"Dammit, how dare she? Just because she's Mom's favorite and more successful, she dares to command me? I won't forgive her for calling Abby a demon. Frisca, I will ensure Abby becomes a pinnacle of power that even the empire can't resist," thought Dominca angrily as she stormed back to her room.
Upon opening the door, she found a small, elderly lady sitting on the couch. Surprise flickered across Dominca's face. "Mama? What are you doing in this room?" she questioned.
"Don't mind me. Come and sit down, Dominca," Emersia replied calmly.
Emersia, the mother of Henry, Dominca, and Frisca, was around 77 years old.
Dominca took a seat beside Emersia, her impatience evident. "What is it, Mama? Could you make it quick? I have things to do," she urged.
"Ah, calm down, calm down. Don't be in such a hurry. Spend some time with your Mama," Emersia chided gently, offering a warm smile.
Resigned, Dominca inquired, "Then?"
Emersia continued, her tone gentle yet firm. "Dominca, I've known you your entire life. You're a girl full of tricks and cunning as a fox. Frisca told me everything this morning."
Gritting her teeth, Dominca's frustration simmered beneath the surface. "So, you're on Frisca's side? Of course, you are. I mean, she's your favorite," she retorted bitterly.
"Dominca, as my daughter, I expect better from you. You're a married woman and a mother. Every mother wants the best for their child, but don't try to hurt anyone's child," Emersia admonished gently, her voice tinged with disappointment.
"Enough! I don't want to hear anymore. I get it. I shouldn't harm my brother's child. Now, stop pestering me and leave this instant," Dominca snapped, her frustration palpable.
Emersia sighed, her expression resigned. "All right, I will leave. But don't try anything foolish. Trust me, I don't want my children to fight. So, you stay put and be a good aunt to your nieces/nephews and be a good mother to your children," she implored before making her way to the door.
With a slight struggle, Emersia reached the door, opened it, and left. Dominca was now alone in the room, her anger gradually subsiding as she reflected on her mother's words.
Meanwhile…
I closed my eyes, determined to concentrate and meditate despite the challenges. It was tough, but I gradually found a focus. Shutting out all noise and distractions, I began to sense an energy coursing through my body, different from my own blood—a powerful force like a raging river.
As I delved deeper into this mysterious energy, I discovered it was a vivid shade of purple, radiating a sense of danger and immense power. Following its flow, I stumbled upon a focal point—a circular formation where the purple energy was being absorbed and released, it was pulsating with intense pressure that seemed to crush me from all sides.
Suddenly, I was kicked out of my meditation, gasping for breath as I collapsed to the ground.
"What happened?" Abby's concerned voice broke through my disorientation.
"Are you okay, young miss?!" Urie's alarmed shout reached me as she hurried over to assist.
With Urie's support, I managed to rise to my feet, albeit unsteadily. She guided me back to the bench, where Abby was sitting anxiously, her eyes filled with worry.
"Giselle, what happened?" she inquired, her voice tinged with concern.
"I did what you suggested and followed a purple energy within my body. But it was so intense. When I reached a circular ball-like formation that was absorbing and releasing the purple energy, the pressure was overwhelming, and I was suddenly expelled," I explained, coughing slightly.
"She was kicked out? Is her mana that powerful that not even she can control it?" Abby pondered silently.
Abby then spoke up, "That purple energy was likely your mana. The circular orb you saw within your body was your mana core."
Looking up at Abby, I asked, "Is it normal to be expelled by your own mana core?"
"I'm not sure. I didn't have any problems," reassured me.
"Young miss, I will go and inform Casia about what happened. Please stay here with Miss Abby," Urie offered before hurrying off to find Casia.
I nodded, my mind consumed with the embarrassment and discomfort of the experience. Being expelled by my own mana core was humiliating, and my chest still ached.
"Do you feel any pain, Giselle?" Abby inquired with concern.
"My chest is hurting," I admitted, wincing slightly.
"I see. Just stay still and rest. I'll be right back," Abby said reassuringly
Curious, I asked, "Where are you going?"
"To my room to do something," Abby replied before departing.
Left alone with my thoughts, I couldn't help but feel disheartened. I had been so eager to learn magic and control my mana, but my efforts had ended in failure.
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Before long, I saw Casia and Urie returning, accompanied by Aunt Frisca. As they approached, Casia addressed me, "Young Miss Giselle, I heard about what happened to you. I informed Madam Frisca as soon as I heard."
Aunt Frisca came closer and sat down beside me, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. She closed her eyes in concentration for a moment before speaking, "Giselle, it seems that your mana is overflowing and has been affecting your body for years. But this time, since you attempted to tamper with it, it's putting a strain on you."
Confused, I looked up at Aunt Frisca and asked, "What do you mean?"
Before she could reply, I suddenly felt an overwhelming heaviness engulfing my body, and I tumbled off the bench to the ground, my vision blurring as I struggled to remain conscious.
Meanwhile...
Abby and her mother were engaged in a conversation.
"She couldn't control her mana? How pathetic," Dominca scoffed with disdain.
"I'm guessing it was too much for her to handle. She even mentioned experiencing chest pains from it," Abby explained.
Dominca rolled her eyes dismissively. "Apart from that, Frisca knows about our conversation, and not only that, my mother knows too."
"Why are they so nosy, Mama?" Abby sighed in frustration.
"It doesn't matter. I received warnings from both Mom and Frisca. So, Abby, don't plan on doing anything that might raise suspicions. It's better to just work hard. Don't let Giselle bother you. Your main goal should be surpassing Frisca. Once you do that, everyone in the family will recognize you, even your grandmother," Dominca advised, her tone dripping with ambition.
"Understood," Abby replied solemnly, her concern evident.
A knock on the door interrupted their conversation.
"Miss Dominca, Madam Frisca has summoned everyone to join her. It's due to Young Miss Giselle fainting," the butler informed them.
Dominca's eyes widened with concern as she quickly rose from her seat. "Alright, Abby and I will be there soon," she assured the butler before he bowed and departed.
Turning to Abby, Dominca relayed the news. "It seems Giselle fainted."
Abby's brows furrowed in concern. "Is that so?" she asked, her voice filled with empathy.
"Come now, darling, we must go join the rest of the family," Dominca urged gently, guiding Abby out of the room.
Together, Dominca and Abby made their way to a large conference room, where a maid awaited to guide them inside.
---
"So, everyone is here?" Frisca inquired as she scanned the room, her brow furrowed with concern.
"Yes, we're all here," Kevin confirmed, his voice steady but with a hint of apprehension.
"Frisca, I want to see Giselle," Renna interjected, her worry evident in her tone.
"I'm afraid you cannot go," Frisca declared firmly, her expression unwavering.
"Why not, sister-in-law? I can't just sit here while I heard my daughter suddenly fainted, especially if it's not under normal circumstances," Henry protested, his concern evident in his voice.
"Huh, dimwit fainted, hmm? Perhaps it's because she saw blood," Anco quipped sarcastically, her tone dripping with disdain.
"There was no blood," Frisca countered, her patience wearing thin.
"What really happened, Aunt Frisca?" Saori chimed in, her curiosity piqued.
"I'm curious too," added Richita, her gaze fixed on Frisca expectantly.
"Giselle has a lot of mana, which is too much for her weak body to maintain. Earlier, she attempted to sense it and familiarize herself with it in order to learn magic. However, she failed after her mana core emitted a dangerous pressure that expelled her. This strain on her body caused her to faint," Frisca explained, her tone measured yet authoritative.
"I see," Chad nodded in understanding, absorbing the information.
"So, is she going to be okay?" Harry inquired, his concern mirrored in his furrowed brow.
"I examined her body, and it appears she's fallen into a deep sleep due to her mana overwhelming her and putting a strain on her body. She won't wake up for now," Frisca concluded, her voice tinged with a hint of worry for her niece.
"What? No, that can't be. You can do something, right, Frisca?" Renna's voice quivered with fear and worry as she pleaded for reassurance.
"I will awaken her, but it will take some time and require careful steps, or else it could cost her, her life," Frisca responded solemnly, her expression grave.
Renna, overcome with panic, suddenly attempted to rush past Frisca to reach the room, only to be stopped in her tracks as Frisca grabbed hold of her firmly. "You cannot enter, Renna. You must wait," Frisca insisted, her tone firm yet compassionate.
"I cannot wait! I can't allow Giselle to die," Renna cried out, tears welling up in her eyes at the mere thought of losing her daughter.
Henry, sensing his wife's distress, stepped forward and gently held onto Renna, offering her a semblance of comfort. Meanwhile, Frisca reiterated her warning, "Renna, I won't allow you to go in there. You will die if you do."
"Die? That can't be," Saori interjected, her voice tinged with disbelief.
"No one without mana should enter that room. Even those with weak mana should avoid it. The presence and pressure from Giselle's mana are emitting dangerously within the room, and it could be fatal," Frisca explained, her tone grave yet resolute.
"Meaning we would die?" Dominca's eyes widened in shock and apprehension.
"I will control her mana to prevent it from escaping the room and harming anyone, and I will ensure she awakens safely," Frisca assured them, her voice steady and determined.
"That weakling is causing everyone trouble," Anco muttered callously, her disdain apparent.
"Anco, you can't say that," Abby chided gently, her voice filled with empathy.
"It's my fault. I should have never tried to help her using mana," Abby confessed, tears streaming down her cheeks.
As tears fell from Abby's eyes, she couldn't help but let out a sinister thought, "Hahaha, it seems luck is on my side. I was worried about how I'd get rid of you, Giselle, but it seems the thing I feared about you will end up being your demise. I can't wait to attend your funeral."
"That's enough, Abby. It definitely isn't your fault, and I'm sure someone's thoughts would say something else," Frisca interjected, her tone stern yet understanding.
"Shit, I forgot Aunt Frisca can read minds. Dammit, well, it doesn't matter," Abby cursed inwardly, realizing her slip-up.
Meanwhile, as Renna and Henry shed tears, Aunt Frisca shifted the conversation. "Have you ever known the true reason why your daughter's hair is white?"
Renna and Henry looked up, their attention piqued, and everyone listened closely.
"Well, when her hair started to grow, it looked white, so we called the town physician, and he said it was a disease. But he didn't tell us the name or anything," Renna explained, her voice tinged with sadness and uncertainty.
"Based on what I've realized, before Giselle was born, her mana was likely already strong within her body. When her hair started growing, it was supposed to be like yours or Henry's hair, but because of how strong her mana was, it turned her hair white," Frisca explained, her tone measured yet filled with concern.
"Her mana turned her hair white?" Kevin questioned, his brow furrowed in confusion.
"Yes," Frisca affirmed. Just then, Casia emerged from the room where Giselle was resting, her expression grave. "Madam Frisca, please come. I think it's getting worse."
Frisca nodded, her demeanor serious. "I'll be back, everyone. You can continue your daily activities. There's no need to worry," she assured the gathered family members. As she turned to leave, Henry reached out and grabbed Frisca's arm, his expression fraught with anxiety.
"What's getting worse, sister?" Henry asked urgently, his concern evident.
"No need to worry. Please continue," Frisca urged, gently extricating her arm from Henry's grasp. "Urie, please escort everyone out."
Despite Henry and Renna's attempts to engage Frisca further, they found themselves being guided out of the room by Urie, their concerns left hanging in the air.