Liya kept her eyes tightly shut, her body seeming to be submerged in a vast nothingness.
Beneath a boundless, dark starry sky, her body was curled up tightly.
Her arms were pressed close to her body, as if she were sinking into a warm embrace.
"Mm..."
Liya slowly opened her eyes and raised her head, finally seeing the sky of this space.
At last, the surrounding space gradually began to form new outlines.
She opened her mouth, but her words were like a stone stuck in her throat, she couldn't utter a single sound.
Liya cautiously stretched out her hand. Two pale, chubby arms, white like lotus roots, left the warmth of her chest and passed through the void.
She looked at her arms and froze.
Then, a cry came from her body, a baby's instinctive cry.
That was her voice. Liya was certain of it.
Very soon, the crying caught the attention of a boy.
The boy jogged over, using his left hand to carefully take her from an adult's embrace.
"Don't cry, don't cry."
The boy had jet-black hair and slowly lifted his face.
A pair of very beautiful eyes, clear and lively. His black pupils were like deep crystals, yet they sparkled like stars.
A mature adult voice sounded from behind the boy,
"Don't scare her, Viktor."
'Vik… tor?'
Liya looked at the boy in front of her with tear-filled eyes, her vision somewhat blurry.
She reached out her hand and instinctively grabbed toward the boy's face.
She succeeded. The boy's cheek turned red from being grabbed, it clearly hurt, but the smile on his face did not change at all.
It was still that expression of delight at seeing something precious. Those obsidian-like eyes gazed lovingly at the baby in his arms.
"She's so beautiful."
"Is she my little sister?"
The adult's voice sounded again, "That's right. She is your little sister."
"Liya Clavenna. That will be her name from now on."
"You must protect her well, Viktor."
The boy nodded, his eyes full of anticipation.
"I definitely will."
'That's not right…'
———
Five years old...
November 6th.
Heavy snow fell outside the estate, signaling that Blyston had entered winter.
Liya raised her soft left hand and caught a falling snowflake in her palm, where it melted in an instant.
She breathed warm air onto her little hand and rubbed it.
But suddenly, a shocked voice came from inside the estate, "This is incredible!"
"Viscount, your child possesses an astonishing talent for magic!"
The adults inside chuckled.
"Is that so? That's quite good, then."
"Viktor, you must study magic properly in the future and become an excellent mage."
Then came a boy's soft, youthful laughter from inside.
"For Liya, I definitely will."
'That's not right…'
———
[December 21st]
Liya was wearing thick pink cotton clothes. The long sleeves wrapped up her small hands, and a slim wool scarf was wound several times around her collar.
Her cheeks were rosy, and a pink cotton hat slipped down, covering her small, bright eyes.
She was in high spirits, eagerly waiting for Halnarsen to finish building the snowman, her face filled with an innocent smile.
The next second, a fireball flew toward her, brushing past her face and melting the large snowball meant for the snowman.
Liya turned around.
The boy had raised his left hand, white steam drifting from his fingertips.
"Sorry, Liya."
"I just learned this spell. It's a bit unstable."
His face was filled with apology as he apologized to Liya.
'That's not right…'
———
[December 22nd]
Liya accidentally knocked over a vase on the table.
The vase shattered, and the damp soil inside spilled over a book covered in strange patterns.
Liya hurried to brush the dirt away, but the pages were still stained, leaving marks behind.
Those strange patterns were obscured, becoming broken and incomplete.
It was very expensive. Liya knew she had caused trouble.
That was Viktor's most precious magic book.
The boy walked over and merely glanced at the stained book.
Already ten years old, he was much taller than Liya. He turned around and squatted in front of her.
Those bright black eyes looked at her gently.
"You were scared, weren't you, Liya."
"You can cry as much as you want. There's no need to be afraid."
The boy reached out with his left hand and gently placed it on Liya's head, stroking it.
Liya's eyes grew moist, and tears overflowed.
She couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out crying loudly.
The boy pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly with warm arms.
His left hand gently, slowly stroked Liya's back.
"I will protect you for a lifetime."
"I definitely will."
'Still not right…'
———
Eight years old...
Liya looked at the visitor who had come to the family.
His name was Angus Delin, her father's comrade-in-arms.
He was a powerful knight who lived in the north and had long stabilized the northern battlefront.
Behind him followed a little girl with the same silvery-white hair as his.
About the same age as Liya, and very pretty.
She shyly hid behind Uncle Angus, her left hand tightly gripping his pant leg, peeking out timidly.
Liya felt that she and Uncle Angus must be very close.
From the adults' conversation, she learned the other girl's name.
'Gwen Delin.'
Liya had a premonition that they would become very good friends.
'Completely wrong…'
———
Ten years old.
The Delin family and the Clavenna family arranged a marriage, with Viktor Clavenna to marry Gwen Delin.
At fifteen, the boy already looked like an elegant young gentleman.
He accepted his family's arrangement.
Bzz!
A burst of electric noise seemed to sound by her ear, but vanished in an instant.
Liya didn't think much of it.
———
Fourteen years old.
This year, Liya had already begun taking over the family's business.
Her father said she needed to assist her older brother as much as possible.
At the same time, because her brother already had a fiancée, so...
Liya could no longer act spoiled toward the boy as recklessly as before.
Taking over the family business, Liya began to mature.
But she never forgot to assist her brother.
Just as he had said.
"I definitely will."
———
Fifteen years old.
Father died.
His title was inherited by Viktor Clavenna.
At twenty, he became the youngest viscount in the Empire.
His genius was well known, a third-tier mage at only twenty years old.
So even though their father had passed away, the Clavenna family's influence did not diminish.
Even more people came to visit, all wanting to befriend the youngest viscount.
The gentle Viktor received them one by one.
At night, alone, dragging his exhausted body, he sat in the pavilion under the moon, grieving by himself.
Liya looked at his back.
As if sensing something, the man turned around.
With his left hand, he beckoned to her.
"Come here, Liya."
Her body moved unconsciously, walking over.
The man reached out with his left hand and pulled her into his arms.
Just like when they were little, holding her tightly.
But she could feel the exhaustion in his body.
His chin rested on Liya's shoulder, looking somewhat weak.
"Liya, I'm so tired."
"Father is gone, and I… you're the only one I can rely on now."
Would her older brother rely on her too?
He definitely would.
Liya reached out and wrapped her arms around the man's broad, solid back.
'Not right… is it?'
———
Twenty years old.
Gwen Delin became the youngest Royal Knight Commander in the Empire, and many people were proud of her.
That day, at a celebratory family banquet, Viktor proposed to her.
In a daze, Liya arrived at a church.
She stood on a stretch of green grass, beneath a deep blue sky with white clouds drifting lazily by.
All around were seated guests wearing smiling faces, along with the white chairs beneath them.
Just as white was the priest's pulpit.
White doves and crows crossed paths in the sky at the same time, while countless guests waited expectantly for the wedding to begin.
Liya stood below the stage, looking at the scene before her.
Gwen wore a pure white wedding dress, with exquisite makeup, beautiful like a goddess in a painting, elegant and noble.
Viktor wore a black suit and stood not far away, politely extending his left hand toward Gwen.
Gwen hooked her right arm around Viktor's, and the two walked side by side into the hall of marriage.
Countless flowers surrounded them, mixed with the laughter of noble guests and thunderous applause.
Liya watched as the two of them walked toward their hall of happiness.
The priest stood at the pulpit, holding a thick holy tome, looked at Gwen on the left, and asked, "Miss Gwen, whether in poverty or in wealth, are you willing to walk through life with Viktor Clavenna?"
Gwen smiled and looked at the man before her, nodding.
"Yes."
'Not right, not right…'
The priest then turned to Viktor.
"Will you, for Gwen Delin, protect her for her entire life?"
Viktor raised his head and looked at Gwen with those bright, obsidian-like eyes.
"Yes."
'Not right!'
"I definitely will."
"Not right!!!"
Liya could no longer endure it and shouted aloud.
Yet not a single person around her paid her any attention.
The nobles remained unmoved, still offering sincere blessings and laughter to the newlyweds on stage.
Liya widened her eyes and watched as Viktor and Gwen exchanged wedding rings.
"Completely… not right."
"Isn't this exactly what you were hoping for, Liya · Clavenna?" A deep, profound voice sounded nearby.
It was a voice only Liya herself could hear.
The surrounding scene continued clearly as before.
But at this moment, Liya understood something.
At the instant Gwen put on the wedding ring, Liya lowered her head.
"What I was hoping for? Heh."
She simply raised her right hand.
Six gemstones flickering with light appeared faintly on her glove.
The next second, all six glowing gemstones lit up at once.
Six layers of formations flashed on Liya's glove, beginning to rotate as intricate patterns intertwined around them.
Terrifying magic power poured out simultaneously from the six formations. The chaotic magic condensed into a dazzling white light, gathering before her.
A powerful shockwave instantly swallowed everything around her. The immense impact tore the ground apart.
The surroundings fell into a deathly silence, even sound itself being ripped apart and fading.
The scorching white light seemed ready to destroy the entire world.
Like a painting being torn apart, it burned endlessly, revealing patches of empty blackness beneath.
Looking at the wedding hall blazing ahead, Liya raised her head.
A cold, detached voice sounded calmly from her lips.
"Who do you think you are, to dare think like that?"