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Axel, the head of the Magic Tower, had distanced himself from the place for several years, leaving it neglected. The mages, like baby birds who had lost their mother, constantly requested his return, but Axel didn’t so much as bat an eye. The Magic Tower was, after all, a voluntary, loose association with no strict obligations. Most mages were affiliated with it due to the benefits of being part of the group, but there were exceptions.

In his past life, Greslin was one such exception. He had no interest in mingling with the stodgy White Mages who populated the Tower, choosing instead to live in seclusion in the northern countryside.

Axel, on the other hand, had been elected to the position of Tower Head by the mages themselves. But the title came with little real power, and he held no attachment to it. The ones truly invested were the elderly mages in the Tower’s backrooms, who leveraged Axel’s reputation as the hero who had vanquished the Mad Dragon to secure research funding from the imperial family and nobility.

Axel allowed them to use his name because it granted him access to the Magic Tower’s vast intelligence network, which spanned the empire and beyond. Although the Elpinard Duchy also maintained an extensive information network across the continent, it was loyal to the Duke’s commands and not something Axel could directly control.

Thus, Axel and the Magic Tower existed in a symbiotic relationship, exchanging his name for their information. However, it was always the Tower that had more to lose, so Axel largely ignored their requests. Occasionally, if they insisted, “You must attend this time! It’s a crucial presentation!” he would make a brief appearance.

Such important matters were conveyed in person, so the letters piling up on his desk were of no consequence. Nonetheless, there was one letter that had escaped his ruthless culling.

‘The Magic Tower’s intelligence division…’

For a while, there had been no new information regarding “Greslin,” leading Axel to believe the trail had gone cold. Unlike the dismissive way he had handled the other letters, Axel quickly opened this one. Inside was information he hadn’t anticipated.

It contained details about Hazen, Greslin’s disciple and one of her victims, who had been murdered by her. The letter included a firsthand account from someone who had witnessed the incident.

Axel’s brow furrowed deeply.

* * *

“What about sky blue?”

“I think pink would look lovely too.”

Rose and Daisy each held up a sky-blue and a pink dress, looking at me through the mirror. Since I couldn’t answer their earlier questions about what I liked, the three flower-named maids had taken it upon themselves to help me discover my preferences.

Sky blue and pink. No matter how much I looked at them, they appeared identical to me. My aesthetic sense had always been somewhat dull, so I couldn’t tell the difference. Seeing me hesitate, Lily stepped forward and offered a light purple dress.

“I think this lilac color would look lovely as well. It matches your eye color perfectly, Miss.”

“My eye color…”

I gazed into the mirror. Just as Lily had said, my reflection showed eyes of a very pale lilac, shimmering faintly. The soft hue seemed quite appealing.

“Yes, I think it’s pretty.”

As I nodded in agreement, the faces of the three flower-named maids lit up with joy.

“If you like lilac, why don’t we go for a walk today in this dress?” Lily suggested, and Rose and Daisy quickly scurried off to fetch matching ribbons and shoes.

“We’ll match the ribbon and shoes to the dress,” Rose said.

“From head to toe in lilac… just like a lilac blossom!” Daisy added enthusiastically.

A lilac blossom, with its delicate and airy appearance. The idea of being compared to such a gentle flower made me blush slightly.

‘In my past life, I was compared to things like a Venus flytrap or a sundew…’

Back then, I was more often likened to carnivorous plants rather than pretty flowers. My dark hair and identity as a dark mage had given me a gloomy image that stuck with me like a shadow.

After dressing, I grabbed a parasol and headed out for a walk. It was my first time taking a proper stroll around the estate with all three maids in tow. In the past, when servants encountered me, they would either give me a half-hearted nod or ignore me altogether. But now, everyone I passed stopped, bowed respectfully, and waited until I had walked by.

It seemed my efforts to improve my reputation were paying off. Realizing that people’s attitudes toward me had shifted toward the positive made my steps feel much lighter as I walked.

I had thought Axel was the only one I could rely on in the Elpinard estate. But now, it seemed I wouldn’t have to worry about being sidelined wherever I went.

Grinning to myself, I continued my walk around the estate. Although I called it a walk, it was more like a reconnaissance mission to familiarize myself with the layout of the mansion.

“The Elpinard estate is divided into the main building and the annex,” Lily explained. “The Ivory Tower is also located beside the main building.”

“Yes, I know.”

“The main building is primarily for business matters. All direct family members, who handle the duties of the household, reside there.”

That included the Duke’s study and Axel’s room.

“In contrast, the annex houses the servants’ quarters and various facilities necessary for running the main building. The guesthouse, where visitors stay, is also part of the annex.”

As Lily described the estate’s layout, she subtly glanced at me, gauging my reaction.

All the direct members of the Elpinard family lived in the main building, but my room was in the annex, more specifically, in the guesthouse. A typical four-year-old might not grasp the significance of that, but I wasn’t just any four-year-old—I was smart enough to have passed the Ivory Tower’s notoriously difficult entrance exam. The fact that I was the only one staying in the annex meant that I wasn’t fully accepted as a part of the Elpinard family.

Lily seemed to think I would be hurt by this realization, but it didn’t bother me at all. After all, I wasn’t really an Elpinard. I didn’t share their blood, nor had I contributed to the family as one of its members. Besides, there was always the possibility that I’d have to return to the temple someday. After all, I was the Saintess, affiliated with the Church.

I tugged on Lily’s skirt, trying to reassure her. “It’s okay. I like the annex.”

It was a genuine sentiment, without a trace of falsehood. The annex of the Elpinard estate was as grand as the main residences of many noble families. It was far more luxurious than the slums where I had spent my childhood in my previous life, or even the mansion I acquired after slaying the Mad Dragon.

But it seemed that the three flower-named maids didn’t take my words at face value.

“Oh, Miss…”

Their faces all showed the same expression of pity at the same time.

“No, really, I’m fine. Honestly!” I insisted, trying to sound more assertive, but their expressions only darkened further.

In the end, I decided to give up trying to convince them of my sincerity.

*Sigh*. Never mind.

It wasn’t such a big deal—nothing that would cause any real harm. I sighed deeply and tugged on Lily’s skirt again.

“Forget it. Let’s go look at the garden. I want to see the lake.”

“Shall we?” Lily smiled as she redirected our attention and led me toward the garden.

But before we could reach our destination, we were forced to stop.

“What’s this? Why are you in the main building?”

We had run into Noah in the hallway, who appeared to have just finished a lesson on etiquette, judging by the thick manners book he was carrying.

“Who said you could come in here?” Noah glared at me menacingly.

It seemed that he had already forgotten the scolding he had received recently.

“The main building isn’t restricted. Anyone can come and go, right?” I looked up at Lily as I asked, and she responded by bowing politely.

“That is correct, Master Noah. The Duke has not specifically prohibited the young lady from entering the main building.”

“Hmph. What would a maid know? As the Duke’s eldest grandson, I’m the one who knows for sure.”