Reborn in her enemy's house... But the cold Duke is OBSESSED! | Manhwa Recap

A man named Melain coldly informs Hela that the Senate has reached a final verdict. Hela stares in disbelief as he delivers the bad news. He explains that her research is deemed too dangerous and the public resentment toward her is growing. Apparently, too many people are terrified of her chaotic methods. Hela just smirks, finding the idea of her banishment absolutely ridiculous. She realizes this guy doesn't have an ounce Of gratitude in his body. Meline offers a cruel deal. If she accepts it and lets her magic heart be destroyed, he'll let her live a quiet life. Hela

is insulted by the mere suggestion of living quietly like a nobody. She snaps back, asking if he's lost his mind or if she's the one going crazy. Meline's expression darkens, clearly offended by her defiance. Suddenly, Hela unleashes her massive aura, reminding him that she built this entire kingdom of magicians. Meline remains calm, simply stating that he gave her a chance. Chains suddenly erupt from the ground, aiming straight for her. She gets snagged, but she's confident she can shatter these bindings with her magic. However, the chains tighten, completely immobilizing her in the center of the hall.

Meline reveals the twisted truth. He's using a spell that she created against her. He looks down at her with cold eyes, repeating that her actions are too risky. He Declares that her very existence is the danger. Suddenly, armed mages appear on the balcony, surrounding her on all sides. Hela notices their coordination is flawless. This betrayal was planned way in advance. Meline admits that the tension is so high his blood is pounding in his head. Hela thinks it's pathetic, remembering that they were sharing drinks just yesterday like friends. Flashbacks hit her hard. He was her family,

her first disciple, and her Trusted colleague. A massive magic circle lights up beneath her feet, sealing her fate. Hela's eyes widen as she recognizes the specific spell they are using. She looks up at him, shocked that he could actually go through with this. Meline just watches her in silence, offering no mercy. The spell activates, blasting her with a massive explosion of energy. The other mages cheer for high priest Melain. As the job gets done, Meline stands victorious, his Staff glowing ominously. Hela screams out a final curse, swearing she will never forgive him for this backstabbing.

She vows that even if she returns as an undead monster, she is going to make sure she kills him. Meline mocks her one last time, calling her powerless and trivial now that her mana is gone. Hela is furious that he's spinning the narrative to make her look like the villain. He points out that without Mana control, she's completely helpless. She Struggles against the light, realizing this is really the end. Meline says his final goodbye to the great sorcerer Hela. As she fades away, her last thought is pure rage toward that son of a Suddenly, eyes

pop open to the sound of a slap. She stares up, confused by a fancy chandelier on the ceiling. She wonders why the afterlife has such expensive decor and why the ceiling is so high. She tries to get up, but instead of her hand, she sees a chubby Little baby paw flailing around. She tries to speak, but only gibberish comes out of her mouth. She hears crying nearby and wonders who's making all that noise. She realizes her words are slurring, just like an infants. Panic hits her like a truck as she looks down. She's turned into

a literal crying baby. A maid pops into view, looking super annoyed and startled by the noise. The maid ruthlessly shoves a pacifier into her mouth to shut her up. Hela is left In shock, realizing she's reincarnated into a helpless baby who can't do a single thing. A maid violently shakes out a massive blanket right over the crib, sending a cloud of dust flying everywhere. Hela starts coughing and sneezing, completely choked out by the filth. She can't believe this disrespect who treats a baby like a dusty old rug. Doesn't this woman know she's neglecting a precious

sorcerer national treasure? Hela ignores the dust and realizes her Limbs are finally listening to her commands. With a grunt of effort, she pulls herself up to peek over the railing. She thought reincarnation meant a comfy retirement after working herself to death. But instead, she got scammed into a scrawny, weak infantile body. She slaps her own cheeks mentally, telling herself to get a grip and focus. First order of business, figure out the date and exactly where she is. She scans the room. It's massive and fancy, but Totally empty and cold. A maid walks in complaining loudly

about being stuck on baby duty for the week. She pauses, shocked to see the baby has flipped over on her own. She dismisses it quickly, muttering that even for a half-blood, the kid has weird energy. Hela freezes. The maid just mentioned the Aeron Empire. Her eyes widen in horror. That's the same empire her murderer came from. On the bright side, at least her brain is working and her memories are intact. But then panic sets in. She's not seriously going to be locked in this jail cell of a crib, is she? She waves her tiny hand

at the maid, screaming in baby gibberish to be let out. The maid completely ignores her, acting like she's stoned deaf. Hela decides to take matters into her own hands and checks her mana levels. She strains hard, making a face that definitely looks like she's filling her diaper, but it works. A surge of magic shoots out and smashes A vase across the room. The maid jumps out of her skin, confused about how a vase just spontaneously exploded. Hela grins. The plan is simple. Escape, go back to Salofia, and wreck everyone who betrayed her. She tries to

climb out, but her limbs instantly turn to jelly. She's only 10 months old. She collapses back into the crib, watching the useless maid sweep up the mess. She sigh, realizing revenge is going to have to wait until she grows some actual Muscles. But she refuses to just sit there. She focuses her mana again to float her body. It's risky if her concentration slips. She's going to face plant right onto the floor. With a soft thud, she sticks the landing like a pro gymnast. Suddenly, a foot steps into her vision. Hela is on her hands and

knees, realizing crawling hurts way more than she expected. The maid spots her and absolutely loses it, demanding to know how a baby escaped the crib. As the maid Scoops her up, Hela catches a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Silver eyes. The maid dumps her back in the crib, telling her to sleep so she can slack off. Hela tries to think, but the baby instinct to nap is hitting her like a tranquilizer dart. Her eyelids get heavy and her thoughts start turning into mush. Desperate to stay awake, she pops the pacifier back and it's the

only thing keeping her focused. One month passes. Hela is still stuck in this fancy room, Living like a neglected beggar. The maids rotate every week and none of them give a damn about her. They treat feeding her like a chore and avoid talking to her completely. When she eats, they bail for hours, leaving her alone in silence. She discovers a humiliating truth. Sucking on this gross old pacifier is the only way to keep her adult brain functioning. But she's pieced it together. This place belongs to the crown duche of the Aeron Empire. The legends say

a heavenly being with silver eyes once had a child with a human here. Hela looks in the mirror again, staring at her own silver eyes. She's definitely connected to the Crown family, but she's treated like trash. An illegitimate half-blood hidden away in a room. The pieces fit too well. A chill runs down her spine. If she's right, her father is the crazy cold-blooded Charrown, and that is barely better than being dead. Hela comes to a solid Conclusion. She absolutely hates Char Crown. But then a terrifying realization hits her like a brick. If her father is

the late master, that means Chariant Crown is her biological brother. She panics, desperate to escape this broken household. But she knows she needs a body capable of magic before she can even think about leaving. Her plan is simple. Get out of this estate and find a nice, chill orphanage where nobody will boss her around. Then she remembers That the Crown Duche is a military powerhouse that has crushed sorcerers before. Since their basement is rumored to be full of military secrets, she decides she might as well steal some valuable intel before she dips. But first things

first, she needs to find a place to wash this disgusting pacifier. She crawls into an enormous hallway, feeling like an ant in a giant's house. She curses under her breath, overwhelmed by how ridiculously massive this mansion Is. Exploring this place with stubby baby legs is going to take forever. Plus, she realizes the pacifier actually calms her nerves, which is both helpful and totally embarrassing for her adult pride. She shakes off the shame and refocuses on the mission hygiene. She refuses to live like a savage with a dirty mouth plug. And suddenly, she spots something. Victory.

She finds a massive indoor fountain, the perfect spot for a quick rinse. But as she gets Closer, she realizes the fountain is towering over her like a skyscraper. She debates crawling all the way back, but decides she's come too far to quit now. She stretches her tiny arm up, grunting with effort, but it's hopeless. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps approaches. Desar Crown, the Duke himself, has arrived. He spots the tiny creature by the fountain and asks his aid, K, what the heck that thing is. K explains it's a baby, and Desar looks Annoyed, clearly asking

why it's here, not what it is. He demands to know why a baby is wandering the halls of his estate. He criticizes the neglectful parenting and can't awkwardly explains that she's the daughter of the late youngest master. Desar is confused thinking his son Veian only just had a newborn. He watches Hela struggling by the water. Genuinely baffled by her behavior. Just then, Char, the icy heir of the duche, steps into the scene. Hela Is still in the background, jumping up and down like a Mario character trying to hit a coin block. Desar asks Char who

the kid is, and Sharon explains it's the child his brother left behind. He coldly adds that she's the product of a fling with a no-name woman after his brother abandoned the family. Char finishes the tragic tale. The father died unable to care for himself and only the baby returned. Desar looks shocked just as Hela loses her footing. She slips and Barely catches herself on the intricate stonework of the fountain. Chares at her, his aura radiating pure menace as he processes her existence. A maid nearby trembles in fear, and Char notes that the staff is clearly

slacking off. Desar steps in, telling his son to control his overwhelming energy before he scares everyone to death. Chariot withdraws his aura, silently wondering if his father has gone soft in his old age. Desar sigh, telling him he's being Way more prickly than necessary. Meanwhile, Hela is still fighting for her life against the height of the fountain. Her short arms are useless, and she realizes she could try for a 100 days and still fail. Desperate, she thinks about using magic to levitate the pacifier into the water. She pumps herself up, ready to cast a spell,

but she instantly realizes she can't focus her mana while balancing on her tiptoes. The only option is to lie down on the Floor to concentrate, but doing that in broad daylight is just too humiliating. Frustrated beyond belief, she screams into the void, her voice coming out as a pathetic baby whale. Defeated and tired, she plops down and shoves the dirty pacifier into her mouth. Anyway, hearing voices, she finally looks around to see a crowd gathering. Her eyes lock onto Desar and Sharant, recognizing the two powerful men immediately. She thinks to herself that they haven't aged

a day Since she died. She's suddenly very glad she didn't use magic. Getting caught in a weird yoga pose would have been mortifying. She analyzes Char first. He's annoying, smart, and has terrifyingly good judgment. She remembers meeting him when she was 16. He was an arrogant jerk who ignored anyone beneath his social status. Then she looks at Desar Crown, the real final boss of the family. She recalls their past interactions where his diplomatic Letters constantly put her on the defensive. In her past life, she had to agonize over every reply just to keep up with

his political 4D chess, proving he's the one she really needs to watch out for. She reminds herself that she used to be a legendary defender of her country. Her eyes burn with determination as she vows to wreck this family for stealing her military secrets. Meanwhile, Char is busy scolding a maid for letting the creature Wander off. The maid suddenly spots Hela trying to make a break for it and yells out. Hela freezes, realizing she's been spotted by the two cowardly bastards she hates the most. Without wasting a second, she hits the gas, scurrying away on

all fours like her life depends on it. The two men watch in silence as the maid desperately chases the tiny fugitive across the courtyard. Char watches her crawl and coldly remarks that she scurries around just like a Cockroach. Desar corrects him, reminding his son that half-bloods aren't even allowed to carry the crown surname. Char looks disgusted, horrifyingly offended by the mere thought of her polluting their direct bloodline. While the men discuss politics, Hela is still furiously drifting across the floor tiles to escape the maid. Desar lectures Sharon again, and the son silently agrees, though he

clearly finds this whole situation annoying. The maid Finally closes the distance, screaming that the pacifier is filthy and she needs to stop. Game over. The maid snatches her up midc crawl, ending the great escape. The maid whines about getting scolded while Hela just feels like she's going to die of misery. Back in her prison cell, a nursery, she sits alone under the chandelier. Days pass in a blur and the maid is delighted that the baby has finally gone quiet. Every time Hela tries to protest, the maid Just shoves the dirty pacifier back into her mouth

to shut her up. Hela realizes she's fallen into a trap, eating, sleeping, and pooping like a mindless infant. She screams internally, terrified that her adult brain is melting into actual baby mush. One afternoon, the lazy maid falls asleep on the job again, giving Hela the perfect opening. Hela pauses, realizing a terrifying fact. It's been a full week. She's been stuck in this humiliating Loop of eating and sleeping for seven whole days. She stares into space, horrified that her life has been reduced to eat, sleep, and dump. She convinces herself that the only reason her brain

is rotting is because of that dusty germ-filled pacifier. A flashback hits her the moment that cursed object fell face first into the dust pile. Usually a body with mana purifies itself naturally, keeping sickness away. But history is full of young mages who Couldn't control their power and just dropped dead or went insane. Her tiny body is fragile. If her mana goes wild, she could literally break herself. She decides the pacifier is the root of all evil and is making her stupid. If she can just wash it and use her original magic, she figures everything will

be solved. That settles it. She snaps and decides she is washing the stinky thing right now. She escapes the nursery again, crawling through the massive Hallways and out the door. She pumps herself up, telling herself that her greatness can't be contained by a diaper. But reality hits hard. Crawling on stone and gravel absolutely wrecks her soft baby knees. She looks at her tiny chubby hand and tries to justify her struggle. She thinks about her tragic backstory, a neglected half-child in a proud noble family, but she grins, vowing to become the world's strongest wizard and crush

the Aon Empire beneath Her tiny feet. She touches her face, checking if her nose bridge is getting higher. Priorities, right? She remembers a garden pond nearby, a perfect secluded spot for her secret mission. She spots the archway ahead, target located. It's a beautiful, quiet pond with no maids or annoying brothers in sight. She speed crawls toward the water, ready to say goodbye to the germs forever. She sits by the edge, panting from the marathon crawl. She extends her hand to dip the Pacifier in the water. But [clears throat] then, tragedy strikes. She freezes. Her stubby

little arm is too short to reach the surface. She tries to bend forward, but her chubby torso has zero flexibility. She has no spine. She realizes the physics are against her. If she leans one inch further, her center of gravity will betray her. She can't use magic in the water, and if she falls in, it's an instant bad ending via drowning. Heler Realizes she's stuck. She can't scrub the dirty side of the pacifier without risking a swim. She desperately looks for a way to support her chubby body while reaching over the edge. Suddenly, she has

a big brain moment. Why sit when she can just flop onto her belly? She slides into position and successfully dunks the pacifier into the water, praising her own genius. A wave of relief washes over her as she imagines finally putting something clean in her Mouth. But then she freezes, sensing a disturbance in the force. The pacifier feels a little too slippery in her wet hand. Her eyes widen in pure horror. Disaster strikes. The pacifier slips out of her grip and flies into the air like a rocket. She watches in slow motion, screaming internally as her

lifeline drifts away. It arcs over the grass, heading straight for the dirt again. She scrambles forward, terrified of losing her precious sanity saver. Suddenly, a Pair of legs appears out of nowhere. The pacifier plummets toward the ground. With lightning speed, the stranger snatches it right before impact. Hela stares up with tears in her eyes, relieved that her treasure is safe. She immediately invokes the legendary 3-second rule. It didn't touch the ground, so it's fair game. Without a second thought, she shoves it back into her mouth, safe and sound. She finally looks up to see her

savior, a young boy With sharp eyes and black hair. She freezes, realizing this kid is the spitting image of that psychopath crown. It clicks. This must be the son of Char that she heard rumors about. She mentally warns him that if his scary dad catches him here, he's going to get wrecked. She shuddters, remembering that Char is known as the iron-blooded demon who cuts down allies without blinking. He's an elitist snob who wouldn't even deal with Hela in her past life because Of her humble origins. She remembers the maid getting scolded earlier and realizes this

kid grew up in a house of nightmares. Just thinking about being related to these cold-blooded monsters gives her literal goosebumps. She sigh the boy, noticing he looks super young, maybe around 5 years old. She starts calculating, realizing she has a long way to go before she can match his growth. She figures by age five, she'll be able to use basic magic circles to Defend herself. Her plan is to craft magic stones and sell them so she can survive on her own. Once she gets her powers back, she's going to steal their military secrets and bounce.

She waves her hand, basically telling the kid to get lost so she can focus. But guilt hits her. The pacifier was saved, but the 3-second rule still feels kind of gross. She decides to give it another rinse just to be safe. dunking it back in the pond. The boy suddenly speaks up, Warning her that the adults won't like her being here. Hela glares at him, annoyed by his cold attitude. She shakes her head, thinking this is exactly what happens when you raise a kid in a freezer. The boy stares at her with wide eyes and

asks if she's going to get kicked out. Then he drops a bomb. A servant who entered this garden by mistake got his tendons cut and was thrown out. Hela is horrified that escalated quickly. Everyone knows Sharon Is crazy, but this is next level. She recalls her past life where even her killer Melan was terrified of Cherant. The mere presence of the Crown family made powerful wizards shut their mouths in fear. Melan used to complain constantly about having to deal with the crown psychos. Hela bites down on her pacifier, vowing to kill the traitor Melan and

wipe out half the empire for good measure. The boy interrupts her murder plot, whispering that his father Is very scary. He explains that this garden is the one place his father tends to personally. Hela tries to picture the iron-blooded demon watering flowers, but her brain refuses to compute. The boy looks sad, revealing it's been his mother's favorite garden ever since, well, a while. He asks why she isn't talking, and Hela shoots him a look that clearly says, "I'm a baby, stupid." Then the boy drops another truth bomb. His father had a massive fight with his

Mother and demanded a divorce. Hela tries to tune out the family drama, deciding she really doesn't care about the details of Cher's failed marriage, but the boy Kaishin tears up and whimpers that he actually likes his mom. He collapses into the flower bed, sobbing his heart out in a sudden emotional breakdown. Hela watches him coldly, reminding herself that he's the son of her enemy and will eventually fight against her country. Kaishin Sniffles, admitting he thought his father would be strict, but he was surprisingly gentle. Hela awkwardly crawls away, thinking, "I don't know and I don't

care." She knows she can't comfort him, and telling a sad kid it's going to be okay would just be a lie anyway. Suddenly, Kaishin jumps up, realizing he needs to sneak back inside before the maids notice he's gone. Hela calls out in baby gibberish, asking where he thinks he's going in such a Hurry. Left alone, she checks her damage. Her knees and palms are absolutely wrecked with bruises. She sigh, realizing she needs to toughen up if she wants to crawl faster in the future without crying about it. Suddenly, heavy footsteps crunch against the grass nearby.

Panic mode engaged. Hela realizes someone is coming and tries to speed crawl away. She moves too fast, trips over her own dress, and rolls into the bushes like a tumble Weed. She freezes, peeking out from the leaves to see who the intruder is. Her heart stops. It's the boss monster himself, Charrown. Hela starts sweating bullets, terrified that the rumors are true, and he'll cut her tendons if he catches her. She tries to inch away, desperate to escape before he looks down. Char scans the garden with cold eyes, wondering who dared to break into his private

sanctuary. His gaze lands on the baby, the stain of the crown family Mixed with unknown blood. A dark thought crosses his mind. He could just kill her right now and claim he thought she was an intruder. But he pauses, realizing that making such a sloppy mistake would be an insult to his own abilities. He decides he won't leave it alone. But he needs to rethink his approach to the garden security. He calls out to his son, Kaishin, who is hiding nearby and lets out a terrified hiccup. Kaishin trembles, stuttering an apology for Entering without permission.

Surprisingly, Char tells him it's all right and that there's no reason he can't be there. Char notices the messed up grass where Hela dragged herself and asks if Kaishin is alone. Before the kid can answer, Char spots Hela hiding in the bushes and wonders what on earth she's doing. He analyzes the situation. His son is crying over his mother and the baby is just cleaning a pacifier. He places a hand on Kaishin's head, Casually asking if the baby is talking about her pacifier. Char tells his son to go back inside first, his voice uncharacteristically calm.

Kaishin looks up in shock as his father actually pats his head gently. Hela watches from the bushes, terrified he's about to scold the kid or kick her out. Char gestures for the boy to leave, and Kaishin scampers off without looking back. Chari watches him go, wondering if the boy isn't strict enough because he looks too Much like his father. His gaze shifts back to Hela, baffled that a baby crawled all this way just to wash a piece of rubber. It's a long trek from the nursery, and he wonders if it's a coincidence or if there's

a deeper reason. The scene cuts to the next day. Hela is back in her crib. The morning sun shining in. She wakes up feeling surprisingly refreshed, though her diaper situation is still a tragedy. She starts her daily exercises, but Something is wrong. Her breakfast is super late. A sudden realization hits her like a truck. Did she even eat yesterday? She remembers sneaking back to her room safely without getting caught. But her memory of dinner is completely blank. Panic sets in. Is she going to become a hungry ghost in the corner of this mansion? She glares

at the door, annoyed that the lazy maids have forgotten her again. But then a darker thought creeps in. What if they Discovered she was missing and are taking revenge? She refuses to accept this fate. Starving to death is the absolute worst way to go. She peers through the crib bars, her mind racing to the only logical culprit, Char Crown. She's convinced he knew she was in the garden and ordered the staff to starve her as punishment. In her imagination, Char stands over her with cold eyes, ruthlessly ordering them to starve it to death. Hela fumes

in her crib, convinced That coward is actually trying to starve a child to death. She realizes that if the maids simply forgot about her, they aren't coming back anytime soon. She decides to conserve her energy and wait just a little longer. She lets out a massive whale screaming Abu at the top of her lungs to attract attention, but silence answers her and panic sets in. They are seriously trying to kill her this time. She never expected to be fighting for survival at this age and She definitely misses her old capable body. A light bulb goes

off. She has to go back to the garden because she remembers seeing fruit there. She rolls over and pushes herself up, determined to secure her own food supply. First priority, handle the hunger, then plot the revenge. She starts crawling, telling herself this is just rigorous training to make her stronger. Even as a baby, she accepts that she has to take some hits and roll around to toughen up. She hypes herself up, shouting, "Hira, let's go." before speed crawling out of the room. She navigates the massive hallways, figuring that all rich people's mansions have the same

basic layout. The kitchen should be on the first floor with a service exit, so she heads that way. She follows her nose, smelling food from around the corner. Bingo, it's the kitchen. The door is huge and heavy, but a tiny spark of magic pops the lock open with ease. She Enters stealth mode, rolling onto her back and pushing with her legs to open the door silently. She makes it inside, but now she faces a new problem. What can a toothless baby actually eat? She scans the room, realizing most of this stuff is way out of

her league. Usually, she'd need milk powder, but since she has front teeth, she figures she can handle soft fruit. The kitchen is loaded with delicious smelling food. A total paradise for a starving baby. But she Frowns, realizing she can't exactly reach up and grab a ladle of hot soup without burning herself alive. Suddenly, her eyes lock onto a wooden crate on the floor. Jackpot! It's a box full of fresh red apples. They're too hard to bite, but she comes up with a plan to soften them using repeated blasts of magic. The kitchen is empty for

break time, giving her the perfect window to commit grand theft apple. She focuses her mana and zaps an apple, tenderizing it from the Inside out. Now comes the hard part. She tries to lift two apples, but her baby arms are weak like noodles. She compromises and grabs just one, but her grip is terrible. Thump, the apple slips right out of her chubby hand. She tries to bundle it up in her dress to carry it like a kangaroo pouch. Plop. Gravity wins again, and the apple falls out immediately. Hela falls on her butt, absolutely devastated by

her own lack of coordination. She grits her gums and Reaches for it one more time. Her hands are trembling, and the smooth skin of the fruit is just too slippery. The apple betrays her, rolling away across the floor like it has a mind of its own. She chases it down, furious that she's being outsmarted by a piece of fruit. After a grueling struggle, she finally manages to secure the package. She knows she has to fill her stomach to survive, so there's no room for failure. In a stroke of genius or desperation, she Sticks the pacifier

on her finger to create a makeshift grip. Utilizing this weird technique, she successfully hauls the apple back to her room. Once inside, she drops the apple and screams in frustration. That was the hardest workout of her life. Now for the meal, she concentrates all her magical power directly into her front teeth. A magic circle forms around the apple, turning her mouth into a supernatural juicer. She munches away in the corner, Wondering if the maids can hear her crunching, but nobody comes. She realizes she's truly on her own. Two weeks pass in a blink. Hela sits

up, looking surprisingly healthy and proud of her survival skills. She's managed to keep herself alive and fed for half a month completely undetected. But the reality is chilling. For two whole weeks, not a single person opened the door to check on her. Hela realizes a grim truth. Maids don't just forget Nobles like this. If she were a normal baby, she'd be straight up dead by now. It's a massive humiliation for the great arch mage Hela to be treated like a discarded toy. But she looks at her stolen apple and shrugs, "Food is food, and she's

surviving. She's been systematically looting the kitchen for berries and edible flowers to stay alive. She keeps a strict routine, walks, cleaning, and scavenging to ensure she grows up healthy. Her poor Baby knees are covered in scabs, but the pain means they're getting tougher. She praises herself for thriving even while rolling around in the dirt like a peasant. Finally, she arrives at her favorite spot, the food warehouse, Aka the Garden. She knows stealing from Sharon's personal garden is risky, but it's the only place with fresh food. She shuddters, remembering that Sharon is absolutely terrifying. Last time

she tried to hide her tracks, but he Instantly noticed the missing flower stalks and cut them off. She clutches her apple, convinced that if he catches her, he'll snap her neck like a twig. Suddenly, she spots a familiar face. Kaishin is sitting in the bushes, crying for his mom again. She sigh, realizing he's always moping around in her prime looting spot. Kaishin wipes his eyes and spots the baby crawling through the grass. Hela is annoyed. Running into him means she can't steal any fruit today. She tries to ignore him, reminding herself that he's the son

of the crazy clown Char. He stares at her intensely, so she tries to crawl away without making eye contact. He calls out to her, asking if she's busy while she dips her pacifier in the water. He leans over the pool, genuinely curious about why a baby hangs out here all day. Hela glares at him, mentally screaming at him to get lost. Kaishin notices her struggle and offers to wipe the pacifier off for her. Hela pauses. Her hands are tiny and weak, so that's actually a pretty solid offer. Her hands are sore from scrubbing, so she

decides to outsource the labor and hands it over. She stares at him with high expectations, basically telling him not to mess this up. Kaishin takes the job seriously, looking nervous as he cleans the rubber treasure. Hela watches like a hawk, judging his cleaning technique. She reasons that even if it's just slime or water, it's Cleaner than the dirt. In her mind, slime has purifying properties, so adding a few ingredients makes it a potion. Kaishin finishes the job and hands back the squeaky clean pacifier. Hela is impressed he actually polished it until it shines. She pops

it in her mouth, satisfied, while Kaishin sigh with relief that he didn't fail. Mission accomplished. Now Hela decides it's time to head back for a nap. Kaishin suddenly gets serious, warning her that she Really shouldn't come here so often. Hela completely ignores his advice and crawls away at top speed. She's grumpy because his presence ruined her fruit heist, meaning she has to go to bed hungry. Kaishin isn't giving up. He follows her asking for her name. He keeps pestering her asking why she follows him even though he's the one following her. Hela stops dead in

her tracks. Having reached her limit with this kid, she turns around to give him a Piece of her mind. Well, as much as a baby can. They stare at each other in the grass. An awkward silence hanging between them. Suddenly, a massive shadow covers them. A griffin is diving from the sky. Hela freezes, recognizing it as a guardian beast from the ruins, and it's staring right at her chubby body. Kaishin looks up in horror. Realizing the monster pres on small creatures. Instead of fleeing, Kaishin rushes forward and Hela mentally screams at the Idiot to run

away. He doesn't listen. He dives in front of her, shielding her tiny body with his own under the tree. Duke Desar bursts onto the scene with his knights, screaming about why a beast is in his garden. He spots the two children directly in the monster's path and freezes in terror. The sound of the wind tearing apart signals the beast's descent. This isn't a cry of sadness. It's a cry to kill and the griffin swoops down with its talons, ready to Snatch them up. Kaishin hits the ground, stunned before looking up to realize his savior has

arrived. His tears vanish instantly as he beams and shouts, "Daddy!" Char pulls his son into a hug, whispering that everything is fine now. He tells Kaishin to go stay with Grandpa, and the boy agrees, peeking back at Hela behind the tree. Chars his gaze to the forest, his voice dropping to a terrifying chill as he asks if the beast lost its way. Dark energy swirls Around him as the massive griffin looms ahead, ready to strike. Hela watches from her hiding spot, realizing the rumors weren't just hype. This guy is completely relaxed in front of a

monster. It confirms the stories that he raided ancient ruins with just a small squad to claim their relics. Hela scurries away, figuring her life is safe as long as the iron-blooded demon handles business. The griffin roars, but Chares it down with cold eyes before Launching his attack. Meanwhile, Deshar is furious, screaming about what the useless wizards are doing to let a beast escape. Hela freezes midcrawl, realizing the ruins this thing came from are under the jurisdiction of the mages. Sharon stands ready with his spear, looking like a total war god. Hela analyzes the situation. The

beast lost its master and wandered off completely disoriented. She crawls through the halls, wondering why the monuments aren't being managed Properly. It all points back to Meline. Clearly, that traitor is doing a trash job running the magic tower. Hela is annoyed, wondering what the staff on call are actually doing with their time. She recalls the lore. These monuments and beasts have existed since ancient history, origins unknown. Deep inside every monument sleeps a powerful artifact waiting to be claimed. These artifacts hold insane abilities like mind control or healing and cleansing, Making them the most desired items

in the world. The problem isn't wanting them, it's surviving the attempt to get them. You have to descend into deep underground basements without a map, walking straight into the dark. And terrifying beasts like the Griffin Guard every single corner. There are only about seven known monuments in the world right now. But considering the massive body count of adventurers, that number seems dangerously low. Still, people Risk their lives for the power, and the magic tower currently manages three of them. Two contain evil energy, and one is divine, creating a fragile balance. The Aeron Empire holds two.

One is right here at Duke Crown's estate and the other is at the palace. The remaining ones are scattered across the ocean and the desert empires. Hela is deeply skeptical about how Meline is handling such dangerous items without her. She finally opens the door to her room, but A bad feeling washes over her as she steps inside. She shakes it off and sticks to the plan. Eat honey, chew fruit, and nap like a log. Her mind drifts to Kaishin and the surprisingly tender moment with his father. She shrugs, just glad someone was there to save

her tiny butt from being bird food. She pies them for a second, thinking they are fools for living in such a chaotic house. She rubs her sore knees, reminding herself that her baby body is Still super wobbly. She decides to eat her stolen loot to improve her mood. She crushes some red berries in her fist, the juice staining her hands and clothes bright red. Outside, a terrifying cry echoes, and she assumes they're finally conquering the griffin. She stuffs her face with fruit, enjoying the sweetness and ignoring the chaos. Suddenly, a massive shadow blocks the moonlight.

The griffin is right at the window. Hela's heart drops into her stomach. She Thought they caught him, but he's trying to break in. The beast locks eyes with her, tilting its head with a menacing growl. Hela realizes she is absolutely cooked. Griffins are carnivores with keen senses. She looks down at her hands, covered in red berry juice that looks exactly like fresh blood to a predator. She's literally marinated herself for the monster's dinner. She tries to stay calm, telling herself she needs to leave before it decides to Attack, but it's too late. The griffin smashes

through the glass and Hela screams for her life. She scrambles for the exit, only to remember the ultimate betrayal. She shut the heavy door when she came in. Hela is hyperventilating, realizing she can't focus her mana at all in this high stress situation. She freezes on the carpet, brain scrambling for a solution as the beast stares her down. She remembers that griffins don't kill immediately. They like to play with Their prey until it's too exhausted to fight back. Then once the victim gives up, the bird goes in for the kill shot. The griffin smashes through

the remaining glass. And Hela knows she has to get rid of it now. She knows its weaknesses, but her useless baby body is a major handicap. Even facing death, she catches herself aggressively sucking on her pacifier out of habit. How annoying. Suddenly, she remembers something in her pocket that might actually save her Life. The griffin looms over her like a skyscraper, but Hela decides to gamble everything on one move. If this chemical reaction works, she might just survive the night. The massive bird screeches, ready to pounce, while Hela digs into her stash. She scrambles backward,

unsure if her little science experiment will actually trigger in time, but she's certain she grabbed the right ingredients during her scavenging run. She pulls out a handful of small, hard Blueberries. These are unripe fruits. If she grinds them with rose leaves, they create a scent that griffins absolutely detest, blinding them temporarily. She's grateful that Pastella was greedy enough to steal those rose leaves from Char's garden earlier. Her plan is simple. Grind the mix into a paste and use gravity magic to blast the dust right into the bird's face. The griffin leans in, curious about the

tiny creature holding the blue pellets. Hela scans the Room for a tool. She needs something heavy to crush these things immediately. She tries to use gravity magic on the doororknob to create pressure, but it's too complex for her current level. She realizes her fine motor control with magic is trash. She can't grind them without a physical object. She desperately needs a stone or a hammer, but her hands are empty. She imagines a heavy rock crushing the berries, but imagination won't save her now. Panic Sets in. There is literally nothing in this empty room she can

use as a pestle. With no other choice, she decides to use brute force and her own tiny grip. She clasps her hands together, squeezing the berries with every ounce of baby strength she possesses. A tiny drop of juice leaks out, but the sound is pathetic compared to the roaring monster. The griffin tilts its head, probably wondering why its dinner is making juice. The bird lunges, Hela Strains, trying to burst the fruits before she gets eaten, but squeezing alone isn't creating the dust cloud she needs. The griffin's talons are inches away. The beast screeches, opening its

beak wide to snap her up in one bite. Hela shuts her eyes tight, screaming internally that she made a fatal calculation error. Suddenly, a flash of blue light slices through the air, cutting the tension instantly. A spear slams into the floor right in front of Hela, blocking the beast's path. Char has arrived. The griffin is pinned like a specimen on a board, completely wrecked by a single throw. Hela looks down. Her precious berries are crushed into a useless blue paste on the floor. She is furious. Two weeks of hard labor collecting those snacks, wasted in

a second. But then reality hits. She just got saved by the family psycho Char. He looks down at the scene with cold dead eyes, muttering, how pathetic. Hela just Sigh, realizing she has to start her food collection all over again from scratch. Chares at her intently and drops a single confusing word. A cockroach. Hela freezes, looking around to see who he's talking to. Is he serious right now? Suddenly, Duke Desar bursts into the room, screaming at Char, calling him a jinx. Desar looks terrified, asking if Char handled the griffin, but his eyes are locked on

the baby. He asks the million-dollar Question, "Why is the child here?" Hela glares at him, thinking, "Because this is my freaking room, you scenile old man." The room is a disaster zone. Glass everywhere, a dead griffin on the rug, and two powerful men arguing. Hela looks around at the wreckage of her sanctuary. Her secret stash of berries and flowers is scattered and ruined. The fruits of her painful labor destroyed. The tragedy is too much. Her undeveloped baby brain can't handle the stress, and she bursts Into uncontrollable tears. Hela wales internally, not out of fear, but

because that useless bird just destroyed her entire winter food supply. She sits there pouting, her head filled with pure frustration because her life is in danger and her snacks are gone. Meanwhile, Desar demands to know why the kid is even here, but Sharon acts like he couldn't care less. Desar looks around the wrecked room, stunned by the absolute chaos inside the nursery. Hela Sadly picks up the crushed remains of her colorful berries, letting out a heavy sigh of defeat. She mentally waves goodbye to her little food babies as their souls ascend to fruit heaven. Furious,

Desar screams for the maid in charge, demanding to know how they're managing a child with the crown bloodline. He orders his butler, Kant, to drag the responsible servant here immediately. Char tries to walk away, muttering that there's no point in Getting angry over someone like her. But Desar snaps back, reminding him that even if he's cruel, this is still his brother's child. Char suddenly stops in his tracks, his attention shifting down to the floor. Hela freezes, terrified that he's finally realized she's the one who's been raiding his garden. Char looks at his father, thinking that

time has made the old man weak and sentimental. He starts walking toward Hela, and she scrambles back, terrified He's about to punish her. She's convinced he knows she ate his garden and is about to turn her into fertilizer. Instead, Char speaks cryptically, noting that she's always hiding after taking seeds from others gardens. He nonchalantly kicks a stray apple across the floor with his boot. The image of his precious strawberry garden flashes in his mind. He kneels down to eye level, inspecting the tiny thief. He observes that she looks even Thinner than the last time he

saw her, which is saying something. Hela's eyes widen, panic setting in as she wonders if he's going to awkwardly try to hold her. But instead of a hug, he grabs the back of her dress and lifts her up like a stray kitten. He drops her back down and Hela scrambles away. Absolutely humiliated by the handling. Her knees are screaming in pain and she decides this place is way too rough for her fragile body. Suddenly, Sharon asks his Father what the kid's name actually is. Desar admits he doesn't know, confessing he ignored his late son when

he tried to tell him. Hela crawls away, deciding she doesn't need a name or their approval. She just needs to rule the world. But first, she needs a bath to wash off all this filth and shame. She tries to sneak past Char. Determined to get clean the moment he leaves. Desar calls out asking where she thinks she's going, but she completely ignores him. She spots the Open door and feels relieved she doesn't have to struggle with the handle. But suddenly, a wall of skirts blocks her path. The maids have arrived. K announces that he's brought

the staff and an entire squad of maids stands at attention. Desar is annoyed, asking why he brought a whole crowd instead of the one in charge. His expression turns deadly as he asks if he needs to repeat his order. The atmosphere is heavy with tension, but Hela is just annoyed by the Traffic jam. She looks up from the floor, wishing they would just move their legs so she can pass. Desar questions K about why a personal maid wasn't assigned yet. Kant explains that the previous maid quit midway and the handover was a total disaster. Hela

observes K, realizing the butler is calm and clearly a veteran of this chaotic household. She sucks on her pacifier, feeling slightly safer now that the competent staff is here. She decides to Just sit down and watch the drama unfold since she can't leave anyway. She notices Tarant is still staring at her with a weird unreadable expression. She glares back, deeply suspicious of what he's planning behind that faint smile. Desar turns his rage on the maids, asking if they know how the child created a survival hideout in her room. The maids look terrified, stammering that they

have absolutely no clue. Desar drops the hammer, asking when the last Time they actually checked on her was. They start confessing 2 months, 6 weeks, a month ago. Basically admitting to total neglect. Hela listens without anger, thinking that in this harsh world, it's not really their fault. She looks at her empty crib, accepting the brutal truth. Without protection or luck, it's only natural for little things to die. Desar runs the numbers and realizes the incompetent staff hasn't touched the baby in two full Weeks. He explodes, calling them all crazy sinners for neglecting a child to

the point of death. Hela watches the drama, wondering why he's acting so self-righteous when he's the one who kicked her out first. She rubs her tummy, regretting that she can't even eat her stolen apples with her tiny, useless baby teeth. Suddenly, Desar snaps and strikes his head butler K across the face. K takes the hit without flinching, apologizing for the massive Oversight in managing the mansion. Hela winces at the brutality, realizing that being a noble bastard in this house is a literal survival sport. Desar screams, demanding to know how a helpless infant survived alone for

14 days. Hela rolls her eyes, thinking, "I have limbs in a brain, old man. I figured it out." She decides to ignore the family therapy session and focuses on her escape plan. While the clown family argues, she spots an opening and starts speed crawling Toward the exit. Her poor hands and knees are throbbing, but she refuses to stop now. Her clothes are filthy. Her diaper is a disaster. And she is absolutely done with this place. The golden light of freedom shines through the open door. She reaches out, ready to leave this nightmare behind forever. But

suddenly, the ground disappears from under her feet. Cherant has snatched her up by the scruff of her neck like a piece of luggage. Hela stares daggers at Him, cursing the Chariant clown for ruining her great escape. Desar turns around, spotting the captured fugitive dangling in the air. He asks the million-dollar question, "Did this baby seriously scavenge her own food?" Char casually admits that she's been raiding his garden and stealing fruit like a pro. Desar asks for her age, and when he hears 11 months, Hela just swings there, annoyed that they are talking over her. She

feels like a church bell swaying in The wind. Totally humiliated by these giants. Desar is stunned into silence, processing the impossible intel. He can't believe an infant broke containment, stole supplies, and hid the evidence. He looks at her with new respect, realizing this kid is actually a genius. Hela sits in the grass in her mind, wondering why they're making such a big deal out of basic survival. She decides to pull the annoying baby card and starts fake crying to make them drop Her. It works. Char drops her like a hot potato, calling her sleazy looking.

Hela stops crying instantly and glares, thinking he's the one who looks like a shady villain. She vows to get revenge for that insult, but then sees a gloved hand reaching down. She flinches, terrified that the iron-blooded Grandpa is going to hit her. But Desar pauses, impressed by her lightning fast reflexes. Hela puffs up her chest, thinking, "Yeah, I'm fast. Deal with It." Desar admits the child is quick, while Hela backs away, clearly not trusting him. Desar finally steps up, ordering Kant to prepare a proper room and new maids immediately. He crouches down and extends his

arms, inviting her to come to him. He promises that if she trusts him, she won't have to scavenge for scraps ever again. Hela hesitates, knowing that accepting help from these people hurts her pride. But looking at Sharon's cold face, she realizes the old Man is her best bet for survival. She crawls over and hugs Desar, slightly using his expensive suit to wipe her dirty face. Desar stiffens, but then softens, surprisingly touched by the affection. Hela imagines dropkicking him, but settles for playing the cute granddaughter role to survive. She points at him and shouts, "Papa!" with

all her might. Desar freezes, completely confused by the sound. He trembles, asking if she just called him father. Hela screams internally, "No, you idiot. I'm calling you a fool." She yells it again, frustrated that her baby tongue can't pronounce the insult clearly. But Sharon smirks, realizing exactly what she means. She's definitely cursing at them. As Desar melts over being called dad, Hela is horrified, and Sharon enjoys the chaos. Desar holds the baby close, suddenly realizing a massive problem. He doesn't even know his own granddaughter's name. He looks at K, Hoping the butler has a better

memory than the actual family members. The text floats in the air, emphasizing the awkward truth. We don't know the name. Desar realizes just how neglected she was. Nobody ever called her by name, so nobody remembers it. K steps up with the save, recalling that if his memory serves him right, her name is Shireena. While the adults play the guessing game, Shireena's adrenaline crash finally hits her. Her eyelids get heavy and the Exhaustion knocks her out cold. Her precious pacifier slips from her mouth, tumbling into the void as she drifts off to Dreamland. Desar looks down

at the sleeping bundle, shocked by how tiny she actually is. He realizes she's barely grown, still looking like a small fetus despite being nearly a year old. Chares from the side, his sharp eyes acknowledging that 10 whole months have passed since she was born. A mental image flashes. Kaishin grew up like a Weed in 5 years, but this kid looks like she paused time just to survive. Desar feels a pang of guilt strike his chest. He gently touches her head, realizing her only goal in life so far was just rolling around trying not to starve

to death. He pieces it together. The thief in the garden wasn't being mischievous. She was hunting for survival. He lifts her tiny hand, inspecting the damage up close. A dark thought crosses his mind. She was crawling into thorny bushes just To cut flowers and fruit. Desar is horrified to see her palms are absolutely wrecked, covered in cuts and scars from the rose thorns. Cher's face remains stone cold as he admits he knew exactly what was happening. Desar stares at his son in disbelief as Cher confesses he planned to let it happen as an accident. Char

smirks, telling his father not to say his name with such disgust since he didn't actually kill her. He casually puts his glove back on, Explaining that he saw her running for her life and just decided to watch the show. He adjusts his cuff, his attitude completely indifferent to the fact that he almost let a baby die. He gives a cold side eyee, basically saying, "That's just how I roll." The maids in the background are trembling, terrified, because even the staff who didn't know the basics are now in the line of fire. The reality sets in,

having a starving child in the prestigious Crown family is A PR nightmare that could ruin their reputation. Desar makes a silent vow, holding Shireina tight and promising that nothing bothersome will ever touch her again. Char decides he's done here and announces he's going to check on Kaishin. Desar barks orders at K, demanding the room and maids be prepped immediately along with a doctor. Kant pauses, surprised by the urgency of calling a doctor for a half-blood. But seeing Desar's face, he quickly agrees And scrambles to get it done. Shireena sleeps peacefully in her grandfather's arms, unaware

that her life just got a massive upgrade. Later, Shireina wakes up stretching her limbs, letting out a cute baby yawn. A new maid, who looks way more elegant than the last ones, is standing guard and greets her softly. Shireina sucks on her fingers, her big eyes blinking as she processes her surroundings. She realizes she's in a crib and lets out a confused noise, Missing the freedom of the floor. The maid panics because the pacifier is on the floor again, acting like it's a national emergency. Shireina just sleeps, thinking, "You idiot, I dropped it because I

passed out." In her dream state, the image of the great sorcerer Hira appears. Powerful, redeyed, and never sleepy. Shireena snaps awake, realizing her pronunciation is finally getting clearer. The baby curse is lifting. She looks up to see the maid Staring at her with eyes full of pity. The maid suddenly bursts into tears, sobbing about how she's not her mother. Shireina stares blankly, wondering what on earth this lady is wailing about while looking at the ceiling. She sigh, realizing she's trapped in a diaper and can't even talk to tell this woman to chill. She looks around.

Her new crib is high quality, colorful, and huge. But then she looks at her hand. She's holding the same old dirty pacifier. She Glares, thinking, "You give me a luxury room, but can't replace a piece of rubber. Are you cheap? The maid wipes her tears, promising to buy a new one at the market herself. She cries again, mentioning that Shireina won't receive the fund anymore, leaving Shireena totally confused about the finances. Shireina munches on a cookie, wondering who this dramatic woman is and why she's crying so fakeely. The maid stares down at her, demanding she

speak up, or else She'll assume something is wrong with her brain. She introduces herself as Sicily, bowing elegantly, but Shireena is just annoyed that people keep answering questions she didn't ask. Shireina sums up the situation. Basically, this lady isn't buying a new pacifier because of some imaginary budget cut. A flashback hits her. She used to be Hera, the great sorcerer, and she definitely hid a stash of gems near the emperor before she died. Being Paranoid paid off. She scattered magical stones all over the world as a retirement fund. The problem is she's currently a drooling

baby who can't exactly globe trot to retrieve her millions. She decides to use this maid as a taxi service and shouts merket demanding to go to the market. Sicily freezes, suspicious that a 12-month-old is negotiating travel plans and Shireina realizes she might be acting a little too smart. Sicily shuts it down, Claiming Char has banned her from leaving the estate, acting all sad about it. Then her expression shifts into something sinister as she whispers that puppies need to be trained. Shireina backs away, feeling a chill run down her spine. This lady's vibe just did a

complete 180. Sicily smiles about shopping, but Shireena notices her eyes look completely dead and unnatural. Sharina analyzes the energy. It's dark magic, the kind that feeds on negative Emotions and myasma. And right now, waves of that nasty energy are rolling off this woman like a bad perfume. That settles it. This maid isn't just strict. She is straight up evil and not normal at all. Suddenly, Sicily grabs her face and shoves the pacifier back in, telling her to be quiet because she's problematic. Shireina struggles, realizing her tiny baby arms are too weak to pull the thing

out herself. But then she pauses. If she can't take it Out, maybe she can use it to focus her mind and stop acting like a child for a second. Wait, never mind. If she can't take it out, she can't eat or drink. She's going to starve to death with a piece of rubber in her mouth. Sicily puts a finger to her lips, telling her to become a cute puppy. and Shireina looks at her like she's absolutely lost her mind. Sicily declares herself the best trainer and orders her to jump, treating her like a literal circus

Animal. Shireena decides she will jump straight out of this room and away from the psycho. She launches herself off the bed, leaving Sicily shocked by her sudden athleticism. Sicily claps her hands, laughing that the puppy can fly, which is honestly terrifying. Sharina sprints for Char's garden, figuring even the iron-blooded Duke is safer than this crazy lady. She crawls for her life, thinking she should aim for Sharon's neck instead of his tendons if he tries To stop her. Sicily cuts her off in the hallway with a creepy smile, trying to hurt her back. But Shireina screams,

"Go away." Shireina curses Sharon in her head, wondering why he hired such a lunatic to watch a baby. She realizes this must be his petty revenge for her destroying his precious garden earlier. Footsteps click behind her. Sicily is catching up, and the sound is getting closer and closer. Sicily calls out sweetly, asking if she's going back to The room bit by bit, enjoying the chase. Shireina tears up, feeling completely helpless and frustrated by this unjust bullying. Suddenly, she spots a figure walking down the hallway ahead. It's Sharon, the boss monster has appeared. Shireina groans internally.

Of all the people to run into, it had to be him. She tries to drift to the side, hoping to sneak past him without being noticed. But Sharon changes direction and walks straight toward her with a weird smile. Behind her, Sicily is still coming and Shireina feels trapped between a rock and a hard place. She spots a door cracking open and decides to dive for cover. The plan is simple. Wait for the door to open fully and dash through the gap like a ninja. But then she hears a voice and freezes. Before she can move,

Char scoops her up into his arms and suddenly the whole family, including Grandpa Desar, is there. Sharina squeezes her eyes shut, annoyed that her Stealth mission failed so miserably. Sharon hands her over to Wait, no. He keeps holding her, looking surprisingly gentle. Desar asks what's going on, and Shireina just stares at them, terrified of being scolded. Sicily catches up, panting and acting shocked to see the Dukes playing the innocent victim perfectly. Desar demands to know why the child is wandering the halls alone. Sicily bows, lying through her teeth that she looked away for one second,

and The sly baby ran off. Shireena is furious. She's being framed by a literal dark mage, and she can't even speak to defend herself. She looks up at Char, wondering why he's still holding her so protectively, and realizes that despite being a jerk, he's still her father. Sharant stares down coldly, reminding the woman that he specifically ordered her to take good care of the child. He addresses her as Baroness Sullivan, and Shireina's jaw drops. This crazy lady Isn't a maid. She's an actual aristocrat. Sicily puts on her best fake smile, lying through her teeth that

she was watching the baby like a hawk, but the kid is just too slippery. Internally, her eyes go dead as she vows there won't be a next time. Planning to lock Shireina up so tight she can't even breathe. Shireena trembles, realizing her life isn't the main issue anymore. It's her wounded pride that's really taking a beating. She recalls that black Magic is basically a high value curse that breaks the laws of nature. While normal magic draws from nature's flow and requires years of boring training to build a monocircle, black magic is fueled by human malice

and resentment. meaning even a talentless dog can use it if they hate hard enough. Shireena realizes she fits the bill perfectly right now because her rage levels are off the charts. The only catch is the price. Using black magic always takes a Toll on the body. She has absolutely no clue what that price is for a baby, which is terrifying. Usually, you'd wait until your Mana foundation is solid, but she doesn't have that luxury. It's a massive gamble. If her tiny body can't handle the backlash, she might just explode. But if she pulls it off,

she'll gain a massive power up instantly. She stares at her chubby hand, knowing it's reckless, but she decides to go full send. She grips her pacifier chain, Ready to cast the curse and deal with the consequences later. Char watches her intense expression, thinking this little creature is actually pretty interesting. Shireina notices him staring and wonders why the heck he's smiling like a creep. He reaches out and pokes her cheek, treating her like a squishy toy. Shireina is annoyed, wondering if he thinks people or just his own family members are some kind of joke. She realizes

Char is a master at masking his Emotions, making him impossible to read. His words are sharp as ice, but he delivers them with a voice so sweet it could give you cavities. She looks at Sicily, who is also tilting her head with a fake innocent look. Shireina concludes that if the devil exists, it's definitely Char, but Sicily is a close second in the fake nice department. Char suddenly asks who she thinks the real problem is. dangling a gem in front of her. Shireina ignores the gem and eyes Her pacifier, which is currently being held hostage.

Sharon starts teasing her, making choo choo choo noises like he's calling a puppy. Shireina is mortified. She flails her arms, demanding he give back her dignity and her pacifier right now. Her adult mind is screaming as he dangles it just out of reach, treating her like a literal dog. Desar watches awkwardly as Shireena finally snatches it back, shoving it in her mouth to cleanse herself of the shame. She turns Away aggressively, leaving the men staring at her sassy retreat. But she realizes she's still stuck in Char's arms, which is the worst place to be. Suddenly,

Char drops the act and asks Sicily what she was talking about earlier. His gaze turns razor sharp, and Sicily freezes, sensing the shift in the atmosphere. He points to a bruise on Shireena's leg, the pinch mark Sicily left earlier, and demands an explanation. Sicily sweats, stammering That it was for educational purposes. Sharon's eyes go dark as he asks, "What kind of education requires hurting a baby." Sharina pauses midsuck, realizing that he actually noticed the abuse and isn't buying Sicily's lies. Sicily tries to gaslight him, claiming the baby was rude and needed discipline before she grew

up spoiled. That's the last straw. Shireina loses it, screaming Abu, which definitely translates to, "Let me at her, I'll kill her." She struggles Wildly in his arms, screaming nah, because she wants to throw hands right now. She's furious that she can't just blast this woman with magic because of her useless baby vocal cords. Char looks down asking if she's crying, but Shireena is just vibrating with pure rage. She starts swinging her pacifier chain around like a morning star, creating a hoosh sound of fury. Sharon gently sets her down on the floor, his expression unreadable as

he lets her go. Shireena doesn't care about his motives. She sees her target and charges forward with a battlecry. She calculates how to kill the woman, deciding to place a curse that will torment her for the rest of her life. Sicily snaps, raising her hand to slap the charging baby, screaming this lowly thing. But her hand stops dead in midair, frozen by an overwhelming killing intent from behind. Char drops the ultimate threat, coldly stating that the name Baron Sullivan is About to be deleted from the history books forever. Sicily freezes, realizing he's not bluffing. If

she takes one wrong step, her entire family tree is getting chopped down. She remembers the terrifying power of the crown family, a force that rivals the emperor himself. Desperate, she tries to spin it, claiming she was only being strict for the sake of the young duke and the family reputation. Sharant cuts her off, warning her that there are some things She really shouldn't be curious about if she wants to keep breathing. Shireina watches from the floor, relieved that her dad is actually handling business for once. She decides to show some appreciation and hugs his leg,

happy that the evil witch is getting wrecked. But then she freezes. She realizes she just dropped her guard and the pacifier situation is still unresolved. Her stomach does a flip and she suddenly feels nauseious, wondering if his Stupidity is infectious. Sicily snaps, screaming about how unfair it is that her noble family is being forced into such dirty and lowly jobs. Char corrects her instantly, stating that he is the one who decides what is dirty and lowly around here. His eyes glow with menace as he tells her not to compare her tasks to crawling and barking,

unless she wants to try it for real. A massive spectral wolf appears behind him, looming over Sicily like a predator Staring down a helpless rabbit. Sicily goes pale, realizing she is absolutely cooked. She's prey in the presence of a monster. Char grabs her chin, whispering that he hates mouths that speak lies, and he absolutely despises stupidity. He leans in close, forcing her to listen to his final command. He orders her to return to her mansion, shut her mouth, close her eyes, and lock the door tight. With a chilling smile, he suggests she draw the curtains

too, implying she Should never see the light of day again. Sicily collapses to the floor, her legs giving out as the weight of his aura crushes her spirit. She realizes her only option is to disappear completely to save whatever is left of her family's reputation. Sharon stands tall, declaring that the crown's bloodline will be scrubbed clean of her influence. The narration confirms the rumors. The crown family is so powerful that even the king has to be humble in front of Them. And just like their crest suggests, they don't exactly operate with kindness. Sharon calmly tells

her it's just advice, but everyone knows it's a command disguised as a suggestion. Sicily clenches her dress, terrified, but accepting her fate. She bows, announcing that she will retire immediately due to a sudden weak body, officially ending her career. Char dismisses her, ordering a maid to drag the trash out. Shireina sits on the Floor, amazed that her father's voice can be that cruel and kind of loving it. She picks up her pacifier, deciding she needs to vent her own anger before she can move on. She glares, thinking revenge is a dish best served cold, and

she's still hungry. She mentally lists the ingredients for a curse. Straw, holly tree, 12 rose thorns, and the target's hair. She figures she can find some stray hair in the room to complete the ritual. But suddenly, she gets Snatched up from behind. It's Grandpa Desar, and he looks absolutely furious. Shireina freezes, wondering what she did wrong this time. Desar screams at Sharant, calling him dumb for letting the baby crawl around on the cold floor. He cradles Shireena, asking what's wrong with her stomach. Terrified she's sick. Flashback to her past life. She was always weak, so

getting injured while moving was just part of the routine. Shireina tries to wiggle free, annoyed By the sudden coddling. Desar holds her tighter, telling her to sit still because the world is dangerous. The shaking makes Shireena even more nauseious, and she feels like she's on a tilt whirl. Desar misinterprets her silence as understanding, praising himself for being a baby whisperer. He lectures that even animals know instinctively what is dangerous. Shireena glares at him, offended that she's being compared to a clueless Animal. But Desar holds her gently, vowing to correct the mistakes of the past. He

promises that he will never let her starve or suffer under a controlling nanny ever again. He swears it on his name, Desar Crown, locking in the promise with serious intensity. The warmth and the rhythmic padding start to work their magic on Shireina. Her eyelids get heavy as the adrenaline from the day finally wears off. She falls asleep in his arms, leaving Desar Wondering what kind of chaos this tiny baby endured to be so exhausted. Desar turns to Kant, ordering him to immediately hire a maid who actually knows how to take care of a human child.

He glares at Char, his eyes making it clear that there won't be any excuses accepted this time. Char stays calm, arguing that instead of causing a noisy scene, it was better to let the situation play out to catch the culprit. Desar agrees, but warns him not to Object to the new arrangements while Shireena sleeps peacefully in her grandfather's arms. Later, Shireina is passed out cold on the bed, completely exhausted from her day of fighting evil nanas. A new character enters, Reno Pagin, the family physician, and Desar asks for a status report. Reno adjusts his glasses,

looking nervous as he prepares to deliver the medical verdict. He decides to be blunt, knowing that sugarcoating things for the iron-blooded Duke is a bad idea. He reveals that Shireena is severely malnourished and her development is lagging way behind her peers. She looks like a newborn, but she's actually a year old, which is a massive red flag for neglect. Char listens in silence, his expression unreadable as the reality of his daughter's condition sinks in. However, Reno adds a silver lining. Considering she was left to rot for two weeks, she's actually in surprisingly good health. Desar

size, relieved that she isn't in critical condition despite the abuse. Reno admits it's practically a miracle from God that an infant could find food and survive alone without being a genius. Internally, Reno is sweating bullets, shocked that the two terrifying pillars of the Crown family are fussing over an illegitimate child. Usually, the Crown family ruthlessly cuts off anyone, adult or child, who doesn't meet their insane standards. He wonders if Deshar's Sudden affection is because she's the last remnant of his late son, Veian. He looks at Cherent, surprised that the cold-hearted Duke is even present for

this checkup. He recalls that 20 years ago, the relationship between Desar and his son, Veian, was absolutely toxic. The family tree was complicated. the eldest daughter, Syria, and the second son, Char, and the youngest, Veian, who was always the outlier. The family portrait was always cold, but Reno knows One thing for sure about this bloodline. He snaps back to reality, explaining that her malnutrition will fix itself quickly if she just eats properly. But then he points out something worse. Her knees are covered in bruises and possibly have hairline cracks. Desar looks pained, realizing she must

have been in agony every time she crawled on the hard marble floors. Reno suggests laying down carpets or stopping her from crawling for a while to let the bones Heal. Suddenly, Cher interrupts with a cold solution. If crawling hurts, just train her to walk immediately. Reno is horrified, but shuts his mouth, realizing he shouldn't argue with a man who thinks babies are Spartans. Later that night, the moonlight floods into the nursery. Shireina is wide awake and busy weaving straw with her tiny hands like a professional crafter. She recites the recipe for her curse. Straw, rose

thorns, and the targets hair. Tada! She Holds up the finished voodoo doll, proud of her dark creation. It's ugly and barely held together, but considering she made it with chubby baby hands, it's a masterpiece. She wipes her brow, thinking nobody understands the grind of gathering materials while being a baby. Flashback to the day Sicily was watching her like a hawk, so she couldn't make a move. She had to go full ninja mode, sneaking out in the middle of the night to scavenge supplies. She remembers the Struggle of crawling through the halls while fighting off the

urge to nap. And lately, insomnia has been driving her crazy, making her cranky and desperate for revenge. She rubs her knee, grateful that the thick fabric is finally protecting her from the floor. She looks at her new pacifier, which is supposed to be an upgrade. It's solid gold, a total flex, but completely impractical for a baby who just wants to chew. She tears up, realizing she still has to use The dirty wooden one for her ritual because the gold one is just jewelry. At least the new maid gave her a string for it so she

won't lose her lifeline again. Focus returns to the mission. The voodoo clone is complete. It's ugly, but it meets all the magical requirements to ruin Sicily's life. All she needs to do is pour her blood and mana into it and set it on fire. She tries to channel her magic, but her baby body betrays her. Her eyelids get heavy instantly. The Next thing she knows, she wakes up in the arms of a beautiful woman with red hair. Confusion hits her and she screams arg. Realizing she fell asleep before casting the spell, she kicks her legs,

frustrated that her young body keeps forcing her to nap at the most critical moments. Shireena wakes up groggy, feeling like she forgot something crucial from yesterday. The new maid, Barah holds up the ugly voodoo doll, asking where on earth this thing came From. Shireina panics internally. That cursed object took a whole week of hard labor to craft. Bara offers to trade the creepy straw man for a pretty teddy bear. clearly judging her taste in toys. Shireena realizes she has to play dirty, so she turns on the waterworks and screams like a banshee. The strategy works

instantly and Barat hands over the doll, terrified of upsetting the baby. Bar introduces herself with a warm smile, acting totally different from the Previous nightmare staff. She asks to pick Shireina up, and Shireena hesitates, not used to kindness. Bar reveals she made a strap for the pacifier so it won't get lost, proving she's actually competent. She picks Shireina up and they both share a look of confusion regarding the ridiculous gold pacifier. Shireena leans against her, feeling strange because the maid's touch is actually gentle. In her past life as a sorcerer, she never felt human Warmth,

so this is a total system shock. She admits that being treated like a fragile baby feels weird, but not entirely bad. She quickly shakes it off, reminding herself that catching feels for humans is a weakness she can't afford. Bar notices Shireena glaring at the doll and wonders why she's so obsessed with the ugly thing. She asks if Shireena is lonely and Shireina just stares blankly wondering what language this woman is speaking. Bar assumes Everyone knows Shireena is cute but Shireena prays to remain invisible to the world. Bar suggests a walk and Shireena perks up immediately.

A walk means sunbathing and she is absolutely ready to soak up some rays. She looks at Bar's soft smile confused by how genuine it looks. They head outside and Shireena challenges the sun to roast her alive. But their peaceful walk is interrupted by a familiar face hiding in the bushes. It's Kaishin. Nearby, Duke Desar is Enjoying tea, clicking his tongue as he assumes Shireena is too dumb to communicate. Shireina is offended, wondering why her social skills are being graded in the middle of a random garden. Suddenly, her eyes lock under the tea set on the

table. It's the exact limited edition set she pre-ordered in her past life, but died before she could receive. She tears up, realizing even if she went back, someone else would have claimed her delivery. Desar spots them And calls her over, his voice commanding as always. Shireena panics. She can't let the iron-blooded Duke see her voodoo doll. She knows he's sharp. If he sees a baby wielding black magic, he'll definitely think she's a monster. She looks at Sharon in the distance, knowing he's unpredictable, but Desar is the immediate threat. Suddenly, Kaishin pops up and calls her

Lena, looking for something. Shireina takes advantage of the distraction and yeetss the doll into A nearby bush. Desar corrects the boy firmly stating her name is Shireena. Kaishin lunges forward and catches her shouting her name excitedly. Desar watches with a small smile as the siblings interact. Kaishin holds her clothes fascinated by his tiny sister. Shireena turns her head away determined not to get involved with these people. She reminds herself that witches and swordsmen are like oil and water. They just don't mix. But Kaishin smiles at Her and she notices they have the same eyes. He

keeps saying her name and Shireina gets annoyed, thinking he's easily amused. He hugs her tighter, asking Grandpa if she's really his sister. Desar confirms it, knowing the truth of her lineage. Kaishin stares at her intensely, and Shireina starts sweating. She wonders why he's looking at her like that. Did he see something? He points at the bush and asks when that thing was thrown in there, he saw the Doll. Later that night, Shireina is on the move again, running through the halls at dawn. Thanks to her new padded clothes, her knees are safe and she's moving

like a speedster. She's no longer afraid of the hard floors and is fully mobile. She uses her magic to pop the door open and triumphantly retrieves the straw doll she hid earlier. Shireena focuses on the mission, crawling across the floor with the straw doll, ready to toss it into the flames. But suddenly, a Voice calls out her name from the darkness. She freezes and turns around to see Kaishin standing there in his pajamas, looking totally miserable. Tears are streaming down his face as he hiccups, sobbing that he misses his mom. Shireena panics, terrified that his

loud crying is going to wake up the entire mansion and ruin her plan. She realizes she has to shut him up fast, so she reaches out with her tiny hand. For the first time in forever, she gently wipes The tears from his cheek. Kaishin looks down at her, stunned by the sudden comfort from his baby sister. In Shireena's eyes, he looks exactly like a sad puppy caught in the rain. His big watery eyes are practically begging for sympathy and even her cold heart twitches a little. He suddenly hugs her, burying his face in her shoulder

and wailing that he misses his mother. Shireina sigh, realizing there is absolutely nothing she can do to fix This mess. He asks her if she misses her mom too, looking for a trauma bonding moment, but Shireena thinks coldly that she doesn't care about parents whose faces she doesn't even know. Once he finally calms down, Shireena decides it's time to get back to business and burn the doll. She tries to stand up, realizing she needs to practice walking if she wants to be taken seriously. Her legs are wobbly and she feels overwhelmed by how difficult gravity

is For a baby. She manages to stand, balancing precariously on her chubby feet. She admits to herself that crawling at her age is getting embarrassing, so she has to evolve. Kaishin watches her wobble and asks what she's doing up so late. Shireena ignores him, frantically scanning the room for the fireplace. Kaishin misinterprets her silence as boredom and decides to entertain her. He spots her wandering and asks where she's trying to go. Suddenly, he reaches out and wipes some drool off her face. Shireena turns red, feeling absolutely humiliated that a 5-year-old is cleaning her up. Kaishin

smiles, asking if she's cold and wants a fire. He grabs her hand gently and leads her toward the massive fireplace. Shireena looks at their joined hands, surprised by how naturally he takes care of her. She realizes that even if danger strikes, her survival chances are way higher than this soft kids. The more she Looks at him, the more she realizes he's the complete opposite of their terrifying father, Char. She imagines Char being a loving father and immediately shuddters. That image is just cursed. She reminds herself that trusting people only leads to betrayal, just like in

her past life. No matter how nice they act, this kindness is reserved only for the true son of the family. She hardens her heart, knowing that misunderstandings and expectations Will only destroy her in the end. Kaishin proudly points out the fireplace, happy to help. Shireena stares at it, recognizing the design instantly. It's made of magic pipes. She realizes this is the exact heating system she invented in her past life as the magic tower owner. Without hesitating, she tosses the straw doll into the flames, watching it catch fire instantly. As it burns, a weird sensation washes

over her body. The deed Is done. Now she needs to get back to her room before her maid Vera wakes up. She sigh, hating this life of constant surveillance where she can't even breathe without being watched. She wonders what the difference is between being an old woman locked in a room and a baby locked in a crib. Kaishin interrupts her existential crisis, telling her not to throw trash in the fire. He shuffles his feet, looking nervous as he asks her something. He Admits he's scared of the dark and asks if they can sleep together. Shireina

stares at him like he's crazy. Absolutely not. But the hallway is dark and ominous, and Kaishin starts trembling. He clutches his pillow tight, looking like he's about to cry again. Suddenly, he grabs her in a hug, smiling like he just won the lottery. Before she can protest, he scoops her up and declares they are going to share the bed. While Shireena screams internally, Shireena looks around the unfamiliar room, realizing she's been kidnapped to the VIP section of the mansion. She touches the floor and feels immediate jealousy. Her room has cold granite, but this place has

soft, expensive carpets. The room is huge, filled with instruments and luxury furniture, making her realize just how empty and sad her own room actually is. Kaishin wakes up bright and early, beaming at her like a golden retriever puppy. Shireena admits That despite his annoying personality, the kid is genuinely handsome, but looking at him triggers a memory. He reminds her of Melan, the disciple who betrayed her. Kaishin picks her up, insisting that she needs to sleep more and offering to sing a lullaby. Shireena thinks he's incredibly arrogant for a child, acting like the big brother, but

she can't deny the strong crown family jeans. He plops her onto his bed, and she plans to bounce the second he looks Away. But the moment she lands, she freezes. The mattress is like sleeping on a cloud compared to her stiff prison crib. Kaishin watches her wiggle around, giggling at how cute she is. Shireena decides to play it cool. If she acts weird, the adults will get suspicious, so she settles in for a tactical nap. Kaishin pulls her clothes, whispering that he'll protect her if she's scared. Shireina rolls her eyes internally, knowing he was the

one shivering in the Hallway, but she stays put because his grip is tight. She admits that she doesn't need his protection, but the body warmth and the soft blanket are actually pretty nice. Kaishin wishes her good night, his eyes full of affection for his little sister. Shireina feels the rhythmic padding on her back and starts drifting off, though she mentally corrects him on her name pronunciation. She tells herself she'll just sneak away once he's fully unconscious. But the Comfort is too strong and her baby eyelids betray her, sending her straight to Dreamland. Meanwhile, in the

main hall, Char sits on his throne, looking sharp and dangerous as he questions a report. A knight informs him that Baron Sullivan has arrived and was escorted to guest room 3. In the Crown estate, guest room 3 is basically a storage closet reserved for people who aren't worth a dime. It's a place designed to insult guests filled with dusty furniture and Zero decorations. Char leans back, noting that the Sullivan couple must be losing their minds to show up unannounced. The night reveals the reason for their visit is urgent. He drops the bombshell. Baroness Sullivan died

last night in a freak accident. Sharon's expression doesn't change, but there's a cold satisfaction in his eyes. He casually mentions he didn't send anyone to handle her, implying something else did the job. The night explains That a burnt body was found in an empty room. It was a fire. A flashback reveals Sicily's twisted nature. She loved taming bad dogs and specialized in abusing children who refused to listen. She built a career on secretly educating illegitimate noble kids with brutal methods. Rumors of her cruelty were an open secret among the aristocracy. Chares must have crossed the

wrong person and finally got hit with some serious karma. He correctly deduces it Was a black magic curse, but decides it's none of his business since the trash took itself out. Elsewhere, Shireena's maid, Barat, is running through the halls in a total panic. She checks everywhere, calling out for the lady, but the nursery is empty. She starts hyperventilating, realizing she lost the Duke's granddaughter on her watch. Suddenly, she turns a corner and runs smack into a wall of a man. It's Cherant. He looks down, asking if Something is wrong. Barat trembles, curtsying frantically while trying

to hide her terror. She stammers, forced to admit that she hasn't seen the lady and is currently searching for her. She remembers Desar's threat to punish anyone who lets the child wander off again and feels like fainting. Charmly asks if she checked the East Wing Garden. Barat denies it, saying she followed orders not to go there, but she's clearly terrified he'll blame her Anyway. Char presses on, asking if she found anything unusual during her search. Bar shakes her head, praying she won't be executed for negligence. Just as Cher is about to speak, another figure approaches.

It's Duke Desar asking why everyone is gathering in the hallway so early in the morning. Char greets his father respectfully. Desar looks grim and drops the news that stops everyone's heart. I think Bailey's daughter has disappeared. Desar's cane Slams against the floor with a thunderous crack, silencing the hallway instantly. He loses his cool completely, screaming that Shireina is as small as a rat and could be anywhere by now. Barat trembles on the floor, apologizing profusely while fearing for her life. If Cherant is a calm, deadly lake, then Desar is a raging wildfire that burns everything

in its path. His temper is legendary, and right now there is absolutely no way to suppress it. Chant Interrupts the explosion, calmly mentioning that Baron Sullivan's wife died last night. Desar pauses, confused, muttering that he doesn't think his knights had anything to do with that. The Simula Knights belong to Char, and they don't make messy mistakes like that. They are the elite of the elite, only attainable by those who have survived the Duke's rigorous standards. Sharon explains that the woman dabbled in black magic and paid the ultimate Price. And now the baron is here to

clean up the mess. He decides to handle the political fallout while leaving the baby search to his father. Throwing a subtle jab that Desar seems to care a lot about a child that isn't his. He orders his knight Raul to find the brat and report back to Desar, clearly washing his hands of the babysitting duty. Before leaving, Char turns his cold gaze back to the terrified maid, Bara. He asks a simple, chilling Question. Did you lock the door tightly? Bar stammers, but stands her ground, swearing that she definitely locked it, and never leaves doors open.

Char narrows his eyes, his lie detector instincts, telling him she's actually telling the truth, which makes this even more suspicious. He orders her to serve his father and walk away, his mind already working on the puzzle. Chararts to deal with the dead Baroness, leaving Desar to manage the chaos. Barat is left Standing there feeling like a helpless rabbit who just survived an encounter with two apex predators. She sweats, realizing that working for this family is basically asking for a heart attack. Suddenly, the scene shifts to a nightmare. Hela's memories flood back, screaming that someone is

a demon. The pain is unbearable, like someone is physically squeezing her brain into pulp. In her dream, she sees her past self yelling at her traitorous disciple, Reminding him that she built a kingdom for outcasts like them. She curses him with pure hatred, vowing that he won't even get a peaceful death. She stares at his back, thinking that no one in the world is as disgusting as the man she once trusted. She realizes that taking him in and raising him was the single greatest mistake of her life. It's a cruel world where you have to

step on others to survive, forcing her to act like a clown just to get by. Her eyes Glow crimson in the dark as she prophesizes that he will become a monster. Suddenly, Serena Kaishin's voice snaps her back to reality, waking her up from the hellish nightmare. She blinks, staring at Kaishin's smiling face and thinking he looks handsome for a kid. Her pacifier drops out of her mouth, and she sigh, wondering if she's doomed to suck on this thing forever. Kaishin wipes her drool, happy that the baby slept well, while Shireena just Sits there like a

potato. He beams, announcing that it's time to eat. He starts making nom nom noises, treating her like she has zero brain cells. Shireina stares at him blankly as he asks if she understands the concept of food. Suddenly, a shiver runs through her body. She senses something familiar. It's the energy of black magic, a pulsating heart of dark power. She realizes what happened. When the Baroness died in the fire, her soul full Of resentment and magic had nowhere to go. So, it came to Shireena. She absorbs the energy, actually missing the feeling of power flowing through

her veins. The energy forms a cocoon inside her which will eventually grow into a magical heart. But there's a catch. Her baby body is weak and absorbing a resentful soul causes a massive physical backlash. A fever hits her like a truck she's burning up instantly. She tries to check her own forehead, but her stubby baby Arms are too short to reach. Frustrated, she compromises and presses her hot cheek against her hand to check the temperature. She realizes that as long as she's stabilizing this magic, she's going to be sick and prone to magical explosions if

she isn't careful. She slumps over, face flushed, feeling absolutely miserable, she decides to stay in baby jail, the crib, because moving hurts too much. Glancing at the window, she realizes it's already Morning and she needs to sneak back to her own room. Then it hits her, why hasn't come to find her yet? Little does she know, Ber is currently traumatized in the hallway. Shireina is shook. She thought absorbing that soul would be a light snack, but it's hitting her like a fullc course meal of magical backlash. Kaishin notices her face scrunching up in pain and

wonders what's going on inside that tiny head. Pain or not, Shireina remembers the golden rule. Nobody is going to save her, so she has to save herself. She slides off the bed, letting gravity do the work as she heads for the floor. To her surprise, she lands on a soft, expensive carpet, way better than the cold stone in her prison cell of a room. Kaishin spots her escape attempt and laughs. Impressed that she's already exploring on her own. Shireina sigh, feeling the fever burning her up, thinking this family really is exhausting. She wobbles on her

feet, Deciding she needs to master walking ASAP because crawling is just humiliating. Kaishin opens the door, beaming as he invites her to go grab some breakfast with the family. Shireina is not having it. She scowls, desperate to get back to her room before she passes out. But Kaishin swoops in and scoops her up like a prize plushy. Totally ignoring her grumpy vibes. Shireina panics. She needs to learn how to talk immediately so she can verbally Destroy people who touch her without permission. She sucks aggressively on her pacifier. Furious that her baby tongue can't form complex

insults yet. Just thinking about talking leaves her breathless. This infant body is seriously useless. The morning sun hits them blindingly bright. As they step into the corridor, Shireena's vision starts to blur. The fever is spiking and she sees a tall figure approaching through the haze. She squints trying to Focus. Who is that giant looming over them? It's the two boss monsters. Sharon and Desar have arrived, radiating pure pressure. Char kneels down, bringing himself to eye level with his children. Shireena stares at him, realizing his aura is even bigger up close. He's like a mountain of

ice. She reaches out instinctively, wondering why the scary man feels so magnetic. Kaishin freezes, clearly nervous about being caught in the hallway with the baby. He stammers Out a lame excuse about pulling weeds while Shireena just grins through the pain. Sharon stares blankly, probably wondering why his son is talking about gardening. Shireina feels her brain melting from the fever, questioning if the pacifier is actually draining her IQ. Suddenly, Char places his large hand on her forehead. He states the obvious. She's burning up with a fever. Sharina doesn't care about his diagnosis. She just loves that

his hand feels like a Human ice pack. But then, tragedy strikes. He pulls his hand away. Shireina glares at him, absolutely furious that he took the air conditioning away. Sharon stands up, ignoring her silent protest, and calls out for the maid. Desar recognizes the voice echoing down the hall. It's Barah. The old Duke looks relieved that the nanny has finally been located. Shireina's ears perk up. Her ride home has arrived. Desar scolds the maid as She approaches, asking why she's always running around like a headless chicken. Shireina tries to defend her shouting tti which is

baby for its Bara. Desar looks around wondering where the maid actually is. Shireina flails her arms screaming bia trying desperately to point her out. Finally Bara bursts onto the scene looking like she just ran a marathon. She snatches Shireina from Kaishin nearly crying with relief that the baby is safe. Shireina sinks into Her arms realizing that this warmth is exactly what she needed. She thinks that ironically Bar's arms are the safest place in this entire dangerous mansion. She decides she can trust Bara, mostly because the woman seems too timid to murder her. Char interrupts the

reunion, his voice cold and commanding. He orders Barah to take the child back and rest, noting her distress. It turns out Bara recently suffered a miscarriage, explaining why she's so fiercely Protective of Shireena. Char watches them go, satisfied that he picked a maid whose trauma makes her loyal. He then turns his attention to his son. his tone shifting to interrogation mode. Kaishin shrinks back, sensing he's about to get grilled. Char drops the question that matters. How exactly did you meet that child? Kaishin confesses that he couldn't sleep last night, so he was wandering around when

he spotted the tiny fugitive crawling through the Halls. Char holds his son close, listening calmly as Kaishin explains exactly where the baby was headed. Kaishin proudly points back to the room, explaining that he kidnapped her for a good cause. She looked cold, so he brought her to the fireplace for warmth. He blushes, admitting the real truth. He was actually scared of the dark and just wanted a sleeping buddy. Sharon touches Shireena's head, ignoring the story and focusing on the fact that she's burning Up with a fever. He switches to dad mode, telling Kaishin to go

get ready because his tutor is about to arrive. Kaishin agrees and leaves while Cher turns to his father, telling Desar to go rest while he handles the sick baby. Desar looks at his son, realizing that Cher is actually stepping up to take responsibility for once. Sharon's expression is unreadable, but he seems determined to figure out why this child is such a magnet for trouble. Desar Decides to trust him and heads back, leaving the two of them alone in the hallway. Shireina drifts in and out of consciousness, realizing that the dark soul she absorbed is slowly

stabilizing into raw power inside her. Suddenly, her tiny hand twitches and instinctively grabs on a Cheron's finger. She stares at it, thinking his skin feels amazingly cool against her burning fever. She tries to let go, but her baby nerves are glitching out and her grip tightens Instead. She panics internally, wondering why her hand is malfunctioning and refusing to release him. Tears well up in her eyes as she struggles, looking like she's desperately begging him not to leave. Char misinterprets the struggle completely, thinking she's clingy because she's sick. He gently covers her tiny hand with his

own, noting how soft and hot she feels. He places his large hand over her eyes, shielding her from the light to help her Sleep. Shireina gives up and leans into the touch, rubbing her cheek against his cool arm like a happy cat. Time skip. Shireena is back in her crib, shaking the bars in pure boredom because there is absolutely nothing to do. Her body has recovered, but Barat is watching her like a hawk, meaning her escape plans are totally chocked. Barat is glued to her side 24/7, only leaving for food, which means Shireena is trapped

in baby jail. Shireina sigh, realizing she can't Force her magic yet, or she'll literally explode, so she has to wait. Frustrated, she grabs her milk bottle, realizing it's the only entertainment she has left. She aggressively chugs the milk, drinking away her sorrows like it's happy hour at the bar. She pauses. This milk is actually high quality. She's super impressed by the rich flavor. Suddenly, Kaishin pops up again. This kid visits every single day to drop off a new book. Shireena looks at him with Dead eyes, thinking that reading picture books is boring her to death.

But then Kaishin drops a bomb. He stole this book from his father's private study. He looks super excited to show her, totally unaware that he just looted the most dangerous room in the house. He opens it up with a Tatada, revealing pages filled with creepy ingredients and voodoo dolls. Sharina freezes. She recognizes this book instantly. Her jaw drops. This is the book on curses that she wrote in Her past life. It's the introduction to black magic curses, a legendary tome she penned ages ago. She starts sweating bullets. This book traps the reader's energy if they

aren't careful. And this kid is treating it like a comic book. Kaishin points to a drawing of a straw doll, asking if it looks familiar. He beams, telling her that the one she made was way prettier than the drawing in the book. Shireina is shook. Did he just call her ugly pile of straw a Masterpiece compared to her professional diagram? Kaishin slides the book into the crib, deciding that Shireena should have it since she likes dolls. Shireina quickly grabs it, thinking she needs to hide this dangerous artifact before he accidentally curses himself. She plans to

read it later when Barat isn't hovering over her shoulder. Kaishin pokes her chubby cheek, calling her cute again. Shireena glares at him, annoyed that he touches her face without Hesitation, but she's too busy hiding the book to stop him. Kaishin changes the subject, asking if she knows about the partshai happening in the garden tomorrow. Shireena mentally corrects him. It's a party, not parti, you uneducated child. He explains that a lot of people are coming to eat good food and make friends. Shireina analyzes the intel. If Cher invited them, these guests must be high-ranking nobles with

massive influence. She chews on her Pacifier, figuring she'll just be ignored at the party, which sounds perfectly fine to her. She looks at her hands, realizing her body is finally healing, meaning tomorrow is the day she starts using magic for real. Shireina gazes at the massive estate, convinced that even if she disappears or dies, the Crown family will just cover it up as a kidnapping to save Face. She decides to play along with their fake search while secretly handling her own survival. Perfectly satisfied with her independent plan. Suddenly, she remembers Kaishin mentioning that sorcerers are

coming to maintain a magical item and a light bulb goes off, Kaishin heads off to study, leaving Shireena to connect the dots alone. She realizes sorcerers means the magic tower is involved, which could bring her traitorous disciple Melan right to her doorstep. She knows she's too weak for revenge right now. But luckily, no one is going to recognize The great arch mage in a diaper. She calms down, figuring the high-end mighty tower master wouldn't bother coming personally for a routine maintenance job. She flops back into the crib, relieved, but suddenly Bara bursts into the room.

Bara arrives with a silver tray, announcing that today's menu is special apple puree. Shireina stares at the golden bowl, thinking this might be the only good thing about being reincarnated as a baby. She throws her Hands up, cheering for Bar like she just won the lottery. Bar feeds her a spoonful, and Shireena pauses, trying to analyze the complex flavor profile. Reality hits. It's just bland mush, and she desperately misses sinking her teeth into a juicy steak. She sigh, but eats it anyway, accepting her soft food fate. After finishing the bowl, she pats her belly, feeling

satisfied and happy despite the lack of meat. Barat gently rubs her forehead against Shireen's, and For once, the affection actually feels nice. Bar lifts her up, suggesting a walk, and Shireina feels like she's floating on Cloud9. Her eyes sparkle. A walk means freedom and fresh air. But the mood shifts instantly when they arrive at Desar's office, and the Duke orders the maid to leave. Bar looks terrified to leave the baby with him, but she has no choice. Desar sits awkwardly at his desk, while Barah hesitates at the door. With a nervous Bow, Bar retreats, leaving

the tiny baby alone with the iron-blooded Duke. Desar taps his fingers on the desk, the silence in the room heavy and awkward. He notices Shireina staring at him and asks what's with the intense look. Shireina glares back, basically asking if he has a problem with her face. Suddenly, Desar reaches out to grab her. Shireena's survival instincts kick in, and she tucks into a tactical combat role, tumbling across the carpet to Escape his grasp. Desar watches her roll away, noting that she seems terrified of being caught. He praises her speed while Shireena decides that rolling is

the ultimate meta for escaping danger in a baby body. Desar turns to his desk, muttering that he left it right here. He kneels down to eye level, calling her name awkwardly. Shireina eyes him suspiciously, wondering what exactly he's hiding behind his back. His expression is dead serious, and Shireina Starts sweating, wondering if he's actually trying to take her out. Desar whips his hand out with lightning speed. Shireina flinches, bracing for impact, but he's just holding a toy. It's a hideous red leopard print rabbit doll that looks like a fashion disaster. Shireena stares at it, confused

because it doesn't look cursed, just incredibly ugly. But then she spots something. The blue eyes on the doll are shining with a familiar light. Her jaw drops. Those Aren't glass beads. They are genuine magic stones. Desar kneels there offering the priceless stones attached to a cheap-l looking toy. He assumes she just likes the doll while Shireena looks at it like a starving man looking at a buffet. Desar is shocked as she lunges for it with aggressive enthusiasm. He smiles, pleased to see her moving so energetically, while Shireena wonders why this scary man is suddenly acting

like a doting grandpa. She genuinely Wonders if he's been possessed by a friendly ghost. She stares at him, unable to reconcile this gentle guy with the Desartar clown she knew. Flashbacks hit her. She remembers him as a fierce warrior and a strict critic in her past life. Seeing the legendary hero acting soft is giving her emotional whiplash. She can't believe this is the same man who led armies to victory. Desar interrupts her thoughts, pointing to the doll's stomach and telling her to press It. She presses down and the doll lets out a weird loud y

sound that startles her. Desar explains it's a rabbit bear, a popular toy, claiming the Imperial kids have unique taste, which is a nice way of saying it's weird. Shireina ignores the noise and immediately prize the blue eye out with a pop. If he's going to waste a magic stone on a toy, she's absolutely going to steal it for her mana supply. Desar watches her destroy the expensive gift and nods Approvingly, thinking she just has an eye for high value items. Desar dangles the blue crystal in front of her face, asking if she likes it. Shireena

analyzes the goods immediately. This stone is massive and has way higher purity than the scrap attached to the ugly doll. Her greed takes over instantly. She flails her tiny arms, screaming boo, which definitely translates to hand over the loot old man. Desar sweats, realizing this kid Has an uncanny ability to spot valuable items, almost like it's built into her DNA. Shireena holds the stone tight, thinking it's a crime that rich people just leave a tier treasures rolling around in drawers like junk. As the holy light of wealth shines down on her, she decides she likes

Grandpa Desar a little bit more now, mostly because he's loaded. Suddenly, Desar backs away and stands up, ordering her to come to him if she wants more. Shireena glares at Him from the floor, annoyed that he keeps treating her like a trained dog. He pulls out another pristine magic stone, bribing her with the promise of double the power if she crawls over. It's super effective. Shireena's eyes lock onto the prize, and she immediately starts scurrying toward him, yelling, "Mine!" in baby language. Desar tries to push his luck, telling her to stand up and walk this

time. Shireina scoffs internally, "Walking is too hard." She Decides she'll happily crawl like a puppy if it means securing the bag. Desar gives up on the walking lesson and smiles, praising her for moving at all. While wondering if her instincts come from his bloodline, she reaches the target destination and Desar hands over the goods as promised. He scoops her up into his arms, regretting that he didn't properly acknowledge her sooner. His voice drops, filled with deep remorse as he looks at the tiny child he neglected. He mutters something philosophical about parents and children, but Shireina

is too busy vibing with her pacifier to care. He holds her gently, calling her name softly. Shireina notices he didn't add the surname clown, realizing he's finally treating her like family instead of a political object. She snuggles the magic stone into her pocket, surprised that this strict duke actually has a soft side, he suddenly mentions that she pronounced the maid's name correctly Last time. Shireina blinks, confused because she definitely just babbled BB, which is nowhere near Barah. She realizes this guy's standards are incredibly low if he thinks her baby gibberish is fluent speech. Desar clears

his throat nervously, looking away before dropping the big question, "Will you call me grandpa?" Shireina is shook. She stares at him in disbelief, thinking this old man is absolutely torturing her with these emotional demands. She Realizes he's been fidgeting all day just because he wanted to ask her this one embarrassing question. Flashbacks hit her hard. She remembers Desar from her past life as a cold, calculating negotiator who never showed weakness. Chains of memory shatter in her mind as she recalls the brutal history of her previous life. She remembers how the kingdom of Cilopia became unstable

and desperate for recognition from the empire. While sorcerers were powerful, They couldn't underestimate the sheer military force of heroes like Desar. The newly founded nations were struggling to survive. Cilopia's only leverage was their monopoly on creating magical items, which became the core of their foreign policy. They focused on helpful daily life magic to convince the world they weren't a threat. But in the shadows, they were secretly building massive firepower so nobody would dare look down on them. Talented mages like Hela were forced to learn devastating black magic, becoming living weapons. But because her power was

too dangerous, the very people she protected, like Melan betrayed and killed her. Back in the present, Desar looks at her with sad eyes. But Shireina is furious, thinking he has some nerve, acting like a victim after abandoning her. She remembers freezing and starving alone, asking herself what kind of messed up family this is. She grips the stone, telling Herself she won't be bought so easily by a shiny rock. But then, grandfa, she hugs him tight, completely selling out her dignity because survival is more important than pride. She inspects the loot. It's an A-grade stone. With

this, she can live like a queen even at 4 years old. She calculates that if she just keeps hustling for stones, she can regain her power and solve all her problems. Desart chuckles, calling her smart and greedy, unaware she's Literally plotting world domination in his arms. He pets her head, officially accepting the title of grandfather. Shireina wonders if trading her self-respect for Mona Stones is a wise investment and decides it definitely is. Desar suddenly gets serious, admitting he knows she hates both him and Sharant. Shireena doesn't deny it internally. She absolutely hates them, but his

sad expression is starting to bug her. She stares into his eyes, wishing he would Stop looking at her with such guilt. Desar whispers a painful what if, wondering if things would have been different if he had just accepted her mother. Shireina just looks at him with dead fish eyes, totally over the family drama. Desar chuckles, telling her to forget it because she wouldn't understand. But Shireena mentally corrects him. She understood every word. She sets the terms one high-grade magic stone for every time she calls him Grandfather. Desar agrees instantly, thrilled to be scammed by his

own granddaughter. He wonders to himself why she's so obsessed with goods when her father wasn't materialistic at all. Cut to the garden party. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and a bratty kid is yelling, "Hey, you rogue." Sharina sits on the grass in her frilly dress, fuming because she didn't even want to come to this event in the first place. Flashback to an hour ago. The mansion Was buzzing with music as the high society party kicked off. Barah held Shireina, beaming with excitement because the Duke actually gave permission for the illegitimate child to

attend. But Shireina was already over it, scrunching her face up because she hates crowds and loud noises. Bar noticed the baby's sour mood and started to panic. Desperate to fix it, she offered some sweet puree to bribe Shireina into smiling. Feeling guilty But needing space, Shireina took the chance to crawl away while Bar was distracted. But her piece is ruined instantly. Three snoody noble kids block her path, looking at her like she's a bug. Shireena decides she has zero time for these NPCs and plans to sneak off to Sharon's garden instead. But then the leader

opens his mouth, asking his brother what rogue means, and the brother replies that it means slave and she'll be kicked out soon. Shireina Stops dead in her tracks. Her eyes go cold as she mentally warns them to watch their filthy mouths. Suddenly, the brat shoves her slave. Wo you dirty kid. Shireina hits the dirt, her dress getting messed up, and she feels a sting of pain in her hand. She glares daggers at them, not caring about the clothes, but furious about the disrespect. The bully flinches, totally creeped out by the intense stare coming from a

baby. To hide his fear, he shoves her again, Screaming that she's annoying him. Shireina tumbles again, genuinely baffled. Why are they bullying a kid who is literally just sitting there? Do they have a death wish? She checks her tiny hand and sees it scraped and red. Her mind goes to dark places. should she fake a fall down the stairs to get them executed. She remembers these are the same types of kids who mocked her in the past and the annoyance levels are spiking. A dark aura starts to leak out As she genuinely considers just killing

them all right here. She tries to calm down, reminding herself that her plan is to secretly nurture her black magic, not cause a murder scene. She sticks her pacifier back in, realizing that fighting these ants is beneath her dignity as a great sorcerer. But the brat won't quit. He puts his hands on his hips, screaming, "Are you looking down on us?" Shireina touches the blue gem on her dress. If she tapped into That mana, she could blast them into the fountain like a rag doll. Then the kid crosses the line. He picks up a rock,

grinning like a psychopath. Tactical retreat. Sharina scrambles up and sprints away on her tiny legs as fast as she can. Meanwhile, at the main party, the music plays and everyone is having a fancy, civilized time. The nobles are busy sucking up to Char, praising his family and his looks. Char smiles politely, playing the perfect host while Looking completely dead inside. Guests chatter about how honored they are, totally unaware that the host is just enduring them. Char sips his drink, noting that the turnout is decent enough to make a political statement. He scans the crowd and

his brow furrows. Where's Kaishin? Cut to Kaishin, who is sneaking around the garden bushes like a little spy. Char catches him immediately asking what on earth he's doing hiding in the shrubbery. Kaishin fidgets, admitting He's looking for the baby. too scared to say her name because he thinks his dad hates her. Char surprises him by calmly confirming, "Yes, it's Serena." Showing he acknowledges her. Kaishin explains that grandpa said she was here, but she's vanished into thin air. He looks up with big, worried eyes, saying he can't find her anywhere. Sharon points toward the secluded part

of the garden, saying he definitely saw her with some other kids earlier. He inspects the gate Area, muttering that the snail left quite a trail. His sharp eyes spot drag marks and messy footprints in the dirt. Signs of a struggle. He looks toward the dense bushes where the trail leads. Deep in the woods, the bully has cornered Shireina. I'd stand up if I were you. He raises the rock, stammering, you cockroach. Shireina snaps. Her eyes blaze with fury as she realizes these trashy kids definitely weren't invited by her father. A harsh truth echoes out. Bullies

are nothing but roaches that need to be crushed. And right now, baby Shireena is locking onto her target, the middle kid who messed with her. and swearing absolute revenge. First things first, she has to get off the ground, gritting her teeth to force her tiny, clumsy body to stand up. Her memories flash back to when she desperately crawled through the estate just to find this specific pond. Finally, she reaches the edge of the large garden fountain, Her destination secured. But her stamina is completely trash. She's panting heavily, feeling like her body is about to give

out. Meanwhile, the three bullies are catching their breath, thinking they've escaped. But the leader vows to get back at her eventually. Big mistake. Shireina clutches the jewel on her chest, her eyes glowing with intent. She starts chanting a spell, unleashing the power stored within the gem. Suddenly, a tall, imposing man steps Into the garden, looking for the source of the commotion. It's the master of the house, scanning the area with cold, unbothered eyes as he hunts for Shireena. Internally, he's annoyed, thinking this is just another one of her tantrums. He remembers how she constantly destroys

his garden and acts like nothing happened, which really grinds his gears. To him, she's just like his rebellious brother, Bailey, a troublemaker who eventually abandoned The family. Suddenly screams for help shatter the silence, and he sigh, expecting to see Shireina in trouble. But when he looks up, his composure cracks. He doesn't see a victim. He sees pure chaos. Shireena absolutely yeetss the three bullies into the fountain with invisible force while laughing like a maniac. The Duke freezes, realizing he had the situation completely wrong. He spots the glowing necklace in her hand and is stunned. How

can a literal baby Wield a highlevel magic stone? One of the bullies drags himself out of the water, sobbing and begging for forgiveness, completely broken. Realizing this is getting out of hand, the Duke steps forward and calls out her name, Shireina, to stop the rampage. Shireena flinches, realizing that's the first time this cold man has ever actually spoken her name. Her inner Chibi face palms. She took too long enjoying her revenge, and now she's Busted. She knows she has to wrap this up fast before he notices any bruises and lectures her for eternity. With zero

hesitation, she decides to bail, planning to use the magic stone to teleport out of there. She holds the crystal up, focusing her mana, hoping she can pull off just one teleportation spell. But the Duke is faster. He grabs her tiny wrist instantly, shutting down her escape and telling her to cut the chaos. He stares down at her struggling Form, noting just how incredibly stubborn she is. Then he gently covers her eyes with his large hand, telling her to stop being so cranky. Shireina pauses, even though she's furious. The warmth from his hand is weirdly calming.

It frustrates her so much that she bursts into fake tears, wailing because she can't keep up her tough act with this gentle treatment. The Duke holds up the magic pendant he confiscated, asking plainly if she knows how to use magic. Shireina sweats nervously, knowing she's been caught red-handed. This is bad news because the clown family, including this guy, absolutely despises wizards. They are a clan of swordsmen who view magic as nothing more than a pest to be exterminated. Playing the innocent card, Shireena reaches out with chubby hands, demanding her pacifier back immediately. Ignoring her demands,

the Duke glances at the floating girl and asks Shireina to put the bullies down. Shireena tilts Her head and goes, "Aw!" pretending she has zero clue what he's talking about. The Duke sigh deeply, wondering if he's being too harsh on a toddler who's clearly playing dumb. Shireena glares at him, thinking he's a heartless robot for interrogating a cute baby like her. She finally drops the act internally, admitting defeat since the jig is up, but she still wants her gear back, reaching out aggressively for the pacifier. The Duke holds it high, Scolding her for having no

manners, which just makes her even matter. She flails her arms, screaming that her head is going to spin off if she doesn't get her pacifier right now. She stretches out both hands, desperate to grab it. The Duke deafly separates the magic crystal from the pacifier, holding the dangerous part in one hand and the rubber nipple in the other. He hands over the pacifier and Shireena pops it in her mouth, grumbling about how Annoying he is about manners. The Duke looks confused as she politely offers both hands, realizing she misunderstood his lecture completely. But Shireena doesn't

care. The moment she starts sucking on the pacifier, her racing heart stabilizes. The adrenaline fades and she blissfully accepts that magic or not. She really does need this pacifier. Shireena starts having an existential crisis. Is she actually mentally reverting to a baby? Because everyone Treats her like one. She shakes it off and refocuses on the mission. Get the stone back to Barah immediately. She tries to commando crawl away quiet as a mouse to avoid detection. But the Duke pockets the stone calling her selfish as he secures the goods. Shireina is fuming internally. She had to

act like a total puppy just to get that stone in the first place. The Duke walks off, leaving her stranded, but she immediately bounces back up like nothing happened. She does the math. Half her mana is gone, and fighting this guy when he's smiling like a psycho is a terrible idea. New plan, stealth mode activated for next time. Meanwhile, over by the gazebo, the bullies are crying their eyes out to their mom, playing the victim card hard. Shireena watches from a distance, realizing she's been painted as the villain once again. Seeing them cling to their

mother makes her feel a little lonely, and she actually misses Her maid, Barah. Suddenly, the young boy approaches her, looking concerned and asking if she's okay. Shireena nods, thinking any rational person can see who the real victim is here. The boy notices the dirt and grime all over her fancy dress. He clenches his fist tight, and Shireina flinches, worried he's about to snap at her, but his internal thoughts reveal he was just trying so hard to stay strong during the chaos. He asks if anyone else saw what happened and Shireina looks around nervously. Unfortunately, the

Duke is standing right there watching them like a hawk. He locks eyes with Shireena, his expression totally unreadable. Shireina groans internally of all people. Why did he have to be the witness? Baroness Dia marches up to the Duke, ready to snitch on the baby. The Duke plays dumb, asking what unbelievable thing she heard. Dia accuses the baby of using dirty witchcraft, which Shireena indignantly Corrects to magic in her head. The Duke taps his chin, questioning if an infant could even pull that off. He starts lecturing her about history, mentioning the youngest genius sorcerer ever recorded.

That prodigy was four years old, way older than the diaperclad suspect here. He basically asks if she thinks this drooling baby is on par with a historical genius. Dia stammers, realizing her story sounds absolutely insane to a normal person. She tries to Argue that all the kids have the same story, but the Duke shuts her down, saying they probably just fell because they aren't very smart. He closes his eyes, completely dismissing her claims like she's wasting his time. Shireena snacks on a cookie, wondering if he's actually defending her or just calling everyone else stupid. Suddenly,

the Duke points a sharp finger right at Shireena. Shireena freezes up, wondering if he's about to expose her after all. Dia Seizes the moment, insisting that it's definitely the baby's fault. Shireina immediately goes into full baby mode, waving her arms and making nonsense noises to blend in. The Duke stares coldly, asking if he looks like a joke to her. He tells Dia that her accusations are the exact opposite of reality. Dia looks confused, losing all her momentum. The Duke narrows his eyes and offers his own speculation on the event. He suggests that the bullies were

The ones pushing and tormenting the helpless baby over and over. Dia turns pale as the tables turn completely against her. The Duke admits he's been turning a blind eye to the chaos in his mansion for too long. He asks her to repeat her story, his aura becoming terrifyingly oppressive. Shireena decides to dip while the heat is off her crawling away as the boy watches. She feels no regrets. They started it. She just finished it. Now her priority is Finding that confiscated magic stone. Suddenly, huge hands scoop her up from the ground. It's the elder Desar

clown, and Shireena panics, knowing this family kills monsters with their bare hands. But instead of hurting her, the old man roars at the Duke about his terrible parenting. He shouts to the crowd who dares to lay a hand on the clown bloodline, protecting her with absolute fury. The elder Duke steps in, calling Shireena a little vulnerable child to Defend her actions. Shireina pauses, questioning if vulnerable is really the right word for her, but she'll take the win. She can't believe the terrifying Desar clown is actually on her side, assuming it's just because he doesn't know

who she really is. Desar glares at the accusers. his anger bubbling just beneath the surface. Shireena notices that usually his rage affects the atmosphere, but strangely she feels safe this time. The party comes to an abrupt End, and Baroness Dia looks like she's about to pass out from fear. The nobles are shaking in their boots, faces pale as ghosts, realizing they've offended the dreaded clown family. As the Duke carries Shireena away, the bullies cling to their mother, completely terrified. Shireina seizes the moment to shoot them a petty, triumphant glare, declaring herself free of rage as

she savors their defeat. She figures she might get grounded for using magic. But at least These two scary men don't want her dead yet. She's genuinely surprised they stood up for an illegitimate child like her in front of high society. Later, the scene shifts to a quiet, tense dinner table where Barat tells her to open wide. Bar happily feeds Shireena, trying to keep things normal amidst the awkward silence. Shireina thought she'd just be sent to her room. So, this family dinner is unexpected. Suddenly, the young Duke Chars out to his father. Shireina looks Around, realizing

that while it looks like a family meal, the vibe is cold as ice. Char places the blue magic stone on the table, the sound echoing loudly. He asks plainly where she got it, his eyes narrowing. He points out that she definitely knew how to use it, dropping the bomb that he knows she's magical. He says the word magic with disdain and Shireina gets annoyed that he couldn't wait until after dessert to start the interrogation. He turns his attention to The maid, calling out Barah. He asks directly if Barah has ever seen the child use magic

before. Bar sweats nervously but lies through her teeth, saying, "No, never to protect Shireina." Shireena winces, feeling guilty that she's forcing her kind made into a dangerous lie. Sharant presses harder, asking even once, with a terrifying calmness. He smiles a fake creepy smile, clearly knowing that Barat is hiding the truth. He looks at Shireena, thinking She seems remarkably clever for a baby who supposedly knows nothing. Suddenly, Shireina is left speechless as someone else interrupts the tension. She decides to play the I'm just a dumb baby card and ignores the conversation, wondering where she's going to

sleep. Sharon turns his head and calls out to the young boy, Kaishin. The boy sits up straight and responds obediently, "Yes, father." Shireina watches them, weirded out by how friendly the cold-blooded Duke is Acting toward his son. She stares at Kaishin, her mind wandering. She starts questioning what a family actually is and if blood is the only thing that matters. She wonders if this boy is actually Char's weakness since he treats him so differently. Sharon drops a trap question, asking Kaishin if he saw Shireena put something in the fireplace earlier. Shireina panics internally, begging him

not to snitch, but Kaishin covers for her saying, "H no." Char Size, calling Kaishin unobservant, comparing the item to a straw doll. Shireina realizes she wasn't caught for the magic stone, but for something else entirely. Char stands up abruptly, announcing he's going to check the child's room personally. The elder duke looks confused, asking what he needs to check. Char smirks, buttoning his coat, saying he has something to verify. Barat is terrified, but has no choice but to lead the way to the nursery. The elder Duke decides to tag along, leaving Kaishin behind to finish his

food. As the door caks open, Shireena feels a massive wave of danger washing over her. She remembers that the clown family hates magic, but they absolutely loathe black magic. Shireina starts trembling. If he's looking for black magic evidence, her straw dolls are going to get her busted immediately. Bar notices the baby shaking in her arms and asks why she's suddenly so anxious. Shireina Knows exactly what happens to wizards in this world. They get treated like slaves or worse. Char reaches out to take Shireina from Bara, ready to begin his inspection. Shireina is crawling on the

floor, sweating bullets, chanting, "I know nothing," in her head while trying to act like a clueless baby. The elder Duke looks confused, asking Char exactly what he's hunting for with such intensity. Char ignores him and locks onto a specific book, the one containing The black magic evidence. Shireena realizes she's absolutely cooked. She frantically grabs three magic stones, knowing it's do or die time. She also secures her tactical pacifier because priorities. She does the math using three stones might blow her up, but staying here means certain death by the clown family. She glances at the book's

cursed drawings, terrified because she has no idea how to control this much power. Suddenly, Char whips around, his Eyes locking onto her like a predator. As he stomps toward her like a final boss, Shireina mentally screams, "Boo!" and triggers the spell. She grips the crystal tight, shouting, "All right!" as she commits to the escape. The stones start sucking Mana like a vacuum. Char notices the surge and immediately reaches for his sword. Shireina panics as the power overwhelms her tiny body. This is her last resort. With one desperate prayer for strength, she Screams, "Warp!" and vanishes

in a blinding flash of light. Baras screams, "Lady!" in pure horror as the baby disappears into thin air. Chares at the empty spot, his face unreadable, but his mind racing. He realizes it was a warp spell. High tier magic that requires serious practice. Definitely not something a toddler should know. The elder Duke grabs Char by the collar, absolutely livid, demanding to know why he pulled a sword on a child. Char stays Calm, claiming he only drew his blade to break the magic stone before she could cast the dangerous spell. He smoothly defends himself, asking if

he really looks like the type to execute a defenseless kid for no reason. The Elder Duke buys it, but wipes the sweat from his face. Still shaken by the sight of the blade, he warns Char sternly. Whatever the reason, he won't allow anyone to hurt that child. Sharon agrees obediently, but that smile on his face Is straight up creepy. Internally, he's annoyed that he lost her and decides to deploy a search team immediately. Suddenly, a handsome stranger in white robes appears out of nowhere, sensing the magical disturbance. Char insults him instantly, calling him a guest

with dirty feet for barging in. The intruder ignores the shade, stating he sensed magic use in the mansion and came to prepare for the unexpected. He politely apologizes for crashing the party. Sharon asks, "Who are you?" With zero respect, the mage feels the pressure messing with the Duke as a death wish because the clown family basically runs the military might of the entire Hron Empire. The stranger introduces himself as Meline Cilopia, the new master of the magic tower. That last name, Cilopia, carries weight. It belonged to Hia, the previous master who was recently executed. Sharon

smiles darkly, asking where that hateful person Hia is now. Melain sweats, wondering why they sent a newbie like him to deal with these terrifying nobles. He explains that the previous master was executed for committing a forbidden crime. Char fains ignorance, asking what exactly constitutes a forbidden crime. Meline confirms she used black magic to kill innocents for no reason, making her a massive threat to the world. The Elder Duke looks away, feeling a pang of guilt for how they exploited Hia's power Before fearing it. Sharon just looks bored, noting that when people in charge get too

much power, it becomes a burden. Melan tries to move on, saying Hero's black magic usage isn't exactly breaking news. But the Elder Duke snaps at him, bringing up a security breach involving a griffin earlier that day. Meline looks stressed, admitting that unpredictable mistake is actually one of the reasons he's visiting. The Elder Duke goes off, yelling that the nation is falling apart Piece by piece, while the mages just stand around watching. He threatens to report the tower directly to the authorities if something like that happens again. Melane bows his head knowing a report won't change

much, but he agrees just to deescalate the situation. He then turns back to Char asking for an explanation about the magic exposure he sensed earlier. Char spins a tail. His niece was born with unexpected gifts, got intimidated, and Warped away with some stones. Meline analyzes the residual energy. Warp isn't high quality magic, but it usually takes two-3 years of practice to stabilize. He does some mental math, assuming the niece is around seven or older, warping at that age is impressive. The elder Duke looks proud of his granddaughter's talent, while Meline thinks finding her will be

a piece of cake. He confidently declares that since she hasn't mastered magic, she won't be able to hide her Energy signature. Big mistake. Shireina lies on the grass, panting heavily, realizing her short life almost just ended. She wonders how the great Hira ended up as a drooling baby rolling in the dirt. She tries to reassure herself, but her tongue is clumsy and she can only make nonsense noises. Laying there, she starts missing her warm sheets and free food. The hobo life is tough. She thinks about how she's been a beggar before, but doing it in

diapers is a Whole new level of difficulty. Without her black magic, she knows surviving in the wild with this weak body is practically a death sentence. Suddenly, she notices something about the bushes around her. The trees look incredibly familiar. Her instincts kick in, and she predicts exactly where the fruit trees should be. She marvels that her body still remembers the layout. She crawls through the brush and screams. She's still in the mansion's second garden. The warp barely moved her. Meanwhile, Melan explains the nature of magic trails to the Dukes. He says he can follow the

tracks that can't be erased, locking onto her residual mana. He confirms that the niece couldn't have gotten far with such unpolished magic. He points the way, confident that following the mana string will lead straight to her. Char steps in, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper, saying he'll let this intrusion slide Just once, but he warns Meline that if he ever enters the mansion without permission again. Shing, before Meline can blink, Char's sword is inches from his throat. With a cold smile, Char promises that next time, the mage will leave in pieces. Meline sweats profusely,

terrified because he didn't even see the blade move. Char sheathes the sword instantly, the threat delivered loud and clear. Meline stammers that he'll go find the child Immediately to escape the tension. Chares him go with a look of pure annoyance. Suddenly, the elder Duke climbs over the balcony railing like a Parker pro. He declares he's going to find her himself and jumps off, worried about how scared she must be. Sharant face palms, realizing his father has completely lost it over this kid. He shouts down, accusing his father of giving her the magic stones, but the

old man sprints away. The elder duke mumbles A weak excuse about her being talented as he flees the conversation. Char sigh deeply, realizing he has to go clean up this mess. The butler can't approaches him cautiously. Sharon orders him to prepare for the worst case scenario, then heads out to follow his dad. Back in the garden, Shireina senses a pursuit spell locking onto her. She tries to counter it, but she can't. She used to be able to block this with a single finger. She realizes the clown family Must have recruited sorcerers despite their hatred for

magic. She wonders why they are so obsessed with catching her instead of just letting her go. She pouts, cursing Char for being such a stubborn, narrow-minded guy. Looking at the sunset, she's depressed that she warped straight into the backyard instead of freedom. The biggest problem now isn't power, it's her baby brain trying to remember complex spells. In her past life as her, she did all the Math in her head instantly. But her current toddler brain is running on dialup internet and can't handle the load. She tries to focus, but the monotrail vanishes, meaning the hunter

has arrived. She attempts to chant a spell, but her pronunciation is absolute garbage. Ancient languages are hard enough without a tongue that can't articulate properly. Exhausted and out of options, she decides to find a place to sleep and try warping again later. Suddenly, a shadow falls over her and a voice says, "Found you." Meline stands there in his white robes, asking if she's the young Duke's niece. He walks toward the tiny baby sitting on the path. Shireina freezes, her eyes widening as she recognizes that voice. He comments on how small she is, and a memory

flashes in her mind. She remembers a time long ago when he knelt before her in loyalty. Right before he smiled and whispered, "I despise you." A Dark memory flashes through Shireena's mind. Meline standing over her in the past, cold and heartless, whispering, "I curse you." But in the present, Melan leans in close, noticing the baby's unique silver pupils and realizing he's found the target. Shireena freezes, hearing that lovely voice again makes her skin crawl, especially when he picks up the warp stone she dropped. Meline backs off to give her space, apologizing for startling her, still

trying to Confirm if a toddler actually used magic. He smiles gently, asking point blank if she really was the one who warped. Shireina stays silent, staring him down, leaving Meline wondering what to do with such a quiet kid. Inside, Shireina is seething, clutching the crystal tight. She can't reconcile this gentle demeanor with the traitor who ruined her. Meline casually sits on the ground, deciding to wait right there for her uncle and grandfather to catch up. Shireina decides to play dumb, babbling meaningless baby noises to throw him off, desperate to hide her true identity. Meline just

smiles warmly at her, and Shireena wants to scream. How can he smile like that? After murdering his own master, he looks up at the sky, reminiscing about Hia, the very person he pushed to death, mentioning she was also a prodigy. He talks about her with such nostalgia, acting like a grieving friend instead of a backstabbing snake. Shireena glares at him, disgusted by his fake sympathy. Meline laughs awkwardly, realizing he's monologuing to a baby who probably doesn't understand a word. He explains that he just kept talking because he didn't want her to be afraid of the

silence. Shireina stiffens. Those are the exact same words she used to comfort him when he was a child. He sympathizes with her, noting how tough it must be to have sorcerer talents in a family that hates magic. Shireina pouts, Thinking she only ran away to save her life, not because of some tragic backstory. She grips the stone, wishing she had enough mana to curse him right here and now, but she's completely powered down. Suddenly, Sharon arrives and scoops her up. For once, Shireena is actually relieved to be held by the cold-blooded Duke. Meline watches them,

murmuring about the burden he has to carry in Hera's place. Shireena squeezes her eyes shut, refusing to listen to his Twisted justifications. She renews her vow of vengeance. She will absolutely never forgive him for what he did. Then the elder Duke Desar arrives, panting and looking worried sick. He sigh in relief, seeing that she didn't get far and is safe. The adrenaline crash hits and Shireena starts tearing up, feeling totally helpless in this tiny body. She tries to wipe her tears, rubbing dirt all over her face with her chubby little hands. Desar gently takes her

hand, his Expression softening when he sees her distress. He carefully wipes the dirt away with a handkerchief, treating her like precious glass. He notices her palms are filthy from crawling through the garden. Then Desar turns to his son and accuses him of teasing the baby until she cried. Char looks completely baffled. Desar ignores him and tries to bribe Shireena, pulling out a magic stone to make her stop crying. Shireina is confused. Why is he giving her the Very thing that got her in trouble? But she reaches for it anyway. She sniffles, thinking she needs a

bag to carry her loot if this is going to be a thing. Desar raises the stakes. He promises to give her 10 stones if she stops crying right now. Shireina does the math immediately. 10 is a solid deal. She stops crying and tries to say grandpa, but it comes out as grandpa. Desar melts and hugs her tight, seemingly thrilled that his granddaughter has magic talent, Even if it's taboo. Shireina relaxes in his arms, relieved that he clearly has no intention of killing her. But then she spots Meline watching them and her blood runs cold again.

She can't stand breathing the same air as him. Desar orders Cher to head back and the young Duke obeys instantly showing that despite his power, he still respects his father. Chars to Melain and dismisses him, basically telling him to get lost since the job is done. Meline stares at The baby, his expression shifting into something more calculated. Shireina buries her face in Desar's shoulder. Realizing Melan looks exactly like he did the day he betrayed her. Suddenly, Melan speaks up, asking for the child's age. He comments that her magic usage is incredibly intense for such a

young child, hinting that it might become uncontrollable. He warns them that keeping a powerful sorcerer in Hon, a country that hunts mages, is extremely Dangerous. Shireena realizes where this is going and internally screams, "No way." Meain drops the bomb. He formally requests to take the child as his disciple. He argues that living in the magic tower of Cilopia would be far safer and more beneficial for her. He plays his final card, reminding them that the clown family isn't exactly equipped to raise a wizard. Desar steps up, his voice dripping with venom as he asks how

an outsider dares to speak About his family matters. Melan flinches, physically recoiling from the sheer intensity of the elder duke's aura. If Cherant is a quiet tsunami that sneaks up on you, Desar is a violent avalanche that crushes everything in its sight. Shireena snuggles into his chest, realizing that with a monster like this on her side, she's actually safe. It's ironic. The people she thought were her mortal enemies are now the ones standing as her shield. Meanwhile, the disciple She trusted with her life is standing there like a total stranger, plotting against her. Melan tries

to reason with them, arguing that a country that hunts sorcerers is no place for a gifted child. He flashes a fake gentle smile, asking Desar to trust him with the item that belongs to the clown family. Desar tightens his grip on Shireena, making it clear she isn't just an item or a stone to be traded. He looks Meline dead in the eye and refuses, swearing he will Never hand her over. Meline warns that if she becomes stronger like Hia did, her power will become a massive burden for them. Desar narrows his eyes, admitting he knows

exactly how Hia dabbled in forbidden black magic. He remembers warning Hia about the dangers long ago, but she had just smiled and ignored his concerns. But he looks down at the baby, absolutely certain that this child is nothing like the tragic figure Hira became. Shireina blinks, Surprised by his unwavering faith in her. In her past life, her meetings with the clown family weren't random. They worked together for the nation's sake. She hated seeing them, but she never avoided her duty during those long, painful years. Desar hits Melan with a brutal reality check, telling him the

baby is already a better leader than he'll ever be. Shireina stares at Melan, seeing a ghost of the innocent boy he used to be before he turned traitor. Desar lays down the law. Inside his house, his word overrides even the emperor himself, and he threatens to teach Melan a lesson if he resists. To Shireena, the old man looks like a king, an invisible crown resting on his stubborn head. Having made his point, Desar turns his back on the mage and orders Char to head home. For the first time ever, Shireina feels genuine gratitude toward this

terrifying family, mumbling a soft grandbab. Desar glances Down, his stony face softening into a warm grandfatherly smile. Shireina tries to say thank you, but her baby tongue betrays her and it comes out as a garbled thank you. Later that week, Sharon enters his father's office, interrupting his work. Desar is deep in thought, reviewing documents with a serious expression. He looks up, surprised to see his son there so early. He casually flips a page trying to act natural, but he's clearly scheming Something, humming to himself as he reads. Char calls him out, asking why the busy

elder duke is spending his week looking at contracts for magic stone minerals. Desar clears his throat, admitting that since Shireena likes magic stones, he wants to buy her a supply. Shireena knows he's totally spoiling her, even though she hasn't even been officially added to the family registry yet. Desar declares that only the highest quality Imperial minerals Will do for his granddaughter. He decides right then and there to pay the emperor a visit to secure the goods. Char sigh, asking if that's really the only reason he called him in. Desar's mood shifts instantly as he slams

a red book onto the desk. It's the suspicious book they found in Shireena's room earlier. Desar suspects she manipulated this book to use black magic, though Char finds that hard to believe. Sharon asks if this has to do with Baroness Sullivan, Shireena's biological mother. Desar rubs his face in frustration, admitting they have no concrete evidence yet. Cherant warns that Baron Sullivan might notice something is off and hire sorcerers to investigate if they aren't careful. Desar decides to check one last time for evidence, but insists on speaking with her first. Char gives him a blank stare,

wondering how exactly one has a serious conversation with a one-year-old. Desar stands up, Announcing he's heading to the Citadel immediately to handle the Sullivan situation. He tells Cher to go converse with the baby while he's gone. Striding out of the room, Char rubs his temples, wondering why his life has become a chaotic mess since this child arrived. Meanwhile, Shireena's eyes sparkle like diamonds. She's found a stash of crystals. Abu Bar smiles, asking if the lady likes her new toys. Shireena is absolutely hyped. These are B-grade Stones or higher, meaning she won't have to worry about

Mana for years. It's feeding time, and Barad gently tells the lady to open wide. Shireina happily obliges, noting that the food quality has seriously leveled up lately. Barat praises her eating skills, and Shireina replies with a cute bea, melting the maid's heart. Seeing Barah beam like a fresh Daisy makes Shireena's day. To keep those smiles coming, Shireina has implemented a strict policy. Say Bar's Name once a day for maximum cuteness. She closes her eyes, hoping this peaceful, food-filled life continues forever. Suddenly, the door caks open, interrupting the vibe. It's Cherant Clown walking in like he

owns the place, which unfortunately he does. He greets them stiffly and immediately asks Barah if she's eaten yet. When Barah says no, he orders her to leave and go eat, taking her seat with zero hesitation. He grabs the spoon, declaring he'll finish Feeding the baby himself. Barah apologizes and retreats, leaving Shireena reaching out in desperation like a scene from a drama. Shireina screams internally, "Don't leave me alone with him." As Char settles in, he holds out a spoonful of mush, and Shireina stares at it, wondering if he spiked it with poison. Char smirks, reading the

room or her mind, and assuring her he's not despicable enough to poison a baby. Shireina isn't Convinced. This guy is a walking red flag who could end her any time. She tries to sneak a hand toward her stash of magic crystals for safety, but Char catches her wrist instantly. He threatens to confiscate her entire stash if she tries to use magic without a permit. Shireina bursts into tears, wailing Yua at the injustice of it all. Sharant just wipes her face with a napkin, completely unfazed by the tantrum. Realizing crying won't work on This robot, Shireina

accepts her fate and opens her mouth. She chews cautiously and realizes it tastes normal guess he really didn't poison her. She waves her hands, trying to act cute to lower his guard, but Sharon drops a bomb, comparing her to someone named Baen and noting that she seems way too smart. Then he hits her with, "I didn't expect you to use black magic." Shireina freezes, her heart stopping. She panics. Does he already know everything? Is her Cover blown? Char chuckles at her terrified expression, and Shireina thinks, "Why are you laughing, you jerk?" He pokes her chubby

cheek, sending Shireina into a spiral of internal screaming. He stirs the food, wondering aloud how much of his words she actually understands. Shireina thinks, "All of it, you human." He casually suggests that next time she should just tell him who she wants to kill instead of doing it herself. Shireina takes a bite, sweating nervously. Is he aware he's talking to a one-year-old? He mentions Bailey and Clown again, saying that Guy is still making people suffer even from the grave. He warns her to stop doing pointless things. Then he pinches her cheek, promising not to kill

her or kick her out if she just lives nicely. Shireena snaps, slamming her hands on the table and yelling baby gibberish at this annoying man. Time passes and the Seasons change as Shireena settles into a routine. Being a baby is boring. She spends her days eating, sleeping, and staring at walls. Two weeks later, she's practicing rolling around in her crib. But her biggest problem remains. Char keeps stealing Barz feeding duties every single day. Shireena decides she's had enough of his face. It's time to learn how to feed herself. She grips the spoon like a weapon,

determined to master motor skills out of pure spite. Bar Walks in and Shireena greets her with a happy shout, showing off her independence. Barat claps her hands, praising the genius lady for speaking so clearly. Shireina basks in the compliments, feeling her spirit heal from Sharon's torment. Barab brings out a special treat, pudding, and asks to see Shireina eat it all by herself. Shireina stares at the spoon, momentarily overwhelmed by the sadness of her helpless baby life. She struggles With the blanket, frustrated that she can't even perform basic tasks. But remembering her training, she decides to

show off. Watch this. She scoops up a huge bite of pudding, ready for a flavor explosion. But the moment the spoon enters her mouth, her face goes blank. She can't taste a single thing. Shireina stares at the spoon in disbelief. It's completely empty because she clumsily dropped the food. She didn't even realize it happened, thinking she was Doing a great job, but her motor skills are absolute trash. Bar swoops in to save the day, feeding her the dropped pudding while Shireena wallows in shame over her useless baby hands. But the moment Bar mentions its custard

pudding with caramel syrup, Shireena's eyes lock in. Bar feeds her a bite, and Shireina's world instantly lights up. She tries to resist, calling herself a pig for being so easily swayed, but the flavor is just too powerful. Her tiny head is filled With pure sweetness, and all her worries melt away like sugar. She admits defeat, Pudding is the undisputed king of desserts. She decides right then and there if she ever returns to the magic tower, she's poaching these chefs because the clown family eats like royalty. Bar breaks the trance, telling her to say ah because

the Duke wants to see her immediately after the meal. Later, Barack carries her down the hall, remarking on how fast the lady is Growing. Shireina grimaces she loves Bar, but honestly, her holding technique is uncomfortable. It pains her to admit it, but Sharon is actually the goat at holding babies since he raised a son. She figures Bar just lacks experience, nodding off as the food coma hits. They arrive at the guest room, and Barat announces their presence. Shireena notices Barat is shaking slightly, clearly stressed out by whoever is behind that door. When they enter, the

Room is packed with tense people and the atmosphere is suffocatingly heavy. Shireena scans the room. Char looks cold. Desar looks freezing and there are two intense strangers sitting opposite them. Desar takes Shireina into his arms, but being around so many people makes everything awkward. Barat tries to bail, saying she'll wait outside, and Shireina panics. How can she leave a penalous kid in this lion's den? Shireina reaches out desperately, Screaming no and trying to say Bar's name. But she knows Ban needs this job to survive. So her cries fall on deaf ears. Desar holds the squirming

baby looking exhausted. While Shireena thinks she should be paid for dealing with this family drama, he calls her name to get her attentions. He hands her a blue magic stone, basically bribing her to chill out. Shireina inspects the goods. It's high quality grade or better, proving the clown family has insane Resources. Distracted by the loot, she glances at the red-haired woman across the table and realizes she looks strangely familiar. Desar is in the middle of a heated discussion about mineral contracts and a bet with the emperor. The red-haired woman cuts him off, accusing him of

being dishonest. Shireena focuses on the woman's wine-led hair and suddenly notices something shocking. Silver pupils. Her jaw drops. That woman has the trademark silver eyes Of the clown bloodline. Shireena's brain goes into overdrive. If she calls Desar father, she must be Char's sister. But Shireina has never heard of a daughter in this generation of the clown family. It's a total mystery and Shireina realizes she needs to dig up information on this unknown aunt. There's zero intel on her, so Shireena decides to observe carefully. She shifts her gaze to the man next to her. Muscular, serious,

probably a swordsman, but definitely not A clown since his eyes are normal. Desar snaps at the woman asking what's wrong with her for bringing up Baleian's kid. The woman, Raineian, looks at Shireina and comments that the kid doesn't look like Baalian at all. Char interrupts with a cold glare, asking Raineian why she really came here. Raineian smirks, teasing Char for not changing a bit, addressing him like a little brother. Shireina is stunned. Is this really the legendary family member who walked away From the clan, Char ignores the banter and demands to know her purpose again.

Raineian drops the facade and states her mission plainly. I'm here to take Bali's kid. She claims she's taking the child away because she's sure Shireena is being treated poorly in this cold house. Sharon's expression darkens, asking who exactly she's doing this for. Raineian laughs, admitting she didn't expect permission, but claims Bailey himself asked her to do it to avoid legal Issues. Char looks at her like she's insane, using a dead man's request is absolutely ridiculous. But then Raineian mentions the letter and Char flinches. caught off guard. She reveals a sealed envelope, a letter Bian wrote

just in case he died unexpectedly. Raineian slams the final nail in the coffin. Baleian explicitly wanted her to take Shireina if Char couldn't take care of her properly. Char looks his sister dead in the eye, stating plainly that as she Can see, the child is living well. He sets his teacup down with a sharp clink, signaling the end of the pleasantries. Then he drops the bombshell. He intends to raise Shireena as his own daughter. Shireena's eyes sparkle with excitement. She's always hated family drama, but this aunt is one of the few people she actually respects.

Raineian isn't just family. She's a living legend. A warrior whose sword dances like the moon rising in a blood red sky. In her past life, Shireena was a total stan, collecting rare first editions of Raineian's books and even buying her training sword at an auction. She even had a collection of Raineian minifigures on her desk. She was obsessed. So, when Raineian offers to take her, Shireena reaches out enthusiastically, screaming, "Mama!" in her heart. Raineian smiles warmly and lifts the baby into her arms. Shireina snuggles in, thinking she didn't expect to meet her idol in this

tiny body, but It feels amazing. She admires Raineian's firm muscles, thinking it's unbelievable she shares blood with the clown family. Raineian whispers, asking if she prefers to leave with her, and Shireena mentally screams, "Oh my god, of course." She pumps her tiny fist, ready to follow this woman until the end of time. Raineian laughs, finding the baby's boldness adorable, but Char cuts the moment short, crossing his arms and refusing to give up the child. Desar Rubs his tired eyes, insisting that they are taking good care of Bailey's kid. Raineian scoffs, shaking her head as if

the idea of a caring clown family is a joke. She hits Desar where it hurts, telling him he can't raise a child properly, admitting she can't have kids of her own anyway. She looks at her father with pity, claiming Shireina is too special for them to handle. Desar realizes she's talking about magic. Shireena has inherited the same power That destroyed Balian's wife. Sharon interrupts, pointing out that holy knights possess the power to strike out evil. Shifting the focus to the man beside Raineian. Shireena stiffens, finally noticing the silent knight in the room. She analyzes him

instantly. He's hiding it well, but he has a massive amount of divine power coiled inside him. She panics, realizing that if she had used magic earlier, this high-grade knight would have detected Her instantly. The knight asks if his presence is the problem, and Sharon bluntly confirms it. Here's the science. Dark arch mages and priests are natural enemies. Their powers cancel each other out, weakening whoever is lesser. The knight's expression remains stoic, but he clearly knows his aura is toxic to the baby. Shireena feels her energy draining and screams Grandba. Desperate to get away from the

holy radar, she practically dives out of Raineian's Arms, terrified her dark magic will evaporate if she stays near that guy. Char smirks triumphantly, declaring that the child has made her choice. Raineian is stunned, asking if this blood obsessed family actually treats the kid well enough for her to choose them. Sharon's gaze softens slightly as he reminds her that Shireena is still family. Shireena clings to her grandpa, shocked that she's actually siding with the clowns, but survival comes first. Raineian looks heartbroken, unable to understand why the baby rejected her. Sharon glances at the knight, implying the

answer is standing right next to her. Raineian's disappointed face feels like a knife in Shireena's heart. Internally, Shireena apologizes. If it weren't for the dark magic issue, she would have bailed in a heartbeat. Raineian sigh, accepting defeat for now and promises to return another time. Desar holds the baby tight, vowing to Make her happier than that night ever could. Raineian waves goodbye, forcing a smile as she walks away. Shireina waves back energetically, shouting, "See you again." in baby speak. Raineian leaves with a heavy heart, loving the child, but unable to let go of her hatred

for the family. Shireena size, hoping to grow up fast so she can go find her aunt properly later. For now, all she can do is hold her breath and survive. After Raineian's storm of a visit, peace Finally returns to the mansion. Time flows softly, days turning into months. We hear the scratching sound of a crayon on paper. Shireina is now a toddler, happily drawing on the floor. Suddenly, a boy's voice calls out asking if she's there. Two years have passed. Shireina is now 3 years old, and Kaishin has grown into a handsome young boy who

never gets tired of looking for her. Kaishin is wandering the halls calling her name. But Shireina is hiding, Thinking he's absolutely annoying for always trying to find her. She's busy plotting her grand escape, scribbling a magic circle with a crayon and wondering if her space movement range is still trash. She gets frustrated, realizing how stupid she looks just drawing circles and nodding her head like a bobblehead. She pops her pacifier in, admitting that while she's maturing mentally, she needs the binky to stay sane. It helps her focus on complex Thoughts. Otherwise, she just revert to

acting like a drooling toddler. She clutches a magic stone, determined to get away from that annoying boy Kaishin first. Luckily, her stubby limbs have grown enough that she can finally walk on her own. So, she toddles off to explore. Two maids walk right past her, not even noticing the tiny human at their feet. They start gossiping about her, wondering if her mother was a gypsy and calling her a stain on the family Honor. Shireina ignores them, thinking about how Desar Clown treats her like a pet, feeding her snacks and stones when he's bored. The maids

question why the Duke keeps a nameless child in the mansion, treating her like a stray cat. Sharina pouts, thinking, "I don't care." But deep down, it's frustrating to be stuck in this limbo. She looks at her hand, lamenting that she couldn't collect black magic properly, so her recovery has been slower than a snail. Practicing everyday helped her regain some variety, but her raw power is still nowhere near her prime as her. She decides she has no intention of living in this toxic mansion anyway and heads toward Sharon's office. She peaks through the door just in

time to hear Chan ask his father how long they plan to keep her. Desar states she's 3 years old now and the atmosphere in the room is heavy. Then Desar drops the line. It's time to let her go. Shireena Panics. Where exactly are they planning to ship her off to? Desar explains that because she has clown blood, she must attend the academy until she's an adult. Shireena's eyes widen as she recalls a rumor that the academy nursery is just a dumping ground for abandoned noble kids. She flies into a rage, thinking, "How dare they do

this to me? What bastards." She figures if they're going to dump her, she might as well leave on her own terms right now. Oblivious to the baby Fuming at the door, Desar asks Sharon about the admission dates for this year. Shireina barges in, tears welling up, asking point blank if she's going to be thrown away. She demands to know when they're tossing her out so she can go find a nice orphanage herself. Desar looks completely bewildered, asking Grandpa, while Shireena yells that she needs to get ready to be kicked to the curb. Desar tries to

explain that he just wants her to study at the academy, Not live on the streets. Shireina cuts him off, telling him to save the excuses and just throw her away now because she's not wasting her youth in some stuffy school. Char looks bored out of his mind and tells her to hurry up and leave like she usually does. Shireena stands her ground, vibrating with anger, screaming, "I'm fine. Please throw me away." Char gets annoyed by her slurred pronunciation, thinking if she's that bothersome, maybe she should start a new Life elsewhere. Internally, he admits he's ruthless

enough to toss a useless child into the slums to survive on their own. He stares her down coldly and asks why she's wandering around his office. Shireina blinks innocently and says, "I'm going for a walk," instantly switching gears. Char dismisses her, telling her to go back after her walk, while Shireena wonders when the actual abandonment starts. Before she leaves, Desar hands her a sparkling S-class Magic stone, and Shireina happily accepts the loot, saying, "Yay, thank you." Desar softens, telling her he doesn't hate her, but there are unavoidable circumstances she needs to understand. Shireina walks away

thinking Desar is just a coward, no different from the traitor Melan. She decides to hit the library to research orphanages because she's taking matters into her own hands. Later, she sits on the floor with a red crayon, ready to write her Farewell letter. She draws a straight red line and declares done. Since her motor skills are trash, each word takes up a whole page, so she has to write across multiple sheets. She looks at her scribbles, hoping they'll look carefully enough to realize she's gone for good. She worries they won't recognize her handwriting, but she

used red so it would pop like a warning sign. She pauses, realizing she's not even sure what she wrote, but confidence is key. She leaves the paper on the desk, thinking she's being incredibly kind by leaving a note at all. Back in her room, she packs her bag with the essentials, aka all the magic stones she stole. She recalls the map from the library. There are orphanages in the capital, but she decides to go further to avoid being hunted down by Char. With her current power, she calculates she can warp about five times. And thanks

to her relentless practice, she's ready to vanish. The Little girl realizes that creating a modern storage space with magic isn't as simple as she thought. In theory, she should be able to pop items in and out of a dimensional pocket like a video game inventory. But the archaic spells are way too rigid for such a flexible concept, and pronouncing them is a nightmare. She decides to ditch the incantations and rely entirely on her imagination to shape the magic. Since describing the complex physics is Impossible, she focuses her mental energy on visualizing the storage box instead.

It takes a week of grinding, but she finally pulls it off, collapsing on the floor like a total zombie. With her preparations complete, she decides it's time to escape this mansion for good. Just then, Bar the maid walks in with a bright smile, carrying a tray of delicious food. Looking at Barra, the girl feels a pang of guilt, knowing she's about to leave the one person who Truly cared for her. Barat chats happily, completely unaware that this is the last time she'll see her young charge. The girl nods along, promising herself that she'll live a

good life out there no matter what. Bar beams at her, her face full of genuine warmth and affection. She tells the girl to eat up and become a great sorcerer one day, while the girl quietly decides to leave Bara parting gift. Later that night, under the cover of darkness, the girl Grabs a book and prepares to make her move. She gives Bar a gentle kiss on the cheek while she sleeps, whispering a final goodbye. In a flashback to earlier, Bar asks if she needs anything, sensing something might be off. But the girl just smiles innocently

and thanks her, keeping her escape plan a secret. Now fully committed, she tells herself that coming to this family was a mistake from the start. She stands at the massive door, her heart heavy with mixed Feelings. As she steps out into the night, she reflects on the clown family members, realizing they weren't evil, just complicated, and they even had her back sometimes. Even thinking of Kaishin brings no joy, but she knows she has to cut ties to pursue her own path. Clutching a magic stone tightly, she admits that leaving Bara behind hits her harder than

anything else. She activates her spatial magic, warping through the barrier and teleporting away in a flash Of light. After a grueling journey, she finally arrives at a rustic sign that reads the lucky house. The trip was brutal, requiring five separate teleportation jumps with rest breaks in between to recharge her mana. Exhausted and sitting on the steps, she worries that people will think she was abandoned, so she decides to lean into the drama. The door caks open and a kind-looking couple steps out, surprised to find a child on their doorstep. She Immediately turns on the waterworks,

looking as pathetic as possible and murmuring about food. The couple stares at her, confused by the sudden appearance of this tiny, hungry stranger. Suddenly, she panics because the man looks suspiciously like the clown family members she just escaped from. She calms down, realizing it's just her trauma acting up and making her see familiar faces everywhere. The man crouches down, gently asking where her Parents are and why she's waiting there alone. She shakes her head silently, playing the role of the poor lost orphan to perfection. Her big, teary eyes do all the talking, absolutely wrecking the

couple's emotional defenses. The woman immediately caves, scooping her up and offering to let her live with them. The plan is a total success and the girl convinces herself that her old family won't even miss her. She bitterly thinks that Char might actually be the first One to congratulate her for disappearing. The next morning, back at the mansion, Barat enters the room to wake the young lady up. She throws open the curtains, chirping about the beautiful sunlight and proposing a morning walk, but the room is dead silent, which is weird since the girl usually mumbles a

greeting back. Barat turns around, the ominous quiet settling in as she realizes the bed is empty. Her eyes widen in shock when she spots a Pile of handwritten notes left on the sheets. The notes are blunt and heartbreaking, simply reading, "Goodbye, am leaving and bye." Bar freezes, holding the paper as the reality of the situation hits her like a truck. Meanwhile, we learn that a massive war 10 years ago left the empire filled with orphans and terrible living conditions. However, the Lucky House is a rare gem. A wellsponsored orphanage that is actually clean and safe.

The girl looks Out the window, watching bunnies hop around a lush garden, proving this place is legit. The staff treats the kids with kindness, and everyone seems genuinely happy and wellfed. The woman asks for her name, and the girl realizes she hasn't introduced herself yet. Keeping her true identity a secret, she looks up with innocent eyes and introduces herself as Leela. She comes up with a fake name on the spot, telling the woman she's Leela, a mashup of her two Identities. The head mistress buys it completely, calling it a pretty name before deciding it's time

to scrub the dirt off the new arrival. The woman gushes over how cute Leela looks once she's clean, acting overly affectionate. Dressed in a fresh yellow frock, Leela actually looks adorable, like a little doll come to life. But when the head mistress offers to introduce her to the other kids, Leela hesitates, not really vibing with the idea. She remembers how Annoying kids like Kaishin were and dreads dealing with a whole room full of snot-nosed brats. Walking down the hall, she's already regretting her choices, missing her soft bed and private room like crazy. She slaps herself

mentally, reminding herself that she only needs to survive this grind for 2 or 3 years. The head mistress opens the door to the playroom, ushering her inside. Inside, the kids are playing quietly, and Leela notes with relief that at least they Look cleaner than the nobles she left behind. The head mistress nudges her forward, telling Lyra to go make some friends. Leela stands there awkwardly, not moving an inch, her eyes wide and blank. The head mistress's smile doesn't waver, but her tone drops as she forces Leela to answer with a proper yes head mistress. We

learn that the war 20 years ago left deep scars on the land, creating a generation of people obsessed with order and authority. Leela decides It's safer to play along with the strict rules for now. giving a polite nod to keep the peace. The head mistress beams, pleased that this new child seems smart and quick on the uptake. She tells Leela to be comfortable like she's at home, but that specific phrasing sets off alarm bells in Leela's head. As the other kids crowd around her, Leela maintains her act, answering politely while staying on high alert. Meanwhile,

back at the Duke's mansion, chaos has Absolutely erupted. An official accuses Barav neglect, but the maid is in tears, swearing she checked the room just last night. The door clicks open and the Duke walks in looking more annoyed than worried. When he hears Shireina is gone, his expression stays cold, assuming she just used magic to sneak out for a bit. He dismisses the panic, convinced she's just wandering the grounds and will be back by dinner. But Barah insists this is different, revealing that the young Lady actually left a goodbye letter. The Duke is skeptical since

he thinks Shireena doesn't know how to write, but he takes the papers anyway. He reads the blunt notes. I'm leaving. Goodbye. and his composure starts to crack just a little. He tries to rationalize it as a treasure hunt game, but Barass shakes her head, sobbing uncontrollably. The maid is a total wreck, terrified that something terrible has happened to the child she cared for. The Duke, finally Taking charge, orders Barat to go rest while he handles the situation. Left alone, his stoic mask slips as he wonders if Shireena really had the guts to run away from

home. He realizes her favorite magic stone is gone, too, which confirms she didn't just wander off. She planned this. He puts a hand to his face, deep in thought, trying to figure out her motive. It doesn't add up. A kid living in luxury wouldn't just bounce unless they had a serious reason. He Asks his butler Kant if anyone saw her leave, but the answer is a firm no. A memory hits him. He recalls seeing Shireina reading complex books in the library a few days ago. At the time, he thought she was just playing pretend, but

now he realizes she was actually absorbing information all on her own. He stares at the clumsy handwriting, realizing he underestimated a genius. He orders K to search every orphanage for a child with silver eyes. He tries to Sound confident, telling himself she's just a child and they'll catch her in no time. But as he crumples the letter in his hand, it's obvious this escape has rattled him more than he wants to admit. Back at the orphanage, the head mistress claps her hands, ordering the children to get in line. The kids snap to attention instantly, their

discipline looking almost robotic and creepy. Leela watches from the side, thinking it's bizarre how easily these kids are Controlled. She notices the fear in their eyes, but also a strange sense of anticipation. As they wait, the head mistress reveals the prize, a single piece of candy placed in a child's hand. She pats a boy on the head, praising him for his good behavior. While the other kids watch with envy, Leela realizes this is a reward system, and she steps up, deciding she wants a piece of that sugar action, too. The head mistress calls her over

with a smile, but Leela Notices she isn't reaching for the candy jar. Internally, Leela is raging because her sugar levels are low and she really needs a sweet fix right now. Instead of candy, the head mistress smiles weirdly and says Leela will go to a better place, which sounds incredibly suspicious. The woman leads the candy holding kids away while Leela follows, wondering what exactly this better place is supposed to be. Leela stands there stunned and heartbroken, watching her Precious candy get snatched away. Suddenly, a girl with glasses approaches, warning her that she's the head mistress's

next target. The girl whispers that pretty kids like Leela always disappear within a month. Leela plays dumb, asking D to swapper with big innocent eyes to keep her cover. The girl explains that if she gets taken out for a treat, she's never coming back. And Leela realizes she's dead serious. Leela's internal monologue kicks in. She Thought this was a legit orphanage, but it's actually a trap. She imagines the head mistress swimming in money, realizing better place just means being sold to the highest bidder. She feels dumb for trusting the nice act, reminding herself that looks

can be deceiving. The glasses girl mentions people come to adopt kids constantly, sometimes everyday. She adds that the older kids are safe because nobody wants them, which makes Leeler realize the Grim reality. Leela connects the dots. This is straight up human trafficking and she walked right into the lion's den. Deciding she needs intel, she starts running, telling the confusing girl she doesn't need to know where she's going. While running, she breaks down the two types of trafficking she's dealing with. Type one is illegal adoption for rich couples who want a kid without a paper trail,

a perfect crime with no evidence. Type two is way worse, Being sold to dangerous people to be used as tools or opponents. She sigh, realizing how hard it is to find a safe spot to crash for 2 years without her family's protection. She opens a door, hoping to find a hiding spot or clues. Instead, she walks straight into a shady meeting, freezing as a deep voice mentions a schedule. She stares up at a tall man draped in a dark, ominous robe. She quickly notes that the robe doesn't match the official arch mages, which Means this

guy is unauthorized trouble. The man looks down and greets her with a chilling hello. Instantly, a wave of dark energy hits her like a tsunami, freezing her in place. The man radiates pure darkness, looking at her like she's a prize he just won at a carnival. He reaches out, sensing that her aura isn't normal, detecting a complex mix of resentment and curses. Leela panics, wondering if he's a dark arch mage, while he pets her head and guesses she's Mentally in her 30s. Seeing his clenched fist, she realizes he's a combat veteran and fighting him in

a toddler's body would be absolute suicide. So, she decides to deploy the ultimate weapon of any three-year-old. She throws a massive tantrum, kicking and screaming, "Go away!" like a total brat. The mage isn't fooled, calmly, noting that her dark magic won't work on him. Leela commits to the bit, screaming nonsense while internally cursing him out for being so Creepy. She starts sweating, realizing that curiosity really does kill the cat, or in this case, the reincarnated child. The mage smirks, seeing right through her act and telling her she understands him too well for her age. She

shouts no, trying to reject his villainous vibes before she gets dragged into his mess. Suddenly, the head mistress bursts into the room, demanding to know what's happening. Without missing a beat, she offers to sell Leela to the mage for Double the price if he wants her. She pets Leela's head roughly, apologizing that the product hasn't been properly trained yet. Leela is stuck in the woman's grip, horrified as they haggle over her like a piece of furniture. The mage demands she be ready in 2 weeks, and the head mistress nervously agrees to the tight deadline. Leela

sigh deeply, wondering why the universe hates her this much. It's just not fair that a three-year-old has to navigate a world Devoid of hopes and dreams. She briefly regrets leaving the mansion, thinking maybe she should have toughed it out until the academy, but she shakes off the doubt, knowing she would have had to escape eventually anyway. The mage turns to leave, saying goodbye with a sinister glint in his eye. Leela pouts in the head mistress's arms, declaring no like, which is the understatement of the century. As they head downstairs, the mage suddenly stops them and

grabs Leela's arm. He inspects her wrist, his eyes locking onto a specific magical item she's wearing. Leela's heart hammers in her chest, terrified he's found her out. His eyes glow red as he realizes the bracelet is a tool to control innate magic. Confirming she's a powerhouse, he pets her head one last time, deciding her special mind will make educating her much easier. Leela stands there in shock, her powers locked down as the mage declares he'll be back To collect her in two weeks. The head mistress looms over Leela, holding a key and scolding her for

not following instructions. She locks the heavy door with a click, leaving the child alone in the dark to reflect on her bad behavior. Leela sigh deeply, looking more annoyed than scared by this punishment. She explains that she ended up in solitary confinement simply because she refused a weird order from the head mistress. While Leela resisted, the other Brainwashed kids would do anything for a treat, even attacking each other on command. All it took was a single piece of candy to make them desperate and obedient. Leela realizes with disgust that this is the education they talked

about, stripping away humanity for sugar. She reflects on the history of the empire, noting that it's been 30 years since the Great War ended. But the aftermath lingered for decades, leaving countless children orphaned, starving, And vulnerable. The head mistress exploited this tragedy, saving kids from starvation, only to make them painfully dependent on her for survival. She essentially brainwashed an entire generation of orphans into becoming her loyal little soldiers. Leela narrows her eyes, realizing the woman is trying to run the exact same psychological game on her, but she internally scoffs, reminding herself that she is the

invincible arch mage her, not some Random toddler. Confident in her escape plan, she raises her hand to teleport out of the room instantly, but nothing happens and she sits there awkwardly, remembering that the bracelet is still blocking her mana. A cold sweat drops as she realizes she is actually in big trouble now. She panics thinking about her terrible luck, a trafficking ring, a dark mage, and now her powers are totally nerfed. She fumes about the mysterious robewearing guy, wondering How he got his hands on such a rare magical suppression tool. Defeated, she flops onto the

bed like a ragd doll, her hopes fading along with her magic. She rolls around on the mattress, deciding to use this downtime to figure out a survival strategy before she gets sold. Her mind drifts back to the Duke's mansion, bitterly imagining that they're probably throwing a party now that she's gone. Regret starts to creep in, and she admits she should have just waited for The academy arc instead of rage quitting the house. If she knew she'd end up in this mess, she wouldn't have suffered through the snotty-nosed toddler phase for nothing. She sniffs back a

tear, realizing there is only one logical option left. She has to play the part, listen to the crazy lady, and wait for the perfect moment to slip away. Exhausted by the drama, she decides to sleep, knowing she needs energy for the grind ahead. Time skips forward, and Leela begins to follow the head mistress's orders to gain trust. The woman hands Leela a sharp scalpel, ordering her to put her hand forward for a dangerous test. Leela stares at the blade, feeling zero fear. Her mind goes calm, hardened by her past life. This brutality reminds her of

the war era, where morality was non-existent and survival was the only rule. She understands that this is a gradual experiment to see how far she is willing To go for an order. It's the final stage of education to create a child who will commit violence just for a sweet treat. The head mistress smiles warmly, encouraging her to do it, acting like a benevolent mother while demanding bloodshed. A box of candy sits open nearby, the pathetic reward for losing one's soul. Leela stares blankly, thinking that compared to drinking dirty water and starving during the war, this

is child's play. But she has a counter Move. She plans to cut the magical bracelet with the scalpel and use a hidden magic stone to teleport. She grips the handle tight, preparing to slash the binding the moment she gets an opening. Suddenly, the door is kicked open. Duke Char Clown stands there looking like an absolute boss holding a rescued boy by the collar. He stares directly at Leela, warning her that if she sheds even one drop of blood, she's banned from the mansion. Leela freezes, Overwhelmed by his dignified voice and the sudden rush of relief.

The head mistress collapses in shock while the rescued boy Jason scrambles away to safety. Leela drops her guard, her big eyes wide with genuine surprise. She never in a million years expected the cold-hearted Duke to personally storm a trafficking den for her. The Duke crouches down to her level, demanding to know why she ran away in the first place. Leela looks down, feeling like a Total fool for getting herself into this mess. She admits she was arrogant about her past life's power, forgetting how helpless a three-year-old body truly is. Trembling slightly, she asks if he's

going to kill her for causing so much trouble. The Duke looks at her with a rare softness, assuring her he'd never hurt her unless she did something completely useless. Leela sweats nervously, realizing that running away was definitely a useless move, so she's Technically on thin ice. But the Duke just swoops her up into his arms, lifting her out of the darkness and carrying her to safety. The Duke holds her gently, securing the precious cargo like she's made of glass. He scans her quickly, relieved to find that there isn't a single scratch on her. Suddenly, the

brainwashed orphans rush forward, throwing their arms out to protect the head mistress. They're terrified, acting as human shields because she's the only Lifeline they've ever known, even if she's a monster. Leela watches them, unable to defend her own foolish actions that led to this mess. The Duke looks down, asking calmly if she wants to go back to the mansion. His gaze is intense as he gives her the choice, return home or stay in this hell hole. Leela calculates that staying here would absolutely wreck her mental health. The head mistress starts screaming, demanding to know who

this intruder is, Claiming the child belongs to her orphanage. The Duke turns, his eyes glowing with a terrifying blue light, and tells the woman to run if she values her life. Later, in the safety of a carriage, the two sit in an awkward silence. Leela peaks up nervously, convinced he's fuming because he hasn't said a word. She tries to justify herself, thinking that leaving him the documents on the trafficking ring makes them even. The Duke finally breaks the Silence, asking why she left, and Leela snaps, reminding him he said he'd kick her out when she

went to the academy. The Duke looks genuinely confused, having no memory of making such a specific threat. Internally, Leela is screaming, bargaining for him to just raise her until she's five or seven so she can help him find relics. But out loud, her toddler tongue betrays her, and she calls him ser instead of Char. She thinks she nailed the pronunciation, Probably because she's been cursing his name in her head for weeks. The Duke pauses, looking stunned that this tiny creature actually used his name. Leela doubles down, admitting with a pout that she hates him, just

like she knew he would hate her. The Duke sigh, admitting he hates his family, too. His father, Bailey, and his mother, and even his sister, he stands alone at the gate of his memories, looking at his chaotic family members who refused to have any Dignity and just ran wild. His eyes go cold as he says he refuses to be like them. He recalls his childhood watching Bailey play in the mud with commoners while he was trapped in a golden carriage of responsibility. Leela interrupts his emo moment, holding up her fingers and trying to negotiate staying

until she's seven. She figures by age seven she'll have enough dark magic to properly escape, but the Duke sees right through her scheme. He Pinches her cheek, teasing her by repeating her mispronounced ser and guessing she plans to run away again. He looks at her softly, acknowledging that she hates him just as he said he hates everyone. Leela crosses her arms, grumpy that her plan is obvious, muttering that she hates everything. She wonders if the mansion was really that bad. Realizing it actually had everything she needed, but she's annoyed that everyone keeps treating her like

a baby and touching Her cheeks. The Duke size again, looking exhausted by the conversation. Leela tries a new tactic, holding up five fingers and asking if he can handle her until she's five. The Duke ignores the bargaining, lost in thought about how free his brother Baleon was compared to him. But that freedom had a price. He remembers the blood soaked end where Balian got hurt and died, warning Leela to just live quietly within his protection. He looks at her with a heavy Gaze, declaring that she will be the one thing he actually protects. We see

a flashback of the Duke as a young man in chains, surrounded by war and betrayal, explaining that he's had enough of bowing to a miserable world where trust gets you killed. Leela stares out the window, thinking that she doesn't want his protection because she can't trust anyone either. Suddenly, the Duke drops a bombshell. If you run away one more time, I won't look for you anymore. He Closes his eyes, the weight of his words hanging in the air. Leela panics internally, wondering how he even found her this time since she covered her track so well.

The Duke smirks, revealing that while she is slippery, the principal isn't as good at hiding. Leela realizes he tracked down the head mistress to find her. Internally, she smirks back, revealing she actually set magical coordinates on the head mistress and her son by hiding hair in her shoes. She explains that the more evil a person is, the stronger the guilt, allowing her to harvest massive amounts of dark magic from them. She tries to get the Duke's attention again, tugging on his sleeve and calling him ser. He takes her hand and instantly he feels the magical

interference from the bracelet she's wearing. He asks, "Who put this highlevel artifact on her, but Leela plays dumb, saying she doesn't know." The Duke touches his chin, deducing that A powerful wizard must be involved in the trafficking ring. Leela changes the subject, asking if he read her goodbye letter. She admits she expected Bir or Desar to come for her. Never imagining the Duke himself would care enough to show up. Leela stares at the Duke's profile, genuinely shocked that the man she thought hated her actually bothered to track her down. He pulls her into a hug

that's a little stiff but surprisingly gentle, telling her to rest Until they get home. She grumbles that she isn't asleep, trying to maintain her tough facade while her eyelids feel like Leed waits. But his voice is so deep and soothing that it acts like a lullaby, and she finds herself drifting off despite her best efforts. The Duke watches her fade, musing to himself that he's not cold-blooded enough to mistreat a helpless toddler. He pats her back rhythmically, acknowledging that his staff is doing a good job raising her, Even if she is a handful. Leela peaks

one eye open, realizing that maybe, just maybe, this guy isn't the absolute villain she painted him as. Later, back at the mansion, the vibe in the office is tense as Leela sits on the couch, feeling like she's about to be eaten by the silence. Grandpa Desar breaks the ice, asking bluntly if the reason she ran away was because she hates the academy. Leela nods, admitting that the strict dormatory life and curfews sound Like a total prison sentence. Desar sigh, looking more tired than angry, and asks why she didn't just use her words instead of disappearing.

Leela mumbles a quiet sorry, struggling to articulate her complex feelings with her clumsy toddler tongue. The Duke looks shocked, realizing this is the first time the stubborn brat has actually apologized for anything. He decides to push his luck, teasing her by saying, "No pudding." Which hits Leela harder than Any physical punishment. Internally, she is screaming, calling him a wretch for taking away the one sugary joy that makes her life worth living. The Duke doubles down, explaining that Bara will only bring her one sweet a day because too much sugar is bad for her health. Leela

pouts aggressively, forced to endure this tragic nutritional restriction while knowing he's technically right. Desar watches the interaction, relieved that Hira isn't Dead, though he looks a bit confused by the pudding drama. Leela looks up with big watery eyes, playing the sympathy card for all it's worth. Suddenly, the Duke brings up the letter she left behind, and the room goes quiet again. Leela starts sweating, realizing she can't just gloss over the fact that she wrote a goodbye note and bailed. Desar tries to clarify the timeline, asking if she meant she'd leave when she turned seven. Leela

panics, realizing her lies Are getting tangled, so she decides to just roll with whatever story keeps her out of trouble. The Duke immediately snitches on her, telling his father that Leela explicitly planned to run away at age seven. Desar looks heartbroken, asking if she really wants to leave the house that badly. Leeler realizes she needs a tactical reset to communicate logically. So, she reaches for her secret weapon. She pops her pacifier in her mouth, sucking aggressively as the Familiar comfort calms her nerves and clears her mind. Desar leans in, asking gently if she's had any

trouble living at the mansion. Internally, Leela reflects on the law. Since her father, Bailey, is dead, she isn't on the family register, making her a ghost with no legal standing. She decides to stay, realizing she needs the Duke's power and the family name to execute her revenge plans later. She smiles innocently at Desar, asking if she can visit Barat to Apologize, effectively changing the subject. Desar melts instantly, pressing a magic stone into her hand as a gift, completely wrapped around her little finger. Leela feels a twinge of guilt, knowing she's manipulating the old man's emotions

just to secure her position. She hops off the couch, ready to escape the interrogation before she slips up again. Desar warns the Duke to stop treating the child like a pet if he wants to build any real trust with her. The Duke agrees, watching Leela waddle toward the massive doors. Leela pauses at the exit, wondering if she can ever truly trust these people given her chaotic past. Meanwhile, back at the orphanage, the head mistress is on her knees, shaking like a leaf as she begs for mercy. The white-haired mage sits in the shadows, his eyes

glowing red as he calmly states that he hates liars. The head mistress stammers, confessing that a man came and took the child before the Deal could go through. She describes the intruder, black hair, gray eyes, and clothes that scream filthy rich noble. The mage instantly connects the dots, identifying the intruder as Duke Char Clown. He frowns, puzzled because his intel never mentioned the Duke having a daughter. The head mistress rambles about the uncle's story Leela used trying to make sense of the connection. The mage scoffs, noting that the clown family is obsessed with pedigree, but

Sharant is the anomaly who survived the chaos. He realizes Leela was likely snatched back rather than rescued. Figuring the Duke won't guard her closely if she tries to escape again, he decides to wait, planning to snatch her the moment rumors of a gray-eyed child surface again. But first, he needs to clean up the loose ends. He raises a hand toward the terrified head mistress. His eyes flash with lethal intent as he decides to erase the evidence Permanently. A dark magical seal burns onto the head mistress's chest, the energy of death swallowing her whole as the

mage deletes his tracks. The mysterious mage stands in the shadows, preparing to cast a spell on his next victim. He decides that stealing another person's prey goes against his code. So, he tells the head mistress he'll buy the rest of her stock today. His eyes glow with a menacing red light as he casually mentions he won't be seeing her after Today because he doesn't make deals with corpses. The head mistress completely misses the threat, smiling with relief because she thought she was being shut down, not realizing her opportunity is actually a death sentence. As the

mage turns to leave, she foolishly asks where he's going. She reveals her plan to flee the empire with her son. But the mage cuts her off, explaining that no one with the mark can escape his dark magic. He coldly informs her that distance Doesn't matter. The curse will hunt her down unless she finds a warlock to clear it, which is basically impossible. He mocks her luck, doubting a low-level criminal like her could ever find someone to save her. The head mistress finally realizes she's doomed, and asks the one question that's been haunting her. What is

he actually using the children for? The mage pauses, deciding that since he's in a good mood, he might as well drop the villainous monologue. He pulls up his hood, stating simply that it's all for the ore. He explains that he found a special child, Leela, and the dark magic he can harvest from this mess is just a bonus, while the head mistress is merely a loose end to be snipped. With a chilling smile, he bids her a nice trip to the afterlife, leaving her to her fate. We get a quick lore drop. Arch mages use

magic stones to amplify power, but strangely, only people with magic can actually create The crystals that store it. The bracelet Leela was wearing was a highlevel crystal designed to change shape and suppress power, requiring a special tool or immense strength to remove. Back at the mansion, Leela realizes the Duke must have sliced the bracelet off himself, and she worries that Barat is going to be devastated by her disappearance. Barat enters the room looking exhausted but determined, declaring that she will stay by Leela's Side while she eats from now on. She refuses to leave even for

a second, insisting on watching Leela until she falls asleep like a protective hawk. This intense surveillance goes on for days with Barah hovering over Leela constantly, terrified she'll vanish into thin air again. Leela remembers the moment she returned. Barah didn't scream or scold her. She just stood there sobbing in total silence. Leela feels a heavy wave of guilt. Realizing her Little adventure caused Barah real trauma, though she knows she can't promise to stay forever. Trying to distract herself, Leela plots to use her restored magic to curse the head mistress remotely since she can't physically leave

the room. Suddenly, the air gets heavy and a massive wave of raw magical power slams into the mansion. The floor lurches violently beneath them. Barat doesn't hesitate. She dives forward, wrapping her arms around Leela To shield her from the chaos. Furniture crashes to the ground around them, but Barat takes the hits, asking through trembling lips if Milad is all right. Leela stares up, shocked that Bar would sacrifice herself so easily, and realizes this shaking isn't just the mansion settling. She recognizes the sensation immediately. The rhythmic waves of energy mean a new relic is forcing its

way up from the underground. Usually, ancient magic keeps these Relics buried, but when the seal breaks, they erupt onto the surface, flooding the area with mana. This triggers a magical alarm for the authorities, alerting Cilopia and every mage in the vicinity that something big has spawned. Leela is suspicious, noting that there was zero warning before the quake, which implies something unnatural is going on. Since they are near the capital, Cilopia should have detected this ages ago, leading Leela to suspect that someone, Likely Melain, is failing at their job. Cilopia usually rushes to secure these sites

immediately, not just for the treasure, but because relics don't come alone. They are always guarded by a gatekeeper, a massive monster that acts as a boss fight for anyone trying to claim the prize. Leela figures the raid team is already moving out, but her curiosity gets the better of her, and she begs Barat to let her see. Outside, Barat looks terrified, clutching Leela Tightly, unsure if it's safe to move. But seeing Leela's determination, she relents, agreeing to head into the hallway. Outside, the scene is chaotic, but they spot the Duke holding Kaishin, telling the boy

to calm down. The Duke comforts his son, his voice steady as he assures him that he's safe as long as he's with his father. Bar approaches with Leela in her arms, calling out to the Duke. The Duke turns immediately, his sharp eyes scanning Leela as he asks If she was hurt during the quake. Bar politely answers, "No, sir." clutching the girl closer, but the Duke ignores the maid and looks directly at Leela, asking her personally if she's injured. Leela is confused why he's double-checking when Bar already answered, but she mumbles that she's fine. Satisfied, the

Duke orders everyone to head downstairs to the main hall for safety. Leela watches him, thinking he doesn't know much about Handling kids, but realizing he's trying his best. She muses that Char Clown only looks natural when he's being cold. Yet, his actions are surprisingly warm. The grand staircase is crowded as the family descends into a scene of total disarray with servants scrambling everywhere. Leela looks around at the damage, realizing if the clown mansion is this wrecked, the other noble houses must be absolutely destroyed. Suddenly, Grandpa Desar burst into the room, screaming About the treasury. Terrified

that Cilopia will go bankrupt trying to fix this mess, he spots the Duke and the children, stopping his rant to confirm that everyone is safe. Though clearly still panicked about the bill, the Duke rubs his temple, looking stressed as he realizes his family is safe, but the situation is chaotic. He spots Shireina safe in Biraz's arms, but the little girl looks absolutely traumatized by the magical shock wave. He immediately Checks on her, asking if she's hurt, his voice losing its usual cold edge. Shireina nods obediently, realizing she has to play along with his strict parenting

for now, even though it cramps her style. Outside the windows, the servants are already scrambling to clean the mansion. Trapped inside by the lockdown, Leela notices the shimmering barrier around the property. Realizing the clown family has some serious protective magic installed. Seeing Bar Distracted, Leela decides it's the perfect time to dip. But Kaishin grabs her looking nervous. He grips her hand tight, puffing out his chest and promising to protect his little sister like a true gentleman. Leela stares at him blankly, unimpressed by the seven-year-old's chivalry since she's mentally an adult arch mage. She notices he's

wiping away tears with his free hand and mentally awards him one point for being adorable at least. But cute Doesn't solve the mystery, so she starts sliding away, planning to find a quiet corner to teleport out of there. The Duke catches her instantly, ordering her to stop thinking about sneaking out because it's too dangerous. He dumps her on Kaishin, telling the boy to act as a jailer, which Leela thinks is incredibly selfish since she wants to see the relic, too. Internally, she's fuming because discovering new relics is literally her favorite hobby as an arch Mage.

Grandpa Desar asks if the magic tower Copia has made contact, but the Duke says a team is already here. Suddenly, a massive magic circle opens on the floor, and a group of figures teleports directly into the hallway. The Duke glares at the arrivals, sarcastically, noting that they seem to have an extra carriage for luggage. A blonde man steps forward with a blinding smile, asking if the Duke really thinks he's just luggage. The Duke realizes It's the emperor himself, though he throws shade by saying he didn't recognize him in such shabby clothes. Shireina freezes, wondering why

the ruler of the entire empire showed up less than an hour after the earthquake. The emperor laughs off the insult, his golden hair shining as he brings up the rumors about the Duke's hidden daughter. His gaze lands on Shireena, his eyes scanning her like a predator assessing a meal. Externally, he smiles, but Internally, he's disgusted, thinking he'd erase every trace of her if she were actually related to him. From behind his cape, two goldenhaired children pop out the Imperial kids, Ellie and Delhi. The emperor tells them to go play with Kaishin, and they chirp, "Yes,

father." Like perfect little dolls. Grandpa Desar steps in, asking the emperor for the Citro on the disaster. The emperor confirms a relic has spawned just 5 km west of Honest Village. Sharina's eyes widen. 5km is practically next door, meaning the danger zone is way too close for comfort. She realizes the roar she heard earlier belongs to a wyvern, a nasty flying dragon that guards this specific type of relic. The Duke asks the million-doll question, "Has Cilopia been contacted about this mess?" The emperor shrugs, saying there was no warning, so Cilopia is scrambling to manage the

containment. Shireena is surprised the Emperor isn't blaming the magic tower. Realizing the conqueror of the land is smarter than he looks, she decides to root for Cilopia again, flipping her allegiance back to her fellow mages. The emperor notes that while the spawn was an accident, securing the relic is now their responsibility. He holds up a scroll, revealing that Cilopia has already sent over the entry requirements for the dungeon. The Duke frowns, suspicious that they gathered that intel So quickly. Shireina smells a rat immediately. It's impossible to know the rules of a brand new relic this

fast unless someone knew it was coming. Ancient magic usually locks these places with specific conditions like gender rules or complex riddles. A bad feeling settles in her gut as she wonders if this was a setup. She suspects the greedy elders of the tower might have known about the relic and kept it secret to hoard the treasure. She recalls Having to build a magic magnifier because even her senses couldn't detect the wave properly, meaning it was cloaked. The emperor's eyes go cold as he mentions that the previous leader was eliminated, hinting at a purge. Suddenly, a

crushing pressure slams into the room and Shireina gasps, feeling an intense wave of danger. She clutches her chest, unable to breathe as the air turns heavy and suffocating. The Duke notices instantly and pulls her into his Arms, shielding her from the emperor's lethal aura. The emperor chuckles darkly, commenting that the Duke's niece seems quite sensitive to power. Safe in the Duke's arms, the pressure lifts and Shireina manages to catch her breath. Though she's still shaking, the Duke hands her back to Kaishin. Realizing this political meeting is getting too dangerous for a toddler, he turns back

to the emperor, asking about the squad they plan to send into the dungeon. Shireena's ears perk up instantly, her fear vanishing as she leans into Eve's drop on the juicy details. A blonde girl pushes her way into the conversation, demanding the adults move so she can listen in. This is Princess Ellie, and she introduces herself while Shireena stares blankly, wishing she could teleport away. The emperor ignores the interruption, explaining that keeping the relic ensures their military dominance over other nations. He drops a Massive bomb, revealing that Duke Cheron already possesses one of the Empire's relics.

Shireena's eyes light up like Christmas lights. She needs to find out what that relic is immediately. The emperor finishes his thought, declaring the Imperial family doesn't need another one. But Shireena is too busy grieving the info she missed. She sigh exhausted by the politics and decides to just give up on Eve's dropping for now. But the Imperial kids aren't letting her off the Hook, demanding to know why she won't play with them. Kaishin steps in like a hero, distracting the prince, but the blonde siblings are relentless. Kaishin follows Shireena around like a lost puppy, and

she wonders if he's going to grow up to be a cold-hearted stalker like his dad. She looks at him annoyed, but admitting that at least he treats her like a sister, so he's useful for now. Suddenly, Kaishin throws his arms out, blocking the royal siblings and Shouting that Shireina is scared of them. Meanwhile, the emperor wraps up the meeting, telling the Duke he'll leave his kids here for safekeeping. Shireena, hiding behind the Duke's legs, realizes this is the perfect chance to dig for info on the Empire's relics. The Duke agrees to babysit, and Shireena looks

up, confused by this sudden development. The realization hits her like a brick. She is now stuck in a playd date with three high energy Nobles. She rationalizes that the emperor needs his kids safe while he raids the dungeon, but trusting the Duke this much is still wild. The emperor smirks, promising a proper introduction next time before turning to leave. He glances at Shireena, who looks absolutely miserable, and he feels a weird sting of rejection from a toddler. Shireina glares at his retreating back, her expression making it clear she wants nothing to do with this family.

Back in The playroom, chaos erupts as Princess Ellie accuses Kaishin of hogging Shireena all to himself. Shireina watches the drama unfold with dead eyes, wondering how her life came to this. Ellie stomps her foot, shouting that she wants to play, completely ignoring the fact that Shireena is visibly over it. Kaishin stands his ground, lying through his teeth that Shireena is terrified, trying to be the protective big brother. The prince steps up to argue, but Shireena notices he has a lisp because his front teeth are missing, which is honestly kind of cute. Suddenly, the royal kids

back down, apologizing profusely because they didn't mean to scare the baby. Shireina sweats nervously, feeling guilty because she's actually a full-g grown adult mentally scamming these children. Ellie grabs her hand with a beaming smile, declaring they are now best friends, whether Shireena likes it or not. The Toothless Prince stands there awkwardly, reaching out his hand, but getting totally ignored. Shireina sigh, realizing she only has two hands, but decides to throw the poor kid a bone. She offers him her shoulder and the prince blushes, acting stubborn but clearly happy to be included. Now holding hands with

the entire royal line, Shireina screams internally, desperate for just 5 minutes of freedom. Grandpa Desar walks in and Shireina immediately tries to pawn the Kids off on him by suggesting a garden trip. She grabs his coat, asking to go outside, hoping the open space will let her escape the madness. Desar looks confused but agrees, unable to say no to his adorable granddaughter. Shireina plots to dump the kids in the garden and throw the cursed figure into the water to destroy it. The group heads out and Shireena puts on a fake smile, shouting, "Let's go!" while

planning her getaway. Later that night, the mood shifts Drastically as the Duke investigates the orphanage. He finds the place eerily quiet, wondering if the staff already liquidated the operation and fled. His night reports that there are no signs of packing, but the place is a ghost town. The Duke walks into a room and freezes. The head mistress and her son are dead on the floor. He demands the cause of death, his face hardening as he inspects the scene. The knights are baffled because they arrived within an hour, yet The bodies are already cold. The corpse

looks swollen and waterlogged with lungs full of fluid, exactly like a drowning victim. The terrifying part is that they are in a dry room with no bathroom or water source nearby. The Duke confirms his suspicion. This is the work of highlevel dark magic. He recalls a similar case with Vic Countess Sullivan, who died of severe burns in a room with absolutely no fire. It's the exact same mo, an elemental death without the Element present. A signature move of a dangerous killer. The knight asks if the cases are connected, and the Duke pauses, piecing the puzzle

together. He looks at the soaked bodies in the dry room, realizing that whoever cleaned up this mess is a monster they need to worry about. The knight reports they have absolutely zero intel on who was trying to buy Shireina, which is not what the Duke wants to hear. He dismisses the soldier, telling him to Get lost so he can brood in peace. The Duke rubs his head, frustrated that a thorough investigation yielded nothing, leaving him angry and empty-handed. His mind circles back to the source of his headache, Shireina. He thinks about the toddler in the

pink dress, realizing that no political enemy has ever troubled him as much as this three-year-old. His mind flashes to a voodoo doll, suspecting that Shireena might have used clumsy dark magic to Kill Vic Countess Sullivan in the past. He admits she's way more special than Kaishin, often acting with a purpose that makes it impossible to read her true intentions. He wonders if she killed the head mistress out of revenge, but the real question is whether a toddler could execute a double homicide on purpose. He can't prove it yet, but logic dictates it must be dark

magic since that was the first thing she learned. A smirk crosses his face as he Calls the idea ridiculous, trying to convince himself that a baby isn't a master assassin. He stares out the window, telling himself he doesn't care if she lives or dies, just like he didn't care when his siblings Veian and Raineian left. He stands alone in his office, reaffirming his cold worldview that he doesn't need people who aren't important to his goals. Shaking off the sentimental thoughts, he decides that thinking about the child won't get the Job done. He turns his attention

to the paperwork, focusing on the team appointments for the upcoming relic raid. This mission is critical because it tests the emperor's competence, forcing the ruler to show up personally to prove he's not a fraud. The temple is also involved, sending a knight and a priest to keep an eye on things. Even the magic tower Copia is sending their arch mages and the tower master, meaning this is an Avengers level threat. The Duke reviews the battle plan, knowing they need to wipe out the monsters quickly before they reach the village. Suddenly, his imagination betrays him, and

he pictures Shireina causing absolute chaos with a voodoo doll while he's gone. He calms down, realizing that while she's weird, she never crosses the line, almost like she understands the stakes better than an adult. He wonders if Barat is truly the only person in the world she trusts. Looking at the Moonlight hitting the window, he admits that living with a child is way harder than fighting a war. Suddenly, Shireena calls out her name, snapping back to the current timeline with the royal kids. Princess Ellie holds up two dresses, demanding to know which one is prettier,

turning the playroom into a highstakes fashion show. Shireina points to the blue one, internally roasting Ellie for being so brazenly confident that she actually shines. Ellie is thrilled that Shireena has good taste, while Shireena ignores the prince, who is winking aggressively in the corner. But deep down, Shireena is worried. Staying in the Duke's house means she's too close to the sharp, dangerous emperor. We get a quick history lesson. The emperor was a teenage prodigy who conquered the battlefield and ascended the throne at 17. Shireena admits her first impression was that he was soft, but she

quickly realized that was just a mask for a Beast hiding its claws. The prince interrupts her internal monologue, shouting that he's busy, desperate for anyone to pay attention to him. Ellie and Shireena bond over ignoring him, while Shireena secretly plots how to sneak out to see the relic. She calculates that if she uses a class magic stones, she can teleport there and back in an hour. It's frustrating to be stuck in a tiny body trapped in a playroom while magical history is Happening just miles away. A maid enters with a card announcing that it's time

for sweets. Ellie jumps up excitedly, but Shireina stays seated trying to act cool and unbothered. Bar walks in with a beaming smile, presenting a glorious wobbling pudding. Shireena's cool facade shatters instantly. She throws her arms out, screaming Barah with pure joy. Bar feeds her a spoonful and Shireina opens wide, absolutely shameless in her pursuit of sugar. The caramel syrup hits Her tongue and her mood instantly skyrockets, melting away her stress. The prince tries to flex again, bragging about how he has to study for 10 whole periods. Shireena, high on sugar, looks at him blankly, barely

registering his existence. He crosses his arms, insisting he's busier than her, but Shireena just remembers he holds grudges forever. She stares at him, impressed that a seven-year-old has the stamina to sit through 10 classes. Baral leaves to Attend to duties, and Shireina realizes this is her window to escape. She bolts for the door, but the prince catches her demanding to know where she's going. She shouts, "Tward, toilet," to throw him off. She finds a jewelry box filled with blue magic stones and gets ready to pull off her heist. Since her baby body can't generate enough

mana yet, she has to siphon it from these stones to fuel the teleportation spell. She grips a stone tightly, focusing her mind to cast the Complex spell in one go. She opens her mouth to chant the incantation Naruda fly, but all that comes out is a garbled naruda. She freezes, defeated by her own undeveloped vocal cords, and gives up on the spot because her pronunciation is absolute trash. Shireena closes her eyes, focusing intently as she begins the incantation to warp space itself. The blue crystal in her hand begins to glow, pulsating with the raw mana

she needs to bridge the distance. A complex Magic circle erupts beneath her feet, the ancient symbols lighting up as she commands the hidden path to open. She successfully draws Mana from the surroundings to conserve the stones. But suddenly, a familiar voice shouts her name. Kaishin stands in the doorway, eyes wide with horror as he realizes she's about to disappear. Panic takes over, and instead of staying put, he screams, "No!" and recklessly dives straight into the active teleportation Circle. Shireina's internal monologue screams in frustration. Realizing this unexpected hiter has totally ruined her stealth mission, they teleport

in a flash of light and crash land into a grassy field with Kaishin wrapping his arms around her to break the fall. They hit the ground hard, but Kaishin takes the brunt of the impact, his grip surprisingly strong from all that sword training. As the dust settles, they look up and see a massive shimmering Structure towering over the trees in the distance. Kaishin whispers in awe that it's the relic, confirming they successfully warped right to the danger zone. He spots his father in the distance and breathes a sigh of relief. The word family clearly being

his safety blanket. He turns to Shireena, praising her mysterious powers, and innocently asks if she wants to go say hi to dad. Shireina immediately shoots that idea down, thinking it's absolute nonsense to Voluntarily walk into the lion's den. Meanwhile, at the relic site, the atmosphere is tense as the sun beats down on the gathered forces. It's a who's who of the empire's elite. Knights from the palace, the temple, and even the holy knights are all lined up. Kaishin starts to call out to his father, but Shireena grabs him, hissing at him to keep his mouth

shut. She yanks on his coat, desperate to keep their presence a secret from the scary adults. The emperor addresses the troops, noting they are behind schedule because the guard monster was tougher than expected. Suddenly, a knight tries to enter the barrier, but he gets absolutely yeated backward by a shock of blue lightning. The rejection is brutal. Person after person tries to step forward, only to be blasted away by the relic's defense system. The emperor takes charge, listing off the chosen elite squad. Two from Simula, two of his own knights, Marquy Mural, and two from the

temple. He does the math with a smirk, noting that including himself and the Duke, they have a solid nine-person raid team. From the bushes, Shireina watches with a smug expression, having known all along that getting in would be a nightmare. She spots a holy knight in the lineup, recognizing him as one of Raineian's people. Her eyes narrow as she realizes that if the Holy Knights and Imperial Knights are teaming up, it means only The absolute top tier leaders are strong enough to bypass the barrier's restrictions. The emperor looks confident, but Shireena notes that exploring a

relic with such strict entry conditions is going to be a grind. She notices something interesting. Absolutely no one from the magic tower Copia managed to get through the barrier. She looks over at Meline, the tower master, who looks furious that his entire team got rejected by the dungeon. Shireena isn't surprised. Relics are picky, and you can't just force your way in with numbers or status. Seeing the massive gate and the rejected knights, Shireina realizes she has zero chance of getting inside and decides to curb her curiosity for once. She decides to cut her losses, planning

to take a quick look around and then drag Kaishin back home before they get caught. Back at the barrier, the Duke steps forward, telling the emperor he'll test the entry first. As he walks toward the light, Shireina thinks he'll definitely get in since he's a true ruler. But suddenly, he stops dead in his tracks. Shireina freezes in the bushes, her face pale as she realizes she is absolutely doomed. The Duke slowly turns his head, his sharp gaze piercing right through their hiding spot as he whispers, "Kaishin." Kaishin stands up from the bushes, trembling like a

leaf as his father demands to know how he got here. Shireina watches him shake, annoyed that he loses all his cool points the second his dad shows up. The poor boy looks like he's about to burst into tears, terrified of the scolding that's coming. Shireina realizes he knows he's in trouble, but isn't snitching on her, which earns him some respect in her book. Deciding she can't let him take the fall alone, Shireina steps out of the bushes, rustling the leaves. The Duke stares at her, and his expression Darkens as he connects the dots. He knows

she has magic and a history of running away. The crowd of nobles immediately starts gossiping, whispering about the useless clown child and wondering how two toddlers crossed a war zone. The Duke puts a hand to his face, letting out a long exhausted sigh. But instead of exposing her, he asks loudly why they hid in a goods carriage, instantly spinning a cover story to hide her teleportation abilities. Shireina Catches on immediately. He's protecting her secret because a magic wielding child would be a political target. She puts on her best innocent face, claiming they were just playing

hideand-seek, and Kaishin eagerly plays along. The older nobles chuckle, buying the lie completely as they reminisce about their own childhood mischief. The Duke swiftly orders his lieutenant, Sudakle, to send a squad to escort the kids back home immediately. The Duke stares Shireena Down, calling out her name with a tone that could freeze a volcano. He delivers a final warning, telling her they'll be having a very long conversation the moment he returns from the mission. Shireina realizes that while the Duke is always cold, he's never been this legitimately triggered before. She's not just nervous, though, she's

fuming that her big mission turned into a babysitting disaster. She stands her ground in her fancy dress, looking like A tiny, angry boss who's refusing to apologize. Excuses are flying through her head at light speed, but her pride is way too high to actually use them. The Duke finally turns his back on her, suggesting to the emperor that they move out and get the job done. The emperor smirks, amused by the Duke's rare display of emotion, but agrees to drop the subject for now. Left with Kaishin, Shireena watches the adults walk away while internally calling

the Duke a Petty loser. Suddenly, the space around them glitches. A microscopic burst of magic so subtle that even a proarchch mage would barely notice it. In a split second, Shireena gets yanked backward by an invisible force, leaving Kaishin absolutely panicking. Refusing to let her go, Kaishin lunges forward and manages to snatch her hand just in time. The two of them are sucked into a glowing blue vortex that's wilder than a white water rapid. The Duke turns his Head in a panic, seeing the disaster unfold right behind him. Then Kaishin tackles Shireena to keep her

from being pulled away alone. Finally, the pair is sucked into the blinding light, leaving the Duke staring at empty air as his day gets completely wrecked.