Chapter 0 - Prologue

The mansion was in chaos. Just two days ago, the three-year-old daughter fell ill with a fever. The doctor’s diagnosis revealed that the magic in her body was out of control.

Such symptoms were rare even among noble children. The servants had worried expressions, the wife was constantly in tears. Beside her, the eldest son, the heir of the family, stood silently by her side.

“Why… Why did Tafelina have to…”

Since her daughter’s collapse, the wife had been crying non-stop. To be honest, it was getting rather bothersome.

“For goodness sake, can’t you stop crying already?”

“And you! How can you not care at all when your own daughter is suffering!?”

There was nothing to do but wear a bitter expression when his wife shouted at him. He had never felt anything resembling affection for this wife he had married for political reasons.

Of course, the same applied to the children they had together. Those were nothing more than offspring created out of duty.

Though the wife probably understood that as well.

“Oh, Tafelina… Tafelina…”

That girl was the result of the wife’s stubborn determination. In truth, she probably had wanted another son. It was common to have a second son in reserve after the firstborn son.

In doing so, she would have solidified her position as the mistress of this household. But what was born was a daughter, and one who was now on the brink of death.

If the fever didn’t subside, it might be best to prepare for the worst. When told this, the wife collapsed into tears on the spot.

The uncontrolled surge of magic was life-threatening. But there was no way to control it in the current circumstances. Even attempting to research a cure was futile due to the rarity of cases.

It was almost the third day since the daughter’s fever began. Given the physical limits of an infant, the situation was dire.

Was that child beyond saving? However, there was another daughter he had fathered with someone else. She was more endearing, and perhaps he could bring her to this mansion once she reached the age to attend the academy.

While pondering such matters, a scream echoed from the daughter’s room.

“What’s happening? What happened!?”

He questioned the panicking servant who had hurried into the room, but the response was unclear. The servant simply repeated, “Miss, the young miss,” over and over.

No time to waste. Leaving the flustered servant behind, he hurried to his daughter’s room. What on earth had transpired?

If she had died, that was what he should hear. After all, he had already informed the servants to be prepared for that outcome.

Upon entering the room, he found his daughter sitting up in bed. She seemed completely unaffected by the previous fever.

However, was that truly his daughter?

Her chestnut hair, just days ago, was now a silvery-blue hue that surpassed white. Her deep brown eyes had turned into a profound shade of blue.

Merely a change in color, and yet she seemed like an entirely different person.

As he stood speechless at the entrance of the room, his wife, who appeared to have followed him, screamed from behind.

“W-Who is that!? Where is my Tafelina!?”

It seemed that what lay on the bed did not appear as his wife’s daughter to her.

Even the eldest son, who peeked into the room from behind their mother, muttered softly upon seeing his sister’s figure.

“A monster…”

Amidst the commotion, the head of the household made a decision.

“Send her to the borderlands!”