After dinner with her "new" family, G6 took the opportunity to walk the estate grounds. Her real purpose was simple: scout the entire place. Map the exits. Note the blind spots. Calculate.
But her mind wouldn't stay on the task.
As she walked beneath the moonlight, the cold breeze kissed her delicate skin—a soft, almost apologetic touch. Her mind drifted back to the dream.
Why do I keep dreaming about Reise's childhood? She turned a corner, heels clicking against stone. This doesn't sit right with me.
After that first dream back in Grain Town, she had thought it was Witherby's sign—another message for his cryptic book. But when she returned home after grilling the Queen, the book was silent as a dead rat.
Was it just lingering memories, after all?
She paused at the edge of the garden, where moonlight pooled like spilled silver on the grass.
No. It couldn't be. That damn mysterious man definitely met my eyes.
She looked up. Stars glimmered overhead, scattered like careless diamonds across the black sky.
"What exactly does this world want from me?" she whispered. "Just spit it out already."
Of course, she knew—from the moment Daunt told her the forgotten history—that it could all be connected. Witherby was clinging to her for a reason. Using the Queen. Using Reise's family. Their influence and power to fuel whatever he was planning.
Now it kind of makes me think… they purposely killed me to bring me here—
The thought froze her mid-step.
No way—
"It is cold outside, my dear."
A woman's voice came from the doorway that separated inside from out. G6 turned her head slightly over her shoulder.
"Mother. You're still awake?"
Duchess Worthon smiled and stepped out to stand beside her. Moonlight caught the rose-gold of her hair—so like G6's own.
"I was looking for you. Tina said you went for a walk."
"I just wanted some fresh air before retiring." G6 paused. "Do you need something, Mother?"
Her side lip twitched. She could hear herself—her own dry, monotone voice—but somehow it came out softer. Softer than she intended. Softer than she could fix.
"You children will only be staying here for a week." The Duchess's voice carried a sweet, almost plaintive tone. "Is it so strange for a mother to take full advantage of this time?"
G6 stared at her for a long moment.
Is this what a normal mother sounds like?
"It is not," she said. Then, quieter: "...I guess."
The Duchess smiled. She laid her hand on G6's shoulder—a light, warm weight. G6's fingers flinched at the contact.
"If palace life does not suit you well," the Duchess said, "you are always welcome to come back home."
G6's expression shifted. The softness drained away. The cold mask slid back into place.
"Was it not yours and Father's will for me to wed Prince Dio?" Her voice flattened. Say something that makes sense, woman.
"If it were only up to me," the Duchess replied, unflinching, "I would want you children to be with someone you truly love."
"That explains why my older brothers are not inclined to have fiances. But why was my fate sealed before I could even understand what life is?"
The question—sharp, precise, built from everything G6 had learned from Brenda and Tina and the book—made the Duchess hesitate. Her words seemed to vanish from her mouth.
"Your father may be loyal to the Crown, my dear. But he cares for you. Why not use his offer earlier as a chance to get closer?"
"Is that so?" G6 tilted her head. "What does Father think of me—labeled scandalous and wicked?"
She had not heard about Reise's old shenanigans anymore. She rarely socialized with other nobles. The ones around her had simply accepted her drastic change. But what about this house? What did they think?
"Does it not make you wonder," G6 pressed, "why one morning your daughter simply changed? Does it not interest you—as a mother—that your daughter seems different?"
The Duchess was quiet for a long time. Her eyes were clear. Her face, composed.
Then she smiled.
"Judging by how condescending your questions feel," she said, "you have indeed changed. But why does it matter?"
"Why does it not?" G6's voice grew colder. "It is hard to believe that none of my movements are known to you."
The Duchess only stared at her. Studying her, perhaps. Or perhaps waiting for something G6 could not name.
I see.
"This is funny," G6 said.
"What is, my dear?" The Duchess's confusion finally surfaced.
"Nothing." G6 turned toward the door. "I will go inside now, Mother. I hope you have a good night."
She nodded once—brief, formal—and stepped through the doorway.
The Duchess remained outside, standing alone in the corridor. Moonlight painted her silhouette long across the stone floor. Her gaze drifted somewhere beyond the hedges and flowers, as if searching for someone who was not there.
"I simply thought your change was the will of the Messenger of the Heavens," she murmured, her voice barely a breath. Worry shadowed her jade eyes. "...my dear daughter."
She stood there for a few heartbeats longer. Then she turned and went back inside.
「NEXT MORNING—」
The sound of a gentle breeze against the branches and leaves of the trees was soothing. The sunshine was warm, spilling through the windows in soft, golden pools. The surrounding estate was oddly quiet—all you could hear was the chirping of birds and the wind sifting through the leaves.
G6 slowly opened her eyes.
The ceiling above her was nothing but soft white fabric. All the curtains around her bed were drawn down. A canopy bed—like something from a princess's storybook. It suited her, at the same time, felt utterly out of place for someone like her.
"Right. I am home," she said.
I must be crazy to call this home.
She shifted into a sitting position and brushed her hair up from her face.
"This is the first time I've slept without worrying someone might point a gun at me."
G6 turned her head toward the curtains—fabric almost transparent, yet not quite—trying to see if Tina was waiting for her. The room was empty.
She stood and walked to the window. Through the glass, she could see the other side of the estate's open field: nothing but rolling greenery, peaceful and vast.
"It is really kind of disturbing how this body reacts to this place."
Even in the palace, G6 couldn't sleep without worrying. She was always on guard, always listening, always ready. But her first night in this home? Nothing but peace.
Disgusting.
Then she heard it—faint footsteps approaching her room. Familiar footsteps. The ones she knew very well.
Three consecutive soft knocks came at the door.
"My lady, are you not awake yet?" Tina's voice came from behind the door.
G6 didn't bother looking at the door. She simply raised her voice to the volume Tina could hear. "Come in."
Tina slowly opened the door and found G6 standing by the window.
Her eyes lit up. She seemed to be staring at this Lady Reise—the one in this house, not the one in the palace. G6 wore a white nightgown. Her hair was a mess, tangled from sleep. Yet she looked pristine. Beautiful.
She seems different, Tina thought. If only her eyes were not as empty and as cold as ever.
Of course. What am I expecting? You may dress her differently, but Lady Reise is Lady Reise.
"Shall I help you get ready, Lady Reise?" Tina asked. "His Grace and Her Grace will be waiting for you, along with the two masters, to have breakfast."
"Dress me comfortably." That was all G6 said.
Tina nodded and walked to the wardrobe, searching for a dress that would not snap something in her unpredictable lady.
G6 sat on the couch and stared at the book lying atop the center table. A romance novel. What a bother. But it reminded her of Lilia.
"Who did you leave Lilia with?" she asked.
Tina's back was to her, but she smiled. "I made sure she dines with Alistair and Madam Janin. Don't worry, my lady. Lilia is mature and capable for her age."
"Who said I am worried?" G6's voice carried a lash of irritation. "I just don't want my people starving while I am away." Her brows furrowed.
Tina looked at her and scoffed. She shows so many expressions every time she denies something funny like this. Why can't she just be honest?
"Well, if you say so…"
"Just do what I am telling you to!" G6 snapped. "You better give me something decent. If I see those disgusting colors again, I will burn this whole place."
She stood and marched into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.
Tina just smiled and shook her head.
Inside, G6 was still scowling.
Me? Worried? She stared at her reflection in the mirror above the sink. Tsk. Don't flatter yourself, you mere chess piece.
She studied the face looking back at her—Reise's face. The one she wore like borrowed armor.
"You know," she said to the reflection, "it's really unsettling that I never find your fucking face unsettling, Reise."
She turned away and sank into the bath, letting the warm water swallow her.
Fifteen minutes later, she emerged to find Tina still there, tidying her room.
"You should have left when you were done." G6 wrapped a robe around herself. "You really have a bad habit. You live up to your work as a servant."
Tina looked at her with a mixture of confusion and—was that judgment?
"You must feel comfortable," G6 said, "to be brave enough to throw that look at me, Tina."
She raised her right hand to her head and conjured a controlled stream of wind—just enough power to dry her hair. Yes. G6's hair dryer, as you may all remember.
"Am I?" Tina tilted her head. "Forgive me, then. My lady is the one working me to the bone whenever she is up to something at the U.M.D."
"There you go again, trying to keep count on me." G6 sat at the vanity. "Almost all of my salary from the Royal Collegium went to you."
Tina walked to stand behind her and began brushing her hair while G6 continued drying it with her magic.
"It's a fair trade," Tina said. "After all, you are not doing any work there. I am."
"You know I could just work your ass off without giving you a pay, right?" G6's reflection was flat, unimpressed. "You should be grateful you have me as your boss."
"Well, don't worry. I repay your generosity with the right amount of service."
She really stressed the word 'generosity,' didn't she? G6 thought.
"You seem to be in a good mood, Tina. Seeing you don't give in to me."
Tina smiled while brushing. "Am I? Maybe I am just delighted to have time with you again, my lady. You are always busy with something else. Always with Edmund." A little hint of jealousy crept into her voice.
"Are you jealous?" G6 asked.
Not that she could truly feel what jealousy was—but she had learned to read the expression, connect it to the definition.
"Of course." Tina's voice tightened. "I am your personal maid, yet you trust Edmund more. You always have him by your side."
G6's hand stopped. She stared at Tina's reflection in the mirror.
Wow. She is really making a big deal of this, huh?
Well. I know the right answer to this.
"It is because you are my personal maid that I trust you a lot," G6 said. "The paperwork you have been doing at the Royal Collegium is very important, you know. It is about Omnia's artifacts. One of the most important departments—not only in the Collegium, but in the entire palace." She paused. "And you are doing great at it."
Tina's expression softened. "I know you are just trying to ease my feelings." But she smiled—sweetly, genuinely. "But I also know it is true that my lady trusts me."
G6 just smiled. Sure.
"You know that's a smirk, right?" Tina said. "How can you not just smile like a normal person?"
"You know that you are my personal maid," G6 replied, "and that's why you can talk to me like that. Right?"
Tina just pouted.
Look at her. Is she picking up this childish behavior from Keith? I knew that useless kid's constant lingering in my office would influence Tina and Lilia eventually.
"Lady Reise, your hair is all dry. Shall we dress you now?" Tina asked.
"Alright," G6 said.
Duke Worthon is seen by everyone as a cold-hearted duke—the most serious among the three. But he is nothing but a loving father who only wants the best for his children.
Yet it has a flaw: his loyalty to the Crown. To the balance of power.
He ended up severing his relationship with his one and only daughter, Reise. The daughter he always hoped to restore.
Now, in the dining room, they were having breakfast as a family again.
Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, catching the edges of polished silver and white porcelain. The table was long, elegant, and heavy with dishes that barely seemed touched.
Duchess Worthon kicked the Duke's shin under the table—a sharp, discreet signal. Start talking to her.
G6 sat beside her mother, quietly slicing the bread and vegetables in front of her. Her movements were precise. Surgical. Every cut is deliberate.
Is it disgusting to say I miss that damn old man? she thought. He seems to know my palate better than this damn family. Do I look like someone planning to maintain my figure for them to give me this stupid grass? Do I look like some cow or a goat to them?
"Ahem." The Duke cleared his throat, trying to start a conversation. "Re—Reise… so, about last night."
"The one you offered to teach me? Some family-exclusive spells?" G6 continued while holding her fork like a knife, stabbing the piece of cabbage on her plate.
Ron and Ray exchanged a cautious look. They were visibly restraining themselves—fighting the urge to act like the protective older brothers they were, lest they share the fate of that poor, impaled cabbage.
"Yes. If you still want it…"
"Of course I do." G6 didn't look up. "What about after breakfast? If you're not busy."
The Duke's lip twitched.
Goodness. She keeps stealing the words from my mouth. Is this really my daughter—the one who used to nod at everything I said?
"Well, of course, you are a Duke. You must be busy." G6 waved a dismissive hand. "Forget it. I can just ask those two." She nodded toward her brothers across the table.
"Right!" Ray agreed quickly. "We can just teach her, Father."
Ron nodded in approval.
"Just last night you two were so against it," the Duchess said, smiling. "What gives?"
"We gave it deep thought." Ron straightened in his chair. "And Mother was right." He glanced at G6. "Besides, Rei needs help controlling her anyway…"
"You don't have to worry about that." G6 bit into a piece of garlic bread. "Earl already taught me."
"Earl did?" The Duchess's eyebrows rose. "Well, I did hear the young one keeps pestering you—"
"I will teach her myself!"
Every head at the table turned to the Duke after his sudden declaration.
Does he have APD? Or RLD? His response is way too slow. G6's thought was clinical, analytical, as she gave the Duke a very obvious once-over.
The Duchess let out a snort that made the Duke's ears flush.
"Oh my… where are my manners?" She covered her mouth, but her eyes were laughing.
The brothers exchanged a look—one of quiet understanding, perhaps even sympathy for their father's position. The servants standing in the corner also stopped themselves from smiling.
Am I the only one who doesn't understand what's happening?
Duchess Worthon reached over and held the Duke's hand. She smiled—warm, knowing, affectionate.
Why can't he just be honest that he wants to spend time with her? Sometimes, he is just so adorable.
"Then it's settled." The Duchess's voice was light, final. "You siblings will spend your spare time training with your father."
"Yeah." G6 stabbed another piece of cabbage. "Fine."
She went back to murdering her vegetables.
「TRAINING HALL」
The training hall of Worthon lived up to its expectations. It was wide, the ground cemented and even. Trees lurked around the perimeter, their branches casting dappled shadows across the open space. An open training hall—designed not for secrets, but for spectacle.
The brothers—Ron and Ray—each wore a simple white sleeve polo tucked neatly into black pants. The Duke's broad shoulders were visible beneath his black sleeve polo, three buttons left undone, revealing his fit physique. He looked less like a noble and more like a soldier who had simply changed uniforms.
Each of them held a wooden sword, waiting in the hall for G6.
Duchess Worthon sat quietly beneath the shade along with a few servants, her jade eyes watchful. The knights of House Worthon were also seated on the bleachers, their postures relaxed but their eyes sharp. Thrilled, perhaps, at the prospect of seeing the father and sons exchange clashes of sword and magic.
Then, all eyes stuck on G6 and Tina as they entered.
G6, her soft curly hair pulled into a high ponytail, wore a new set of training clothes: designed black combat-cargo pants, boots tightly laced up to the edge of the pants, and a bodycon white turtleneck top. The outfit hugged her frame like armor—functional, severe, and utterly unapologetic.
"Reise, that attire is not so—" Duke Worthon began.
Ray and Ron snorted.
"Those are rejected attire from the I.W.A.S.," Ron said, grinning. "Who would have thought someone could pull it off?"
"But Reise," Ray added, his tone more serious, "the reason they were rejected is because those defenses and enhancements are not fit for combat."
"That's why I am using them for training." G6 stepped into the center with them. "Unless you want to fight?"
"Oh." Ray's eyebrow arched. "Just because you've been cooped up in the Bastion doesn't make you strong."
G6 smirked. "Why don't we let our swords talk?" Then she snickered. "Ah, right. You are a Sanctum staff. I will adjust to you and let our magic talk."
Tina, standing where the other servants were, simply closed her eyes and sighed in resignation at her lady's taunt.
Ron grinned.
The Duke was speechless.
Ray's lip twitched at the clear provocation.
"Reise, you—"
"Enough with that childish taunt." The Duke's voice cut through. "Reise, why don't you show us the spells you know?"
I don't feel like showing them all my cards, G6 thought. Especially the ones I am going to use in the future.
"Well," she said aloud, "Earl once told me to cast Tornado Wind."
Tina's eyes flinched. She knew what came after that.
"Then why don't you show us?" the Duke asked. "You said Lord Earl helped you with your control, correct?"
"Can Reise really pull it off?" Ray taunted. "I remember she couldn't even make it to average size."
"Oh, come on, Ray." Ron waved a dismissive hand. "Maybe now she can…"
G6 just stared at them.
Ah. They love their sister, but they are also competitive with each other. Is that it?
"Yeah, sure," she said in her usual dry monotone.
"N-noo!"
Tina's voice came out just a little higher, but in the quiet training hall, it echoed. All eyes turned to her.
G6 glanced at her. Tina's life flashed before her eyes—from childhood up to this very moment, the moment she saw that evil smile G6 always gave every time she messed things up.
G6 raised her right hand.
And snapped her fingers.
The moment she did, the breeze from the surrounding area suddenly gathered into the middle of the training hall, forming into a vortex. As the size grew larger and the current grew more violent, the ground began to shake. The surrounding trees swayed. Dust disturbed everything in its path.
"Reise… this is… this is not Tornado Wind!" the Duke said, trying to block the harsh wind with a wall of his own.
"Right! What is this?!" Ray and Ron were also defending themselves.
Others hid behind pillars. On the Duchess's side, servants flocked behind her. Tina stood beside Her Grace, both hands raised toward the air, forming a shield of golden light that erupted—or rather, planted itself into the ground—covering the area of Duchess Worthon's will.
G6 knew that spell. She had seen it briefly. It was the same spell Priest Felon and Priestess Kalia had used during their mission.
"Ah." G6's voice was casual, almost bored. "I forgot to say that I failed to cast the Tornado Wind."
Her eyes were planted on the Duchess.
"HEY! CALM IT DOWN!" Ron yelled, shielding his face from sand flying toward him.
"Goodness. Did you really 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." G6's voice was smug. "Badass, right? Meet Classic F5."
The entire Worthon training hall shook—sturdy walls trembling as if torn from their foundations. The trees outside 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."
The Duke looked proud while effortlessly fending off the harsh current with a spell G6 did not recognize.
"But I think, dear," he added, "you should dispel it already before it tears everything apart."
G6 smirked. With a simple wave of her hand, the Classic F5 vanished in a mere second.
Everyone—especially the Worthons—stared at her as if she were some phenomenon. Their eyes were shocked. Frozen.
"Reise." Ray's voice was slow, careful. "You… that's… not how you dispel a spell."
Ah. I forgot. I am a prodigy in this world. They are like losers in front of someone like me.
"Yeah." G6 shrugged. "That just happened."
The Duke stared at her.
Earlier, when she cast that spell she called Classic F5… she didn't chant. Not only that, that violent version of Tornado Wind is not a defensive spell but an offensive one. And it uses a lot of mana, yet she looks fine… though there is a small sweat on the back of her neck.
What on earth happened to my daughter in the almost two months she's been gone? What is Queen Euphelia hiding from us?
G6 knew the Duke had so many questions right now. She didn't care. She could always get away with it.
"Alright." The Duke straightened. "Let us start. Rei, what about we begin with sword coating?"
"Yeah, I already know it too," G6 said.
"Of course. It is the basics." Ron crossed his arms. "And that's what Bastion people are good at—coating their swords because they are not good at pure magic combat."
"That is not true." The Duke's voice was flat. "Lord Keith is good at both sword and magic combat. Prince Dio was the first to reach the pinnacle of A-Rank in his magic prowess at his age, and he is also good with a sword. The Five Angels are all proficient in both magic and sword."
"The Bastion of Phalanx is the shield and sword of the Kingdom," the Duke continued. "Don't speak so lightly of them."
"They can't even fully vanquish the dead forest, let alone the Abyss Dungeon," Ron shot back.
Abyss Dungeon? G6's interest flickered. Was that the biggest dungeon Zen and Edmund were talking about? And I know these two dislike Snow White, is it really okay for them to openly criticize the Bastion?
Well, I openly criticize the Queen, this is nothing. Pft. G6 then smirked on her own thoughts.
"The monsters are staying in their place," the Duke said. "There is no reason to disturb them unnecessarily."
"Really, Father?" Ray's voice was sharp. "What about the Oak Village incident? The Greenhill one faced by Captain Kepler?" He paused. "New-type demons have been found in the very first village outside the capital, and still not another peep about it."
How did the conversation diverge so much from training? G6 thought as she listened. I want to train. I am sick of hearing these topics over and over again.
"So," she said, her voice cutting through the debate, "should I show my sword coated or not?"
The tension between father and sons seemed to calm at her intervention.
"Right. Forgive us, Rei." The Duke nodded.
"It's alright."
G6 took a stance, holding her sword. She focused, slowly controlling her mana and magic, pushing it out to flow onto the blade.
Reaper's Whisper.
A torrent of white wind swirled around her wooden sword—calm, yet efficient.
"Oh, Rei!" Ron praised. "That was perfect control."
Ray nodded in agreement.
G6 looked at her father. He was faintly smiling.
"It looks like the work of someone with a deep understanding of how mana and magic work," the Duke said. "You have indeed improved a great deal, my dear."
Of course, G6 thought. I bet you lot would die in shock if you found out about Mana Form.
The Duke took a stance. In just a short second, the same torrent of swirling wind appeared around his sword.
That was near the level of mine if I cast it fast. I guess he is not a Duke—let alone the First Pillar—for no reason, huh…
The two siblings followed suit.
Then—something rang like an alarm in G6's mind.
She raised her sword to her back, fending off an attack.
"That was not so manly, Your Grace." G6's voice was flat. The Duke stood behind her, his sword atop hers.
"Well." His smile was faint, almost teasing. "It seems your brothers were not exaggerating when they said you are very, very good at sword fighting, Reise. It makes me wonder."
G6 threw a glare at her brothers.
Those two. I know they already know everything going on in the Bastion. That's why they kept taunting me. Who would have thought they would rat me out?
"Honey." The Duchess's voice carried across the hall. "I think this is enough. It seems a few of the branch house members have already arrived."
G6 and the Duke withdrew.
"I had a good time," the Duke said, "even if it was too short."
"So did I, Father."
"Alright, you children. Tidy up and meet us in the grand drawing room." The Duke handed his sword to a waiting knight and walked toward the mansion.
"Reise!" Ray called.
Both brothers flocked behind her.
"Back off before I kill you both."
"Yeah, yeah. What a harsh little thing." Ron grinned. "We will teach you more later. Sounds good?"
G6 looked up at them and smirked. "Finally. You two have some good use."
The two just snickered and tapped her shoulders. They also left, handing their swords to nearby knights.
What a bother.
G6's lips curved—just slightly.
Tina, watching from a distance, was almost taken aback. But she smiled.
I guess I'll just keep it a secret from her.
— To Be Continued… —