Learning Magic

Actually, I didn't only want to find a teacher for knowledge and etiquette.

In The Crown's Fall, magic was a crucial element. Every living being with a soul contained magical power, but not everyone was capable of learning magic.

The strength of a person's magic was directly linked to the purity of their soul—those with purer and nobler souls could use more powerful magic.

The most promising individuals were summoned to the Tower. Though they said it was a summons, it was actually more of a compulsion. The Tower was extremely strict about who could enter or leave. Once you were in, you might never leave again.

This was probably to maintain a balance of power. Powerful mages were like armies on their own. If they were recruited by a nation or a warlord, it could cause chaos and bloodshed.

So the Tower also served as a kind of prison for mages. Mages only left the Tower under one circumstance—when there were sorcerers causing trouble and they were sent out to suppress them.

The book went into detail about magic, but once the caretaker got to that part, I tuned it out. I just couldn't focus on it.

Now, I really regretted it.

Halfway through the book, a wandering mage had briefly stayed at the Duke's Castle. He was astonished by Ysabel's massive magical potential, but no one at the Castle was training her.

Of course, Cedric wouldn't train Ysabel; a powerful pawn would only threaten his plans.

This mage was named Orin Hawke, just an ordinary mage apprentice on the surface, but his true identity was a Tower Mage—he had barely escaped the Tower.

In the novel, he confessed his true identity to the princess and revealed a detail that seemed insignificant at the time, but now, it was incredibly important to me.

Powerful mages lived long lives. Though they appeared to be in their twenties, some had been locked away in the Tower for hundreds of years.

When Orin regained his freedom, he struggled to adapt to the outside world, doing many laughable things. For a time, he even slept on the streets and applied for jobs as a tutor for children—yet no one would hire him.

Well, nobody would want me either!

I couldn't help wondering that, after I turned sixteen, what kind of hardships awaited me, so I needed to prepare as best as I could—this included using the magic in my body to learn life-saving spells. That's why I needed a master.

If I had just asked to be taught magic by a mage, Cedric would have definitely stopped me. Not only would I have lost the chance to grow stronger, but I would have also deepened his suspicion of me. It would have become even harder to make any moves under his watch.

But Orin—if that was even his real name—needed to hide his identity as a mage. We were a perfect match.

According to the timeline in the novel, he should have been leaving the Tower in a few months.

I called the butler and told him that I wanted a teacher with gray hair and gray eyes. If there was anyone like that, he should notify me immediately.

The butler was very kind to me. Unlike the maids who didn't seem to care about me, he treated me with respect.

Now, I just had to wait for Orin to submit his application. With everything arranged, I happily stretched out on the soft bed.

The body of a child tired so easily, and soon, I was fast asleep.

While waiting for Master Orin to arrive, I spent my time reading many books.

My maid Mila was surprised that I could read on my own. I had to explain that Lilymorn had given me some early childhood education.

Of course, that wasn't true. Lilymorn was more like a den of human traffickers. The orphans there had to steal to survive, and with survival so uncertain, I had never seen a book.

The fact that I could read and understand the books fluently likely came from my past life. It seemed unbelievable, but the language here was the same as the one in my previous life—only, it was older and a little harder to understand.

I spent each day in my room, reading, trying to catch up on etiquette and basic knowledge. The only person I really spoke to was Mila.

Thankfully, she had grown quite fond of me, and all my attempts to act cute in front of her hadn't been in vain.

Just then, she announced, "My Lady, it's time for afternoon tea."

Yay! I quickly tossed the heavy book aside and ran over to Mila. She picked me up and carefully placed me in the chair, draping a napkin around my neck.

"Thank you, Mila!" I said, sending her a warm smile.

Today's afternoon tea looked especially tempting. This was the Duke's Castle—everything was taken care of, and I could enjoy beautiful little cakes without lifting a finger. It felt like an incredible luxury compared to the hardships I had endured in the past.

"My Lady, don't choke. Eat slowly." Mila gently wiped my cheek with a napkin. Had I gotten cake on my face? How embarrassing.

It seemed like Mila had started to enjoy taking care of me, almost as if I were a doll. She had gone from being distant to being so attentive, and Ysabel's face was clearly part of the reason.

Under her affectionate gaze, I found myself losing my appetite. I stopped looking at her and focused on the cake instead. But just as I was eating, I felt a light pinch on my cheek.

Seeing my confused expression, Mila quickly pulled her hand away, as if realizing what she'd just done. "Sorry! You're just too adorable. I couldn't help it…"

I didn't mind at all. If she wanted to touch me, she could. Just remember to bring me more snacks next time.

Once I finished the remaining cakes, I patted my stomach, feeling full. I felt like a happy otter.

My stomach felt softer than before.

Haha... That shouldn't be possible, right?

I turned and looked at myself in the mirror.—Who is this little piggy?

OH NO! I've never been fond of exercising. Back in Lilymorn, I was always hungry, so that hadn't been a problem.

Now, however, with three hearty meals a day and no exercise, I was definitely getting rounder!

Sorry, Ysabel! I've made your adorable face chubby!

Mila, having finished clearing the dishes, saw me silently staring at the mirror and quickly guessed my distress.

"It's okay, Miss Ysabel. You're so cute with your soft little cheeks. Once you grow taller, you'll slim down naturally."

She lovingly patted my hair. Was she too blinded by affection to see my problem?

In this castle full of traps, I had no power or money, so I couldn't afford to lose my trump card—the adorable face.

It might sound a little narcissistic, but that face was my only real asset. If I became unattractive, Cedric wouldn't consider me for any political marriage, and my future would be like a lonely boat lost on a stormy sea.

I could already imagine Cedric throwing me out of the Duke's Castle, long before I ever got a mage to teach me.

I slapped my cheeks, pushing that thought aside and making a firm decision.

I'll lose weight!