HTNSA 38

Chapter 38

The noble ladies, including Freyja, now seemed to have completely lost any will to help Roshia.

“You all promised to support me… How cruel.”
“Sorry, Roshia. But even so, we can’t bully someone right under the princess’s watchful eyes.”
“Once Her Highness sees Eila’s true nature, she’ll naturally distance herself.”
“Right. For now, it’s better to wait and see.”

What infuriated Roshia even more was the growing number of voices in the academy defending Eila.

“Isn’t Eila amazing? Even as a commoner, she’s mingling with powerful figures like the princess and Duke Azenta’s disciple.”
“True. She took some criticism, but what did she even do wrong? She’s been firm in rejecting Cadin’s advances too.”

The nobles’ shift in attitude was startlingly swift. Roshia was disgusted by their willingness to bend to power.
‘Damn it. They’re useless.’

Frustration simmered inside her as she watched her opportunities slip away. Not only could she no longer harass Eila, but her attempts to sow discord within the Blanchet family had also failed. Worse, her plan to seize control of the Blanchet household was stalling.

The biggest obstacle was the Duchess.
‘Who knew emotional manipulation magic wouldn’t work on her?’

Irene, the Duchess, deeply resented the Duke for expelling Eila in a single day. Perhaps because of this, she fiercely criticized his every word and began scrutinizing Roshia’s remarks.

A few days prior, Roshia had felt this tension acutely during a family tea time.

Callios gazed at Roshia with warm eyes and remarked,
“You’ll soon be taking your end-of-term exams.”

Gerard naturally chimed in,
“With Roshia’s skills, she’ll easily take first place.”
“Don’t say that. It might pressure her.”

Their conversation filled Roshia with pride. She declared confidently,
“Yes! As the daughter of House Blanchet, I’ll claim the top spot! Don’t worry, Father.”

Callios smiled approvingly.
“Of course. With your talent, it’s well within reach.”
“Absolutely. I’ll erase the shame of House Blanchet never having held the top rank before.”

Her cheerful smile hid no visible malice, but her words subtly disparaged Eila. The atmosphere instantly turned icy.

Irene frowned openly and spoke coldly,
“Was there any need to bring that up?”
“Huh?”
“Sometimes, silence is the greater virtue.”

Roshia stiffened, lowering her head without a word. Callios clicked his tongue and scolded Irene.
“Roshia didn’t say anything wrong. Why reprimand her?”

As the table fell into frosty silence, Gerard tried to mediate.
“Mother, Roshia didn’t mean anything by it. She was just expressing her ambition.”

Despite their defense, Roshia’s mood remained sour.
‘Why doesn’t Irene like me?’

The Duchess had never shown her affection, not even a single kind word.
‘I’m her blood daughter. Why won’t she take my side?’

Her grievances didn’t end there. Cedric, her academy classmate, had been acting strangely lately.

During a recent carriage ride home, Roshia deliberately badmouthed Eila, feigning tears as she shared her “grievances.”
‘I tried to befriend Eila, but she keeps pushing me away.’
‘Eila? Rejecting you?’
‘Yes. Does she hate me? She ignores me and leaves whenever I approach…’

She even cast emotional manipulation magic on Cedric—but his reaction defied all expectations.
“Hmm… I don’t know.” He paused thoughtfully. “It’s less that Eila’s ignoring you and more that she’s accepted you both need to move on.”
“B-But I want to be close to her—”
“I get that, but have you considered how painful that might be for her right now?”

Roshia was stunned. Her magic had failed.

Cedric’s behavior grew even more perplexing. After the tea incident, Roshia clung to his arm, pretending to be hurt. But he gently pulled away and said,
“Roshia, Mother has a point.”
“Brother?”
“You know Eila suffered from mana insensitivity. How do you think she feels hearing those remarks?”

It dawned on Roshia: her magic was unraveling.
‘One weakness of emotional manipulation magic is that once it starts fading, it becomes unreliable…’

She bit her lip. Two family members had already turned sympathetic toward Eila. If this continued, the remaining two might follow.
‘That’d be dangerous.’

She could lose control of House Blanchet—and Cadin. Worse, her backers’ demands would go unmet, and her entire purpose for this scheme might collapse.

To make matters worse, Eila’s recent potion-making demonstration had shaken Roshia to the core. Like Professor Jeysee, she recognized the flawless craftsmanship.
‘It was like she was proving she’s the true daughter of House Blanchet.’

Though Eila’s mana insensitivity still made her harmless, Roshia couldn’t relax. Felix, a commoner, had recently recovered from the same condition.
‘What if Eila’s illness suddenly heals too? What if she awakens the true magical prowess of the Blanchet bloodline?’

The thought robbed her of sleep.
‘I can’t wait. I must act before the finals.’

Merely topping the exams and solidifying her status wasn’t enough. She needed a decisive move.

Eila was currently failing most subjects except potions and basic theory. Even with near-perfect written scores, her practicals kept her at the brink of expulsion.
‘She might barely graduate… but what if she fails everything?’

If her grades fell below the threshold, the academy would expel her. Roshia smirked.
‘Then I’ll propose bringing her back into the family.’

After recent events, Roshia realized keeping Eila close would make it easier to manipulate situations in her favor—and secure the engagement with Cadin.