Episode 5
The capital of the kingdom, Istrajet, was divided into Districts 1 through 9.
Districts 1 to 3 were where nobles and the rich lived.
The place Violet arrived at was District 7, mostly home to the middle class.
“Bicolin Street, 12th Avenue.”
She found it more easily than expected.
At the front of the house was a nameplate that read: Cyril Cole Everdeen.
“This is Uncle’s house?”
Violet nervously knocked on the door.
“No one’s home?”
Just then, the door swung open suddenly.
Violet almost fell forward.
Luckily, she caught herself — and instantly recognized Cyril.
With navy-blue hair and similarly deep blue-black eyes, Cyril looked much younger and more handsome than she imagined.
He wore a long leather coat that showed off his waist, and riding boots. It was hard to tell if he was stylish or just dressed however he pleased.
Cyril frowned slightly when he saw her, then gave a crooked smile.
“You’re not lost. So why is my estranged brother’s daughter standing at my door?”
“It’s been a long time. Sorry to show up out of nowhere, but I wanted to talk to you.”
Without saying anything, Cyril turned and started walking down the hallway.
Violet took that as permission and quickly followed him.
“I thought he’d be staying in a boarding house or something… But this whole building is his?”
Her father, Siegfried, always spit angry words saying Cyril was poor and useless.
Once they reached the living room, Cyril flopped down on the couch and put his feet on the table.
“Say what you came to say. I’m busy, so make it short.”
“I wanted to ask about my mother’s ring. When I was ten, you came to the mansion and gave it to me. I was wondering how you had it.”
“Where’s that ring now?”
Violet’s cheeks turned slightly red.
“…I gave it to an old beggar woman outside the temple.”
“Why would you throw away something so valuable, you disrespectful kid.”
Cyril’s tone dropped coldly.
“My father saw it.”
“…And?”
“He said if I didn’t throw it away immediately, he wouldn’t forgive me. I couldn’t go against him. So instead of throwing it away, I gave it as a donation. That was the best I could do.”
Cyril frowned. Violet grew a little nervous.
“What was that bastard gonna do if you didn’t listen?”
Violet blinked.
That day, Siegfried had slapped her — but it wasn’t a big deal. It wasn’t the first time.
“He yells when he’s mad. But he’s never hit me that badly. I never had to go to the hospital or anything.”
She answered honestly.
Cyril’s frown deepened. Violet quickly added,
“At least if I donate it, the ring might help buy clothes or food for the poor. Maybe that could be a way to pray for my mother’s peace. And also—”
“Spare me the pointless explanations. Did you keep your promise?”
“Promise…?”
Cyril just stared at her.
“Right! He told me to wear the ring every day!”
Violet suddenly remembered.
“To be honest, I didn’t wear it every single day. But whenever I went to the academy, I wore it on a chain around my neck.”
She often wore high-collared shirts, so the necklace stayed hidden.
“Good. How far along are you with your magic circle?”
Violet almost fainted on the spot.
That rare gift no one else noticed — a one-in-ten-thousand kind of talent…
How did Cyril know?
“How do you know about that?”
“Your mother told me.”
“…What else did she say? Do you know her name?”
“A talent one in ten thousand has.”
Violet nearly stopped breathing.
“If there was ever a first person with this talent, do you think they died alone? No. They probably had a spouse and children. And a lucky descendant would inherit the gift.”
“…”
“On your mother’s side, some people are born with the rare body type that can’t hold magic inside, but can form magic circles around them instead. You’re one of them. Your mother said she knew it the moment you were born.”
“How—”
“Wait. I’ll explain. Be patient.”
Violet stayed quiet, waiting for his next words.
“First rule — once you get the answer you want, leave immediately. That’s a promise.”
“Yes, I will.”
“Good. First of all, don’t ask me how your mother knew about your body type. I don’t know. I didn’t see her much. Her name was Deborah.”
Deborah.
It sounded more noble than Violet expected. A very pretty, sweet name.
She whispered it a few times to herself.
“Father always said she was a low-born woman with no job or family who just mooched off others.”
“What a load of crap. The one from a fake noble family is your father, Siegfried. Your mother came from the prestigious Reinhardt family in the outer provinces.”
“She was from a noble family? But Father said…”
“Don’t trust a damn word out of Siegfried’s mouth. He even ran off and abandoned his own wife once.”
“…What?”
The thing Violet hated most about herself — her deepest guilt — was being an illegitimate child.
Her father loved her stepmother deeply. But her birth mother getting pregnant with Violet ruined that love and the wedding…
“So that means I was a sin from the very start.”
That’s what she’d been told over and over again.
But Cyril spoke casually.
“You’re not the illegitimate one. If anyone is, it’s your little sister, Marigold.”
Violet’s world cracked.
“We were a poor noble family from the countryside. Then one day, Siegfried came back from studying far away with a rich noblewoman and a huge dowry. Apparently, her family opposed the marriage, so they stole her inheritance and ran away together.”
“…”
A runaway love story.
That was the real story between her mother and Siegfried.
“So what happened after that, Uncle?”
“Siegfried lived with her for a few months, then stole all her money and ran off again — this time with a barmaid. By then, your mom was already pregnant with you.”
Violet had no energy left to be shocked.
“So that barmaid is…”
“Yep. Your stepmother, Paula.”
“But then… Father lied and said I was the illegitimate one?”
“Exactly. That’s why I call him a pathological liar. He even scammed people back in our hometown — saying he’d invest their money and disappearing.”
Violet went pale.
Cyril calmly continued.
After Siegfried ran away, their mother — Violet’s grandmother — fell ill and died soon after.
Cyril had been young back then and was already planning to leave home.
After his mother’s death, he gathered what little money he had to head for the capital.
But that was the same day Deborah gave birth.
Cyril barely knew Deborah. Even back then, he and Siegfried hated each other and barely acted like brothers.
That day, villagers came looking for Cyril in a panic.
They said Deborah had given birth and was dying — and for some reason, she was desperately calling for Cyril.
Deborah was already near death when Cyril arrived. She smiled weakly as she saw him.
[“Cyril, I heard you’re leaving for the capital. Siegfried is probably there too. I won’t make it through the night. Please… take this child to him.”]
[“Are you crazy? You think the man who abandoned you will take care of a baby?”]
[“My father is the head of the Reinhardt family — warriors with powerful blood. We have the magic circle trait. If Siegfried hears the child inherited it, he’ll raise her…”]
[“Why not send her to your own family?”]
[“My father is too harsh. In anger, he might kill the baby.”]
[“…”]
[“I’m sorry. I have no one else to ask. At least her real father might keep her alive. I’ve been a terrible mother. This is the only thing I can do.”]
[“Fine. I’ll find him and drop the baby at his doorstep. But that’s it. I won’t do anything more.”]
Cyril finished speaking.
Violet clenched her fists tightly on her lap.
“So that’s why you had Mother’s ring. She gave it to you the day she died…”
