SEVL 6

Chapter 6

After that, I began preparing to go out while drinking the coffee the spy-maid had prepared.

My room hadn’t changed much in six years. Since my body hadn’t changed significantly since I was sixteen, all the clothes in my wardrobe still fit perfectly. They were all six years old, but I had always had my own fashion philosophy, independent of trends, so it didn’t matter.

“Um… Lady, shall I also pick a hair accessory from these?”

“Yes. Use this one.”

The spy-maid placed a checkered ribbon on my hair, her expression uncertain.

I gazed at my reflection in the mirror and thought deeply.

Today, my goal was to meet my grandfather after a long time and try to establish a new relationship—one where we could converse properly, rather than the awkward distance we had.

‘To do that, I need to start with something commendable, something that offsets all the trouble I’ve caused over the years.’

I had a plan in mind.

Of course, my grandfather, being a Prellai, had a familiar: a black hawk the size of my body named Hou.

Analyzing the original story, I noticed something odd. Normally, a summoner and their familiar are almost always together, but after I left for the academy, Hou hadn’t appeared in the story. Every time my grandfather appeared in the original, he was always alone. Hou only suddenly appeared when my grandfather was accused of treason.

Hou emerged stumbling from the greenhouse by the garden, calling out:

<Scari!>

Though barely able to support his own body, he was driven by the desire to follow his master.

The narration had been sparse at the time—Melisa had been captured, so Hou wasn’t even in consideration. Besides, he had emerged from the greenhouse in the garden, a corner seldom visited by anyone in the mansion.

Hou’s ability was purification. He could absorb and cleanse any poison. However, while he was more resistant to toxins than humans, he couldn’t instantly detoxify everything. Usually, after absorbing poison, he required a recovery period.

‘When I left for the academy, Hou was fine. So he’s basically been missing since then.’

I thought carefully about the massive black hawk.

‘Then perhaps he absorbed a lethal poison he couldn’t detoxify alone for seven years.’

It could be another chronic condition, but that seemed the most likely.

Assuming I would meet my grandfather this afternoon, there were about six hours left. Enough time, but not exactly leisurely.

I downed the remaining coffee and stood up. I had somewhere to go—somewhere that would help me make a good impression on my grandfather and find the man I needed to assist.

“Lady, where shall I take you?”

The spy-maid asked cautiously. I lightly answered as I climbed into the carriage.

“Lauditian 12th Street.”

“Pardon? That’s…”

“Exactly.”

I leaned close and whispered into the spy-maid’s ear.

“We’re going to see our hopeless second brother, the forever-adolescent brat Joshua.”

Lauditian Street was filled with luxurious mansions. Among them, the largest and most expensive belonged to Joshua Prellai.

The mansion’s walls were low, so Joshua could be seen leisurely sipping tea in the elegant garden, drawing attention from passersby. Just seeing his angelic face was entertaining, and everything he wore was top-tier, making it fun to watch.

“Look at that. Every inch is luxury. Even the logos are huge.”

“If you add up everything he’s wearing, it could buy a normal house.”

No doubt, the gossip magazine Lorellai would report every detail of his attire.

There was something else that caught people’s attention.

“Is that… a familiar?”

“All Prellai family members have one…”

A green snake coiled around one of Joshua’s arms—his familiar. Even the snake’s body was adorned with strings of jewels, a clear display of wealth.

“Their ability must be to sniff out money, right? Otherwise, how could he amass this ridiculous wealth at such a young age?”

Onlookers admired his extravagance while whispering among themselves.

“What’s the point of having money if nobody knows where it comes from? It must be dirty money. So it’s not from the Prellai household itself?”

“Yeah. Look closely—the clothes are full of big logos. It’s less about taste and more about sending a message. Maybe an inferiority complex, trying to prove himself through money?”

Then…

“Oh, what’s that?”

Joshua, enjoying the attention, suddenly widened his eyes. A carriage bearing the Prellai crest had arrived.

<What? Why is a Prellai carriage here?>

The snake familiar whispered in surprise. Joshua frowned.

“It’s fine. It’s not Alex coming to chop my head off, so no need to worry. Alex doesn’t ride carriages.”

He tilted his head, murmuring:

“…But really, who is it?”

The carriage door opened, and someone no one expected stepped out. Joshua’s eyes widened.

‘Kiana?’

It was his sister, whom he hadn’t seen in six years, yet he recognized her immediately. Her head-to-toe checkered outfit made his frown deepen.

‘Why hasn’t she grown taller? So skinny… and her skin is so pale.’

In fact, she looked almost exactly the same as six years ago. Approaching Joshua, who looked bewildered, she spoke calmly:

“Brother, it’s late, but congratulations on your self-made success, scraping together every penny like a miser.”

Her doll-like appearance contrasted with her indifferent expression and blunt tone.

“You’ve grown into a perfect show-off, but I guessed you’d be like this since childhood, so I’m not surprised.”

After speaking, Kiana casually handed a shopping bag to Joshua.

“Anyway, this is a gift. It’s impolite to come empty-handed to a housewarming.”

She was well-versed in noble etiquette. Joshua reluctantly accepted the bag, which contained a checkered vase.

‘…Not great.’

<Commander!>

Even though Joshua didn’t outwardly express his thoughts, the snake familiar muttered, which Kiana heard. She looked at it with an unimpressed expression and said:

“You’re a familiar who doesn’t understand perpendicular beauty. It’s just as pretty as a coordinate plane. Well… ignorance isn’t a crime.”

Then, she arrogantly lifted her chin and turned away.

Her gaze fell on the onlookers peeking over Joshua’s garden wall. She rolled up the Lorellai magazine she was holding and threw it at the forehead of the passerby who had commented about Joshua’s inferiority complex.

“Argh!”

As the person stumbled, clutching their forehead, Kiana said clearly:

“Listen, just one thing.”

The onlookers, suddenly facing Kiana, flinched.

“Brother isn’t covering himself in branded luxury items because of an inferiority complex.”

Her expression conveyed frustration as she continued:

“The message? No, it’s just his taste. He simply wants to show off his money because of his shallow personality. Didn’t you notice he purposely kept the wall low?”

She finished with a stern look.

“So if you came just to watch Joshua flaunt his wealth, shut up, stay quiet, and leave. Don’t make up stories out of envy.”

Kiana created a chilling atmosphere instantly, then turned arrogantly to look at Joshua.

“Speaking calmly in front of others after so long makes my heart race.”

‘Calmly…?’ At that moment, everyone had the same thought: ‘Does this lady even know what “calmly” means?’

“Anyway, if you chatter without knowing, it irritates me. I’m naturally inclined to seek the truth,” Kiana added irritably.

“I’m very close with the Lorellai editor. Only those without qualms are allowed to criticize Joshua. If you don’t want your secrets exposed, that is.”

People flinched, covering their faces. Lorellai ruthlessly exposed others’ secrets, and being published there would be humiliating.

“…Let’s just keep quiet and go inside, my troublesome sister I haven’t seen in six years.”

Joshua sighed and pulled Kiana into the mansion.

“Listening to you too long makes my head spin.”

Kiana couldn’t help but reply:

“That’s not because of what I said, it’s the pressure difference.”

Joshua glanced at Kiana and muttered:

“…Hope magical engineering fails.”