Four days later..

As my eyes blinked open, the room was a bit fuzzy at first. Slowly, things came into focus, and I saw Casia standing nearby, looking relieved.

She rushed over and gave me a tight hug, saying, "Young miss, thank goodness you're awake!" Her excitement was overwhelming, and I joked, "Casia, you're squeezing me too tight!"

Realizing her grip, she let go and apologized. "It's okay, Casia," I said, smiling.

Casia reassured me, saying, "I'll be back, young miss. I'll get Lady Frisca and your parents."

As Casia hurried out of the room, I was left alone, lost in thought. Memories of my dream flooded back, lingering in my mind.

Before long, Aunt Frisca burst into the room with urgency. She hurried over to me, placing a comforting hand on my head. "I'm glad you're awake, niece. You could've died," she exclaimed, her concern evident in her voice.

Confused, I questioned her statement. "Huh, died? It was that bad?" I asked, seeking clarification.

"Yes, it was. But now, you're okay, so never mind that," Aunt Frisca reassured me, taking my hand and sitting down beside me on the edge of the bed.

With a stern tone, Frisca issued a warning. "Never try to tamper with your mana again," she cautioned, her words carrying a weight of seriousness.

"Oh, I know it was dangerous, but I eventually have to learn magic," I admitted, acknowledging the risks involved.

"I know, Giselle. That's why your task will be, once you go home, to start building up your body strength. By next year, when you come back here, your body will be able to handle your mana," Frisca explained, her voice carrying a sense of determination.

"I understand, aunty," I replied, accepting the challenge ahead of me.

"Good. I will also be putting a seal spell on you so that your mana doesn't break out. But not now, I'm sure you're hungry," Frisca said, shifting the focus to my immediate needs.

"Now that you mention it, I'm crazy hungry," I admitted, rubbing my tummy in anticipation of food.

"By the way, Aunt Frisca, is it okay to have weird dreams when you're in a deep slumber?" I inquired, curious about the nature of my recent dream.

"Hmm, perhaps. What kind of dream did you have?" she asked, her interest piqued by my question.

"I dreamt that I fell into a deep slumber, but turns out I actually did. But never mind that. What was really weird is that within the dream, I was speaking to a weird voice that told me my soul separated from my body, but my body was still alive," I explained, recounting the surreal experience.

"Uhh, that is a weird dream. But anyways, you must eat and take some medicine," Aunt Frisca urged, redirecting the conversation to my well-being.

Just then, my parents and sisters barged in, their concern evident in their hurried movements. They rushed toward me, enveloping me in a tight embrace, while Anco stood back, observing quietly.

"Ahh, you guys are gonna kill me," I joked, feeling overwhelmed by their outpouring of affection.

"Oh, Giselle, baby, mommy missed you," my mother exclaimed, tears streaming down her face as she held me close.

"Giselle, my daughter, thank the gods," my father echoed, his embrace conveying his relief at seeing me safe and sound.

"Giss, oh my cute sister, I'm so relieved nothing happened to you. I'm truly so happy," Saori chimed in, tears welling up in her eyes as she expressed her relief.

As they released me from their embrace, I couldn't help but express my gratitude. "I'm glad you all missed me. I'm okay now, but if I really did die, I wanted my casket to be a beautiful color that resembled me," I joked, trying to lighten the mood with a touch of humor.

Hearing my light-hearted comment, my mother shot me a nasty look and shouted, "Don't say that!"

Realizing I had dampened her mood, I quickly bowed my head and offered a sincere apology. Then, turning to Anco, I attempted to lighten the atmosphere with a playful remark. "Not gonna give me a hug?" I teased.

"I'm not a fan of hugging insects," Anco retorted dryly, refusing my jest.

Undeterred, I playfully bantered with Anco, teasing her about our differences. "You dare, Anco!? You can't even give me a good 'hi' after waking up. Well, it's to be expected; after all, you may be correct. An ant like you would get eaten by a butterfly like me, so we really can't associate with each other," I teased, flashing a mischievous grin.

"Huh, you're the damn ant, dimwit," Anco retorted, Her irritation evident in Her response.

Unable to resist a playful retort, I smirked and tossed my hair theatrically. "It's okay, Anco. As the most beautiful insect, I shall forgive your impudence," I quipped, enjoying the banter.

Anco gritted her teeth in frustration and threatened, "That's it, I'mma put you back in your deep sleep, and this time you won't be able to wake up at all."

"Come on," I urged, despite knowing I stood little chance against Anco's retorts, my fists clenched in futile resolve.

But before things escalated further, Aunt Frisca intervened, her calming presence diffusing the tension in the room. "Everyone, calm down. Giselle, I'll send Urie to you to bring you some food," she reassured, her words bringing a sense of relief.

Grateful for her intervention, I nodded and expressed my gratitude. "Thank you, aunty," I said, acknowledging her gesture.

As Aunt Frisca left the room, Anco followed suit, her departure easing the atmosphere. Meanwhile, Saori, Mom, and Dad remained by my side, offering comfort and support.

As we conversed, our family time was interrupted by the arrival of Abby, Dominca, and Jenny. Abby's excitement was palpable as she rushed forward to embrace me. "Oh my goodness, cousin, you're awake! How splendid!" she exclaimed, her enthusiasm contagious.

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Returning her hug, I smiled warmly before Dominca stepped forward to offer her well wishes. "Ahh, my beautiful niece, nice to see you're well once again. That is so reassuring. I can't stay long; I just came to see you. I'll be going now," she stated, her concern evident in her brief visit.

Expressing my gratitude, I replied, "Thank you for visiting, Aunt Dominca," appreciating her gesture of familial support during my recovery.

With Jenny still present in the room, she approached me with a bouquet of flowers in hand. "Here, cousin, these are amaryllis flowers. They represent pride, strength, determination, and beauty. Since I can see all those qualities in you, I think they suit you well. And this flower is called an aconite; it means to be cautious when you're trying to use your mana," she explained, offering both a gift and a word of caution.

Grateful for her thoughtful gesture and kind words, I accepted the flowers with a warm smile. "Thank you, Jenny. I appreciate it," I expressed sincerely, touched by her unexpected generosity.

Returning my smile, Jenny left the room, leaving behind a sense of camaraderie that belied our relatively short acquaintance. Despite our limited interactions since her arrival, her gesture made me feel as though we had been friends for much longer.

As Jenny departed, Abby stepped forward, expressing her own sentiments with a suggestion of a flower. "I'm sorry, Giselle, I never brought you anything, but I think a red spider lily would suit your beauty," she remarked with a friendly smile.

However, Saori quickly intervened, offering her own insight into the symbolism of the flower. "Abby, a red spider lily symbolizes death. It definitely doesn't suit Giselle. A white spider lily would suit her better," she corrected gently.

Realizing her mistake, Abby apologized, expressing her regret. "Oh my, I'm sorry. I need to read more about flowers. Sorry, Giselle. I hope you didn't take that the wrong way," she said apologetically, her sincerity evident in her words.

"It's okay, everyone makes mistakes," I reassured them with a smile, wanting to ease any tension lingering in the room.

Returning my smile, Abby bid her farewell. "I'll visit you later, Giselle. Bye," she said before departing, leaving just Saori, my parents and me behind.

As my parents also took their leave, Saori voiced her suspicions. "I'm sure she said it on purpose," she remarked, her tone indicating her doubt about Abby's intentions.

Confused, I inquired, "Who, Abby?"

"Yes, I mean, who doesn't know what the red spider lily means? Even in Jonathon town, whenever someone dies, they place it on the grave," Saori pointed out, her skepticism evident in her words.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, I nodded in understanding. "I know," I acknowledged, acknowledging the symbolism of the flower.

Saori's concern grew as she continued, expressing her doubts about Abby's sincerity. "Are you sure she's your friend? She acts shady," she questioned, her suspicions fueled by rumors circulating in the mansion.

Pondering her words, I couldn't shake off a sense of unease. "What makes you think that?" I probed, curious to hear her reasoning.

"Well, I don't really know how to describe it, but she just seems too nice to be real. And I've read about people like her; they act nice but are actually not nice. Also, a rumor has been going around the mansion that she's evil since she nearly killed a butler the other day," Saori explained, her words tinged with skepticism and concern.

"What? I don't believe Abby would do that," I defended, feeling conflicted by Saori's suspicions.

Saori raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced by my faith in Abby. "Is that so?" she questioned, her doubt palpable.

Sighing, I relented. "Fine, I'll take your suspicions into consideration," I conceded, acknowledging the validity of her concerns while still clinging to my trust in Abby.

Just then, Urie arrived with trays of food, the sight of which immediately lifted my spirits. I couldn't contain my excitement, breaking into a smile at the sight of the delicious spread before me. Urie, overcome with emotion at seeing me well, couldn't hold back her tears, expressing her relief and happiness that I was okay.

With Urie's emotional outpouring as background noise, I dug into the food, savoring every bite until my stomach was pleasantly full.

As I finished my meal, Urie handed me a small container of pills. "What's it for?" I inquired, curious about the medication.

"It's to keep your mana stabilized and for vitality renewal," she replied, her tone indicating the importance of the pills for my recovery.

"I see," I murmured, acknowledging Urie's explanation as I reached for one of the pills. It was about the size of a macaron and tasted bitter as it went down, but I noticed a lightness in my body after swallowing it, a sign that it was having the desired effect.

Later, in another part of the mansion, Abby seethed with frustration. "Ugh, stupid Saori. I could've fooled Giselle. Of course, she deserved a red spider lily; after all, she deserves death," she fumed silently to herself as she made her way to the room which everyone stayed in.

Upon entering, she found Jenny seated on her bed. Irritated, Abby demanded, "What are you doing in here?"

Jenny, unfazed by her sister's brusque demeanor, responded calmly, "Ah, sister, I just came to see you."

"Ugh, get off my bed. I'm not in the mood," Abby snapped, her frustration evident in her tone.

Undeterred, Jenny continued, her words pointed. "Oh, I thought you'd be in the mood since Giselle awakened. After all, she's the only person you've actually been talking to since the family gathering. Or perhaps you wanted Giselle to die, so you're not in a good mood," she observed, her words laden with implication.

Abby stormed over to Jenny, her anger palpable in every step. Without warning, she seized Jenny by the throat, squeezing tightly as Jenny gasped for air, her struggles evident in the strained sounds escaping her throat.

"Listen to me, you fucking bitch. You know nothing, so keep your nose out of what doesn't concern you. We may be sisters, but if you also get in my way, I will cut you down. Do you understand me?" Abby's voice dripped with menace as she maintained her grip on Jenny's neck.

Jenny, barely able to breathe, attempted to nod while futilely striking Abby's arm.

Finally releasing her hold, Abby watched as Jenny collapsed to the ground, coughing and gasping for air. "Good, now fuck off," Abby ordered, her tone commanding.

Slowly rising to her feet, Jenny obeyed, making her way out of the room and going into the bathroom as Abby's frustration reached a boiling point. With a scream of frustration, Abby unleashed her anger, kicking and throwing objects around the room, venting her pent-up emotions.

After a few minutes, Abby slumped to the ground, spent from her outburst. Surveying the chaos around her, she couldn't help but smirk. "It's good to let off some steam once in a while. It would be better if I could release it on a toy, though," she mused, her tone tinged with dark amusement.

Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Jenny nursed her sore throat, still reeling from the encounter with her volatile sister. "I can't believe she's that crazy to even choke me, her own sister, and threaten me," she thought, a mixture of disbelief and resentment coursing through her.

Touching her neck tenderly, Jenny winced at the lingering pain. "What kind of hatred could she have for a family member she met for the first time, who is actually nice?" she wondered.

Determined to rise above the turmoil, Jenny gazed at her reflection in the mirror, her resolve hardening. "Abby, I promise you I will grow more powerful than you could ever imagine. I'll prove everyone who underestimated me wrong, and I will get my revenge on you for attempting to kill me," she vowed, her eyes ablaze with determination and defiance.

Jenny's voice echoed in her mind as she contemplated the significance of the aconite flower she had given her cousin. "I hope Giselle realizes the real reason I gave her the aconite flower. In order to be cautious around Abby," she mused, her thoughts lingering on the hidden warning she had imparted.

---

"Hmm, what should I do today?" I pondered to myself, seeking a productive use of my time.

An idea struck me, and I exclaimed aloud, "I got it! I'll learn more about the world, simple."

Saori glanced at me, nodding in agreement. "Good idea. I've been planning on studying the history and geographical elements of the world. Aunt Frisca told me that when I attend the academy, these things may be asked in the entrance exam."

"Entrance exam?" I inquired, intrigued by the mention of a test.

"Yes, Aunt Frisca mentioned that Grogerry Academy of Magic holds an entrance exam each year to determine whether students are worthy of joining the academy. So, you'd need to know the basics of the world, magic, mana, and many other elements," Saori explained.

"Ah, so that's its name, Grogerry Academy of Magic, huh? Sounds pretty smart to me," I remarked, impressed by the institution's reputation.

Deciding to delve deeper into the history of Ivory, I instructed Urie to fetch me a book on the subject, eager to expand my knowledge.