Chapter 7

If only I could increase my total magic power, but I haven’t even heard of such a method, either in the real world or in games. Rabi's total magic power is roughly equivalent to a teacup. If asked whether it is much or little, it is overwhelmingly little. I wish it were at least as much as a bathtub, but the word "bathtub" doesn’t even exist in this world.

To escape from Nella, the best thing would be to boost my magic power, but there’s no point in lamenting what I don’t have. So, I have to explore other methods.

That’s why Rabi decided to get porridge every day. It was at least some food amidst the days of hunger. Even though her body was still just skin and bones, her thoughts had become clearer than before. When calories disappear from the body, the first thing to go is the ability to think. For Rabi, it’s a memory deeply etched in both her heart and body, though she doesn’t want to remember it.

During the ten years she was controlled by Nella, just living each day was so painful that not being able to think was sometimes a relief. Still, she gritted her teeth and lived as much as she could.

Now, sitting comfortably on the sofa, she moves her legs and feels the hunger. There is a slight joy in feeling a bit healthier, even if only a little.

“Alright.”

The magic academy is currently on a long spring break. The enrollment ceremony has already ended, but since most of the students are nobles, as the weather warms up, they receive many party invitations. Wearing bright, flower-like dresses, the young ladies enjoy socializing with many families. Incidentally, Rabi hasn’t received a single such invitation, and even if she did, Nella, who is more trusted than Rabi, would crush them along with her parents. It’s something she has no interest in.

After the spring break ends, Nella will attract attention as a late enrollee, along with her cuteness. She is probably busy preparing for her enrollment, but I need to focus on building my physical strength. The only time I can act freely is during the long break from the academy. However, if I suddenly look healthy, Nella will suspect something when we meet again, and it will all be over. The proof of servitude, which was once on Rabi’s chest, is already gone.

I need to maintain an unhealthy appearance while being able to move quickly when necessary. Not necessarily quickly, but at least as much as an average person.

“Difficult...”

Incidentally, while thinking this, Rabi stands up from the sofa and walks around the room. Thanks to the power of porridge, her body moves much more easily than a few days ago. Sometimes, she feels her whole body making cracking sounds.

I want to build my strength.

But I can’t become too healthy. It’s a delicate balance. “But I must do it to survive!” She clenched her fist. It was determination. At least, Rabi is growing. For years, she has been treated like garbage by her family and servants. Her soul’s power is probably stronger than most people’s. Until just the other day, she would get dizzy after standing for a few seconds. Food is truly powerful.

Next is sleep. Recently, thinking that Nella is not in the mansion, she has been sleeping so well that she wakes up feeling refreshed. Nella has been replaced by a new maid, who, having heard many things from Nella, only brings her morning tea and has no other interaction. The girl, who is about the same age as Rabi and has been entrusted to the baron’s family for etiquette training, has a smile on her lips, but her eyes do not smile, much like Nella.

Still, it’s easier and more appreciable to have no interaction with her compared to Nella. And with sleep, the next step is exercise. Rabi’s body has always been full of anxiety, so there was some hesitation in moving to this stage, but there’s no time for leisure. She started with some warm-up exercises based on her past memories, and her bones made cracking sounds. She began walking.

“Hya, Hya, Hya, Hya, Hya!!!”

As Rabi quietly wandered around the mansion, a servant screamed and fell over. She looked down at the fallen man, moving her large eyes. With her ragged nails and hair, she approached him.

“Aaaaaah!!! I just want to live!!!”

“Who’s the zombie?”

She couldn’t help but comment on his reaction, but the concept of zombies doesn’t exist in this world. And this young man, who had been looking at Rabi with fish-like eyes while making porridge in the kitchen, now had his pants held up by a belt and his dirty shirt rolled up, but his head was in a bucket, drenched. There were other servants around, but when they saw Rabi, they quickly turned their backs, and only this man got caught in the bucket, writhing and screaming.

“A, Ah, Miss, I thought you were some kind of evil spirit.”

“Isn’t it a bit too bold to come out in broad daylight?”

Moreover, he just called her an evil spirit. She wanted to reach out to the trembling, shrinking young man, but if she did, both she and Rabi would end up in a puddle. Rabi has no confidence that she won’t catch a cold.

“Miss, please don’t come too close, it’s scary. I beg you.”

“You’re being ridiculous.”

Thinking that even as a trainee, his behavior is extremely rude, she followed his advice and walked as fast as she could for her "healthy walk." Many servants collapsed from stress upon seeing her, suspecting that she was up to something.

Her own ankles were strained, and the next day, she couldn’t move due to muscle pain. She vowed to herself to exercise moderately and discreetly in the future. She couldn’t even walk properly.