Kefra continued explaining patiently.
"Once you and Viktor get married, you'll become part of the Clavenna family."
"In that case, even if Father wants to call you back, you'll have every reason to refuse."
Gwen, "..."
Seeing Gwen's blank and confused expression, Kefra paced back and forth, muttering to herself.
"Just in time since I'm back, we can set a date. That way, I can be your witness at the wedding…"
"Mm, mm, judging by your age, it's about time you two got married. Dragging it out until now really isn't proper."
Gwen finally couldn't hold it in any longer and shouted, "Sister! I haven't even thought about getting married yet!"
Hearing that, Kefra turned around and looked at her with a deliberately puzzled face.
"What's wrong? Viktor doesn't like you?"
"No… it's not… that…"
Gwen thought back to her conversation with Viktor earlier that day. She had wanted to firmly say that he didn't like her, but when the words reached her lips, they somehow changed.
She lowered her head, her voice growing smaller and smaller.
"Then that's settled!"
Kefra burst out laughing, patting Gwen's shoulder and grinning.
"Gwen, you don't want to go back home, right?"
"..."
Gwen had the feeling there was something a little fishy about that tone of her sister's.
But… she really didn't want to go back.
Just thinking about her strict father and that second brother she couldn't stand made her frown.
In that house, only her father and her sister mattered to her. Apart from them, she had no attachment to anything there.
Seeing Gwen fall silent, Kefra stepped back a few paces and smiled softly.
"Alright, alright, I'm just teasing you."
"I won't let you go back."
Gwen lifted her head, staring at her sister curiously.
Kefra seemed to be thinking about something, her gaze thoughtful.
"Well… but if you're not going back, you'll still need a reason."
"Viktor's a good choice, isn't he? I heard you even came back together in his carriage."
"I'll send a letter home later, let's say you're in a passionate relationship with Viktor. That should do the trick!"
Hearing her sister's ridiculous suggestion, Gwen's face turned bright red. She wanted to refute it, but knowing that Kefra was actually trying to help her, and unable to come up with a better reason herself, she puffed up her cheeks and shut her mouth.
Her sister didn't know a thing.
Her relationship with Viktor was… anything but good.
"Oh! Right!"
Kefra suddenly leaned in close to Gwen, smiling mischievously.
"This time, I actually came back to the capital because there's something I need to take care of. I wasn't planning to tell you, actually."
"But since I can see you and Viktor seem to be on good terms, I want to ask you to get Viktor's help."
"Help? Help with what?"
Gwen blinked, confused. 'What could possibly need Viktor's help?'
"Yeah, that's right. After all, he's a mage. And from what you said, he's a super, powerful, mage."
"So could you please pass on a message for me?"
Suddenly, Kefra's expression turned serious. Her playful air vanished completely, replaced by a calm, mysterious presence, like a quiet violet flower in the dusk.
Deep and enigmatic.
"Tell him to be careful of the 'dirty things' that have slipped into the capital."
Gwen was startled by her sister's sudden change in tone. But just as quickly, Kefra reverted to her usual playful self, looping her arm around Gwen's shoulders with a bright smile.
"In short, just remind him! If he can track down that thing, it would be a huge help!"
Gwen really wanted to ask what her sister meant by those "dirty things" that even required Viktor's help, but before she could ask, she suddenly felt a warm hand sneak into the gap of her armor and rest on her waist.
Her waist instantly felt hot, and her face turned crimson. At the same time, Kefra's teasing voice sounded right by her ear.
"You're all sweaty, aren't you, Gwen?"
"Why don't you come take a nice warm bath with your sister? Let me see if your body's developing properly or not~"
Gwen's face burned even redder as she firmly refused.
"Sister! I've already passed the age where I grow anymore!"
"Be good! Let me take a look!"
———
'Do you desire power?'
Twisted black letters appeared again across the surface of the book, coiling like a demon's whisper, full of temptation.
But Henny only felt… troubled.
This was already the fourth time today.
Since morning, those strange black letters had been following her everywhere for no reason.
On her desk, on the walls, even on the flowerbeds in the academy garden when she walked past.
She had no idea who was behind this prank.
Yes, a prank, that's what she thought it was.
After all, who would take such an old-fashioned, creepy message seriously?
She'd endured it the first few times, figuring whoever was behind it would get bored eventually.
But to her surprise, they just kept going.
This time, she really couldn't take it anymore.
Because she was sitting at a desk in the library, preparing her notes for today's lessons, when those black letters appeared again, right across her page, covering the notes she had just written.
She was angry, but there was nothing she could do except silently fume.
As an ordinary magic apprentice, she had the knowledge but couldn't even cast a single proper spell.
With no talent, she was destined to just watch helplessly as these annoying "pranks" followed her around.
So she wrote a few words on that page.
'Sorry, I refuse.'
After that, she tore out the page, already full of writing, and threw it into the nearby trash bin, then hugged her book and left the library.
She could remember everything in her head anyway.
But her cautious nature made her feel much safer writing things down.
Henny decided to return to the Mage Tower, to Viktor's office, where she could focus and rewrite everything calmly.
Before he left, Viktor had granted her permission to enter his office freely, so she could come and go from the Mage Tower anytime.
On the path leading there, the words appeared again, black letters forming slowly over the stone tiles.
'Do you desire power?'
"Sorry, I don't! Stop bothering me already!"
Henny shouted her refusal loudly, clutching her book as she ran, not daring to look back.
Soon, she reached the base of the Mage Tower, gasping for breath.
She rarely did any physical activity, so even a short run left her light-headed and out of breath.
After resting for a while, she placed her hand on the tower's surface.
[Identity verification successful, Assistant Henny, welcome back to the Mage Tower.]
As the voice sounded, the teleportation circle lit up beneath her feet.
A moment later, she appeared inside Viktor's office.
The air inside was clean and fresh, everything neatly arranged. On the windowsill sat a small, vivid flowerpot, it was a gift she had given Professor Viktor.
He was known for his cleanliness and his love for tidy spaces.
Henny always remembered that, so she cleaned his office every single day.
She didn't sit in Viktor's chair but instead pulled over another one and sat down by the desk.
Placing her notebook in front of her, she began to write quickly.
Henny knew she didn't have much talent, so she poured all her effort into her studies.
After an hour, the pages were full of today's lessons.
And those strange letters hadn't shown up again.
"As I thought, just a prank."
Henny felt proud of her own cleverness. Without authorization, no one could enter the Mage Tower, much less step into Viktor's private office.
The fact that the words hadn't reappeared proved she was right.
"Such a childish prank, no ten-year-old would believe it."
Checking the time, she realized it was almost time for class.
She hugged the notebook to her chest, then glanced once at Viktor's chair.
"..."
Setting the notebook down again, she walked quietly to the chair and,
Reached out and hugged it.
As if imagining something in her mind, her face turned slightly red as she took a deep, greedy breath of the faint scent still clinging to the chair.
After a short moment, she released it, straightened her clothes, and looked determined.
"Professor! I definitely won't disappoint your expectations!"
Saying that, she picked up her notebook again and jogged off, teleporting out of the Mage Tower.
As she walked through the halls, Henny's mood lifted.
No matter how bad her day was, coming back to the Mage Tower always made her happy again.
She walked down the corridor, hugging her book with a light step.
Then, as she turned a corner, her eyes caught a glimpse of someone's coat.
Before she could step aside...
Thud!
She bumped straight into him.
The impact made her fall to the ground, though she still held onto her notebook tightly.
Standing before her was a plump man with a short mustache. His face darkened as he looked down at her.
Henny quickly stood up, not even bothering to dust herself off, and bowed in apology.
"S-sorry, Professor Devon, I wasn't watching where I was going…"
"Of course you weren't watching! If you had seen me, would you have dared bump into me?"
The man called Professor Devon clearly wasn't in a good mood. With a flick of his delicate fingers, he stroked his little mustache and snapped, "You filthy little thing, covered head to toe in cheap garbage, why are you still allowed to stay in this academy?"
Henny lowered her head and said nothing. In truth, she had seen him.
At the corner, she had intended to step aside and let him pass.
But his waistline was far too large, and she simply hadn't moved fast enough before colliding with him.
It was clearly his fault, so why did she have to apologize?
She bit her lip and endured the insult, saying nothing in return.
This sort of thing happened often. She just had to bear it quietly.
She couldn't cause trouble for Professor Viktor.
Then Devon's gaze fell on the notebook in her hands, and he gave a cold smirk.
"Hmph? What's this?"
"You, a little assistant, teaching another class again, are you?"
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