Chapter 15

The object in her hand is a magic lamp. It was crafted one by one by hand by someone skilled in fire magic, designed to keep a small flame burning for a long time. When the light dims, it can be used for a long time by refilling it with magic power again.

Nerura, as a maid in the mansion, had never possessed such a luxurious item, nor had she ever needed to. She sighed, slowly untangling her long hair. The flame of the lamp flickered, distorting Nerura’s shadow. On the desk lay a few sheets of stationery. Mari, meticulous for a woman, wrote neatly. After all, there were few maids who could write, so she had approached her for this purpose, to write letters when she left the mansion.

When she said she was worried about the young lady, with a sad look in her eyes, Mari offered to write the letters. "I'm glad, thank you. Please take care of it." Nerura smiled, a calculated smile designed to be charming to both men and women. The serious Mari, as promised, sent letters to Nerura regularly. However, to avoid worrying Nerura, she wrote them in a gentle, deceptive manner, so Nerura had to read between the lines.

"The young lady is drinking the tea I sent, isn't she..."

Is that true? It was a poison she had obtained just in case. Even when she was in the mansion, Rabi had been troublesome, rarely eating anything. But Rabi’s meager magic could never break Nerura’s spell, so she wasn’t too concerned. From Mari’s letters, it seemed Rabi was still acting like a madwoman. Or perhaps, it was even worse than Nerura imagined. After all, a concerned Mari would never tell the truth.

"The young lady is doing very well."

Nerura smiled softly. She remembered the girl with the lusterless white hair, the too-large eyes, and the long eyelashes that trembled with fear. Pitifully, there was no one who could hear her voice.

The flame of the lamp flickered. She smiled slowly.

Since coming to the Harry household, Nerura had been very busy. There were countless things to do and to cram in. She deliberately delayed the school enrollment ceremony to make herself more noticeable, which would make things easier in the future.

Nerura Harry had a purpose.

A very important, precious purpose she had sought since childhood. She had repeated miracles, threading a fine needle countless times, to get this far. But it still wasn’t enough. How many more miracles would she need to achieve her goal? Her purpose was so distant. Therefore, Rabi needed to be a sacrifice.

"Please, young lady. Keep up the good work and be a good girl."

Pretend to be a madwoman.

Her cheerful laughter echoed, and the lamp’s light flickered, casting shadows.

However, contrary to Nerura’s expectations, Rabi was likely heading in a different direction of strangeness.

"To be honest, I can’t keep eating just eggs forever."

Her physical strength had improved. Rabi’s body had developed. Therefore, she decided it was time to start in earnest. "If I could add some flavor, like chicken broth, that would be great..." Of course, that would require a lot of effort. As usual, a man with a sparrow-like tail of hair behind her let out a short, frightened scream.

"Chicken broth...!? You can’t mean...!?"

"You’re a bit scary, you know."

She, a lady, was scary, but so was he. Since her past memories resurfaced, her tone had become increasingly harsh. No, no, it’s a joke! ...Is it a joke? The anxious servant hovered behind her, but Rabi, smiling, slowly stirred the bottom of the pot.

--- The ingredients

This time, it was a mixture of eggs and rice, far from the usual careless, plain egg porridge. She gathered the ingredients scattered at the edge of the kitchen and decided to trust her own stomach. Panting, Rabi thought, "Ingredients. Ingredients. It’s seasoned...!!"

"Your breathing is so intense, it’s scary."

"I’m planning to correct you soon."

If Rabi were as dangerous as rumored, her head and body would already be separated. She was worried that his foul mouth might lead to something in the future. She wanted to help him, but he had a twisted mind. "What, castration!?" he screamed, quickly closing his thighs and running away. So, she didn’t care anymore.

More importantly, the ginger was the key. After tickling the nostrils with ginger, she slowly simmered the chicken cut into bite-sized pieces. Opening the lid, she gently scooped out the scum that floated to the surface, suppressing her eagerness, and slowly added the rice. She prepared the scallions for the topping.

"Everyone’s favorite, a Samgyetang-style porridge...!!"

Though the name was a bit lacking, she struck a pose and slowly ladled it out. The broth, which should have been just plain water, was now rich and glossy, infused with the flavor of the meat. "Wow... it looks delicious..." The servant, unusually, peeked at Rabi’s work. With a greedy look, Rabi laughed at him through her nose.

This mad young lady of the Heathfen household, who would have thought.

"I’ll allow you two bites..."

"You’re surprisingly lenient."

She couldn’t stop the joy of sharing.

"Okay, just one bite... but the rice is soaked... still, I’m scared... but, um, okay, chomp, munch, mmm!?"

"See, see, see!" Rabi nodded slowly to the servant, whose eyes sparkled. "The rich chicken broth is concentrated in the rice, making it feel like you’re eating chicken, with an overwhelming sense of satisfaction! The ginger flavor spreads throughout your mouth, and the scallions are a wonderful addition!" "Is this a cooking show?" The young man, straightforwardly, said it was delicious, and Rabi smiled. She hadn’t forgotten about Nerura for a moment, but she felt incredibly cheerful.

In the end, the meat was too much, so she left it to the servant, but the flavor of the chicken infused in the rice was irresistible. The idea of cooking herself was a joke, but perhaps she could try making chicken broth next time.

Thus, as Rabi did her best, time passed. The day the magic academy started was approaching. She had hoped it wouldn’t come, but she couldn’t stop time. Rabi checked her body. She moved her hands, her feet, jumped, stretched, and walked. "Okay." Her body moved much better than before. Since then, the number of things she could eat had increased, though her focus remained on the broth.

"Strangely, I’m becoming healthy in an unhealthy way."

Starting from a negative point, she hadn’t yet reached a positive one, but this was fine. The reflection in the mirror was still the same disheveled white hair, and if she appeared quietly at night, she would surely elicit a scream. So, Rabi thought.

"Is Mari around? Mari!"

Unusually, she called for her attendant maid.