episode_0013

The happiest day of Irha Livingston’s academy life came to an end.

“Was there something good that happened? You’re beaming today.”

Her roommate Lina asked, surprised, as Irha grinned.

“Uh-huh..! I ate a lot of delicious food.”

“Didn’t you go out to your part-time job? Did you get something good to eat for dinner where you work?”

Lina, knowing that Irha was struggling, painstakingly saving money to send to the orphanage, looked a bit surprised.

Irha, who rarely ate three meals a day because she lacked money to send.

Bad rumors circulated, and Irha was subtly ostracized, but Lina knew it was all nonsense.

“Hehe… I had a meal with Ras, Professor Isera, and Professor Rosalie, and they treated me! Professor Isera bought it for me.”

It was a completely mismatched group, but professors occasionally treated their students to meals, so it wasn’t that strange.

Feeling somehow refreshed, Irha grinned as she slowly crawled into bed and pulled the blanket over herself.

Everything that had happened today, no, everything since the moment she coincidentally met Ras on Saturday, unfolded like a panorama.

‘Hehe…! After becoming Ras’s minion, it feels like a lot of good things are happening…!’

The most delicious food in the world, eaten at a luxurious restaurant she would never have visited in her entire life!

Mint chocolate bread and milk that brightly refreshed her Monday morning!

Lunch at the faculty dining hall, eaten while receiving praise from Professor Isera!

The special menu items from ‘Bald Man’s Ecstasy’ that she never knew could be so delicious!

Wow…!!!!

All of these were super-special meals she had eaten since becoming Ras’s minion.

She somehow kept recalling only food, but in truth, even better things had happened.

She, who had been struggling in the lower ranks, landed a strong blow on Lizley, who was in the top ranks, during combat magic studies class.

Because the skill gap between them was so significant, Irha received many bonus points despite her defeat.

Professor Isera also seemed to be very pleased with Irha’s persistent attitude, giving her much praise and encouragement.

That wasn’t all.

While they were eating dinner, Professor Isera heard about Irha’s difficult circumstances and even suggested that she accept personal support.

The condition was that she would send a fixed amount of support money to the Livingston Orphanage each month, and in return, Irha would temporarily set aside concerns about the orphanage’s situation and focus on her studies.

From her perspective, the picture of Irha, a raw talent with considerable potential, struggling needlessly and eventually being expelled for failing to avoid academic probation, was drawn far too clearly.

Even Rosalie, who was eating with them, vaguely joined the ‘Irha Support Foundation,’ and the meal ended very warmly.

‘All of this is thanks to Ras-nim’s grace…!’

Feeling hope gushing forth, Irha closed her eyes.

And so, the poor Irha, leaving behind her tiring day, plop, fell asleep…

That night, Irha dreamed of running bread errands for Ras all night long.

In her dream, Ras gave a gentle smile to Irha, who brought him mint chocolate bread, and stroked her head.

*

Time passed quite quickly, and it was already Thursday morning.

“Hehe…!”

Seeing my minion beaming for days, I was happy too, but at the same time, I felt a little pang in my heart.

Her face, which had blossomed so much in just four days, clearly showed how much she had suffered, both mentally and physically, until now.

“Oh, I almost forgot!”

Irha, looking at the clock, sprang up and scurried off somewhere.

I knew what she was going to do…

“Whew… Did you order another bread errand? Ras is truly a terrifying villain.”

Marisa subtly approached me and spoke in an indirect way.

She often hung out with Leon, but that didn’t mean they were in love or close; rather, they often neglected each other and went about their own ways.

Look, even now, Leon was elegantly reading a thick thesis, completely uninterested in what his girlfriend was doing.

I shrugged my shoulders and retorted to Marisa’s criticism.

“I didn’t make her run an errand. She does it herself, offering it with gratitude and respect. You know, how you say it makes all the difference [a proverb about how small changes in wording can lead to significant differences in meaning].”

“Were gratitude, respect, and tribute words that could be used together? It seems this place really is an academy, always learning something new.”

With her elegant yet inscrutable way of speaking, Marisa also bantered.

Marisa, instead, seemed to be glancing around, a little concerned about Lizley who should have been near me, but there was no need for that.

Lizley hasn’t sat next to me since Tuesday.

Even when I chatted with other girls like Irha or Marisa this way, she didn’t give me any judging looks.

The other kids in the class whispered a bit, seeing us suddenly distant, but it seemed no one was brave enough to directly ask if we’d fought.

After all, I probably looked terrifying, having beaten up Blaber and receiving bread offerings from Irha every day.

However, I, who have eyes as good as if they were in the back of my head, often feel Lizley’s blank gaze on me, just like now.

Her eyes, looking at me and my surroundings, were empty, yet at the same time, they hid many things within that emptiness.

What emotions and resolutions were mixed within that emptiness?

It felt a bit different from my previous life, where she begged for my forgiveness to my face while plotting schemes behind my back.

In fact, everything from the first playthrough cannot simply repeat itself.

It’s also impossible to recall the exact emotions, feelings, or mindsets each person felt at that time.

Because the future I will face changes, both significantly and subtly, based on every word and action I take, knowing the future after returning to the past.

For instance, because I took Irha as my minion and helped her with the sparring match against Lizley, she received financial support from Isera and Rosalie, unlike in my previous life.

My case was the same.

As a result of thoroughly beating up Blaber, I formed connections with Professor Isera, whom I had no particular contact with in my previous life, and Professor Rosalie, with whom I had no personal acquaintance until I consumed the poison.

So, I had thought that Lizley might also take a different path of choice, depending on my altered words and actions.

The last favor I showed Lizley was not personally confirming the scene of her affair with Leon.

If even I didn’t corner her, wouldn’t she try to make a slightly different choice? I had a bit of that thought. (Of course, the biggest reason I didn’t go was because it was troublesome and I didn’t want to see it.)

But… looking at Lizley’s face and gaze, I could tell that she didn’t seem to be making the right choice.

In that hollow gaze, there was no guilt or apology towards me and Marisa, no sincerity about genuinely seeking forgiveness.

In the end, what’s truly difficult to change cannot be changed… Is that it?

Suddenly, I recalled a novel I read in my childhood, which dealt with the capriciousness of fate and prophecy.

A son born with the prophecy that he would grow up and kill his father, the king.

The story of a father who, starting with his attempt to kill his son to prevent the prophecy’s fulfillment, ultimately met his death at his son’s hands after many twists and turns.

The phrase from the end of the novel still stuck in my memory.

‘The millstone of fate turns slowly, but it never lets a single grain of wheat spill.’

In my current life, this wasn’t a phrase directed solely at Lizley.

Looking at my life, there had been quite a few things throughout my life that were bound to happen, even if I tried to change them.

For instance…

“Ras..! Today it’s melon bread. But do you really dislike mint chocolate that much?”

Looking at Irha, who was asking such a ridiculous question, I let out another deep sigh.

Irha being a foolish person was certainly something that couldn’t be changed by regression or anything similar.

“Hey, that’s not food. Why are you so obsessed with mint chocolate, anyway?”

“May I dare to say. Irha is indeed a madwoman [meaning a crazy person]… I have never seen anyone as truly insane as Irha.”

See? Even this kind kid is merciless! Stop tormenting her with mint chocolate, Irha.

“Ugh… If you both just try it once, you’ll really like it… The minion’s persuasion continues!”

Beaming..! Looking at the noticeably brighter Irha, I swallowed a question inwardly.

Irha, your greatest sorrow and tragedy will soon find you.

When you face that fate, will you repeat the past once more?

Or… in a situation that has changed slightly from that time, will you make choices befitting it and embrace a new life?

Hoping that the misfortune of having to kill Irha with my own hands would not come to pass, I silently prayed for her.

*

Do they say that great misfortune follows small happiness?

As if the dream-like happiness of the past few days had all been a lie, on Friday morning, Irha Livingston’s nightmare began.

Holding a letter in her hand and reading it, her eyes and hands trembled.

In the short time of less than five minutes, her expression grew even paler than when she had eaten only two meals over two days.

The handwriting in the letter was neat, but it was smudged in places, as if tears had fallen on it.

My dearest Irha, a while ago, Mirha had the opportunity to receive a free detailed diagnosis for her symptoms.

There had always been talk that Mirha’s symptoms seemed to be a congenital rare disease related to mana.

Since you also possessed an innate talent for mana, it was highly probable that your younger sister, Mirha, was not a child whose mana talent was closed off.

We visited the research institute under the Heavenly God Church in the capital… and were able to find a clue about Mirha’s symptoms.

They said Mirha is a child whose inherent mana nature is extremely cold.

This mana, possessing the nature of Extreme Yin [a concept referring to the ultimate manifestation of the feminine, cold, dark, and passive principle in East Asian philosophy], is a rare type of mana that occasionally manifests only in girls.

They said it’s a type of mana that grants considerable talent in ice magic, but the problem is when the mana manifests.

If this mana nature manifests after adulthood, it can be extracted through surgery or stabilized, and the success rate is high, they said…

But in cases where this nature manifests at a young age, like Mirha’s, the success rate for surgery is almost zero… they told us.

They said there were a very few successful cases, but…

For now, Mirha has been given about a one-month prognosis.

Lately, she’s been losing consciousness more and more often, and struggling.

They said that because she’s so young and her nutritional status isn’t good, she’s struggling even more than most children.

I didn’t want to deliver such news to you, who are studying so hard, but Mirha’s condition is worsening quickly, so I thought it would be better to contact you in advance.

And actually… perhaps you, being in Leone, might have a place to seek help.

Leone is the best academy, so there might be someone knowledgeable in magic or healing, don’t you think?

Things like propriety or a sense of debt… those are important too, but no matter what kind of help we receive, I just want Mirha to gain a new life.

I’m always sorry to you, but I’m asking you again like this.

Please find a helping hand.

Mom is trying her best too, so if there’s any good news, I’ll contact you right away.

Irha, my beloved daughter.

Mom didn’t bear you from her own body, but I love you all so, so much.

Please forgive your sinful and powerless mother.

Well… I’ll end here.

-Anna Livingston-

Having finished reading the letter, Irha couldn’t say a word.

From her, simply weeping endlessly, not even a trace of small happiness could be found.

And that afternoon, like a prank of fate, a secret shadow approached Irha Livingston.