Several hours had passed, and finally their carriage reached the imposing high gates where a long pavement stretched toward the distant Manor of Worthon.
The moment the carriage crossed inside the gates, G6 suddenly felt a shiver run through her entire body. As if something—or someone—had greeted her.
"My lady, we have arrived," Tina called gently.
G6 removed her sleeping mask and looked out the window.
"Is there a village here?" she asked. Not aloud. Not curious. Just something that seemed to have passed through her.
"A village?" Ron answered. "I don't know what you mean, but not far from here there is a small town that exclusively belongs to the people who came from the abandoned Dukedom. A solitude given by our family in respect for the deceased Grand Duke."
G6's eyes twitched at the mention of the Grand Duke—the man whose death had forced Prince Dio to relinquish his claim to the throne and become the next Grand Duke instead.
"You never showed interest in them before—well, it's not like you had time for such happenings in our territory. Your time was barely enough to patronize other noble girls and chase after the Prince—"
Ron wasn't able to finish when Ray deliberately kicked his shin.
"Don't mind the words of your tactless brother, Rei," Ray said.
"It's not like he said anything wrong." G6 simply replied and did not bother to throw another glance—or word—at her brothers again.
The carriage had been moving for more than five minutes since they entered.
Who would have thought the Manor of Worthon was still this far from their own gates?
Rich people are truly different.
G6's eyes never left the window. Along the long path, the pavement was surrounded by trees on each side. There was a little forest even within the Estate of Worthon.
After approximately fifteen minutes of travel, the carriage halted.
Ray and Ron got out first, followed by Tina. G6 was the last, escorted by Ray's offered hand to step down. Surprisingly, G6 did not refuse. She took it.
The carriage had stopped before a massive, elegant manor. Servants lined the stairs leading to the front door, the butler and head maid waiting at attention.
At the top of the stairs stood two figures—the very source of the rigid, cold, yet elegant atmosphere.
Duke Worthon and Duchess Worthon.
All servants bowed in respect.
"Welcome back home, Young Masters and Young Lady. May the blessing of God Eldrin prosper upon you," they chorused in unison.
G6 let out a faint smirk.
Would you look at that. I suppose they are not the First Pillar without reason.
The three siblings walked the path up the stairs, their parents waiting at the summit, Tina following behind.
The moment they reached the top, the two imposing figures met them.
"Mother, Father. How have you been?" Ray greeted.
"It's been long, Mother, Father," Ron added.
The Duke appeared cold and rigid—his slicked-back hair, his elegant features, the mauve hair that both brothers had inherited. But what stood out most were his grey eyes. Though the brothers had inherited the color, the predatory gleam suited Reise's eyes far more.
Now G6's eyes.
But that was not all. The Duchess—whom G6 had clearly taken after—possessed rose-gold hair, delicate skin, rosy and plush cheeks and lips. The only thing G6—or rather Reise—had not inherited from her mother were her jade eyes. They were different from the Nocturne's green. Hers were like crystal. Mystical. Almost otherworldly.
"Reise, Mother has been asking you a question," Ray's voice reached her, cutting through her observation of her now-parents.
"Oh. Where are my manners?" G6 murmured. She bowed like a proper lady—a gesture so perfectly executed that Tina's brows furrowed in something almost like disgust at her lady's sudden facade.
"It is nice to see you again, Mother, Father." G6 smiled. Sweetly, at that.
The Duke and Duchess flinched. As if surprised.
G6's brow furrowed. Did I say something wrong?
Then—her brain, her entire being, suddenly shut off.
Her mother grabbed her. Hugged her. Warmly.
"My… my dear daughter…" The Duchess's voice cracked, tears tracing down her delicate cheeks—tears of joy. "I knew you would come back to us someday."
G6 stiffened.
Caught completely off guard, she suddenly felt something she could not name. An inexplicable sensation that bloomed in her chest like frost spreading across a window—only warmer. Softer. More dangerous.
Her eyes darted to her father. The Duke, who had seemed so cold moments ago, now wore a faint but warm smile. Her brothers, too, were genuinely touched.
G6 did not understand.
But one thing was certain.
This discomfort. This disgustingly pleasant sensation. This hug—it felt like a worn-in sweater. The kind that had been washed a hundred times, soft in all the right places, carrying the faint scent of something long forgotten. Something that might have been called home in another life.
I must get away. Before—
"Reise?" Her mother called softly.
"Rei has been spacing out since she arrived," the Duke interceded. "The travel must have exhausted her." His voice was measured. Gentle. A tone she had never heard from any man who called himself her father. "My dear, go ahead and rest."
G6 nodded—almost a nod—without a word. She looked at Tina, who seemed to understand something unspoken. Tina nodded back and led the way.
G6 followed.
"Is that really Lady Reise?"
"She didn't even glare at the maids."
"Two months ago she would have slapped someone by now."
"What must have happened in the Palace for two months to make her mature so much?"
"Well, it certainly made Her Grace happy."
The servants' whispers followed her like ghosts.
As Tina led her up the fantastical staircase, G6 remained silent. They stopped before a white, ornate, elegant door. Tina pushed it open, and the unfamiliar scent and view inside seemed to belong to her.
"Lady Reise, we are at your roo—"
"Leave." G6's voice was cold. Sharp as a blade's edge.
"My lady? Is something the matter?" Tina asked, worry creeping into her voice.
G6's eyes met hers. For the first time, Tina saw something beyond the usual cold or neutral stare. Something troubled. Something shaken in her lady's fierce expression.
"Out," G6 said.
Tina bit her lower lip and nodded. She closed the door. Her footsteps retreating down the hall sounded like a comfort to G6.
The door shut.
The room was silent.
And G6 stood alone, surrounded by belongings that were not hers, in a body that was not hers, facing the ghosts of a childhood she had never lived.
"Feelings are trouble. So throw them away."
The whisper of a cold father echoed in her memory—not the Duke's voice, but his. The man who had forged her. The man who had named her weapon before she had learned to speak.
G6 clutched her chest. It hurt. Not physically—something deeper. A phantom ache in a place she had long since declared dead.
"What do you think will happen if the weapon learns trivial emotions? It becomes useless. And what happens when a weapon loses its use? It is no longer a weapon. It becomes scrap. And scrap…"
…is discarded.
Her breathing grew heavy. Ragged. Her knees weakened. She braced herself against the doorframe, nails digging into the wood.
"Akira. Remember this."
Her father's voice. The real one. The one who had stood over her in basements and training yards, his shadow swallowing her whole.
"You are like a monorail. You only have one path. And that path is death. Killing is your purpose. Your justice. Your reason for existing."
A flash of memory: small hands, too small for the knife they held. Blood. Not hers. Always not hers.
"Do you understand, Akira?"
She slapped herself.
The sting brought her back.
"Fucking right." She looked at her hands. They had finally stopped trembling—though they were still damp with sweat. "Tell me something I don't know… Father."
The word tasted like ash.
Nobody knew. Nobody had been given the chance.
But behind her closed door, in a room that smelled of unfamiliar flowers and held the weight of a childhood she had stolen, G6's fierce expression finally cracked.
Not broke. Not shattered. Just… cracked. Enough to let something through. Something that might have been grief. Might have been rage. Might have been the simple, human ache of a girl who had never been allowed to be soft, standing in the doorway of a life that should have been hers.
Her mother's hug still lingered on her skin.
A worn-in sweater. A warmth she could not afford.
"Feelings are trouble."
She knew. She had always known.
"That's why weeds must be weeded out."
She turned and let her back fall onto the bed—finally hers—and stared at the ceiling until the cracks sealed shut.
G6 opened her eyes in a place that didn't suit her at all.
A crystal lake mirrored the trees and sky around it. She stood neither close nor far from its edge. A weeping willow tree bent beside the water, setting the tone of this surreal scene.
Where—
Her head snapped toward the sound of a child's laughter. Young Reise, no mistaking it. Rose-gold hair in pigtails. Happy. Innocent.
Someone chased her playfully from behind.
G6's eyes shifted from confusion to horror.
It was the same man from her dream at the temple. The bookkeeper. Standing behind young Reise, his face warm, his movements gentle.
"Look! Let's catch some fish, Ither!" child Reise called out.
The man came after her, laughing. "Young lady, you already know there are no living creatures in this lake."
Reise crossed her arms and pouted. "There you go again, spouting lies, Ither! Are you going to say this lake is sacred again?"
The man just laughed it off.
Reise settled under the willow tree, leaning against the trunk. Ither sat beside her.
"Father and Mother said it's not sacred—just a lake without fish!" Reise insisted.
"I never said it was sacred, young lady." Ither's voice was calm. "I said it was a product of the past."
Reise tilted her head. "Ither, why do you always mention the past? But when I ask you stories about it, you always change the subject."
"Because it is too much for you. You are only five years old."
"But you said not everyone can act their age."
"Of course, young lady."
Reise looked up at Ither. "Ither, what was her name again?"
"Who are you referring to?"
"You know… the child who was ***********"
Ither's soft demeanor vanished.
SNAP.
Silence.
Then—
"My lady!"
G6 jolted awake when Tina raised her voice.
She stared at her maid, still caught between worlds. "Do you know what you just did?"
Tina's earlier worry was gone, replaced by her usual brisk efficiency. "Excuse me, Lady Reise, but you only have one hour to prepare for family dinner."
"Dinner?" G6 glanced at the window. The sun was already setting. "Did I sleep that long?"
"Obviously. You seemed to be having a nightmare. You were sweating."
Nightmare? It hadn't felt like one. Just a remnant. Old Reise's memories, stirred by being in her childhood home.
But that man. He was there again.
"Tina. Do you know a man named Ither here?"
Tina didn't bother looking back, already pulling dresses from the wardrobe. "Lady Reise, you are a grown woman. Don't tell me you're talking about your imaginary friend again."
Imaginary friend my ass.
G6 let it drop.
"Anyway." She rubbed her temples. "What was with that disgusting reaction from the couple earlier?"
"Couple? Ah… Of course!" Tina huffed. "You are so mean to your parents. They are not exempt from your fury."
"Ah. Figures."
"Look, this is the least colorful I could find."
G6 looked at the dress Tina held up. "It's pink pearl." Disgust dripped from her voice. "It even has a stupid ribbon on the chest."
"Well, this is the most decent option. The other has lace—"
"That's fine."
G6 stood.
"Anyway, Lady Reise," Tina probed, "why did you act like a proper noble earlier?"
G6 looked at her, obviously irritated. "What do you take me for? Someone who enjoys disrespecting everyone?"
Tina averted her eyes. "Well, you rarely show such decorum to the Queen," she murmured.
"I can hear you. Stop pissing me off."
"Yes, yes, Lady Reise."
Look at her. Just earlier I almost lashed out, yet she acts like nothing happened. How can she be this devoted?
I can't just leave her be with this bothersome personality.
Tina began preparing her bath.
G6 felt a sudden pulse of air against the back of her neck. She turned. Every window was closed. The direction seemed to come from the balcony door—also closed.
She shrugged it off and stepped into the bathroom.
But beyond the balcony, at the edge of the garden, half-hidden by shadows, the Messenger of the Heavens stood facing her window.
The Messenger of the Heavens.
The dining room of the Worthon estate was massive. Unlike the one in the West Villa—where wood-paneled walls mixed with elegant black fixtures and a dim yellow chandelier cast shadows that suited G6—this room was different. White and grey marble. Bright light. Full of life.
At the long table, the Duke sat at the head. To his right sat the Duchess. To his left, Ray and Ron.
"Lady Reise has arrived."
The door opened. G6 entered in her pink pearl dress, her hair woven into a simple ladder braid. The Duchess smiled warmly. Her brothers too. The Duke remained neutral, but even G6 could feel he was the opposite of how he appeared.
"Come sit, my dear." The Duchess patted the seat beside her.
G6 nodded and sat.
"Now that we are all together, isn't it wonderful? The house feels warm and lively again," the Duchess began.
"I'm sure you and Father have been lonely with all of us away," Ray said.
"Let us eat," the Duke commanded.
The table was a feast. Different dishes, elegantly arranged.
"Have this." The Duke placed a piece of meat on G6's plate.
She looked at him.
"Alistair mentioned you like meat," he added.
"Father speaks to that old man?" G6 asked.
"Of course. Who do you think placed those troublesome peers there?"
"My, it seems Alistair has taken a liking to you, my dear." The Duchess laughed. "That cold-blooded man."
"What's more surprising is how devoted Edmund has become to Rei," Ray said.
"Right. When we temporarily stayed at the West Villa, he did nothing but nag us," Ron added.
G6 remained quiet.
So my hunch was right. Edmund kept hinting at a deep-seated loyalty toward Father. Those foreigners really are his people.
"Speaking of, my dear, I heard Her Majesty granted you a position as staff of the Royal Collegium," the Duchess said.
G6 took a bite of meat. "Yes. Her Majesty graced me with the opportunity."
"I hear you spend most of your time at Bastion," the Duke said.
"Not most," Ron corrected, "but she spent almost two months there."
"I also attend the Utility Department, per the Queen's wish," G6 added.
The Duke halted his utensils. "This is the first I've heard of this."
"Well, just because they are your people doesn't mean they are obligated to report everything that happens there. It's not as if you planted them to keep tabs on the palace." G6's voice was even.
"Rei…" Ray warned.
G6 looked at her father, who seemed taken aback. "I spoke out of turn. Forgive me."
"Oh dear, you're not wrong! Right, William?" The Duchess chimed.
The Duke sighed. "Yes."
"So, what have you learned at Bastion?" he asked.
"Not much. There's nothing to learn there, really. Everything I did was self-taught. Nothing interesting."
"But it seems the young lords of the power houses have taken a liking to you," Ron observed.
"Isn't that normal? They all grew up together," the Duchess said.
"But didn't they grow apar—"
Ron was silenced when Ray stepped on his foot under the table.
"Hey!"
"Don't be such a child," the Duke said.
"Getting along isn't surprising. After all, we live under one roof," G6 said flatly.
"Rei is right." The Duke set down his utensils. "So, dear, why don't you show me your swordsmanship?"
The rest of the family stopped eating.
G6 put down her fork and knife. "Father seems well informed on my activities." She met his eyes, her gaze turning colder. "Don't suspect Edmund or Tina. I have my ways."
Of course. After all, you three dukes are the true bosses of the three departments.
"I don't appreciate being watched."
"It's simply a father asking about his daughter's wellbeing. I don't need details. Alright?"
"I'm here for the Veneration, not to show off a newfound hobby."
"A hobby, you say? The Veneration doesn't begin for three days."
"Then why doesn't Father show me the real spells of Wind Magic? Everything listed in the available books is novice. It almost makes me laugh."
Ray and Ron exchanged a look. "But Reise, you don't know how to control your mana—"
"I'm glad."
"Pardon?"
"I'm glad Father was telling the truth when he said he isn't watching me."
The Duchess smiled warmly. "It seems our dear Reise has gained some enlightenment." She turned to her husband. "Why don't you teach her the family's real magic?"
"But Mother—Reise couldn't even paint before," Ron interjected.
"We heard the news. But isn't that natural? It's all part of training," the Duchess replied.
Oh? She's not the typical bothersome mother.
"Your mother is right," the Duke agreed.
"But still!"
"You're looking down on your sister," the Duchess said. "She's a Worthon herself. Just like you two."
"Being caring and protective is fine. Too much is poison," the Duke added.
G6 remained silent.
I expected the Duchess and Duke to be the difficult ones. But it seems these two ants are the problem.
"Then Father will teach me?" G6 asked, smiling.
"Look at her! She only smiles like that when she wants something!" Ron pointed.
"That's enough, alright?" G6 said, still smiling. "I'll kill you if you don't stop." She mimed a slice across her throat.
"S-see?" Ron stammered.
"Whatever. It's up to Mother and Father." Ray, the eldest, resigned.
"Eat more, my dear." The Duchess piled more food onto G6's plate.
G6 did not refuse.
She observed.
She has a loving family.
So why did you throw this away, Reise?
"What a bother," she murmured.
G6 understood now. The reason she couldn't help but act normal—more human—was because the moment she saw Reise's parents, she couldn't bring herself to treat them like everyone else. Just like how she kept avoiding the Duke in the throne room before, because she kept losing grip of herself.
Reise's lingering emotions toward her family were stronger than anything else.
It disgusted her.
It violated her.
How dare you have lingering feelings when you chose to die?
You should have died completely.
Because your family is nothing but a tool for me now.
「THE NEXT MORNING—IN THE WORTHON'S TRAINING HALL」
The quiet sand lay disturbed, as if clawed apart. Neatly organized wooden weapons and steel ones were scattered across the floor, ripped from their places.
Servants stood frozen, still in shock.
Duchess Worthon's mouth hung open—caught between awe and disbelief. Duke Worthon, sword in hand, stood not far from the center of the training hall, equally speechless.
"HEY! CALM IT DOWN!" Ron yelled, shielding his face from sand flying toward him.
"Goodness. Did you make this?" Ray asked, his voice full of awe, as if the mage researcher in him had awakened.
And in the middle of the training hall, the source of the chaos stood wearing a smirk.
"Yeah. Badass, right?" G6 said, smug. "Meet Classic F5."
The entire Worthon training hall shook—sturdy walls trembling as if torn from their foundations. The trees outside the hall swayed wildly.
And in the center of it all, a massive, compressed spiral of wind spun violently in place, waiting for its unhinged caster's command.
"There is no doubt." Duke Worthon's voice cut through the chaos, steady and certain. "You are indeed a Worthon, my dear."
— To Be Continued… —