°Even though they are deceived by fraud, they are not innocent. It is clear that they posed a threat which should not have been inflicted on you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Why did you come to save them?¡± Ironically, at Ashiel¡¯s ice-cold voice, Sienna regained her composure a little. She was able to hide her trembling voice to some extent and say what she wanted to say. ¡°I never saved those people. I don¡¯t have the ability to do that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I just thought it was a lie to hide the truth.¡± Someone with no sense shed an exclamation. Isabelle stared at Sienna blankly in her mother¡¯s arms. It was the child that she had terribly insulted. A lifesaving hand from a completely unexpected place pierced deep into her heart. ¡­Sienna avoided all those gazes and shifted her eyes to finish her answer. ¡°I¡¯m just an orphan, so the decision is made by the Grand Duke.¡± Just like the day when her sister, Loreina, deceived everyone and the grand duke decided to send her to prison. * * * The day the disposal of Countess Gildinak and Lady Isabelle were to be decided. ¡°¡­Is this going to work?¡± ¡°The Count of Gildinak is one of the greatest lords of the Northern Mountain mines. The sudden promotion to the title of Count can be seen as having been bought with money.¡± A mine that could buy even the title of count. The grand duke demanded an exorbitant compensation of fifty percent of the annual gems from that great mine. By dividing the stake in the mine, Count Gildinak will naturally be incorporated into a subordinate of Grand Duke Nacht. Devon nodded in response. ¡°The next new year¡¯s banquet, Gildinak will attend as a vassal family.¡± ¡°Well.¡± In fact, it was like dedicating the whole family and offering it¡­ ¡°Thank you very much.¡± The countess, who returned to her original spirit as soon as she was purified of fraud, was too busy thanking them. I heard that Count Gildinak also went to a Terraformer to receive purification. Thanks to Sienna, all three were able to avoid falling into madness and missing the treatment time before the magical beast started forming. For this reason, the Countess of Gildinak did not dare to hold a grudge against the decision. The same was true for her daughter, Isabelle. When the ghastly expression of longing desire and jealousy amplified by fraud disappeared, the mother and daughter returned and expressed gratitude repeatedly. ¡®Not only that.¡¯ Terraformers were extremely rare. Although it is not a statutory law, if it harms one¡¯s personal life, the punishment is almost equivalent to the murder of an imperial family. In such a situation, she must have been grateful for saving her own life and the life of her only daughter. ¡°What about the message left by the Countess of Gildinak?¡± Before returning home, the Countess of Gildinak grabbed Madam Deborah and left this message. ¡°Please tell her. To the owner of Hesaros. As a sinner, I wouldn¡¯t dare to visit her, but I am deeply grateful for the kindness she has given Gildinak and my daughter.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I will surely repay this favor as long as my life is attached to me. I will raise my daughter as a child who will definitely be of help to the owner of Hesaros in the future.¡± ¡°¡­I think it would be good for her to know as well.¡± The grand duke silently nodded at Devon¡¯s opinion. ¡°Then tell Madam Deborah to pass it onto the young lady. By the way¡­ I wonder where you got the poison that dissipates magical powers temporarily.¡± If Deborah had not fortunately moved in the middle, something big would have happened. ¡°Yes. The situation is suspicious.¡± The Gildinak mother and daughter were inflicted by fraud, but who the hell corrupted their minds? Ashiel, who had been keeping his mouth still until then, opened his mouth. ¡°It could be a maneuver from the outside.¡± ¡°It could be.¡± ¡°Father, are you really going to forgive them like this?¡± ¡°¡­¡­What are you saying?¡± ¡°Even though it was said that it was fraud, it is also undeniable that she was trying to harm a child under Nacht¡¯s protection. Who will solve the child¡¯s injustice? ¡°Ashiel, I think you¡¯re right¡­¡± The grand duke asked while holding a draft of a document stating the details of the compensation. ¡°Who said this was the amount of compensation that Nacht would receive?¡± ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± * * * The great mines of the Northern Mountains are important because the essential jewels are found there. ¡°If it¡¯s an essential jewel¡­¡± ¡°It is called the jewel among jewels. It refers to a special jewel that has the power to inscribe magic spells.¡± No¡­ I know that¡­ All jewels have a special energy condensed, but not all can be engraved with spells. A special jewel with enough strength and energy to inscribe a spell was called the essential jewel. Usually, purification spells were placed in such jewels to protect the body from fraud. An essential jewel was always included in the self-defense department that exerted advanced purification power. In short, it was worth the value. ¡®So¡­¡¯ Sienna looked at the document in her hand with a slightly faint feeling. A reparation agreement to transfer half of the northern mines owned by Gildinak. Surprisingly, the beneficiary was Sienna, not the Nacht family. Sienna¡­ ¡®The owner of the Untamed Named Haesaros, Sienna.¡¯ She looked at her name that was strangely written. However, there was an additional name written on the notarized field. Grand Duke of Feyenoord, Minister of Military Affairs of Emperor Feyenoord. The Lord of the Underworld, the Marquis of E-dravalta. Count of Pasinore. The adversary of Loraxar, the owner of the Named Firstborn Illus Getter, ¡®Guardian with a spear¡¯ Rodrick Ilandroine Nacht. It was the signature that comprises Grand Duke Nacht¡¯s splendid achievements from his 15-year-old soldier boy days until now. ¡®¡­Oh My God.¡¯ How intimidating this small, boldly scribbled signature was. Rather, it seemed less intimidating to the viewer if he wrote frankly, ¡®If the contents of compensation are not faithfully fulfilled, I will lead the army as it is and invade the territory¡¯. ¡®Even this is inheritable¡­¡¯ If you accidentally touch the tip of a pen on this document, from that moment on, half of the Great Northern Mine would be permanently owned by Sienna and her descendants. According to the documents, Gildinak will own half of the shares and will be responsible for the management. After looking around, Sienna was even designated as the first subject of consultation if Gildinak sold or transferred a portion or all of its stake in the mine, delegated management rights, or sold it. Conversely, there were no such restrictions when Sienna sold her stake. ¡®¡­What kind of administrator prepared it?¡¯ The bureaucratic aptitude of the unknown administrator was to the point of admiration, but if possible, she did not want to meet him for the rest of her life. Because this document alone was so thorough, she got goosebumps. ¡°Your Majesty, this is¡­¡± It was overdone, too overdone. ¡°You probably don¡¯t know the value of that mine yet.¡± ¡°No¡­¡­.¡± How could she not know? It was a problem because she knew all too well. In fact, the rights to this great mine was not something that should fall into Sienna¡¯s hands now. In the past, the grand duke had brought Sienna into his home, but he did not pay much attention to her, so rumors did not spread too much in the social circles. To the extent that it¡¯s just ¡®The Grand Duke impulsively decided to support orphans.¡¯ Later, when Loreina came in and it became known that Sienna¡¯s qualities were poor, it was settled with ¡®So it is¡¯. But somehow, the grand duke of this life paid attention to Sienna enough to be called ¡®different¡¯ compared to before. Sienna thought that was the cause of all this. Isabelle Gildinak was originally jealous of Loreina, not Sienna, and tried to start a confrontation but failed, and Gildinak passed one-third of her stake in the essential jewels to the Count of Minangsi. However, the title to the mine and the certificate of compensation are now in Sienna¡¯s hands. It wasn¡¯t even about a third of the essential jewels, but half of the total stake in the mine, including general jewels and minerals. ¡­A cold sweat was flowing. ¡°But I don¡¯t even need jewels that much¡­¡± She didn¡¯t want an overflowing wealth, dotted with jewels and gold coins. Again, Sienna wanted only the economic power that could be realistically achieved. To be more precise, to earn a monthly salary to pay the rent and living expenses, and after about ten years, she would buy a small house with a garden and work diligently, eat, retire and live on savings and pensions! Some might laugh, but it was a sincere dream for Sienna. Besides, stealing the property that should have been Loreina¡¯s? It was clear that there was going to be a backlash. ¡°In order to act as a Named wizard, an essential jewel is essential.¡± ¡°Then, the Grand Duke should receive it, not me.¡± ¡°¡­Sienna.¡± Twitch. The grand duke explained, looking down at the child who always trembled at his call. ¡°You are no longer an orphan. You are the owner of the Named Hesaros.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± This was obviously referring to Sienna referring to herself as an ¡®orphan¡¯. ¡°It¡¯s a daunting story for you who have just completed your first manifestation, but being the owner of the Named comes with military responsibility.¡± If you are just a wizard, you may or may not become a soldier. However, it was different for Sienna, the owner of Hesaros, who had awakened as a Terraformer. As privileges are guaranteed, she will be bound by numerous responsibilities. In the name of ¡®the cause¡¯. Perhaps that was the part that Grand Duke Nacht wanted to talk about. He also wanted to tie up Sienna, who will be a great power in the future¡­ ¡°But if you don¡¯t want to do that, it doesn¡¯t matter. If you want to hand over responsibility¡­ you just have to live like that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes?¡± ¡­What did I hear now? Sienna¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. She thought he would strictly reprimand her to arouse responsibility. ¡®¡­Can I just die?¡¯ Did those words come from the master of the underworld? ¡°But¡­ so, other people.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to listen to what others have to say to you. As for the freedom I have guaranteed you as the Grand Duke of Nacht.¡± The archduke¡¯s red eyes were shining with determination. ¡°No one can invade. Even myself. I guarantee that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°So, just¡­ don¡¯t ever say that you are an orphan.¡± Sienna choked. Her mind was distracted She couldn¡¯t breathe for a second. ¡°¡­I see. Then¡­¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Because you said I can live freely¡­¡± Barely opening her mouth, Sienna pushed the paperwork toward the grand duke. ¡°I¡¯ll think about this too.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, I got it.¡± The grand duke politely replied, and then stood up from his seat. ¡°Let me rest.¡± Perhaps it was because he had said what he wanted to say, the duke¡¯s expressionless expression was somehow more refreshing than usual. ¡®¡­It¡¯s kind of embarrassing.¡¯ This made her realize again. The past that Sienna remembered had become an ¡®it never happened¡¯ to everyone. The past that everyone had forgotten was shackled around Sienna¡¯s ankles. Even if she wanted to ask why she had such shackles wrapped around her ankles, and why things were different now than they used to be¡­ Now, no one in this world can answer. Because it just became something like that. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t think about Sienna at all. (T/N: as in, the past Sienna.) After the attitude of the duke and his sons changed, she continued to think. Can I trust these people? Can I forgive and forget like this? ¡°Haha¡­¡­.¡± A laugh came out of nowhere. Will it be possible to collect the broken pieces and put them back together? Will something new be born here? ¡­Will this wear away and disappear one day? ¡°¡­¡­No.¡± She couldn¡¯t, she couldn¡¯t do that at all¡­ Sienna shook her head. It couldn¡¯t be. As the lava cools, it hardens and becomes a stone. But you won¡¯t be able to grow something by planting a seed on it. You can¡¯t forget what hasn¡¯t happened. You can¡¯t forgive someone who doesn¡¯t regret. So, embracing a question that no one could answer, and trapped inside a closet-like mind with locked doors. Even so, she has to live the rest of her life. ¡®So, goodbye, it¡¯s been a long time since I said goodbye.¡¯ Goodbye. Chapter 36 to 49 Note: This chapter consists of kkp episodes 36 to 49. In his dream, Michael was walking around the room. The room was obviously his room, but somehow it was dark and there were things that weren¡¯t there, and things that should be there were missing. ¡°You don¡¯t even know the subject. I wish you didn¡¯t get noticed at times because you¡¯re arrogant¡­¡± His self in the dream was madly criticizing someone. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why did father bring you into this castle in the first place?¡± Who the hell is that kid? ¡°Why is that kid¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ugh.¡± With a small scream, Michael suddenly woke up from the dream. ¡°Little Lord? Why are you like this?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Rather than waking up voluntarily, it was more of a sudden awakening as if someone had pushed his back from in front of a cliff. It wasn¡¯t even a nightmare, but the cool air seeped through his wet back. ¡°It¡¯s still a bit far from fully morning. Why don¡¯t you get some more sleep?¡± The nanny, who had come to inspect the fire, kindly suggested, but Michael did not answer. The boy was busy catching the traces of a dream that was about to disappear like smoke. Who did he hate so much in his dream? Why was it so creepy? Who was ¡®that kid¡¯? What came to mind was a dim gray, green¡­ There were only fleeting afterimages such as dry, fragile limbs and a transparent, lifeless impression. Michael got up and got out of bed without realizing it. However, there was no specific destination, so he stopped after walking a few steps. He suddenly had this thought. ¡®Why are all the objects in the room¡­ Didn¡¯t they look a little bigger?¡¯ The nanny, who had been watching as the boy wanted to go to the bathroom, approached cautiously. ¡°Why are you suddenly like this? Oh my, your clothes are all wet.¡± The nanny was startled. Apparently, the dream was really bad. ¡®I thought you were all grown up, but you¡¯re still having nightmares.¡¯ Biting her tongue, the nanny quickly brought new clothes. ¡°Change into this. You¡¯re going to catch a cold.¡± While the nanny called a maid to change the sweat-soaked sheets, Michael blankly changed his clothes as instructed. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It was all just a nightmare.¡± ¡°Nanny¡­¡­.¡± The blue shadows of dawn were seeping through the curtains. No matter how hard he tried to recall the memories in his dreams, they were just falling apart as quickly as small letters on sand. ¡°You have to go back to sleep.¡± As he was guided by the nanny back to bed, Michael seemed to understand why his room in his dream looked subtly different. ¡­The eye level was different. * * * After awakening as a Terraformer, Sienna received a separate class by herself in addition to the elementary magic that she learned with Michael. ¡°First of all, congratulations. Lady.¡± Before class, Seth smiled sweetly and held out a small bouquet of flowers to Sienna. Sienna received the bouquet without realizing it. It was the second time she received a bouquet, but this one was different from Ashiel¡¯s first bouquet in many ways. A small, harmonious bundle of silver bell flowers, white freesias, and light-green lisianthus was not heavy at all for Sienna to carry. ¡°Didn¡¯t the young lady give this castle a gift of early spring that day?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°This is in return.¡± Sienna herself could not remember that spring well. She passed out immediately, and by the time Sienna was able to see the scenery outside, the gardeners were just clearing up the remains of the petals that had frozen in the cold wind. ¡°¡­¡­Thank you sir.¡± A small reward for the spring that she did not see that day. When she thought about it that way, she didn¡¯t feel bad. A small smile spread across her lips without realizing it. ¡®Uh¡­¡¯ Seth, seeing Sienna smiling so innocently for the first time, was a little perplexed. Now, he was the first outsider to give Sienna a gift since her first manifestation that would surely go down in history. It was because the grand duke had decided to hide the fact that Sienna had awakened as a Terraformer in Nacht for the time being. He did not change his mind despite the advice of the senior officials to announce it as soon as possible considering the prestige of the family. ¡°She is a child who has not yet become accustomed to life as a child of Nacht.¡± Not only that, the grand duke even blocked private access to Sienna. Those who raised their voices to hold a lively celebration, and those who wanted to take her to the emperor, had no choice but to return worn out. However, since they were all sharp, they chose and sent a pile of precious gifts when they went back. Essential jewels processed into accessories, pink silk like dragonfly wings woven by an oriental weaver, and a beautiful fairy tale book adorned with gold and jewels. The doll, whose cheeks were rosy-dyed in well-baked white porcelain, laid quietly in a silk box filled with flower petals, draped in golden lace and ribbon. Other than that, there were string instruments that Sienna had yet to play with, crispy sweets stuffed with sticky honey and tea with a sweet raspberry flavor¡­ They didn¡¯t know what her taste was, so they had no choice but to send everything a little girl would like, and naturally, the gift bag had to grow bigger and bigger. Even then, there were dozens of people who thought the same thing. It means that there were dozens of bundles. Of course, they were not pure gifts. ¡°Oh my God, look here. They have their family name engraved on the doll¡¯s ribbon. They even have their family crest woven into the silk.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. Here¡¯s something secretly engraved on the bottom of a teacup.¡± ¡°The tea box from Sir McBride is added here. There are four types of flavored and mixed tea, look.¡± Four types of tea boxes, housed in a huge tin case, had the names Benjamin, Sophia, Edwin, and Bonna Lee, respectively. ¡°The name of the collection is McBride. It¡¯s a tea set made with his family as a motif.¡± ¡°Stop it, they¡¯re savages. Look. This dollhouse was made by reducing the real Baron Karl Raleigh¡¯s mansion to a scale of 16:1.¡± The intention to have fun and visit the real mansion someday was clear. ¡°It¡¯s out of this world.¡± The sincerity of trying to imprint their names on Sienna was amazing. ¡°If they had studied with such devotion, they would all have become great wise men.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± In any case, all the gifts were rejected by the grand duke because of their impure intentions. At first, Seth thought that the decision was a bit unreasonable. In any case, the gifts were not sent to the grand duke, but to Sienna, and they were all valuable items. They were not simple gifts, but a scale equivalent to their level of wealth. He thought it would be too much to send it back without saying a word. But now he knows. ¡®It was a wise decision.¡¯ You opened your heart like that even with a small bouquet of flowers, but if you received an expensive gift that was not sent with a pure and good heart¡­ ¡®You must feel a debt in your heart to each of those names.¡¯ As expected, it must be the notion of small-minded people to receive it because it was a precious gift. Contrary to his conjecture, of course, Sienna was no naive child. She could be grateful for the small bouquet presented by her friendly teacher, but she would have expressed her displeasure in front of a mountain of bribes. The current situation was nothing more than the grand duke¡¯s efforts to refuse. ¡°Then shall we start class?¡± ¡°Yes, Teacher.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if you know, but since you have awakened as a Terraformer, you must enter the military academy when you turn 14.¡± Sienna simply nodded her head. That was the only happy part after awakening as a Terraformer. However, Seth, well aware of the harshness of a school that raised soldiers, looked at her with a bit of pity. ¡°For the special circumstances you will have to deal with right then and in the future, I will conduct a basic training.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Seth¡¯s model student answered steadily, and neatly moved the hand holding the pen over the notebook. He had seen it a few times, but it¡¯s still impressive. ¡°Ahem, ahem. So, first of all, it¡¯s the basic role of a Terraformer. I think you¡¯re familiar with this part because you¡¯ve probably done your homework thoroughly.¡± Sienna nodded her head. Terraformers basically purify fraud. This essentially saves a wizard from becoming a madman or a beast. ¡°A Terraformer with great power purifies the stagnant areas and even prevents the birth of the beast itself.¡± Seth drew a human figure in the form of a stickman on the blackboard. And he drew a big circle around it. ¡°The Terraformer forms a circular barrier in this way, which is called a Territory. And¡­¡± Outside of the circle Seth first drew, he drew a bigger circle. ¡°What does this mean?¡± ¡°The better the Terraformer, the bigger the area is?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct! As expected of the Young Lady.¡± If it was Michael, he would have first ridiculed the teacher for his clumsy drawing skills, but Sienna gave only exemplary answers like a model student. ¡°Usually, it¡¯s counted in units like this, 1 territory, 2 territories. It is easy to understand that 1 territory is about the size of the land for a large mansion with a garden.¡± ¡°Aha.¡± ¡°The average level of Terraformers forms about 2.7 territories¡­ and the more sophisticated the control, the more it can be created by dividing the area¡­¡± After that, Seth¡¯s enthusiastic classes continued for a while. ¡°¡­Well, I¡¯m sorry, but today¡¯s class will end here.¡± Sienna¡¯s notebooks were full of letters that were more developed and refined than before. Seth was happy enough to die. ¡°There is no homework, because you listened very hard in class!¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡­.¡± Sienna was subtly disappointed. ¡°Why are you like this, my lady?¡± ¡°Homework¡­ It¡¯s fun¡­¡± For the first time since Ashiel caught him due to some mistake and he had taken on the role of teaching Michael, a wave of emotion, which he had never felt before, hit Seth. ¡°Ah, Lady¡­ How could there¡­ How could there be such a student in the world who is worth teaching like this¡­!¡± ¡°No, Sir. Teacher¡¯s class is fun¡­¡± ¡°You speak so nicely! Ugh, that¡¯s good! I¡¯ll give you a lot of homework!!¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Thank you, Sir!¡± ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t they both crazy?¡± Michael, who came to see Sienna at the time when class would finish, heard something he hadn¡¯t thought of and had a wrinkled expression on his face. What? Do you like homework? Thank you, teacher? Wasn¡¯t that a crazy sound that couldn¡¯t be believed to be sane? The two people in front of him went far away into a world just for the two of them, but it seemed impossible for him to enter that world and he didn¡¯t want to. Madam Deborah looked sternly at him, covering her lips with her fingers. ¡°Shh. What do you mean crazy? Be careful of what you say, Your Highness. She is only thirsty for knowledge, and Sir Seth is just a good teacher.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s real. It seems like the two of them went back together hand in hand? Can you hurry up and call the doctor?¡± Madam Deborah pretended not to hear it properly, like a skillful maid. ¡°I¡¯ll just prepare a meal for you.¡± * * * While he was struggling to get Sienna, who would rather do homework than eat, to sit on the table, the lingering aftertaste of the dream that led Michael¡¯s footsteps to this place completely evaporated. ¡°I¡¯m tired, I¡¯m tired¡­ Hey! Are you going to sleep now? Is the dining table the bedroom?!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Sienna was sold to an orphanage when she was three years old. After that, she grew up not eating well, so she was thin and shorter than her peers. Even now, when holding the pen, she had to pull the strap of the arm warmer she was wearing and tie it as much as possible. Still, her wrists were so thin that it kept slipping around in vain. ¡°When you study, you¡¯re so lively, but why are you sleeping when I tell you to eat?!¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­.¡± Really¡­ How annoying¡­ No matter how hard Michael worked, he couldn¡¯t stand that her sleep was pouring out rather than her appetite. (P/N: she was overflowing with sleepiness rather than her appetite.) Sienna woke up and ate a little, and while she was dozing on and off, the meal ended. When she came to her senses, the last snack of the course, which was ginger milk pudding served with apple compote, laid in front of her. ¡°¡­Eat all that. After eating all that, I¡¯m going out.¡± ¡­An outing? Sienna¡¯s eyes lit up a little. Even when she was at the orphanage, Sienna didn¡¯t go out very often. To carry out the director¡¯s errands, one had to have bargaining skills, and one had to be tall and big. As a child, Sienna was not a child of that kind. Even if teachers took notice and said that it was good to go out or have a picnic every now and then, the director often refuses, saying, ¡®It becomes difficult to manage the children.¡¯ It was not often that she escaped the high brick walls and iron gates of the orphanage. Well, of course, it was the same after coming to the Nacht of the Underworld. It was just following Loreina during her summer vacation. ¡°¡­Where are you going?¡± ¡°Going to look around a shopping street. Why?¡± A smile crept on Michael¡¯s lips. She got caught. ¡°You want to go?¡± It felt like losing to a child, but honestly, she wanted to leave. Sienna nodded her head slightly. ¡°Then let¡¯s eat all of that first.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It seemed as if she had managed to regain her appetite after being woken up by the story of going out. With the will to go out, Sienna ate all of the ginger-flavored sweet milk pudding, leaving nothing behind. * * * The gray winter sky receded a little further. On a day when the sky was blue, Nacht¡¯s black carriage ran along the road leading to the shopping district in the area. When the two of them said they were going out together, the old butler willingly prepared a carriage and an escort and assigned the deputy butler as a servant. Sienna was expressionless as usual, but she couldn¡¯t stop wiggling her hands and fiddling with the ribbon around her wrists. She was an orphan, even though she had no abilities, she was a child of Nacht. On the contrary, she was likely to be subjected to troublesome work because she had no ability. She was too embarrassed to cause trouble to many people, so she couldn¡¯t even try to go out on her own. ¡°We¡¯re here. Wait a minute.¡± Michael got off the carriage first with a familiar movement. The deputy butler then helped Sienna get off the carriage. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, my lady. Now, it¡¯s a stone floor, so be careful when stepping on it.¡± She wandered around like a chick with her small shoes and carefully settled on the brick road. Michael smiled a little at the sight. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°That¡­¡­.¡± Even if he asked her something like that¡­ Unable to answer Michael¡¯s question, Sienna was busy looking around. She had experience following Loreina. It wasn¡¯t that she couldn¡¯t go out very much. However, it was the first time that she was given the option of going out completely. The region of Dispater, ruled by Nacht, was a bridge between the capital and the granary of the southeastern part of the empire. The capital was a well-designed city, and the roads were basically wide so that logistics could come and go. The commercial district of Milfeuille also followed the typical Disparter style. Shops lined up around a road wide enough for four horse-drawn carriages to run in a row. Some of the bustling people would simply pay their respects by taking off their hats to the lord¡¯s emblem engraved on the carriage ¨C a crow with its wings outstretched clutching a red pomegranate. ¡°The best places to go are toy stores, sweets stores, perfume stores, and clothing stores¡­ that¡¯s all.¡± It was indeed a suitable alternative for Sienna, who had so many options that her heart was about to explode. Because it was the main street, everyone passing by was wearing nice clothes. Although she naturally avoided the children with their escorts and attendants, she was not exaggeratedly surprised and made no fuss. ¡°Isn¡¯t it fun to see the show window?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± That was literally it. It was fun to see the shop windows decorated to the fullest. In the small shop window, there was a large snow globe that even Sienna could fit into, and in the clock shop, there was a clock with a chorus of twelve cuckoos. There was even a store specializing in hand-woven dolls that decorated the village that would number about 100 if you count them. Some show windows were simpler than expected. A white mesh cloth was spread like snow, sprinkled with gold powder, and decorated with glitter, and only a pair of shoes was displayed on it. The shoes were red like a ripe apple. It had a round toe and a strap around the instep, and nothing else as decorations. Its simplicity caught the passing eye rather intensely. ¡°?¡± Just by looking at Sienna¡¯s face, who had slowed down for a moment, Michael noticed that those shoes were a little different from the fun things he had ever done before. ¡°I¡¯ll buy it for you.¡± ¡°What?¡± Without any time to stop him, the boy opened the door to the shoe store himself. ¡°Welcome! Bulkin¡¯s shoe store. What are you looking for?¡± ¡°The red shoes in the window.¡± ¡°The red shoes! They¡¯re yours.¡± ¡°No, I¡­¡± ¡°Yes, sit here. Sit down.¡± Without a second thought, the owner sat Sienna on a small stool. Sienna was stunned and looked at Michael in a bewildered way. But Michael didn¡¯t seem to care about Sienna, and he just tapped the nose of the shoe on one of the shelves. ¡°I mean, doesn¡¯t it look a bit like the shape of the butler¡¯s nose?¡± ¡°Haha, come to think of it, I see.¡± ¡°I¡¯m definitely going to buy this as a gift for the butler.¡± While Michael was chatting with the shop¡¯s madam, the owner took out the pair of red shoes from the window and brought them over. ¡°Our store usually makes custom shoes, but let¡¯s try them on for a change!¡± ¡°Lady, may I take your shoes off?¡± A store clerk approached Sienna without hesitation, and asked her kindly and took off her shoes. It was such a lightning-like skill that she wondered why she asked if she was going to do this anyway. ¡°Oh my God. It fits perfectly.¡± Even the shoes fit perfectly. ¡°The calfskin has been processed several times with the finest dyes that were made from grinding jewellery multiple times. Besides, that luster! It¡¯s shiny like glass? It¡¯s a secret that has been passed down from generation to generation in our store.¡± ¡°Walk around once!¡± When she stepped on the floor under pressure, she felt very comfortable that it was not a lie to say that it was a perfect fit. ¡°You can wear them!¡± Michael didn¡¯t ask if he liked it. ¡°Calculate that.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir! I will pack the shoes she is wearing.¡± ¡°Wait¡­¡± ¡°Even if you don¡¯t like it, just wear it today. I bought it because I want to buy it.¡± Michael knew well that Sienna couldn¡¯t say ¡®I like it¡¯, which was an indirect request to buy it. ¡°You¡¯re accompanied by a wonderful little gentleman! I hope you have a great day out.¡± The store owner polished the shoes she was wearing and wrapped them up nicely and handed them over to the deputy butler. ¡°Haha. Our young master doesn¡¯t know anything else, but he¡¯s very fast here.¡± ¡°What do you mean, deputy butler?¡± Michael grunted and asked to pack the ¡®old butler¡¯s nose shoes¡¯ in question. Even Sienna looked at the shoes with a pointed nose that was really reminiscent of the old butler¡¯s nose. The problem was that other than that, there was nothing reminiscent of an old butler. First of all, the color was brown, and geometric patterns were embroidered, so it seemed difficult to digest unless you were a fashionable person. Michael murmured cynically while the owner was packing the shoes. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure my father will see the butler walking around wearing this.¡± The deputy butler also responded seriously. ¡°That¡¯s a really cool idea.¡± Sienna¡¯s mouth was in a half-smile as she imagined the white-haired old butler wearing those stylish nose boots under the tailcoat. * * * She hated to admit it, but it was fun. Even after leaving the shoe store, the two of them roamed the streets with no purpose. Buying a box of mouth-watering dessert made by layering sugar, honey syrup and pistachios in between thin festoons, and eating them one by one, or buying a bizarre item like the ¡®Madam Deborah cushion-patterned shawl¡¯. Michael skillfully guided Sienna, and didn¡¯t say anything that would make her even the slightest bit uncomfortable. ¡®Surprisingly, I think he had this talent since even I thought it was an ¡®escort¡¯¡­¡¯ The more she looked at it, the more she thought she could understand why he was popular in the past¡­ She didn¡¯t really want to know, so it¡¯s a strange feeling¡­ Anyway, was that so? There was nothing to forgive, but anyway, even though we had bad days together, going out like this was quite enjoyable. ¡®It could be that you simply spent a lot of money.¡¯ Maybe, maybe it¡¯s because she can find joy if she gives up thinking about forgetting or forgiving. ¡°Shall we go back soon?¡± No matter how well fitting the shoes were, they were brand new. This time, Michael brought out the idea of going back at a time when her feet would begin to hurt like a ghost. The two of them decided to walk a little to the carriage. Now, she was a little tired of seeing the show windows that looked like they were exploding with colors, but¡­ ¡®¡­Huh?¡¯ Another thing caughtSienna¡¯s passing attention. It was a dollhouse that looked like a miniature human house. It wasn¡¯t huge or luxurious like a special product for aristocratic children. It was a doll¡¯s house that turned into a trunk when touched. The interior faithfully reproduced the rustic cottage style of a middle-class family. Small kitchen, dining room, bedroom¡­ The library was filled with books the size of a fingernail, and had been bound so that they could actually be opened, and even pens and inkwells were on the desk. It was interesting to see it so small, but the reason why it caught Sienna¡¯s steps was¡­ ¡®¡­Did a house originally look like this?¡¯ Cozy, small, with the necessary space for the family. Sienna had no home. So far in her life she has only been in the orphanage and Nacht Castle. Places that meant nothing more than simply a place of residence. The moment she came closer without realizing it because she wanted to see it closer¡­ [It¡¯s a small house!] A completely forgotten existence popped out. A small blazing orange flame flew through the window and into the small house without burning it. [Do you like it? It¡¯s like a rustic country cottage that¡¯s not luxurious, it¡¯s perfect for my elegant personality!] ¡°What? I¡­ Do you know this?¡± She couldn¡¯t even ask the ¡®Named Haesaros¡¯, and Michael gave her an absurd look. ¡°Did you bring it? No, it disappeared in the first place. No, but what is it doing over there?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡­.¡± Sienna didn¡¯t know either. ¡°It said it liked it¡­?¡± ¡°What?¡± Michael crumpled his face as if he was embarrassed. Sienna guessed that he would be making a similar expression even if he didn¡¯t look at the window. * * * [Per-fect.] (T/N: Perfect, but emphasizing each syllable.) The fireball was slowly shooting through the doll¡¯s house, quietly without protruding for a while, making her even think for a moment, ¡®It¡¯s all a dream, and may just disappear.¡¯ It was a gift from Michael, who perfectly understood the indirect words to buy it. ¡°You didn¡¯t look like you needed a house.¡± [Yeah, but isn¡¯t it a matter of feeling? I want to have something like this at least once.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Her perspective was a little different, but she understood. ¡°¡­¡­I know, right.¡± [Well, okay. It¡¯s done.] ¡°¡­?¡± [Yeah, would you like to come in and try it once it¡¯s finished?] ¡°Yes?¡± What was it talking about? The moment she thought of that, her eyes closed. ¡°Ugh¡­?!¡± The moment Sienna screamed without realizing it, she had arrived in a completely different space, not the drawing room of the cradle she had been in before. In a moderately old-fashioned country cottage style living room with linen curtains hanging from the window¡­ ¡°Welcome to my house.¡± Red? Gold? Orange? A man with splendid hair, like a furnace melting gold, which could not be described by a single color, was sitting in an armchair. ¡°¡­Hesaros?¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re quick.¡± ¡°Here¡­¡± ¡°This is my makeshift home, created today.¡± This? Sienna looked around. It was familiar to her eyes. It¡¯s like the previous doll¡¯s house copied this house as a model¡­ ¡°Here¡­ so really¡­¡± You mean you¡¯re in the doll¡¯s house, really? ¡°In a sense, that¡¯s it.¡± Hesaros grinned. After that, professional explanations continued, such as how to apply magic to a real space and materialize it, but it was not something Sienna could understand. ¡°¡­Did he really have to buy a doll¡¯s house?¡± He had such magical skills? ¡°Magic skills and decorating a house are two different things. Anyway, it¡¯s good to have one in reality. No, aside from this, it¡¯s you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You destroyed my body and my house. So I¡¯ll have to get a new one too.¡± Sienna had a lot to say about that. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I didn¡¯t break that necklace.¡± Why was he suddenly blaming others when he said he liked it when he gave up imitating the necklace? ¡°If you had just signed a contract normally, I wouldn¡¯t have broken it and escaped, right?¡± ¡°Usually, if you leave it like that, you should have understood enough that it meant I didn¡¯t want to sign a contract.¡± ¡°Yeah, no.¡± Hesaros pretended not to understand. Sienna groaned a little. ¡°Anyway, this is my home for the time being. And I have a separate topic for today! I need to talk a little bit about the power you are using without realizing it. Did you learn that you are a child of Jeonghwa?¡± ¡°A Terraformer?¡± ¡°They seem to be calling it that way these days. Anyway, it¡¯ll be easier to talk if you know. You haven¡¯t opened a realm right now, and you¡¯re cleaning up this castle.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± What did he mean? ¡°It¡¯s rare even in the era of prosperity. A child of purification who has such a powerful power like you can purify as if breathing in everyday life without having to open the realm?¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± It was an unfriendly explanation, so it needed to be cleaned up. So, now that Sienna was that powerful Terraformer, was she living while purifying the underworld? As soon as she thought it was unbelievable, Hesaros nailed it. ¡°Have you ever felt tired all the time for no reason?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­.¡± She didn¡¯t like his confident attitude, so she wanted to say no, but he hit the nail on the head and she couldn¡¯t hide her expression for a moment. It must be so, didn¡¯t Michael make such a fuss today because she dozed off while at the table? It wasn¡¯t just today. Sienna has been sleeping strangely since she came to Nacht Castle in this life. Didn¡¯t she even collapse in situations where she would normally not be able to fall asleep in? Hesaros snorted with a smirk. ¡°Your power is mighty, but you¡¯re not good enough to do the crazy things you¡¯re doing to purify this evil castle. At the first manifestation, you collapsed after purifying as much as you did.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not my fault.¡± ¡°Anyway! If your body remains in that situation, would it still be a person?¡± (T/N: saying her body will be destroyed.) This Named seemed to have a habit of getting angry whenever it was stabbed. Hesaros looked at her and coughed pointlessly. ¡°Looking at what you are doing, you must have been purifying even before awakening. It only intensified after awakening.¡± ¡°¡­Then shall we leave here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a simple matter. This is already your territory. Were you born here?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then why do you have such a strong connection to this castle as if you had lived for a decade and died? Hmm, that¡¯s strange.¡± ¡®How accurate¡­¡¯ It was an accurate guess enough to cause admiration without thinking. Fortunately, Hesaros waved his hand saying that it was not important, not knowing that though he could not even read Sienna¡¯s thoughts, he had accidentally guessed the truth. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m glad this castle obeys you, without any doubt, because of the red thing you put in your mouth earlier.¡± ¡°¡­A pomegranate?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Anyway, thanks to you who can¡¯t take care of your body, the family of this house must have felt more comfortable breathing. It¡¯s really good, isn¡¯t it?¡± (T/N: Sienna¡¯s manifestation cleared the ¡®air¡¯ of ¡®fraud¡¯/¡¯other magic¡¯ ¨C best air purifier ever.) (P/N: Can she come and purify my air too? xD) (Q/N: I want the latest Sienna Air Purifier 3000? who do I have to bribe?) For a person who said it went well, his tone was very sour. However, no offensive intent was felt. His attitude wasn¡¯t friendly at all, but¡­ He, the Named, seemed to be surprisingly worried about Sienna. ¡°Of course I am. You¡¯re my first owner!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Yeah, listen carefully now, sweetheart.¡± The man looked at Sienna with eyes like a furnace. ¡°I didn¡¯t choose an owner even during the great prosperity era. You are like a jewel that I picked and chose for two thousand years. I didn¡¯t expect you to be this stupid!¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡­.¡± He was an irritable, irritable creature. ¡°Anyway, thanks to you, I¡¯ve been busy for a long time. I have a lot of work to do so that the stupid and cute owner who unwittingly cleans up this messy castle doesn¡¯t die. Do you get it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Listen up, child of Jeonghwa.¡± The inhuman eyes, which were mixed in a dizzying mixture of golden and hot red, shone so white that they looked as if they would pierce Sienna. ¡°You are the owner of this Hesaros. I can only see as much as you see. No, I can¡¯t even count half of it right now. I haven¡¯t fully awakened.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Anyway, when you grow up, I will grow too. Keep that in mind.¡± The image in front of her began to blur more and more. ¡°So the main point is to find a real house where I can live as soon as possible. For example, a crystal of pure energy¡­¡± The voice gradually became hard to hear and blurred towards the end, and then it became completely quiet. At the same time, Sienna¡¯s consciousness slowly faded. * * * After a while¡­ ¡°Aahhhh!!¡± A shattering scream woke Sienna from her sleep. ¡®Yes¡­ what¡­¡¯ She tried to get up in her drowsy state, but her body was strangely heavy. ¡°Madam Deborah! Madam Deborah! Madam!!¡± ¡°There¡¯s trouble! Come here!¡± ¡°Lady, lady¡­!¡± She didn¡¯t think she could sleep more. Anyways, she was a little anxious because she couldn¡¯t figure out why everyone was making a fuss. Sienna raised her hand to rub her eyes, which were strangely harder to open than usual. ¡®¡­Huh?¡¯ The feeling was strange. The feeling of the hand reaching out was strangely short. The feeling of her hand touching her palm and the plump feeling of her palm touching her face were also unfamiliar. ¡®¡­What?¡¯ Sienna, who had woken up with a flash, got up. However¡­ ¡°Oh my god, lady!¡± ¡°She¡¯s moving, what should I do?¡± ¡°Catch her, catch her!¡± Thanks to a maid with excellent reflexes, she was saved from falling backwards. ¡®No wonder¡­ My head feels heavy¡­.¡¯ The people around me were bigger than usual and looked like giants, but¡­ This feeling was not unfamiliar. When I woke up again in Room 6 of the orphanage, I felt quite unfamiliar with my childhood body and eye level for a few days. The discomfort I feel now was exactly the same as back then. ¡°Lady!¡± Deborah appeared from the doorway. Seeing the astonished expression on the woman¡¯s face, who was not usually surprised, Sienna intuitively sensed it. ¡®I hope again¡­?¡± * * * Fortunately, this time I didn¡¯t defy the entire time. ¡°The body of a wizard is different from normal people, and it is composed of a balance between body and magic.¡± ¡­No, no matter what, could she be satisfied with this? She became even more of a child than an eleven-year-old?! ¡°Perhaps the young lady¡¯s current state¡­ is a temporary phenomenon that has occurred due to a series of contracts with the Named, manifestation, and purification incidents that have damaged her balance. It¡¯s not common, but it¡¯s not very rare¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Lady?¡± Her cheeks were more rounded than when she was 11 years old, when she had lost some baby fat. Lips that were like a bird¡¯s beak. Big eyes that looked like tears would roll down when you hit them, and thin hair that looked like dust crumbs¡­ ¡°¡­There is¡­¡± In despair, Sienna washed her face dry. But she couldn¡¯t even cover half of her face with her tiny hands. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t be sorry¡­¡¯ ¡®I became cuter¡­¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s a big deal, but I think it went well¡­¡¯ Just in case it went against Sienna¡¯s feelings of despair, the people around had to manage their facial expressions at once at the sound of a cough. Only the grand duke showed no emotion at all, and he was as usual. ¡°If it is a temporary phenomenon, when do you think she will recover?¡± ¡°It will probably take her two weeks to recover her original condition.¡± ¡°How young is she?¡± ¡°She looks like three or four years old to me.¡± ¡°Ah, my grandson celebrated his 3rd birthday this year, and they seem to be similar. Especially the pronunciation¡­¡± So, it was said that she had suddenly grown younger by nearly eight years. ¡®It¡¯s really exciting.¡¯ When she sighed, thinking cynically, it looked like a 36-month-old baby sighing. ¡°Sienna.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± The little baby looked up at the grand duke with earnest eyes, as if grabbing straws. Even though she was so cute when she twisted her body just to look at him, the grand duke only asked with dry eyes. ¡°Does your Named know about this situation?¡± ¡°Hediarot¡­¡± Aaaah, the tongue was so short! The shame and misery were indescribable. Unable to bear it, Sienna buried her face in her small hands as she spoke. ¡®It¡¯s the worst. Worst¡­¡¯ The grand duke left cheek twitched faintly as he looked down at the desperate 36-month-old (presumed) baby with her face buried in her small, plump hands, but that was all. It was only the aide and the old butler, who had been together with him for a long time, who noticed such subtle changes. The rest were admiring that the grand duke was truly without any blood or tears. They couldn¡¯t believe he didn¡¯t blink at all after seeing that cute creature. Although he was doing great, rumors were circulating that juggling with the head of a horse cut off from the battlefield was also a hobby. ¡°Sienna.¡± As baby Sienna¡¯s despair grew longer, the grand duke urged her once more. Sienna took a deep breath and spoke about the situation in a stuttering voice that gave herself goosebumps. ¡°Hedia, Hedaros is responsible for it, but please be patient¡­¡± As she spoke, trying to make fun of the short tongue as accurately as possible, it immediately reminded her of the conversation she had with Hesaros. [I¡¯m sorry. I guess it¡¯s because of me?] There was not a single voice of sincere reflection that came from responsibility. [I was attached to you for a while because the substance disappeared. I tried to separate it as soon as possible, but it seems it¡¯s already too late. It¡¯s true I can¡¯t help it.] The attitude of going out recklessly because it was not his business made Sienna angry. [Ah. You will be back to normal in no time, so why are you so angry?] ¡°Dee-geum¡­ No, that¡¯s why I¡¯m talking about it now¡­¡± [I already told you how. Please take care of finding my home. Do you know? Can you help me if you can afford it?] It was half teasing. If it had been real, it would have been so cheeky that I wanted to hit him a hundred more times. [Oh. And if you keep talking to me in this state, the broken balance could be further widened?] ¡®What if it breaks more?¡¯ Unable to bear the slurred pronunciation any longer, Sienna spoke through her mind. [I wonder if you will get even younger.] ¡®¡­Goodbye. ¡® [Okay. Please find my house or something quickly.] That was the end of it. It was not a classy enough content that could be conveyed as it was, no matter where you looked. When Hesaros was talking about a house, it was clear that he was referring to the necklace that was smashed or thrown away while signing a contract with Sienna. ¡®It was definitely a jewel.¡¯ In addition, he said that ¡®a crystal of pure energy¡¯ was necessary as a condition to become a house. In the current situation, there was only one thing that could be pointed out. ¡®Essential Jewel.¡¯ The uses of this highly concentrated gemstone were on the limitless side. It was also a source of energy for magic tools, could be used as a small tool containing magic spells, and was sometimes used to make potions through processing. There were many uses, but the amount from mining was limited. Naturally, the price had to go up. When there were few items for sale on the market or when demand rose, it often became difficult to obtain no matter how much money one was willing to give. But Sienna had a very easy way to get her hands on it. For that¡­ ¡°Degong Junha.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the mine you mentioned in the compensation.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Fortunately, the grand duke remained almost unresponsive to Sienna¡¯s youthful appearance and shortened pronunciation. Sienna sighed and asked. ¡°Is that still valid?¡± ¡°Gasp¡­¡± ¡°Oh my gosh, my lady¡­¡± The grand duke sighed. Even though the matter was sensitive, everyone couldn¡¯t hide their expressions of being attacked because she was so adorable. Wasn¡¯t it really terrible in front of a child who was embarrassed by people¡¯s reactions? It probably wasn¡¯t this. ¡°¡­To talk about that, let¡¯s change places first.¡± He swore this was just to make conversation easier, and it wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to show the cute side of this child to others for a long time or anything like that. Nevermind. * * * The grand duke began to head straight to the office. But there was one problem. The grand duke¡¯s office was about half a storey above the cradle. The structure of this castle was unique, so if you go up two and a half steps, there was a structure on the 2.5th floor. Of course, Sienna had never been to this space before. As she went to an unfamiliar place with an unfamiliar stride, Sienna naturally began to lag behind after a while. ¡°Your Majesty, the lady¡­¡± In the end, only when the old butler gave him a hint did the grand duke belatedly look back. ¡®Ah.¡¯ Although the small child was making use of her shortened legs, it was far from being able to catch up with the grand duke¡¯s stride, which even surpassed the average height of an adult male. The grand duke stopped for a moment and watched the child struggling to catch up with him. What should he say? His legs moved even before he felt that she was lovely or struggling. ¡°Your Majesty?¡± The grand duke hurriedly returned to the child. As usual, one eyebrow looked slightly frowned. Sienna thought. ¡®¡­He must have been very frustrated with my steps.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m sorry, dyuke. You can go first, I¡¯ll follow you soon.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± She bowed her head and apologized even though she was out of breath, but there was no answer. However, he did not turn around and leave again. The grand duke simply stood silently like a statue, looking down at the top of Sienna¡¯s head. ¡®What. Is this not how I should apologize?¡¯ ¡°Your Majesty¡­?¡± ¡°That¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Ah, Your Majesty. That¡¯s what you meant!¡± The moment the grand duke opened his mouth and bit his lips. Madam Deborah interrupted in a hurry, as if to shout ¡®Eureka!¡¯ ¡°This Deborah was ignorant. I¡¯ll carry her with me. Then I won¡¯t have to waste your time.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Come on, Lady?¡± Oh, did you mean that? Sienna nodded obediently and hugged the maid with her arms wide open. ¡®That¡¯s what it was, just say it.¡¯ Madam Deborah held Sienna perfectly and comfortably, like a maid, who also had the experience of being a nanny. Then she smiled confidently and said to the grand duke. ¡°Your Majesty? Let¡¯s go.¡± It seemed like he staggered and turned his palms this way, maybe I¡¯m mistaken? The grand duke turned his back without saying a word and started walking ahead. For some reason, his shoulders seemed to be sagging a little. Deborah and Sienna tilted their heads. Only the old butler bit his tongue with a kind smile. ¡®Should it be said that the young lady is ignorant enough to be cruel, or that His Majesty¡¯s efforts were not enough¡­¡¯ No, he couldn¡¯t blame the child for this. It would be fair to say that the grand duke, who had raised two children but did not know how to approach them, was responsible for everything. ¡®It¡¯s frustrating anyway.¡¯ * * * Upon arriving at the office after many twists and turns, Sienna confessed why she needed an essential jewel. ¡®Hediaros, Hesaroth.¡¯ While struggling with the same pronunciation. After hearing the story silently, the grand duke took out a silk pouch from the drawer. ¡°Take it.¡± In the past, it would have been easy with one hand, but now she had to take it with both hands and place it carefully on her lap. ¡°That¡¯s the essential jewel.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡­Yes? Surprised, Sienna almost spilled the contents by releasing the pouch she was opening. ¡®So, this is the one that allows you to live in a small house in the center of the capital city even though it¡¯s the size of a coin¡­¡¯ At first glance, they vary in size, ranging from as small as the size of a thumb to as large as Sienna¡¯s fist-that is, a 36-month-old fist. ¡°It¡¯s different from ordinary jewellery, so just because it¡¯s large doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s worth a lot. It¡¯s not even fully processed¡­¡± Sienna¡¯s realistic and calculating soul in her 36-month-old body, mind half-flowing with the clumsy explanation, completed the calculations. ¡®At least five capital mansions.¡¯ It could also be purchased with a lump-sum payment without limit. ¡°Even if we discuss the compensation plan for mine stake, it will take some time until we get the essential jewels we need right now. So, I¡¯ll give you what I have for now.¡± The grand duke was not eloquent, and he was a very economical man. It meant that he was a person who only spoke when it was necessary. But somehow, with Sienna in front of him, his words became strangely long. ¡°Named is actually the most special grade among essential jewels, a weapon with a soul stone.¡± ¡°Aha¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a soul stone. If your Hesaros dwells in the jewel, it will become a soul stone, but there must also be an entity to support it.¡± Just as his Illus Getter was a spear with a soul stone embedded in it. ¡°Do I need jewels and weapons to make the house of Hediarus?¡± (T/N: she¡¯s mispronouncing Hesaros a lot.) ¡°Maybe.¡± It¡¯s complicated¡­ Sienna started looking at the essential jewels that she had in her hands. ¡°Then can I just choose one of these?¡± How to choose. Should she ask Hesaros, who was now silent, to come out? The grand duke¡¯s eyebrows, looking at Sienna who was worried, rose as if in doubt. ¡°Do you really have to do that?¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± No, then what would she do with all this? Sienna protested cautiously. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll need all of this¡­¡± ¡°Then you can keep the rest and use it when you need it.¡± Oh, she didn¡¯t even think of that? ¡­There was no way she would have thought of it. ¡®Where am I going to use all this?¡¯ Was it true that rich people have different scales? Grand Duke Nacht¡¯s estate was not only able to transport goods by land without stopping, but also along the wide river Ragnas, so water transport also played a significant role. Moreover, he was not only the Grand Duke Nacht of this era, but also a war hero from generation to generation. The three-generation-long guardian family of the empire, which began as a family that started as an official of the nation and had been passed down as a war hero. They couldn¡¯t dry up until their money was dry. You wouldn¡¯t really know but, it would be okay if you just play and eat for three generations with the wealth they¡¯ve already accumulated. For the grand duke, giving her about five small mansions would be no different from throwing a gold coin, with a bit of exaggeration. ¡°When your body returns to normal, it would be nice to go to the treasure trove together. There must be at least one thing that can support your essential jewels and that you will like.¡± If it¡¯s Nacht¡¯s treasure trove, she knew that it wouldn¡¯t even fit into the category of normally expensive stuff¡­ Simply expensive stuff went into the warehouse. The treasury was a place where only special items with history or power comparable to relics were gathered. ¡®¡­No, no. Let¡¯s not be timid. Whatever this house gives you, just take it quietly.¡¯ Purifying and living in a place where she didn¡¯t want to be in very much, even though it wasn¡¯t intentional. Of course, she didn¡¯t want to say, ¡®I¡¯m doing such a great job.¡¯ It was just an unintentional accident, but it could be seen that she was dedicated to the service of Grand Duke Nacht. The thought of being misunderstood like that made her shiver a little. ¡®I don¡¯t really want to hear a word of thanks in the same context.¡¯ But the money was good because it¡¯s necessary. Even later, if she was ¡®uncomfortable¡¯ or ¡®they didn¡¯t realize, but I did a great job for them¡¯, she would think about it while looking at what she got from this house. (T/N: basically if her relationship with them changed, she will endure while thinking of the things she received from them.) ¡®So I got money.¡¯ ¡®Anyway, all of this will be a once in a while kind of thing.¡¯ ¡°Thank you¡­¡­.¡± Being in the form of a baby was uncomfortable and embarrassing, but there was one advantage. No matter what terrible thoughts she had on the inside, it didn¡¯t show on the outside, and she just looked cute. For that reason, the grand duke made a serious mistake. Sienna accepted the gift he had prepared without saying a word. Not only that, both he and Ashiel had put their heads together about the stake in the mine, which was painstakingly prepared and negotiated. ¡®Yeah, the more I think about it, the more extraordinary I am.¡¯ When he was rejected for the first time, he just didn¡¯t show it, but was actually surprised and bewildered. Then the butler gave him advice with a smile. ¡°Well, she seems to be a temperamentally cautious person. Prudence is a virtue worthy of respect. In my humble opinion, I think your worries are excessive.¡­.¡± That seemed right. Of course, what he wished for while giving her this was a bright smile, but¡­¡­. ¡®I can¡¯t expect a child who is born wise, calm, and knows shame to react differently from her temperament.¡¯ Although he cannot claim to be a good parent, he was a father of two sons. Every child has an innate temperament. So, even if he gave Sienna a huge gift. Even when she became the owner of the Named. The reason she didn¡¯t seem to be very happy was probably because she had a calm temperament. The grand duke tried to convince himself that way. It was an instinctive effort to erase the anxious feelings that made a corner of his heart preoccupied. * * * That day was just a weekend. As always on that day, as evening came, Ashiel returned home. What a big unexpected event that was in this castle¡­¡­. ¡°¡­It¡¯s a strange thing that you came home for three weekends.¡± Far from controlling the behavior of his sons, these words came out of the mouth of the grand duke, who rarely mentioned such things except in a few circumstances. ¡°It seems that he is thinking of filling the number of times he can use the magic circle for home use before graduation. How fortunate this is.¡± Assistant Viscount Devon said so with a smile on his face. Ashiel stood there with his eyes slightly lowered and expressionless. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go in and rest.¡± ¡°¡­Yes. I¡¯ll see you in the evening.¡± Without shaking, Devon suddenly shouted at the back of Ashiel¡¯s head, who turned with a straight back as he had always done. ¡°Oh, Your Highness the Grand Prince! She must be reading a book in the study room now.¡± Ashiel¡¯s footsteps heading down the stairs came to a sudden stop as if a sudden brake had been applied. But he didn¡¯t look back or answer. Soon after, Ashiel started going down the stairs again as if nothing had happened. As he looked at his son¡¯s neat back as he moved away, the grand duke murmured in disbelief. ¡°Didn¡¯t that guy almost slip?¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know.¡± Anyway, it seemed evident that Ashiel was going to see Sienna just like that. ¡®He will see something unexpected before people around him tell him.¡¯ Wasn¡¯t that kind of emotional agitation necessary for that ice-cold grand prince? The assistant secretly laughed. ¡®I always thought it would be nice to have at least one girl, not just two sons in this family.¡¯ It felt good that the wish had come true. It was a premature expectation. * * * Of course, Ashiel had no intention of doing what Devon expected. ¡­He didn¡¯t think about it, but he was concerned that the place Devon mentioned was that ¡®study room¡¯. He still remembered a single flower that had been thrown on the floor that day, and each time, he would suddenly feel like being stabbed by a blade that came out of an unexpected place¡­ ¡®It hurts? How surprising?¡¯ It felt like his heart, shocked by the sudden surprise, did not calm down for a long time. Hopefully, Ashiel¡¯s flower was not still left behind that desk. ¡®¡­Shall I check?¡¯ He didn¡¯t know why. But when he saw that there was nothing under the desk, he had a strange anticipation that this unsettling feeling would dissipate. If he thought about it a little rationally, it was an absurd excuse. His desires were already on the side of visiting the child and he was simply looking for the reason, so he could not help but feel bad. Although Ashiel knew, he could not stop walking towards Sienna¡¯s room. ¡°Oh my, Grand Prince?¡± The maids were clearing the room as if she had just finished studying. After Sienna awakened as the owner of the Named, there was a great uproar among the employees in the castle. ¡°Your Majesty, you need children who have heavy mouths and are good at work to join the team as she has a Named. In addition, the lady has already been hurt by her employees several times. I think you need to be more careful.¡­.¡± Naturally, the grand duke allowed it without hesitation. So, two reliable maids assigned to important positions in the castle were reassigned to take care of Sienna. ¡°Did you come to see the lady?¡± Ashiel was about to nod, but a foreign object caught his eye. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± The vase was decorated with flowers. ¡°Oh, that one?¡± The newly assigned maids had no way of knowing how the bouquet that Ashiel had sent was dealt with. ¡°Sir Seth is in charge of the lady¡¯s class. This is the flower he brought this morning to celebrate the first manifestation.¡± ¡°The lady asked me to put it in a vase, so I did.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Ashiel stared at the vase that looked perfectly fine with a hardened face. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with him?¡¯ The maids tilted their heads and looked suspiciously at the eccentric prince. ¡°¡­I see.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Ah, the lady is in the room now. May I guide you, Your Highness?¡± It was only then that Ashiel barely realized that he was acting quite strangely now. ¡°¡­No, I¡¯m done.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave now, I should get going.¡± The anticipation of seeing the child vanished like a bubble that had popped all of a sudden. Despite knowing that it should not be of much importance, Ashiel¡¯s mind as he left the room kept revolving around the flowers that she had left on the floor and Seth¡¯s bouquet, which was beautifully placed in a vase. * * * That night, Ashiel had a dream. In the dream, he was looking for something and turned the room upside down. ¡°I have to find it. It must be here somewhere¡­¡± The Ashiel in his dream did not have the usual neat and tidy appearance like a well sharpened knife. He roamed the room, quite literally ¡®out of his mind¡¯. While pouring through the books he could get his hands on, he murmured, ¡®Yeah, it couldn¡¯t have been kept so preciously.¡¯ Each time he pulled out a drawer and checked the closed boxes one by one, he lost hope and put on a dying face. There was not. It was not anywhere. It was nowhere to be found. Not a single one, really, not a single one, was left. ¡°I¡¯ve lost it. Really¡­¡± He lost it. He lost something he didn¡¯t even know was precious. He casually left it and thought it would always be there. It was a mistake, it was arrogance. His strength was gone and his knees were bent. He hit the floor, but he didn¡¯t even feel any pain. He was just frustrated because of something he had lost, and after that, his heart ached a lot. It hurt so much that it was hard to breathe, like his heart was being squeezed. The self-reproach was piercing, like stabbing his intestines with a thorny stick. No one was to be blamed. He lost it. He threw it away. Because of the intense regret and the pain of self-blame, he could not feel any other sensations. ¡­Right then. ¡°¡­¡­Ugh.¡± His eyes lit up. Like a child who breathed air through his lungs for the first time after being born, Ashiel breathed heavily in sweat. The air was suffocating as if choking him. After a while, his breath slowed down a bit. Then Ashiel looked around. The still bluish sunlight was seeping through the curtains by the bed. He was on the bed, not in the study. ¡°It was a dream¡­¡± It was a terrible nightmare. He couldn¡¯t understand the context at all. It was not a dream that someone died, or that the empire would be destroyed by an invasion of foreign beasts leading an entire army. He was just desperately looking for something, but he couldn¡¯t find it. ¡®But that¡¯s¡­¡¯ He was certain, it was definitely the worst nightmare Ashiel could have. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± What the hell was he looking for? What did he lose? The more he thought about it, the more distant the afterimage of his dream became like an illusion. After swallowing dry saliva for a moment, Ashiel shook his head to shake off the lingering afterglow of his dream. And pulled the curtain open. Light poured through. It was morning. * * * The weekend was when all the owners who had been away returned to the castle. So the servants had to move faster as they were busier than usual. Especially today, the grand duke specifically ordered a family luncheon. Thanks to this, the kitchen, which was usually the most leisurely place, was in the process of being busier than ever before. And¡­ Sienna was still 36 months old this morning. ¡°I¡¯m glad that the clothes the princes wore at this age were well kept.¡± It was around the age where people would begin to distinguish gender through dressing, but fortunately, there were a few clothes that both girls and boys could wear. ¡°You¡¯ll be back soon, but I don¡¯t think it would be a bad idea to match your clothes to commemorate this time¡­¡± ¡°Oh¡­ pwlease don¡¯t. It¡¯s a waste.¡± Actually, money didn¡¯t matter, it was just annoying. ¡°Hoho, of course you do.¡± If she had been eleven, Madam Deborah would have delivered a full speech saying, ¡®You shouldn¡¯t say that the amount spent on the lady is a waste.¡¯ However, after Sienna¡¯s tongue shortened, the nagging was significantly reduced. ¡®It¡¯s just that the appearance has changed.¡¯ There was something comfortable about this, but the inconveniences were about ten times more than that. ¡°Come on, Lady. Shall we go now?¡± First of all, wherever she went, she had to be carried by people around because of her short stride. It was embarrassing for Sienna, who was originally eleven in body and over twenty in spirit. She didn¡¯t want to say, ¡®I want to go to the study room, so please carry me.¡¯ Besides, in front of that Michael Nacht, never. ¡°Hey, you really¡­¡± Yesterday evening, as soon as the rumors spread, Michael came to Sienna. ¡®Yeah, I was wondering when you would come.¡¯ Resigned, Sienna replied grumpily. ¡°Miwheal.¡± ¡°Puhaha! Hey, what are you! Your tongue is shortened! Whoa, my God!¡± ¡®Yeah, I know, so please stop being excited.¡¯ Even if he noticed the cold expression on her face, Michael was so excited that he didn¡¯t seem to understand. ¡°Hey, if I had known this would happen, I would have bought a pair of baby shoes when we went to buy shoes.¡± ¡°I do not need it.¡± ¡°How can you talk with this little mouth? Hey, can I touch your cheek?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Sienna glared at Michael tiredly, who was asking if it was okay. ¡°Sorry.¡± Although he said he was sorry, Michael looked happy. He looked like he was dying of cuteness, but for Sienna, he just looked like he was teasing her for her misfortune. ¡°I¡¯m going to rest now.¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± ¡°To the room! I¡¯m going.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Let¡¯s go together. I¡¯ll take you to the door.¡± ¡®Who do you think is really the kid¡­?¡¯ What Sienna wanted to say in this situation was exactly: Your Highness, the Second Young Master, do you think that I am really a child because of my small body? But that said, the difficulty was too severe for a 36-month-old oral structure. In reality, it would probably be something like, ¡®Seckond Pwince, do ywe think I¡¯ve become a child just because I¡¯ve gotten smaller?¡¯ ¡­It was almost like it was all chewed up. For that inevitable reason, Sienna¡¯s language proficiency unintentionally became very simple. ¡°¡­¡­Originally, I¡¯m a year older than you.¡± ¡°Puhaha, I can¡¯t stand it. Man, you look like a real kid when you say that!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡®Yes, yes, laugh all you want.¡¯ After laughing as much as he could, Michael laughed even harder and made excuses that didn¡¯t work, saying, ¡®I did it because it was cute, because it was cute!¡¯ In such a situation, she didn¡¯t want to be seen moving by being hugged by someone. ¡°I can go alone now.¡± Having declared that, Sienna boldly crossed the threshold. ¡­And fell terribly. She tripped over the wrinkled carpet by mistake, but the problem was that her arms and legs were both too short, so she couldn¡¯t take any defensive postures, such as touching the ground. Besides¡­ Tragically, her head was also heavy. As a result, Sienna¡­ Thud! ¡°Lady!!¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Madam Deborah, the great-looking woman, quickly raised her up, but it was already after she had her forehead and nose nailed to the floor. Michael also ran up to her and asked. ¡°Hey, are you okay?!¡± ¡°Ah, ah¡­¡­.¡± Rather than being sick, I was surprised and blinked a lot. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t cry, Lady! Woo, woo! It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. There was no blood¡­¡± ¡°Oh, yes. Look here. Look at this. Wow, it doesn¡¯t hurt at all, doesn¡¯t it?!¡± But when Madam Deborah and Michael really treated her like a three-year-old, she really wanted to cry. Anyway, thanks to the strange ability that children do not get seriously injured even if they fall, there were no problems, but after that, their spirits were broken and they just carried her around. It was comfortable. Sienna was embarrassed from herself. Deborah went down to the lunch room with Sienna in her arms. ¡°The lady has come.¡± The luncheon room was more like a family room than a fancy dinner room. ¡°Are you here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After practicing, I was able to pronounce ¡®yes¡¯ clearly. But it didn¡¯t seem to have much effect. Seeing that Michael was still saying nonsense like, ¡°Your voice is cute.¡± ¡®Let¡¯s pretend I didn¡¯t hear, pretend I didn¡¯t hear.¡¯ Anyway, all three pairs of red eyes were staring at Sienna. Among them, Ashiel seemed especially speechless. Well. This would have been the first time Ashiel saw Sienna at 36-months-old because they ate separately last night. ¡°She got smaller¡­ it was true.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sienna also didn¡¯t want to make a mistake in front of him for some reason. So, she gathered her short arms and greeted them nicely. So far, it went fine. Now, let¡¯s say hello by giving strength to the tongue¡­ ¡°Gwand Pwice.¡± ¡­She was doomed. ¡°Pfft.¡± Michael laughed¡ªShe didn¡¯t know if it was intentional, but it sounded like that to Sienna¡¯s ears¡ªand Ashiel was stunned and her lips parted a little, as if he was speechless. ¡°Stop.¡± The grand duke ordered them to stop, as if he thought it was enough. ¡°Sit the child in a chair.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Madam Deborah sat Sienna in a chair slightly higher than usual. The prepared tableware was also smaller than usual. Holding back a sigh, Sienna unfolded a napkin embroidered with chicks for a child and laid it on her lap. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s start eating.¡± The butler led the servants and brought them their meal. While serving the salad little by little as an appetizer, Michael pointed a finger. ¡°Hey, look over there.¡± What else was he going to do? Sienna turned her head slightly with a frown on her forehead without realizing it¡­ ¡°Pfft.¡± Without realizing it, she had to cover her mouth, which was about to burst into laughter, with both small hands. She didn¡¯t mean to laugh, but it was irresistible. Under the butler¡¯s trousers, who wore a monocle and had a snazzy face¡­ The ¡®fashionable nose boots¡¯ in question were sticking out. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The butler made eye contact with Sienna, he even winked and smiled. Michael whistled softly next to her. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that the butler loved me so much. Hmm?¡± A smile spread across Sienna¡¯s lips without realizing it. Michael shrugged as he looked at her. The grand duke and Ashiel stared blankly with disbelieving faces. Michael made Sienna laugh! So far none of them have been successful. No, it was something they never even thought of trying, let alone succeed. Because he was very proud, the boy had no intention of being humble. He was going to show off as much as he could. ¡°How¡­ how¡­?¡± ¡°Ahem. It¡¯s a trade secret. Let¡¯s have dinner.¡± When Sienna, who had been exchanging glances with the butler, turned her head again, somehow Ashiel was slicing the steak strangely and rougher than usual. ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Well, it wouldn¡¯t be something to watch. Sienna soon turned her attention away. Although the air was silent and Ashiel was a little rough with his food, the meal went without any problems. Since it was a luncheon, the simple course that omitted many things was over, and only then did the grand duke bring out the main topic of today¡¯s luncheon. ¡°There will be a full bureaucratic meeting in a week.¡± The nobles of the Feyenoord Empire stayed in the island mansion from spring to summer and returned to their estates when the harvest began. In other words, it was the officials under the lord who actually managed the estate during spring and summer. So, before spring came, a meeting was held to build solidarity and draw a big picture of the overall management of the estate this year. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a little early this year?¡± ¡°And on the spot, we will officially announce that Nacht¡¯s child, Sienna, has become the owner of the Named Hesaros.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡± Was that how it works? ¡°I have already reported the work of the Named Haesaros to the Emperor.¡± Of course. It was the first appearance of a new Named owner in ten years after Ashiel. He couldn¡¯t hide it from the emperor. In addition, the wizards and castle elders who attended the challenge of Hesaros. The mouths of those people could not be stopped forever. ¡®It¡¯s impossible unless you kill them all.¡¯ The mouth of a living person was bound to be opened someday. In the meantime, the timing overlapped well. If it was presented to the vassals at that time, rumors would spread to some extent in the system. It was easier to control the ripple effect by gradually raising the level of disclosure little by little, rather than shocking the entire system at once. It would be possible to respond with composure to the changing public opinion situation. ¡®But when it starts to become known anyway¡­¡¯ The news would also reach Loreina¡¯s ears. There was no way Loreina didn¡¯t know. Because from the beginning, she felt very proud that she was a child of Nacht. She was probably still listening to this news. While envisioning the day she would enter this castle proudly. ¡®Maybe you already know my existence¡­¡¯ A cold feeling spread. Naturally, I remembered the words Loreina often used to say back then. ¡°Sienna. You don¡¯t deserve it, but it¡¯s okay. You have me.¡± In the past, I used to thank Loreina because I thought it meant I would be happy to be by her side. But now that I came back and thought about it, it didn¡¯t mean that at all. She meant it¡¯s okay not to have something like me. ¡®Because she had all of me.¡¯ So, didn¡¯t she mean that I should have noticed and disappeared? ¡®Why didn¡¯t I know?¡¯ Why was I such a stupid fool? Although it wasn¡¯t Sienna¡¯s fault that she was deceived by the candy cane, gave up her entire life and ended her life with poison, Sienna was ashamed. If only I had been more alert. If only I wasn¡¯t hungry for more affection. Such thoughts would flow constantly like gushing waters. So, if possible, she wanted to avoid loving anyone in the future. There was nothing as dangerous as that, Sienna thought. ¡°¡­Lady? Are you okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes?¡± When she came to her senses, Sienna had already returned to the room and sat in front of the mirror. She could feel the maid watching her attentively with worried eyes. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Oh, you must be very nervous about introducing yourself.¡± The new maids were very friendly to Sienna. These two were not bad at heart from the beginning, and they had never ridiculed or bullied Sienna in their previous lives. In addition, as Sienna became ¡®younger¡¯ at the time of their new appointment, it seemed easier to open up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. It would be nice if you could go back to your original body before the meeting, but you¡¯re so cute even if you don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Come to think of it, there was a problem like this, right? She was so engrossed in thinking about Loreina that she didn¡¯t even think of it. ¡®If it doesn¡¯t go back to normal after a week, maybe¡­¡¯ ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Sienna. Altwngh I¡¯m lackwing, I stand here today as a child of Nacht. It¡¯s an hwonor to introduce myself like this today.¡± ¡­In this way, she was going to have the worst self-introduction ever. ¡®I¡¯m in trouble¡¯ Something big happened, but there was nothing Sienna could do. ¡®Ugh.¡¯ As she let out a sigh without realizing it, the maid clenched her fists. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Lady. If you¡¯re cute, you can win.¡± She was not sure of the context, but it sounded like a cheer. ¡°Yes, Lady. There¡¯s nothing wrong with being cute. If someone harasses you, don¡¯t forget it and ask the Grand Duke to punish him later.¡± Haha. Were these people being real? ¡®What if I¡¯m really eleven years old and believe it right away? What am I going to say¡¯ After that, the maids struggled for a while, saying, ¡®If you go to Master Michael and ask him, he will bully the person who bullied you until they really want to die.¡¯ It didn¡¯t seem like a sound worth listening to, so Sienna roughly listened to those words. * * * After that, time passed as usual. There was no particular change in Sienna¡¯s daily life. Having fun studying magic with Seth, and receiving special etiquette training from a general education teacher. What was special was that the tailor Anna came and took Sienna¡¯s measurements again. ¡°I wondered what the situation would be for you to need two dresses, and this was what they meant. It¡¯s cute.¡± By then, Sienna, who was about to be allergic to the word ¡®cute¡¯, put on a dead face. Anna swore that there was no need to worry about her having misunderstandings, saying, ¡®I will put all my heart into both dresses and make them very pretty¡¯. ¡®It¡¯s nice to be kind, but you got it wrong¡­¡¯ Dresses or whatever, she just wanted to do something about this slurred pronunciation. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best!¡± ¡°Haha¡­¡­.¡± Sienna just laughed softly. Anyway, the week went by so quickly¡­ ¡°Yes¡­ Lady. I¡¯ll give you a little dress here.¡± ¡­Sienna was still 36 months old. ¡®No¡­¡¯ I was wrong, this would remain a legend¡­ The maids began to comfort Sienna, who was desperate as she buried her face in her tiny, undeveloped hands. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Lady. I said that. If you¡¯re cute, you win!¡± Those were still very inconvenient words. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not thirty-six months now. It¡¯s been a while, so you can probably round it to thirty-seven months.¡± ¡°Right, how about raising it up and calling yourself four years old?!¡± What the hell was the difference¡­ Sienna sighed heavily. Anyway, there was nothing she could do. ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­ I¡¯m going to stop preparing now.¡± But the unwillingness did not end there. ¡°¡­Why is it so fancy?¡± It was strange. On the first day of the bureaucratic meeting, it was correct that everyone gathered in the castle¡¯s main hall for the opening ceremony. However, Sienna knew that it was just a time to simply settle down, saying, ¡®Let¡¯s do well this year!¡¯ with only the Grand Duke Nacht, officials, and vassals under Nacht gathered in a generally decent atmosphere. But now it was not like that at all. The soft sound of the band¡¯s music. The guests who arrived first carried in the scent of flowers and filled with sounds of laughter. The hall was lavishly decorated from the entrance with flowers and lights. Sienna immediately sensed an ominous feeling. This was somehow¡­ ¡°¡­It¡¯s like a party¡­¡± ¡°You noticed it right away!¡± It was a surprise. It was a familiar voice, but she was surprised to hear it from behind. ¡°Madam Deborah?¡± It was Madam Deborah, whom she didn¡¯t see often, because she had given her a reliable maid and became extremely focused on her original job as a housekeeper. ¡°Today¡¯s event is never supposed to be held like this, but the Grand Duke took great care as it is the place where the young lady will appear for the first time!¡± ¡°Aha¡­¡­.¡± ¡°To be more specific, the Grand Duke opened the vault generously, and this Deborah took a lot of care.¡± She was still a woman who was faithful to her appeal. ¡®It¡¯s so¡­ Don¡¯t be thankful¡­¡¯ The fact that the grand duke spent a lot of money meant that there must be a lot of guests. Sienna quickly darkened. ¡®I really hate it.¡¯ How to introduce herself in a short tongue in front of so many people¡­ If she could, she wanted to disappear like this. ¡°Sienna.¡± Then the grand duke finally appeared. ¡°Your Highness.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Today¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°You are¡­ well¡­ dressed.¡± It was a strange word, neither one nor the other, as if he had bitten himself while trying to give a compliment. The old butler couldn¡¯t hide his bitter smile at his master¡¯s pathetic behavior. But the duke¡¯s expression was more serious. He seemed to want to chew his tongue if he could. It was incredible. ¡°?¡± ¡°¡­Let¡¯s just go in.¡± The grand duke slowly lowered his stance towards Sienna and spread his arms. Sienna sighed. It was unavoidable. ¡®We have to enter together, but we can¡¯t walk in at my pace.¡¯ She guaranteed it would be many times more funny and eccentric than just being hugged. Holding Sienna up, the grand duke stood still for a moment without saying a word. ¡°Your Majesty? You have to go in.¡± The old butler, who couldn¡¯t look further, gave him a hint. ¡°¡­Yes, let¡¯s just go in.¡± * * * The hall was completely turned into a banquet hall. There were long tables on either side of the table with drinks and food, and the band was in full swing on the indoor balcony. A fountain that was not originally in the center of the hall was also introduced. It was made of transparent glass, so it looked expensive just by looking at it, but people came close with only empty glasses and were drinking water flowing from the fountain. ¡®Ah¡­ It¡¯s a champagne fountain.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just a party, it was a party in earnest. ¡®It¡¯s not about spending some money, it¡¯s about pouring it.¡¯ ¡°The Grand Duke¡­¡± ¡°That kid is¡­¡± ¡°Oh my gosh, I heard that she is experiencing symptoms of age regression¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard of this. Isn¡¯t that a symptom that appears only in a very small number of children with great qualities?¡± ¡°Hey, of course it¡¯s enough to become the owner of a Named at such a young age¡­¡± Even though I was just passing by in the arms of the grand duke, people just moved away, I thought that this wasn¡¯t normal. ¡®I feel like I¡¯m going to¡­.¡¯ Because of the concentrated gazes, her cheeks felt prickly. Sienna didn¡¯t know, but all the gifts the grand duke had rejected were piled up there. ¡°Sienna!¡± Michael popped out of the group of boys gathered in the front and stood next to his father. ¡°You ended up being hugged here.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped because it¡¯s like this.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Your pronunciation has improved a lot. I know you¡¯ve worked hard.¡± That¡¯s the change he felt since he had seen Sienna from the first day she turned 36-months-old. Those who saw Sienna for the first time at 37 months without prior information would probably just hear it as short-tongued. ¡°Why do you look sulky even after I complimented you?¡± ¡°I never did.¡± ¡°Ah, no way.¡± Seeing Michael, who was famous for being rough, friendly to Sienna, people¡¯s gossip became even hotter. Finally, the grand duke, along with Sienna, reached the top of the podium. Ashiel was waiting there. ¡°Father.¡± For some reason, the grand duke was about to hand Sienna over to Ashiel. Ashiel wondered if it had been agreed upon in advance, but it was quicker for Sienna to grab the grand duke¡¯s arm. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± There was a moment of strange silence, but soon the grand duke lowered Sienna to the floor as if nothing had happened. And he grabbed the glass of champagne that the butler gave him. ¡°Thank you for joining us to introduce my ward.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°And to you loyal ones, I am delighted to announce that this child has surprisingly become the owner of the Named Hesaros.¡± People in the back started to step up to look at Sienna. Sienna quietly grabbed the hem of her skirt, bent her knees, and lowered herself. It was a specially trained greeting. As Sienna greeted them, exclamations mixed with excitement erupted from the (people in the) entire hall, who were holding their breaths. ¡°Congratulations, His Majesty the Grand Duke! I¡¯m so happy to be alive to see this day!¡± A roaring voice from one side could not overcome the joy and shouted. In the midst of the roar, everyone was intoxicated with excitement. ¡°Congratulations!¡± ¡°Long live Nacht!¡± ¡°Blessed be the family of the founding fathers from generation to generation!¡± It didn¡¯t seem to be celebrating the news that everyone knew. Only then did Sienna realize a little. ¡®How surprising. Being the owner of a Named is¡­ It¡¯s like this.¡¯ As she looked down at the crowd from the podium, it seemed that all those people in the venue were welcoming and congratulating Sienna. This couldn¡¯t be true at all. * * * Someone grabbed Sienna¡¯s arm, and she wondered blankly if she did something wrong. ¡°What are you doing? Everyone is waiting.¡± ¡°Yes? Wait¡­¡± Although Michael grabbed Sienna¡¯s arm, the grand duke did not stop him. Where she was being dragged to¡­ ¡°What is all this¡­ what is it?¡± ¡°What is it, it¡¯s a gift.¡± Michael blew a small whistle, and people looked at them with delight, as if they were generally cute. ¡°Up until now, everyone wanted to send you a congratulatory gift, but father refused.¡± Some of the people watching just to humor themselves burst into laughter sporadically. ¡°Let¡¯s open one and see the sincerity. What do you like the most?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± Sienna tried to choose the smallest one, but Michael said no and eventually made her tear the biggest wrapper. What came out was a large teddy bear that a small child like Sienna could lie down and sleep on. ¡°Oh, it looks good on you. Sit there with it in your arms!¡± ¡°Oh my god! What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Why is thatbear so big?¡± ¡°Haha, Lady Sienna!¡± It looks really good on you!¡± Sienna was seated on the legs of the giant bear with a soulless face, like a man who had lost his money from gambling. ¡°It suits you really well. Whose gift is this?¡± At his witty remarks, people noticed that the seemingly difficult gigantic bear was a gift from Michael Nacht, and everyone laughed. ¡®Michael Nacht, I¡¯m going to break it¡­.¡¯ Sienna glared at Michael as if she had been possessed by fraud. Michael took Sienna¡¯s hand and kissed it in a very polite motion. ¡°Congratulations, my princess.¡± ¡°¡­Why do you keep doing this?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s fun.¡± There were so many eyes that she couldn¡¯t do anything about it. Sienna sighed and rolled her eyes¡­¡­. ¡°What?¡± I made eye contact with a few girls looking this way who had eyes burning with anger. ¡®Ah¡­¡¯ She forgot. Michael Nacht, he was popular, right? ¡®¡­I¡¯m in trouble.¡­.¡¯ She¡¯s in big trouble. She¡¯s in big trouble.¡­. However, even though she thought so, the problem was that she was slowly falling asleep in the cozy teddy bear. At a ceremony to celebrate the owner of the Named, the main character fell asleep like that. * * * The meeting marathon began the next day. There was no choice but to do so. Facilities to be repaired for the busy farming season, and from the required budget size to the tax rate for the year¡¯s taxes. The agenda was full and overflowing. However, there was one problem. Usually, there would have been no problem because only officials were here, but this time, there was a big event to introduce Sienna, and the simple invitations exceeded the number of the people involved. ¡°How about going on a picnic with people who have time on the second day?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea.¡± As soon as she heard that it had been decided, Sienna nodded right away. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be a person who doesn¡¯t have spare time.¡± ¡°No, Lady! You are now a member of Nacht who was proudly recognized even among the officials and the vassels!¡± To sum up Madam Deborah¡¯s long nagging, it would be rude if Sienna did not attend the reception of her guests as a member of the Nacht. So she was forced to attend. Picnic. The temperature was still a bit chilly, but the sun was shining and it was tolerable with a shawl. Sienna looked around the area. The other children got together to play sports, go for a walk, or read a book¡­ Sienna, who was suddenly brought by a madam who was supposed to take care of her, did not have a single ordinary book. The madam was currently completely forgetting Sienna and concentrating on chatting with other madams. ¡®I can¡¯t do it.¡¯ Sienna played a meaningless prank by rolling a stone-like jewel in her pocket. Still, Hesaros did not answer, probably busy with Sienna¡¯s unconscious purification. ¡®I wish we could talk at times like this.¡¯ However, this morning, one of the essential jewelry she had put in the drawer was neatly placed on the table. Apparently, that was the jewel that Hesaros liked. She was carrying just in case. ¡®By the way¡­¡¯ When she looked around in detail starting from yesterday¡¯s event, there were quite a few people who looked at Sienna coldly, not only among the girls, but also among the adults. ¡®¡­No, somehow, today¡¯s meeting seems to be led by people with such enmity.¡¯ She felt really bad, so she thought she came to the wrong place. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t understand. From their point of view, an orphan who they would never have considered as a rival appeared out of nowhere and took the place they all wanted and hoped for. There must have been a fire caused by Michael¡¯s mischief. Of course, Michael was not malicious. Michael, the son of the grand duke, who was also outstanding in appearance and talent, was, of course, the leader among his peers. It was just a shallow ploy as the leader to show that he cared for Sienna, so that she could be respected in a group of children her age. But if there was one thing Michael overlooked, even if that sort of play of rank worked among guys¡­ ¡°Lady Sienna? My fan fell over there. Can you pick it up for me?¡± ¡­The point was that it would have no meaning or effect among girls. ¡®No, it doesn¡¯t mean anything.¡¯ Michael, the most popular boy among them, treated an orphan that cannot be compared to those with nobility as princesses, so even if his stomach turned upside down, he would have turned over a hundred times. To survive this envy¡­ ¡®You have to be like Sister Loreina.¡¯ It means that you must be irrefutably beautiful, come from a noble family, have excellent skills, and have many friends. ¡®Do I possess such things?¡¯ If they were jealous, it was something they could be jealous of. ¡°Lady Sienna, didn¡¯t Lady Florence ask to pick up the fan?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s kind of rude that you don¡¯t move even after being asked.¡± ¡°Hey, what can I do with a place like that?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± It had been a long time since I was bullied so openly. ¡®What should I do¡­¡¯ Picking it up wasn¡¯t difficult, but the problem was that once they were allowed a prank, they would believe that she could continue to be bullied. The worries didn¡¯t last long. When Sienna looked at her, the fan that had fallen quietly on the floor fluttered and floated up. ¡°What, what!¡± ¡°You must have used magic!¡± The fan spun once in the air, and then rolled down the width of Florence¡¯s skirt. ¡°I picked it up for you. Alrwight?¡± What a waste. She thought it would have been pretty cool if the pronunciation was correct. Contrary to Sienna, who thought bluntly, the children began to tremble. ¡°This person¡­¡­.¡± ¡°The orphan girl is cheeky¡­¡± An immediate situation. ¡°There! What¡¯s going on? Sylvia, why are you all gathering like that?¡± Perhaps they finally sensed something strange, two ladies who were talking nearby approached. ¡°Oh, I just wanted to play with her, but she used magic to throw a fan at me!¡± Perhaps it was an opportunity, Florence exclaimed with evil intentions. ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s unfair to Young Lady Florence.¡± ¡°It¡¯s unfair!¡± ¡°Oh my gosh¡­ Really? Are you guys hurt?¡± This. Sienna clicked her tongue inwardly. Unfortunately, those ladies seemed to be the ones who didn¡¯t like Sienna. ¡°Lady Sienna, I know you¡¯re proud to be a member of Nacht¡­ but the children here and we are loyal servants of the Nacht family for a long time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, you should think about getting along well with such precious children, instead of using magic to scare them.¡± ¡°His Majesty the Grand Duke will be very disappointed if he finds out. Well, maybe he¡¯ll regret letting an orphan in.¡± The noblewomen here were thinking to themselves in this way. ¡®Because of her excellent skills, she became the owner of the Named, but it is absurd to aim to be the future hostess of the Grand Duchy.¡¯ ¡®We can¡¯t let a commoner orphan become a Grand Duchess and rule us.¡¯ ¡®Even if that happens, I¡¯ll have to suppress her right now, so she won¡¯t dare treat me and my daughters lightly.¡¯ Even if she was a good wizard, the social world was a battlefield for ladies, not a battlefield for wizards. The noble wives here were not going to open the door to Sienna in the first place. ¡®What do I do?¡¯ Although she expected quarrels with children of her age, she did not expect that the older ladies would come out so blatantly. Looking around, Madam Dahlia, who was supposed to look after Sienna today, was not seen for a long time. There seemed to be no one else around who could help. When Sienna was thinking about how to get out of this situation¡­ ¡°What¡¯s going on there?¡± A man of medium height, an average physique, and an ordinary face approached her. ¡®A somewhat familiar face¡­¡¯ ¡°Viscount Jester.¡± The woman had no choice but to acknowledge him. ¡°We have some problems between us. If you pretend not to know¡­¡± ¡°It seems to me that there was simply a misunderstanding between the children.¡± He had been keeping an eye on the situation. The noble wives shut their mouths reluctantly. ¡®Ah.¡¯ Hearing his tone, Sienna also remembered who he was. ¡®He was the person who helped Sister Loreina in the past.¡¯ Of all the vassals under the grand duchy, he was the most eager to support the claim that Loreina should become the future grand duchess. Viscount Jester nailed it. ¡°It would be better not to make things too big, to the point of looking at the Grand Duke¡¯s face.¡± An irresistible name came out. This meant that if the noble wives stretched out further, he would even consider telling the grand duke. ¡°¡­Guys, let¡¯s go!¡± In the end, the noble wives led the children to the other side. ¡°Thank you for your help.¡± ¡°Huh, no. You must have been in quite the trouble.¡± Viscount Jester grinned and scratched his head. ¡°If this happens again, please come to me. I will do my best to help you as best I can.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it, would you like to go over there and stay with our children? I think something similar might happen again if you stay here¡­¡± Sienna furrowed her eyebrows sensitively at the words that gave a subtly ominous hint. ¡®¡­What is up with this man?¡¯ She had a much worse premonition than when she confronted the wives earlier. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡­¡± ¡°Lady Sienna.¡± Viscount Jester smiled calmly, shifted, and narrowed the distance. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± It was also in his eyes. The ominous black energy that she saw in Isabelle Gildinak¡¯s eyes. But that wasn¡¯t the only threat. ¡°I told you to go together. Please follow me nicely.¡± A sharp dagger glistened in his hand. * * * After a while. Suddenly, the sky began to darken with a rumble. ¡°Oh my God, it¡¯s raining this season.¡± ¡°We need to go in quickly!¡± ¡°Where are all the kids?¡± While everyone was busily taking care of their personal belongings such as cricket tools and books, and the children, belatedly, Madam Dahlia jumped as she looked around. ¡°Oh my God! That child! Where did she go?¡± ¡°Yeah? That child?¡± ¡°Lady Sienna, the ward of the Grand Duke! I promised to look after the child today!¡± ¡°Yes?!¡± Losing the child was different from being displeased with Sienna. ¡°Oh my God, where the hell did a mouse-bell-sized thing go? It¡¯s going to rain soon.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to go and get some more servants. That¡¯s really annoying.¡± ¡°What if I can¡¯t find the child? Oh, my God! I thought she¡¯d be calm!¡± People glared at Madame Dahlia, who was belatedly making a fuss. ¡®You should have taken good care of her in the first place. How quickly do children of that age disappear.¡¯ ¡®On the subject of having been leisurely chatting from before.¡¯ No matter how dissatisfied she may be, as a servant of the grand duke, she should take care of the child he trusted and entrusted to her. At the time when everyone was grumbling, there was a person who came out cautiously. ¡°Look, I think my daughter and her friends were the last to see her.¡± It was Madam Florence. ¡°What? Last?¡± ¡°After a light quarrel with our daughter, a gentleman took the child¡­¡± Madam Florence said, looking at the people once more with a pale face. ¡°But, however¡­ I haven¡¯t seen that gentleman since before.¡± * * * Boom, bang! It started to rain in earnest along with thunder. Viscount Jester dragged Sienna to the abandoned hunting groundskeeper¡¯s old hut, which was below the hillside where they had a picnic, ¡°Go up this floor!¡± Sienna first followed Viscount Jester¡¯s words. She had been trying to talk to Hesaros in her mind all the way, but there was still no answer. ¡®You have to be calm.¡¯ He pretended to be a good Named, but what was he doing when the owner fell into a crisis? ¡°Aren¡¯t you going up?!¡± Viscount Jester pushed Sienna roughly. Sienna barely managed to avoid falling and went up to the second floor. ¡°Slow!¡± Viscount Jester continued to tap her like that. When she finally reached the second floor¡­ ¡®¡­This is all¡­ what?¡¯ The bloody smell blew her away. There was an ominous magic circle painted on the floor in red. ¡®Did he draw that with blood¡­?¡¯ ¡°Preparation¡­ Ready, our angel, where is our angel?¡± Viscount Jester pulled something from the corner. It was a black box the size of a travel trunk. ¡°Our angel, it¡¯s time to get up. Sacrifice, sacrifice. Dad made a sacrifice.¡± ¡®¡­It¡¯s a coffin!¡¯ Noticing the identity of the black box, Sienna was astonished. It was different from Gildinak. They seemed the same, tainted with fraud, but this man was already insane. He was in the stage of madness. ¡°Your blood, I need your blood.¡± Gulping, Sienna calmly stepped back. ¡°Don¡¯t go! I-I only need your blood. If you feed it to my daughter¡­ Your magic will be transferred. Then my daughter will wake up without any problem.¡± Sienna didn¡¯t know, what was that? ¡®If you steal blood, ingest it, you can steal magic power?¡¯ It was impossible. Had that been possible, there would have been no way Loreina could have endured the disgust and put up with Sienna. Just stab her with a knife and drink her blood. It would be easy to prick her finger and drink a drop of blood when she fell asleep, but what would have put Loreina through the painstaking effort of putting up with Sienna, whom she hated so terribly for so long? ¡°Come here, come here¡­ Stand in the middle! If you give me blood, I will spare your life.¡± Even if those words were true, she couldn¡¯t believe a crazy person. There was no way to know if his daughter who died could be revived with her blood, and if she stayed dead, he could blame Sienna for the matter. No, before that, there was a low chance that she would be okay after being stabbed with a knife. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ Sienna¡¯s magic was still at a very basic level. It was only enough to move light objects like the fan before. Sienna unknowingly grabbed the jewel that was rolling in her pocket. ¡®Hesaros¡­!¡¯ It was then. [That¡¯s right, Young Master¡­!] ¡°!¡± A fire appeared on the right side of Sienna. ¡°Aww!¡± A crimson flame swept through the air, and in an instant it struck Viscount Jester. Boom, bang! Thunder boomed and lightning flashed, and Viscount Jester screamed. A gust of wind blew her hair back. At the same time¡­ Sienna was growing up. Her clothes were made to be bigger in case she returned to her original body at any time, and they began to tighten around her body. In an instant, Sienna returned to her eleven-year-old body. ¡°Hesaros!¡± [Yes, it is me!] Hesaros said that Sienna was able to ¡®wake up¡¯ because she was away from the castle. [Find a place to escape! Even if you use me, it¡¯s still not at the level to win!] ¡°However¡­¡­!¡± Viscount Jester, who was flailing his burning arms, was blocking the only passage down to the first floor. There was a window right next to Sienna, but there was not a single tree outside the window. She could jump, but she couldn¡¯t guarantee that she would be in good shape to keep running. [Shit¡­! If I had the reality!] (T/N: referring to his house/jewel.) ¡°Aahhh!!¡± Sienna stared blankly at Viscount Jester, who screamed and burned. No, it was no longer Viscount Jester. Viscount Jester¡¯s body began to transform into a bizarre form in the flames of Hesaros, as if a grumpy child was kneading a lump of clay. ¡®A beast!¡¯ [Sienna!] It was then. ¡®A voice other than Hesaros¡­¡¯ ¡°Sienna-!!¡± It wasn¡¯t an illusion. Sienna looked straight out the window. In the rain, a group of people was approaching this way on horseback. There was a man driving a black horse in the front. The slender man was not holding the reins. He was only holding the horse¡¯s waist with both legs. With his free arms, he was pulling a silver bow. On a horse running with all its might, blowing a white snort into the rain. His eyes were red as he looked towards her, without shaking at all. It was Ashiel. As soon as Sienna realized his identity, Ashiel released the bowstring. At that moment, a huge chunk of magic flew over¡­ ¡°Ahhh, arghhh!¡± It passed right by Sienna who was standing by the window, and hit the burning Viscount Jester. Viscount Jester began to writhe in agony. ¡°Sienna!¡± The bow was turned behind his back, and Ashiel grabbed the reins again. His horse approached the hunting groundskeeper¡¯s hut in an instant. At this rate, he would quickly reach underneath the window where Sienna was at. Just then, Ashiel shouted. ¡°Jump!¡± Unbelievably, at that moment, Sienna really jumped. Without a moment¡¯s delay. Maybe it was because the body made a decision before the head did, or the fear came too late. ¡°Hey¡­!¡± Ashiel grabbed Sienna. ¡°Ugh, huh¡­!¡± When she felt like there was a hard arm around her waist and her body swung once in the air, Sienna was suddenly putting her head in Ashiel¡¯s arms. ¡°Hold on.¡± She couldn¡¯t even answer. Sienna hugged Ashiel¡¯s waist as soon as she was caught. Ashiel put the reins back in that state. Then he looked back while holding the bow. ¡°Keeek, kieek!¡± Viscount Jester, who had completely turned into a gigantic beast, was running out of the hut. Bang, bang! Wizards who seemed to have followed Ashiel were attacking such a viscount. Sienna gazed blankly at the burning and collapsing hut, the beast trampling on everything, including his daughter¡¯s coffin, who must have been so precious. However¡­ ¡®Strange¡­ I don¡¯t think the wizards¡¯ attacks will work.¡¯ Sienna didn¡¯t know yet, but that was because his fraud was exploding as the beastization progressed. Sienna unwittingly gave strength to the hand holding Hesaros. Somehow, it seemed like she had to. ¡°Hesaros!¡± At that moment, as if responding to Sienna¡¯s call, a huge flame began to engulf the earth like a wave. ¡°Ah, heuk!¡± The flames engulfed the demonic beast, Viscount Jester, who was growing enormously, but it wasn¡¯t burning anything. The beast let out a terrible scream. At the same time, the mutation¡­ Stopped! Sienna shouted like a thunderbolt. ¡°Ashiel!¡± At that moment, Ashiel¡¯s arm moved gracefully. It was neither fast nor slow, and it was a very precise movement. With his thighs around the sprinting horse¡¯s waist and supporting Sienna¡¯s weight, he didn¡¯t seem to be burdened at all. Nothing hung from the gigantic silver bowstring. But this bow was originally such a bow. ¡®Named Invisible Thanatos.¡¯ Ashiel, holding the invisible death, pulled the bowstring to the limit. ¡­And released it. Kwak, kwak kwak kwak! A different level of power was shot out compared to when shooting towards Sienna earlier. The ground was dug up along the way, leaving marks. ¡°Ugh¡­! Finally, the beast threw out it¡¯s death. (P/N: It¡¯s like, it gave up it¡¯s life.) * * * There was only black blood scattered over the wreckage of the destroyed old hut and the dry grass, but Viscount Jester did not even leave his corpse after being transformed into a beast. His daughter¡¯s coffin was also broken and tossed in the wreckage of the hut. ¡°I thought that the area would have to be closed for a while and undergo extensive cleanup, but it wouldn¡¯t.¡± Devon placed the wizard¡¯s report on the grand duke¡¯s desk and continued the report. ¡°Even though the mutant beast died in such a state, there was hardly any contamination within the range. I think the lady¡¯s power is a big factor.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Well.¡± The wizard¡¯s report wrote that Ashiel was able to confirm the existence of the purifying fire even before he cut off the beast¡¯s breath. ¡°It was a good thing. As you know, it is an area where frauds sometimes pools¡­¡± If it wasn¡¯t for Sienna, it could have ignited a large-scale subjugation of demonic beasts. However, the look on the grand duke¡¯s face was not at all happy about this situation. An uncommon-class beast that had not completely mutated. It wasn¡¯t a difficult enemy to deal with, but it would be a different story if a being who was a human until then had changed right in front of her eyes. ¡®Especially if that ignorant guy was about to kidnap a child who had just awakened as a wizard and do something that shouldn¡¯t be done.¡¯ The fact that the child was the owner of Hesaros, the first in human history, did not control the wrath of the grand duke. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± However, no matter how pitiful it was, it was impossible to resurrect an already dead entity and punish it. ¡°There¡¯s some reason for Viscount Jester¡¯s sudden fall into fraud.¡± ¡°He was particularly fond of his daughter, but she died a while ago. When I checked the coffin, there was preservation magic on it. Maybe¡­¡± ¡°Are you saying that he believed that he could bring his dead daughter back to life and thus put conservation magic on her body?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m guessing that that¡¯s the source of the fraud, but¡­¡± The grand duke was deep in thought. Viscount Jester was not a wizard. So what kind of crazy wizard helped him in the madness of putting preservation magic on corpses? Devon came up with a reasonable guess to the grand duke¡¯s reasoning. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t there be wizards who would do anything for money?¡± If he thought about it rationally, it was the most likely thing, but¡­ Something didn¡¯t make sense. Sienna had said: ¡°He believed that by sacrificing me, he could bring his daughter back to life.¡± ¡­Was it also just a delusion stemming from the madness of a human being possessed by fraud? It was a story that could have been dismissed like that, but¡­ ¡°¡­ Devon, send the crows. I guess I¡¯ll have to do a thorough investigation.¡± ¡°I see, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Make sure the area around the hut is properly incinerated, the debris is cleared, and entry is blocked for about one season.¡± ¡°I will heed your orders.¡± * * * Viscount Jester was originally one of Loreina¡¯s largest reinforcements. He was popular among the vassals under Nacht, and he was a representative figure who gave strength to the popular opinion that Loreina should be the grand duchess. But then he died. Before Loreina even entered the Grand Duchy. ¡®Is this all a coincidence?¡¯ By this time, even Sienna could not shake the feeling that things were going wrong. Starting with the Cradle of the Moon, which was originally Loreina¡¯s room. Hesaros, who was not able to withstand her power and was destroyed, became Sienna¡¯s. The essential jewel mine, which should have been given to Loreina, also fell to Sienna. Those who were supposed to be Loreina¡¯s important helpers in the future died trying to harm Sienna, and their titles of nobility were forfeited. Even if Sienna had deliberately jumped and attacked her, it seemed that she couldn¡¯t interfere with Loreina more perfectly than this. [It can¡¯t be like this.] ¡°Yes?¡± To Sienna who was lost in thought, Hesaros suddenly and resolutely spoke to her. [Come to think of it, I almost lost my owner that day.] ¡°Yes¡­¡± [If I picked and chose, met an owner, and then lost it in a month¡­ I¡¯d be so humiliated. How much would other Named would laugh at me if they knew.] ¡°I think so.¡± [Yeah, do you agree?] ¡°¡­¡­Yes?¡± The tone of voice asking for consent out of the blue was questionable. [No matter how great I am, no matter how great your qualities are, it is meaningless at this point.] ¡°That¡­¡­.¡± She couldn¡¯t deny it though. [From my point of view, you seem to be a person who gets involved in unnecessary disputes, even if it seems to be in vain. We can¡¯t fix such a fate, so let¡¯s develop the skills to survive in all sorts of situations.] So now¡­ ¡°Are you saying that we should do special training?¡± [Yes! Why, do you have any complaints?] ¡°No, I¡¯m not complaining¡­ I thought that if I die, you¡¯ll just have to find another owner.¡± [The owner ate my words through her nostrils again. I told you I didn¡¯t choose you so easily!] ¡°No, I mean¡­¡± [I hate to hear it! How many times do I have to say it to understand! Are you a worm? No ears!] To sum up, Hesaros¡¯s deafening words were that this Named had no desire to greet any human being as its owner except Sienna. Of course, in order to understand the sweet core content, she had to filter out complaints and abusive language for a long time, such as ¡®Heartless, rude, stupid, and ability to understand speech was not as good as that of an earthworm or a snail.¡¯ ¡®Then maybe¡­¡¯ ¡°Hesaros.¡± [Why!] ¡°Is there a way to destroy a Named?¡± [W-what?] Hesaros squeaked in astonishment. He exclaimed in disbelief. [Y-You can¡¯t be, not a breach of contract, but destruction¡­!] ¡°No, no, no, that¡¯s not it. Listen to me first!¡± Before the Named exploded once more, Sienna confided in him at once. All of her present and past stories. [So¡­] The fireball groaned in disbelief. [You had originally lived for more than 20 years and died, but after you died, you returned to the past?] ¡°Yes.¡± [Oh¡­ Then the scar on your soul¡­] Hesaros mentioned some obscure words as if guessing something. ¡°I don¡¯t know how this is possible¡­ Anyway, I have a memory of the future, and in that memory I wasn¡¯t your owner, and you were destroyed by someone else¡¯s hand.¡± [Well¡­] Hesaros, lost in thought, opened his mouth. [Destroying a Named is¡­ It¡¯s not very impossible. But now is not the era of prosperity, and I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s really possible in this pathetic era, where only the snot of magic remains.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [In the first place, am I really destroyed in your memory? It might not be destroyed, but it could have been stolen and pretended to be like that.] ¡°Ah.¡± She had never thought of it from that perspective. ¡®However¡­ It¡¯s convincing.¡¯ She didn¡¯t know if it¡¯s possible to steal the Named Hesaros from the heart of Nacht, but it sounded more convincing than destroying it. But if it wasn¡¯t an accident, there was something odd. ¡®Then why did Loreina have to go through such a hassle?¡¯ Loreina was rumored to be a genius for destroying Hesaros. Originally, she received attention as a prospect, but after that, she established herself as the most outstanding genius among her peers. However¡­ ¡®Did she do that just to become famous as a genius?¡¯ Loreina was loved by people for good reason. She was a wizard with rare healing powers. In particular, she gained the nickname ¡®healing angel¡¯ by prolonging the lifespan of the emperor who was about to die by a year. She had not yet revealed that she had healing powers, but she was expected to be famous soon once she started working earnestly as a healing wizard. ¡®It wouldn¡¯t be necessary to steal the Named of her patrons, Grand Duke Nacht, for the sake of fame¡­¡¯ Hearing Sienna¡¯s objection, Hesaros agreed. [Yeah, definitely, a wizard with healing powers wouldn¡¯t have to take such an extreme risk to gain fame.] ¡°As expected, that¡¯s right.¡± [I think¡­ In the current situation, all the clues have disappeared, so I can¡¯t be sure.] ¡°What?¡± [The person who destroyed me in the future, you said that she hated you terribly?] Sienna nodded her head. [Then¡­ uhm. What if she took me away to prevent you from becoming my owner?] ¡°No way¡­¡­.¡± It had been a long time since her blood had cooled. ¡°¡­No. I didn¡¯t even know that I would become the owner of Hesaros¡­¡± [One can tell through prophecy. Of course, I don¡¯t know if that level of prophecy still remains in this land¡­] ¡°I was already deprived of my magic, could I have become the master of the Named?¡± [It doesn¡¯t matter. I would have still chosen you as the owner.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Sienna was at a loss for words at the resolute affirmation. She had no idea what to answer. However¡­ It didn¡¯t feel bad. [Anyway, there is nothing we can be sure of in the present situation. For sure, I don¡¯t think you can live a quiet life just avoiding that adversary.] ¡°That¡­¡­.¡± Sienna also agreed. She didn¡¯t want to admit it, but that¡¯s the way things are now. Things Loreina needed to get her hands on, Loreina¡¯s plans, her life. It was not her intention at all, but it was already the third time she had intercepted and ruined them before from the start. It was impossible to even count the small and subtle changes. Wasn¡¯t it unusual for the family members of the Grand Duke Nacht and servants to pay attention to and take care of her? Loreina certainly wouldn¡¯t be pleased with this situation. It was not a situation that could be avoided just by ignoring it. [As I said, the only way is special training. To prevent your adversary from destroying you again, you have to become stronger and stronger! What do you think?] ¡°I think that¡¯s a very ignorant method¡­¡± Sienna sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any other way.¡± [Look, how is this Hesaros¡¯ insight! You can rely on me, right?] A weapon that never forgot to appeal at every opportunity went ¡®ahem!¡¯, and raised his nose. (T/N: ¡®raised his nose¡¯ ¨C figuratively; arrogant.) [Do not worry. What we signed is a lasting contract. In other words! Your enemy will also be my enemy. We are together forever.] ¡°Haha¡­¡­.¡± A laugh burst out of Sienna¡¯s mouth. [Seriously, why are you laughing? ¡­Hey, are you crying?!] ¡°Ha, haha¡­ Really¡­ I know. Why am I crying?¡± Hesaros was restless, [Why? What did I say wrong? Why are you doing this?], and wandered around. Burying her face in her hands while sobbing and laughing, Sienna made a promise. ¡®I¡¯m not going to say thank you or anything.¡¯ ¡°¡­Hesaros, I have made up my mind.¡± She swore like this. ¡°I¡¯ll make a name for myself. I¡¯ll become a genius wizard, the best Terraformer, and I¡¯ll do anything.¡± [Why are you suddenly crying and making strange noises?] ¡°Just.¡± Sienna smiled, wiping away her tears. Because he said he would stay by her side. Even if she lost her magic power, he said she was his owner. So Sienna would become the strongest wizard. Now that she was the owner of Hesaros. This Named, who chose her, had a lot of pride and liked to show off. For the only being who chose her, Sienna decided to steer clear of her efforts to be normal at this point. ¡®Yeah. If you¡¯ve tried this much and it doesn¡¯t work out, I guess you¡¯ve ruined your simple life.¡¯ And Sienna remembered the first cheers she received from people as the owner of the Named. That¡­ if she was to admit it. To be honest, it didn¡¯t feel that bad. Up until now, she thought that living a simple life was suitable for her aptitude, and she thought it would be okay to be ignored and humiliated. But come to think of it, she had never experienced living the opposite life. She couldn¡¯t describe what she had never experienced before as not suited to her aptitude. That would be just fear. Like a foolish fox who looked at the grapes over the fence and guaranteed it would be sour. ¡®Okay. I¡¯ve done enough in my last life to live like garbage.¡¯ So, in this lifetime, let¡¯s go up to where fate puts her. And when she rises to the highest point she could climb, Hesaros¡¯ name would be engraved on it. For the one and only being who was on ¡®her side eternally¡¯. If she was the chosen owner of that sassy Named Hesaros, wouldn¡¯t it be right to do that? ¡®Great.¡¯ She would use anything for that. Anything that could be changed would be changed. Sienna promised so. * * * That evening, Hesaros dwelled in the essential jewel, saying that he still had work to do for purification. Meanwhile, Sienna was called by Grand Duke Nacht. ¡°You called.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ um?¡± The grand duke, who had been standing by the window of the office, calmed his mind, turned his head to Sienna¡¯s call and was at a loss for words. ¡®¡­What?¡¯ Maybe it was because it had been a while since they had met properly after she returned to the age of eleven. As he stared at her, who somehow looked different, Sienna tilted her head. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Somehow, if he had to describe it, the feeling of hesitation had disappeared a bit¡­ To put it poetically, a thick fog seemed to have lifted. Maybe he wasn¡¯t the only one who felt that way, as the butler¡¯s expression when looking at Sienna from the entrance was also strange. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s sit down for now.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sienna sat quietly in the seat pointed to by the grand duke. It was a seat where she sat with her back to the butler. ¡°That¡­ You must have been very surprised¡­ Did you have a good rest?¡± For some reason, Sienna stared at him without averting her gaze. ¡®Well.¡¯ The grand duke thought. Did she find out he was being coached by the butler? He could feel the butler fervently signaling not to look this way. The grand duke met Sienna¡¯s gaze, pretending with the most confident and shameless expression. At that moment¡­ ¡°Yes.¡± Sienna grinned. ¡°Thanks for your concern, I had a good rest.¡± ¡°¡­Where were you injured? No, of course, a doctor should have examined you.¡± Not only did she have an examination, it was even reported that there was nothing wrong with Ashiel, who rode a horse, except for a slight bruise on his back from catching Sienna. ¡°Thanks to His Highness the Grand Prince, I was not hurt.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Yes, but I was very surprised. Suddenly, the Viscount¡­¡± Well. The grand duke¡¯s expression became serious all at once. ¡®That¡¯s understandable.¡¯ She went on a picnic on a sunny day, then she was kidnapped by a certain guy, and the kidnapper transformed into a monster right in front of her eyes. It¡¯s weirder to not be surprised. No, being surprised would be a refined expression. ¡®I don¡¯t even want to think about it, but¡­¡¯ The problem was that no one could properly answer the situation in which Sienna disappeared. ¡®When everyone came to their senses, they just kept saying that she was gone.¡¯ So he had no choice but to listen through the child¡¯s mouth. ¡°Can you tell me more about what happened?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­.¡± The butler quickly noticed and started setting the table. While hot tea and sweets were served, Sienna finished her brief calculations. Coincidentally, while she was kidnapped by Viscount Jester, the people involved were those who later helped Loreina, either in big or small ways. Among them, Madam Dahlia, who later became the mistress of the imperial family, was instrumental in persuading them to support Loreina. ¡°¡­The Viscount suddenly pulled a knife out at me¡­¡± ¡°¡­Does that mean he took out a knife?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After the death of Viscount Jester, the position was to be taken over by his younger brother. ¡®No way.¡¯ The grand duke decided to confiscate Viscount Jester and his property. He couldn¡¯t believe he would point a knife at a child. The grand duke was determined to make the title of Viscount Jester permanently removed from the world without giving back to anyone. ¡°And what else?¡± ¡°I was so startled, I looked around for help, but there was no one there. Oh¡­ I had a little argument with the other girls.¡± ¡°¡­For what?¡± ¡°She asked me to pick up her fan, but I didn¡¯t pick it up by hand, I picked it up by magic.¡± Another bloody shadow fell under the eyes of the grand duke. ¡°¡­¡­And then?¡± ¡°Um¡­ Come to think of it, I think I was wrong. I received the favor of the Grand Duke, but I am just a commoner and they are nobles¡­ I think they thought I was arrogant.¡± ¡°¡­Did they tell you that?¡± ¡°No, they didn¡¯t. They were just warning me to be careful.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, I got it.¡± The grand duke sighed to cool the boiling anger. ¡°Then what was the woman who was supposed to look after you when you were going through such nonsense?¡± ¡°Oh, she was busy. Others talked to her a lot, so she probably didn¡¯t see it.¡± Sienna gave the final blow with a smile on her face. ¡°When the Viscount pulled out his knife, she looked very busy.¡± ¡°I get it.¡± The grand duke nodded his head. ¡°Devon!¡± ¡°Yes, Grand Duke.¡± ¡°Call Madam Parmage and give her a list of those who went to the picnic that day. Tell her to determine and report the person who had a dispute with the child.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, please explain to the lady as well. She will probably understand.¡± The butler¡¯s advice was ignored by the grand duke. Sienna looked at him with wide eyes, a bit startled, but still wide-eyed. ¡°So this is¡­¡± ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± Fortunately, she didn¡¯t seem to be intimidated by his sharp momentum. ¡°No one can make a child of Nacht run a personal errand, such as to pick up a fan.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. It¡¯s the fault of those ignorant humans who have been shown that much but have not understood.¡± ¡°¡­Well, so.¡± Sienna tilted her head and said, ¡°Your Majesty the Grand Duke told them not to be careless, are you saying that they didn¡¯t obey?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, you¡¯re smart.¡± Sienna nodded her head as if she understood. ¡°Ignoring the orders of the Grand Duke. They are wrong.¡± ¡°No, the crime is very bad because they treated you carelessly.¡± The aide and the butler secretly raised their thumbs, avoiding Sienna¡¯s eyes. It was a signal saying, ¡®Your Majesty, Your Majesty, you did a great job!¡¯ ¡°Sir, then, how are we going to deal with it now?¡± Devon¡¯s voice sounded very pleasant. ¡°To those who have been disrespectful to the child of Nacht¡­¡± The grand duke did not betray expectations. ¡°Regardless of status and age, I will give them permission to never have to come to the duchy in the future.¡± It sounded like a reward at first glance, but it wasn¡¯t. ¡°Tell them that no matter what the event is, be it New Year¡¯s greetings or Thanksgiving, they will never have to cross the threshold of my castle.¡± To the small lords and knights of the Disparter region, the grand duke was like a king. Being forbidden to enter the castle meant that they would not be able to appear in front of the grand duke ever again. It meant that they could not even think of stepping into the center of power in the future, but that was not all. No one would want to form a relationship with a family that was banned from entering the castle, so their children¡¯s marriage path was blocked. ¡®Maybe they won¡¯t last a few generations and will be absorbed by the common people and remain in the region.¡¯ In exchange for despising Sienna as a ¡®common orphan¡¯, they themselves would become some commoners, whom they despised so much. The grand duke did not stop there, but nailed it once more thoroughly. ¡°In order to prevent the children from saying that they have fully reflected on the past in about ten years or so, it would be better to send an official document and keep it in the record.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as that.¡± ¡°The knighthood of Viscount Jester and Sir Dahlia will be revoked, and all of their blood relatives within third degree shall be expelled from the territory. Their property will also be confiscated.¡± ¡°I will follow the orders. Let¡¯s see, if possible, it would be better to spread the word so that more unfortunate people like this do not come out.¡± The grand duke smiled without a word. It was a face that looked ten times more brutal than his usual expressionless expression. The storm that began like that swept through the duchy. Everyone knew what the punishment was and the reason, as Devon had promised. The only thing that was announced differently in public was that Viscount Jester had kidnapped Sienna for an unfair advantage. Most of the public¡¯s opinion was ¡®I knew it¡¯ when a series of situations were caused by touching Sienna. ¡°No, commoners are also commoners¡­ She has already become the owner of a Named.¡± ¡°If you graduate from the military academy and go to the battlefield a few times, you will get a title easily.¡± ¡°I know. How can you not think of such a thing¡­¡­¡± ¡°Viscount Jester, who kidnapped the child, is also a terrible person, but Sir Dahlia¡¯s wife is also¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s the owner of the Named, but hasn¡¯t she just finished her first manifestation? To leave her alone.¡± Everyone remembered the 36-month-old Sienna when she showed up on the first day. ¡®She was very small. She didn¡¯t whine at all and fell asleep quietly in a teddy bear.¡¯ The person who kidnapped such a small child was not normal, and the woman who said ¡®I did not know¡¯ was also not normal. ¡°It¡¯s up to him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying.¡± ¡°Anyway, for the time being, everyone must be careful not to go against the Grand Duke¡¯s mood.¡± Everyone ground their teeth. After all, at this critical time! ¡°At this year¡¯s meeting, we wanted to try to get some tax cuts and increase the subsidy.¡± ¡°Even myself, I was going to try to increase the number of enlisted soldiers¡­ but thanks to the people who went around without any sense, we would suffer.¡± From the very beginning, the disobedience of the vassals erupted like this. This year, everyone had to keep their mouths shut. They didn¡¯t know what kind of sparks would come out if they made another mistake. ¡°Well, it might be a bit sloppy when I say it like this, but the Grand Duke has a very good eye.¡± ¡°The child adopted from the orphanage is the owner of Named, and she is also helpful to His Majesty in this way. Isn¡¯t that the same as picking up a gold nugget along the way on the street?¡± ¡°Huh, that¡¯s right. It would be great if I knew of such an orphan.¡± * * * While the grand duke was getting his aides to make an orphanage inspection schedule. [Now, let¡¯s start the special training.] Sienna and Hesaros began their special training. After the first manifestation, Sienna became aware of her own magic under Seth¡¯s guidance, and continued the basic training of gathering and accumulating magic around the core of her heart. It was also an achievement to succeed in the magic of moving simple objects. [Shall we see how hard our genius goblin has worked?] ¡°If I try¡­¡± [Close your eyes.] Sienna closed her eyes. When she closed her eyes, she could feel the flow of magical energy surrounding the core of her heart better. [A ring that surrounds the source of your life. It all starts from there. Now, open your eyes and spread out your hands. And imagine your core is on top of it.] It was an unheard way of education, but Sienna did as she was told. ¡®Open my eyes slowly.¡¯ After concentrating for a moment with both palms facing the sky, a small glowing circle began to appear on the palm of her hand. At first, a star and a circle-like trajectory was drawn, as if with a blurred pencil. ¡°Ah¡­¡± But soon after, like snowflakes, countless stars and countless trajectories appeared simultaneously and began to form the same circle. A circle of countless lights like small stars. Hesaros said to Sienna, who stared blankly at the slowly rotating halo. [Well done. That¡¯s your small area.] ¡°A small area¡­ is it?¡± [Okay. The beginning of everything, the world we meet for the first time, a very small seed that will become your Terra.] A ring-like circle where the beginning and end of the Milky Way meet. This was the world Sienna first embodied. (T/N: embodied; to give a tangible or visible form.) This was a very small world, where she wondered if it could afford to hold a single chick. [You can stop, you did well. Because it was successful.] The tone of his tone was as if there was ¡®nothing special¡¯, but the light of Hesaros was almost golden. Seeing the little fireballs blazing with joy to the point where twinkling star-like sparks burst, Sienna could tell that she had done so well enough to satisfy the high-spirited Named, rather than ¡®stop doing this and that¡¯. Hesaros chuckled and made a cold joke. [I think meeting that beast was helpful. After all, the best way for a wizard to grow is to face the crisis of death.] ¡°You have a knack for making terrible things sound normal.¡± [What? You don¡¯t know anything. Where can you find a friendly Named like me!] Despite his protest, Hesaros seemed happy. [Anyway, today¡¯s training seems to be enough, let¡¯s gradually expand the scope in the future. By the way, when are you planning to buy my house?] ¡°You¡¯re very obsessed with ¡®getting your own house¡¯.¡± [Of course! How can you wander around without a home!] ¡°I think you¡¯re self-sufficient.¡± [Cold-hearted¡­ How could you!] Of course, she wanted to save his main body, and there was a plan, but it was fun to make fun of Hesaros, so Sienna said, ¡°I¡¯ve saved some jewels.¡± [Not that! My body! If you only bring materials to an empty field, is that a house? Yes? Oh, give me a decent house too! Home!] ¡°You should be glad I have the materials, why do you think that I should build a good house?¡± [You are¡­] Suddenly, the orange fireball trembled. [This¡­ This¡­ You¡¯re like a bad owner.] Hesaros¡¯s trembling voice faltered. [¡­Yes, it is. What more can I say? I have to blame myself for my stupidity in choosing the wrong owner¡­] He flew away and slipped into the doll¡¯s house on the table. ¡°Hey, Hesaros?¡± Did she joke around too much? ¡°Hesaros?¡± ¡®Knock, knock,¡¯ I said so and touched the door of the doll¡¯s house with my fingertips, but there was no answer. It looked like he was sulking properly. ¡°It was a joke.¡± [A joke? Are you proud?] ¡°Yes, I was kidding.¡± Sienna tried to calm him down. ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve already told the Grand Duke to let me enter the treasury. It¡¯s true.¡± [¡­¡­.] ¡°Your Highness asked me what I wanted because I went through a hard time.¡± So Sienna said: ¡°I need the ¡®main body of Hesaros¡¯. Can you let me enter the treasury you mentioned earlier?¡± ¡°His Majesty, the Grand Duke Nacht, said that the treasure trove is amazing. I heard there were a lot of relics from the Era of Prosperity. There are also tiaras studded with a thousand diamonds.¡± The trunk of the doll¡¯s house, which had been slammed shut, swung open at the sound of soothing words. [The first fairy queen¡¯s tiara is there¡­?] A glowing fireball popped out of the gap. [¡­He seemed to be some kind of human emperor?] ¡°He¡¯s not the Emperor, but he¡¯s something like the Emperor¡¯s nephew.¡± [Then¡­ He would have some pretty useful stuff, but¡­ No, no. What do you think I¡¯m going to choose?] ¡°Can¡¯t we just choose anything?¡± [We can¡¯t choose anything. My eyes are so refined. You don¡¯t know how cheap high-ranking people are, do you? What do you do when he says, ¡®You can¡¯t take that¡¯ even though I liked it the most? I¡¯ll be sad¡­] ¡°Oh, if that¡¯s the case, you don¡¯t have to worry about it. He said you can pick and choose whatever you like.¡± [Really¡­?] ¡°Yes. Really. You said it doesn¡¯t matter how many there are.¡± In fact, the Grand Duke had promised to do so when he allowed her to enter the treasury, so he asked her to request something else. Sienna said that there was nothing she could think of right now other than that, and then the unconventional permission to go in and pick up whatever she wanted fell to her. Sienna grinned. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± [¡­Then you should have told me in advance!] Shouting out, Hesaros flew over Sienna¡¯s forehead and struck her with beans. Yes, it didn¡¯t hurt. How much would a beanbag-bump be? (T/N: I¡¯m assuming it¡¯s a toy from the dollhouse.) [When can I go in? Can I really choose anything? The body I chose is for you to carry. Can I really, really, choose what I want? Yes? Is that true?] ¡°Yes, it doesn¡¯t matter when you enter, it doesn¡¯t matter what you choose, it doesn¡¯t matter how many you choose. You can do whatever you want.¡± [I chose my owner well!] ¡°You changed your words more easily than flipping your palms.¡± [Uh-huh. I am humble enough to immediately accept your mistakes.] * * * The underground treasure vault was opened. The treasure vault that this castle had maintained since the time it was an ancient castle was said to contain some objects that still had not been fully identified even in Nacht. As Michael explained: ¡°It was to the extent that the preceding Grand Dukes had to roughly separate and seal dangerous items.¡± ¡°Is that normal?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it usually like that? But it isn¡¯t too dangerous now since you cleaned it roughly.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t completely cleaned out, it was just roughly cleaned up, and it¡¯s not very dangerous, but it can be a bit dangerous, and that¡¯s what I mean.¡± Michael chuckled. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s very accurate. As expected, you¡¯re smart.¡± She was praised, but she was not grateful. Sienna sighed a little. ¡°Do not scare the child.¡± ¡°Hey, she¡¯s not afraid of things like this.¡± Sienna responded involuntarily. ¡°It¡¯s true, but when you say it like that, I feel like I¡¯m going to get scared at least once.¡± ¡°Did you see it?¡± The grand duke looked a little embarrassed. ¡°When did you two become so close¡­?¡± ¡°Do we look friendly?¡± This wasn¡¯t even a proper answer. But whether his esteemed father was stunned or not, Michael was just thrilled. ¡°Did you hear? Father says we look close.¡± ¡°Why are you bragging about that¡­¡± Sienna decided to just get what she would get from the grand duke and not to consume any other emotions, but she was still not used to the speed of Michael¡¯s narrowing of distance. If he narrowed the distance like that purely, she felt like she was doing something wrong because she was just indifferent for a good reason¡­ She had such a strange feeling. ¡°If my older brother was, I would have boasted to him too. I¡¯ll say I¡¯m close to you. Not my older brother.¡± Saying that, Michael looked very excited. ¡®But there¡¯s only one thing, you¡¯re still the same as the Michael in the past in that you still don¡¯t want me to be close to the grand prince.¡¯ They had become close. But he still didn¡¯t like seeing an orphan getting close to his older brother. Sienna thought so. ¡®It was easy to avoid friction with the second young master.¡¯ She suddenly wondered. If she hadn¡¯t been misunderstood in the past, would she have been able to live like this? ¡®¡­Well, it¡¯s a meaningless assumption.¡¯ Anyway, she was still not sure why others¡¯ attitudes have changed favorably, but Sienna thought it was good to know even in Michael¡¯s case. ¡®In the future, we must keep the lines clear and avoid unnecessary friction.¡¯ While Sienna was thinking that way, Michael was staring intently. ¡°¡­What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not sure¡­ I thought you were having a misconception for some reason.¡± ¡°What?¡± Sienna tilted her head at the incomprehensible words, and Michael waved his hand, saying, ¡®Nevermind.¡¯ The grand duke checked the time. ¡°Slowly, the time has come.¡± ¡°Ah yes.¡± Sienna straightened her posture. ¡°Listen carefully. The treasure trove of Nacht is enchanted with ancient magic. Only those who have been recognized as Nacht¡¯s blood relatives by eating the pomegranate or direct blood relatives of Nacht can enter.¡± Sienna nodded her head and asked without realizing it. ¡°What if someone else enters?¡± ¡°That¡­¡­.¡± The grand duke stopped talking. While looking at Sienna with his red eyes, he furrowed his thick eyebrows. ¡®¡­Well, that means it¡¯s difficult to answer.¡¯ She knew something was to happen if she didn¡¯t listen to it. Sienna agreed. ¡°Anyway, you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Once you enter the treasury, the magic in the treasury will help you find what you need most. This is the most accurate time for that magic to work.¡± A treasure trove of ancient magic¡­ She didn¡¯t know that in this lifetime, she would come across a place that only Nacht¡¯s direct blood relatives could enter. Chapter 50 to 63 Note: This chapter consists of episodes 50 to 63. Slightly nervous, Sienna unconsciously fumbled through her pockets and confirmed the existence of the soul stone in which Hesaros resided. [What¡¯s the matter?] ¡®Nothing.¡¯ [Not true.] Even after hearing that it was pointless, she was relieved to see that he was with me. Perhaps he sensed Sienna¡¯s anxiety, the grand duke added softly. ¡°Michael was joking, but don¡¯t worry. This castle can never harm Nacht¡¯s blood relatives, or beings equivalent to blood relatives.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Thank you.¡± ¡°Then.¡± The grand duke approached a very old wooden door inlaid with an unknown ancient language and geometric knots. As if reflecting the passage of time, it was stained, dull, and even crumbled in some places. It wasn¡¯t grand or big. Even if she passed this way by accident, she would not have known that there was a treasure vault inside. The grand duke took out a bronze key from the front of his jacket that looked like it was also old. It, too, was oxidized to such a bright blue color that you could only see it in a museum. Shudder. Getting involved¡­ ¡°It¡¯s better to go alone from now on. If more than one person enters, ancient magic will cause some confusion.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a normal inspection, but when you¡¯re trying to find something you really need like now, there¡¯s nothing we can do.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If there is anything you would like to have other than the one guided by the treasury, as I said, you are welcome to take it.¡± Sienna stared intently at the grand duke, who was explaining each and every word unapologetically. She wondered if this person was looking at me right now? ¡­Why? Just in case, Sienna said something like this. ¡°Thank you for your concern¡­? I¡¯ll be careful and get back to you¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The grand duke shut his mouth with a very bizarre expression. His slightly frowned expression looked a bit startled, and he looked like someone who had been stabbed by a sharp object inadvertently. In any case, it seemed clear that Sienna¡¯s words were not the correct answer. ¡®Well, I¡¯m not in a position to exchange worries.¡¯ Did he think that I would misunderstand him being nice to me right away just because I did a good job? Sienna smiled and walked towards the door. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°Be, be careful!¡± Instead of answering, Sienna stepped inside. * * * In the dark space, the floor was gradually lit up. ¡°Follow me here¡­¡± [I think so.] She couldn¡¯t see anything except the shiny part of the floor, but it didn¡¯t feel ominous or that she shouldn¡¯t go in further. Hesaros didn¡¯t say a word as he didn¡¯t even notice any anomaly. Sienna began to move cautiously. How far had she gone? ¡°¡­¡­Uh?¡± She was walking looking only at the shiny floor, but she had come to a place where the floor was no longer shining. Sienna naturally raised her head, then realized later that the scenery around her had changed. ¡°When¡­?¡± Fortunately, it was not a completely unfamiliar landscape. Because it was the corridor of Nacht¡¯s castle. She went into the treasury, but she came out through the castle corridor. ¡®I think it¡¯s because of the mysterious magic that resides in this castle¡­¡¯ Could it be that ancient magic that was hung in the treasury?¡¯ She was told that no one other than blood relatives should enter, but when she went in, she was kicked out naturally like this? ¡®Actually, the pomegranate in the sentence didn¡¯t work for anything¡­ Hesaros?¡¯ ¡­No answer. ¡°Uh¡­?¡± As soon as Sienna was about to panic, shiny marks appeared in front of her again. It was like saying that from now on, it would guide the way again. Apparently, the guide to the treasure vault was not over. ¡°Hesaros.¡± Hesaros still did not answer. ¡°Well¡­¡­.¡± She didn¡¯t know what happened, but for now, it seemed that she had to trust the grand duke¡¯s words, ¡®This castle won¡¯t hurt you¡¯. Hesaros¡­ He didn¡¯t always answer her. ¡®There must be a reason.¡¯ Alleviating her anxiety, Sienna started walking again, following the guide. Gradually, however, the surroundings became more familiar. ¡®This¡­ It¡¯s on the way to the grand prince¡¯s room.¡¯ She was upset. It was a weekday now, and Ashiel was back at school, so she didn¡¯t have to worry about running into him, but wouldn¡¯t it look weird? Sienna thought it might look like she was visiting a room without its owner. ¡®Well¡­ Let¡¯s go and see, don¡¯t go inside the door.¡¯ If she said she was lost, she thought anyone would understand. It¡¯s only been a month since Sienna had been to the Underworld Castle. ¡®It seems strange that the people in the castle are fewer than usual, but¡­¡¯ However, the nature of Nacht was not to use a lot of people in the first place. There was some danger because of the magic hidden in several places, and the magic was paradoxically protecting the castle from wear and tear, corrosion, and pollution over time. So they didn¡¯t need to hire as many people like everywhere else. ¡®It seems as if it¡¯s their goal to exist like this¡­¡¯ As she walked, thinking about various things, she arrived near Ashiel¡¯s room sooner than she thought. The guidance seemed to continue to the front door. Since there were no people and she might not be able to enter, she went slowly initially. However¡­ ¡®Uh¡­¡¯ The door was open. ¡®Who is cleaning¡­¡¯ Pounding, pounding, pounding. Her heart was beating strangely. As each step continued, it became strangely stronger. Finally, stepping on the last shiny floor, Sienna stood in front of the open door, and¡­ ¡°Sir Ashiel¡­?¡± An unbelievable sight was unfolding. It was Ashiel. But it wasn¡¯t the Ashiel who had to be at the military academy. ¡°Sienna¡­?¡± It was Ashiel, who became an adult before Sienna in the past somewhere, a time that had now never happened. ¡®What?¡¯ How did this happen? ¡°Sienna, you are, Sienna right¡­?¡± Sienna took a step back slowly. Ashiel¡¯s condition was a bit strange, but she didn¡¯t have the mind to notice it. She looked back and saw a white light on the floor again. ¡®I have to run away.¡¯ Sienna thought so casually. and started running. ¡°Sienna!¡± Somehow, her feet moved very quickly. It seemed to move more than three steps at a time. From behind, she heard Ashiel chasing after her. ¡®It¡¯s strange, I can¡¯t. I don¡¯t think this is real.¡¯ She was sure it was still in the treasure vault, and she must be seeing something like a fantasy under a strange spell. ¡®It said it would give me what I wanted.¡¯ If so, did Sienna, in her heart, want Ashiel so desperately to find him? ¡­¡­No, let¡¯s not imagine these nauseous thoughts while running. Fortunately, though Sienna didn¡¯t completely evade Ashiel, she still got to her room on the third floor while keeping their distances apart. The shining road was cut off right in front of the door. She didn¡¯t have time to think twice. Sienna instinctively opened the door to her old room. And jumped into it¡­ ¡°¡­-enna!¡± Ashiel¡¯s mournful voice gradually faded away. ¡°Don¡¯t go¡­¡­!¡± * * * Flash. [Are you out of your mind?] ¡°Ah¡­¡± When Sienna opened her eyes, she was in a certain room. It was a large room with boxes stacked on one side of the room, and occasionally, there were glass display stands. ¡°Where?¡± [You arrived here while walking, but as soon as you arrived, you lost your mind.] Sienna rolled her feet and stared blankly at something like a stick. [It seemed to show something through the passage of dreams, but it didn¡¯t seem like magic intended to do any harm, so I just watched. It wasn¡¯t a big deal, right?] Sienna thought as she listened to Hesaros¡¯s babbling. ¡®¡­So was that a dream?¡¯ [¡­-enna?] ¡°¡­Yes?¡± [Why are you so spaced out? Did you see anything strange?] ¡°No¡­.¡± She met the Ashiel of the past in my memory. But it probably wasn¡¯t what Sienna wanted the most. So Sienna shook her head. [Well, if it¡¯s not a big deal, stop and try to pick up the thing by your feet.] ¡°Ah yes¡­.¡± Her mind was still numb. Sienna, without knowing why, was told to pick up a stick that was rolling by her feet, so she picked it up. ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± The thing that looked like a baton was a black stick. It had been crafted with something lighter than silver, but the place where there was supposed to be jewels was empty. ¡®¡­Are you empty?¡¯ [That¡¯s a cigarette holder.] ¡°¡­Yes?¡± [Oh, you might not know. In ancient times, it was fashionable to roll cigarettes on paper and smoke.] ¡°Ah¡­¡± [Cigarettes wrapped in paper were called cigars, because if you just hold and smoke them, it would smell good. Put it in a hole at the end and light it up.] ¡°You mean, it¡¯s an old-fashioned cigarette stick.¡± [There¡¯s probably still one in these days too.] As she listened to the story, she remembered seeing a lady smoking a cigarette like this one day. But Sienna wasn¡¯t very enthusiastic about the first thing she saw, nor was she a smoker, so she soon lost curiosity. [Home¡­ Obsidian with reinforcement and flame-retardant treatment on mithril¡­ If it was the craftsmanship of the prosperous era, the durability would of course be good, and there¡¯s a place to insert jewels¡­] But Hesaros had a different view. [Sienna.] ¡°Yes?¡± [I want my house here.] ¡°Yes¡­?¡± Cigarette stick? [It¡¯s equipped with flame-retardant magic, and there¡¯s a spot for jewels.] ¡°So you¡¯re telling me to carry a cigarette stick around¡­?¡± [What if it¡¯s not a cigarette? And it¡¯s because you don¡¯t know. But if you look here, the magic amplification magic is also engraved, right? If you use magic with this, you won¡¯t even use half of your normal magic power.] ¡°So what?¡± [I¡¯m also trying to become an energy-saving eco-friendly Named. As that is the case, a good confidant turns to a good confidant.] What was he saying? ¡°How should I tell people that the Named, who chose an owner for the first time in two thousand years, is a cigarette stick?¡± [Well, I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s up to you to figure it out.] Haha. Sienna laughed at that. ¡°No, I do not want to.¡± [What do you hate? Why?!] ¡°Let¡¯s find something other than this.¡± [Oh, it¡¯s done! I like this! I can¡¯t live without this! This is my house! Spit it!] (T/N: Hesaros¡¯ ¡°Spit it!¡± is more like ¡°There! I said it!¡±) ¡°Hey? Did you say that? Now?¡± [Yes, I spit it! Spit! Spit! This is mine now!] ¡°You¡¯re not even a child, but this ancient weapon¡­?!¡± After that, the two of them fought for about thirty minutes, repeating ¡°I¡¯m going to live there!¡±, ¡°I hate it!¡±, ¡°I¡¯m living there!¡±, and ¡°I don¡¯t like it!¡± for a while. Neither of them went anywhere and behaved childishly like this, which was very strange. But even though she knew it was strange, she didn¡¯t want to lose. [You came out like this, in the end? I¡­ I really believed in you because you said it doesn¡¯t matter what I choose, it doesn¡¯t matter how many I choose, and it doesn¡¯t matter what I choose!] The fight, which had been sluggish, started to reach its conclusion as Sienna got caught up in what he said. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s because I thought Hesaros would choose something like the tiara of the first fairy queen!¡± [This is good too! Don¡¯t you remember? That¡¯s what the Grand Duke said! The treasure vault here will pick out what you need!] ¡°You didn¡¯t choose?¡± It showed me something weird, nothing helpful! Sienna was embarrassed. But Hesaros did not lose either. [It was kicked! By your feet! Thinking about it makes me mad? If you even kicked it, take responsibility, my house!] The fight that started a little logically went back to the state where the loudest voice wins again. But in the end, the final victory passed to Hesaros. It was because of the lack of vocal cords that could harpoon even when she screamed as much as she could. (TL/N: referring to using ¡®shouts¡¯ as ¡®harpoons/ammunition¡¯.) [Of course. I¡¯ve definitely checked everything before. Can I really choose anything?] ¡°Yes, you did¡­¡± [You have to carry it, but can I really choose? Is it true! That¡¯s how I politely asked for permission over and over again.] ¡°Yes, yes. Sir Hesaros¡¯ words are correct two hundred times, and everything is right.¡± [Well, then. No, I¡¯m glad. Now, from today on, this is my home!] ¡°Ha¡­¡± After going back to the age of 11, she started to carry a cigarette stick. With a cold face, Sienna pulled out the sparkling soul stone of Hesaros from her pocket. Hesaros was so happy that he was now shining brighter than diamonds. ¡®I hate to be honest, but seeing that he likes it so much, I think it would be okay to carry a cigarette.¡¯ But she would never tell him that gently, even if she were to die. Good things were good, but Hesaros¡¯ childish attitude could really piss people off. Besides, the fact that she lost in a fierce argument that she did her best in made her very upset. So this would remain a secret. ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± Sienna brought the soul stone to the empty part of the work, as Hesaros instructed. ¡°Ugh.¡± Paak, and a blinding light came out¡­ And when she came to her senses¡­ [What do you think? The height of this body?] As if through the hands of a craftsman, Hesaros¡¯ soul stone was completely empty. ¡°Oh.¡± Even Sienna, who was upset, was amazed at this. What should she say, so¡­ ¡°¡­Did you finish moving already?¡± [This is a given!] ¡®Ahem,¡¯ Hesaros raised his nose. [Now, since I have a main body, let¡¯s see?] ¡°What?¡± With a roar, flames spewed out from the tip of the pipe and engulfed the air. However, he did not use Sienna¡¯s magical power as recklessly as he did in front of Viscount Jester. ¡®He said that the required magic power is halved, so¡­¡¯ Was he an eco-friendly energy-saving Named¡­ Somehow calling it that way seems too sophisticated for an ancient weapon¡­ Still, it would be a good thing. Sienna decided to keep her heart simple. [Hey Sienna, look here too.] Hesaros, who wanted to show off his new skills because he had a house now, smoked a puff of light purple smoke this time. [If you smoke like this and spread it with the wind, the place where the smoke spreads to will be purified. It¡¯s a little less powerful than purifying with fire, but when purifying a wide area, doing so requires less magic power and is much simpler.] ¡°¡­Yes, everything is good¡­ Actually, not everything is good, but let¡¯s say it¡¯s good.¡± Sienna wanted to take a headache pill. ¡°By the way, if I do this, I won¡¯t be able to avoid it and I¡¯ll become a smoker, right?¡± [Yes, but it¡¯s up to you to figure it out.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [What can I do? It doesn¡¯t smell, doesn¡¯t it? At most, it smells like burning firewood.] ¡°If it even smelled like cigarettes, I would have been really mad.¡± [Yes, yes. No, let¡¯s just say it¡¯s a relief that it doesn¡¯t. You should think it¡¯s a good thing that this happened. And as I just thought, this has one more advantage.] ¡°What the hell?¡± [Why, there are so many people who just want to smoke to look cool? But, isn¡¯t it good that you can look cool without taking any damage to your health?] Wow. Sienna clapped dryly. She thought that if his sophistry went on like this, he could even receive a reward. ¡°If I get sick of thinking overly optimistic about anything about that opinion, then I¡¯ll go and think about it.¡± [Sheesh. You¡¯re not deceived by this.] ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡± Even though it was a little fun to talk about it, she was slowly getting tired. ¡°Oh.¡± However, something was kicked by Sienna¡¯s toes when she was about to turn around. [Do I look like a multi-homeowner?] Hesaros said something Sienna couldn¡¯t understand. ¡®Is it like an ancient joke?¡¯ Anyway, for there to be something appearing twice in this absence of anything/empty space, it seemed that the recommendation of the treasure vault was definitely right. When she picked the item up, she realised that this time, it was a ring. ¡°The seal ring¡­?¡± She couldn¡¯t recognize it well because it was covered with rusty green dirt.¡­ But it felt somewhat familiar. [Let¡¯s take that too. I don¡¯t know what it is yet, but I can feel the good energy.] Was it? As Hesaros said there was nothing to lose, so Sienna put the ring in her pocket and went out. In front of her¡­ Michael and the grand duke were still there. ¡°You didn¡¯t go?¡± ¡°You came out?¡± The two of them spoke and made a puzzled expression at the same time, then the grand duke checked the time. ¡°It¡¯s only been about ten minutes.¡± It was amazing. She thought she had been in there for quite a while. ¡®Ancient magic is not so sophisticated or powerful that it can be compared to this current level¡­¡¯ She didn¡¯t know time would flow at a different rate. ¡°But that¡­ Isn¡¯t it a cigarette holder?¡± Whoops. When she came to her senses, Michael was not the only one looking at Sienna with an indescribable expression. Sienna agonized for a moment in front of the two pairs of bewildered eyes. But the whole story ¨C why did she come out with this cigarette holder and what resistance did she make in the process? It was too long to repeat. So she just said this. While smiling as if it was embarrassing. ¡°Hesaros said he liked this¡­¡± ¡°Did he? Your Named¡¯s taste is very unique.¡± ¡°It¡¯s kind of like that¡­¡± [What? My preference is normal!] (The Team: No way in hell is your preference normal.) Hesaros was upset and asked for correction, but Sienna just pretended she couldn¡¯t hear anything and laughed. * * * After she succeeded in buying the house that Hesaros wanted like that. Sienna spent her leisure time studying magic with Seth, practicing, and doing special training with Hesaros. ¡­It just meant she only studied. Magic was good. The deeper the learning, the more enjoyable it was. She wanted to know more, and she wanted to deepen and enrich herself in more areas. She was thirsty for knowledge. It was time when Sienna realized that what she had simply considered as ¡®Her magic had been taken away¡¯ actually took away a lot more from her life. Although growing little by little, Sienna¡¯s territory was still a very small world. Maybe a little more, and she could raise two chicks. Raising that little world was unbearably fun. To the extent that she even had the romantic idea that ??dazzling colors were permeating her life, which she didn¡¯t even know was achromatic until now. But today, Sienna had neglected even her favorite magic. ¡°Miss Lisa!¡± ¡°Sienna!¡± Today was the day Sienna promised to go to Kendall Orphanage, no, Melanche Orphanage. ¡°How are you? Oh my gosh! Now I really can¡¯t recognize you. You look like a lady!¡± In fact, Lisa and Sienna were not that close. What happened just before she left the orphanage was just unforgettable for both of them. But they both thought they knew each other too late. ¡°Have you been well? Is the Grand Duke taking care of you?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m doing well. Please be kind to everyone.¡± If this statement had to be made up as a lie, it would have been quite sad and miserable. But not now. For now, it was true. ¡®What will happen in half a year will be decided only when Sister Loreina appears.¡¯ But that time hasn¡¯t come yet. Not yet. Sienna then smiled broadly. She didn¡¯t even realize that Michael, who had insisted on following her, was shocked to see that bright expression on her face. She just wanted to show Lisa a happy side. * * * Lisa took Sienna and Michael to the director¡¯s office. While being guided to the director¡¯s room from the front door, Sienna burst into exclamations. What was inevitable was that, in Sienna¡¯s eyes, the Melanche Orphanage was incomparable to the days of Kendall Orphanage. ¡°Teacher, did you change that broken window over there?¡± ¡°You recognize it right away. It¡¯s the first thing I did after I became the head of the orphanage.¡± As if Lisa had become a villain, she mimicked Director Kendall¡¯s characteristic ¡®heh heh.¡¯ Sienna couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter. ¡°If Director Kendall had known, he wouldn¡¯t have slept for a month because of the cost of the window.¡± ¡°Oh, then, shall we find out which prison he is in and send him a letter? We might get along well there.¡± In fact, Kendall was no longer in this world, let alone in prison, but Michael was the only one here who knew about it. Michael looked around with a complicated gaze. The boy had an active personality, and Grand Duke Nacht did not restrict his son. It was a street where commoners live, which he started going and visiting when he was about eight years old. Of course, he didn¡¯t look around the slums, but Michael used his imagination to accurately grasp the standard of living of commoners to some extent. As Lisa Melanche prided herself on, Melanche Orphanage was one of the most respectable orphanages. That was true. ¡®I just don¡¯t like having to comply with this level.¡¯ The bigger problem was the story of Kendall orphanage that Sienna and Lisa talked excitedly about. The whole story was like this. ¡°Sienna, do you remember the onion skins? Director Kendall told Johnny to make soup out of the onion skins thrown away in the trash.¡± ¡°I added vinegar because it wasn¡¯t worth adding salt, and I added sugar cane instead of sugar because it just tasted too sour?¡± The onion skins were chewy like paper peels and terribly sour, and the stiff sugarcane had to be spit out eventually because there was no end to chewing. To be honest, calling it food was a huge insult to other food. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it. Thanks to that, I enjoy throwing away onion skins very much these days. No, actually, we take turns doing it.¡± ¡°Oh, my God.¡± ¡°The children voluntarily help with chores, but if it¡¯s to throw away onion skins, there are more than 30 applicants.¡± Sienna began to laugh, out of breath, as if she had heard the funniest story in the world. Michael felt strange. Without knowing how the other party was feeling, Teacher Lisa said kindly. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re doing well, Sienna. Actually, I always thought of you while making this a better orphanage.¡± Lisa diligently walked around the director¡¯s office and pulled out the tea. Of course, it wasn¡¯t real tea with tea leaves, but water that mimics tea by brewing roasted grains. For the snack, it was dark fried biscuits. ¡°Thank you, Miss Melanche.¡± Michael pretended to wet his lips and put down the teacup. He kept quiet as he did not intend to criticize her for what she gave, but in fact, even servants in Nacht did not eat this kind of food. But Sienna looked at the biscuit and said: ¡°In the past, there was a time when Elij stole this biscuit and only shared it with the children in Room 6.¡± Why were the stories endless? Michael almost choked up now. ¡°I wish I could have done this while you were here. I thought of that every day when you left. I wish you were in my orphanage.¡± ¡®Actually, we didn¡¯t even have time to get to know each other,¡¯ as Lisa whispered with a sad face, Sienna smiled and nodded her head. ¡°I think it would have been better if the Teacher was the director.¡± At that moment, Michael couldn¡¯t contain his anger. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sienna, you¡¯re never coming back here. You¡¯re Nacht¡¯s child, so why do you say that?¡± The boy stared at Lisa while sharpening his eyes towards Sienna. Sienna was surprised. To be honest, it was because she had almost forgotten about Michael¡¯s existence. ¡°Second Young Master, sorry, what I meant is¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness. I made a mistake first.¡± Lisa intervened softly. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not even thinking of calling Sienna back here, Your Highness, the Second Prince. I meant that it would have been nice to stay like this in the past.¡± ¡°In the past, you say¡­¡± ¡°Yes, anyway, because Sienna had to stay here before meeting Grand Duke Nacht.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I was just imagining that if those days weren¡¯t harsh.¡± If only those times weren¡¯t harsh. ¡®What was it like¡­¡¯ Michael, who had only been exposed to the life of ordinary people by licking a watermelon, could not even imagine. (T/N: a Korean proverb; By only licking the surface of the watermelon, you¡¯ll never taste and experience the sweet inside part. Or in this case, the bad part. It means to do something in a superficial way.) He felt terrible just hearing Sienna and Lisa talking and laughing. But for those two, there must have been more experiences that couldn¡¯t be said with a smile and laugh. His chest was tight and his heart was numb from his hands to his feet. As if sharing the funniest joke in the world while talking about eating onion skins for a meal, it made him want to get mad at Sienna, who laughed with a laugh he had never heard before. After leaving Michael alone, the two started talking to each other again. ¡°Anyway, I was worried about the increase in the interest of the children these days, but the support of the small lords has also increased, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°The small lords?¡± ¡°Yeah. Everyone seems to be very interested in the children, saying that there might be a child like Miss Sienna.¡± Lisa looked at Michael, who was speechless, and added loudly, ¡°Still, Grand Duke Nacht¡¯s support is the biggest.¡± In any case, after Sienna officially introduced herself, the search for a useful orphan among the small lords had spread like a fad these days. A fad. That was just the right word for it. Lisa didn¡¯t like their impure purposes, but she couldn¡¯t refuse. Whatever the reason, when they saw the orphanage¡¯s terrible environment, there was no one who wouldn¡¯t give a piece of gold coin. ¡°It¡¯s hard to find a child like you anywhere, but I hope the small lords realize it as late as possible.¡± After talking like that, it was time to go. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sienna. Can you come to play again next time?¡± Lisa and Sienna realized each other¡¯s existence too late in the harsh environment. There had been no time to make friends in the past. However, as they laughed and talked about the great troubles, they became close friends to the point that their prior worries about whether it would be awkward were gone. ¡°Yes, I will definitely come back to play.¡± Michael felt his stomach twist. The Sienna in the castle had a guest-like aspect every time. ¡®She even believes that she should return to the orphanage when another outstanding child comes.¡¯ Why does she like places like this? Why doesn¡¯t she laugh like this at home? ¡®It¡¯s funny, she lived in a place like this, so shouldn¡¯t she be happy every day in the castle?¡¯ Aren¡¯t you supposed to be happy and ask to let you stay here even if she¡¯s better than you? The fact that Sienna didn¡¯t hate the orphanage sounded to Michael that she hated Nacht more. It was a leap, but the boy was already offended and frustrated. So Michael told Sienna on the way home. ¡°You, don¡¯t go to the orphanage from now on.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± It was heartbreaking. He really didn¡¯t mean to stop Sienna from going there. It was just a whine that came out of anger¡­ ¡®What¡¯s wrong with me?¡¯ The same was true of Sienna who did not like Michael¡¯s attitude. He forcefully accompanied her to places that he didn¡¯t have to follow, and he was surprised when looking around the orphanage. In fact, Michael followed her inevitably because he was worried¡­ But even that worry was enough to offend Sienna. ¡®I¡¯ve lived here for eleven years, and he says even a brief visit here is dangerous.¡¯ Let¡¯s just say that her body was precious. It was not too unbearable to think of it as worrying. But wasn¡¯t he trying to ruin the pleasant conversation she had with Lisa after a long time? Then, by telling her not to go to the orphanage, he blew the lid off Sienna¡¯s patience. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but Your Highness can¡¯t stop me from going. Today¡¯s visit has been permitted by His Majesty the Grand Duke since the day I came to Nacht.¡± ¡°What? So, you mean you¡¯ve been thinking about coming back here since you came?¡± Michael¡¯s words were, ¡®Are you going to leave Nacht and go back to the orphanage?¡¯, but Sienna understood it as, ¡®Are you going to go play again?¡¯ So she nodded without hesitation. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You really¡­¡± Michael bit his lip. He was so angry that he didn¡¯t want to say anything more. He was upset. ¡®You mean you hate our house so much that you want to go back to a place with such terrible memories.¡¯ Michael looked at Sienna with watery red eyes and warned. ¡°But you¡¯re still Nacht¡¯s child.¡± ¡°Yes. I know.¡± ¡°¡­Do you really know that?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t want to say it.¡± And the conversation that day ended there. * * * A few days have passed since she had an argument that wasn¡¯t like an argument with Michael. If she was like the Sienna of the past, she might have given up on going to see Lisa in consideration of Michael¡¯s uncomfortable feelings. But now Sienna had no intention of doing so. After a while, Loreina, like an angel, would appear anyway, and after that, it would be a situation where she didn¡¯t know what would happen. No, there was no need to wait all the way till Loreina came. ¡®If he misunderstands that I have a crush on the Grand Prince, I¡¯m going to turn it around like the palm of my hand.¡¯ There was a feeling that there was some misunderstanding in the gap between the conversations that day, but for the above reasons, Sienna did not feel the need to solve it. No, Sienna made plans for a second outing to the orphanage as if she was looking for it. This time, Michael did not say he would follow. ¡°Sienna, you came to play again!¡± ¡°Miss Lisa.¡± Lisa, who was sitting down with the children in the recently created vegetable garden, got up, brushing her skirt. ¡°You don¡¯t have to come here often.¡± ¡°Am I in the way?¡± ¡°No, actually, I¡¯ll just say it. Please don¡¯t listen to me seriously. You are the selling point of our orphanage recently.¡± Lisa was very serious. ¡°If you come often, the support of the small lords will increase!¡± It was a polite ¡®imitation of Director Kendall¡¯s tone¡¯. Sienna, who was not 100% happy when she came out because of Michael¡¯s remarks, also burst into laughter. ¡°Excuse me!¡± At that moment, the nursery teacher hurriedly approached and stopped the two of them who were heading to the director¡¯s office. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, that kid in Room 6 is locked in the closet again, he locked the door and won¡¯t come out¡­!¡± ¡°Again?¡± ¡°Yes. He doesn¡¯t answer at all. I¡¯m afraid of what might happen inside.¡± The words of ¡®Room 6¡¯ and ¡®closet¡¯ stimulated Sienna¡¯s curiosity. ¡®If it¡¯s the small room, it¡¯s the room where Director Kendall used to punish the children.¡¯ Room 6 was the room where she lived. ¡°Sienna, I¡¯m sorry, would you like to go to the director¡¯s office first?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sienna was curious, but she was already an outsider so she quietly headed to the director¡¯s office as instructed. The door to the director¡¯s office was slightly open. Maybe Lisa forgot to close it, but¡­ Sienna didn¡¯t miss a piece of rag sticking out under the closet. In orphanages, they usually cut out a large amount of cloth to make clothes for the children themselves. Except for the size of those clothes, everything was the same. ¡°If it were me, I would have paid some attention before closing the door.¡± There was a rattling sound from the inside of the closet door, and then there was silence again. Sienna smiled and continued. ¡°By the way, I would have closed the door to the director¡¯s office as well. But I think the idea of getting the other person out of the way is good.¡± After a little more silence, the closet door opened with a creaking sound. There was a child with sharp blue eyes that shone with alertness. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Well.¡± Sienna was smart and responsible, and she lived in an orphanage for a long time. ¡®I served as a room manager in Room 6 for two years.¡¯ She was so accustomed to dealing with children who had just been thrown into the orphanage and raised their temper. ¡°Who am I? The senior who was sold before you.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± And she knew very well what kind of attitude to take with these children. * * * After a while, Lisa came back empty-handed, drenched in sweat and unable to find the child. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Teacher, shh.¡± ¡°Ah, ah, shh. Yes.¡± The troubled child that Director Melanche was eagerly looking for was sleeping on Sienna¡¯s lap. ¡°Oh my, why is he here¡­!¡± ¡°I think he thought hiding in the director¡¯s office was the most effective.¡± ¡°Oh my God. It¡¯s amazing how smart he is.¡± ¡°Is he a new kid?¡± ¡°Um. Not a new kid at all. He¡¯s from another local orphanage. His name is Lou.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Lou?¡± Sienna looked a little surprised, but Lisa didn¡¯t notice and was busy admiring. ¡°By the way, it¡¯s amazing. Teacher Mary always complimented Room 6, saying there¡¯s nothing to change, but it¡¯s all thanks to Sienna again.¡± How could a child¡¯s care cause him to become so docile? ¡°As expected, a pretty older sister is the best rather than the head teacher who¡¯s like the devil grandmother. It¡¯s sad.¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably not like that. Orphans usually only believe in the same orphans.¡± Especially if it was a child who had suffered hardship in another orphanage, it was only natural that he would not open his heart any more. ¡°Still, the teacher said it would be okay. It¡¯ll be okay for a while¡­ maybe?¡± ¡°Yes, come back to play when the effect goes down.¡± After that, Sienna adjusted the child on her lap and talked with Lisa about various things. ¡°Now I have to get going now. Oh my.¡± She thought his body was relaxed, but the child woke up and grabbed Sienna¡¯s clothes with a grumpy expression on his face. He looked only about seven or eight years old, but he was quite strong. ¡°Hey Lou, Sister Sienna has to go now.¡± Even if Lisa tried to comfort him, he didn¡¯t pay attention. ¡°Do not go.¡± ¡°I have to go.¡± Lou¡¯s hand gripped her clothes tightly, but Sienna smiled and whispered something in his ear. Lisa thought, worried. ¡®Will that be any good? Once that kid decides to be stubborn, no one can stop him.¡¯ It was then. ¡°¡­¡­Okay.¡± ¡®Oh.¡¯ Lou nodded obediently and laid down the hem of Sienna¡¯s robe. ¡°I promise.¡± ¡°Yes. Okay. Don¡¯t forget the promise you made earlier too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Huh.¡± Sienna stood up and left the director¡¯s office. Lisa called the teacher to take Lou to his room, and asked Sienna. ¡°What did you say earlier?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a big deal. I just said I¡¯d go and come back.¡± ¡°What did Lou promise?¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯ll find out when you go inside.¡± What does it mean? Tilting her head, Lisa saw Sienna off once. And she turned¡­ ¡°Kyaak! Since when have you been following me?!¡± ¡°Teacher.¡± Lou stood there with a sullen face. ¡°Why, why¡¯?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry for all this time.¡± ¡°Uh?!¡± It was a completely unexpected apology. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for putting caterpillars in your clothes and pretending to hide in the closet. I¡¯m the one who hid Timothy¡¯s underwear. I was wrong.¡± No¡­ Lisa sighed in shock. ¡°Teacher knew about the caterpillars, but what did you do to Timothy¡¯s underwear¡­¡± What the hell did Sienna say to make this child confess like this? At Lisa¡¯s question, the child¡¯s cheeks slowly turned red. ¡°¡­She¡¯ll come again.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°She said that she would come to play again. Why can¡¯t you understand it at once?¡± ¡°No, that¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± Even though he said sorry, Lisa seemed to cry. ¡®This guy, even though I¡¯ve been so nice to him, he caught something like a caterpillar. He even made an apology because of someone else!¡¯ Anyway, thanks to Sienna, the caterpillars, Lisa¡¯s mental health, and Timothy¡¯s new underwear seemed to be safe, so that was fortunate. It was a historic day when boy Lou, who was like a wild horse that no one could tame, became calm. From this day on, the Melanche Orphanage began to call Sienna the ¡®Teacher of Room 6¡¯. Sienna, who returned from the orphanage, picked a date. ¡®About four months left¡­¡¯ The approximate time remaining until Loreina entered the castle. She couldn¡¯t remember the exact date because it was so long ago, but Sienna came to Nacht at the end of February and went on summer vacation with Loreina in August. So Sienna was guessing that Loreina would probably become Nacht¡¯s child around mid-July. ¡®By the way, a month has passed since I suffered backlash.¡¯ (T/N: referring to when she turned into a toddler.) A lot had happened to Sienna during the hectic month she spent in the Underworld. Many things had changed. But despite this, it still felt difficult to meet Loreina. That was not to say that emotions remained. Just¡­ Sienna feared that the small changes she made would be nothing in the face of Loreina¡¯s inexplicable magic. She promised herself that she wouldn¡¯t go easy on her, but she was afraid that her resolution would crumble to the point of being ridiculous¡­ ¡­To be honest, she was scared. The deteriorating relationship with Michael was also one of the factors that put pressure on Sienna. Opening up her small world between her palms, Sienna pondered. Human feelings were ephemeral and useless. ¡®What can I do?¡¯ Performance and change were needed. This came to mind right now after some time had passed. It seemed that it would be okay for her to solve the emperor¡¯s illness instead of Loreina. ¡®I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s possible¡­¡¯ Hesaros¡¯ response to Sienna¡¯s concerns was simple. [Let¡¯s try it.] ¡°Uh, can I?¡± [It may or may not be. But in essence, purification and healing are one and the same. There is no need to draw a line in advance saying that it is impossible.] After hearing that, Sienna nodded her head because it was true. Hesaros had a bizarre character, infinitely childish when he was being childish, and only saying the right things when it was right. [Did you say that the Emperor¡¯s illness suddenly occurred?] ¡°It was like what I heard. It was a sudden onset and progressed to a sudden illness, and it would be difficult to guarantee a week if left alone.¡± Loreina barely earned a year with the power of healing, and the old and ill but wise emperor hastily accomplished what had to be done in that time and left. When the state funeral was held, Loreina¡¯s seat was right next to Princess Arandier¡¯s. Although the crown princess was close to 50 years old, she willingly bowed down to express his gratitude to 14-year-old Loreina without hesitation. From then on, the imperial family treated Loreina as a benefactor in all procedures. Not only the imperial family, but all the people of the empire mourned the emperor¡¯s death, and were deeply grateful to Loreina for giving the respected emperor a year or so more. Since then, Loreina had been given the nickname ¡°Healing Angel¡±. Of course, she continued to receive various benefits from the imperial family. ¡­No, wait. [Huh? Why? Your expression suddenly got scary.] ¡°¡­Hesaros.¡± The small world scattered between Sienna¡¯s palms. It meant that she had lost concentration. She had no choice but to do so. It was because of the realization that hit her head hard at this moment. ¡°You¡¯ve told me that before.¡± [I don¡¯t know. I should have talked a little more. What are you talking about?] ¡°I think Loreina may have taken you away to prevent me from becoming your owner.¡± [No way¡­] ¡°Yes.¡± The Healing Angel who extended the lifespan of the emperor, who was respected by all the people of the empire, by one year. This beautiful girl with shiny blonde hair was an angel who descended upon the world, a gift from God, and a hero of the empire. Had the Imperial Grandson Ruslan been alive and well, Loreina could have become the crown princess rather than the future grand duchess of the Nachts. ¡°¡­But what if all of that had been planned from the beginning?¡± Sienna¡¯s voice was dull, but only her eyes were shaking mercilessly. Hesaros spoke more calmly. [Then¡­ Whether the Emperor is really sick or not, we should check that first.] It wasn¡¯t easy from the beginning. Hesaros told me to wait, but was the emperor like the owner of a local bakery that she could meet right away if she wanted to meet him? ¡®But if I let go of it, Sister Loreina will soon unleash her healing magic, and things may go as planned without any chance to intervene.¡¯ If the emperor¡¯s sudden illness was really planned, the execution of the plan could be hastened. Most likely because of Sienna¡¯s presence which stood out so much. There was only one way to counter the great prestige of being the owner of the Named. Loreina needed to become a ¡®Healing Angel¡¯ and become a benefactor of the Empire. It was the fastest, most effective, and at the same time, the only way. As if responding to Sienna¡¯s expectations¡­ ¡°Your Highness, did you hear that story? It is said that the maiden of Count Minangsi has manifested healing magic.¡± Much faster than the original, Loreina announced her awakening as a healing wizard. * * * The news that Loreina had awakened as a healing wizard quickly swept the entire empire. This was especially the case in the social world. ¡°The Young Lady of the Count of Minangsi, has actually awakened as a healing wizard!¡± ¡°Oh! Count Minangsi¡¯s lineage of healing wizards ended a hundred years ago, didn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It must have been so. But her first manifestation was a long time ago, so why was it hidden until now?¡± ¡°Just in case, let¡¯s watch carefully and report it for now.¡± ¡°Do I have to? Oh, come to think of it, the young girl doesn¡¯t have a supporter yet, does she?¡± ¡°Wake up. She¡¯s a healing wizard, perhaps the guardian family will make an effort to take her first.¡± ¡°Oh, come to think of it, there is that child in Nacht? ¡°How funny. Maybe this announcement was made because they¡¯re conscious of that child?¡± The ladies who had been dissatisfied with the orphan from the beginning snorted all at once. ¡°I guess. Is that possible? Being the owner of a Named must be great.¡± ¡°Yes, why would Loreina, a dignified noblewoman, be conscious of that child?¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®that child¡¯? It¡¯s Hesaros, who has never had an owner. As my husband said, if Nacht¡¯s child grows up properly, the borders of this empire may change¡­¡± ¡°Madam Selma, you¡¯re not taking the side of the orphan now, are you?¡± ¡°What? No, Madam. This isn¡¯t a matter of taking sides¡­¡± ¡°Hey, Young Lady Loreina is the Count¡¯s forbidden jade! And, so beautiful!¡± Common sense didn¡¯t meet in the middle. In fact, it was unavoidable. The Feyenoord Empire had been at war since its establishment and was still maintained through war. War begets heroes. Heroes are given ladders of wealth and status. However, among the old aristocrats, there were many people who couldn¡¯t stand the fact that commoners could be heroes, and their status rose as new aristocrats and they tried to stand shoulder to shoulder with them. In such a situation, some sensible people like Madam Selma were forced to keep their mouths shut. While the socialites were talking about all sorts of things, Nacht¡¯s Sienna was in a discussion with the Named Hesaros in question. [Purification and healing are magic of the same origin. When training as a Terraformer reaches a certain level, it is not impossible to use healing magic.] ¡°So there¡¯s no such thing as a certain level. And that means it can be impossible, right?¡± [Uh-huh, don¡¯t immediately look at it with a negative perspective.] ¡°However¡­¡± [Sleep on this! If she has awakened her healing magic, shouldn¡¯t you do it too!] ¡°It¡¯s easy to say, isn¡¯t it.¡± Sienna is a Terraformer. On the battlefield, the presence or absence of a single Terraformer sometimes divided victory and defeat. A valuable resource that could change the situation and determine victory or defeat just by being there. However, Loreina¡¯s healing power was also special enough to be second to none. All wizards used magical powers, but each person had a different field of specialization. If magic was to be divided into two major branches, there was embodied magic that realized spells, and enhancement magic that strengthened the body with magical powers. Implementation and enhancement. Any wizard could use these two. Of course, each person¡¯s specialties and areas of focus would be different. In any case, there were no special restrictions on learning for implementation magic and enhancement magic. These two types of magic were called type 1 magic. Grand Duke Nacht and Ashiel were type 1 wizards who specialized in strengthening. However, unlike type 1 magic that anyone could learn, magic that could only be used by those born with special talents was categorized as type 2 magic. In other words, the type 2 wizard was a special wizard among wizards. Type 2 wizards were typically Terraformers, who specialize in purification, and wizards, who specialize in healing. Sienna was a typical purifying Terraformer. Loreina was a wizard specializing in healing. ¡°But from what I¡¯ve learned¡­ The days when a purifying wizard was also a healing wizard and a healing wizard was also a purifying wizard ended after the Era of Prosperity.¡± The good days had long since passed. Right now, humanity is struggling with not being able to even birth a proper Terraformer. Still, the supply and demand of Terraformers was better than that of healing wizards. Because the bloodline that inherited the qualities of a powerful Terraformer represented by the current imperial family was still alive. On the other hand, the healing wizard¡¯s side was almost cut off, and the deterioration in talent was also serious. Even on the battlefield of Daemasu, they held out with healing potions made by type 1 wizards. Thanks to this, being a potion master was one of the currently promising occupations that type 1 wizards aspire to be. So¡­ Sienna sighed. ¡°It might be faster for me to become a potion master.¡± Most type 2 wizards were able to learn type 1 magic as well. Sienna was such a case. But Hesaros was not satisfied. [Are you going to deal with that Loren or something with such an easy mind?!] ¡°This¡­¡­.¡± A bombardment of nagging poured out. After the news of Loreina¡¯s awakening spread, Hesaros tore into Sienna. It was such a tenacious interrogation that Sienna couldn¡¯t stand it without telling him what Loreina had done in detail. [What? Stealing magic power with magic? And overwriting the sin? Not even a dog would be like this¡­] After that, there was only a feast of swear words that she was afraid to even recall. In any case, after that, Hesaros began to burn with even more hostility than herself. [They said that she might appear earlier than planned in this castle thanks to her awakening as a healing-specialized type!] ¡°That was so.¡± [On top of that, you said it with your mouth! How about you try to solve the emperor¡¯s illness instead of her!] ¡°It was easy for me to say too.¡± Loreina had already awakened as a wizard specializing in healing, and Sienna was in a situation that needed effort to stand on the same starting line. ¡°Besides, it takes ten years to learn healing magic through effort.¡± [Because that was when you tried normally without my help.] ¡°How long do you think it will take with your help?¡± [¡­That is, if you work very hard¡­ three years?] Oh yeah? ¡°Let¡¯s beat it.¡± Sienna closed the book firmly. [Why?!] ¡°I¡¯d rather improve my level as a Terraformer in that time.¡± Hesaros was only complaining, kicking his tongue because it was a hundred times right. [Sheesh. Anyway, this really hurts my head.] ¡°No.¡± Sienna shook her head calmly. ¡°It¡¯s not a headache. It¡¯s obvious. I don¡¯t have to have the same abilities as Sister Loreina.¡± It would be much more advantageous if she could use Loreina¡¯s unique abilities too. But even now, it cannot be said that it was particularly disadvantageous. ¡°Sister Loreina heals diseases and wounds, but to be honest, it is not an ability that can be used on the battlefield. I know.¡± The ability to care for a person¡¯s wounds and diseases. That ability was definitely noble and beautiful. However, the beneficiaries of this precious ability were not those who were in danger of losing their lives due to the effects of war in various places. ¡®For example, a noble lady who finds it difficult to appear in front of people due to chronic adult acne.¡¯ Otherwise, some great aristocrats were struggling with gout and arthritis. In addition, there were many nobles who wanted to cure their chronic diseases that caused all kinds of inconveniences in life, such as hair loss, diabetes, rhinitis, and migraines. There were many gentlemen who injured their ankles while riding horses or had their foreheads torn during a cricket game, and there were also young ladies who caught a cold after wearing light clothes because of the cold weather. Everyone needed Loreina. However, not everyone could be a beneficiary. ¡°In the past, Loreina used her healing powers only when absolutely necessary.¡± It wasn¡¯t about helping people as and when they felt like it. Loreina¡¯s healing powers¡­ To be honest, it would be more accurate to say that it wasn¡¯t great. In addition, once the healing power was used, her energy would be very low and was often in a sensitive state. There were a lot of nobles knocking on the door with a thousand gold to have the warts on their faces healed without scarring, but very few selected people were able to get treatment. If someone vomited any complaints about her, Loreina would shed tears and say: ¡°Really. I¡¯m really sorry¡­ In fact, after I extended the life of His Majesty the Emperor, I can¡¯t use healing magic like I used to¡­¡± ¡°Oh my. Lady Loreina¡­ I didn¡¯t know there¡¯s something like that.¡± ¡°Yes. As for myself, I just want to help more people¡­ but it¡¯s not easy. I¡¯m really sorry¡­¡± In that case, the complainer had to face fierce criticism from those around him. ¡°You don¡¯t understand the pure heart of Lady Loreina!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like it¡¯s anyone else, it happened while treating His Majesty the Emperor as a subject of this empire. Does she have to cry because of you and explain all the pain in her heart?¡± ¡°Inconsiderate humans! People like you don¡¯t deserve treatment!¡± After a complainer was so permanently pushed back from the treatment sequence, no one dared to dispute the way Loreina chose who to heal. As a result, the anxious people tried to make a personal request through Sienna, who could be said to be an entourage. Of course, Sienna, who was loyal to Loreina at the time, rejected the offer with a single blow, and suffered a lot of bad things because of it. ¡®There was a lot of talk about why I raised my nose when I wasn¡¯t the one doing the healing.¡¯ Worse, there were people who publicly insulted Sienna by pouring alcohol on her in places such as party halls. People who usually could not say anything in front of Loreina came to Sienna, often to relieve their anger. ¡®It hurts my head to think about it again.¡¯ If Sienna also awakened her healing powers, she would be pushed by such a force even if she doesn¡¯t want to. If she neglected or refused to treat noble patients with mild symptoms, she could be criticized again by saying, ¡®The good Loreina does everything, but an orphan like you makes sarcastic refusals.¡¯ Upon hearing the explanation, Hesaros was disappointed, but convinced. [Well. It makes sense.] ¡°I don¡¯t want to expand my presence by treating such people.¡± ¡®I don¡¯t have the ability to skillfully control people who rush to me like Sister Loreina.¡¯ You might be treated like a princess, but if you looked into it, there were far more troublesome things. Sienna¡¯s thoughts on healing power were just that. ¡°I¡¯d rather be the owner of Hesaros.¡± [Huh, hmm. Hmmm, that, of course! Because I can help more than that weak healing power!] ¡°So, I¡¯m not going to learn that.¡± [Yeah, beat her! Oh! I¡¯m here! The owner of Hesaros doesn¡¯t have to learn that much!] Haha. Sienna thought secretly with a smile on her face. ¡®¡­I¡¯m glad it¡¯s a Named that¡¯s easy to persuade.¡¯ [Well. But it would be difficult to cure the Emperor¡¯s disease without healing power¡­] ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± It was true. Sienna thought that was the only regrettable thing, that she didn¡¯t have the ability to heal. However¡­ ¡°¡­But we talked about this last time.¡± [Huh?] ¡°Is His Majesty really sick?¡± [So, you mean¡­ Does this mean that the Emperor should solve the disease before he gets really sick?] ¡°I think that might be the best for now.¡± If everything was really planned, as Sienna and Hesaros guessed¡­ Now that Loreina is a healing wizard, it¡¯s safe to say that things had progressed to some extent. ¡°If His Majesty¡¯s illness is not due to a ruse, he must get sick at the same time as before, regardless of Sister Loreina¡¯s awakening.¡± However, if Loreina was really doing something, it was clear that the emperor¡¯s sickness period would be advanced along with the awakening period. ¡°To understand the situation, I think it would be better to meet His Majesty the Emperor¡­¡± But, as I thought before, there was one problem. [What is the problem, what?] ¡°How the hell do I meet His Majesty the Emperor, of course.¡± There was no reason why someone equal to His Majesty the Emperor should meet Sienna, an orphan rather than Loreina, a precious healing wizard. [¡­Are you really worried about that now?] ¡°Yes?¡± [No¡­ I usually shiver at stupid sounds¡­ A child who is generally smart like you is surprisingly stupid, so it¡¯s a little cute¡­ I think it might be worth a look¡­ ] What was he talking about? She couldn¡¯t even understand half of that gibberish. Sienna tilted her head. To Sienna who was like that, Hesaros only said, ¡®You¡¯ll find out if you wait and see¡¯. [Well, you can stay so stupid for a while. Because it¡¯s cute.] ¡°?¡± Fortunately, Sienna¡¯s cuteness did not last long. ¡°His Majesty the Emperor says he wants to see you.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°Actually, it¡¯s already the third time he sent you a letter with the same content. It¡¯s hard to say no now.¡± Did the emperor send three letters to meet her? [You still don¡¯t understand the situation?] Hesaros poked hard in a playful voice. ¡°Ah.¡± It was then that Sienna barely realized. ¡®¡­I am the owner of a Named, right?¡¯ Hesaros giggled as if to say something, but this time, even after teasing her a hundred times, she had nothing to say. ¡®Wow, I was so foolish that I was cute¡­¡¯ Seeing Sienna shuddering, the grand duke misunderstood that the child seemed to be greatly surprised by the fact that she had to attend an audience with the emperor. ¡°¡­If you don¡¯t want to, you don¡¯t have to overdo it now¡­¡± ¡°Yes? No, Your Grace.¡± What was he talking about! Sienna intervened in surprise. ¡°If His Majesty wants to see me, I think I should go.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°No, I want to see him.¡± Thank you for your consideration, but she couldn¡¯t let this genius-like opportunity go. ¡°As a citizen of Feyenoord, it is an honor to see His Majesty.¡± ¡°¡­Well, not so much¡­¡± What. She thought the grand duke just made some blasphemous remarks. Anyway, seeing him speaking like this¡­ ¡®Perhaps he¡¯s worried that I¡¯ll make a mistake in front of His Majesty the Emperor because I didn¡¯t learn the proper manners.¡¯ ¡°I will do my best to study etiquette so that I will not make a mistake in front of His Majesty and put pressure on Nacht, Your Grace.¡± For a moment, the grand duke made an astonished expression on his face. ¡°Sienna, that¡¯s not what I mean¡­¡± The grand duke sighed with an expression of not knowing where to begin to explain this. ¡®I think his expression seemed to be a bit depressed¡­ Maybe I¡¯m mistaken?¡¯ The grand duke washed his face dry, looking at Sienna who was puzzled. ¡°¡­I got it. Let¡¯s end this conversation for today. That¡¯s what you mean, so I¡¯ll send a reply to His Majesty.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. Thank you for the opportunity. And¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. His Majesty will know where I came from, so even if I make a little mistake, he won¡¯t blame Nacht.¡± As soon as I finished speaking, the grand duke took a deep breath and clasped his face, and Hesaros, who had been quiet, suddenly began to giggle like crazy. Sienna was a little puzzled by the incomprehensible atmosphere. [Wow, what a masterpiece. I guess choosing you as my owner was the best choice I¡¯ve ever made. You show such interesting sights from time to time.] She didn¡¯t know what was so funny, and she didn¡¯t know why the grand duke was looking at her so blankly. ¡®I don¡¯t even want to care.¡¯ Sienna shrugged her shoulders and greeted him from there. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll just leave.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Okay.¡± The grand duke did not hold onto her. * * * Some time later, somewhere in the Feyenoord Empire. It was a garden full of plants. No, it was more like ruins than a garden. The ruins were covered in various greens; green, light green, yellow green, jade, turquoise, and other greenish colors, just as if a naughty boy was given paint for the first time. It was a small, messy garden that was completely unpredictable, whether it was managed or whether there was a will to manage it. If you had to pick one good thing to look at, it would be that all the plants growing there were healthy. ¡­Even the weeds that grew up to the shins were included without discrimination. The man who appeared at the entrance of the garden was in no way compatible with this messy but fresh landscape. Tall, with smooth, well-groomed silver hair. The pure white and light blue uniform was just plain and cool. Blue eyes were staring at a vine that had obscured his vision and path. He seemed to be meticulously judging whether he could put it away with his own hands, or whether he should carefully avoid it. That was the moment. ¡°What are you doing, standing there blankly?¡± It was the voice of a rather old man, but it was akin to a roar, so it was easy to tell that he was full of energy. At the same time, the vines that had obscured the sight of the silver-haired man slowly moved like snakes to make room for him. ¡°Whenever I see you¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°These are healthy plants.¡± In fact, it was just like Jeongwon, who couldn¡¯t be praised for anything other than that. (T/N: if memory serves, this is the old term for Terraformer¡­) ¡°Right?¡± But the owner was proud of that alone. The owner of the voice was an old man with wavy silver-gray hair. Although he looked quite old, he had a large physique and did not have a bent waist at all. A gown with wide sleeves and a linen tunic. He was dressed like a frugal scholar, even wearing a monocle, but strangely, he didn¡¯t look like a scholar at all. ¡°I thought you had something to do. Then just say what you have to say and quickly get out.¡± Although he had an eccentric tone, the silver-haired man smiled brightly and pulled out a black envelope from his arms. ¡°I have been asked to deliver a letter from Grand Duke Nacht. The servant was never able to find this place.¡± ¡°What is it, it¡¯s cheesy.¡± The old man snorted and threw the letter he had been handed over into an empty earthen pot. It was unbelievable how he handled the letters sent by that Grand Duke Nacht, the King of the Underworld, but the silver-haired man just smiled softly and bowed his head. This old man in front of him was a person who could do it. ¡°Well then, Your Majesty. I¡¯m done with what I have to say, so I¡¯ll just get out now.¡± The great emperor who rules over the empire of humans rubbed his ears with a dissatisfied expression. ¡°This person, just nitpicking what I said.¡± As he grumbled, there was a half-joyful smile on the old man¡¯s lips. ¡°By the way, you Euros remain unchanged. If I forget, I won¡¯t even notice that you¡¯ve been through generations. It¡¯s so much fun to see.¡± ¡°I¡¯m flattered, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to be too polite. There¡¯s no one to see in my garden, so if you say you¡¯re going to go out, then just stop and go. The construction will all be ruined.¡± ¡°Thank you very much for your kindness.¡± With a soft smile on his face, the Duke of Euros said, ¡°Well then,¡± and left the garden the way he had come with a brief glance. Even the appearance of his back, leaving with a gentle and neat step, was neat and elegant like a painting. His Majesty, who was left behind, smacked his lips without dignity. ¡°That¡¯s right, I don¡¯t think even a single needle will fit, such a boring guy¡­. No, wait, that¡¯s not what¡¯s urgent. Letter!¡± In a hurry, the emperor put aside his dignified posture behind his back and took out a letter from the empty flower pot. ¡°Rodrick, if you¡¯ve sent me a letter of refusal again, I won¡¯t let you go.¡± Contrary to the muttered words, the old man¡¯s face, who hurriedly opened the letter, was full of joy. ¡°¡­Oh ho?¡± * * * The letter from the emperor did not specifically mention the date of the audience. Even if she was the owner of Named anyway, his opponent was an eleven-year-old kid. As a child whose life revolved around studies, perhaps Sienna would fit completely into the emperor¡¯s schedule. ¡®I have to wait.¡¯ There was nothing else I could do anyway. So Sienna was on her way to Michael¡¯s study room to study magic with Seth today. ¡®I don¡¯t want to take a break from my studies just because I¡¯m having a hard time with the owner of the room.¡¯ For reference, Michael never visited Sienna after visiting the orphanage. On a class day like today, he would normally have come early and knocked on her door, but seeing that he didn¡¯t, it seemed he was still angry with Sienna. It was still unknown why Michael was so angry at the orphanage then. At that time, Sienna could only guess that he was in a bad mood as she and Lisa continued to talk about things only the two of them knew. ¡®Well, it¡¯s not important to know why.¡¯ She had no intention of apologizing or calming the mood in the first place. They fought in that kind of atmosphere, but they weren¡¯t very angry, and the current situation wasn¡¯t too uncomfortable. Sienna got emotional and said something, but unlike Michael, she did not hold many grudges. Rather, it felt cool to shoot back at an opponent, one that she had never even thought of doing for a long time. ¡®Originally, I was aware that there were times when the second young master pushed people unreasonably.¡¯ She wasn¡¯t disappointed because she didn¡¯t have any expectations of him. On the contrary, when Michael was strangely friendly, she was always anxious inside, but because their relationship became twisted¡­ ¡®I knew this was going to happen, I knew it was going to explode someday.¡¯ To be honest, it felt like a bomb that was supposed to explode had exploded, so she was relieved inside. But was it said that the enemies originally met on a single wooden bridge? (T/N: This is a saying, that you can¡¯t avoid the situations in which you have to encounter your enemy. In old times, bridges in rural areas were only made from wood and because of lack of skills or out of convenience, people used the whole trunk with a cut on top, which made it easier for people to walk. So, only one person could pass by on the narrow trunk. If you saw someone you didn¡¯t want to see, it becomes a difficult situation, since there was no way not to interact with him.) Sienna and Michael just ran into each other in the hallway leading to the study room. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Instead of saying hello, Michael just stared at Sienna with his red eyes. ¡°Michael.¡± But Sienna was too accustomed to Michael¡¯s abusive language and sarcastic words to be disturbed by just that. ¡®Besides, his eyes aren¡¯t as hostile as they were back then¡­ Huh?¡¯ She felt like his eyes were looking downwards. ¡°Those shoes¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Speaking of shoes, Sienna looked down at her toes involuntarily. ¡®Ah.¡¯ Come to think of it, today Sienna was wearing the red shoes that Michael had bought when they were together. Whatever the tailor was thinking, the clothes that filled Sienna¡¯s closet were all pastel bright colors. Light pink, light green, yellow, sky blue, and such¡­ These were the kind of clothes that would make any child bright and happy just by putting them on. With those soft and lovely clothes, Michael¡¯s red shoes were like a lovely point¡­ That was the opinion of the maids. ¡°Little Prince Michael has a great eye. Look at this. It goes well with any outfit.¡± While the maids helped her to put on these shoes with a smile today, she remembered thinking blankly, ¡®I think it was my eyes that picked this up.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± She didn¡¯t think anything of it, but she thought it was crazy to think that it might be a bit strange to wear a gift from someone she fought with. ¡®He might not want to give me those shoes, but it¡¯s difficult to ask me to take them off right away.¡¯ ¡°Excuse me, Little Prince¡­¡± ¡°¡­You seem to like it quite a bit, right?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­.¡± Rather than Sienna liking it, it¡¯s more of the maids that do, but it didn¡¯t seem to be a good idea to answer directly like that. ¡°Somehow, you¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, no matter how good it is, you know that good things are good.¡± He didn¡¯t seem angry, but his tone was strangely blunt. ¡®Well.¡¯ Sienna rolled her eyes for fear that he would not want to attend class with her if she opened her mouth by mistake. Michael muttered. ¡°Yes, if you don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you, I¡¯ll have to teach you to know it this way.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t say anything. Go in. Don¡¯t stand there.¡± In bewilderment, Sienna entered the door that Michael had opened first. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The answer was still a bit blunt, but it seemed like it could be thought of as reconciliation. Seth, who had been waiting for the children to arrive and to do his work, greeted them. ¡°You¡¯re here. Now, both of you give me your homework and sit down.¡± While he was reviewing Sienna and Michael¡¯s homework, the two got ready for class. Seth checked Sienna¡¯s homework first. A smile spread across his lips at the incomprehensibly neat handwriting. Hesaros helped with everything else, but she didn¡¯t help with homework. It was because if he made a mistake, he could deviate significantly from the level of an 11-year-old, and Sienna agreed to that a hundred times. ¡®It¡¯s also fun to do homework alone.¡¯ If Michael had heard it, he would have scolded her for finding the fun of life in such a place. In any case, even without the help of Hesaros, Seth always gave Sienna¡¯s homework the highest score. And¡­ Seth looked at Michael¡¯s homework with a puzzled face. ¡®Hey.¡¯ From the beginning, the letters were flying in a goose-like shape. A sigh came out. It was the complete opposite of Sienna¡¯s homework, which she wrote meticulously and sincerely. But in spite of his negligence, his insight and intuition were as sharp as a child of his age. ¡®Anyway, his head is good, so I can¡¯t say anything even if I want to ask him to show me his sincerity.¡¯ If Sienna was a sincere hard-working genius, Michael can be called a genius in that he invested less than 10 minutes to give an answer of this level. That didn¡¯t mean Michael was insincere. The boy simply hated procrastinating, calling it a waste of time to procrastinate for a long time on a problem with an answer. ¡®As a teacher, he is a very cheeky person.¡¯ Seth looked at Michael and his homework alternately with cold eyes, scoring just below the highest point and returning it. ¡°Thank you.¡± As expected, Sienna could not hide her smile when she received her homework that came back nicely¡­ ¡°Oh, did you get the highest score?¡± Michael admired Sienna¡¯s score, but threw his own aside without looking at it. ¡°¡­Now, let¡¯s learn the basics of fraud today.¡± Fraud. ¡°A term for evil energy originating from human malice, sin, or the unclean.¡± Seth glanced at Sienna, saying that he believed they two were now well aware of the two main phenomenons of fraud. Sienna nodded her head. She was living a second life and had taken her own life, but the sight of a healthy person being engulfed in flames and screaming and turning into a monster in front of her eyes¡­ ¡®It was an unforgettable sight.¡¯ However, as long as she decided to live as a Terraformer and a soldier, it was a scene she would see many times in the future. ¡°I prepared this because I wanted to let you see it with your own eyes.¡± Seth poured water into a clear glass. Then he picked up a pen, took some ink, and then dripped a drop onto it. ¡°The water has become undrinkable right? You can think of it as magic and fraud. The sad thing is that the ink spread in the water is visible to us, but the actual fraud is difficult to detect.¡± Seth explained that the general level of fraud was not well detected, unless it was a large amount of fraud that occurred on the battlefield. ¡°Once a person begins to be infected with a small amount of fraud, it is almost impossible to distinguish it with the naked eye or through energy before showing symptoms.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because humans are inherently malicious.¡± It was a clear answer. Sienna was lost in thought. ¡®Human-infected fraud is difficult to detect.¡¯ However, not long ago, she saw a dark and inky energy clearly in the blue eyes of Isabelle Gildinak, who was infected with fraud, and in Viscount Jester¡¯s eyes. [Did you see a person infected with fraud with your own eyes?] This seemed to be the first time Hesaros heard such a story. [Hmm¡­ I think it¡¯s probably my fault. Unlike humans, I am sensitive to fraud.] Hesaros speculated that Sienna probably shared the same powers when she became his master. [Not bad at all. If you¡¯re going to live as a Terraformer, it would be rather helpful. As expected. I¡¯m a weapon. I am of deep help to my owner.] Sienna smiled faintly, remembering that the conversation had ended with Hesaros praising himself for his greatness. ¡®Well, that¡¯s true.¡¯ As Hesaros said, being able to detect fraud that others cannot detect would be a huge advantage. However, at this point in time, she thought there was no need to disclose it to other people, so she was just hiding it. ¡°A large amount of magical power and fraud are required for magical beasts to occur. At this time, the level of generated magical beasts is divided according to the required magic and fraud.¡± ¡°Ohh.¡± Michael¡¯s eyes twinkled as if an interesting story had finally come out. Seth smiled bitterly and started writing. He first drew a large triangle, then drew several horizontal lines in it, and then wrote in order from the top. Unique Rare Uncommon ¡°Uncommon is a beast that has lost its intelligence and has only the instinct for slaughter and feeding.¡± Viscount Jester, whom Sienna and Ashiel faced each other not long ago, was an Uncommon-class Beast. ¡°If similar entities identify each other and start mutual cooperation, they can imitate humans to a certain extent, Rare. And we classify them as Unique when using the black magic ¡®Judicial¡¯. And this.¡± The chalk broke as Seth poked and scribbled the top of the pyramid with it. ¡°When a demonic beast transcends the level of a universal human, it is called this. Epic.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± It was a strangely chilling explanation. After that, Seth¡¯s explanation continued. ¡°Sometimes humans or animals turn into beasts, and fraud can occur naturally in stagnant areas.¡± ¡°Beasts move with magical powers and do not consume any food, but they tend to view humans as their prey.¡± ¡°The places occupied by these beasts are classified as ¡®outside the world¡¯.¡± Sienna¡¯s hand, holding the pen, moved busily. After class, Seth gave homework ¨C to investigate a total of four cases, one for Uncommon, Rare, Unique, and Epic. Michael pursed his lips. ¡°Why do you give me homework every time, bothering me?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it the common psychology of teachers to be more generous towards a model student rather than a poor one?¡± ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m the poor one?¡± ¡°If not, would you like to refute it?¡± ¡°Sheesh.¡± After the shared class, it was time for Seth and Michael¡¯s private lessons. Michael asked Sienna, who was about to leave her seat with her writing instruments and books. ¡°Are you going to do your homework right away?¡± Sienna pondered for a moment, but soon answered honestly. ¡°I¡¯m going to the orphanage today.¡± Even if she hides it, he would find out anyway. It would have been better to just be honest from the beginning. Besides, it wasn¡¯t really something that needed to be hidden. ¡°Oh, okay.¡± She thought he would say something bad about it, but Michael was surprisingly quiet. ¡°¡­Yes, well. Have a good day. Let¡¯s do homework together when you get back later.¡± Sienna noticed the slight disappointment that had passed by the boy¡¯s eye, but she nodded her head wisely, pretending not to know. ¡°Yes. Well then, Sir. I¡¯ll get going.¡± ¡°Yes. Goodbye, Sienna. We¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± * * * When Sienna said that she wanted to visit the orphanage regularly, the grand duke said nothing and added two of his wizard soldiers as escorts. Sienna was recently called the ¡®Room 6 Teacher¡¯ at the orphanage and was a very welcome guest. It was like that in many ways. First off, for example¡­ ¡°Sienna, as it became known that it was a place you visit regularly, support increased significantly.¡± ¡°Aha.¡± ¡°Thanks to you, the kids here ate a madeleine for the first time not long ago.¡± Lisa laughed playfully. Even though the orphanage children were not mature enough to understand the connection between Sienna and the sudden patronage, they knew that it was thanks to Sienna that they were able to eat madeleines. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say that¡­¡± ¡°Well, you know that now anyway.¡± First of all, Sienna was not an adult by Lisa¡¯s standards, so she didn¡¯t explain it in detail. But Sienna was able to speculate based on the circumstances. New sponsors were probably all thinking this way. ¡®Wouldn¡¯t you be able to see the famous Nacht¡¯s child who became the owner of the Named at least once?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s an orphanage sponsored by His Majesty the Grand Duke, so if we support it together, we might be able to catch his eye.¡¯ ¡®The probability is low, but it¡¯s an orphanage where the owner of the Named used to be, so there may be other outstanding children.¡¯ It was not difficult to imagine a person hiding his true intentions and pretending to be a gentle and kind supporter. But anyway, the children were able to taste madeleines thanks to them. Growing up in the orphanage, Sienna fully understood how much children needed it. After that, Sienna made it a regular schedule to visit the orphanage. Since they were familiar with each other, the young future wizards quickly fell in love with Sienna. For the children, Sienna was a hero who defeated the evil and stingy Kendall and saved them with madeleines and with Director Lisa. ¡°Teacher, look at this. I¡¯ve memorized all the letters recently¡± ¡°Am I tall? I can now organize the blankets by myself.¡± If she tried to give at least one answer to the little children who flocked to her to get even the slightest bit of attention, she wouldn¡¯t know where to start¡­ ¡°Lou, when did you come?¡± ¡°Just now.¡± The blue-eyed boy, Lou, would sneak up to her side. No matter how much they followed Sienna, the children were still young. When someone saw a four-leafed clover among the cluster of shamrocks, or a frog appear at the corner of a bush, they would flock to it. But Lou would sit next to Sienna quietly, as if he had no interest in such commotions. Real teachers passing by admired him, saying, ¡°When it comes to Sienna, he looks like a well-trained hound.¡± ¡°How many books did you read last time?¡± ¡°So far¡­¡± Besides that, Lou was not like the other children in the orphanage in many ways. It was also the case that he already knew letters. At first, they thought it was a boyish prank, but when they saw that he was reading the book Sienna had just brought him, it seemed to be true. ¡°Are you listening to Teacher Lisa?¡± Lou frowned. ¡°I¡¯m trying.¡± ¡°Just trying?¡± ¡°¡­If Director Lisa didn¡¯t just tell me to do ¡®chika chika¡¯ before going to bed, I would have wanted to listen to her better than I do now.¡± (T/N: ????, chika chika; a cute way of saying ¡®brush your teeth¡¯.) ¡°Oh, that was kind of like that.¡± In a harsh environment like an orphanage, when they got older at around the age of eight, everyone would see themselves as a great adult. Sienna did too, to some extent, but it was much more for the boys. ¡°I¡¯ll tell her about that.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± While answering bluntly and fixing his eyes on the book, Lou did not leave his seat next to Sienna until she stood up saying, ¡®I have to go.¡¯ At about four o¡¯clock in the afternoon, Sienna came out of the orphanage. It was a little far from Melanche Orphanage to the street where the carriage was parked. However¡­ ¡®¡­Something is strange.¡¯ It seemed that she walked longer than usual today for some reason, but she couldn¡¯t even see a glimpse of the carriage. In addition, as people became increasingly scarce, it became difficult to find people around. ¡°I think I¡¯m caught up in magic.¡± ¡°Lady, please come this way.¡± The escorts stopped Sienna in the middle and looked out in all directions. Sienna also looked around. ¡®¡­I don¡¯t feel fraud.¡¯ In other words, no matter what kind of magic this was, at least it was not a trap prepared maliciously by humans, and it meant that there were no magical beasts involved. ¡®I don¡¯t think they need to worry too much¡­ Except for the fact that we do not know the identity of the other person.¡¯ That was then. Along with the rustling sound of leaves, which was often heard when walking on a forest path¡­ ¡°W-what, what!¡± ¡°Lady, you must avoid¡­!¡± ¡°!¡± In the next moment, Sienna was standing alone on a forest road. ¡®What¡­¡¯ No, it was more like an entrance to a secret place rather than a forest road. Before sunset, golden sunlight filled the surroundings, and the peaceful chirping of birds could be heard. Sienna looked around a little absentmindedly. Right then. The trees moved on their own, clearing the way. As if saying to come this way. ¡®What do I do?¡¯ Still didn¡¯t feel like fraud. ¡®Hesaros?¡¯ [Yes, that¡¯s fine. It doesn¡¯t seem like a big deal.] ¡®I think so. It¡¯s like something huge but innocent waiting to be welcomed¡­¡¯ [Oh, your senses are quite developed?] ¡®Well¡­¡¯ It didn¡¯t seem like there was any other way, so Sienna decided to go forward. Although the passage looked narrow from the outside, it was actually very easy to pass thanks to the plants that quickly moved away if Sienna was even a little close. Inside the road¡­ ¡®Garden?¡¯ A man was standing amongst the overgrown grass that was too cluttered for a garden. ¡°You¡¯ve arrived on time, kid.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± A tall old man with a scholar-style linen tunic, but who didn¡¯t look like a scholar at all. Silver-gray hair with golden eyes shining like amber. Sienna gulped and swallowed her saliva. ¡®¡­Why is the emperor here?¡¯ ¡°Hey, I thought you came here bravely, but you must have been very surprised.¡± If the emperor suddenly popped out like this, no one could help but be surprised¡­ There was no way she could honestly say that. Sienna asked, barely moving her stiff lips. ¡°¡­Who are you?¡± It was awkward acting, but thanks to it, he seemed scared. ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯m just a grandfather passing by.¡± ¡°Ah yes¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I came here because I heard that the kid who became the owner of Named was nice and pretty, so I wanted to meet you in person.¡± As Sienna knew, it had been a long time since the old man had raised a child himself, as even his only grandchild was lost at a young age and was not with him. Just by recognizing and treating Sienna as a child far younger than her original age, she could fully guess the narrative. ¡®Wherever you look, the emperor¡¯s profile itself¡­¡¯ Even if she didn¡¯t know his face, she would have recognized it within five minutes. She could guarantee it. ¡°¡­Um? Oh my. I was just having a fun conversation with a kid, but an uninvited guest came.¡± ¡°?¡± At that moment, rustling, the garden behind Sienna¡¯s back opened. What appeared was a large handsome man with a pale face and red eyes that were the only colors on him other than black. ¡°That¡¯s enough of your silly jokes.¡± It was Grand Duke Nacht. ¡°You¡¯re coming in like a thief. You¡¯re still a cheeky bastard.¡± A smile spread across the emperor¡¯s lips, but the words that came out didn¡¯t make sense at all. ¡°You, how long do you think I¡¯m going to look at that arrogant act because you¡¯ve been mixed with blood?¡± The grand duke sighed. ¡°If you had come to visit with a more common sense, wouldn¡¯t I have been more polite than this?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hide the child and refuse to show her?¡± ¡°Is that why you suddenly connected the garden?¡± The emperor chuckled. ¡°Of course, I was in a hurry to come because I was afraid you¡¯d change your mind.¡± It seemed that this was the best way for the two to have an honest conversation as a family who shared the same blood. ¡®Everything is good, but if possible, I hope they do it without me.¡¯ Sienna, who was in a pitiful position, did not want to be in this shaky place. It was then. [¡­Sienna.] It was Hesaros. ¡®Yes?¡¯ [You, can¡¯t you see that?] ¡®¡­What?¡¯ [Hmm, if you¡¯ve been trained like this, I think you¡¯ll see enough. Focus your senses on your eyes and look at the emperor?] ¡®¡­?¡¯ Sienna slowly focused her eyes as Hesaros instructed. ¡®Ah¡­?¡¯ Then something that was not visible to her before concentrating began to appear vaguely. ¡®The black lump¡­?¡¯ The form of the emperor¡¯s core, which was gathered in a circle near the heart, was clearly visible. It was an unfamiliar form, but that creepy appearance was evident¡­ ¡®Fraud?¡¯ [Okay. It¡¯s different from the usual form, but I think it is fraud.] Even though it was shaking in black, the fraud did not spread and was clustered in one place. If a glass ball the size of an adult male¡¯s fist was filled with black ink, it would look just like that. Seeing the trembling form, Sienna recalled the black energy that passed over Isabelle¡¯s blue eyes. It was a small amount, less than a teaspoon of sugar used in a cup of tea. And she remembered the amount of fraud that Viscount Jester exploded the moment he mutated into an Uncommon-class beast. That was about the size of a big spoonful of sugar she would use to make a cake. With just that much fraud, it was able to make people do things they didn¡¯t normally do, and even transform them into beasts. ¡®But if that fraud in the emperor¡¯s body explodes¡­?¡¯ [He will die. It would be good if it ended with him dying alone.] A cold sweat broke out on Sienna¡¯s spine, who unintentionally had a strong heart as she began to live a second life. What if, by mistake, a huge amount of fraud exploded in a stagnant place¡­ [You should be prepared to deal with at least one brigade of Rare-grade beasts.] It would be no ordinary disaster. A war would break out. Even considering that the place where the emperor usually lived was mainly the Imperial Castle, the heart of the Feyenoord Islands¡­ ¡®It would be a catastrophe.¡¯ [I agree.] Right now, an unknown power had captured fraud and kept it in the emperor¡¯s body, so the emperor seemed to be neither crazy nor transformed into a beast. But it must be just a matter of time before anything happens. ¡®Is it possible for fraud to inhabit the human body in such a form?¡¯ [No, not impossible. At least it¡¯s not a natural phenomenon.] If it wasn¡¯t a natural phenomenon, it meant that someone did it artificially. And in a corner of Sienna¡¯s mind. ¡®Sister Loreina¡¯ Sienna was stunned. ¡®What the hell did you do?¡¯ No one was here to answer. Sienna bit her lip. Up until now, she had been secretly thinking about something. She was thinking of Loreina. Since returning to the past, the people in the Grand Duchy of Natch have treated Sienna with a different attitude than before. So she was wondering. ¡®I wonder if my sister would have changed that way too.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t like hope. It was just some prediction that it could happen. However, it was proved by this incident. Loreina hadn¡¯t changed at all. Besides, she didn¡¯t just deceive Sienna and stole her power. She deceived the entire empire and was about to do so again. [Probably, with that amount, even the emperor would have noticed the existence of fraud.] ¡®It must be.¡¯ [Besides, this garden seems to be the Emperor¡¯s territory.] The Feyenoord family was the bloodline that produced the most powerful Terraformers in the empire. Perhaps the emperor was living in his own realm as much as possible, to suppress the moment of catastrophe as much as possible when the fraud exploded in his body with the power of purification. [If that is the Emperor¡¯s disease, it cannot be solved with healing magic.] Purifying fraud was only possible for Terraformers. There was no way Loreina could solve something that even the emperor, who inherited the lineage of the most powerful Terraformer left on this earth, could not solve and was holding it like a time bomb. ¡®So, was Sister Loreina able to extend His Majesty¡¯s life by just one year?¡¯ [I guess that¡¯s the way it is. Although there are so few clues, I can¡¯t be sure.] ¡®Then¡­¡¯ The grand duke and emperor in front of her were still struggling with one another, as if they did not know the seriousness of the situation. Now, the tree in the emperor¡¯s garden had stretched out and tapped the grand duke¡¯s head. Perhaps if there were other subordinates, they would have wanted to poke their own eyes so that they would not see that dreadful sight. ¡®Then Hesaros, can we solve it?¡¯ [If you are alone, of course it is still impossible.] It was a simple, assertive tone, but Sienna was accustomed to the way this Named spoke, so it was not difficult to read the truth. ¡®It means that this can be solved because there is Hesaros.¡¯ [Your territory has grown a lot. I can¡¯t say for sure, but I think it might be worth trying because I have a body and you do too.] She could heal it. The emperor¡¯s disease. Not Loreina, but Sienna. Sienna took a deep breath. She hadn¡¯t even thought of it until now. She just thought that if Loreina¡¯s scheme was true, it would be a great harvest if she could even stop it. ¡®This is the real thing.¡¯ So far, Sienna has ruined all of Loreina¡¯s plans, but that¡¯s was because things happened to turn out that way. But now it was different. If she saved the emperor now. Sienna was about to challenge Loreina head-on. * * * Suddenly, when Sienna came to her senses, she was sitting in front of a tea table that popped up in the middle of the garden. ¡°I prepared it with all my heart to meet the baby, not for you.¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± Consistent with his short answers, the grand duke drank tea. It was a curt attitude. The emperor clicked his tongue, and suddenly spoke kindly to Sienna. ¡°Baby, eat a lot. He probably doesn¡¯t have many of such delicate things in the corners of his house.¡± Certainly, there was nothing more colorful than the imperial desserts set up in the messy garden. Thousand layers of cake with delicate chocolate icing, layered with pastries, chocolate, raspberry jam and vanilla cream. A richly flavored cake with strawberries in mascarpone cream, and a creme brulee with vanilla cream lightly simmered with cinnamon and sprinkled with sugar. Boiled, rolled, stirred, stacked. How much work went into one dessert, it was a shame to even dare to touch it. ¡®Sister Loreina often ate such snacks too.¡¯ The imperial family treated Loreina, a benefactor, with utmost respect in every way. Not only did they give her various favors, but they also sent gifts such as clothes, books, and jewelry every season. In addition, at least once a week, they would send Loreina a small gift ¨C such as a bouquet of flowers to accompany the dessert she enjoyed so that she could have a good time. Loreina allowed other nobles to taste the precious snack, not just Sienna. Sienna didn¡¯t know it at the time, but now that she thought about it, she wondered if she was showing kindness to emphasize that she was a special person who was treated like this by the imperial family. In any case, this was Sienna¡¯s first imperial snack. ¡®It doesn¡¯t taste that good.¡¯ The raspberry tasted like raspberries, the chocolate like chocolate, and the vanilla cream smelled like vanilla. Overall, it was just sweet. Why did they throw away their pride to try this and gather around Loreina and fuss? It¡¯s not a taste they didn¡¯t know. ¡®Is it just because it was sent by the imperial family?¡¯ Well, unlike Sienna, who was not delicate, the sensitive taste of the noble ladies might have felt like it was something special. ¡®I don¡¯t really like sweets.¡¯ Anyway, considering the effort of the person who made it, Sienna took her fair share of each dessert and ate a little bit at a time. A delightful gaze fell on Sienna¡¯s head. ¡°It¡¯s true, the child is certainly just like a puppy. Why did something so valuable fall to this mountain bandit¡¯s house?¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡± The grand duke sighed, stating that he was too tired to respond. ¡°Child, would you like to walk around the garden with this old man? Let¡¯s get rid of that ignorant spearhead.¡± It was a golden opportunity, but would be a bit harsh to say that she was willing immediately. Sienna looked at the grand duke once. ¡°Go ahead. Even if he looks like that, he is one of the best Terraformers in this empire.¡± ¡°Hey, what do you mean to look like that?¡± ¡°Again, this is his realm. He may teach you something that neither me nor Seth can teach you.¡± ¡°A naughty bastard.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± said the emperor, clicking his tongue. Sienna followed the emperor, and he opened his mouth only after there was some distance from the grand duke. ¡°Yes, you were probably surprised that the old man you saw for the first time was acting friendly as if he was not a stranger.¡± Rather, she was even more surprised that the emperor was here when she was brought to this place on the way home, but Sienna just nodded her head calmly. ¡°Understand. Basically, a lot of people like to be next to Terraformers like you and me.¡± ¡°People?¡± ¡°Because we are beings that purify fraud. I¡¯m sure you feel comfortable. It¡¯s especially true with wizards. They pretend not to be, but they can¡¯t help but get along with Terraformers.¡± Oh, that was why everyone had gone away from her these days. As she was trying to understand, a strange feeling came over her. ¡°But Your Majesty is also a Terraformer like me.¡± The emperor chuckled. ¡°Yes, but aren¡¯t Terraformers fundamentally magicians? But¡­¡± The emperor¡¯s golden eyes looked down at Sienna obliquely. ¡°¡­Have I ever revealed my identity to the baby?¡± Actually, Sienna felt something amiss from the moment she called him His Majesty. Fortunately, the excuse was ready before the emperor finished his question. ¡°The only person who can speak with the Grand Duke as before is His Majesty the Emperor.¡± ¡°Ouch, I forgot about that.¡± The emperor trembled and led Sienna into the garden. Vine leaves, wild wisteria, fern, honeysuckle, foxtail, dandelion and violets and young mugwort, shamrock and raspberry. These were the only things that could be roughly recognized. Other than that, there were a lot of plants, or only grass, with no fruits or flowers. ¡°My garden isn¡¯t like this originally. It¡¯s a pity I can¡¯t show it to you when it¡¯s in its best shape, but take a good look.¡± It might sound rude, but Sienna was strangely drawn to this desolate garden. Perhaps the reason was¡­ ¡°Is this Your Majesty¡¯s territory?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s my imaginary world that¡¯s nowhere in the world.¡± [The imaginary world refers to the realization of the world in the head of a Terraformer who has reached his or her own realm.] In other words, this was a very small world where the imagination of the Terraformer became reality. [Since it¡¯s a secret technique, just pretend you don¡¯t know.] The emperor smiled kindly as he looked at Sienna, who had been silent while listening to Hesaros¡¯ explanation. ¡°You¡¯ll find out when the time comes. Maybe when the baby grows up, she¡¯ll have a much better garden than this old man.¡± ¡®As the saying goes, if this is a place that represents the heart of His Majesty the Emperor¡­¡¯ Sienna seemed to be able to guess why this place was so devastated. It was just a good opportunity. ¡°Is the garden like this because Your Majesty is sick?¡± ¡°¡­Well.¡± The seasoned emperor asked. ¡°Can the baby see I¡¯m sick?¡± ¡°Yes. Your Majesty, it¡¯s right next to the core.¡± Sienna spoke as if she were a child who only said the seemingly meaningless facts. The acting was more natural than before, perhaps thanks to watching the children at the orphanage a while ago. Fortunately, the emperor also viewed Sienna as much younger than her actual age. ¡°Beside my core¡­?! Baby, can you see this?¡± The emperor¡¯s composure was broken. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The grand duke approached me, thinking that the story going back and forth was absurd. Sienna nodded her head. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it in the eyes of the young lady of Gildinak, but not as much as Your Majesty.¡± ¡°You mean the daughter of Count Gildinak? If it was the child who was tainted with fraud¡­ Baby, do you really know how to see fraud?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± ¡°Oh my God¡­¡± [Tell them that I and you are sharing your eyes.] ¡°Hesaros said that I shared my eyes with Hesaros.¡± The strategy of selling Named¡¯s name worked again this time. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s because you¡¯re the owner of the Named. Now I understand.¡± ¡°Your Majesty?¡± ¡°Uh-huh. I can¡¯t do anything like this. Listen carefully, Rodrick.¡± The emperor said. ¡°I won¡¯t live long.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ what?¡± Seeing the surprised expression on the grand duke, the emperor burst into laughter, which was inconsistent with the situation. ¡°Hey, you punk. I am already seventy-nine years old. What¡¯s so surprising?¡± ¡°Your Majesty! Now that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°By the way, you too, are over forty years old. When did you all get so old¡­¡± ¡°You still have the habit of bursting bombs and trying to cover up with nonsense.¡± ¡°Hmm, are you listening to me?¡± ¡°You are still here, so Arandier must be disgusted with you.¡± The grand duke shook his head and sighed. ¡°As you said, even if there is a national funeral tomorrow, the probability of a natural death is high, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this guy?¡± ¡°Listen to the end. Your Majesty¡¯s knowledge of that time is a different matter.¡± ¡°I thought you were going to move on, but you didn¡¯t end it. That¡¯s how it¡¯s like for you. Good. Listen to me.¡± This was what the emperor had to say. Not long ago, the emperor collapsed while taking care of the usual state affairs. Even though he was old, everyone was worried because he was an emperor who was as strong and healthy as a horse. ¡°Arandier told me to be a little grumpy in advance if I think I¡¯m going to die. Don¡¯t startle people.¡± ¡°What happened after you fell?¡± ¡°I was taken to my room. I fainted for a while, but my body was still in good shape.¡± The royal physician also said there were no major problems with the emperor¡¯s health. ¡°It¡¯s considered a temporary symptom, so it¡¯s good to get enough rest and pay attention to your diet.¡± ¡°It was a typical solution. Anyway, I thought it was over, but at some point I knew. There are things in my body that shouldn¡¯t be there.¡± As soon as he confirmed that there was nothing wrong with his body, the emperor checked the magic of the core, and while circulating the magic, he noticed the existence of fraud. ¡°How fortunate is this?¡± The emperor laughed, saying that this amount of fraud would even be detected by the search magic of a first-year officer at the military academy. ¡°Everyone only thought that my age had a problem with my body, but I couldn¡¯t imagine that, so how fortunate I am.¡± ¡°No one knows, right?¡± ¡°Arandier knows. If something happens, shouldn¡¯t that child succeed to the throne without delay?¡± ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not dead yet, bastard.¡± The emperor made idle remarks, saying that when he died, they should bring a generous amount of condolence money. ¡°I heard that the vault of the Underworld is the best? I often hear that Nacht lives like the imperial family.¡± ¡°Your Majesty!¡± ¡°Ah, this guy? When people leave a will, do they have a double heart? ¡°Your Majesty, are you sick of this?¡± Oops. Hearing a voice from below, the emperor and the grand duke, who had completely forgotten Sienna¡¯s existence, realized they had talked too much. ¡°Baby, this was just¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s no use.¡± The grand duke stopped the emperor¡¯s useless attempts. ¡°The child is intelligent. If Your Majesty soothes the child, it will only make the child embarrassed, so please stop.¡± ¡°Rodrick.¡± ¡°Why are you calling me?¡± ¡°Are you proud of yourself now?¡± ¡°¡­Ahem.¡± The emperor glared at his nephew, who pretended to be polite and coughing, with an absurd face. Soon the emperor spoke to Sienna again. ¡°Anyway, baby, you¡¯re so smart, you know that you have to keep the story you just heard a secret, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Why do I have to keep it a secret?¡± ¡°Well.¡± The emperor looked at Sienna¡¯s gray-green eyes staring at him in a bewildered way. Sienna tilted her head and replied. What do you think is so difficult and serious? ¡°This, I can get rid of.¡± ¡°What?¡± The emperor was speechless at the unexpected words. ¡®I heard that this child purified the mother and daughter of Count Gildinak¡­¡¯ The emperor guessed. ¡®Perhaps, because of the one experience of purifying two people who were in the early stages of infection, she seems to think that she can cure all similar types.¡¯ Still, he was proud and happy that she was willing to fix it. ¡°Oh, this is¡­¡± Sienna smiled lightly at the way he tried to soothe her. ¡°I know there¡¯s an enormous amount of fraud in Your Majesty that I¡¯ve never seen before.¡± ¡°¡­Huh? Did you know?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m still young, so I don¡¯t know exactly¡­¡± Sienna didn¡¯t know yet that calling herself young would make her look grown-up. ¡°If it accidentally explodes in a place where magic is gathered, I think there will be a lot of magical beasts.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± It was only the language that belonged to a child, but she accurately pointed out the current situation. Of course, it had to be accurate. Sienna merely translated Hesaros¡¯ predictions into words that a child could say to some extent. ¡°Besides, Your Majesty seems to be very concerned because he is mainly in the capital city of the Imperial Palace.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Ah, is that why you¡¯re here in an imaginary space like this? To avoid harming others¡­¡± ¡°Hmmm.¡± The emperor calmly coughed and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s correct. Imaging space is the realm of the Terraformer. It¡¯s easier to control my fraud while I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sienna nodded quietly. The emperor said ¡®Yeah¡¯ to the grand duke and gave him a sour expression. ¡°Why are you like this again?¡± ¡°You said she was smart, but you dared to lie in front of the emperor of this empire? Are you still my military commander?¡± ¡°Ha? I never lied.¡± ¡®My child is bright. Isn¡¯t that right?¡¯ The grand duke furiously raised his eyebrows and tried to fight him, but it was quicker for the emperor to give him another shot. ¡°Noisy! How can she be smart? Of course, you should have introduced her as a genius!¡± ¡°Ah.¡± That was what he meant. The eyes of the grand duke, who had double wicks, returned to a state of insensitivity again. (TL/N: wick; a strip of porous material up which liquid fuel is drawn by capillary action to the flame in a candle, lamp, or lighter. So it¡¯s like saying his eyes were on fire.) ¡°I see. I admit it. I was needlessly humble.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make it a hobby to engage in virtues you haven¡¯t been able to show since it¡¯s not time to die suddenly. I¡¯m afraid the child will be underestimated.¡± ¡°Yes. It is clearly my mistake. From now on, I will introduce her clearly as a ¡®rare genius¡¯.¡± [Of course! Who is the chosen owner?] Sienna looked at the two with a slightly dizzy feeling. ¡®¡­What the hell are these people talking about?¡¯ Were they serious? She felt like she should stop it for some reason, but she was not friendly with both of them, so she didn¡¯t know how to interrupt or where to start¡­ ¡°Baby.¡± The emperor called Sienna. The eyes looking at her became more generous. ¡°You are not only the young owner of the Named, but also wise.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, if it¡¯s not rude, could you show me your Named?¡± Sienna nodded her head and concentrated her mind carefully. Named did not need to be carried around like other objects. These weapons could always be next to their chosen master. Hesaros appeared with a halo in the air. The long body carved from obsidian and the mithril work of pure silver that seemed to give off an immaculate luster even when standing still, and the soul stone of Hesaros was emitting a brilliant light. The emperor was inwardly admiring. ¡®Oh. Hesaros changed his form.¡¯ There were records that Named could change the body, but it was her first time to actually see it. ¡®That form¡­ Is it a cane?¡¯ At first, he thought it was a wand carried by the fairy godmother in illustrated children¡¯s books. But looking closely¡­ ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t this a cigarette? You picked it up from Nacht¡¯s treasury¡­ Maybe this is what you picked¡­?¡± Haha. ¡®No way!¡¯ Sienna quickly made excuses with a strained smile. ¡°No. I¡¯m not sure, but Hesaros said he liked it.¡± ¡°Ugh, is that so¡­¡± If it was not the child¡¯s taste, but the Named¡¯s, there was nothing he could do about it¡­ ¡°¡­Yes, anyway, as the Emperor of Feyenoord and as a Terraformer, it is truly an honor to see Hesaros and his owner.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°The Named are truly mysterious and unknown weapons. You are the least known and perhaps the most powerful of them, Master Hesaros.¡± [Ahem. I¡¯ve been thinking about it for a while, but this human emperor is a guy who knows something. I like him very much!] On behalf of the proud Hesaros, Sienna expressed her gratitude. ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡± To be honest, it was more embarrassing than good when he painted her face with gold, but it was nice to praise Hesaros. ¡°No, I am rather grateful. How can I not be satisfied to see precious children like you at an age when it is difficult to make a promise to the end of the year?¡± ¡°¡­¡¯You¡¯?¡¯ A slight smile faded from Sienna¡¯s lips. ¡®If I didn¡¯t hear it wrong¡­¡¯ Just now, the emperor obviously didn¡¯t say ¡®like you¡¯. ¡®You¡¯ did not refer to just one person, Sienna. [I don¡¯t feel good.] Hesaros was right. A bad intuition sounded the alarm. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Instead of Sienna, the grand duke stepped forward. ¡°As Your Majesty acknowledged, that child does not speak nonsense. As Grand Duke Nacht, I assure you.¡± ¡°Well.¡± ¡°Besides, it is the Named Hesaros that backs up that childish insight. Hesaros must have assured her that it could be cured.¡± ¡°Um, that¡¯s right. It sounds like you¡¯re bragging again, but it¡¯s not just my feeling, is it?¡± ¡°¡­Anyway, my bragging rights are also based on facts.¡± ¡°Your attitude is very different from when you were raising your sons.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not because she¡¯s a girl, it¡¯s because she¡¯s special.¡± Originally, he was a grand duke who couldn¡¯t fall to this, but his opponent was the godfather, the emperor. It was not easy for him to hold his weight in front of an opponent who remembered that he even cried with his nose on the marble floor, deceived by the pranks of his older sister, and the crown princess. ¡°Besides, Your Majesty also raised Arandier, so you don¡¯t know.¡± The emperor waved to see who would listen. ¡°Ahh. Arandier¡­ Arandier is Arandier. She is truly unique. She is very unique.¡± The grand duke also had a lot to say about him, so his lips twitched slightly. But the emperor shook his head a little faster. ¡°Anyway, this family story isn¡¯t important. Actually, there are other important reasons I can¡¯t give a definite answer to.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Hey, there¡¯s already a child who gave me the same offer as you.¡± The bad intuition she felt a while ago became a reality. Sienna asked calmly. ¡°That person¡­¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯ve probably already heard the news. The young girl of Count Minangsi, who recently awakened as a healing wizard, the child named Loreina.¡± ¡­To some extent, the name she was prepared for appeared. * * * Count Minangsi¡¯s employees have been busy for the past few days. There was no such thing as an accident in the County. The Count of Minangsi, who is in charge of one axis of the eastern granary, occupied the fertile land and was always prosperous. The previous year¡¯s harvest was also bountiful. Although the healing power that allowed the Count of Minangsi to occupy this good granary was long gone, the descendants still benefited from their great ancestors. They didn¡¯t have to worry about making a living. Neither the count nor the countess at the time were beautiful, but their only daughter, Loreina, was dazzlingly beautiful and lovable, picking out the good points of her parents and resembling them. And not so long ago, the lovely young lady manifested the healing powers they thought they had lost. It was a congratulatory moment. It was understandable even if the Count and his wife were to dance while drinking white wine in front of everyone. But the county¡¯s mood was far from overwhelming joy. ¡°She didn¡¯t eat dinner today?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even say it¡­¡± The maid, who had gone to pick up the meal, rolled up the sheet-covered wagon to the chef with a bewildered expression on her face. ¡°Hey, my God. What¡¯s going on with all this?¡± On the wagon were broken plates and food that had fallen to the floor. All messed up. ¡°She said she didn¡¯t want to eat it, but she got mad at me for bringing it¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that absurd, our Lady Loreina?¡± The chef couldn¡¯t hide her upset expression. ¡°Oh my God, that kind¡­ no, that lovely person is like this¡­ Why is she like that?¡± ¡°I do not know.¡± These days, Loreina has been very strange. Letters of invitation and admiration were poured out to the beautiful young girl of Count Minangsi, who had manifested healing magic, but she did not even look at the letters. She was even seen screaming sharply at the count and his wife. ¡°I understand something¡¯s going on with her, but these are the foods I¡¯ve made¡­¡± Everyone understood how upset the chef felt. Needless to say, the chef really liked the lady. For Loreina, who is not in good condition, the chef put a lot of thought into today¡¯s meal, filling it with only the things she likes. It was shocking that the results of her hard work returned in this way. ¡°¡­Everyone, what are you doing here?¡± ¡°M-Madam!¡± The countess¡¯ gaze, accompanied by the butler, stayed on the messed up wagon. ¡°She¡¯s really¡­¡± The wife smiled bitterly. ¡°Hannah, I¡¯ll apologize to you. I couldn¡¯t properly educate my daughter¡­¡± ¡°Oh, ah, no, Madam!¡± The chef waved his hand in surprise. Although it was somewhat sad, she did not expect to receive an apology from the countess for the ¡®wrong education of her daughter¡¯. ¡°The child is having a difficult time these days, so¡­ she seems to have lost her sense of discernment. You know? At that age, all children do this for a little while.¡± ¡°I understand, Madam.¡± ¡°We think she can do that¡­!¡± ¡°Thank you, everyone. Seeing how it is and understanding me¡­ How can there be only such good people?¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s an overstatement.¡± The chef, Madam Hannah, forgot about her disappointment for a moment and put on a proud expression. ¡°Then¡­¡­.¡± The countess again left with the butler. As soon as she left the kitchen, a chill crept over the countess¡¯ face. ¡°Butler.¡± ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s time to change the chef. It¡¯s enough for her to do her own thing, to dare to complain about my daughter when she¡¯s living thanks to her¡­¡± ¡°Okay, Madam. Let¡¯s find a new cook.¡± ¡°Yes, no one should know that she was replaced due to external pressure¡­ Can you do it as well as it is now?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. Then I¡¯ll have to go see my daughter.¡± The Countess of Minangsi parted from the butler and went up to the second floor. The south side of the second floor, filled with bright sunlight, was a space dedicated to Loreina, the only daughter of the counts. The carpet was soft enough for her to sink to her ankles, and the flowers in the vase were all the ones she liked. There was also a small room where only the girl¡¯s drawings and embroidered decorations were displayed, there was a painting studio, a practice room for playing musical instruments and dancing, and a dressing room for storing lovely dresses and jewelry. However, the countess passing in front of all this had no expression on her face. Without even knocking, the wife opened the door of her dearly beloved daughter with the key and entered. ¡°How long are you going to be acting like this?¡± ¡°Mother!¡± ¡°My daughter¡­¡± The countess whispered coldly as she hugged her daughter, who was cradled on her waist. ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect you to be so pathetic. This mother¡­¡± ¡°However!¡± ¡°Loreina, please come to your senses. What can¡¯t this mom or dad do for you?¡± Lovely dresses and musical instruments, jewels and gold coins, and extravagant dolls. ¡°Is that all? We made you the only healing wizard in this empire.¡± ¡°What does that mean? There¡¯s a child who joined Nacht before me! She even owns the Named!¡± ¡°Loreina¡­ please. Did you forget everything your mother taught you?¡± Shh, the wife caressed her daughter¡¯s doll-like face with her plump hands. This was her work. A result that would never happen again in her life. ¡°The game has only just begun. You are the only healing wizard among nobles. Did I explain enough that depending on what you do, you can become much greater than the owner of the Named?¡± ¡°You said that I could cure the Emperor¡¯s illness, didn¡¯t you? But just because¡­¡± ¡°Listen to the end, daughter. That orphan girl said that she too could cure the Emperor¡¯s illness.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Now, what are you going to do? Do you want to continue crying like this, throwing away the food the servants brought, and tearing up your favorite dress?¡± ¡°How, how-how could that orphan girl be like that? In the first place!¡± ¡°Shh.¡± Madam Minangsi, who was short and had a plump body, looked really kind when she smiled. ¡°Our Lorein. Sweet little girl. Let¡¯s stop talking.¡± (TL/N: ¡®Lorein¡¯ is probably her nickname.) ¡°Mother!¡± ¡°Stop. Mom said stop.¡± There was a strange dignity in the soft tone of the countess. ¡°Loren, I taught you everything. I¡¯ve given you so many things that you don¡¯t dare complain.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°So you can do it. Get whatever you want.¡± The countess, with a twinkle in her eyes, ordered. ¡°My sweet girl, beat her.¡± Shatter her, until there is no powder left. So that she could never set foot into your shining world again. * * * [Unexpectedly, it will be a head-to-head match.] ¡°I know, right.¡± Sienna tried to open the world between her palms. However, unlike usual, the world did not open well. The little territories she tried to open, close, open and then fade again. [It looks disturbing.] ¡°¡­¡­¡± [I can¡¯t say no, but I hate to admit it.] Sienna sighed without saying a word. ¡°Hesaros.¡± [Okay.] ¡°Can I beat Sister Loreina?¡± [Normally, I should comfort you that it will be like this, but¡­] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [I wouldn¡¯t say that. Why? Baby, think carefully.] ¡°What?¡± [If you don¡¯t win, the Emperor will die.] If Hesaros decided to speak nonsense, he would say nonsense endlessly; on the contrary, if he wanted to say only the right things, he would only say the infinitely right things. It was like that again this time too. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± She didn¡¯t know what method to use, but anyway, Loreina¡¯s healing power could only extend the lifespan of the emperor by one year. Sienna recalled the conversation she had with the emperor yesterday. ¡°Oh my. Children with excellent skills are coming out like this because they want to cure my disease. If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m happy that I¡¯ve lived a pretty decent life as the emperor.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°But with only one body diseased, I am forced to make a very embarrassing decision.¡± Despite being embarrassed, the emperor was stroking his chin with his fingers and smiling happily. He seemed satisfied and pleased that the future of the empire he had dedicated his life to seemed brighter than the immediate threat of death. ¡°Baby.¡± The gaze on Sienna was very kind. Like chocolate that melts in the fire. ¡°In this empire, Lady Loreina and you. Both are valuable talents. That¡¯s true. But you¡¯re a Terraformer like me.¡± The emperor laughed mischievously. ¡°¡­In this empire, there is an implicit custom that if you harm a Terraformer, you will be punished equal to that of the imperial family. Do you know what that means?¡± ¡°I do not know.¡± ¡°The genealogy of Terraformers born in this world all begins with this Feyenoord family. It means that it is recognized by common law.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± For Sienna, it was a word that was rare and difficult to understand. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Shut up. Rodrick. Now, baby. Think slowly. The royal family has given birth to one of the best Terraformers of their time. And it is insisted that the blood of all Terraformers in this world flows like the royal family.¡± ¡°So¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that going to be an interesting story?¡± With a wrinkled face, the emperor laughed like a naughty boy. Behind, the grand duke touched his forehead. Sienna was speechless. The emperor¡¯s words were, in a sense, recognizing Sienna as a royal family. As by a common law¡­ ¡°Well, if I spread this logic, the strict elders will get up like bees and lie down in protest, saying it¡¯s a leap forward. If I¡¯m going to say such nonsense, they¡¯d rather I tread on them.¡± If they were only about ten years younger, he would have really stepped on them, but now, if he made a mistake, everyone would go to the goal. It¡¯s not like before. ¡°But this is my imaginary world, and I can say whatever I want. So, understand it this way.¡± The emperor¡¯s hand rested on Sienna¡¯s head. ¡°In the heart of this Emperor of Feyenoord, it means that I regard the baby as a family to some extent.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Especially when that baby steps up to watch over this old majesty at her own risk.¡± ¡°Your Majesty.¡± The grand duke intervened in a low voice. The emperor exclaimed, ¡®I know, you bastard!¡¯ ¡°You found her first and she¡¯s your child.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°The narrow-minded thing is exactly like my father¡­ Ashiel¡¯s temperament also resembles you a lot.¡± The grumbling emperor said, ¡®Anyway!¡¯ and cleared the situation. ¡°There are emotional problems like that. Aren¡¯t I the emperor of this empire and this body is the property of the country?¡± It was then. Sienna understood. The emperor¡¯s health was not a matter that could be determined by which of the two was cuter or more lovable. ¡®How fortunate.¡¯ Right now, the emperor was feeling close to Sienna because she was a Terraformer, but Sienna didn¡¯t dare defeat Loreina by being cute. No, she didn¡¯t even dream. ¡®So it might be advantageous to me. Excluding private feelings is¡­¡¯ In case anyone else knew, I was convinced that once the emperor declared that he would exclude personal feelings, he would keep it as it is. ¡°As a person seeking treatment, I have to decide which way to get better treatment.¡± Of course, to do that, he had to choose Sienna. But the problem was that she couldn¡¯t prove that part right now. The choice was the emperor¡¯s. ¡°And contrary to how it looks, this body is still able to withstand it.¡± It would be. Sienna nodded her head. ¡®Because he has to stay alive until Sister Loreina heals him.¡¯ They must have used their hands appropriately so that the emperor would not die before that. ¡°So, let¡¯s do this. Mayfair season starts in a little bit.¡± As mentioned earlier, the imperial nobles gather in the capital from spring to summer to form a ¡®social circle¡¯ and spend time interacting with each other. This period was called the ¡®Mayfair Season¡¯. ¡°When all of you come to the capital during Mayfair season, let¡¯s see who will heal me then.¡± ¡­As she finished reminiscing, she suddenly had a question like this. ¡®Based on the circumstances, it is certain that Sister Loreina¡¯s side organized this¡­¡¯ But how was it possible to instill such a degree of fraud in the emperor¡¯s body without being detected by anyone? The emperor was not only a protected person, he was also a powerful wizard himself. ¡®Is that possible?¡¯ Hesaros agreed with Sienna¡¯s reasonable doubts. [There is only one possibility that I can think of.] ¡°There¡¯s a helper.¡± [Okay.] But who? Who was thinking of harming the emperor of this empire? [There is still no place to step on the ladder to get there.] ¡°What?¡± [An ancient saying. It means a lack of clues. Anyway, it¡¯s up to you to decide this.] ¡°¡­¡­¡± [Should you intervene in this or not.] ¡°I¡­¡­.¡± Oh, it hurts a little to say this. Sienna closed her eyes and said. ¡°I am not confident that I will be chosen.¡± [Yes, I¡¯m sure. Because you¡¯ve been through enough.] Hesaros agreed. [Then let the emperor die. What do you know? Just let that Loreina girl come into this house, just let her do whatever she wants. What do you know?] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [After all, you are the owner of the Named. That alone puts you in a position that cannot be trampled on as easily as before. It is not impossible to be satisfied with that alone.] Hesaros was not being sarcastic. He was just plainly telling the truth. There was such a way. [If you can¡¯t afford it, run away. That¡¯s the way.] She felt choked up. Sienna barely opened her mouth and said this. ¡°If I run away¡­¡± If she runs away, what¡¯s the resolution of the day? That determination to go to the highest place of her destiny? Hesaros, what did she promise him? [Of course you can forget it.] Hesaros decreed as sharply as a sword cut. [You are breaking a promise, and I am serving the owner who broke the promise. That¡¯s all, nothing changes.] For a moment, Sienna stopped breathing. Then, she burst into laughter like having a seizure. ¡°No.¡± She couldn¡¯t do that. ¡°I can¡¯t, I¡­ the promise is, I can¡¯t.¡± Once again, in this life, she had a lot of things in her hands. Sienna¡¯s hands, which had nothing, were full of the things that fate had given. An invisible hand seemed to be guiding her from somewhere. It would be easy to shake off the hand. Run away and hide. Who would look for her? She had enough confidence to survive in hiding. Sienna was sincere, smart enough to find a way, and was the owner of the Named. Let¡¯s live a life of running away with it all¡­ ¡­Disgracefully? ¡®No.¡¯ For the first time, Sienna heard an answer that boiled from the depths of her heart. She didn¡¯t like it. She didn¡¯t want to run away. Even if she died fighting, she wanted to face it. She didn¡¯t want to cringe for the rest of her life, feeling Loreina¡¯s existence as a threat every time. That¡¯s why she ended her first life with her own hands. ¡®Even if I die when I die, I just don¡¯t want to die by that hand!¡¯ ¡°I will fight.¡± [I knew it would come out like that.] Hesaros appeared as a bright flame after a long time. [Because you are the master of flames.] She was. Without hesitation, Sienna stretched out her hands toward the sky. And unlike a while ago, the world bloomed right away without hesitation. [Hey, Sienna? What are you doing now?] ¡°I think I can do it now.¡± Wider. Bigger! The ring of light that rose from Sienna¡¯s hand spun violently, making a buzzing sound. Cr-crack, crack, crack¡­ [What are you doing? This will break the core!] ¡°It doesn¡¯t tear.¡± [What is this stubborn person saying?!] He tried to stop her, but Sienna didn¡¯t listen. Hesaros reluctantly plunged into the world. It was to help Sienna. [Hold your mind tightly!] The ring began to burn more fiercely thanks to the energy of Hesaros. Crack, crack. ¡®Ugh¡­¡¯ The magic that surrounded her heart reacted violently. But Sienna clenched her teeth and swallowed a groan. ¡®A little bit more, a little bit more¡­¡¯ Right then. Boom boom! In an instant. The magic particles that were like heated corn grains grew in size at once as if they were swelling. When she came to her senses, Sienna was standing in the center of a small, rotating galactic circle. [The seed has germinated¡­] The very small world she met for the first time, a very small seed that will become Sienna¡¯s Terra. She did it. She broke the wall in front of her, the limits given to her. The success of this moment spread thrillingly to the central nervous system of the brain, which was hardly stimulated in this way. So it all started. In an irreversible way. [¡­It must be an irreversibly ¡®ignorant¡¯ method!] Hesaros groaned, but he couldn¡¯t stop the smile formed on Sienna¡¯s lips. * * * And at that moment, somewhere on this earth. ¡°¡­The seeds of spring have germinated.¡± Someone noticed the life that was born under the ground. Chapter 64 to 84 Note: This chapter consists of episodes 64 to 84. Sorry for the delay, it¡¯s just a lot of words¡­ Mayfair season. It referred to the period of the year when the ¡®social circle¡¯ of the Feyenoord Empire was the busiest and most active. Usually, nobles go up to the islands between the end of March and mid-April, and end the season around August with a summer vacation then go down to their respective estates. Afterwards, they would spend a year governing their mainland during autumn and winter. This was the way the nobles of the empire lived. It was no exaggeration to say that some of them survived the rest of the year just to attend the Mayfair season. In fact, the main purpose of the socializing season was ¡®exchange¡¯. To put it more bluntly, it was ¡®arrangement¡¯ or ¡®matchmaking¡¯, and to be more explicit, it was ¡®marriage business¡¯. It was said that all the events of the Mayfair season were meaningful in helping men and women of marriageable age to find each other. Even at funerals. From the beginning, for Sienna, who was not involved¡­ ¡®A little¡­ I have to say it¡¯s a fanatical atmosphere¡­¡¯ Everyone seemed a little crazy, regardless of age or gender. If she had to express it, everyone seemed to have a disease that would kill them if they didn¡¯t get married or meet a matchmaker within a year. In her first life, Sienna had never participated in the Mayfair season during this period. ¡®It must have been decided that there was no need to take a child who couldn¡¯t adapt to a changed life to the capital.¡¯ Thanks to this, she was able to avoid being bitten by people who came to the capital and were desperate for a good life, but¡­ Instead, in the corner room on the 3rd floor of Nacht¡¯s castle, the tutor¡¯s anger had to be dealt with. It could be said that it was an alternative to misfortune, thus it was difficult to say which one could have been better. ¡®After that, I don¡¯t have very good memories of this season¡­ Hmmm.¡¯ To be honest, she didn¡¯t want to go. This time, the tutor in question had also disappeared, so she wanted to stay in the castle and study magic to the fullest. It was a life of eating, sleeping in a warm bed, and studying. ¡®If you don¡¯t enjoy it at this time, when will you enjoy such luxury?¡¯ ¡­Although she had given up many things in various ways, Sienna had not yet given up her dream of independence. ¡®Ha¡­ Yes, maybe one day I will be independent.¡¯ It was a situation that could only be complained about now. ¡®I have to go, the Island.¡¯ The emperor I met in person was a good person. After all, he¡¯s also a Terraformer. Or maybe it was because he treated Sienna warmly like a funny and affectionate grandfather? ¡®It might be a little disrespectful to say this.¡¯ Sienna was also quite fond of His Majesty the Emperor. Perhaps the fact that they had no relationship in the past made it possible to exchange pure favors. ¡®I have no choice but to save His Majesty.¡¯ She had already decided to go into the system. It was pointless to think about it further. ¡®When I think about it, only negative things come to mind.¡¯ In this case, it was better to move the body and find work to do instead of just being immersed in her thoughts. ¡°My lady, why are you doing this? Without taking a break.¡± As Sienna jumped up, the maid who was knitting on one side asked, puzzled. ¡°That¡­¡± When she regained her senses, she got up from her seat as she didn¡¯t have more work to do. Homework? On the evening of the day she met the emperor, she finished it with Michael. Of course, Michael only spent ten minutes on homework, and he spent the rest of the time wandering around Sienna who was studying. Review, review? She finished it as soon as she woke up this morning. After learning recently that Hesaros was training Sienna as a Terraformer, Seth withdrew from magic practice. ¡°I don¡¯t have the confidence to become a teacher who goes beyond a Named.¡± ¡°What?¡± Rolling- As if to represent Sienna¡¯s shock, her pen splattered on the floor, splashing ink. However, Sienna didn¡¯t even think to pick up the pen, and didn¡¯t even notice the ink spattered on her cheek, and her eyes widened as if she had been hit with a clear blow. No teacher? So what about her beginner magic? Who would give homework? Sienna, almost crying, looked like a child of her age for the first time. Seth thought about it again. ¡®I didn¡¯t realize, but up until this point, the young lady had a very mature expression.¡¯ But his mouth quickly began to appease Sienna. ¡°Ah. Ah! Don¡¯t worry, my lady. I meant to leave the training side to Hesaros. As a Type 1 wizard, I can only do basic training anyway, and he¡¯ll be much more professional!¡± ¡°That. Then¡­¡± ¡°Of course! I have to teach you the basic theory as I do now, no, let me do it! I don¡¯t want to give up the joy of teaching a girl!¡± ¡°Teacher¡­!¡± ¡°Oh, my lady! I didn¡¯t expect you to enjoy my classes so much!¡± ¡°Of course I do!¡± ¡°Yes. I do not doubt your sincerity. So, speaking of which, it¡¯s a little early, but from now on, I¡¯m going to try to do other subjects in addition to beginner magic¡­!¡± ¡°Teacher Seth¡­!¡± Sienna, unable to overcome her emotions, muttered while covering her mouth with her small hands. ¡°Teacher is the best¡­!¡± ¡°You are the best student¡­!¡± Upon viewing drama that cannot be watched without tears, Madam Deborah shed tears as if it was natural. Next to her, Michael nodded and thought. ¡®I think all these people are crazy.¡¯ Anyway, for those two serious magic enthusiasts to fly into a world he couldn¡¯t go and make crazy noises was within the scope of what he was used to. The boy loved Sienna, for the most part. ¡®But at times like this, I don¡¯t even want to get close.¡¯ Whether or not Michael had any impure thoughts. From that day onwards, they learned magic history, magic mathematics, and the beginner comprehension of time and space based on magic. Seeing the title of the last textbook, Michael pretended to vomit, but in any case, various subjects were smoothly included in the class. It was also thanks to the fact that the grand duke, upon hearing the news that ¡®Sienna was delighted¡¯, gave his approval without saying a word. So, Sienna was currently having a very enjoyable day when she could do all kinds of homework as soon as she opened her eyes and got up. It was not necessary to explain what this pleasure for Sienna meant to Michael. The boy only wanted to vomit, and although there was no pleasure, his ability to follow the program was only second to that of Sienna. Anyway, there was a lot of work to do, but¡­ The point was that the increased homework did not defeat Sienna¡¯s sincerity. ¡®Something else to do¡­ Something to kill time¡­¡¯ There was nothing. ¡®¡­Like a hobby¡­¡¯ So there wasn¡¯t. In the past, she was mainly serving Loreina and helping the servants, so she was so busy that she wished she had two bodies. To the extent that she didn¡¯t even dare to try something like a hobby. But now, if Sienna went to carry coal or folding towels? ¡®If I want to make Madam Deborah collapse, I can do that.¡¯ Uh¡­ Anything else I can do other than work¡­ ¡®¡­Ah.¡¯ A sudden realization struck. Not work, but something else Sienna did. There was only one thing. ¡®Making a self-defense item¡­¡¯ A series of bad memories rushed through her mind in an instant. To be precise, the moment when she picked up the amulet that had been thrown on the floor of Ashiel¡¯s room and covered in dust. She remembered going back to her room with the amulet she picked up without anyone knowing. She couldn¡¯t even throw away what was thrown away, and the memories she hid in a deep box with drops of tears¡­ For trauma treatment, patients were trained to become dulled to stimuli through repeated exposure. (T/N: it¡¯s one type of trauma treatment, definitely not the only type.) [QC/N: Think of exposure therapy.] It seemed that such a principle was strangely applied to Sienna in this life. She still couldn¡¯t forget, but the past just existed in Sienna¡¯s mind just like that¡­ As she looked at his face often, she was able to casually joke around with Michael. There was nothing wrong with taking classes and eating together. Even in front of the grand duke, she could breathe. When Ashiel called her¡­ ¡®¡­No, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s good enough yet.¡¯ In any case, Sienna¡¯s lava had largely cooled into a black stone. Although smoke still rose sometimes, and sometimes it seemed hot. It was now more like stone than flowing blood. So that¡¯s fine. Sometimes it¡¯s okay, but sometimes it wasn¡¯t okay, but it could be okay again. Sienna tried to comfort herself. ¡°¡­What¡¯s wrong, my lady?¡± Sienna shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. Just a little¡­¡± She succeeded in pushing back the memories of the past that had flooded in like a flood. Then, suddenly, a thought occurred to her. ¡®Self-defense¡­ That helps to suppress or purify fraud.¡¯ If she had one, it would help prevent fraud from infiltrating, and if she made it herself, it would be something nice to boast about, as it was a gift that was often exchanged in the empire. ¡®Hey, Hesaros.¡¯ [Why?] ¡®Would it be of any help if I could make a self-defense tool for His Majesty the Emperor?¡¯ [Are you talking about artifacts that contain the power of purification?] Huh, Hesaros murmured. [I didn¡¯t even think about it, but I think it will help.] ¡®Really?¡¯ [Of course, if it is a general level of self-defense made by ordinary people, of course, it will not help in the slightest to suppress that huge amount of fraud.] ¡®Okay¡­¡¯ [Of course. The bank of the overflowing river has burst, and you can¡¯t close the hole with a teaspoon. Hundreds of teaspoons are not enough.] Hesaros was cynical. [But it would be different if you made it. Most of all, this Hesaros can capture the flames of purification in your body.] ¡®Aha.¡¯ Sienna¡¯s magical power was increasing exponentially day by day. The world of spring, once germinated, was also growing with an explosive momentum, unlike before, when it only grew little by little. He said that it would be possible to make a vessel to contain the purification fire of Hesaros. [At the same time, do you have the essential jewel you received from the grand duke? You can use it as a material.] ¡®Oh, he¡¯s right. That¡¯s what it was.¡¯ Sienna¡¯s face turned red with anticipation. To borrow Hesaros¡¯ expression, in the past, she made something that could not even be a teaspoon, as that a low-level self-defense amulet was barely made by collecting poor quality ingredients little by little over the course of her life. [Do you like it that much?] ¡®I like doing what I have to do. And a good self-defense tool, I wanted to make it at least once.¡¯ By analogy, it was as if he had promised a child who could barely make a coaster through knitting, ¡®From now on, I will let you make a soft and warm cardigan with a pretzel pattern with cashmere thread!¡¯ ¡®Oh my gosh¡­ This pitiful, pitiful, cute owner.¡¯ In various complex emotions, Hessaros seemed to burst into an outfit that didn¡¯t even exist. Anyway, the legendary Named was firmly committed. ¡®I will make sure that people in the world will be surprised to see my master again!¡¯ Sienna, full of anticipation, asked Hesaros, who was grinding his teeth, with bright eyes. ¡®Then, could it be called an advanced self-defense tool?¡¯ [Eh? Advanced? Are you kidding me now?] [How could you let this great and mighty Hesaros make such a wretched thing!] Hesaros snorted wildly and laughed. [Of course, at least the best! Even if you¡¯re not good at it, you can¡¯t get it anywhere else!] ¡®Wow.¡¯ [Who in the world can put the fire of Hesaros in an item or something?] ¡®Oh, he¡¯s right.¡¯ I thought so. If it was Hesaros¡¯ purifying fire, it would have the power to stop even the transformation of a demonic beast when properly consumed. [Isn¡¯t this how I help you because I¡¯m all yours? Thinking about it, it¡¯s a shame to say that it¡¯s the best. It will be something unprecedented.] ¡®Hesaros, that¡¯s really cool. Best.¡¯ [Okay, okay. Such a compliment is very good!] ¡®My Named is the coolest in the world.¡¯ [Yes, yes. You, who is my master who knows that well, is also a bit cool.] * * * Let¡¯s make a self-defense tool and present it to the emperor. It will kill time, help the emperor, and maybe even score points. A rewarding act of killing three birds with one stone! As soon as that decision was made, Sienna began to move diligently. ¡®I want to go to the library first.¡¯ [What? Library?] ¡®Yes. Because I only made low-level self-defense amulets in the past¡­ I¡¯d like to read some related books before I start.¡¯ What Sienna was going to make was not exactly a complete self-defense tool. She was just going to make a small vessel to hold the fire of Hesaros. However, there was nothing casual in her attitude that tried to do the best she could. [Yes, what. There is nothing wrong with reading a book.] Hesaros politely said he wouldn¡¯t do that much, but Sienna, who had decided that she had to go to the library, was a little nervous. ¡®Library¡­¡¯ Needless to say, the library was a space that had never been touched by Sienna in the past. This was Nacht¡¯s castle. It was the castle of the grand duke who ruled over the entire Disparter region. It hurt her mouth to emphasize that greatness again. The library was never ¡®just a place with a lot of books¡¯ in this lord¡¯s castle. It was not called a library because small bookshelves were set up in a corner of a drawing room just for display. In particular, Grand Duke Nacht was a person who paid attention to the collection of books, enough to say that he had a hobby of collecting books. Publishing technology was one of those technologies that had not been greatly lost from the era of prosperity. Thanks to this, not only various books, but also newspapers, brochures, and flyers were produced in the empire. The Grand Duke was a kind of maniac who not only bought all types and genres of books published on the market, but also bought and stored daily newspapers. Not only that, but also various ancient documents, books, rare editions, including magic books from the era of prosperity. It was a treasure trove of knowledge that contained all the precious books that were stolen and sold. If so, wouldn¡¯t it be the lifetime wish of magic researchers to enter the private library of Grand Duke Nacht? [Is that library really that great?] ¡®This is a castle built during the era of prosperity. There were a lot of places that were damaged, but they said that the library and treasure trove were left almost intact.¡¯ [Hoo.] ¡®If you really buried the people who made a wish to be buried in the library room of Grand Duke Nacht when he died, it would have become an ossuary earlier.¡¯ [That¡¯s how bad it is¡­] ¡®There may be books of the same age as Hesaros.¡¯ [Oh, then it must be great.] The quickest way to convince Hesaros of the greatness of something was to associate it with himself. [Then ask for permission to enter quickly.] ¡®Are you sure you heard me right?¡¯ It was such a great place. Even Loreina in her former life had to go through a complicated process, only getting permission once in a while. Fortunately, she didn¡¯t go to the library a lot, but whenever she did, Loreina didn¡¯t seem very happy. ¡®¡­So maybe I won¡¯t get permission.¡¯ [Yes. Well, that¡¯s your opinion.] ¡®I¡¯m not kidding?¡¯ [Yes, yes. I know. You have nothing to lose anyway, so try to get permission once in a while.] That was easy to say. Sienna sighed and stood up. ¡°My lady, where are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to see the Grand Duke.¡± ¡°Oh, will you?¡± The maids looked startled. Sienna was a little surprised too. ¡°¡­Is he busy? I¡¯ll be a nuisance if I go to him.¡­.¡± ¡°What do you mean, my lady!¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s good to visit!¡± ¡°He¡¯ll love it!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll help too!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Unexpectedly, there was a very enthusiastic response. ¡°Come here!¡± The maids dragged Sienna into the dressing room and sat her down while she was distracted. ¡°The jade dress you¡¯re wearing today is very pretty, so I¡¯ll just polish it up!¡± Under their skillful touch, the folds of the pale jade dress with a slight hint of cloudy sky blue were unfolded. One of the remaining maids took off the black flats she was wearing and put on Michael¡¯s red shoes. Red shoes in pale lemon lace socks. A red ribbon was wrapped around the waist as if it was paired with the shoes. ¡°Look, my lady! Isn¡¯t it cute?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± She knew they worked hard, but Sienna didn¡¯t have the audacity to look at her face and say, ¡°Cute!¡± The maids forced Sienna to do so. ¡°It¡¯s our work, so just admit it¡¯s cute.¡± Those were words that could not be argued against at all, from the standpoint of knowing the hardships of commercial labor. Sienna couldn¡¯t overcome her embarrassment, so she buried her face in one hand and barely answered. ¡°Yes¡­ yes¡­ thank you¡­¡± ¡°Instead of going empty-handed, why don¡¯t you bring flowers?¡± ¡°Yes, if you want to ask him to let you enter the library, you have to do that.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t know, it¡¯s a bribe!¡± ¡°Is¡­ it?¡± No, wasn¡¯t the last sentence a bit strange? Right? Bewildered, Sienna went to pick flowers, pushed by the strange force of the maids who shouted, ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°You¡¯re doing great!¡± Listening to the cheers, she couldn¡¯t come to her senses. By the time she woke up, Sienna was already standing in front of the desk in the Grand Duke¡¯s office holding a bunch of daisies. ¡°¡­What¡¯s going on?¡± The Grand Duke asked, raising one of his eyebrows slightly. At that time, Sienna wanted to do something about it, but she couldn¡¯t say anything else when she had already appeared here with a bouquet of flowers. ¡°I¡­ to give you this flower¡­¡± The grim red eyes that were hard to read, traveled and stuck to the bouquet of white daisies. ¡®¡­I think I made a mistake, didn¡¯t I?¡¯ ¡°¡­¡­¡± At that moment, the Grand Duke got up from his seat without a word. ¡°Uh, Grand Duke¡­?¡± As a huge shadow fell, Sienna took a step back without realizing it. But the grand duke slowly bent one knee and made eye contact with Sienna. And held out his hand. ¡°Come¡­ here.¡± That voice sounded like it was trembling a bit, was it just me? Sienna handed him the small bouquet with bewildered feelings. When held in Sienna¡¯s hand, it still looked like a bouquet of flowers, but when it was handed over to the grand duke, it looked as small as an exaggerated boutonniere decorated with a handkerchief. ¡°¡­ I didn¡¯t know my garden had flowers. Thank you for allowing me to appreciate it.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ yes.¡± ¡°Is there anything else you want to say?¡± ¡°So¡­¡± It felt strange that her tongue didn¡¯t roll more when he laid out a mat. ¡°I want to visit the library¡­ I would like to visit the library.¡± She looked at him, gulping and swallowing dry saliva. But the grand duke, to her surprise, nodded immediately. ¡°Yes. I see. I will tell the librarians and the gatekeepers, so go when you want to go in.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± If she was just eleven, she wouldn¡¯t have realized how great this was. But Sienna knew. Now, she had obtained regular access to the library, which even Loreina had to ask for permission each time. Not only that, the grand duke got up and added. ¡°If you have a book you want, you can take it to your room and read it. There are books like the Heiron editions that require maintenance, but¡­ Most of them have conservation magic on them, so it should be fine.¡± Even loans were possible. An unimaginable range of permissions was granted so easily. Sienna looked up at the grand duke without realizing it. The grand duke also looked down at Sienna without a word. However, unlike Sienna, who was just dumbfounded, his lips were slightly moistened as if he had something to say. ¡°¡­No.¡± Soon, something tapped on Sienna¡¯s head. Big and rough¡­ hand. It was the grand duke¡¯s hand. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± It was such a gesture ¨C his thick, large hands touched lightly while trying not to put as much weight on it as possible. He put his hand lightly on the child, but couldn¡¯t even caress her head, so the grand duke said, ¡°I heard that you study very hard and have fun.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll always allow access to the library¡­¡± How much did she want to enter the library that she went to the office she was afraid of to ask for permission? So, no matter what she asked, he just wanted to approve of it from the start. However, the man who was not good at speaking could not continue to speak. He was just afraid that the frozen child would recognize and dislike the situation, so he just hurriedly raised his hand. ¡°¡­Anyway, thank you for the flowers.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You may go now.¡± * * * ¡°Huh? Lady. Why are you walking so blankly?¡± Sienna, who was walking back to her room, ran into Seth. ¡°Teacher.¡± ¡°Yes, are you sick somewhere? Oh, maybe you have too much homework.¡± Even in the midst of chaos, Sienna shook her head so urgently that it was as if a sound would come out. ¡°It¡¯s absolutely not too much.¡± The homework was very fun. If Seth took care of her and reduced the amount by any chance, she might want to cry. ¡°That¡¯s right. I understand. But if it¡¯s too much, please tell me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not unreasonable at all. Sir, but I¡­ have something I want to ask you.¡± ¡°Yes. What is it?¡± Sienna hesitated a bit, then started. ¡°¡­What is the Heiron edition?¡± ¡°Heiron edition? Oh, it seems you found out while studying.¡± Sienna didn¡¯t answer, but Seth thought it was so. ¡°Well, the Heiron edition is a self-published book by Joffrey Heiron, the founder of modern magic, a collection of old books from the era of prosperity, with his own interpretations. Well¡­¡­.¡± ¡°?¡± Seth smiled bitterly as he looked at the cute disciple who was meekly tilting his head. ¡°He had a very, very eccentric personality. He said that it is terrifying to publish those books to the unqualified public, and he said it was enough to only compile his life¡¯s research into ten books.¡± ¡°Only ten books?¡± ¡°Yes, there is probably one in the Nacht Grand Library, but there is only one.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°My lady?¡± ¡°¡­T-Thank you, Sir. I was curious.¡± ¡°Yes, of course you are.¡± Seth left, saying he was looking forward to next week¡¯s class on Tuesday. Sienna, who was left behind, barely thought. According to Seth, the Heiron edition was a very valuable book. ¡®So, for it to be okay to take out¡­¡¯ In other words, it was as if Sienna was allowed to do anything except set fire to the library. * * * The next day, Saturday morning. She wasn¡¯t conscious of it, but perhaps because it was the day she was going to the library, she woke up early. ¡°My lady, are you awake?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­.¡± Sienna was not a very demanding lady to serve, the maids didn¡¯t have to wake her up on time. ¡®If we have to choose, her hair is so thin that we have to take special care of it.¡¯ While the bright-eyed maids trimmed the grayish-brown hair that was about to flutter like dust, Sienna blinked her sleepy eyes to organize her to-dos for the day. ¨C Today¡¯s study prep and review. (Sienna was always restraining herself so that there would be no mishaps, then she would be able to complete her studies at once.) -Read a book about making self-defense tools that can be found at the library. She borrowed it and got permission to read it in her room, but she didn¡¯t intend to do that. She borrowed it and got permission to read it in her room, but she didn¡¯t intend to do that. ¡®I decided to take whatever was given to me in this castle, but¡­¡¯ She realized it yesterday. It was a hasty idea. What was he thinking, to give it to her like that? ¡®I think I¡¯m going to get indigestion at this rate.¡¯ She was worried about throwing up again. Thus, Sienna changed the principle to enjoy only half of the rights given in this house. So as not to get used to too many favors. Then she would always be conscious that it was not hers. She didn¡¯t want to be surprised or embarrassed when things changed. She just wanted to maintain a dry state that could be separated quietly and very quickly. As soon as breakfast was over, Sienna headed to the library. Although Michael visited briefly¡­ ¡°I¡¯m going to the library. Would you like to go with me?¡± ¡°No. You finally got there. Work hard.¡± Sienna thought as she looked at the back of the person who had been cut with a single knife. ¡®Actually, on the subject of being good at anything.¡¯ Michael had a habit of showing anger while pretending to be someone who couldn¡¯t do anything. This was especially the case in areas related to learning. Sienna, too, was deceived a few times in the beginning, saying, ¡®Are you really bad at it?¡¯, but now, that was not the case. ¡®There¡¯s a reason why Teacher Seth was pushing him.¡¯ As she was thinking about it, she had arrived in front of the library. The door of the library was sculpted with the image of an angel with golden wings unfolding like a scroll, and tapestries were naturally connected from the ceiling painting. ¡®The door to the treasure house looked like a side door leading to the most ordinary hut in the world.¡¯ When Sienna arrived, the gatekeepers of the library opened the door naturally. And in it¡­ ¡°Wow¡­¡­.¡± The walls of the circular space, which seem to be about three stories in terms of the number of floors, were all surrounded by books. Magic devices such as ladders were spinning on the circular bookshelf; stopping, taking out books, and putting flowers in them. It was a majestic and overwhelming scenery. ¡°Are you here, my lady? I am Hans, the bookkeeper of this library.¡± An old man in an old-fashioned robe appeared. ¡°Oh, yes. Hello.¡± ¡°I will briefly guide you on how to find books in the library.¡± He said that the role of the magic ladder was greater than a human hand in managing this space. ¡°This is where you can call the Ladder of Wisdom. Stand here and the ladder will bring you the book you want.¡± ¡°The book I want?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. A ladder can measure the depth of a lady¡¯s wisdom. It will bring you a book to read.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Then it was safe. ¡°If you want to read a book in the library, there is a seat over there.¡± ¡°Ah yes.¡± Sienna confirmed the direction that Hans beckoned towards. She couldn¡¯t see anything because the eye level was different, but it seemed like there were some desks and chairs lying around. ¡°And I heard from the Grand Duke that you may bring the book out.¡± Sienna didn¡¯t want to, but she nodded her head for a moment. ¡°You won¡¯t need any other procedures, but if you¡¯re going to go out with a book, you just have to show it to me once before you go.¡± ¡°All right.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± The old librarian smiled kindly and walked away. The emotional burden of being granted great authority was gradually being diluted by the majestic scenery of the library. Sienna stood at the spot and called the ladder, as the librarian had taught her. Then the ladder, which had stopped at the upper bookshelf where Sienna was at, began to move. ¡®Wow¡­ Hesaros, have you seen it?¡¯ [This is nothing! Hmm, you¡¯ve never lived through the era of prosperity, so that would be surprising.] A wooden ladder spiraled up and down the bookshelf, pulled out a couple of books from far above and descended in front of Sienna. ¡°Ah, this is a necessary book. It¡¯s real, it¡¯s fascinating¡­ Wait, a storybook?¡± The first book was what Sienna really needed, but the second one was out of context. ¡°[Claw-eating Rat]?¡± Anyway, it looked like a fairy tale book. She didn¡¯t know why this was in her hands. Feeling strange, she looked at the ladder, but the ladder was silent. ¡°For now, it¡¯s a recommendation, so I¡¯ll take it and try it¡­¡± Sienna, feeling a little skeptical, turned the fairy tale book over and looked front and back, then tucked it under the first one. Then she headed towards the seat the librarian had told her. And there¡­ Oh no. Sienna barely swallowed an exasperated groan. There was an occupant. ¡°Your Highness, the Grand Prince.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± It was Ashiel. The grand prince, who neither rode a horse nor held a bow, was looking down at Sienna at an angle. Like an archer, the grand prince hit distant targets like an eagle, but couldn¡¯t see the nearby letters well. So he wore glasses when he was processing papers or reading a book. Perhaps it was because of the glasses for farsightedness, the shadow his eyelashes casted on his cheeks seemed to show as he lowered his eyes when the sunlight poured in through the windows. ¡°¡­Are you here to read a book?¡± Ah. Sienna came to her senses. ¡°Yes, the Grand Duke gave me permission¡­¡± I tried to emphasize that I didn¡¯t snuck here just in case, but Ashiel¡¯s icy face didn¡¯t change much. ¡­No, strangely, it seemed like he wasn¡¯t listening. ¡°Grand Prince¡­?¡± When Sienna looked closely, his eyes were strangely fixed on the title of the book she was holding. For some reason, he seemed to have forgotten his words because of the title of the book. ¡®¡­Is this the book she wanted to read first?¡¯ No, it¡¯s kind of¡­ Ashiel¡¯s eyes were filled with emptiness as if he had been stabbed somewhere soft with a sharp knife. If you added a little imagination, it was like he unwittingly faced a very terrible and fatal mistake he had made¡­ ¡®¡­No, let¡¯s not use useless imagination.¡¯ Emotion in that ice doll-like person¡¯s eyes. There must be some degree of delusion. When Sienna, who had erased unnecessary sentiments, began to see the dust floating between the two of them, the prince barely opened his mouth. ¡°¡­¡­ I¡¯ll give you the seat. Read it comfortably.¡± The silence was too long to just say that, but Sienna didn¡¯t want to talk any more, so she just said, ¡°Okay,¡± and ended the conversation neatly. * * * Fortunately, Ashiel stepped back, and the first book the library recommended was very helpful. Although the second book was only a few chapters, and she read to the end just in case, there was nothing very helpful. ¡®¡­Well, even though it¡¯s called the Ladder of Wisdom, it seems possible to make mistakes.¡¯ After returning the book to the Ladder, Sienna returned to her room. The book clearly stated that essential jewels that contained the purifying power of Terraformers were called ¡®purification stones¡¯. ¡°Even if it contains the fire of Hesaros, it must be a kind of purifying stone, right?¡± [No.] ¡°Uh, isn¡¯t it?¡± [You should call it a ¡®very precious¡¯ purification stone that can have a performance difference of ten times or more depending on how it is made.] ¡°Yes¡­¡± To think she even wondered what he was going to say. Sienna opened the drawer by the bed. Inside it was a pouch containing the essential jewels she had previously received from the grand duke. ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was going to be used this way.¡± As a test, Sienna concentrated her magic on her fingertips. Then, a small fire the size of a match ignited. ¡°It works, but¡­¡± Would she be able to put this safely here? [While thinking about it, if you¡¯re like me, I¡¯ll try it first.] ¡°These jewels are very expensive.¡± [You own half the mine. Are you going to be timid?] Her head seemed to hurt while hearing the forgotten story of the mine. [Try it quickly, Mine Owner.] ¡°Well¡­¡­.¡± Apparently¡­ She didn¡¯t need a spell to create the power of purification. Sienna placed the jewel on the desk and opened up the world to take the place of the magic circle. And just as the book said, she started planting sparks in the essential jewels. ¡®Delicately¡­¡¯ As the flammable material slowly caught fire, the essential jewel slowly began to absorb the fire that Sienna had set off. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s working¡­ oh it¡¯s not?¡± To be precise, it seemed to absorb a little bit, but then it scattered like fish food. ¡°Oh¡­¡­.¡± Sienna, who hastily closed the world and checked the status of the jewel, made a sad sound. ¡°It¡¯s broken.¡± The essential jewel, which gave off a radiant brilliance even without light, turned dark as if the light had been turned off. So this was¡­ ¡®A house was blown away¡­?¡¯ She couldn¡¯t believe the results before her eyes. Hesaros shuddered as Sienna, who had devoured a house by a moment¡¯s mistake, stared in dismay at the broken essential jewel. [You should have been focused.] ¡°I was concentrating¡­¡± [Isn¡¯t that because you poured out more power than the jewel can handle?] ¡°The book says that you can¡¯t make it without injecting enough power.¡± [Oh my, sweetheart. Are you the same as the general subjects covered in the book?] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [You are a very smart and good owner, but sometimes you act stupid. That¡¯s cute, so I think I¡¯m a little crazy too.] ¡°Hesaros¡­ if this is broken, it could have been a house.¡± (P/N: Recall, Hesaros¡¯s ¡°house¡± is an essential jewel.) It wasn¡¯t a cute level mistake. The damage was too serious to laugh at. Of course, Hesaros didn¡¯t care. [Who cares? There are still four left, so let¡¯s try more.] ¡°What?¡± No, was this Named being real? ¡°You have two houses now, is that it?¡± She shouldn¡¯t have said that. One was blown away, but she couldn¡¯t send the remaining four in vain like this. Hesaros, who was kind to the owner who raised his double-mindedness, snorted and stabbed her in the right direction. [The Emperor?] ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± [Would you like to watch the Emperor die? Well, I don¡¯t mind anyway?] She couldn¡¯t, she couldn¡¯t. [See?] Hesaros made fun of her, but there was nothing to refute. No matter how precious the four remaining jewels were and the shock of losing one jewel was, the emperor could not be put on the scales. Sienna sighed deeply. ¡°Okay, I thought¡­ Then, before I try again, tell me how to control my strength.¡± [Hey, what kind of Ladder of Wisdom am I? Like, if I bring you a book, you¡¯ll get the hang of it right away?] ¡°Because you¡¯re a Named, you have to be better than the Ladder of Wisdom.¡± [What? No, that¡¯s true.] She caught him. ¡°Then teach me how to do it.¡± [Recently, I keep thinking that your understanding of me is deeper than my understanding of you¡­] Although he grumbled, Hesaros was a Named that adored his owner. [Okay. Shall we go outside?] * * * Sienna stepped out into the garden, bringing along the rest of the essential jewels. Hesaros said something, but Sienna didn¡¯t forget the failed jewel and kept it in a separate pocket. [What the hell is that for? It¡¯s no longer worth more than glass.] ¡°If you don¡¯t understand, just leave it alone.¡± She couldn¡¯t coolly throw away what was once as valuable as a mansion. Even if it had become a worthless item now that it couldn¡¯t even buy a single glass window to be inserted in a mansion. Hesaros also clicked his tongue, but didn¡¯t stop it. [A powerful Terraformer can also affect natural objects. Have you heard of it?] ¡°Yes.¡± Recalling her first apparition, which was done tremendously thanks to Hesaros, Sienna nodded her head. [Just as purification and healing go hand in hand, it also acts as a revitalizing force in the natural world¡­ The principle is probably still difficult to understand. Now, try breaking it.] Sienna was puzzled, but as instructed, she cut the small sprouting side branch next to the trunk of the garden tree. [Try to succeed in growing it without burning or drying it to death.] ¡°What?¡± [You can¡¯t learn things like how to control powerfully through words. Especially my damn lovable master, who rotates her magic until she rips the core just because she thinks she can do it.] Haha. His words stabbed Sienna, so she smiled modestly. [Do not laugh.] ¡°Yes.¡± Even as she returned her expression solemnly as instructed, Hesaros continued to growl. [Anyway, if I look at it, you don¡¯t spare your body as much as if you were a stupid worm. Are you listening?] ¡°Yes, yes.¡± [Plant it in the ground here! Don¡¯t go too deep. Yes, just that much! Stop!] As many as Hesaros wanted, Sienna put the garden tree branches into the ground, then she waved her hands and stood up. [Listen carefully.] ¡°I¡¯ve been listening to it since.¡± [I know, but I am saying it! Let¡¯s set the mood!] ¡°Yes.¡± [¡­Look. Plants are much more fragile vessels than essential jewels. Growing it will require more delicate control than when locking up the fire.] As she listened to him, it was a bit¡­ ¡°So you¡¯re saying that this special training is more difficult than what you originally intended to do?¡± [Um, rather than that¡­] ¡°¡®If you succeed in something more difficult, then of course you succeed in the previous one¡­¡± Sienna was stunned. ¡°¡­Do you believe this makes sense?¡± [It doesn¡¯t make sense? Why not?] Hesaros snorted. [Growing plants is a high-level training that you must do for the rest of your life! Even if it¡¯s not like this, I was going to teach you soon? You, do you think the emperor was bored so he decorated his world as a garden?] ¡°Ugh.¡± [Of course, it is also a kind of training! So, if this great Hesaros orders it, you can do it knowing that!] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [You said you don¡¯t want to lose a house again? Shall we start soon?] Sienna did not miss the laughter in Hesaros¡¯s piercing voice. This damn Named, really. ¡°¡­You¡¯re having a lot of fun right now, aren¡¯t you?¡± [Yes.] Hesaros responded quickly. [Why not? Even though I was trying to stop something that almost killed you, you forced it and said, ¡®It¡¯ll be a success, so stop it¡¯. Did you really think I wouldn¡¯t be this mean?] ¡°¡­¡­¡± [Stop complaining and start quickly. It¡¯s true that it helps.] ¡®I will definitely succeed¡­¡¯ Sienna made a firm determination. She would succeed and show that cheeky Named. But¡­ ¡°Oh.¡± Fish food. ¡°Wait, no!¡± Fish bait. ¡°¡­Ugh, please!¡± Contrary to her promise, it turned out that she had a talent for harpooning ten poor side branches in a row. [Ouch, my God.] Hesaros let out a groan in a joyful voice. [Hey, shouldn¡¯t we have to make a grave for it, no matter how close it is?] It was the most exhilarating voice Sienna had heard since getting to know Hesaros. [Well, even if you are ignorant, you are too ignorant. If this is the case, will the time pass if you practice this all month long?] ¡°Isn¡¯t it too obvious that you¡¯re having fun?¡± [I¡¯m saying it¡¯s obvious, why? Why don¡¯t you break the next one soon?] She would succeed. She would get her revenge upon success. Burning with a desire for revenge that did not burn even against Loreina, Sienna had been cutting side branches. [Why don¡¯t you cut several times? It will fail anyway.] ¡°This time it will succeed.¡± She failed. ¡°For sure this time¡­!¡± She failed. ¡°Again¡­¡± She failed. Hesaros clicked his tongue and added one more word to Sienna, who looked down at the branches that had piled up again even after clearing them once. [¡­Killer.] She was upset, but there was nothing to say. [It¡¯s a pity just looking at it, so I¡¯ll just say one thing. It wouldn¡¯t work if you did it for a hundred days like that.] ¡°¡­Then what should I do?¡± [Finding solutions in seemingly impossible situations is the spirit that makes a wizard a wizard.] ¡°You say it nicely, but in the end, it means you¡¯re not going to teach me.¡± [My owner is also very smart. Now, hurry up and pioneer an unexplored land. Like a wizard.] Sienna sighed instead of answering. Actually, she wasn¡¯t that serious at first. It was fun to play horse wrestling with Hesaros, and the aspect of catching the tail was great. However, failures overlapped and Hesaros¡¯s teasing continued¡­ A small spark was beginning to grow into a blaze in her heart. Sienna took a slow, deep breath. ¡®If I want to control the growth as much as I want, I have to bring it into my world.¡¯ She suddenly had a thought. Until now, she had planted branches and opened the world, but¡­ ¡®¡­How about changing the order?¡¯ She thought about it for a moment. From Sienna¡¯s feet, a circle of light spread out. It was a small territory. Sienna brought the pruned branches there. Respectfully, with a heart of invitation. ¡®Be the first tree in my little world.¡¯ And carefully began pouring power. ¡®Ah, while maintaining this balance¡­¡¯ Sweat formed on Sienna¡¯s forehead, who was concentrating on continuously injecting a small amount of magic that was constantly flowing. The moment that sweat dripped down¡­ ¡®¡­It grew!¡¯ She felt a small root stretching under the ground that had become Sienna¡¯s world. Then, with a tickling feeling, small new shoots began to sprout from the branches. ¡°Wait, did I succeed¡­?¡± Perhaps it was because she had peace of mind, the amount of power that was entering increased sharply in an instant. At the same time¡­ ¡°Grow up¡­!¡± The small roots began to stretch out countless times, tickling the soil. As it absorbed Sienna¡¯s magic like moisture, the branches grew thicker. The new shoots stretched out green and grew taller in an instant. In the blink of an eye, a branch that was as soft as a baby¡¯s finger had grown enough to be called a full-fledged seedling. It was an undeniable success. ¡°Hesaros!¡± [Yes, I¡¯m watching.] Hesaros¡¯s voice was calmer than when he was teasing her for failing, but it sounded like he was enjoying this much more. [I really wonder. How long will my owner be a genius?] ¡°Look, I said I could do it.¡± [Oh, didn¡¯t I say you couldn¡¯t? I told you to do it quickly. Well, now you have to stop¡­] About 20 percent of the happy smile on Sienna¡¯s lips faded. Oh, but wasn¡¯t this growing too fast? She thought it should stop growing at this point¡­ It was around this time that Sienna realized something important. ¡°Hey, Hesaros.¡± [Huh?] ¡°How do I make it stop growing?¡± [¡­What?] Rumble, rumble, rumble rumble. As the master and servant exchange stupid conversations, the ground began to shake. [What are you doing! Cut the magic!] ¡°Oh, it won¡¯t break! It has already taken root in my world¡­!¡± A thick root sprouted from the shaking ground. The sapling¡¯s waist became thicker and its height began to exceed Sienna¡¯s. ¡°Oh, wait!¡± The roots that rose from Sienna¡¯s feet grew straight up. Sienna clasped the soaring roots and was devastated. As the branches filled the sky, shadows were cast by the leaves. Her view kept getting higher. When she looked down, the splendid garden was suddenly messed up with beautiful trees. The garden of Grand Duke Nacth was a kind of planned city in which the gardener lived and managed with five assistants. Not long ago, Sienna brought an early flower rain to this garden and tormented them once. However, if they swept away the flowers, it would disappear! Suddenly, without a plan, though, it¡¯s a beautiful tree¡­! ¡°Hey, stop, stop sleeping!¡± [Do you understand what I am saying?!] ¡°Then what do I do?!¡± [Close the world!] Ah. Only then did Sienna recognize the boundaries of her world that drew a circle around the tree, and gained strength. As the glowing borders faded, the growth of the trees became slower and slower. Then, as if sighing, growth stopped. ¡­But it was already too late. Sienna looked around in disbelief. ¡®I made eye contact with the window on the 3rd floor, right¡­?¡¯ The maids who were cleaning the windows of the drawing room on the third floor made eye contact with Sienna, who had climbed onto a tree that had grown at a frightening speed. She wondered if she should even wave her hand, but seeing them start to scream, she thought she shouldn¡¯t. ¡°My lady!¡± ¡°Oh my God, are you okay?¡± ¡°T-The garden, the garden¡­¡± ¡°Kyaaa, gardener! Calm down!¡± ¡­She was doomed. Sienna looked around. In a short period of time, she appeared at a very high place. ¡°Hesaros.¡± [Why¡­] ¡°How do I get down from here?¡± [¡­] Sienna could use magic, but she was afraid of how this giant tree, which had grown with her magic a while ago, would react. If she made a mistake, she thought that this time, she could look down on the top of the castle instead of making eye contact with the third floor. Hesaros had a similar opinion. [For now, it would be better to stay still. Do nothing, please.] ¡°I think so too¡­¡± [Well, if you¡¯re like this, won¡¯t someone come and get you? Although there was a major accident that ruined the Grand Duke¡¯s garden¡­ But they won¡¯t leave you like this.] ¡°Hearing that, I think I¡¯d rather be left alone¡­¡± It was then. A voice that she could never be confused with another was heard from below. ¡°¡­Sienna?¡± It was Ashiel. ¡°How are you¡­?¡± Whether or not he was aware of the emergency and ran, he looked a little more human than he did in the morning. Because of her great sin, Sienna laughed awkwardly, even though her opponent was Ashiel. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a bit long to explain the situation¡­ Ouch.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± She was looking down and her feet almost slipped. ¡®If I fall wrong here, it¡¯s at least the shin, if it¡¯s bad, it¡¯s the spine.¡¯ A cold sweat broke out. Sienna strengthened her body and tried to hold on, but at the same time she was convinced that she wouldn¡¯t last very long. Ashiel seemed to notice that too. He asked sharply. ¡°What about magic?¡± ¡°Not now! It might grow more¡­¡± ¡°Grand Prince, can you please bring you a ladder?¡± ¡°¡­¡­No. Everyone, get out of the way.¡± Sienna¡¯s eyes widened. The reason was that Ashiel seemed to have come to a decision and as if he was a five year old, began climbing the tree himself. ¡°Grand Prince¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look down.¡± He advised ¡°When you¡¯re scared, you sweat, and when you¡¯re nervous, your body goes idle.¡± Eventually, it would fall off. ¡°If it¡¯s hard to look up or move your head, focus on my face as much as possible.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Fortunately, Ashiel reached Sienna quickly and without difficulty. He reached out and grabbed Sienna who was curled up, and pulled her into his arms at once. It was not until he secured the child that came along quickly that he took a deep breath. ¡°Grand Prince.¡± ¡°¡­Hug my neck.¡± She didn¡¯t think she should be uncomfortable in front of the crisis of life or death. Like how she had once hugged his waist while on a horse, Sienna grabbed Ashiel¡¯s neck tightly. A sigh of relief escaped from the mouths of the people watching from below. ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad, really.¡± ¡°I thought my heart was going to fall.¡± ¡°By the way, what happened to this tree?¡± It took a little longer to come down, but anyway, Ashiel managed to rescue Sienna safely. As they set their feet on the ground, everyone swept their chests. Sienna¡¯s face reddened with embarrassment belatedly. But she couldn¡¯t forget to say an acknowledgement. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Ashiel handed Sienna over to Madam Deborah, who was waiting for an answer. ¡°Take her and let her rest. She may have muscle aches for a day or two, so prepare some medicine in advance.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± After Sienna returned to the castle in the arms of Madam Deborah, the crowd now started talking while looking at the tree. ¡°By the way, my God, this seems to be something the lady did, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Looking at this, it looks like a decanto tree? What, didn¡¯t you say that this is a very difficult and expensive tree to grow?¡± The gardener nodded with a bewildered expression at the newly grown tree, which was twice as large as the decanto tree he had originally grown. ¡°It is used a lot to make ships and is also planted as an ornamental tree, but it is not easy to grow compared to the demand¡­¡± ¡°Wow, the lady did something great.¡± ¡°How much does it cost if it¡¯s big? I heard that the Imperial Palace also has a decanto tree, but it is about the height of one floor.¡± ¡°It must be much bigger than the Imperial Palace¡¯s.¡± The old gardener brought his hand up to his face and answered with a bewildered look. ¡°If it¡¯s really bigger than what¡¯s in the Imperial Palace¡­ even Ferrato of the Ocean would give a thousand gold to pull it out by the roots¡­¡± ¡°Hey¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s an achievement, it¡¯s an achievement¡­¡± Ashiel¡¯s eyes caught something like a stone rolling on the floor as he listened to the conversations the people were having. No, it would be more accurate to say that it was detected by feeling rather than noticed. ¡®¡­An essential jewel?¡¯ To be more precise, it was an empty essential jewel that had a deep trace of Sienna. As soon as he picked up the jewel, Ashiel knew it was something related to the title of the book Sienna was holding in the morning. ¡®¡­She failed to make a purification stone.¡¯ Perhaps if she had succeeded in making this, she would have created a self-defense tool out of it. ¡®Self-defense¡­¡¯ It was bizarre. Ashiel couldn¡¯t remember why those words were so bitter, as if there was an empty spot in his heart being scratched at. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± However, even when he could not think of anything, he could not throw away the failed empty shell that Sienna couldn¡¯t turn into a purification stone. ¡®¡­Even just this.¡¯ It was something that even he couldn¡¯t understand, but the small, broken, meaningless stone eventually went into Ashiel¡¯s pocket without anyone knowing. That afternoon¡¯s great event ended like that. * * * The decanto tree grown by Sienna was also clearly seen from the office of the grand duke. The grand duke¡¯s reaction to the appearance of a huge tree that had turned the garden into a landslide was extremely simple. ¡°If Ferrato sees it, he¡¯ll buy the entire castle, so I¡¯ll ask you to sell it.¡± Decanto wood was basically suitable for constructing a hull that navigates the sea due to its strength and physical properties. The degree to which it responded to strengthening magic was excellent, and it was also an advantage that it could become a giant tree depending on how much it was raised. In particular, it was an important material enough to say that it was essential when building the giant ships that make up the Ferrato of the Ocean, their invincible fleet that rules the sea. Recalling Jonas¡¯ enthusiasm, Ashiel asked. ¡°Are you going to sell it?¡± The grand duke responded with a snort. ¡°I totally agree with His Highness¡¯ opinion that it¡¯s not even possible!¡± (Madam Deborah) ¡°Well.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that tree tangible proof that our young lady, the child of Nacht and the owner of the Named Hesaros, is a genius?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Devon sensed that the story was bouncing in a slightly crazy direction, but missed the chance to intervene. ¡°You should boast to your guests by putting up a sign that reads ¡®Proof that Sienna, the child of Nacht, is a genius¡¯.¡± The grand duke looked at the maid without saying a word. Devon, of course, thought words like ¡®what the hell are you talking about¡¯ would come out of the grand duke¡¯s mouth. But¡­ ¡°As expected, you, too, are a maid of this castle.¡± ¡°You are exaggerating, Your Majesty!¡± He was absolutely wrong. In the midst of an unbelievable conversation between the grand duke, grand prince and his aides. At that moment, an unfamiliar object on the grand duke¡¯s desk caught Ashiel¡¯s attention. ¡®¡­Flowers?¡¯ Like himself and Michael, there was no one in the underworld who had the sensitivity to do anything with flowers. In particular, among the three of them, the grand duke was the furthest from that. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Ah, the Grand Prince also noticed it. That¡¯s what the young lady found and gave to the Grand Duke today.¡± Of course, there was only one child in this house who Madam Deborah¡¯s would talk about. Unknowingly, Ashiel¡¯s hands were tense. Because of his cold, insensitive face, Madam Deborah did not notice the veins sticking out from the back of the prince¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s worth going to the greenhouse and picking roses and peonies. Daisies are really cute.¡± Devon responded. ¡°By the way, it seems that she wanted to bring spring to the Grand Duke.¡± ¡°Actually, I heard from the maids a while ago, but the fact that the lady grew a decanto tree today was actually an accident that happened while she was practicing to make a self-defense tool.¡± ¡°Oh, self-defense?¡± ¡°This Deborah thinks that the young lady may have been trying hard to repay His Majesty the Grand Duke, even in a small way¡­¡± No. Ashiel knew instinctively. There was no way. It couldn¡¯t be. ¡°Ashiel?¡± The grand duke asked, belatedly realizing that his eldest son¡¯s condition was strange. However, Ashiel answered with a somewhat pale face. ¡°¡­Excuse me. I have urgent business.¡± It was difficult to be in this position any longer. Ashiel ¡®disrespectfully¡¯ left his father¡¯s office in a way he had never done before. He couldn¡¯t think of anything else. It felt like water was filling up under his nose. It wasn¡¯t anger, it wasn¡¯t betrayal, it wasn¡¯t sadness, it wasn¡¯t anything, it was like a turbid flow of emotions that made his heart boil. ¡®Why?¡¯ Something was going wrong. No, he made a big mistake. ¡®I never did.¡¯ No matter how much he tried to deny it, it was of no use. A bizarre feeling as if a fatal mistake he can¡¯t remember was sleeping somewhere in his life. In his memory, in his heart, there was a small box, to which he had lost the key. What¡¯s inside was very important, but he couldn¡¯t find the key. The feeling of hopelessness at that time. There was no way to stop that delicate feeling coming up like this from time to time. Anyway, one thing was certain. Sienna. No matter how many self-defense tools the child made in the future, it couldn¡¯t be for him and his family. They had no share. That was the way it was. Ashiel saved Sienna with his own hands a couple of times, but that wasn¡¯t something to be rewarded for. It was just what he had to do. ¡®For that purpose, I¡­¡¯ It was as if he was alive for that. Even if his insignificant life was destroyed. Even if he didn¡¯t get a word of thanks back even once. Even if the only thing he dared to covet was the worthless remnants of what she broke while making something¡­ He had to protect the kid. That was why this life existed. It was as clear as that¡­ A simple bunch of daisies blooming on the grand duke¡¯s desk came to Ashiel¡¯s mind. Michael approached without hesitation and began a normal conversation. All this time he thought they were all hated by Sienna. ¡®But what if not?¡¯ What if the truth was, that only Ashiel was particularly hated¡­? * * * Although it was a mistake, she almost destroyed one side of the castle¡¯s garden and raised up a giant tree. No matter what others said, the tree was nothing more or less an embarrassing mistake for Sienna. However, Sienna was now in a desperate crisis where an absurd sign such as ¡®The owner of the Named Hesaros, the work of a rare genius Sienna¡¯ would be hung because of that huge mistake¡­ [Are you sleeping?] ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡­She had dozed off. Hesaros clicked his tongue as he saw his owner trying to wipe the non-existent saliva. [It could be hard. No matter how small a tree is, you have advanced it¡¯s growth for a hundred years.] ¡­How did I do something so ignorant? [No matter how much you are my owner, your body will not remain. How did I choose such an ignorant thing? ¡­That¡¯s also a talent, a talent.] Hesaros was not comfortable even though he was complaining a lot. It was true that he felt sorry to see her drowsy in front of her favorite homework. [I can¡¯t. Wait a minute. I¡¯ll take over the purification work that I handed back to you for a while.] ¡°Thanks¡­¡± [Of course.] In fact, after Sienna¡¯s seeds germinated, Hesaros did not help Sienna to instinctively purify her surroundings. [I had been helping you because I was afraid you would doze off and break your legs on the stairs. Now, the purification has progressed quite a bit¡­] It was just as Hesaros said. When she first came to this castle, it felt like something invisible was approaching her every moment to choke her. ¡®At that time, I fell asleep occasionally, or had nightmares when I fell asleep.¡¯ She couldn¡¯t even eat properly. But things started to get a little better after eating the pomegranate, and since Hesaros did the purification that Sienna had to do¡­ Without realizing it, the suffocating and menacing energy almost disappeared at some point. [Now this castle seems to have adapted to your existence to some extent, so I gave it back to you, but how come it¡¯s back to the original state in a few days?] ¡°I¡¯ll take a break and do it again.¡± [Of course. Purifying the surroundings by yourself is a great help in growing as a Terraformer. So when you finish your homework, you should do it again.] ¡°Yes¡­¡­.¡± In this respect, Hesaros was a strict teacher who did not look after her. [Anyway, if it was me, I wanted all kinds of credit from humans. Thanks to you, everyone should have less nightmares and live comfortably these days.] Sienna¡¯s position on the matter was firm. ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to stand out any more than I am now.¡± [Okay, you stubborn one.] While grumbling, Hesaros brought the matter of purification into his own hands. ¡°Thanks.¡± [All right, my little owner.] A small smile crept across Sienna¡¯s lips at the friendly whisper. ¡®He¡¯s such a weak child towards me.¡¯ On such a subject, the owner of Hesaros did not like being loved by those who once abandoned her. To be honest, Hesaros felt that Sienna was desperately trying to turn down their favor and love. ¡®It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like being loved when I see things like that¡­¡¯ I might have to say that I was afraid. ¡®Tsk.¡¯ She was able to understand it emotionally, even though she was bitter in her heart. Sienna was betrayed after all her devotion. So, vowing never to give her heart back¡­ In a way, it was natural. As a human, it was a natural defense mechanism. Although he wasn¡¯t human, he could understand as Named resembled humans. ¡®If I, too, am abandoned by this child, I will not try to choose an owner again.¡¯ Still, he didn¡¯t like the fact that the wretched people of this castle couldn¡¯t even dream of the kindness that this child was bestowing upon them. ¡®In the future, even if this child rejects these stupid humans hundreds of thousands of times, I hope that they will continue to cling to her even though they bleed and hurt for hundreds of thousands of times.¡¯ May they long for the love they cannot receive and despair at the forgiveness they cannot receive. Hesaros was a Named who only cared and loved his owner in this world. So, without any guilt, he could freely curse this damn castle and the people of Nacht that belonged to it. * * * The Mayfair season was approaching. But the people of the Grand Duchy of Nacht did not have to rush. The reason was that it was geographically close to the capital, but more than that¡­ ¡°Can any human say anything to us? Just because we¡¯re a little late.¡± ¡°Aha.¡± ¡°Maybe again, this time, the main character appears at the end of the story. Oh well, it¡¯s the law.¡± Michael was lying on the green grass with his back against a thickly sprouted tree. He couldn¡¯t help but look so idle as he rummaged his hands through the picnic basket, picking up a cherry stalk and throwing it into his mouth. ¡°Anyway, the words of ¡®main character¡¯ are always heard. Every year.¡± ¡°Haha¡­.¡± Michael¡¯s words were just obvious facts, so he couldn¡¯t be called arrogant. ¡°Anyway, I like it here.¡± Michael grinned and tapped the marble plaque on the floor. There it was written: ¡´In the 48th year of the great Frederick II of Feyenoord, Sienna, the owner of Named Hesaros, grew a decanto tree. Wishing for the emergence of Terraformers that will remain for generations, and the master of the underworld at this time, Grand Duke Rodrick of Nacht, commemorated it.¡µ ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Her face seemed so depressed when looking at the commemorative plaque -People in the neighborhood! My kid is a genius!- Michael grabbed his stomach and laughed. ¡°Why do you hate it so much? I¡¯m praising you for being a genius.¡± ¡°Did the Little Prince never think that I would hate it when you laughed and teased me like that?¡± ¡°Ah. Don¡¯t be like that, eat this.¡± Michael stretched out his hands and rummaged through the box, got up and picked out a few full, shiny cherries and offered them to Sienna. Sienna, with an expressionless face, skipped saying a ¡®thank you¡¯, took it and chewed the cherry aggressively. ¡°Anyway, what I want to say is that Nacht¡¯s hobby is procrastination. Uncle, grandfather¡­ So even if the Emperor calls, my father doesn¡¯t hurry. I don¡¯t know about war.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± In the past, I would have been shocked that there was such a thing, but when I remembered the two of them quarreling in the emperor¡¯s garden as if they were rivals, I just thought it was worth it. ¡°So, it¡¯s not because of you that they¡¯re delaying their preparations. Okay?¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± ¡°Yes, so please don¡¯t even think about anything strange, like being a nuisance.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°You probably didn¡¯t, but I¡¯m just saying.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The sun was shining through the leaves of the giant tree Sienna had grown. Michael laid flat on his back, closed his eyes and muttered. ¡°How anxious other nobles are that they don¡¯t get the right to procrastinate like us. So, enjoy yourself too.¡± But that last sentence was wrong. * * * ¡°Gateway traffic has increased.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the nobles participating in the Mayfair season. It happens every year, doesn¡¯t it?¡± The Disparter region was the largest transportation hub in Feyenoord, accessible to both water and land. In this land ruled by the lord of the underworld, thieves and magical beasts did not dare to attack. Due to the security of the bridgehead, traffic almost always exploded during this season. It happened every time. But¡­ ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t it a little early this year?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s probably because there¡¯s a healing wizard in the capital¡­ now.¡± The grand duke¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°¡­You mean the 14-year-old who made her first manifestation as a healing wizard just recently.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already been a long time since healing wizards across the country have dried up. You¡¯re right, I¡¯m talking about the only great lady in the empire. Besides, she doesn¡¯t even have a guardian yet.¡± As he spoke, Devon glanced into the grand duke¡¯s eyes. Loreina Minangsi. The Count of Minangsi, which was one of the pillars of the eastern granary, was also in the borders of ??the Grand Duchy of Nacht. The count and his wife often talked about their ancestral relationship with the grand duchy, but¡­ Even including that, they were very ordinary people. The kind of nobles who remembered having the bloodline of healing wizards that had already disappeared, and wanted to somehow make themselves look good to the grand duke. Not long ago, they sent a rather random letter thanking the grand duke for his grace, saying that their daughter had become a healing wizard. The reason was simple. Because they had always wanted Grand Duke Nacht to be their daughter¡¯s guardian. It wasn¡¯t strange. Grand Prince Ashiel was one of the best grooms in the empire at the time. As soon as he reached the age of entering the military academy, he challenged the Named Thanatos that belonged to the underworld and was still currently being talked about as a legend. ¡®What kind of Named can be used as preparations for the military academy.¡¯ (T/N: he¡¯s saying, it¡¯s as if he challenged a Named as part of his preparations to enter the academy.) Where else was he good at? He was now the grand prince, and in the future he would be the grand duke. In addition, his appearance was neat. ¡®If Grand Duke Nacht is her guardian, being the future grand duchess isn¡¯t just a dream¡­¡¯ Now, there was a child who already had a strong presence in the position of the ward in question, but¡­ In the past, there were some children who were strongly predicted to be warded. Loreina was one of them. ¡°G-Grand Duke.¡± Thinking that far, Devon opened his mouth worriedly. ¡°No matter how much you think about it, just taking the young lady to the institution like this¡­ Isn¡¯t it a bit too much?¡± The position of Grand Duke Nacht¡¯s ward was a position that everyone was intent on aiming for. ¡°Didn¡¯t the small lords who are vassals of Nacht treat the young lady like that? The aristocrats of the institution would have done more if they were added, and could never¡­¡­¡± ¡°Do not worry.¡± The grand duke pulled out a letter and blinked. ¡°Because everything is already in place.¡± ¡°This¡­?¡± Devon¡¯s eyes widened. The sender was written on the outer surface of the envelope that had already been removed with a knife. Reparation of Maria Stella, Countess of Gildinak. * * * People in war-prone countries had a habit of trying to get everything done before they die. Therefore, the first marriage age in the Feyenoord Empire was between 18 and 20 years old. Around that time, when they were about 14 years old, to prepare to get married, everyone made an appearance in society. The reason why it was 14 was because it¡¯s the age to enter the military academy. By then, people treated children as semi-adults, and children were expected to behave maturely. Thanks to this, the children of the empire tend to age a little faster. Just because she wasn¡¯t 14 years old, she couldn¡¯t go around leisurely walking and eating snacks. Since she was over seven years old, she was considered to be ¡®in prep¡¯, so she was able to experience a pre-social world where only children were gathered. ¡°Therefore¡­¡± Michael, who was a minor as well, was naturally eligible to participate in the prep. Sienna was also subjected to participation as the ward of Grand Duke Nacht. ¡°The lady has no title or blood, but that¡¯s what it means to be sponsored by the Grand Duke.¡± Maria, Countess of Gildinak, stood in front of Sienna with a smile. ¡°It transcends other qualifications.¡± ¡°Um¡­ can¡¯t we not say ¡®transcend¡¯?¡± ¡°Oh my. Hoho, you¡¯re saying something interesting.¡± The countess laughed instead, breaking her hopes, saying, ¡®It¡¯s nonsense¡¯. Like someone who heard a funny joke. Sienna sighed. ¡®I wasn¡¯t kidding.¡¯ ¡°Anyway, this Maria is standing in front of the owner of the Named today because she wants to help if she needs to.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°The arrogant world of social circles will regard the lady¡¯s visit as an intrusion. I hope that the owner of the Named will not suffer any trouble.¡± ¡°Why are you doing this to me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I am indebted to you.¡± The Countess of Gildinak had a clever and intelligent smile on her face. ¡°And my senses are screaming. If I invest my life in you, I¡¯ll never lose money.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have no intention of guaranteeing profitability.¡± It wasn¡¯t a tone belonging to a child, but Sienna said this as a test to the countess. Indeed, the countess accepted it with a calm smile. ¡°The outcome is something that those who make the investment are willing to bear.¡± ¡°If it is known that you have become a chaperone to a commoner orphan, the madam may be at a disadvantage.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s thrilling to imagine the moment when those idiots will eventually acknowledge that my choice was the right one.¡± She was strong. ¡°Did Lady Isabelle agree?¡± ¡°Thank you very much for inquiring about the girl. Actually, the child is skipping social circles this year and is focusing on training.¡± ¡°On training?¡± ¡°Yes, it is my daughter¡¯s little dream to enter the military academy and be an assistant with the owner of the Named, who is her savior.¡± At this point, it was amazing. ¡®The young lady of the count wants to be on my side?¡¯ Surprisingly, it didn¡¯t seem like a joke or a lie. ¡°¡­If you say that, I have nothing more to say.¡± Sienna shook her head. ¡°¡­No, one last thing. What if I am uncomfortable with the madam?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Only then did a little bit of bitter laughter permeate the mouth of the countess, who was confident. ¡°Then I can¡¯t help it. I will greet you politely and walk out the door.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The countess¡¯ eyes, who answered in that way, were as clean and blue as the clear autumn sky. ¡­How the hell could such a person change like that? ¡®When she quarreled with Sister Loreina in the past, she must have been possessed by fraud.¡¯ ¡­She suddenly had this thought. ¡®How were these people infected with fraud?¡¯ Nobility, especially the great aristocrats who succeeded in consolidating such a lineage of wizards and owned an essential jewels mine, of course, had to thoroughly guard against fraud. Perhaps¡­ In an instant, the emperor¡¯s face flashed through her mind. ¡®¡­It¡¯s not that there¡¯s no possibility.¡¯ Sienna pondered for a moment, contemplating various conjectures. The conclusion was this; ¡®The route is also suspicious and needs to be investigated, but there is no law that an infected person cannot be infected twice.¡¯ After a while, Sienna nodded heavily. ¡°¡­Okay. I¡¯ll accept the offer. The madam says she¡¯s willing to bear the disgrace of being my chaperone, so I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any reason to refuse.¡± She could enter the social world without a chaperone, but if she did, she could be in trouble because she would not be protected at all in the moments she needed to be. Just like at the picnic, when Madam Dahlia removed her eyes, she was dragged away by Viscount Jester and suffered a lot. ¡°Thank you, my lady.¡± Although Sienna was on the seemingly regrettable side, the Countess of Gildinak acted as if it was the exact opposite. ¡®I think that¡¯s enough, but¡­¡¯ The countess was such a smart person, so it seemed that she needed to tighten the reins a little more. To fully take the initiative in the relationship, Sienna opened her mouth. ¡°¡­You tried to investigate the infection on your own, but it doesn¡¯t seem like there was much return?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°The purpose is to repay the grace, but rather, it seems that you also have calculated to seek help from me when you are in danger again.¡± ¡°¡­You are definitely a wise lady. If you were offended-¡° ¡°No. I¡¯m not offended. If there¡¯s something to exchange, it¡¯s easy to establish a relationship and organize it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Also.¡± They were words that could be considered arrogant. However, the Countess of Gildinak, who had already been impressed by Sienna, simply admired it. ¡°The lady was concerned about my disgrace, but I don¡¯t think you need to.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Because this decision will not be a disgrace in a few years. Everyone will regret not having acted as boldly as this Maria Gildinak on this day.¡± ¡°So¡­ I cannot guarantee such profitability.¡± Sienna replied with a headache, but the Countess only smiled confidently, ¡®Let¡¯s see where we are¡¯. And the very next day, Grand Duke Nacht and his party departed for the capital. * * * Grand Duke Nacht¡¯s residence was located in the islands closest to the Imperial Palace. There was even a large garden on the front, back and sides of the mansion, so it was impossible to even spy on the inside by standing on the wall. ¡°Come on, this is my room.¡± Michael pointed to the door located on the south side of the second floor. ¡°And that¡¯s your room.¡± ¡°¡­Is that the room right next door?¡± ¡°Yes. The room in between is our study room.¡± Michael shamelessly shrugged. ¡°Anyway, you and I will continue to take lessons with Seth.¡± ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I am willing to use a room so close.¡± ¡°Why? It¡¯s good to be close.¡± ¡°What for?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go play when I¡¯m bored.¡± Yes. That doesn¡¯t make sense. Sienna smiled and went up the stairs opposite to where Michael was pointing at. ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be on the east side. Is that okay?¡± The grand duke, who was talking with the butler of the capital mansion, hardly heard the children¡¯s chatter. He just nodded after hearing Sienna¡¯s ¡°¡­Can I?¡± ¡°Do whatever you want.¡± ¡°Father!¡± Michael protested, but the grand duke didn¡¯t seem to listen. He groaned and grumbled. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re bringing Father in, you know that he¡¯s always on your side, right?¡± He was mostly mature, but Sienna thought he looked like a ten-year-old in a situation like this. ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter to the Grand Duke where my room is.¡± Since it wasn¡¯t an important issue, permission would have been easy. Sienna did not doubt that. Michael only snorted at the absurd sound. ¡°What are you talking about? If it¡¯s Father or Brother, they¡¯ll be flustered¡­ Hey! Are you leaving already?!¡± Sienna pretended not to hear and headed to a room in the east to unpack. Behind Sienna¡¯s back as she began to climb the east stairs, Michael sighed and made additional commands. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s move the study room. How do you tell her to go back and forth every day with those skinny legs?¡± The servants giggled and replied, ¡°I see, Your Highness.¡± * * * The next day after unpacking. The grand duke¡¯s family decided to go greet the emperor. Thanks to this, Sienna was being roasted by the maids since morning. ¡°You¡¯re having an audience with the Emperor for the first time!¡± She couldn¡¯t say it wasn¡¯t the first time. Because the meeting in the garden was completely informal. ¡®If it hadn¡¯t been for that meeting, I would have been a little nervous.¡¯ Sienna yawned. Now, the only priority was that her body, tired from traveling long distances, was demanding sleep. But the unaware maids only stuck out their tongues. (T/N: not literally, but as in, ¡®continued talking¡¯.) ¡°Oh my God, she¡¯s on the way to an audience with His Majesty the Emperor, and she¡¯s not even blinking an eye.¡± ¡°You must have been born with boldness, as expected, my lady.¡± The maids quickly combed Sienna¡¯s hair. Sienna¡¯s hair, which was originally brittle, became smooth and lustrous as she came to the grand duke¡¯s residence and ate a nutritious diet. It was inevitable that her natural hair would turn out like this, but it was still a major development. It was very thick, so it was worthwhile to comb it, split it, and decorate it well here and there. Even her cheeks, which were as white as porcelain, had gained a little bit of weight, and a pinkish color slowly appeared. Was that all? Her eyes were large, her eyelashes were exceptionally long, and her plump lips made an overall gentle impression. She was pretty. Of course, even with empty words, it could not be said that she stood out unrivaled or was splendid. Sienna was the type to start capturing people from the moment they realized she was there, but the problem was that it wasn¡¯t easy to realize she was there. Of course, she didn¡¯t have much desire to show her presence to others. ¡®Still, there is a corner that strangely continues to attract attention. Our lady.¡¯ ¡®There is no other 11-year-old in the empire who makes you feel like you have to tell all secrets when your eyes meet!¡¯ As Sienna would join the prep, the Countess of Gildinak had given these two pieces of advice in advance as her chaperone. ¡°Do you know what is the easiest thing people will attack? It¡¯s the appearance. Attire. Nails, hair, things like that. As you know, it¡¯s wonderful that our lady doesn¡¯t care too much about such things. It¡¯s a wonderful thing. If the host finds fault with her appearance, people like us would be really upset, right?¡± The maids agreed with Madam Gildinak a hundred times. ¡®Besides, today is the day you have to make your first appearance in the Imperial Palace!¡¯ The maids were motivated. Somewhat excessively. As a result, Sienna¡­ ¡°What is all this¡­¡± She became cuter than ever. Her hair was skillfully rolled up into a large wave, and only half of it was collected and braided at the back of the head to form a beautiful rose shape. The chick-colored dress, which Sienna loved in the sense of half a year¡¯s rent, was a familiar item, but when worn with a much richer pannier than usual underneath it, it seemed like a completely different outfit. The accent of the attire was the formal red shoes. ¡°This is¡­ so¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it pretty?¡± ¡®Am I pretty? It hurts my head!¡¯ ¡®If I hadn¡¯t fallen asleep while decorating, I wouldn¡¯t have been sitting here cheerfully¡­¡¯ Coincidentally, Sienna had just arrived in a new space and was about to start purifying again. The mansion in the capital city was at a normal level unlike the castle, so she wasn¡¯t too tired, but it was enough to make her doze off and wake up repeatedly during the seemingly endless dressing time. After a long time, Hesaros came out in the form of a fireball, saying, [Hey. I saw that everyone was waiting outside. Isn¡¯t it a big deal?] Oops. It¡¯s unavoidable. Sienna hurried out. She didn¡¯t forget to pack the pouch that she had prepared in advance on her way out. Inside was a self-defense amulet that she completed before arriving at the mansion. As I approached the stairs, as Hesaros had said, the grand duke, Michael, and¡­ ¡­At the same time as the Mayfair season started, Ashiel, who took a week off from the military academy, was also there. ¡°Sorry!¡± ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t run! You¡¯ll fall!¡± Michael freaked out and tried to stop her, but Sienna did not slow down. When it was the last three steps remaining, she even landed on the floor using magic. Sienna approached with blushing cheeks, saying that she had to run a little. ¡°Are you very late?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The grand duke silently reached out and pulled Sienna¡¯s hair crooked ribbon slightly up. ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t wait that long.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just go.¡± Devon stepped up next to the grand duke who was ahead and delivered the information the maids of Sienna had given him. ¡°Your Majesty, the lady brought her self-defense amulet today.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The grand duke didn¡¯t think it would necessarily be his. However, he thought it would be nice to have self-defense. Of course, he already had some with him, and he had some he had attached like an amulet to prevent fraud from coming to places he often stayed, and he had plenty of spares. If Sienna gave him a self-defense amulet, he would replace the new one he took yesterday with him, since it would soon become old. Anyway, that was how it was. ¡°What? How many did she pack?¡± Michael, who was listening next to him, whispered and asked. Devon scratched his head. ¡°What? I¡¯m not sure about that.¡± ¡°You should have known that!¡± If she had only one, there was a high probability that only the grand duke would receive it out of the three. Michael pursed his lips and grumbled. Amidst all the commotion, Ashiel remained silent. * * * It didn¡¯t take long to get to the Imperial Palace by a horse-drawn carriage. The grand duke¡¯s party, who had passed the checkpoint immediately, was ushered to a small platform. It was like a fountain, a podium at the eye level of Sienna. Ancient inscriptions were written on old slabs with broken corners. When the grand duke placed his hand on it first, light flashed for a moment and then faded. ¡°You are swearing not to harm the emperor and the imperial family.¡± Michael whispered to Sienna. ¡°Ordinary people just put down their weapons on the sword line, but we¡¯re all wizards.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Besides, except for me, all three of you are the owners of Named, right?¡± Unlike a weapon that just needed to be taken from the hand, the Named cannot be separated from its owner. Sienna thought for a second, that the four of them alone were the most dangerous armed group in the world. Two type 1 enhancement wizards and owners of offensive-type Named. Michael, who didn¡¯t own a Named but would form a family with academic achievements, would become a type 1 realization wizard and potion master. And even Terraformer Sienna, who allowed these three to cast endless spells without having to worry about fraud. ¡®If you do this well, you won¡¯t be envious of the military¡­¡¯ At this point, the allowance of the emperor, who allowed admission and audience, was amazing. This was because, no matter how restricted they were through oaths, such consideration was not easy. After all four of them finished their oath in turn, the servant led them to the audience room. The grand duke, Ashiel, and Michael were relatives of the emperor, so it was not unfamiliar to see them here¡­ Sienna looked around intently. ¡®Oh my God, I can¡¯t believe that I have come all the way here on a call from His Majesty the Emperor.¡¯ She thought that she had come a long way from the days when she was framed by Loreina and confined in that deep prison. It could be said to be a turbulent place. ¡°Your Majesty, the Grand Duke Nacht and his companions have arrived.¡± ¡°Come in.¡± The emperor¡¯s voice sounded a little different from the casual one in the garden. Michael whispered quickly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s a bit of a private audience here. His Majesty acts like a human here too.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s acting like a human?¡± Someone strode over with reckless footsteps and pounded Michael¡¯s head. ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°Hey, brat!¡± It was a very merciless hand. ¡°It really hurts!¡± ¡°I hit you so that it¡¯ll really hurt. By the way, baby! How have you been?¡± ¡°What? When did you¡­¡± Michael, unaware that Sienna had already met the emperor, gave an embarrassed expression. ¡°I greet you, Your Majesty.¡± The emperor chuckled. ¡°Oh my God, who taught you? Your posture is pretty good. But you don¡¯t have to do that here.¡± Then¡­ ¡°How have you been, Your Majesty? I was worried.¡± ¡°!¡± The eyes of the three men suddenly widened because Sienna, who was meek and matured, acted like a child. ¡°As expected, you understand what I¡¯m saying! Yeah, I am doing well. How about the baby, there was nothing special?¡± ¡°Yes, thanks for your concern, I¡¯m fine.¡± He had already fallen in love with Sienna, a descendant of Terraformer, but the emperor became even more happy thanks to the three men, who seemed to be silently shocked by Sienna¡¯s unbiased treatment of the emperor. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s stop by for refreshments. Let the baby sit next to me!¡± The experienced emperor succeeded in reaching the refreshment table while holding hands with Sienna. To anyone looking at them, they were friendly, as if he was related by blood to Sienna rather than to the Nachts. The emperor was then proving himself that he was not lying when he said to Sienna in the garden, ¡°I kind of think of you as a family.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Of course, the faces of the three Nachts watching the scene were not very good. She wasn¡¯t just saying this, but it was so bad that she thought that ¡®not good¡¯ was a more refined expression. Tsk tsk, the emperor clicked his tongue inwardly. ¡®Looking at their faces, this kid doesn¡¯t open her heart to those dark guys.¡¯ Thinking like that could make one feel a little sad. ¡®I am becoming grumpier as I get older.¡¯ The misfortunes of the gloomy men were very enjoyable. Quite. ¡°Come on, baby. Can you tell me a little bit about how you¡¯ve been?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­.¡± Sienna thought for a moment. Something that had happened over the past few days that was worth talking about¡­ ¡°I recently succeeded in getting a decanto tree to grow in my world.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± The emperor¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°If it¡¯s a decanto tree¡­ Are you talking about the decanto that floats on the windowsill? The one which Ferrato dares to covet, even the ones planted in the Imperial Palace garden¡­?¡± Was it that great? Sienna nodded her head indifferently. ¡°I think gardener grandpa was a little sad because I let it grow too much.¡± Of course, right after that, he vigorously started the design work to reorganize the garden itself around this magnificent tree. ¡°Huh¡­ how much did you make it grow?¡± ¡°I made eye contact with the maids on the third floor. I accidentally climbed up when the tree was growing.¡± ¡°What?¡± The emperor was excited to hear the story of Sienna hanging from a branch, soaring up to three stories high, and then rescued by Ashiel¡¯s hands. The emperor rubbed his chin and admired it over and over again. ¡°It¡¯s unusual. It¡¯s extraordinary¡­. It¡¯s amazing that plants grew at that age, but that decanto tree¡­¡± It seemed to be a self-evident fact that the story of Sienna¡¯s tree made a deep impression on the emperor. ¡®Okay, this can be said to have slightly increased the chance that His Majesty the Emperor will entrust me with purification.¡¯ Judgment was premature. It wasn¡¯t just that the odds went up. It was to the extent that the emperor suddenly spoke of such a thing. ¡°Dear, would you rather leave Nacht and come to the Imperial Palace? I-.¡± ¡°- Your Majesty. Stop here.¡± Grand Duke Nacht finally opened his mouth at the story that could not be overlooked. ¡°Not anymore.¡± The old man replied with a gruesome smile, upon seeing the terrifying gaze that would make him believe even if he said he would commit treason. ¡°Uh-huh, what a person. I can¡¯t even joke?¡± ¡°You weren¡¯t joking, were you?¡± ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t trust people. Wasn¡¯t it a joke?¡± ¡°It¡¯s obvious that you weren¡¯t joking.¡± ¡°Gee, you don¡¯t get fooled because you¡¯re getting a little older.¡± Ah¡­ After that, in a similar way, there was a period of time when the emperor was happy and the Nachts were not very happy. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know why the fun times pass so quickly.¡± As it was time to return, the three men¡¯s faces began to turn bright, while the emperor¡¯s became sullen. ¡°Your Majesty the Emperor.¡± At that moment, Sienna pulled his sleeve with a hesitant look. ¡°Huh? Why, sweetheart. Are you living well in the underworld?¡± ¡°Your Majesty.¡± The grand duke did not say much and put the brakes quickly. The emperor was disgusted. ¡°Oh, my. You punk. Stop being so hot-tempered.¡± Sienna laughed a little. Even if she pretended not to be, she was quite nervous about this situation. Thus, what Sienna now had in her hands was the self-defense amulet. A thing resembling the sincerity of the past that was rejected, ignored, and abandoned countless times. To be honest, she wouldn¡¯t have made this again and moreover, give it to someone as a gift if it wasn¡¯t really necessary. Of course, she knew things were different now. The current Sienna was no longer the helpless and worthless Sienna of those days, deprived of all possibilities. She knew she was not in a situation where she would fall for her sister and make useless things and give them a lot of burden. But even knowing that, she was afraid. ¡°Y-Your Majesty¡­ this.¡± Fortunately, the emperor was so accepting of her that she was able to pick up her courage. ¡°This is¡­ so, this is what I made.¡± Was it because she was trying her best? Sienna had no idea that Grand Duke Nacht and his sons were holding their breath and watching the scene. She didn¡¯t notice that much. ¡°Huh? This is¡­¡± What rolled out of the little pouch was an essential jewel the size of a thumb. A fine essential jewel of considerable value on its own. But there was something even more surprising. ¡°Purification¡­¡± As if tears were hardened, as if they were icicles that appeared to be melting in the sunlight. A small ember burning inside the transparent jewel was clearly visible. ¡°I put in the fire of Hesaros. Seeing Your Majesty¡¯s situation¡­ I made this in hopes that it might be of some help.¡± ¡°¡­That, is it?¡± ¡°Yes, Hesaros was also helpful, so¡­¡± A self-defense amulet made of a purification stone containing the fire of Hesaros. The emperor sensed that he now held in his hand an object that had never appeared in history. No one owned Hesaros. No one was able to craft a purification stone from the fire of Hesaros. Until this little child, eleven-year-old Sienna, showed up here. ¡®If you put a value on it, how much can you charge?¡¯ Even the emperor couldn¡¯t quite imagine it. One thing was certain: he now had something in his hands that would make even the people of the era of prosperity envious. But¡­ ¡°¡­Baby, it must have taken a lot of effort to make something like this.¡± More than that, the little child thought of him. ¡°How did you come up with such a wonderful idea? I haven¡¯t done anything for you¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± After all, it was a sincere cry from the heart of the emperor who received all kinds of precious offerings. But¡­ Sienna calmly shook her head. ¡°I grew up eating and wearing the orphanage donations sent by the Emperor to all over the country.¡± Each month, the emperor opened a personal safe in the budget allocated through state affairs and sent the money to the orphanages. Kendall Orphanage was no exception. Although Director Kendall used it terribly in the middle, the crumbs kept Sienna alive. ¡°So, please don¡¯t do anything for me. This is in return.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s right. In return.¡± The emperor burst out laughing. ¡°But this is too much in return for the price I paid for feeding a small child like you for only ten years.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°As the Emperor of Feyenoord, I can¡¯t just accept such an exorbitant reward. Baby, if I were to reward you, what would you ask for?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± She almost asked him to heal him for a moment, but that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. The emperor affirmed that he would exclude private elements and choose someone to treat him. If she made such a request here, she would be nothing more than a kid who didn¡¯t understand what he had said. ¡®Ask¡­¡¯ She didn¡¯t really want anything¡­ Ah. ¡°Your Majesty, then¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°When I turn 14, I have to go to the military academy. If I do, I would like you to pay the tuition at that time.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± It was a rather absurd and unexpected request. ¡°Why, did he say he won¡¯t even pay your tuition? Don¡¯t you know that all Terraformers have to go to school?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± If possible, she wanted to be less indebted to Grand Duke Nacht. ¡®¡­And if I ask for this, I won¡¯t cause further trouble.¡¯ The emperor also noticed Sienna¡¯s thoughts to some extent. ¡®Oh yeah¡­ She was a child who grew up early.¡¯ What in the world was this child¡¯s fate, that she was anxious to run so fast? ¡®It is better than having no discernment as the owner of Hesaros. Of course, it¡¯s not just better, but I¡¯m glad.¡¯ The emperor¡¯s nephew and eldest godson, Grand Duke Nacht, who is the greatest warrior in the empire, seemed to be shocked again by the fact that his ward did not rely on him at all¡­ ¡®What can I do? I¡¯ll have to endure the grown-up on my own.¡¯ The emperor decided to take Sienna¡¯s side. ¡°Yeah, sweetheart. As the Emperor, I promise you. In any case, even if the burden rises before the baby becomes a cadet, even if I make a will to the prince, I¡¯ll pay the baby¡¯s tuition.¡± ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡± * * * After repeatedly promising to cherish and use the things Sienna gave him, the emperor sent them back. On the way home, there was a very awkward silence. ¡®¡­? What is it?¡¯ Grand Duke Nacht and Michael looked strangely depressed. Ashiel didn¡¯t show his face to her side at all. ¡®¡­Well, let¡¯s not bother asking.¡¯ It was because they were thinking seriously and if she touched them, she could only make their tempers worse. And she was tired because she was too nervous when presenting the self-defense amulet to the emperor. ¡®I¡¯m glad he accepted it.¡¯ When she thought of the golden eyes that looked at her seriously and said thank you again and again, she felt a warm feeling in the corner of her heart. It went round and round like this, and now she was helping someone. Thinking about it like that made her feel an immeasurable amount, and her heart was pounding. Thinking about it, she felt like crying a little. ¡®¡­No, let¡¯s not cry. It¡¯s a good day.¡¯ Yes, it was a good day. Sienna was happy. She did what she could, did a favor to others, and was not rejected. ¡®Now, where can I go and live as if I am a useful person?¡¯ She thought she could do that. Giving herself over to the pleasant fatigue, Sienna fell asleep in the carriage returning home. She had no idea how miserable and complicated the three remaining Nachts were feeling. * * * The mansion of the Count of Minangsi of the Islands has been busy receiving guests these days. After coming to the capital, the strange Loreina, who had been fussing over food and dresses in the county, disappeared. Filling in that place was a person more perfect than before. Extraordinarily lovely. It was that kind of Loreina. Loreina¡¯s day began every day with a maid combing her waterfall-like blonde hair. Soon after, she took the time to dress up perfectly like a doll from head to toe. Although she was still young, she did not forget to apply powder and color her lips slightly red. Eventually, when she was completely dressed, she went down the stairs with a gentle gait as if only her toes were brushing by. People were amazed from there. ¡°Oh my God, this lady is the only healing wizard in the empire.¡± ¡°I would believe it even if you said she was a doll. How could she be so pretty?¡± Amid the raucous praise, Loreina appeared one step at a time as if descending. ¡°I¡¯m so happy to look at that precious lady.¡± When she blushed as if shy and embarrassed, no one could hide their happy expression. ¡°Lady Loreina, can you hold my hand here? Just in case, holding the lady¡¯s hand may heal my arthritis.¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t use such big magic yet¡­ so I won¡¯t be of any help.¡± But while saying that, Loreina still gently held her hand. (T/N: Marquis Parvis is a ¡®she¡¯, based on the later portion of this chapter. She likely holds this title in her own right, and though she could be addressed as ¡®Marchioness¡¯, I stuck with what was indicated in the raws.) The old marquis was content with that. ¡°Yes, once you start being able to use healing power in earnest, don¡¯t forget me.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Loreina replied with a smile without any sign of embarrassment. ¡°I would be very happy if I could be of help to the Marquis Parvis, whom my mother also respects. Until then, I will practice hard.¡± ¡°How¡­ she¡¯s such a pretty and precious healing wizard, and she¡¯s also kind.¡± Even before the season started in earnest, she had a lot of success every day in this way, but Loreina did not show any fatigue. Thanks to this, rumors of a healing wizard who appeared in the empire after half a century spread like wildfire throughout the island. Several days later. ¡°¡­Oh my gosh, what¡¯s all that?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know? It¡¯s the house of the healing angel.¡± Soldiers from all over the island were standing in a long line in front of the residence of Count Minangsi. All the people who looked sick were supported by their families. There were also a lot of people who came alone with a sick body. One after another, they surrounded Count Minangsi¡¯s mansion and touched the bricks on the wall as if to wear them out. ¡°Please, please¡­ Angel of Healing¡­¡± There were people holding the iron gate and praying earnestly. As if the mansion of the Count of Minangsi was a temple. So desperate and sincere¡­ It even felt like a fanatical atmosphere. ¡°There were five accidents over there yesterday alone.¡± ¡°Besides, there are people who have suffered serious injuries from being crushed while pushing each other?¡± ¡°Since hundreds of people have gathered, what if that lady is really an angel? The good-natured count couple told their servants to give them all bread and water so they don¡¯t get burnt out.¡± ¡°Oh my God, it¡¯s a very rare kind of person in the world these days.¡± Contrary to what people thought, it was an act that could not be called a good deed. As rumors spread that they were giving food to the sick who flocked to the front of the house, even those who were not ill at all began to flock to get free bread. Of course, the more people flocked to it, the higher the names of the healing angel Loreina and Count Minangsi rose. Sienna also heard the news through the newspaper. It had changed from the past. ¡®¡­It wasn¡¯t like this before.¡¯ In the past, Loreina revealed that she was a healing wizard while belonging to the Nacht as a ward. Grand Duke Nacht never stood by to allow such a commotion to occur within his territories. Didn¡¯t she get the nickname ¡®Healing Angel¡¯ only after extending the lifespan of the emperor? Perhaps it was because Sienna came forward to cure the emperor¡¯s disease. ¡®Of course, my sister has to cure his illness and get fame and preferential treatment, but if she does something wrong, she will get burned.¡¯ But would this kind of publicity really help? It might make Loreina famous by making a good impression on the public. ¡®But, would His Majesty the Emperor find it pleasant to see a nobleman being praised enough to be called a saint in his own territory, the islands?¡¯ Sienna didn¡¯t think so. * * * Indeed. the next day. ¡°Honey! What¡¯s all this? Did you hear the news? Honey!!¡± Count Minangsi forgot about his dignity and ran into the drawing room. Then he bumped his knee on the table. ¡°Ugh, oh my.¡± The Countess of Minangsi asked, looking worriedly at her struggling husband. ¡°Why are you like this, honey?¡± ¡°Look at this. A notice to block off the side of our house!¡± ¡°Oh my. Really?¡± ¡°Show me, too.¡± The mother and daughter put their heads together and checked the notice. ¡°I was wondering what it was. It¡¯s not a complete lockdown.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s just a notice to control entry and exit only when there is an appropriate purpose of passage approved by the Public Security Office. For safety.¡± At the lukewarm reaction of his wife and daughter, the count struck his chest. ¡°Now, it¡¯s not that simple!¡± ¡°Calm down, honey.¡± ¡°Okay, calm down. Father.¡± ¡°Do I really look like I¡¯m going to calm down now?¡± Count Minangsi sighed and sat down on the sofa. ¡°Now that the child¡¯s name is starting to be known. How could this be¡­¡± ¡°Father, you said that it was inconvenient for commoners to come all day like a pack of dogs and make noise. You hated that there was a strange smell around the mansion.¡± ¡°But you need them to make you famous, and when you become famous, the emperor will seek treatment from you, right?¡± Seeing her father making a fuss, Loreina grabbed the armrests of the sofa. The Countess of Minangsi frowned and shook her head. The count didn¡¯t notice anything, and he continued to angrily throw words into the air. ¡°If people don¡¯t come, your reputation and popularity will go down like a bubble! Then all your hard work will be in vain¡­!¡± ¡°Honey, calm down. That doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t endure this inconvenience forever.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s right, Father. When there are thousands of bugs, you can¡¯t call your friends at will, and you can¡¯t go out. That¡¯s fatal.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Is it?¡± Count Minangsi raised his head as if he had been messing and ripping himself apart on his own. ¡°Okay, honey. Since Loren¡¯s name is already known to the common people this much, you can stop now.¡± In reality, Loreina did nothing to the common people. The decision to distribute bread was by the count, and the distribution was done by the servants. However, half of those who came claimed that Loreina¡¯s power had helped them get better. It was a work of crowd psychology. Among them, there were others who boasted exaggeratedly, and thanks to that, after passing through the people¡¯s mouths two or three times, Loreina was transformed into a saint who, in a noble position, directly met commoners and healed them. Now the rumors were making more rumors. Rather, the more you control, the more curious people will become. ¡°Now is the time to meet more powerful people and show them your healing powers, for example, Marquis Parvis.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, Father. When did you ever see my mother say something wrong?¡± The anxiety that had soared to the top of his head seemed to gradually subside when I saw his smiling wife and daughter. ¡°Right¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Madam Minangsi smiled cheerfully and was confident. Loreina¡¯s lips were also beautifully drawn into an arc. But the count was not easily relieved. ¡°But, he said clearly. For the time being, don¡¯t be arrogant and wait quietly.¡± ¡°Yes, but how can you keep your mouth shut and wait? Us going forward like this is all going to help him too.¡± ¡°Loren is right. There¡¯s nothing to worry about. Come on, honey. Go in and get some rest. You¡¯re probably more tired now. Butler?¡± ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± When the butler took the count away, the expression on Madam Minangsi¡¯s face disappeared. ¡°A man.¡± It was only two syllables, but it contained enough feelings of contempt for the count. ¡°Loren. Don¡¯t worry about the noise, and continue training to increase the amount of mana. He said that honing your skills is important if you really want to look like you can heal people. Is it going well?¡± Loreina¡¯s smile hardened for a moment, but Madam Minangsi, who was organizing the newspaper, didn¡¯t notice. Soon, Loreina answered with a smooth smile. ¡°¡­Well. There¡¯s nothing for my mother to worry about. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Yes, I know my daughter will do well.¡± The countess smiled contentedly at her daughter. With rich blonde hair like a golden waterfall from Count Minangsi, blue eyes, and her parents¡¯ efforts, made her face so pretty. ¡°¡­You¡¯re putting on a bit of makeup today. I¡¯ll get you a lotion that is very good for your skin, so don¡¯t forget to massage it in the morning and evening.¡± ¡°Yes, Mother. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± Madam Minangsi thought as she watched her daughter answer obediently. This was her work. Because she ate her flesh in her stomach, sucked her blood, and was born this perfect. ¡®You should be the goose that lays golden eggs for me.¡¯ Loreina just smiled calmly, as if she knew nothing about her mother¡¯s ulterior motives and greed. * * * The atmosphere was a bit odd. To be precise, since that day, three out of four people who had an audience with the emperor were showing a strange attitude. Of course, the only person who was normal was Sienna. The remaining three were strangely depressed, often sighed, or acted nonsensically, such as staring at Sienna. In particular, the strangest of the dogs was Michael. He had been¡­ ¡°You¡­¡­!¡± And even if he approached her like he was angry. ¡°¡­ No, no.¡± And the steam would disperse and he would go back helplessly. ¡®What.¡¯ No matter how the people of the Nacht behave, it was not for Sienna to meddle with¡­ She couldn¡¯t help but be bothered when these things happened over and over again. Even if she asked the maids, they just refused to answer, saying, ¡°Well¡­¡±. Of course, the reason why Grand Duke Nacht and his sons behaved strangely was because of the self-defense amulet Sienna presented to the emperor that day. To be more precise, the self-defense amulet that was presented ¡®only¡¯ to the emperor was the problem. None of the three men were certain that they would become the owner of the tool. However, from the time Sienna first created the self-defense object, it was made with the emperor in mind, and from the beginning they were not even the subjects of consideration. And all three of them were hit one after another, as though they were not sure, each one of them secretly expected it to be his. Among them, Michael, who was proud to be close with Sienna, seemed to be the most serious. The truth was, these days, even the grand duke sometimes put his pen down and looked out the window, then looked at the bunch of daisies that Sienna gave him which had slowly turned into dried flowers, and finally, sighed. Devon, who was watching from the side, was also unhappy. ¡®That mechanical man. Ugh, how much was he hit?¡¯ Ashiel was the least emotional of the three, but Devon judged his condition to be the worst since he saw the boy tripping on the stairs one day. ¡®It¡¯s frustrating.¡¯ The situation was obvious, but there was nothing Devon could do. It was just his feeling. All three of them seemed to be drying up and dying, so he wanted to ask her to make something and give it to them¡­ ¡®It¡¯s an abuse of confidence, it exceeds my authority.¡¯ He didn¡¯t want to be a subordinate who meddled in their private life. Besides, it could be a kind of coercion or burden on Sienna. ¡®It¡¯s not like that. Don¡¯t do it.¡¯ If he had troubled Sienna, those three dying men would hang him upside down from the highest branch of Sienna¡¯s decanto tree. In such a frustrating situation, an unexpected person made a breakthrough. ¡°Isn¡¯t everyone¡¯s attitude strange these days?¡± It was said by the Countess of Gildinak who had visited the grand duke¡¯s residence to prepare for Sienna¡¯s first junior prep meeting. ¡°Hmm, why are they like that? Since when have they been like that?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± Oddly enough, Sienna, who had nothing to hide from the Countess of Gildinak, briefly explained what had happened that day. ¡°From the day I went for an audience with the Emperor, everyone¡¯s attitudes became strange.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like there was a problem simply with the audience. Oh, maybe¡­¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°My lady, have you ever presented something to His Majesty the Emperor?¡± Sienna¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°How do you¡­?¡± ¡®As expected¡­¡¯ Since she acted like this, this kind of thing was bound to happen. The countess smiled bitterly. ¡°Fortunately, it¡¯s not a difficult problem. Well, I think the Grand Duke and his two sons were also looking forward to it.¡± During most of her visits to the grand duke¡¯s castle, the Countess of Gildinak had been contaminated by fraud. But there was nothing wrong with her memory. She clearly remembered how the men of the grand duchy dealt with Sienna as if she was gold or jade. ¡°What are they expecting¡­?¡± It looked obvious to her, but it was difficult for Sienna. The countess kindly informed her. ¡°The self-defense amulet. It was a gift to His Majesty the Emperor. The three of them must have wanted to receive it as well.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Sienna nodded her head as if realizing. ¡®Come to think of it, my self-defense amulet was not the same as before.¡¯ A self-defense amulet with a purified stone made with the fire of Hesaros. Not to brag, but to be honest, it was something that could not be obtained with money anywhere in the world. Even the grand duke might want to have one just in case. ¡°I see what you mean.¡± Sienna nodded, but the Countess of Gildinak was dubious, ¡°Really?¡± ¡®You don¡¯t seem to know at all.¡¯ She could dig further, but the countess had no desire to do so for the men of this family. ¡®Well, even if she doesn¡¯t understand it, if she gives them a present, it will be solved.¡¯ But now, there was something more important than the wounds the three men suffered. ¡°Did I mention that the prep is divided into the senior prep, which involves 12-year-old or older children, and the junior prep, in which children under the age of 12 participate?¡± Sienna nodded her head. ¡°Of course, the young lady will be participating in the junior prep with Second Prince Michael. Most of them are children, but it will not be very easy to mix in.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Well, it might be. Because Sienna¡¯s childhood has passed too long ago. It was not that she didn¡¯t know how to handle children, but noble children would be a little different from orphans. Seeing Sienna who was speechless, Lady Gildinak laughed. ¡°If you ever have any trouble, I¡¯ll help you, so don¡¯t worry too much.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°And, if possible, make a self-defense amulet for the Grand Duke.¡± ¡°Thanks for the advice.¡± The countess said it simply was because she felt pity for the grand duke who was not rewarded by Sienna, but Sienna took it as advice on how to live. ¡®Right. Because it might be considered rude not to present even a single self-defense amulet as a person who was being taken care of.¡¯ If Sienna knew the misunderstandings she was making, she would have been even more shocked and would want to make a coffin for herself. Fortunately, Sienna¡¯s heart was limited to what only Sienna knew. For now. * * * Two days after that. The first junior prep meeting of the season was held in the garden of the Marquis Parvis mansion. In line with the theme of this junior prep, Sienna had to wear a light green dress. Unlike Sienna, who was docile, Michael vehemently refused, saying that it matched terribly with the color of his eyes and hair, and he succeeded in putting on a black suit. If the son of another family was like this, he would have been stared at until he would go back in, change his clothes, and come out¡­ But he was Michael Nacht. Most people didn¡¯t even think about giving him a hint, but giving it to him would have been of no use because Michael had no intention of receiving it. Thanks to this, Michael looked dark and cynical alone among the fresh children. ¡®Wow¡­ Guess he¡¯s a Nacht of the Underworld.¡¯ If he was like most people, it was easy to become a laughing stock already. Sienna, who clicked her tongue, heard this: ¡°Hey, look at Lord Michael, isn¡¯t he so cool¡­?¡± ¡°When I officially debut and go to a ball, I will definitely dance with Michael!¡± Oh yes. It was no laughing matter. Sienna had time to reflect by herself for a moment, forgetting that Michael was popular. Anyway, maybe it¡¯s because they had been awkward with each other for the past few days, Michael was away from Sienna and was hanging out with boys who got along with each other on the other side. Of course, there was no child who talked to Sienna, who was left alone¡­ ¡°Excuse me.¡± ¡­Shouldn¡¯t she? ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Are you Sienna?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, but¡­¡± Sienna suddenly wondered why there were the children around her, who appeared without her realizing it. They were about seven or eight years old, and they were among the youngest of the junior prep. ¡®What¡­?¡¯ No hostility was felt. But their eyes were just too bright. ¡°I, I! I heard that you are the owner of the Named!¡± ¡°Young Lord Fortron, that¡¯s what we all know!¡± ¡°Your dress is so beautiful!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the sudden request, but can you show me your Named?¡± Ah¡­ She couldn¡¯t respond to all the questions that came and went all of a sudden. Besides, though their way of speaking was polite, it didn¡¯t seem that different from the orphanage children. ¡°Hey¡­¡± ¡°Did you call me?¡± ¡°No, did you call me?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t really call anyone¡­¡± To the excited children, it didn¡¯t seem to matter much whether Sienna answered or not. Sienna sighed a little. Anyway, considering that they were children, it wasn¡¯t to the point where she couldn¡¯t deal with it. ¡°I can¡¯t show my Named, because it¡¯s not an attraction.¡± No matter how much the opponents were children, she didn¡¯t want to make Hessaros act as a clown. ¡°Ah¡­¡± When Sienna, who looked docile, cut them off unexpectedly and firmly refused, the children¡¯s eyes widened as if this was unexpected. ¡°But I can show you this instead.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡­! As Sienna spread her palms toward the sky, a blazing ball of fire appeared in the air above them. ¡°Hey, can I touch it?¡± ¡°As much as you want.¡± A young girl, who had courage, put her hand on the fire very lightly, and cried out, ¡°Kyaaaaa!¡± ¡°It tickles! It wasn¡¯t hot at all!¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Me too! Let me touch it too!¡± ¡°No.¡± Sienna turned her palms over to face the ground. The fire quickly disappeared. ¡°If you want to touch it, everyone line up. If you push me, push each other, or don¡¯t follow the order, I won¡¯t take out the fire again.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ yes!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll listen to you!¡± ¡°Show me the fire again!¡± All of a sudden, Sienna was in complete control of the situation. Children dressed in yellow-green clothes lined up in front of Sienna and one by one, had the chance to touch the magic fire. ¡®What the hell am I doing¡­?¡¯ Sienna¡¯s mind was a little dazed, even as her mouth handled the children. She¡­ Why the hell was she doing this here? She looked towards the Countess of Gildinak, but she only smiled and waved her hand, not sure if it was a difficult situation. It was then. ¡°Kyaaah!¡± A scream was heard in the middle of the line. Who started pushing each other? When Sienna turned her head, a girl sat down and said, ¡°Frog, frog¡­! Ah, what. Was it a frog? She wondered if even a huge toad appeared because of the commotion. When she went there, she saw a tree frog as small as a thumb. ¡°Stay still.¡± Tak, she used both hands to make a space and trap the frog in her hands. When a burping sound was heard from the inside of Sienna¡¯s closed palms, the children screamed once more. The girl, who had tears in her eyes because she had a tree frog on her head, looked up at Sienna and said, ¡°Oh, thank you¡­¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s okay.¡± Sienna replied bluntly and hurled the frog in her hand into the bush on the other side. For unknown reasons, the children screamed again this time. After that¡­ ¡°Excuse me Sienna, can you catch a dragonfly?¡± ¡°How was it when you touched a frog?¡± The children were showing interest in Sienna rather than her magic. ¡°Dragonflies are not in season now. Frogs are slippery.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the season!¡± ¡°It¡¯s slippery!¡± She didn¡¯t know why they found it funny, but it wasn¡¯t a bad idea to see cute kids giggle and have fun. ¡°Next time, let¡¯s go catch a dragonfly together!¡± ¡°Si-, Lady Sienna. I really want to find a four-leaf clover together!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you come over to my house to play? I¡¯ll prepare a lot of frogs¡­¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± As soon as he found Sienna in the center of the commotion, Michael, who was in a panic as he approached through the children, muttered in embarrassment. ¡°No, what the hell did you do in that short amount of time to look like this¡­?¡± ¡°Well.¡± Sienna raised her hands calmly. ¡°Because I just caught a frog.¡± ¡°What?¡± It was something he could never understand. He had a strong feeling that perhaps he would not have understood the situation even if he had watched it from the beginning. ¡°You caught a frog¡­ No, it¡¯s a bit strange, but what does catching a frog have to do with the fact that these kids fell in love with you and went crazy?¡± Sienna shrugged indifferently. ¡°I don¡¯t know that either.¡± ¡°I really¡­¡± Michael shook his head. After all, even in the orphanage, all the children seemed as if they would die and could not live without Sienna. That inexplicable charm seemed to apply here as well. ¡°Okay, come along. The host, Marquis Parvis, said she was looking for you because she wanted to meet you. It might be bad to go alone, so I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Lady Sienna, play with me.¡± ¡°No. I have to say hello to the organizers. See you next time, when we have more time.¡± The words were harsh, but the children did not cry or swear, perhaps because of her strange power. ¡°How sad¡­¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s meet again and play next time.¡± ¡°Please play with me later.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± It was an ambiguous answer that was neither positive nor negative, but anyway, the children returned happily. Michael muttered. ¡°Because you¡¯re really popular with kids. Isn¡¯t that annoying?¡± Sienna looked at Michael silently instead of answering. ¡°Why do you look like that?¡± ¡°¡­No, I think you¡¯re right.¡± It was an undeniable fact that she was popular with the kids and he was annoyed because of it. ¡°Hey, you just said that I¡¯m a kid!¡± She didn¡¯t say anything back, but as he said it out loud already, she thought Michael would be pissed off if she really said that, so Sienna just shrugged her shoulders. * * * The Marquis of Parvis was an old lady with a very slender appearance. This old woman had been suffering from arthritis for ten years. Therefore, she was famous for leading the conversation with a lament about how much she suffered from arthritis, no matter where she went and what kind of person she had a conversation with. Of course, those who weren¡¯t liked by the marquis didn¡¯t even get a chance to hear about her arthritis. So, in fact, most people tried not to be liked by the marquis. ¡°I heard it on the way. The Countess of Gildinak praised you so much that she said that she would see you¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Sienna thought as she looked into the grim old woman¡¯s eyes, almost staring at her. ¡®I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any need to try?¡¯ The outlook wasn¡¯t positive. Marquis Parvis clicked her tongue. ¡°The Countess¡¯s insight has fallen.¡± From the very beginning, she had an attitude that did not hide that she didn¡¯t like Sienna very much. ¡°Your eyes are cloudy, you¡¯re not tall, and you¡¯re even skinny. Well, how can you hide your birth so quickly?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± At that moment, Michael, who stood next to Sienna, twitched his eyebrows at an ominous angle. ¡®No!¡¯ Sienna secretly reached out and grabbed Michael¡¯s hand without realizing it. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± In an instant, Michael was startled, but fortunately, the Marquis of Parvis began to speak loudly, so he was able to avoid being noticed by others. ¡°I don¡¯t know how great it is to be the owner of Named, but I am really upset that this child is being compared to Loreina¡¯s young girl.¡± Sienna whispered as she hid her gripped hand between the skirts, which were made with a layered pannier. ¡°You can¡¯t.¡± The older woman cried a little louder. ¡°I¡¯m saying this because I¡¯m afraid that everyone will think that this old lady¡¯s words are just nonsense, but I was personally treated by Loreina Youngae.¡± ¡°Oh my God, how did you?¡± ¡°Young Lady Loreina has awakened as a healing wizard, but she said she¡¯s not in a situation where she can heal anyone yet¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even read the newspaper? They say she treated the poor who gathered in front of the young lady¡¯s house herself?¡± ¡°Then, it seems that Marquis Parvis was the first beneficiary among us¡­¡± ¡°Madam, please talk to me.¡± Suddenly, people¡¯s admirable attention drew attention, and the old lady was as flattered as a child. ¡°Huh, I see. Everyone wants it, so let¡¯s talk about it. In the meantime, Lady Loreina said that it was a pity that this old lady suffered from arthritis every year.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°I¡¯m proud of myself, but the Countess of Minangsi, who is Lady Loreina¡¯s mother, also pays special respect to me personally, so it¡¯s no surprise that the young lady decided to treat me first.¡± Although the introduction to the review was long, people were paying attention like never before. Just then, the Countess of Gildinak glanced at Sienna and quietly left. ¡®¡­What are you going to do?¡¯ For once, Sienna was holding Michael¡¯s hand. She was in the middle of talking about Loreina, so she thought that there might be another insult to her when she was involved. ¡®It is a means of restraint.¡¯ She felt sweat dripping from Michael¡¯s hand, which was held and hot and stuffy, but she couldn¡¯t let it go. Fortunately, Michael, who knew how to be temperamental to have his hand released, was unexpectedly very docile. After that, the rumors continued for a while. Marquis Parvis, after a long review of the treatment by Loreina for nearly thirty minutes, concluded: ¡°The healing power is real. In just one shot, I am now able to go up and down the stairs.¡± ¡°Is that really true?¡± Everyone was unintentionally well aware of Marquis Parvis¡¯ physical condition, so they couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. ¡°Anyway, as someone who has experienced such a miracle, how can I stand by the situation in which Loreina, who has noble blood and miraculous healing powers, is compared to a commoner orphan?¡± Michael groaned in annoyance. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± Sienna shook her head resolutely. ¡°No, just stay.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know, but Nacht doesn¡¯t hold back when one of their people is insulted.¡± ¡­Wasn¡¯t it? A future that would never come and a past that had passed. Even then, Sienna was the ward of Nacht, but without any protection, she was exposed from time to time to the envy and malice of the people. The feeling of that time was instantly revived. ¡®No, not now.¡¯ Sienna barely managed to control her emotions. And she just said this. ¡°Just don¡¯t do it. I hate it.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± It was Sienna¡¯s loss if she were to start something that could have been overlooked. Michael¡¯s hand was not wrapped around Sienna¡¯s. Maybe that was why she felt her sweaty hands slowly cooling down. One of the ladies who surrounded them tried to make an excuse on behalf of the absent Countess Gildinak. ¡°I think you might have misunderstood, Marquis. Maria, the Countess of Gildinak, never compared Young Lady Loreina to Sienna.¡± The marquis was annoyed at the explanation that people were just curious about the lady¡¯s relationship with Sienna. ¡°So, isn¡¯t it a problem to talk about orphans like this as if they were great!¡± It was too much for anyone to hear. In actual fact, Marquis Parvis did not do this simply because Sienna was an orphan. Of course, she was a member of the established elite who hated class mobility and the rise in status. However, there was a more fundamental reason for making such a fuss. ¡®My knee!¡¯ The knee that had been treated by Loreina was actually not completely healed. For three days after receiving the treatment, it seemed like it had flown away, but after those three days, the knee started to ache again. Having once tasted freedom from chronic pain, the woman sought treatment again. But the Countess of Minangsi expressed displeasure. ¡°Marquis. Our child¡¯s healing ability is not yet perfect. It¡¯s actually not easy to treat someone. Besides, there are so many people asking for treatment¡­ It¡¯s difficult for us too.¡± ¡°That¡­¡± ¡°But I¡¯m glad that there¡¯s someone like Madam. There are people who don¡¯t know the true value of our child and always mention the commoner orphan who is sponsored by His Majesty, Grand Duke Nacht.¡± ¡°No. How could that be!¡± ¡°It¡¯s like that. We¡¯re in a very difficult situation, too. Madam. As you know, our child is just a good child who wants to help others with this power, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yeah. Lady Loreina is a really good girl.¡± ¡°Yesterday, when she met Madam, she said this too. His Majesty must be old as well. She wants to meet him and help him.¡± The seasoned marquis quickly understood what she was saying. ¡®If you want to receive treatment, you have to show some sincerity.¡¯ What the Countess of Minangsi wanted was clear. To inform others that Loreina was more special than the orphan of Nacht, who suddenly became the owner of the Named. ¡®Well, who would want her daughter to be pushed by an orphan and have her limelight fade?¡¯ She could understand. And secondly, Loreina healing the emperor. She could understand this too. One strange thing was that the emperor had no publicly known disease, but¡­ ¡®Well, they say he¡¯s strong, but His Majesty the Emperor has aged quite a bit.¡¯ He was as old as she was, so he must have an ailment or two. If treated, the emperor would not be able to escape from being on Loreina¡¯s side. Just like Marquis Parvis now. The Marquis of Parvis was not unaware that she was forcefully trying to start an argument. But in order to say goodbye to this damn pain, she was just not in a position to cover the fire. Originally, she terribly detested capable commoners. In any case, Sienna was also fully aware of the situation. Loreina was probably aiming for this situation from the beginning and that was why she treated the Marquis of Parvis. Furthermore¡­ ¡®Marquis Parvis is a person who shares about her illness all day long, even if she is left alone.¡¯ Conversely, if she got even a little better after receiving treatment, it was obvious that she would be elated and share things nobody asked. That Loreina was very gentle and kind. That she was as pretty as seeing an angel in paintings in real life. She was not an easy person to deal with, but for Loreina¡¯s fame, there couldn¡¯t have been a better choice¡­ ¡®¡­What?¡¯ At that moment, something strange began to appear in Sienna¡¯s eyes. What looked like a golden thread was flowing out of the marquis¡¯ body and was slowly scattering. ¡®Hesaros.¡¯ [I just found it. Concentrate and watch it again.] She focused on what she was told and took a good look¡­ ¡®The Marquis¡¯ heart is cracked.¡¯ [Magically, the heart is where the energy that sustains the body is concentrated at. However, although it usually consumes energy, it does not naturally crack the heart.] Without realizing that her heart had been cracked, Marquis Parvis glared at Sienna once more. ¡°You enjoy being compared to Loreina by the presumptuous Countess, and causing trouble to the Grand Duke of Nacht, who saved you! As an adult in this society, I can¡¯t help but say something to you¡­¡± ¡°¡ªYou don¡¯t have to.¡± It was then. The calm and cool voice stopped the jabs of Marquis Parvis. It was Ashiel. ¡°Educating the child of Nacht and judging the wrongdoing of the child of Nacht are all under the authority of the underworld.¡± ¡°Grand Prince?¡± ¡°Oh my gosh, how are you¡­?¡± Sienna was surprised too. How is that person here? ¡°I heard that there was a class meeting for the military academy in the Marquis¡¯ main building.¡± The Countess of Gildinak, who had followed behind, briefly explained to Sienna. ¡°Anyway, I managed to make it on time. I was so nervous that the old lady would finish her threats before the Grand Prince arrived.¡± ¡°I, I, I¡­ Grand Prince, this is a misunderstanding. This old lady acted out of good faith. If Your Highness also listens to me¡­¡± ¡°You would say excuses that are needlessly long.¡± Michael intervened. It was then that the people realized that the quiet second young master was not indifferent to the insults suffered by the orphan. ¡°Little Prince.¡± ¡°Ah why. You told me to hold it in, so didn¡¯t I endure it? But my brother blew it.¡± Only then did people realize. ¡®That child was restraining the Little Prince¡¯ She was trying not to make a big deal even though she was being treated unfairly. A young child who has just participated in junior prep for the first time. ¡®No way.¡¯ There was sympathy in the hearts of the people. Even if you didn¡¯t like it, the owner of a Named would be helpful to the empire. Besides, it was hard to believe that someone would severely criticize such a small child. Everyone started to click their tongues in unison. ¡°The Marquis of Parvis was a little too much.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t even listen to the explanation and you misunderstood Madam Gildinak.¡± ¡°Even if she did something wrong, she¡¯s still a child, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if she should have pushed her that far¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Mother, what¡¯s going on?¡± The son and daughter-in-law of Marquis Parvis, who were contemplative, appeared late, but public opinion had already turned away from Marquis Parvis. Ashiel declared. ¡°This matter will be judged by the Grand Duke.¡± ¡°Yes? His Majesty the Grand Duke?¡± Ashiel didn¡¯t even respond. ¡°Sienna. Come here.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± When Sienna hesitated, Ashiel personally approached¡­ He hugged Sienna and carried her. Was it because it was the third time? Sienna grabbed Ashiel¡¯s neck, unwittingly and familiarly. Ashiel whispered softly. ¡°Even if it¡¯s unpleasant, be patient for a moment. It¡¯s part of the show.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Then.¡± While holding the child, Ashiel hurriedly left, gazing coldly at the people of the marquis. ¡°Brother, let¡¯s go together!¡± Michael was about to follow, but suddenly he turned around and muttered. ¡°Ah, Brother, I¡¯m so angry. I think there¡¯s going to be an uproar again if my father hears it¡­¡± It was too much to hear. The Little Marquis of Parvis turned blue. ¡°Li- Little Prince¡­! Wait a minute¡­!¡± Michael smiled and shrugged. ¡°I like to go crazy, so I have to hurry up and tell my father.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Then, goodbye.¡± The boy bowed in a sharp, theatrical stance and turned around. Then he shouted, ¡°Brother! Go slow! You¡¯re going to drop the child!¡± and followed the direction Ashiel had left. ¡°Mother! What the hell is this?!¡± ¡°I, I¡­¡± She did not know that Nacht¡¯s two sons would be so active in protecting the commoner orphan. Had she known, she would have done things a little differently. But now, it was just a meaningless excuse and irreversible regret. Besides, the problem didn¡¯t end there. ¡°Ah, really. It was a big problem. I didn¡¯t expect the Marquis to be this narrow-minded.¡± ¡°C-Countess Gildinak?¡± ¡°The Marquis told me that she had no contempt for Loreina and the young girl, but how amazing it was¡­¡± No, not only did the madam insult the children of the grand duke? The marquis and little marquis were trembling. The Count of Gildinak was a millionaire who owned an essential jewel mine. Of course, he bought the title of count with money and was often despised by old nobles like Marquis Parvis¡­ A mine that was said to not be looked at in contempt. As essential jewels were still being mined in real time. The wealth that had been steadily built up over several generations was by no means lost. Besides, what kind of person was that Countess of Gildinak, Maria Stella? She was known to have superior commercial talents compared to her husband and above all, to have a clear relationship with grudges. Such a woman laughed softly. ¡°What do I do? I¡¯m so offended that it¡¯s hard for me to stay here any longer.¡± ¡°Ah, Countess! Don¡¯t do this and talk to me separately¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Marquis, I can¡¯t do it. His Majesty the Grand Duke may also ask me for the whole story.¡± People muttered. ¡°I guess it¡¯s true that Count Gildinak was subordinated to the underworld¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s worth it. It¡¯s said it was the orphan who cleansed the madam and daughter?¡± ¡°After all, she seems to be a person who is sure to have a relationship with grudges. To become a person of Nacht.¡± To be precise, she was from Sienna, not from Nacht, but the Countess of Gildinak decided to keep it a secret for now. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be on my way. Everyone, work hard.¡± Even the countess left with a charming smile. Among the crowd, the little girl Sienna had caught the frog for, said in an innocent voice. ¡°Mom, that grandmother was such a bad person. Is she going to be punished now?¡± ¡°Shhh! You shouldn¡¯t spit out the truth as it is out loud!¡± * * * The ambitious junior prep event and military academy meeting came to nothing. The Marquisate of Parvis was turned upside down. But their ordeal was only the beginning. ¡°The treaty of protection with the Marquis of Parvis is broken.¡± Each of the three guardian families, including Nacht, had their own army. In Nacht of the Underworld, there was the Hell Army led directly by the grand duke. (TL/N: Please note; In past chapters, we consulted a KTL and he said leaving it as ¡®Myeongwang Army¡¯ would be the best. But in view of how the guardian families had English names for their armies, we dug around and found that ¡®Hell Army¡¯ is a suitable equivalent. The previous chapters have been updated to reflect this decision.) Euros of the Heaven led the Knights of the Blue Dragon, who fought on a flying dragon. And in Ferrato of the Ocean, there was an invincible fleet that defeated the Great Seas. The army of the guardian families were technically private soldiers, but was included in view of public interest. This was because these three military groups were created to counter the demonic beasts. The local lords signed a protection treaty with the guardian family and could ask for help in subjugation, defense, or disputes with taxes. Breaking the protection treaty meant that even if the Marquisate of Parvis was trampled on by the beasts, they would not be able to ask for help from the Hell Army. ¡°In Gildinak, we have decided not to sell essential jewels and other minerals to the Marquis of Parvis.¡± It was their responsibility in the future. There was only one person who could stop them.¡­. ¡°Her heart is cracking, what the hell was it?¡± The only person was now in a dilemma with Hesaros. The moment Sienna¡¯s bag touched the table in her room, she opened the dollhouse and sat in front of it. From a distance, it looked like a child playing with a doll. If one looked closer, in the living room inside the dollhouse, Hesaros, who appeared as a small fireball, was seated in a place he liked. ¡­So, in the fireplace for the little dolls. [It¡¯s my guess, though.] For Hesaros, this dollhouse was more like a villa, Sienna thought. ¡®Even so, I don¡¯t know at all about the psychology of choosing the fireplace.¡¯ [Did she say she was treated by your sister?] ¡°Yes.¡± [I think¡­] Burning fiercely in the fireplace, Hesaros said, [¡­Your sister, I don¡¯t think she¡¯s a healing wizard, do you?] ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t that so?¡± [The premise of reasoning was wrong in the first place.] In the meantime, Sienna and Hesaros were developing their reasoning under the premise that even if Loreina, or Loreina¡¯s assistant, injected the emperor¡¯s body with fraud, it would heal anyway. But what if Loreina had no healing power in the first place? ¡°But she certainly healed people. I mean, she healed the broken and the sick.¡± [You just have to make them pay for something bigger than a wound or a disease.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [A person¡¯s heart contains enough vitality to be used for the rest of his or her life.] Hesaros got out of the fireplace and held up a small toy bowl from the table. [If you made a fine crack onto that bowl, life force will leak out. It¡¯s not difficult to induce the leaking vitality to heal diseases or heal wounds. That¡¯s the power that is life itself.] ¡°The bowl was broken¡­¡± [The heart is different from the fragile vessels made by you humans. Probably, if it was the level of cracking that the Marquis had earlier, she would recover quickly.] The problem was the lost vitality during cracking. [Once water is spilled, it cannot be picked up. Once lost, vitality does not come back. To summarize the series of processes in your human way¡­] ¡°¡­To heal diseases and wounds, it makes you pay with your life.¡± [That¡¯s right.] If that¡¯s true¡­ ¡°From the beginning¡­ she didn¡¯t extend the life of His Majesty the Emperor by one year.¡± She didn¡¯t know exactly what method she used, but it seemed right to guess that he only had a year¡¯s worth of vitality left. ¡°¡­How could this be?¡± Until now, she never doubted that she had healing powers. But when she thought about it again, she wondered why she didn¡¯t doubt it earlier. A person like Loreina who had the ability to deceive a person for so long cannot possibly deceive only that one person. [This possibility is high, but from my point of view, there seems to be another possibility.] ¡°Another possibility?¡± [So¡­ No, no. Let¡¯s talk about this when it¡¯s more certain. There are still many things that are questionable, and there are many things that have not been revealed.] It wasn¡¯t that she wasn¡¯t curious, but if Hesaros didn¡¯t want to speak out, there must be a reason for that. It was not that he was going to keep it a secret forever, it¡¯s that he would tell her when he was more certain. Sienna sighed. ¡°¡­Then there is only one thing for sure at this point.¡± [Well.] ¡°I mustn¡¯t let Sister Loreina heal His Majesty the Emperor.¡± [I totally agree.] ¡°But how?¡± Today¡¯s incident made Sienna realize this. ¡°It¡¯s because I moved, and that¡¯s why many things have changed. That¡¯s why Sister Loreina is moving impatiently¡­¡± [Let me point this out first.] ¡°Yes?¡± [Sienna. It¡¯s not your fault that this happened.] Hesaros stated in a clear tone. [This is all because the bad guy doesn¡¯t give up even though you¡¯ve changed many things.] Even though it wasn¡¯t appropriate in this situation, Sienna laughed a little at the word ¡®bad guy¡¯. ¡°She¡¯s a bad guy?¡± [What¡¯s wrong, isn¡¯t she a terrible person? I was going to call her a bastard, but I held it in.] ¡°Oh my God.¡± [Anyway, yes. She¡¯s a very tenacious and annoying bastard. But what can we do? As long as things are like this, we have to break them until they give up and then break them again.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [Of course, as I said before, if you are not confident and do not want to do it, you can run away. I will support you no matter what you do.] ¡°Thanks for that, but I told you I wouldn¡¯t.¡± [Then don¡¯t hesitate.] ¡°I¡¯m not hesitating¡­ It¡¯s just that I¡¯m a little worried about the method.¡± Loreina was already known throughout the empire as a healing angel. In addition, Marquis Parvis spared nothing to express Loreina¡¯s healing power as a ¡®miracle¡¯. Would the emperor choose Sienna in this situation? ¡®Choice¡­ It¡¯s a choice. Hm?¡¯ Suddenly, a thought ran through her mind. [Why? Did you think of a good idea?] ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that good, but I thought of an ambiguous method that might work.¡± [Why is the introduction so long?] ¡°Well¡­¡± Sienna smiled faintly. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it for a while. I don¡¯t have the courage to implement this.¡± Not long after she said this, however, an incident broke out without time to squeeze out insufficient courage. ¡°This is the obituary. The Marquis of Parvis has passed away.¡± A person died. When the obituary arrived, Sienna and the family of Grand Duke Nacht were having lunch in the dining room. ¡°She died of a heart attack the night before.¡± Heart attack. Sienna¡¯s expression hardened. Then Michael got annoyed. ¡°Why did you say that here?¡± She was surprised! ¡°It¡¯s okay, Little Prince.¡± Sienna¡¯s voice sounded strangely calm. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. This is an urgent matter¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Really.¡± Sienna replied with strength. Devon had a wary look and asked, ¡°What should I do? I have already sent a letter of withdrawal from the protection treaty, and I know that Gildinak has also clearly stated its intention to end the mining trade¡­¡± Things got tricky. The marquis, the party who committed the rude behavior, died. Death untied the many knots of life. At this rate, it was clear that people would criticize Nacht for having no blood or tears. ¡®But¡­¡¯ The grand duke looked at Sienna¡¯s face, which had turned white. It didn¡¯t look unfamiliar. She insulted that child, not anyone else among them. She was a child who was careful even when breathing because she was an orphan and commoner. It was still vivid. When he first gave her the cradle of the moon, she was terrified, saying that a good room could not be hers, so she stayed up all night trembling in the corner. A messy bed in a dusty room was better in her eyes at that time. ¡­Strength entered the grand duke¡¯s jaw. During the first social event such a child participated in. It was difficult even to receive a welcome. The grand duke did not expect any kindness from people. But he believed they would at least fear him, who was behind Sienna. How foolish he was. But he couldn¡¯t just regret it. ¡®If it has already happened.¡¯ He would set an example. A clear example of how Nacht of the Underworld would not forgive anyone who treated Sienna in that way Just because a person was dead did not mean that what he or she had done would disappear. The grand duke remembered the words his youngest son had told him with an upset face. ¡°She didn¡¯t want to make a big deal, so she stopped me from saying anything. She even held my hand.¡± ¡°You know her personality, Father. It¡¯s far from actively protesting or appealing. If it weren¡¯t for me, I can assure you, something would have happened. Definitely.¡± (T/N: ¡®her¡¯ as in Marquis Parvis.) He never wanted to expose the child to such a risk again. There was no blood or tears, even with the tags and accusations that they did not forgive the dead. ¡®This time¡­¡¯ He would definitely not make a mistake. ¡°The measures will not be withdrawn.¡± ¡°But, Grand Duke¡­¡± ¡°Nacht won¡¯t even attend the funeral. Be careful not to express condolences at all.¡± ¡°That¡­¡± Devon was taken aback by the excessive measure. The Marquis of Parvis was a family with its own reputation as an old nobility. ¡®If they act like this, there will be a lot of talk¡­¡¯ It was then. ¡°Grand Duke.¡± It was Sienna. ¡°If it¡¯s because of me, I hope you don¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Michael was perplexed, but Sienna was calm even with her pale face. ¡°I don¡¯t want Nacht to suffer any harm because of me.¡± ¡°Sienna.¡± The Grand Duke declared. ¡°Nacht doesn¡¯t get hurt by just that much.¡± ¡°People will criticize you. It¡¯s just me¡­¡± Sienna was going to say ¡®orphan¡¯, but she chose ¡®me¡¯ in the end. ¡°¡­She was just yelling at a child like me, but Nacht¡¯s response was too much.¡± Devon thought so too. But he couldn¡¯t say it. ¡°So, I¡¯ll use this as an example.¡± Sienna shook her head. ¡°If¡­ if, because of me, the Grand Duke hears accusations he doesn¡¯t need to hear, I can¡¯t help but feel burdened by being here.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Because of me, the name of Nacht is tarnished.¡± Clang¡­ The knife fell from Ashiel¡¯s hand. However, the grand duke, Michael, and even Ashiel himself seemed to be unaware of that. ¡°Hey¡­ how can you say that? That¡¯s-.¡± ¡°Stop!¡± The grand duke shouted softly. ¡°Sienna.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°If you say that, I will withdraw.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± The grand duke chose his words so carefully that he thought he had never been like this in his entire life. ¡°It was inappropriate to say that you couldn¡¯t be here due to any trouble.¡± ¡°¡­Sorry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to apologize¡­¡± The grand duke brought his hand to his face with a very tired and aged expression. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t ever talk like that again.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± While giving the order, the grand duke knew at that moment. The child would faithfully obey the grand duke¡¯s order not to speak like that. This time, too. But it wouldn¡¯t get rid of those thoughts in her mind. She wouldn¡¯t easily stop thinking that she might have to get out of here if she bothered them¡­ ¡®What should I do with this?¡¯ He was at a loss as if he was trapped in a black labyrinth without a single light. However, Sienna¡¯s request did not end there. ¡°And I think I better go to the funeral, too.¡± ¡°You¡¯re driving me crazy. Why are you going there?¡± ¡°I must attend, so that people will know for sure that the Nacht family has forgiven Marquis Parvis.¡± The best way was to do so at a time when measures had already been taken. Devon inwardly admired it. ¡®What a political solution indeed.¡¯ ¡°So, Grand Duke. Please take me with you.¡± ¡°Sienna.¡± The grand duke sighed. ¡°Of course I¡¯ll take you if you want, but that¡¯s not to show generosity as Grand Duke Nacht.¡± Funerals are usually attended by families. The grand duke wanted to show the world that he recognized Sienna as a family member. If he could not express his intentions by punishing Marquis Parvis, the least he could do was to have her attend the funeral as part of the Grand Duke Nacht¡¯s family¡¯s party. Either we didn¡¯t go together or we went together. He had no intention of acting separately. ¡®¡­As long as you don¡¯t dislike it, though.¡¯ Sienna laughed. As if she knew what he was thinking. ¡°¡­Thank you, Grand Duke.¡± On this day, Sienna¡¯s bold attempt to persuade the grand duke soon spread to the vassals. ¡°Oh my God, she must be thinking of the honor of the underworld that much.¡± ¡°She is truly a wonderful person.¡± ¡°His Majesty the Grand Duke is not the type of person who withdraws once decided.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you love the lady?¡± ¡°What is impressive is that she has just started her education and has already learned to make such political judgments. Isn¡¯t it amazing?¡± ¡°By the way, these are the High Majesty¡¯s red clothes.¡± Everyone was happy, but contrary to what those people thought, Sienna was not thinking of the Grand Duchy of Nacht when she insisted on attending the funeral. To be exact, she needed to attend the funeral, so she was just trying to convince him in any way possible. [What are you thinking?] ¡°As I said before. There is a way, one that I don¡¯t have the courage to do.¡± [Why, all of a sudden?] ¡°I¡¯m going to meet my sister.¡± Sienna made Loreina impatient. Loreina moved hastily, causing the Marquis of Parvis to die prematurely. ¡®I know. It¡¯s not my fault.¡¯ But she didn¡¯t want to sit around and watch more of this happen. [What are you going to do when you meet her?] ¡°I told you before.¡± How could she be chosen by the emperor? ¡°Come to think of it, if I¡¯m confident about being chosen, then it is a matter of reducing his options to one.¡± [You can¡¯t¡­] ¡°Yes.¡± Sienna nodded her head. ¡°I¡¯m going to make my sister resign voluntarily.¡± [That¡­ I¡¯m sorry to say this in such a negative way, but will your persuasion work on her¡­?] Sienna laughed lightly. ¡°When did I say I¡¯ll persuade her?¡± There was no one to listen to for saying that. [If you don¡¯t persuade her¡­?] Sienna answered clearly. ¡°I will threaten her.¡± [Eh?] * * * The grand duchy wasn¡¯t the only one who was struck by the news of the death of Marquis Parvis. Count Minangsi also heard the news. ¡°What are you going to do with this!¡± There was no way to solve the problem directly, but Count Minangsi, who was better at complaining more than anyone else, was furious. ¡°I knew it was going to be like this. He also clearly told me not to be reckless, as the time has not come yet!¡± ¡°Honey, calm down¡­¡± ¡°Everyone, you treated the old lady because you thought she¡¯d be fine!¡± ¡°If anyone sees it, they¡¯ll think I¡¯m the only one who pushed ahead for this.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Sit down, honey. Why are you saying it¡¯s a big deal?¡± ¡°Yes, Father.¡± Loreina also intervened in a soft voice. ¡°Even though my mother made a mistake¡­¡± The Countess of Minangsi looked silently at her daughter. Loreina smiled softly as if it was okay. ¡°Anyway, it won¡¯t be a big deal for us.¡± ¡°The person you treated is dead, Loren. How can this not be a big deal?¡± ¡°How about this?¡± The count was speechless. She walked slowly around the living room, picked a grape that decorated the table, and ate it. That girl with a charming smile and wrapped with a shawl was gliding towards the window¡­ She was obviously his daughter. His daughter, who was born after suffering thirty-two hours of hard work from her mother, only gave joy in the process of walking, talking, running, and growing up beautifully¡­ ¡°The Marquis was very old. Actually, that¡¯s why I chose that old lady. I wanted to make sure I would not be responsible if things went wrong.¡± ¡­She looked strangely unfamiliar. ¡°As long as we don¡¯t seem suspicious. Of course, we have to attend the funeral to do that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± It came from the quiet Countess of Minangsi. ¡°That way, people will think it¡¯s not your fault, Loren.¡± ¡°Oh? Of course it isn¡¯t. I used very little life force.¡± Loreina shrugged like a naughty boy. ¡°It¡¯s definitely not my fault that the old lady didn¡¯t have much time left, right?¡± ¡°¡­My daughter. You¡¯re very smart. But you¡¯re not going to talk like that in front of people, are you?¡± Loreina burst into laughter. It was like hearing a very interesting story. Clear, bright, and fun. ¡°Mother, do you think so little of me?¡± ¡°¡­No matter how mature you are, I will see what you lack. You are my daughter.¡± Loreina just smiled without saying a word. Count Minangsi, who had lost his composure, sat down on the sofa and constantly brought his hand to his face. He couldn¡¯t keep up with the conversation between his wife and daughter. ¡®First of all, it¡¯s not my fault. People won¡¯t even suspect Loreina either.¡¯ If Loreina was not questioned, neither the Countess of Minangsi nor him would be in danger. ¡®Yes, this is it.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t think too deeply.¡¯ ¡®Because my head hurts.¡¯ Count Minangsi chose, as usual, to cover up all the doubts that arose and stop thinking. Loreina reassured her father with a smooth tongue. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. I get everything I want. I¡¯ll never make a mistake¡­ Please look forward to it.¡± ¡°No, Loren.¡± The Countess of Minangsi approached her daughter with an indecipherable gaze and stroked her beautiful face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. This mother won¡¯t just watch over you. As a mother, of course, I should help you.¡± Loreina took the hand of the Countess of Minangsi which was stroking her face. ¡°Yes¡­ Thank you very much, Mother. I think I am very lucky to have a mother like you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honor to hear that, my daughter.¡± A similar smile formed on their lips. It was such a gorgeous, thorny smile. * * * The next day, it rained lightly from dawn. It was such gloomy weather that could be said to be appropriate for a funeral. As soon as he got off the carriage, the grand duke did not open his umbrella and uttered a spell. As soon as the spell was finished, light enveloped the four of them and disappeared. ¡°The rain is evaporating before it hits.¡± ¡°It would be quite troublesome to even carry an umbrella.¡± The grand duke said so casually, but most of the people were just carrying their umbrellas in a cumbersome way. ¡®There must be quite a few wizards among them.¡¯ Apparently, the magic to block the rain was more difficult than expected. ¡°There are fewer guests than I thought.¡± It was the same in Sienna¡¯s view. She could guess why. Perhaps it was because they were afraid that they would go against the intentions of Grand Duke Nacht by attending this event. What would everyone do if they found out that Grand Duke Nacht was in attendance? Sienna, who was nothing more than the culprit who hit the back of the head of so many people, thought deeply. ¡®They won¡¯t like it.¡¯ The funeral was held modestly in the church. No one was crying. The late Marquis Parvis was very old. All those who could be called close relatives died long ago, and the only surviving one, her husband, was also in a situation where he was unable to move and was mostly bedridden. The funeral, which even her husband could not attend, proceeded strangely calmly and smoothly. Eventually, the burial in the park was over, and it was time for everyone to express their condolences one by one. Grand Duke Nacht was the first to shake hands with the Little Marquis of Parvis. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that this happened.¡± ¡°No. Your Majesty the Grand Duke is present, so my deceased mother will be delighted.¡± The little marquis was very relieved to see the grand duke attending, but he could not hide his trembling eyes at Sienna, who was standing still behind him. ¡®It¡¯s not that I have bad feelings toward that child.¡¯ He heard that the child persuaded the grand duke. But he thought that if that orphan had not been noticed by his mother in the first place, there would have been no need for forgiveness. If that had been the case, his mother¡¯s funeral would not have been so shabby. ¡°I¡¯m going crazy, knowing that it¡¯s all thanks to you that you and I are here.¡± ¡°Lord Michael.¡± ¡°I should shut up? Then.¡± Michael suddenly reached out to Sienna. ¡°¡­What does this mean?¡± ¡°If you hold my hand like back then, I¡¯ll stop talking.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If we hold hands here now, we¡¯ll look like siblings who get along very well, right?¡± How dare she dream of that? Sienna silently ignored Michael¡¯s hand. Michael grunted without much disappointment. ¡°Sheesh. It¡¯s cool.¡± Anyway, it was impossible for the grand duke to not know that Michael had noticed too. For him, the uncomfortable feelings the little marquis had towards Sienna, was as clear as showing his palms. ¡®He still can¡¯t come to his senses, and he dares to show such to the ward of Nacht¡­¡¯ It was disgraceful. Even the slightest reason to forgive was gone. The grand duke went back silently and began to check some of the steps to be taken. * * * After Grand Duke Nacht, many people paid their condolences. Count Minangsi was one of them. ¡°How disappointed you must have been. Still, it is a blessing that the madam has gone away as if sleeping.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m glad my mother didn¡¯t suffer for a long time. It¡¯s thanks to the young lady, Count Minangsi.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Loreina, who was standing behind the count, showed a glimpse of the tears she had been holding back at his kind words. ¡°Thank you for your kind words. I wish I had more time to take a closer look at the Marquis¡­¡± Count Minangsi could not hide his reluctant expression. Even if he tried to forget that it wasn¡¯t a big deal, the conversation they had yesterday came to mind naturally from the appearance of his good daughter who shed tears. ¡°Oh? Of course it is. I used very little life force. It¡¯s not my fault that the old lady didn¡¯t have much time left, right?¡± ¡­The child, whose eyes were shining while speaking in a strange tone, and the neat girl who was now in tears next to him, seemed to be completely different people. ¡°Don¡¯t be sad. Thanks to Young Lady Loreina, my mother passed away comfortably.¡± Rather, the little marquis comforted Loreina. ¡°Your words give me comfort as well. I will pray for Marquis Parvis to rest in peace.¡± ¡°Thank you very much, Young Lady.¡± Although Sienna was the one he should be thankful for, the marquis gave thanks again and again only towards Loreina. Not only that, he even made a promise to the Count of Minangsi. ¡°If you ever need my help in the future, don¡¯t worry and let me know. If it¡¯s something for Count Minangsi, I¡¯ll take off on my feet and gladly help.¡± ¡°My my, thank you for just saying that.¡± No one knew at this time, but after this funeral, several bad things that could only be considered a terrible coincidence overlapped upon the Marquis of Parvis. To make matters worse, it was revealed that the late marquis was embezzling taxes from the central government by creating double ledgers. As a result, the Marquis of Parvis almost collapsed. He confidently offered to help Loreina, but he would soon find himself unable to do anything. It happened because he completely misunderstood the person to be thankful for and the real enemy. It could also be said to be self-inflicted. * * * The rain had already stopped. While the remaining people¡¯s condolences continued, Sienna stood up quietly. Slowly, she pretended to wander around, moving little by little to an empty place. And waited. ¡°¡­Oh my goodness.¡± Until she heard the voice she was waiting for. ¡®Sister.¡¯ Sienna¡¯s whole body started to react to the voice that was noticeably younger than the one in her memory. Her heart, thump, thump, thump, thump; the speed increased. The veins running from the heart to the neck and from the neck to the cheeks seemed to be turning stiff all at once. Her mouth was dry. Her back was straightened. ¡®It¡¯s okay.¡¯ Sienna took a small breath. ¡®¡­You can do it.¡¯ Exhaling, she turned around. The rain had stopped and the sky was clear. Behind the dark clouds that still looked damp, the sunlight drew a bright outline. A strange shady, bright landscape. In the background, people chattering in the distance could be heard. Standing on the dewy grass. The girl with golden hair like the sunlight shining behind the clouds smiled broadly. ¡°Oh my God, you are Miss Sienna!¡± A lovely angel-like smile that remained in her memory like a flower. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to meet you, and this is how I came to meet you. My name is Loreina. I am the daughter of Count Minangsi.¡± She had been thinking like this; Even though she knew there was very little chance, maybe all of this was a terrible coincidence. Just as the people of Nacht, who had treated her like an invisible person, suddenly changed, wouldn¡¯t Loreina also change? The moment she met this beautiful girl, Sienna realized that she was still thinking of such a change in the corner of her heart. Even if she couldn¡¯t say that she was looking forward to it¡­ And at the same time, Sienna realized. No, she admitted it. ¡°I am 14 years old, and I heard that you¡¯re 11. If you don¡¯t mind, you can call me ¡®Sister¡¯ comfortably.¡± She didn¡¯t change. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted a little sister.¡± The nature received from birth was the essence of the soul. No matter what happened, even if time passed backwards for about ten years, even if the power of love or tragedy that opened heaven and earth occurred, people do not change. Everyone embraced the self they were born with until they died. ¡®Isn¡¯t it still a tragedy?¡¯ ¡®Life is a tragedy. Life is a grave.¡¯ ¡°For some reason, I have a feeling that we can be friends.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°How about you?¡± ¡®You were my grave.¡¯ A smile spread across Sienna¡¯s lips. ¡°No.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Half a smile disappeared from Loreina¡¯s lips. ¡°You asked, ¡®Can we get along?¡¯¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°So I answered. No.¡± For a moment, silence filled the space between them. A cold wind gently swayed the leaves¡­ ¡°¡­Why do you think so?¡± The smile that had vanished from Loreina¡¯s lips rose again, sweetly. It was a much more dense and well-made smile than before. Sienna was amazed. ¡®Until now, I was deceived and thought that I was a fool who could never be seen again in the world.¡¯ (T/N: she¡¯s calling herself the ultimate fool.) Seeing Loreina¡¯s ability to determinedly deceive¡­ Sienna thought that she could do a little less self-blame in the future. She smiled a little at her own whimsicalness. Surprisingly, each time Sienna smiled, Loreina¡¯s smile faded, if at all, slightly. ¡°Lady Loreina.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Before we start talking, let me tell you one thing.¡± Sienna thought that before starting the story, it would be necessary to inform Loreina of the major premise that would be applied in all situations to come. ¡°This kind pretense of yours may not be known to other people, but it doesn¡¯t work on me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°So, don¡¯t try too hard for nothing.¡± Loreina¡¯s face stiffened for the first time. A half smile remained on her lips, but her cheeks stiffened. ¡°What do you mean¡­¡± ¡°Because it doesn¡¯t work.¡± ¡®Maybe I¡¯m the only person in this world who can fight against your beloved talent.¡¯ It was the immunity she got in return for the painful betrayal. Now, the beloved older sister no longer exists. The older sister, who was everything to Sienna long ago, seemed to have disappeared. The person in front of her right now is just her enemy. Sienna calmly warned her with a smile on her face. ¡°So, if you don¡¯t really want to make me laugh, then just give up.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± It was a fleeting moment, but an ugly glint flashed in Loreina¡¯s eyes. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Soon, the angelic girl¡¯s face changed little by little. As if a separate ego existed in each muscle of the girl¡¯s facial muscles. So, little by little¡­ ¡°¡­I thought you were stupid, but you¡¯re not at all, aren¡¯t you?¡± She made a completely different face. ¡®Hello, Sister Loreina.¡¯ Sienna pretended to be calm, hiding her heart that was beating like crazy, and quietly greeted her inside. ¡®It seems like we¡¯re meeting for the first time.¡¯ She couldn¡¯t believe this was the first time after such a long time. She couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°¡­Are you laughing at me now?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s kind of funny.¡± Strangely, her heart was beating like crazy, but her expressions and words came out very boldly. Even Sienna herself wondered if she was a little crazy. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°No, wait a minute. I¡¯m sorry, but there is something I have to say today. And I think you¡¯re probably not in a position to say what you¡¯ve been prepared to say.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, it¡¯s fun.¡± There was no longer a smile on Loreina¡¯s face. ¡°Do it, where?¡± ¡°Since we don¡¯t have much time with each other, I shall omit the rhetoric.¡± Sienna looked straight into Loreina¡¯s pale green eyes. ¡°I know it was you who killed Marquis Parvis.¡± Loreina laughed. There was no hesitation or embarrassment. ¡°Are you saying scary things without evidence?¡± ¡°Do we need evidence when talking amongst ourselves?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Loreina¡¯s cheeks slightly contorted at Sienna¡¯s question as to whether she would admit it if she recited all the tricks even though she didn¡¯t have time. ¡°Let¡¯s not tire each other.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t kill her.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Really. Isn¡¯t it strange?¡± Loreina laughed and murmured as if she was humming a song. A small umbrella twirled in her hand. ¡°¡­The unlucky old lady had only a few days left to live, so why does everyone keep saying I killed her?¡± ¡°Because you were the one who stole those few days of life.¡± ¡°Because that stupid old lady wanted it.¡± ¡°Did you tell her that she could die?¡± ¡°The old lady said she was sick of the pain. She even said that she wanted to have her leg cut off. In fact, if she cut off her leg, she would have gone crazy.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it supposed to have been expected that there might be a price equivalent to that in order to be freed from such terrible pain?¡± It was sophistry. ¡°There¡¯s nothing free in this world, don¡¯t you think so?¡± The sophistry reached Sienna¡¯s ears as well. ¡­That said. ¡­She must end this conversation before she gets caught up in old thoughts. ¡°You¡¯ll probably use whatever means you can to get what you want, but¡­¡± Loreina did not deny it. ¡°Do not approach the Emperor.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean, I¡¯ll take care of the accident you¡¯ve caused.¡± ¡°It¡¯s mine!¡± Loreina never shouted loudly. But her face had a look that Sienna had never seen, and never imagined she would ever see. ¡®That kind of face¡­ Can I say it¡¯s like a monster¡¯s?¡¯ It was strange. Even though it was slightly distorted, Loreina¡¯s face was still beautiful. Sienna frowned and stepped back without realizing it. ¡°You don¡¯t deserve that honor. I, I¡¯ll take it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°How dare you? You say that to me?¡± Sienna was frankly frightened by the terrifying change. Loreina was the older sister who had been soft all her life. She was a person who she believed was an angel. Just facing the hidden side of such a person was already quite a lot of mental stress. ¡®I keep thinking about that moment right before I die. No matter how much it is, I think this is going to be a little crazy.¡¯ But Sienna didn¡¯t show it at all. ¡®I have to. You can do it.¡¯ Loreina has been deceiving her for nearly a decade. If so, shouldn¡¯t she be deceived too, at least for this moment? ¡°If you don¡¯t back down, I¡¯ll expose you, hm?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You killed the Marquis, and that your healing magic wasn¡¯t real. At least, I think I can prove these two things.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous¡­¡± Loreina suddenly came closer to Sienna. From a distance where their noses could touch, her light green eyes gleamed dangerously. ¡°Who do you think would believe you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sienna also wiped a smile from her lips. ¡°¡­!¡± At that moment, a glowing circle spread from Sienna¡¯s feet. Although it was still small, a territory that could accommodate two people had been secured. In a world surrounded by borders like the Milky Way, Sienna laughed. ¡°You must have heard? That I am the owner of the Named.¡± ¡°The owner of the Named ¡®Untamed Hesaros¡¯¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. So, thank you for worrying that my words will not have enough public credibility.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I already have the public¡¯s trust itself.¡± Possessing the flame of purification meant that. It was then. ¡°Sienna! Hey, what are you doing there?¡± Michael was approaching from the other side, calling her. Behind him were the grand duke and Ashiel. Seeing Sienna using magic, he must have guessed that something was wrong, and Michael started running towards it. The conversation was over. Both sides felt that way. Sienna silently closed the territory. Still making eye contact with Loreina. Loreina took a few steps back. Michael quickly approached her. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why did you open the territory all of a sudden?¡± Sienna lied casually. ¡°The Young Lady of Count Minangsi here said she would like to take a look.¡± ¡°What? You don¡¯t really like letting other people see it.¡± Michael frowned. ¡°The Young Lady doesn¡¯t have any sense either. Do you think this kid is a monkey? Making such a rude request?¡± When Michael turned around with a terrifying expression on his face, Loreina had already put an expression on her blank face. A pitiful expression, as if she was so flustered that she didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°Oh my, I didn¡¯t mean that at all¡­ I was just¡­¡± ¡°Loreina!¡± Just then, the Countess of Minangsi from the other side approached from the other side and shouted. Since the countess was closer, the grand duke and Ashiel reached them almost the same time as she did. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°No, I just wanted to get to know Miss Sienna¡­ there was some misunderstanding.¡± ¡°What is the misunderstanding? From what I heard, you obviously picked a fight first¡­ Argh! Why are you pulling me?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a big deal. It¡¯s not to the point of calling it a fight. I¡¯m not that upset about it either.¡± Rather, this time, taking advantage of the fact that she was ready, she gave Loreina a big blow. Scratching any abnormal properties could cause it to crumble. ¡°¡­Ah, okay, I got it. Stop pulling my clothes.¡± Michael grumbled. The Countess of Minangsi smiled and wrapped her arms around her daughter¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I would like to say hello to His Majesty the Grand Duke. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen you. Anyway, there must have been some misunderstanding between the children in the process of getting along.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­Your Majesty?¡± The Countess of Minangsi waited for ¡®it¡¯s okay¡¯, but completely different words came out of the grand duke¡¯s mouth, which was later opened. ¡°¡­To be misunderstood means that your daughter has acted misleadingly?¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°Oh no, my lord!¡± Instead of the bewildered countess, Loreina stepped forward. ¡°I just want to get to know Miss Sienna¡­ Of course, asking to see the territory might have been a bit rude, but I swear I didn¡¯t mean anything bad.¡± ¡°¡­Is that really all there is?¡± Sienna nodded at the grand duke¡¯s question. The grand duke felt it. ¡®What happened.¡¯ Sienna was a child whom he wanted to be a little less mature and a little less kind. Through a few experiences and intuition, the grand duke perceived that something bad happened between Sienna and Loreina. ¡®I thought they raised their daughter well.¡¯ At that moment, no one knew, but the possibility that Loreina might get Nacht¡¯s backing was completely closed. No one, not even the grand duke who would make that decision, had yet noticed. So it was decided. The grand duke said to the Countess of Minangsi. ¡°I might have overreacted because there¡¯s a lot of talk about my child these days. I hope you understand.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty¡­ of course I understand. I am also in the position of raising a daughter. Our Loreina¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but excuse me. I don¡¯t think this is the right time to chat.¡± The lips of the countess, who was trying to take advantage of the opportunity to appeal Loreina¡¯s strengths, closed tightly. ¡°Then, Sienna.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After a brief glimpse of the mother and daughter of the Count of Minangsi, the grand duke summoned Sienna and made her stand next to them. The appearance of the grand duke slowly disappearing in line with the steps of the small child, an orphan ward, who was neither a son nor blood-related, suggests many facts. ¡°¡­What the hell happened¡­ Loren? Why are you like this?¡± The Countess of Minangsi inadvertently looked at her daughter and was astonished. ¡°Your eyes¡­¡± Her bright green eyes, like the buds of a beautiful spring day, were dyed red. As if tears of blood had accumulated, Loreina¡¯s white veins were red and bursting. It was a horrendous look. ¡°I¡¯m going home.¡± ¡°Loren¡­¡± ¡°I told you I¡¯m going home!¡± After that orphan Sienna popped up and took her daughter¡¯s long-awaited position, Loreina often exhibited violent agitation. She ripped dresses and threw food on the floor, ruining them. But, she swore, all those acts were nothing compared to the red, bloodshot rage that Loreina was showing at this moment. The Countess of Minangsi had a gut feeling that something had happened. Something very bad. Chapter 84 to 101 Note: This chapter consists of episodes 84 to 101. Loreina stepped down from healing the emperor. It was publicly explained as ¡®she was shocked to witness Marquis Parvis, whom she had treated, pass away not long after¡¯. ¡®A pretty plausible reason,¡¯ Sienna thought. [Sienna.] ¡°Yes?¡± [That¡¯s what you were saying, you were really¡­ What were you thinking?] ¡°I didn¡¯t really have any thoughts. As I said, it¡¯s not such a good idea, but it¡¯s such a vague method that might work.¡± [You said that you lacked the courage to execute it.] ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t have the courage.¡± When she thought of that time, her hands still trembled slightly. Never once had she said that to Loreina and made that kind of expression. Because she never thought she would be able to deal with her like that. [Then how did you manage to blow her away so nicely?] What did he mean by ¡®nicely¡¯? Sienna laughed a little, thinking it was an inappropriate expression. ¡°I just went at her. I¡¯m angry. Someone died.¡± [Nice¡­ That word is cool. You are really my master¡­] ¡°You¡¯re teasing me by saying I¡¯m cool today, aren¡¯t you?¡± [I¡¯m not teasing. I¡¯m serious.] A small, cute ball of fire clung to Sienna¡¯s cheek. [Every day, I am falling more in love with my owner.] Seeing the colorful flaming fluttering from pale pink to deep cherry, it looked like he was really excited. ¡°Yes¡­ that¡¯s really nice.¡± [Well, why aren¡¯t you impressed?] ¡°I¡¯m really enjoying it¡­ Wow, Hesaros is the best¡­¡± Sienna thought to herself as she let silly words flow out of her mouth. ¡®I¡¯m glad my sister left that way.¡¯ In fact, Sienna was bluffing; she didn¡¯t know how to prove Loreina¡¯s lies. It was impossible under the current circumstances to reveal what she had done to the already dead Marquis, or to claim that Loreina¡¯s healing magic was fake. First of all, others could not see the ¡®gold in the heart¡¯ that Sienna saw. ¡®No proof.¡¯ Besides, Loreina was the daughter of a prestigious count family. The Count of Minangsi was originally a family where healing wizards were born. Even now, although the marquis died soon after being healed by her, no one doubted Loreina at all. [Still, there is one thing that is fortunate, isn¡¯t it?] ¡°That Sister Loreina¡¯s strength is less than what I thought?¡± When Sienna opened up her territory at the funeral that day, it wasn¡¯t just to show off to Loreina. During the brief moment Loreina set foot on Sienna¡¯s territory, Hesaros measured her stats. Hesaros had the insight to gauge not only immediate achievements, but also the amount of achievements that could be attained over the course of a person¡¯s lifetime. As a result of that perception¡­ [People in the world would call it ordinary, but a great Named like me would call it poor.] In the past, Loreina was revered as a genius. But if she thought about it, it was only after she came to the underworld and stole Sienna¡¯s innate magic power that Loreina took a credible test. Until then, the count¡¯s house had personally conducted the tests, so it wouldn¡¯t have been difficult to influence the result. It was after the destruction of Hesaros that she began to hear the calls of ¡®genius¡¯ in earnest. ¡®Therefore¡­¡¯ In fact, the original Loreina¡¯s talents were like this. She didn¡¯t know why, her appetite was bitter and she was frustrated. ¡°At that time, my magic powers wouldn¡¯t have been that great, but the probability that Sister Loreina¡¯s talents blossomed late¡­¡± [Impossible. And at the time of handing it over, it must have been the potential itself, not the magic. Of course, it would have been impossible to use it 100% just because she stole it.] (QC/N: ¡®Potential¡¯ here meaning ¡®innate magic talent¡¯ so he¡¯s saying that she stole the talent for magic, not necessarily the magic itself.) ¡°Whoa.¡± Now, Loreina had raised her reputation in order to prove her qualifications to get a chance to heal the emperor. It also meant that more people would come to seek treatment from Loreina compared to the past. But her lack of magic power would be a problem. ¡®As well as the quality of the treatment.¡¯ In the past, she could still take care of a patient once every three days, but now it would be difficult to do even that. As things would be difficult if she were to cause another major accident. ¡®For the time being.¡¯ Sienna knew. There was no way for the Loreina she knew to give up at this point and simply back away. With several thoughts in mind, Sienna pulled out a pouch of essential jewels from her drawer. As necessary things continued to happen here and there, the pouch lost its weight and became much lighter. Her heart ached, but she couldn¡¯t help it. Sienna spilled the jewels left in the pouch on the desk. The jewels, which were basically transparent, rolled over the desk. [Why the jewels? So suddenly?] ¡°Just because.¡± The advice of Countess Gildinak came to Sienna¡¯s mind as she quietly rolled the jewels. ¡°If possible, please make a self-defense amulet for the Grand Duke.¡± Hesaros seemed to have noticed what Sienna was struggling with. [If you¡¯re going to worry about it like that, then just make something and give it to him. It isn¡¯t difficult?] That¡¯s right. For Sienna, creating a self-defense amulet was no longer a task that could only be done by pouring every energy and devotion into it. She had gathered enough magical power, and Hesaros was here too. Given the materials, she could make as many as she wanted. So, it was a matter of the heart. ¡°I¡¯m a coward.¡± [No, you¡¯re not? My master isn¡¯t a coward? A coward can¡¯t make threats like that confidently and coolly, right?] She was not sure if it was okay to call blackmail cool¡­ Sienna sighed. In a sense, she hoped to understand her Named¡­ She had given up a bit. [Are you afraid of being rejected?] Sienna just smiled quietly instead of answering. She knew. Unlike before, Nacht¡¯s family liked Sienna to some degree. Even if Loreina came in as a second ward right now, she didn¡¯t think the family of Grand Duke Nacht would suddenly change their attitude as easily as flipping the palm of their hand. But she didn¡¯t expect any more. After all, if Loreina enters this castle, everyone would inevitably compare them. [But, if she doesn¡¯t take away your qualities, she¡¯s in a bad state. Since they have you, my owner, why would he sponsor such a poor child?] ¡°The human world is more complex, Hesaros.¡± When it came to sponsorship, it was not determined solely by one¡¯s qualifications. Besides, Loreina was the only healing wizard in this empire externally. Even if her magic power was a little lacking, it could be covered by the rarity. ¡°It¡¯s a huge advantage to be able to mix a healing wizard¡¯s bloodline into the family tree.¡± [Humans live very complicated lives.] What if Loreina said she wanted to be Nacht¡¯s child? ¡®As long as there are no unusual circumstances, the grand duke would easily allow it.¡¯ Even if the grand duke didn¡¯t want to, he wouldn¡¯t be able to just stand around. The vassals would rise up like a swarm of bees, insisting that he should not miss such a brilliant opportunity. So, if Loreina became Nacht¡¯s child, from then on, people would continue to debate who would be best suited for the position of future grand duchess; which Sienna neither sought for nor wanted. And very likely, each time, the conclusion would be ¡®No ordinary orphan can defeat Loreina¡¯s nobleness, beauty, and kindness¡¯. Loreina, who skillfully controlled people¡¯s thinking and rumors, would be able to change any situation to her advantage. It wouldn¡¯t change right away. But it would gradually change. That was the reason Sienna did not put much effort into her relationship with the Nacht family. She was afraid that her futile struggle would leave her with another scar. ¡°Anyway, from the beginning, I had no intention of competing with my sister in this place.¡± All she had to do was go to the military academy and grow her abilities as the owner of Hesaros, living and earning recognition. ¡®Do I have to struggle in this place?¡¯ Anyway, there were no big regrets about the Nacht family. Emotionally, she was becoming more and more dull. That was true. But being dull was not forgiveness. Especially since Loreina was aiming for this place, it was not a place where she could stay for long. ¡®Unlike in the past, now Loreina has a weakness, so I have no choice but to use it.¡¯ Perhaps we can coexist roughly in a composed but not peaceful state. In that state, if she could steadily increase her strength at the military academy, even if Loreina became the grand duchess, it would be difficult for her to touch her¡­ ¡®I hope to eat and live well with Hesaros.¡¯ That was the best future Sienna could dream of right now. Hesaros asked Sienna at a glance. [Isn¡¯t it necessary to have money to eat well and live well?] ¡°What? That¡¯s true¡­?¡± [Then why don¡¯t you practice making self-defense amullets with the leftover jewels?] ¡°Practice?¡± [Yes. You might be able to make a living from it.] ¡°Ah¡­¡± She had never thought of it that way, but she thought it would be fine. [If they see you making a self-defense amulet again, I think the reaction will be interesting¡­] ¡°What?¡± [Ugh, no. I didn¡¯t say anything.] * * * The next day, a letter arrived for Sienna. It was delivered by a handsome man in his early twenties who had his fine silver hair tied up. ¡°Hello, Lady Sienna.¡± Of course, it was a face that Sienna knew well. ¡°Here is an invitation from His Majesty the Emperor.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Sienna received the invitation from him. There it was written in the emperor¡¯s handwritten note: I miss the baby and it¡¯s urgent, so will you come to see my burden as soon as you read the letter? I¡¯ve sent a carriage. P.S. Well, I¡¯d be happy if you could solve my troubles at the same time when you come. For an emperor¡¯s personal letter, his tone was very friendly, like a grandfather next door. Anyway, it was what she expected. ¡­Except for the delivery person. ¡°¡­Why are you here?¡± The grand duke also seemed to find it absurd. ¡°His Majesty has been living in the garden frequently lately, isn¡¯t it?¡± The man answered meekly with his blue eyes shining. ¡°Sometimes the servants get lost and cannot find His Majesty, so when I have time, I run letter errands.¡± ¡°¡­Does Euros have so much free time?¡± Depending how you heard it, you could take it as an argument, but¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t have much to say.¡± ¡­The Duke of the Skies, Tesius Euros, seemed to be carefree and easygoing. ¡°Actually, I was curious about the owner of the new Named.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I wondered who she was¡­¡± His tone of voice had a unique rhythmic feel, and it was as if she was listening to a whisper even though he was just saying it. ¡°¡­It was literally like ¡®spring¡¯ came to the underworld.¡± Tesius looked at Sienna and smiled mischievously. The grand duke, who saw it, asked. ¡°Is this all you¡¯re here for?¡± In some way, it was a thorny tone. ¡°Yes that¡¯s right.¡± Tesius placed his hand on his chest and bowed politely to Sienna. ¡°Then I wish you good luck, Lady of Spring.¡± Duke Euros left. As if his only purpose was to run an errand for that letter. ¡®He was like that before, but now he is like a floating cloud.¡¯ But it wasn¡¯t Tesius Euros that mattered now. It was because today was the day Sienna would finally go to purify the fraud in the emperor¡¯s body. * * * The royal carriage was waiting patiently in front of the main gate. Sienna, who was ready, stood in front of the carriage, and the driver opened the door. At the same time¡­ ¡°¡­I knew I was going to be like this.¡± The driver had just opened the carriage door normally, but they were already standing in front of a familiar forest road, not in front of the carriage door. The grand duke rubbed his forehead and sighed. ¡°His Majesty, uhh¡­¡± Sienna asked without knowing. ¡°Does he usually connect the garden to any place like this¡­?¡± ¡°He¡¯s kind of like that.¡± The grand duke had an utterly weary voice. ¡°In the past, when I returned home after finishing my schedule, I opened the bedroom door and was called to the garden.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± That was a little¡­ No, it was not just a little, but she thought he would hate it a lot. They followed the leaves that were beckoning softly, as if saying to come this way. Sienna and the grand duke entered the garden. In the middle of the still devastated garden, the emperor was waiting for them. He turned around, giving them a lopsided smile. ¡°Yes, you bastard. I heard everything.¡± That was what he said instead of saying hello. The grand duke accepted it with no expression. ¡°I meant for you to hear it.¡± ¡°Are you sure, do you gossip about me in front of your child?¡± ¡°Is that right? I was just saying what happened. I didn¡¯t know it would seem to be gossip.¡± ¡°This guy¡­ you shouldn¡¯t even be able to say such things.¡± Slowly, Sienna seemed to understand. To be next to these two, one had to have the ability to roughly ignore their shocking conversations. ¡°Baby, how are you?¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you for your concern, I¡¯ve been well.¡± As Sienna answered, the emperor patted the table where he had been sitting and snacking at. He seemed much more worn out than before. ¡°¡­His Majesty, have you been sick?¡± ¡°Oh, my. You have excellent observation skills.¡± The emperor chuckled. ¡°But there is no need to worry.¡± ¡°I managed to endure thanks to the baby¡¯s special ¡®self-defense¡¯.¡± The look in the eyes of the grand duke staring at the smiling emperor was very bloody¡­ It didn¡¯t seem to be a misunderstanding on Sienna¡¯s part that he strengthened his gaze at the word ¡®self-defense¡¯. Sienna managed to say this. ¡°¡­I¡¯m glad it was helpful¡­¡± ¡°How could it not have been helpful? My heart was satisfied every time I saw it, as it was ¡®specially handmade¡¯ for me by a kind-hearted child.¡± Yes, it wasn¡¯t a misunderstanding. Seeing that the grand duke¡¯s face had grown even worse, Sienna came to a conclusion. ¡®The meeting is ruined.¡¯ The only way left now was to purify as soon as possible and dissolve this cursed meeting. ¡°Your Majesty, from this moment on, I will purify the fraud in your body.¡± Actually, the fastest and safest way to get rid of fraud was to completely burn it down with the fire of Hesaros. However, it was still impossible to get rid of the large amount of fraud in the emperor at once at Sienna¡¯s level of training. So, after discussing with Hesaros, Sienna decided to transfer the fraud from the emperor¡¯s body to Hesaros¡¯s body. It would take some time, but Hesaros would be able to solve it. ¡°When I open my territory, lay your hands here on Hesaros. The fraud will be taken care of by Hesaros.¡± Sienna held the cigarette holder like a magic wand and pointed to the sparkling soul stone of Hesaros. The emperor nodded his head seriously. ¡°Yes, I got it. Please tell him that I look forward to his kind cooperation.¡± Sienna smiled faintly. Because Hesaros mumbled, ¡®I don¡¯t hate polite people¡¯. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s begin.¡± Whoosh. At first, it¡¯s light like the spring breeze. A light and warm wind was created, and a group of milky way-like lights drew a trajectory under Sienna¡¯s feet. ¡®Oh.¡¯ It hadn¡¯t been long since it first appeared, but her territory was quite solid. The people watching her were the emperor and the grand duke. The two were not only of high status, but also excellent wizards. Sienna could have been nervous, but she only calmly developed the territory. With familiar movements. The eyes of the emperor, who watched it, turned wide. ¡®She¡¯s born with talent, but she¡¯s trained repeatedly. That¡¯s why she¡¯s not nervous.¡¯ ¡°Your Majesty.¡± At that moment, Sienna opened her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s now.¡± As if wielding a scepter, Sienna held out the body of Hesaros. Although the emperor was old, he still covered it with strong hands. At the same time, the evil energy that uncomfortably claimed existence in his body¡­ Through his arms and hands as if it was attracted by a magnet¡­ It began to move on to Hesaros. ¡®Hmm!¡¯ As the more fraud went, the wind, which was a breeze at first, grew stronger and stronger. ¡®Is it a reverse reaction?¡¯ A moment when the emperor, who has been through all sorts of hardships, cannot help but be nervous. But Sienna was not shaken at all. She had not forgotten what Hesaros had warned earlier. [I can¡¯t do anything about it if your concentration is disturbed and if the territory is shaken. Be careful as fraud may explode immediately.] Recalling the warning, Sienna distributed her mana to keep the territory calm. It was like consciously inhaling and exhaling at a very constant beat. It was a difficult situation where once concentration was broken, everything could be disrupted like falling dominoes. But Sienna showed a frightening level of concentration. Even the emperor, who was rather embarrassed by the sight of the girl barely blinking her eyes, regained his composure. Was it thanks to that? Soon, slowly, very slowly, the strong wind began to subside. At the same time, the wind began to turn into fire. A fire that burned nothing, except evil. Wae-ae-ek! The flames swept through the emperor¡¯s garden, following the rotating wind. At the same time¡­ ¡®Finished!¡¯ The fraud was completely eliminated. Every drop was passed onto Hesaros. The next moment, something very surprising happened. The withered and drooping vines gained energy from the roots and rose. The weeds that had grown viciously as if sucking up nutrients from the dry land to the limit were swept away by flames and disappeared. At the same time, buds began to form as if bursting from all directions, flowers blossomed, and clear water began gushing out from the dry fountain. It was tangible evidence that the emperor¡¯s imaginary world was recovering. The ruins became a garden again. But it wasn¡¯t what it used to be. In the past, the emperor¡¯s garden was geometrically and symmetrically trimmed, but now everything was in harmony as if a festival was in full swing. It was probably Sienna¡¯s influence. ¡°Whoa¡­¡± In the center of the newly born garden, Sienna, covered in petals like a small goddess of spring, sighed a little. At the same time, a little smoke rose from the pipe, as if burping. [I¡¯m full.] ¡®I think so.¡¯ It really was a huge amount of fraud. Perhaps, if Hesaros had been even a little bit slower at absorbing the fraud, she might not have been able to keep her concentration until the end. [Sienna, I think I need to get some sleep now. To end this fraud.] ¡®Thank you for your effort.¡¯ [Before I go to bed, let me tell you one thing.] ¡®¡­?¡¯ [In this fraud¡­ It smells like it¡¯s outside of this world.] (T/N: ¡®??¡¯ means non-taxation, which totally doesn¡¯t fit in here. After digging, I found that it can also mean ¡®foreign¡¯ or ¡®out of this world¡¯. I might be wrong¡­ so I¡¯m saying it here first haha.) Outside? Was it the outside world where the magical beasts live? So that¡¯s¡­ ¡®Maybe, Hesaros, Sister Loreina just said¡­ Are you saying she has something to do with the outside world?¡¯ [¡­] ¡®Hesaros?¡¯ ¡­No answer came back. ¡°Baby.¡± The emperor called Sienna, who was bewildered by the unexpected words. ¡°Are you okay?¡± With worried eyes, Sienna nodded her head immediately. ¡°Oh, yes¡­ Your Majesty. I¡¯m fine. What about you?¡± ¡°Thanks to you, I¡¯m safe.¡± The emperor smiled and looked around. The wind blew gently. A rain of flowers poured down. ¡®Ah.¡¯ It was then that Sienna realized that the landscape of the garden had changed completely. A spring world full of blooming flowers. It was a spring garden where infinite possibilities were born. ¡°¡­What kind of imaginary world will the baby grow up to have? It¡¯s something to look forward to.¡± Soon, something very surprising happened. The old emperor, who was about to turn eighty, bowed politely while looking at Sienna. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡­!¡± ¡°I owe you my life, I owe you everything.¡± The emperor straightened his back again and said, looking at Sienna. ¡°I should give you half of the country, but I have never owned this country. I only belong to this country, so I can¡¯t. I promise to treat you like a benefactor as long as this Feyenoord imperial family exists.¡± It changed. Sienna almost forgot about it because she suddenly heard so many words, but she actually saved the emperor just a moment ago. Once again, the future had been changed. She saved the emperor instead of Loreina. ¡­No, it would not be wrong to say that she saved the emperor from Loreina¡¯s scheme. ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± The words ¡®I¡¯m glad I was able to save you,¡¯ could not be continued. ¡°Sienna!¡± ¡°Baby!¡± The grand duke quickly caught Sienna¡¯s body, which was falling, and embraced it. ¡°¡­She fainted.¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s like that because of you.¡± The grand duke looked down at the child who had saved the emperor and collapsed in his arms. Perhaps because of the baby fat on the cheek, her thick lips slightly parted when her face loosened. Seeing her sleeping face like this, he was reminded she was a child. ¡°You know, you shouldn¡¯t take my benefactor and scold her.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Then why is the child so intimidated between you guys when you don¡¯t scold her?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± The grand duke kept his mouth shut. ¡®Tsk.¡¯ The emperor clicked his tongue. He felt it was pathetic. ¡°I mean, don¡¯t be scary, and treat her well. Didn¡¯t I always advise you that you need to work hard because you¡¯re so terrifying?¡± It was the comforting voice of an ignorant noble. ¡°¡­That¡¯s not what I want to hear from Your Majesty. I¡¯ll just leave.¡± * * * After purifying the emperor, the owner was the first to wake up between the Named and the owner who fell asleep next to each other. Sienna was told that she fainted from exhaustion, but she herself felt it was just waking up from a long deep sleep without dreams. However, despite having slept for a long time, her body and eyelids were still heavy. ¡°You¡¯ve slept all day. Aren¡¯t you hungry?¡± Rather than feeling hungry, she seemed to feel she didn¡¯t sleep enough. But after hearing about rice, she seemed to start to feel hungry. The maids smiled at the sight of the little girl who opened her sleepy eyes. ¡°Anyway, His Majesty the Grand Duke said that today the whole family will have breakfast together!¡± He said there was no need to wake the girl, and that she could come down whenever she woke up, and so the maids washed and dressed Sienna. ¡°Ahhh¡­¡± Yawning, Sienna thought. ¡®I think it¡¯s because Hesaros fell asleep.¡¯ Even if he pretended not to, Hesaros was helping Sienna in many ways. [Just like muscle pain follows when you exercise and build muscle. When the amount of mana you use increases, a load is applied to the core. Think of yourself as lucky! I¡¯m helping you not to overdo it as much as possible.] When she first heard this story, she just thought she was grateful, but when she went through the burdens completely without Hesaros, it wasn¡¯t normal. It didn¡¯t hurt anywhere, but¡­ ¡®Sleepy¡­¡¯ Sienna was truly experiencing the ¡®law¡¯ that when the more magic activities were done, such as purification or training, the more sleep was required to recover. * * * When the news broke that Sienna was getting up and preparing to come down, the men of Grand Duke Nacht were just getting ready to eat. A situation where they could just stick their fork into the food on the plate. But no one picked up their tableware when they heard Sienna was coming down. In the silence, Michael rolled his eyes and asked. ¡°¡­We¡¯ll wait and eat together?¡± ¡°Well.¡± ¡°But she¡¯ll be very uncomfortable to know that we¡¯ve been waiting like this.¡± The grand duke¡¯s brow furrowed slightly. ¡°Will she?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ashiel, too, stared at his younger brother. Michael replied with a natural tone. ¡°Yes. She really hates to cause trouble. Because she¡¯s kind.¡± Michael murmured, saying she could be a little less kind. At that casual tone, Ashiel thought. ¡®¡­They got to know each other, and they got to know each other well.¡¯ It¡¯s good for young children to get close. (T/N: lmao he¡¯s speaking like an old man when he¡¯s really just a little older than them.) In particular, Michael had to grow up almost alone as he and his father were often away. The butler and Madam Dulcia, who was the brother¡¯s nanny, were good people, but they were not immediate relatives. Moreover, unlike him, who has memories of his deceased mother, Michael barely remembered his mother. But if Michael was a lonely child, Sienna was a child who had a hard time growing up.. Of course, he should be glad that such children met each other and became friends despite their different circumstances¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ashiel lowered his eyes to hide the shaking. Long eyelashes covered the gloom that was about to leak out of his white, cold shell. The grand duke nodded his head as if in place of his quiet older son. ¡°Well, if the three of us stopped eating and waited, it would be burdensome.¡± The attendants thought that the Grand Duke would of course say, ¡®So let¡¯s eat first.¡¯ But¡­ ¡°Quietly clean up the food. And set it up again when the child arrives.¡± Ah¡­ Was there such a way? Everyone who stood around was stunned as if they had been hit in the back of the head. However, only the family members who bear the Nacht surname simply nodded their heads in unison, saying that it was natural. ¡°¡­It would be nice to do that.¡± Discipline, norm, manners. Ashiel, who usually acted with common sense. ¡°As expected of my father.¡± Michael also raised his thumb with an expressionless face. ¡°Bring the newspaper.¡± He even asked for the newspaper to be delivered, perhaps wanting to pretend that he was not simply waiting. In the eyes of the subordinates, everyone seemed a little crazy. ¡°Oh, wait. Give me that first.¡± Michael took the newspaper brought by the attendant first and went through it. ¡°Oh, there it is.¡± The boy took out a leaflet and handed the newspaper over to his father. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Fairy Festival from tomorrow. I heard about it at the Young Prep meeting, but this time, they built a huge glass greenhouse in the Central Square and will be holding an exhibition. They¡¯re calling it the Crystal Palace?¡± Michael smiled, waving the leaflet around. ¡°I¡¯m going to ask Sienna to go out to play. She really likes going out.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± After a brief silence, the grand duke asked. ¡°¡­That child¡­ you mean?¡± He thought she had no hobbies other than studying¡­ Besides, Sienna was so reluctant to go out with the grand duke and Ashiel, so he never dreamed that she would go out for fun. When did she get used to it, when did she not dislike it? He was just nervous because he didn¡¯t know when she would be afraid. Only Michael crossed the line. ¡°Yes. We¡¯ve been out together before. Maybe she¡¯ll like it if I ask her to go out again?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The eyes of the grand duke and Ashiel narrowed. They both thought similarly at the same time. ¡®By the way, since Michael was young¡­¡¯ ¡®In general, regardless of age, women tend to adore him.¡¯ They didn¡¯t know that that charm would also work for Sienna. It was dark under the lamp. (T/N: it¡¯s a proverb describing how people are often too consumed by what is happening far away than concerned about what is right in front of them.) While his father and older brother were struggling, Michael was the most relaxed and had built the highest intimacy among the three by taking advantage of the fact that he was in a similar age group. Michael was well aware of that fact, so he smiled. ¡®At least, from the three of us, Sienna hates me the least!¡¯ It wasn¡¯t even that he was a ¡®friend¡¯, just hate him less. From Sienna¡¯s point of view, there was nothing particularly appealing, all three of them were the same. Among them, the one she got used to seeing often was Michael. It was a situation where the guy who had two coins was pretending to be rich in front of the guys who had one¡­ ¡®¡­Surprisingly, I envy you.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡­.¡¯ Even though he knew this clearly, the grand duke was envious of Michael¡¯s ¡®two coins¡¯, and Ashiel became less talkative. If the emperor had seen them, he would have ridiculed all three of them for being pathetic, but the three were absolutely sincere. ¡°¡­That leaflet, give it to me.¡± Intoxicated by the feeling of being the victor, Michael meekly handed the leaflet to the grand duke. Ashiel asked suddenly. ¡°If it¡¯s Central Square, isn¡¯t the department store that Father invested in ready to open?¡± ¡°Um. Well, it¡¯s going to open tomorrow for the Fairy Festival.¡± Two years ago, Grand Duke Nacht made a massive investment in the project of demolishing the shopping malls next to the central square of the island and building a large-scale building equivalent to a five-story mansion on the site. The purpose of the huge building was ¡®a luxurious store selling all kinds of ready-made products¡¯, in other words, a department store. Other nobles kicked their tongues, saying, ¡°It is clear that Grand Duke Nacht has finally been tainted with fraud while at the forefront.¡± They also said things like, ¡°No, how can a store that sells items that are pre-priced be luxurious?¡± and ¡°Well, the Grand Duke has a lot of money, so sometimes he might want to spend it in a different way.¡± Tomorrow was the day to finally decide whether the grand duke was crazy or had an eye. ¡°Oh, oh.¡± Michael spoke up. ¡°Will Father be there when it opens tomorrow?¡± ¡°He was meant to. There is a disturbing movement on the eastern border.¡± There was no way the beasts would declare a closure just because it was Mayfair season. Rather, it was a situation where nobles flocked to one place, which created weak links in the defense of the border. Of course, it was the army of the three major guardians who were mainly recruited in times of danger. ¡°There is a magic circle on the eastern border, so I won¡¯t return home late, but it seems difficult to make it to the opening party. Ashiel, the situation is like this, so you¡¯ll have to attend the opening ceremony in my place tomorrow.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Seeing his brother answering flawlessly, Michael grinned. ¡°You¡¯re working hard, Brother. I¡¯ll go watch the festival with Sienna when I have time.¡± What. At that moment, Michael felt that Ashiel¡¯s eyes that were looking at him were very unfamiliar. They weren¡¯t on particularly good terms, but it wasn¡¯t bad, but that gaze that penetrated the boy in this fleeting moment¡­ But there was no interval to dispel the doubts. ¡°The lady has arrived.¡± Hearing that Sienna was here, the unfamiliar feeling disappeared far away. ¡°Hey! Are you awake now?¡± ¡°How come¡­¡± Sienna¡¯s eyelids were slightly puffier than usual. It looked like she had slept for a long time. ¡®Cute.¡¯ Without realizing that laughter was leaking out, Michael hit the seat next to him. ¡°Sit quickly.¡± ¡°Yes. If you¡¯ve been waiting for a long time¡­¡± Everyone answered Sienna¡¯s cautious question at the same time. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Not like that.¡± ¡°We are all here now. I was just saying something.¡± In fact, if he had just gone ahead and ate, the servants would have been cleaning out the dishes he ate by now. United in thoughts, this became a secret that the three men would take to their graves. In line with the wishes of the owners, the servants served the food again as if it was the first time, as politely as possible. Sienna rubbed her eyes, said a prayer before eating, and then took a sip of tomato juice. While Michael broke the bread and Ashiel moved a slice of lemon with a reluctant gesture, the grand duke gracefully cut a thin ham and said, ¡°Come to think of it¡­¡± ¡°¡­they say the Fairy Festival starts tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Sienna asked blankly. Michael¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®Maybe, Father¡­ No!¡¯ But by the time he realized it, it was already too late. ¡°There is an exhibition going on in Central Square, and a department store is about to open next to it.¡± The grand duke delivered the leaflet handed to him from Michael to Sienna. ¡°If you have free time tomorrow, you can go with Michael, too.¡± Michael trembled with a sense of betrayal as the event proposal he had prepared with excitement was stolen away from him. But the grand duke skillfully pretended not to notice his youngest son¡¯s protesting gaze. And Sienna¡­ ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± The greeting was dull, but the hand that was fiddling with the tip of the pink leaflet showed undeniable anticipation. ¡®I¡­ ugh¡­ It was a score¡­¡¯ Even Ashiel, who would have prevented this from happening, lowered his eyes this time and ignored the injustice done to Michael. Those were the words of someone who boasted too much. * * * A street where flowers bloom gently. Street vendors lined up around the boulevard. Since it was a relatively safe area from war, the expression of the crowds on the streets was only pleasant. As she was watching the scene, she suddenly thought of this. ¡®¡­Would Hesaros have been happy to see such a sight?¡¯ The Named, who left a shocking statement that ¡®the stench of the outside world in the emperor¡¯s body stinks¡¯, was still silent. So without a partner to discuss, Sienna was alone to think about the important issue of ¡®Sister Loreina might have something to do with the outside world¡¯. So far, for Sienna, Loreina had been a natural disaster in a sense. It was in that context that she thought, ¡®I can¡¯t prevent Loreina from becoming another ward.¡¯ The only way to avoid an earthquake was to get out of the earthquake-prone area. ¡®The most important thing.¡¯ Having enough to protect herself as she struggled to uncover Loreina¡¯s lies¡­ Nacht was not important. ¡®But if Sister Loreina was involved with the outside¡­¡¯ At that moment, several faces passed through her mind. ¡°My lady! Today¡¯s homework is all perfect. If there is a score above the perfect score, I¡¯d like to give it to you!¡± The happy face of Seth, who carefully selected content that would be really helpful for Sienna, and gave as much homework as she wanted. ¡°This Deborah knew from the start that she was amazing! I have confidence in my eyes.¡± Madam Deborah, who raised her nose as she said something that Sienna couldn¡¯t tell if she was expressing her pride or complimenting her. ¡°I¡¯ve become very attached to you, perhaps because you¡¯re a very commendable person who makes me laugh.¡± A butler who keeps wearing stylish boots that didn¡¯t suit him just because Sienna laughed. Other than that, there were maids who decorated her every day, complimenting her on how beautiful she was. Assistant Devon who did not intimidate Sienna. The Countess of Gildinak who asserted that becoming a vassal of Nacht was only a way to serve Sienna. Even the gardener who didn¡¯t criticize her for ruining the garden, instead saying, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such a wonderful decanto tree¡± and ¡°Thank you¡­¡± ¡®¡­Oh my God?¡¯ There were too many people who she got attached to in detail one by one. She wondered when she opened her heart like this, and she was embarrassed to think about it. Could she just let Loreina come in like this? ¡­No, could she leave her alone? It was then. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a lot of people?¡± Apparently, Michael had a knack for intervening appropriately whenever Sienna had a lot of thoughts. Up until now, she thought it was purely a coincidence, but¡­ ¡°Hey, take this first.¡± Sienna received an oil-stained packaging wrapped in newspaper from Michael. ¡°I looked around a bit, but I didn¡¯t know what you would like, so I bought them all¡­.. the combination seems a bit mixed up.¡± Banana skewers topped with whipped cream and chocolate were scattered about crispy-looking diamond-shaped snacks deep-fried in oil. Next to it¡­ ¡®¡­Eyeball shaped¡­ candy?¡¯ It looked strangely slippery and soft, so she poked it without thinking much¡­ The slippery feel was really like an eyeball. As Sienna trembled without realizing it, Michael chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s jelly. It looks good, right? I bought it because it was funny.¡± Then, the boy ripped open a packet of greasy grilled meat that smelled of butter and threw it into her mouth. ¡°What the hell is that?¡± ¡°This?¡± Next to them, Ashiel spun the grilled meat that was on a large skewer. The wiggly part, presumably the legs that were under the torso, swayed. ¡°It¡¯s called squid. I heard that Duke Ferrato discovered a new fishing route in the North Sea. It tastes good. Would you like to try it?¡± When it came to seafood, Sienna, who lived only knowing the types of fish, oysters and clams, found it a bit eccentric to accept. ¡®It¡¯s fresh and shockingly creepy.¡¯ Sienna shook her head nervously, and Michael laughed at that as well. After putting down the stick of the squid he had eaten in a few bites, Michael stretched out, wiping his hands with the handkerchief that the servant gave him. ¡°Ugh, I wish I don¡¯t have to study and can play like this every day.¡± ¡°I hate that.¡± ¡°Yes. You must. Why not?¡± Sienna couldn¡¯t stop her curiosity and looked down at the eye jelly. Michael said ¡®Oh,¡¯ and his eyes lit up. And slowly, he started to provoke her. ¡°If you want to eat, try it. They¡¯re selling it for money. They won¡¯t make anything that people can¡¯t eat?¡± Sienna thought it made sense. ¡®Yes, they sell food.¡¯ Sienna mustered up the courage and threw the jelly into her mouth. She felt a little bit resistant while chewing on the lump that was really slippery like an eyeball. ¡°Does it taste weird?¡± It didn¡¯t, though¡­ ¡°I feel strange¡­¡± The taste was just sweet, but the texture was¡­ It was a surprisingly disgusting texture that makes her think they did their best in implementing the idea of eyeballs. ¡°I see. You look really weird right now.¡± The intention to make fun of her was clear. Sienna sighed a little and shrugged. Michael muttered, ¡°It didn¡¯t work.¡± He also threw a piece of jelly into his mouth. ¡°Ugh. This is really weird.¡± ¡°The Little Prince¡¯s expression turned really strange.¡± ¡°You know how to take revenge. Have you grown up a lot?¡± ¡°Again, I am one year older than you.¡± ¡°Shall we buy this as a gift for the butler when we go home later?¡± When faced with an unfavorable topic, Michael¡¯s face, which immediately turned around, was glanced at by Sienna without his realization. It wasn¡¯t enough to say that she got attached to him. But before she knew it, she felt it wasn¡¯t bad to have a senseless conversation like this. She suddenly had a thought. ¡­If Loreina ever took her place. Would Michael spend time with Loreina like this? Surprisingly, this conclusion was reached. ¡®¡­I don¡¯t think so.¡¯ Of course, in the past, Michael acknowledged Loreina, and he did not argue with her like he did with Sienna. But that was all. They didn¡¯t even insist on going out to play together in private time, nor did they ask us to do homework together. They just acknowledge each other in a respectful manner. ¡®¡­That¡¯s why the way he treated Sister seemed to be relatively soft.¡¯ Then for her. For her now¡­ Why? Sienna looked at Michael blankly. Michael raised his hand over his eyes to create a shade, and looked towards the south of the central square. ¡°Oh, the lines seem to be getting shorter now, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I know.¡± She couldn¡¯t believe she was lost in thought in the comparison of Michael¡¯s attitude toward Loreina and herself. It felt a little dangerous to even think like this. Sienna shook her head and pretended to be interested in the newly opened Grand Duke of Nacht¡¯s department store in the direction Michael was pointing. There was a line around the entrance of the five-story building as well as entirely around the surrounding buildings. ¡°Hey¡­ I didn¡¯t know it would be like that. Won¡¯t my older brother be crushed? Then I have to be the successor, but I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the Grand Prince will be fine.¡± The servant assured him. ¡°But well, I don¡¯t know what other people do.¡± ¡°Since the entry restrictions are strictly enforced, the inside might be better than you think.¡± In any case, Michael clicked his tongue saying that his father would wipe out all the money in the system. ¡°Your Highness, finally, it¡¯s worth seeing the faces of those who said we¡¯re crazy. Let¡¯s go inside before it¡¯s too late.¡± We also toured the Crystal Palace installed in the center of Central Square, and bought a snack from the street vendor Michael requested. The sun was slowly setting. Inside the department store, the opening party was already in full swing. Sienna rubbed her eyes discreetly. ¡®I¡¯m a little tired.¡¯ However, if she went back to the mansion, she would go into the room. And without Hesaros, she would think about Loreina. ¡®Do I worry about not getting an answer?¡¯ She thought it would be better for her to just be dragged away by Michael and then fall asleep without knowing what¡¯s going on in the world later tonight. And while following Michael¡­ ¡°Hurry up! They sell love potions over there! Limited daily sale!¡± ¡°Get out of my way, get out of my way!¡± ¡°Hey, get out of my way!¡± It was a mayhem. A group of people rushed by. In the eyes of the rushing crowd, it seemed that Sienna was barely visible. Sienna thought that she would be stepped on if she stayed still, so she fled to the back almost instinctively. But from the back, more people were flooding in for other reasons. On the other side, the parade was starting. ¡®Oh, my God.¡¯ Her vision was spinning. Sienna moved little by little, avoiding the situation of being crushed to death by using her magic little by little. Hit here, and there. She finally arrived at a somewhat secluded place and came to her senses¡­ ¡°¡­Oh.¡± Naturally, she got lost. * * * The opening party was in full swing on the top floor of the grand duke¡¯s department store. The ribbon cutting was over, and the greeting was over. The dance tunes had also been performed a couple of times, so now people were gathering in threes or fives and starting to talk with their acquaintances in low voices. Right then¡­ ¡°Brother! Brother Ashiel!¡± A certain boy came into the hall while making loud noises without being stopped. People¡¯s attention was drawn to the sudden commotion. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the second son of Grand Duke Nacht?¡± ¡°You must have been enjoying the festival. But why did you run in like that to find your brother¡­?¡± ¡°Michael.¡± Ashiel, who was unprecedentedly embarrassed, grabbed Michael¡¯s shoulder. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Brother.¡± His brother caught his breath. His face was already dead white. ¡°Sienna is gone.¡± Ashiel¡¯s breath stopped for a moment. From the moment he saw Michael alone, he had a gut feeling of what had happened. But the shock of confirming that it actually happened was another thing. ¡°What do I do? It¡¯s the first time she¡¯s been here too. There¡¯s a huge crowd outside right now, so I sent them all to find her¡­¡± ¡°Michael!¡± In a firm tone, he called out the name of his brother, who was speaking gibberish. ¡°Calm down. Did you send someone to the mansion?¡± Michael nodded his head. Ashiel judged that his younger brother had done everything he could. ¡°You stay here. Father has an office here, so go there.¡± ¡°But Brother, me too¡­¡± ¡°If you disappear as well, the personnel will be dispersed.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You know what I mean, right?¡± He did. Michael was a child too. He was well aware of that himself. So, as soon as he realized he had lost Sienna, he had someone else find Sienna and he came to Ashiel. For the moment he mixed into the crowd, if he made a mistake, Michael would also become a lost child. And finding one child was easier than finding two. Unlike himself, who was a child, his older brother, who already had an adult-like physique and cool judgment, was more suitable. ¡°Okay, Brother.¡± Even knowing that, he was still upset. ¡°I¡¯ll be quiet here. So¡­¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go find her.¡± In fact, he was surprised and concerned, just like his younger brother, but Ashiel did not express it and answered firmly. ¡°Don¡¯t think of anything else.¡± Ashiel called someone to take Michael to his office. No one could advise him with words like, ¡°Grand Prince, the opening party is not over yet.¡± Ashiel nervously pulled his tie while walking, slightly releasing it, and took the sword that the servant gave him and put it around his waist. At the same time, he quickly poured out instructions. ¡°Gather people and look for the child. We use the maximum manpower we can mobilize at this point. Half of the people are looking from the outskirts and moving inwards, and the other half is in the downtown area. If they meet, tell them to cooperate. If someone finds the child first, hang a blue flag on top of the department store.¡± It was the most visible location around the plaza where the festival was held. ¡°Okay, Grand Prince. Would you like to direct it yourself?¡± ¡°No.¡± Ashiel went outside without looking back. ¡°I¡¯m going to look for her too.¡± * * * Of course, Sienna wasn¡¯t too embarrassed to say she got lost. She came to a fairly distant place due to certain reasons, and she couldn¡¯t even see the department store building¡­ Fortunately, today was a festival day, and there were very few places that were not crowded with people. Sienna was careful so as to not make another mistake. ¡®Just in case.¡¯ Instead, she watched people carefully. She soon found a group of people going to the square, and was able to figure out which direction to go. So the eleven-year-old started walking alone, but no one offered to help. It was never because the people in the area were ruthless. ¡®I can also be elegant while walking alone.¡¯ ¡­It was all because Sienna wasn¡¯t like a lost child at all. Although walking alone attracted attention, people paid attention to the child¡¯s nice clothes and easygoing attitude. ¡®Since the girl is neither crying nor bewildered, then she¡¯s not lost.¡¯ ¡®Her escorts may be hiding around and following.¡¯ ¡®I shouldn¡¯t bother them and make them angry.¡¯ In such a misunderstanding, Sienna was able to smoothly approach the square. But as she walked, her legs started to hurt. It was not pleasant to walk alone with a tired body amidst the sounds of pleasant laughter. To make matters worse, she was slowly about to fall asleep. ¡®I can¡¯t¡­¡¯ She seemed to be exhausted because she used magic and controlled it delicately in the crowd earlier. Sienna sat down on a roadside bench. Presumably, as soon as Michael realized she was gone, he would have gone to the department store right in front of him and informed Ashiel. ¡®By now, someone must be looking for me.¡¯ She was much closer to the square now than from the random place where she was initially pushed to, so she thought it would be okay to wait here for a moment. Sienna thought blankly, looking at the darkening sky and the lights that were starting to come on one by one. It was spring, petals flew in the day, but when the evening came, she thought that it was subtly cold. If she had known it would be like this¡­ ¡®Back then, I should have begged Sir Seth and asked him to increase my studies.¡¯ It would have been great if she had received a lot of homework, studied harder, and learned at least one spell that she could use at times like this. Regret was too late no matter how early she realised it. ¡®When I return, I must study harder than I am doing now.¡¯ Sienna knew that if she had perhaps made this decision, Michael would be terrified and say ¡®Crazy, crazy!¡¯ Madam Deborah would admire her for a long time, say that she was unique, and then move on to self-praise, saying things like ¡®I am a meticulous assistant to this kind of girl¡¯. If she wanted to study more, Seth would refuse, saying, ¡®Children should grow up with a variety of activities¡¯, but still, he would not reject her request and she would make more progress. Ahh¡­ Sienna smiled bitterly, still sitting down on the bench. ¡®I became so used to it.¡¯ It was proof that she was thinking of returning back as if it was natural. ¡®I can¡¯t do this.¡¯ Sienna thought for a moment. ¡­Rather, should she run away like this? Just like being swept away by the crowds of a festival, after disappearing like that, how about living quietly in a place that no one knew and could find? If she could throw away all her worries and leave¡­ It was then. ¡®Ah.¡¯ In the crowd, Sienna met familiar red eyes. His always neat attire was disorganized as if it was ripped apart. With his collar wet with sweat, he looked around frantically¡­ It was Ashiel. (T/N: lmao, we all saw that coming, didn¡¯t we?) ¡°Sienna!¡± The boy hurriedly tried to approach the bench where Sienna was sitting. However, there was a limit to the speed at which he could get through the crowd. Thanks to this, Sienna was able to unintentionally look closely. How radically Ashiel threw away his usual neatness and coldness. ¡°¡­You were here.¡± She could feel he was relieved from his words that were a little short of breath. ¡°You came quickly.¡± ¡°I thought you would be around this area.¡± Usually children wander and go farther away. However, the Sienna Ashiel knew was not a senseless child. He didn¡¯t know if she was going to run away all together¡­ So he thought it would be around here if she meant to be discovered. Ashiel was unable to speak for a moment as he swallowed the various emotions that were boiling over him with a tinge of relief. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Without realizing it, I¡­¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± He sighed and buried his face in the palm of his hand. ¡°Sienna, this¡­ this is nothing to apologize for.¡± Soon, Ashiel lifted his hand away from his face. It was because he thought he should look at Sienna¡¯s condition again. The child looking up at him was unharmed, without even a single part of her clothes dirty. But¡­ ¡°¡­The shoelaces are untied.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Sienna was like, ¡®What?¡¯. Without a second thought, Ashiel knelt down on the dirt floor. ¡°!¡± Not only that, Ashiel placed Sienna¡¯s feet on his lap and carefully tightened the laces of her boots. His hand was trembling so finely that only Ashiel himself could recognize it. There was only one thought in his mind right now. ¡®Thank God.¡¯ As soon as he heard that Sienna was lost, Ashiel strangely thought that she might run away. If one lost a child, using common sense, one should naturally think of the child crying in panic, but he didn¡¯t. Sienna might take this incident as an opportunity to leave them, the Nacht¡¯s. He only thought that she might leave them, who she hated so badly, that she might go away and lead a free life. He was afraid. He wondered if it would feel like this to wander in the abyss. But Ashiel moved desperately. Regardless, he had to find her, whether she ran away or got lost. ¡®I don¡¯t dare to hold onto her.¡¯ How could he stop her? With what heart, and with what shame would he do that? If she ran away¡­ He just thought he couldn¡¯t let her leave alone like that. He was going to put something in her hand. Even if he would remember her last expression forever¡­ He should see it at least once. ¡®¡­But she didn¡¯t run away.¡¯ His worst imagination never came true. Ashiel bowed his head. It was as if he had buried his face in Sienna¡¯s lap. Though in reality, even a single bit of his clothes hadn¡¯t touched it. ¡°Thanks¡­¡± Thank you for not leaving. ¡°¡­Sincerely.¡± The moment Sienna saw Asiel thanking her with his knees bent, a question she had never thought of hit her head. ¡®¡­Come to think of it, what happened to everyone after I died?¡¯ Loreina¡¯s healing powers were false. Did everyone really not know about that? Was Sister Loreina happy after she won the position of grand duchess that she wanted so much? Did she succeed in deceiving them until the very end and continue to eat and live well? For the first time in her life, she was curious about it, but she soon thought of this. ¡®It¡¯s a meaningless thought since I¡¯ve gone back in time.¡¯ Things that existed only in Sienna¡¯s memory became a future that would never come. A meaningless story that had no effect on anyone other than her. Having returned to the past, it would be the most ephemeral and meaningless task in the world to picture the circumstances after her death. At this time, Sienna had no doubts about it. * * * Fortunately, the opening of the store itself was so successful that the opening party ended without any problems even though Ashiel went off in the middle. The heat of the festival continued until late at night, but Ashiel returned home early with the exhausted children. Michael, who was engulfed in guilt that he had lost Sienna after taking her out, and also fear that he might never find her again. Sienna, who was swept away by the crowd and even walked for a long time. Ashiel, who was mentally tortured, emotionally going up and down a cliff over a hundred times over and over again. Each had a different reason, but they were equally tired. Unfortunately, the events of the day did not end there. ¡°Your Highness the Grand Prince.¡± ¡°¡­What is it?¡± The old butler, who always had a smile on his face, had a rare serious expression. Following the guidance of the old butler, they gathered in the drawing room. ¡°It¡¯s urgent from the Eastern Front. His Majesty the Grand Duke is wounded.¡± ¡°¡­My father?¡± As if Michael couldn¡¯t believe it, he said, ¡°Ha¡­¡± and sat down in despair. Sienna was also surprised by the unexpected news. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Ashiel asked briefly. Surprisingly, from the moment the story of ¡¯emergency¡¯ fell, the sign of exhaustion on Ashiel¡¯s face that had been strangely hidden from before, disappeared at once. ¡°Fortunately, it ended smoothly, and now we will proceed with the purification work after incineration. However, the injury of the Grand Duke¡­¡± ¡°Stop.¡± Ashiel interrupted the butler. He was conscious of Michael and Sienna. ¡°There is a portal at Base 2 of the Eastern Front.¡± ¡°Yes. He said that he will get permission to use the portal immediately and that to be transported there. So, I sent the carriage straight away. He should be coming home by now. Considering the time he was contacted earlier, the arrival time is¡­.¡± ¡°About five minutes. What about preparations?¡± ¡°He can get treatment right away.¡± The moment Ashiel, who nodded, was about to order Michael and Sienna to be taken to their rooms. Suddenly there was a commotion outside. The butler groaned. ¡°Hey, it looks like the Grand Duke has arrived!¡± When the grand duke entered the house, his condition was worse than expected. Even considering that his original skin color wasn¡¯t really dark, his face was too pale, and he was exuding a bloody smell. In addition, the grand duke barely took off the outer layer of his armor, and he had not wiped away the body fluids of the enemy, including the ones on his face. No matter how badly injured he was, he was still the grand duke. On the way here, there was no one who could help him change clothes or wipe the dirt while giving emergency treatment ¡°Your Majesty!¡± ¡°Come this way!¡± ¡°He can¡¯t go upstairs! Get the treatment supplies here!¡± It wasn¡¯t because there wasn¡¯t enough manpower. It was because they had no time to care about anything else besides taking care of his injuries and preventing the grand duke from dying on the road. ¡°Bring the sofa out from the drawing room!¡± ¡°Prepare hot water and clean cotton cloths!¡± ¡°A potion? Damn it, bring it quickly!¡± It was a mess. Immediately, the doctor came running, and all the personnel in the mansion rushed around and started carrying the necessary items. In just five minutes, the front door became a field ward for just one person. The doctor who came in haste checked the extent of the wound. ¡®The location¡­¡¯ It was a wound that ran from his flank, under his ribs, across his abdomen. The doctor tilted his head. ¡®Looking from the outside, it¡¯s not like this wound would end up this far.¡¯ His condition was too serious compared to the severity of the wound. ¡®There¡¯s no way it won¡¯t heal like this.¡¯ In addition, it was a problem that blood was constantly dripping and wetting the floor. Probably, if the bleeding was not stopped as it is, there would be no need to even check the ribs. ¡®It¡¯s all up to fate anyway!¡¯ With a violent touch, the doctor used a clean cloth to block the wound and shouted. ¡°Hemostasis potion! Bring the hemostasis potion first!!¡± ¡°It¡¯s here. But¡­¡± The doctor poured a potion in which the waiting wizard had poured magic into. Fortunately, it worked to some extent. Several drugs that were subsequently injected began to work little by little. ¡°I¡¯m glad¡­!¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of the hemostatic potion before, but I¡¯m glad¡­!¡± As he started to show recovery, people became more diligent. The scene of a desperate struggle where medical treatment was performed in real time was a scene where even the son could not intervene. Even if it was Grand Prince Ashiel, he was still only allowed to watch. Devon, who had accompanied the grand duke, came to Ashiel and bowed his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness.¡± He did not have many injuries, but he was in a similar mess as he was almost completely covered with the remains of a beast. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°We were attacked by a group of magical beasts believed to be Unique right after the subjugation.¡± ¡°¡­Wait, Unique beasts attacked in a group?¡± ¡°Yes, it was as if they were waiting for the Grand Duke. No, it was as if the subjugation itself was induced by them.¡± Even if that was the case, Devon knelt down, saying there was no excuse. ¡°I will repay with my life for the crime of failing to protect His Majesty the Grand Duke, but please let me confirm his safety before leaving.¡± ¡°¡­No matter how poor the situation in the East is, it is not impossible to be injured at the military base.¡± But the fact that they had urgently obtained permission to use the portal and had been transported like this¡­ From Ashiel¡¯s point of view, their intention was not for treatment. Devon answered, biting his lips, crushing them. ¡°¡­If he ever dies¡­ at least, it shouldn¡¯t be on a battlefield.¡± ¡®I guess so.¡¯ Ashiel thought blankly. When a wizard died in a place that was infested with demonic beasts and murky with fraud¡­ Although rare, there were cases where the corpse itself turned into a beast. It was also a problem that the corpse was cursed, but if the corpse of a powerful wizard like the grand duke became a beast, it would require a lot of sacrifices to subdue it. It would be a disaster in itself, but the fact that the head of the 3rd generation guardian family and their master becomes the target of subjugation¡­ ¡®Never. It cannot and should never be.¡¯ Devon had brought the grand duke here all the way here with the thought that it was unacceptable. Desperately. Sienna was watching the scene from a step away. Currently, she was in a shock that was slightly different from other people. Because¡­ ¡®This has never happened before.¡¯ Back at this time, Sienna was being abused by her tutor on the 3rd floor of the castle. She didn¡¯t know what happened to the system. (T/N: in case you forgot since its last appearance was many episodes ago, in this novel, ¡®system¡¯ is like ¡®country¡¯.) But if the grand duke had been seriously injured like this, there was no way she couldn¡¯t have known it. She might not know at the time. But such a big thing was always going to be talked about. At the very least, Sienna should have heard of the Grand Duke¡¯s serious injuries. But she didn¡¯t remember it at all. So she could be sure. ¡®It¡¯s never happened before.¡¯ She suddenly had a thought. Could it be that this was also Loreina¡¯s intention? In the face of flowing blood and near death, Sienna was approaching the truth faster than ever before. A conversation between Devon and Ashiel a while ago was a great hint. ¡®Unique attacking in a group?¡¯ According to what she studied with Seth, Unique were individuals with high pride. Unlike the Uncommons and Rares, this individual, using intelligence and magic close to humans¡¯, took great pride in the fact that they were not unreasonable beings. Therefore, they were individuals who mainly acted alone or preferred to lead a class lower than itself. It was very rare for Uniques to cooperate. ¡®Perhaps¡­¡¯ Assuming that an unknown helping force, presumed to be of the outside world, was attached to Loreina. ¡­What if they wanted Loreina to enter the underworld? ¡®It would be the fastest to do so by giving Loreina a chance to heal the grand duke.¡¯ The moment she thought so. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Your Majesty! Are you conscious?¡± ¡°!¡± Ashiel and Michael hurried toward their father. If possible, Ashiel wanted to send Michael back back, but now he couldn¡¯t. It was a situation where their father might die. Sienna quietly followed behind them. ¡°Father.¡± ¡°¡­Ashiel.¡± With a pale white face, the grand duke barely answered. The grand duke not only regained consciousness with his superhuman mental capability, but he also recognized his son. Everyone forgot the situation and stuck out their tongues all at once. ¡°Your Highness, and Your Majesty the Archduke.¡± The doctor opened his mouth with a determined expression. ¡°I used various methods to stop the deterioration of Your Majesty, but¡­¡± The grand duke looked down at the wound. A type 1 wizard¡¯s time-binding spell was on it. ¡®It means that if time hadn¡¯t stopped, I could have died.¡¯ ¡°To put it bluntly, the general level of treatment to the wounds of the Grand Duke is not working at all. For us¡­ this is the only way to buy time.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So I mean, why don¡¯t you call a healing wizard?¡± He was referring to Loreina. ¡°I don¡¯t know how the healing wizard¡¯s skills are, but it¡¯s the only thing we can try for now, so I¡¯m suggesting this because I think it¡¯s good.¡± ¡®Is he talking about Loreina Minangsi¡­¡¯ The grand duke looked around, trying not to breathe too harshly. And his eyes met Sienna, who was looking at him from behind his sons. The moment he saw Sienna¡¯s expression, a word passed through the archduke¡¯s head. ¡®¡­No.¡¯ He shouldn¡¯t call Loreina or Minangsi now. He came to that conclusion instinctively, and the reason came to mind a beat later. The couple of Count Minangsi would see it as a golden opportunity if Loreina healed the grand duke. It was not difficult to imagine even the scene of them requesting that he take Loreina as a ward, saying that she was his lifesaver. It would make Sienna uneasy. What would happen to a child who was always ready to give up or share it if a better child than her wanted the position as ward¡­? Wasn¡¯t it very obvious? The grand duke did not want Sienna to think like that. ¡­Never. It might not be appropriate as a reason to reject the only hope in the face of death. However, an instinctive sense of rejection beyond what was thought in his head was setting the direction of the action. No Loreina or Minangsi. She couldn¡¯t. ¡°Don¡¯t call the healing wizard¡­¡± ¡°Yes? But, Grand Duke, you can¡¯t do this! I don¡¯t know why, but the wound isn¡¯t healing at all right now. The only way is to call a healing wizard¡­¡± At that moment, Sienna caught the black energy rising from the grand duke¡¯s wounds. Without realizing it, she took a step forward. ¡°Now, wait a minute. His Majesty¡¯s wounds are infected with fraud.¡± ¡°Yes?!¡± ¡°Please allow me to examine the wounds!¡± ¡°But now, it¡¯s better to call a healing wizard¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± It was the grand duke. ¡°Let the child¡­ come this way.¡± ¡°Your Majesty!¡± But in the end, the stubbornness of the grand duke prevailed. Sienna was escorted to the medical staff¡¯s seat right in front of the grand duke, which even his sons could not reach. ¡°Are you okay to see the wound¡­?¡± Sienna nodded her head resolutely. It didn¡¯t matter whether she saw blood or broken flesh. ¡®Hesaros is away.¡¯ To be exact, he was asleep. ¡®So I have to solve this problem myself.¡¯ Sienna first looked at the grand duke¡¯s wounds and the fraud that had stained them. ¡®It¡¯s not just fraud.¡¯ It was complex and sophisticated. Like magic. Sienna put her hand next to the grand duke¡¯s wound. The grand duke did not stop the small hand from reaching. The other people were restrained by Ashiel. So Sienna was able to develop her territory without any hindrance. She desperately recalled Hesaros¡¯ explanation that she had heard in her head. [Listen, Sienna. It is already a spell in itself for a Terraformer to open a territory. You already have the power to order.] ¡°Ah¡­!¡± When Sienna opened up her territory, the judicial law incantation hidden in the grand duke¡¯s wounds was revealed. (T/N: reminder that judicial law is the magic of beasts.) A black energy rose as if it had a will, but Sienna was not repulsed. [You must not let up your spell. If you¡¯re not distracted, you¡¯ve won half the battle.] Indeed, as he said, the black energy was wriggling menacingly, but could not cross Sienna¡¯s border. In the suffocating silence, Sienna slowly narrowed her boundaries. It was her first time doing this. It wasn¡¯t easy. Above all, Sienna was directly exposed to the attack of fraud because it was implemented in a powerful form of spell and trapped in her world. Her whole body felt like it was being stabbed with needles. ¡®This is what it¡¯s like to respond to fraud without Hesaros¡­¡¯ But Sienna did not give up. Sienna looked at the fraud with tenacious eyes, and figured out the constant rhythm of the spell¡¯s movement. Cold sweat was forming on the back of her neck, but she slowly tightened the fraud as if strangling its neck¡­ ¡®Now!¡¯ Taking advantage of the slightly fading of the spell, she poured out the magic of purification at once. A strong light exploded. ¨CKieek!! The magic that could be called the wrath of the beast shrieked and faded away. ¡®Huh?¡¯ However, the moment the fraud disappeared, Sienna revealed things that were not visible because of the dark energy. Life force was flowing out from the wounds of the grand duke. ¡°Is it all over?¡± ¡°No, I just removed the spell.¡± From Sienna¡¯s eyes, this spell must have been a spell that allowed life force to flow out of the grand duke¡¯s wounds. ¡°The spell has been removed, but the damage remains. This is¡­¡± Could she do anything about it? In the end, did she need to call Loreina to heal him? However, Loreina¡¯s treatment essentially consumes life. Even if his wound heals, his lifespan will be shortened. At that moment, an idea popped into Sienna¡¯s mind. ¡®If it¡¯s not a normal wound, it¡¯s fraud damage, wouldn¡¯t it be possible to burn it with purifying fire?¡¯ Once the fraud had been eliminated, the rest could be solved with potions, but¡­ Sienna tried to ignite the fire of purification. ¡°H-Hey, wait¡­!¡± It looked like someone was trying to stop her, but Sienna didn¡¯t hesitate. A rushing flame covered the grand duke¡¯s wounds as if flowing from Sienna¡¯s hand. On the surface, it looked like it was just covered, but Sienna fine-tuned the flames and burrowed into the damaged area. And started filling it up. ¡°¡­!¡± People all stopped breathing and watched. After a while¡­ The fire was quietly extinguished. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Everyone held their breath. ¡°The wound is gone¡­¡± ¡­It was the first appearance of a healing fire that would go down in history. * * * At that time, Loreina was wandering around the underworld¡¯s castle in her carriage. It was to not miss the opportunity to heal Grand Duke Nacht today, as instructed by the respected ¡®He¡¯. From afar came the joyful noises of the street filled with the heat of the festival. Loreina, too, pretended to be someone who came out to enjoy the Fairy Festival without thinking, and was dressed in a pink dress that seemed to be scattered with a lot of spring flowers. A beautiful girl like a fairy at the Fairy Festival. But the inside was not as peaceful as the outside. ¡®Why¡­ No response?¡¯ Loreina was nervous. Today was an opportunity for the genius created by ¡®him¡¯. (T/N: She is the genius created by him. Not that it¡¯s an opportunity created by the genius him.) Inflicting a life-threatening injury on Grand Duke Nacht, allowing Loreina to heal the wound. Loreina tried to calm herself down. ¡®His schemes are excellent.¡¯ ¡°If a beautiful girl who saved the Grand Duke¡¯s life asks with a shy and trembling voice, ¡®I hope you will accept me as Nacht¡¯s child,¡¯ who can refuse?¡± Yes, there was no way he could refuse. Loreina tried to be certain. However, it was also true that the longer the waiting time, the more difficult it was to keep calm. ¡®¡­Maybe it¡¯s a failure?¡¯ There was only one thing Loreina worried about when she first heard of this plan. Was it really possible to bring Grand Duke Nacht¡¯s life to the brink? Grand Duke Nacht was the head of the 3rd Guardian Family, the owner of the Named, and a death god who swept the battlefields. ¡®He should have succeeded¡­¡¯ At this moment, there was not even a fingernail-sized guilt in Loreina¡¯s head about manipulating demonic beasts and attacking a man who protected this empire. She didn¡¯t even wonder how ¡®He¡¯ was able to control such powerful beasts, in these circumstances. Could ¡®He¡¯ help her achieve her dream of entering the Nacht family, or not? Was this plan successful? It was the only thing that mattered to Loreina. An imperial nobleman makes a ¡®blue ribbon oath¡¯ to enjoy privileges only if he fulfilled his duty to protect the empire and its people. From the moment she decided to borrow the power of the magical beast, Loreina had violated this sacred oath. But it didn¡¯t matter. It didn¡¯t matter to her that the fall of Grand Duke Nacht could seriously damage the empire¡¯s defences against extraterrestrial offensives. It was only important that her own dream, a dream that was completely based on desires, came true. Loreina was the only daughter of the Count of Minangsi, who occupied the granary of the East. When she was young, she really thought she was a princess. ¡®It was an illusion.¡¯ It was when she participated in the preparation event hosted by the Grand Duke Nacht that she realised the reality. There, ¡®Loreina Minangsi¡¯ was a pretty decent young girl from a pretty decent family. It was just that. ¡®This¡­ Not really¡­¡¯ The disgrace of that day when she had to look at Ashiel Nacht, the boy everyone looked up to, while buried in the crowd¡­ It was still as clear as if it was engraved into the bone. It hurt. ¡°How was today, my daughter?¡± As soon as she returned home like that, the Countess of Minangsi said to her daughter, who had completely ruined her food and drink with an unknown cause. ¡°I know. That must have been humiliating. But what can I do? It¡¯s not worth it now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The countess smiled at her daughter, who was staring at her with reddened eyes as if she was about to kill her. ¡°Is it because you¡¯re still young? My daughter. Why can¡¯t you think? If you stood next to the Grand Prince as a companion, everything would be yours.¡± It was. Just stand next to the boy. Admiration, cheer, and envy can all be yours. From that moment on, Loreina Minangsi¡¯s purpose became clear. In the midst of that, she was fortunate enough to meet ¡®him¡¯. ¡®He¡¯ was hoping that Loreina would go into Nacht and exert influence within the family instead of him. Of course, Loreina promised to. With his help, she nodded happily, saying that if she becomes a child of Nacht and later becomes the grand duchess, she would do her best to cooperate with everything he wants. So, this plan had to be successful. ¡®That ugly bitch¡­ Even if it¡¯s to pay back some of the humiliation I suffered!¡¯ The fact that the position she so longed for had been given to a commoner orphan first made Loreina angry. Of course, as long as she became a true Nacht child, she was not going to leave her alone. ¡®I still haven¡¯t changed my mind. No!¡¯ That stupid, foolish orphan even insulted her¡­ ¡®I¡¯m not going to let you live. I¡¯m going to rip all your limbs apart. I¡¯m going to pluck off all of your nails and feed them to the dogs.¡¯ In order to do that, the work he had planned this time must be successful. Why was there no news yet? The grand duke was dying, so of course they had to think of her, a healing wizard that was nearby. She heard that he had already hinted at some people to make sure she would be suggested. Maybe something went wrong? ¡®No, no¡­ Let¡¯s wait. The plan is perfect.¡¯ When people urgently sought for her to save the grand duke, Loreina was going to run into them as if it was a coincidence. She would go to the mansion with a light and beautiful appearance as if she had come to enjoy a festival, and would heal the grand duke. Sienna, the orphan, was a Terraformer, so she could purify him, but she had no healing power. ¡®Even if that bitch was able to intercept the emperor¡¯s problem and solve it, this time, it¡¯s impossible.¡¯ Didn¡¯t he make special efforts to create a crisis that a Terraformer could not intervene and solve? Today¡¯s crisis was truly a stage made just for Loreina. Maybe Sienna was whispering bad things about her to the grand duke, but she wasn¡¯t too concerned about that. No suspicion of murder was overlaid on her immediately, and no bad rumors circulated. Of course, it was clear that the grand duke would not believe the orphan¡¯s slander. Everything would have been solved today by simply appealing to the fullest that she was more precious than the orphan and that she had the ability to save the grand duke. That was how it should be¡­ ¡®¡­Why¡­ is it so quiet?¡¯ There was no response for too long. She didn¡¯t know how many times she had wandered around this area already. If she does something wrong, she may seem suspicious. ¡®This isn¡¯t it¡­¡¯ Why weren¡¯t they coming out quickly to look for her? ¡®Stupid, the solution is me¡­¡¯ She couldn¡¯t. She couldn¡¯t wait like this any longer. ¡°Go to the Grand Duke¡¯s residence.¡± ¡°Yes? But, lady.¡± ¡°Hurry!¡± Cold sweat ran down her back. In fact, Loreina did not tell him honestly about the conflict she had with Sienna at the funeral of Marquis Parvis. Treating Marquis Parvis was an act of deviance by the countess and Loreina. How could she confess that she got caught while doing such a thing? It was humiliating, but the case was resolved by secretly avoiding his eyes and delivering her intention to give up treating the emperor, and covering it up by simply saying that the emperor chose the orphan. He agreed and gave her a second chance, so she couldn¡¯t fail this time too. Since it¡¯s like this now, there was only one way to do this. ¡®I can¡¯t wait unconditionally.¡¯ She had no choice but to face it head-on. She had no choice but to cure the grand duke somehow and turn whatever the orphan bitch whispered into a lie! There was no other way. Loreina grabbed some of the insignificant things she had bought on the street. She was planning to lie, saying it was a gift to clear up a misunderstanding she had with Sienna at the funeral of Marquis Parvis. ¡®I just have to show up in front of the mansion.¡¯ No matter how rude it was, they would not just send the healing wizard back who was just around the corner. But the doorkeeper¡¯s reaction was unexpectedly cold. ¡°It is difficult to visit today. Please come back another day.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Loreina said, trying to keep her composure. ¡°I¡¯m Loreina Minangsi from the Count of Minangsi. Would it be possible for the head of the family to refuse in person¡­? It¡¯s kind of unexpected to be turned away at the front door like this.¡± ¡°Even if you say that¡­¡± She felt like she was going to have convulsions on her cheeks because she was maintaining a smiling face. Loreina vowed that the moment she entered Nacht, before dealing with Sienna, she would settle this cheeky gatekeeper. ¡°It¡¯s not too late yet¡­ I¡¯ve brought a present for Lady Sienna, so can I see her face just once?¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re saying it so earnestly, I will deliver the news of your visit¡­¡± Eventually, the gatekeeper went inside with a reluctant face. ¡®Done!¡¯ Loreina called for joy in her heart. Now, after a while, someone would come out from the inside and escort her urgently. They would bring Loreina before the dying Grand Duke Nacht, and everyone would beg for his life. She should not forget to show a humble appearance ¨C that she was not confident, but would try her best to serve the grand duke, who was the pillar of this country. She also thought that after healing the grand duke, she should collapse like she had lost all her energy. A benefactor who saved the grand duke with all her might. ¡®Once I get that position¡­!¡¯ The careless orphan could be reduced to a miserable situation right away. Loreina did not doubt that. But¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Young Lady of Count Minangsi. We are not accepting visitors today at Nacht.¡± ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± The dream was shattered. ¡°No way¡­¡± ¡°Lady Sienna politely declined the young lady¡¯s visit, too. If you receive an invitation in the future, please visit again.¡± It was a polite remark, but it was a warm greeting to ¡®not enter this house without being invited¡¯. ¡®How could this¡­ Could this be?¡¯ Loreina looked at Nacht¡¯s mansion with a bewildered expression. Something¡­ An irreversible change occurred there. ¡®I can¡¯t¡­ It shouldn¡¯t be like this¡­ I, I¡­¡¯ No matter how much she tried to deny it, it was of no use. Now, she could not even set foot in the Nacht mansion without Sienna¡¯s simple permission. The plan failed. It was self-evident and harsh reality. * * * ¡®Is it in a dream?¡¯ Sienna was held in someone¡¯s warm arms. The soft fabric had a neat smell unique to dry fibers and a slight smell of disinfectant. At first she thought she was just covered with a duvet that had been washed and dried well. However, the sound of the heart beating consistently, and the feeling of someone¡¯s body temperature transmitted through the squishy, ??soft layer of fabric was telling her; That she was now in someone¡¯s arms. To be held in someone¡¯s arms. It was something she could never have even imagined before. However, it was also true that there were many changes after going back in time. Who could it be? ¡®Hesaros¡­?¡¯ One of the sweetest names popped into her mind, in which only a tiny fraction of it was awake. ¡®Hesaros¡­¡¯ Sienna groaned and buried her face in their arms. As if she wanted to be pampered. Her lips moved a little and she spoke. ¡°He¡­ saros¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Sienna¡¯s lips moved very little, slowly uttering words that could not be understood unless one listened carefully. I healed the Grand Duke. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but I¡¯ve succeeded in using healing magic¡­ ¡°¡­Yes.¡± In response to the usual non-fussy reaction, Sienna asked this question without much thought. I¡­ Did I do well? At that question, she could feel the hand that was slowly touching her back to stiffen up a bit. ¡°¡­To an excessively good degree, excessively good.¡± It was as if a lot of energy was put into Sienna¡¯s body because of emotional fluctuations, but she couldn¡¯t load that power in her body. Someone¡¯s voice was heard intermittently. ¡°The damage caused by fraud is so serious¡­ They said that if it weren¡¯t for you, something difficult to rectify would have happened.¡± Even in a troubled mind, Sienna smiled a little involuntarily, thinking that it was quite difficult to hear Hesaros praise her. But was it because of the phrase ¡®it is difficult to rectify¡¯? The appearance of the front door on the first floor of the mansion, which had almost become a field hospital, and the blood that soaked the floor helplessly even after treatment, suddenly came to mind. The Grand Duke¡­ Will he be okay? This question came up unconsciously. ¡°¡­Thanks to you.¡± A voice whose emotions were difficult to read answered. It was an answer that seemed to flow out of a clogged gap. ¡°Thanks to you, he¡¯s safe.¡± ¡°What a relief¡­¡± She was glad the grand duke didn¡¯t die. She was glad that the healing was successful. Sienna was relieved and fell into a deep sleep. * * * The grand duke¡¯s wounds were sealed by judicial law, such that he could not recover by normal treatment. ¡°It would be a confession of my incompetence as a doctor¡­ but if it wasn¡¯t for Lady Sienna, an irreversible thing would have happened.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s difficult to say because it involves the life of the Grand Duke, but it¡¯s not unreasonable that she didn¡¯t notice it, since it was such a clever technique that almost no traces of the seal were left behind.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The grand duke also silently acknowledged it. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for this child, maybe my life would have been difficult to even use.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, so I understand that¡­¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Why is Father holding her?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s my prescription.¡± Seth raised his hand with an innocent face. ¡°All this time, I wondered if the lady was unconsciously purifying, and when I checked it today, it was indeed the case.¡± ¡°Purification?¡± ¡°Yes. Actually, after the lady appeared as a Terraformer, I personally started doing some research¡­¡± Seth said that he had made great progress in his research by having recently obtained permission from the Grand Duke and perusing some related books at the library. According to the ancient literature, he explained, a Terraformer born with powerful purifying power like Sienna was called a ¡®child of purification¡¯ in the ancient era of prosperity. ¡°It was said that even if a child of purification did nothing, they would instinctively purify their surroundings.¡± ¡°Then Sienna, she¡­¡± ¡°The grand duke¡¯s wounds were damage caused by judicial law and fraud. Devon, you said that no action was taken then, and as soon as you got to the mansion, you started using healing potions, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s for sure.¡± ¡°The law lost its power within the realm of the young lady.¡± Sienna¡¯s face in the arms of the grand duke, who was reclining in the armchair, looked peaceful, but somehow paler than usual. Seth explained with a confused expression. ¡°Even now, she¡¯s probably trying to purify instinctively. The problem is that after she¡¯s spent a lot of energy healing His Majesty¡­¡± Fortunately, the grand duke, who had just been purified by Sienna and had nothing left to be purified, was holding Sienna and spreading a blocking barrier. In other words, it meant that about one meter of the radius of the air was currently in a cradle-like state that protected Sienna from overdoing it. Was it thanks to that? Sienna, not knowing who she was in the arms of, was asleep, with an expression that looked more relaxed than ever before. A peaceful face that didn¡¯t even dream. Everyone who watched it felt a strange feeling that could not be described. In the meantime, thinking that this little child might not have been able to rest comfortably because she was cleaning up the surroundings without them knowing¡­ ¡­It hurt as if a part of their heart was being ripped apart. ¡°I didn¡¯t know at all, that she was purifying¡­¡± ¡°Perhaps all of us have been able to live comfortably without knowing it thanks to Lady Sienna.¡± Come to think of it, even though around the time to periodically call a Terraformer to purify, the areas in the castle were much cleaner than usual. ¡°I guess it wasn¡¯t just because of the purification that first appeared when she awakened as the owner of Hesaros.¡± It was a castle that suffered all kinds of difficulties in purifying it even if a Terraformer was called in, who did his part. How could this child endure this rotting castle alone? ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Michael intervened suddenly in a bewildered voice. ¡°I have one question¡­ Then, maybe¡­ That¡¯s why she¡¯s been drowsy all the time?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a link.¡± He remembered how he had once criticized her for not knowing when to eat and sleep. He felt like hitting in the back of the head of his past self. ¡®¡­Damn it.¡¯ ¡°Why didn¡¯t she tell us ahead of time? Did she not know that she was cleaning it up?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. She might not know if she¡¯s just a child of purification, because she had Hesaros.¡± ¡°Then¡­ you mean she didn¡¯t say it even though she knew?¡± Why? ¡°If she¡¯s doing such a great thing, shouldn¡¯t she of course let us know?¡± ¡°Michael.¡± ¡°Brother, I don¡¯t understand¡­ Why, what the hell is that? Of course, she should have told us so that we¡¯ll be thankful¡­ No way.¡± ¡°Stop it, Michael.¡± Even though Ashiel stopped him, Michael continued. ¡°¡­She didn¡¯t even want us to thank her?¡± A heavy silence fell. While no one was able to speak, Seth managed to find a way to turn the topic around. ¡°By the way, the law that hindered the recovery of His Majesty the Grand Duke.¡± ¡°Well.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a good feeling about this.¡± The grand duke was a powerful wizard. One of his titles, ¡®The Adversary of Loraxar¡¯, was a title commemorating his achievements that ended the life of the Epic Loraxar. Even the powerful Epic, dubbed the ¡®Apocalypse of Man¡¯, lost its life at the hands of the grand duke. (T/N: reminder, ¡®Epic¡¯ is the highest beast class. Loraxar is probably a name given to that particular nasty beast, kinda like how we give some natural disasters names.) Planting a spell that hindered healing in such a wizard¡¯s body? ¡°¡­You said that the Unique attacked in cooperation?¡± ¡°Seth, no way.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not speculation. There have been few cases where Unique¡¯s have been found to work together. I think this is a matter of full consideration.¡± ¡°¡­The possibility that it was under the direction of an Epic, rather than the Unique¡¯s cooperative?¡± At Ashiel¡¯s words, everyone in the room immediately held their breath. The grand duke sighed and ordered. ¡°¡­For now, for the time being, let it be unknown that this child has manifested healing powers.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty the Grand Duke. I will crack down on them.¡± If something went wrong, the buds could be broken by the hands of certain people before they even bloomed. When they thought of that, everyone in this place, especially the Nachts, got cold. ¡°¡­Father.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The red eyes of the three Nachts were burning with anger towards an unknown opponent. It was strange. Sienna, who was still in the grand duke¡¯s arms, was safe without any damage to even a strand of her hair¡­ They felt as if one day, at some point¡­ They lost this precious child. It seemed something irreversible happened because of their carelessness¡­ Such a creepy sensation seemed to swallow the spine coldly. Never, never should that happen. Never again. ¡°¡­From now on, let¡¯s focus all our efforts on the safety of this child.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Grand Duke. I will keep that in mind.¡± Then, someone knocked on the door. It was the butler. ¡°Your Majesty, this is a message from the imperial family.¡± ¡°From the imperial family?¡± The grand duke looked at Ashiel. Ashiel received the letter and broke the seal. ¡°¡­On the last day of the Fairy Festival, a banquet will be held to announce the end of His Majesty the Emperor¡¯s rest. And¡­¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°On the spot¡­ he said he is going to confer a title on that child.¡± * * * The emperor¡¯s intentions were simple. ¡°I heard that people keep ignoring my baby as a commoner orphan.¡± As if reflecting the emperor¡¯s wrath, the garden tree trembled. The garden seemed to have been restored to its former appearance a long time ago. The mountain and topiary arch were trimmed to the exact shape, as well as the small flower cluster ¨C they were numbered to form an exact symmetrical structure. As always, it was a fresh landscape that was arranged in such a way that it was like a tidy chessboard just before the start of a mental fight. Just in time, the grand duke had just stabilized Sienna¡¯s condition and had taken the child to her room. Then, while trying to lie down to get a good night¡¯s sleep, he was ¡®attacked¡¯. ¡®¡­It didn¡¯t have to be the same as before, being called here after going back to my bedroom.¡¯ Whether or not his nephew was recalling bad memories, the emperor was busy with anger. ¡°That child is the owner of the Named! To be despised in front of me, isn¡¯t it nonsense?¡± ¡°What can we do that their heads rot from peace?¡± ¡°Is this peaceful? This!¡± ¡°Some humans have the ability to mistakenly believe that as long as their food bowl is safe, it will be peaceful. You know?¡± ¡°I know! So these rotten minds of theirs just¡­!¡± At last, like a lion¡¯s roar, the emperor burst a bitter desire out that any educated man with common-sense would never say. ¡°¡­Anyway, as long as I have these two blue eyes open, I won¡¯t stand around to see such things!¡± The grand duke had something to say here. ¡°Before Your Majesty goes forth, I am here.¡± ¡°Oh, hey.¡± The emperor¡¯s eyes gleamed. ¡°So that¡¯s why the Marquis of Parvis is in such trouble these days?¡± The grand duke did not answer, but the emperor got enough answers. ¡°Well, it is a good thing that you are taking responsibility for the baby as you are¡­ but I am the Emperor?¡± The emperor grinned. Even his loyal nephew, who had never coveted the position of emperor, had a cheeky smile that he recalled the word ¡®treason¡¯ for a moment. ¡°So that¡¯s why you said you would confer a title?¡± It was difficult to say that Sienna saved the life of the emperor. As the plan was to secretly search as much as possible for the hideous enemy who harmed the life of the emperor. For reference, in the time period that no one remembered, Loreina had to go through the trouble of secretly spreading rumors in order to be known as the savior openly. The imperial family only reluctantly acknowledged it as the truth, fearing that denying the rumor would cause embarrassment to the benefactor. The announcement was not negotiated in advance at all. Anyway, fortunately, the emperor¡¯s benefactor now was Sienna, not Loreina. ¡°Yeah. If being a commoner is the problem, shouldn¡¯t it be okay to give her a title?¡± Just getting the title would be enough to give people enlightenment. Sienna earned the title just by owning the Named, and that there would be infinite room for advancement to a higher position in the future. ¡®But not only that, the child¡¯s limitations¡­¡¯ The grand duke thought for a moment. At present, under his direction, Sienna¡¯s healing abilities, as well as the fact that the grand duke was wounded, were completely unrevealed. ¡°But you, are my eyes blurred these days? Originally, your complexion is hazy like a ghost, but¡­¡± ¡­Even to the emperor. The emperor was naturally a person he could trust, but the grand duke recalled the fraud that was contained in the emperor¡¯s body. ¡°¡­As I said before, if you call me out like this while I am about to rest, not even a saint will have a good complexion.¡± ¡°Cough, cough.¡± It was rough, but the emperor was a sharp man. It was dangerous if this topic continued. ¡°¡­By the way, Your Majesty. How far has the investigation proceeded into the fraud that invaded Your Majesty¡¯s body?¡± ¡°As I said before, I think something must have gone wrong somewhere in the confrontation barrier.¡± The system was engraved with a defensive force centered in the Imperial Palace that could be operated in case of emergency. The defense that only a Terraformer could activate was called the ¡®Confrontation Barrier¡¯. It was also the duty of the imperial emperors to keep the confrontation barrier ready for use at any time. In order to use the confrontation barrier immediately in case of an emergency, the emperor had to stay in sync with the barrier at all times. In other words, when the world of confrontation was harmed, the emperor was also harmed. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the most likely thing at the moment?¡± He guessed so. It would be reasonable to think that way. The grand duke thought that it was only a troublesome idea coming from a paranoid human like him ¨C suspecting that there was some powerful and crazy man within walking distance of the emperor who planted fraud. ¡°Anyway, Arandier is investigating, so whatever comes out will come out.¡± (TL/N: Arandier is a woman/crown princess, not a man/crown prince. So the pronouns in the later few sentences reflect that. A more detailed explanation will be in the next chapter.) ¡°Well.¡± The grand duke nodded his head. The emperor scratched his chin and added, ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can say this about my own bloodline¡­ but she has a bit of a fighting dog-like side, so once she bites, she never misses.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m only saying this when she¡¯s not here, but I agree with you.¡± For a moment, the two nodded side by side. ¡°Ahem. Anyway, that¡¯s how it is, so you have to dress up the baby as plausible as possible on the day.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it even if you don¡¯t tell me.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m worried because I¡¯m getting old!¡± The grand duke also agreed a hundred times with the emperor¡¯s words, ¡®I want it to be huge enough to convert the economic value of it, it¡¯ll wrap around her and lower their tails at once.¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re part of my bloodline, so you¡¯ll do well on your own¡­ Right, should I give a special word to Madam Rebecca?¡± ¡°Who is that?¡± ¡°Who is she? The owner of a dressing room. Anyway, during the early part of the year, there was a big fight over the clothes that the madam had made. Because I was busy, I turned the madam¡¯s dressing room into an exclusive one for the imperial family?¡± ¡°When did you ever do that¡­?¡± ¡°What do you mean, it¡¯s all this while.¡± ¡°Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Son, think about it. What if my baby shows up wearing clothes that only the royal family can wear, tailored in the royal dressing room?¡± This was the story of how Sienna entered the legendary dressing room, which could not normally be reached without the downfall of the imperial family. * * * The emperor, who was in a hurry, immediately made an appointment with Rebecca¡¯s dressing room. However, due to the recoil of awakening the healing fire, Sienna¡¯s appointment had to be postponed because she had been asleep for over ten days. Perhaps it was because of Madam Deborah¡¯s sorrow and hard work, she was barely able to open her eyes the next morning. ¡°¡­Hesaros?¡± As soon as she woke up, she tried calling her Named, but there was no answer yet. ¡®You didn¡¯t come back.¡¯ Sienna was a little sullen. ¡®I wanted to talk quickly about the healing fire¡­¡¯ Fortunately, there was no time to be gloomy for a long time. ¡°My lady! You¡¯re awake!¡± ¡°Madam Deborah?¡± ¡°Are you feeling okay? I heard that you¡¯re just exhausted, and that you¡¯ll be fine when you wake up!¡± Hurry up and tell her it¡¯s okay! Sienna nodded carefully because she couldn¡¯t overcome the silent pressure, and there was nothing wrong with her body except that she was actually a little drowsy. ¡°Of course! I thought our wonderful lady would be fine. I knew it!¡± Sienna shivered slightly, still not fully awake. Madam Deborah was not a bad person by any means, just that she had a little more energy than others. However, there was a part that did not match Sienna. For example, ¡®According to my experience, if the madam is so excited and her eyes are shining¡­¡¯ It was never a good sign. At least, nothing that was exciting for Sienna. ¡°Let¡¯s have a meal right away! Then in the afternoon, we need to check your physical condition and prepare to go out.¡± ¡°Go out¡­ huh?¡± ¡°Yes! His Majesty the Emperor has opened up the imperial family¡¯s special dressing room. Only for the lady!¡± The feeling was right. The ominous foreboding hit today as well. ¡°I don¡¯t think my body has recovered yet.¡± ¡°My lady!¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sleepy¡­¡± ¡°The orphanage children won¡¯t be fooled by such a sloppy performance!¡± ¡­What did that mean? ¡°You will have to practice for another hundred years to deceive this Deborah¡¯s eyes! Stop that and get up now!¡± * * * Nothing could dampen Madam Deborah¡¯s ambition to make Sienna wear clothes that were only permitted to the royal family. Besides that point, the mansion felt very normal. To the point where she felt uncomfortable. Sienna murmured to herself as she looked down at the floor of the entrance hall where the traces of the grand duke¡¯s blood had been cleared from the stairs on the second floor on the first night of the festival. ¡°¡­Was it a dream?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but no.¡± A familiar low-pitched voice. The silhouette standing with his back against the light was definitely Ashiel¡¯s. ¡°Your Highness the Grand Prince.¡± Ashiel lowered his eyes toward the front door and said, ¡°¡­The Grand Duke has issued a gag order.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s a gag order¡­¡± ¡°From my father about your new abilities.¡± As expected. She thought this was the true nature of the sense of incongruity that she had been feeling silently for a while. It wasn¡¯t as usual. Everyone was just trying to look normal. ¡®Anyway, I¡¯m in favor of hiding the healing power for the time being.¡¯ ¡°Sienna.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± Sienna raised her gaze that was looking down towards the front door and looked at Ashiel again. However, Ashiel¡¯s gaze seemed to be strangely deflected from Sienna. Was it because of the backlight? ¡°¡­As the Grand Prince, I thank you for saving my father. On behalf of all the families of the underworld, I thank you.¡± Ashiel put his hand on his left chest, where his heart should be, and politely bowed. ¡°I know you don¡¯t like my greetings¡­but I can¡¯t help but say these words.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for taking your time,¡± said Ashiel as he straightened his back. So Sienna didn¡¯t realize it until the end. That Ashiel¡¯s eyes were dyed darker than usual. * * * After which, Ashiel said that he would go back to the military academy. On the way to the dressing room after having lunch, Michael was with her as if it was natural. Michael got into the carriage and gave a simple reason. ¡°Father told me not to let you go alone.¡± In fact, even without such instructions, Michael wouldn¡¯t let Sienna out alone. ¡®It¡¯s exceptionally quiet for him, but today¡­¡¯ It was unfamiliar for her to see the boy staring out the window without fussing or bothering her, so her eyes caught his. ¡°Do you want me to give you a personal reason?¡± Michael asked indifferently, still looking out the window. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if you have eyes, and I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll know even if you¡¯re ignored by the owner of the dressing room.¡± ¡°If I was ignored, I wouldn¡¯t have known¡­¡± ¡°Would you like to bet?¡± Well¡­ As Sienna knew, the way of flattering people in society was uselessly elaborate and complicated. ¡®I¡¯m not confident enough to even bet.¡¯ Sienna shrugged her shoulders and spared her words, and Michael snorted with a smirk. ¡°You¡¯re the kind of kid who, if you¡¯ve been ignored and somehow noticed it, will say, ¡®I guess it¡¯s just that¡¯ and forget it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not wrong, but¡­ I¡¯m doing it because I¡¯m really okay.¡± It was Sienna who fit the mold when it came to actions that provoke negative emotions and taunt her opponents. ¡°Yes. You¡¯ll be fine.¡± It had only been a few months since we met in this life, but Michael¡¯s eyes that were looking at Sienna deepened. ¡°¡­But not me or my family.¡± Sienna didn¡¯t answer. It was because she didn¡¯t know what to say. The carriage ran in silence. Rebecca¡¯s dressing room was not far from the newly opened department store. The doorbell rang in front of the quiet store door, in a state of closure. ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± The deputy butler coughed and rang the doorbell again. There seems to be no response this time too, but with the sound of someone coming down the stairs from afar¡­ ¡°¡­Y-You came from the residence of Grand Duke Nacht!¡± With a slight creaking sound, the door opened. It was Madam Rebecca, dressed in disheveled clothes. ¡°Oh, what brings you here? As far as I know, you didn¡¯t make an appointment.¡­!¡± ¡°While I called to delay the appointment I had made in advance, I was told that we could visit you around this afternoon, but¡­¡± ¡°Oh my God! T-There must have been some confusion!¡± Madam Rebecca was in a state of shock to the extent that anyone could tell. ¡°Hmm. Do you have any other appointments scheduled today?¡± Of course, that couldn¡¯t be the case. Currently, Rebecca¡¯s dressing room¡¯s one-year schedule has been purchased by the imperial family. Both parties knew that, and she couldn¡¯t refuse the guests who came from the emperor. ¡°Oh, no. Come in. I¡¯ll take you upstairs.¡± Even though it was her own dressing room, Madam Rebecca strangely looked around as she guided them upstairs. ¡°Come on, Lady Sienna. Come this way. I received a message in advance about your measurement, eyes, and hair color. I roughly picked out the clothes that will fit you.¡± Madam Rebecca was frantically rummaging through the design book, trying to speak calmly. It was then. ¡°¡­How are you here?¡± Swaaa¨C the curtain pulled. Right in front of Sienna, Madam Rebecca screamed. ¡°Lady Loreina! I definitely said that you shouldn¡¯t come out.¡­!¡± Whether Madam Rebecca was startled or not, Loreina just stared at Sienna with her beautiful pale green eyes. Sienna was equally perplexed. ¡®Why is that person here?¡¯ ¡°¡­That¡¯s what I want to ask you.¡± ¡°I agree. Aren¡¯t you the Young Lady from the Count of Minangsi? Why is the Count¡¯s daughter in His Majesty¡¯s dressing room?¡± At Michael¡¯s question, Madam Rebecca was terrified and shouted, ¡°Oh, don¡¯t get me wrong, Your Highness! The kind-hearted Lady Loreina just came to visit me!¡± Ah. With those words, Sienna roughly grasped the situation. ¡®It¡¯s obvious.¡¯ Presumably, Madam Rebecca had a chronic illness that she couldn¡¯t talk about, and Loreina used it as bait for clothes. Madam Rebecca¡¯s schedule, all the clothes she made in this year belonged to the imperial family, so no one else could wear her clothes. But just because she had made a dress in secret, how could one tell if it¡¯s really Madam Rebecca¡¯s, or if it was a beautiful dress someone made in exquisite imitation of her? ¡°Really? Is that true?¡± Michael, too, was able to guess that, but asked without showing it. Loreina bit her lips. ¡®How did she get here¡­!¡¯ It was an imperial banquet held in a long time. Usually, banquets were restricted to those under the age of 14. However, since this banquet was a banquet where Sienna would be awarded a title, selected children in prep were also able to attend. Of course, Sienna, the party involved, didn¡¯t know she would receive a title because His Majesty said ¡®I will give my baby a surprise gift¡¯. So, Loreina was also ignorant. Loreina just wanted to stand out more than anyone else at a banquet that even prep members could attend after a long time. She didn¡¯t even dream that the plan went wrong from the very beginning. ¡®I can¡¯t believe His Majesty the Emperor opened up the imperial dressing room to that girl¡­¡¯ As the owner of Named, it was natural to receive preferential treatment in many ways, but even that natural thing seemed precious in Loreina¡¯s eyes. ¡°Young lady, I asked if what Madam Rebecca said was true. You wouldn¡¯t answer?¡± Her belly was twisted. But in the current situation, there was no way. ¡°Yes¡­ the madam is right. I am originally friends with Rebecca¡­ I just came to comfort her for a while after hearing the news that she was ill.¡± ¡°You came to comfort her for a moment and hid in the changing room.¡± Those words were from Sienna. ¡°That¡­¡± Loreina smiled and faced Sienna. It was a fleeting moment, but a lot happened. Michael, who knew nothing, was just riled up at Sienna¡¯s sympathy. ¡°Yes, you said it well. It¡¯s not something I don¡¯t understand, so why the hell were you hiding?¡± ¡°I was afraid that I might be misunderstood like this¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean, misunderstanding? You explained the situation thoroughly with your tongue. You didn¡¯t know that?¡± Originally, Michael had no feelings towards Loreina. They weren¡¯t close enough. ¡®But at the funeral of Marquis Parvis, she¡¯s the kid who treated Sienna like a clown.¡¯ It seemed that Sienna graciously showed Loreina her territory as well. ¡®I¡¯m jealous of that.¡¯ Sienna¡¯s territory was something she didn¡¯t easily show to those in the grand duchy. How dare you, young lady of a count family? Michael did not hide such ridicule and kindly pointed to the entrance. ¡°What are you doing, young lady? If you¡¯re done with your visit, why don¡¯t you go out? The madam is going to be a little busy from now on.¡± Loreina clenched her teeth. A place that she could barely enter from the rear, the likes of Sienna had been granted permission to enter the place. As a member of the grand duchy, Michael, who was treated as an indirect line of the imperial family, was protecting Sienna like that. She was about to get upset, but she couldn¡¯t. ¡°¡­Yes, then I will leave. Your Highness, the Second Prince and Lady Sienna.¡± Sienna calmly received Loreina¡¯s animosity-filled gaze and handed it over. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry for disturbing your visit. Lady Minangsi.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s okay.¡± After Loreina left, Michael smiled as he looked at Madam Rebecca. ¡°Well, then, the madam knows what to do, right? Can I believe you have that much sense?¡± Madam Rebecca nodded frantically. ¡°I- I- I will do my best.¡± ¡°Only that much?¡± ¡°I will mobilize effort as never before in my life! Lady Sienna¡¯s outfit will be a masterpiece of my lifetime, never seen before in the history of the empire!¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the right answer.¡± Michael blew a whistle. Very cheeky. * * * Rebecca¡¯s statement that she would do her best was not a lie. She called all her assistants and had them turn over the fabric storage in the dressing room and spread out expensive lace, subsidiary materials, and even jewelry. And she tried to get inspiration by putting these and other things against Sienna¡¯s eyes and comparing it with the color of her hair. What a desperate struggle! At the same time, Sienna unexpectedly¡­ ¡®¡­It¡¯s very annoying, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ From one side Michael said things like, ¡®Hey, that¡¯s fine¡¯ and ¡®It¡¯s not good, so put it away¡¯. He was giving such cheeky statements. ¡°Don¡¯t you get tired of it¡­?¡± ¡°No? I really like to match my clothes. But, as expected, clothes are more fun for girls. Oh, the color of the subsidiary material is too yellow. The pink one is better for her.¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± ¡°¡­I guess I¡¯m a little tired.¡± ¡°Yes, you look very tired. Shall I ask someone to buy some sweets?¡± ¡°I want to go home.¡± ¡°The macarons at the confectionery store in our department store next door are so delicious.¡± Sienna laughed. Haha. Mechanically. ¡°No, I¡¯ll just go home.¡± ¡°My lady¡­!¡± As Sienna became ruthless, the expressions on the faces of Madam Rebecca and her assistants, who had to squeeze out the masterpiece of their lifetime this time, became desperate. ¡°Please, please, please cooperate a little more¡­!¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯ll go get some macarons! Please wait a minute!¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Michael, who knew Sienna was not cold-blooded enough to shake off those who were begging like that, just giggled and laughed. ¡°Hey. This is fun. Great.¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m sure you think so.¡± ¡®Michael Nacht, I will destroy you.¡¯ Sienna made a promise not to be kept like that today. But in the end, Sienna was only able to make her way home in the evening. Like a limp salted vegetable, she was barely loaded into the carriage, and there she thought. ¡®But today¡¯s outing was not without harvest.¡¯ She was convinced by the meeting today. Loreina was a much more ordinary person than she thought. For the first time, Sienna calmly listed Loreina¡¯s strengths. ¡®Lineage, beauty, and greed.¡¯ That was it. If she had to add one more, how about the ability to execute? ¡®¡­Surely there is someone behind the drawing of the whole board. That¡¯s for sure.¡¯ But until now, Sienna thought that even if Loreina had an ally, it was just a struggle for power within the empire. To be precise, she thought it would be a fight between people. At Loreina¡¯s current level, it would be impossible to come into contact with and collude with the outside forces itself. ¡®I¡¯m guessing that person¡¯s behind the outside forces.¡¯ No matter how crazy people could get for power, she didn¡¯t know there were humans who could think of colluding with forces from the outside world¡­ Sienna bit her lips. Perhaps ¡®he¡¯ was trying to control Nacht through Loreina. Up until now, Sienna thought Loreina only had to touch her. She gave some warnings, so she thought she wouldn¡¯t try to heal others hastily. She thought she did as much as she could. She was just trying to bury her ominous premonition. ¡®Because I wanted things to end there.¡¯ But the opponent touched the emperor from the very beginning. She didn¡¯t know how great he was, but was it really easy to get close to the emperor? Besides, would it have been easy to put the grand duke in danger? No matter how much outside money was drawn in, it would require a well-thought-out plan. ¡®He¡¯ must have suffered some kind of loss while implementing it. It was unlikely that Loreina¡¯s mastermind would ever ignore Sienna, who had neutralized it twice. ¡®I guess they¡¯re already paying close attention to me¡­¡¯ Until now, Sienna had no intention of stopping Loreina from coming to the Underworld. It was because she had an intuition that if she interfered with Loreina up to that point, it would be a life-or-death decision. Rather than risking everything and focusing on destroying Loreina, she wanted to go the right way. But what if Loreina had connections to the outside? ¡®Sister. No.¡¯ The tired Sienna gave strength to her jaw. She didn¡¯t even want to call her sister anymore. ¡®There¡¯s no way she couldn¡¯t have known the source of the helper¡¯s power with that well-spinning head of hers.¡¯ Knowingly, she joined hands for her own benefit. Sienna thought as she watched the people passing by outside the carriage window, leading their ordinary lives. ¡®¡­Her desire was more important than the lives of those who live and breathe like that.¡¯ She burst out laughing. No matter how much she thought about it, she could only say that it turned around. Suppressing her soaring anger with coolness, Sienna asked herself a question. ¡®¡­Now can I stand by and watch Loreina becoming Nacht¡¯s child?¡¯ And the very moment when she was about to answer her own question. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Michael, who suddenly interrupted her thoughts, shrugged his shoulders with an awkward expression. ¡°¡­Sorry, I was a bit too much today, right??¡± ¡®Ah.¡¯ It seems that Michael misunderstood that Sienna was angry because she had to spend a lot of time in the dressing room. For the boy, it was understandable. As soon as they got into the carriage, Sienna went into a strangely militant and cold silence. Of course, that was because Sienna was thinking about Loreina, but as a boy, there was no way he could guess that. To him now, Loreina was nothing more than a small pebble that he didn¡¯t even need to think about. After he got rid of the stumbling block, he forgot that he even put it away¡­ It¡¯s just such a trivial thing. Michael couldn¡¯t even imagine that Sienna was struggling with such a trivial matter. He just thought it was because she spent too much time in the dressing room. Michael pretended to scratch his head and apologized clumsily. ¡°Look. I¡¯ll work on it a bit from now on. But isn¡¯t it something you need? It¡¯s not like you¡¯re not going to have a social life at all.¡± He said other stuff like it would be a little easier if she got a head start with clothes, and he kept gauging Sienna¡¯s reaction as he made excuses. Sienna looked at such a Michael with unfamiliarity. She never thought it would be possible for that boy to bend down to someone this much. She even got quite used to this figure that she couldn¡¯t even think of before. Subsequently, the faces of two other similar people came to mind as a result of association. The grand duke and Ashiel. They, too, had long since ceased to be the people Sienna knew in the past. And at that moment, Sienna realized belatedly. ¡®I¡¯m late.¡¯ Even if she couldn¡¯t give them her heart, I didn¡¯t want to see them being thrown away by Loreina or be smashed with dirt. Otherwise, there was no way she would have tried so desperately to save the grand duke. Even if they weren¡¯t precious, she couldn¡¯t push them away anymore. ¡®I have to admit¡­¡¯ She couldn¡¯t. * * * Time passed, and soon, it was the day of the banquet. That morning, Michael was wandering through strange memories. Someone was whispering certain words to him in a soft, innocent tone¡­ ¡°You¡¯ve got an amulet. Are you going to use it?¡± ¡°¡­I see. If you use it, she will be happy. Actually, I think she gave Ashiel the same thing as a gift. I haven¡¯t seen Ashiel use it. She must have been hurt.¡± ¡°What? Why is she hurt¡­?¡± ¡°Um, well¡­¡± Her voice seemed to come with a soft smile and she spoke in a subtle tone. Soft words permeated like poison. ¡°¡­This is a secret. I think she has feelings for Ashiel.¡± ¡­It dyed his heart black. ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too surprised. She won¡¯t dare to think too much. She just wants to be helpful in this way rather than dream in vain. Please have pity on her.¡± The voice sounded like a melody that controlled his mind. But what was strange was that Michael was so angry that his eyes went black at the soft melody-like voice. How dare you dream ¡®vain dreams¡¯? You don¡¯t even know the subject? The self in the dark angry dream was about to attack someone as it was. ¡®No¡­!¡¯ For some reason, he felt strongly that he couldn¡¯t leave it like that. That anger, that contempt and hate, must not be allowed to pour out. ¡®Do not do that!¡¯ The boy¡¯s cries burst through his throat. But he didn¡¯t look back. Nothing could be changed. Really, nothing. ¡°¡­¡­Ugh.¡± He woke up like he was being pushed. ¡°Oh, no.¡± No, he just opened his eyes, it wasn¡¯t really waking up. Michael kicked the bed and got up from his lying position. Fortunately, it was early in the morning, but I wouldn¡¯t have known if it wasn¡¯t. Bang! Michael knocked on the door with a pale face, to the extent that even a drowning person would not be in such a hurry. There was only one thought in his mind. The only thought was that he had to move before himself, who was angry in the dream. ¡°Who¡­¡± The moment Sienna finally opened the door and appeared¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I- I¡¯m sorry, I¡­¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Michael collapsed as if clinging to Sienna. ¡°I, everything, everything¡­¡± Seeing Michael, who couldn¡¯t even utter a word with a pale face, Sienna clapped her hands, making a sound. At the same time, flames rose between Sienna¡¯s two hands. ¡°!¡± Alas, before he could do anything, the flames engulfed Michael. But it wasn¡¯t hot. It just felt like a warm breeze was sweeping through his eyes once. ¡­It was just that,but the mind, which had been dazed by compulsion, gradually cleared up. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°¡­Uh¡­ huh?¡± Michael blinked, bewildered. ¡°Wait, why am I¡­ here¡­¡± At that moment. ¡°¡­Cough.¡± Before Michael could even grasp the situation, Sienna, standing in front of the door in her pajamas, coughed a little. ¡°Wait, are you sick?¡± At that sound, Michael completely returned to reality. ¡°No, wait. Come to think of it, you seem a little warm¡­ and your face is red too!¡± ¡®She¡¯s really sick!¡¯ Shocked by the fact that Sienna was ill, Michael forgot all about visiting Sienna and crying in his dream. It was a possible level of forgetfulness because it was an extension of a dream like sleepwalking. Anyway, the boy raised his voice and shouted. ¡°Deborah! Madam Deborah! Call the maid! And the doctor!¡± After a while, Deborah appeared hurriedly, overtaking Michael and looking at Sienna. ¡°My lady?¡± Seeing Sienna flushed and breathing heavily, Madam Deborah knew exactly what was wrong. ¡°Oh my gosh.¡± Deborah¡¯s face quickly turned serious. ¡°She has a fever.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°Yes, I think so too¡­¡± ¡®¡­Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯ve been overdoing it lately?¡¯ Seeing Sienna muttering that it was cool, with her face pressed down by cold hands, Madam Deborah cried out urgently. ¡°Call the doctor! Hurry!¡± ¡°He¡¯s already coming.¡± With everyone¡¯s support, the doctor jumped out and examined Sienna. However, there were no other symptoms other than mild fever. ¡°From my point of view, this seems to be magic-overexertion fever, isn¡¯t it?¡± The fever-reducing drug was also of no use, so this was the diagnosis the watching Seth made. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°In short, after excessive use of magic, side effects such as fever or dizziness appear.¡± ¡°What? Side effects?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s no big surprise. Even at school, there¡¯s one student every year, that is, the kids who study the most go through this!¡± ¡°So that means she¡¯s got a problem because she¡¯s been studying too hard¡­?¡± Next to Michael, who stuttered with a tired expression on his face, Madam Deborah touched her forehead. ¡°Oh, my lady! So, I¡­ Please! Stop studying, reviewing, and doing homework.¡± ¡°Haha, stop/hold on. How can you scold her for studying hard!¡± The euphoria of becoming a teacher of a model student suffering from magic-overexertion fever was reflected in Seth¡¯s expression and tone, which only fueled Madam Deborah¡¯s anger. ¡°Noisy!¡± A roar broke out. ¡°This man, far from coming to his senses! Is now the time to like it so much?¡± ¡°Hey, when did I say I like it?¡± ¡°Your ears got stuck in your mouth, ugh, is this man real?!¡± Madam Deborah lost her temper and was about to slap Seth on the back. ¡°Ummm¡­¡± Sienna, surprised by the loud noise, made a sound, and the ¡®dispute yet not a dispute¡¯ between the two, was ended. ¡°What do I do about this? My lady, today, you must attend the banquet¡­¡± ¡°Sienna.¡± The grand duke who came all the way here in silence when he heard that the child was sick only said one thing. ¡°You don¡¯t have to go.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Sienna immediately noticed the unusual reaction from those around her. ¡®I have to go.¡¯ It seemed that there was something prepared for her at this banquet. ¡®Somehow these days, Madam Deborah seems to laugh strangely at random times¡­¡¯ His Majesty¡¯s compensation did not seem to stop at the level of allowing the use of the royal family¡¯s exclusive dressing room. If so¡­ ¡°I just have a little fever, so it¡¯s okay.¡± To others, he was the emperor, but to Sienna, he was a person who was much more like a kind grandfather. ¡®Besides, what if His Majesty the Emperor is repaying me, but I don¡¯t attend because I have a slight fever¡­¡¯ She could imagine Hesaros, who would wake up later, running his mouth for a long time.¡­ Rather, it would be accurate to say that the sound of swearing was good before her ears. Something like; ¡®How can you not even dare to give the other party a chance to make up for their wrongs?! It¡¯s cute though!¡¯ ¡­Recently, he thinks that no matter what he cursed, it was not cursing if he just added the word ¡®cute¡¯¡­ He seemed to have a very unique way of thinking. Anyway, when she said she would go, the people who looked nervous when they thought she wouldn¡¯t go all looked at her with strange expressions. Sienna knew it too. ¡®They¡¯re worried.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m really fine, I¡¯ll just quickly go back and rest.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, if that¡¯s what you mean.¡± Sienna¡¯s will was clear, so neither the grand duke nor Michael could stop her any further. Of course, if it was just a normal social event, they would have told her to rest, but today was going to be an important day for Sienna, so they had no choice but to do it. * * * For Sienna¡¯s first imperial banquet, Madam Rebecca made a pomegranate red dress. Initially, when she brought this dress, Michael had an extremely pleased expression. ¡°You¡¯re good with light colors, but dark red suits you well too!¡± ¡°But it¡¯s not a color that girls like to wear, is it?¡± ¡°However!¡± Rebecca preached the meaning of her artistic soul as if she was vomiting blood. ¡°Didn¡¯t the Grand Duke and Little Prince prepare black formal suits? Think about it! Wouldn¡¯t it be harmonious, as if the lady symbolizes the crest of the Nacht of the Underworld?¡± Michael nodded his head. ¡°¡­When I heard that, I thought it sounded reasonable, so I let it pass, but when she put it on, I thought it was truly convincing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying.¡± The deputy butler went along his beat. Putting a dark red dress on a child with pale cheeks; he was upset that she was sick, but it looked good on her. The milk-colored lace of the underskirt fluttered layer after layer underneath the child¡¯s unique, gathered skirt. She was wearing a black ribbon headband to match the cute black shoes¡­ ¡°My lady must be the cutest in the empire today.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The butler smiled kindly and nodded his head. ¡°In addition, I don¡¯t know about anything else, but the ladies of other houses won¡¯t be able to put on a folding screen as big as my lady¡¯s.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ the butler¡­¡± It was a radical remark made with a smile on his face, as if he was a close friend. But as of today, everyone had no choice but to agree. ¡°It¡¯s really like that.¡± Each had different reasons, but the grand duke, Ashiel, and Michael all preferred black clothes. The only rule from the imperial family, that men¡¯s formal shirts should be white, was accommodated by these ravens. The prevailing view was that Nacht of the Underworld dressed up like grim reapers, but today, thanks to that, it was expected that they would be able to become a handsome folding screen trio that highlights Sienna. ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t it a bit scary to just call them a folding screen?¡± ¡°Shhh. Let¡¯s not tell the truth too much.¡± ¡°Yes. As it stands, they¡¯re just scary without a lady.¡± ¡°This is a major development.¡± ¡°¡­You know we can hear you, right?¡± When Michael pointed out, his closest aides smiled and waved their hands pretentiously, saying, ¡°It¡¯s not true.¡± It was ridiculous. ¡®Since when did the Nacht of the Underworld have such a family-like atmosphere?¡¯ It certainly wasn¡¯t like this before, but when Sienna was at the center, conversations that broke down the boundaries like this had become possible for a while. ¡®What¡­ Not bad.¡¯ There was nothing special, but Michael guessed that the grand duke was thinking the same because of the absence of a word. * * * Ashiel left the military academy and met up with them in front of the Imperial Palace. Of the three men, his tie was red because he wore the school uniform. Michael picked a big fight. ¡°¡­Brother, it looks like you match with her.¡± ¡°Such words¡­¡± Ashiel stopped breathing for a moment. ¡°¡­¡­Don¡¯t say that.¡± ¡°Why are you so serious?¡± ¡°If I tell you not to do it, don¡¯t do it.¡± Michael didn¡¯t understand it, but he shut his mouth because his brother¡¯s expression was really serious. The servant who received the invitation at the entrance shouted. ¡°Grand Duke Nacht and his party have arrived!¡± Since the banquet had progressed to some extent, everyone¡¯s eyes were focused on the entrance. ¡°Oh my gosh¡­¡± ¡°That child over there became the owner of the Named Hesaros¡­?¡± ¡°You said she was brought from an orphanage, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°The Grand Duke¡¯s eyes are great, but he¡¯s also very lucky. She¡¯s the owner of the Named and a Terraformer¡­¡± ¡°If I had found an orphan like that, I would have raised her as an illegitimate child rather than a ward.¡± People were murmuring, but little by little, they naturally made a path. At the end of the path, the emperor was coming down with large strides and mighty steps. ¡°The baby is here!¡± ¡°Your Majesty the Emperor.¡± Sienna, who was conscious of the eyes of others, made an example. ¡°How have you been?¡± ¡°Heh heh, yes. Thanks to my baby. It¡¯s all good. Is my baby okay?¡± ¡°I am also very grateful to Your Majesty for your concern.¡± It was more like a conversation between a friendly grandfather and grandchild than the emperor and an orphan ward. A wave spread once through the hall, which was already buzzing. ¡°How can you even speak so beautifully. But your face is a bit red? Is it hot?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine, Your Majesty. It really is¡­!¡± Sienna had to urgently stop the emperor who tried to adjust the temperature of the room within 30 seconds of meeting her. It was completely comical. Awkward laughter spread through the crowd. ¡°¡­Look at His Majesty¡¯s eyes.¡± ¡°I think he¡¯s asking, ¡®Have you all seen it?¡¯¡± ¡°She¡¯s a dear child, so if you act recklessly, that means you have to be prepared, obviously¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t incomprehensible. ¡°His Majesty has always emphasized the importance of Terraformers.¡± ¡°Actually, it¡¯s the empire¡¯s great happiness that a mighty Terraformer appears.¡± The emperor planned this banquet and put effort into organizing the guests. In the hall, there were a number of warlord nobles who had no choice but to be favorable to Sienna. ¡°Those who have never gone to the battlefield and never held a sword may not know, but we are well aware.¡± ¡°Oh, victory and defeat cannot be determined without a Terraformer. Everyone would be crazy or become a beast and run around the world in a terrible way.¡± ¡°Hmmmm.¡± As intended, the atmosphere was generally favorable to Sienna. The emperor cleared his throat. In an instant, the hall became as quiet as a dead mouse. ¡°It gives me a lot of reassurance to see the birth of a Terraformer like Nacht¡¯s child in the last years of my life. Master of the Underworld, you are solving my troubles once again.¡± ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Aren¡¯t you just lucky?¡± Laughter burst out at the emperor¡¯s witty joke. ¡°What I truly praise is this child you have discovered.¡± The emperor waited a little for the laughter to subside. ¡°Hey, you are the empire¡¯s great happiness. Although you don¡¯t know your background as you lost your parents in an unknown event, I thought about it. Somewhere, our blood may be connected in an unexpected way.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± People were buzzing for a moment. ¡°His Majesty¡¯s words now¡­¡± The opponent was the emperor. No matter how brave the child was, how precious a Terraformer was, and a Named owner even more precious, he was not one to spit out words as he pleased. Everything he was saying now had a clear purpose. The implications were very clear. ¡°Don¡¯t take issue with the child¡¯s origin¡­¡± ¡°I could interpret it further, but my god. I¡¯m kind of afraid of that.¡± The seasoned emperor, with his glasses on, contemplated the wave he had evoked, and gradually adjusted the tempo. ¡°Well, maybe it¡¯s an old man¡¯s hopeful thoughts.¡± ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Grand Duke Nacht dissuaded him, telling him to do it in moderation. ¡®I got it, you punk.¡¯ The emperor rebuked with his eyes. But in an instant, he refined his expression like an emperor and shouted in a loud voice. ¡°Owner of the Named Hesaros, who possesses the untamed flame of purification! I will ask you.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Sienna swallowed her saliva involuntarily as she answered. Seeing her tensed face, the emperor suddenly smiled, deepening the wrinkles on his face. ¡°Baby, would you like to become this grandfather¡¯s knight?¡± Sienna was very surprised at the friendly tone of voice that came at a very tense time. The face of the emperor, who was still smiling brightly at the sight of the child¡¯s widened big eyes, almost collapsed. ¡°Baby, actually. I am a very good emperor, but there are no people around.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t the baby know what kind of bad things I had been through not too long ago?¡± The emperor poked his wrinkled eyes with his finger, pretending to wipe away tears. Of course, there was no water in it at all. ¡°Fortunately. If the baby hadn¡¯t saved me, what catastrophe would have been brought to the heart of this empire that I¡¯ve been protecting with my hands¡­¡± ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Wasn¡¯t this story a secret? When Sienna panicked and grabbed the hem of the emperor¡¯s robe, the grand duke, who looked at the emperor¡¯s heinous one-man play with an expression as if he was chewing worms, answered instead. ¡°I put a barrier right after he asked you to become a knight.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± He was so stealthy in his workmanship. The people must be thinking that they couldn¡¯t hear what they were talking about, not imagining that magic had unfolded. ¡°I¡¯ll stop now. Anyway, baby.¡± The barrier was lifted, but the emperor¡¯s play was not over. ¡°I¡¯ve dedicated my life to this empire, but I look around and there is no one there. There are a lot of people who are ahead of me, but at least the baby won¡¯t die before me, right?¡± ¡°If I meet the average life expectancy, I would live thirty years longer than Your Majesty¡­ but¨C¡± The emperor quickly moved his feet under the magnificent hem of his clothes and trampled on his annoying nephew¡¯s feet. ¡°¡­So, if the baby becomes my knight, it seems that I can be a little bit relieved.¡± Sienna simply nodded her head. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll do it, being your knight.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± With the unexpected cool permission, the emperor, who pretended to be crying, turned his eyes. ¡°I heard that the baby doesn¡¯t like to stand out.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like it. But I¡¯m already the owner of the Named.¡± It meant that, in the first place, living without being seen by others wouldn¡¯t work out. ¡°The baby doesn¡¯t like receiving anything¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± What did that mean? Sienna tilted her head. Even now, she was still wrapped around from head to toe with what she received. Depending on who the giver was, it might be a little uncomfortable, but she didn¡¯t hate the act of receiving. Sienna shook her head, and the emperor confirmed again. ¡°It might feel like a burden for a title like this¡­¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not really like that?¡± As long as she was the owner of the Named, it was a title she would receive someday. In addition, it was roughly expected that he would not just ignore her circumstances ¨C she had saved the emperor from the imperial family of Feyenoord, where favor and spite were common. (T/N: ?? the Korean dictionary said something like ¡®favor and spite¡¯, which comes hand in hand with nobles + their thinking.) ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± The emperor looked at his nephew with eyes that said he was in need of an explanation, then noticed that his nephew and his children looked somber and complicated. ¡®Aww, that.¡¯ Fortunately, the quick-witted emperor had a rough idea of ??the situation without digging deeper into their wounds. ¡®Certainly, the baby did not open her heart to those children.¡¯ The trio in dark clothes looked gloomy, but he had no intention of giving in to them. The emperor pretended not to know and raised his voice. ¡°Okay. The baby is so mature, there is no reason for me to mumble. Bring me the sword of oath!¡± For now, it was important to appoint Sienna as a knight of the emperor. He would not allow these nobles to take Sienna lightly. ¡®There are many people who say that the Emperor is showing favoritism, and it is true that I am showing favoritism, but what can they do about it?¡¯ It was already difficult to reconcile with the old nobles who did not like Sienna. ¡®So, I should give her titles, gold, and favors so that no one can ignore her!¡¯ Sienna did not know it yet, but in fact, the knight nominated by the emperor himself and appointed by the emperor himself was considered to have a special honor different from that of ordinary knights. ¡®Although it does not belong to the 5th place in terms of organization.¡¯ Since she was the closest and most trusted person of the emperor, she was considered to be of a class of her own, and it was a special position that even the nobles above her could not treat lightly. Contrary to the nagging of his nephew, Sienna did not show any reluctance to receive the title, but¡­ ¡°Oh, be quick!¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Still, he wanted to finish the procedure as soon as possible and drive the nail out! When the emperor hurried his servants and received the oath sword, he informed Sienna that she had to kneel while receiving the sword. When the little girl got down on her knees, she looked even smaller. The sword symbolizing the emperor¡¯s honor rested loosely on Sienna¡¯s small shoulder. People started to gossip. ¡°Look at those people standing there.¡± ¡°His Majesty has called them ahead of time to draw a picture of the Named¡¯s owner being awarded the title.¡± ¡°Oh my God, I wondered why His Majesty allowed even small children to attend.¡± The Countess of Gildinak, standing on one side, raised her glass high and added the following words. ¡°In His Majesty¡¯s heart, it seems that the protagonist of this place today is the owner of the Named.¡± Everyone nodded in unison. ¡°I think so. Honey, as soon as we get home, I¡¯m going to prepare a present to send to the underworld.¡± ¡°Well, of course we have to.¡± While people set their own course of action¡­ ¡°Owner of the Purifying Flame, as a knight appointed by the Feyenoord family, do you swear to protect the borders of the Empire and the lives of its people?¡± ¡°I swear.¡± ¡°The Empire grants and recognizes honor for your devotion. This promise will remain even when this sword is shattered and our bodies languish.¡± The emperor smiled and lifted the sword. ¡°And as an added bonus, I will grant you the right to use the name ¡®Hesaros¡¯ as your last name.¡± The emperor himself reached out and raised Sienna. And shouted, ¡°Come on, everyone welcome my new knight, Dame Sienna Hesaros!¡± People started to applaud all at once. As instructed in advance, the band began to play upbeat music. The emperor asked with a mischievous smile. ¡°You should dance your first dance as a full-fledged knight. Who will you choose? Today, no one will be able to refuse your request.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± The only people Sienna knew at this place were the emperor, the grand duke, Ashiel, and Michael. As she glanced around on the way earlier, she felt like she saw Count Guildinak and his wife¡­ ¡®I can¡¯t make a choice that¡¯s too random.¡¯ As for the dance partner, she should choose one of the sponsor¡¯s family members. Sienna¡¯s eyes lingered on Michael for a moment. It was because if the grand duke, Ashiel, and Michael were placed on the same line, it would be more comfortable to deal with Michael. ¡®¡­But in this kind of ¡®official event¡¯, it¡¯s a bit odd to skip the Grand Duke himself and even his heir and choose the second son.¡¯ Then it couldn¡¯t be done. Sienna grabbed the hem of her dress and turned to one person. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± When referring to the ¡®first dance¡¯, the emperor¡¯s intention was, of course, for her to choose one of the members of the grand duke family. The grand duke was his nephew, after all. ¡®It¡¯s going to be quite difficult if he takes it badly and gets angry with me later.¡¯ Grand Duke Nacht had a longer tail than it looked. ¡°Yes, baby. Who did you choose to dance with? Will you tell this grandfather?¡± ¡°I just told you, ¡®Your Majesty¡¯.¡± Sienna smiled as she vaguely mimicked the emperor. ¡°I wish His Majesty the Emperor would do my first dance with me.¡± ¡°You mean, me¡­?¡± The emperor¡¯s eyes widened at the unexpected words¡­ ¡°¡­Haha, yes! Good! Baby, you have eyes!¡± The emperor laughed out loud. A commotion spread among the people. ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen His Majesty like that.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a picky person, so it¡¯s hard to guess what he¡¯s feeling¡­¡± Regardless, the emperor who defeated his nephew was excited. ¡®I can handle it even if he holds grudges! I am the emperor, will he kill me?¡¯ Although his back burned, the emperor smiled, went ¡®wah-haha!¡¯ and held out his hand in consideration. ¡°Come on, Dame Sienna, take my hand.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± The girl and the emperor marched towards the center holding hands like friendly relatives. Sienna whispered hastily. ¡°Your Majesty, I don¡¯t know how to dance.¡± She had learned it in a hurry, but she wasn¡¯t very good at it. But the emperor only giggled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I can handle everything.¡± The emperor skillfully led Sienna, who staggered like a doll on a string, using the same skills that shook the social world in his youth. Perhaps, if she had chosen a partner of the same age or who was not as close to her, Sienna¡¯s lack of culture could have been revealed, and she could be criticized. However, Sienna¡¯s clumsiness served as a good thing against the excited emperor. ¡°I didn¡¯t know I was going to make such an analogy to His Majesty, but isn¡¯t this like a loving grandfather practicing dance with his granddaughter?¡± ¡°I do. The baby is smart.¡± The Countess of Gildinak intervened once more ¡°Oh my? She¡¯s no longer just a child, it¡¯s Dame Sienna.¡± A roar of laughter poured out. After a laugh, someone asked: ¡°By the way, that dress that Dame Sienna wore, I am not sure, but isn¡¯t it from Rebecca¡¯s dressing room?¡± Now, in this empire, no one would dare to touch that child in the emperor¡¯s protection. ¡­With a sane mind, that is. ¡®Nonsense¡­¡¯ From the corner of the hall, Loreina trembled and stared at the unbelievable sight. ¡®That girl¡­ Not me, that bitch¡­¡¯ Holding the emperor¡¯s hand and dancing at the commemorative banquet. She was also conferred a title with the sword of the oath directly from the emperor. Being Nacht¡¯s child, and wearing Rebecca¡¯s clothes! ¡®Everything¡­ It should have been mine.¡¯ That girl stole it. A dirty orphan who didn¡¯t even deserve it, had stolen what she deserved¡­! The delicate lace fan that was in Loreina¡¯s hands was suddenly crushed. ¡°Lady Loreina, why are you like this?¡± When she came to her senses, the people around her were looking at her strangely. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. Without knowing¡­¡± While making excuses, Loreina walked away. The whispers of people followed behind Loreina¡¯s back. ¡°Lady Loreina also got quite a bit of attention at first.¡± ¡°I see. It seems that rumors are still spreading among the common people that she is a saint, but¡­¡± ¡°How is she these days?¡± ¡°Well. I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s a saint, but they say she can fix corns well. But it¡¯s not easy to make an appointment.¡± (T/N: ??; Corns and calluses are areas of thick, hardened, accumulated dead skin cells that are caused by repeated rubbing, friction, or pressure.) Loreina felt humiliated. She stood up straight, pretending not to hear, but she could not overcome the rising anger and sadness, and the pale skin around her eyes was already heated red. ¡®You say I¡¯m good at fixing corns?¡¯ ¡®Are saying that I¡¯m being treated like a lame therapist who can only fix the corns of these empty-headed ladies?¡¯ It was unbearably miserable, but that was the reality. ¡®If I had a little more magic power¡­!¡¯ In order to use the ¡®healing magic¡¯ he taught her, it had to be supported by mana. But Loreina¡¯s qualities were too ordinary. It was as the ladies said. Currently, Loreina only gives treatment once a week ¨C providing short-term relief from chronic pain or for treating minor skin and eye problems like corns, warts and adult acne. She had a reputation that was inflated with her natural skills, but that reputation was an illusion. If it turned out that she didn¡¯t have the skills to back it up, it would burst like a bubble. Even at this moment, the bubble was disappearing. ¡®That¡¯s why even stupid people who can only dress themselves up like that and be satisfied with what they have are ignoring me.¡¯ What if this lie was completely exposed¡­? Loreina bit her lips until it bled. Just then, the dance was over. The emperor was walking away from the center of the venue with his face brightened with a smile, along with Sienna, who was also flushed in the same way. The place where an honorable and glorious protagonist shone brightly. That place should have been Loreina¡¯s. ¡®¡­I can¡¯t forgive you.¡¯ She only wanted revenge in some way on that filthy orphan girl who stole everything she was supposed to have. It was then. A strange sight appeared in Loreina¡¯s view, who had mastered the art of dealing with life. ¡®¡­What?¡¯ After the dance, Sienna and the emperor were greeted by the grand duke and the little prince. Loreina¡¯s eyes instinctively looked for a person. ¡®The Grand Prince¡­?¡¯ Grand Prince Ashiel was a little far from the party, as if something was up. He watched his younger brother talk loudly to Sienna¡­ Then he left the place quietly, sliding as if he was a shadow. Loreina, who was fluent in matters of the human mind, especially the dark mind, her eyes sparkled significantly. * * * Ashiel was walking towards the terrace. Today was the day Sienna should be celebrated. It should remain a happy and good day for that child. It would have been better for him not to be there. ¡®¡­Probably so.¡¯ Because Sienna hates him. Just acknowledging that fact seemed to tighten his heart. What distressed Ashiel even more was that it suddenly dawned on him that no one else but him was hated. It was the same when the emperor asked her to choose a partner for her first dance a while ago. Sienna¡¯s gaze rested on Michael. Perhaps Sienna would have chosen Michael if his father, or at least himself, hadn¡¯t been there. Besides, what about his father? Sienna did her best to treat his father. Few people would desperately try to heal someone they hate. It wasn¡¯t just the two of them. Everyone in the Underworld was like that. If Ashiel was away from the academy for several days due to unavoidable circumstances, or was called to the field and returned¡­ The distance between Sienna and the others was noticeably diminished. As he couldn¡¯t see it for a few days, the difference was very clear. ¡®No, maybe it¡¯s just because I¡¯m hated the most.¡¯ It was not something to be concerned about. She was just a child sponsored by the house. He tried to pull himself together, but it was only for a moment. Ashiel thought. If he had shown his face frequently from a distance like Michael or the grand duke, would he have become a ¡®familiar person¡¯ to Sienna? ¡®No.¡¯ He¡­ He didn¡¯t think it could do that much. Ashiel bit his lips. He thought he was thankful that she did not run away. Sharing the same table, eating together, and answering questions asked. Not giving up their hearts, but letting each other share their side. He thought that he should be grateful that they acknowledged each other in the same circle of life¡­ He couldn¡¯t be so modest anymore. When everyone except him got close to Sienna, or at least, she became used to them¡­ ¡®¡­I¡¯m angry.¡¯ He was. Ashiel silently admitted. He was angry. It felt like something deep and violent that could not be simply described as ¡®I¡¯m angry¡¯ was boiling in his heart. He could not admit it. He didn¡¯t want to admit it. ¡®At least let us all be hated together.¡¯ If so, he thought he could bear it. He hoped no one got permission from Sienna. He hoped that everyone would not be able to approach the child with such an atonement. He hoped that child would never forgive anyone. If she wouldn¡¯t forgive him. ¡­It was a terribly selfish and disgusting idea. ¡®¡­Why?¡¯ In a corner of his heart, dark emotions formed into a black shape and asked him. ¡®Why do you have to suffer alone? Why is that a selfish idea?¡¯ Ashiel refused to listen. But when the voice asked¡­ ¡®What the hell did you do that was so wrong to her?¡¯ ¡­He couldn¡¯t remember anything. A faint black energy rose like a haze over Ashiel¡¯s eyes as he stood on the terrace and stared at the almost invisible garden at night. ¡®It can¡¯t be said that it¡¯s wrong for you to appear in front of that child, right?¡¯ ¡­It couldn¡¯t. ¡®It¡¯s not your fault. Even if you sinned, everyone would have committed the same sin. But why do other people approach the child without knowing the subject? Why does the child tolerate such people?¡¯ ¡­While he was refused. ¡°¡­Grand Prince?¡± Suddenly, Ashiel¡¯s shoulders shook as if he had been stabbed by a sword. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know there was an occupant.¡± ¡°¡­The Young Lady of Count Minangsi.¡± Blonde hair and green eyes. Seeing a person he knew, Ashiel returned to reality in an instant. ¡®¡­Why me.¡¯ Was it because he was thinking too deeply? Shaking his dizzy head, Ashiel tried to get out of this place. He had no intention of sharing the same terrace with Loreina. ¡®I¡¯d rather just go home.¡¯ He didn¡¯t know it well, but he felt a little strange and in bad condition. ¡°Then¡­¡± The moment Ashiel coldly glanced at Loreina. ¡°¡­Your Highness doesn¡¯t like that orphan girl, do you?¡± ¡­Those were words that could not be ignored. Ashiel¡¯s red eyes slowly turned to Loreina. ¡°¡­What does that mean?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to hide it. I¡¯ve noticed.¡± Loreina smiled proudly, her eyes shining. After all, she had seen it. The appearance of Ashiel, who was silently separated from Sienna as she received the congratulations. In addition, when Sienna returned, he even turned his back and avoided the area where she was. The girl who witnessed the series of events was convinced. ¡®He has contempt, obviously.¡¯ Wasn¡¯t the Nacht of the Underworld a noble among the nobility, who had contributed to the founding of the country and married the imperial family several times throughout the generations? Ashiel was a man who was born from such a bloodline and would inherit all of it. ¡®In the eyes of such a person, there is no way he could stand to see an orphan from the lowest class and whose origins and history are unclear.¡¯ Loreina¡¯s convictions stemmed from desperation. Originally, she might not have come to such a hasty conclusion. No matter how convinced she felt, she would have thought of Ashiel and tried to approach him a little more carefully. But now, Loreina was not in a position to be discreet. Discretion? Give it to the dogs. ¡®Now it¡¯s much more important to ruin the girl.¡¯ Loreina remembered Sienna¡¯s breathless smile as she danced a dance that didn¡¯t even look like a dance. The emperor was smiling as if he was genuinely happy to match the rhythm to that stupid dance. While she felt resentful and that it was not just, and her heart ached. She was suffering like this, so that girl shouldn¡¯t be happy without knowing anything. At the very least, it would make sense to make her suffer similarly with an unhappy, dirty mood. Ashiel just stared at Loreina. With insensitive eyes where heightened emotions or gloom cannot be seen at all. Finally he opened his mouth and said, ¡°¡­I wish you could tell me exactly what you noticed.¡± ¡®He didn¡¯t deny it.¡¯ ¡®I was right!¡¯ That alone made Loreina feel triumphant as if she had the whole world. ¡°You have contempt for that orphan girl.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I know¡­¡± Loreina lowered her voice sweetly and narrowed the distance between them, taking one step further into Ashiel¡¯s space. ¡°This empire was built from the ground up on a pact to protect human land and human life.¡± It was the first pact the Feyenoord imperial family, Euros of the Heavens, Ferrato of the Oceans and Nacht of the Underworld made. ¡°It takes strength to protect something, so new blood is constantly flowing into the upper layers of the empire. I know it can¡¯t be helped, but¡­¡± ¡°Just because you can¡¯t help it doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t even despise it, right?¡± One more step. It was hasty, but in fact, Loreina had one thing to believe in. ¡®The second magic he taught me.¡¯ He said that it would be better not to use it hastily until she was sufficiently proficient, but¡­ There are times when risk was necessary. Actually, what Loreina was using wasn¡¯t technically magic. She was using magic that mixed judicial law and magic. Although Loreina lacked magic power, she was able to produce unlimited fraud, the driving force of judicial law. It was because her heart was already overflowing with malice. It meant that she could use magic because she was human, and that she could also use judicial law thanks to her evil nature. It was Loreina¡¯s own talent. The advantage was that the law could be used undetected. After waiting for a while, Ashiel slowly frowned as if the effect seemed to be working. ¡®Done.¡¯ Loreina called in delight. With the technique Loreina was currently using, it produced a mind control law that manipulates the mind of the other person. Something like brainwashing, but it wasn¡¯t to the extent that Loreina could control all his thoughts and actions. Now, Loreina had to be satisfied with the current level that she could turn his thoughts in the direction she wanted. ¡®But it¡¯s easier if the direction is negative.¡¯ Loreina¡¯s purpose in attempting mind control on him was clear. Ashiel shared her negative thoughts about Sienna, and she could foster a bond through empathy. Seeing Ashiel silent, it was clear that Loreina¡¯s control was working. Because when mind control law started to work, people usually went numb. ¡®It¡¯s exciting¡­¡¯ It felt like she was rolling that handsome man in her hands. A wide smile formed on Loreina¡¯s lips. This time she took two more steps towards Ashiel. ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t think that people who build military power are always bad. But Lady Sienna¡­ Oh, I¡¯m embarrassed to say this. When I said that I also want to become Nacht¡¯s child, from then on, she started to hate me¡­¡± Loreina lied that Sienna had embarrassed her at the funeral of the Marquis of Parvis. ¡®Because there¡¯s a good chance that girl spoke badly of me.¡¯ In this case, rather than a tattered explanation, she should make a completely contradictory claim. ¡®Hopefully, he might even offer to let me enter Nacht and help suppress that cheeky orphan.¡¯ Loreina formed her words more succinctly. ¡°As a member of the Count of Minangsi that governs the eastern provinces, I have never been without the favor of the master of the underworld. So, I can¡¯t just look at Sienna¡¯s irreverent behavior¡­¡± ¡°¡­Stop.¡± Ashiel¡¯s sudden exasperated sigh cut Loreina¡¯s words apart. It was an expression full of one¡¯s own will and feelings that a person caught in the mind control law could never do. ¡°Now, how¡­¡± ¡°I told you to stop. It¡¯s disgusting and I can¡¯t listen to you anymore.¡± ¡®It¡¯s disgusting, he says¡­?¡¯ ¡®This can¡¯t be¡­!¡¯ Loreina¡¯s eyes shook mercilessly. Rather than Ashiel¡¯s rough language, she was more shocked that the mind control didn¡¯t work. ¡®Until now, I have rarely failed in the practice phase¡­!¡¯ Reinforcing an existing negative emotion was very easy. It failed on a basic level. There were two possibilities. Either Loreina¡¯s skills were low. Or¡­ ¡®Nonsense¡­ You mean that the Prince didn¡¯t despise the girl in the first place?¡¯ Then why the hell did he leave Sienna with such dark emotions? Loreina was able to detect it weakly because she had learned judicial law. She didn¡¯t just see a series of situations. She clearly saw the fraud that rose in Ashiel¡¯s eyes every time he looked at Sienna. ¡®If he had dark feelings while looking at that bitch, wouldn¡¯t it be nothing else but hate?¡¯ But the prediction was completely wrong. She didn¡¯t know why, but the results were telling. She was wrong. ¡®Where did it go wrong¡­?¡¯ In the face of an unbelievable fact, Loreina fell into a state of semi-panic. Ashiel opened his mouth with a cold sigh. ¡°Let me correct two facts. First, the pledge of protection is not a topic to be said lightly by the likes of you.¡± ¡°Your Highness the Grand Prince!¡± Loreina¡¯s face twisted horribly, having regained her senses slightly in response to the insult. ¡°How dare you, what is that¡­!¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± However, Ashiel lightly subdued Loreina like that. Loreina felt the magic around her swirling and tightening around her. Like¡­ It was as if magic was responding to the wrath of the grand prince and was trying to attack Loreina. As if standing in front of a natural disaster like a wild and raging wave, Loreina could not say a word. Coldly wrapped in bizarre and overwhelming anger, Ashiel declared. ¡°Second. Call her Dame Sienna, not Lady Sienna.¡± ¡°That, that¡­¡± No matter what she tried to say in response, the only thing that came out was a choking sound. ¡°The child has proven her worth by her own strength. Unlike people like you who are lucky enough to take only what they received from their mother¡¯s womb.¡± ¡°I- I- I don¡¯t know what Lady Sienna said about me, but that, it¡¯s not all true¡­¡± Ashiel snorted. ¡°You seem to be making a serious mistake. That child has never even mentioned the name of the Young Lady of Count Minangsi. Not even once.¡± ¡°It- It- can¡¯t be¡­!¡± ¡°Perhaps she judged that insults like yours were not even worth talking about.¡± Or maybe, she didn¡¯t even think she had to tell him and Nacht about the insult she suffered! ¡®Because¡­¡¯ They were nothing to Sienna. Because he was just a stranger who couldn¡¯t be anything. ¡®I hate her? That¡¯s what it looks like?¡¯ For Ashiel who only stepped down to avoid offending Sienna, it was absurd and utter nonsense. The anger that had been suppressed until now welled up. ¡°Hey¡­¡± Loreina¡¯s expression turned pale when she met the red eyes staring straight ahead. Magic, assimilated by Ashiel¡¯s emotions, ran like crazy waves and pressed Loreina¡¯s neck as if choking her. She did. Contrary to Loreina¡¯s thoughts, her mind control did not fail. It succeeded in an unexpected direction, only triggering Ashiel¡¯s anger towards her even more intensely. ¡°¡­I beg you, would you please turn it off. In front of me, right now.¡± ¡°Grand Prince¡­¡± Ashiel let out an annoyed groan that she had never heard before, and buried his face roughly in his hand. Red veins bulged from his hand, and they were wriggling. The moment she saw that hand, Loreina belatedly realized. Her magic did not fail. Fraud, which had grown exponentially, was wriggling inside Ashiel as if it was about to explode. It seemed that Loreina¡¯s magic had triggered the fraud that had been already lurking inside Ashiel. (T/N: Cross-reference to somewhere in Chapter 6, Hesaros noticed a very slight fraud in one of the Nacht men, but didn¡¯t say anything or think it was severe enough.) In fact, the reason Loreina¡¯s unfinished magic took effect in the first place was because Ashiel was already infected with fraud. In any case, she could have died here if she did something wrong. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± She was embarrassed, sad, and angry. However, all Loreina could do in the face of the life crisis caused by a major mistake was to run away. While Loreina quickly fled, Ashiel controlled himself for a while with his face buried in his hands. How could she do that? How could Loreina or Minangsi put the child¡¯s name in their mouth so easily and so vulgarly? What the hell were all the other idiots in the underworld, including him¡­ Where and what were they doing before they witnessed such a nonsensical thing right in front of their eyes? Like a red hot steel in a furnace, the anger that rose to the top of his head could not be easily shaken. In the first place, Ashiel was a person who had never shown violence outside of the battlefield. Even when something happened or a small thing was killed, there was no such sharp anger. Was this what anger was? Was this what the will to kill was? Watching his fingertips tremble, it felt like he was somehow isolated from reality. It was then that Ashiel realized that his condition was not the same as usual. He had a terrible feeling, as if something huge and dark was eating him from the inside out. It was not from this very moment, but from a long time ago, it¡¯s been eating up little by little¡­ It seemed that his normal parts had already been considerably paralyzed. For example, a sense of self-awareness that one¡¯s condition was not normal¡­ ¡®¡­No way.¡¯ It was then. ¡°¡­Your Highness the Grand Prince?¡± The only voice he could never mishear no matter when and where he heard it. It was Sienna¡¯s voice. Unbelievably, Sienna was watching him from the entrance to the terrace. At that moment, something that had barely been connected inside Ashiel suddenly broke off. At the same time¡­ His fingertips stopped trembling. ¡°¡­Sienna.¡± It was definitely the worst timing. * * * It was no coincidence that Sienna went to Ashiel. As Hesaros fell asleep to deal with the grand duke¡¯s fraud, Sienna realized how much she had depended on Hesaros. ¡®Hesaros suffered a lot because he met a frustrating master.¡¯ It was a peculiar thought, but if Hesaros had heard it, he would have been begging Sienna to rub his non-existent shoulders, saying, ¡®Do you only know that now?¡¯ In any case, from then on, Sienna began to try to do many of the things that Hesaros had helped her with. She did not forget to train her sense of fraud and judicial law, as well as the sense of magic. The anomaly that occurred on the terrace was detected by her trained senses. ¡®If it¡¯s that terrace¡­¡¯ It was the direction in which Ashiel had disappeared a while ago. ¡­She didn¡¯t have a good feeling. After the grand duke¡¯s incident and meeting Loreina in the dressing room, Sienna was determined to at least not to let Nacht be trampled upon by Loreina. Since then, Sienna has been secretly roaming the grand duke¡¯s residence and defending it. ¡®When I think about it, it¡¯s suspicious that the name Loreina came out as soon as the Grand Duke was wounded.¡¯ Sienna roamed around the mansion like a cat marking its territory. What she actually did was no different to what cats do. Because Sienna planted purification power in every corner of the mansion so that she could purify to a certain extent without having to use any special power or open her territory. She was sorry, but as for now, it wasn¡¯t easy to give the Nachts an amulet. Or should she say this instead. Sienna was so focused on setting the purification barrier that she thought it would be a little too much for her body. So that fraud could not invade from outside. Even if it was contaminated by fraud, it could be purified to some extent when it entered the mansion. As a result of exerting such purifying power every day, she almost collapsed with a magic-overexertion fever on an important day, but the result was quite successful¡­ The late Sienna was self-deprecating. However, the plan had one blind spot. ¡®The Grand Prince¡­¡¯ He was the only one outside of Sienna¡¯s purifying power. ¡®No way¡­¡¯ This couldn¡¯t be. A person like Ashiel would also have a basic self-defense tool. There was little room for problems because he was not in extreme situations such as battles and injuries like the grand duke. ¡®¡­It¡¯s true that I¡¯ve been trying so hard not to care about the Grand Prince while trying to calm my heart like that.¡¯ Sienna admitted. She felt guilty. So, knowing that Ashiel was there, she headed towards the terrace. To make sure he was okay. However, on the way there, Sienna ran into an unexpected person. It was Loreina. As soon as Loreina left the terrace, she had almost completely hid her agitation. It was to avoid being related to Ashiel if anything happened. ¡°Lady Minangsi.¡± ¡°¡­Lady Sienna. I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m busy. I¡¯ll take my leave¡­¡± But even with near-perfect acting, she couldn¡¯t fool Sienna. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Loreina paused for a moment. But soon, she only wore a beautiful smile like a picture. ¡°¡­What do you mean by that?¡± Sienna was convinced by the way she spoke in such a neat way. What happened to Ashiel? ¡°Lady Sienna!¡± Sienna decided she didn¡¯t have time to waste, and when she tried to walk past Loreina, Loreina shrieked. Surprisingly, Loreina seemed to hate being ignored in the midst of this. ¡®It¡¯s still true. That person.¡¯ Now, she wasn¡¯t even going to say a word of ridicule. Sienna answered without looking back. ¡°It¡¯s not Lady Sienna, it¡¯s Dame Sienna Hesaros. Could you please pay attention to the title when you¡¯re calling people?¡± Sienna glanced over her shoulder, looking back at Loreina, and coldly hit the nail. ¡°¡­You have to speak like a nobleman. I¡¯m sure.¡± ¡°You¡­!¡± ¡°Then, bye.¡± She seemed to have given her a shot, but rather than feeling refreshed, she felt that she had gotten rid of a strong, stubborn thing. Any interruption must have been removed earlier, and so Sienna headed to the terrace where Ashiel was without hesitation. And there, she witnessed. ¡°¡­Your Highness the Grand Prince?¡± Ashiel, who was barely suppressing the fraud just before it goes rampant. ¡®It¡¯s serious¡­¡¯ Sienna¡¯s eyes could clearly see it. A dark energy that could even overflow the air in this space was swirling around Ashiel. The current Sienna, who was still inexperienced and without Hesaros, felt a powerful wave that could not be suppressed. ¡®Then¡­¡¯ The emperor came to Sienna¡¯s mind. The emperor clearly said that he was the most powerful Terraformer in this empire. ¡®His Majesty can solve the problem!¡¯ Fortunately, Ashiel appeared to be maintaining his reason. Still, the hour was rushed. She couldn¡¯t delay it. Since it was before the explosion, other people would not be able to detect it, so Sienna had no choice but to report it. ¡°Your Highness, please wait here for a moment. I will come back soon¡­¡± That moment. Ashiel moved. Elegant, but never slow, he¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­Your Highness.¡± He caught Sienna. Only then did Sienna realize that things were going a little more wrong than expected, but¡­ ¡°¡­Sienna.¡± It was late. ¡°You always run away. I¡¯m left behind and I think¡­¡± Ashiel¡¯s hand slid down her arm. Sienna shivered, goosebumps forming. Then he grabbed Sienna¡¯s wrist. ¡°¡­What did I do wrong?¡± His expression looking down at Sienna was as insensitive as usual, but¡­ ¡®It¡¯s different.¡¯ His eyes were dyed with a dark red light. Sienna gulped amidst tension. The Ashiel in front of her¡­ It wasn¡¯t the usual Ashiel. Funny enough, Sienna realized this only when he narrowed the distance and was being arbitrary. How politely Ashiel usually kept his distance. How he treated Sienna with extreme caution and prudence. ¡°No matter how much I think about it, I can¡¯t remember. Maybe it was lost along with my heart¡­¡± ¡°Your Highness.¡± It was unknown yet meaningful words, but now was not the time to interpret it. ¡°You may not believe it, but Your Highness is now infected with fraud. It¡¯s a very dangerous situation, so I¡¯ll go and bring the Emperor¡­¡± ¡°Why?¡± Why? Of course, she was doing it to save him. Furthermore, there might be secondary harvests such as ¡®I protected the honor of Nacht¡­¡¯ ¡°If this continues, the life of the Prince may be in danger.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a good thing for you?¡± Ashiel¡¯s tone was not at all different from usual, except that his tone was slightly loosened. ¡®But¡­¡¯ His eyes were completely different from usual. ¡°Don¡¯t you despise me?¡± She couldn¡¯t really explain what it was, but it was. ¡°I don¡¯t know why.¡± Sienna thought that even if he hadn¡¯t been dyed black in an easy-to-see way, she would have noticed that Ashiel was tainted and half-crazy. ¡°I¡­ do not despise the Grand Prince.¡± ¡°Then you hate me.¡± ¡°No, I-¡° ¡°If it wasn¡¯t that, then you just hate me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Wrong. It was impossible to have a normal conversation with someone infected with fraud. ¡°¡­My reluctance to the prince does not change the situation where you need treatment.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense to save someone you hate.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t hate you. I¡¯m just reluctant. Even if I¡¯m reluctant towards certain people, I may not want to see them die in front of my eyes.¡± ¡°No.¡± She still didn¡¯t know what was exactly in those eyes. In those eyes that she could only tell was a little crazy¡­ Ashiel said quietly. ¡°If you¡¯re going to hate me, let me die.¡± It might be just a pity to her, but to him it would be an illusion for the rest of his life. Therefore¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t be kind to me outside your line.¡± Like a teacup being stirred by a child for fun, Ashiel¡¯s crazy thoughts were running wild without knowing the extent. He thought. If one could call this a thought. Still, Ashiel didn¡¯t know why Sienna hated him. When he was sane, he remembered the guilt without knowing why, but not now. Perhaps if Sienna saved him now, Ashiel would live the rest of his life, comforted by the fact that Sienna didn¡¯t hate him enough to let him die. ¡®Looking at the line drawn by that child and others freely crossing the line from the outside¡­¡¯ To live with the fact that she didn¡¯t hate him enough to let him die. Ashiel, who went crazy, thought. ¡®That would be so pitiful and miserable for me.¡¯ Therefore¡­ Ashiel said in a hoarse voice. ¡°If you want to heal me, let me cross your line.¡± Fraud began to spread from Ashiel and began to put pressure on Sienna. ¡°Bring me into your strong walls¡­¡± ¡°Ah, Your Highness¡­¡± ¡°¡­Take me away.¡± She was out of breath. It felt like Ashiel¡¯s fraud was affectionately choking her neck. ¡®I can¡¯t, no more¡­¡¯ No more time. Sienna tried not to get caught up in the madness, but to keep her senses. She looked directly at Ashiel¡¯s dark red eyes with her green eyes. ¡°Wake up¡­¡± Sienna¡¯s body lit up and sparks rose. ¡°¡­Get ready!¡± The flames of purification that had exhausted all her strength swept over Ashiel as if exploding. [¡­Well done, my owner!] A voice she missed called out from the flames. ¡°Hesaros! How¡­¡± The roaring Hesaros seemed unwilling to respond to Sienna¡¯s words. [This limb is intact, so this stinky madman dares to speak crazy stuff to whose owner?! I was really caught up in an order I didn¡¯t like!] (T/N: Hesaros calling himself Sienna¡¯s extra limb hahahaha.) Hesaros, who was burning fiercely, began to burn down on Ashiel as well as the fraud that weighed down the air. Ashiel, engulfed in flames, staggered and fell from Sienna. After a while¡­ [The end! Done!] The fire was extinguished in an instant. Ashiel sighed and sat down with one knee folded. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ashiel did not answer. Everything seemed to be confusing, so he just looked at Sienna, blinking. [Annoying bastard, he¡¯s pretending not to remember everything?] Unlike Hesaros, whose viewpoint had been twisted for a long time, Ashiel seemed to be unable to accept the shock of what had just happened, rather than pretending not to remember. ¡°Sienna¡­¡± And it was the same with Sienna. ¡°I¡¯ll call someone. Just for today¡­¡± The moment Sienna was about to leave, saying it would be better to go home. Tuk, rolling. Something like a small stone rolled down from Ashiel¡¯s arms. ¡®¡­What?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a stone to be exact, it was transparent, but it was a gem in which light had died out and became like a lump of stone. Surprisingly, it was an object that was not unfamiliar to Sienna. ¡°¡­Essential jewel?¡± To be precise, it was an empty shell that Sienna had failed to create a self-defense amulet with. Sienna couldn¡¯t even remember when this worthless failing was gone. ¡®But why is this in the arms of His Majesty the Grand Prince¡­¡¯ Ashiel¡¯s unfocused red eyes were also staring at the shell rolling on the floor. An empty shell that used to be an essential jewel. Traces of Sienna¡¯s failure to create a purification stone self-defense amulet. Sienna, self-defense¡­ In Ashiel¡¯s mind, which had already been stirred into a mess once, in an instant, various scenes began to mix at once. Like cards scattered in a mess by someone who didn¡¯t want to play¡­ Ashiel¡¯s eyes trembled. A scene flashed like a beam of light. His own voice, which sounded so cold and sarcastic, was saying¡­ ¡°I know you¡¯re trying. Sienna. Your efforts aren¡¯t worth it.¡± Before that¡­ ¡°¡­I see. I¡¯m sorry to bother you. Your Highness the Grand Prince.¡± Sienna was there. Sienna was a little more mature than she is now. To be sure, this was neither a dream nor an illusion. It was just an old memory. ¡®Long, memory.¡¯ Hell, which he had not remembered for a very long time, was rising. ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°¡­Your Highness the Grand Prince?¡± Ashiel was terrified and did not even recognize Sienna¡¯s call. A monster with its mouth wide open appeared from the bottom of a life that was generally normal or believed to be so. ¡°¡­No.¡± The monster swallowed him. Y¡¯know, we¡¯re a chatty bunch, we¡¯re just resisting the urge to insert commentary every other page. Ame: Hasn¡¯t this chapter been exciting from the start to finish? Loreina¡¯s audacity knows no bounds, ugh. Next chapter is what everyone is waiting for! Or at least, a bit of it¡­ ZZZZ: I love grandpa emperor, he cracks me up so much. I have to resist putting in cheer comments for him everytime he gets up to something hahaha. Loreina¡¯s a loony, I don¡¯t know why we even bother with her. And can I just say? I very much wish the ML was Michael! I am totally Team Michael for the ML here!!! Tassie: Hope you enjoyed this long chapter!! (cuz it was fricken hell for us) I want the emperor to be my grandfather pls ;-; gimmie gold and jewels pls. Sienna finally opening up to the Nacht¡¯s has me SOBBING! Loreina can go die in a ditch somewhere for all I care, I was begging Ashiel to push her off of the terrace lmao. And Ashiel!!! Omg does he remember??? We¡¯ll all find out next chapter lmaooo Look forward to the fruits of our suffering!! Chapter 101-106 (Note: This chapter comprises of episodes 101-106 + Highly recommended to re-read the last portions of Chapter 7. And in case anyone is confused, the following is in Ashiel¡¯s perspective. About something I know y¡¯all are waiting for ???? At that time, the castle was a kingdom ruled by the grand duke. A small kingdom revolving around the ruler. In it, everything, great or small, was related to the grand duke; it existed and was established for the grand duke. It meant that if any little orphan did not win the attention of the grand duke, they might not be supplied with even the bare minimum that was necessary to survive. It was Sienna¡¯s story. At first, when the grand duke brought in a shabby, trembling child out of the blue, the majority of opinions were as to what great qualities the child had that the grand duke showed interest in bringing her. However, as time went on, to be exact, after the grand duke had brought in the child, people¡¯s gaze gradually turned colder as he did not show even a fleck of interest towards her. Or, it could be said that the originally cold gaze began to reveal its true color. Those people talked without even needing to hide it. ¡°Don¡¯t you think she looks a little pitiful, to be rolling around like a maggot in a pile of dirt?¡± ¡°It was a fickle sympathy.¡± ¡°His Majesty the Grand Duke, even if he takes the harvest and feeds her, it will not spoil his wealth.¡± ¡°Are we the only ones who got tired of her?¡± That was the castle at the time. It was particularly harsh and barren to that child. He acted as if he was someone who didn¡¯t even have a single ounce of sympathy that anyone could give if they had anything to do with that child. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Perhaps the child expected fate to change due to luck that came unexpectedly. Perhaps the child vowed to repay the grand duke for rescuing her from that hellish orphanage with all her might. However, the child soon realized that even here, her situation was nothing more than a meaningless worm. The fact that if a caterpillar decided to repay the favor, it would only lead to ridicule. He thought she realized it a little painfully. Lowell, Sienna¡¯s tutor, said: ¡°His Majesty the Grand Duke knew that a teacher that grows garbage like you can¡¯t do anything more than a ¡®charity business¡¯. If I had realized it earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have seen you¡­¡± She was beaten hard for not knowing how to spell, and no one gave medicine to her, even though she was sobbing with blood on her calves. Ashiel looked at the past, which had already happened, with a helpless heart. Strictly speaking, this scene was not his memory. It seemed that the confusion was caused by the influence of Sienna¡¯s purifying fire. Anyway, he knew instinctively. This was something that cannot be dismissed as an illusion or a delusion ¨C it really did happen one day. Ashiel was speechless and lost in Sienna¡¯s memory. (TL/N: At this point on, Ashiel will be seeing the ¡®past/first timeline¡¯ and commenting on it.) Sienna¡¯s memories did not allow him to see everything. However, a portion alone was enough to understand the dire situation Sienna was in. The castle¡¯s employees, for example, sometimes forgot to give Sienna meals. It wasn¡¯t surprising. That was also what happened in this timeline when the Nacht clan said that they were paying attention to her in their own way. But just because it wasn¡¯t surprising didn¡¯t mean it wasn¡¯t terrible. Ashiel wanted to do something for Sienna, who was dying in the scenes that quickly passed by. He wanted to cry over her worn-out and torn calves, and he didn¡¯t want to repeat the mistake of simply killing the person who touched that small child. But he was just a complete observer. He was helpless in the face of the past. Even if he regretted it like it would break a bone, nothing could be changed. ¡®No, please.¡¯ He was out of breath. He didn¡¯t want to see it, but he couldn¡¯t close his eyes. Sienna actually went through these terrible things that he couldn¡¯t even watch¡­ Thinking about it, he couldn¡¯t close his eyes. The scene changed and Loreina appeared in Sienna¡¯s miserable life. At first, Loreina¡¯s appearance seemed like something good had happened to Sienna. First of all, Sienna was not hungry. Ashiel watched, pale and tired, as Sienna awkwardly savored clean, complex dishes she had never even dreamed of before with Loreina. Naturally, he remembered telling Sienna at the first dinner that she wasn¡¯t eating right. ¡­He felt like he was going to die. ¡°Sienna, what kind of wound is that on your body?¡± Finally, Loreina found the wounds on Sienna¡¯s body. Soon she revealed in front of the grand duke that Sienna¡¯s wounds were the work of the tutor. The tutor, who was called in, said, ¡°It was an unavoidable incident that occurred during hard education.¡± ¡°She was lazy, so she skipped doing homework every time, and she even stole my stuff!¡± ¡°No!¡± It was a statement that contained made up facts that weren¡¯t true at all. Sienna protested in a loud voice. To Ashiel, it seemed like a voice that came out of nowhere. At that moment, Sienna¡¯s voice resounded. ¡®It was the first and the last time.¡¯ The first and last self-defense. Ashiel soon realized the reason. No one, neither his father nor his younger brother, had listened to Sienna. Fortunately, Loreina came forward to defend her. Only Loreina. ¡°Sienna did something wrong, but I still think these beatings are too harsh, Grand Duke.¡± No, that was not a defense. Loreina was only pretending to defend while making it Sienna¡¯s fault, she was making something which was not true a fact. At least this Loreina was on Sienna¡¯s side. Since they had been stupid, even the slightest hope that this little girl would have been sane was shattered. Even that was disastrous, but what could Sienna do? It was so hard to see Sienna¡¯s face. Her small, white face was as pale as a plaster statue. But the child said nothing. She couldn¡¯t claim that there was nothing wrong with her. It was because she couldn¡¯t light the candle, saying, ¡®I¡¯ve never done anything wrong¡¯ against the words of her older sister who seemed to be the only one who supported her. In any case, the tutor was fired for that, and Sienna followed Loreina¡¯s insistence to start training together. Of course, Loreina¡¯s tutor had never taught Sienna. Sienna only learned how to spell a bit or get to participate when Loreina was in a good mood. He was out of breath. He was nauseous. How could such a thing happen? How could Sienna be like that in their care? The thing that struck Ashiel the most painfully was that Sienna was satisfied with just being treated like that. Sienna¡¯s voice rang again, ¡°Because I¡¯m a useless being with little to no magic power.¡± ¡®¡­What does this mean?¡¯ The problem was the content, although it was also shocking that Sienna was downgrading herself. ¡®What do you mean, saying that you don¡¯t even have much magic power?¡¯ That Sienna? Sienna, who was the first in mankind to possess the purifying fire Hesaros, and even healed the wounds inflicted by the beasts with that fire? ¡®No way.¡¯ Ashiel swallowed nervously. Now he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off Sienna¡¯s memory in a different sense. In her memory, Sienna tried to repay the favor with the best she could in her humble position. For Loreina, of course, and for Nacht of the Underworld. Sienna swore. ¡°I want to be of some help.¡± Oh please. Please¡­ Ashiel wanted to kneel down and pray. ¡®Don¡¯t waste your best on those who don¡¯t deserve it.¡¯ He wanted to beg her to turn away from himself, this Nacht, and that Loreina. But the sincere Sienna did not. Towards Ashiel, who treated her like a non-existent person. To Michael, who only uttered sharp words without hiding his contempt whenever they met face-to-face. And the grand duke who neglected Sienna with indifference from the beginning till the end¡­ ¡­Even Loreina who deceived and used her entirety. Loreina Minangsi always sympathized and cared for Sienna with her mouth. But if one thought about it, Sienna, portrayed through her mouth, was never the person she wanted to get close to. ¡°She¡¯s really pitiful, Sienna. She might have been happier to be in the orphanage based on her abilities, but I don¡¯t think she¡¯s aware of that either¡­¡± Words that made Sienna a wretched being who endured in a place that was not suitable for her abilities while saying she was pitiful. It was ridiculous, Ashiel thought. It was entirely the will of the grand duke that brought Sienna to Nacht. It was not the child¡¯s choice. But everyone nodded at that. Even he himself agreed with that statement. He felt that he was crazy. In the reviving memories, he seemed to be possessed by something. He thought he was out of his mind. It wasn¡¯t meant to be an indulgence. Now, if he could, Ashiel wanted to cut off his own breath, like that scarecrow idiot, who was of no help at all. When Sienna gave them her first self-made self-defense amulet, Ashiel found that he had only the memory of ¡®I couldn¡¯t refuse with a trembling heart¡¯, but found himself unable to remember where and how he put it, and repeated in despair. He treated her great efforts and devotion so trivially. Now it was justified that no matter how much he wanted, he couldn¡¯t have it. He should have been punished for that. It was something he had to endure. However, the Nacht clan, including him, felt sad instead of humbly receiving the punishment they deserve, and harbored a gloomy heart. How absurd was this. However, the self-defense amulet case did not end there. Loreina had started whispering to Asihel about Sienna¡¯s self-defense amulet. She said this while pretending to be embarrassed on the outside. ¡°Grand Prince, I think it¡¯s better not to use it. It¡¯s probably a ¡®token¡¯ of Sienna¡¯s heart.¡± It was ridiculous. Ashiel saw what words Loreina placed onto the cautious Sienna. Sienna simply followed Loreina¡¯s words, ¡®If you have a sense of shame, do a minimum sign of sincerity to the Grand Prince¡¯. But in Loreina¡¯s mouth, all Sienna¡¯s actions were distorted. Very lightly. ¡°I was going to just leave it alone, but I¡¯m telling you, because if the Grand Prince uses it, it will cause unnecessary misunderstandings and hurt for Sienna.¡± Seeing that, he wanted to break his own teeth. But rather than the vicious Loreina, he wanted to do something about himself, who listened silently without stopping her words. At that time, the foolish him believed Loreina¡¯s words without any doubt and even thought, ¡®It¡¯s an uncomfortable object, so I shouldn¡¯t use it¡¯. He couldn¡¯t even remember where he threw the thing he wasn¡¯t supposed to use. He couldn¡¯t stand it. Ashiel groaned bitterly, knowing he shouldn¡¯t have said that when he thought of Sienna who had actually gone through this. But the memory went on to the most painful part without stopping. Sienna was betrayed. To be exact, she found out she was betrayed. Sienna, who was thrown into the harsh reality of betrayal, did not cry. In the face of the excruciating pain of broken bones and splattering blood, Sienna made a rather determined face. But Ashiel could vividly hear Sienna¡¯s heart shriek from beneath her resolute face, disguised as if she had done all she could. ¡®It¡¯s terrible, how could I be so stupid?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s a shame that I was deceived.¡¯ ¡®I want to die as soon as possible and disappear.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t want to play in other people¡¯s hands until the moment I die.¡¯ The moment Sienna drank the poison¡­ Ashiel closed his eyes tightly for the first time. So Sienna died. At the place of death, where even Loreina had left, Ashiel looked at Sienna who had collapsed in despair. It was unbelievable that she was sponsored by Nacht of the Underworld. Her modest attire was stained with blood. There was not even a single bit of pathetic obsession with life on the pale face with closed eyes. Sienna left like that. Lightly and fleetingly. There was nothing left for her to love in this world¡­ A world where only the things she couldn¡¯t love survived. And it all started from here. The moment Ashiel tried to think of something more, an intense pain that seemed to pierce his brain from the backbone disturbed his thoughts. ¡®What¡­!¡¯ So far, there were times when his limbs had rotted, and there were times when he had his body pierced. It was the first time he had experienced such terrible pain, even though he had experienced pain many times before. Ashiel clenched his teeth and retrieved several pieces of memory. Disasters, prophecies, foolishness, mistakes¡­ ¡­Sienna. In the agony of head-splitting pain and through relentless digging of his brain, Ashiel managed to put this together ¨C Sienna¡¯s death, a terrible catastrophe for all who remained. ¡®Yes, that¡¯s what happened.¡¯ At that time, as soon as Sienna died, everyone was talking about Sienna¡¯s sin and ending it with her death. ¡°To take her own life. At least she had a last conscience, didn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°What conscience. She must have been afraid of being punished.¡± ¡°I still get goosebumps. She tried to steal Lady Loreina¡¯s own magic power with magic, and she tried to poison her for fear of being found out¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad Lady Loreina won, if it wasn¡¯t for her, that evil girl would have taken it and claimed she was superior, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s really pathetic that she could only do that much even after using magic. By the way, the orphan who was sponsored by Grand Duke Nacht committed such a great sin against the young lady of Minangsi¡­ The Grand Duke should also show his sincerity to the Count of Minangsi.¡± ¡°Well, what fault did the Grand Duke have¡­ She¡¯s really a shameless girl who didn¡¯t help the underworld at all.¡± Loreina also cried. ¡°Sienna¡¯s betrayal is so shocking, but I will try to overcome it.¡± While everyone was unanimously criticizing Sienna, the members of the Grand Duke¡¯s family remained silent. It was not meant to hide anything shameful. The Grand Duke, Michael and Ashiel. He couldn¡¯t explain it, but he thinks they started noticing it little by little from then on. ¡®Something¡­ Something is wrong.¡¯ The moment they found Sienna dead within the boundaries of the deep prison, they didn¡¯t share a word, but they all knew it at the same time. That something irreversible had happened. In his memory, Michael asked. ¡°Do you also think she committed such a sin and died because she was afraid of punishment?¡± Ashiel did not answer. Michael muttered as he wandered around the room with a confused look on his face. ¡°I¡­ I keep having strange thoughts. It seems like everything is going wrong.¡± Ashiel was not that honest, but he was thinking the same thing. But at that time, the pathetic man could only reply like this. ¡°¡­All the evidence and testimony are certain.¡± ¡°Are you serious, Brother?¡± It couldn¡¯t have been the truth. At that time, he didn¡¯t even have the courage to admit that he had committed the worst, irreversible mistake. ¡°It was a terrible mistake to let her go until she died like that. Brother, I¡¯m not the only one who thinks this way.¡± An intuition that cannot be dismissed as a baseless foreboding. That intuition soon became a reality. Why not? Sienna was the first owner over the flames of purification. She was a very powerful Terraformer that had never been seen before in history. Even though she lost her magic powers, Sienna was able to suppress fraud and drive out unclean things just by being alive. They did not know of such a Terraformer, and the cost of losing her in the end was terrible and horrendous. The castle of the Underworld was slowly engulfed in fraud. People suddenly went crazy or, in severe cases, became magical beasts. Cursed castle. That was the new name used for Nacht¡¯s castle. But even so, for a long time it was not made clear that all these disasters were due to Sienna¡¯s unjust death. There was doubt, but there was no physical evidence. The direction the intuition was pointing to was clear, but it took time to prove. While they were pathetically wondering, the disasters were not limited to Nacht¡¯s Castle, but they spread all over the world. Countless people died. Some became crazy. Some became beasts and trampled the world they loved while they were still alive. Only when those remaining wished they had gone crazy, did they manage to come to the truth. All these misfortunes were designed even before Sienna set foot in the Underworld. Sienna had never stolen Loreina¡¯s magic power. Sienna never tried to poison Loreina. Everything was false. Still, the child simply died without even trying to explain a word. They were foolishly deceived, and Sienna died because of her willingness to play the part. In front of the revealed truth, Nacht said nothing for a while. ¡°Why¡­ why?¡± Barely, Michael spit out his first words with a feeling of vomiting blood. ¡°Brother, why didn¡¯t she explain anything? Why, why didn¡¯t she say it was unfair?¡± ¡°Michael.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ashiel¡¯s voice was normal at first glance, but his eyes were dazed and out of focus. ¡°If you were that child¡­ do you think you would have thought that we would trust you if you complained about the injustice?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Those were words that stabbed the core to the point of being cruel. When Sienna protested, did they listen to her then? Perhaps the more she protested, the more blame they threw, and the more miserable Sienna¡¯s situation could be. No, it certainly would have been. Everyone would have accused her of being a monster with no sense of guilt. So, Sienna would rather end everything by taking her life and leave neatly. Because she couldn¡¯t trust the stupid them. At least she had chosen a path that didn¡¯t make her miserable. ¡°Proving her innocence, we¡¯re not worth it¡­¡± Michael hid his distorted face in his hands and cried bitterly. ¡°Stop, Brother¡­ please stop!¡± ¡°¡­She wouldn¡¯t want to waste anymore of herself.¡± ¡°Ashiel.¡± The grand duke opened his mouth. His voice was also terribly quiet. Ashiel then lifted his dazed head and looked at his father. Neither his father nor himself, reflected in his red eyes, had an unfamiliar face he had never seen before. A pale, weary, and tired face. But Ashiel could not stop condemning them all. ¡°¡­Father, she wouldn¡¯t have expected anything.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Because¡­ that¡¯s how we treated her.¡± So nothing could be expected. * * * Memories poured into Ashiel¡¯s mind at once. ¡°Grand Prince!¡± Sienna grabbed his chest and unwittingly supported Ashiel as he was about to fall. Ashiel¡¯s eyes were trembling without mercy. He thought, ¡®Wouldn¡¯t it be great if these memories that came to mind were just nightmares?¡¯. But it was reality. ¡®Now I know.¡¯ If he expressed himself with the words that he missed her¡­ He would sin. Water pooled into Ashiel¡¯s red eyes, which had become clear enough to be transparent, as if a glass film was applied over them. In an instant, the pool of water ran over his eyelids and down his cheeks. One drop. A single drop of tears falling slowly and falling apart. But at that moment, Sienna had a gut feeling. Intuition that transcended logic clearly penetrated her brain. Ashiel¡­ He remembered. Goosebumps ran all over her body. Sienna couldn¡¯t stand it and pushed Asiel, who she had been supporting. However, the difference in physique and strength was so stark that Ashiel merely shook for a moment; it was Sienna who was actually pushed back. ¡°Sienna¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t come close!¡± Sienna cried out in a terrified voice. Ashiel¡¯s fingertips, which had instinctively stretched out into the air, faltered and lost strength. Sienna mumbled as she stepped back. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me¡­¡± ¡°Sienna, I won¡¯t touch you, so calm down¡­¡± There was nothing more to hear. No, she didn¡¯t want to hear more. Siena turned away from Ashiel, who was dissuading her, and mercilessly left the terrace. ¡®Hurry.¡¯ Sienna thought that if she went back to the party quickly, she could mix in with the strangers and pretend nothing had happened. She believed that if she pretended not to know, Ashiel would soon come to his senses and match her rhythm. ¡®He has to be aware of that.¡¯ She wanted to cover it up like that. First, she wanted to run away. Contrary to expectations, however, the party hall was in a state of turmoil. People were chattering. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°His Majesty the Grand Duke just stumbled. His Highness the Second Prince has collapsed.¡± ¡°Both of them at the same time? Where does it hurt?¡± ¡°I guess, it¡¯s just a coincidence.¡± Was it really a coincidence? Sienna clenched her teeth. And through the space where elegant words fluttered like hummingbirds, she arrived in front of the grand duke and Michael. ¡°Sienna¡­!¡± And at the moment she made eye contact with the two, she noticed it at once. ¡®They remembered too.¡¯ Unlike when she was with Ashiel, this time, she was strangely calm. ¡®This is not the time to be flustered and scared.¡¯ As if in the face of death, Sienna tightened the reins of her heart to not scream. ¡®Don¡¯t whine like a fool.¡¯ ¡®Now is not the time.¡¯ ¡°Let¡¯s go home first.¡± The grand duke, who was staring blankly at Sienna, managed to nod his head. ¡°¡­Yes. I guess so.¡± There was much to be said between them. But not here. * * * The Nacht family hastily decided to go home. There was no need to lie. ¡°¡­Actually, the child has been ill with a magic overuse fever since morning.¡± It was a relief. Neither of them could afford to come up with a creative lie. ¡°Oh.¡± Not just the emperor, but also everyone in the venue admired that she got the illness that only a considerable model student would suffer from. The emperor, completely unaware of the circumstances, was delighted, but did not forget to give a warning. ¡°It¡¯s a commendable thing, but don¡¯t push the child too hard.¡± At the emperor¡¯s innocent advice, the grand duke¡¯s cheeks were slanted. It was because he was trying to hide that he was gritting his teeth. ¡®Don¡¯t push the child.¡¯ He never pressured Siena when it came to studies or performance. In the present, where the memories of the past remain like afterimages, just staring at Sienna made his heart simmer. People thought that the grand duke had recognized Sienna¡¯s qualities from the beginning and brought her in, but in fact, he had never really measured what qualities the child had. From the moment he discovered the tiny back of the head that had been crouching in the gap between the many children at the orphanage, he had no choice but to bring Sienna out of that harsh environment and put her to sleep, feed, and dress her. But what about in the past? In the past, the grand duke instinctively recognized the Terraformer the moment his eyes landed on Sienna, who had fallen in front of him. But at that point, he and his family were already misled by judicial law. A clever, subtle law that prevented them from thinking deeply about or having a good perception of just one child. It was a form of judicial law never found in human history. Until now, the beasts had only used laws to spread epidemics and destroy things. It wasn¡¯t impossible to change people¡¯s minds, but it was known that only a ¡®wide explosion¡¯ that overwhelms and drives people crazy was possible. It was not known that it was possible to cleverly change the way one thought about a person. In any case, the deceived grand duke followed his instincts to bring back and support the child of purification, but as soon as he arrived at the castle, he almost forgot about Sienna. Even if I thought about her, I couldn¡¯t come up with something good. ¡®So that child, like that¡­¡¯ He felt a sense of shame towards himself rather than anger towards the unknown figure who had raised the law. It was actually his fault that he was subjected to such a technique, and that she suffered so much because of that technique. He wanted to put down all the grand titles of being the master of the underworld and the guardian of Feyenoord. He was an idiot who could not protect even a single child he had raised on his own. The world and Nacht were lucky enough to get a second chance, but was that really a chance for Sienna too? The face of Sienna, who quietly died under his foolish jurisdiction, did not leave his mind. The memory would probably never leave his mind like a stigma for the rest of his life. ¡®Of course, it has to.¡¯ He should never forget it again. He could have regretted letting Sienna go alive, but Sienna had to die for his folly. His castle was a place where Sienna¡¯s blood was slowly dried up, and eventually killed. Everyone¡¯s hands were wet with Sienna¡¯s blood. Among them, it would not be an exaggeration to say that his hands were stained with the most. The emperor told him not to push the child. Grand Duke Nacht thought. ¡®Isn¡¯t holding the child in his castle pushing her away?¡¯ The green eyes that looked at him with a strange expression in front of the sudden pouring of favors came to mind. It was as if they were strangled by their own foolishness, thinking that they were doing it for the child by putting her into the room Loreina Minangsi had used. Seeing his nephew who had turned pale without a word, the emperor raised his eyebrows as if puzzled. ¡°Why isn¡¯t this guy answering?¡± The emperor clicked his tongue, speaking as if he was very captivated. ¡°Was it that embarrassing when you fell down earlier?¡± At that time, something unusually shiny from the decorations on the emperor¡¯s belt caught the grand duke¡¯s attention. It was the purifying self-defense amulet that Sienna gave to him. It was. In this life, Sienna only presented her self-made self-defense amulet to the emperor. It was a gift from the child that he had already coldly thrown away once. The right to receive it was given up by himself a long time ago. On such a subject, to think that he thought it was disappointing to see the self-defense amulet being handed to the emperor. ¡­His eyes were dizzy at the unreasonable heart that he had. He felt like his heart would break, but this was not the right time nor place. Above all, Sienna did not fall, and they could not be the first to shamelessly collapse. The grand duke managed to break free from the thoughts that were deepening. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll be careful. Of course.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to be so distracted like that, leave our Dame Sienna with me. I¡¯m afraid that something might happen along the way.¡± Even though he knew the emperor was joking, his heart pounded. Not only that, the faces of his two sons were also pale. Perhaps¡­ No, for sure, that would be a way to ease Sienna¡¯s heart. In fact, from the moment they regained their memory, it was something they all thought. Sienna was the owner of the Named Hesaros, and was a Terraformer worthy of being treated as ¡®equivalent to the royal family¡¯. A child of purification who could protect the world just by breathing and being alive even if she lost all her magical powers. No one would refuse to take this child. Was he just not rejecting it? If Nacht was willing to make concessions, everyone would be eager to line up to take Siena with them while pouring out good conditions. Just thinking about it made him feel like he was drowning in fear. Perhaps such people could be refused on the grounds that it was not ¡®safe enough¡¯. However, the emperor in front of him was not an opponent that could be avoided with such a petty and flimsy excuse. If anything else, the emperor, the most powerful Terraformer on earth, probably wouldn¡¯t be so helpless against the judicial law that the Nacht suffered from. Besides, he really liked Sienna. Sometimes, to the extent that he thought, ¡®Even if His Majesty gets back his lost grandson, I don¡¯t think he will be more affectionate towards him than Sienna¡¯. What would the emperor say if he saw the memories they had regained? Even though he wouldn¡¯t kill this stupid and pathetic person because he was his nephew and one of the pillars of the empire, the right to raise Sienna would surely be taken away. He didn¡¯t know if Sienna would want it more than anyone else¡­ Although the emperor was half serious, it was a provocation mixed with jokes, and so he frowned once more at his nephew, who was not easily responding. ¡®Isn¡¯t this guy being really weird?¡¯ It was at that moment when the emperor wanted to seriously, not jokingly, tell him to leave Sienna behind. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Sienna called out to the emperor softly. ¡°Yes, baby? Oh, now that I see you, your face looks really bad. Shouldn¡¯t you have a rest here?¡± Fortunately for the three people who could not say anything, who were guilty over her death for their own reasons, Sienna shook her head. ¡°No, it¡¯s probably better to go to a place I¡¯ve been before than to a place that I¡¯m unfamiliar with.¡± The emperor also agreed with Sienna¡¯s words. ¡°Come to play when you¡¯re well. Okay?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The three hurriedly left the venue, including Sienna. They didn¡¯t say anything, but they knew they were all reassured she had rejected the emperor¡¯s offer. * * * Loreina watched from the corner as the four disappeared. ¡®No way¡­ I didn¡¯t get caught writing that magic?¡¯ As she didn¡¯t know what was going on inside, she could only speculate like this. ¡®No, I guess the magic wouldn¡¯t have been found out. He assured me that I wouldn¡¯t be caught.¡¯ However, even if the use of magic was not discovered, the words she had said to Ashiel did not disappear. If the grand duchy considered Loreina¡¯s words as an ¡®insult¡¯¡­ Loreina couldn¡¯t stand it and chewed her lips. It was then. ¡°You look impatient, Lady Minangsi.¡± A distinctive voice that sounded like a soft melody. ¡°¡­! Sir Tesius!¡± He was the Duke of Euros. The man who approached without putting up much airs was smiling quietly with his blue eyes shining. ¡°You¡¯re too surprised. Did anything happen?¡± ¡°Oh, no¡­¡± Without realizing it, Loreina instinctively replied with a lie. But she immediately regretted it the next moment when she saw Duke Euros smile with his blue eyes curved. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Y-Yes, Sir¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask you one more time, Lady Minangsi.¡± The Duke of Euros asked the question in the same tone and breath once again; it was without any difference. ¡°Did anything happen?¡± There were times when Loreina, who was not afraid of anything in the world, felt creeped out by this man. Just like right now. ¡®Y-Yes,, there is no reason to hide.¡¯ What would she hide? The Duke of Euros was the one who taught Loreina the magic of healing and the magic of mind control. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m sorry. I was so surprised that I answered wrongly. Actually¡­¡± Loreina confided what had happened on the terrace. To be exact, she pretended to be honest. She confessed that she had used magic on Ashiel, but pretended she had no choice but to use it for unavoidable reasons. ¡°Hmm.¡± said Duke Euros, listening to Loreina¡¯s lies without restraining her. He seemed to be having fun somehow. ¡°Today¡¯s work is really unavoidable¡­¡± ¡°No. That¡¯s not the only thing we¡¯re going to talk about, is it?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± It was then that Loreina remembered today that she and her mother were supposed to blend into the crowd as much as possible. ¡®I should have avoided this person¡­¡¯ After seeing Ashiel, she mistook it for a golden opportunity and forgot everything. ¡°That¡­¡± The Duke of Euros began to make a regular sound by moving his foot at a constant beat. ¡°You¡¯ve forgotten what I told you. To wait until the time is right, but you have hastily become a ¡®saint¡¯.¡± ¡°I, I¡­¡± A regular sound, like the second hand of an elaborately crafted watch, seemed to tighten the whole body. ¡°Well, I thought it would be helpful to you by doing that.¡± ¡°By breaking my orders?¡± Tap. The tapping stopped. In the silence, Loreina gulped and swallowed her saliva. The blue eyes did not blink even once, and he looked at Loreina with a gentle gaze. ¡®I might die¡­¡¯ But the very next moment. ¡°Haha, don¡¯t be so nervous. I¡¯m not going to kill you.¡± The Duke of Euros laughed. As bright as a lie. ¡°Because, from my point of view, it would be more painful for you to be alive.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°With today¡¯s events, the prospect of entering the Nacht of the Underworld has disappeared. The reputation as a saint is also a house of cards.¡± It was true. ¡°Maybe if it goes on like this, you will only remain as a corn healer.¡± (TL/N: ??; Corns and calluses are areas of thick, hardened, accumulated dead skin cells that are caused by repeated rubbing, friction, or pressure.) Loreina clenched her teeth. ¡°Your Excellency, don¡¯t forsake me. You¡¯ll regret it if you leave me.¡± ¡°No.¡± The Duke of Euros denied it with a single blow. ¡°I only need cards that are useful to me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do anything!¡± Loreina raised her voice desperately. She really didn¡¯t want to be just a corn healer. ¡°Shhh¡­¡± The Duke of Euros raised his index finger over his smiling lips. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then here¡­¡± The duke bowed his back towards Loreina, who was approaching him. And whispered something. By the time the duke finished speaking and straightened his back again, Loreina¡¯s complexion had turned white. ¡°But, Your Excellency.¡± ¡°What.¡± ¡°If that happens¡­ I¡¯m going to kill people.¡± ¡°You will, but¡­¡± The Duke of Euros asked innocently. ¡°Is that something you¡¯ve never done before?¡± He was talking about Marquis Parvis. ¡®But it wasn¡¯t my intention to kill her¡­¡¯ The Duke of Euros laughed. He held the card to blow away Loreina¡¯s hesitation. ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, you can fall here.¡± Loreina clenched her teeth. She would rather die than remain a corn healer. And she would rather kill others than die herself. ¡°I¡¯ll do it. Your Excellency, I can do it. I will do it!¡± ¡°Of course you can.¡± That was why he chose her. A long smile hung on Duke Euros¡¯ lips. Loreina had a fleeting but reassuring moment¡­ The Duke of Euros grabbed Loreina¡¯s jaw harshly. ¡°Ah, ha¡­!¡± ¡°Well, I will cast a warning on you who has been under my authority. You¡¯ll remember what I¡¯m saying from now on, but you can¡¯t tell anyone.¡± ¡°Ugh, it hurts¡­! ¡°Remember, Loreina. I waited a hundred years to make the human world the way I wanted it to be, and I prepared ten years for this day.¡± Loreina¡¯s pupils dilated. Now, this meant¡­ ¡°You ruined my decade. I advise you not to do it again.¡± Loreina was silently startled. Now, these words were not human words. These were the words of a being from outside the world, covered in human skin. * * * No one dared to speak out on the way back. Of the three people who were strangled by guilt, Michael plucked up the courage to say something. ¡°Sienna¡­¡± ¡°¡­Excuse me.¡± Instead of answering, Sienna headed to her room first. She didn¡¯t want to say anything yet. Sienna barely stopped walking and gave a clue like this. ¡°If we can exclude each other¡¯s emotions and only confirm the things that need to be confirmed¡­ I hope we can talk about it then.¡± It wasn¡¯t now. She couldn¡¯t stand the fact that those few pages of her life had been magically cut off, and that someone other than herself remembered those miserable days. No one dared to stop Sienna, who turned away coldly. A living nightmare where they could not sleep at night began. But none of the three men could call the memory a nightmare. It was because they had no right to say that they were suffering. * * * [Sienna.] ¡°Yeah.¡± [Hey, I didn¡¯t know this kind of trouble would happen¡­ Are you okay?] ¡°Well, of course I¡¯m not okay.¡± [Ugh¡­] Sienna smiled immediately. It was the worst night in many ways, but she was glad that Hesaros was back. The Named, who read the heart of its owner, was thrilled and said; [Sienna¡­!] Pak, and a fireball hit Sienna¡¯s cheek. [What a wonderful girl you are! I won¡¯t leave those people who hurt my wonderful and pretty owner alone!] ¡°Hesaros, I really missed you. A lot.¡± [Yes, yes. This Named was insensitive and made my owner wait for a long time.] This Named, who was proud of himself, never once thought that he was insufficient or lacking. In fact, purifying the great fraud of the emperor would have been impossible without Hesaros. But the moment his young master said, ¡®I miss you¡¯, Hesaros gave up thousands of years of principles and pride at once and replied, [It¡¯s all my fault! It¡¯s nothing. I should¡¯ve just taken a bite and come back!] When her unconditional support, who had never done anything wrong to her, pampered her, Sienna also gained a little more courage. ¡°Actually, I was a little nervous because it seemed something had happened.¡± Hesaros¡¯ heart fluttered. [Yes, I guess so. Why not? It¡¯s all my fault.] ¡°Hesaros¡­¡± [Owner!] The emotional reunion came to an end only after he promised over and over again, ¡®I won¡¯t make you wait again!¡¯. [By the way. How did they gain their memories?] ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± Even if it was possible that what happened between Loreina and Ashiel put him in a strange condition from the beginning, it was impossible to guess why the grand duke and Michael found their memories at the same time too. [There is only one possibility I can guess at this point¡­] ¡°What?¡± [It¡¯s possible that they made you go against time after you died.] ¡°¡­Ah.¡± [I think it would make sense to have that kind of magical connection to be able to recover memories.] ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to ask for a while¡­ Is it possible to go back in time with human magic?¡± [Well. I don¡¯t know exactly either¡­ It seems like the calculation is possible if those who are the owners of the Named pay a huge price. Especially the castle¡­] ¡°What?¡± In response to Sienna¡¯s interruption, Hesaros declined to comment, saying that this was still speculation. [Actually, it would be more accurate and faster to ask them than to make guesses between us.] ¡°¡­I think so too.¡± She was unwilling, but the conversation could not be delayed. ¡®It is also a situation where we¡¯re under threat from outside forces.¡¯ The memory of the future that had not yet come would be a significant hint. ¡°I¡¯ll have to talk to them right away tomorrow.¡± Hesaros nodded without saying a word. [If you can, that¡¯s best.] Sienna stared at Hesaros like that. [What¡¯s wrong?] ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­¡± She had never really thought of being happy about going back in time. Treating Nacht as if they were criminals. Unpleasantly seeing Loreina reveal her true colors. Now that she lived again, she didn¡¯t want to live like she did back then. That was it. ¡®But¡­¡¯ If she hadn¡¯t gone against time, if she hadn¡¯t come to Nacht again, she would never have met Hesaros. [?] ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I thought it was good to have Hesaros.¡± [What a strange thing to say.] Naturally, as if breathing, Hesaros raised his nose. Sienna smiled more clearly this time. * * * The very next day. Sienna, who had been working hard for a while to spread her purification power inside the mansion, and more crucially, tried to purify Ashiel, could not wake up easily. Michael was standing in front of Sienna¡¯s tightly closed door. The boy could no longer freely sprint through this door as he had before. In the end, an employee stabbed him like this. ¡°Now that the young lady has to eat something, I think it¡¯s okay to wake her up.¡± Michael nodded his head involuntarily, and said, ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Wait¡­!¡± However, it was after the swift employee had already knocked on Sienna¡¯s door. Cold sweat was dripping down his back while he waited for an answer. ¡®Will Sienna want to see my face as soon as she wakes up?¡¯ ¡®¡­It can¡¯t be!¡¯ Even if she didn¡¯t want to see him for the rest of her life, he was in a situation where he had nothing to say. Thinking about it from the opposite perspective, he wished Sienna would slap his shameless cheek this morning. ¡­She wouldn¡¯t though. ¡°She¡¯s asking you to come in.¡± Even though the permission he had been waiting for fell, he couldn¡¯t smile. Michael brought his hand to his face and made up his mind. ¡°What are you here for?¡± ¡°I¡­ I, so¡­¡± Obviously there was a purpose. He had something to tell Sienna. However, it was right that he dared to show his face using this business as an excuse, so the boy could not raise his head. ¡°Father announced it. That Nacht of the Underworld of this generation will not have any other ward other than you¡­¡± When he spat it out of his mouth, it didn¡¯t seem like a business. ¡®Does this kid really want to know that?¡¯ The ward card was a card that Nacht could use to exert a powerful influence on the aristocratic society. The grand duke gave up that right purely to reassure Siena. It was a promise never to make her die so miserable again. But at the same time, the reason for not conveying that fact was also clear. How dare they show off something like this to Sienna. His mouth was dry at the thought of making a mistake. It was then. ¡°¡­It¡¯s okay.¡± Michael knew. It wasn¡¯t a forgiving word. That said, it didn¡¯t matter. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I was just about to find you anyway.¡± It was time to exchange information. * * * Unfortunately, it was concluded that it would be impossible to fully understand the circumstances even if the pieces of Nacht¡¯s memories were put together. Of course, the gist was clear. Sienna was framed, and the culprit was Loreina Minangsi; and in the whole process, the Nacht clan was a thorough bystander or cooperated unwittingly. And after Sienna¡¯s death, a terrible disaster struck the world. ¡°This was planned from the beginning.¡± Even before Sienna entered the underworld, the castle of Nacht was under a judicial law. However, what was the identity of the outside force that placed the law on them? And as to when and how this subterranean castle was invaded, nothing came to mind as if it was enveloped in fog. Sienna simply listened to all the explanations in silence. ¡°But we can guess a few facts using the memories as clues.¡± It was difficult to see Loreina or the County of Minangsi doing something like this alone. Sienna also silently agreed to the assumption. Fortunately or unfortunately, after traveling back in time, their hearts turned to Sienna. The judicial law in them was not as powerful as when it was covert. The experience of losing Sienna once remained implicit, and they were able to protect their hearts from the delusions of the law. They were able to protect it now, but everyone swallowed up the bitter regret once again that they really didn¡¯t. This time, the grand duke gave Sienna a pomegranate. Those who ate the pomegranate were able to receive rights equivalent to those of Nacht¡¯s blood relatives to the underworld. The magic was combined with Sienna¡¯s purification power, and the castle of the underworld was subordinated to Sienna¡¯s realm. Simply put, it meant that it became an environment that was easy for Sienna to spread the purification power. Moreover, when possessing Hesaros, the flames of purification even swept through the castle. The law, which had been secretly hidden, was thus destroyed. So the second time could be different. But¡­ ¡°¡­For now, I know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± The grand duke anxiously followed Siena¡¯s calm eyes, which showed no wounds. At one time, he thought that child was like a small box that had lost its keys and could never be opened. But now he knew what was inside. How well Sienna hid her emotions in the terrible moment, what screamed in her heart¡­ They all knew now. ¡°We ourselves know better than anyone that we can¡¯t get an indulgence from that.¡± The grand duke added nervously, but Sienna did not answer. She lowered her eyes, seemed to think for a moment, and then asked again. ¡°¡­What about the circumstances of going back in time?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember anything about that part yet.¡± Sienna nodded her head calmly. No matter what anyone in Nacht said, it seemed that there would be no ripples in the lake called Sienna. Silence fell across the four of them. Sienna¡¯s eyes, which had been blinking slowly, momentarily paused. Sienna muttered. ¡°¡­At least, there is no need to persuade you to not bring Loreina Minangsi into this house.¡± ¡°If you told us, we would have done that sooner.¡± Michael, who was restless, could not bear it and intervened. ¡°There is no need to persuade us, obviously¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡­¡± Sienna sighed for a moment. ¡°Could I have believed that?¡± They all turned white at once and stopped breathing. Sienna thought she shouldn¡¯t have said anything. It wasn¡¯t that she was sorry. It was because she didn¡¯t want to see them being sorry yet. ¡°Now I know. If I died, the world would be sentenced to death.¡± ¡®Now I know¡¯, Sienna thought. Although they could be emotionally sorry for Sienna who died unfairly, they wouldn¡¯t be so desperate to turn back time because of her. But if, unbelievably, the world was on the verge of extinction because of Sienna¡¯s absence, the story would be different. Strictly speaking, she must have come back to life out of necessity. She wasn¡¯t disappointed at all. Because of that, she met Hesaros. ¡°Sienna.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t want to hear any more.¡± A resolute refusal silenced the three of them. Sienna continued immediately without a change in her expression. ¡°Information is shared. I hope we can cooperate well. Because there is someone we have to deal with together.¡± I don¡¯t blame you. But that was it. Their memories, their regrets, their atonement. Sienna had no intention of carrying it with her. At that moment, a knock rang through the drawing room. ¡°Sir, may I come in for a moment?¡± It was Devon. ¡°I¡­ my God, the children are here too.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s a report about what I told you in the morning, it¡¯s okay to do it here.¡± In the morning the grand duke had announced Sienna as his sole ward, and had ordered Devon to keep an eye on the County of Minangsi. ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Devon looked at them slightly and said, ¡°Euros of the Heaven has stepped up as the guardian of Loreina Minangsi.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± None of the people that were here would not understand what that meant. ¡®The outside world.¡¯ ¡°Devon, get out of here.¡± ¡°Okay, Grand Duke.¡± As Devon closed the door and left, Ashiel spoke, ¡°If it¡¯s Euros of the Heaven.¡± ¡°It must have been when the imperial son-in-law died.¡± ¡°Well.¡± The grand duke explained the situation to Sienna, who was puzzled. The former owner of the Heaven, the former head of Euros, had a son. He was the husband of Crown Princess Arandier. (TL/N: Please take note. All along, the author used ¡®???¡¯ for Arandier, which directly translates to crown prince, and thus I thought Arandier is a man and went with it. But when I¡¯m tling this portion, I suddenly see words like ¡®husband¡¯ and ¡®imperial son-in-law¡¯. I figured that it¡¯s more likely for the author to have simply used ¡®crown prince¡¯ because Arandier is the heir to the throne, rather than the author mixing up wife/husband and son-in-law/daughter-in-law. We¡¯ve changed the affected portions!) He and his sister were attacked and killed by a beast while patrolling the eastern region according to the treaty of protection. His younger sister also lost her life, and the imperial grandson, Ruslan, also disappeared at that time and his whereabouts remained unknown until now. The former Duke of Euros, who lost all his children in the wake of the attack, went into seclusion and never showed his face to the world again. ¡°The current Duke, Thesius Euros, was said to be from a branch of the Euros family.¡± It was Michael¡¯s words. Having found his memory, he was no longer a simple boy, and was able to read the situation without difficulty. ¡°It must be complicated. It may be difficult to tell His Majesty. Our Nacht of the Underworld has been at odds with Euros of the Heaven for many years.¡± No matter how much the emperor¡¯s heart was inclined to this side, the emperor was the emperor. ¡°It is impossible to accuse a family with our history of not being harmonious from generation to generation, and even one of the three great guardians without evidence. But¡­¡± ¡°I think¡­¡± Ashiel opened his mouth. ¡°I think I can speak to the Crown Princess.¡± After losing her husband and son at the same time, the crown princess did not quietly stick her butt in the capital. There must have been a reason for the behavior of the crown princess, who had been wandering different battlefields across the country, going back and forth again as soon as she received her awards. Perhaps she had detected the strange smell long before they did. The grand duke nodded his head. Then he pulled out a piece of black paper engraved with a geometric pattern. The grand duke pronounced every word carefully. ¡°The silver deer of Feyenoord, Arandier Pervischach Ruslan Kainosia.¡± At the same time, black smoke arose and the letters were engraved as if stirring the fireplace where only ashes were left. Soon after, the paper floated up and disappeared like melting into the air. ¡°The news will be delivered, and a reply will come soon.¡± Sienna nodded her head. She thought she didn¡¯t need to be here anymore. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll get up first.¡± After saying that, no one dared to stop Sienna as she left. * * * What should she say? Sienna thought after leaving her seat. The grand duke said he had no intention of receiving indulgences, and Ashiel and Michael seemed to agree with that¡­ In fact, Sienna thought that the fact that the outside world trick in the beginning of everything could be unexpectedly an indulgence. But¡­ Sienna stopped walking. The place where she stopped suddenly was the corridor. Instead of the early spring that she once called, the real spring had come at some point. The sun was warm, the petals were not enough to cover the entire garden; they were dotted to cover the floor of the corridor. But the wind blowing the petals was still cool. Yes, it was still cool. ¡®So not yet.¡¯ Maybe one day it would be an indulgence. When it¡¯s admitted as a heartbreaking happening, it might be possible to unravel the core. But not now. Sienna shook her head. The sun was clear. It shone brightly between the new shoots that had raised their heads. It might not be the time, but¡­ Sienna hummed involuntarily. A long time ago; She had five dreams. Dreams that fluttered like a bird and left like wings. ¡­It was the end of early spring. ¡¸Volume 1 of The World Without My Sister Who Everyone Loved, END.¡¹ If anyone is wondering what the ¡®five dreams¡¯ Sienna was talking about at the end, please take a quick glance at Chapter 1 ¨C Prologue ^^ With the completion of Volume 1, here are some love notes from the team who worked on it: ¡¸Heya, Ame here! Initially, I wasn¡¯t the biggest fan of any of the 4 main (human) characters. But this was a novel that grew on me the more I translated it. I truly adored how hints and pieces of information of ¡®What really happened during the first timeline¡¯ was dropped throughout the first 7 chapters, and eventually ¡®confirmed¡¯ in this chapter. Well, there¡¯s more in volume 2. What twists will the author surprise us with next? Whatever it is, we¡¯ll find out before this year ends! Until then, please give a lot of thanks and love to ZZZZ and Tassie for their amazing patience and talent. I really, really couldn¡¯t do it without them.¡¹ ¡ªAme ? Translator ¡¸WOW, can I just say? I did NOT expect them to regain their memories at the ball. And the end of this chapter was a real eye-opener for all the behind the scenes we missed in the beginning. I can¡¯t wait to learn more and dig into the nitty gritty of this whole time reversal~ Much love to Ame for taking this up and Tassie for picking up my slack XDD ?¡¹ ¡ªZZZZ, proofreade