Chapter 25: This Was the Only Way She Could Repay the Young Master Now |
...
"Sister, Lord Jonas has entered that girl's room.
She's so delicate and cute."
In the training room, Olivia swung her sharp sword repeatedly.
Sweat soaked through her training clothes, outlining her alluring curves.
Hearing her younger sister's words, Olivia inexplicably grew more irritable.
"Enough, stop talking."
"Sister, are you jealous?"
Rip—
The impact sent strong vibrations through the air.
"What nonsense are you spouting?
How could I be jealous?! I...
I'm just Lord Jonas's retainer."
Phil teased, "Just a retainer?
Lord Jonas is so handsome and powerful, don't you want to—"
"Enough! Lord Jonas is only my master.
Never forget that everything we have now was earned through his efforts. Don't entertain such foolish thoughts!"
"Tsk... so stubborn. Sister, you're quite beautiful yourself~
And more developed than that newcomer too!"
"You..."
"Hehe... sister, we've seen the outfits from the tavern ladies.
Want me to modify yours?
Who knows, Lord Jonas might lose control seeing you in it."
"Get lost!
You little brat!"
...
Meanwhile.
Before the pristine dining table.
The girl sat stiffly in her white dress, visibly uncomfortable.
Exquisite dishes were arranged before her - fresh fruits, tender meats,
and many delicacies she'd never seen before.
Two maids stood attentively nearby.
Charis held her utensils awkwardly, unsure how to approach the feast.
Jonas, in contrast, handled his meal with practiced elegance.
From a certain perspective, Jonas deliberately maintained an authoritative demeanor -
it made gaining the girl's loyalty and trust easier.
Noticing Charis's hesitation,
Jonas carefully cut a piece of untouched steak, dipped it in sauce,
and placed it on her plate.
Then he slid the cheese platter toward her.
"Hmm?"
The gesture flustered the girl.
Her pale blue eyes darted up nervously.
"Eat."
Jonas's calm, warm voice
somehow soothed her anxiety.
Charis gave a small nod and obediently ate the steak.
The explosion of rich flavor on her tongue -
a taste she'd never experienced since birth -
made her want to savor it forever.
Despite her discomfort, a sweet smile of satisfaction emerged.
Her gaze unconsciously drifted to the man before her,
stirring strange feelings in her heart.
He carried himself with such grace.
For a fleeting moment, she wanted to keep watching him forever.
This sudden happiness dazed her,
but the moment the thought surfaced,
her crushing inferiority suppressed it.
Her eyes instinctively looked away,
startled by her own audacity.
Who was she?
What right did she have...
...
The room stayed quiet,
Charis too nervous to make noise.
Sunlight filtered through lace curtains,
casting gentle patterns on the wooden table.
Vines trailed from porcelain planters,
their fuzzy leaves glittering like scattered crystals under the light.
The aroma of food lingered.
Dark memories flashed through her mind -
compared to past despair,
this place felt like paradise.
She feared it might vanish like a bubble,
making her instinctively resist Jonas's kindness.
If she tasted light,
could she ever endure darkness again?
She was terrified...
that he was just using her.
Setting a gentle trap before discarding her like street trash...
Yet compared to recent hopelessness,
experiencing such food and kindness...
even dying here would be better.
[Charis]
[Loyalty: 20%]
[Magic Ability Return Multiplier: 4x]
...
Over these days,
Charis gradually adapted to her new environment.
The blue-haired girl followed Jonas like an unremarkable shadow.
Perhaps due to past trauma,
Charis resisted interacting with others -
except Jonas, whom she clung to affectionately.
She desperately wanted to please him,
yet feared becoming a nuisance.
Jonas never acted aristocratic,
treating her more like an elder brother caring for a younger sister.
[Charis]
[Loyalty: 25%]
[Magic Ability Value Return: 5x]
...
During a break from sword practice,
Slynda noticed Jonas feeding Charis and pouted.
So gentle with some random girl,
yet so harsh when teaching her Whirlwind Slash!
Anyone would think she was his enemy, not sister!
And he'd promised to bring back a mage
to handle the "Destiny" faction threat -
where was this mage?
All she saw was Jonas playing house with some girl,
regressing to his old tavern-waste self.
Yet his skills were undeniable -
leaving her to silently fume during training.
Watching Olivia practice nearby,
Slynda couldn't resist complaining:
"Look at Jonas, playing with that child all day.
What happened to recruiting talents?
With the Empire in chaos, he—"
Olivia glared:
"Silence!
The young master has his reasons!
Keep talking and face me in combat."
Slynda: "..."
Great, another lovesick fool.
And one she couldn't beat.
Truthfully, Olivia's talent was terrifying.
Slynda had trained relentlessly to surpass her,
only to find the gap widening.
Previously, Olivia needed effort to defeat her -
now it took barely two strikes.
And Jonas, who still coached Olivia?
She couldn't even see his shadow anymore.
Had he secretly trained elsewhere?
The thought made Slynda, once hailed as a genius,
seriously question herself.
Damn those two monsters.
...
That day.
Thunderkeep.
The archive.
Jonas browsed shelves while
the blue-haired girl clung to his coat hem.
The butler inquired,
"Young master, what do you seek?"
"Books on magic."
The butler hesitated:
"Magic tomes are exceedingly expensive.
Our collection is lacking."
"Not even basics?"
"Basics...?"
After consideration, he said:
"There's an Empire-published primer for noble households.
It only contains the simplest Fireball spell."
"Fireball will suffice.
As for other books... we can purchase them later."
"But magic texts are prohibitively costly.
Our finances may not allow—"
Jonas: "...Then we'll take them by force."
Butler: "..."
The young master surpassed even his lord in belligerence.
Cautiously, he asked:
"You wish the girl to learn magic?"
Jonas: "Yes."
Butler: "That may prove difficult.
Magic requires instruction.
Mages need mana crystals to enhance
their natural affinity for spellcasting."
Most mages lacked sufficient natural affinity,
requiring crystals to cast spells -
hence why they carried staves.
A staff's engraved runes and embedded crystals
greatly amplified magical power.
Jonas: "Affinity?
That's the least of our concerns."
After retrieving the primer,
Jonas handed it directly to Charis.
"Charis, I'm counting on you.
Grow strong - our territory needs you."
Charis froze, then nodded emphatically.
"I'll work hard! I won't fail you!"
She'd become strong enough to be useful -
strong enough to stay by his side.
This was the only way she could repay
the young master for pulling her from the abyss.