After my father left, the next day arrived far too quickly.
I woke up still trapped in yesterday's panic, my thoughts tangled and restless. No matter how many times I tried to calm myself, my mind kept circling back to one conclusion.
I won't be okay in the main palace.
Especially not with them there.
Lying on my bed, I stared at the ceiling and began recalling information I never wanted to use.
My siblings.
In Frontier Heroes of Aetheria, the Nocte family wasn't insignificant. Far from it. The duke's children were known figure the important character ones.
The eldest was Adam von Nocte, a third-year student at the academy. He was known for his discipline and tactical sense, a model noble and a reliable leader-type. He rarely interacted with the protagonist directly, but his presence was always felt during large-scale operations.
Then there was the second child.
Liam von Nocte.
A second-year student.
And worse...
a key companion of the protagonist.
At first, Liam and Orion had only known each other as senior and junior. During a joint practical exam that combined first and second-year students, the two ended up grouped together. They clashed at first... but by the end of the exam, they had earned each other's respect.
When demons later attacked the academy, they fought side by side.
From that moment on, they became comrades.
Liam stood with Orion through dungeon raids, large-scale battles, and eventually… the final war against the Demon King.
He survived.
He was part of the group that saved the world.
And I was supposed to live under the same roof as that?
I exhaled slowly and rolled onto my side.
This is bad. Really bad.
Seeing my father was already stressful enough. Seeing characters pulled straight out of the game... characters who actually mattered... was a whole different nightmare.
I pushed myself up and looked around my room.
Soon, I wouldn't be here anymore.
The annex had always been quiet. Peaceful... no eyes watching my every move. I could read, garden, train at night, and exist without being noticed.
The main palace wouldn't allow that.
I lay back down and sighed.
Where am I even supposed to train now?
Using magic freely would be dangerous. My father was sensitive to mana... far more than an ordinary noble. If I released too much, he would notice immediately.
The woods where I usually practiced…
What if he went there again?
The thought alone made my stomach twist.
…Meditation, then.
Mana control without release. Circulation without manifestation.
Boring... but safe.
Still, staying inside all day was unbearable. After a while, I got up and walked toward the window.
Outside, I saw a familiar carriage pulling away.
My father had just left.
Only then did I relax.
My gaze drifted toward the garden.
…My plants.
I hadn't checked them yet today.
Slipping outside, I walked through the garden paths until I reached the small patch I cared for personally. Among the flowers, one stood out.
The flower I took care .
When I had experimented with mana-infused soil during my gardening sessions, I hadn't expected anything special to happen. But one day, a bud emerged from the exact spot where my mana had pooled.
A flower unlike any I had seen before.
Its petals shimmered faintly, catching the light in a way that felt… alive. Not flashy, not radiant—just quietly beautiful.
Since then, I had taken care of it daily, feeding it small amounts of mana so it wouldn't wither.
Somehow, I'd grown attached to it.
And suddenly, a thought struck me.
I can't leave this behind.
No one here would give it mana once I was gone.
Decision made, I headed to the toolshed and grabbed a small shovel and a pot just large enough for the flower's roots. Carefully, I dug around it, lifting it with as much soil as possible before placing it into the pot.
My hands were dirty, and so were my sleeves.
Normally, Estrella would scold me for this... but she was busy preparing for the move, and the annex was unusually quiet.
I was alone.
Perfect.
I focused, whispering the activation of a simple spell.
A thin layer of mana spread across my body, forming a gentle current of wind mixed with purified water mana. Dirt lifted from my skin, dissolving into harmless particles before evaporating into the air.
The spell cleaned not just my hands, but my clothes as well, leaving behind a faint scent of freshness.
I exhaled, feeling lighter.
Cleaning magic really is the best.
Carrying the potted flower carefully, I returned to my room and placed it by the window, where sunlight poured in. I fed it a tiny bit of mana—just enough to stabilize it.
The petals shimmered faintly in response.
I looked outside one last time.
The garden.
The annex.
The quiet days.
A strange heaviness settled in my chest.
…I'm going to miss this place.
********
A few days passed quickly.
Before I knew it, the annex was no longer quiet.
Carriages lined the front grounds, far more than I had ever seen here. Boxes were loaded one after another, filled with clothes, books, tools, and necessities. The servants moved busily, their voices overlapping as preparations continued.
Among them stood one carriage that made my chest tighten the moment I saw it.
An expensive black carriage, reinforced with enchanted metal, its surface polished to a mirror-like shine.
Carved into its side was a familiar crest...
A crescent moon wrapped in thorns.
The Nocte family.
Just looking at it made me nervous.
While I stood there stiffly, my father suddenly stepped out of the mansion. He was already dressed in traveling attire, a dark cloak resting on his shoulders. Behind him were the knights he had brought the day he arrived.
His voice was cold and commanding.
"Prepare to depart in five minutes."
"Yes, Your Grace!" the knights responded in unison.
Then...
His gaze shifted.
Our eyes met.
My body stiffened immediately.
He spoke again, his tone calm but final.
"You will ride with me."
My thoughts froze.
"…For the entire journey."
Then came the finishing blow.
"It will take two weeks to reach the main residence."
Two weeks.
TWO WEEKS.
Inside, my mind collapsed completely.
No. Absolutely not. This is a nightmare.
Before I could process anything further, my father turned away and entered the carriage first, not sparing me another glance.
I stood there for a moment, completely devastated.
Estrella knelt beside me, her expression worried.
"Young master…"
She couldn't come with me.
Only the main household servants were allowed in the duke's carriage.
I nodded quietly, clutching the small potted flower I had decided to bring along.
Then, with slow steps, I followed.
The carriage door closed behind me with a heavy thud.
A few moments later, the wheels began to move.
The carriage set off.
I leaned slightly toward the window and watched as the annex slowly grew smaller. The familiar garden, the old walls, the peaceful place I had lived in for years...
All of it faded into the distance.
I swallowed.
Then I turned my attention inward.
My father was sitting across from me.
He was watching me.
Silently.
I immediately lowered my gaze, staring at the floor, then shifted to the window again... anywhere but at him. My body felt stiff, my breathing shallow.
The carriage was quiet.
Too quiet.
Every second felt painfully long.
I'm really going to suffer for two whole weeks in here…
And so, with that thought heavy in my mind, the journey to the main palace began.