Chapter 6
What’s this all of a sudden?
“Emotions can be controlled, you know. There’s no need to rely on a curse.”
“Bianca, I think you’re misunderstanding something.”
Even though Kraush said that, Bianca just shook her head.
“I’ll come often. If I tell my father, I can establish myself not far from here since I’m your fiancée.”
“You don’t seem thrilled about having a fiancée like me.”
“Even so, I won’t leave someone pushed aside just like that.”
Ah, so you’re not going to deny that you don’t like the engagement, huh?
Kraush was taken aback but eventually let out a weary sigh.
It seemed the Northern goddess was seriously mistaken about something.
Bianca had a tendency to latch onto something and believe it wholeheartedly.
With no emotions, she was oblivious to the doubts that should arise when she made rational judgments.
‘There’s nothing I can do about it.’
Kraush activated the Black Hood on his hand hidden beneath the table.
Suddenly, a safe lock appeared above Bianca’s chest.
That lock represented the difficulty level of stealing it with the Black Hood.
Bianca’s safe was equipped with a double lock.
Typically, curses barely had any locks, let alone safes.
But Bianca had lived her entire life with this curse from the moment she was born.
Thus, she didn’t evaluate the value of her curse as lowly as others did.
Just as one wouldn’t underestimate the value of their own limbs, Bianca didn’t belittle her curse.
‘Value is always relative.’
The worth of Bianca’s curse held a fairly high position for her.
That’s why it appeared in the form of a double lock.
‘Condition generation.’
To unlock that lock, Kraush generated conditions.
With a double lock, there were definitely two conditions.
The first condition popped up suddenly in front of Kraush.
[ Become Bianca’s “friend.” ]
A sound of disapproval echoed in Kraush’s mind.
And that’s why the difficulty of theft varied greatly depending on the value possessed.
To steal from someone, they had to be caught off guard.
Thus, one needed to fulfill the condition that would induce that state of complacency the most.
In Bianca’s case, the first condition was friendship.
‘Being friends with a cursed child, huh.’
An engagement was easy, but being friends was tough.
Her lack of emotions meant she felt interest rarely.
‘For now, I’ll at least keep her close.’
If he sent her back to Hadenhartz right away, the time for her becoming a White Phantom would only get closer.
‘The locks will have to be opened gradually.’
Of course, he had to prevent her from becoming a White Phantom.
He needed her curse to learn the Extreme Blood Needle poison.
“Alright, thanks. It’s reassuring to have my fiancée around frequently.”
So, Kraush allowed it.
He was planning to take his time stealing her curse.
But then, an unexpected variable that Kraush hadn’t foreseen occurred.
Adults liked to move things along quickly, and the head of the Hadenhartz family loved speed more than anything else.
As a result, after some back-and-forth between Hadenhartz and Balheim, Bianca had decided to stay at Green Pine Hall.
“Hello.”
Seeing Bianca walk in with maids carrying her luggage, Kraush wore a bewildered expression.
He had heard the news but hadn’t really expected her to settle there.
“Bianca, are you okay being away from home?”
She was only twelve years old.
Wasn’t she at that age when the warmth of her parents was most important?
“I’m fine.”
Bianca replied emotionlessly.
Emotions of family were just a faint trace for someone like her.
What could be done?
She couldn’t possibly ignore a family decree.
In the end, Kraush decided to think of it as simply gaining a younger sister.
Thus, it marked the day a new family member was added to Green Pine Hall.
＊ ＊ ＊
Time flew by like an arrow.
What had started as summer weather was soon transitioning into fall, and winter was on its way.
Additionally, there was a stir about a new academy opening next year.
An academy established by the four great kingdoms and the Empire to nurture talents to counteract world erosion.
That would be the Lahern Academy.
‘That’s soon.’
The minimum entry age for Lahern Academy was fifteen, and the maximum was twenty.
So, with Kraush turning fourteen next year, he still had some time left.
‘I need to get stronger at least a little before then.’
The Lahern Academy had many Generations of the Sky.
And what Kraush was aiming for were precisely the skills of those Generations of the Sky.
The Generations of the Sky all had ridiculously overpowered skills.
Moreover, since Kraush had spent time with them, he knew their weaknesses best.
Thus, it should be easy to steal their skills.
He felt no guilt.
The Generations of the Sky were the very ones he despised the most.
“Sigh.”
As Kraush rolled his aura inside him, lost in thought, he snapped back to reality.
A wave of blue energy flowed out of Kraush’s mouth.
He had quickly progressed from beginner to elementary-level expertise.
However, even with the grimoire, he was starting to feel a deficit in talent.
He needed to learn the Extreme Blood Needle poison quickly.
‘That’s enough for today.’
Kraush walked out of the training ground.
Outside, he spotted a girl sitting on a chair reading a book.
She lifted her gaze as if sensing him and soon discovered Kraush, lowering her head.
Her pure white hair flowed down behind her as she did.
Each time he saw her hair, it reminded him of the White Phantom she would one day become.
The symbol of the White Phantom was indeed that pure white hair.
“Are you done with training?”
“Were you waiting for me?”
“Yes.”
Seeing her say she just casually waited, Kraush ruffled his hair in disbelief.
What could he say? Because she was right.
Ever since Bianca came to stay at Green Pine Hall, she had followed him around like a chick.
Perhaps her concern stemmed from the idea that Kraush might commit suicide due to his depression.
But unlike her uncle, she didn’t fully comprehend what depression was.
So, she was solely using the fragmented information she had heard from him.
The only thing she knew was that someone with depression should never be left alone.
Only this one thing.
Having a tendency to latch on to single ideas, she stared at Kraush blankly.
And Kraush, distracted, eventually snapped back to reality.
For some reason, every time he was around Bianca, he felt a little foggy.
Was it her air-headedness rubbing off on him?
“I’m going to take a shower.”
“Alright.”
Bianca shut her book and stood up.
By the looks of it, she seemed ready to wait in front of the bathroom again.
When would he ever become her “friend” by her standards?
Kraush was pondering if he should invite her out somewhere soon.
“Kraush, young master.”
Aliod appeared in front of Kraush.
Aliod seemed to have something to discuss.
At the moment Kraush raised an eyebrow, Aliod handed him a letter.
“An invitation has arrived from the Celestial Sanctuary.”
“The Celestial Sanctuary?”
Hearing such a grand name made Kraush knit his brow slightly.
The reason being, he couldn’t recall what it was for.
“I believe it’s a gathering for the young nobles of the Starlon Kingdom. They seem to hold a party every year.”
Kraush finally understood.
Oh right, he recalled such a thing.
Though he had never attended.
‘Memories of this time are quite vague.’
He’d spent his days lamenting about life without stepping outside of Green Pine Hall.
Thus, events or incidents from that time had faded in his memory.
He had completely blocked out any external happenings at that time.
‘Yet it seems I remember everything that took place at the academy.’
In every respect, he just felt remorse about his past.
“Decline it. I don’t have time to waste on things like that…”
Suddenly, something flitted through Kraush’s mind.
“Aliod, how many young nobles typically attend the Celestial Sanctuary?”
“I believe most do unless there’s an exception. Such parties often set the path for the future.”
Hearing the honest words, Kraush crossed his arms and tapped his finger for a moment.
Would that guy also show up?
Stealing a glance at Aliod, Kraush nodded.
He supposed he should perform that much of his duty as the master of the house.
So that Aliod wouldn’t entertain any thoughts of rebellion.
“Then let them know I will be attending.”
“Understood.”
Aliod replied without adding a word of protest before looking at Bianca.
“I will be attending as well.”
And, of course, Bianca declared she would tag along.
She had no intention of letting Kraush, who might just commit suicide, wander alone.
“I understand. I will inform both of you that you will be attending.”
“Alright, let me know the date later.”
Watching Aliod leave, Kraush stretched.
Now that he thought about it, this was his first time going outside since the regression.
‘In a way, I’m maintaining the timeline since the regression.’
Though the situation was different from the past.
Of course, he was still a half-wit who only became strong through extreme measures.
‘Not to mention, I did recently learn one more magic spell.’
Kraush made a decision not to get anxious.
“Kraush.”
Upon hearing Bianca call, Kraush looked over.
He perceived Bianca, who seemed a little dazed today, and found it odd.
“You know, at the Celestial Sanctuary, they will all try to slander you behind your back.”
With her lack of emotions, she simply spoke her thoughts.
Her words were undoubtedly true.
“That’s likely.”
And this was something Kraush anticipated.
‘It might not be as bad as at Lahern Academy, but similar incidents will probably occur.’
If back then, Sisgreen, the Empire’s princess, was an enemy, now it would be the nobles of the Starlon Kingdom.
Everyone knew the rumor that Kraush had been abandoned by Balheim.
There would be no one flattering him; in fact, there wouldn’t be many kind words.
“Bianca, maybe it’s better if you don’t go.”
Being her fiancé, attending the party would likely bring her no good.
“No, I will go.”
Yet Bianca remained firm.
“A fiancée’s duty is to protect her fiancé.”
Bianca was acting based on what she had been taught so far.
With her absence of feelings, only rational judgment and education made up her being.
That “Ice Doll” title suited her quite well.
‘Her vocabulary and behavior aren’t something one would expect from a twelve-year-old without feelings.’
Perhaps feeling pitiful for how she treated Bianca harshly in his previous life, Kraush found himself growing softer around her.
Kraush raised his hand and gently patted her head.
“I’m asking as your fiancé, but Bianca, this is what I think.”
Bianca looked up at Kraush as he patted her head.
Often, Kraush would show such pitying looks while ruffling her hair.
Over the past few months, he had changed so much that memories of their dreadful first encounter hardly surfaced anymore.
“Bianca, time for lunch.”
“Did you finish that book? Let’s go to the library.”
“You can sleep a bit more. I won’t be going anywhere, so just rest a while. I’ll practice out front.”
After biting into memories with Kraush for several months, Bianca no longer found him unpleasant.
Having received such kindness even at Hadenhartz was new to Bianca, making Kraush’s actions appear somewhat mysterious.
Well, it made sense since both had been cast aside into political engagements.
“I want to go.”
Thus, Bianca declared.
It wasn’t just as his fiancée; she genuinely wanted to help Kraush.
“I will follow, as Bianca, not just as your fiancée.”
Hearing those words, Kraush removed his hand from her head, blinking in surprise.
Did she perhaps feel bad?
Worried he had crossed the line as her fiancé, Kraush turned away.
“Alright then, let’s go with that.”
And so, he granted permission.
Looking at Kraush, Bianca again followed him like a little chick.
There was an inexplicable lightness in her steps.
She almost wanted to step inside the bathroom after him, but a scolding was just around the corner.
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