The sky darkened as evening approached.
Xia Li returned to the Karfus family estate.
Before she even reached the entrance, she noticed golden chains encircling the estate, forming a magical barrier that sealed the place off.
The estate gates were tightly shut.
Looking up, she saw that Anis’s room was sealed even more securely than the rest. Through the gaps, she could see Anis standing outside the window, gazing in this direction.
Xia Li waved her hand slightly, thinking to herself that Philia really went all out to prevent Anis from attending the banquet.
Even for a high-level mage, breaking through this magical barrier would require quite some effort.
But for her, it was no trouble at all.
Xia Li grabbed the chains and forcibly tore them apart with her bare hands, ignoring the lock on the main gate. In just a few steps, she climbed over the wall and entered the estate.
She had just opened the door to Anis’s room on the second floor when she saw the girl, her eyes red-rimmed, rushing into her arms.
“Xia Li, sister! Sister has already gone to the banquet alone!”
Anis clung tightly to Xia Li’s clothes, her voice trembling with suppressed sobs.
“Don’t worry, I’ve already taken care of the problem.” Xia Li briefly explained her situation with Luya.
“Re…really?”
“When have I ever lied to you?”
“So what about sister…”
“She’ll probably receive news of the broken engagement once she arrives at the scene.” Xia Li shrugged. “Do you want to go and see for yourself?”
The Karfus family’s genius young mage tragically broken off an engagement and boldly shouted at the banquet, “Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west; don’t mock a girl’s poverty.”
That scene would definitely be entertaining!
“I want to go!” Anis was eager to see her sister free and unrestrained.
“Then let’s go. You lead the way.”
“Okay!”
In the Stein family’s estate villa.
A servant pushed Luya’s wheelchair to the study.
“Knock knock—”
Luya knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
A low, emotionless voice came from inside.
The servant opened the door for Luya, pushed the wheelchair inside, then nodded respectfully toward the middle-aged woman reviewing documents at the desk before turning to leave.
“Mother.”
Luya bowed respectfully to the noble woman before her.
Elma Stein, the lord of Stein Castle, younger sister to the current head of the Stein family, and the only Archmage in the city.
“Luya, what is it?” The lord’s tightly knit brows relaxed slightly upon seeing her daughter.
“Mother, I want to discuss the matter of the arranged marriage.” Luya took a deep breath. “I want to cancel it!”
“Still hesitating over the betrothal?” The lord paused her work. “That girl from the Karfus family is a rare magical prodigy—the best candidate I could find.”
“But I don’t even know that stranger…”
“Don’t forget why you accepted the betrothal in the first place.” The lord’s voice grew colder. “The family has invested countless resources to heal your condition. This is your only way out.”
“No, it’s not!” Luya gritted her teeth, trembling as she stood from the wheelchair. Sweat dripped from her forehead as she supported herself on the desk, her voice quivering.
“Mother… I’ve found a way to recover… I no longer need this marriage!” Her legs gave out, but she forced herself to stay upright.
The lord looked moved for a moment at seeing her daughter stand again after all these years, but quickly regained her usual expression. “Is that really called recovery?”
“This is only the initial trial. If you give me more time…”
“I see.” The lord waved her hand, signaling Luya to sit.
Exhausted, Luya sank back into her wheelchair, gasping for breath, and hurriedly asked, “Mother, will you agree to cancel the engagement?”
“Do you take the family’s arranged marriages as childish games?” The lord’s icy rebuke stabbed at Luya’s heart like a dagger.
“Of course not…”
“You must understand how much the Stein family has sacrificed for this marriage. You know how important this is for us.”
“Yes, I know…” Luya lowered her head.
Although the Stein family was one of the Four Great Noble Houses, its power had waned over the years. The family head, also commander-in-chief of the Imperial Knights, had led several campaigns against the demon tribes in the east without success.
Meanwhile, the Karfus family, representing the Church, grew ever stronger.
Of the ten Saints of the England Empire today, five were closely tied to the Karfus family—either by blood or through the family’s careful nurturing.
This arranged marriage would bring the Karfus family’s support to the Stein family, critical for their future development.
“Luya, are you aware of the current monster infestation around Stein Castle?” The lord’s voice darkened.
“I’ve heard about it.” Luya nodded.
“In the past five days alone, over a hundred mid-tier monsters have approached within three kilometers of the city walls.”
“That serious?” Luya’s eyes widened in shock.
She had thought the Stein family’s influence in the city and the large sums spent hiring adventurers would have suppressed the monster growth by now.
“Those ordinary mages and adventurers can’t stop mid- or high-tier monsters. To end this crisis, we need much greater power.”
The lord paused. “The Karfus family promised to help me obtain that holy relic—the Blood of the Goddess of Night. It might allow me to break through to forbidden magic.”
She had been an Archmage for twenty years but had never touched the forbidden magic realm. She could only look up to the Saints who had mastered it.
That drop of divine blood was her only hope of becoming a Saint.
Her voice softened. “Then I will end this crisis and become the eleventh Saint of the Empire. Our names will be forever recorded in the family and empire’s history.”
Luya remained silent.
The lord stepped behind her and placed her hands on Luya’s shoulders. “My daughter, when you were born, all of Stein Castle called your name—Luya Stein.
“You are the future of the Stein family. You must shoulder the responsibilities of nobility. The arranged marriage is not a sacrifice, but the first step toward a new future.”
“I…” Luya pressed her lips together and closed her eyes.
Noble duties…
She knew well that she represented not only herself, but the entire Stein family.
Personal desires were insignificant before family interests.
Besides, her mother and other elders had devoted much effort to her problem over the years.
Even if only to repay that debt, her sacrifices for the family were justified.
Opening her eyes, Luya felt a heavy ache in her heart.
Sorry, Sister Xia Li…
I couldn’t keep my promise.
She looked at her mother and nodded slightly. “Mother, I understand.”