Chapter 21
“Mia, soon… we’ll be living together with Daddy.”
“Really?”
“Grandfather’s going to bring it up at the regular council meeting… the motion to move you into the main house. Once that passes… it’ll happen.”
Given my overwhelming performance in the exhibition matches and the fact that I had awakened directly at Dark Core Stage 2, chances were high. Still, knowing my grandfather’s twisted personality, I had braced myself for another half year of rotting away in the Tower. But surprisingly, it looked like I’d be brought back right away.
“I can’t wait to live with Daddy!”
“Me too…”
He gave me a faint smile and lifted his hand.
Awkwardly, he placed his palm on the crown of my head, then pulled it away almost immediately.
“You can pet me more!”
“…What?”
“I like it when Daddy pats me.”
“Uh… oh…”
Flustered, he placed his hand back on my head and stroked my hair. Since he wasn’t used to skinship, his movements were clumsy and stiff. But gently, carefully, he patted my head and smoothed down my messy strands.
“When you come home… I’ll decorate your room really nicely.”
“Mm-hm!”
“And… speaking of the main house…”
“Mm?”
He met my eyes slowly. His deep reddish-brown gaze, usually so dull, looked clear and sharp now.
“Mia… do you want to be the head of the family?”
I jerked my head up in shock.
His face remained as expressionless as ever, but the atmosphere was serious. And besides—he wasn’t the kind of person to joke about things like this.
“That’s…”
My original goal had been to survive quietly in the family, securing a safe, stable position. I didn’t need to become head. As long as I could gather wealth and keep the Temple in check, I’d be satisfied.
But today… I became someone who awakened straight to Dark Core Stage 2.
It was safer than being exposed as a Saintess without a Core—but still a risky choice.
Now, whether I liked it or not, I’d become the number-one target of all the heirs and their parents who were aiming for succession.
And who could blame them?
There were barely any in history who had reached Core Stage 2 upon awakening. One of those rare figures was none other than the current family head, Maytenche Hallroren.
If I were in their position, I’d want to suppress me too. Only a fool wouldn’t.
“If Mia doesn’t want to be head… there’s another path.”
“…?”
“Daddy made that choice too.”
That was true. Though he had been the strongest of his generation in terms of power, my father refused the seat of head.
He deliberately cut himself off from politics, fell out of favor with his own father, and devoted himself entirely to research. Now he lived secluded, and no one even suspected him of feigning it anymore.
If he had truly wanted to be family head, he could have been many times over. The fact that he had so openly shown his distaste left no doubt.
“Sooner or later… it’ll get troublesome. I know that well…”
“….”
“So if Mia doesn’t want it… you don’t have to be family head.”
If the other ambitious parents heard this, they’d probably collapse clutching their necks. But for him, it was genuine.
“But…”
He placed his hands gently on my shoulders.
“If Mia does want to be head… then I’ll do whatever it takes… to help you.”
“….”
“It’s not a position you can reach by effort alone… but I’ll make sure you lack nothing.”
He smiled softly.
It was the first time in my life I had ever seen him smile so brightly.
“I just want Mia… to do whatever she wants to do.”
“….”
“I’m really… happy that I can help you shape your future.”
He spoke at length, breathless from the sheer sincerity of his emotions. His heartfelt words made something indescribable stir in me.
Because they reminded me of the original story.
“Hey… Daddy.”
“Hm?”
“What if… I mean, just if. If I hadn’t awakened dark mana at this demonstration… and got kicked out of the family…”
I trailed off, gasping as I realized what I was saying.
“No, no—that’s not what I meant—”
I desperately tried to retract the words, afraid I’d hurt his feelings.
But he only answered, as calm as ever:
“If you were kicked out… even better. Then you could just live with Daddy, the two of us, at peace.”
“….”
“I would’ve liked that too.”
My vision blurred hotly.
The original Kalmia and I weren’t the same person. Rationally, I knew that.
But I couldn’t stop imagining it.
Not knowing she had white mana, Kalmia was expelled from the family. For a while after, she must have lived happily with her father.
Brief, fleeting happiness—only to vanish too soon.
Because Kalmia was a Saintess. And not even his true daughter.
“Why should I waste money on some stranger like you?”
‘…No. That was my past life. This time it’s different.’
Kalmia was Silvan Hallroren’s daughter.
And if I could hide the truth to the very end—then that would be reality.
I clung to that conviction, forcing away the creeping memories of my past life.
“Mia… why are you crying?”
“…What?”
“Did Daddy do something wrong?”
“N-no…”
I tried to hold it in, but tears dripped down.
Crying had been my specialty since my past life, but this little body couldn’t obey my willpower.
“Do you not want it to be just the two of us…?”
“No! Never—I only want to live with Daddy!”
“Then why are you crying…”
“Because I’m… grateful to you, Daddy.”
“…Grateful? For what? This is only natural.”
“….”
My heart throbbed painfully.
A storm of emotions—joy, sorrow, relief, determination—all tangled in my chest.
Even though I had reached Dark Core Stage 2, I couldn’t say with certainty that I could control dark mana.
The protagonist of the original story, Yulith, was in a completely different league.
Born with innate white mana, burdened with the handicap of only starting dark magic after adulthood—yet he still reached Dark Core Stage 8.
But then, he was the protagonist of this world. An extra like me had no guarantee of ever reaching such heights.
Still—
I was a Saintess overflowing with white mana. And my blood magic’s converted dark power was extraordinary. That gave me a chance.
The die is already cast.
Enemies surrounded me on all sides.
Wavering half-heartedly now would only be a waste of time.
If one day my strength truly proved insufficient, I could abandon this path then.
But right now…
“If I become family head, I’ll beat those bastards to the ground.”
“If I become family head, Daddy will be even prouder of me.”
Those were the words of my past self—weak, powerless, enduring every hardship with only the dream of becoming head of the family.
For the sake of that little me…
I sniffled and said firmly:
“I’ll become family head.”
“….”
“I can’t say for sure if I’ll really reach it… but half-baked resolve won’t last. I have to face it with full determination from the start.”
“…Alright.”
“Daddy might… get dragged into a lot of trouble. Sorry.”
“Don’t worry about that.”
He answered clearly, then pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed my tears.
It was so like him—clumsy and awkward. Instead of hugging me close, he went for a handkerchief. It was endearing in its own way.
“Of course… there’ll be fools who don’t know their place and try to cause trouble. But… Daddy can handle that much.”
Some words were not quite fit for children’s ears, but I let it slide.
I knew he only wanted to reassure me. And he really did have the strength to back it up.
‘But I can’t just lean on Daddy forever.’
For the future, I needed a clear direction.
You couldn’t become family head with mediocre strength. At the very least, I had to surpass the cousin who was heir-apparent in the original.
I had to grow stronger, above all else.
And for that… I need to find the teacher who trained the original protagonist.
