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After that, Axel and I repeated the same test more than ten times. Each time, I correctly guessed the outcome. Both Axel and I were amazed by the accuracy of my instincts.

‘Legendary intuition… this is amazing!’ 

If this is what legendary-level intuition feels like, how incredible would it be to have a mythical-level one? I grinned to myself, lost in happy thoughts. With this kind of intuition, I could walk into any gambling den and never lose a single coin. I imagined myself confidently striding into a gambling house, even though at four years old, I wasn’t exactly imposing. Still, the thought of raking in money was delightful.

But my beautiful daydream was quickly shattered.

“Ouch!” 

Axel lightly flicked my forehead.

“You’re never going to a gambling den,” he said firmly, as if he’d just read my mind.

I clasped my forehead with both hands, my eyes wide in surprise.

“What the—how did you know?!”

Did he somehow develop a mind-reading spell without me knowing?

“Of course not,” Axel said with a click of his tongue. 

“We’ve been together for so long that I can easily guess what you’re thinking in situations like this.”

Well, he had a point. I could usually read his thoughts too.

‘Phew, at least he hasn’t developed some magic stronger than mine,’ I thought, relieved as I leaned back against the carriage.

“Anyway, we have to get that boy out of there. My instincts say so.”

After witnessing my intuition firsthand, Axel didn’t doubt its necessity. The problem was figuring out how to do it.

“No matter how illegitimate he is, Eugene is still Duke Kreutz’s son. And it’s not like we’re dealing with a small-time family. How are we supposed to take him from there?”

“Hmm…” 

I rubbed my chin in thought before shouting out the first solution that came to mind.

“Kidnapping?”

Axel immediately let out a laugh, more of a snort than anything.

“Some Saintess you are. Still can’t shake the habits from your days as a Black Mage?”

He shook his head, clearly exasperated.

‘But that would be the easiest way,’ I thought, pouting as I looked out the window.

Before long, we were approaching the Elpinard ducal residence. Most noble houses looked similar, making them hard to distinguish, but the Elpinard estate had a unique feature that made it stand out even from a distance: a tall, pure white tower known as the “Ivory Tower.”

The Elpinard family had built its reputation as a lineage of scholars by training individuals capable of interpreting divine prophecies within that tower, solidifying their status as a family of learned scholars across generations.

‘The prophecy book is said to contain both the impending crisis that will one day befall the empire and the means to overcome it, right?’ 

However, the entire prophecy was encrypted, and even the brilliant minds gathered in the Ivory Tower had not yet fully deciphered it. The Ivory Tower invited children with exceptional talent to study, regardless of their social status, but the selection criteria were extremely stringent, making it an honor to be chosen. It was no exaggeration to say that the smartest people in the world were all in the Ivory Tower. Being educated there was a badge of intelligence, a source of pride for nobles and royalty alike.

‘Moreover, being invited to the Ivory Tower meant room and board were provided, so children from poor families were eager to get in… wait a minute!’

A flash of inspiration struck as my thoughts naturally followed this train of logic. An invitation to the Ivory Tower wasn’t just an option—it was an obligation. The founding emperor had decreed that the interpretation of the prophecy was a task that must be completed, so any genius summoned by the Ivory Tower could not refuse. Since the prophecy remained unsolved, that imperial decree was still in effect.

‘I think I just found…’

A more elegant solution than kidnapping!

“Axel, is there a way to get into the Ivory Tower?”

Axel seemed to understand my plan immediately just from that question. He narrowed his eyes and clicked his tongue.

“As always, your scheming knows no bounds.”

I proudly lifted my chin, taking his remark as a compliment, even if it wasn’t entirely meant as one.

“Thanks for the praise.”

Axel, as usual, gave me a tired look and shook his head.

“Ordinary people can’t get in. Entry to the Ivory Tower requires passing the strict scrutiny of the invitation committee.”

“Scrutiny?”

“They usually hold an exam. Many people want to enter the Ivory Tower, and they welcome talented individuals.”

“An exam, huh…”

I stroked my chin thoughtfully.

“Do you think I could take it?”

“You? The exam?”

“Yeah.”

For once, Axel seemed genuinely puzzled, staring at me as if trying to decipher my intent.

“You could, if you got a recommendation. You need a letter of recommendation from someone on the invitation committee to get a chance to take the exam…”

As I stared into Axel’s blue eyes, filled with doubt, a forgotten detail suddenly flashed through my mind.

“That’s right! Oink!”

I left him at the temple!

***

“Oink!”

As soon as I returned to my room, I grabbed Oink and hugged him tightly. Fortunately, Axel had built a feature into Oink that allowed him to find his way home on his own! 

“Of course, I knew this day would come with your hasty nature,” Axel’s response, delivered with an irritatingly smug smile, made it clear he had anticipated this all along. 

‘But what if I move to a new house?’ I wondered. Would Oink still recognize it as home and come back? ‘I’ll have to ask Axel about that later.’ It was an important question since I might have to go to the temple one day.

As I cuddled Oink and happily rolled around on the bed, the three flower-named maids approached me with warm smiles.

“Looks like you had an enjoyable outing, Miss,” Lily remarked.

“Yes, I did!” I replied quickly. Not only had I extended my life span, but I had also delivered a satisfying slap to Duke Kreutz, my adversary from my past life. It was a successful outing by all accounts.

‘And I even gained legendary intuition.’

It had been a fruitful day. Rose and Daisy exchanged whispers, surprised by my bright mood.

“I didn’t know Master Axel had a knack for handling children.”

“Indeed. While he’s somewhat lenient with children, it’s hard to imagine him accommodating anyone else.”

‘So true, so true,’ I thought, wholeheartedly agreeing with Rose and Daisy’s observations. As maids who had served the Elpinard family for a long time, they knew Axel well.

Of course, their whispered conversation didn’t go unnoticed…

“Is there a servant anywhere who speaks so openly about their master?” Lily lightly smacked their backs to chide them.

“There’s no one else here to hear us, so what’s the harm?” Rose retorted with a giggle.

“Exactly, it’s just us,” Daisy added, clinging to Lily’s arm with a playful grin.

Since I looked like a perfect child on the outside, they didn’t seem to count me as “someone who hears.” Lily, in the end, couldn’t resist their playful demeanor and let out a deep sigh, smiling despite herself.

“Instead of gossiping, why don’t you go prepare the bath? The young lady hasn’t eaten yet, after all.”

At that moment, my stomach growled loudly, punctuating Lily’s words. All three maids widened their eyes in surprise, and I was just as taken aback.

“Oh my, are you very hungry?” Lily asked.

Thinking about it, I realized I hadn’t eaten anything all day. From meeting the duke to dealing with Hannah and visiting the temple, I had been running around on an empty stomach.

“Yes, I haven’t eaten anything,” I admitted.

“Goodness, we should get you a snack to tide you over before your bath,” Lily said. Under her direction, Rose and Daisy quickly set to work.

In less than ten minutes, a tray with muffins, cookies, and warm milk was placed before me.