Ressa, somewhat flustered, caught the wooden sword Theo tossed her way—a harmless-looking thing with no real edge or weight.
"Theo? This?" she asked softly, eyes slightly dazed.
Theo burst out laughing. "What, aren't you a multi-elemental wizard? Don't tell me you can't handle this?"
"It's not like I was born with a sword! Were you born walking?" Ressa puffed out her cheeks and rolled her eyes, though her grip on the wooden sword tightened.
"Easy," Theo said, his voice gentling as he stepped closer. "First, stand still. Don't let your body sway. And remember—victory doesn't come from strength. It comes from magic."
"But I can't feel any magic…" Ressa lowered her gaze, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I was just kidding. Who starts out knowing how?" Theo grinned. "Your first step—feel the elements."
He held out his hand, a faint shimmer of lightning crackling at his fingertips.
"Close your eyes. Feel the stream of something flowing through your body. It's there—between your heartbeats, in your breath."
It took Ressa a moment to realize—Theo was a lightning mage.
She hesitated, then slowly closed her eyes. Her breathing began to steady.
Just when she was on the verge of giving up, a gentle warmth stirred in her chest… and softly curled around her wrist.
"There!" Her eyes flew open in surprise. A faint flicker of fire danced at her fingertips—so small it was barely visible, but to her, it felt like discovering a hidden treasure.
"Good job, Ressa." Theo smiled and ruffled her hair. "Take your time. You'll get stronger."
"Ressa, watch me!"
She turned at the sound of Gabriel's voice, still glowing with pride over her tiny flame. Gabriel waved his hand dramatically through the air. She leaned forward, eager to see what element he would summon.
But nothing happened.She blinked. Looked around. Everything was exactly the same.
Theo looked a bit helpless. "Showing off again?"
Gabriel winked, a bright smile spreading across his face. "How is that showing off? I'm here to help Ressa see some real magic. Haven't you noticed what's changed around you?"
As he spoke, the sounds around them dulled for a moment. Theo blinked and realized a bird in the distance was hovering midair, barely moving. Water droplets hung suspended, falling slowly in reverse. Ressa's pupils shimmered with silver as she took slow, deliberate steps—as if moving through frozen time.
Gabriel focused his magic into his palm, and a silver hourglass materialized. With a swift flick, he flipped it over. Suddenly, the bird and the water droplets reversed their motion, moving backward through the air.
"This is time magic ! I didn't expect your younger brother to awaken a rare magic." The system said in surprise, not expecting him to awaken a rare magic when he looked goofing around.
"My element is time magic. Isn't that awesome?" He turned to Ressa with a playful wink. "This silver hourglass is a little jutsu I developed myself. Pretty cool, right?"
Ressa stared at it, a bit dumbfounded. "Cool… and awesome…"
Gabriel raised an eyebrow in triumph. "You'll be able to do this someday. Since you're a multi-elemental mage, maybe time magic is something you can learn too."
Suddenly, an idea struck him. "Right now, my ability only works on small, non-aggressive animals, but I'm working on getting stronger. I won't leave you alone again."
Hearing this, Ressa looked at him warmly.
"Okay, you're the best. But I'm your sister, so it's better if I'm the one protecting you!"
She clenched her fists, her eyes shining with determination. Though she was touched that her brother cared so much, she still wanted to grow stronger herself—after all, power is only truly reliable when it's in your own hands.
After training, Theo glanced up at the sky.
"We've been out for a while. Mother and the others should be done by now. Let's head to the dining room and wait for them."
"Okay." Ressa gently put down the wooden sword she'd been holding.
"We'll come back tomorrow if you want, and I'll teach you a few more basics of magic."
Theo watched her, pleased to see her enjoying herself so much that he decided to bring her along again the next day—and maybe give her a sneak peek lesson in the meantime.
"Okay! You owe me a promise."
When they got to the restaurant, they saw father, mother, and Heinrich around the corner.
"I was going to send someone to get you, but didn't realize you were already here."Heinrich said.
In the dining room, as the family finally gathered around the table, Earl Reginald couldn't hold back his tears.
"This is the first time we've all eaten together, isn't it? I never thought I'd get to see this day."
"Father…"
Seeing her father in such a vulnerable state, Ressa's heart tightened. She felt a pang of guilt—she knew she was partly to blame for avoiding them before, but she simply didn't know how to face them.
"It's alright. It's good that you're back—that's what matters." Earl Reginald looked at her with relief.
"When you go to school, if anyone dares to bully you, just fight back. Even though I'm only an Earl, I do have some rights. And our family isn't one to be messed with."
He couldn't help but worry about Ressa starting school—whether anyone might tease her for what happened before or try to bully her.
Hearing her father's words, Ressa—used to struggling on her own—felt a surprising comfort in having someone to back her up.
"Don't worry, Father. Besides, I'm a multi-elemental wizard now. If someone bullies me, I won't just stand there."
Though she came across as friendly and talkative, if anyone really crossed her, she wouldn't hesitate to use a few tricks to get back at them.
Just as they were eating, someone teased, "Ressa, want me to spill the tea? About your father."
"What's the tea?" Ressa glanced at Earl Reginald, curious about what could possibly be said about him.
The others pretended not to hear, but their subtle glances made it impossible for the Earl to ignore. Trying to stay composed, he picked up his cup and took a deliberate sip of water.
"Princess Morganna likes your father, and she's planning to set him up at your party so he'll divorce your mother and marry her."
"Cough! Cough!" Earl Reginald heard this and immediately turned to the Countess, trying to explain himself, but she gave him a sharp look, signaling him to stay quiet and keep listening.
"Father, are you alright?" Hearing her father choking, Ressa stopped gossiping with the system and looked at Earl Reginald with concern.
"I'm fine, just got caught off guard," he replied.
Ressa then turned back to the system. "So, who exactly is Princess Morganna?"
"She's the daughter of the Emperor's third uncle—so technically, the Emperor's cousin. Back when your real mother was about to marry your father, Princess Morganna tried to interfere. She even wanted the Emperor to issue a decree in her favor. But both your father and the Emperor refused, and your mother's family wasn't one to be taken lightly either, so Morganna backed off.
After your mother passed away, she tried again and asked to marry your father, but he rejected her. Then, when your father eventually met and married the current Countess, Morganna was furious. Ever since, she's made it a point to target the Countess and take her anger out on her whenever they cross paths."
Ressa was speechless after hearing that. "Isn't Princess Morganna already married? Why is she still clinging to my father? If she likes him so much, then talk to him—what's the point of bullying my mother?"
The Countess nodded in agreement after hearing Ressa's words. No wonder Princess Morganna always targeted her at banquets—she used to wonder if she had somehow offended her. Even though Morganna never said anything outright, the constant hostility was annoying enough that she eventually just couldn't be bothered anymore and stopped attending any event where the Princess would be present.
"By the way," the system added casually, "the night you fell into the water—she was the one who secretly orchestrated it."
The dining room fell into stunned silence. The gossip about Earl Reginald had barely settled before this new revelation froze everyone in place.