...

Janina ascended to the second floor of the cafeteria, a slight smile playing on her lips. 'What a cute little lowlife,' she thought, glancing back at Naza, who trailed closely behind.

Naza moved with careful deliberation, her gestures and expressions hinting at a mix of nervousness and joy. Yet, beneath the surface, Janina sensed a storm. 'Her mana is really rowdy,' she mused, impressed by how well the cat-kin masked her anxiety.

Through her unique [Skill]—[Emotional (Mana) Perception]—Janina could perceive subtle fluctuations in others' mana, revealing their genuine emotions. It was a rare [Skill] not even Alexander possessed, one she had gained due to her interests and circumstances.

She had always felt like an outsider in her family—not because they ignored or mistreated her, but because she had been excluded from any claim as an heir before her talents were even assessed. It stung, but when Alexander displayed his extraordinary ambitions and potential—his power and intelligence far surpassing common sense—it was already decided.

Left to her own devices, Janina pursued her passions beyond elementary education. She wasn't particularly gifted in administration, economics, or politics, at least not compared to Alexander. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but seeing the projects he had built, she couldn't help but agree with their Mother's decision to focus resources—namely her time—on the future Lord and Lady.

Despite this, she never felt alone. Her parents and siblings always made time for her, and she cherished her loving family above all else. But as they rallied around Alexander, becoming his retainers one by one, Janina felt left behind. She longed for a place among them.

Her true motivation wasn't for the betterment of the fief or to prove herself to outsiders. She feared being left alone by her family as they continued their projects, gradually distancing themselves while she had no place—becoming a burden to be pitied. The very thought disgusted her.

But what could she offer? All her siblings had valuable talents that benefited Alexander—a reality she disliked acknowledging.

Lorient was trustworthy and genuine, endearing herself to soldiers with her open demeanor. She wore her emotions on her sleeve, never hiding them. She could build trust, motivate, and lead—a great commander in the making.

Narsiz was cunning, a brilliant strategist capable of overseeing operations and managing administration while winning others over. His lack of empathy didn't hinder him; he made others dance to his tune, regardless of their feelings.

And Sarah was Sarah. She deeply cared for the family and possessed great potential, though she had once stagnated due to her lack of purpose. Even her physical training, while impressive to others, went unacknowledged by their parents.

That changed when she became engaged to Alexander, crystallizing her motivation—to become worthy of her title as Lady and Beastlord. Her hidden potential shone through as she made astounding progress, surprising everyone—a martial arts genius, even more than Alexander.

Seeing all her siblings thrive made Janina happy, but it also felt like staring at the moons from the ground—a distant, unreachable beauty that only deepened her sense of isolation.

At first, everything felt pointless. Each accomplishment her siblings made seemed to widen the chasm between them, and she felt herself sinking further, swallowed by an overwhelming sense of worthlessness.

Then, one day, she didn't want to wake up. She clung to her blanket when she noticed how her room mirrored her mind—cluttered, chaotic, and filled with half-finished canvases.

Once full of ambition and dreams, her art now represented misery, a past failure—every painting conveyed her deepest wishes, worthless hopes for romance, beauty, and the love she once had for.

Days passed, blurred together into a nebulous haze of despair where time lost meaning. Janina only noticed a change when she suddenly saw her family much more often and when the servants forced food into her.

She lost her sense of smell and taste, sounds became muffled, and all colors were suddenly gone, replaced by muddy greys—she could not enjoy, get angry, or even cry.

At one point, she stood before a mirror, unable to comprehend why she was even alive—a feeling she had to give up due to an intervention, thankfully.

Alexander found her. He forced her to stand before a canvas and handed her a brush. "Paint what you feel," he said gently. Don't think; just let it out."

At first, the strokes were hesitant, but soon, they flowed freely. Emotions she couldn't voice poured onto the canvas—anger, sadness, hope. But it became too much, making her suddenly confront the feelings she desperately tried to avoid. She cried, wanting to stop as it was the worst she had ever felt, but Alexander stayed by her side, forcing her to continue.

Minutes became hours, and at some point, it all stopped. Janina broke down, kneeling, crying, and begging to stop—her whole body shivered, wanting to stop it, wanting to experience pain, anything but the darkness her mind was surrounded with. It was pure terror that even invaded her dreams, making her wet herself when sleeping as her fear became overwhelming.

Yet, Alexander stayed, comforting her—the next day, she was forced again, and the day after that and after that—every night, she collapsed, screaming, wishing for death. Still, he stayed, causing her to experience that horror repeatedly.

Then, one morning, she stood before her paintings, smiling, feeling tears of joy on her cheeks. Eventually, she felt a weight lift from her shoulders. Looking at her painting, she saw a reflection of her inner turmoil and newfound understanding. It was imperfect but profoundly meaningful.

She could understand herself, igniting her passion again with thunderous compassion, if not obsession. Was she still miserable? Yes, but she now understood that art was a means to express and understand herself—she wanted to know who Janina was at her core.

Yet, something still eluded her—a kernel of emotion she couldn't capture no matter how many colors she used or strokes she painted.

After three sleepless nights, when the moons were high, she took all her paintings, burned them, and ran toward Alexander and Sarah, waking them up. He had brought her into this, so he was responsible for her, but it became dark when she jumped on the bed and yelled at them. She woke up on the floor with a massive headache and a letter glued to her forehead, stating that she should first try to understand others.

Determined to deepen her understanding, she sought to comprehend others. She utilized every sense—scent, expressions, gestures, and mana fluctuations—to grasp the essence of emotions. This led her to develop [Emotional (Mana) Perception], allowing her to read subtle bodily shifts and discern feelings, even detect lies.

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Day by day, she observed others and tried to understand them, but something essential was missing, slowly dragging her back into a whirlpool of despair until one day.

Lorient returned for a short visit. After hearing about her difficult situation, she wanted to be there for her. When they cuddled, Janina suddenly sensed her true feelings beneath a façade she could only describe as fake.

Jealousy, low self-esteem, anxiety, restlessness — Lorient felt it all, making Janina realize she wasn't alone in her struggles.

It was a curse. Janina suddenly saw her siblings' flaws, their quirks slowly eroding them — desperation, depression, anger, sadness, angst. Witnessing these emotions made her family seem more broken than they appeared.

Yet, it became her calling. Like a maelstrom swirling in her mind, she found a purpose she wanted to wield for her loved ones.

Unfortunately, being so young, there was little she could do, and even worse, whenever she tried to speak to them about their problems, no one took her seriously.

So, she had to help in another way in the meantime. Deceiving Alexander into letting her attend school was the simplest solution, as it allowed her to keep an eye on potential enemies, hoping to discover if any bore hatred strong enough to sabotage Alexander's vision—he was too naïve, in her opinion. He always helped others like her, never letting it go until she felt well again.

Janina also felt adequate for this task since her skills had soared for weeks, forcing her to wear a weight-increasing artifact to temper her growing [Experience].

image [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Chiruschka/Supersum/refs/heads/main/character_cards/janina/system_window/chapter_203/janina.svg]

She gained multiple [Skills] and improved their [Strength], becoming a genius in emotional perception. She hadn't told anyone, preferring to observe first. After all, it would be strange if her siblings knew she could read them like a book, especially now that she needed to weed out potential threats in the school.

When Janina entered the auditorium alongside other nobles and high-class commoners, they all appeared friendly on the surface. She had expected it would be difficult to read them, but it wasn't. Beneath their superficial smiles lay disgust, even hatred, seeping through like canal water after heavy rainfall.

Why? She didn't know, nor did she care. All she knew was that she would observe them, pretending to befriend them.

Commoners, on the other hand, were more complex. There was less disdain but still enough to irritate her. 'A bunch of selfish parasites,' she thought.

A semblance of admiration and respect existed, but it stemmed from what Alexander had given them, not from who he was. They were selfish, ignorant, and spoiled. She hated knowing they'd turn on him the moment he took away the toys they loved. Thankfully, only half of them were like that; the others genuinely admired him, appreciating his efforts.

Naza was one such person. Though she feared losing opportunities due to her rough life, she genuinely admired Alexander and recognized his efforts, even if she romanticized them a bit.

'Well, let's eat first,' Janina thought as her stomach grumbled. She had almost no stamina left, having exhausted herself using her [Skills].

She led Naza to a table on the second floor of the cafeteria. While Janina didn't want to admit it, she took pride in how the school had been decorated. Where others saw the obvious, she noticed the more minor details—like the railing adorned with vines, accompanied by a humorous engraving, "Please don't jump over!" It depicted a beast-kin falling from the vine, followed by a scene of them lying flat on the ground, limbs ripped apart.

It was enchanting, filled with delightful surprises, and an atmosphere of warmth crafted for the younger students. 'Ah, I must protect this magical place,' she vowed silently, her heart swelling with determination.

She couldn't bear the thought of anything tarnishing the beauty and innocence of this sanctuary, especially knowing how much it meant to Alexander. He had poured his heart into creating this school, a beacon of hope and learning, and Janina felt a fierce urge to ensure his vision remained untouched, especially after he was there for her. Protecting this place meant protecting a piece of Alexander's dreams.

They moved through the cafeteria, finally found their table, and settled into their seats. Naza looked around, visibly confused by the decoration in the middle.

In the middle of each was an elegant miniature wooden tree with a small pouch hanging from one branch. The base of the tree displayed their assigned number.

Naza looked around, clearly confused. "What now?"

Janina shrugged casually. "Just wait."

As they settled in, they continued discussing the novel Janina adored. It was about the love between men—a topic that intrigued her, though she wasn't quite sure why.

After she overcame her circumstances, she began writing stories and sharing them with Narsiz. He strongly advised her never to show them to anyone but still kept them. Her tales often featured Alexander and Narsiz as a couple, navigating romance and drama.

When she started telling Naza about what she wrote, her face became beet red, and she could barely say anything while listening intently.

In her story, they had contrasting personalities, with Alexander being the more sensitive and overwhelmed by emotions. Sadly, it was all just fantasy.

As they chatted, a pigeon fluttered down to their table. Its feathers shimmered iridescently, and a tiny pouch was strapped to its leg. Janina reached out, gently scratching its head. "Yes, who's my cutie?" she cooed, and the pigeon responded with a soft trill.

Naza blinked in surprise. "So... do we need to eat the bird?"

The pigeon turned its head, glaring at Naza with surprising intensity. Janina laughed lightly. "Haha! No! This darling is our servant today." She reached into the pigeon's spatial pouch, retrieving two bowls and four small flasks, and placed them on the table.

And after we're done..." She reached into the small pouch hanging on the wooden tree, pulling out a dried fish. "Here you go." The pigeon eagerly gulped it down and cooed contentedly—it flew away a moment later.

Naza stared after the bird, astonishment evident on her face. Janina chuckled inwardly. 'What a ridiculous but genius idea.'

There weren't enough trustworthy servants, as most were still being trained at the estate by Melina. So, Alexander decided to utilize animals as much as possible.

Training birds for long-distance deliveries was challenging, as most were either hawks, falcons, or similar — fast and aggressive, capable of fending off most predators. Short-distance deliveries used gentle birds, like the pigeons they used, lacked the speed to escape attackers but had been trained for precision.

"Yeah, Alex had to get creative," Janina explained, watching Naza's amazement.

"It's pretty fascinating watching the Helping Paw building with hundreds of birds flying in and out every minute," Naza said, her eyes following a flock of pigeons that flew over their heads.

Janina rolled her eyes, noticing how Naza gazed in awe at the birds flitting around the cafeteria. 'How annoying,' she thought, though her smile remained.

'It's genuinely such a magical place,' she mused, watching the students bustling about, trying to find their tables while pigeons stared at them expectantly, waiting to be fed. Occasionally, they would bite if ignored.

The servants were of some help, though many were young and inexperienced. 'Well, all first days are tough,' Janina thought, imagining how angry Alexander would be later.

Anastasia was responsible for overseeing the school, but as it was Alexander's pet project, he was naturally invested in ensuring it ran smoothly.

'I hope he doesn't take it too seriously,' Janina worried. Her brother had almost panicked multiple times over the past few weeks. Besides the school, surprising letters had arrived, nearly making Alexander and Narsiz faint from shock.

The only positive development of the past few months was the inquiries from nobles and the Cathedral of Pestilence, which had commissioned thousands of book copies and paid Alexander handsomely. It was also why he threw much more gold at the schools he built.

Janina sighed, allowing Naza ample time to marvel at the birds. She knocked on the table to regain her attention. "Eat. But before that, drink those disgusting potions."

Before them were two bowls, each engraved with their names and covered with a metallic lid. Naza fumbled to open hers until Janina rolled her eyes and demonstrated. "Twist slightly and lift. Alex again... In the first tests, the insides of the pouches became a mess without these lids."

As the lid came off, Naza gazed at the contents in astonishment. "That's..."

Janina nodded encouragingly. "Yeah, it's actually pretty yummy! Try it!"

Inside was a colorful mush, somewhat unappetizing at first glance — like someone had mixed random colors together. But the aroma was delightful, hinting at sweet fruits and savory spices.

Naza gulped, her lip curling slightly in disgust as she eyed the two flasks: one black, the other milky white, labeled with numbers one and two. "What are these?" she asked.

Janina grimaced as she uncorked the first flask. "These are... ugh... just down them." She drank the black potion, her face contorting. "Ugh! So disgusting!" She immediately followed with the second potion, relief washing over her.

After a moment, she composed herself. "It's like an all-around poison."

Naza's eyes widened in horror. "What?!"

Janina nodded. "Yeah, the little imp — our new alchemist — created a weak all-purpose poison that grants various resistances and strengthens the body. The second potion numbs the effects and regenerates HP."

Jarus, Ocilia's younger brother, was a genius with potions. His first one blended curses, corrosion, and everything imaginable. But it was weak, perfect for younger puppies. When paired with the numbing potion, it was easily manageable.

"But... aren't HP potions poisonous too?" Naza questioned.

Janina smirked. "They are, but their effects are weaker than the poison, so they don't matter as much." She shrugged. "We'll have monthly health checks and get healed anyway."

In exchange for the fairies providing their services to the students once a month, they were allowed to teach Theology and lead multiple clubs. He aimed to create a much weaker version of his body modification process.

Naza hesitated, holding the black flask. "I..."

Sensing her apprehension, Janina tried to reassure her. "By the end of the year, we'll have dozens of skills at level 50 or higher — all resistances — which will also strengthen our bodies."

Janina leaned back, smiling widely, making Naza shiver nervously. "Alex wants to trick the system and bypass Nature's Break. It's insane, but I love it."

"You love it?" Naza echoed.

"Of course!" Janina leaned forward. "Imagine the audacity to try and trick the world itself. Alex is insane, and so far, it always works."

But before Janina could warn her, Naza took a swig of the black potion. "I don't feel—" Naza didn't take immediately the second one, only staring at her hands. A moment later, eyes rolled back, and she collapsed onto the floor.

"This moron!" Janina groaned, rushing to help.