HTNSA 14

Chapter 14

But she couldn’t reveal the truth as it was.

For now, she needed his help to survive.

‘I’m sorry, Felix. I’ll do my best to find your parents as soon as possible.’

It was hard to believe that someone as kind as Felix would later turn dark.

In the original story, near the end of the novel, he discovers that he is actually of Duke Argenta’s bloodline.

But by the time Felix finally finds his true family, they are already dead.

To make matters worse, the person he secretly loved also falls ill and passes away.

“Please… wake up. I can’t lose you like this…”

Felix drowned in despair, over and over, unable to accept reality.

Having lost all purpose in life, he wandered aimlessly like a broken man—until one day, he stumbled upon the research notes Eila had left behind.

“This is…”

Inside was the recipe for a perfect cure for mana insensitivity.

The moment he saw it, Felix let out a bitter laugh.

“Is this your final keepsake?”

His shoulders trembled faintly. Even though he had found the solution to his lifelong struggle, he felt no joy.

Only scorching rage.

Soon, he realized what he had to do.

“I’ll make them pay for what they did to you. Every last one of them.”

Quietly closing the research notes and rising from his seat, his face no longer held sorrow or regret.

Only cold vengeance drove him forward.

From then on, the novel spiraled into tragedy.

Felix, despite his exceptional swordsmanship, had been treated as weak his entire life due to his lack of mana.

And yet, foolishly soft-hearted, he had pitied Eila—no, he had fallen in love with her.

When he finally gained power, he chose revenge against those who had tormented her, ultimately destroying himself.

All for a love that would never be returned.

Remembering this, Eila let out a deep sigh.

‘In short, his life was a series of misfortunes.’

Not only had the protagonist killed her, but even the sub-male lead, Felix, met such a miserable end.

As a reader, she still vividly remembered the fury she felt at the story’s heartless conclusion.

‘I regret not cursing the author out more back then. Ugh.’

Thinking of the thorny path ahead filled her with dread, but she steadied herself, conscious of Felix standing before her.

Right now, the most important thing was navigating this mess with him.

She nodded firmly and readily agreed to his words.

“Right, you have mana insensitivity. Even with your incredible talent, the nobles torment you because of it.”

“……”

“What if I told you I have a way to fix it?”

At that moment, Felix’s gaze shifted.

“You have a solution?”

If things went as she expected, Duke Argenta would soon visit Riod Academy.

If her plan succeeded, Felix’s life would change completely from that moment on.

Taking a deep breath, she continued.

“I know how to cure mana insensitivity.”

Eila understood better than anyone how desperately those afflicted with the condition longed for a cure.

‘Because I was one of them.’

Every time her father, Lord Kaelrion of the Blanche Family, looked at her like she was useless.

Every time her relatives whispered that she must have been switched at birth.

She had wished, more than anything, to be free of this curse.

Felix studied her with skeptical eyes.

“How?”

“Because I wanted it that badly. I was willing to do anything to feel mana.”

“……”

“And I know this might sound arrogant, but I’ve mastered magical theory. So I kept pushing forward.”

Eila’s knowledge of magic rivaled that of most mages in the Arcane Spire.

From crafting spell formulas to brewing potions, she was unmatched.

If she could just obtain that rare herb from the Argenta duchy, curing the condition and becoming the great mage she always dreamed of would be no issue.

‘Once I grow strong enough to stand against Roshia, I’ll let Felix go without hesitation.’

Though she needed his help now, Eila didn’t want to entangle herself too deeply with Felix, unlike in the original story.

Not only was the novel’s ending too tragic, but she didn’t want to ruin his life further with her revenge.

‘Besides Roshia, I also need to uncover who was really pulling the strings. Dragging him in any deeper would just be a nuisance.’

And honestly, worrying about him falling for her was a bit presumptuous.

In the original story, Felix had pitied the unfortunate her, relating to her struggles before falling in love.

Naturally, she had no intention of living so pathetically this time.

‘I just need to show him I’m living well on my own. Then he’ll leave without any lingering attachments.’

But Felix, still hesitant to believe her, furrowed his brows.

“There’s never been a recorded case of mana insensitivity being cured.”

Instead of arguing, Eila pulled out a small vial from her pocket.

It was a potion she had hastily brewed as soon as she arrived at Riod Academy.

“Try this. It’s not a complete cure, but it’ll help.”

“What is this?”

Felix took the vial, eyeing it warily.

“A temporary potion that lets you feel mana. I could make a perfect cure, but the ingredients are too rare and hard to obtain.”

Instead of answering, Felix studied the vial intently.

Eila quickly added,

“If you’re suspicious, you don’t have to drink it.”

Now that she thought about it, taking a mysterious potion from a stranger was a hard sell.

‘Even I wouldn’t drink it so easily.’

“It’s not that I don’t trust you.”

Felix’s voice was quiet.

“But it’s hard to believe this could work. You know how incurable this condition is. How powerless it makes people.”

“…Yeah. It’s indescribably horrible. Devastating.”

Eila lowered her gaze, understanding all too well.

But the next moment, she caught a faint, almost exhilarated tone in Felix’s voice.

“Maybe that’s why… I can’t shake off this tiny hope. It’s something I could never achieve, no matter how hard I tried.”

When Eila looked up in surprise, Felix gave her a small, wry smile.

“If what you say is true, and I can feel mana… I wonder what kind of world will open up to me.”

Without further hesitation, he downed the potion.

Several days had passed since the argument in the infirmary, yet Kadin still felt like his insides were burning.

“Who I meet now is none of your concern.”

Eila’s cold tone and expression kept replaying in his mind.

It was the first time she had ever rejected him so firmly.

‘How dare she treat me like that?’

Displeasure simmered inside him.

But at the same time, he couldn’t forget the bright smile she had given Felix.

Unlike the obedient doll she had once been in front of him.

Perhaps being cast out of the Blanche Family had changed her, but she seemed more vibrant, more captivating than before.

Yet this new version of her—guarded, wary of him—felt utterly unfamiliar.

‘She couldn’t actually have fallen for someone like Felix, could she?’

Just the thought made his chest tighten with impatience.

‘Damn it…’