Vanheim Elise glared down at the handwritten notebook on her desk. Monday after school. Celestia Magic Tower University, seventh-floor grand library—dim, deserted, and here by the window seat, Elise had entrenched herself. Outside, the afternoon light of Star Capital Lux bathed the chalk-white cityscape, but it didn't reach this place. Only the faint scent of old paper and dust hung in the air. (*What is this?*) The notebook pages were densely packed with shadow magic formula diagrams in meticulous fine script. Foundational sealing structures, geometric patterns for disrupting mana flow, applied formulations of sealing stones—every bit of it was material never taught in the university's official curriculum. Elise recalled the scribbled note she'd found the night before. *"That crest of yours isn't an ordinary curse. It resembles the structure of a sealing formula."* If she used those words as a lead and examined this research notebook borrowed from Rion, she might find something. "[angry]That deadbeat..." She spat the words under her breath. But her eyes wouldn't leave the notebook. Her hands, unconsciously, kept placing sticky notes. On the structural analysis pages, on the notes about sealing compatibility, on the descriptions of mana rampage precursor symptoms—before she knew it, three, four sticky notes had multiplied. (*Damn it.*) She was frustrated. He was supposed to be shallow, lazy, a playboy who did nothing but hit on girls. So why was he this knowledgeable? Why— Her eyes suddenly caught something in the margins. *'Sleepy'* A scribble beside a meticulous formula diagram. *'Hungry'* A few pages later. *'Sera's new lecturer was a beauty'* Elise involuntarily went limp. (*Ridiculous...*) The gap between research notes and stupid scribbles. It was so utterly disjointed it killed any urge to be angry. But—this was probably the real him. Impossible to tell if he was serious or not. (...*Ah.*) She realized. She was thinking about Rion. Supposed to be focused on deciphering the notebook, yet his face flickered in the corner of her mind. Golden eyes. That mocking grin. And yet, the serious expression he sometimes showed— "[angry]No." She shook her head slightly and forced her gaze back to the notebook. That was when it happened. She sensed someone slowly sitting down in the chair beside her. —Without a sound. She looked up. Long chestnut curls swayed, perfectly set. Amber eyes looked down at Elise, a cold smile on her lips. A gold ornamental sash—elegantly worn, embroidered with the Seraphis family crest. "[cold]Oh my, a top student of House Vanheim in such a remote seat. So desperate to avoid being seen, are we?" Sera gracefully placed a teacup on the desk and observed Elise. A chill ran down Elise's spine. (*Seraphis Sera—*) The board chairman's only daughter. Someone who unilaterally viewed her as a rival and tried to obstruct her at every turn. Her appearing here, at this timing, was no coincidence. "[cold]What do you want?" She replied curtly. Sera didn't answer, instead dropping her gaze to Elise's hands. The notebook. Rion's personal property. —In an instant, her expression changed. "[sarcastic]That notebook... high-grade report paper with a watermark. The same kind I included in the stationery set I gifted Rion last year." A haughty smile. A sharp thorn pierced deep in Elise's chest. (*Sera—gave Rion...*) Elise focused every nerve on keeping her expression unchanged. This was Rion's personal item. And the fact that Sera had been close enough to give him gifts—the rumors that they were former lovers were true. (*Why does this feel so awful?*) She told herself. This was simply the sense of crisis from having a secret sniffed out. That's right. Nothing more. "[cold]It's just a standard commercial product." She shot back. —In that moment. A scribble at the edge of the notebook's cover caught her eye. *'S→R Gift'* Elise's words caught in her throat. Sera let out a soft laugh. "[sarcastic]What are you researching in a deadbeat's notebook? Surely you're not studying sealing designations. There's no way someone from House Vanheim would do something so dangerous." Still smiling, words that struck at the heart of the matter. Elise's hand clenched the edge of the notebook. (*This woman—how much does she know?*) She desperately feigned composure, trying not to let it show on her face. But her heart was pounding. As if savoring the sight, Sera took a sip of tea and slowly rose from her seat. She walked over to the library clerk. Whispered something. A few minutes later— "[sad]Lady Vanheim." The librarian came to Elise's seat and bowed deeply. "[sad]As of today, use of the seventh-floor library will require prior application. By order of the board chairman's office." Elise stood up. "[angry]Prior application? There's never been such a rule—" "[sad]A seventy-two-hour review period is required. This is a direct order from Acting Vice-Chairman Seraphis." The librarian merely repeated the words, unyielding. Sera returned to her seat. She took a sip of tea and smiled. "[cold]Rules must be followed equally by everyone, after all." Leaving those words behind, she departed gracefully. Elise gritted her back teeth. She put the notebook into her bag. Today's investigation was completely over. The anger of losing a lead on the curse, and the humiliation of powerlessness in the face of authority, spread through her entire body. (*Sera—you...*) Clenching her fist, she left the library. —She had to report to Rion. Near the third-floor terrace. Elise's feet, walking down the hallway, stopped. She heard laughter. Rion was surrounded by several female students. Wearing a frivolous grin, he placed a hand on one's shoulder, lightly touched another's hair. "[laughing]That looks good on you." The girls squealed. A sensation she had never felt before welled up deep in Elise's chest. Slightly different from anger. A nasty heat, as if her chest was tightening. (*What is this?*) "[angry]...I'm not angry. I just have a report." She told herself inwardly and tried to approach—just then. "[gentle]It's been a while, Rion." Sera appeared before Rion. The female students casually dispersed. The grin vanished from Rion's face. "[serious]...What do you want?" "[whispers]I have something to discuss." A low voice. The two of them disappeared into the depths of the deserted hallway. Elise watched from the shadows. Her feet wouldn't move. She leaned her back against the wall and stood rooted to the spot. (*With Sera—alone.*) Jealousy, anxiety, and anger surged all at once. The library shut down, her reliable partner alone with his ex-lover—the two events overlapped, and Elise's heart was near its limit. And then— The heat of anger and jealousy mixed with the heat of the curse. A faint throbbing ran near her collarbone. The place where Rion's fingers had traced the crest—the same spot as that night. (*Is my body—longing for him?*) Or was this just the emotion of jealousy manifesting physically? Elise couldn't tell. Only the heat spread slowly, steadily. How long had she been like that? "[surprised]What are you doing?" A voice. She looked up to find Rion standing there, an eyebrow raised. Sera was already gone. "[angry]What did you talk about—with Sera?" She pushed off the wall and demanded. "[cold]Old stories." He answered curtly, his expression unchanged. "[angry]Old stories—" "[serious]Go home for today. I know about the library." Rion had, unusually, sealed away his flippant remarks. His golden eyes stared straight at Elise. "[angry]Wait just—" While Elise searched for a retort, Rion walked away. She was left alone in the hallway. (*Without understanding anything—*) What Sera and Rion had talked about. How much Rion knew. She had no information at all. When she moved away from the wall, Elise noticed. Tonight's curse throbbing was coming earlier than usual. The area around her collarbone burned dully. The crest was beginning to surface. (*I have to get home fast.*) Before her body stopped obeying her, she hurriedly left the library. —That night. Her room at the Vanheim estate. Only a small lamp dimly lit the room. Elise sat at her desk and spread open Rion's research notebook. Now that she couldn't use the library, this was all she had to rely on. She ran her fingers along her own collarbone. Gently traced the outline of the faintly surfaced crest—just as Rion had done. (*...The heat won't subside.*) If anything, the more she touched it herself, the more vividly the crest surfaced. Her body craved another's mana. Whether it would be the same with anyone other than Rion—such doubts and fears swirled endlessly in her head. (*Is his mana—necessary?*) She turned to the latter half of the notebook. Pages filled with scribbled notes on sealing formula analysis. Tucked into the gaps was a single memo. Elise pulled it out and held it to the lamplight. —House Vanheim. —The Ten Years of Silence Incident. —Oswald Seraphis. Three proper nouns, connected by lines. Her hands trembled. "[whispers]...Why is this here?" The Ten Years of Silence Incident—a classified information leak thirty years ago. Officially deemed an "accidental death due to experiment failure," but an incident whispered about in conspiracy theories. And after that incident, House Vanheim's activities had rapidly withered. On the same page, the name of the current board chairman, Oswald Seraphis. (*Rion isn't just researching the curse.*) He was investigating the very history of House Vanheim. Just who was he? Elise held the memo in both hands, frozen. The lamplight flickered. Outside the window, the night of Star Capital Lux deepened. She had no idea what move Sera would make tomorrow. The library was unusable. Rion wouldn't tell her the truth. (*Everything—a dead end.*) But this memo alone was a gateway to a new truth. Elise gently placed the crumpled paper on the desk. Her fingertips trembled faintly—was it the curse, or was it—