The next morning, I proceeded to my plan after I asked permission from the Duke and Duchess. Last night, I discussed with Prince Eunuoa what type of haircut I want for him. He immediately agreed after I showed him a sketch of a modern hairstyle. He liked it and is excited to cut his hair.
As of now, maybe, the barber has already reached the Duchy. And here I am, in the training grounds of the knights of the family. I was just sitting there, looking for the knights to see if there will be someone I’ll like. But then, upon observing, I suddenly thought about the paladins that Prince Eunuoa caught.
Come to think of it, what happened to them after being held captive for about a month?
Are they still alive?
“Acacius.” I called out his name.
He has been quiet and he is still sulking since yesterday. He really wants me to have some of his hair but I strongly refused. But maybe I’ll do it if he continues to be a sulking puppy.
“Yes, my lady?”
“What happened to the paladins?”
I purposely said ‘paladins’ to change Princess Epiphany’s termination of them as ‘big dogs’.
“They are still in the underground cell, my lady.”
Oh, that’s good. I will spare them for now. They should thank me so.
“Bring them here.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“And Picka” I called out one of my personal maids’ names.
“Yes, my lady?”
“Arrange the piano here.”
“Yes, my lady!”
I took a sip of my tea and then I leaned my back to my seat and crossed my legs.
I met one of the knights’ eyes so I whistled, making them all look at me. So then, I clicked my finger and signed them to come to me.
I saw them looking at each other at first, maybe they were a bit confused by my action but later, they gathered in five lines while the commander was on the front.
“This day, I want you all to rest in your chambers. Anyone who asks why the training ground is unavailable, tell them that I, the young lady of the Dukedom, occupied this place for her own purpose. Understand?”
“Yes, our lady!”
“Now go. You don’t need to fix your mess.”
They bowed their heads and immediately left after thanking me. As for me, who was left with the other maids and a butler, I waited for Acacius to come and the piano to be arranged.
Until then, I watched Acacius holding the chains to drag those paladins.
Oh, I didn’t expect them to be that many. They are about twenty, not to mention that they are all 1st order paladins. Did Prince Eunuoa specifically pick them?
Well, it is understandable that the villains wouldn’t be interested in a lower rank paladin because they see them as ‘weak’.
Now, I kind of pity them. They all look young and powerless. And I think their divine powers are slowly vanishing because of those shackles.
I wonder what kind of ahmose they put on the shackles in order for them to lose their divine power. I think I should ask Prince Eunuoa about this later.
Acacius made them stand four meters away from me. And then I looked at those raging eyes that were piercing through me.
I exhaled. They must have really wanted to strangle me.
Just in time, the piano has been arranged. So I stood up to go there and sat down.
Oh. This is a pretty grand piano. I like it. It’s gold.
I laughed upon my own compliment. I think I am starting to like gold because I see gold every day. I am starting to like shiny things too like the mana stones and the jewel hairs.
Come to think of it, these paladins also have jewel hairs.
Good! I have a good idea what to do with their long jewel hairs like Moss Agate. I can add it to my collection of colourful jewel hairs! Nice!
I clapped my hands in excitement as I looked at those paladins who now have a weird look, like they find me weird.
Well, I am weird because I don’t particularly live in this world from the first place.
“Hello.” I smiled at them.
Some of them flinched and they looked at each other. Maybe, they don’t know what that means.
“I just greeted you, how would a knight respond to their master’s greeting?”
No one responded but then when they saw Acacius’ menacing look, they lowered their heads.
Hmm, seems like they think I am not scary enough?
Let me test them.
I looked at the piano to look for a key to press. Then I pressed one key and I watched them struggle in breathing. Some of them kneeled down. Some of them were on the ground, cupping their tightening chest.
I watched them with my usual bored look and when one of them was about to collapse, I pressed another key to let them breathe in peace.
So then, I listened to their heavy breaths, coughs, and cries.
“I want to say that from now on, I will be your master.”
As soon as I made that declaration, I saw the disgust in their eyes because who's crazy enough to make a villain as a master, especially that they are paladins?
But the disgust drawn into their faces made me suddenly feel mad. That was not me but the original owner of the body.
I made a long, heavy sigh because I knew I had to do something to ease it. So, I put my fingers to the piano keys and I started to play it, continuously.
I was closing my eyes as I played it. And with the sound of their struggling breaths and their painful moans, I mixed the sound of the keys to form a more thrilling play that will make them foresee a nightmare they will never forget unless I give them the freedom.
I was releasing ahmose and when I felt the weakening of my body, I shortened my performance and ended it, seamlessly.
I slowly opened my eyes as the blue sky appeared in my vision. I was breathing shortly but I could still manage to move and speak. So when I finally relaxed while looking up, I looked at the paladins who were squirming and crying on the ground. They are all weak and powerless, pained and tortured.
What did I do? I can say I ‘killed’ their divine powers. I used another type of ahmose which is the use of musical instruments to do it, since ‘humming’ is too much to take.
I was just looking at the paladins—no, they are not paladins anymore. They are now ‘my’ army. I was smiling then, because I have achieved my first goal. Upon reflecting, I felt a hot liquid run down from my nose…
I wiped it with my hand only to see blood—
“My lady!” Acacius immediately runs to me to catch me before I fall.
“Towel, get a towel for the lady!” He ordered someone but I am fine. It was just a nosebleed.
“I am fine, Acacius.” I tried standing up and I did.
“My lady…”
Oh my god. He looks like a puppy that is about to cry! How cute! I’m going to have another nosebleed!
“I am fine. I need to go.”
I need to leave. I don’t want him to worry much about me. And I have to escape that charm he has before I would faint.
“My lady, let me carry you—
“No, I am fine. Please take care of the ‘big dogs’. Ask a doctor to nurse them. Tell them to bathe once they can and give them a room to stay. I will give you that responsibility, Acacius. I’ll entrust them to you.” I tapped his shoulder to make him at ease.
So then I smiled before I walked with the other maids. I took the towel they got and I wiped the blood on my hand and face. I immediately went to bed and a doctor was called.
“Tia!”
I think someone called me but I am so sleepy that I don’t want to move. And before I closed my eyes, I saw a very handsome man in his undercut. I smiled. I knew he would be the most handsome nobleman in the Empire with that haircut.
“So handsome, brother…”
The next time I knew, I opened my eyes and immediately asked how many days I was sleeping. I wasn’t surprised when Picka said I was asleep within a week.
At least, it was one week rather than a month—
Wait. What are these?
I stilled in my bed when I realized that I was surrounded by numerous shining stones. Those are the mana stones! Why are they scattered everywhere in my bed? And even … beside my bed!
“My lady, the Master of the Magic Tower, has just left after he told me to wait until you wake up.”
Huh? Master of the Magic Tower?
Who’s that? I never knew that there was that character in the novel.
And magic?
There is no way magic exists in the novel! It was never mentioned!
Wait. Is there a change because I arrived in this world? I speculated it to have changes but I could not expect that there is this instance of having a new character.
Ackh! I need to know who this guy is!

I immediately got up from bed and ran to the door. I ran as fast as I could to take a glimpse of this guy.
“My lady, you have not changed your sleeping garments!” Picka was following me so I had increased my speed to at least see him!
“Hey, you!”
“Hey, dude! Can’t you hear me?!” I shouted as loud as I could when I saw a man in his sapphire-like hair. He had a haircut that I have never seen in this world. And he is wearing a black long cape.
He stopped when he heard me but he didn’t turn his head.
I stopped running about three meters away from him and I was catching my breath.
“What is your name?” I asked, directly.
I want to know his name so I could see if he is a new character or not. Is he an ally or an enemy? I waited for him to speak but then somehow my vision got blurred when he turned around.
I blinked my eyes to make my vision clear but it won’t. I squeezed my eyes with my finger but it was still blurry. I think he has used magic to hide his identity.
“Please pardon my hopelessness to introduce myself, your highness, but I suggest you to not be curious about my name.”
I got hypnotized by his calm voice. It sounds spotless that I think he is not speaking much to preserve a soothing voice. I wanted to ask more but as soon as my vision got clear, he wasn’t there.
I was standing there alone and Picka came to me.
“My lady, please come back to your room. We have prepared your bath.”
I was thinking if he might be the male lead but it is impossible. The male lead of the novel is not a mage but a paladin. The male lead also has amethyst hair and is not blue.
Who is he? There was never a character in the story that was described with blue hair.
I walked back to my room with Picka. I was still thinking about the existence of a new character until I finished my bath. When I was dressed, I was recalling all details in the novel to search for this guy but nothing. He never existed in the novel.
Is he a minor character that has only the job to help the Dukedom with the activity of mana stones? And for Princess Epiphany only?
Right, it was mentioned in the novel that the Dukedom has acquired mana stones for the stability of Princess Epiphany’s broken soul. But who did the activity? It wasn’t described in the novel because it only showed the failing result!
Magic…
I still couldn’t believe that there is magic in this world. Yes, Ahmose is magic if I look at it from the point of view of a novel reader but Ahmose and Magic are different in this world. Magic here has different distinctions and they have different names according to the territory and nobility.
For example, in the Ahmose Empire, magic is called ‘Ahmose’. In the Alethea Empire, they call their magic as Alethea. The word ‘magic’ does not exist here! But how come there is a master of the magic tower?
I need to investigate this. What if they have something to do with my arrival here? Or that voice that I have heard in my previous life? What if they have something to do with the novel?
Ackkh! I am going crazy! I need answers right away!
“Do you know anything about the Master of the Magic Tower?” I began asking Picka.
“Please forgive me, my lady. I have not seen his face and his appearance since he came here a week ago. I only knew that, Lord Eunuoa called him to begin the cultivation of the mana stones for your health, my lady.”
“Do you know his name?”
“No one knows his real name, my lady. It is said that his name was cursed and if anyone knows of his name, they would have an unfortunate life. This is why everyone has avoided knowing his name.”
There is still no such thing in the novel that is mentioned to have a cursed name.
“Is he friends with my brother?”
“I cannot say they are, my lady. They say they are acquaintances.”
“Is he known to the Empire?”
“No, my lady. Only the people of the Dukedom had known that there are mages in the world.”
Only the Dukedom…
Does this mean they don’t particularly exist in the novel because they are part of the villains? Is this one of the assets of the Dukedom which is the reason why they are insuperable?
Duke Agmundr is a very wealthy man. He likes travelling and discovering things so maybe… he has discovered mages?
Come to think of it, the shackles…
I am very much aware that I couldn’t feel Ahmose inside the shackled but I convinced myself that it has it. Could it be that… was it magic?
Picka mentioned ‘Magic Tower’. Does that mean they have a particular property?
I need answers. I need to talk to the Duke.