big brother!!

"Hehe, catch me if you can."

"Oh? Do you want a race? But I warn you, across all Seven Divine Worlds, there is no one faster than me. So when you lose, don’t come crying and say I cheated."

"Nonsense! Who would come crying to a beautiful monster like you? Hmph, how arrogant. You're just scared of losing. Face me and you'll see."

"Hahaha… we'll see who ends up crying in the end, my... immature little swan."

"Who are you calling an 'immature little swan'? I told you many times, I’m not a swan, I am—"

Gasp.

Lia woke up from that dream, trying to steady her breathing.

"Miss, are you awake? Thank goodness, I was so worried. Please rest while I inform my lady that you’ve awakened."

The maid hurried outside, leaving Lia behind as she tried to remember the dream she had just seen... but she couldn’t.

She looked around her.

"Strange... where am I? This isn’t my room, nor is it our secret hideout, so this means..."

She was inside an enormous room—no, it would be more accurate to call it an entire luxurious suite. Elegant curtains were drawn open, allowing sunlight to pour in and reveal the room’s grand interior.

Turning around, she noticed another maid standing nearby beside the one who had left earlier. There were pills and drinking water placed on a mahogany table, along with a towel resting in a bowl of water.

The maid approached to check her temperature, but suddenly Lia asked:

"What happened to me? And where am I now?"

"Miss, you are currently in the Second World. His Majesty Lumias and Her Majesty Vitalia brought you here after you collapsed. The Imperial Physician said the reason was excessive stress, which resulted in—"

Lia had always been treated harshly and neglected, so everything felt strange to her. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say this was the first time in her life she had received such care from someone other than her little aunt.

Perhaps... this was also the first time she had ever slept on a bed this soft.

The maid continued explaining every detail of her condition, but Lia’s mind had already drifted far away.

She remembered that man, what happened at the banquet, and the sudden decision to marry her off.

What was his name again...?

Lia rubbed her temples, a slight frown appearing on her uncovered face, then—

"Ah, right... he said his name was Maximus..." Lia whispered softly.

"Miss? Are you listening to me? Do you feel unwell? Perhaps I should call the physician."

The maid looked worriedly at the little girl before her, who seemed distracted.

"No, there’s no need, thank you... Tell me, how long was I asleep?" Lia asked after forcing herself to focus again on the maid, who looked ready to rush toward the Imperial Physician’s residence at any second.

For some reason, her heart warmed at this treatment.

"How long...? Actually... you were asleep for five whole days."

Lia was shocked.

Was her fever truly that severe?

The door suddenly burst open.

Vitalia rushed inside with a face full of worry, followed by the physician and the maid who had left earlier.

The moment she saw Lia sitting on the bed, her expression softened immediately into a smile.

She stepped forward, then—

Hug.

"Oh, my little Lia! How could you do this to your spiritual mother? You nearly worried your uncle and me to death!"

The Spirit of Life sobbed dramatically as she showered Lia’s tiny face—which wasn’t even large enough to fill one palm—with kisses.

"Ack— Auntie, I can’t breathe!"

Vitalia quickly pulled away before Lia truly lost her final breath inside her "spiritual mother’s" embrace.

"Sorry! Are you alright?"

"Y-Yes... Sorry for worrying all of you, I was ju—"

"Oh, my little girl, there’s no need to apologize like that. You’re making me sound cruel..." Vitalia comforted her while wiping away the tears in her eyes.

Lia was deeply affected by her concern.

"You must be hungry, right? Hurry to the imperial kitchen and tell them to prepare a nutritious breakfast for my little princess. And you, sir, why are you still standing there? Hurry up and examine her properly."

Vitalia threw out orders rapidly before returning her attention to the little girl again.

She noticed Lia seemed uncomfortable, and quickly guessed the reason.

Her face was exposed before strangers, and she still wasn’t used to showing it openly in front of so many people.

Vitalia gently squeezed the little hands in hers.

"There’s no need to be nervous, Lia. These are my trusted servants. I specifically chose them to take care of you during your stay here, so relax."

Vitalia smiled reassuringly at the little girl.

Lia was naturally shy, with very little interaction with the outside world, so everything around her still felt new.

"My stay?" Lia asked, confusion obvious on her face.

"Mmm... You’ll stay for five more days, in addition to the previous five."

Lia was surprised.

Why would she stay longer after recovering?

Could it be because of...?

"In the meantime, feel free to wander around the palace as much as you like. But take at least two maids and a group of capable guards with you. And do not leave the palace without company.

Although the palace is protected by formations... there’s always the possibility of a spirit beast appearing nearby. Recently, their appearances have increased... It seems that... he is responsible for this..."

Vitalia’s last words came out almost as a whisper.

A rare seriousness appeared on her face as she stared outside the room, as though looking somewhere far beyond the horizon... very far away.

Without realizing it, Lia tightened her grip on the bedsheets while focusing on those final words.

But soon enough, Vitalia returned to her usual energetic self.

"There are some books in the Imperial Library that I’m sure will catch your interest... Oh, right! My son will return in two days after being away from the world. You’ve never met him before, right?!"

Lia shook her head.

"Wonderful!! What a perfect chance to introduce you to him!" Vitalia clapped excitedly.

She truly lived up to her name—always lively and full of energy.

Perhaps that was exactly why the reserved Lumias had fallen so deeply in love with her...

...........

Lia spent her time wandering around the palace, but eventually settled inside the Imperial Library.

She was stunned by its sheer size.

Magic books, technique scrolls, and spells of every grade filled the enormous shelves.

She randomly picked up a book.

"First Grade... Earth Rank?" Lia murmured.

She flipped the page quickly, her eyes widening.

"High Star...?!"

Lia remembered Miss Karistia’s lesson:

"Lia, tell me the ranks of spells."

"Yes, Teacher. Spells are divided into seven ranks:

First Rank: Earth.

Second Rank: Spirit.

Third Rank: One Star.

Fourth Rank: Two Stars.

Fifth Rank: Three Stars.

Sixth Rank: High Star.

Seventh Rank: Legendary."

"Hmm, very good. Now tell me, how many Legendary Spells exist across all Seven Divine Worlds? Fifty? Perhaps a hundred?"

"No, Teacher. That would be impossible."

The final rank was incredibly rare.

Across all Seven Divine Worlds, only two Legendary Spells existed, each guarded by a powerful faction in a heavily protected location known only to trusted high-ranking individuals.

Unlike techniques, which rely on a mixture of physical and spiritual power—or sometimes only physical strength and body refinement—spells relied entirely on spiritual energy.

Every fundamental element governing the world possessed spells up to the Sixth Rank.

However, Seventh Rank spells existed only for the Light Element... and another Seventh Rank for the Darkness Element."

"Very good. It seems you were paying attention during class."

For once, the strict woman showed a satisfied expression at Lia’s perfect answer.

"Thank you, Teacher. It’s my pleasure."

Back to the present...

Yet Lia wasn’t completely drawn toward the rare spells within reach, despite how priceless they were and how exclusive they remained to nobles outside.

Instead, something else captured her attention.

The Legend of the Phoenix.

A strange force seemed to pull her toward that book.

For some unknown reason, she hesitated to take it, but eventually curiosity overcame her hesitation.

The problem was... it was beyond her reach.

She looked around for someone to help her.

Servants were forbidden from entering the library itself, so they had remained outside in case she needed anything.

Eventually, she spotted a middle-aged man with a neatly groomed long beard reading a book written in the Ancient Language.

She guessed he was the librarian.

"Excuse me, sir... c-could you help me?" Lia asked shyly, praying she hadn’t disturbed him since he looked deeply focused.

"Oh? Is this the young miss? I received orders to assist you whenever necessary."

The old man smiled warmly.

"How may I help you, Miss?"

He assumed that any little girl receiving the lady’s attention must possess extraordinary status, and her permission to enter the Imperial Library was proof enough.

Lia lowered her head even further, looking like a timid little kitten begging to be pampered.

"Thank you... I-I want that book."

She pointed toward it.

The old man’s eyes widened slowly as he stared at her strangely.

"Are you certain, Miss, that you want this particular book?" Yu asked in a calm tone hiding deeper questions beneath it.

People had always intentionally avoided that book...

Yet this girl...

"Yes, please."

Yu retrieved the medium-sized book, which looked surprisingly plain compared to the others.

Its cover was decorated only with an image of a bird with crimson feathers.

"Here you go... Would you like me to read it for you?"

"Thank you... No, I can read it myself."

This time, he was genuinely shocked.

How old was she to already know how to read?

Lia spent much of her free time reading books alongside her royal lessons, so her ability to read at such a young age naturally surprised people.

After all, nothing was impossible for someone determined to learn.

Yu didn’t ask further.

"Very well, I won’t disturb you any longer. Enjoy your reading... and if you need anything, call for me."

Then Old Man Yu walked away.

...........

"I’m so excited!" Lia cheered inwardly after finding a spot beneath the moonlight.

She slowly opened the book, almost as though she feared it might devour her.

"Hmm? The first page... is blank?... No, wait! Something is appearing?!!"

Lia panicked when she realized every page had been empty until...

First Page:

"In every one of the Seven Worlds, there exists a secret revealed only to those daring enough to look beyond the shadows... Are you prepared to bear the consequences?

Be warned, this may cost you what you treasure most.

If you agree, place your blood imprint at the bottom of the page and write your name.

And once you close this book, you will remember nothing."

Place your blood imprint here:

Without hesitation, Lia cut her finger and pressed it against the page.

Suddenly, the bloodprint disappeared as though the book had devoured it.

Then new words appeared.

"Since you accepted the conditions, name someone precious to you in order to complete the opening ritual."

Lia hesitated, her hands tightening.

"I changed my mind... I won’t—"

° We warn you. There is no way to leave. If you attempt to do so... the consequences will be severe. °

...

In the darkness of the night, a little girl wearing a simple white sleeping gown walked through the corridor.

Then suddenly...

She appeared outside the palace, miles away.

The little girl walked aimlessly with empty eyes until she eventually stopped before a gigantic statue of an unbelievably beautiful goddess holding a decorated vase adorned with a butterfly on its front.

The next moment, mysterious magic lifted the girl into the air until she reached the vase.

She extended her hand toward the butterfly...

But before her fingers touched the statue, a savage howl echoed behind her.

(AWOOOOOOOOOO!!)

That little girl was none other than Lia.

Her tiny body fell backward.

She waited to feel pain, but...

Warmth wrapped around her body instead.

And a faint amber scent filled the air.

"W-Why... didn’t I feel pain...?" It was less a question and more a stunned realization.

Lia slowly opened her eyes and caught sight of the silhouette of a young man with long golden hair fighting the savage wolf beast.

"Hmm?... Who is that...? Could it perhaps be... Lord Lumias?" Lia guessed.

Then she lifted her head toward the person holding her and—

Her eyes instantly filled with tears.

"Big Brother!!!" she cried softly.