Episode 1:
“Stealing My Friend’s Fiancée
Runaway (1)
The long exams were finally over.
At the Academy of the Kingdom of Rostia, tired students could be heard sighing everywhere.
Especially for the final-year students who had just taken their graduation exams – they looked like they had barely survived.
The rest rooms were full of students lying down, exhausted.
Others, tired of the noisy atmosphere, went outside to enjoy the warm breeze.
Inside the academy, only weird groans and nonsense chatter remained.
But all the students had one thing in common:
They were talking about one person.
> “The top student again this semester… it has to be her, right? Lady Etval?”
> “Of course. I even heard Mireina cried on the way here because she couldn’t beat her even once before graduating!”
> “I heard Professor Gaiden said he couldn’t even believe her perfect answers. That’s how amazing she is.”
The person everyone was talking about was Temia Etval, the youngest daughter of the Duke Etval family.
But it wasn’t just because she came from a famous family.
She was the youngest student ever to enter the academy.
Top student every semester.
Student leader.
And the youngest graduate ever.
She held all those titles alone.
The Academy was mostly filled with elite noble families’ children, so it was rare for one person to achieve so much.
But Temia did it.
She was so smart and talented that even jealous students had no choice but to respect her.
Before entering the academy, she had been unknown — just the sickly youngest daughter of the Etval family.
She had a terrible disease and had never even debuted in society.
People thought of her as a tragic girl who would live and die inside the mansion.
Even when people heard she was taking the academy entrance exam, no one paid attention.
Some even whispered that she wasn’t really the duke’s daughter, or that she was cursed, not sick.
So, when she actually showed up — healthy and confident — everyone was shocked.
She was a bit small and pale, but her firm lips and bright purple eyes were full of strength.
Then came the shocking news:
Her illness was cured, and she got the top score in the academy entrance exam.
Some people suspected that her family had helped her cheat, but that rumor died quickly.
She always worked hard, focused in class, and never missed a lesson.
Even the professors praised her as the perfect student.
She was kind, helpful, and never arrogant, despite being better than everyone else.
And on top of that, her beauty was growing more and more every day.
Many noble boys tried to win her heart, but none ever succeeded — she had a cold, distant vibe that kept them away.
Because of all this, students never stopped talking about Temia.
They gossiped about everything — who studied better, who had a secret crush, even family secrets.
And at the center of it all was Temia Etval.
> “Now that the exams are over, I wonder why we haven’t seen her? Maybe she’s busy…”
But in truth, Temia had disappeared.
She didn’t even show up to give the graduation speech as the top student.
—
Meanwhile…
Temia was in a carriage, racing away.
She wore an old robe and pulled the hood down low to hide her face.
She was the daughter of a powerful and historic noble family, but now she was dressed like a common traveler.
She had left behind only a note:
> “I’m going out to explore the world! Don’t try to find me — I’ll be back soon!”
Her words seemed playful and childish — like a girl who had never seen the real world.
But it was all part of her plan.
Her family still treated her like a little girl who needed protection.
So she pretended to be silly and innocent to make them worry less.
In truth, she had been planning this for a long time.
She knew she had to be careful from now on.
> “This time… I must find him…”
She gritted her teeth.
Temia was heading to a magic workshop far away from the capital.
She had finally gotten news about the man she had searched for for years.
She sold all the valuable items she had saved since childhood just to hire information agents.
At first, she thought the Academy would help her find him.
He was a genius magician who had studied at Therium Academy, the best magic school in the world.
That’s why she worked so hard to stay at the top — so she could join exchange programs with Therium.
But when she finally got accepted, it was too late.
The man had already graduated and vanished.
Even her powerful father didn’t know the man’s name.
Everyone acted like he had never existed.
It was strange — the Therium family had strong ties with the kingdom, but even they never mentioned their second son.
The oldest son, Iren Van Therium, was famous.
Everyone talked about him.
But the second son?
Nothing.
No one knew anything.
It was like he had been erased from the world.
But Temia remembered him.
She had to remember him.
Because she had a very serious reason to find him.
So, the moment she heard from the information guild where he was, she left everything behind and ran.
Her heart was beating fast.
She had wasted so much time being sick and quiet — she should’ve done this long ago.
> “This time… I will erase that man from my life.”
She told herself over and over again.
The bumpy ride shook her old memories loose.
She was now on her way to the workshop of a magician.
A man who was once her only friend’s fiancé.
The man who drove her friend to death.
The mad magician who burned down the kingdom.
The man who destroyed her life.
Her enemy from her past life—
Romen Van Therium.
