Chapter 1
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 0
Chapter Title: Prologue
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*Riiiing! Beep-beep-boop! Riiiing! Beep-beep-boop!*
“Mm...”
‘Is it morning already? I want to sleep just a little longer. Yaaawn.’
A woman with brown hair rubbed her eyes and sat up in the pristine white hotel bed, stirred by the blaring alarm.
As her gaze swept the room, the unfamiliar luxury of the high-end hotel suite came into view.
She took in the abstract painting in its elegant gold frame hanging on the pale ivory walls,
the polished hardwood floors finished with premium wood flower patterns, and the vast gray rug spread across them.
Gazing at it all, the woman recalled why she was here right now.
The woman’s name was Emma. As a servant to Adelin, the Lady of the House of the Tolly Family, she had journeyed two weeks to reach the imperial capital, Arl, to hire a home tutor for the family’s eldest daughter, Young Lady Ella.
In this world, it was only natural for nobles to awaken their mana upon reaching adulthood and then enroll in the Imperial Academy.
Yet Ella, two years into her adulthood, still hadn’t awakened her mana.
This would become a fatal stain on Ella’s reputation going forward.
Adelin, Ella’s mother and the Lady of the Tolly Family, was pulling out all the stops to find a solution.
One day, she heard a rumor about a man in the capital known as Jin, who was said to specialize in resolving issues with mana manipulation.
She couldn’t verify if the rumor was true, but with no other options, Adelin had no choice.
That was why she had sent Emma, her most trusted servant, to the capital.
Emma steeled her resolve, remembering the desperate expression on Adelin’s face when she’d assigned her the task.
‘I don’t want to disappoint Lady Tolly. I have to bring back the person she mentioned to serve as the family’s home tutor. Please let the rumor be true.’
With her determination set, Emma got out of bed, finished preparing to head out, and left the room.
Resolution shone in Emma’s bearing as she stepped out.
Her brown bob haircut lightly framed her jawline,
and her brown eyes, fixed on her goal, revealed a confident expression.
The subtle black suit cinched neatly at her waist, accentuating her glamorous bust and hips to emphasize her sensual allure.
After walking some distance toward her destination, the entrance she arrived at looked nothing like what Emma had imagined.
At the end of a narrow alley stood a door shrouded in the shadows of the surrounding buildings, barely visible,
and a massive boulder blocked it entirely.
‘Does someone with skills renowned even across the empire really live in a rundown place like this? And how the heck do you open this door?’
Emma examined the boulder blocking the door from various angles before tentatively placing her hand on it.
At that moment, a faint purple glow emanated from the center of the stone, accompanied by a voice.
“If you made an appointment in advance, state your affiliation and name.”
“Eh...?”
Emma let out a small startled sound before responding.
“I am Emma, servant of the Tolly Family. I’ve come regarding the matter of a home tutor for the family.”
The moment Emma finished speaking, the massive boulder before her eyes vanished entirely, revealing an old wooden door.
“Come in.”
Emma opened the door and descended the stairs leading underground.
‘A sweet fragrance I’ve never smelled in my life is lingering around my nose ever since I stepped inside. What could it be? I’ll have to ask if I get the chance.’
The deeper she went down the stairs, the stronger the scent grew. Finally, upon reaching the bottom and opening the door, she found the room filled with purple mist.
“Welcome.”
The moment she heard the deep male voice, Emma’s eyes slowly closed, and she lost consciousness right at the room’s entrance.