Knock, knock.
"It's Charlotte. I'm coming in."
With the dawn, Charlotte arrived to prepare the morning schedule.
Navia pulled down her sleeve to cover her wrist.
It was better to hide the Black Moon, uncertain if others could see it.
Charlotte entered with the washbowl.
"Ah... you're awake already."
Charlotte seemed surprised to find Navia up so early.
"Yes, I woke up early."
Navia always rose at dawn, a habit ingrained over many lifetimes.
"Here's the washbowl. The bathwater is also ready."
"Good. Thank you."
Navia felt grimy, having sweated through the night.
Charlotte set down the washbowl and began tidying, noticing the untouched meal.
Navia hadn't woken at all yesterday, sleeping through the afternoon, and the fresh meal Charlotte had brought in the afternoon was still untouched.
Was her condition that bad?
Charlotte awkwardly asked while Navia was washing her face.
"Um... are you feeling alright?"
It had been a year since she started working as Navia’s maid, and she had never expressed such concern before.
The awkwardness wasn't lost on Navia either.
"You're worried about me now?"
Charlotte's face flushed, avoiding Navia's gaze.
Navia set down the towel and continued.
"I'm fine."
"...That's good."
Charlotte quickly cleared the washbowl, head bowed.
'Did forming the alliance make her more compassionate?'
People could change in an instant once what they desired was gone.
Navia entered the adjoining bathroom with a dry expression, noticing the large bathtub with golden legs on the marble floor.
The tub was filled with warm water.
"Definitely better treatment on the third floor."
Navia, often accustomed to cold baths, welcomed the change.
She bathed alone, returning to her room to dress, with few clothes or accessories to choose from.
"I'll help you dress."
Navia's dresses were plain, lacking even ribbons or lace, but she didn't mind.
They were preferable to the garish dresses worn for public appearances.
'I should check if the crescent moon is visible to others.'
The Black Moon didn't reflect in the mirror, likely visible only to her, but caution was prudent.
Navia deliberately exposed her wrist to Charlotte.
"Does this sleeve seem a bit short?"
Charlotte glanced at Navia’s wrist.
"It seems you've grown taller. I'll adjust it."
Next, she pointed directly at the moon.
"Up to here?"
Charlotte's gaze landed exactly on the crescent, but Navia's eyes sharpened.
'It's not reflected in her eyes.'
Charlotte's dark brown eyes showed only a clean wrist, just like when the regression number was visible.
"Just above the back of the hand then."
"Right, that's fine."
Was it a mark unrelated to magic, like the regression?
While Navia pondered, Charlotte helped her dress. Someone knocked on the door, and Charlotte stepped out briefly before returning.
"Miss, Lord Spencer has arrived at the manor. You can eat and then head to the study."
"Okay."
The new meal Charlotte brought was a proper diet, albeit simple with some salad and cold ham, but satisfactory.
Strength was needed to fight the enemy.
"Have you started the task?"
Charlotte's eyes lit up, understanding the reference to the intrigue.
"Yes."
Navia ate mechanically, treating the meal as a necessary task for survival.
"Then I'll go."
Navia hopped off the chair and left the room.
The study was in the east wing on the first floor.
'I need to leave Agnes, but Vivian must be cured first.'
The incurable disease required her tutor, the only one who could cure it.
A former professor at the prestigious Imperial Academy of the Holy Empire, renowned for admitting only the elite and graduating only the proven.
Her tutor, who chose to be a minion in Agnes despite his illustrious background.
'Edward Spencer.'
Navia paused outside the study, a chilling calm in her expression.
‘I'll tell you since you're going to die soon. You've been brainwashed.’
Click.
The study door opened, and Navia smiled radiantly, like sunlight shattering.
"Hello, Mr. Spencer?"
* * *
A young man with light brown hair and a cool demeanor entered the study.
He was Navia's tutor, Edward Spencer.
Edward waited in the study for Navia's arrival, enduring the boredom.
Even when Edward was a professor at the Imperial Academy of the Holy Empire, dealing with unappealing students was always a torment.
Especially being a tutor for a child.
If Navia had been a prodigy despite her youth, this job wouldn't have felt so troublesome.
'Her intellect isn't completely lacking, but that's far from genius, not even close to gifted.'
If only grades could be given for her inhuman appearance, she would certainly be considered a genius.
'But that's just a lowly lineage.'
Dull expression. Unfounded attitude. Clumsy speech. Insufficient knowledge.
Nikan wanted all these aspects transformed in Navia before she turned nine, to make her a part of the noble society.
There was one more condition in the contract Edward had to fulfill.
'Brainwashing ideology with suggestive magic.'
Edward could use mind control magic, though not very powerful.
Nikan hired him more for being a mind control wizard than for his academic knowledge.
'To brainwash her into willingly becoming a dog of Agnes.'
It was a cruel and vile act to do to a child, but Edward didn't care as long as it served his purpose.
'To cure my sister's magic reversal disease, staying here is the fastest and most accurate way.'
Thinking of his sister, a patient of magic reversal disease, Edward's expression darkened.
He studied magic crazily and became a professor at the Imperial Academy, solely for his sister, but to no significant avail.
It was inevitable.
Magic reversal disease, usually afflicting nobles, had too few subjects for clinical trials, making it impossible to have various samples.
But with Agnes, it was different.
The power of this family could find the quickest and most accurate cure for magic reversal disease.
That was why Edward colluded with Agnes.
As he was lost in thought, the door to the study opened.
Click.
Edward saw Navia entering with cold eyes.
As usual, she'd be cowering, despite being repeatedly advised to change her attitude.
But at that moment, Navia smiled brightly.
"Hello, Professor Spencer?"
Her voice was clear but gentle, her posture straight, shoulders relaxed, and her demeanor was not arrogant but noble.
Navia looked different, though he hadn't seen her just for a day.
'...Perfect.'
She was a model of a great noble.
'That's almost like imperial etiquette.'
People can't change overnight, especially those parts requiring meticulous training.
Was she pretending to be ignorant all this time?
Edward inwardly scoffed.
'That's impossible.'
He dismissed his thoughts as being overly sensitive.
"Nice to see you, Lady Navia. Let's start the lesson."
Edward didn't ask why she missed yesterday's class and immediately began the lesson.
"Last time, I briefly mentioned the three major ducal families of the empire."
Navia showed a nonchalant and inattentive demeanor.
Edward raised an eyebrow in annoyance.
Was she daring to be arrogant when she struggled with the assignments just the other day?
'No matter how much you educate, nature doesn't change.'
He deliberately asked her a difficult question to make her understand her place.
"Do you remember the nicknames of the three ducal families?"
The three ducal families each had distinct magical abilities and corresponding nicknames.
He thought Navia wouldn't remember, as he had only mentioned it in passing.
Navia looked up, her lips curling into an enigmatic smile.
"Agnes of Water, Lucia of Fire, and Eseled of Law."
Edward inadvertently showed surprise.
But that wasn't the end of his questions.
"Why is Eseled nicknamed 'of Law'?"
The nicknames of water and fire were straightforward, but 'Law' for Eseled was unusual.
Navia answered smoothly again.
"Literally because the Eseled magicians were the first to use the laws of magic to create a new civilization."
The Eseled magicians researched the laws of magic, formulated them into equations, and established magic formations.
"The result was the creation of 'Magical Tools'."
The once-great Eseled family had now declined under the rule of Lark Eseled.
"That's right."
Edward looked at Navia, who answered even the untaught parts perfectly, with a strange gaze.
"You prepared well..."
"The Duffmans specialize in mind control magic and are also known as 'Duffman of Dominion.' In the days of the four great Duchies, there was also ‘The Eiles of the Flash’".
Navia knew he asked these questions to trouble her.
After this, Edward always lectured on the power dynamics of the Duffman royal family and the ducal families.
Navia smiled slyly.
"Shall I explain how the Eiles duchy disappeared into the annals of history?"
Upon hearing that, the usually composed expression of Edward, the mind-controlling sorcerer, slightly contorted in astonishment.
