Sailla slowly opened her eyes.
When she opened them, the world seemed blindingly bright.
âIâŠâ
In front of her stood a handsome middle-aged man.
His expression was fierce and cold, but for some reason, his eyes seemed warm.
“Are you awake?”
His voice buzzed in her ears.
Although her eyes were open, her mind was still hazy.
“Why did you go that far? What makes you so desperate, my lady?”
As if she were someone facing their last day.
Why did you push yourself so hard?
Most people would have given up long before reaching this point.
âI⊠feel like I want to say something.â
Perhaps because her mind wasn’t fully intact, her mouth moved on its own.
“Iâm also…”
It wasnât really her will speaking.
It was more like sleep-talking.
“âŠa daughter of the Devernon family.”
A teardrop rolled down from the corner of Saillaâs eye as she lay in bed.
The tears flowed endlessly, soaking the white bedsheet.
“I want to be loved too.”
“âŠâŠ”
“Thatâs what makes me desperate.”
Sailla wasn’t even fully aware of what she was saying.
It was a subconscious murmur, and she wouldn’t remember it clearly afterward.
âSleepyâŠâ
Sailla lost consciousness again, and only after three more days did she open her eyes.
âAllow me to escort you to your room.â
Hmm.
She still felt slightly dizzy, but thankfully, it seemed she had avoided any serious complications.
âThat was close.â
Still, she supposed she should feel a bit fortunate.
Now she understood how the constant threat of death would affect her.
âWow, but even in that situation, I passed out looking elegant and wasnât breathingâwas that real?â
It was all because of that wretched âright to die beautifully.â
If only she had collapsed dramatically with a gaspâplop!âit wouldâve been better. But instead, she fainted quietly and gracefully.
If not for the sharp-eyed head attendant Taekan and the skilled physician Prix, she might have actually died.
âHmm?â
Then she felt something strange.
Taekan was holding her hand.
“Head Attendant?”
“Physician Prix emphasized this againâhe insisted I support you properly.”
Ah, it brought back memories.
When she was young, she used to hold her fatherâs hand and go out often. It reminded her of that time.
But this man wasnât her father, and surely he didnât have any particular attachment to her.
“You donât have to force yourself to do something you dislike.”
She gently withdrew her hand.
“Sorry for troubling you.”
But Taekan took her hand again.
“You have nothing to apologize for, my lady. And I am not forcing myself to do anything I dislike.”
Judging by his expression, he looked a bit upset.
It was obvious he was forcing himselfâhe must really hate hearing Prix nagging him.
But in this momentâholding someoneâs hand, feeling another personâs warmthâshe didnât hate it.
âI must have wanted someoneâanyoneâto hold my hand.â
This body had been so lonely for so long.
It was strange how her heart softened so easily over something this simple.
âA fragile, sentimental heart wonât survive in this world.â
She pulled her hand away again.
“I must decline excessive protection.”
It might have gone against this bodyâs instincts, but she wasnât going to crave othersâ affection.
Love, interestâit all only mattered if she stayed alive.
Eventually, Taekan let go of her hand and asked an odd, out-of-context question.
“Is it really possible to never be sick in your entire life?”
“Pardon?”
“I suppose thatâs impossible, isnât it?”
Why did he ask himself and then answer himself?
She wasnât sure, but she gave a sensible reply.
“It would usually be difficult, I think.”
“Yes, I suppose so.”
She felt Taekan gripping her hand tightly.
Huh? When did he take it again?
They said his movements were like a ghostâsâit might really be true.
And then, a year passed.
As she had confidently promised her father, Deperto, Sailla accomplished many feats for the Devernon family.
About a year ago, during a dinner with Deperto, she accurately predicted a wildfire in the Drolli region.
“I told you I would be of help to the family, sir.”
“The fireworks festival, usually held in the summer, was postponed this year due to Prince Leonâs first subjugation campaign. The date is now October 2nd. According to the Meteorological Records Tower, thatâs the time when the westerly winds are strongest.”
At first, Deperto didnât pay attention to her words.
“So? A fire will break out because of stray sparks? Do you even know how to read a map? That distance is far too great for that to happen.”
“But this yearâs fireworks festival is special. It commemorates Prince Leonâs first subjugation, so theyâll surely use more powerful magic gunpowder. Just like Your Excellency, they wonât consider the westerlies or the dry weather.”
Still, Deperto dismissed her words. But Sailla did not give up and continued persuading him.
“Thereâs no need to cause public panic by announcing a potential fire or deploying too many firefighting personnel in advance. Howeverâ”
She opened a map and pointed to a location.
“This is where the Levitan Seminary is located.”
Officially, it was a place for mages and scholars to gather and exchange knowledge, but in truth, it also housed Devernonâs confidential documents and valuable historical artifacts.
“For the safety of the mages and scholars who travel to Levitan, how about conducting a routine safety inspection?”
Deperto frowned slightly and watched her expression.
âDoes this child know what kind of place Levitan is?â
But her expression was unreadable.
She seemed to smile slightlyâor maybe her face was utterly blank.
Even as her father, he found it nearly impossible to read her mind. It was fascinating.
“I do not agree with your speculation.”
Drolli and the festivalâs location, Erder Island, were too far apart for embers to travel that distance.
“But your reasoning is sound. Very well, have the safety devices inspected.”
And a few days later, a massive wildfire indeed broke out.
It took 60 days to extinguish the fire that swept across the Drolli region, causing extensive damage. But those who had evacuated to the Levitan Seminaryâboth people and animalsâwere unharmed.
[âHouse Devernon, Masters of Magic, Saved Countless Lives Through Meticulous Safety Precautions.â]
[âA Clear Demonstration of Why They Remain One of the Three Great Houses.â]
Articles about Levitan flooded local papers, and Devernonâs reputation soared.
Deperto quietly called Sailla and asked,
“What is it that you want?”
“I only wished to help the family.”
That was only the beginning.
A few days later, Sailla visited Depertoâs office.
“Thereâs serious tension between Marquis Reshidon and Count Vyle. War will break out.”
“Do you understand the power difference between them?”
“Of course, Count Vyle doesnât stand a chance. But he has the one-armed knight, Sir Cain.”
The one-armed knight Cainâhe was the key to the war.
Despite widespread belief that the war would end in less than a week, Count Vyle held his ground for over two months and fought valiantly.
“I wonât get into the political and complex interests behind this. You would know them better than I.”
Using a subtle tone that flattered Deperto as a seasoned strategist, she drew him in even more.
“Yes. If things go as you say, nearby barons allied with Vyle may unite, Reshidonâs influence could shrink, and that may ignite sweeping changes in international politics.”
“Indeed, I am grateful for your insights, as one truth reveals ten lessons.”
That day, Deperto felt a strange sensation.
Her words sounded like the honeyed flattery of any sycophant, yet Sailla felt different.
Her compliments didnât feel like flattery.
They felt like calm, objective truthsâwhich somehow made them more pleasant.
“So, whatâs the real point?”
“Reshidon is the continentâs largest mana stone producer, and Vyle is a major grain region. With a prolonged war, the prices of both will skyrocket. Devernon must prepare.”
And in time, her prediction came true.
Because they had prepared just in case, Devernon was less affected by the soaring prices of mana stones and food. They weathered the turbulent times well, and once again, their reputation rose.
One late night, Deperto called Head Attendant Taekan.
“Drink with me?”
“You seem troubled, sir.”
“Sailla was right again. Once might be a coincidenceâbut twice? Do you think this could still be chance?”
“Perhaps it was luck. I canât say for sure. But one thing is certain.”
“And what is that?”
“The young lady is more desperate than anyone Iâve ever seen. Not even on the battlefield have I seen such eyes.”
Saillaâs predictions didnât end there.
The truly astonishing part came next.
