Chapter 2

‘I’m sixteen right now. Thank goodness. If it had been even a little later, everyone would’ve already known that I’d awakened my ability.’

Originally, she had awakened not long after Varkan left and revealed her ability to the world.

Maybe it was because of what had happened just before her Regression.

She was strangely calm.

A clear picture of what she needed to do formed in her mind.

Diena slowly moved her hand.

A cluster of white light spread from her fingertips.

Her ability had activated successfully.

Even before that mesmerizing sight, Diena’s face remained expressionless.

She knew better than anyone how many people this power had dragged into ruin.

The people of House Rothwell still didn’t know that she had awakened.

‘They said people from the Five Great Families are coming. I’ll use that opportunity to escape. Then I’ll go to House Kardian.’

* * *

“Sacrifice yourself for the family until the very end.”

The night she heard those words from her uncle before her Regression, Diena resolved to run away.

She could no longer stay in that family.

‘But Uncle won’t let me go.’

He would try to use even the last remnants of her life.

So Diena searched for a secret passage hidden deep beneath the Rothwell estate, a passage known only to the heirs of House Rothwell.

Fortunately, her uncle didn’t know about it.

After all, he had never formally inherited the ducal title from her father.

The thought of her father brought a shadow of sadness across Diena’s face.

‘If Father had still been alive, would my life have been different?’

But there was no point dwelling on meaningless assumptions.

Diena escaped from the family that very day.

To avoid being discovered by her uncle, she had to leave the duchy.

Naturally, she fled beyond the Purification Zone, outside the protection of the temple.

For someone who had lived like a princess after awakening her ability, life outside the Purification Zone was a constant struggle.

The little money she had was stolen by a pickpocket shortly after she left.

She endured hunger and cold while barely surviving from day to day.

There were also several close calls where Rothwell pursuers nearly caught her.

Then she met him.

In the corner of a shabby tavern, a shadow fell over Diena, who was dressed in rags.

“You Diena Rothwell?”

He was a handsome man with silver hair and lake-blue eyes.

A deep scar crossed his face, but his looks were so striking that even the scar seemed insignificant.

Varkan Kardian.

The moment Diena recognized him, she thought he would kill her.

After all, House Rothwell had succeeded in its rebellion and dragged both him and his family into ruin.

Even setting that aside, Diena knew what her uncle and family had done over the years.

All the vile schemes carried out for the family’s benefit.

She had merely watched, desperate to earn their love.

‘That’s just an excuse.’

She had been used too, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t a Rothwell.

Yet Varkan didn’t kill her.

Instead, he clicked his tongue while looking her over.

“You look awful. You’re filthy. A complete little ragamuffin.”

“R-Ragamuffin…?”

Diena’s eyes widened.

His casual tone didn’t match his cold appearance at all.

A playful smile appeared on his face.

“Yep, ragamuffin. Hmm… Want to come with me? To the Kardian Mercenary Corps.”

“What?”

“I heard that Duke Rothwell is desperately searching for you.”

Diena stared blankly at Varkan.

“I’m thinking of screwing that bastard over. What do you say? It’s good for both of us. The longer you stay hidden, the crazier that duke will get from frustration.”

‘What in the world is this man thinking?’

Unlike the bewildered Diena, Varkan grinned as though he had come up with a brilliant idea.

“Wouldn’t that be better than wandering around alone?”

“…”

When Diena didn’t answer for a long time, he tilted his head slightly.

“Hmm, don’t trust me?”

Crossing his arms, he continued.

“Sure, I’ve lost everything and become flat broke, but I still make pretty good money as a mercenary. I can afford to feed one person.”

“…”

“I’m serious.”

“Ah, okay…”

“So what I’m saying is, you’ll be safe. At least safer than staying in a place like this.”

Diena silently blinked.

Varkan kept talking, as though trying to persuade her.

“There are a few weirdos in the group, but they’re all good people. Oh, and I’ll help you get stronger too, so you can protect yourself. What do you think?”

After hesitating for a while, Diena nodded.

She had finally figured out his intentions.

He wanted to keep her close so he could torment her.

Or use her, just like her uncle had.

The moment she agreed, Varkan flashed a bright smile.

‘Is he really that happy because he’ll finally be able to get revenge on me?’

Diena let out a faint sigh and lowered her head.

Varkan tilted his head for a moment before adding,

“You’ll need a cover identity. We look like a pretty strange combination otherwise. How about becoming my little sister? Diena Kardian. Doesn’t sound bad.”

The way he said it made them sound like a real family.

She had sworn never to make a family again.

Yet Diena found herself nodding as though under a spell.

She had committed too many sins against the man standing before her.

‘If I hadn’t helped Uncle with my ability, he never would’ve defeated this man.’

This was her own form of atonement.

‘I’ll do whatever he wants until he’s satisfied. If he wants me to use my ability until I die, then I’ll do it.’

So in the beginning, she expected nothing.

Even if he treated her badly.

Even if he made her work like a slave.

Even if she threw away what little life she had left by using her ability.

She believed she deserved all of it.

The crimes House Rothwell had committed against him warranted that much punishment.

But House Kardian, the place she followed Varkan to, was nothing like she had expected.

The moment the members of the Kardian Mercenary Corps saw her, chaos erupted.

“Lord Varkan, why in the world did you kidnap someone?!”

“I didn’t kidnap her. The ragamuffin followed me. I explained everything properly too.”

“Who calls someone a ragamuffin?!”

“Hasen, quit nagging.”

Varkan brought Diena to an elderly man.

The bespectacled man looked at her with sparkling eyes.

“This is Sir Malakar. He used to be an elder of the Magic Tower, but now he’s a wanted criminal.”

The man called Malakar gently patted Diena’s head.

“I heard about you from Varkan. Would you like to learn magic from me?”

Without even understanding what he meant, Diena nodded.

From that day onward, she began studying as his disciple.

The members of Varkan’s mercenary corps were surprisingly kind as well.

“Please eat plenty, Miss.”

They handed Diena warm cocoa and dressed her in comfortable clothes.

Then someone mentioned a name that sounded strangely familiar.

“If Lady Bianca were still alive, she’d be about your age.”

“Shh, why would you bring that up?!”

Bianca was Varkan’s deceased younger sister.

Had she lived, she would’ve been around Diena’s age.

Maybe that was why.

Varkan treated Diena as though she were his real little sister.

And then he said something completely unexpected.

He told her not to use her ability.

“You just focus on being happy. We’ll take care of everything else. Don’t worry about those Rothwell bastards.”

He knew how extraordinary her Purification Ability was.

She had assumed he would naturally take advantage of it.

Instead, he protected her.