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A sudden visit to Duke of Whitewood.

Isabel was bewildered but had no right to refuse.

The reason for Duke of Whitewood's request was simple.

Isabel had recently awakened the Goddess's Wings.

The Goddess's Wings was an extremely unique ability.

Even at Zerion Academy, there was nothing they could teach her about it, so Duke of Whitewood had decided to provide additional training.

A chance to be personally taught by Duke of Whitewood.

For an imperial citizen, there was no greater honor.

For an imperial noble, it was something they would welcome with open arms.

But Isabel felt uneasy.

And for good reason.

Because Vikamon had actually been swapped out for the real Hannon.

A cryptic statement about going to find his younger sister.

More than Duke of Whitewood, Isabel wanted to question Vikamon about this situation properly.

Thus, she arrived at the western park.

A park with a beautiful landscape, filled with blooming violets.

As Isabel strolled through the park—

A man, in the form of Hannon, stood among the violets.

The moment she saw him, Isabel’s reaction was completely different from when she had seen the fake Hannon earlier.

Her body stiffened naturally, and an unconscious, wavering smile crept onto her face.

Before she could even process it herself, she had already started smiling.

At that moment, Hannon's gaze met hers.

“You.”

A high-pitched voice escaped from Isabel’s lips.

She hadn't expected her voice to come out so high, and she was momentarily flustered.

She cleared her throat and straightened her posture.

Hannon smiled gently.

“Isabel.”

The moment he smiled, Isabel faltered.

When the real Hannon had smiled at her earlier, she had felt nothing but irritation.

But now, seeing Vikamon wearing Hannon's face and smiling like that, she found it difficult to meet his eyes.

Isabel fiddled with her bangs for no reason.

A strange sense of embarrassment held her captive.

“You're here?”

“Y-Yeah.”

She unconsciously shrank a little as she stood next to Hannon.

Hannon turned his body in a relaxed manner.

Each of his movements drew an involuntary reaction from Isabel.

She hurriedly regained her composure and spoke.

“You said you were looking for your younger sister. What did you mean by that?”

“So, you met Hannon.”

Now that the conversation had started, Isabel nodded.

Hannon pressed his temple with a complicated expression.

“My sister is being targeted by the Mystics.”

“What?”

Vikamon had a younger sister.

Xenia Niflheim.

And now, she was being targeted by the Mystics?

Isabel’s expression changed instantly.

“What are you waiting for? We have to go right now.”

“You’re not even going to ask why?”

“What does the reason matter? If you came to me, that means you need my help.”

Hannon would never call for her without good reason.

If he had judged that he needed her, then she had no reason to hesitate.

So, Isabel declared without hesitation that she would gladly help Hannon.

She was proving her worth as the main heroine.

Hannon chuckled briefly.

“Not long ago, you doubted everything I said.”

“T-That was in the past.”

Remembering their past interactions, Isabel felt a sudden wave of embarrassment and cleared her throat.

“Thank you, Isabel. Like you said, I really do need your help.”

The Goddess’s Wings that Isabel possessed—

It was a power essential for overcoming the many obstacles ahead.

It was also the reason she had secured her position as the main heroine.

Looking at Hannon, who needed her strength, Isabel felt a small sense of pride.

Her mood suddenly lifted.

“Enough with the flattery. Let’s just go.”

“Ah, before that, there’s someone who will be joining us.”

“Joining us?”

Someone else was coming?

As Isabel tilted her head in curiosity—

Step—

Footsteps echoed from the opposite entrance of the western park.

The moment Isabel turned her head toward the sound, her face froze completely.

She had never expected to see this person here.

Golden hair fluttered in the wind.

Graceful steps, exuding nobility, entered her vision.

The Saintess.

Acrede Saint Narea.

She appeared alongside Cardinal Centriol.

Her presence was like a masterpiece painting, stunning enough to leave even Isabel in awe.

“…Saintess?”

“Greetings. I am delighted to meet the one who has inherited the Goddess’s mission.”

Acrede greeted her with a benevolent smile.

Isabel had grown somewhat accustomed to the Saint, but the Saintess was another matter entirely.

Naturally, Isabel was taken aback.

“Acrede has agreed to assist in stopping the Mystics. Professor Vinesha will be coming as well.”

“What in the world is happening?”

Isabel looked dazed.

She had long known that Hannon was no ordinary person.

But she had never expected even the Saintess to get involved.

Then, Isabel noticed something.

Acrede was sneaking glances at Hannon.

Isabel had an exceptional eye for detail.

Especially when it came to Hannon, she had an almost supernatural level of perception.

The way Acrede was looking at Hannon was different from how she had just looked at Isabel.

Isabel narrowed her eyes slightly.

Acrede’s gaze did not necessarily seem filled with affection.

But the fact that she was checking Hannon’s reaction somehow irritated Isabel.

‘…Irritated?’

Isabel was startled by her own thoughts.

She already knew she felt annoyed whenever women expressed their affection for Hannon.

But she had never harbored such feelings indiscriminately toward every woman around him.

She didn’t even know what kind of relationship Acrede had with Hannon.

And yet, the moment she saw Acrede, she felt this unpleasant feeling.

‘…Am I thinking something strange?’

Isabel looked conflicted.

She had once projected Lucas onto Hannon.

But she no longer did.

So why was she feeling this way?

‘Am I relying on him too much?’

As Isabel swallowed her complicated emotions—

“The First Prince has also been informed. Let’s go.”

White flower petals fluttered as a silver-haired woman appeared.

She had an air of mystique, Professor Vinesha.

Vinesha smiled faintly when her eyes met Isabel's.

Isabel felt that there was something different about her today.

"Yes, let's go."

Unaware of Isabel's confused emotions, Hannon turned to leave.

It was time to head to the Niflheim Count's estate.

* * *

The Magical Household, the Niflheim Count's Estate.

There resided a single genius.

Sixteen years old this year.

Next year, she would turn seventeen and enroll in Zerion Academy.

Xenia Niflheim.

A girl with exceptional beauty and silver-white hair.

Her only flaw—if it could be called one—was her small stature.

Her striking amber-colored eyes left a strong impression,

and today, as always, she was deeply engrossed in her magic studies.

Her fierce gaze reflected her personality well.

Twitch—

At that moment, her ears twitched slightly.

A commotion could be heard from outside.

Chatter, chatter—

During Xenia's study sessions, silence was an unspoken rule.

Not even the head steward of the Niflheim estate was exempt from this.

Yet, here was such a disturbance.

Xenia's expression twisted in irritation.

She had a perfectionist nature.

Having her time interrupted was something she could never tolerate.

"I thought I'd finally gotten rid of all the noisy ones."

It seemed the servants needed to be disciplined again.

Xenia closed the book she was reading.

Then, she abruptly stood up.

Creak—

Without lifting a finger, she used magic to open the door and floated into the air, exiting her room.

Recently, she'd heard comments suggesting her lack of walking was stunting her growth, so she had made an effort to walk more often.

But in this case, flying was far more convenient to investigate the disturbance.

Her magical prowess was already recognized by multiple magic towers.

Next year, she was guaranteed to be the top student in the magic department.

Not to mention, she was the first in history to master Zerion’s Sacred Magic,

a truly insane level of talent.

In her generation, only one other could compare—

Sharin Sazaris, the daughter of the Blue Tower Master.

For someone of her caliber, using magic was no different from moving her hands and feet.

Soon, she reached the source of the disturbance.

It was at the entrance hall.

The moment she arrived, she immediately understood the cause of the commotion.

Xenia's white eyebrows twitched.

Because before her stood a familiar figure.

And that figure was in an absolutely wretched state.

Practically in rags, like a beggar.

Vikamon Niflheim.

Her older brother.

"Xenia."

At that moment, Vikamon’s gaze met hers.

Hearing him call her name, Xenia's face filled with utter disbelief.

"Ha, unbelievable. Do you even know where you are, crawling back here like this?"

There was no warmth in the way she addressed him.

And for good reason.

Once upon a time, she had admired him dearly, but one day, he had changed.

After she had demonstrated her overwhelming magical talent,

instead of celebrating her, his expressions had grown darker and darker.

Eventually, he had stopped speaking to her altogether.

Xenia had come to despise Vikamon for that.

She found it utterly pathetic that he resented his own sister’s abilities

and chose to step away rather than support her.

But more than anything—

Vikamon had committed a grave crime.

In the Demon Dungeon, he had targeted the Third Princess’s team.

An act that was tantamount to treason.

Because of this, Niflheim had exiled him.

And yet, here he was, returning to the Niflheim Count's estate.

Luckily, their father was away.

Had he been present, he wouldn't have just driven Vikamon away—

he likely would have struck him down with lightning on the spot.

"Please. I just need to talk to you."

"A mere outsider dares to seek an audience with me, the acting head of this household? Get lost at once."

Thud—

At that moment, Vikamon suddenly fell to his knees.

Xenia's eyes twisted in disgust.

Seeing her own brother kneeling before her was beyond comprehension.

He was completely unrecognizable from the brother she had once admired.

"Just once. Please, just listen."

"…Hah."

Xenia exhaled sharply, unable to bear the sight any longer.

"Follow me."

If this was a pointless conversation,

she would throw him out immediately.

With that firm resolve, Xenia turned away.

Vikamon silently followed behind her.

She couldn't even remember the last time they had spoken.

With that thought, Xenia let out a quiet sigh.