Oden stared over Evelyn’s shoulder in disbelief.

“Sachi, for you to be out at this hour… that’s rare.”

Sachi looked unmistakably furious.

“I asked what you were doing to Evelyn.”

Oden had been about to greet his brother for the first time in quite a while, but instead raised an eyebrow.

“‘Doing’ something to her? I was merely disciplining the family troublemaker after she lied and sneaked out.”

“Once her approaching birthday passes, Evelyn will be eighteen. She is hardly young enough for you to police her outings.”

“That would be true if she behaved like a lady her age. Just because she’s been quiet these past few days doesn’t mean she won’t return to her old ways.”

After her conversation with Aint, Evelyn had already attained a state of near-total detachment. Oden calling her the family troublemaker no longer hurt her feelings.

‘Right. I’m the idiot here. Go ahead and insult me.’

The only thing she did not do was pick her ears in boredom. Otherwise, she radiated the exhausted indifference of an office worker who had already been criticized from every possible direction.

To Sachi, however, Evelyn’s vacant eyes conveyed something entirely different.

‘She was always so lively around me… She must be deeply hurt.’

Concern appeared on his face.

Taking Evelyn by the hand, he began leading her toward the eastern wing.

“Brother Sachi?!”

“Whatever the circumstances, those words were too cruel to say to your younger sister. I’ll take her from here.”

Evelyn glanced back at Oden.

His expression was unreadable, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

He’s probably wondering how the seed of evil managed to bewitch Sachi.

Evelyn stuck out her tongue at him.

Oden frowned when he saw it.

Ignoring him, Evelyn held Sachi’s hand and marched away energetically.

She had never realized it before, but having someone defend her brought a comforting sense of security.

Noticing Sachi’s thoughtful expression, Evelyn swung his hand.

“What is it, Evelyn?”

“You look upset. Stop frowning.”

Sachi’s expression softened slightly.

“I simply feel guilty for failing to protect you until now.”

His sincerity touched Evelyn deeply.

‘He may be kind to me now, but once he discovers that his body has stopped growing, he might hate me again.’

Since the thought had occurred to her, Evelyn cautiously tested him.

“Is there anything else troubling you lately?”

Sachi’s face briefly darkened.

“Of course not.”

“Brother?”

“Even if there were, it wouldn’t be something you should concern yourself with. Don’t worry.”

Sachi ruffled Evelyn’s hair.

After escorting her to her room, he returned to his tower.

Evelyn watched him leave, lost in thought.

If Evelyn Joelle Chantalis truly had brought a curse upon this family, then perhaps she also possessed the means to break it.

‘I’ll make sure you start growing again. Don’t worry, Sachi.’

Evelyn clenched her fist.

Beyond making money, achieving success, and finding love, she now had another concrete goal.

Once she broke Sachi’s curse, she could leave this land without regrets.

While Evelyn remained deep in thought, Alpi’s wailing came from the distance.

“My lady! How could you do this to me?!”

Evelyn laughed wearily as Alpi came running toward her.

Without even realizing it, she was rapidly becoming part of this household.

***

Meanwhile, in the western wing of the Chantalis estate, Adonea gazed toward the noisy eastern building and sneered coldly.

‘Running away from home like that… how stupid can she be?’

Perhaps being born into a ducal family meant Evelyn considered such a wealthy life unimportant.

Adonea gripped the windowsill tightly.

Some people were frantically kicking beneath the surface, doing everything possible to remain in this estate.

But a girl who had eaten three warm meals a day and slept upon soft bedding since birth could never understand.

She did not know how cold and merciless the world beyond this estate could be.

Adonea examined her palms.

Hard calluses remained in several places, calluses that did not belong on the hands of an eighteen-year-old young woman.

‘I will never return to the days when I survived by doing menial labor.’

She endured the maids who constantly looked down on her because she refused to relinquish the life she had finally grasped.

Adonea pushed the memory of her hometown being consumed by flames into the farthest corner of her mind.

An eerie smile curved her lips.

“I will take your place somehow, Evelyn…”

Even if the entire world burned, she would make this estate hers.

An ominous blue light seeped from beneath her clothes.

She drew out the pendant necklace concealed there and gently caressed it.

No one had ever seen it, not even by accident.

***

[We’re truly grateful that you came all the way to our estate, Miss Madlette.]

On a bright morning touched by a warm spring breeze, Duke Chantalis moved his pen with a deeply grateful expression.

Madlette sat in his office wearing a neat dress.

She gave him a warm, reassuring smile.

“I’m the one who should be grateful for the opportunity to teach your daughters.”

[I believe that concludes our interview. When would you be available to begin?]

“I can begin immediately. Although, since it is the first day, I wouldn’t attempt to cover too much material.”

Duke Chantalis was privately satisfied.

So what if she was the daughter of a fallen noble family?

It was rare to meet someone with such extensive knowledge of society, politics, culture, history, mathematics, and nearly every other field.

Her diligence was an added benefit.

[In that case, allow me to show you to the classroom.]

The duke rose and escorted Madlette to the room where his two daughters were waiting.

It had originally served as his auxiliary study, but the servants had just finished converting it into a classroom.

[You may conduct your lessons here from now on.]

Duke Chantalis opened the door wide.

Two desks made of fine wood stood in the sunlight streaming through the windows.

Only Adonea was seated.

“Good morning, Father. Good morning, Miss Madlette.”

[Adonea, where is Evelyn?]

When the duke asked about her whereabouts, Adonea tilted her head.

“I’m not sure. Could she still be sleeping?”

Madlette discreetly studied Adonea.

She was well acquainted with the rumors surrounding the girl.

Orphaned children who were friends with Tol had often spoken enviously of her.

Madlette did not know why Duchess Jubel, who had personally walked the filthy streets of the capital to perform charitable work, had selected Adonea in particular.

Adopting an orphan of unknown origins into a ducal family… Only Duchess Jubel would have done something like that.

Madlette tried to ignore the uneasy feeling Adonea gave her.

The girl appeared perfectly innocent, so why did it seem as though she were acting?

Evelyn also behaved unlike an ordinary child, but in a different way.

The discomfort surrounding Evelyn came from her excessively mature attitude.

Adonea, however, made Madlette feel like a mouse standing before a snake.

“Miss Madlette?”

Adonea called to her.

Quickly regaining her composure, Madlette smiled warmly.

“Yes. We’ll begin once Lady Evelyn arrives.”

[Then I leave them in your care.]

At that moment, the sound of someone running came from the distance.

“Lady Evelyn! Your veil is falling off!”

“I can’t stop! I’m going to be late for my first lesson!”

Breathing heavily, Evelyn rushed through the open doorway.

Duke Chantalis smiled gently at her.

[Evelyn, you arrived just in time.]

“I’m sorry!”

“There’s no need to apologize. You aren’t late yet.”

Madlette laughed softly when she saw Evelyn.

Although her face was mostly concealed by the veil, Evelyn gave her a faint smile in return.

She hurried to her desk and sat down.

Madlette took her place before the blackboard.

After Alpi and Duke Chantalis left, only Madlette, Adonea, and Evelyn remained in the room.

“Good morning. My name is Madlette, and beginning today, I will be your private tutor.”

Ordinarily, a young noblewoman’s private lessons would involve more time spent embroidering and chatting than seriously studying.

House Chantalis, however, was different.

Following the principles established by a previous duke, every member of the family, regardless of gender, was taught as much practical knowledge as possible so they could become genuinely capable individuals.

It was a remarkably progressive tradition.

Evelyn suspected that this was precisely why House Chantalis had become the undisputed greatest ducal family in Lagria.

‘Though the most exceptional talent of all will be me, of course.’

“Adonea, these lessons will begin with foundational material intended for Evelyn. Aren’t you worried that you may find them tedious?”

“Not at all. I know far less than Evelyn. Besides, studying will be much more enjoyable if we do it together.”

Adonea smiled sweetly.

“Isn’t that right, Evelyn?”

“Yes, Sister. Of course.”

Evelyn responded to Adonea’s gentle smile with an innocent one of her own.

‘Oh, I can see exactly what she’s thinking.’

Pretending not to notice anything, Evelyn idly played with her pen.

She caught a glimpse of Adonea’s confidence.

Adonea seemed certain that she could effortlessly surpass a girl younger than herself.

‘Don’t underestimate me. I possess knowledge from both the original novel and my previous life.’

And that was not all.

Despite her difficult circumstances, Evelyn had always ranked among the top students at school and had never lost her university scholarship.

“Why don’t we begin today with a brief lesson on the history of Lagria’s creation?”

Madlette drew Chara’s emblem on the wooden blackboard.

With branches stretching toward the heavens, it resembled a tree.

Beneath it, she wrote the words Divine Tree.

“In the beginning, there was a tree that grew toward the world below and another that grew toward the world above. These trees were originally one, but over time, they separated into two.”

The tree that governed the surface world grew into Chara, the supreme goddess who watched over humanity.

Simon, who had grown toward the depths, became the deity of the dead and the underworld.

“Simon was displeased. Why should Chara, who had once been the same being, rule over the bright and warm surface while Simon remained below?”

Tormented by jealousy that grew stronger with every passing day, Simon eventually invited Chara into the underworld and imprisoned her in a dark dungeon.

Then Simon pretended to be Chara, seized the sibling’s place, and began ruling the surface world.

Madlette posed a question.

“Do you think Simon truly governed this world well, as he expected to?”

Adonea immediately shook her head.

“No. Because Simon lacked the necessary ability, problems both large and small began appearing throughout the world.”

“That’s correct. More precisely, ”

“At first, everything seemed to function properly,” Evelyn interjected. “But the Divine Tree gradually began to wither, and calamities descended upon the surface.”

Adonea fell silent.

Madlette praised Evelyn.

“Exactly. At first, everything unfolded according to Simon’s wishes. But Simon could never equal Chara, who had loved the surface world with a sincere heart.”

Meanwhile, the underworld descended into chaos after losing its ruler.

It was none other than the imprisoned Chara who guided the wandering dead and restored order below.

“Chara was a true supreme goddess who showed compassion even to the dead. She earned the loyalty of the underworld’s inhabitants and eventually escaped her prison to return to the surface.”

Madlette rubbed away the tree she had drawn on the blackboard.

With the distinction between above and below now blurred, the remaining image seemed to represent the surface world consumed by chaos.

“Afterward, Simon was forced to govern the dark underworld once more, while waiting for the day when another chance to return to the surface would come.”