Chapter 40

Why is he so desperate to drive me out of the Magic Tower?

Natalianne bit her lip anxiously.

If things went exactly as Orléans intended, then even her reason for returning to the Grand Duke’s estate would lose its meaning.

If she was forced to leave the Eisenhart household, the only place left for her to stay would be the Tower.

‘Do I even have the right to say that?’

The thought struck her like a hammer.

Hadn’t she also tried to drive Melissa away?

A hollow laugh slipped out.

‘Honestly.’

How disgusting.

The realization that she had been trying to do the same thing as Orléans filled her with nausea.

Perhaps he was right after all.

Maybe someone like her didn’t deserve to stay in the Tower.

The ground beneath her seemed to crumble, turning soft like a bog.

Dark thoughts clung to her feet and dragged her down.

‘What right do I have…’

She sank deeper into those thick, heavy thoughts, almost drowning in them, when suddenly—

“Lady Natalianne!”

A bright, clear voice cut straight through the darkness.

She looked up, startled. Golden hair fluttered under the light, and a pair of worried green eyes stared at her.

“Are you alright? You don’t look well.”

“Why are you helping me?”

The words slipped out before she could stop them. She instantly regretted it, but the flood couldn’t be contained.

“What makes you take my side? Because I’m Demius’s sister? Or because I’m the daughter of Eisenhart?”

Stop.

Stop it.

Natalianne bit her lip hard to stop her voice from shaking.

But words she had swallowed for years refused to stay buried any longer.

Her lips parted, and the truth spilled out like blood.

“It’s useless. I’ve already cut ties with the Grand Duke’s family. Or I will soon. Even if I’m expelled from the Tower, I’d rather wander the streets than ever return there.”

So…

“If you’ve been holding onto any foolish expectations, drop them.”

Her eyes turned cold, hard enough to shatter.

Foolish expectations.

She was really saying that to herself.

Expectations?

Those had already been broken so many times that no trace of them remained.

She no longer expected anything from others.

So please, don’t give me false hope.

Her breath caught painfully in her throat and fell apart between her clenched lips.

Then Melissa tilted her head slightly and said,

“I’m not really trying to help you, Lady Natalianne.”

“…!”

Natalianne’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Of course.

So this was betrayal.

But then Melissa smiled softly.

“It was just really fun, you know? Riding the wave of your magic reminded me of when I was a kid. Oh, and by the way…”

Melissa stood on her toes, leaning closer.

Caught off guard by the sudden nearness, Natalianne froze as Melissa whispered,

“If I can be of help, it’s because I like you.”

Lies.

Natalianne squeezed her eyes shut.

That had to be a lie.

Her chest ached, her breath coming short.

…And yet.

Her trembling lips slowly steadied.

Her uneven breathing began to calm.

Her eyelids lifted, letting in the light again.

Maybe.

Just maybe.

“…Let’s begin.”

“Yes!”

Melissa took a few quick steps back, her smile bright and fearless, just like that day in the garden.

Seeing her, Natalianne drew a deep breath and steadied her stance.

Her hands were still trembling slightly.

Doing this again, to that same person, was…

Even so.

‘If it’s her.’

Natalianne met Melissa’s gaze.

Those upright green eyes, so open and unflinching, made her feel strangely at ease.

Her breath steadied, and her shaking hands began to calm.

Even if Melissa’s words were a lie, they were sweet ones.

So perhaps…

“I’m going.”

For once, maybe it was alright to let herself believe it.

Light gathered around Natalianne’s hands, swirling rapidly until it burst into a whirl of frost and snow.

The moment Orléans saw it, he flinched and stepped back.

The members of the Ethics Committee frowned and exchanged grim looks.

Knights surrounding the plaza gripped their flags and spears tightly, bracing themselves in case the spell turned violent.

Then—

Whoosh! Boom!

Power burst from Natalianne’s hand with a chilling roar.

The force shot toward Melissa, making people scream and shield their eyes. Some of the weaker spectators fainted on the spot.

Boom!

A massive pillar of ice rose from the ground, swallowing the small figure whole.

“…H-how…”

It was horrifying.

In an instant, the summer air froze into biting cold.

The crowd gaped at the unbelievable sight unfolding before them.

The Witch of Ice, Natalianne.

Her title had never seemed more fitting.

Faces that had been full of curiosity now turned white with fear.

‘…So that’s her true power.’

Even Orléans shuddered, his teeth clenched tight.

He had clashed with her briefly before, but clearly, that hadn’t been her full strength.

‘If that attack had hit me…’

He swallowed hard, the thought chilling him to the bone.

For the first time, he realized he might have picked the wrong enemy.

Sweat trickled down his neck, but he didn’t dare move to wipe it.

Then someone gasped and pointed upward.

“Look, up there!”

Every gaze turned skyward.

A small dot sparkled against the blazing sun.

A yellow speck, no, orange.

As people squinted under the harsh light, the dot drew closer and—

“Aaaahhhh!”

…Was that a scream?

People blinked in confusion at the oddly cheerful voice.

Then the ground shook again.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Waves of icy energy erupted upward, chasing the falling dot.

Was she really trying to kill her?

The second barrage was far stronger than the first.

Eyes widened, mouths hung open.

Then—

“Kyah!”

Melissa came plummeting from the sky, landing smoothly atop a cresting wave of ice, sliding down as if surfing.

The entire plaza fell silent in disbelief.

“What… what is that?”

Melissa let out a delighted laugh as she skimmed over the waves, leaping from one glittering crest to another.

The sight was so astonishing that the tension broke, replaced by a kind of exhilaration.

“Yap!”

With one final push, Melissa soared from the last icy wave, arms outstretched, gliding gracefully through the air like a flying squirrel.

She spun twice before landing on her feet, rolling once before popping upright again. Perfect.

Someone in the stunned crowd began to clap.

“W-wow!”

The applause spread like wildfire.

“That was amazing!”

“So cool!”

“Do it again!”

The clapping grew louder until it became thunderous cheers.

Everyone was swept up in awe and excitement until one person suddenly gasped.

“W-wait!”

His face turned pale as he pointed toward her.

“Isn’t that the Grand Duke’s daughter-in-law!?”