Creak!
Navia dragged a chair and stopped in front of a decorated corner.
Thud!
She climbed onto the chair.
Stretching on tiptoe, her fingertips just reached an oil canister.
She carefully took it out to make sure the oil inside didn't spill, and looked inside.
The canister was filled with extra oil for the lamps.
Navia, holding the oil canister, approached the door of her room.
There was an unnatural small hole in the door.
It was a hole Wood had made to sneak bugs into Navia's room.
She made it look like the oil had seeped in through the hole.
Drip.
With an expressionless face, Navia poured the remaining oil on the door and, after destroying the evidence, threw a lit candle at it.
Whoosh!
The flame surged, fueled by the oil and the peeled-off paint on the wood - a not too bad combination.
But it wasn't enough.
She wanted a larger fire.
One so terrible it could engulf the place, one she wouldn't mind being consumed by.
Navia turned her gaze and noticed books in the room.
History books for memorizing to be a perfect noblewoman of Agnes, etiquette books for becoming an empress, and cultural books for high society ladies.
Rip!
The books were torn apart in Navia's hands.
These books, meant to create a fine Agnes lady, now fueled the flames.
"But the fine Agnes lady is dead."
Those books were the dead's belongings; it was only right to burn them.
The fire spread wildly.
"...Cough, cough!"
It was hot and smoky. Yet, in her crimson eyes reflected by the fire, there was not a trace of fear.
She had seen too much death to be afraid of such a fire.
Navia turned away.
Her eyes caught the glimpse of a balcony bathed in dawn light.
A new morning in a new life.
Had she ever felt so refreshed? Navia knew well where Wood would be watching her from, thanks to several past experiences.
She moved towards the balcony with the slow steps of someone performing a ritual.
It was time to face the sole spectator.
Navia flung the balcony door open.
The cold late autumn morning air filled her lungs, waking her body.
As black smoke billowed out and tears welled up in her eyes, Navia took a deep breath.
And then she screamed with all her might.
"Save me!"
Uncharacteristic of someone trapped in fire, Navia calmly waited for people with a composed demeanor.
So far, she had either waited outside her room until her maid came, getting scolded, or died while trying to escape via the balcony.
She had chosen not to resort to such methods this time.
'Fire attracts people.'
The servants would have to extinguish the fire in the mansion, and Navia would naturally be able to leave her room.
There was nothing in this process that could disadvantage her.
It was still quiet, as the morning sun had just risen.
But soon, the big fire and rising black smoke would be discovered.
"Fire! There's a fire!"
Perhaps the boy who had been watching had panicked and raised the alarm.
"There's a fire in the second-floor room! It's Miss Navia's room!"
The first eyewitness had just shouted this.
Yet, sounds of servants rushing with buckets of water could already be heard.
Thud! Thud!
Navia looked back.
Something was fiercely banging against the burning wooden door, trying to break it.
Bang!
"It's open!"
"Cough! The fire is too big...!"
The servants frantically splashed water they had brought.
"Darn, why aren't we hurrying more?"
A voice full of panic could be heard.
It was Wood's voice.
"Why is there a fire? The room next to this is my toy room!"
Wood, being a 'water mage', tried his best, even using his magic, to extinguish the fire.
But the fire that was deliberately started did not go out easily.
‘It shouldn't go out easily.’
"Please save me... Cough! Cough!"
Then, a cold voice pierced through the hot flames.
"What is going on here!"
Nikan Agnes. Her adoptive father had come himself.
"What kind of management is this to have a fire this early in the morning!"
He inquired around with an attitude that disregarded the ever-growing fire.
"It can't be helped."
Nikan was a water mage far more powerful than Wood.
"Tsk! Everyone step back!"
As Nikan extended his hand, steam visibly rose, and the flames began to die down.
Tssk-.
The fire was consumed by the misty steam and disappeared helplessly.
Navia, sitting slumped on the balcony floor, glared hatefully at the scene, then soon started coughing and trembling pitifully.
Before long, the fire was completely gone, and the charred remnants near the door were starkly revealed.
Nikan glanced at Navia and then, clicking his tongue, ordered.
"Call Hans the councilman!"
Navia was a gem he had barely found after scouring every orphanage for suitable conditions.
Even though she was just seven years old when brought, she was strikingly more beautiful than any other.
Pleased with her beauty, Nikan secretly purchased her for a substantial amount.
He hired an excellent governess to educate her and arranged a fake portrait to make her appear as a distant noble of the Agnes family.
‘I had barely convinced Navia that she was in the orphanage due to an accident!’
If she died now, all the risks he took to manipulate just one Navia would be in vain, so Nikan was extremely furious.
"Master!"
In the unexpected commotion, Philippa, the nanny who took care of Agnes' children, rushed over.
The nanny ignored Navia and tearfully looked at Wood.
"Weren't you hurt? Why did you come into the dangerous fire!"
Nikan was puzzled by this too.
His son despised Navia terribly, but he just tried to put out the fire with magic.
Something seemed off.
"Your Excellency!"
The knight examined the burnt door and discovered a hole that was unnaturally made.
He realized that the fire had started from there and reported to the duke.
"A hole? They poured oil through it..."
Nikan ground his teeth.
Could it be that the cadet branch of the family tried to dispose of Navia to adopt their daughter into the main house? But if that was the reason, the method was too shallow.
"Like a childish prank..."
Then Philippa's complexion changed.
She knew why that hole was there.
Sensing something unusual in Philippa's demeanor, Nikan asked sternly.
"Philippa."
"Yes, yes, my lord."
"You seem to know something about this situation?"
"Well, that is..."
As Philippa struggled to answer, Wood abruptly interjected.
"I made that hole."
At those words, Nikan's face hardened.
Philippa, in shock, tried to cover Wood's mouth and shouted.
"Master!"
But Wood, oblivious to what was wrong, annoyingly brushed off Philippa's attempt to restrain him.
Then Navia huddled and coughed.
"Cough, cough!"
And when all eyes were on her, she opened her mouth with a terrified expression and started to sob.
"Brother, I asked you to open the door, why... Cough!"
Navia couldn't finish her words and burst into coughing.
The faces of the nobles around darkened.
"Could the young master have harmed the lady?"
