Chapter 02
When four-year-old Tiya drew her “Our Family” picture, it always included four people.
First was her frail second brother, Lev Vladichev.
So timid that even the smallest sound made him startle, yet Tiya thought he was the bravest in the world as he swallowed bitter medicine with a determined gulp.
And it wasn’t just that.
“Shh, you mustn’t tell anyone. This is just for you.”
Whenever Tiya came by, Lev secretly slipped candy into her mouth, hiding it from the adults.
Half-melted and sticky from his warmth, the candy had never tasted sweeter.
The second was her eldest brother, Rodion Vladichev, seven years her senior.
On the day Tiya left for the North, Rodion clung to the carriage window, making promises repeatedly.
“Tiya, if you’re staying with Grandma in the North, I’ll come and get you. Until then, be very, very happy, okay?”
Like savouring the last cookie, Tiya clung to her brother’s words each night, enduring her unfamiliar northern life one bite at a time.
The third was their mother, who had passed away from illness.
Even as her body weakened, she held Tiya close and spoke of her “kind father.”
“Your father… he’s really a crybaby. The day you were born, he couldn’t stop crying.”
But contrary to her mother’s words, Tiya’s father had never shown a tear, let alone a smile.
Still, whenever Tiya drew her father, she imagined him smiling.
Now, at eight years old, Tiya’s “Our Family” drawings included her grandmother—towering, robust, almost as if she could swallow the family in one gulp.
Tiya clutched the finished drawing to her chest, gazing at it for the entire journey to the Empire.
Perhaps it was the excitement of seeing her family again, but even after passing through several gates and spending the whole day in the carriage, the journey felt effortless.
Finally, upon arrival at the Empire, Tiya was met with…
“Master is currently in the palace. He is expected to return only at dawn.”
“The eldest master has extended his academy stay. He won’t return for another month.”
“The second master is unwell, so no one is to enter his room for the time being…”
Only unfamiliar servants.
“They must all be very busy,” Tiya thought.
Undeterred, she spent her time exploring the mansion.
Four years away had changed many things, leaving plenty to discover.
On the third day…
“Are they avoiding me?”
It was one thing that Rodion or Lev weren’t home, but Tiya hadn’t even glimpsed her father—not even his shadow.
Why?
The answer came quickly.
Because I’m still not a spirit tamer.
Tiya pulled the spirit stone necklace from her collar.
A stone meant to summon spirits.
She called for a spirit as usual, but only the familiar silence responded.
It’s okay! I’m still a Vladichev. Someday, I’ll become a spirit tamer.
She encouraged herself, repeating the words with determination.
Once she became a spirit tamer, she would finally make her father proud.
Then he would come to see her and praise her for her success.
And…
Hoping to meet him even by chance, Tiya wandered through the mansion until late evening, her steps suddenly freezing.
That’s…
“The room where the ghost appears, right?”
She had heard this many times while exploring the mansion.
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