Chapter 05
Pulled out of the carriage, Valley was roughly dragged into the mansion by Rina by the scruff of her neck. Thrown carelessly onto the living room floor, Valley slammed her knees hard with a loud thud.
“Ugh…”
She winced at the stinging pain but tried her best to act unfazed as she picked herself up.
But her mother had already approached and struck her cheek with such force that she crumpled back down.
“Ugh…”
“As if it’s not bad enough that you’re so weak you can’t even get a marriage proposal, now you have a secret rendezvous on the terrace with a man without permission? How can you only ever pick such vulgar things to do?”
Valley’s left cheek swelled up instantly.
Rina had gone straight to their parents and told them she’d seen Wayne and Valley together on the terrace.
“It was just a brief conversation.”
“A conversation? I heard he had his clothes off! Is that how you have a conversation? What if someone other than Rina had seen that? What would have become of our family’s honor?”
Her mother raged uncontrollably, shouting loudly. Rina stood beside her, looking down at Valley with a triumphant expression.
People who wouldn’t listen even if she told the truth. She was sick of all of them.
“Well, you’d sell me off to anyone with money anyway, so what does it matter if I look a little tainted?”
“What?! You’re worthless as a fifth-rate, and we’ve raised you and are even trying to marry you off – you should be grateful for that! Do you still not know your place?”
Valley let out a bitter laugh before even answering. Her attitude made Rina cross her arms and chime in.
“Mother is a hundred percent right. You should be thankful they didn’t sell you off right after the magic test. Without our parents’ generosity, you’d already be dead.”
At the mention of death, Valley – still on the floor – clenched her fists and got up. Then she glared at Rina with fierce intensity.
“I’m the one who’s most wronged.”
“What do you have to be wronged about?”
“You think I chose to be born weak? I just ended up inheriting all the weak magic from our parents.”
“Are you blaming our parents now?”
“It’s not blaming, it’s the truth. If I hadn’t been born weak, you might have been the fifth-rate one.”
“How can you say something so awful?”
“Awful? I’m living that kind of— ugh!”
Valley couldn’t finish her sentence. Her father had walked over and slapped her this time.
Smack! She staggered from the force, which was strong enough to echo through the room, but she tightened her legs and held her ground, refusing to fall.
“Now you’ve gone and blamed your weakness on my family? No one in past generations has ever been as weak as you. You are this family’s only disgrace.”
“…”
“Still, I’ve taken responsibility for you as my daughter and am trying to marry you off so you can at least function as a human being. So shut up and do as you’re told.”
There wasn’t a shred of love in her father’s blue eyes as he looked down at Valley.
“As punishment for your thoughtless words today, you’re grounded for one week. Tsk. Disgusting sight.”
With that, her father turned away first. Her mother and Rina followed. None of them paid any attention to Valley’s swollen cheek.
Even the other servants just watched like amused onlookers.
She’d experienced this countless times, even in her previous life, but it hurt just as much every time.
A life unloved by her family was always miserable.
“Lady Valley!”
Edel, who had heard the news late, came running and checked Valley’s condition.
“Your cheek…! How can they do this to you every time…!”
Edel’s eyes reddened as if she’d been the one struck.
“Are you okay? No, of course you’re not okay – it’s so swollen. Does it hurt a lot? Shall I carry you to your room on my back?”
“It’s not that bad, Edel.”
“Your cheek is completely swollen, and you say it’s not that bad… Please, just tell me honestly if it hurts.”
Valley smiled reassuringly at Edel, who looked like she was about to cry even more than Valley herself.
“Let’s go to the bedroom. I want to rest.”
“Let me help you.”
With Edel’s devoted escort, she returned to her bedroom.
“I’ll bring an ice pack right away. If you keep it on all night, the swelling should go down.”
“Edel, instead of that, I need withered flowers.”
“Flowers? Withered ones?”
“Yes. Go to the flower market tomorrow and buy some withered flowers. I’m grounded, remember?”
Asking for withered flowers rather than fresh ones naturally made Edel tilt her head in confusion.
“What are you going to do with withered flowers?”
“I’m going to train my magic.”
“Really? You’ve barely used your magic until now, saying it was pointless.”
“I did. Because I’m fifth-rate, no matter how much I train. But now I want to become stronger.”
“Understood. If that’s what you want, I’ll go buy them right away. I’ll go before sunrise tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Edel.”
Valley was grateful to have Edel – the only person in the mansion she could lean on.
The next morning.
Edel finished preparing to go out at dawn and stood before Valley. Valley straightened Edel’s clothes.
“About a basketful should be enough. Be careful.”
“I’ll be back faster than a carriage. Don’t skip breakfast, and make sure you keep that ice pack on your face.”
“Okay. I’ll do everything you say.”
“Promise? When I get back, I’ll check if you’ve eaten breakfast.”
Edel kept fretting over Valley until she finally left the bedroom. Alone now, Valley didn’t just sit idly by.
“Let’s start from the basics.”
She wrapped her hands around a glass that had been set out with her meal. For the technique of filling and emptying water, she closed her eyes and slowly concentrated.
“Ugh…!”
She channeled the magic flowing through her veins out through her palms, adjusting it so it would also reach the glass she was holding.
She concentrated so hard that her eyelids trembled. When she judged it should be full, she cautiously opened one eye.
“…It’s not even half full.”
The first magic training exercise for water-element users is filling and emptying a water glass. For higher-ranked users, it’s basic training they can do freely within ten minutes.
But Valley couldn’t even fill half the glass after twenty minutes of intense concentration.
Even though she’d expected it, her own pitiful magic nearly made her sigh, but she shook her head.
“I just need to practice. There are still two days left.”
‘Within three days, revive a flower in under two minutes and reduce recovery time to one hour.’
Whenever she started feeling anxious, Valley recalled Wayne’s words and steadied herself. She trained without rest until she collapsed onto the bed, gasping for breath.
That’s when her bedroom door burst open without a knock, and Rina barged in.
“Ha, do you know what time it is and you’re still lying down? You’re so lazy.”
Rina’s sarcastic tone as soon as she entered made Valley’s expression sour.
“I’m grounded anyway, so what’s wrong with lying down comfortably?”
“This is why our parents are displeased with you. If I were you, I’d write a letter of apology and beg for forgiveness.”
“I haven’t done anything wrong, so why would I write an apology? If anyone should write one, it’s you.”
“What did I do wrong?”
“You tattled lies.”
“Lies? I saw it with my own eyes, so how is it—”
“Enough. I don’t have time to talk to you right now, so get out.”
“I don’t want to see your face either. I’m only here because I have to deliver Father’s message.”
“Then just say what you need to say.”
Rina crossed her arms and tilted her head.
“You have a visitor.”
“A visitor?”
Valley’s eyes widened, wondering if Wayne had come.
“Congratulations. You might finally get married. The young lord who saw you at yesterday’s party wants to marry you. Father says to get ready and come downstairs immediately.”
A sense of déjà vu made Valley break out in goosebumps all over her body.
“Who is it?”
“Go and see for yourself.”
“Tell me his name!”
Valley, usually so composed, raised her voice, and Rina flinched slightly before answering.
“The young lord of Count Baveurt’s house. Battery Baveurt.
