Chapter 44 - Side Story Elizabeth Harlington

My name is Elizabeth Harlington, the eldest daughter of the Harlington household, and also its greatest disappointment. Although my father still loved me, whispers from the servants revealed his complicated situation, all of which seemed to stem from me.

Though I knew this, I never told him. I felt he didn’t want me to know. However, the servants and the concubine were aware, and as a result, whenever my mother and father left the house when I was five, they would ignore my existence and neglect me. During those times, I would lock myself in my room and wait for my parents' return.

I have two younger sisters, a year younger than me, who are twins. Unlike their mother, they were kind to me. Whenever I locked myself in my room, they would steal food from the kitchen and bring it to me. They were also fun to be with. We would play in the garden together and have a good time.

On their fifth birthday, they, along with my father, went to the Great Magic Hall for their baptism. I watched their carriage disappear over the horizon, feeling uneasy because I feared they might end up like me—a reject.

When they returned, my father wore a proud expression. I saw the concubine, who had accompanied him, smiling. When my father announced that my younger sisters were eligible to become great magicians, the entire castle celebrated. The wine cellars were opened, and a feast was prepared.

I stared at them blankly. Then a sudden thought flashed through my mind:

I hate you two… Why didn’t you become like me?

Realizing I had wished for their downfall when I should have been congratulating them, I ran to my room and cried uncontrollably. I hated myself for harboring such thoughts. They had been so kind to me, and yet I wished for them to become like me.

Since then, I locked myself in my room and never came out. Occasionally, I would hear my father’s voice beyond the door. He was very worried about me and assured me that even though I was like this, he still loved me and my mother. As a testament to his will, my mother retained her position as the legal wife.

This infuriated the concubine and her followers. She would stand in front of my room, calling me trash. Whenever this happened, I would hide under my pillow, trying to block out her voice.

One day, when I was six, I noticed a lot of commotion among the servants. Curiosity led me to the window, where I was shocked to see a luxurious carriage outside our house, marked with a serpent on a blue background. This signified that the visitor was from the Mylekek household.

The Mylekek household was one of the four most influential families in the kingdom, known for producing many powerful mages. I was excited to see a child, seemingly around my age, jump down from the carriage. However, I saw Krisha and Misha, my younger sisters, meeting him and ushering him inside the castle.

I speculated about why the heir of the Mylekek household visited us. When I finally saw him leaving, a faint sparkle from his hand caught my eye. This sparkle could only mean one thing: he was now wearing a master’s ring. Overcome with despair, I learned that his name was Carlos Mylekek.

When I turned seven, my father insisted I enroll in Farlingstad Academy. I questioned why I needed to attend a magic academy when I could only cast two fireballs. He replied, “It’s because you’re a noble, Liza. Even if you can’t use magic, you still need to be educated. You can’t say no to this.”

He added, “You’ll meet other children like you and make friends.”

The mention of ‘friends’ convinced me, and I went to the school.

I was placed in the general students' dorm and assigned a room. It came with a servant of the same age. Although I felt awkward around her at first, we became friends as time passed. At the entrance ceremony, I met Mary Faustina and Victoria Ginsburg. Mary was the daughter of the Faustina Earldom, and Victoria was the daughter of the kingdom’s prime minister. Like me, they were considered rejects by their families. Our shared experiences led us to quickly form a friendship.

Despite our limited status as general students, we enjoyed our school life together. When others learned of our status, they started following us as if it were natural. Though it made us uncomfortable, we accepted them, feeling that they pinned their hopes on us.

Even as a third grader, Mary, Victoria, and I worked hard to improve the lives of the general students. We hosted parties to strengthen our bonds and supported each other. When a student faced abuse or discrimination from magic students, we intervened and pleaded for the mistreatment to stop. Our camaraderie grew strong.

However, one general student remained apart from our group. She had black hair that reached her back and sharp eyes. During class, she ignored the teachers' lectures and continued to write something on her desk. Even when called upon, she answered flawlessly with a bored expression.

Brave students attempted to approach her, but she ignored them. When they expressed their frustration, I inquired if she had insulted them. They said she hadn't; she only muttered nonsensical phrases like ‘Compounds’ and ‘Solutions.’

We couldn’t make sense of this, so we turned to the representatives of the boys: Achil Mayers, Anthony Weinberger, and Frank Hurston. Like us, they were rejects from influential families, but they also failed to understand her mumbling.

I decided to consult my servant, Emilia Darion, and asked her about these terms. She looked puzzled and said she was still learning about the ‘Phases of Matter,’ so ‘Compounds’ and ‘Solutions’ were too advanced for her.

When I pressed further about the ‘Phases of Matter,’ Emilia only shook her head, saying she was still trying to understand it. I sighed in frustration. Emilia then asked me a question with concern:

“Did Lumina-sama do something to you?”

I assured her that Lumina-sama hadn’t done anything to me.

“Then why are you asking these questions?” Emilia inquired.

I hesitated but decided to be honest, thinking it might also benefit her master.

“Since even you don’t understand ‘Compounds’ and ‘Solutions,’ it suggests Lumina-sama is escaping reality due to depression. We want to help her, but if she continues to ignore us, we can’t do anything. Could we ask for your help to address her escape from reality?”

Emilia furrowed her brows and replied:

“… It seems like you’re misunderstanding something.”

“Eh?”

“Lumina-sama isn’t depressed. So please stop those false assumptions.”

“False assumptions?”

“Yes. She’s not like you or me. She doesn’t get depressed because her mana reserves are small. Instead, she makes full use of what she has…”

As she spoke, I smelled the aroma of burnt cake. Emilia paled and started panicking.

“… Oh no… please excuse me, I need to return to the kitchen.”

And with that, she left. Left with many unanswered questions, I decided to observe her closely the next day.

I woke up an hour earlier and went to the canteen. When I arrived, Emilia had already finished breakfast. I skipped my meal and followed her to the school building. Along the way, a magic student approached her. I prepared to intervene if she faced any abuse, but to my surprise, she used magic to create a table and sat down with him. They began a tea party that seemed perfectly natural.

When I approached, the magic student introduced himself as Eclara Dien Rot. Emilia then cleaned up and left for school with her master. Seeing her have an equal relationship with a magic student earned my respect. From that day on, observing her became a hobby.

One day, a fight broke out in front of the stairs. I rushed out of my classroom before Mary and the others could arrive. When I got there, I was shocked by the scene.

“Hey! Who are you!”

“Are you going to stop us?”

The two students facing each other glared at Lumina with angry eyes.

“…”

“You’re ignoring me, huh? Do you know what happens when you ignore me?”

One student raised his sleeves menacingly, but Lumina merely shifted her gaze and asked:

“What did I do to you to warrant such treatment?”

“You disturbed our fight by walking between us!”

“Fight?”

She tilted her head, puzzled.

“Why are you fighting?”

“What good does telling you do, huh?”

The other student glared at her, but Lumina continued calmly:

“Haaa~ it’s okay if you won’t tell me. If you’re fighting, then go ahead and fight. But before I go, let me ask you this.”

She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms.

“Would your parents be proud if they knew you were fighting? If so, then go ahead. But if not, why don’t you stop and do something constructive like studying? If you continue fighting, the winner will only feel a shallow victory. Your parents will scold you and cry when they find out you spent your time fighting.”

“Kuh… It’s not like we’ll continue to fight you know!”

“He’s right!”

“Is that so? Then go ahead and fight, but remember, I have warned you. Whatever happens next is none of my business.”

The two students fell silent as Lumina walked down the stairs. I followed her and saw Emilia meet her midway. Before leaving, Lumina glanced back with a cold glare that made me take a step back. The fight was halted, and

the two students reached a compromise.

Rumors spread about how she stopped the fight with just a glance. General students admired her, and my respect for her grew even more. Though my fear of her cold gaze also intensified.

Who would have thought that two years later, I would become her servant and friend?