Chapter 5
Seriously, stop making a fool of yourself. Don’t you have any shame?
“…What?”
Roman’s expression went blank. He clearly hadn’t expected Rin to say that — not in a million years.
But the shock didn’t last long. The Second Master’s temper broke again in an instant.
“You…!”
Unable to restrain himself, Roman hurled the brush in his hand and clenched his teeth in fury.
“You stupid, ungrateful brat! I brought you into my estate to protect you from being used by Gregory, and this is how you repay me?!”
The Second Wife sighed softly and grasped Roman’s arm, trying to calm him.
“Roman, that’s enough. Must you speak so harshly to a sick child? Yana already admitted it was a mistake…”
“Yana! I’m sending you back to the Pindias Grand Seminary!”
Pindias Grand Seminary.
That name… it’s familiar. Where have I heard it…? Oh, right — the place where saint candidates are trained.
So Yana had been a candidate for sainthood? The Second Wife gasped in horror and grabbed Roman’s arm.
“No! Yana can’t return to Pindias—”
“You still lack discipline. Go there and start from the beginning. Relearn everything!”
“Oh, Roman…”
Hmm.
What is this?
This felt like a moment where she should be utterly devastated.
But…
I don’t even know why I’m supposed to care.
It didn’t look like she had any real say in the matter either. Scratching her head, Rin gave a nonchalant nod.
“Sure. If you insist.”
Roman’s temper malfunctioned again. He ground his heel into the brush he’d thrown earlier, shouting at the top of his lungs.
“Get out! And don’t you ever show your face to me again!”
Rin simply stood there, unmoved. The Second Wife, watching Roman warily, wrapped an arm around Rin’s shoulders and gently guided her out of the studio.
After bringing her back to the bedroom, the Second Wife embraced her warmly and spoke in a soothing voice.
“Yana, I know how much you dread the Pindias Grand Seminary. I’ll speak with the Second Master and try to stop this. Don’t worry too much, alright?”
Ah… so that’s why he threatened her with the seminary — to punish her.
Yana must have really been a saint candidate.
“Thank you, Second Wife.”
The Second Wife smiled kindly, then turned and walked away.
She truly seemed to be the only one who cared for Yana. It was reassuring — or at least, it should have been.
Still… I can’t rely on her alone.
If Yana feared Pindias Grand Seminary that much…
Then there was only one option.
I’m not going. No matter what, I won’t go.
That night.
Yana’s body revealed yet another memory to Rin — a fragment from the past.
In the dream, Yana knelt in a vast, sacred hall, offering prayers. Then, from not far behind, whispers began to drift through the pews.
“Do you think this topic will be on the winter exam?”
“Yeah. They say questions about the heroes who sealed the Orb of Malice appear every year on the novice saint exams.”
“So all we have to do is memorize their names?”
“Exactly. Emperor Aurelian the Great, Archmage Sabrina, Sword King Theon, and Saint Clara. Those four.”
“Hmm… wasn’t there a guide or something too?”
“Guide Rin? No way — she wasn’t a hero. Don’t you remember? She tried to betray Archmage Sabrina and Sword King Theon by stealing the Orb of Malice. Total scum — a filthy traitor.”
“Right! I think I heard that story in history class.”
Guide Rin… a traitor?
No. Guide Rin wasn’t a traitor.
That’s wrong. The books are wrong. She doesn’t deserve your ridicule!
Unable to bear it any longer, Yana turned around. The girl, trembling with anger, confronted the group of novice saints eagerly poring over their texts.
Get a grip, man. Have you no shame?
“…What?”
Roman’s face went blank, as if the words hadn’t registered. He clearly never expected Rin to say something like that.
But that stunned expression lasted only a second. His infamous temper snapped once again, as expected of the Second Master.
“You…!”
Unable to contain himself, Roman hurled the brush in his hand and ground his teeth in fury.
“You’re not only stupid but ungrateful! I took you into my estate with my own hands to keep you from being used by Gregory, and this is how you repay me?!”
The Second Wife sighed and gently grabbed his hand, trying to calm him.
“Roman, please stop. Must you speak like that in front of a sick child? Yana already said it was a mistake…”
“Yana! I’ll be sending you back to Pindias Grand Seminary!”
Pindias Grand Seminary…
That name’s familiar. Where have I… Ah, right. The training ground for saint candidates.
Was Yana a saint candidate too? The Second Wife gasped, her voice filled with distress as she tried to stop him.
“No! Yana can’t return to Pindias—”
“You still lack discipline. Go back there and learn everything from the beginning!”
“Oh, Roman…”
Hmm.
Okay… what even is this?
This felt like a moment where she was supposed to be shattered or devastated. But…
I have no idea why I should be.
And it’s not like she had any say in the matter. Scratching her head, Rin simply nodded.
“Sure, do whatever.”
Roman’s temper teetered on the edge again. He stomped on the brush he’d thrown earlier and shouted.
“Get out! Don’t you dare come see me again!”
Still unmoved, Rin remained where she was, and the Second Wife, clearly trying to smooth things over, wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her out of the studio.
Back in Yana’s bedroom, the Second Wife gave her a warm embrace.
“Yana, I know how much you hate Pindias Grand Seminary. I’ll talk to the Second Master and try to change his mind, so please don’t worry too much.”
Ah… so he threatened her with the seminary to punish her.
Yana must’ve truly been a saint candidate.
“Thank you, Second Wife.”
The Second Wife smiled gently before walking away.
She really seemed like the only one in House Tusslena who cared for Yana. That should have been comforting — and yet…
I can’t rely on her alone.
Yana seemed to dread the idea of returning to Pindias.
Which meant…
There’s no way I’m going back. Over my dead body.
That night.
Yana’s body revealed another memory to Rin — a glimpse into the past.
In her dream, Yana was praying in a vast, sacred hall. But soon, whispers drifted from nearby pews.
“Do you think this’ll be on the winter exam?”
“Yeah. They say questions about the heroes who sealed the Orb of Malice show up every year on the saint candidate tests.”
“So we just need to memorize their names?”
“Right. Emperor Aurelian the Great, Archmage Sabrina, Sword King Theon, and Saint Clara. Those four.”
“Hmm… wasn’t there someone who guided them, too?”
“Guide Rin? Nah, she wasn’t a hero. Don’t you remember? She tried to betray Archmage Sabrina and Sword King Theon by stealing the Orb of Malice. Total scum — a filthy traitor.”
“Right! I think we heard that in history class.”
Guide Rin… a traitor?
No. She wasn’t a traitor.
That’s wrong. The books are wrong. She doesn’t deserve to be mocked like this!
Yana couldn’t hold back anymore — she turned around and confronted the girls, her voice shaking with anger.
“You’re wrong.”
“…What?”
“You’re wrong. There weren’t four heroes — there were five. Guide Rin didn’t betray them. She was used to seal the Orb of Malice—”
Pfft.
The girls burst into laughter, mocking her so openly that Yana’s voice faltered. Cold eyes stabbed into her like daggers.
“What’s she going on about now? Girl doesn’t even have divine power, but her mouth never shuts.”
“If that traitor Rin’s a real hero, then I guess fake saint candidate Yana Tusslena must be legit too. But we all know they’re both frauds.”
“Pfft! Fake hero, fake saint. Perfect match — losers like you should stick together.”
Sneering, the girls linked arms and walked out of the prayer hall. Left alone in the vast space, Yana clenched her jaw and stared straight ahead.
Don’t cry. If you cry… you lose.
Rin awoke with a strange heaviness in her chest.
Saint candidate…
Thinking back on the conversation, the place in her dream must’ve been Pindias Grand Seminary.
So that’s why Roman threatened her with it.
Even there, Yana had been completely alone.
Scorned at House Tusslena for being a bastard child. Mocked at Pindias for being a fake saint candidate. If she had no divine power, she must’ve been forced into the seminary for some adult’s selfish agenda.
Yana’s soul… I can’t be sure, but I think I’m starting to understand why it vanished.
Before Rin took over her body, Yana had lived a lonely, miserable life. Taking over the body of such a tragic girl… a wave of guilt washed over her.
How can I bring her back?
Even if she could return Yana’s body, what then? She’d be trapped again in that cruel world. Wouldn’t she just want to run away again?
First… I need to fix her life. If Yana’s body finds happiness, maybe her soul will come back on its own.
Besides, in such a weak, fragile body, trying to run away would only get her hurt — or killed.
As Rin recalled Yana’s voice defending her in the dream, she suddenly remembered two faces she’d rather forget.
Sabrina. Theon.
They’d twisted the truth. Left behind lies that branded Rin a traitor.
She could still hear their voices clearly before her death:
“Don’t worry, Rin. We’ll tell everyone this was your choice. That you sacrificed yourself willingly — for the greater good.”
Thirty years.
It had been thirty whole years — or rather, only thirty.
Only thirty years… They’re probably still alive, living comfortably. Loved as the ‘Archmage’ and ‘Sword King.’
And I’m supposed to live with that?
Not a chance.
Yana’s life was hell. Rin’s life had been hell. Two messed-up lives — and now they’d join forces.
“There’s only one answer. I need to change this goddamned household.”
Only by changing Yana’s position within House Tusslena could she gain power — wealth — and the means to get what she wanted.
And once she had everything in place…
I’ll meet Sabrina and Theon again.
And when she did…
I’ll take my revenge.
That was the only way Rin could ever find peace.
From that day forward, Rin set a new goal for herself.
Daily noon jogs.
Running on legs that were stick-thin, in a body still recovering from poison, was hell on earth.
“Huff, huff… What the… hell is wrong… with this body?!”
How did Yana live like this?
Her master’s voice echoed in her mind.
“Weak body, weak mind. Move, and clear out that useless garbage in your head. That’s your first task.”
To bring Yana back, Rin had to start by fixing this frail body. In this twig-like — no, rag-like — no, dandelion-like body, lifting a sword would be a miracle.
First, I’ll build stamina. Then I’ll head to the knights’ training grounds and start practicing swordsmanship.
She was glad she chose noon for her training. The grounds were empty, thanks to the lunch hour. As she rounded her final lap—
Huh? Isn’t that Olga?
Near the back of the kitchen, where it had been deserted earlier, a group of staff now lingered in small clusters. Rin slowed down — and sure enough, that familiar head was Olga.
Her dismissal had been canceled — of course, thanks to Rin.
She argued that no other servant was as convenient, barely managing to keep her. Since then, Olga had been unusually quiet — probably scolded by the Second Wife.
She’s been avoiding me, too…
Well, anyone who strutted around after that kind of humiliation would be insane. As Rin walked to catch her breath, she observed Olga.
And something felt off.
Not a single staff member was speaking to her.
“Let’s finish up over there.”
“Yeah.”
The maids walking near Olga deliberately avoided crossing her path.
It wasn’t just her imagination.
Olga was being ostracized — completely shut out by the other servants.
