“Say that again.”

The busy quill stopped its movement across the paper. Two candles of varying lengths on the desk flickered gently, and outside the window, the sun was beginning its descent, casting a dusky hue.

Obert bent at the waist, and once more, he spoke deeply, “She has summoned a spirit, and not just any spirit, but an intermediate-level water spirit.”

Lord Desmiere, Lafetus, set down his pen and leaned back in his chair.

“A spirit…,” he muttered, as memories of the girl who had approached him earlier that morning raced through his mind.

A girl who didn’t seem her age, with a slender frame and eyes filled with an immeasurable determination.

He had initially thought of her as the child of a mad flame wielder and had never believed he would entertain her proposition to become her guardian. But somehow, he had accepted her offer, likely because he saw the fiery spark in her eyes.

“Is blood something that can’t be concealed?”

A spirit, and not just any spirit, but an intermediate-level one. And the girl in question was known to have received no formal training.

“Had former Count Estelle ever taught his child the art of summoning spirits?”

“I apologize, Your Grace, but there is no record of such.”

The steward lowered his head apologetically.

“From the time of her birth until the age of seven, when her father was most infamous for his cruelty, it was difficult to discern her circumstances. Moreover, much time has passed, and anyone who might have known about those days is either dead or gone.”

“However,”

Lips turned downward as they divulged more information.

“According to what the locals say, the Count did not show any parental affection or interest in young Estelle. Given that he rarely spent time with her and the information is scarce, it’s likely that the Count never taught her spirit summoning, or at least not to an advanced level.”

“So, she learned on her own.”

The Lord clasped his hands, lost in thought.

Whether she had witnessed the farmlands extending over 200 hectares turning into scorched earth due to the Fire Spirit or heard it through gossip, it was unthinkable that he had taught Kalia Estelle spirit summoning.

“Is it really possible for her to have learned spirit magic on her own, without a mentor’s help?”

“She summoned the spirit during a meeting with the grade-level professor. Originally, it was a scheduling matter because she wasn’t supposed to attend the first-year spirit class. However, after she summoned an intermediate spirit, she was permitted to take classes meant for fifth-year or higher students.”

The Duke’s contemplation was interrupted by Obert’s voice, bringing him back to the present. He closed his eyes briefly and ran his fingers over his temples.

“For the time being, it seems we have a Blue Mage on our hands. Keep a close eye on the girl.”

“Yes.”

The cursed Count’s daughter, and to top it off, the successor who had expelled me, the man who had cared for her for seven years. Kalia Estelle was already a figure of great intrigue.

Currently, she is the center of attention in the capital.

Adding to that, she had summoned an intermediate-level spirit before the new academic term had even begun. Everyone was eager to understand the implications of this development, and there was no doubt that many eyes were now turned in her direction.

“Is the devil’s daughter seeking vengeance for her father?”

“Will the protection of the spirits, unaware of good and evil, be bestowed upon her despite her bloodline?”

It was easy to point fingers and label her as wicked and corrupt if she were merely a commoner, but her actions took on a whole different meaning when she brandished a sword.

Among those who watched, even the emperor’s gaze was there.

Emperor Theron accepted her sudden request for an audience on the night Kalia Estelle arrived, his silence speaking volumes. He listened as she explained the situation, and he quickly granted her request to be her guardian.

However, what he was thinking now was a mystery.

Though he had been a close friend since their childhood, the emperor was not one to reveal his innermost thoughts to his subjects.

“Whatever happens, it was I who helped that girl.”

Perhaps it was a sense of responsibility, or maybe it was the fact that her appearance resembled that of the one he had once taken under his wing, but something had inspired him to action.

Regardless, the fact remained that his involvement had played a significant role in the current situation.

If he had not stepped forward, removed Duke Barden, and become Kalia Estelle’s guardian, things might not have escalated to this extent.

“No, perhaps it wouldn’t have mattered.”

The Duke raised his weary eyelids.

Even if he had refused her and turned her away that first visit to the mansion, she would have returned to the academy just like she did today.

And there, she would have stirred up trouble just as she did by summoning a spirit to overturn both the academy and the empire’s politics.

“It’s all too sudden.”

As the Duke reflected on recent events, he began to find Kalia Estelle’s actions peculiar. Until a month ago, she had not exhibited any unusual behavior, merely acting according to her infamous reputation as the Devil’s Daughter.

“However, didn’t the Duke mention that he hadn’t fulfilled the duties of a guardian?” he pondered.

A vague memory resurfaced in the Duke’s mind, reminding him of something Kalia had said when she first came to him. At the time, he had dismissed her claims as lies without giving them much thought, but now they troubled him.

“Didn’t the Duke say something that contradicted the truth?” he muttered to himself.

His eyebrows furrowed in thought. Until now, his underlying assumption had been that “Kalia Estelle is wicked, just like her deranged father.” It was a belief shared by most of the empire’s citizens and seemed like a natural and self-evident truth.

Kalia Estelle, they said, was ruthless and unrepentant for her father’s crimes. She showed no empathy for those who had lost their property, land, or lives and had never once visited the territory to apologize.

Since entering the academy, she had been rumored to engage in conversations with spirits and was even said to see witches who conversed with ghosts.

However, ever since she joined the Count’s family, she had acted in a slightly different manner. After joining the noble family, she had immediately proposed several support plans for rebuilding the territory, overturning the previous, poorly executed initiatives, and introducing new strategies for tax reduction, financial support, food provision, and additional security personnel for maintaining law and order.

“But…” the Duke mumbled to himself, “her explanations back then felt like a fabrication.”

Her malicious attitude had not changed, and it was clear that her actions were driven by self-interest, even if she had proposed a new initiative to support the territory’s reconstruction.

“However…” he muttered, “I don’t believe a person can change so drastically without some ulterior motive.”

He thought about the girl who had demanded help so fiercely and threatened to kill him if he didn’t assist her. When she had succeeded in ingratiating herself into his household, her attitude had transformed so abruptly that it seemed as if she had undergone a profound change.

“It’s difficult to believe that she suddenly transformed into an entirely different person. Unless there’s some hidden agenda…”

Actions lacking sincerity, spending money recklessly without a hint of remorse; it was all just a clever ruse, an attempt to make me believe that she had changed.

Did they truly believe they could deceive Lafetus Desmiere, a man without equal in the empire?

“I was certain of it…”

His gaze wavered, and a sense of unease crept over him.

As a Duke of the empire, he had no reason to engage with a fourteen-year-old who hadn’t even made her social debut. He had no desire to converse with Kalia Estelle, the successor.

Yet, the girl he had encountered that morning was different from the rumors he had heard.

“It’s as if those rumors…”

“Your Grace?”

The steward had patiently awaited his lord’s thoughts and finally cautiously called out. The Duke lifted his head.

Obert wore a worried expression in his young eyes.

The crimson tint in the sky had faded, leaving only a trace of red on the horizon. Inside the room, objects cast long shadows.

“Shall I proceed with the report?”

“…Yes.”

He gently stretched his neck and shoulders to alleviate the stiffness in his body.

“Yesterday, Estelle was involved in an incident at the dormitory. It’s related to Lord Reedmore.”

“Reedmore?”

“Yes.”

“Tell me more.”

A dull ache began to pulse behind his eyes. Has his son already grown up? Lately, the young boy had displayed increasing defiance, and the news of his unruliness only added to his weariness.

He closed his eyes and once again sank into the depths of his chair.

“Lord Reedmore intercepted Estelle’s dormitory application midway. He argued that the dormitory staff couldn’t assign her a room because of it and had a dispute with her.”

“…So, what transpired?”

“Coincidentally, yesterday was the day the servants’ quarters were being cleaned, so a maid discovered the documents in the trash bin. She promptly took them to Estelle’s maid, who then handed them to Estelle. She was assigned a room as per the usual procedure.”

“When you mention Estelle’s maid, you’re referring to Lord Blaine’s daughter, correct?”

“That’s correct.”

Obert nodded. The Duke rested his chin on his clasped hands, leaning on the armrest of his chair.

He knew that Lord Reedmore strongly opposed his decision to become Estelle’s guardian. He was aware that Reedmore had been aggressively harassing her and picking fights even before her return to the academy.

But to interfere in official matters?

“We need to exercise caution.”

“Would you like me to convey the message on your behalf?”

“No need. I’ll handle it myself.”

He waved his hand dismissively.

In any case, he had decided to bring that child under Desmiere’s roof.

He had no intention of breaking the agreement. Excessive actions would not be tolerated.

“You are her maid from the Blaine household, aren’t you?”

“I am Aila Blaine, yes.”

“Good. While watching over Kalia, keep an eye on that side as well.”

“What specific aspects should I pay special attention to?”

“Even if you were assigned as her personal maid, it was for a short period. It should have been evident that Reedmore was behind the dormitory incident, but the fact that it was passed on to Kalia implies that some kind of relationship has formed.”

He rapped his desk with thick knuckles.

“There’s no need to take immediate action. Just observe the communication between the two, what they say and do when they meet in the academy or here. Also, keep a close watch on Aila Blaine’s actions.”

Tap, tap. Thud. The final strike of his hand resonated with a solid force. Simultaneously, a single candle, already burned to its end, extinguished without a trace.

“We cannot allow Desmiere’s assets to be taken by others, no matter what it may be.”

“I will follow your instructions.”

Obert complied.

“And…”

In the shadows, the Duke’s crimson eyes gleamed.

“Tell me about Baron Barden.”