“Tch. After stepping in to help me first, too…”
After leaving the library and returning to her room, Lucillea flopped down onto the sofa.
May immediately came over and sat beside her.
“Who? Did something happen in the library?”
“Hm? Ah, Serdian.”
“Young Master Serdian?”
“Yeah.”
May recalled the sight of Serdian storming out of the library earlier and disappearing without a word.
Her eyes widened.
“What now? Did the Young Master say something hurtful again?!”
Lucillea shook her head, letting out a small laugh.
“No, nothing like that. It's just…”
She paused for a moment before continuing as if it were no big deal.
“He helped me out in the library. So I thought, since that's a kind of connection and all, I'd use the chance to ask if he wanted to be friends.”
“And?”
Lucillea giggled.
“He told me to get lost.”
“...Pardon?”
One of May's eyebrows twitched.
Meanwhile, Lucillea only laughed harder, as though she found Serdian adorable.
“Honestly, that kid is not easy to deal with.”
May gently placed a hand over Lucillea's.
“It's probably because he's not used to it.”
“Hm? Not used to what?”
“I don't know for certain, but... I think you're probably the first person who's ever approached the Young Master and asked to be friends.”
“...”
Lucillea blinked.
The first?
Well, considering Serdian's cold and intimidating aura, approaching him wasn't exactly easy.
Suppressing a smile, May continued,
“To be honest, you're also the first person I've ever seen invite him to eat together.”
Lucillea scratched her cheek awkwardly.
“Well... families are supposed to eat together. Besides, I felt like I'd interrupted his meal with the Grand Duke.”
May smiled faintly.
“The two of them don't usually dine together.”
“Oh. Really?”
“Yes. That's why I wanted to tell you not to feel discouraged. The Young Master's attitude isn't because he dislikes you. You're simply unfamiliar to him.”
“...I see.”
Unfamiliar.
Right. Serdian has always been alone.
Aside from his aide, he wouldn't have anyone meaningful in his life until he met Cynthia, the novel's heroine.
Thinking about it again, Cynthia was amazing.
How in the world had she won over someone as blunt and cold as him?
There must have been struggles unique to her.
Then suddenly—
Wait... what was the catalyst that brought Cynthia and Serdian together in the original story?
Ah.
She remembered.
It was because of the assassin I sent after him in the novel...
Serdian had nearly died.
The person who saved him with divine power as he lay bleeding to death in a dark, narrow alley was Cynthia.
Like many heroines in fantasy novels, Cynthia was incredibly righteous.
She couldn't simply abandon someone to die.
That's probably why she eventually became a Saintess.
Cynthia had been born to a courtesan who was used and discarded by a nobleman.
She'd suffered a miserable childhood and could easily have grown twisted and bitter.
Instead, she became kind, warm-hearted, and upright.
Just like a true protagonist.
But I'm not going to send an assassin after Serdian now.
So how would those two even meet?
Lucillea shrugged.
Who knows?
I don't even know what's going to happen to me tomorrow. How am I supposed to predict the future of the protagonists?
If they were truly destined to meet, then someday, somehow, they would.
I'm already struggling just to stay alive.
Right now, her priority was becoming close to Serdian and preventing his future descent into darkness.
The offer of friendship in the library had been impulsive.
But if they really could become friends...
That might actually be the answer.
A male lead, of all people, wouldn't casually kill someone who was his friend.
And if Serdian gets used to spending time with me, maybe making friends won't be so difficult for him anymore.
Then, when Cynthia eventually appeared, the two of them could become close much more naturally.
Having arrived at this brilliant conclusion, Lucillea nodded to herself.
If you wanted someone to stop seeing something as unfamiliar...
There was only one solution.
“You've got to show your face often!”
“...”
Grinning brightly, she grabbed May's hands.
“May! Can you tell me Serdian's daily schedule?!”
Night had deepened.
Pale gray clouds drifted across the sky above the Grand Duchy, occasionally veiling the moonlight.
“Good night, Lady Lucillea.”
“Mm! You too, May!”
“Yes. I'll see you tomorrow.”
Sleep well!
Lucillea waved enthusiastically as May left the room.
Thunk.
The door closed.
A few moments passed.
“...”
Silently waiting in the darkness, Lucillea slowly sat up and stared at the door.
She's gone, right?
Inside the birdcage, Cookie—who had been pretending to sleep—immediately opened his eyes.
[She's gone! I can't hear her footsteps anymore, Lucy!]
Good.
Climbing out of bed, Lucillea lit the lamp on her nightstand and carried it over to her desk.
Watching her, Cookie grabbed the cage door with his beak.
Clank. Clank.
After shaking his head several times, the little parrot managed to open it and hop out.
Lucillea glanced back and let out a disbelieving laugh.
“Wait. You know how to open that?”
[For a genius parrot like me, this is basic stuff.]
“...”
Staring at him in disbelief for a moment, she returned to her desk.
Opening a drawer, she pulled out paper and a pen and began writing.
“Wake up at four in the morning for physical training. Breakfast at seven. Heir lessons start at nine…”
Cookie landed on the desk and hopped across the paper.
Looking at the growing list of notes, he tilted his head.
[What are you writing?]
“Serdian's average day.”
[...?]
Completely confused, Cookie cocked his head to one side.
Meanwhile, Lucillea kept writing.
Lunch at twelve, followed by a short break. Swordsmanship training from two. Dinner at six. More heir lessons afterward...
Wow.
She muttered under her breath.
This is the schedule of a thirteen-year-old kid?
Granted, May had said it wasn't followed exactly.
The timetable was carefully planned but could be adjusted depending on circumstances.
Still—
Even with adjustments, that's ridiculous.
Man... this kid has it rough too.
Being the male lead wasn't exactly easy.
Then again, protagonists always suffer endlessly before reaching their happy ending.
But—
I'm not even a protagonist, so why is my life this exhausting?
Lucillea sighed heavily and stared at the schedule for a long time.
The real problem is that I can't find a single opening to squeeze myself into his life.
His days were packed.
There wasn't an inch of spare time.
Then she circled “Breakfast — 7 AM” several times.
“Okay. Breakfast it is.”
Her own lessons didn't begin until nine.
That gave her roughly two hours.
“Maybe we can eat lunch together after class too. And I want to see him training at the practice grounds. Maybe I'll ask if I can watch.”
Cookie immediately sounded disapproving.
[What about your homework? Your training? What if you fall behind and get kicked out of the Grand Duke's estate?!]
Lucillea snorted.
“I've thought about all that, you know. I was just about to start my homework.”
Remaining seated, she stretched one arm forward.
“I think Master Noah's posture looked something like this.”
[Bend your elbow a little more.]
“Like this?”
[Five more degrees!]
“This much?”
[Too much! You bent it too far!]
“How about this?”
[Perfect! That's exactly right!]
“Okay!”
Remembering Noah's instructions, Lucillea adjusted her posture and slowly extended a single finger.
Her gaze fixed on the tip of her index finger.
"Just remember three things."
Noah's voice echoed in her mind.
“Recognition. Concentration. Acceptance.”
"Recognize the mana within your body."
Lucillea closed her eyes.
She focused inward, tracing the energy flowing through her body.
The moment she sensed the power gathered around her heart, she opened her eyes.
"Concentrate on controlling it."
Following Noah's teachings as carefully as she could, she began guiding that energy toward her fingertip.
Vmmmm—
Mind, body, and mana aligned into a single flow.
A faint vibration spread through her.
She was concentrating so intensely that she didn't even notice.
Recognition. Concentration. Acceptance. Recognition. Concentration. Acceptance...!
"Once you understand the nature of your mana and accept it, acceptance will come naturally after recognition and concentration."
At that moment—
The surrounding air rippled softly.
And then—
Fwoosh!
A tiny green flame, vibrant like fresh spring leaves, blossomed at the tip of her finger.
[Oh!]
“Ah!”
Compared to Noah's flames, it was tiny and fragile.
But it was unmistakably a flame she had created herself.
[Lucy! F-fire! You made fire!]
“Whoa!”
Cookie's excitement only fueled her own.
I did it! I actually did it!
And on her very first try!
This isn't like before, when I was fumbling around without knowing how it worked.
So this is mana manipulation.
By following Noah's instructions and guiding the energy flowing through her body, controlling mana suddenly felt easy.
It was completely different from the times she'd desperately forced it out in the cabin or in front of Elvadin.
This wasn't some lucky accident!
Am I actually a genius?!
Wooooo! I did it! I really did—!
Just as Lucillea was about to bask in the glory of her success—
FWOOOOSH!
“Eek?!”
[KYAAAH!]
The tiny flame at her fingertip suddenly leapt onto the curtain beside the window.
And caught fire.
