Chapter 30

# 30

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Having taken care of the matter, Nikan sighed deeply and stood in front of his son's door.

Nikan, the head of the household, naturally used the best room in the Agnes mansion.

The next best room was used by Wood, the heir.

His room included a bedroom, a playroom, a reception room, a dressing room, and more, taking up nearly half of the floor.

Therefore, it took a long walk from the central staircase to reach Wood's bedroom.

After passing through the long corridor and opening the door, a bedroom dominated by bright and strong colors appeared, unlike Vivian's room.

Click.

Nikan entered his son's room with a complicated expression.

Wood was lying on the bed, with red curtains drawn around it.

"Sir."

Hans, who had been checking on Wood, greeted him. Nikan waved his hand to dismiss the greeting.

"How is Wood?"

"There are no major abnormalities. However, it would be best to consult a magician who is proficient in magic-related matters."

"…That's probably true. If the examination is over, you may rest now."

Hans bowed his head in acknowledgment and left the bedroom.

Silence enveloped the room.

Nikan pulled a chair to the bedside and sat down, as if sinking into it.

His head throbbed incessantly.

'He must have some aftereffects from the mana surge.'

Although his life was saved, the immense dragon surge he caused would undoubtedly have left sharp scars on his body.

If his mana were to twist, it would be safe to say that his life as a magician would be over.

Nikan held his face in horror.

"Why did you do that, Wood…?"

Was Navia so detestable that he would risk such danger?

A deep sense of doubt weighed heavily on him.

He had never been wrong.

He had never failed.

The only failure in his life, if there was one, was the fact that he had a daughter who suffered from mana reflux disease.

But now, he was beginning to doubt his choices.

Was it right to keep Navia and let things come to this?

'Should I get rid of her?'

It was possible for a foster daughter to die from illness or an accident. It wouldn't be difficult to cover it up.

He looked out the window.

The clear sky had quickly filled with clouds after the dragon surge.

"It looks like it's going to rain."

Nikan's eyes, gazing at the gray sky that promised a downpour the next day, grew cold.

Rainy days made it easier to disguise a carriage accident.

'Should I just get rid of Navia?'

Her hair, pure and radiant silver, without a hint of impurity. Her white, smooth skin.

And those red eyes, which were the highlight among her ethereal features.

Recalling her beauty, which would undoubtedly make her a stunning beauty capable of overshadowing everyone else by the time she turned twenty, he couldn't shake off his attachment to Navia.

If he were to give Navia a nickname, 'peerless beauty' would fit her well.

Not only was she objectively one of the most beautiful, but according to the confidential information he had obtained, her appearance matched the tastes of Prince Ares particularly well.

Nikan was exhausted but only managed to doze off while tending to Wood.

He called in magicians to continuously infuse mana to prevent any aftereffects from the mana surge, but time passed quickly as he dealt with the embezzlement issue that had erupted in the household.

* * *

A day passed in the blink of an eye.

During this time, both Wood and Navia remained unconscious.

Nikan had dozed off on the sofa in Wood's bedroom when he heard his son's voice.

"Ugh… Ah… Pa?"

He snapped to attention as if splashed with cold water.

"Wood!"

Wood was sitting up, his face contorted in pain.

"Are you okay? Is there any part of your body that hurts?"

Wood looked around, puzzled, not understanding why he was in the bedroom.

"You collapsed due to a mana surge. How did you manage to cause that dragon surge? Fortunately, it didn't get any worse…"

Nikan's heart ached as he saw his son's still pale face.

His young son had almost died. The process didn't matter; the fact itself was what was most important to Nikan.

Wood frowned, not understanding what Nikan was saying.

"Mana surge…?"

He didn't remember causing a dragon surge.

'But I don't have that memory…'

He remembered getting up at dawn, calling a servant, and going to the cabin where Navia was confined.

The cold morning air and the stillness just before dawn made the forest seem more depressing, and he remembered feeling a bit scared.

Then he saw Navia escape through a hole in the cabin.

And, and… what happened next?

"I can't remember."

The moment he grabbed Navia was etched clearly in his mind.

He vividly remembered the intense desire to extinguish the red eyes that stared at him.

In between, there were strange memories mixed in.

Blue sparks filled the air, so bright they seemed white…

And in between, there was red…

Shudder!

A chill ran down his spine.

He had always loved the color red, perhaps because of his red hair.

Until just now.

Wood felt suffocated by the red curtains surrounding him.

Red.

He was afraid of red.

The red that flew through the white light was terrifying.

"Aah!"

He screamed and tore the bed curtains.

"Wood!"

Nikan was startled and grabbed Wood, but he was roughly shaken off.

Wood, with a dazed look, tore and trampled the curtains, driven by instinct to eliminate the red.

Suddenly, a voice echoed in his ears.

"Why…?"

He didn't remember these words, but he knew exactly who the voice belonged to.

Wood muttered, as if in a trance.

"It's all because of her…"

His body ached, and the emptiness he felt after his mana was completely drained was all because of her.

"She made me like this! It's all because of her!"

Fear was mixed in with the anger on Wood's face, though he didn't realize it.

Nikan watched his son's unstable state with a troubled expression and patted him.

"Alright, don't worry. Father will take care of it."

He then called in the doctors to tend to Wood and left the bedroom.

Nikan walked unconsciously toward his study but then turned his gaze to the direction of Navia's room.

By then, Linden had already approached and stood by his side.

"Navia?"

"Still asleep."

"See…"

Nikan was conflicted.

If he just went ahead and betrothed Navia, the Agnes family would rule the empire for at least a hundred years.

They could remain at the pinnacle forever, even beyond his generation, until Wood took over the family.

The emotion that appeared on Wood's face when he mentioned Navia was clearly fear.

Fear.

Why would he feel such an emotion toward that insignificant girl?

'It must be because of the mana surge.'

Nikan concluded and said to Linden.

"I need to prepare to go to the palace."

"Yes, sir. However… Sir Spencer is requesting an audience and is waiting in the reception room."

'Ah, today is the day his leave ends, isn't it?'

But Navia was still unconscious, and he needed to go to the palace.

"Tell him we'll talk tomorrow."

"That… He says it's an important issue that must be addressed now."

Nikan sighed and nodded, feeling annoyed.

"Ha… Alright."

It wasn't difficult to spare a few minutes for a conversation, but he didn't like being bothered.

He would be quite angry if it turned out to be trivial.

When he entered the reception room, he saw Edward, neatly dressed.

"Sir Spencer, you have something to say?"

Nikan, exhausted and with no peace of mind, skipped the formalities and went straight to the point.

Edward, undeterred by Nikan's attitude, said:

"I requested an audience to share important news."

"What is it?"

Nikan asked half-heartedly.

Edward anticipated that his attitude would soon change.

"I have discovered a cure for mana reflux disease."