Chapter 24

# 24

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Nikan, who had been glaring at Filippa and Maki, who were lying on the floor praying, immediately reacted to his daughter's voice.

"Vivian! Are you okay?"

Vivian looked around her bedroom with a dazed expression.

Her crying maids, Filippa the nanny, and Navia, who was calmly looking at her.

'Why is my sister here...?'

Her head was numb.

Vivian couldn't quickly grasp the situation, but when Senator Hans examined her, she realized how strange the current situation was.

"Why is everyone like this?"

Her gaze then fell on the sword Nikan was holding.

Come to think of it, didn't Dad try to kill Maki?

At that moment, she was suddenly convinced that the reason Dad tried to kill Maki was because of Navia.

Vivian started to cry again, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Don't kill the nanny and Maki! Wahh!"

Nikan sighed deeply in front of his daughter.

"......Ha."

He barely managed to turn his urge to curse into a sigh.

No matter how young his daughter was... it was hard to tolerate her defending a servant who had deceived her.

But he couldn't ignore his daughter's words.

If he ignored her and executed them, it would really cause trouble.

"Alright. Stop crying, Vivian. You'll faint again if you keep this up."

Nikan picked up the sobbing Vivian and patted her back.

He looked so caring as a father...

Navia quietly observed the situation, as if she had already been forgotten.

This role was familiar to her.

She was always the bright sunlight that illuminated them as if they were the center of the world, the enchanting love like the fragrance of flowers, watching from a distance.

The brighter and more splendid the place where her family stood, the darker the shadow where Navia stood.

She was the darkness of this place. That was the fate of a substitute.

Navia's gaze turned to Filippa and Maki.

They looked relieved, having narrowly escaped.

Their loyalty to Vivian deepened, and their hatred for Navia intensified, needless to say.

"Navia."

Nikan, still holding Vivian, spoke to Navia.

"The gifts I gave you are all yours. You don't need to return them."

Vivian flinched for a moment but didn't react further.

She instinctively felt it was better to stop here.

Navia took a step back and bowed gracefully.

"Thank you, Father."

Nikan nodded approvingly.

"Alright, you can go now."

"Yes."

Navia ignored the resentful gazes directed at her and left the bedroom.

The door closed, and Nikan put Vivian back on the bed and spoke to Filippa and the maids.

"You owe your lives to Vivian."

Filippa and the maids bowed deeply.

"......Thank you for your mercy."

Nikan clicked his tongue at the pitiful sight and turned to Vivian.

"Vivian, it's unbecoming of Agnes to envy Navia's gifts."

"But......"

"Of course, this father will buy you many prettier and better things. Why are you upset?"

Vivian wasn't entirely satisfied, but she calmed down at the promise of prettier and better things.

"Okay. I won't cry anymore, Vivian."

"Good girl."

Nikan stroked her hair, relieved, and then turned to the servants.

"You will be docked three months' pay."

That was a moderate punishment.

"Thank you."

Nikan clicked his tongue and left the bedroom.

He headed to his own bedroom, not his study, and said to Linden.

"I'm going to the palace now. Prepare my clothes."

"Yes, sir."

Nikan planned to suggest having the engagement ceremony on the same day the queen invited him.

Nikan smiled with satisfaction.

"I can reduce the lobbying costs for the queen."

Magic stones are not unique.

The Lucian family could use magic stones from other mines, even if they were of lower quality, instead of Agnes.

But the position of the prince's fiancée was only one.

The queen used this point to pressure Nikan by mentioning other potential brides.

Nikan was frustrated but had to delay the engagement ceremony until Navia was ready to be seen in public.

'Now, I will put an end to this today, Queen Diana.'

He thought it would take at least until the year after next, but Navia's level of etiquette today exceeded his expectations.

"Sir, the carriage is waiting outside."

Before leaving the mansion, Nikan glanced down the quiet corridor.

Vivian had been calmed, and Wood seemed to have taken yesterday's warning to heart and was unusually quiet. Still, he couldn't be sure.

"Have a knight watch Wood to prevent any rash actions."

"Yes, sir."

Everything was going according to plan.

* * *

Navia held a hairpin in her hand and slowly walked to her room.

It felt as if sharp thorns were piercing through her thin slippers.

No, it was like walking barefoot on a frozen ice sheet.

Vivian's bedroom and Navia's room were on opposite sides of the central staircase, so the distance was quite far.

The long distance felt even longer and more tedious with her shortened steps.

But she couldn't muster the strength to walk faster.

She was tired.

Was this how a soldier felt after a fierce battle, returning to camp?

'Just a little longer.'

Navia paused, rubbing her tired eyes.

Her head throbbed, and her stomach felt hollow. Then she saw the crescent moon on her wrist.

This mysterious power to steal others' magic was like a mark proving it was the '9th cycle.'

9th cycle.

Yes, this was the last life.

'Is this really living?'

"......Ugh!"

Suddenly, she felt a wave of nausea.

Navia quickly covered her mouth and ran to her room.

She stumbled and fell to the floor, losing her balance.

She tightly closed her eyes and covered her face with her arms.

Bang!

The violent impact covered her arms and body, but Navia didn't scream.

She slowly lifted her tightly closed eyelids.

Right in front of her nose was the hairpin.

The pitiful hairpin she had chosen herself to deceive everyone.

Navia looked at the hairpin with empty eyes and reached out to grab it.

The smooth, hard texture of the hairpin was felt at her fingertips.

This was Navia's pitiful and insignificant trophy.

The result of fighting alone as a spear and shield against those who aimed to stab her.

There were still more battles to come.

So she had to pull herself together. She had to get rid of weak thoughts.

She had to be more vicious and ruthless than those who tried to trample her.

But her heart was wearing out.

Her emotions, her mind, were wearing out.

It felt like the thorns she created to survive were piercing her own flesh, oozing thick blood.

'Am I okay like this?'

She had already lived the same life nine times. Wasn't something seriously wrong? But she couldn't stop here.

'Stopping means death.'

Navia slowly got up.

She gracefully inserted the hairpin into her hair, as if drawing it with a brush.

She neatly lowered her hands and lifted her head.

She took a deep breath.

The air filling her lungs reminded her of reality.

'I don't have time to be emotional.'

Navia forced a smile.

A smooth smile formed without effort.

Yes, it's okay. I'm still fine.

I'm not broken.

Navia stood in front of her room and turned the doorknob.

Click.

"Where did you crawl off to?"

A voice came from right next to her.

Before Navia could turn her head, Wood's command was faster.

"Hit her."

Smack!

She lost consciousness immediately.

#04.

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Dissonance