Chapter 6
In the Tonide family, where you must be born with mana and are expected to learn magic even before reading…
Arpina was the child who let down all their expectations.
Her father was displeased with a daughter like that.
Her mother was always upset with a daughter who had no talent.
Her younger sister, born a year later, always looked at her with pity.
A child who couldn’t do anything.
No talent, no skill — someone who couldn’t succeed at anything.
That was always the description attached to Arpina within her family. So even showing interest in anything was treated like a sin.
If she didn’t have magical talent, then what was the point of being good at anything else?
“…That’s such a stupid thing to say, don’t you think?”
Then one day—
A woman Arpina had never seen before appeared in front of her.
“They’re everywhere, aren’t they? Idiots who can’t even recognize their own child’s talents. This is why gods are useless. Why don’t they just wipe people like that out?”
Arpina was only eleven years old when she heard someone insult her family so bluntly.
“I bet if you succeed, they’ll cling to you saying, ‘You’re my daughter after all.’ Just distance yourself now and treat them like strangers.”
But Arpina quickly realized who this woman was, even though she had just met her.
Her beautiful black hair and black eyes were a well-known sign across the entire empire.
She was at the very top of the food chain.
“…Why is the Duchess here?”
“See? I told you you’re smart.”
The Duchess, who had appeared out of nowhere, looked around the old tool shed in the backyard with curiosity — a place where young Arpina used to play alone in secret.
At the time, Arpina had already started being excluded from family events and was left on her own.
Whenever that happened, she would hide in her little secret base in the old shed to play by herself.
“The rumors didn’t do your talent justice.”
“D-Duchess… Please don’t tell my parents about this.”
“Of course it’s a secret. Why would I brag about it?”
“……”
“But you have to act like you didn’t see me either. No one knows I’m here.”
“Why… Why not?”
“Revolutionaries always move in secret. Oh, does the word ‘revolutionary’ sound scary? My dad used to talk about overthrowing the government all the time when I was a kid…”
The Duchess spoke excitedly, rambling on about things Arpina didn’t understand, then suddenly leaned in and asked,
“What’s your name?”
“…You came here because you already know who I am, right?”
“Wow, I thought you were just a scared little bunny.”
Even though young Arpina was clearly nervous and a bit defiant, the Duchess looked at her with satisfaction.
It was the first time someone had looked at her that way, and the strange, warm feeling blooming in Arpina’s chest was something she didn’t understand.
She placed a hand over her chest.
“Would you like to work for me?”
“…What?”
“Let’s work together. I’ll pay you a lot.”
“B-But I’m only eleven years old…”
“Then I’ll say it differently. Would you like me to sponsor you?”
The Duchess took something out of her pocket. It was a piece of paper, so old and worn that the folded parts were frayed.
“I’m looking for someone who can make this.”
“What is it?”
“A treasure that’ll bring you and me wealth and fame.”
“……”
“I have ideas like someone who’s seen another world, but sadly, I don’t have the skills to actually build them.”
That’s when she said she had heard a rumor:
“That a failed child from a mage family is obsessed with taking apart clocks and putting them back together again.”
“……”
“But failed? Yeah right.”
The Duchess smiled as she placed a hand on Arpina’s head.
“Turns out there’s a really smart genius here. And she’s even cute.”
“…Duchess.”
“Hmm?”
“Are you really…”
To young Arpina, the Duchess was—
“Really going to pay a lot?”
“……”
“Enough for me to go far, far away from here?”
“Enough that I never have to come back again?
Enough to make my family regret ever calling me a failure?
Enough so I’ll never have to see them again?”
“Of course.”
From that moment on, she became Arpina’s only savior.
“If you work for me, I’ll do everything I can for you.”
Del hadn’t come to see Arpina since being rejected the second time.
Since the center of all the rumors was quiet, the gossip also began to fade.
Fewer students came to her classroom just to see her, and the Technology Department building returned to its usual peaceful state.
“Ugh, why isn’t he coming back…”
“Junior! Why aren’t you showing up!”
The Tech Department students, who had been full of energy to protect Arpina with their whole hearts, now felt awkward.
“Does that mean we’ll never see that face again?”
“His face was so handsome, it should’ve cost money to look at…”
“Should we go find him ourselves now?”
Because Del was so strikingly handsome, some students were genuinely sad that they might not get to see that perfect face again.
Sonia was one of them.
“He really was good-looking…”
Surprised by her own thoughts slipping out, Sonia quickly looked over at Arpina beside her.
“……”
Thankfully, Arpina didn’t seem to care about Sonia’s muttering. She acted like the whole confession thing had never happened.
Just like always, she sat by the window, deeply focused on reading.
“…Arpina.”
Sonia called her quietly.
“You’re really not the least bit disappointed?”
“No.”
Arpina calmly flipped to the next page of her book.
“Well, yeah.”
Sonia finally nodded as if giving up.
“If even you say you’re not interested, then it’s just a pretty fruit with no taste.”
“This is how it should be.”
Arpina closed her book.
“It’s weird to have someone chase after me twice like that.”
“Maybe he just really likes you…”
“There must be a reason.”
Her words were unusually firm.
“There’s no way he likes me for no reason.”
“Uh…”
Sonia had wanted to say that wasn’t true — but in the end, she kept her mouth shut.
Right then, the professor came in to start class, and their conversation ended.
Arpina tied her long, wavy hair with a string. The little strands sticking out around her ears, she brushed back with her fingers.
‘But Arpina…’
Sonia looked at her friend briefly, then turned to the chalkboard and thought quietly to herself:
‘That handsome junior doesn’t seem like the type to give up easily…’
Sonia was sure of what she’d seen.
“I like you, Senior!”
She had seen the strong determination hiding in Del’s eyes when he confessed.
“…I don’t like you.”
And she had also seen that tiny moment of hesitation in Arpina’s eyes when she rejected him.
* * *
The student dormitory buildings at the academy were located in the innermost part of the main campus.
Each dormitory building was divided by department, and they had various convenient facilities for students living away from home.
Among them, the most popular places were the gardens in front of each dormitory.
There, students would relax under the sunshine, chat happily with friends, and sometimes share sweet, innocent love.
But Del…
“…Why is the world so bright and beautiful without me?”
“Because you’re sitting in this dark shady spot, that’s why.”
In the gloomy shadow behind the dormitory of the Political Department, Del looked out at the dazzling garden like it was someone else’s world.
And of course, the Duke’s heir was sitting next to him—dragged there against his will.
Del squatted on the ground, staring blankly at the sunny southern garden and muttered,
“Isn’t it weird?”
“You’ve always been weird. Are you just now realizing that?”
“I got rejected… so why is the world still so beautiful and bright? Is it because she’s still alive? She must really be the light of the world!”
“…I’m just going to pretend I didn’t hear that.”
But that wasn’t as easy as it sounded. The Duke’s heir frowned, feeling a headache coming on.
His eyebrows already had graceful creases, even though he was only 15. That showed how often he had to deal with annoying situations like this.
“…So what are you going to do now?”
Wanting to get away from here as soon as possible, the Duke’s heir asked bluntly.
“You got rejected, so isn’t it over? Time to take back your old title and go back to your usual self.”
“What are you talking about?!”
Del, who had been drooping moments before, suddenly looked shocked.
“The word ‘give up’ doesn’t exist in our family’s dictionary!”
“Only in your dictionary.”
The Duke’s heir cut him off coldly.
“The Duchess wrote in a letter yesterday that she finally gave up teaching Delia the violin.”
Apparently, she had to stop because Delia kept using the violin bow and strings as arrows.
“My sweet silver candy is doing fine without her big brother…”
Even then, Del looked a bit sentimental thinking about his adorable little sister.
But the boy still had no intention of giving up.
“I need to think of a new plan.”
“Isn’t it a little pathetic to still go after her after being rejected?”
“I don’t care if I look pathetic, as long as I can have her.”
“Don’t you have any pride?”
“There’s no such thing as pride when it comes to love!”
Del frowned as if the other person had said something completely ridiculous.
The Duke’s heir gave him a look like he wanted to make that exact face in return.
No matter how harsh or difficult the situation was, Del had no plans to give up. Truly, the word didn’t exist in his world.
“Young master, listen carefully!”
“If you’re going to call me ‘young master,’ at least use polite speech.”
“Young master, please listen carefully.”
Del corrected himself and continued politely.
“You know how my dad ended up marrying my mom, right? It was all thanks to his never-give-up spirit!”
“That’s not it. The Duchess got pregnant with you before the wedding, so they had to get married.”
The love story of the current Duke and Duchess was pretty famous among the older generation.
The former Duke was known for cherishing his daughters, especially the eldest. He kept delaying her marriage and quietly opposed it.
But in the end, he had no choice but to give his permission.
Because his eldest daughter got pregnant before marriage.
“The world calls that the fruit of love!”
Said the very product of that “fruit,” proudly shouting.
