Chapter 21
“Tch, when was it that he stepped in first to save me?”
After leaving the library and returning to her bedroom, Lucillea flopped onto the sofa.
Then Mei came over and sat beside her.
“Who are you talking about? Did something happen at the library?”
“Hm? Oh, I mean Serdian.”
“Young Master Serdian?”
“Mm.”
Mei recalled the back of Serdian, who had briskly left the library not long ago.
Outraged, Mei spoke up.
“Why? Did the young master say something hurtful to you again?!”
But Lucillea chuckled and shook her head.
“No, nothing like that. Just…”
After a brief thought, Lucillea went on casually, as if it weren’t important.
“Well, he helped me a bit in the library, so I thought, since that counts as a connection, why not use the chance to suggest being friends. So I asked him.”
“And then?”
With a little laugh, Lucillea brightly announced,
“He told me to get lost.”
“…What?”
Mei’s eyebrow twitched.
Lucillea giggled as if she found Serdian’s reaction cute.
“Anyway, he’s not an easy one.”
Then Mei gently laid her hand on Lucillea’s and said in a kind voice,
“I think it’s because it feels unfamiliar to him.”
“Hm? Unfamiliar?”
Mei continued,
“I may not know everything, but I’m sure you’re the first person who’s ever approached the young master and asked to be friends.”
“…”
Lucillea lifted her brows.
The first, huh…
Well, it made sense. With that cold and fierce aura, it wouldn’t be easy for anyone to approach him.
Mei suppressed a laugh as she added,
“To be honest, you’re also the first person I’ve ever seen invite him to share a meal.”
At that, Lucillea scratched her cheek awkwardly.
“Well, family meals are only natural… Besides, I felt like I was intruding when the Grand Duke and Serdian were dining together.”
Mei smiled faintly at her words.
“In any case, those two don’t usually eat together.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. So I just wanted to tell you not to be too discouraged. The young master must have reacted like that only because you felt unfamiliar to him.”
“…I see.”
Unfamiliar, huh…
Right, Serdian has always been alone.
Aside from his aide, he was destined to live a lonely life until meeting the heroine, Cynthia.
Now that I think about it, Cynthia really was amazing.
How on earth did she manage to win over that cold, distant boy’s heart?
No doubt she had her own struggles.
But wait.
What was it that made Serdian open his heart to Cynthia again?
Ah… I remember now.
It was because of the assassin I sent in the original story that Serdian nearly died…
Collapsed in a dark, narrow alley, on the verge of death—he was saved by Cynthia’s divine power.
Like every righteous heroine in a story, Cynthia was too virtuous to just leave him there to die.
That’s probably why she ended up becoming a Saintess.
She had been born from the body of a courtesan who was used and discarded by a nobleman. Despite her tragic childhood that could have twisted her, she grew up kind and good-hearted.
Exactly like a heroine should.
But in this version, I’m not going to send assassins after Serdian.
So then… how will the two of them meet?
Lucillea shrugged.
Who cares.
I don’t even know what tomorrow holds for me, so how could I possibly know the protagonists’ future?
If those two are truly destined to meet, then eventually—one way or another—they will.
Right now, I’ve got enough on my plate just trying to stay alive.
For now, she had to do whatever it took to get close to Serdian and prevent his corruption.
Sure, she’d blurted out the “let’s be friends” thing in the library on impulse, but if they really could become friends?
That might actually be the answer.
After all, someone as central as the male lead wouldn’t casually kill his own friend.
And if Serdian gets used to being around me, he might find it easier to make other friends too.
That way, when Cynthia appeared, the two of them could grow close faster and more naturally.
Lucillea, struck with this realization, nodded to herself.
To make what’s unfamiliar no longer unfamiliar, the best way was obvious…
“Showing up often is the key!”
“…”
With a bright grin, Lucillea grabbed Mei’s hands.
“Mei! Tell me Serdian’s daily schedule!”
That night, gray clouds drifted faintly before the moonlight over the Grand Duchy.
“Good night, Lady Lucillea.”
“Mm, you too, Mei!”
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Sleep well, Mei!” Lucillea waved enthusiastically as Mei left her room.
Thump. The door shut, and a few more moments passed.
“…”
Silent in the dark, Lucillea slowly sat up, eyes on the door.
Looks like she’s gone, right?
At that, Cookie, who had been pretending to sleep inside his cage, suddenly popped his eyes open.
[She’s gone! I don’t hear footsteps anymore, Luci!]
Good.
Lucillea climbed out of bed, lit the lamp on the nightstand, and carried it over to the desk.
Meanwhile, Cookie tugged at the cage door with his beak.
Clink, clink—the parrot shook his head a few times until the door opened, and he stepped out.
Lucillea glanced back and let out a baffled laugh.
“What, you know how to open that?”
[Of course! For a smart parrot like me, that’s nothing.]
“….”
Shaking her head at his smugness, Lucillea sat at the desk, pulled out a chair, and took a seat.
She opened a drawer, pulled out paper and a pen, and began jotting things down.
“Wake up at 4 a.m. for physical training, breakfast at 7, then heir lessons from 9…”
Cookie fluttered over and landed on the desk, hopping across the paper she was scribbling on.
Looking at the letters forming across the page, Cookie asked,
[What’re you writing?]
“Serdian’s typical day.”
[…]
Tilting his head in confusion, Cookie kept watching as she wrote.
“Lunch at 12, short break, sword training from 2, dinner at 6, then more heir lessons afterward…”
Whoa… that’s insane.
Lucillea muttered under her breath,
“This is supposed to be an ordinary day for a thirteen-year-old?”
Though the schedule wasn’t always followed to the letter—it could be adjusted depending on circumstances—it was still impossibly intense.
“Wow… this kid really does live such a hard life.”
So even being the male lead didn’t mean living comfortably.
“Well, I guess in stories, protagonists always suffer endlessly until the happy ending.”
But then—
“Why am I, someone who’s not even the protagonist, living this tough of a life too?”
Lucillea sighed deeply and stared for a long time at the list of Serdian’s routines.
“The problem is… there’s no opening for me to squeeze into his life.”
His schedule was packed so tightly she could hardly find an opportunity.
Then, she circled “7 a.m. breakfast” with her pen.
“Right. I’ll aim for breakfast time.”
Since her own classes began at nine, she could spend about two hours with him.
“And if I can eat lunch with him after class, even better. Plus, I’m curious to see his sword training—maybe I can ask to watch.”
But Cookie protested, displeased.
[What about homework? What about training? What if you can’t finish your assignments or practice properly and get kicked out of the Grand Duke’s estate?!]
Lucillea snorted at his nagging.
“I’ve already thought this through, okay? I was planning on doing homework now, anyway.”
Then, still seated, she stretched her arms forward.
“Master’s stance was like this, I think.”
[Your elbows need to bend a little more.]
“Like this?”
[Five degrees more!]
“This much?”
[No, now you bent too much.]
“Like this?”
[Perfect! That’s just right now!]
“Mm!”
Remembering Noah’s instructions, Lucillea assumed the posture and extended just her index finger.
Then she fixed her gaze on the fingertip.
‘Just remember three things.’
Lucillea recalled Noah’s words.
“Perception, concentration, acceptance.”
‘Perceive the mana within your body.’
She closed her eyes briefly, following the flow of energy inside her until she felt it gathering near her heart. She opened her eyes.
‘Concentrate on it to control it.’
Carefully, recalling Noah’s teaching, Lucillea began guiding the energy from within toward her fingertip.
Vrrrm—. As mind, body, and mana aligned as one, a faint vibration sounded from her body.
Though she herself didn’t notice the change, her focus was intense.
Perception, concentration, acceptance, perception, concentration, acceptance…!
‘Once you’ve identified and controlled mana, the final step—acceptance—will come naturally.’
In that moment—
The air around her rippled lightly.
And then—whoosh! At her fingertip, a tiny green flame flickered to life, fresh and vibrant like spring leaves.
[Oh!]
“Ah!”
Though small and delicate compared to Noah’s flame, it was undeniably one she had kindled herself.
[Luci!! F-fire! You made fire!]
“Wow!”
Cookie’s excited squawking made Lucillea equally thrilled.
I did it! I really did it!
On the very first try, no less!
It’s completely different from before when I was fumbling without knowing how.
So this is mana control…
When she followed Noah’s instructions to move the energy within, drawing it out became easy.
Nothing like those times in the cabin or before Elbadin, when she forced it out with difficulty.
This isn’t some fluke—I actually did it!
Am I a genius or what?!
Wowww!!! I really pulled it off—!
Just as she was about to revel in her success—
Fwoosh!
“Gasp?!”
[Eek!]
The flame at her fingertip leapt to the curtains by the window.
