Chapter 1.2

She was thinking about how to refuse when Diana, provoked by her mother’s words, stabbed an asparagus with her fork and complained.

“There you go again. What can I do if I haven’t found a man I like yet? Besides, you both benefit from my business. If you keep this up, I’ll just move out.”

“Hey, I’m not telling you to leave the house! Wouldn’t it be nice if you got married like other young ladies? Do you know how you’re referred to in society? A spinster crazy about men! I can’t show my face.”

“Mom, it’s true I’m crazy about men, but twenty-nine is still a young age. And I’m not a virgin, you know?”

“Oh my, is this the time to talk about virginity?”

The words ‘sleep with’ should be attached to Diana’s ‘man I like.’ Diana was looking for a man who would give her the ultimate pleasure in SM play. A man who would hit her very well…

Diana had no shame in talking about her s*xual preferences to her younger sister, who had just become an adult.

She didn’t even know that because of her, her sister learned about distorted s*x.

Diana still occasionally brought her lover to the mansion, saying there was a thrill in doing it secretly from the family, and tried to drag her into the world of SM even if she didn’t like it.

What a bad sister. 

The memory of Diana pounding with her lover came back again. Ugh, her stomach churned.

Diana shrugged her shoulders, unaware of her sister’s feelings.

“Mom, I can’t be satisfied with just one man. Just admit it.”

“Oh, is that something you should say to your mother? Honey, say something too.”

Her mother pounded her chest in frustration. She understood that feeling very well.

Her father looked at the two women with a bitter face, saying nothing. In fact, the one who benefited the most from Diana’s business was her father.

The Prime family was a founding family, but her father was so inept at business that they were becoming nobles with only honor left.

Then Diana not only breathed life into her father’s dying business but also brought in vast amounts of money. The Prime family became the wealthiest among the Empire’s Earldom families.

After learning that Diana, whom he thought was a pure daughter, was doing this and that with men, her father clutched his neck and collapsed. But he turned a blind eye to everything Diana did because of her excellent business acumen.

In the end, only her mother and she couldn’t accept Diana’s behavior in this mansion.

“Ahem, Dear, shall we talk about Erica’s marriage proposal again? Let’s deal with Diana’s issue… later.”

“Oh, right, right. We were talking about Erica, weren’t we? Anyway, Erica, please live a normal life. It’s this mother’s wish.”

“Oh, how old-fashioned! Don’t you know love marriages are the trend these days? Erica, if you don’t like it, say so. You’re pretty like me, so you can meet many great men.”

“Hey! Don’t drag your sister into this. And if you think about it, you’re pretty because you take after me. I gave birth to you beautifully. Who did you take after to go astray like this? Oh, my fate.”

Her mother kept lamenting while pounding her chest.

Her father sighed, displeased that the conversation’s lead had been taken away again.

Honestly, she felt like she had the most to say here, but she didn’t know why everyone in this family was so busy talking about themselves.

To cut to the chase, she raised her hand to steer the conversation back on track.

“So who is the prospective marriage partner you mentioned for me?”

Fortunately, her mother and Diana closed their mouths and looked at her father. They seemed curious about the partner.

Her father, perhaps worried about losing his speaking turn again, mentioned the name without any preamble.

“The heir of the Oditolium Marquis family and the Duke Cayton’s…”

Wait, wait.

“Father, who did you say?”

“Duke Cayton’s…”

“No, before that.”

“Are you talking about the heir of the Oditolium Marquis family?”

Oh my. 

As soon as her father’s words ended, strength left her hands. The spoon fell to the floor with a clatter. The maid beside her quickly placed a new spoon in her empty hand.

But the cutlery wasn’t important now. If she hadn’t misheard…

“So, you mean Felix Oditolium, right?”

“Yes, that young Marquis and Duke Cayton’s…”

“Oh my gosh. It’s really Lord Felix!”

Unable to contain her rising excitement, she slammed the table with her spoon-holding hand. The loud noise made her father flinch. The spoon flew from her hand, attacking Diana’s chin.

“Ouch! What’s wrong with you today?”

Diana rubbed her chin, narrowing her brows. She didn’t care if her sister was in pain. What mattered was that a marriage proposal had been discussed between her and Felix.

“Erica, besides that young master, there’s also Duke Cayton’s…”

“Father, I agree to this marriage.”

“Dear, I mean, there’s more than one marriage proposal partner…”

“Erica! Who taught you to throw spoons while eating?”

“Dear, I’m talking right now…”

“Father, Mother. I’ll go upstairs to prepare for the engagement.”

Before her mother could talk about table manners, she quickly wiped her mouth with a napkin and stood up from the table. Her father called out to her with surprised eyes.

“Wait, Erica?”

“Look at her, just like someone…”

“Can’t you hear your father…?”

“Then have a pleasant evening!”

Before anyone could stop her, she quickly left the dining room.

***

Felix Oditolium had become the empire’s first imperial mage three years ago, integrating the Mage Tower into the empire and developing magical items for non-magic users.

Before his arrival, magic was almost exclusively considered the domain of the Mage Tower. Magical items were limited to wands and scrolls, and even those could only be used by Mage Tower magicians.

Others found it difficult to even glimpse the ‘magic’ in magic. Even the Empire’s Emperor had to pay a hefty sum to the Mage Tower to acquire a single scroll.

Felix was the one who broke these old customs.

He redesigned magical items, previously owned only by the Mage Tower, for non-magic users and introduced them to the market. Despite the likely massive opposition from the Mage Tower, no word of it was ever heard.

One day, a large magic shop appeared in the square, and its groundbreaking items sparked a magic boom in the empire.

Nowadays, everyone used magical items. Communication was done via magic communication spheres instead of mail, and urgent matters were handled by tearing a teleportation scroll to quickly reach the destination (though it was expensive, so most people used carriages for ordinary occasions).

In three years, the convenience of life improved dramatically. Some called it a magic revolution.

Felix, having achieved something significant enough to be recorded in history, remained at the center of attention.

Topics about him included his family, wealth, and magical abilities, but the most intriguing was ‘What does he look like?’

No one claimed to have seen Felix’s face. Even the servants working at the Marquis’s residence said they had never seen him.

Felix was a man surrounded by rumors.

Some said he was already dead, or that he had a huge scar on his face, or that he was cursed, or that he was plain, or that he was a stunning beauty who enchanted both men and women.

All that was known was that he was a young man of twenty-one. Felix always sent a representative to important social gatherings, and the Marquis and his wife were notably reserved when speaking about their son at social events.

It was said that only the emperor and his close associates knew Felix’s appearance.

Which of the rumors about Felix was true could not be known without seeing him directly.

Erica had met Felix only once. That was why she welcomed the marriage proposal with him.

When she was fifteen, she was reluctantly out on the street for market research with Diana.

Unfortunately, there was a festival that day, and the crowds were immense everywhere. Lovers filled the square, and every time they passed with their arms linked, she remembered how Diana and her lover brushed against each other, which was difficult.

Eventually, dizziness came over her. Her body felt heavy, and her steps dragged. It was only after walking for a while that she realized she had lost Diana.

“Sister? Sister!”

There were many people, but no matter how much she looked around, she couldn’t see Diana. She only grew more exhausted and ended up colliding with a man and falling.

In the end, she gave up searching for Diana and covered her mouth, feeling nauseous, as she entered a quiet alley.