CHAPTER 06
‘W-What the…?’
Priscilla froze in shock at the sudden situation. Her eyes slowly moved upward, taking in the rapidly growing plants.
She had seen something like this a few times before—plants coming back to life and growing explosively.
It had happened whenever Brian Muton, who wielded the power of blessings, used his ability.
Even when he pushed Priscilla off a cliff, he had made plants bloom.
‘How… how could I do something like him?’
Long ago, there were four great figures who defeated the Demon Dragon and founded the Tricen Empire.
The leader formed a solo pact with the guardian dragon, Silund, and became the first emperor. The other three became dukes whose families inherited divine blessings.
Among them, the Muton Duchy wielded the power of Growth, able to revive, grow, and control flora and fauna at will.
The Lennox Duchy had the power of Purification, and the Ronve Duchy wielded Protection.
Even among those born into the bloodlines, only the chosen few could wield the blessing.
No outsider—without the blood—had ever used it.
Except now.
“Franz!”
Priscilla rushed inside to tell her younger brother about the unbelievable phenomenon.
“L-Look at this!”
She threw open the window and pointed at how much the plants in the garden had grown.
Franz blinked in confusion, then gaped at the vines covering the entire wall.
“How…? Who did this?”
“I did.”
“You…? How?!”
“I don’t know. It just… happened. It was like I used the Muton Duchy’s blessing.”
Franz was vaguely familiar with the ducal powers.
They were different from magical power, so he hadn’t studied them deeply—but historically, they had shaken the empire countless times.
He stepped outside to closely examine the massive plants.
When he tried to wither them by forcefully infusing magic, a strange power repelled him. It wasn’t just vitality—it was far too powerful.
Franz furrowed his brow and stroked his chin.
“Sis, can you make something else grow?”
“Let me try.”
Priscilla approached a small wildflower sprouting under a tree.
She stretched out her hand and tried to gather her energy and release it.
“Hrrgh!”
But the flower didn’t budge. No matter how hard she tried, the white light from before wouldn’t appear.
“It’s not working…”
“How did it work earlier? Try to remember. Were there any special conditions?”
“Hmm…”
Priscilla thought back carefully.
When she saw the dead plants in the flower bed, she had genuinely felt sorry for them and truly wished they would come back to life.
That was it—she had sincerely wanted it. Not just to use power, but to bring something back to life.
Realizing the difference, she placed her hand on the flower bud and prayed earnestly.
‘Please bloom. Please, please…!’
Then, once again, a soft white light spread from her hand and wrapped around the flower.
All the wildflowers nearby bloomed instantly—more vibrant and lively than ever.
“I did it!”
“Holy crap, you really can use it…”
Franz stared dumbfoundedly at the wildflowers, then placed a hand on his sister’s back for final confirmation.
As soon as he funneled magic into her, a powerful force violently rejected him—as if warning him not to come close.
“Ugh!”
“Franz! Are you okay?!”
He staggered from the burning pain, and Priscilla hurried to support him.
While rubbing his tingling hand, Franz declared with certainty:
“This really is the power of a blessing. It’s not magic. It’s pure, divine power—far stronger than any spell.”
“Is that even possible? I’m not even part of the Muton bloodline.”
Priscilla asked, bewildered. Unlike Franz, she had never even been able to use magic—making this all the more astonishing.
Franz, promising to investigate further, began collecting every book and paper related to blessings.
From his research, he discovered several truths.
When a successor awakens the blessing, the current family head begins to lose power.
Because within a ducal family, only one person can hold the blessing at a time.
As the current head weakens, the successor gains strength. The faster the successor grows, the faster the head declines.
“Here, read this.”
Franz handed her a newspaper from the village at the mountain’s base. The article reported Brian Muton had filled the imperial garden with extinct flowers.
“He did the same thing last year, but it only took him two hours. This time, it took him three.”
“…He’s starting to lose his power.”
“And there’s still no news that Evelyn Muton has awakened her blessing.”
“Then… did I awaken it instead?”
“In my opinion, yes.”
Franz cited an ancient prophecy from the empire’s founding: the gods would take away blessings from those who betray their faith.
Most interpreted this to mean that the ducal families would retain their power as long as they protected the empire.
And for a long time, none of them had lost their blessings.
But now it’s been taken… by me?
Priscilla looked down at her hands, lips curling upward.
She clearly remembered how Brian Muton flaunted his power like a god.
She remembered how Eric Muton, who failed to awaken before turning twenty, was left in despair like a broken beast.
She remembered how Evelyn Muton, certain she would be the next duchess, dreamed proudly of a brilliant future.
Now, that source of confidence and pride—was in Priscilla’s hands.
I’m ahead of all of you now—the ones who used to look down on me.
The thought sent a shiver of excitement through her.
Once she mastered this power like a true duke, she would drag them into complete ruin.
If the god’s power has transferred from a wicked murderer to an innocent victim, then I’ll make sure it’s used the right way.
So it wouldn’t be wasted—she swore a solemn oath.
Then, a thought crossed her mind.
“Do you think me getting younger has something to do with the blessing?”
“Hmm, the power of growth usually only affects plants and animals. It’s never affected a person before.”
“I see.”
Priscilla nodded. Though some mysteries remained, she now knew what she had to do.
Absorb the Muton Duke’s power completely and crush their pride.
The two of them decided to hide in the Alyan Forest until three conditions for revenge were fulfilled.
And those were:
- Priscilla would fully master the blessing.
- They would secure at least 100 million gold.
- The Muton Duchy would completely forget about Priscilla.
The third condition would take time, and to achieve the second, she needed to first accomplish the first.
So, Priscilla dedicated herself to training.
With Franz’s help, she practiced drawing out the blessing freely—learning to use it even without desperation.
She started with small weeds and gradually expanded to larger targets.
“Nice job, sis. Maybe you can take a bre—AHH!”
“Franz! Oh no!”
During one session, when she was training to grow vines as thick and sturdy as trees, the growth went out of control and launched Franz into the air.
“Put me down, sis. Ugh, I’m getting sick…”
“J-Just a second! L-Like this!”
“SISSSSSS! SAVE MEEEEEE!”
The vines tangled around him and shot up—way up into the sky.
Though there were some… mishaps, Priscilla steadily improved.
Meanwhile, Brian Muton remarried a woman five years younger than Eric.
The memory of Priscilla Muton, the former duchess, had been completely erased. No one mourned her. No one remembered.
And one year later—
Priscilla Muton was reborn as Claire Ravello.
