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After finishing my schedule at the Imperial Palace, I safely returned to the Blue Mage Tower.

As soon as I got back, I sent a letter to Hania.

She’s the one most worried about Iris right now.

So, to ease her concerns even a little, I wrote her a letter.

I also included a few words about the other kids.

Originally, I had planned to return to the Academy after wrapping up my duties at the palace.

My initial intent was only to check on Iris’s condition.

I didn’t expect her to aim for the Emperor again.

More than anything, the issue with the ancient dragon held me back.

Even though Duke of Whitewood is barely managing to keep it at bay, the ancient dragon poses a threat to the world.

Unless that issue is resolved, I can’t return to the Academy.

‘I’ll have to patiently wait at the Blue Mage Tower until the magic is complete.’

I wrote to Hania about that as well and asked her to relay it to the others.

She’d be good at delivering the message.

‘Is winter already over?’

After sending the letter, I looked out the window and saw green foliage beginning to appear.

It was still too early for flowers to bloom, but it was proof that spring was approaching.

Time flies.

Before long, the entrance exams for the Academy will be held.

If possible, I want to return in time for them.

I made a promise to Nikita—I need to keep it.

I also can't help but worry about Xenia, who still believes Vikamon is dead.

Even though she seems somewhat stable, she’s still carrying guilt over his death.

Her mental state likely isn’t sound.

With a cluttered mind, I let out a breath.

Even though the scenario has gone off track, events continue to unfold endlessly.

Lately, I find myself wondering whether I can handle it all.

‘I have to.’

To do that, I must become stronger.

There's some free time until the magic for the ancient dragon is complete.

I've decided to use that time wisely.

‘Time to train.’

＊＊＊

It’s already been a month since I started staying at the Blue Mage Tower.

After sneaking around the tower and training every day, I’ve achieved some decent results.

The final battle is just around the corner.

It’s a time when I need to grow stronger to face Duke Robliage.

That’s why I must train even harder.

Unlike Lucas, I don’t possess the talent to infinitely grow during battle.

Recently, the master of the Blue Mage Tower and Sharin have locked themselves away in their workshop and haven’t shown their faces.

I casually asked their direct disciple, Idella, and she said the magic should be complete soon.

It seems they’re pouring all their energy into researching magic, staying up all night.

It’s already February.

Now it’s truly the time just before flowers bloom.

A reply came from Hania.

She said she’d look into why Iris set her sights on the Emperor again.

She also recommended bringing snacks and individual gifts for everyone when returning to the Academy.

She warned that if I don’t, even she can’t promise what might happen.

I don’t know the reason, but I decided to listen to the advice of an ex-girlfriend.

Recently, however, an unexpected problem has arisen in the Blue Mage Tower.

The cause?

Sharin’s mother, Sharen.

As soon as Sharen arrived at the tower, she quickly regained her sanity.

And that’s when the problems began.

She started acting like she was the mistress of the tower.

As the mother of Sharin, the tower’s heir, no one could easily oppose her.

So she roamed the tower as she pleased.

Once she physically recovered, she did the same in the capital outside the tower.

As the wife of the tower master and mother of the next master, she used her position to indulge in luxury.

And the bill was charged directly to the tower master.

At first, the tower’s finance manager smiled and told her to spend freely.

But as her spending escalated out of control, his face grew increasingly tense.

Lately, he’s practically living on antacids.

The Blue Mage Tower has more wealth than any other tower in the world.

But most of it is allocated to expensive magical materials and research.

So Sharen’s extravagant spending became a serious burden to the finance manager.

My eyes turned toward the window.

There she was, confidently striding along.

Looking at her, it was clear where Sharin got her looks.

Only, Sharen had a sharper impression compared to Sharin’s ever-sleepy, yawning expression.

Her body was adorned with excessive ornaments.

Each one so expensive it would make anyone gasp.

The giant diamond ring on her finger was so gaudy, it looked like something a tasteless noblewoman would wear.

“Gaudy” was the perfect word for it.

‘I heard she was given a generous amount for bearing the child of the tower master.’

Even so, when Sharin was discovered, her household had been dirt poor.

Seeing her extravagant habits now, there’s no way she could have sustained that life with earnings from working as a courtesan.

‘She must’ve taken out loans.’

She likely borrowed a large sum to support her lifestyle.

So the money she received from the tower was probably taken by loan sharks, with the rest squandered.

A classic story of someone’s downfall.

Working as a courtesan, trying to fill a void with luxury goods, only to build unsustainable spending habits.

Even when it became unbearable, she continued with self-justifying thoughts and compulsive spending.

In the end, all that’s left is self-deception, blame, and rage at the world.

It’s easier to resent the world than rebuild your own life.

That’s probably why she wanted to ruin Sharin’s life too.

Seeing someone who looks just like her live on proudly would be like being reminded she could’ve had that same life.

‘That appearance now is proof of her past life.’

I’ve been keeping an eye on Sharen.

She’s someone who was brought back to life through a miracle.

She should understand the dangers that come with miracles.

It’s unfortunate for Sharin, but her mother is a good case study.

SLAP!

That was true—until the moment she struck the maid.

“What do you think you’re doing, dropping my luggage like that?!”

A sharp, high-pitched voice echoed through the air.

There was a young maid who had been serving her.

A single piece of clothing had fallen to the ground.

She had dropped it while struggling to carry Sharen’s excessive shopping.

“I-I-I’m so sorry!”

The young maid, who had originally worked in the Blue Mage Tower, bowed her head repeatedly under the sharp attitude of the woman before her.

But Sharen, eyes wide with fury, grabbed the maid by the hair without hesitation.

“Kyah!”

“You think I’m a joke, don’t you? Thinking, ‘She’s not even the real wife of the Blue Tower Master, why is she acting all high and mighty,’ right?”

“N-No! I would never dare to think such a thing!”

“Then what, are you saying I’m wrong? A lowly thing like you is criticizing me now?”

“I-I didn’t mean—”

Smack!

Sharen slapped her across the face again without hesitation.

The maid’s lip split, blood trickling out, and her cheek instantly swelled up.

Judging by the strength of that slap, it was clear she’d hit plenty of people before.

And I knew exactly who she’d hit the most.

I opened the window and quietly stepped down.

Meanwhile, Sharen began to drag the maid by the hair.

The surrounding mages and servants looked flustered, but none dared to intervene.

How could anyone stop the tyranny of the future mother of the next Tower Master?

If they said the wrong thing to her, they might lose their heads.

While everyone else turned a blind eye, I alone walked past them all.

Then I grabbed Sharen’s wrist, the one still clutching the maid’s hair.

“That’s enough.”

Sharen turned her head toward me.

Her expression quickly twisted in irritation.

“Who the hell are you?”

Apparently, she didn’t remember me at all.

When I first brought her back from the grave, her mind had been in a fog.

It made sense she wouldn’t recall much from that time.

“I’m Ryu, an attendant of Lord Duke of Whitewood.”

So I pulled out the identity I had once used.

Sharen’s eyebrows lifted for a moment, and then she surprisingly released the maid’s hair without protest.

“An attendant of Lord Duke of Whitewood? My apologies. I didn’t realize. Please excuse the disgraceful scene—it's that wretched maid’s fault.”

She laughed behind her hand like a noblewoman, though the gesture held an awkward flirtatiousness—perhaps a habit from her past life as a courtesan.

She freely hurled insults at those beneath her, but buttered up anyone of equal or higher status.

Such consistency was rare.

Perhaps that’s why I smiled faintly.

“Yes. It was disgraceful.”

“…What?”

Sharen looked confused, as if she’d misheard.

“You said it yourself, didn’t you? That you were being disgraceful.”

She stared at me, stunned.

Clearly, that wasn’t the response she expected.

Soon, her face flushed red.

She’d realized she was being mocked.

“Do you always talk like that? That’s awfully rude.”

“I meant to be rude. What kind of disgraceful behavior is this? Don’t you feel any shame?”

“How dare you!”

Sharen’s voice rose in pitch.

“I am the wife of the Blue Tower Master, the mother of his daughter, you know! Just because you're some attendant of Duke of Whitewood doesn’t mean you can talk to me like that! And from the looks of you, you’re not even a noble!”

She crossed her arms under her chest and looked at me haughtily.

“You really think it’s wise to keep acting like this with me?”

A clear threat.

“Madam, let me tell you something. I’m trying to help you.”

“What?”

“It seems you’ve forgotten how you raised Sharin.”

Sharen’s brows furrowed.

“What do you mean how I raised her? Didn’t I raise her well? She became the next Tower Master, didn’t she?”

“Hah. Starving her all day and beating her constantly counts as raising her well?”

Finally, the arrogance drained from Sharen’s body.

I hate Sharen.

To Sharin, she’s the very source of her most traumatic past.

Even if she is Sharin’s biological mother, I had no intention of treating her kindly.

“T-That was discipline! And the lack of food… well, we just didn’t have money back then.”

“Strange. You seem to be spending freely now.”

“We were poor! Dirt poor! Isn’t it only fair that I try to live well now?”

“Aren’t you tired of making excuses to comfort yourself?”

At some point, my tone had shifted.

An overwhelming pressure began to emanate from me, slowly weighing down on Sharen.

She froze, never having experienced anything like it.

Even if she had magical talent, she’d wasted it, living her whole life as a prostitute.

At best, she’d dealt with lowlifes and street thugs.

She had never once faced a true strong individual, forged through hard work and perseverance.

And within me resides a remnant of an ancient dragon.

The innate pressure and fear born from a dragon’s superior biology—

It gripped Sharen’s throat like a vise.

“Sharen.”

Her knees began to tremble.

“Your life was restored by a stroke of magical fortune. But every action you take now only tarnishes Sharin’s name.”

I gently grasped her wrist.

But even that small gesture made her tremble uncontrollably.

“Think about it. After a childhood full of beatings, do you really believe Sharin sees you as a mother now? Think she looks on you fondly? Or do you think she’s watching you throw tantrums like this and planning her revenge?”

Sharen flinched.

Her face finally showed a flicker of realization—guilt over her past.

“Even if Sharin were to let you be… I can still step in. I owe her too much.”

When I let go of her wrist, Sharen collapsed to the floor.

I looked down on her, still radiating pressure.

Something warm trickled down from between her legs, but I ignored it.

“Live quietly and peacefully. I’ll overlook small indulgences, but don’t cause any more trouble.”

With that, I turned and walked away from her.

I was sure the maid still nearby would take care of her.

The dragon remnant inside me licked its lips in amusement.

It seemed to see Sharen as prey.

Don't.

At least not until we understand what kind of side effects this magical revival has.

I walked away, hoping she wouldn’t act up again.