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Chapter 71

Christina’s father, Dram, was the head of the Armadia family—one of the most influential families in the northern region of Arkrest Kingdom. Their ancestor had been the companion of the kingdom’s founding father when he had still been an adventurer.

Hence, each generation of the Armadia family bore deep loyalty and friendship toward the Arkrest royalty. They were also regarded as the trusted aides of the royal family by aristocrats within their own kingdom and those from other kingdoms.

However, there was a good reason Christina was admired by many at Galois Magic Academy despite being an illegitimate child. Her unbelievably breathtaking beauty was not the only cause for this. Rather, the family she had been born into also played a small part in this.

Igris, the capital of the Armadia territory, bordered Lake Egra, the largest lake in the north. There was even a port accommodating small fishing boats, large ships, and even airships for river trade.

Many merchants from all over the kingdom traveled to Igris due to their processing and exports of large volumes of crystals from the lake, as well as the port’s primary industry of fish farming. As a result, it was not rare to hear many unsuccessful stories of venture and a rare handful of success stories.

In the evening, Christina boarded a carriage that came to pick her up from the airship port. When she finally crossed the drawbridge to Igris Castle on the opposite bank, the sun was already setting.

A burning orange enveloped the vast lake and the houses lined up on the shore, offering a sunset that mesmerized many travelers visiting Igris.

A subordinate of Christina’s father had come to escort her to the castle. He helped Christina clean herself up before she donned a set of expensive silk clothing. She then remarked that the first time she had come to Igris, she had arrived at this time of the day too. As she spoke, she stared transfixed at the setting sun through the carriage’s window.

Back then, she had been plagued with anxiety and at a loss about the strange news of being acknowledged by her father. Unease had devoured her heart, but the sight of the entire world soaked in the colors of the sunset had dispelled those worries instantly. She had been charmed by this scenery.

「It’s not working today, is it?」

「Pardon？」

Christina had unconsciously blurted out the remark, only to be answered by the matured and composed Nyx.

「The first time I saw that sunset, I thought it was gorgeous. It made me realize that I was living in such a wondrous place, where such a beautiful sight existed. I remembered how happy I was.」

「Ah, I see. You’re right. Sunsets are supposed to be the same no matter where you go, but I’m sure the one you saw for the first time here was magnificent.」

Nyx did not pry into Christina’s earlier sigh about things not working out today.

Even if the sunset was unchangingly spectacular, it did not mean that one would be happy living in this town.

Upon arriving at Igris Castle, Christina passed through the castle’s living room where all the servants had gathered to greet her with their heads lowered.

Christina’s father, Dram, was seated by the fireplace in the large room. Next to him was her stepmother, Lisa. Across from her parents were her stepbrother, Eldar, and his wife, Meonsa.

Dram was a burly man in his fifties, with a well-groomed beard and a head of eye-catching silver hair held up in a knot.

His wife, Lisa, pursed her crimson red lips and stared intently at the extinguished fireplace.

Christina’s stepbrother, Eldar, resembled Dram greatly in his looks, though he was a tad bid bulkier in physique.

Eldar had yet to be named the lord at present, but he had already been given much authority over the governance of the territories. There was no doubt that he carried himself with an austerity befitting nobility.

At the very least, he was a dignified and capable man who his parents did not have to worry about.

Eldar’s gaze was filled with a jealousy and envy that often surfaced when one regarded a far more superior individual. However, there was no hatred in those eyes of his.

Christina was a tough competitor in Eldar’s perspective. However, he bore no resentment against her since he had already been chosen as the succesor. Besides, Christina was still his half-sister.

Eldar could not be considered a selfless and kind person, though he was not a villain either. Rather, he was just an ordinary person who was not particularly good or bad.

On the other hand, Meonsa turned to Christina from where she was beside Eldar. She did not bother hiding the fascination in her eyes as she stared at Christina.

Meonsa had been born into a family of elite knights who had served the Armadia family for generations. Her family members had also been appointed as leaders of the knight order countless times. Like many others, Meonsa had been enraptured by Christina’s ravishing looks ever since she had first met Christina.

This was also one of the reasons Eldar was not fond of Christina. He detested how he fell for Christina’s charms, too, despite being blood relatives with her.

However, Christina was simply that attractive. With just her looks, she could very well vie for the position as the lord.

If Christina strategically wielded her beauty toward merchants and leaders of other regions who came to visit, they would be bewitched and lose their minds instantly. Regardless of how unreasonable Christina’s requests were, they would probably do everything they could and even risk bankruptcy to accede to her demands.

Christina could transform any coward into a warrior and make them battle with their lives on the line. All she needed to do was mutter sorrowfully and request for their allegiance.

The beauty that Christina possessed was akin to an extremely advanced form of psychological manipulation.

Moreover, no magic, hypnosis, or prompting had been used. Only her face and her expressions were in play at such moments. Hence, such manipulation did seem a little unscrupulous.

After Christina redressed herself, she left Elsparda and Nyx in her room and headed back to her family. When she walked, she made sure to maintain a formal and rigid posture, as if she were a retainer striding to greet her lord instead of her own family members.

Christina had not been called home during the short summer vacation. Hence, it had been more than six months since she had last met these people.

「Father, Mother, Brother, Sister, I’m back. It has been a long time and I’m relieved that everyone is in good health.」

These were Christina’s genuine thoughts. Regardless of her feelings for them, she still bore familial ties to these immediate family members of hers.

Meonsa, like the other students at Galois Magic Academy, had long since been converted into a Christina supporter. Hence, Meonsa found herself on the verge of fainting the moment she heard Christina’s melodious voice.

「Welcome back. You haven’t changed the slightest.」

「Yes.」

Dram did not even glance over at Christina as he addressed her emotionlessly. Christina’s shoulders quivered.

Christina had been picked up by this man who she treated as her father many years ago. However, she still failed to dispel the anxiety that assaulted her every time Dram spoke to her. Her reaction puzzled her, though she never figured out the reason for this.

Eldar silently watched the exchange between his father and his stepsister. As for his wife who had an expression of wonderment on her face, Eldar simply chose to ignore her reaction each time.

Many of the servants and knights of the castle had not seen Christina for a long time as well. Just like Meonsa, a large number of them were utterly mesmerized by Christina’s stunning looks and had lost their sense of selves.

As a matter of fact, Eldar was still unsure about the relationship between his father and his stepsister.

Dram could have housed Christina in some manor without inviting her to stay with them. However, he had brought her over and then provided for her without paying much attention to her.

Christina and Eldar’s grandfather, Dram’s predecessor as head of the Armadia family, had been very fond of Christina. On behalf of Dram, he had looked after Christina, educated her, taught her swordsmanship, guided her on etiquette, and much more. As for Dram, there was nothing much in particular he had done for Christina.

It was not rare for land owners or wealthy merchants to be surrounded by mistresses and many children. Naturally, this was the case for nobles too. Even female family heads often had many partners.

When it came to living quarters, it was not common for all families to live together in the main house. Most of the time, mistresses and their children were made to reside in separate houses.

Even for Christina, such an arrangement would have been less troublesome and less problematic.

Dram, both children’s father, was a taciturn man who was hard to read even on a normal day. To Eldar and Christina, this man only appeared to be the solemn leader of the Armadia family and nothing more.

Yet, Eldar and his other brothers had memories of being held affectionately by Dram as children and riding on horseback with Dram. With these experiences in mind, they did bear some fondness for Dram.

Things were different for Christina, who was born due to a fling between Dram and a traveling performer. Christina had been taken in only after she had grown up, and even Eldar could sense how indifferent Dram was to Christina.

Under such dismissive treatment, it even seemed better to just keep Christina out of sight and provide for her daily necessities.

Yet, there was a chance that Dram was intending to highlight the difference in treatment between his legitimate and illegitimate children.

(Father, Christina would have been happier if you left her alone. See? Mother’s bad mood has worsened. Christina’s uneasy too. Oh, poor thing.)

Lisa did not even glance at Christina, though displeasure radiated from Lisa all the way down to the ends of the luxurious red dress she was wearing. The sole target of this chagrin was none other than Christina. Eldar, who was watching this situation, felt genuinely sympathetic for Christina.

Eldar was well aware that his mother had always repressed her surging emotions in a bid to look like the ideal wife of an aristocrat, always walking a few steps behind her husband.

This knowledge then formed yet another reason for Eldar’s hatred of Christina. With this thought in mind, he glared at Christina.

「Christina, your grades and performance at the Magic Academy has been conveyed to us as per usual. I have nothing to say with regards to your studies.」

「Understood.」

Christina kept her head lowered as she listened to her father speak. Despite the compliment, the exchange of words was nothing like a conversation between a father and his daughter.

「But there has been something different. You’re going to participate in the Magic Tournament this year, aren’t you?」

Christina shrunk back, like a sinner being judged by an angel.

It was a reaction that would have been unbelievable for many who had gotten to know Christina recently. After all, she had long since dispelled the veil of poverty around her and come to carry herself in a dignified manner.

「Y-Yes.」

「You’ve declined participation so far. Why the change?」

Dram stared fixedly at Christina from where he was seated in his chair, not permitting her to look away from him.

For some reason, Christina felt as though she was being reprimanded even though this was nothing to be ashamed about.

「Well, that’s because a Magic Academy schoolmate will be participating. I want to join and help as much as possible. That’s all. Thankfully, I was recommended to be a participant in the Magic Tournament. Once I expressed my interest in joining, I was immediately selected as a contestant.」

「A schoolmate?」

Dram was not the only one surprised by this sudden mention of something Christina had never spoken about in the past. Even Lisa and Eldar were taken aback.

Everyone present knew about Christina’s enthusiasm over the daughter of the Phoenix family. However, Christina did not seem to have any relations to any other schoolmate in the academy.

「Yes. I met him when I visited Bern Village, but he was recognized for his magic abilities and enrolled in Galois Magic Academy. That was when he started to get to know the other students. He said he’ll be participating, and I can decide if I want to as well, Father.」

「Him? Speaking of Bern Village, that’s the northern borderlands where Father was in charge of the planning.」

「Yes.」

Dram’s continued silence then left Christina’s throat feeling parched. She had even noticed how jittery she was right now.

She was unsure if she was terrified of being rebuked by her father or afraid that he would be disappointed in her.

Both reasons seemed likely, yet equally unlikely. Presently, Christina’s heart was a complete mystery to her as well.

Each second that ticked by as Christina waited for Dram to speak felt like eternity.

The silence was so torturous that Christina was willing to sell her soul to the devil if that would free her from this agony.

「All right. Return to your room. Let’s talk again at dinner.」

Finally, the words Christina had been waiting for had been uttered. She secretly felt like leaping in joy, though a wave of exhaustion washed over her too.

Christina was unaware of Lisa’s cold gaze as she felt the overwhelming relief of her nervousness.

Even as Christina made her way back to the room prepared for her, she maintained the same formal posture of a loyal retainer. Only when she entered the room did she collapse onto the canopied bed. Nyx, who was leaning against the metal perch patterned like vines, paid no attention to Christina’s behavior as usual.

It was evident that Christina dived into her bed in this manner each time she returned to the Armadia household.

「I’m tired. I want to go home. I’m so tired. I hate this place already. My shoulders are stiff and I can’t breathe well. My stomach hurts, my throat is scratchy, and my head hurts like hell.」

It seemed like it was normal for Christina to be complaining endlessly like this.

Even as Nyx let out a sigh, Christina persisted with making ceaseless grumbling noises from where she was lying on her feathered pillows.

「Man… Christina, get yourself together. Think about me, who has to listen to you say this every time you come back here. How about being a little more positive? Once you see their faces, you’ll be able to return to Galois. Then, you’ll get to meet Dran, no?」

Nyx had already experienced Christina’s grumbling endless times in the past. He was used to this ridiculous situation. Hence, he tried to get Christina to gather her wits and improve her mood as quickly as possible.

The effect of his utterance was stark. Christina, who had been sprawled on the bed all this whole, leaped to her feet. With her arms folded, she began to pace around her room restlessly.

「You’re right. That’s exactly what this is. Heh. If that’s the case, I’ll have to buy some souvenirs for Dran and Selina. What’s a good gift? Maybe something that can be accumulated and will come in handy in an emergency. Ah!!! What should I buy that’ll make them happy? Hm, Nyx?」

「Anything’s good, no? Well, something that’s hard to get in Bern village might be good. They’ll probably be happy to receive something rare.」

In response to Nyx’s mundane but decent response, Christina only murmured in acknowledgment. However, it was hard to tell if she had really heard him as she continued walking back and forth in the room.

「She’s hopeless.」Nyx muttered.

While Lenia, a sacred beast created by the evil god Caravis, had been raised with the utmost love for her human parents, Christina failed to build a decent relationship with her father and stepmother. It was ironic that this family coexisted without feeling the slightest bit of genuine affection for each other.