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Ayla surveyed her surroundings with a sharp gaze.
Surprisingly, the Faculty of Magic students were still quiet.
But Ayla knew that this peace was just the calm before the storm.
‘Well, anyway, another class ended safely.’
Ayla didn't let her guard down.
The malicious bullying was delayed longer than she expected, but the petty harassment from the Noble house Young Ladies was something she couldn't avoid even if she wanted to.
As soon as class ended, Ayla tried to return to the dormitory as quickly as usual.
She wanted to avoid any conflict until she secured the Princess.
But then, a voice stopped her as she walked down the deserted hallway.
"Ayla."
It was a familiar, but unwanted voice.
Ayla pretended not to hear and quickened her pace.
"Ayla!"
At the continued shout, her face contorted with conflicting emotions.
The owner of the voice calling her now was none other than Cedric.
As she hesitated, the other party roughly grabbed Ayla's wrist.
But Ayla didn't turn around immediately, lost in thought.
‘Why did my brother come to find me?’
In the original story, Cedric had never come to find her directly after Rosia appeared.
‘It can't be that he's worried about me now. Did Rosia send him, perhaps?’
That was the only reason he would come to find her.
Ayla erased her cold expression and tried to look as pitiful as possible.
Instantly, tears welled up in her eyes.
She didn't wipe away the tears and slowly turned around.
Cedric's face hardened when he saw Ayla's face.
He was convinced that she had heard the malicious rumors spreading around the academy.
As soon as he thought that, he felt a pang of sympathy, but the emotions he had been suppressing until now burst out first.
"Why did you do that? What were you thinking?"
Cedric began to argue without preamble.
"Why are you associating so closely with a lowly commoner?"
"Excuse me?"
"Don't tell me you actually have feelings for that Felix guy?"
"Why are you suddenly asking me that?"
Cedric frowned at her stiff attitude.
Come to think of it, Ayla had been using honorifics with him since earlier.
"Ayla, why are you talking to me like that since earlier?"
"Like what?"
"Why are you using honorifics?"
Ayla blinked as if she didn't understand.
"Well, I'm a commoner now."
Cedric was speechless at her attitude, as if she was asking why he was asking something so obvious.
"How could I use informal speech with Cedric-nim like before?"
"……."
He opened his mouth to retort, but then closed it again.
In fact, he had never imagined this situation.
Even when Rosia was revealed to be the real daughter of the Blanche Noble house, he still thought of Ayla as his sister.
He only intended to distance himself until Rosia regained her place, but he never really thought they had become strangers.
He just thought it was a matter of time.
He hoped that someday, when Rosia settled down and became stable, he could bring Ayla back and they could be harmonious again like before.
But it seemed that it was just his personal wish.
Ayla seemed to have already sorted out all her feelings in the meantime.
What was even sadder was that Cedric couldn't tell Ayla to speak comfortably to him like before.
If he got close to Ayla again, the image of Rosia being hurt kept popping into his head.
It kept giving him a severe pang of conscience.
Cedric was so confused that he unknowingly blurted out harsh words.
"You know how to be polite, but don't you know how much your actions are tarnishing the Noble house?"
His voice choked up as soon as he finished speaking.
He never intended to criticize her like this.
He just wanted to give her advice and comfort her because he was so worried.
Sharp words came out without him realizing it because of Ayla's distancing herself from him.
"Tarnishing the Noble house……?"
As Ayla blankly repeated his words, Cedric took a short breath.
"According to the rumors, it seems like you're not just being friendly with a commoner, but almost playing at dating."
Ayla stared at his face, then answered firmly.
"It's true that Felix and I are close."
"Ayla."
Cedric called her name, but she continued without hesitation.
"He got hurt helping me. I treated his wounds out of gratitude. After that, Felix is staying with me to thank me."
"Distance yourself from that guy."
"I can't."
Cedric looked at Ayla with a surprised face.
He didn't expect her to reject his words so openly.
"What?"
"Felix is my only ally right now."
"……."
"So I can't distance myself from him. He's the only one who needs me now."
Ayla answered and lowered her head.
She looked very sad and lonely.
At first, Cedric couldn't hide his resentment at Ayla siding with a lowly commoner.
But he gradually understood what she meant.
Ayla had no one now. No family, no friends. Everyone had left her side.
The only reason she was close to Felix was because he was the only one who accepted her.
When he realized that, his heart felt strangely heavy.
"That's……."
"If you have nothing more to say, I'll be going now."
As Ayla turned to leave, Cedric unknowingly grabbed her wrist.
He felt that he couldn't let her leave like this.
"Gerard and I……."
But he couldn't finish his sentence.
It was because Ayla was looking up at him with a hurt face.
"Please don't hold me back."
Ayla's voice trembled.
At that moment, Cedric realized that he had hurt Ayla again without realizing it.
If he wanted to hold her back, he should have done it sooner. Before she was kicked out of the mansion.
But what was even more ridiculous was that even if he could turn back time, he wouldn't be able to hold Ayla back.
His real sister was Rosia now. If he treated Ayla well, she would be hurt.
His hand slowly lost strength. Then Ayla quickly left.
Cedric didn't know.
That there was someone watching all this conversation.
‘Why is brother with her?’
Rosia, who was looking for Cedric, was greatly embarrassed to see him with Ayla.
This was something that could never happen if her Magic was working properly.
Rosia chewed on her fingernails.
‘The situation isn't going my way.’
It was strange.
According to her plan, Cedric and Ayla should have become worse than strangers by now.
‘Because I'm manipulating their emotions.’
Whenever they think of Ayla, pity and solidarity for her disrupt their thoughts.
In that way, people gradually become more attached to Rosia, and naturally, their interest in Ayla fades away.
That was the suggestion she had planted in her family.
Rosia's ultimate goal was to eventually turn her family into emotionless dolls that only followed her orders.
‘The biggest side effect and the best advantage of Emotion Manipulation Magic.’
The more this Magic is used, the more it erodes the target's ego.
That's why she didn't abuse the Magic.
She only had to use it on the people 'He' allowed, that is, her family except for Ayla.
The problem was that even though she used such powerful Magic, her plans kept going awry.
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