Episode 13
Even if I don’t do Marigold’s assignment this year, it doesn’t erase the fact that she got good grades thanks to me in the past. And even if I told people now that I did her past work, no one would believe me.’
Violet slowly looked into Marigold’s eyes and calmly spoke.
“Making a mana circuit isn’t hard for me. But this is an important assignment. If anyone finds out I did it for you, won’t it be a problem?”
“Nobody checks that closely. There aren’t that many people who can use mana, so it’s not easy for someone to fake it.”
“Give me the mana circuit.”
If that’s what she thought, then fine. Violet held out her hand.
“Jeez, you were gonna help anyway! Don’t tease your little sister. Make me something beautiful like last time—a glowing, colorful rose!”
Marigold grinned and nodded happily.
“This time… I’ll make it a little special.”
“What do you mean?”
“A mana circuit that changes color in two stages. It’ll take about a day.”
“You’re the best! Other people take a month, but you’ll finish it in a day. You really are a genius in this stuff.”
“A genius, huh. That’s funny.”
Violet said calmly. Marigold, already losing interest, stood up.
“Well, I have to pick a dress for the festival tomorrow, so I’m heading out. I’m counting on you!”
Marigold quickly left the room, probably afraid Violet might change her mind.
‘Before I say what I want, I need to take care of this first.’
Violet narrowed her eyes in thought.
“I guess I’ll have to put some effort into this.”
Just as she told Marigold, Violet began crafting a beautiful, bird-shaped mana circuit that sparkled in many colors.
It didn’t even take a full day. Just three hours.
Using mana had always been this easy and fun for Violet.
Once she finished the bird design, she added a special hidden effect.
Over time, letters would appear on top of the pattern.
Very special letters.
Letters that could completely ruin Marigold’s good reputation and take away her top grades.
‘I still plan to drop out of the academy, but I want to see how this unfolds first.’
The new semester at the academy was sure to be intense in many ways.
Violet smiled.
‘Thinking and acting like Ash… it’s not so bad.’
Violet decided to kindly deliver the finished mana circuit directly to Marigold’s room.
If this was discovered, she’d probably be expelled. But as a gift to follow her harsh words, it wasn’t bad.
After all, it was only fair for Marigold to face the consequences of what she had done.
‘Dad’s coming home tomorrow morning.’
Just thinking about him made Violet’s chest tighten and her breath catch.
At the same time, a deep anger and hatred boiled inside her.
‘Can I really express this feeling in just one sentence?’
The more she thought about it, the more she realized—
‘Uncle Cyril’s assignment is actually very deep.’
She hoped nothing bad would happen to Cyril for taking her in.
But then another thought struck Violet.
‘No… yelling at my family and then just going to Uncle Cyril… that’s too naive, isn’t it?’
And suddenly, she remembered something.
‘In that novel, Lady Roseneath secretly found out her family’s weaknesses. She used that to stop them from dragging her home by threatening to reveal everything.’
Her father, Geoffrey, always thought Violet was stupid. He was used to treating her like she didn’t exist.
But Violet had overheard things too—like how Geoffrey had been embezzling money through the family business.
‘Right. I was too naive. I can’t just run away without a backup plan. If I can get proof that my father stole money…’
Just then—
Ting, clink.
A soft chime rang in her ears again.
In the future, Violet stood alone in a dark room. In her hands was a small safe.
She placed her hand on the safe, and a magical circuit lit up above it.
Dozens of layered circuits moved with just a single gesture from Violet.
“If it’s one of the safes made by the ancient craftsman Luhan, it’s easy to open. I’ve opened many old safes like this. My dad once hid a secret ledger in a safe just like it.”
The girl standing nearby, her face hidden, looked at Violet with awe.
The vision ended.
‘What kind of person am I in the future…?’
Violet fell into a short moment of self-doubt.
‘I’m even good at cracking safes now?!’
‘This is just a bundle of evil talents! Too evil to live a pure life!’
She made a serious decision.
She would never live that kind of life.
Just… not tonight.
‘This ancient safe recognizes its owner’s fingerprint and mana, so no one else can open it. And yet… I can. I remember seeing one just like it in Father’s study. That’s where he hid the secret ledger?’
Plus, her father wasn’t coming home tonight.
At midnight, Violet quietly snuck into his study.
Luckily, the door wasn’t locked.
She already knew the safe was hidden under the desk.
‘A small safe labeled “Luhan”… this is it.’
What came next was simple.
Violet focused and looked at the magical circuit.
Just like in the vision, many layers were stacked on top of each other.
She spotted a glowing part, touched it, and turned it slightly.
The word appeared in ancient letters. Violet gently pressed the letters with her finger.
Just like the Violet in the future had done.
A faint light glowed… and the letters changed to .
Violet wasn’t fluent in ancient script, but it was part of the basic academy curriculum, so she could read a few words.
‘It actually opened…’
She had accidentally unlocked the skill of a master thief.
Inside were several thin books.
‘These must be Father’s dirty secrets—his secret ledgers.’
Violet let out a small laugh.
That night, Violet quietly left the house.
Thankfully, no one noticed.
Near the academy, there was a shop run by a mage that offered copying services.
“Please copy these right away. I’ll also rent a locker under my name. You do monthly locker rentals, right?”
The place had so many customers that the staff didn’t even look at the contents before copying.
And many accounting or statistics students often copied books full of numbers, so it wasn’t unusual.
After waiting about three hours, Violet received the copies.
Then she returned the originals to the safe and went back to her attic room.
‘Now I’ve got Dad’s weakness in my hands. I’ve finally got some protection.’
The sun was starting to rise.
