The moment the burst of cold air erupted, every servant in the mansion felt it.
The one closest to Elena’s room was the Head Maid.
She immediately dropped the work in her hands and rushed to the Young Lady’s door at her maximum speed.
Then, she froze.
She felt a blast of frigid air rake violently across her face; she saw the terrifying frost and spotted Ai’er “escaping” from the doorway, clutching her chest with a pale face.
“Miss Ai’er?! What happened?”
“I’m not sure… but I… I think… I accidentally made Elena… angry…”
Like a puppet that had lost its strings, Ai’er curled her body and collapsed onto the floor.
The Head Maid immediately caught Ai’er in her arms, only to be shocked by how cold the silver-haired girl’s body was, as if she were an ice sculpture.
She immediately looked toward the Young Lady inside the room—Elena was standing in front of the dressing table, clutching a box, without saying a word. She looked as though she had lost her soul…
Wait, the box?
The Head Maid’s eyes widened. That box was—!
“What happened?!”
Sebas arrived with several servants in tow. Seeing Ai’er lying in the Head Maid’s arms, he immediately took her and began casting the highest-level Recovery Magic he could use.
However, it was only basic Recovery Magic, and the icy chill in Ai’er’s body did not diminish in the slightest.
“Young Lady! What is it?! Young Lady—Young Lady! Can you hear me?!”
While calling out to Elena, the Head Maid tried to enter the room. But the moment she stepped one foot inside, she was forced back by Elena’s cold aura.
Just what had happened…
The butler and the Head Maid had no way of knowing at that moment.
They only knew one thing—this was the first time Elena’s mana had gone out of control in eight years, since the day she learned of her mother’s death.
—
**[Wake up.]**
‘So cold… it hurts…’
In the darkness, Ai’er felt herself shivering. This cold rising from the depths of her heart was far more piercing than when she had returned to the shore from the sea earlier.
It felt as though blades made of condensed ice crystals were drifting through her veins… This was far beyond being “chilled to the bone.”
This was a purgatory constructed of extreme frost.
**[You cannot fall here yet…]**
**[Wake up.]**
It was not until the stabbing pain in her heart began to subside that time gradually started to flow again.
After an unknown amount of time, the cold seemed to recede slightly, and Ai’er slowly opened her eyes.
The ceiling again.
However, Ai’er recognized this ceiling this time.
This was the ceiling of Elena’s mansion, the one she had seen when she fainted the first time. So… she had fainted again?
Ai’er struggled to recall what had happened before this collapse—
She remembered picking up that exquisite box, and then Elena had walked in?
The plate with the cake had fallen to the floor, and then… ice… Elena’s mana had gone out of control?
But at that moment, Ai’er suddenly noticed another detail—at the moment she turned around, her fire magic had already vanished!
In other words, the magic stone the System mentioned that could interfere with Mana Control was inside that box?
“Miss Ai’er?! White God above, you’re finally awake! How do you feel? Is there any part of your body that feels uncomfortable?”
The old butler Sebas’s face entered Ai’er’s vision along with his aged voice.
Although it was a bit regrettable that it wasn’t Elena’s face she saw, Ai’er still nodded.
“Miss Ai’er, could you tell this old servant what happened in the room earlier?”
What happened? Inside that room…
After a bit of “decoration,” beautifying the process of her running around the room looking for things, Ai’er mentioned the box.
“I picked up that box, and then… you know the rest. Mr. Sebas, what exactly is that box?”
Sebas was stunned for a moment before falling silent. His white brows were tightly furrowed, as if he were hesitating over something.
But then he remembered that the silver-haired girl before him was the benefactor who had given the Life Crystal to the Young Lady and saved her from committing suicide by jumping into the sea—Sebas finally spoke:
“That box is a memento of the late Madam. When Madam passed away back then, the Young Lady was unwilling to enter Madam’s room—there were some circumstances at the time, and most of the mansion’s servants didn’t dare approach the Young Lady, whose mana was nearly out of control. That day, it was the people arranged by Marquis Sirius who helped clear out Madam’s belongings. This box was one of those items.
“Many years have passed, and although the Young Lady keeps it in the most prominent spot on her dressing table, no servant dares to touch that box. Once, an intruder broke into the mansion—that man was caught by the Young Lady while he was stealing things; and that man was just about to pick up that box. The final result was that the man vanished; he disappeared completely. Not even a trace was left.”
Sebas paused and rubbed his brow with his hand.
“This old servant can be certain: to this day, no one besides the Young Lady knows what is stored inside.”
‘I see… No wonder Elena suddenly became so “Witch-like.”‘
And looking at it now, the fact that she wasn’t turned into ice shards on the spot was likely the result of Elena holding back.
Good heavens… this girl is a bit scary.
Ai’er remembered the System’s previous description: **[There are five Supreme Witches with special powers in parallel dimensions; if they wish, their power could even destroy the world.]**
‘I’m curious about one thing, System… Is Elena currently at her full strength?’
**[No.]**
Ai’er blinked.
‘Then she really can destroy the world. That’s no joke.’
Ai’er got up from the bed. Since the situation had been urgent, she was still wearing that maid outfit.
“Miss Ai’er? Where are you going?”
Ignoring the butler’s attempts to stop her, Ai’er got out of bed and intended to head outside the mansion.
“I’m going for a walk—Elena probably hasn’t cooled down yet. If she doesn’t see me, she should be able to calm down faster.”
**[Current Task: Obtain the magic stone deliberately placed in the Witch of Time Elena’s room to interfere with her Mana Control.]**
**[Current System Points: 2]**
**[Current Remaining Life: 1.5 years]**
‘Don’t rush me, System…’
‘I have to wait for this girl to calm down before I have a chance to enter her room… For now, I can only leave.’
Out of sight, out of mind. Besides, she had only accidentally picked up that box. Elena should forgive her quickly!
…Right?
“By the way, Mr. Sebas, there’s one thing I must tell you—”
“Although what I’m about to say might sound… unfriendly. But, I can guarantee that what I say is definitely for Elena’s own good! There’s a problem with that box, a definite problem! If possible, Mr. Sebas, you should try to use magic in front of that box. Then you should know what I’m talking about! I’ve said what I wanted to say, so I’ll head out now!”
After dropping those words, Ai’er jogged toward the main gate of the mansion.
“Wait, Miss Ai’er!”
Sebas wanted to chase after her, but by the time he reached the door, Ai’er had already vanished outside.
She disappeared so quickly, just like a silver rabbit.
‘Why is this lady so good at running?’
Sebas sighed.
“Miss Ai’er… you don’t have any money on you right now.”
The pouch Sebas was holding, filled with gold and silver coins, could only hang helplessly in the air.
With no other choice, Sebas could only arrange for servants to quietly follow Ai’er to prevent anything from happening to her.
He believed that any observant person in the mansion could tell: this silver-haired lady was truly important to the Young Lady. Even if Elena hadn’t realized it herself.
However, he naturally could not have known—
The fact that he failed to keep Ai’er here, failing to prevent that silver-haired girl from leaving the mansion…
Just how much “trouble” it would ultimately cause.