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– Wake up, Helga.

Little Helga lifted her head to see Gale’s stern face.

Gale forced Helga into harsh training, saying she was now old enough to handle magic power.

After dozens of failures, Helga’s body was already battered and bruised.

– I… I can’t do it, Father…

– Stop whining. If you’re my daughter, you can do it. Patrick, show her how it’s done.

– Yes.

Patrick, standing nearby, released his magic power with a confident face. Faint lightning crackled across his skin. The wild magic that had threatened to burst out soon calmed down.

It was truly perfect control of magic power.

The brothers around them nodded in approval.

– Watch closely, Helga. Lightning magic is fast and wild, unlike regular magic. It’s dangerous, but if you can master it, it becomes the strongest magic.

– But…

– No buts. If you’re my daughter, you must do it. So get up and try again.

– …Yes.

Helga barely stood up and began to concentrate again.

This time, she would succeed.

She tried to carefully channel her magic, but it wasn’t easy. The unstable flow of magic eventually…

– Ouch!?

Her arms felt like they were on fire as the magic leaked out.

Helga screamed involuntarily, but Gale spoke calmly.

– Again.

– Father, it’s too hot.

– Try again.

– But…

– Do it again!

At Gale’s shout, Helga couldn’t help but cry.

But her father’s words were absolute.

Biting her lip, she tried again, but the magic leaked out once more.

– Ugh… Ouch!

– Again!

– It hurts…! It hurts!

– Your brothers mastered this at your age. Don’t whine over something so trivial.

– I… I’m weaker than my brothers…

– Crack!

A thunderous sound flipped Helga’s vision.

She only realized what had happened when she felt the stinging pain on her cheek.

– Ah… Ugh…

– If you keep making such weak excuses, I’ll disown you.

Gale looked down at Helga with a terrifying expression.

She was scared. Would he hit her again? She was anxious, but thankfully, no more blows came.

Gale simply stood up, as if she wasn’t worth his time.

– Patrick, you take over Helga’s training. I’m heading to the Imperial Palace.

– Yes. Take care, Father.

Helga bowed her head as she watched Gale leave indifferently.

Why am I so incompetent that I disappoint Father?

– Are you really my sister?

Helga looked up to see Patrick looking down at her with disdain.

– Brother…

– No wonder they call you half-baked.

– There’s no one in the Wolfbert Family as weak as you.

The other brothers also mocked her. Combined with the sadness of not being acknowledged by her father, Helga couldn’t hold back her tears.

– I’m not half-baked! If I work hard… I can become as strong as my brothers!

– Oh, really?

Patrick’s lips twisted.

– Then go ahead and try. As it is, you’re not even worthy of being called a Wolfbert.

– Shut up…

– What can a half-baked like you even do?

– Stop calling me half-baked!

– No.

– Ah!?

A sudden kick landed on Helga’s shoulder.

Patrick burst out laughing as she was thrown aside.

– Hahaha. Now I see why your mother died right after giving birth to you.

– …What?

– She must’ve been so ashamed to have given birth to a weakling like you.

– Shut up! Ah!

– Who do you think you’re talking to?

Helga, enraged by her brother’s rude taunts, tried to use magic.

But Patrick stomped on her hand.

– If you’re angry, then win. You know the Wolfbert Family motto: Take what you want by force.

– Ugh…

– I didn’t say it, but Father probably thinks the same. Having a sister like you must be embarrassing for us, let alone him. Right?

It was miserable.

Helga, though furious, had no ability to fight back against her brother.

All she could do was grit her teeth through the mockery and insults.

At the same time, she made a vow.

She would master her magic power and earn the acknowledgment of her father and brothers.

She would never let them call her half-baked or weak again.

And… after that day, while practicing her magic control alone, she lost her left eye in an accident.

Looking back, it was a truly horrifying memory.

A dark time when no one stood by her side.

Well, there was one pillar of support.

Her mother, May, whom she had never met.

– Your mother was a woman who loved you more than anyone.

That one sentence from Gale made her mother a cherished figure in Helga’s heart.

She knew it was a lie.

She had heard that her mother passed away without even seeing her face.

But Helga wanted to believe in her mother.

If her mother had been alive, wouldn’t she have stood by her side? If she didn’t think that way… there would have been no one on her side back then.

Yes… that’s how it was back then.

“Helga.”

“Ah, yes, Count.”

“Are you tired?”

Helga looked up to see the black-haired nobleman sitting at his desk, gazing at her.

She must have dozed off.

Helga quickly wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth.

“No, Count. You know my stamina. I can go three days without sleep.”

“Is that so?”

“Of course. I can even sleep standing up.”

“…You’re not a horse. You’re my bodyguard knight.”

“Hahaha… That’s true.”

Come to think of it, it was already dark outside.

By the time they returned to the mansion from Tangmar, it was already past evening.

It must be past midnight now.

Yet Tristan was still reviewing documents.

“It’s late. Go rest first.”

“I can’t do that. What if you’re attacked while sleeping…”

“An attack? There’s no one left in this country bold enough to do such a thing.”

“Hehe. That’s true. The only one who could attack your bedroom is me.”

“……”

“Ah, ah… I love it when you look at me with those condemning eyes…”

“Wrong. I’m not condemning you. I’m just looking at you indifferently, like a stone on the road.”

“…Am I less charming than a stone?”

“You’re more charming than a stone if you just keep your mouth shut.”

“Gulp.”

As Helga pretended to cover her mouth, Tristan shook his head.

“Enough jokes. Go home for today. You’ve worked hard going to Tangmar and back.”

“No. I’ll stay until I see you sleep.”

“…Hmm.”

“Ah, am I bothering you?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be as quiet as a stone-. Wait… what did you just say?”

“I said yes.”

“Uh… um. So… if I heard correctly, you’re saying I’m bothering you…”

“Yes. You’re bothering me, so I can’t work.”

“Ah… Sorry… I’ll go in now…”

“It seems you misunderstood me.”

“Huh?”

As Helga was about to get up, Tristan spoke in a blunt tone.

“If you stay up this late, it will clearly affect your work tomorrow. I can’t help but be concerned.”

“Uh…? Then…”

“I never said you were a bother. I just said I’m concerned that you’re not getting enough rest.”

“…Ah.”

Though he probably said it for the sake of work efficiency, it made Helga happy.

No, it was more like… it made her feel awkward.

Tristan closed the document he was reading.

“…I have no choice.”

“Count…?”

“I need to wake up early tomorrow, so I’ll rest for a bit.”

He must have decided to postpone his work until tomorrow.

Tristan got up and lay down on the sofa in the corner of the office.

“Helga. Go to your room and sleep.”

“No. I’ll sleep here too. I won’t get much sleep if I go now.”

Helga leaned back in her chair.

Honestly, she was too tired to go back to her room. A short nap in this chair would be enough.

Besides, since Tristan wasn’t going to his bedroom, it felt strange for her, a mere vassal, to sleep comfortably…

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Hehe… Since it’s come to this, don’t worry and sleep first, Count. It’s cold at night, so make sure to cover yourself with a blanket…”

“Helga.”

“Yes?”

Tristan, lying on the sofa, lifted the blanket and spoke to her.

“Come in here.”

 

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