Chapter 18

Things happened just as their boredom reached its peak.

“Did you get an invitation?”

Behind their fans, the nobles whispered. In every hand, an invitation delicately gilded with gold was held. That invitation wasn’t sent by another noble—it was sent by a businessman.

It was not at all rare for businessmen to send party invitations to nobles. Each noble connection was a great asset to business. Someone as wealthy and attention-grabbing as Sabina could receive five or six invitations in a single day. For nobles, those invitations were, to be honest, a bit of a nuisance.

“Ashton Bryant, that man?”

But this name was different.

At first, people were indifferent to the name. But the two numbers written on the invitation excited them. One was a single digit, the other had nine digits.

3, and 540,000,000.

Those who kept longing for Carnival at the drop of a hat knew exactly what those numbers meant.

The ‘Number 3 Man’s’ invitation instantly filled the void in the capital’s social scene left by Don Slafdi’s disappearance.

‘That man? Yes, yes, I heard he’s a businessman from Retona. Must be loaded. Wasn’t someone with him… Shh, even if Carnival is gone, mind your manners. The mask is a promise.’

Since Carnival, Ashton had been secluding himself under the pretext of renovating his home. His invitation revived memories of the last Carnival, which excited people in a strange way.

That invitation became the talk of the town. After all, what happened at the auction that day was so entertaining.

Their curiosity first turned to the boy from that day. The ordinary human boy bought for 540 million by Number 3 was now with Sabina. The boy spent most of his time in his room on the second floor. Even if guests visited D’Vialis mansion hoping to see him, it was no use. Because of his introverted nature, no one ever encountered him by chance.

Interest in the boy only grew. But the boy himself was oblivious to all the attention.

When people found no progress in digging into the boy’s story, their gossip soon moved on to someone else.

This time, it was about the host of the upcoming party and Reyes Brinita, who had clashed with him at the last Carnival.

“Will His Highness the Prince come that day?”

It would surely be awkward.

For the first time, Reyes received more attention than his brother Kenneth. That attention was probably unpleasant for Reyes himself. Would Reyes Brinita accept the invitation?

As Kenneth Brinita, the brother who always made him feel inferior, readily accepted Ashton’s invitation, people became even more excited.

Thus, as the slave boy, the Prince, and the party host became the focus of interest—

Sabina D’Vialis began to receive some light misunderstandings.

“So if His Highness comes that day, ‘the three of Carnival’ will gather in one place for the first time since that event?”

Wow.

For that to happen, both Reyes and Sabina would have to receive Ashton’s invitation.

People assumed Ashton and Sabina must be very close. It had made a big impression on them that Ashton, a foreigner, had entered Carnival with Sabina’s invitation. And not only that—Ashton spent a fortune that day to give Sabina a gift.

Because of this, the public simply assumed Sabina had received an invitation, without checking.

They were wrong.

As Ashton’s invitation circulated around the social scene and interest heated up over whether Reyes would attend, Vicky grumbled as she poured tea for her Sabina.

“Really. How could he leave you out, Miss Sabina? You should have been the very first to get an invitation.”

Sabina let her tea cool as she read the newspaper, answering indifferently.

“I don’t care.”

“But isn’t it ungrateful? To exclude you like this! Miss, you even helped him with Marquis Meolin’s daughter…”

Vicky, excited, suddenly stopped herself.

Sabina just smiled faintly. In truth, she hadn’t done it for Ashton, but since she couldn’t mention Helio, she let Vicky interpret it that way.

In fact, all she’d done was prompt Aleina’s emigration. She hadn’t foreseen the carriage accident. Knowing how Helio had been treated in that house, she felt no regret over the family’s death.

“My relationship with that man has only benefited me.”

For several days, Reyes hadn’t come by to bother her. No doubt thanks to Ashton. Sabina leisurely enjoyed the peace he’d provided.

She wasn’t at all disappointed that Ashton hadn’t invited her. In fact, it felt natural. Men who made a splash near Sabina tended to drift away from her. Ashton had made his mark among the nobles at the auction and was now on his way to building his own independent influence. He didn’t need Sabina anymore.

Some might find that attitude rude, but Sabina was not one of them.

She actually felt a little relieved. Ashton’s logic, when he’d pleaded with her to hire him, had been a bit odd anyway.

“And honestly, I don’t really want to go to that party.”

It wasn’t because she’d feel awkward meeting Reyes.

She had other things to worry about.

Just then, there was a knock at the study door. Sabina smiled.

Here it was. The thing to worry about.

“Come in.”

The door opened and Helio slipped inside. The boy, who had been awkwardly prickly with Sabina for days, had softened a lot, and now, every time he saw her, he was shy and grateful. Like someone embarrassed after realizing he’d misunderstood her deeply.

Sabina wondered what kind of misunderstanding Helio had had about her, but decided not to dig into the sensitive feelings of a fourteen-year-old boy.

Helio shyly handed Sabina a book. Between the pages were many sheets of paper. Sabina set down her teacup and unfolded the papers. They were filled with repeated lines of classical poetry—Sabina’s assignment for Helio.

“Your handwriting has gotten so much prettier.”

Sabina praised him in a dry, understated way. Helio’s cheeks and ears turned bright red at her words. Just a week ago, the boy hadn’t even known proper spelling, but he was changing remarkably every day.

With the Meolin family gone and Helio safe from any suspicion, Sabina devoted herself to educating him. Not just for the academy’s written exam, but in history, common sense, culture—everything, so he wouldn’t fall behind anyone.

So he wouldn’t be criticized even in high society.

Helio handled a schedule that would have overwhelmed other children without complaint. What puzzled Sabina was that, while Helio was passionate about every other subject, he seemed lukewarm about preparing for the academy entrance exam.

“Um… My Lady.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“I’d rather study law more than magic theory…”

Sabina tilted her head, her thick straight hair tilting with her.

“Why? You should be focusing more on magic. The entrance exam is soon.”

“Well… I don’t think I’ll pass.”

To Sabina, that sounded truly strange. By all accounts, Helio was the one who’d done that to Marquis Meolin. Only Helio’s ability could have done it. Had the boy avenged himself on the man who made him a slave, but still didn’t know his own potential?

“You said I was born with a unique attribute, but I’m not sure if I’m… special…”

‘Does he just not understand what counts as special?’

Sabina sent Vicky out. Vicky obeyed, glancing sideways. Helio stood shyly across from Sabina, head bowed.

In truth, it’s possible to enter the academy without studying. The exam just determines class placement and ranking among the admitted students. Sabina only made Helio study to prevent him from being looked down on at school.

“If you don’t want to, you don’t have to study for the exam.”

Helio’s face brightened a little at that.

“But then it’ll be very hard to adjust at school.”

His face fell again.

“I actually…”

Finally, he summoned the courage to confess, his face pale as paper.

“I don’t think I’m an attribute magician, like you said.”

“Why do you think that?”

Sabina asked abruptly.

“You’ve already used magic before.”

“What?”

Helio was caught off guard and took a half-step back. Sabina saw his confusion and nodded.

“…I see. You didn’t know. That’s possible. Magic can activate unconsciously.”

Just like Sabina had unconsciously turned back time in the face of death.

“But when magic activates, there should be… a result, right? Something that couldn’t happen naturally… Because that’s the privilege of those blessed with magic.”

Helio hesitantly explained, quoting lines from his reading. Sabina listened quietly, then nodded.

“But I’ve never experienced anything like that.”

He was sincerely troubled. Even Sabina, who knew for certain that Helio was an attribute magician, felt shaken.

“And if I showed any signs of it…”

It seemed painful for Helio to recall what happened at the marquisate; his lips were almost purple.

“Wouldn’t Don Slafdi have tested my attribute first?”

Sabina poured her cold tea into the saucer, covered the teapot with a tea cozy, and poured a fresh cup. She handed the cup to Helio and gestured for him to drink. Helio hesitated, then sipped the tea. Color returned to his pale lips.