Josefin had two sisters.
One older, one younger.
The younger one was a year younger than Josefin.
Being the spoiled youngest, she could act snippy at times, but a single charming smile could flip anyone’s mood in an instant.
Lately, she’d been staying out overnight without saying a word, probably because she had started seeing someone. This had become the main reason their father spent nights looking gloomy and sleepless.
The older sister was four years older.
Responsible and gentle, she had practically raised the two younger sisters after their mother passed away early.
Now married into a good family, they didn’t see each other often, but her letters—always overflowing with love—were something Josefin looked forward to every time.
And today, the eldest sister, Amelia, was coming home for the first time in a long while.
“I’m home.”
The moment Josefin opened the front door, her younger sister, Mary, shouted.
“Big sis, why are you so late? I told you to come back early today because our eldest sister is visiting!”
“Sorry. On my way back from work, I saw someone in trouble and stopped to help…”
“You should’ve left that to the gendarmerie. Why go out of your way to suffer?”
“I just couldn’t ignore it.”
“Ugh, you’re too nice for your own good, you know that? So, who did you help? Did you find some lost kid crying for their mom?”
“No. Just a bunch of drunks making a scene at a shop, so I folded them in half.”
“…Yeah, I’m not messing with you, sis.”
Josefin smiled as she asked,
“Where’s Amelia?”
“She already came and unpacked everything. She brought so many presents the living room’s packed to the brim. There’s stuff for you too, so hurry and open it!”
“You seem really excited.”
Josefin ruffled her sister’s hair.
Mary yelped and ran away in protest.
“Ah, geez! You’re messing up my hair!”
Following Mary into the living room, Josefin finally saw the familiar face.
“Amelia!”
“Well, if it isn’t my pretty little sister! You’ve gotten even prettier, haven’t you? Mwah, mwah, mwah!”
The moment she saw Josefin, Amelia pulled her into a tight hug, planting kisses on her cheeks like an overexcited big dog.
Josefin burst into laughter at the sight of her eldest sister, who hadn’t changed one bit even after getting married.
“It’s been so long. What, three years? Isn’t this the first time since you got married?”
“Mm-hm. My husband’s family lives so far from Langbart I can’t just visit whenever I want.”
“But there are trains now. Doesn’t it only take a day or two?”
“I still have responsibilities as the lady of the house, you know. Even this time, I could only come because my husband was attending an art auction in the capital.”
“I see.”
“He’s really considerate, though. All these gifts—he prepared them himself. He said, ‘You’re seeing your family after so long; you should bring at least this much.’”
“You’re really loved by your husband, aren’t you? I’m glad you’re doing well.”
Josefin said it with a trace of envy, and Amelia gently cupped her sister’s face.
“Oh, my dear sister. How have you been? Nothing’s been too hard for you, right?”
“I’m fine. Nothing out of the ordinary.”
“I’ve been worried about you.”
“Worried? Why?”
“Because in your last letter, you wrote you were having a hard time because of your fiancé.”
“Oh, right.”
Josefin recalled the letter she had written a month ago—pouring out her frustrations and dark thoughts.
It had basically been an emotional distress signal.
Now, it felt completely unnecessary.
Amelia asked,
“How are things with the baron? Is he still giving you trouble?”
“No, it’s fine now.”
“Are you sure? You’re not just pretending to be fine?”
“Mm-hm. We even went on a date recently, and he kissed me twice… in front of everyone.”
As Josefin said that, her face flushed red, and Amelia believed her without doubt.
“Oh my, really? How did that happen? For him to change so much?”
“Well…”
Josefin couldn’t answer.
The changes that had happened recently felt unbelievable even to her.
When had things shifted between them?
She thought back to a few days ago.
The day she slapped her fiancé—no, the slap wasn’t important.
It was the day she completely broke down, convinced there was no more hope.
One single kiss.
That was where everything started.
“I must have been misunderstanding him all this time.”
Their engagement had been arranged unilaterally.
Naturally, she had formed a bias.
She had believed that man had no interest in anyone’s feelings, that he only saw her as an object.
So she might have interpreted everything about him in the worst possible way.
For example, when she heard rumors that Winter was cheating with another woman, she didn’t even ask him directly—she just got angry.
Because it had been humiliating to hear such things from someone else.
But looking back, she had trusted a stranger’s words over her own fiancé’s.
When the truth might have been different.
‘He’s such an attractive man; of course women would be drawn to him…’
How could you blame a flower for attracting butterflies and bees?
‘And yet I just doubted him unfairly.’
But how had Winter treated her?
When she had been wrapped up in scandal—connected to the Candela Knights—and couldn’t explain herself, her fiancé had simply said this:
That he believed her.
That he knew she was innocent.
He hadn’t questioned her, hadn’t demanded proof—he had been the one person who trusted her completely.
Unlike how she had treated him.
‘I was the one who lacked faith all along.’
Embarrassment and guilt.
Those feelings began to sprout.
‘Why did I only realize this now? How stupid.’
Josefin suddenly wanted to see him.
She wanted to face him, to tell him what she felt.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Amelia’s laugh.
“Oh, you.”
“Huh? What?”
“Don’t you know? That look on your face.”
“What look?”
Amelia hugged her warmly again, smiling softly.
“I’m relieved. I believe you now when you say you’re fine. But, Josefin, can you answer me just one thing?”
“What is it?”
Josefin tensed at her sister’s serious tone, but Amelia’s question left her speechless.
“How on earth did you manage to win back that cold man’s heart? Did you act cute? Cry? Or… hmm… use some seductive trick?”
“What?!”
“Tell me so I can try it on my husband too.”
“Ugh… I can’t say.”
“Why not? Too embarrassed? Who cares if it’s a bit sappy? Please, tell me, hmm?”
“It’s not that…”
Josefin never answered.
She couldn’t exactly tell her sister to try slapping her husband across the face.
***
A typical spring afternoon.
The Royal Academy’s First Magic Department cafeteria was packed to the brim.
The reason was simple: a student council event had made all meals half-price.
The smell of cheap but fresh food drifted everywhere.
The clattering of utensils filled the noisy space, yet there was one table no one dared to sit at.
The one I was sitting at.
Even students wandering around looking for a place to set their trays wouldn’t glance my way.
Well, considering Professor Winslet’s infamy, that was expected.
Offering them a seat wouldn’t solve anything, so I just sipped my coffee silently.
The cafeteria coffee had only two redeeming points: it was dirt cheap, and it was hot enough to burn your tongue.
Still, it helped broke students refuel on caffeine.
Maybe the bad taste even helped keep people awake.
I had drunk about a quarter of the foul stuff, and I had a hunch that forcing down more would impose some sort of debuff on my willpower when the person I was waiting for finally arrived.
“Look over there! It’s Lady Sophia.”
“What’s she doing here? Isn’t she a Theology Department professor?”
“Are you stupid? She’s obviously here to meet that guy…”
Students parted like waves as a woman approached gracefully.
The young lady stopped at my table, pulled out the chair across from me, and sat down.
“Sorry I’m late. Did you wait long?”
I tapped my cup with my finger.
“Be grateful for this cheap coffee.”
“…What?”
“If the coffee were even remotely decent, I would’ve finished it and left already. The only reason I’m still here is because it refuses to disappear no matter how much I drink.”
“….”
She sighed.
“I came straight from the Theology Department building the moment class ended, you know. All because some selfish man insisted on meeting somewhere a stone’s throw from his own office.”
“You’re the one who asked for this meeting, Professor Sophia. So naturally, you’re the one who should walk here.”
“Fine, fine. It’s not that important anyway.”
I pushed the cup aside, laced my fingers together, and asked,
“So, what business does someone from the Theology Department have with me?”
“Professor Winslet, I heard a rumor you’re going to duel a student.”
“You mean Shannon Quinlivan?”
“Shannon, yes. That’s her name. Is it true you’re going to duel that foreign student?”
“And if it is?”
“Stop it immediately.”
Word travels fast, huh.
“You’re awfully nosy. This has nothing to do with you.”
“It does. As a fellow educator, I have to stop anything that could harm a student.”
“That’s exactly what makes you nosy. The duel wasn’t my idea. She’s the one who challenged me. I simply accepted. What’s wrong with that?”
“Do you really not see the problem? A professor fighting a student—how is that acceptable?”
“It’s not a brawl. It’s a duel. If you don’t know the difference, I can’t help you.”
“A proper duel? Don’t make me laugh. You’re a 7-class mage, and she just became an adult. You’re not equals.”
“Even so, the duel must happen.”
“Why?”
“Because Shannon Quinlivan is a mage.”
“…”
Sophia furrowed her brows, mulling over my words.
“I heard you insulted her first. Said something taboo among mages.”
“True.”
“Then apologize. Admit you were wrong.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I did it on purpose.”
Her face darkened.
“As I thought…”
As she thought?
“Do you plan to kill another student again? Make it look like an accident?”
So it had happened before, huh.
That revelation left me momentarily stunned.
If Sophia was telling the truth, it explained her interference—and the bad rumors about me.
To a devout believer like her, such evil was unforgivable.
“I won’t let it happen again. If you plan to hurt a student under the guise of a duel, I won’t stand by.”
“And if you don’t stand by, then what?”
Bang.
Sophia slammed the table and stood.
“I’ll stop you by force.”
The spot her palm had hit glimmered faintly with holy light.
There were only two people at this academy who weren’t afraid of Winter Winslet: the crazy Monastrell, and this famous woman.
Sophia—the invited Theology Department professor who taught Spirit Arts and Healing, and Saintess of the Eternal Order “Aeon.”
In Judgment of Candela, Spirit Arts were classified as holy power, since spirits were the manifested will of nature—and nature was the work of the Creator.
Which meant this Saintess, Sophia, possessed an 「S-rank」 talent in 「Spirit Arts」.
“Follow me outside. Now.”
Great. Looked like two professors were about to have a fistfight.