“…Thank you.”

Tirisia, dripping water onto the carpet, sat facing Seldienne.

But she didn’t touch the tea she was poured.

“You seem cold. Please drink some tea; it will help warm you up.”

Seldienne extended her hand in invitation, but Tirisia quietly shook her head.

“I appreciate the kindness, but I’m not here to chit-chat casually. I’ll get straight to the point.”

“…Go ahead.”

As Seldienne put down her teacup and waited, Tirisia stared deeply into her crimson eyes with a pale, clouded gaze.

“Did you… hear from Isidel about Kerg Durakal?”

“…”

Seldienne hesitated for a moment before slowly nodding her head.

“The Curse of Enchantment… is that what you’re talking about?”

“If you know, then this should go quickly.”

“Since you’ve brought it up, it seems the curse has been lifted. That’s good to hear.”

“Yeah… and,”

With a glimmer of intensity in her cloudy eyes, Tirisia sent a desperate look toward Seldienne.

“Help me. I need your power.”

“…What do you want me to help with?”

With her arms crossed and brows raised, Seldienne listened as Tirisia shared her plan.

“Using the vision of your family, the mirror reflecting the past… I’ll expose Kerg Durakal’s confession to the entire world.”

“…Hmm.”

Seldienne let out a light breath, as if surprised by the idea.

Tirisia continued, filled with rising fury and determination.

“Today, he admitted in front of me that everything he has done so far was entirely his own doing. Lady Elconja, if you can prove that memory, we can expose the evil deeds of the Durakal family. Please help me.”

“…So, what happens next?”

Thump.

Tirisia’s fist lightly landed on the table at Seldienne’s question.

She looked fierce in the dim light, her desire radiating.

“I’ll inform my parents of everything, and we’ll use the strength of the entire family to throw Durakal into prison.”

“Is that so…?”

Seldienne pondered for a moment, lightly stroking her cheek.

“Hmm…”

After a little while, she opened her mouth again to question Tirisia.

“Lady Bruerd, are you prepared to fight them?”

Tirisia nodded sadly at the question.

“I was told by Erto today that we should completely sever ties…”

“…That explains your appearance.”

“But this can’t end here. I have to pay for my sins, but so must Durakal. I can’t allow him to continue living without facing any consequences. We have to make his wickedness known to the world. So…”

“I understand your words.”

Seldienne raised her hand to halt Tirisia’s speech.

Hork—

With an elegant motion, she took a sip from her teacup and, as if she had reached a decision, looked straight into Tirisia’s face with intense eyes.

“But your answer is, no.”

“W-What…? Why…?”

Confusion spread across Tirisia’s face.

However, it seemed Seldienne had predicted this scenario, as she delivered her prepared response.

“Let’s suppose we expose the evil deeds of Kerg Durakal to the world. What do you think will happen next?”

“That’s…”

Tirisia knew the answer to Seldienne’s question but couldn’t bring herself to say it outright.

In truth, it would bring harm to the Elconja family.

“The Durakal family will definitely seek revenge on our Elconja family, who pointed a blade at them, don’t you think? Do you realize that your request basically means declaring war against the entire Elconja family?”

“…Yeah, I suppose so. But if it goes beyond just you, if the palace and society as a whole learn the truth, then everyone will become our ally…!”

“That’s an uncertain possibility, Lady Bruerd.”

Tirisia spoke earnestly, but Seldienne shook her head gravely.

“…Why?”

When Tirisia lowered her shoulders, Seldienne began pointing out what Tirisia was missing due to her emotions.

“First of all, the Curse of Enchantment does not rob the subject of their free will. If that’s the case, it means you weren’t completely controlled by Kerg Durakal. In a situation where responsibility is shared, if one side claims solely to be the victim, that’s too weak an argument for everyone to agree on.”

“…!”

Tirisia’s eyes widened at her words.

What she was saying ultimately meant that how many would be willing to oppose the Durakal family for Tirisia, who was included among the perpetrators?

“If you remove the concept of a curse, it boils down to a personal romantic issue between a woman who betrayed her former lover and two men… wouldn’t you agree?”

“…Yeah.”

As she humbly acknowledged her position, Seldienne looked at her with a sympathetic expression and continued her narrative.

“I’m not denying that you’re a victim. But can you sincerely claim that you had absolutely no say in betraying Erto?”

“That’s…”

“And why should our Elconja family bear the great risk of opposing the owner of the Academy for someone who isn’t even a member of our family but a mere outsider seeking revenge? The Durakal family is far too dangerous for that.”

“…”

For a moment, Tirisia, who was deep in thought over Seldienne’s points, began to express another line of reasoning.

“There’s another solid reason for this! It’s not merely about my revenge; it’s about how the Durakal family has long used the Curse of Enchantment to manipulate the power holders of the nation… you know that, right?”

At that, Seldienne nodded slightly.

“I’ve heard about the lengthy evil deeds of the Durakal family from Isidel.”

“I don’t know how far their grasp extends, but based on what they say, I suspect their influence has even reached the palace. They are much clearer victims than I am. They’ve wielded influence over our nation’s future from their position! Isn’t that a compelling reason to correct this?”

Seldienne took a sip of tea, nodding as if she understood her words.

“It makes sense, but it’s not a realistic thought, Lady Bruerd.”

“What do you mean…?”

“Assuming the Durakal family has deeply engaged with the country’s leaders using the Curse of Enchantment, that was quite a long time ago. Time has passed; people have died, or the curse may have been lifted.”

“That could be true.”

“Would those individuals, not to mention the members of the victimized group, not have realized that they were wronged by the Durakal family? Still, ponder why they have taken no action so far.”

At Seldienne’s words, Tirisia bowed her head, attempting to comprehend the situation.

Just like herself, those who had been enchanted likely realized the dirt on their hands.

And perhaps they eventually recognized how tilted the ground they stood upon was in favor of the Durakal family.

They had been engaged too deeply to stand against it.

It might be the very reasoning behind why they have not sought any revenge until now.

“Durakal has, since back then, established connections with high-ranking individuals. Consider his audacity in how he acts. He can afford to behave that way because he knows the extent of his backing.”

“If what you say is true… then it means the palace may not be an ally, does it?”

“You can’t just label them as enemies; however, they can’t be seen as staunch allies either. At the very least, the Elconja family cannot expect them to rally behind us when we mark Durakal as an enemy. They sit in a gray area. Even if we had clear justification to judge Durakal, whether they’ll deploy their strength on our behalf is uncertain. Moreover, especially if you are the focal point of societal turmoil…”

“…”

Tirisia’s fist on the table clenched tighter.

While she felt Seldienne’s words rang true, she couldn’t give up just yet.

“But if the Elconja family and our Bruerd family join forces to rally those nobles who aren’t under Durakal’s influence, we can create a great force…”

“Lady Bruerd.”

Seldienne raised her hand, interrupting Tirisia’s speech.

“…Why.”

As Tirisia looked at her in frustration, Seldienne took a deep breath and responded with an utterly serious expression.

“What I said earlier was just supplementary reasoning. The most significant reason why we cannot simply oppose Durakal… is your final judgment.”

“Tell me.”

As Tirisia leaned forward in inquiry, Seldienne dampened her lips slightly with the tea before she spoke.

“Kerg Durakal… that man’s power has now surpassed even you, Lady Bruerd. If he decides to wipe out anyone who stands against him, should he feel attacked… who will bear the consequences?”

“…!”

“The vision of the Durakal family… due to the Contract of Devouring, he has completely copied your magic and adopted it as his own. Moreover, he has absorbed the powers of top students from the Academy who follow him. His body now holds the combined magic of a super-genius mage, paired with the magic of multiple excellent mages.”

Seldienne leaned toward the table, interlocking her fingers in front of her face, and said,

“It’s not that your power has vanished; do you genuinely believe you can stop him? If Kerg Durakal were to attack your parents? If he aimed to slaughter everyone from our Elconja family? Do you sincerely believe you can suppress him without causing any collateral damage?”

“…”

As Tirisia lowered her head in silence, Seldienne sighed.

“It’s impossible. The time to judge Kerg Durakal has passed. Moreover, what turned him into an unstoppable force is none other than you. You, the greatest genius of the Bruerd family, have sacrificed all your abilities to Durakal, who absorbs others’ power… trapped by the emotion of love, you offered him everything. Is there a flaw in your reasoning?”

“…No, everything you said is right, Lady Elconja.”

Tirisia slowly stood up from her seat and stepped back a few paces onto the carpet.

“But…”

She bent down, kneeling, and placed her palms on the ground.

With her forehead hitting the floor, the sound echoed.

Flat on the ground, Tirisia trembled, bowing her head to Seldienne.

“Still, I’m pleading with you… please…! It can’t end like this! To judge Durakal, I need Elconja, your ability first…! We must use his confession as evidence to begin everything. It can be done…! If it’s a physical threat, I’ll take any action needed to resolve it, so please…!”

“Lady Bruerd.”

“Lady Elconja, please…! I’m begging you on my knees! Help me…!”

Despite Tirisia’s desperate plea tinged with tears, Seldienne’s reply was cold.

“Be honest with yourself. The evil deeds of the Durakal family… aren’t they truly irrelevant to your thoughts? You’re merely burning with the desire for revenge after being cast aside by Erto.”

“That’s…!”

“You can’t deny it.”

“Lady Elconja… still… please…!”

“I will ask you not to entangle our Elconja family with such personal feelings. Your answer remains the same. No. Please don’t make a scene and return.”

With that chilling remark, Tirisia lifted her body, staring at Seldienne’s face.

“Are you… okay with this? Is it really fine for Kerg Durakal to mess around within the Academy?”

Seldienne calmly sipped her tea again.

“By the way, you should understand that you… were the one who dropped out of the Academy to pay for your actions, which drove Erto to the edge.”

“What…?”

“Thanks to that, you’re currently on good terms with Erto again, enjoying happy days. While you can’t turn his heart fully toward you just yet, in the long run, you do wish to earn his love.”

“E…?”

Tirisia felt overwhelmed by Seldienne’s sudden change of heart.

The girl with golden hair spoke proudly about the happiness she had found without an ounce of shame.

“So, for now, I’m satisfied with this ordinary life. Just because I dropped out of the Academy, does not mean I don’t care what happens there. I’m quietly crafting plans to deal with Kerg Durakal as well. But I cannot lend a hand for your revenge. As you wish to maintain the life you have now. The days spent as friends with Erto… protecting that from collapsing takes priority.”

“……”

Tirisia lowered her head and took a long time to process that statement,

“I see.”

Gradually rising from her spot, she walked towards the window through which she had entered.

Thump—

Thump—

As she stepped on the water she had previously spilled upon entry, placing her hand on the closed window, Seldienne called out her final words.

“You had temporarily earned Erto’s ire, yet you managed to recover your bond after apologizing for your actions, relatively paying a small price for your crime.”

“…?”

When Tirisia looked back at her with a bewildered gaze, Seldienne regarded her with pity in her crimson eyes.

“Lady Bruerd, should you wish to restore your connection with Erto, it would be wise to reflect on what sacrifices are necessary to pay for your sins. I wish you peace.”

Hork—

“…”

Drurrak!

As Seldienne finished talking and took another sip of tea, Tirisia opened the window and leapt into the pouring rain outside.

To make amends—what would she have to offer to win back his heart?

As she struggled to imagine the magnitude of that price, Tirisia dashed back into the darkness, where rain and thunder roared.

This time, to meet another friend whose bond she had severed with her own hands.