Chapter 11

# 11

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"......What? The House of Esselred, that place is......"

"It's a house that has declined so much it's called a garbage dump."

The House of Esselred, which gathered all the troublemakers from various houses, earned the derogatory name of a garbage dump.

To be sent as the successor to such a place......

Edward fell silent for a moment.

Nabia's ultimate goal seemed to be to leave Agnes.

But why?

"Why do you want to leave the House of Agnes?"

His tone seemed to ask, 'Why would you do such a foolish thing in such a good place?'

Edward didn't stop there.

"You should be able to marry a noble with decent conditions if you stay in Agnes."

Although Nabia was only eight years old, she seemed to understand this well enough, despite some doubts about whether she could fully grasp it.

"And even if the head of the Esselred family is unmarried and childless, his cousin has children. Do you think they will let you be?"

You're walking into a trap.

Nabia understood this even without further explanation.

Walking into a trap? Indeed.

'Already, this place is my trap.'

"That's a valid point."

Nabia smiled as if a mouse was thinking about a cat.

"But that's not something you need to worry about."

From his tone, Edward sensed that she had already calculated everything.

He couldn't recall ever being so thoroughly outmatched by someone.

This was the first time.

Yet, he wasn't angry.

Instead, he felt an odd sense of anticipation.

"I will enter into a contract with you, Miss."

As Edward raised his mana to create the contract, light gathered in the air.

Hum-.

The light read the contract's contents, absorbed them, and transformed into letters.

Nabia and Edward confirmed the content and shook hands.

Puff!

A stronger white light burst from the letters that were emitting a faint glow.

It was the scene of the contract being successfully formed.

The light letters transformed into a ring and fell onto his palm.

Seeing Edward put the ring on his index finger, Nabia informed him of the treatment.

"Have the mage absorb the reverse-flowing mana from the patient's body to create a temporary vacuum. Then, inject mana precisely along the correct path."

"Ah......!"

This method would be impossible for a mediocre mage, but Edward was more than capable.

'After all, this person discovered this treatment method.'

Edward's mind began to race with the unexpected idea.

It's possible. A fully plausible theory.

His expression brightened with excitement when Nabia suddenly asked,

"Today is the day to report on my academic achievements, right?"

"......Yes, but......"

Edward was too tired to ask how she knew this.

"Tell them that my brainwashing has weakened today. That way, you won't be in as much trouble no matter what happens in the future."

Edward found this threat absurd but had no choice but to comply.

"......Understood."

Nabia hopped off her chair, held her skirt, and elegantly bowed.

"Then, I'll see you next time, teacher."

Her overly formal demeanor might have made someone unfamiliar with her think she was cute and smile.

But Edward, who received this bow, could not perceive it as the innocent antics of a girl.

He felt the subtle pressure of someone holding the leash.

Nabia turned and briskly left the study room.

Her silver hair fluttered like wings.

"......Sigh."

He had been thoroughly defeated, even at the end.

Edward sighed, running his hand over his face, but his gaze remained fixed on the door Nabia had just left through.

As if following the fading silver afterimage.

* * *

Thud.

As soon as the study room door closed, Nabia's smile vanished completely.

'Persuasion is such an easy task.'

Seeing Edward kneel and lower his gaze, she felt a sense of satisfaction.

Yet, at the same time, she wanted to scream.

'How could you, who knew my desires better than anyone, do this!'

Nabia had grown up cherishing the same dream, looking up to the kind duke who had saved her from a life in the gutter and the proud members of Agnes.

Without realizing that everything was a result of brainwashing.

Nabia had been completely at the mercy of the adults' cunning.

The suggestion magic Edward had cast had strongly amplified the common human desires for love and recognition.

Nabia, who had many deficiencies, was particularly susceptible to the suggestion magic.

'I used the 7th cycle to nullify that suggestion.'

Nabia now had a mental barrier that made Edward's level of suggestion magic ineffective.

So, in the 8th cycle, she thought and acted according to her own will.

Perhaps that's why she survived the longest across all cycles.

She was the most recognized.

But ultimately, she failed.

Love? Family? They were all illusions.

Nabia stopped in the middle of the corridor, her face darkening.

'Ah, I unconsciously used etiquette......'

The etiquette she had been rigorously trained in during the 8th cycle came out habitually, even when she wasn't aware of it.

Even now, her posture remained perfectly composed despite suddenly stopping.

As if she were a real 'noble'......

Nabia's eyes darkened when a voice filled with hostility called out from a distance.

"Hey, lowborn."

Nabia knew who it was without looking.

Sure enough, when she turned her head, Wood was standing at the corner of the corridor, glaring at her.

Wood had never before received a punishment like being confined to his room.

He felt as if he could die from anger. He couldn't bear to let this humiliation pass without taking it out on Nabia.

But if he was caught by Nikan, he would be punished. Despite feeling wronged and angry, the king of the ducal mansion was his father.

He didn't want to be locked up again. So, Wood thought hard.

'At this time, no one is allowed to approach the east wing on the first floor.'

In a place where no one else was around, only he and Nabia would exist.

The stage was set for him to use violence freely.

Wood's choice was appropriate.

Nikan was particularly sensitive to external perceptions at the moment, so any major disturbance would result in severe reprimand.

Nabia was clearly in a dangerous situation but remained calm.

'Wood, for all his impatience, has thought this through quite well.'

She felt like applauding his cunning.

Wood laughed maliciously.

"Did you think I would just let it go?"

In terms of physical condition and status, Nabia was at a disadvantage. If he decided to attack, she wouldn't be able to defend herself.

'But is this situation really to your advantage?'

"You're going to......kill me today?"

"Kill you?"

Nabia spoke with an innocent expression, but her words were chilling.

Under the strange pressure, Wood instinctively denied it.

"Who, who said anything about killing?"

Wood felt as if he had walked into a tiger's den.

Yet, this pressure felt familiar, like something he had experienced before.

Yes, yesterday.

Nabia, looking like a rabbit with its ears perked up, asked,

"Then why were you hiding here like a mouse, waiting for me?"

Wood was a typical bully, weak to the strong and strong to the weak.

His aggressive stance faltered.

"Pitiful."

Wood froze, as if turned to stone.

"Pitiful?"

Pitiful? Did she just speak to him so casually? Realizing the situation, Wood's expression twisted into a vicious sneer.

"Do you really want to die?"

He raised his fist, as if to strike. Nabia sneered, unable to contain her contempt.

"Truly consistent."

Since realizing that his father valued Nabia's appearance, Wood had been careful not to damage her face while beating her.

But he didn't know that now.

"Then kill me."

He was only ten years old.

In the near future, he wouldn't hesitate to kill, but not yet.

A ten-year-old Wood could only commit minor acts of cruelty, like putting bugs in her room or locking her up. He couldn't bear the weight of murder.

But she could bear the weight of death.

"Go ahead, try to kill me. Father will be so pleased."

Thud, thud.

Nabia quickly closed the distance, offering her neck. Wood was terrified by her boldness.

"Ugh......! Get away!"

Thud!

He pushed her away forcefully, out of fear.

Nabia stumbled backward, her shoulder numb, but it didn't really hurt.

She glared at Wood with a deadly look.

"Can you really kill me like that?"

Wood, pale and frightened, shouted.

"If you come closer, I'll really kill you!"

Nabia, who knew how to swim, tried to escape the water column.

But her body wouldn't respond.

Wood laughed maliciously, mocking her.

"Do you think the water created by magic is the same as ordinary water? It's infused with my will!"

The water, controlled by Wood's will, restrained Nabia's movements.

Her breath grew short. Her body felt unbearably heavy, and her heart raced wildly.

This was the same sensation she had when the carriage fell into the lake and she died in the first cycle.

'No way. No, it can't be.'

But this sensation......

'......Was it not an accident then, but magic used to kill me?'

As Nabia twisted in anger and pain, Wood laughed, holding his stomach.

"See, I told you I'd kill you."

'Why do such people have such powerful abilities? Why!'

Despair and anger overwhelmed her. A nauseating sense of powerlessness rose within her.

No matter how much information she had, she was powerless against real power.

But.

'I can't die here!'

At that moment, her right wrist heated up as if in a dream.