Chapter 3

# 3

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Creak!

Nabia stopped in front of a cabinet, dragging her chair.

Thud!

She climbed onto the chair.

Reaching up on her tiptoes with all her might, she managed to grasp the oil jar.

She carefully took it out, making sure the oil inside didn’t spill, and peered inside.

The jar was full of extra oil for the lamp.

Nabia approached the door with the oil jar in hand.

There was an unnatural, small hole drilled in the door.

This was the hole Wood had made to put bugs into Nabia's room.

She pretended to pour the oil through the hole as if it had leaked in.

Drip.

With a blank expression, Nabia poured the remaining oil on the door, destroying the evidence, and quietly threw the lit candle.

Whoosh!

The flames shot up, fueled by the oil. The combination of the peeling paint and the oil seemed to work well.

But it wasn’t enough.

She wanted a bigger fire.

A fire that would burn everything, a terrifying fire that could even consume her.

Nabia’s gaze fell on the books in the room.

The history books she had stayed up every night to memorize perfectly, the etiquette books she had studied to become a queen, the culture books for a lady of high society.

Rip!

The books were torn to shreds in Nabia’s hands.

The books that were supposed to make her an excellent Lady Agnes now served as kindling to fuel the flames.

"But the excellent Lady Agnes is dead."

These books are the relics of the dead; it’s only right to burn them.

The fire spread like wildfire.

"…Cough, cough!"

It was hot and smoky, but there was not a trace of fear in her eyes, which glowed with the fire.

She had seen too many deaths to be afraid of such a fire.

Nabia turned and walked.

The balcony, bathed in the dawn light, came into view.

A new morning in a new life.

Had she ever felt so refreshed? Nabia already knew where Wood was watching from, having experienced it many times.

She walked slowly toward the balcony, like someone performing a ritual.

It was time to face the only audience watching.

Nabia opened the balcony wide.

The cold scent of late autumn morning filled her lungs, awakening her entire body.

As black smoke billowed out and tears welled in her eyes, Nabia took a deep breath.

And she shouted with all her might.

"Help me!"

Nabia waited calmly, as if she were not trapped in the fire.

In the past, she had waited outside her room to avoid being locked in until the dedicated maid arrived, only to be scolded or to die while trying to escape through the balcony.

Now, she didn’t choose such methods.

'Fire draws people.'

The servants would have to put out the fire in the mansion, and Nabia would naturally be able to leave the room.

There was nothing that could go wrong for her in this process.

It was still quiet, as the morning sun had just risen.

But soon, the large fire and the rising black smoke were discovered.

"Fire! There’s a fire!"

Or perhaps it was a boy watching who panicked and announced the fire.

"There’s a fire in the second-floor room! It’s Miss Nabia’s room!"

The first witness’s shout had just echoed.

Yet, in an instant, the sound of nobles rushing with buckets of water could be heard.

Thud! Thud!

Nabia’s gaze turned back.

Something was forcefully colliding with the burning wooden door, trying to break it down.

Bang!

"It’s open!"

"Cough! The fire is too big…!"

The servants poured the water they had brought with all their might.

"Damn, why aren’t you faster?"

A flustered voice rang out.

It was Wood’s voice.

"Why is there a fire? The room next to this one is my toy room!"

Wood, being a 'Water Mage,' used his magic to try to extinguish the fire.

But the fire, set with intent, was not easily put out.

'It shouldn’t be extinguished easily.'

"Help me… cough! cough!"

At that moment, a cold voice cut through the hot flames.

"What is this?"

Nikan Agnes, her adoptive father, had arrived in person.

"How could you let a fire break out in the morning?"

He questioned the surroundings, ignoring the growing flames.

'He has no choice.'

Nikan was a much more powerful Water Mage than Wood.

"Tsk! Everyone, step back!"

As Nikan extended his hand, steam rose visibly, and the flames began to subside.

Sizzle.

The fire was consumed by the thick steam and disappeared helplessly.

Nabia, who had been sitting on the balcony floor, glared at the scene with hatred before bursting into a fit of coughs and trembling pitifully.

The fire had completely died out, leaving a large, charred mark near the door.

Nikan glanced at Nabia, clicked his tongue, and ordered.

"Bring Hans the doctor!"

Nabia was a gem he had found after searching through every suitable orphanage and finally found.

Even at the young age of seven, she was incomparably beautiful.

Pleased with her beauty, Nikan paid a considerable amount of money to secretly buy Nabia.

He hired an excellent tutor to teach her and recruited a painter to create the fake portraits needed to pass her off as a distant relative of the Agnes family.

'Now, I’ve finally made Nabia believe that she ended up in the orphanage due to her own mistake!'

If she died now, all the risks he had taken to manipulate Nabia would be in vain, and Nikan was furious.

"Master!"

Filippa, the nanny who cared for the Agnes children, rushed over, startled by the commotion.

The nanny, without even glancing at Nabia, sobbed as she looked at Wood.

"Are you hurt? How could you come here when there’s a fire?"

Nikan was also puzzled by this.

His son despised Nabia, yet he had just used magic to try to extinguish the fire.

Something didn’t seem right.

"Your Excell