Chapter 2
“I’m sixteen now… Thank goodness. If it had been even a little later, everyone would have already known that my ability had awakened.”
In her previous life, her power had awakened not long after Barkan left, and its existence had quickly become public knowledge.
Perhaps it was because of everything that had happened just before her regression, but she was strangely calm. Instead of panicking, her mind laid out exactly what she needed to do.
Diena slowly raised her hand.
Soft white light bloomed from her fingertips, spreading gently through the room.
Her supernatural ability had awakened successfully.
Yet despite the breathtaking sight, her face remained expressionless.
She knew better than anyone how many people this power had dragged into ruin.
For now, no one in House Rothwell knew she had awakened.
The members of the Five Great Houses are supposed to visit soon.
I’ll escape then… and go to House Cardian.
“Offer yourself for the family’s sake until the very end.”
The night her uncle had spoken those words in her previous life was the night Diena resolved to run.
She could no longer remain in this family.
But Uncle will never let me go.
He would squeeze every last drop of value from her life.
So she searched the deepest levels beneath the Rothwell estate, seeking a secret passage known only to the rightful heirs of the ducal house.
Fortunately, her uncle knew nothing about it.
After all, he had never legitimately inherited the ducal title from her father.
The thought of her father brought a fleeting shadow across her face.
If Father had lived… would my life have turned out differently?
It was a meaningless question.
Without looking back, Diena fled the estate.
To avoid being found by her uncle, she had to escape the duchy’s borders. That naturally meant leaving the Purification Zone protected by the Temple and venturing into the lands beyond.
For someone who had lived like a sheltered princess after awakening her ability, life outside the Purification Zone was nothing but hardship.
The little money she had was stolen by a pickpocket not long after she escaped.
She endured hunger.
Cold.
Endless days of misery.
Several times, Rothwell pursuers nearly captured her.
And then…
She met him.
A shadow fell across Diena as she huddled in the corner of a shabby tavern, wrapped in ragged clothes.
“So you’re Diena Rothwell?”
She looked up.
A handsome man with silver hair and lake-blue eyes stood before her.
A deep scar crossed his face, yet somehow it only made his striking features more unforgettable.
Barkan Cardian.
The moment she recognized him, Diena thought she was going to die.
After all, it was the House of Rothwell—after successfully carrying out its rebellion—that had destroyed both him and his family.
Even setting that aside…
She knew exactly what her uncle and his family had done over the past several years.
Every underhanded scheme.
Every despicable act committed for the family’s gain.
She had watched it all in silence, desperately hoping that one day they would finally love her.
That’s nothing but an excuse.
She might have been used herself, but that didn’t change the fact that she was a Rothwell.
Yet Barkan didn’t kill her.
Instead, he clicked his tongue as he looked her over.
“You look like a complete mess. Filthy from head to toe.”
“F-Filthy…?”
Her eyes widened.
His casual tone didn’t match his cold appearance in the slightest.
A mischievous grin spread across his face.
“Yeah, filthy.”
He scratched his chin thoughtfully.
“So… want to come with me? Join the Cardian Mercenary Corps.”
“…What?”
“I heard that bastard Duke Rothwell’s been tearing the country apart looking for you.”
Diena could only stare blankly at him.
“I’d love to piss him off. Sounds like a win-win, doesn’t it? The longer you’re on the run, the more furious that old duke will get.”
What… is this man thinking?
While Diena stood frozen in confusion, Barkan laughed as though he’d come up with a brilliant plan.
“Better than wandering around alone, isn’t it?”
“…”
She remained silent.
Tilting his head, he looked genuinely puzzled.
“Hm? Don’t trust me?”
He folded his arms.
“I mean, sure, I’ve lost everything and I’m broke as hell right now…”
“But I make pretty decent money as a mercenary.”
“I can definitely afford to feed one little stray.”
“…”
“I’m serious.”
“Ah… y-yes…”
“What I’m saying is, you’ll be safe.”
“At least safer than staying in a dump like this.”
Diena blinked quietly.
Thinking she still wasn’t convinced, Barkan continued.
“There are a few weirdos in the corps, but they’re all good people.”
“Oh, and I’ll help you get stronger too.”
“So you won’t have to rely on anyone else to protect you.”
“What do you think?”
After hesitating for a long while, Diena finally nodded.
At last, she understood.
He wanted to keep her close so he could torment her.
Or perhaps use her, just as her uncle had.
The moment she agreed, Barkan flashed a brilliant smile.
Is he really that happy he’ll finally get his revenge on me?
She lowered her gaze with a faint sigh.
After a brief pause, Barkan added,
“You’ll need a fake identity.”
“The way we are now looks suspicious.”
“How about becoming my little sister?”
“Diena Cardian.”
“Doesn’t sound bad, does it?”
The words sounded…
like family.
She had sworn never to have a family again.
And yet, as though enchanted, Diena nodded.
She owed the man before her far too much.
If I hadn’t used my ability…
My uncle never would have defeated him.
This was her way of atoning.
I’ll do whatever he wants until he’s satisfied.
If he wants me to spend the rest of my life using my power… then I’ll do it.
She expected nothing.
Even if he treated her cruelly.
Even if he worked her like a slave.
Even if using her ability consumed what little life she had left.
She believed she deserved it all.
The sins House Rothwell had committed against him warranted at least that much punishment.
But the Cardian family she found herself following…
was nothing like she had imagined.
The instant the mercenaries saw Diena, chaos erupted.
“Lord Barkan! Why on earth did you kidnap a little girl?!”
“I didn’t kidnap her.”
“Little Filthy followed me on her own.”
“I explained everything.”
“Who calls a young lady ‘Little Filthy’?!”
“Hassen, quit nagging.”
Ignoring the commotion, Barkan led Diena to an elderly man wearing spectacles.
The old man’s eyes sparkled with interest.
“This is Sir Malakar.”
“He used to be an elder of the Mage Tower.”
“Now he’s a wanted criminal.”
The man called Malakar gently patted Diena’s head.
“I’ve heard about you from Barkan.”
“Would you like to study magic under me?”
Without fully understanding what he meant, Diena nodded.
From that day onward, she became his disciple.
The mercenaries were just as unexpectedly kind.
“Eat as much as you like, Miss.”
They handed her warm cocoa.
They wrapped her in soft, comfortable clothes.
Then someone quietly mentioned a familiar name.
“If Lady Bianca were still alive… she’d be about your age.”
“Shh! Why would you bring that up?”
Bianca.
Barkan’s younger sister, who had died years ago.
Had she lived, she would have been almost exactly Diena’s age.
Perhaps that was why.
Barkan treated Diena as though she truly were his little sister.
And then he said something she never could have anticipated.
He told her…
not to use her ability.
“You just focus on being happy.”
“We’ll take care of everything else.”
“And don’t worry about those Rothwell bastards.”
He knew better than anyone how extraordinary Diena’s purification power was.
She had assumed he would exploit it without hesitation.
Instead…
He chose to protect her.
