Chapter 7 – The Duke’s Promise and a Sudden Collision
I wanted to speak clearly and confidently.
To sound mature, calm, persuasive.
But I couldn’t.
No matter how hard I tried, this small child’s body just couldn’t keep up with what my mind wanted.
So I squeezed my eyes shut and blurted it out.
“I-I’ll definitely be useful!”
“…”
“If you just keep me with you and don’t ask questions, I’ll study hard!
When I grow up, I’ll make lots of magic formulas too!”
Still, Sharon Abner said nothing.
The silence stretched longer and heavier.
“I-I can even finish all the research you tell me to do… successfully…”
My voice faded. My head hung low.
Through the blur of my teary vision, I could see my tiny hands clutching the blanket tightly.
Wendell was standing nearby, watching quietly.
A frightening thought crept into my mind.
If she doesn’t accept me… then where will I go?
When she first came to the orphanage, she didn’t ask me a single question, so I thought I was safe.
But maybe she had just held back until now.
Even with my grown-up memories, I could tell one thing for sure—
What if she decides to kill me?
If she thought I was some spy from Longton or a black magician…
My face drained of color.
In my previous life, when I met Sharon Abner, she already knew who I was.
My talent was recognized then—
even though most of my magic formulas had been taken by Hiana, a few still bore my name.
That’s why she valued me so much back then.
That must’ve been why she gave me her personal seal, promising to help me whenever I needed it.
But this time… I was just a four-year-old child.
Worse still, the event where she gave me that seal hadn’t even happened yet in this life.
None of my work existed—no registered formulas, no records, no published papers.
To her, I was nothing but a suspicious little girl claiming to be a genius.
And yet, I had no other choice.
This was the only path I could take.
“I-I…”
Tears spilled before I could stop them.
My mind swirled with memories—of the life before, and of the few days since I’d come back.
Sadness welled up so quickly I couldn’t hold it back.
Drip. Drip.
Tears fell from my lashes to the blanket.
“Hah. Really now.”
Sharon let out a long, half-exasperated sigh.
I looked up through blurry eyes.
She stood slowly, then walked toward me with a complicated expression.
“I said it would be strange not to be curious,” she said evenly.
“But when did I ever say I’d start interrogating you?”
My mouth fell open.
“And even if I did,” she added dryly, “from the looks of you, you’d faint before I finished asking.”
“Ah…”
“Don’t worry so much. What kind of monster do you take me for?”
Her tone softened.
“You told me not to ask anything, and I brought you here. To my house.”
“…”
“Do you really not understand what that means?”
She smiled faintly.
“It means I’ve accepted your offer.”
“Th-then…”
“As promised, I won’t ask.
Not about how you knew of that seal,
or where you learned of Longton’s spies.
I have many questions, yes…”
She came closer and sat down at the edge of the bed.
“…but first, you should relax. For someone so clever, you certainly worry too much.”
I stared at her blankly.
The moonlight streaming through the window caught in her violet eyes.
Her nose was sharp, her lips curved faintly in something that wasn’t quite a smile.
Before I knew it, my voice trembled out:
“Th-thank you…!”
“…”
“I-I’ll do really well, I promise!”
Relief flooded through me, warm and overwhelming.
“I’ll keep my promise! I’ll be useful to House Abner! Really!”
In my past life, Duke Longton had adopted me because I was useful.
Even after his real daughter, Hiana, returned, he hadn’t cast me out—
because my inventions, my formulas, still brought him profit.
That’s fine. I can do the same here.
In Abner’s house, there was no Hiana to take credit for my work.
No one to steal what I built.
This time, everything would be mine.
Tears welled again, but I smiled through them.
“Really… thank you. Truly, really.”
Sharon’s brow furrowed slightly.
She looked down at me for a moment, then said softly:
“…Alright.”
***
The Next Morning
You are now under House Abner’s protection.
A proper room will be arranged for you soon,
but for now, stay here.
When leaving the estate, always go with Wendell.
I’ll assign a few maids to assist you as well.
Those were the words she left me with last night.
I woke up remembering them, stretching under the warm blanket.
The curtains hung softly by the window, and sunlight poured through the spotless glass.
“…The Abner mansion.”
I was really here.
A long sigh escaped me, full of relief.
Since my return, every single day had been a storm of panic and tension.
I hadn’t properly slept in days, hardly even felt hunger.
But today—
Growl—
My stomach let out a loud rumble.
I pressed a hand over it, embarrassed.
Growl, grrrr.
Apparently, once the stress was gone, my stomach remembered its job.
I sat up in the huge bed and carefully climbed down, gripping the edge for balance.
Maybe I could sneak out to the kitchen for something to eat.
Then I paused, glancing at the blanket I’d just left.
It was soft cotton stuffed with feathers—thick, fluffy, warm.
No wonder I slept so well last night.
A cozy fire still burned in the fireplace, keeping the room warm.
Someone must’ve stayed up all night to make sure it didn’t go out.
I cleared my throat quietly and shuffled toward the door, feeling a little awkward.
Sharon Abner… she seemed to like me, right?
My heart thumped strangely.
She kept every promise I made.
She even gave me this beautiful room—this bed, this blanket.
But then I froze.
My gaze fell to my own hands, fidgeting unconsciously.
A small unease spread inside me.
…No. Duke Longton was kind at first too.
My eyes caught the mirror in the corner.
Messy silver hair half-covered my face.
Under it, faint ivory eyes stared back.
Thin lips pressed tight in a determined line.
A small, frail-looking girl. Expressionless.
My heart sank.
“…Get it together, Anelia.”
I wasn’t here to be loved.
I wasn’t here for comfort or warmth.
A nice room and a soft bed didn’t mean safety.
“I’m here to prepare,” I whispered.
Once, I had dreamed of becoming the Head of the Imperial Academy of Magical Pharmacology—
maybe even joining the Mage Tower someday.
When I was younger, before Hiana returned,
I’d devoured every magic and alchemy book I could find,
writing papers at a scholar’s level.
I just wanted to be recognized.
Magic and alchemy were the first things I ever loved.
The first things that made me forget time existed.
I shouldn’t have given up so easily.
Just because Duke Longton changed,
just because my brothers hated me,
just because I’d lost my place—
I shouldn’t have stopped.
“Here, I can start again.”
Here, I could rebuild my future, step by step.
The girl in the mirror nodded back at me.
I stared at her a few more seconds, then turned toward the door.
Taking small, determined steps, I grabbed the doorknob and turned it.
Click.
The lock released, and the wooden door creaked open—
Just as someone burst through from the other side.
“…!!”
We crashed into each other, and I tumbled backward onto the floor.
ke’s Promise and a Sudden Collision
I wanted to speak clearly and confidently.
To sound mature, calm, persuasive.
But I couldn’t.
No matter how hard I tried, this small child’s body just couldn’t keep up with what my mind wanted.
So I squeezed my eyes shut and blurted it out.
“I-I’ll definitely be useful!”
“…”
“If you just keep me with you and don’t ask questions, I’ll study hard!
When I grow up, I’ll make lots of magic formulas too!”
Still, Sharon Abner said nothing.
The silence stretched longer and heavier.
“I-I can even finish all the research you tell me to do… successfully…”
My voice faded. My head hung low.
Through the blur of my teary vision, I could see my tiny hands clutching the blanket tightly.
Wendell was standing nearby, watching quietly.
A frightening thought crept into my mind.
If she doesn’t accept me… then where will I go?
When she first came to the orphanage, she didn’t ask me a single question, so I thought I was safe.
But maybe she had just held back until now.
Even with my grown-up memories, I could tell one thing for sure—
What if she decides to kill me?
If she thought I was some spy from Longton or a black magician…
My face drained of color.
In my previous life, when I met Sharon Abner, she already knew who I was.
My talent was recognized then—
even though most of my magic formulas had been taken by Hiana, a few still bore my name.
That’s why she valued me so much back then.
That must’ve been why she gave me her personal seal, promising to help me whenever I needed it.
But this time… I was just a four-year-old child.
Worse still, the event where she gave me that seal hadn’t even happened yet in this life.
None of my work existed—no registered formulas, no records, no published papers.
To her, I was nothing but a suspicious little girl claiming to be a genius.
And yet, I had no other choice.
This was the only path I could take.
“I-I…”
Tears spilled before I could stop them.
My mind swirled with memories—of the life before, and of the few days since I’d come back.
Sadness welled up so quickly I couldn’t hold it back.
Drip. Drip.
Tears fell from my lashes to the blanket.
“Hah. Really now.”
Sharon let out a long, half-exasperated sigh.
I looked up through blurry eyes.
She stood slowly, then walked toward me with a complicated expression.
“I said it would be strange not to be curious,” she said evenly.
“But when did I ever say I’d start interrogating you?”
My mouth fell open.
“And even if I did,” she added dryly, “from the looks of you, you’d faint before I finished asking.”
“Ah…”
“Don’t worry so much. What kind of monster do you take me for?”
Her tone softened.
“You told me not to ask anything, and I brought you here. To my house.”
“…”
“Do you really not understand what that means?”
She smiled faintly.
“It means I’ve accepted your offer.”
“Th-then…”
“As promised, I won’t ask.
Not about how you knew of that seal,
or where you learned of Longton’s spies.
I have many questions, yes…”
She came closer and sat down at the edge of the bed.
“…but first, you should relax. For someone so clever, you certainly worry too much.”
I stared at her blankly.
The moonlight streaming through the window caught in her violet eyes.
Her nose was sharp, her lips curved faintly in something that wasn’t quite a smile.
Before I knew it, my voice trembled out:
“Th-thank you…!”
“…”
“I-I’ll do really well, I promise!”
Relief flooded through me, warm and overwhelming.
“I’ll keep my promise! I’ll be useful to House Abner! Really!”
In my past life, Duke Longton had adopted me because I was useful.
Even after his real daughter, Hiana, returned, he hadn’t cast me out—
because my inventions, my formulas, still brought him profit.
That’s fine. I can do the same here.
In Abner’s house, there was no Hiana to take credit for my work.
No one to steal what I built.
This time, everything would be mine.
Tears welled again, but I smiled through them.
“Really… thank you. Truly, really.”
Sharon’s brow furrowed slightly.
She looked down at me for a moment, then said softly:
“…Alright.”
***
The Next Morning
You are now under House Abner’s protection.
A proper room will be arranged for you soon,
but for now, stay here.
When leaving the estate, always go with Wendell.
I’ll assign a few maids to assist you as well.
Those were the words she left me with last night.
I woke up remembering them, stretching under the warm blanket.
The curtains hung softly by the window, and sunlight poured through the spotless glass.
“…The Abner mansion.”
I was really here.
A long sigh escaped me, full of relief.
Since my return, every single day had been a storm of panic and tension.
I hadn’t properly slept in days, hardly even felt hunger.
But today—
Growl—
My stomach let out a loud rumble.
I pressed a hand over it, embarrassed.
Growl, grrrr.
Apparently, once the stress was gone, my stomach remembered its job.
I sat up in the huge bed and carefully climbed down, gripping the edge for balance.
Maybe I could sneak out to the kitchen for something to eat.
Then I paused, glancing at the blanket I’d just left.
It was soft cotton stuffed with feathers—thick, fluffy, warm.
No wonder I slept so well last night.
A cozy fire still burned in the fireplace, keeping the room warm.
Someone must’ve stayed up all night to make sure it didn’t go out.
I cleared my throat quietly and shuffled toward the door, feeling a little awkward.
Sharon Abner… she seemed to like me, right?
My heart thumped strangely.
She kept every promise I made.
She even gave me this beautiful room—this bed, this blanket.
But then I froze.
My gaze fell to my own hands, fidgeting unconsciously.
A small unease spread inside me.
…No. Duke Longton was kind at first too.
My eyes caught the mirror in the corner.
Messy silver hair half-covered my face.
Under it, faint ivory eyes stared back.
Thin lips pressed tight in a determined line.
A small, frail-looking girl. Expressionless.
My heart sank.
“…Get it together, Anelia.”
I wasn’t here to be loved.
I wasn’t here for comfort or warmth.
A nice room and a soft bed didn’t mean safety.
“I’m here to prepare,” I whispered.
Once, I had dreamed of becoming the Head of the Imperial Academy of Magical Pharmacology—
maybe even joining the Mage Tower someday.
When I was younger, before Hiana returned,
I’d devoured every magic and alchemy book I could find,
writing papers at a scholar’s level.
I just wanted to be recognized.
Magic and alchemy were the first things I ever loved.
The first things that made me forget time existed.
I shouldn’t have given up so easily.
Just because Duke Longton changed,
just because my brothers hated me,
just because I’d lost my place—
I shouldn’t have stopped.
“Here, I can start again.”
Here, I could rebuild my future, step by step.
The girl in the mirror nodded back at me.
I stared at her a few more seconds, then turned toward the door.
Taking small, determined steps, I grabbed the doorknob and turned it.
Click.
The lock released, and the wooden door creaked open—
Just as someone burst through from the other side.
“…!!”
We crashed into each other, and I tumbled backward onto the floor.
