Chapter 51

Outside the Academy grounds, about a 30-minute walk away, was a quiet suburban area.

Even in this place that clearly resembled an upper-class residential area, there was one particular property that took up the most space.

A vast yard, gardens, and even a whole lake surrounded by a long iron fence.

The owner of this expansive land was the distinguished Bruerd family, one of the noble houses recognized among the aristocracy.

Gardners were busy tending to the grass and trees under the warm weather.

Merchants were delivering supplies and groceries to the mansion using horse-drawn carriages.

Maidens cleaned the surroundings of the mansion while butlers walked several little dogs by the lake.

There were many servants milling around the Bruerd estate, fulfilling their duties to serve their masters.

The inside of the mansion was no different.

Living there were Tirisia Bruerd and her parents.

The mansion was far too big for just three people, but there wasn’t a speck of dust in any of the corridors, unlike other estates where neglect was common.

This was thanks to the maids and butlers who cleaned every corner of the mansion daily.

In the kitchen, a dedicated chef was always preparing luxurious meals for lunch while the head butler was busy writing letters in his office to coordinate the schedule for the master couple.

Overall, there were thirty staff members working inside and outside the Bruerd mansion.

Though the estate was large, the bustling activities of this considerable number of employees made it a lively place filled with vigor.

At least, that was the case under normal circumstances.

“…”

Recently, however, the servants of the Bruerd family seemed to have an unspoken rule about keeping quiet, as if some unseen pressure hung over them.

They carried out their tasks, avoiding frivolous chatter that could disrupt the mansion’s atmosphere.

No one enforced such a rule, but the servants themselves chose to lay low, keeping a careful eye on their masters to avoid drawing any ire.

The heavy atmosphere was naturally linked to the disgraceful incident that had befallen the Bruerd family.

The only daughter of the head of the house, the heir apparent of the Bruerd family.

Tirisia Bruerd, a beautiful girl with silver hair and azure eyes, possessed the greatest talent in the history of the family, being a genius sorceress.

She was expected to carry the family’s future but caused a scandal that tarnished the honor of the entire aristocracy, leading to her expulsion from the Academy.

Even the servants who had served Tirisia since childhood found the details of the incident shocking.

She was pure, gentle, generous, and kind—essentially the model of a noble lady.

Yet, she betrayed her childhood friend, a boy she had shared a close bond with since the beginning, by being with another man right in front of him.

The contents of that scandal seemed more fitting for a low-life drama than a noble family, causing even the servants of common birth to feel shameful for being tied to the Bruerd family.

Moreover, the man involved was the son of the Durakal family, who founded the Academy.

The Durakal family had a special position in aristocratic society, being in charge of the Academy that took care of the youth and studies of all noble offspring, including aspiring sorcerers.

However, despite this irreplaceable status, the public perception of Kerg Durakal, the heir, wasn’t particularly good.

Firstly, his looks seemed better suited for someone lurking in the shadows rather than an aristocrat, giving off more of a dangerous vibe not to be trifled with.

Additionally, rumors among commoners only tarnished his image further.

Kerg Durakal confessed he was coerced by Tirisia into participating in the incident, which was in fact just a cover-up. Rumors said he was in cahoots with Bruerd, betraying the commoner Erto.

It was said that the two conspired against Erto, who still loved them both, as they deceived the noble society while throwing all the blame onto Tirisia to lessen Kerg’s punishment.

It was unclear what the truth actually was, but there were certainly those who raised doubts about Tirisia’s sudden expulsion, which contradicted everything they knew about her.

Thus, various scandals weighed heavily on the servants’ minds, but the main reason they were cautious was their master who currently resided within the mansion.

Tirisia Bruerd.

Due to the infidelity incident at the Academy, she had been subjected to indefinite house arrest as a punishment imposed by her parents, the heads of the family.

Though the expulsion from the Academy came as the ultimate penalty, it wasn’t enough to quiet the outraged noble society.

Considering public opinion and their daughter’s safety, Tirisia’s parents could only confine her to assure no contact with others.

In truth, Tirisia could have been even stripped from the family registers and formally exiled for bringing shame onto the noble lineage over such a scandal.

However, her parents couldn’t bring themselves to do that for two reasons.

First, they simply couldn’t be so harsh as loving parents turning their backs on their only, cherished daughter.

The Bruerds were known for having an exceptionally harmonious household, and Tirisia had never disappointed her parents throughout her life.

There was suspicion of hidden circumstances that might explain Tirisia’s sudden and uncharacteristic behavior.

Second, Tirisia Bruerd was an invaluable prodigy from a great noble lineage that they couldn’t afford to part with.

She was a genius sorceress born with extraordinary talent, the likes of which even the family’s history had never seen before.

Considering the immense benefits she could bring to the family in the future, exiling her just because of the noble society’s scrutiny would have been a regrettable decision.

While her parents felt the emotional tug of parenthood, they also had to focus on maximizing their family’s power as the leaders of a noble house.

In the end, instead of taking any severe measures against Tirisia, they chose to observe the nobility’s reactions while keeping her confined at home to resolve the situation over time.

Since noble society had a strong collectivist mindset, it was clear that once the anger subsided, they would quietly appreciate the presence of Tirisia Bruerd, a sorceress who could empower all the nobles.

After considering all these factors, Tirisia’s punishment settled as indefinite house arrest, and already, a month had passed since it began.

One month.

Tirisia Bruerd had been stuck in her room for that entire time.

*

Tweet tweet—

“…Oh my, what a cute little thing.”

The silver-haired beauty, looking out the window of the mansion’s exterior, smiled faintly as she watched a small bird resting in the tree outside.

After a month of confinement, Tirisia Bruerd sat at her unnecessarily spacious desk in her large room reserved just for her.

There weren’t many activities to do alone in her room, so she often sat at her desk, blankly staring out the window and observing the creatures outside.

Looking at the world through a thin pane of magically enhanced glass had become her only hobby of late.

Tweet!

“…Ah.”

As the bird she was watching flew off into the distance, a dry sigh escaped her lips.

The pain of boredom overwhelmed her once again.

She hadn’t felt the ground outside her room in a whole month.

Though she had resigned herself to this punishment, being all alone in such a secluded place felt tougher than she expected.

She wasn’t trying to escape since she believed she deserved her punishment, but even if she had such thoughts, it wouldn’t matter because of her current situation.

A special barrier that absorbed magical energy surrounded her room.

It didn’t absorb the user’s mana but would convert any magic or attacks into energy to maintain itself.

Originally, it was high-performance magic that could only be used by officially sanctioned high-ranking sorcerers to imprison serious criminals.

A countermeasure of that level was necessary to imprison someone like Tirisia Bruerd, who possessed vast amounts of mana.

However, as long as the barrier existed, simply locking the door meant that Tirisia, with only the strength of a young girl, had no means of escape.

In truth, her agreement to serve out her punishment meant the barrier shouldn’t have been necessary, but her parents insisted on installing a makeshift prison in their home.

They both had a duty to prepare for any potential situation and, most importantly, to demonstrate to noble society that they were genuinely confining Tirisia.

The only time her door would open was when a servant brought a meal along with some new books.

With a bathroom attached, she couldn’t even use the mansion’s luxurious bath, having to solve all her needs within her room.

Although the spacious room kept her from feeling suffocated, Tirisia Bruerd’s heart was slowly but surely wearing down in this house-shaped prison.

Knock knock—

“Miss, lunch is ready.”

“Ah, yes. Just a moment.”

There was a rule that she mustn’t step off the bed when the servants entered her room with food.

Responding to the call from outside, Tirisia got up from her desk and lay back down on her bed.

“Come in.”

“Excuse me.”

Click—

“Enjoy your meal, Miss.”

The maid entered quietly and placed the meal on the tea table by the entrance while Tirisia lay silently on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

With her body relaxed, lost in thought, suddenly, memories flooded her mind.

The first thing that came to mind was the face of her long-time childhood friend.

Erto.

It had been a month since she’d last seen his face.

Since the day she got expelled from the Academy after having a huge fight with Rusika.

The last expression he had shown her was the coldest she had ever seen him.

It was natural considering she had knocked Rusika down right in front of him.

How were those two doing now?

She had cast a healing spell on Rusika the last time she saw her—had her wounds healed properly?

And how strong had Erto grown since then?

The growth she had witnessed while they trained for the sparring event had surprised even her.

At that time, it felt more like he was still maturing rather than having fully blossomed into his abilities.

But with that kind of pace, it wouldn’t be strange if Erto eventually surpassed her one day.

Those thoughts made her wonder how he and Rusika were faring.

Next, the faces that came to mind were those belonging to the two people responsible for her expulsion.

Haidiera Aisidel and Seldienne Elconja.

Aisidel seemed like an unpredictable person. One moment, she appeared timid and cowardly, but then suddenly, her piercing gaze could see through everything.

Tirisia thought of her as merely Erto’s odd friend, but that day in the square had left her completely overwhelmed by Aisidel’s spirit.

There was tension that made it clear she should never underestimate something lurking within Aisidel.

On the other hand, Seldienne Elconja had seemed to be adverse to Erto while feigning concern for her safety during that day in the square.

Yet, a vague discomfort had shown on that arrogant face of hers.

It felt like a subtle, helplessness that hinted she wasn’t fully controlling her own actions, as if being swept away by the tide.

What that meant was uncertain, but all the same, Elconja had committed the unforgivable sin of trying to get Erto expelled.

It was quite concerning that these two, once comrades training together for the sparring event, had seen their trust shattered.

Then there was Perjena, a senior who had a somewhat complicated relationship with her, so she chose to avoid thinking about it.

Finally, the last face was that of Kerg Durakal, her current boyfriend.

Being confined in this room, feeling bored, was all part of the result of him leading her in this direction.

Tirisia had taken all the blame upon herself for the one she loved, and she felt no regret for that choice.

But what about him?

In the month they had been apart, how had his feelings changed?

They say distance makes the heart grow fonder—but does that also mean it can drift away?

Would he, after a month, be just a little bit more distant from her?

That sort of insecurity was the hardest emotion for Tirisia Bruerd to bear right now.

But tonight, that anxiety would finally be resolved.

It was the day her parents allowed her a brief outing once a month.

With the invisibility spell that refracted the flow of light, they had permitted her a short outing under the condition that no one besides Kerg Durakal would find out.

Just a little longer, and she would see the face of the one she loved.

Erto and the others could be worried about later.

Tonight, she was finally going to reunite with Kerg Durakal.

With that thrill in her heart, Tirisia Bruerd got up and began her meal.

“…Hehe.”

Even after betraying her lover, and having been confined for a month, she still wore the face of a shy girl genuinely in love.

Without a trace of doubt in her heart regarding her feelings.

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