Chapter 9
It was nothing more than a tiny soap bubble, yet the moment it touched anything nearby, it seemed threatening enough to devour all surrounding mana.
Even Oberon froze when one of the bubbles floated close enough for his fingertips to brush it.
‘…My mana isn’t working at all?’
On the contrary, the bubble that absorbed his mana became even more solid.
Archmond stared at Liersha with an expression of disbelief.
“Is this… your ability?”
“I-I don’t know, Grandfather. Lierusha doesn’t know.”
In the heavy silence, Liersha rubbed her hands together, apologizing over and over.
‘He must be angry because I awakened such a useless ability.’
The bubbles that had been floating around the office began to bump into each other and burst one by one.
Pop! Pop! Pop-pop!
Their mana had run out.
The last remaining bubble popped right in front of Archmond’s nose.
“Khm.”
Seymour turned his head away, pretending not to see, but couldn’t quite suppress the twitch at the corners of his mouth.
Oberon’s sharp gaze flew at him like a reprimand.
The office fell into silence once more.
“Liersha Aracrene.”
“…Yes, sir.”
Liersha lowered her head deeply.
She might be cast out.
Everyone else had awakened incredible abilities, while hers only produced soap bubbles that lasted a few seconds.
It was humiliating.
“You can’t even grasp your own ability properly. Until you can use it correctly, you are forbidden to show it to anyone. Understood?”
As expected, Grandfather thought so too.
Liersha answered in a small voice,
“Yes, Grandfather.”
“There will be no territory granted to someone who can’t even wield her own power.”
At Archmond’s cold words, Liersha’s face darkened.
“Until then, you will live with the branch family children.”
Sensing what that meant, Liersha’s head shot up in surprise.
Her moist red eyes looked up at him, and Archmond’s expression hardened even more.
But Liersha didn’t mind—it was fine as long as she wasn’t completely abandoned by him.
‘I’ll get another chance to win Grandfather’s heart.’
She bowed her head resolutely.
“Thank you, Grandfather.”
Her neatly parted round head came into view again, twin buns perfectly in place.
Archmond’s gaze lingered there longer than he intended.
When Liersha lifted her head brightly, his eyes immediately shifted to the papers before him, as though nothing had happened.
“You may go now.”
“Yes!”
Liersha replied loudly.
After Liersha left, Archmond’s crimson eyes sank deeper than ever.
Through the window, he could see Liersha walking away hand in hand with Sona.
Watching her small back for a long moment, he finally spoke in a low, detached tone.
“Oberon. There was no lie in what Liersha said just now, correct?”
“None, Your Grace.”
“Summon Rosinante.”
Liersha’s ability was too dangerous—so alluring that anyone would covet it, enough to make Archmond worry that it might endanger the child herself.
And Liersha’s heart was far too gentle.
If anyone were to discover her power…
‘They’d surely try to exploit her.’
That was how absolute her ability was—something not recorded in any ancient tome.
Archmond’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the small wound on Oberon’s fingertip.
His voice was cold.
“Erase everything you just saw from your memory. Completely. Understood?”
“As you command.”
Oberon bowed deeply in obedience.
His silver-gray eyes flickered.
Liersha was moved to live with the children of the branch families in the side annex.
“That will be all for today, Lady Liersha. We’ll have a test on what you learned next time.”
“Yes, sir!”
Liersha answered with enthusiasm, and Carden smiled faintly as he erased the chalkboard.
When the Duke first ordered him to tutor Liersha, Carden had been quite taken aback.
To personally teach someone who wasn’t recognized as an official heir?
Until now, he had only ever taught the successors of the main line.
It was inevitable that people would say it was unfair.
And indeed, rumors soon began to spread.
‘No one can tell what the Duke is thinking.’
They said Liersha was receiving undeserved favoritism.
Liersha was certainly bright.
Her comprehension was far above her peers, and her questions showed real insight.
She picked up vocabulary quickly and soon began to form proper sentences.
At this rate, she might catch up to the branch children’s studies in no time.
However—
‘Why did His Grace make her live with the branch children?’
Having her stay in the annex instead of the heirs’ quarters in the main estate was baffling.
The Duke couldn’t possibly be unaware that she’d become prey among the branch children.
“Well then, see you next time, Teacher!”
Gathering her bag, Liersha neatly straightened her chair and bowed politely.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Carden smiled gently.
“Yes, Lady Liersha. See you in our next lesson.”
“Yes!”
When they first met, Carden had been startled by her overly energetic greetings, but now he responded to them naturally.
Liersha beamed and dashed out of the classroom.
‘It must be hard for her in the annex, yet she stays so spirited.’
That only made him feel sorrier for her.
If she acted fine, it meant she knew the truth all along.
As Carden packed up his notes, a thought suddenly came to him.
“Perhaps…”
He remembered a lesson the Duke had once given him when he was young.
“Something precious should always be hidden among the ordinary.
Even the one being protected shouldn’t realize it.
That’s the only way no one else will notice its worth.”
Could that be why Liersha was living in the annex?
If that was true—
“Hah. His Grace hasn’t changed a bit.”
If the Duke sent her away to keep others from realizing how much he cherished her—
If even Liersha herself was not to know—
Then Carden could only shake his head with a rueful smile.
“I can only hope the young lady realizes His Grace’s intentions soon.”
May she not lose her way.
Having taught Aracrene heirs for many years, Carden gazed out the window.
The Aracrene family had an odd habit of always taking the hardest possible path.
All except Liersha.
‘The others could learn something from her honesty.’
Truly, the entire household was full of people incapable of being straightforward.
On her way back after class, Liersha thought back to the day she first met Carden.
Originally, Carden was a teacher who only taught the heirs of the family.
She knew because she had secretly watched his lectures in the Tower of Truth several times.
‘Grandfather actually assigned Carden to be my teacher…’
She still couldn’t believe it.
At the same time, her determination to work hard burned even stronger.
But soon her expression darkened.
The real reason Grandfather assigned Carden was probably…
‘Because it would be bad if the other children found out I can’t even write properly.’
Archmond had likely chosen the discreet Carden out of concern that she might become a laughingstock.
From the Duke’s perspective—
as the one responsible for maintaining order in the ducal estate—
he couldn’t let the branch children think the family heir was inferior to them.
The one meant to lead the family had to demonstrate overwhelming superiority—
so that those of lesser lines would never dare to overstep their bounds.
Indeed, the training for main-line heirs was far harsher than anything conducted in the annex.
Rumor had it that some direct heirs had already mastered their powers to a level rivaling adults.
‘I have to become like that too, so Grandfather will be proud of me.’
To do that, she had to give her all—starting with what was in front of her.
Clutching the strap of the bag Sona had made for her, Liersha walked determinedly forward.
When she returned, she planned to finish her homework and review her lessons.
But her motivation didn’t last long.
She stopped when she spotted a group of children blocking the path ahead.
