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“Y-yeah…?”

“Sion, I’m really not in the mood to talk to you right now. We both know we don’t want to face each other. Can’t you just let this pass quietly?”

“Hah, seriously…”

Sion clicked his tongue at Shione’s unexpected words.

Flustered, he couldn’t hide his feelings and displayed all his emotions on his face.

A sickly pallor. Irritation from being insulted by his ignored flesh and blood.

“What are you staring at?”

But Shione wasn’t shrinking back in response to Sion’s attitude like in the past.

She just scoffed and replied nonchalantly.

“Well, fine. I finally came out of the room after so long. I’ll probably have to play with that nanny who supports my sister before going back inside.”

“You’re being long-winded.”

“…It would be troubling if I took up too much of your sister’s time on a day like this.”

Thump.

Sion brushed past Shione, gently slapping her shoulder as he went.

Watching him hastily brush off any lingering touch, Shione let out a short sigh.

Before long, Herrel came out with a few pieces of clothing.

“You’ve been waiting a long time, Princess Shione.”

As Herrel entered her view again, Shione’s complex feelings swirled within her.

Shione shook her head.

“Not at all. Sion just left.”

“…You mean Sion?”

“If you’ve gathered the clothes, it’s time to stop moving around.”

The place was where she had run alongside Ray every dawn to greet the new day.

Her steps were unhesitating.

Having traveled this path last year, overcoming it before; she was certain that this time too, she could slowly fix her worn-out self.

As she walked while looking ahead, a voice called from behind, grabbing her ankle.

“There’s no need to take everything Sion says to heart.”

Hypocrite.

You say that, but in the end, you were no different.

“While you may know that Sion is aware of Princess Shione practicing spear and magic, you can’t possibly understand the weight of the struggles and efforts she faced during this time.”

Unable to remain silent any longer, Shione halted her moving footsteps.

“Princess Shione?”

“Let’s just keep moving quietly. There’s no need for my story to echo loudly among these people, who live with this appearance and this condition.”

“Ah—”

At that, Herrel finally closed her mouth and looked around.

One by one, the mansion’s servants began to appear.

They ignored Shione Shianella as if she were a nonexistent person or quietly observed her from afar. One thing was clear, none of them had a positive image or good feelings toward her.

Herrel was staring in silence, watching her defend herself. She could even spot familiar servants.

“…Yes.”

In an instant, she acknowledged Shione’s words, overshadowed by the shadow over her surface.

In the suddenly quiet atmosphere, the other servants finally began talking among themselves again, and soon, Herrel passed by the familiar servants she found earlier.

“…”

Herrel leaned down so low it seemed she would bury her head in the ground, barely breathing as she slid past them.

Shione quietly took note of Herrel’s unfamiliar appearance with a sidelong glance.

*

The irredeemable younger daughter of the Shianella Count’s household.

The news that Shione Shianella had suddenly begun exhibiting a 180-degree change in attitude spread swiftly within the mansion.

For years, she had been holed up in her room, wasting time, hardly allowing anyone to see her face. Yet, for nearly two months, she had been coming out every day to exercise.

Moreover, despite her not-so-great physical abilities, where she had learned archery was a mystery, for she was out in the practice range shooting arrows with other archers daily. There was simply no way her rumors wouldn’t spread.

While the relationship between her younger brother, Sion Shianella, and her elder sister, Siabel Shianella, remained unchanged, she notably did not avoid them when they spoke to her. Ainel Shianella, their head, was already destined to succeed the title, and Shione had become a figure of distrust toward Ainel long ago. Though the two still didn’t get along, Shione proudly stood before her and met her gaze without hesitation.

And this stayed true even on this day, nearly a month since she began to change. Summoned by Ainel to her office, Shione boldly sat across the desk from her and waited for her to speak.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Ainel had a habit of tapping the desk in a steady rhythm when organizing her thoughts.

Tap—

As the tapping ceased, at last, her tightly sealed lips opened.

“I’ve heard of your transformation lately; it seems it’s somewhat more positive than before.”

Ainel slowly crossed her arms, gazing sharply at Shione.

“And now that you’re here before me without cowering, it appears you’ve truly changed.”

It was praise that could seldom be heard even during family dinner time.

Shione couldn’t interject any words in response to the shifting atmosphere around Ainel.

“However, a mere month isn’t enough to cover up the vile acts you’ve committed during those rotten years.”

The past self had done many wrongs.

“While Herrel was with you, and without her mediation, you always resorted to petty tantrums and inappropriate behavior to bully the servant who attended to you, am I right?”

“…Yes, that is correct.”

“Your consistent mischief rarely showed signs of abating. Thus, even if you signed a contract with better conditions than others to assign you a servant, they ultimately couldn’t stand you for a whole month. The only one left for you is Herrel. Only Herrel.”

“…”

“However, it seems that even Herrel is gradually growing weary from the demanding labor she undertakes alone. Thus, I pondered how to solve this issue.”

Ainel leaned in, crossing her legs.

“Finding a new servant is necessary, but since the rumors have already spread, there remains no one willing to be your servant.”

“Since you’ve started wandering outside… Regardless, my daughter, being the second daughter of the Count, needs at least one guard. Yet, where can one find a soldier or knight with enough sincerity to serve someone with no righteousness?”

“I have been thinking. Where can one find someone who would take your wrath and still perform their role without facing a major scandal?”

At Ainel’s words, Shione began to light up with interest.

Her words were enough to make Shione’s heart race with expectation.

“In that case, it just so happens the slave traders within our territory have brought in an excellent slave. And your nineteenth birthday is just around the corner.”

As Shione held her breath, waiting for Ainel to finish,

“I would like to give you a slave as a servant,” Ainel articulated clearly while gently brushing her hair behind her ears.

“Today is the day you make your reappearance to the world. Prepare to go out of the castle and into the streets of the territory.”

At that, Shione quietly bowed her head.

“Understood.”

With a deep smile on her face.

*

“Hah…”

It had been a while since she left the mansion.

The carriage running through the streets of the territory.

Thanks to Ainel Shianella’s consideration, or perhaps because she simply didn’t want to be in the carriage with her, they each took different carriages, allowing Shione to take a deep sigh of relief.

‘…Where in the world is the demon?’

The conditions for success in the trials left by her ancestors.

Despite having actively searched for the demon with all her senses, moving around separately, she could not glimpse even a strand of hair from the demon that was supposed to be hiding.

‘It’s already been a month. I must hurry.’

In this world, the risk of memory loss or distortion loomed.

Before she lost her sense of purpose, she had to find the demon, but the uncertainty only added to her troubles.

Fortunately, there seemed to be nothing that had yet manipulated her memories. Having her awareness still intact was a comfort, as she enjoyed the sights of her family’s territory she hadn’t seen in so long.

“We’ve arrived!”

How much further had the carriage traveled?

Finally, they stopped in front of the barracks filled with slaves. Ainel, along with the knight who had accompanied her, Diolia, entered a building housing the slaves.

“The esteemed one has arrived! Stop lounging around and do something!”

“Who is creating such a fuss? My ears will burst.”

“Someone from Shianella has come!”

The traders were startled by the sudden visit of a noble and two members of the Count’s household.

Ainel Shianella gracefully passed through them and began to slowly inspect the slaves, with Shione following behind her.

Suddenly stopping, Ainel’s gaze landed on one particular slave, allowing Shione to finally let a sincere smile bloom.

“What’s this slave’s name?”

“Is this slave to your liking?”

“Do away with the unnecessary chatter and just provide a brief explanation.”

“Our most cherished slave at this trading post, his name is Ray. He’s being trained to become a knight in the seventh iron cage.”

“A knight?”

“Our Ray is a man who has awakened his mana!”

A man-slave who had awakened mana, Ray.

And even more inconceivable, despite his shabby appearance, his face was unmistakable.

“I found you.”

At my voice, he murmured in an unfamiliar language.

“…What on earth is happening here?”

Now the familiar intonation once again.

He was indeed the Ray I knew.

 

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