Chapter 13

# 13

|

An unwelcome hypothesis flashed through Nikan's mind.

"Over there."

Nikan called out to a servant with a stern expression.

The servant should not be here at this time. Therefore, the reason for the servant being here was obvious.

He was a witness.

"Why was Wood trapped in a water pillar?"

"Ah... Young Master summoned the water pillar and got trapped in it. Miss Navia told me."

The servant glanced at Navia, who was standing behind him.

Nikan's gaze also fell on Navia, who was drenched like Wood.

Navia, feeling the cold, was shivering with blue lips, but she was still looking at Wood with concern.

The first-floor east wing, which had been sealed off.

The space where Wood and Navia were drenched, and Wood's magic could be felt.

Nikan didn't need to ask more to guess what had happened.

'Just when I heard that the brainwashing had weakened!'

"Hah..."

Nikan clutched his aching head.

To make matters worse, the Empress had sent an invitation for Navia's portrait.

If her foster daughter suddenly changed at a time like this, the suspicious Empress would surely find fault with everything.

'From the looks of it, the foundation of the brainwashing doesn't seem to be shaken.'

Nikan's eyes became meaningful.

"Navia, you're drenched. What happened?"

Navia, called by Nikan, shuddered.

"That is..."

"It's fine, tell me."

Navia lowered her head as if in deep thought.

Her trembling eyes quickly turned cold and dry.

'This is a test.'

As Navia delved deeper into her thoughts, her expression became blank, almost lifeless.

This was a habit she had when completely focused on her thoughts.

'He's trying to confirm my brainwashing.'

Nikan, despite his son being in this state, was using this as an opportunity to test Navia's loyalty.

'Disgusting human.'

This was the true nature of the nobility.

Of course, Nikan was also a highly skilled manipulator. He wasn't the head of the most prestigious of the three ducal families for nothing.

He had a remarkable talent for distinguishing between chess pieces to be used for a long time and those to be sacrificed in the short term, and for controlling them appropriately.

'I am a chess piece to be used for a long time.'

That's why she had spent a long time being brainwashed.

Edward had revealed the truth to Navia just before she was sent to the barbarian queen.

"Still don't understand? I am a mental domination mage, and you have been brainwashed."

"But I am fully conscious!"

"That's because I started giving you very weak suggestions when you were seven."

Mental domination magic, when used strongly, would cause the target's mind to collapse, making their eyes hazy.

Navia, who had been affected by the magic at a gradually increasing level of intensity, had clear eyes.

'That's why I didn't realize I was under a suggestion until the sixth cycle.'

Edward said finally.

"Strong desires are a weakness. Well, it's a bit late advice."

Navia lifted her head.

It was too easy to act the way Nikan wanted her to.

"It's all my fault, Father."

She could vividly recall her appearance without looking in a mirror.

What kind of expression she made at this moment.

How much she breathed.

How much her eyes drooped.

'I have data from eight cycles.'

"I asked my brother to show me magic."

Why would a child who almost died in a fire yesterday ask Wood to show her magic?

Moreover, this place was under Nikan's control.

It was a completely unconvincing excuse, which made it seem like a child's.

Nikan's eyes softened with satisfaction. Navia's answer met his standards.

'But my real purpose is not to reassure you.'

She looked at Wood, who was coughing up water and gasping for breath.

Navia, acting like an innocent and naive sister worried about her brother, ran to him and grabbed his arm.

"Are you okay, brother?"

Wood, with a murderous look, pushed Navia away forcefully.

Smack!

"You did this!"

Wood, now feeling safe, lunged at Navia.

"You monster! Die!"

"Ah!"

Navia, defending herself from Wood's punches with her arms, smiled slightly.

'Ah, it's really fortunate that Wood is so stupid.'

The servants, unable to stop the enraged Wood, just watched nervously.

Nikan grabbed Wood.

"What nonsense is this!"

Wood, pushing Nikan's hand away, pointed at Navia.

"That lowborn tried to kill me! She trapped me in a water pillar!"

"This brat...!"

'...Wait.'

"You trapped him in a water pillar?"

Wood, resentful that his father didn't immediately punish Navia, shouted in frustration.

"She stole magic! Otherwise, I wouldn't have been trapped in a water pillar! Father, you can't just let this go, right?!"

Nikan's expression changed.

Stole magic? The only people who could do that were Copycat mages.

'Could Navia be a Copycat mage?'

Magic has rules.

1. Every mage develops one ability.

2. Magic is inherited probabilistically by children.

In this regard, the ability of a Copycat mage to copy any magic is quite unique.

Of course, there were limits.

Typically, copying 30% of the opponent's ability was the highest level.

Still, the ability to cast any type of magic one desires was an enormous privilege and advantage.

If Navia were a Copycat mage, she would be a tremendous hidden card, too valuable to send to the Empress.

Nikan immediately checked Navia's magic.

'...There's nothing?'

Contrary to his expectations, he felt no magic at all.

Then, Navia said.

"I... I saw a blue light when my brother used magic... and then he suddenly got trapped in the water pillar."

This was a prelude to a magic overload, which sometimes appeared when a mage manifested magic beyond their ability.

'Tsk! Of course.'

A Copycat mage was too much to hope for.

"Wood! I've told you repeatedly to be careful of magic overload!"

Wood, feeling wronged by the false accusation, was about to go mad.

"There was no blue light! The lowborn is lying. Father, you have to... "

"Enough!"

If Navia had used magic, as Wood claimed, there would have been traces of magic in the space.

But apart from Wood's magic, he felt no power.

In other words, Wood was lying.

Nikan found it annoying that his incompetent son was trying to get the better of Navia by any means.

He spoke gently to reassure the trembling Navia.

"I'm ashamed, Navia. I'll give your brother a good scolding, so go and rest now."

Navia nodded cautiously.

Wood, however, went wild.

"She did it! Why don't you believe me?!"

Navia met Wood's red, furious face.

Pfft.

"...I'll kill you! Let me go!"

Navia ignored the murderous words and turned away.

'Just getting this much of a reaction for such a minor thing, you really are dramatic.'

The chaos in this household was only just beginning.

Navia walked calmly from the first-floor east wing to the lobby.

Silence enveloped the area.

No one offered a towel to the drenched Navia, whose skin was pale.

She must have looked pitiful and ridiculous.

'But it doesn't matter.'

She no longer intended to prove her worth in this place.

Ignoring the gazes of others, she focused only on the new power she had gained and continued walking.

However, this silence was of a different kind from Navia's perceived contempt.

Agnes' servants, lost in thought, couldn't take their eyes off Navia as she headed for the stairs.

The mansion, with its high ceilings, had tall windows.

The sunlight streaming through the large windows made the water droplets on Navia's body sparkle like diamonds.

"Wow..."

Low murmurs of admiration could be heard everywhere.

Navia, far from being ugly, was causing people to marvel. It wasn't because of her appearance.

It was because of her bearing.

As one of the three ducal families, Agnes' servants had seen countless noble guests.

Among them were the Emperor and Empress Diana.

Thus, the servants of Agnes had very high standards. They wouldn't bat an eye at ordinary etiquette.

But Navia's bearing was truly remarkable.

Despite walking in wet shoes, her steps were not hurried. Her natural gaze and the way she handled her wet skirt to make it look like a velvet dress, every detail was refined.