A middle-aged man, neatly dressed in a suit, looked Sabina’s sister up and down.
He seemed to be a supervisor in charge of transporting supplies.
“You really ought to be more shameless. Do you even know how much the herbs and reagents Lady Sabina requests cost?”
With a mocking smile, he gave her another scolding.
“It’s not like your work has shown any results. I heard you still haven’t come up with any real solution to the monster problem?”
“That’s because…!”
“And yet you keep demanding expensive goods. Don’t you think you’re being way too shameless?”
I furrowed my brow in frustration.
‘No, that’s just absurd!!’
This was back when my sister and I had been in the capital for less than half a year.
At this point in time, not even the Temple or the Imperial family had found a way to stop the surge in monsters.
Supplies were scarce, and time even more so. Yet here he was, acting like she was freeloading.
How could someone be so shameless?
Even ten years ago—before I turned back time—no one had found a solution to this problem!
“She keeps pouring rare herbs and reagents into her research, but there are no results. Even our family doctor is starting to worry.”
“Why would your doctor be worried about that?”
“Well, he’s the one inspecting all the supplies going to her. He’s quite knowledgeable in the field, you see.”
The manager straightened his neck stiffly, as if the supplies on the wagon were his own.
“Of course he’s concerned. The Duke’s household resources are being wasted. Don’t you agree?”
I looked at my sister with a pained expression.
‘She must have kept this whole thing a secret from Adrian.’
Knowing her, she’d rather suffer in silence than let anyone know she’s being mistreated.
And Adrian would remain completely unaware of how his sister was being insulted all this time.
Even I, living in the same house, hadn’t noticed a thing.
If only she’d open up about how hard it’s been…
Just then—
The manager gave her a strange, suggestive smile and looked her up and down again.
“Well, if Lady Sabina were to ask nicely, maybe I could bring a few more supplies next time…”
What?
My jaw dropped as I witnessed this completely outrageous situation unfold.
My sister clenched her skirt tightly.
Her hand was so tense that the bones stood out stark white beneath the skin.
At the same time, magic began to surge violently around her.
It was reacting to her emotions.
“Come on, if you just—huh?”
Clatter! Clatter!
Her magic compressed the air like a pressure wave.
The wagon, loaded with heavy crates, shook violently as if caught in a storm.
“W-what is this…?!”
The manager, clearly flustered, tried to stabilize the wagon but soon broke down in fear, pointing at her with a trembling finger.
“Y-you! Stop this at once, you wretched witch!”
“……”
“I-I’ll call the knights right now if you don’t—!”
He was screaming in a panic.
At last, my sister spoke, her voice cold and even.
“You’re a freight manager. So how about focusing on unloading the freight properly?”
A sharp sneer tugged at the corners of her mouth.
“Before you run your mouth off about matters that don’t concern you.”
Casting one final icy glare at the man, she turned sharply.
Her steps toward the mansion were as composed and steady as ever.
Her expression was calm and pristine.
…Probably for my sake.
So she could smile at me like nothing had happened.
My chest ached.
But then—
“I can’t believe that witch is the one treating our second young master!”
The manager, still reeling from fear, suddenly shouted in a rage.
“She doesn’t even know how much the Ducal House has suffered because of her! Shameless, that’s what she is!!”
His voice only grew louder.
“What’s so special about this so-called ‘Aura Heart treatment’ anyway?! Our family doctor trained directly at the Temple!”
The family doctor?
I perked up.
Now that I thought about it, he’d been going on and on about this ‘doctor’ from the start.
As if the doctor was someone backing him up…
“And yet you’re still going to trust that witch over our Temple-trained doctor? Unbelievable!!”
He spat with every word of insult, then stood with a disgusted expression.
He dropped the remaining boxes carelessly to the ground and stormed off in his wagon.
And I—
‘Ughhh, this is so infuriating!!’
I clawed at the grass with my front paws and ground my teeth furiously.
How could someone who’s just a hired hand speak that way?
Just how widespread is the disrespect toward my sister within the Duke’s household?!
‘There’s no way I’m letting this go.’
I’d made up my mind. The first thing I needed to do—
Was make sure the Duke’s estate properly supplied her with the materials she needed!
‘Alright. First step…’
Smiling wickedly, I began planning in my head.
Only two days remained until Adrian’s visit.
—
* * *
Late at night.
The freight manager sat with a deeply aggrieved face, pouring out his complaints.
“She used magic to threaten us! That witch!”
“Oh dear, you must’ve gone through so much.”
The Duke’s family doctor, Gary Torres, patted his shoulder, wearing a generous smile.
Behind his clear glasses, his wrinkled eyes crinkled with supposed sympathy.
The manager raised his voice again.
“And with you around, sir, I don’t understand why they’re still letting that woman treat the young master! Is it because of her looks or something?!”
“Now, now, that’s enough.”
The doctor shook his head calmly.
“You shouldn’t speak that way about the second young master.”
“I-I apologize, that was careless of me…”
The manager quickly bowed his head.
The doctor gave him a gracious smile.
“It’s fine. It’s just the two of us here.”
“Doctor…”
The manager looked at him with tearful admiration.
Gary Torres gently patted his shoulder again.
“You’ve been through a lot. Take a break for now. I’ll send someone else next time.”
“Yes, sir!”
After sending the manager away with kind words—
“Hmph. Sabina…”
The doctor muttered under his breath, stroking his chin.
“Magic-users really can’t be trusted…”
Those who dared to encroach upon the domain of the gods—leeches, every last one of them.
Behind his glasses, his snake-like eyes gleamed coldly.
—
* * *
Two days later.
Returning to the capital after a long time, Adrian stood in front of Sabina’s house, looking slightly tense.
‘Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Sabina in a while.’
He had been constantly outside the capital, battling monsters during their resurgence.
Perhaps he had overworked himself a bit…
Throb.
Adrian clenched his teeth.
A sharp pain throbbed deep within his chest.
Not his heart—something else.
If he had to describe it, it felt like his very soul was cracking.
It was the pain caused by an injury to his Aura Heart.
That was the reason he came to see Sabina today.
As a skilled mage, she could use her mana to heal an Aura Heart.
But—
“Ah…”
Adrian scratched his head irritably.
Beneath his tousled blond hair, his forest-green eyes glinted awkwardly.
“If she finds out I overdid it again, she’s going to scold me like crazy.”
That violet-haired mage he had met by fate outside the capital…
Though Adrian knew little of magic, he had instinctively realized something:
She must never be lost.
So he had enticed her, somehow brought her to the capital…
But—
‘She’s really hard to get close to.’
She was more guarded than the cat she always carried around.
Even Adrian, confident in his social skills, found it hard to connect with her.
‘Still…’
She always looked sad whenever he came back
badly injured.
That meant she couldn’t be that bad, right?
‘…Though yeah, I’m definitely going to get scolded again today.’
Just thinking of her sharp glare made his back feel cold.
Gulp.
Adrian swallowed dryly and knocked on the door.
Knock knock.
“Sabina. It’s me.”
