Chapter 2

The sudden transformation was so astonishing, it felt like a dream.

Her pale and lifeless complexion now glowed with a healthy pink hue, and the faint wrinkles that had once lined her face were completely gone.

But that wasn’t all. Her eyes sparkled with clarity, and even her lips had regained their natural color.

Her hair, the backs of her hands—everything looked as if she had returned to her early twenties.

“H-How is this even possible…?”

I stared at my reflection in the glass wall, disbelief all over my face.

This couldn’t be real.

Unless… this wasn’t just some illusion.

I need to check. I have to see for myself—right now.

Looking at a vague reflection in the glass wasn’t enough. I needed a proper mirror to truly confirm what was happening.

As the thought struck me, I jumped to my feet.

Just then, the lab door opened, and the security guard who had brought me here earlier walked in, followed by a man in a white lab coat.

But I couldn’t focus on that. Nothing mattered more than confirming my condition.

“I’m sorry!”

I left those words behind and ran out, heart racing.

I didn’t care where—I just needed to find a mirror and see my reflection properly.

Zerr watched Belia rush out and muttered in an irritated tone.

“Didn’t you say some middle-aged woman came here for an interview earlier?”

His white coat had [Alchemy Professor] embroidered on the chest.

Zerr looked to be in his late 30s, with a mature air that only made his good looks more striking.

Yet he made no effort to maintain his appearance—his messy hair and silver-rimmed glasses made him look like someone who had just rolled out of bed.

The security guard stared at the now-empty lab, flustered.

“Y-Yeah, I did. I just brought her in a moment ago…”

“Tch. As if I didn’t have enough to deal with already.”

Zerr was about to turn away, annoyance written all over his face, when something on the floor caught his eye: a shattered vial with a pink liquid spilled across the ground.

His eyes sharpened immediately, a dangerous glint flashing in them.

He rushed to the broken pieces, shouting,

“Who did this?! Do you even understand what this experiment was?!”

The potion had been made with rare, nearly irreplaceable ingredients.

And someone had just broken it.

As Zerr bent down to gather what little liquid was left, he realized something was off.

There wasn’t enough of it left.

Did someone drink it? But who would…?

Then it hit him—he pictured Belia running out of the lab just moments ago.

His eyes widened even further, shock washing over his face.

“What did you say to me earlier?”

Startled by the sudden question, the guard replied nervously,

“M-Me? I said I brought in the middle-aged woman who came for the interview…”

“Right. But the one who just ran out—she was young.”

“Yes, clearly. She looked like a young woman. Now that you mention it, she was wearing the same dress as that lady earlier…”

Zerr froze, visibly shaken.

If someone had actually drunk that potion, they should be dead.

Not one of the animals they tested it on had survived.

But this woman—she was alive?

And not just alive—she looked years younger?

Zerr looked between the broken vial and the door Belia had run through. In a low, stunned voice, he muttered,

“…I’ve been thinking about starting human trials, but I never imagined it would do this…”

Then, as if something suddenly clicked, Zerr snapped his head up and shouted at the guard.

“That girl—go get her! Right now!”

“W-What?”

“We don’t know what might happen next! Bring her back, no matter what! Before she dies!”

The inside of Kamar Academy was far larger than I’d expected.

But then again, maybe that was to be expected. This was the place where noble sons and daughters of the Valkanos Empire came to study after their coming-of-age ceremonies—assuming they could afford the sky-high tuition.

I’d heard the academy offered everything from swordsmanship, business, and astronomy, to horseback riding, housekeeping, and even flower arranging.

Originally, it was founded to counter the Delak Empire on the border, but over time, its purpose had changed. Now, it was more of a networking hub for young aristocrats.

The tuition was so steep that only the wealthiest nobles could attend, and because of that, the academy eventually became a symbol of power.

As a result, nobles who hadn’t graduated from Kamar began to face discrimination, and families rushed to send their children there. Naturally, the academy became a prominent fixture of the empire.

With all the elite youth gathered in one place, it wasn’t surprising that first-time visitors like me could easily get lost.

Tap, tap, tap.

I walked quickly, still searching for a mirror. But no matter where I turned, I couldn’t find one.

Then—

『Somebody help meeeeee!』

A sudden, bone-chilling scream echoed through the halls. I had to cover my ears.

The scream was so loud and intense, it left a ringing in my ears. It didn’t even sound human—more like the cry of a wild animal.

“What was that? Where did it come from…?”

Without realizing it, I stopped walking and turned toward the direction the sound had come from.

Then—

“Clear the way!”

A booming voice rang out, followed by the thunder of dozens of hooves.

This was my first time at Kamar Academy, and the first time I’d seen such a grand procession.

Everyone nearby stepped aside, almost in unison.

Sensing the atmosphere, I quickly moved to the side as well.

Moments later, a cloud of dust rose as dozens of horses entered the academy in perfect formation.

Who could that be?

Was it a member of the royal family?

Whoever it was, they were making quite an entrance.

Soon, knights on horseback appeared, riding forward with dignity and authority.

As the long procession neared its end, a man with golden hair caught my eye.

His radiant blond hair stood out even among the crowd, shining like it had been spun from the finest gold thread. Each strand looked as if it had been chosen with care—so rich and luminous, it was almost mesmerizing.

And that wasn’t all.

His eyes—long and sharp, without double eyelids—held a mysterious violet hue. His high-bridged nose and sharply defined jawline gave him a breathtakingly handsome face. Anyone who saw him would be left stunned.

I knew exactly who he was.

Teansis Kashan Acruge.

The most admired man in the Valkanos Empire. Ruler of the North. A direct heir to the imperial throne, and the youngest duke in the empire.

He went by many titles.

But what truly froze me was the realization that the man I had admired from afar for so long was standing just meters away from me—real, and right before my eyes.

I can’t believe it… I’m actually seeing the Duke up close…

I had never spoken to him, but I used to collect black-market photos of him. I even once attended a jousting tournament just to cheer for him.

That one time—years ago, while caring for my ill mother—was both my first and last outing. But it remains one of the happiest memories of my life.

Thump-thump.

As soon as I realized it was him, my heart started racing. I had never seen him this close before.

I didn’t understand why he was here instead of up north. But since he was also enrolled at Kamar Academy, maybe this was just an unofficial visit.

If so, running into him like this was a stroke of luck.

“…Duke Acruge.”

I whispered his name without thinking.

But I wasn’t delusional. Teansis was a vibrant young noble, while I was a woman past her prime.

If I ever had the chance, all I wanted was to greet him kindly like the other noblewomen did—to say I was a fan, that’s all.

As I kept my eyes on Teansis while he passed, something behind him caught my attention.

Chained monsters were being dragged along at the rear of the procession.

“Ah…!”

My mouth fell open in shock.

Everyone knew the Taran Forest in the north was home to monsters. There had even been a time when the Valkanos Empire nearly collapsed because of them.

It was the Acruge family who had appeared like saviors and defended the empire. Since then, they had ruled the northern border and stood as its protectors.

All Valkanos citizens knew the story.

But this was my first time seeing one of those monsters in person.

Its skin was like a toad’s. Its face looked like it was melting mud. Its cloudy, lifeless eyes sent chills down my spine.

Everything about it was horrifying.

Frozen with fear, I could only watch as the monsters were dragged forward in chains. Then, I got the strange feeling that one of them had locked eyes with me.

CRASH! GRAAH!

Suddenly, the once-quiet monsters began to go wild.

Towering beasts, larger than any man, thrashed against their restraints, and the solemn procession quickly turned to chaos.

“Everyone, stand back!”

The knights reacted instantly, surrounding the creatures and trying to subdue them.

But the largest monster—its eyes bloodshot and filled with rage—broke its chains like they were nothing.

CLANG!

In the instant of stunned silence that followed, I had the eerie sense that its furious red eyes were staring straight at me.

That couldn’t be true—yet the monster lowered its head and charged.

Straight at me.

“Uh… uh…”

I was so stunned, I couldn’t even scream. I thought—Is this how I die?

Swish—

Then, a shadow stepped in front of me.

I looked up and saw golden hair glinting in the sunlight and wide shoulders forming a strong, protective figure.

It was Teansis.

He had just been riding moments ago. How did he get here so fast?

Still frozen in place, my heart pounding with fear and disbelief, I heard his voice—calm and low.

“Step back, my lady.”

My lady?

For a second, I forgot all about the danger. It had been so long since anyone called me that.

I rarely left home while taking care of my sick mother. Even on days when I visited the market, children would call me something else.

“Ajumma.” (Ma’am.)

In noble society, women rarely remained unmarried past thirty. So, the kids weren’t wrong.

I was just… older now.

But hearing that word again—my lady—and hearing it from Teansis of all people, made my heart flutter.

Though only for a moment.

Shing—

The sound of his sword being drawn snapped me back to reality.

A monster—several times the size of an adult man—was still charging straight at me. This was no time to be lost in thought. One mistake and I’d be gone.

BOOM!

His sword, wrapped in glowing energy, met the monster head-on.

The collision sent a powerful shockwave through the air.

WHOOOOOSH—

Wind whipped out from the impact, the force of their clash scattering energy like sparks through the sky.

Everyone nearby took a step back without thinking. I, being the closest, had no choice.

I tried to shield myself with my arms, but the blast knocked me off my feet and sent me tumbling backward.

If Teansis hadn’t shown up in time… I truly might’ve died.

I pushed myself up, trying to get away from the chaos. As I did, I couldn’t help but glance back.

Teansis stood firm, staring down a monster twice his size. And not once did he flinch. In fact, it looked like the monster was the one under pressure.

Beyond his noble title and striking looks, Teansis was known as one of the most skilled swordsmen in the empire.

Very few knights ever mastered aura—most couldn’t even after a lifetime of training. But Teansis, still in his twenties, wielded it like second nature.

The glowing blue aura flowing from his sword was beautiful—and terrifying in its power.

I turned quickly and moved farther away from the fight.

Just as he had told me, stepping back was the best I could do right now.

Then—

GRRAAAH!

The monster roared again and turned its massive body toward me.

Teansis rushed to intercept it, stabbing it in the side, but the beast didn’t stop—it kept charging toward me.

My chest tightened in fear.

For some reason, its lifeless eyes seemed to be fixed on me.

“A-Ah…”

I trembled as it drew closer. Still, I couldn’t scream. The fear was too deep, too paralyzing.

I tried to run in the opposite direction, dragging my frozen legs forward.

Grab!

Something clamped around my ankle.

I looked down—and saw a large, slimy hand gripping me. The monster had somehow gotten close enough to catch me.

Its jelly-like touch sent shivers through my entire body.

SLASH!

Teansis arrived in a flash and severed the creature’s arm with a clean cut.

THUD. The thick limb dropped to the ground.

I stared, unable to move or think.

But it wasn’t over.

CRAACK!

One of the academy’s massive trees suddenly collapsed toward me.

BOOM!

The tree slammed into the ground, landing just in front of me.

If I had taken even one more step, I would’ve been crushed beneath it.

Sweat ran cold down my back. In just moments, I had faced death multiple times.

Now I was trapped—blocked by the fallen tree ahead and the monster’s severed arm behind.

Then, I heard a voice behind me—deep, warm, and calm.

“Are you hurt?”

I turned, dazed, and saw Teansis standing nearby. He had already finished off the monster.

Was it… finally over?

“I-I think I’m okay…”

But I barely got the words out before I saw his violet eyes widen.

He looked alarmed. Before I could ask what was wrong, he shouted,

“Watch out!”

THWACK!

Before his warning was even finished, something struck the back of my head.

My vision blurred. In the haze, I thought I heard a voice—faint, broken.

『…Thank… goodness…』

Before I could process it, all strength left me, and I collapsed.

But I didn’t hit the ground.

I fell into a strong chest—Teansis’s arms around me.

His cool cologne lingered in the air as everything went black.