Chapter 5

# 5

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The butler led Nabiya to the Emerald Room, which was located in the farthest corner of the third floor.

"From now on, you will use this room."

"Uh-huh..."

Nabiya answered in a meek voice and entered the room.

"I will send a doctor shortly."

Thud.

The door closed, and silence fell.

Nabiya scanned the room.

Indeed, the third floor was incomparably larger and more luxurious than the other rooms.

The large emerald on the doorknob, the gold-painted candlesticks and pillars that perfectly matched the green room, and the exquisitely expensive furniture.

Nabiya slowly moved around the room, running her fingertips over the furniture and walls.

"There's nothing special."

Becoming eight years old again made the world seem vast.

This room, too, felt even larger to Nabiya.

However, the third-floor room no longer seemed as grand and magnificent as before; it felt rather mundane.

'I wanted to enter this mundane place so badly.'

The more she reflected on the past, the more a sneer crept onto her lips.

'Why did I foolishly treat them with kindness?'

All that awaited her return was a cruel and miserable death.

Nabiya's steps halted in front of a large mirror.

Her figure, too thin and frail for an eight-year-old, caught her eye.

Since being adopted into the ducal household, Nabiya had strictly managed her diet, believing that she must not gain weight.

'In truth, it wasn't just about not gaining weight; food itself was treated as a privilege.'

They intended to make her view delicious food as a great reward from a young age.

She was treated like a dog.

Because of this, even in her eighth cycle, when she grew the most, she was only 159 cm tall.

'I was often compared to Wood, who developed well.'

Next, she looked at her hair.

It was a silver color, praised as more elegant than the finest pearls, not the red characteristic of the Agnes family.

Previously, she resented the fact that her hair wasn't red.

'But I took comfort in the fact that my eyes were red.'

Now, she was grateful that her silver hair had no connection to Agnes.

Nabiya touched the corners of her eyes.

"To think I wanted to resemble such despicable people... It's unbelievable."

Her eyes, which some found luminous and others found eerie, seemed ready to be plucked out with a terrifying intensity.

"…Cough!"

Nabiya burst into a cough, wrapping her arms around herself.

Her head was hot, and her body shivered with cold.

'I have no time to be sick.'

It was only the first day of her regression, but Nabiya was already on high alert, aiming at her target.

There was no time to wallow in sadness or to lie down because she was sick.

To avoid losing in this desperate fight, she had to move faster than her enemies.

Nabiya walked to the bed, lost in thought.

There was one common point in her eight regressions.

If Vivian's incurable disease was cured, Nabiya would inevitably die within a year.

Of course, she died before that in some cycles.

'I have a cure for Vivian's illness in my hands.'

If left as is, the cure would be discovered 12 years later, the year Nabiya would have her coming-of-age ceremony.

In her eighth cycle, Nabiya tried her hardest to become a member of Agnes within those 12 years, barely surviving.

But she ultimately failed.

Now, the name 'Nabiya Agnes' made her feel nauseous.

She wanted to tear off that disgusting surname and throw it in the trash.

However, Nabiya was too useful.

Nikan couldn't bear to let her go.

Moreover, the cursed Prince Ares always desperately wanted to possess Nabiya.

He didn't care what form she took as long as she was in his grasp.

'He might even prefer me as a slave over his wife.'

The nobility were all mad and twisted.

Nabiya had two ways to escape their influence.

'Die or find a new guardian.'

As a noble's adopted daughter, Nabiya couldn't simply live quietly in a corner.

It was due to the imperial law.

A noble's child belonged to their parents until marriage.

The law was enacted to maintain and protect the noble bloodline, treating them like endangered species.

But the real meaning was different.

'The law is to safely own mages as property.'

However, to avoid issues, the wording was cleverly changed to apply to children in general.

In any case, noble children, whether mages or not, were always used as assets by the head of the household if they were beautiful or intelligent.

Like Nabiya.

"Damn imperial law..."

In any case, Nabiya had two things to do to improve her situation: find a new guardian and cure Vivian.

'She knows the cure for Vivian, but finding a new guardian is the problem. However, there is already an excellent candidate.'

Lark Esselred, Duke.

30 years old, unmarried.

No heir.

He should be Nabiya's new guardian.

Intelligent.

Just as Nabiya leaned against the bed, a knock was heard.

"Miss, it's Charlotte. I've brought your meal."

"Come in."

The door opened, and Charlotte, the dedicated maid, entered with a tray.

Thud! Thud!

"Get out of the way!"

Philippa pushed Charlotte roughly and entered the room.

Charlotte's expression turned fierce as she nearly spilled the meal but quickly composed herself.

'Of course.'

Charlotte appeared to be on Philippa's side but was secretly plotting to stab her in the back.

Nabiya noticed Charlotte's expression and their eyes met.

Charlotte froze, not realizing Nabiya was watching her.

At that moment, Philippa, with an intensely agitated face, shouted.

"Go to the Duke and beg for forgiveness, Miss!"

Nabiya slowly blinked.

The reason Philippa was so angry was clear: Wood had to be confined to his room because of Nabiya.

To Philippa, the confined Wood was more pitiable and unbearable than Nabiya, who nearly died in a fire.

Well, such discrimination was familiar.

'But just because it's familiar doesn't mean I'll tolerate it.'

Philippa didn't always treat Nabiya this way.

At first, she treated her well, albeit with a hint of condescension, because Nabiya was the daughter of a lower noble.

However, her attitude changed when Nabiya's family died and Nikan showed no interest in becoming her patron.

Philippa began to treat Nabiya with open disdain, like a duckling among swans.

By this time, Nabiya was already being bullied and threatened.

Her thighs were covered with thin scars from the cane.

'Trying to get along with Philippa as if she were a mother was foolish.'

The nanny was endlessly affectionate to Wood and Vivian, ready to give them everything.

It was enviable.

Even if she couldn't be that affectionate, a cup of honey tea when she had the flu would have been enough.

"Stop being so annoying! What's the big deal about a measly flu?"

Nabiya asked Charlotte.

"You said you brought the meal?"

"Here it is, Miss."

Charlotte, with a wary look, glanced at Nabiya, placed the tray on the bedside table, and retreated.

She moved as far back as possible to avoid annoying Philippa and quietly observed the situation.

Philippa, feeling humiliated that Nabiya was ignoring her, didn't even notice Charlotte.

"Are you ignoring me now!"

If Nabiya were normal, she would be trembling in fear at Philippa's outburst.

But Nabiya didn't flinch.

'What did she eat to suddenly become so bold? Otherwise, how could she become so confident overnight!'

Philippa, determined, shouted again.

"You should answer when a nanny asks you!"

Nabiya finally looked at the nanny.

"You've been saying strange things, nanny. What do I need to beg forgiveness for?"

Philippa, deliberately puffing out her shoulders and chest, spoke in a threatening tone.

"Obviously, for causing trouble for Master Wood."

Wood was the eldest son and a high noble.

She thought a lowly girl like Nabiya shouldn't be a stumbling block to his bright future.

"You are enjoying the Duke's favor. How can you let the heir of such a family suffer from an unfounded misunderstanding?"

Nabiya, knowing Philippa's nature from experience, smiled.

If Philippa revered high nobles like gods, then she must be a corrupt being trying to destroy those gods.

Philippa, furious at being mocked by a mere girl, was ready to strike.

'This girl needs a beating to come to her senses!'

Philippa's expression turned vicious.

"If you keep this up, I have a plan!"

Philippa strode to Nabiya, pulled away the blanket, and tried to grab her roughly.

"Ah, now I know what I need to beg forgiveness for."

Philippa flinched at the cold, mocking tone.

Nabiya looked at the tray Charlotte had set down.

The meager meal consisted of a small, cold piece of bread and a bowl of watery soup.

"I just realized that you've been embezzling the maintenance fees. It's a big mistake on my part, isn't it? Isn't it?"