The Borgia family was an Earth Mage noble house within the territory of the great Velton clan.
Though merely a marquis family, the Borgias held immense power and commanded the loyalty of the populace in their region.
They had successfully attracted the attention of the grand clan of Lightning Mages and had secured a betrothal between Cyan Von Velton—the third young master of the mighty Velton family—and the third young lady of the Borgia family—Serafina de Borgia.
Yet rumors about the young master Cyan, who was said to have slept in a daze constantly until he turned five, had spread like wildfire throughout the Velton territory.
A betrothal between the relatively small Borgia family and a grand clan—already considered a tremendous success—had come to be known as the "failed contract of the Borgias."
Serafina's elder brothers, Cesare De Borgia and Lucian De Borgia, were infuriated. While their sister appeared delicate, the thought that the only young lady of their family was pledged to a lazy, unpromising boy filled them with rage.
A month ago, however, the Borgia family had received a letter from Konan Von Velton, the Velton clan's heir.
It was a direct request: the letter commanded Serafina De Borgia herself to arrive at the Velton family's main estate six months from now.
Ignoring the fact that the journey to the grand Velton estate would take almost a full day, the crucial point was clear—they required the young lady of Borgia to meet and become acquainted with her betrothed, Cyan Von Velton.
Lucian's anger flared.
"I have to accompany my sister on this journey. I cannot allow that worthless boy to do whatever he pleases with my little sister."
"If my elder brother learns of this, he'll immediately leave the capital to see Cyan for himself. I must make sure this news doesn't reach him."
Despite their precautions, the news inevitably spread throughout the Borgia family's small territory.
The people in the region, too, seemed angered by what they perceived as an arrogant and selfish demand from a branch of the Velton family.
Everyone seemed to believe that, compared to the benefits at stake, the honor and future of the family's only daughter mattered more.
They did not wish for this marriage to take place.
Yet, for survival and prosperity, the decision to accept a betrothal with the Velton family had been finalized.
It seemed that half of Serafina's future had already been determined, and it could only be altered if the Velton clan themselves broke the betrothal.
For a weaker family like the Borgias, attempting such a thing would invite unimaginable consequences.
The reason Serafina was seen as delicate yet beloved by the people lay in the Borgia family's long-standing philosophy: they valued their people and the natural world.
Life here was truly idyllic. Endless fields, lush greenery, and meandering rivers blended harmoniously with the lives of the common folk.
Serafina herself was gentle, visiting villages within the territory every month, with almost no sense of social hierarchy separating her from the people.
Her power, however, was not the source of her popularity, especially for a young girl like Serafina.
Unlike her cheerful demeanor among the people and family, Serafina carried a hidden sadness. She was far weaker than her brothers.
Cesare and Lucian had reached the Saint level at ages seven and eight, respectively.
Cesare had already left for the royal capital to study, and Lucian would soon follow at age ten.
Yet Serafina, at six, remained only at the intermediate level of magical mastery.
In some respects, Serafina truly felt no different from Cyan at this moment. She was constantly pressured by the sense of falling behind her siblings.
Unlike most, Serafina bore no resentment toward Cyan. She genuinely wished to see what her future spouse was like six months from now. She wanted to witness his character and face for herself, rather than relying on hearsay or biased words.
She always knew that, despite being beloved in her territory, other marquis families looked down on her. They dismissed her, the marriage, and even her family.
But no one knew the truth: Serafina was far from ordinary.
She was born with an unprecedented talent in the world—a unique combination of two magical affinities: Earth and Beast Mastery.
However, as recorded, these two talents suppressed each other. With her current mana core, she could not activate either affinity fully at this age.
In the future, though, she would learn to harmonize the two talents once her mana core matured—a certainty yet to come.
Serafina often pondered why her innate magic seemed ineffective, and why she possessed a Beast
Mastery talent—a trait entirely foreign to her family.
She often wondered if her mother had been unfaithful—a question that would likely remain unanswered, as her mother Bianca De Borgia had died at her birth.
Unknown to Serafina, her mother Bianca carried noble elf blood, the source of her unique magical gift. Yet Bianca had suffered a curse that concealed her elf ears, leading other elves to see her as a monster, and her own family had abandoned her.
Overwhelmed by prejudice, Bianca had fled, only to be captured by slave traders of the Bahamut Empire. She endured a life of slavery, forced from one noble household to another, constantly abused and tormented by depraved aristocrats.
When all hope seemed lost, an organization rescued her.
Tengai, a secretive group of outcasts and former slaves, operated in the shadows, freeing slaves, purging corrupt nobles, and dismantling criminal organizations.
They granted Bianca a new identity. Through rigorous study, she became an Earth Mage of unparalleled skill, despite starting without innate talent at age seventy.
She also became a renowned S-class adventurer, supporting Tengai's missions from behind the scenes, across generations.
At the height of her youth and beauty, she married Valerius De Borgia, the head of the
Earth Mage lineage, giving birth to three children.
While her first two children inherited powerful Earth affinities, Serafina became the singular fusion of two extraordinary bloodlines.
Bianca had seemingly poured her entire life into Serafina, entrusting her with the role of first daughter and inheritor of her legacy.
Serafina was thus the first and unique offspring of human-elf heritage, a being of immense significance in the unfolding story.
Yet she was unaware of this. Tragically, like her mother before her, Serafina was underestimated, even deemed a weakling by outsiders, though only partially and unfairly.
That's also the reason Serafina later became colder, she couldn't keep her original personality as a child because of those pressures.
Even so, Serafina possessed the same resolve as Cyan. She was curious about her future spouse and eagerly anticipated the day, six months hence, when she would finally meet him.