IAYA 02

Chapter 2

The sudden change was so astonishing it felt like a dream.

The pallor that had once made me look sickly now glowed with a rosy flush, and the faint wrinkles that had lined my face had completely vanished.

And that wasn’t all. My eyes gleamed with vitality, my lips looked vividly colored, and even my hair and the backs of my hands appeared as though I had reverted to my early twenties.

“Wh–what in the world…?”

I stared at my reflection in the glass wall, my expression one of utter disbelief.

It was impossible.

Unless this was nothing more than an illusion.

I need to confirm this. I have to see for myself.

I couldn’t judge properly from the blurry reflection in the glass. I had to find a mirror to verify my condition with certainty.

The moment that thought crossed my mind, I leapt to my feet.

Just then, the laboratory door opened, and I saw the guard who had escorted me here earlier, along with a man in a white coat, walk in.

But right now, nothing was more important than this.

“Excuse me.”

Leaving only those hurried words behind, I bolted out of the room, desperate to find a mirror to see myself in.

Watching Belia rush out, Jer let out an irritated voice.

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

The white coat he wore was embroidered with the words Professor of Alchemy.

Jer looked to be in his late thirties, his face seasoned with experience, but that only added to his dignified charm, making him a very attractive man.

Unfortunately, he did nothing to maintain that appearance, and with his unkempt hair and silver-rimmed glasses, he looked more like a man who had just rolled out of bed.

The guard, staring at the now-empty lab, spoke nervously.

“Y-yes. I’m certain I guided her here just a short while ago…”

“Damn it. As if I didn’t already have enough to do.”

Jer was about to turn away with an annoyed expression when something caught his eye.

On the floor lay a shattered vial—the pink liquid Belia had accidentally spilled. For a moment, his eyes flashed with a murderous gleam.

He strode toward the shards, his voice booming with anger.

“Who was it?! Do you have any idea what that experiment was?!”

It had been crafted from rare, nearly impossible-to-obtain ingredients.

And now it was shattered like this!

Jer crouched, trying to salvage even a drop of the spilled liquid, when he realized something strange.

There was far too little left behind.

Did someone drink it? But who…

At that instant, the image of Belia’s fleeing figure flashed in his mind.

His expression grew even more shocked than when he had first discovered the broken vial.

“What did you say earlier?” he suddenly demanded.

Startled, the guard stammered.

“M-me? I said I brought in a middle-aged lady who came for an interview…”

“Right. But the one who just ran out was a young girl.”

“That’s true. She was clearly a young lady. Now that you mention it… she was wearing the same dress the middle-aged woman had on.”

Jer’s face twisted in shock.

If someone had drunk the potion, they should have died.

In all the countless animal experiments he had conducted, not a single subject had survived.

And yet… she was alive?

And even appeared younger than her original age?

Jer looked back and forth between the broken vial and the direction Belia had run, muttering in disbelief.

“Ha… I had been considering live human trials, but I never expected it to have this kind of effect…”

His expression hardened as he snapped his head up, suddenly shouting to the guard.

“That girl who just left—bring her back immediately!”

“Huh?”

“We don’t know what’s going to happen! Before she dies, bring her to me no matter what it takes!”

The interior of Kamar Academy was far larger than I had expected.

I supposed it made sense. This was the place where noble sons and daughters of the Valkanus Empire, after their coming-of-age ceremony, paid enormous tuition fees to study.

I’d heard the curriculum spanned everything from swordsmanship, business, and astronomy to horseback riding, housekeeping, and flower arranging.

Though the academy had originally been founded to counterbalance the neighboring Delac Empire, its purpose had long since shifted—becoming more of a networking hub for young nobles.

And because its tuition was prohibitively expensive, only the wealthiest families could afford it. Over time, that exclusivity became a source of political power.

So much so that nobles who graduated from Kamar Academy were treated differently from those who didn’t. Parents scrambled to send their children here, making it a prestigious cornerstone of the empire.

Naturally, with all of the empire’s most distinguished young nobles gathered in one place, the academy grounds were vast and labyrinthine—easy for newcomers to get lost in.

Tap, tap, tap.

I hurried through the halls, desperately searching for a mirror, but couldn’t seem to find one anywhere.

That was when it happened.

『Save meeee!』

A terrifying scream rang out, so loud and raw I clamped my hands over my ears.

It didn’t even sound human—more like the howl of a beast.

“What was that? Where is that coming from…?”

I stopped in my tracks, glancing toward the source of the sound.

And then—

“Clear the way!”

A commanding shout echoed, followed by the thunderous pounding of hooves.

This was my first time visiting Kamar Academy, and my first time witnessing such a grand procession within its grounds.

The crowd instinctively parted to either side.

I quickly stepped back as well.

Soon, a cloud of dust rose as dozens of horses marched in perfect formation.

Who could it be?

A member of the imperial family, perhaps?

Curiosity surged as the riders came into view.

Knights in gleaming armor rode past with stern dignity.

And then, at the end of the procession, a man with golden hair appeared.

His radiant hair glistened like spun threads of pure sunlight, dazzling even amidst the crowd.

And his face… sharp violet eyes without double-lids, a proud nose, a chiseled jawline. He was so breathtakingly handsome that anyone would have been left speechless.

I recognized him instantly.

Teansis Kashan Acruje.

The most popular man in the Valkanus Empire. Lord of the North, heir to the throne, and the youngest duke in the empire’s history.

There were countless other titles attached to his name.

But what left me frozen in place was not his fame—it was the fact that this was the man I had admired in my heart for so long.

Good heavens. To see the Duke this close…

I had never stood before Teansis personally, but I had collected his pictures from the black market, and even once attended a jousting tournament to cheer for him.

It had been the only time in my life I’d gone to such an event, sneaking away from caring for my ill mother. That day remained one of my happiest memories.

Thump, thump.

My heart raced wildly now that I was seeing him in person.

He should have been in the North—what was he doing here? Perhaps, as a student of Kamar Academy, he was making an unofficial visit.

If so, this chance encounter was nothing short of a miracle.

“…Duke Acruje…”

I whispered his name without realizing it.

But I wasn’t delusional—I knew the truth. He was a vibrant young man in his twenties, while I was a withering flower.

At best, I only hoped that one day I might greet him politely, like other ladies of society did with their idols.

I continued gazing as his procession passed, when something shocking caught my eye.

Behind him, chained monsters were being dragged along.

“Ah…!”

My jaw fell open in astonishment.

Everyone knew the Tarann Forest in the North was home to terrifying beasts. The empire had once nearly fallen to them, if not for the Acruje family’s timely intervention.

Since then, the Acruje family had ruled the North, standing as the empire’s shield against the forest’s horrors.

All citizens of the empire knew this story.

But to see the monsters with my own eyes was something else entirely.

They had toad-like skin, faces that seemed to melt like sludge, and clouded, vacant eyes.

They looked nothing like humans. They were terrifying.

As I stared in horror, one of the beasts suddenly seemed to lock eyes with me.

KAAAANG! KAAAANG!

Without warning, the once-subdued monsters began thrashing violently.

Their hulking bodies, far larger than any grown man, plunged the calm procession into chaos.

“Everyone, stand back!”

The knights encircled the monsters, attempting to subdue them.

But the largest of them all, its eyes bloodshot with frenzy, snapped its chains apart.

CLANG!

For a split second, the world froze.

I could have sworn its crazed red eyes were fixed directly on me.

Impossible. Surely, it couldn’t be.

Yet the beast charged at me like a raging bull.

“U-uh…”

Fear strangled my throat—I couldn’t even scream.

Am I going to die here?

Just then—

A shadow moved in front of me.

I looked up to see golden hair shining under the sunlight, broad shoulders tapering into a perfect V-shaped back.

Teansis.

Only moments ago he had been on horseback—how had he gotten here so quickly?

His calm voice reached me.

“Stand back, my lady.”

M-My lady?

For an instant, I forgot the danger and simply stared at his back.

It had been so long since anyone had called me that.

When I occasionally went to the market, the children there had always called me auntie.

It wasn’t their fault. In noble society, where arranged marriages were common, it was rare for women to remain unmarried past thirty. I was simply too old.

But now… Teansis, the man I had admired from afar, had called me lady.

My heart soared.

Only for a moment.

Shiiiing—

The sound of his sword leaving its sheath snapped me back to reality.

The monster was barreling toward me, its massive form shaking the ground. One wrong move and I would be crushed.

BOOOOM!

Teansis’s aura-wrapped blade met the charging monster head-on, the clash erupting with explosive force.

The shockwave ripped outward, stirring up violent winds.

I shielded my face with my arms, but the sheer force drove me backward until I fell hard to the ground.

Had Teansis not intervened, I would already be dead.

Scrambling to my feet, I glanced at him again.

He stood unflinching before the beast, his violet eyes steady and unyielding. Despite its size, it was the monster that was being overpowered.

Teansis wasn’t just noble in status and appearance—he was one of the finest swordsmen in the empire.

Aura manipulation was something most knights could never achieve in a lifetime. Yet he, still in his twenties, wielded it freely.

Blue energy rippled along his blade, beautiful yet devastating in power.

Not wanting to get caught in the clash, I quickly moved away.

As he had told me—standing back was the best I could do.

But then—

“Grrraaaghhh!”

The monster twisted suddenly, lunging toward me again.

Teansis stabbed its side, but it didn’t stop, relentlessly pursuing me.

Terror flooded me.

Its vacant eyes seemed locked on me, as if I were its sole target.

“A-ah…”

My lips trembled uncontrollably. I couldn’t even scream. The fear was too great.

I forced my legs to move, trying to run in the opposite direction—

THUD!

Something seized my ankle.

I looked down and froze.

The monster’s massive, slimy hand had closed around my leg.

Goosebumps erupted over my entire body.

Then—

SHHHK!

Teansis’s sword flashed, slicing clean through the monster’s arm.

Thud!

The severed limb hit the ground with a sickening weight.

I could only stare in stunned silence.

But it wasn’t over.

CRAAASH!

A massive tree pillar from the academy grounds toppled toward me.

BOOOOM!

It slammed down right before me, so close I would have been crushed had I taken another step.

Cold sweat trickled down my back. Death loomed at every turn.

Now, blocked by the fallen tree in front and the monster behind, I was trapped.

Then, a calm baritone voice spoke from behind me.

“Are you all right?”

I turned to see Teansis standing there, the monster fully subdued at his feet.

Was I finally safe?

“I-I think I’m—”

But before I could finish, his violet eyes widened in alarm.

“Look out—!”

SMACK!

Something struck the back of my head hard.

As my consciousness faded, I faintly heard a strained voice.

『…Good… thing…』

I didn’t even have time to wonder whose voice it was. My body went limp, collapsing forward.

But instead of the cold ground, I fell into Teansis’s strong chest.

The faint scent of his crisp cologne was the last thing I registered before darkness swallowed me whole.