Helos felt as though she had been sliced in two.
During the day, she was the impeccable “lady” under the tutelage of Lady Lilith. She wore restrictive long dresses, cut the food on her plate with a knife and fork, and spoke with elegant, formal honorifics.
But when the night grew still and Lilith’s graceful silhouette vanished at the end of the corridor, she would immediately shed that disguise and revert to the “tomboy” who loved her freedom.
She would sneak into the unsealed workshop to tinker with bottles and jars, or run to the deserted training ground to practice sword techniques over and over until sweat soaked her clothes.
She was like a wolf locked in a cage.
By day, she was forced to hide her fangs and play the part of a docile puppy.
Only in the dead of night could she lonely lick her wounds in her tiny territory, reminiscing about the days when she fought side by side with her companions.
This lifestyle continued for nearly one month after her 14th birthday.
On an ordinary afternoon, after Helos had finished her last speech exercise of the day, Lilith did not immediately assign the next day’s homework as she usually did.
“Miss Helos, it appears my task is complete.”
Lilith smiled, her voice as gentle as ever.
“Your current poise is enough to make any noblewoman in the empire marvel.”
Helos’s hand holding the teacup paused slightly. She looked up in disbelief.
“So…”
Lilith bowed slightly, performing a perfect curtsy.
“My mission at the duke’s mansion has reached its successful conclusion.”
“You… you’re leaving?” Helos asked subconsciously.
“Yes,” Lilith nodded slightly. “I was commissioned to teach you. Now that you have ‘graduated,’ it is time for me to take my leave.”
Helos stared at her blankly, an indescribable emotion surging in her heart.
On one hand, she practically wanted to open champagne on the spot to celebrate finally being free from the torture of this “devilish teacher.”
But on the other hand, three years of spending day and night together had given her a sense of habit and dependence on this teacher—who, though strict, was incredibly knowledgeable—that she herself hadn’t even noticed.
Lilith’s departure left Helos feeling a strange sense of emptiness amidst her euphoria. After all, this was not the first time such a parting had happened.
“Then, I wish you a safe journey, Teacher.”
Ultimately, Helos stood up and, just as she had been taught, returned a standard and elegant curtsy.
Lilith watched her, a spark of satisfaction flashing in her burgundy eyes.
She gave a final smile and said, “Farewell, Miss Helos.”
With that, she bowed deeply, turned around, and departed. Her back was as graceful as the day she first arrived.
***
With Lilith gone, Helos experienced the taste of “freedom” for the first time in a long while.
However, even though she wanted to indulge herself, the habits she had formed over three years had completely transformed her. Even if she wanted to be a tomboy now, she could only be an elegant one.
But this freedom did not last long.
Less than one month after Lilith left, a letter from the Imperial Capital completely shattered this newfound peace.
It was a bright, sunny morning when a pitch-black carriage stopped slowly before the duke’s mansion, the royal emblem engraved on its side.
An official in a messenger’s uniform, led by the Steward, entered the mansion and respectfully presented a wax-sealed letter in the duke’s study.
The arrival of this letter made the atmosphere of the entire mansion turn subtle.
While Helos was in the workshop researching a new recipe, she clearly noticed that Maev and her maids were walking faster than usual, their faces carrying a mix of excitement and tension.
Even Lille had been temporarily reassigned from Eleanor’s side.
“What happened?” she asked, catching Lille as she passed by.
Lille’s face was flushed with excitement. She lowered her voice and whispered in a breathy tone, “Second young lady, it’s the young master! Master Christ sent a letter back from the Imperial Capital!”
“Master Christ?”
Helos froze for a moment.
The name felt distant to her, like a legend from a previous century. She knew, of course, that she had a biological brother—the eldest son, Christ Olivia.
But her impression of this brother was almost nonexistent. It was said that he was a true magical genius who had shown his talent since childhood.
The content of the letter was simple: Christ would set out for home on the day of truth to take a short break and visit the family he hadn’t seen in a long time.
For Eleanor, this news was enough to make her ecstatic.
Her relationship with her brother had always been excellent—at least, far better than the bond shared with Helos, who had been ignored since she was a child. When she was little, Christ was the person who doted on Eleanor the most.
And though Duke Eisend’s face still showed little emotion, Helos could sense a faint, underlying expectation from her father’s voice, which was much softer than usual.
A few days later, on a summer afternoon, Christ Olivia returned.
A plain carriage without any family crest stopped before the duke’s mansion. The door opened, and a young man stepped out.
He was very tall and wore a simple gray mage robe. He looked to be in his 20s, with brilliant golden hair just like his father’s, tied casually behind his head with a simple ribbon.
The young man’s features were quite handsome, and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses sat on the bridge of his nose.
The deep blue eyes behind the lenses were calm and rational, a near-perfect reflection of Duke Eisend.
He lacked Duke Eisend’s majesty and didn’t carry the oppressive aura of a ruler.
He looked more like a scholar stepping out of a study—gentle in temperament, yet exuding a quiet confidence that one wouldn’t dare underestimate.
“I have returned, Father.”
Christ walked up to Eisend and bowed slightly.
“Mm.” Eisend nodded, a very faint smile appearing on his face. “Welcome home.”
Eleanor had already rushed forward excitedly, giving her long-lost brother a big hug.
Meanwhile, Helos stood at the very back of the crowd with Gavi. Wearing her curse-suppressing ring, she curiously observed this legendary “genius brother.”
To be honest, her knowledge of her own brother was less than what she knew about Julius.
After exchanging a few pleasantries with Eleanor, Christ’s gaze drifted over the crowd and landed precisely on Helos.
“Oh? Is this Helos?” He pushed up his glasses and walked slowly toward her. “You’ve grown quite a bit.”
“Ah… yes. Welcome back, Brother.”
The moment the words left her mouth, Helos felt awkward all over.
That respectful yet distant tone made her skin crawl. Out of the muscle memory drilled into her over the last three years, she even subconsciously pinched her skirt and gave a curtsy that was neither perfect nor rude.
Christ’s gaze lingered on Helos for a moment before falling onto the inconspicuous silver ring on her finger.
“That’s a very nice ring. It suits you, Sister.”
“Th—thank you?”
“Haha, it seems being away from home for so long has its downsides.”
Seeing his sister’s stiff demeanor, Christ laughed helplessly and gently rubbed Helos’s head.
“Come, we are family. Why be so cautious?”
The family dinner that night was the first dinner Helos had ever attended where the Duchess was not present.
At the table, Christ talked about interesting stories from the Imperial Capital, while Eleanor shared what she had seen at the Church.
Even their normally silent father chipped in with a few words. The atmosphere wasn’t exactly lively, but it had a warm, familial feel to it.
Helos didn’t say a word throughout the meal, silently eating the food on her plate. Her movements were impeccable, perfectly aligned with Lilith’s teachings.
***
After the dinner concluded, Christ unexpectedly asked everyone to stay.
“Father, Eleanor, and Helos.”
He looked around at his family, his gaze finally settling on his two sisters.
“Besides visiting home, there is one more reason why I returned.” He pushed up his glasses and dropped a bombshell in a calm tone.
“I hope the two of you will come with me to the Imperial Capital to study at the Royal Magic Academy.”
“To the Imperial Capital?” A flash of pleasant surprise appeared in Eleanor’s eyes.
Helos, however, was completely stunned. She pointed at herself in disbelief, her voice shifting in pitch.
“Me? To a magic academy? Brother, you must be joking. I don’t have a lick of mana. What would I even do there? Watch other people set off fireworks?”
Even though the ring on her finger could temporarily suppress the 【Silent Oath】, it didn’t mean she could use magic!
“Who said you need mana to attend the magic academy?”
Christ looked at her with a gentle smile.
“While the academy specializes in magic, it also offers non-magical subjects such as history, alchemy, and demonic ecology. I believe that with your mind, you can achieve remarkable success in those fields as well.”
His tone shifted, and his blue eyes seemed to pierce through all of Helos’s disguises from behind his lenses.
“And more importantly—” His voice carried a hint of temptation.
“Your constitution is unprecedented. Olivius City is too small; the people here cannot understand you. But the Imperial Capital is different.”
“It gathers the top minds and the vastest knowledge in the entire empire. Perhaps there, we can find a clue to truly understanding your constitution… or even find a way for you to obtain mana?”
Obtain… mana?
Those words hit Helos’s heart like a bolt of lightning.
She had never said it to anyone, but deep down, how could she not have yearned to freely control brilliant magic like her sister?
“But…” she hesitated.
“It is decided.”
Ultimately, it was Duke Eisend who made the decision. He looked at his two daughters, then at the eldest son he was so proud of, and nodded slowly.
“With Christ to look after you in the Imperial Capital, I can be at ease.”
And so, before Helos could fully process what was happening…