Chapter 1: The Cursed Lady and the Knight’s Squire

The light from the Crystal Chandelier spilled over the elegantly dressed crowd, as a towering cream cake was slowly pushed into the center of the hall.

The candles flickering atop it cast a warm glow on the smiling face of the golden-haired girl.

The scene.

Just like that.

“Happy Birthday, Miss Eleanor!”

“Oh my~ our young lady is already ten years old in the blink of an eye~”

Amid the chorus of blessings, no one noticed the small figure curled up behind the railing in the shadowed corridor on the second floor.

Silver hair draped from her shoulders, Helos Olivia rested her chin on the carved banister, her pale violet eyes reflecting the lively scene below.

“Today’s my birthday too, though…………”

She muttered softly, curling a strand of hair that had fallen onto her chest, then letting it fall again.

Unlike her sister’s bright, sunlit golden hair, her silver locks shimmered with a chill under the moonlight, as if forgotten by the entire world.

“Grrr.”

Her empty stomach protested loudly at the scent of the delicious food wafting up from below.

Since dawn, the maids had been busy preparing the young lady’s birthday feast, and naturally, no one had remembered to bring food for this useless person.

Helos rubbed her flat stomach and sighed helplessly.

Even though she had been reincarnated as a noble daughter, she still ended up hungry……………

In a daze, she recalled her past life—the college student who only went to the convenience store to stock up on snacks for weekend gaming marathons, and the fool who drowned trying to save a child.

She laughed at herself bitterly.

The words of that deity still echoed in her ears:

【As a special reward, you may reincarnate into another world with your memories intact~ But… there will be a little surprise.】

With a resigned attitude of “since I’m here anyway,” she was reborn into this brand-new world.

And the result…………… what kind of surprise was this?

Born with a curse that had already taken her mother’s life, she was feared by the entire Church as the “Cursed Girl.”

It was said that the priests attending her birth had turned pale and called out the name of a demon, and if her mother hadn’t grasped her father’s hand tightly in her final moments, she probably wouldn’t even have this chance to feel hunger now.

So although her childhood couldn’t be called tragic, she was basically invisible within the Olivia’s Duke’s Mansion.

“No one cares about a ghost.”

Helos rolled her eyes and slipped through the corridor like a nimble kitten, deftly avoiding the patrolling guards.

***

After several turns, she finally stopped before a small attic crammed with clutter.

Moonlight streamed through the skylight, dust particles gently dancing in the light.

She stared at the shaft of light, pondering for a moment.

What was this called again? The Dali Garden Effect?

Uh, maybe not quite right?

But it should mean roughly the same thing.

I was already a sophomore last life, so it’s understandable I’m not an expert in academics.

She shook her head and pushed aside some heavy wooden boxes.

When a rope ladder hidden behind them appeared, Helos let out a proud whistle.

This was her masterpiece made from bed sheets and curtains stolen from the laundry room, and every time she used it, she felt a sense of accomplishment building her “Secret Base.”

Climbing up to the rooftop, the warm summer breeze immediately embraced her lonely soul.

Though it was a little hot, the sea of stars stretched out above her was far more dazzling than any crystal chandelier.

“This really is the best place after all!”

Helos lay down on the slanted roof, gazing at the starry sky and sighed contentedly.

Then, she pulled out her prize from her skirt pocket—the apple pie she had sneakily taken from the kitchen on the way here.

“Little apple, I’m counting on you again today!!”

The crisp sound of the flaky crust breaking between her teeth was exceptionally clear, and the sweet flavor made her squint her eyes in happiness.

Her legs dangled outside the eaves, swaying gently to the tune humming in her mind.

“Hey, that’s dangerous.”

A sudden voice startled Helos so much she nearly dropped the pie.

She whipped her head around and saw a black-haired boy standing by the attic’s skylight.

Moonlight illuminated his slightly youthful face, and the silver buckle belt of the Saint Knight Squire gleamed faintly in the night.

The boy frowned, looking at Helos:

“Falling from this height would kill you.”

“Uh, not a bro, who are you?”

Helos blinked, a bit slow to process.

“Sorry, my bad.”

“I’m Julius, a Saint Knight Squire.”

The boy reflexively saluted, then realized the atmosphere was a bit awkward. “Uh, sorry to bother you……”

Helos cut off his polite words, stepping barefoot onto the stone bricks and approached, curiously examining him:

“Are you a guest of my sister’s?”

“Sister?”

Julius looked at the girl, who was about his height, stunned as if he didn’t quite understand what she meant.

Helos gave a self-deprecating smile and introduced herself:

“I’m Helos Olivia, the third daughter of Duke Olivia.”

“Ah?”

Seeing the boy’s reaction, Helos wasn’t surprised.

After all, the outside world knew very little about her; many didn’t even know she existed.

“Eh?”

Just as Julius didn’t know how to respond, Helos suddenly widened her eyes. “You’re standing so close to me… aren’t you dizzy?”

The boy shook his head in confusion.

His reaction made Helos straighten her back instinctively, crumbs of apple pie scattering all over her skirt.

Normally, anyone within three meters of her would start to feel the effects of magical disruption—dizziness, nausea, weakness in limbs.

But this boy had been within the range of her Curse of Silence for a whole minute and still appeared perfectly fine.

This was her innate ability, and also a curse.

She could suppress all magical flows within her surrounding space, like creating a silent sanctuary in a noisy world.

That’s right, this world was also one where magic existed.

In this world where magic was as natural as breathing, from nobles to commoners, everyone had some amount of magic flowing in their bodies.

Sparking fire from fingertips or turning water into ice were just children’s games.

Magic was the foundation of civilization, lighting up thousands of homes.

But Helos was a once-in-a-millennium anomaly.

She had not a trace of magic within her and could not sense its flow.

The Church called her the “Cursed Girl,” while scholars used the more academic term “Magic Insulator.”

Because she couldn’t use magic, she was privately regarded as a “useless person” within the Duke’s Mansion.

The irony was that she could suppress others’ magic, like night swallowing starlight.

So, to avoid causing trouble, she mostly stayed alone in her room and only ventured out when there were few people around.

Incidentally, due to this ability, she couldn’t use most magical devices either.

This meant she still lived like a primitive, struggling even to light a candle without a flint.

“Really?”

Helos leaned suspiciously toward Julius, poking his cheek with her finger. “You really… aren’t lying to me?”