Chapter 8 : It shouldn’t be as easy as it sounds

Ershi was nowhere to be seen.

Serena only realized something was off after wandering around the mansion out of boredom.

The girl who would always seize any opportunity to pounce on her, exclaiming, “Let me hug you just once~!” had left the mansion.

“Hmph.

It’s nice not having that annoying pervert around.”

Despite saying that, Serena clutched the pumpkin doll that Ershi had bought her tightly.

She should have felt at ease, but a complex, nagging emotion lingered.

Just then, someone knocked on the door and, after saying “Excuse me,” entered the room.

It was Ord, followed by three men and women.

Serena, who had even kept her distance from the mansion’s servants, immediately became wary, wondering what was happening.

“These are the people who will take care of you in the absence of the head of the house.”

Marie, who was smiling.

Lynn, who was looking elsewhere.

And Eddie, who seemed overly tense.

“I don’t need anything like that.”

Regardless of the reason, it was just unnecessary meddling to Serena.

Whether Ord understood that or not—or perhaps he knew and ignored it—he simply smiled kindly and left the room, leaving behind the three he had just introduced.

“Nice to meet you, young lady! My name is Mary!

If you need anything, please let me know!”

Marie approached first, flashing a bright smile.

Serena shuddered slightly.

Just looking at that smiling face reminded her of Ershi, making her want to smack the doll out of sheer irritation.

“I’m Lynn

 Oh, and don’t take everything she says too seriously.

She’s a bit careless.”

Unlike Mary, Lynn spoke in a blunt, natural tone.

That attitude was annoying as well—so much so that Serena contemplated hitting her with the doll too.

“Hey.

Watch your words in front of the young lady.

I’m Eddie.

I’ll do my best, whether it’s fetching water or anything else.”

The last one, Eddie, stood up straight, his voice filled with determination.

That intensity was overwhelming, making Serena want to smack him with the doll just like the others.

She wanted to tell them outright that she didn’t need them and to get out.

But if she upset them, who knew what they might do?

So, instead, she chose to go along with them for now—while shooting them a strong glare that screamed, “Stay away from me.”

“You guys said you’re replacing her, right?”

“Her?

…Ah, you mean the head of the house?

Well, kind of.

Not that there’s much for us to do.”

Lynn, who had casually seated herself in an empty chair, yawned as she answered.

“The head of the house should be back early today.

She was summoned to the castle, right?”

“The castle?

You mean the one in the capital?”

Serena’s eyes widened at Mary’s words.

Even if she was ignorant of many things, she at least knew about the highest authority in the kingdom—the king.

For someone to be summoned to the king’s castle meant that Ershi was an important figure.

But the Ershi, Serena knew didn’t seem like someone of such stature, so it was natural for her to be doubtful.

“Why would she go there?

Did she commit a crime or something?”

“Nothing like that.

Our head of the house is quite famous and highly capable, so she gets called all over the place.

It’s a common occurrence.”

“…Famous?

Capable?”

Serena knew those words, but they didn’t match Ershi at all, leaving her utterly confused.

For a moment, she wondered if those words had always been used to describe perverts, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

Since the topic had come up, Mary, Lynn, and Eddie all took turns explaining what kind of person Ershi was.

She had graduated at the top of her class from an academy that gathered the most talented young people from across the continent.

She had lost her parents at a young age yet led her noble family with excellence, becoming both an outstanding aristocrat and a powerful lord.

She was revered by all mages—even those from the Mage Tower—who called her the All-Knowing Sorceress.

Serena didn’t understand some of the things they mentioned, but one thing was clear: Ershi was an extraordinary person.

And yet…

“Where did my dear Serena go~?

Seriously, why do you keep running away when I just want to cuddle for a bit?”

“Ugh, I’m exhausted.

I should go inhale some Serenium.”

“Hey, how about we have a little chat while bathing together?

Hm?”

“Call me big sister, and I’ll let you go~.”

When Serena recalled Ershi’s disgraceful and perverted antics, she found it hard to believe they were talking about the same person.

Maybe the whole world had been deceived by her.

Or perhaps they were just confusing her with someone else.

Honestly, Serena wished that were the case.

But more than that, there was something else from the conversation that caught her attention.

“What’s this about magic?”

“Huh?

Young lady, you don’t know about magic?”

Mary looked genuinely surprised.

The other two seemed equally taken aback, making Serena feel like the only fool in the room.

“…I wouldn’t be asking if I knew.

Is it something amazing?”

“Hmm…

Amazing?

More like fascinating.”

“It’s both, really.

Only nobles can use it.”

“Even commoners who try to learn it have to pay a fortune.”

From their reactions, Serena’s curiosity about magic only grew.

As Mary struggled to find the right words to explain, Lynn sighed and stepped in.

“To put it simply, imagine fire suddenly bursting from your hands or being able to fly in the sky.”

“Huh?

You can actually do that?”

“I’m not a mage, so I don’t know the details.

If you’re curious, why not ask the head of the house to show you when she returns?

If it’s you, I bet she’d put on a grand display.”

“What…?”

Magic did sound interesting.

The ability to perform feats that only seemed possible in fairy tales or imagination—it was enough to make a child’s heart race with excitement.

But asking Ershi to show her?

That was out of the question.

Serena’s pride wouldn’t allow it.

Besides, she doubted that Ershi would just comply with a simple request.

But still…!

Even as she stubbornly denied it, a part of her really wanted to see it.

Caught in her dilemma, she unconsciously squeezed her doll as tightly as she could.

By the time she returned to the estate, the sun had begun setting behind the mountains.

The day was coming to an end.

Luckily, I made it back before nightfall, but no matter how close the capital was, riding a horse back and forth was exhausting.

“Ugh.

My butt hurts.”

Maybe I should create my own mode of transportation someday.

But if I did that, the Mage Tower would probably try to recruit me without even asking for my opinion.

That’s terrifying.

For now, I just need to get home and rest.

I have work to do at night, so I should conserve my energy.

“I’m back~.”

Dragging my weary body into the mansion, Ord greeted me as always.

But this time, it wasn’t just him—Serena was also there, waiting for me.

“Huh…?

Se-Serena?”

No way.

The girl who always avoided me was actually waiting for me?

Already drained both physically and mentally, I forgot that the servants were watching and instinctively pulled her small body into a hug.

“Ahh… my fatigue is melting away…”

“Ugh…”

But something felt off about Serena’s reaction.

Normally, she would struggle and push me away, but today, she was just sitting still in my arms.

Why is she acting like this?

Worried that she might be sick, I let go of the hug and placed a hand on her forehead.

But that wasn’t it either.

Instead, her face was flushed with humiliation and embarrassment.

“Ord, do you know what’s up with Serena?”

“Well… she said she had a request for you, my lord.”

“A request?

For me?”

First the king, then the prince—why was everyone asking me for favors today?

But this was Serena’s first request to me, so as long as it wasn’t impossible, I had to grant it no matter what.

What could she possibly want that she was willing to endure such embarrassment?

“Are you really a magician?”

“Yeah, I am.”

Didn’t I show her when I broke the wall back at the slave auction a few days ago?

Since she didn’t even understand the concept of magic, I guess she didn’t realize that it was magic.

But why ask about it now?

“Show me this ‘magic’ thing.”

“Hmm, that’s not hard.

But I’m exhausted.

Can I show you later?”

I wanted to demonstrate in my best condition, so I figured I’d eat dinner and recover some energy first…

But Serena didn’t take that well.

She thought I was making excuses and immediately looked disappointed.

Christian von Ershi, you useless idiot.

How dare you disappoint Serena?

Our precious girl wants something, and you’re hesitating?

Dragging my tired body along, I had to show her.

“Never mind!

I’ll show you right now!

Let’s head to the garden!”

As soon as I changed my tone, Serena’s mood lifted.

Phew.

I really don’t get a moment to rest, do I?

“…But why are all of you here?”

I intended to show Serena alone, but for some reason, Ord and most of the mansion’s servants had followed us outside.

Some were even peeking out the windows to watch.

Had they already finished their work?

“Hurry up.”

“Alright, alright.

Let me think about what to show you.”

Well, as long as my most important audience was here, I didn’t mind.

Now, what should I show her?

It had to be flashy, but also safe enough that no one would get hurt.

And if I was going to do it, I might as well show off a little.

A high-level spell, then…

‘…Find me a spell that fits what I just thought of.’

Nothing immediately came to mind, so I used my skill to search for one.

A status window appeared in front of me, listing various spells, their mana consumption, effects, and more.

This function was convenient, but there were too many words.

I hated reading.

“Alright.

This one will do.”

Among the listed options, I chose the most impressive-looking spell.

Advanced Magic: [Sky Bow].

Normally, this was a devastating offensive spell that launched high-density elemental arrows at a target.

But today, I had a different use for it.

Let’s paint the night sky with fireworks.

“Serena, watch the sky closely.”

“There’s nothing there.”

“Of course not.

I’m about to launch it now.”

The elemental attribute I infused into the spell was fire.

As I envisioned dozens of flame arrows merging into one, I chanted the spell.

Soon, a massive, glowing red arrow formed in the air.

“My lord, if you use such a powerful spell, there could be collateral damage—”

“Come on.

Do you really think I’d be that careless?”

Would I be reckless enough to let anyone get hurt?

Ignoring Ord’s concern, I fired the arrow high into the sky—so high that it eventually became too small to see.

Everyone stared, unsure of what was about to happen.

Then, I snapped my fingers.

At that moment, the darkening night sky bloomed with red flowers.

Explosions rang out as the fireballs burst, scattering and fading like cherry blossoms wilting in spring.

“Wow!”

“What is that?!

That’s amazing!”

“It’s even better than the festival fireworks…!”

For this moment, the servants watching had reverted to children, exclaiming in wonder.

Even Ord, who had been skeptical, was now smiling contentedly at the spectacle unfolding in the sky.

And Serena, who had probably wanted to see this more than anyone…

“Waaah…!”

She was smiling brighter than I had ever seen before.

A girl who once thought the world was nothing but dark and cold was now seeing beauty for the first time.

Her eyes sparkled, and her lips refused to drop from that delighted grin.

Yes.

That’s what I want.

A smile so radiant it looks almost foolish in its happiness.

The expression Serena will wear when I create the ending I desire—that is my wish.

“So?

Pretty, right?”

“Yeah!

I’ve never seen anything like this before!”

Of course, she hadn’t.

Fireworks of this caliber were rare, even during the kingdom’s founding celebrations.

“Ah… they’re fading.”

Everyone, including me, continued to stare up at the sky as the fireworks gradually lost their brilliance.

It was a shame, but it couldn’t be helped.

No flower blooms forever.

Alright, now that we’ve enjoyed the show, it’s time to head back inside.

I used up quite a bit of mana, and now I’m starving.

“Hey, I want to try using magic.”

But just as I was about to return to the mansion, Serena tugged at my sleeve.

“How do I do it?

Huh?”

Ugh.

If she looks up at me with those bright, eager eyes, how can I possibly refuse?

…But, as much as I’d love to say yes, magic isn’t something you can just poof and use overnight.

You have to be able to sense the mana flowing in your body, and then learn how to convert it into magic.

Most people take at least three days—some up to a week—before they can cast their first spell.

Of course, I did it in just three days.

Still, it was a relief to see her so interested in magic.

That would make teaching her all the more worthwhile.

“Hmm, it’s a bit complicated… but to put it simply, imagine drawing fire from within your body and making it bloom in your hand.”

“What does that even mean?”

Tch.

It’s unfortunate, but there’s no helping it.

Once she gets used to magic, she’ll understand what I mean, but for now, this explanation will have to—

“Oh!

I did it!”

…What?

“Look!

I did exactly what you said, and it worked!”

What was unfolding before my eyes?

Was this real?

A girl who knew nothing about magic or mana had, just by following my words, conjured a small flame in her palm.

In all my time in this world, I had never seen or even heard of anyone capable of such a thing.

“You… how did you…?”

Serena, completely unaware of how extraordinary this was, was just smiling, as if she had just gotten a new toy she wanted.

And then—

As the flame in her hand flickered and vanished, so did her smile.

“Cough, hck…!”

Serena suddenly clutched her chest and collapsed.

Her breathing became ragged, and she coughed uncontrollably.

Just moments ago, her eyes had been full of life, but now they were brimming with pain, darkened by a shadow that looked far too close to death.

“Serena?!

Stay with me!

Just hold on!”

Panicked, I immediately cast a healing spell, but—

Nothing changed.

No matter how much mana I poured into her, it felt like trying to fill a bottomless pit.

My heart pounded in desperation.

“Ord!

Get the medicine!

Now!”

The servants, who had been frozen in shock, snapped out of their daze at my shout and rushed into action.

But even after bringing the medicine and performing emergency treatment, Serena’s breath remained weak.

Eventually, she lost consciousness.

“No!

No, no, no…!”

“Please, my lord, you need to stay calm—”

“Let go of me!

How the hell am I supposed to stay calm?!”

Though she was still breathing, my mind had shut down in terror.

A memory from my past life surfaced—

That sensation of death.

The moment I had been hit by that truck, when my body was torn apart and my life slipped away.

That overwhelming fear, like being dragged into an icy abyss I never wanted to enter.

Philosophers romanticized death, but I knew better.

I knew just how terrifying it truly was.

“Serena… please, please open your eyes… please…”

But no matter how much I called for her, Serena didn’t wake.

Even if she was still breathing, that agonizing moment of complete unresponsiveness was more horrifying than anything else.