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Chapter – 13
“Miss, are you alright?”
“Yeah.”
“Master Jekiel really went too far just now. In the end he didn’t even find anything.”
Eleanor, who had been quietly staring at Laura as she fumed on her behalf, let out a faint smile.
“You think it was only just now?”
“Ah.”
Laura hurriedly covered her mouth.
Even after spending just one day in the Hildet household, anyone could tell what position Eleanor held here.
Laura herself had tolerated the bullying until recently, so she had no choice but to watch Eleanor’s reaction.
Seeing Laura fidget nervously, Eleanor smiled again.
“You don’t have to be so tense. I’m not blaming you.”
“I’m sorry…”
“And today actually turned out well.”
“Really?”
Laura looked at Eleanor in confusion.
Earlier, Jekiel had forcibly dragged Eleanor out of her room and rummaged through the small attic, claiming he was searching for a suspicious person.
When nothing was found, he stormed off in anger.
He had no right to do any of that — he had simply ignored Eleanor’s authority.
Yet the delicate young lady before her was calling it a good thing.
“You gathered the servants well in front of my room like I told you, Laura.”
“Huh? Ah, yes.”
Eleanor smiled gracefully.
While she was being humiliated by Jekiel, Laura had been moving according to Eleanor’s instructions — making excuses to gather as many people as possible near the room.
That was why, when Laura returned, so many people wandering the third-floor corridor witnessed Eleanor being dragged out.
“But because of that, you were humiliated in front of even more people…”
Laura pouted, feeling the results weren’t very good despite faithfully carrying out the order. Eleanor shook her head.
“Humiliated? What are you talking about?”
In her past life, her only weapon had been her appearance — a pale, skinny girl who looked like she could barely feed herself.
When she couldn’t endure the scolding and cried, even cruel servants softened.
Back then, she didn’t know how to use it.
But now Eleanor intended to use even her appearance thoroughly.
“I made it look that way.”
The wronged legitimate daughter of the Hildet family, suffering pitifully.
She wanted everyone to remember that image.
“The servants already know your situation.”
“Others might not.”
Today was the day Alec Merey would suddenly visit. He was planning to form a joint subjugation unit with Jekiel Hildet.
In her past life, Eleanor heard the news at lunchtime — a maid bringing food warned her not to show her face because an honored guest had arrived.
At that time Jekiel was still only the eldest son of the Hildet family. Though the youngest high-rank healer, he had yet to surpass his father Jules Hildet.
But after joining hands with Alec Merey, Jekiel’s reputation skyrocketed in the year before Eleanor fell into the demon realm.
Alec Merey backed Jekiel.
Alec was already showing achievements beyond the Merey family head, Midel Merey.
Once Jekiel began joining monster subjugations under Alec’s protection, his accomplishments appeared extraordinary.
Looking back, it was because Alec was strong — not because Jekiel’s healing was exceptional.
But results overshadowed process.
“The more people there are, the better. If you want to hide a tree, hide it in a forest.”
“There were other people in the mansion? I thought everyone except the two of you was out today…”
“Maybe.”
Eleanor shrugged and didn’t explain further.
Among those who witnessed her today was Alec Merey himself.
Alec was cold-hearted.
Yet in her previous life he had shown her a certain sympathy — perhaps seeing himself in a legitimate heir pushed aside by another.
That sympathy vanished once she was branded completely useless.
He hates Arden.
Outwardly, Jekiel appeared to pity the incompetent Eleanor.
But if Alec saw Jekiel’s true nature, he would easily see the rivalry with Arden within it.
If their relationship started to crack, Jekiel would never solidify his position as he had in the previous life.
“Anyway, I’m glad you’re alright, Miss. Shall I prepare some tea?”
Laura was quick-witted. Realizing Eleanor didn’t want to continue the topic, she changed the subject.
Eleanor lightly nodded.
“It’s fine. I need some training. Prepare some meat instead.”
“You’re working hard.”
“The entrance exam is soon.”
“You’ll definitely get excellent results!”
Laura clenched her fists, eyes shining with enthusiasm.
Instead of answering, Eleanor looked up at the sky — blue, filled with white clouds.
The sky she remembered was black in the demon realm, and red clouds surrounded her when she returned to the empire after killing the Demon King.
Such peaceful, human sky felt unfamiliar.
“…Ha.”
She wanted to tear it apart.
With a cold smile, she nodded.
“Of course. I must achieve excellent results.”
If it meant shattering this tranquil world, she was ready to do anything.
* * *
Jekiel stood in Jennifer’s room, looking down at his mother with a sullen face.
“I heard about yesterday, Jekiel.”
“Mother.”
“Did you really have to cause such a scene?”
“That girl ignored me.”
He ground his teeth remembering Eleanor’s emotionless black eyes.
She always used to watch his mood, but lately she’d been raising her head and irritating him.
Even yesterday — normally she would have retreated immediately, yet she desperately protected an empty room.
In the end nothing was found, leaving Jekiel humiliated.
“I don’t care about her, but your reputation could suffer.”
“Only family members saw it. Who would think badly of me?”
“Before, you were just scolding Eleanor’s ignorance. This time ended in your mistake.”
“Stop nagging!”
Already irritated, Jekiel snapped.
Jennifer was right — actually it was worse.
It looked like he barged into an innocent girl’s room.
He sent people to find the missing Odel, but the person vanished without a trace.
And Alec Merey, who had seemed ready to support him, suddenly became cold.
Jekiel couldn’t understand why everything was going wrong.
“Something is wrong. I sent someone into her room. The trace disappeared — she must be hiding something, yet it never left the room.”
“Why send someone?”
“She’ll show something in the entrance exam. I thought her healing power was nearly gone, but lately I can feel it.”
Jennifer pressed her forehead.
To secure Jekiel’s position, she had switched his necklace with Eleanor’s on the special evaluation day.
As a result, Jekiel could fully display his ability without being overshadowed by Eleanor’s talent.
Yet he still held an inferiority complex toward her.
“Jekiel, you don’t need to worry about trivial matters.”
“I’m uneasy, Mother.”
“She’ll thoroughly embarrass herself in this exam. You didn’t need to interfere.”
Jennifer said coldly. His eyes lit up.
“You didn’t think I failed to prepare that much for you, did you?”
“Mother!”
He hugged her brightly; she frowned but smiled faintly.
“That’s why I told you not to make mistakes.”
“I was impatient.”
“Good. Continue interacting with the royal family and the four great houses. You must pass through that path to become head of Hildet.”
“Yes.”
Relieved, Jekiel turned to leave — then stopped.
“What is it? Another question?”
He thought of Alec Merey. Recently Alec had begun noticeably delaying contact.
Maybe Jennifer had an idea.
“…Well—”
“Go on. I worry about you constantly.”
At her words, his expression stiffened. He was already twenty — an adult — and disliked her nagging.
“It’s nothing. That powder there looked unfamiliar.”
He pointed to a transparent bottle on her desk.
Inside was fine powder glittering silver and gold.
Jennifer smiled softly.
“Ah, that’s a gift for Eleanor.”
The powder was berserk powder.
Once Eleanor was knocked unconscious and the yellow-horned goblin enraged, her test would be ruined.
Jennifer never intended to accept Eleanor as her daughter.
* * *
The entrance exam day approached.
Eleanor repeatedly trained and consumed the necessary energy.
“…I can handle it.”
The guards sent to knock her out were merely low-rank mansion guards.
In her past life she had been caught off guard and helpless.
But now, accustomed to life-and-death battles in the demon realm, she was confident she wouldn’t be captured no matter what they did.
“As long as they can’t enrage the goblin.”
The guards would knock her out and sprinkle berserk powder on the goblins.
If she dealt with the guards first, the goblins would calmly yield.
But she wasn’t just planning to pass the healer entrance exam safely.
“I should bring back the golden horn to fulfill the deal with Cowcher.”
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
Bringing back Mattele’s golden horn didn’t simply mean retrieving an item.
That entire area will be finished.
It meant collapsing the sealed region around the test site using the golden horn’s power.
