Chapter 47

Why is it that bad premonitions are never wrong?

Some time later, I was slumped over, potion in mouth.

“…I did tell you I was afraid of fire.”

“Hoho, I got too absorbed, I suppose… Let’s keep this just between us—don’t tell Yugatis, hmm?”

Did my mother have some dirt on him or something?

‘Well, this works in my favor.’

Next time I need a favor, I’ll make sure to go through her.

I pushed myself up with a smirk.  

“Alright. Just take good care of Palos for me.”

We’d run all kinds of tests using different methods to produce fire.  

The result: it didn’t matter what kind of flame it was—as long as it wasn’t laced with magic, I could absorb it.  

But flames infused with mana? They were blocked completely.

The Second Prince and the vanished magic school.  

The Second Prince and Cult of Fire.  

There was definitely a connection between them.

‘But the Second Prince is still a citizen of the Preseria Empire. Why would he torment innocent people of his own country?’

Truly, who could understand the twisted mind of a madman?

Brassidas’s laughter shook me from my thoughts.

“Palos is my student. Of course I’ll teach him well.”

“I know.”

“Then usually people would ask for something in return.”

“I’m the one who asked first, remember? Besides, I’m sure you enjoyed the experiments too. Win-win, right?”

I shamelessly shrugged.

To be honest, I gained far more from all this.  

There were plenty of people out there who would kill just to glimpse the Archmage.  

Meanwhile, I not only got a private audience, I also had him personally conduct experiments for me(?).

“Just like Yugatis’s daughter, through and through.”

I perked up.  

“Really? That’s a compliment, right?”

“Of course.”

With that, I smiled brighter than I had in days.

I was dearly loved, yes—but compared to my older sisters, I’d always felt like the one lacking.  

So to be told I resembled my brilliant mother, even just a little, filled me with joy.

‘Wait, what?! Is it that late already?’

The evening banquet had already begun.

Palos and Ramande were probably out there searching for me by now.

“Hurry, let’s go, quickly!”

I pestered Brassidas while practically dragging him along by the hem of his robe.

“Goodness, a young lady shouldn’t manhandle an old man like this.”

“You don’t look a day over fifty!”

“Hoho, guess it does pay off to eat olives every day.”

“I’m pretty sure this has nothing to do with olives!”

The tower with the professors’ offices wasn’t far from the banquet hall.  

As soon as we entered, I felt an intense gaze pierce my cheek like a slap.

‘Still here, huh…’

I didn’t need to look to know who it was.  

I did my best to ignore it—I’d warned him I’d be doing exactly that.

“Oh! There’s my Palos!”

He was surrounded by a few kids.  

He was so small I could barely see him, but Brassidas spotted him instantly.

“Of course my pupil would be popular even on day one!”

Clearly, the Archmage was a doting fool.  

But I didn’t see it the same way at all.

It wasn’t quite a corner, but the angle of the table placement meant Palos wasn’t easily visible from most of the room.  

He was backed against a wall, surrounded.  

One of the boys even nudged his shoulder.

“That doesn’t look like friendship to me.”

“Really? Huh… Well, this is my first time teaching kids.”

‘Sigh…’

Come to think of it, Palos was Brassidas’s first student.  

Mom had said he’d been a famous archmage even when she was young—

So for thirty, maybe even forty years, he’d probably never known what it meant to be targeted out of envy.

“They’re bullying him because your first student isn’t a noble or wealthy heir, but a penniless commoner with no backing.”

“You’ve got quite the sharp tongue, you know.”

“Who, me? Oh, hohoho.”

“Hohohoho.”

We both laughed… until Brassidas suddenly strode toward the kids.

“W-Wait! Where are you going?”

“I’m going to give those brats a lesson for laying hands on my precious student!”

“Oh no, please don’t!”

Truly, this man was the ultimate doting teacher.

“Those kids are only acting out because they’re jealous of him. No need to throw fuel on the fire.”

Brassidas may have formally taken Palos on as his pupil, but he still had lectures to give to the rest of the students.

“So you’re saying I should just stand by and watch?”

“Of course not. We need to show them he’s got someone powerful backing him.”

With a confident smile, I strode toward Palos.  

The closer I got, the clearer the irritating voices became.  

It wasn’t just some teasing—they were hurling vicious insults, to the point where asking about his parents would’ve been tame by comparison.

Still, I kept smiling. These little gnats were nothing.

“Hi there, kids.”

“Hey, smile! Pretend we’re—uh, w-wow.”

The boys who had been looming over Palos went slack-jawed the moment they saw me.

‘That’s right! I am beautiful, aren’t I?’

Being around the same crowd all the time, I didn’t often hear people gasp over my looks anymore.

‘Hmph.’

Tossing my long hair behind my shoulder, I reached for Palos.

“Sorry I’m late. You must be hungry?”

“…I’m okay.”

Palos hesitated, but I took his hand first.  

He didn’t pull away, but he clearly didn’t like being seen like this—his face darkened.

‘Of course he hates this…’

I understood. He was smart, and would swallow his feelings for the sake of his mentor. But I couldn’t just leave it like that.

“Hey, Palos! You should’ve told us you had a sister! Ha ha, we misunderstood!”

The one speaking first was the same kid who’d been leading the insults.

“Yeah, total misunderstanding! Sis, we’re really good friends with Palos.”

The second boy just parroted the first.  

Let’s call them Number One and Number Two. The other four kids stood loosely behind them, forming a wall—clearly this was the leader and his lackey.

I smiled sweetly at Number One.

“What does your dad—I mean, what does your father do?”

“Oh, our family? We’re from House Zaku, pretty big in trade. Must’ve been tough for a commoner to borrow a dress like that. Need help?”

“I’m his cousin. My dad works here at the academy. Want me to help you get a job?”

Ah. So One and Two were cousins.  

No wonder they were both equally rotten—peas in a pod.

“My, how unpleasant.”

I said it with such a gentle voice and dazzling smile, it took them a few seconds to realize I’d just insulted them.

They were idiots, clearly.  

How had they even gotten into a magic school?

‘This whole situation feels strangely familiar…’

I usually preferred simple clothes, but today I’d dressed up—for Palos’s sake, so he wouldn’t feel small.

The silk was top-tier, and what looked like beads were actually pearls.  

The embroidery along the square neckline was done in silver thread.  

Around my neck: pearls and pink diamonds.

‘You trade brats didn’t even recognize this? In a merchant family?’

I nearly laughed out loud.

But the truly absurd part came moments later, when their fathers approached.  

They weren’t much better.

One of them—Number Two’s father—was even the same staff member who had refused my paperwork when I came to submit Palos’s sponsorship forms.

“Oh, that was you?”

He recognized me too.

“You’re not really a noble, are you? Must’ve been a fake claim, huh?”

At those words, the children’s eyes turned nasty.  

The two men stared me up and down as though putting a price on me.

‘Please. Saying you’d give me a job? You don’t even have that kind of authority.’

If they had seen the documents I filed, they’d know my name—but their response meant they weren’t even high enough to open those files.

Just then, I locked eyes with the Headmaster, who was surveying the room.  

He immediately lit up and approached.

‘Oh, perfect. Here comes the soda to wash down this bitterness.’

But just before the satisfying reveal, Palos—who had endured it all so far—seemed about to burst.

“Th-this woman is—!”

“Shh. Palos, just wait a moment.”

I gently patted his shoulder and whispered.

‘You’re allowed to get angry. You know that, right?’  His eyes, lifted toward me, said exactly that.

“In moments like this, it’s more fun to blow up in style. Timing is everything.”

“…What?”

Right then, the Headmaster stepped up and bowed.

“Ah, Director. I’ve been looking for you.”

“Director?!”

The entire crowd froze.

Everyone turned their heads this way and that, like synchronized dancers.  

‘Like that’s going to change anything.’

The Headmaster was only looking at me.

I lifted one corner of my mouth into a smirk and graciously offered my name.

“Yes. I’m the new Director—Minuelle Karnian.”

“Ka-Karnian?!”

“The Karnian heiress?!”

That’s right. Even if they couldn’t recognize luxury fabrics or fine embroidery, they all knew the name Karnian.

‘If you’re going to throw around money, sponsorships, or influence, do it properly.’ 

I’d poured a fortune in donations into this school just to secure the Director’s seat, thinking someday I might need it.  

I didn’t expect that “someday” to be today, on the very first day of enrollment.

Half a year’s worth of profit from my biggest estate vanished in one go, but it was worth every coin.

“Minuelle.”

as if the timing weren’t already dramatic enough, he showed up—right on cue.  

Or rather, he’d probably been watching me the entire time and was just waiting for the perfect moment to step in.

‘I can’t exactly welcome this, but… I can’t say I hate it, either.’  

Honestly, he deserved a little credit this time.  

Esadien didn’t need an introduction—his dazzling hair alone served as an ID.

“Your Highness,” the crowd murmured as they bowed.

But Esadien didn’t return the greeting. Instead, he feigned irritation and asked curtly, “Do you have some business with my fiancée?”

A killing blow.

Their already pale faces drained even further of color, like cracked porcelain.

I beamed at them and followed up sweetly.

“What was that about my dress?”

“…”

“You were going to get me a job?”

“…”

They looked like someone had stuffed dry ice in their mouths—frozen and speechless.

I resisted the urge to shout, ‘Back in my day, you brats…!’ but with elders around, I held back.

“New students,” I said brightly, “You’d do well to remember that Palos has caught the attention of House Karnian.”

“…!”

“Answer me.”

“Y-yes, ma’am!”

“If any of you are naïve enough to think that just because Palos doesn’t speak up, I won’t hear about it…”

A few students, who’d clearly had that exact thought, quickly lowered their gazes when our eyes met.

I twisted my lips into a sardonic smile.

“Then you’d better stop thinking. But if you’re really curious what might happen—try it and see.”

“…”

“Learning through experience is valuable, after all. Though you only have one life to do it with. Isn’t that right?”

“Y-yes, ma’am!”

I let it end on a milder note, since they were still just kids.  

The adults, though? Oh, they got the spicier version.

“As for the fathers—perhaps you should keep a better eye on your sons, if you want to keep your jobs.”

You think that was too polite? Don’t worry—I added some body language to help get the point across.