Suddenly hit by the graveness of the situation, I found myself swallowed by panic.

What should I do?! Tell Grandma to stop her research? No, it's impossible! What kind of reason could convince her to stop?! Now that her "switch" is on, nothing can stop her! Do I have to reveal that I am a Mage…? No, no, no, that will only make the situation worse!! 

I wondered how I could be so stupid and forgetful at that time. I should have taken the hint when Clark first mentioned the similarities, I should have realized it. Yet, despite all that time we spent discussing and teaching Theo about this matter over dinner, I only remembered about the heroine now.

Wait, wait, calm down. There must be something that could be done. Uughh… Oh! Maybe I can help the heroine create something else to prove herself?! Yeah! That can work! Something… Something else… Uuuuhhhh…

Who was I kidding? As if making something extraordinary that was able to impress the haughty nobles was easy. Even now, some upper and middle-class noble families looked down on lower-class noble families. It's not hard to imagine that they would dismiss whatever you brought just because you're a commoner. Creation could be named an invention because it was a new, unique breakthrough. If it wasn’t mind-blowingly useful and necessary, the pretentious ones wouldn’t spare even a glance at it. 

No way…! Is it hopeless?! Damn!! I’m such an idiot!! 

If Grandmother succeeded in creating the new weaving technique, what would happen to the heroine? Would the nobles only acknowledge her after it was revealed that she was a descendant of the Royal Family and the Beloved Child of God?

Her life suddenly enters hard mode!! I'm so sorry, Elena!! This is all the game developer's fault!! Why did they make such an important plot device into a nonogram mini-game on daily missions?!

And what effect would that have on the plot? …It's no use, I couldn't think straight. The scene in the game where the villainess "me" is condemned in public, exiled to the outskirts temple, then killed by the heroine and her entourage just kept swirling inside my head… 

“—ter? Elder Sister!”

“—Lady Eira!”

*Gasp!*

When I came to, Theo and Clara were crouching in front of me, anxiously looking up at my face. It wasn’t just them, the servants were all surrounding me, and their faces were also full of worry. 

“Elder Sister, are you alright?! Are you hurt somewhere?” (Thank goodness! She seems to be conscious.)

“You should rest, Lady Eira! Your face is so pale!” (Oh, my God! That scared me!)

(Is she alright?!)

(Should we call the doctor?!)

(We should inform Sir Conrad and Madam Martina—!)

All of their agitated thoughts poured into me, and strangely enough, began to calm me down. It took me a while to respond to them, but despite me saying ‘I'm fine’, they were still tense. Only after one of the maids offered to wipe me with a clean handkerchief did I realize that I had been sweating buckets. It was difficult to breathe as if I'd held my breath unconsciously. My heart was also beating fast… Well, no wonder they freaked out, I must've looked like I just had some kind of seizure.

“I’m alright. I am sorry for worrying you all.”

“Really? Are you sure, Elder Sister?” (Then what had happened just now? Her face is as white as a sheet of paper, and I’m sure she stopped breathing at some point…)

So I really stopped breathing earlier… 

“...Maybe we should call it a day? Lady Eira should rest if she's not feeling well.” (Even if we continue the treasure hunt, it will be pointless if she isn't with us.)

No, it will not? I proposed to do this as part of my match-making plan after all. 

Although we couldn't find the Legendary Wand right away, it's okay because that was just my side goal for now. Besides, I doubted it would be so easy to find, so I expected I would have to do several searches and gather a lot more clues. I also couldn't rule out the small possibility that Old Man Green hid the wand somewhere else other than the mansion. I hoped that's not the case though, since it would be a lot of pain to find it that way. I had a year and a half until the Royal Academy's entrance, so I guessed it was no hurry. 

Still, this is kind of ironic, isn't it?

For the past weeks, I was the one who would worry all the time about Theo's mental condition, but now our position has been switched. …Now that I thought about it, I had gone into a trance several times because I was too caught up in my panic, unable to think let alone take action. People thought of me as a cold, level-headed girl, but in reality, I was just as restless as any young girl out there and my emotions fluctuated often. It just didn't show much since I got the poker face skill. 

There's also that accident where I faint miserably in the middle of the Emperor's sermon at my birthday party. Sure I had had many 'freaking-out' moments long before that in the past, but it's not so bad that it knocked me out. 

No way, do I have a panic disorder? …No, I just became a bit paranoid due to the memories of my past life. Also, I fainted because the shock from awakening as the Mage was too much for my brain to handle.

My mind had gone into a dangerous route, so I had to stop myself. I breathed slowly to calm my heart, smiled, and once again, reassured the worried children and servants. But, to no avail. They called our family doctor despite my insisting that it was not a big deal. In the end, I had to lie to them. Alas, I've been humiliated earlier, what's the difference between once and twice at this point?

“I really am fine! My stomach just felt a little bit hurt earlier. The pain is gone already, it's nothing serious.”

There's that loud rumbling sound my stomach made while we were in the library, so I thought it was plausible to use that as an excuse and explained it to the doctor, yet…

“Oh, no! Did Milady have heartburn?! Since when did it start? We have to treat it immediately before the symptoms worsen.” (At last, the young Lady showed signs of stress… I was too optimistic despite Milord's warning.)

Stress? Hmm, I guess I do easily stress out nowadays… That aside—Father warned you about this?!

I really couldn’t fathom how he was able to predict all these things. So scary… 

Anyway, I gave up resisting and allowed our old doctor to examine me. After some time, he concluded that my "symptoms" weren't serious enough to require medication. So, after telling the maids to brew me herbal tea to relieve stomach ache and insisting on telling him as soon as something happens, he finally released me.

[***]

Thanks to the little commotion, everyone had been trying to persuade me to rest in my room. But I refused, stubborn as a mule. In the end, they relented and let me lay down on the couch in the reception room neighboring the dining hall.

“I suppose the second one describes a place more than the first. That first one clearly tells about someone's journey. The Green's Anthology is a collection of Great-grandfather's diaries, so the poem has to be about his life.” (The word choices were indeed grand, befitting a figure as legendary as the Mage.)

No, 'grand' is the least suitable word to describe that kind of word choice, don't you think? The right word is cringe. Cringe!

“Yes, it's just like the Young Master said. The second poem is about… water sources, I believe? This phrase here, ‘the beginning of life’ means water, I think. I remember hearing the teacher talk about this in the Basic Understanding of Natural Elements lesson.” (The legends were real, and all of the Mages were gifted! These poems feel mysterious yet romantic at the same time. I got goosebumps while reading them!)

Yeah… I got goosebumps too… from how cringe-y they are! I mean, what the heck with those phrases like "On thy heels, ascendancy tread, yet at the peak, solitude waited, no soul by thy side"? Did he get infected by eighth-grader syndrome?!

I was laying on my back with my eyes shut and my hands piled on my stomach, listening to the kids’ discussion over some poems written by their hero. It should have been a wholesome situation. But somehow, I couldn’t shake the shame I felt every time I heard the admiration in both their outer and inner voices. 

“Yes, I think so too. Some books also mention that water is the source of all life.” (Seems like the school has some interesting lessons. It might be worth it to go, after all? I liked when Elder Sister was teaching me, but going to school together doesn't sound bad either.)

Hm? Why does it sound like he has a bad impression of schools? Oh! Because there are a lot of other kids there?

“...Elder Sister, what do you think?”

As if trying not to disturb my rest, Theo softened his voice and carefully asked. I’d informed them I wasn't going to sleep in the first place, so I got up and sat on the couch. The two of them were still worried about seeing me move too quickly, but I ignored them and reached for my notes of the poems on the low table. The second poem they spoke of reads like this:

“Life begins here.

Here is calm and pure,

That it reflects the stars,

Let alone scars.

One time it dried, 

Meadows and forests withered, 

One time it filled, 

Lands and crops exuberated.

As the magnanimous, 

It brings prosperousness, 

As the merciless,

It gives punishment.

Drawn by prosperity,

Mortals gather to stay, 

Attracted by festivity,

Fairies love to dwell.”

Yup. No matter how many times I read it, it's cringy.

To be honest, it was kind of a mystery to me how these kids could deduce that this poem talks about water sources despite how fancy the word choice is. I guessed it was fine since their answer might be right, but I wouldn't be so sure about the first poem if I were them.

By the way, all the poems in the anthology didn't have a title, and neither did all the songs and plays. You had to read them first to know what they are all about. That's why we spent all morning just to find these two poems. After that, I numbered them to avoid confusion.

“I agree with you two about the second, but the first one also hints at a place, no?”

Doubt clearly showed on the kids’ faces as they heard me. Well, I won't blame them, I would find it doubtful too if someone were to say that to me. 

At first read, it was easy for the reader to believe that this piece is about a journey. But the more I read it, the stronger the feeling I got that the author tried too hard to make the reader think that way. It’s like when you tried to distract people from the surprise you've prepared but ended up overdoing it. The distraction felt more startling that people either ignored your surprise or even forgot it… Anyway, this is the first poem:

“Joy thou desire.

Thrill thou craves.

It's brimming at the seams,

This abundant world.

Verdurous spring blooms.

Vigorous summer scorches.

Susurrous autumn reaps.

Barbarous winter crushes.

Thousand springs elapsed.

On thy heels, ascendancy tread. 

Yet at the peak, solitude waited.

No soul by thy side.

Memories came to torture,

Longing's hard to endure.

For warmth and comfort,

For a sigh of contentment.

Let thy soul lie down,

Devil's whisper lull thou asleep,

At the heart of a home,

The warmest place.”

The person who’d written things like this definitely had the eighth-grader syndrome. Nothing will convince me otherwise.

My face must have scrunched up like I'd eaten something super sour when I first read this. It could be considered as an epic, sure, but… would you write about yourself using such “gaudy” words? I’d die of shame before I finished writing. I didn’t think Old Man Green was that much of a narcissist, so he must have had another goal for him to write it this way. It was then that the last sentences caught my eye.

“See this last bit? ‘At the heart of a home, the warmest place’, here clearly mentioned the words ‘home’ and ‘place’, didn’t it?”

Uncertainty quickly vanished from Theo’s mind once I gave out the hint. Again, it never ceased to amaze me how sharp he was. If he continued like this, I wondered if he’d become omniscient like Father? That… would be terrifying! To have two people like that around me would be too stuffy! Although, it’s not my place to talk…

Back to the topic at hand, I believed this last sentence was the "surprise" that got overshadowed by the gaudy “distraction”. Besides, if we assumed that the wand was indeed hidden within the mansion, then this poem mentioning the word “home” was exactly the clue we were looking for.

“The heart and the warmest place in a home is… the kitchen? Oh, it can be the living room too…”

Clara’s brows stitched together in doubt, nonetheless, she tried to make a guess. A smug smile flashed through Theo’s face, although it disappeared as quickly. 

“It's the living room, and to be specific, it's the area around the fireplace. Am I correct, Elder Sister?”

Why did you ask me?! I'm not a referee!

Seemed like he still stubbornly cling to his rivalry against Clara. Since I wanted to get them together, this attitude of his made me a little frustrated. I wasn’t saying that it's bad, and in some cases, it could turn into love, but a rivalry is a tricky and rough start if the end goal is a romantic relationship, isn't it? 

“But the kitchen also has a hearth...”

…Huh?

“...Indeed. But the living room is where the family gathers after being busy with their own lives for a long day. A place where families spend time together and share stories, of course, it is the "warmest" place.”

Wait, wait—

“Food is prepared in the kitchen. Food is essential for everyone to be healthy and happy. So I believe the kitchen can also be considered the "warmest" place.”

Clara?! Why are you suddenly arguing with Theo?!

“Maybe Miss Clara doesn’t get the hidden message in this poem. It’s true that it talks about a journey, but it’s more than that. It’s about a homeward journey. The author also clearly expressed their longing for warmth and comfort. After freezing alone outside, lighting a fire in the fireplace of the living room will warm the whole house thus providing one’s comfort.”

It has such a hidden message?!

“I see. If so, one must be hungry and thirsty after being away from home. Sitting by the hearth while waiting for the water to boil to make a glass of hot tea, I believe this also can provide warmth and comfort to someone.”

“...It’s the living room.”

“The kitchen.”

Out of the blue, Clara decided that this matter was worth arguing about. I didn't understand why she suddenly felt irritated, but thanks to her talking back at him, Theo's mood rapidly dropped. I also couldn’t hear anything from either of their minds, which made me even more confused. 

Anyhow, I had to stop them before it got worse. What would I do if their already-strained relationship is damaged beyond repair because of this? There goes my match-making plan!

“Stop it, you two!”

As soon as I raised my voice, they held their tongues, but the irritation was evident in their expressions as they glared at each other, so I added.

“I'll check all the fireplaces, you two go check the wells around the mansion.” Wells are the only water sources we have inside the mansion's premises.

At breakneck speed, they turned their heads to me simultaneously. Their surprised faces were identical, even in their mind, they both shouted (Why?!) at the same time. So synchronized despite being in the middle of an argument; I didn’t know if I should laugh or cry. 

“Theo, there’s a well in each of our gardens. So while you’re at it, show Clara around.”

He wanted to refuse, but seeing my squinted eyes and sensing my displeasure, he hesitated. After mumbling as he mulled over inside his head several times, he ventured to ask. 

“Um, why don’t we all go check the fireplaces and the wells together?” (Why do I have to be with her alone?)

Asking for something in a roundabout way to avoid working up the other party; that's some "nobles' speech" skill you've got there. 

But this wasn't the time for that. I didn’t want to put him in the wrong, but…

“Theo, Clara is our guest. It’s uncalled for a noble to treat his guests poorly no matter how much he dislikes them. Our hospitality is one of the things we must uphold to keep our dignity as a noble. Moreover, blatantly showing our emotions will only provide an opening for those with malicious intent to know and then exploit our weaknesses. I’m sure I've taught you about this before.”

The more I scolded him the more Theo’s head sunk between his shoulders. Even Clara also hung her head in guilt, afraid to look up.

(Elder Sister is angry… I knew she prefers her friend, yet I… If she is fed up with me this time… What do I do…)

(Oh, no, what have I done? I knew the young master disliked me the moment we arrived, but he’s still her younger brother... I shouldn't have let myself be provoked this late in the day… He got scolded because of me…) 

…I’ve said too much.

I gritted my teeth once I realized that I’d been reprimanding Theo in front of his “rival”. That's a dangerous and reckless move since I still had some doubt regarding his mental state. It’d be the end of it if the “voice” appeared again. That’s why I secretly felt so relieved that it didn’t. 

Watching them like this, the characters of these two were quite similar. I figured the only difference that stood out was their empathy toward other people. Both had been bullied before, but while Theo became a wary child who was always in fear of others, Clara kept her kindness and friendliness. 

She noticed Theo’s hostility from the start, but even then, she treated him politely and tried to befriend him. This time, she most likely caught Theo’s smug smile and that seemed to irk her so much that she couldn’t help but argue with him. If it was me, I would have snapped a long time ago or completely blocked off the people who bother me. Yet, right now she felt liable to this boy who had treated her badly.

As I thought, she was the best match for Theo. I want her to stay by his side…

Letting out a sigh, I was just about to open my mouth again, but she was faster.

“Uh, um, excuse me, Lady Eira… I-it’s not that the Young Master has treated me poorly. We... we just have a small argument between friends—yeah, it’s a friendly quarrel!” (I hope she doesn't stay mad at him for long, he looks so pitiful already...)

Stuttering her words, Clara tried to redeem the situation on her own. She didn’t dare to look up at me, but I caught her anxiously glancing at the boy beside her. 

Meanwhile, her action had stirred Theo's feelings into a mess. The shock was unfathomable, but another emotion mixed in. He was ashamed. Ashamed that he allowed his emotions to get the better of him, ashamed of his childish behavior caused by that, ashamed that Clara got the first step before he could do anything about his situation himself, and most of all, ashamed because he’s aware she did it out of worry for him. He’s so ashamed that his ears and neck were as red as a cherry. 

The situation that's gotten increasingly cold, now had a bit of awkwardness in it. Theo’s immediate thought was to deny Clara's words due to embarrassment, but he restrained himself in the nick of time. He decided to shut up and play along in order not to incite more of my anger.

“...If that is the case, then it’s alright. I am sorry for scolding you like that, Theo. It seems I’m too hard on you.”

Theo finally flung his head up. The color of his face was funny, red tinged his cheeks while the rest of the face was pale, some parts even close to blue. He shook his head frantically when he heard me ask for forgiveness. 

“No! Please don’t apologize, Elder Sister! I—” (I was the one at fault, I was the one who started it...)

He didn’t have the courage to finish the sentence, he just kept shaking his head.

Watch it. You’ll get dizzy like that. “I'm glad you two seem to be close enough to have a friendly quarrel already. I invited Clara to the mansion because I want my dear little brother to be familiar with my best friend. I would be very happy if you can be close friends from now on.”

I patted his shoulder to prevent Theo from making himself dizzy or worse, straining his neck, yet he only stopped after I confessed my feelings. Well, I wanted them to be more than friends, but that’s my wish. If they didn’t want to and chose different partners, that’s fine with me as long as they are happy. After all, that’s the most important thing. 

Seeing my apologetic smile, Theo could only nod meekly. Beside him, Clara sighed in relief. To be honest, I felt a bit conflicted since this looked like I half-forced him to befriend her. But I would pretend that wasn’t the case at all. 

After that, silence enveloped us as we were busy with our thoughts for a few seconds. And then, I clapped my hands to get us back to our main issue. 

“Since the misunderstanding has been resolved, let’s continue our treasure hunt. The plan will not change. We will divide ourselves into two teams: Theo and Clara will investigate the wells around the mansion, while I will look into the fireplaces. Don't worry, I won't do it alone. Amy will be with me. Be careful when you are around the well, ask one of the butlers or maids to accompany you. Alright, let's get started!”

This time, Theo didn’t say anything. He obediently listened and muttered 'understood', before he assumed his noble-son mode and escorted the flinching Clara. 

Oh, shoot! I almost forgot about the necklace!

Just as they opened the doors of the reception room, I called them back and took out the box containing the Magic Amulet. Theo became a bit tense when he saw the box, but he gradually calmed down and didn’t show much interest after a moment. This relaxed me a bit, I wondered if this means that I wouldn't need to feel so nervous letting them go by themselves. 

On the other hand, Clara was so surprised to the point of tearing up. Just like Theo, she was reluctant to receive the necklace thinking that it was expensive. I explained that the Magic Amulet was not something incredible but a product of my practice and that it was a thank-you gift for her. Yet, she somehow ended up in more disbelief than before once I finished my explanation.

"C-can I really receive… this?" (Such a beautiful necklace… This amazing Magic Amulet, Lady Eira has crafted it herself for me… Oh, no… I feel like crying…) 

Here we go again. Where did I see this kind of reaction before, hmm?

I'm sorry but I had to throw a sarcastic remark there or I might not be able to hold myself from rolling my eyes. I really really hope the worshiping habit Clark had didn’t run in the family.

"Of course. Let me put it on you."

Starting to feel impatient, I grabbed the necklace and quickly attached it to Clara's neck. In a daze, she carefully picked up the pendant made of a wind-attribute Magic Stone. She stared at it for so long that the green color of the stone seemed to reflect in her eyes. Joy radiated from her blushing face. 

Looking at how happy she was, I peeked at Theo to see his response. He didn’t comment, only gave Clara a sidelong glance... I was relieved there was nothing like jealousy in his eyes, but I didn't think he had the right to look at her with pity. He reacted the same way when I gave him the bracelet, but he seemed to forget about it already.

Maybe… that's not pity but something else?

I also caught some other emotions flashing through his eyes, but they were so subtle that I wasn’t sure what they were. Even if I had this thoughts-hearing ability, it's still hard for me to grasp everything people think and feel. Well, it was a different story if it was a person with an overactive mind. 

(Oh, my God. I'm so happy! I'll treasure this for the rest of my life! Oh! I wonder if it's alright for me to wear it? It's so precious, what if I accidentally lose it? I'll never have the face to meet Lady Eira again! Maybe I should put it inside a safe box? Oh, but if I don't wear it Lady Eira might think I didn’t like her gift—)

"I'm glad you like it, Clara! Now, let us go!"

Interrupting her thoughts, I hurriedly pushed them to leave the room. I would never get used to people genuinely thinking of me or treating me nicely. I would feel itchy all over and have the urge to run away from the place. This situation was the same.

"Thank you very much, Lady Eira! I'll treasure it!" (We're in the middle of a treasure hunt, but I've received a treasure already! Oh, that's right! Let's make it our family heirloom—)

Noo, stop it!!!

I instantly turned off my ability. Clutching the pendant, Clara waved at me happily as she walked down the corridor leading to the front garden. She even looked back several times. I maintained my smile until they disappeared at the corner of the corridor, but only God knows how hard it was for me to do so. My face had been twitching so much, threatening to destroy my poker smile.

No, no, no, no way… Please don't tell me this is happening… 

A long heavy sigh escaped my mouth involuntarily. My fear of her turning into her father's copy had come true.

…No! She became like that only because she’s so happy to receive the gift. …Yeah, she will be back to normal again after she calms down.

I massaged my throbbing temples as if trying to erase the images of a 'noisy' future from haunting my mind. I turned on the eavesdropping function of the Magic Amulets, and Clara’s humming immediately resounded in my left ear. I didn’t hear Theo’s voice, I wondered if everything was alright. Should I reactivate my ability? But Clara’s mind must be full of exaggerated, puke-inducing praises and worship right now…

Let's just leave them be for now. 

Right when I was about to find a maid, she walked towards me with a cleaning trolley. Looked like she came to clear our cups in the reception room. Perfect timing.

“Do you happen to know where Amy is?”

“Yes, Young Lady. She said she would clean your bedroom.”

“...Still not finished?”