“That…I do not know.”
Amisa slowly lowered her head.
Her duty was to patrol inside and outside the castle, and she had not gone out with Ireya.
“Haa…”
Lady Shudlian let out a slow sigh, a bitter smile appearing at the corner of her mouth.
Originally, when Yaya had locked herself in her room for three days to study magic, Lady Shudlian had helplessly thought her daughter was underestimating magic, and that such research would be almost completely fruitless.
She had even thought that after this struggle, Yaya might willingly give up.
That wouldn’t be so bad…
After all, given Yaya’s personality, Shudlian hadn’t really wanted her to walk this dangerous path.
But unexpectedly…
This little one had only studied on her own for three days, went out to have fun for a day…and directly became a transcendent.
“Having too talented a daughter is…also a kind of trouble, huh~”
The lady softly massaged her temples, then turned to look at Amisa.
“Based on your observations, what kind of power does Yaya have?”
The maid was silent for two seconds, seeming to be pondering, or perhaps recalling.
“It’s related to souls. She can use souls to strengthen herself, giving her arms power equivalent to a weapon-wielding [Sub-Copper Knight], but…”
Amisa instinctively glanced at her lady’s expression before continuing.
“It seems that while using this ability, the young lady’s body experiences a certain degree of pain.”
Soul manipulation, bodily enhancement, self-inflicted harm…
These words put together did not paint a very optimistic picture.
“A higher being of the Abyss, perhaps?”
Lady Shudlian frowned and spoke slowly.
The Abyss was generally equated with the unknown, with fear and with taboos.
Though she didn’t know exactly which higher being’s power was involved, the blessings — or curses — given by unknown entities were all very dangerous.
“Haa…”
Lady Shudlian slowly closed her eyes.
This matter was indeed a result of her being a bit too lax.
The problem was in her own thinking.
After all…
Examples of people who merely wanted to learn about the transcendent and then instantly became one were almost unheard of.
To become a transcendent, one had to pay far more than most could imagine.
Yet Shudlian couldn’t have guessed her own daughter would accomplish it in just four days.
And she…knowing full well Ireya had this thought, should have acted first.
At least then…the higher being connected to Yaya might have been relatively gentle, more tolerant of humans.
“Go investigate what Yaya did today and where she went.”
But since it had already happened, there was no point dwelling on it.
Shudlian decisively gave her order.
“Yes, madam.”
Amisa slowly nodded, her figure once again retreating into the darkness, vanishing without a trace.
“D…”
Thud!
Lady Shudlian, feeling somewhat weary, lay back down, her white hair spreading out just like Ireya’s — like blooming white daisies.
“A genius…huh? I would rather…aya just live this life peacefully and safely…that would have been enough~”
Scene shift – The hall
Snap!
A crisp slapping sound echoed through the hall, and Jeannie was directly struck to the floor!
“You…”
She looked up angrily at the woman before her…
It was the madam of the house, Bijia Beth.
This woman was quite tall but somewhat thin, her cheekbones protruding.
She also liked wearing heavy makeup, which only made her look meaner and more haggard.
But she herself didn’t seem to realize it.
Perhaps this was also why Jeannie’s father had sought out a second wife —
Jeannie’s own gentle mother.
“Heh, you little bitch, daring to steal money from the household, just like your shameless mother. I think your father has truly spoiled you rotten!”
“This isn’t the household’s money! It was given to me by the young lady…so I could see my father! I have something important to tell him!!”
Jeannie bit her lip hard.
The woman often verbally insulted her somewhat timid mother, which infuriated Jeannie.
But right now…the most important thing was to find her father and tell him that she could serve the marquis’s young lady.
“Heh, your father went to Baron Ross’s territory this afternoon. Probably won’t be back for three days~”
Bijia spoke with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, while her greedy gaze stayed fixed on the money pouch Jeannie was clutching.
This was money she had just snatched from this little bitch.
Because…it could solve her immediate crisis.
Just a few days ago, she had laid eyes on a sapphire necklace of good purity at the Shining Cat’s Eye jewelry store.
Other noble ladies were watching too, so she gritted her teeth…and bought it.
It cost 172 gold coins.
To satisfy her vanity, she had almost emptied the family’s reserve funds.
After returning home, she regretted it somewhat, but if she tried to return it…she’d be blacklisted by Shining Cat’s Eye, and the other noble ladies would surely mock her.
She absolutely couldn’t afford that humiliation.
So these past few days she had been at her wits’ end.
Luckily, her husband didn’t inquire into household affairs…letting her get by.
And now…this little bitch had simply delivered over two hundred gold coins right into her hands!!
Seeing Jeannie in obviously expensive new clothes, the smile on Bijia’s face was impossible to hide.
“She stole the household’s reserve funds to buy herself new clothes, only to be caught red-handed by me, the lady of the house! And I recovered the missing reserve money!”
This excuse not only let her keep all the money to cover her impulsive mistake, it also let her completely suppress this little bitch and her always-sobbing mother in front of her husband…
This plan was flawless.
Too perfect.
As for what this little bitch was saying — something about a marquis’s young lady, about Ireya Batios…
Under the temptation of such enormous benefits, Bijia chose not to believe it at all!
Besides, if she really had connections with the marquis’s daughter, would the master still just be an ordinary knight?
Most likely…that money was either something she picked up or stole, trying to scare her into returning it.
Such petty tricks — how could she possibly be fooled?
“Come! Lock Jenny up in the woodshed and wait for the master to return and deal with her!”
Bijia waved her hand, summoning two servants and ordered.
“Yes, madam.”
“Ugh! Let go of me! Bijia! Mother!! You…you shouldn’t do this! I really…”
Jenny’s face was half swollen, her hair slightly disheveled, as she was dragged out of the hall.
“What a noisy thing, just like her wretched mother…”
Bijia let out a disdainful sneer, then couldn’t wait to turn her gaze back to the money pouch in her hand.
After dismissing all the servants, she poured out all the coins in the pouch at once!
The golden shine wasn’t so bright that Bijia couldn’t keep her eyes open, but it was enough to make her swallow hard.
Counting them one by one, there were a total of 246 gold coins and 31 silver coins.
That little wench must have already spent some…tsk, how was she worthy of wearing such fine clothes?
“Mother!”
At that moment, a voice suddenly came from the doorway.
A short, stout young man walked in through the door.
This was the eldest son of Knight Bess, and also Bijia’s pride —
Baruch Bess.
Unlike his mother, his body was fat and squat, his facial features squeezed together by the fat, making him look rather foolish.
And his character clearly took after his mother’s.
When he saw the gold coins on the table…
His steps immediately froze.