Asela exclaimed in surprise.

“J-Jade! Is that Jade? That’s father’s precious…!”

“Asela.”

Ignoring the noisy sounds, Jade bent down to meet her cousin’s eyes. Jade’s beautiful purple eyes sparkled and curved.

“I’m extremely greedy. You understand?”

“Huh?”

“From now on, when uncle says such things, tell him Jade is very greedy. So greedy that I won’t give up even a single thing. I’m a very bad child.”

A magician standing in the garden chanted a long spell in a loud voice. Water was drawn from a nearby fountain, and a fine drizzle fell from the sky to cover the flames, but it was not strong enough to challenge them.

The fire mockingly evaporated all the water and then blazed even larger.

Asela blinked and asked in a daze.

“Jade, when did you cast the spell?”

“Why would you need a long spell for such a simple magic? One syllable is enough.”

The girl answered in a sweet voice and then shouted something short again.

In an instant, the fire went out and the tree turned to ash and crumbled. But there was not a single damage to the surroundings.

To her grandmother and uncle who came running in alarm, Jade answered with a bright smile.

“Ah, I thought anyone could put it out since everyone was ignoring me. I didn’t know those many magicians couldn’t even extinguish that fire, haha!”

After that, every day was like a war.

Uncle, Felix Broen, completely revealed his greed for the family head position.

Every time he encountered Jade, he looked at her with eyes that wished for her death. And Jade nearly died twice from drinking poison mixed in liquid. Of course, the culprit was never caught.

Grandmother, Mabel Broen, ignored such situations for a very long time.

The old woman would turn her head away even when she saw Felix Broen verbally abusing Jade for no reason or acting as if he was about to hit her.

Her closest cousin and best friend, Asela Broen, looked at Jade with helpless eyes and then stopped talking to her at some point.

That was rather better. Because she learned that every conversation she had with the girl reached Felix Broen’s ears.

Other adults in the family couldn’t provide proper help. The young girl just had to endure alone.

Then one day, Jade was summoned by Mabel Broen.

“I loved my child, Yanick Broen, dearly.”

Then why do you leave me in such danger? I’m father’s only blood.

The question was soon answered.

“But he betrayed me. He married your mother, a knight of common birth. She received a knighthood from the king? That was just the price Yanick paid by joining hands with the king. I simply cannot accept such lowly blood mixing into the Broen family.”

Mabel frowned as she looked into Jade’s eyes. Beautiful purple. The color she inherited from her mother, Lizzy Anel.

Jade unconsciously lowered her gaze, avoiding eye contact.

She just realized why her name was Jade (blue gemstone). It was a name to deny half the blood flowing in her veins from birth. No wonder her parents only called her Jay….

“Even so, I won’t let you die. You’re Yanick’s only bloodline, so you’ll live as the heir. But promise me just one thing.”

“……”

“The person by your side must be born from the most perfect family, with blood free of any impurities.”

If you don’t keep this, you won’t be able to completely dominate this family even after becoming the head.

The words that came down like a curse stuck in her ear.

Jade quietly stood up, bowed, and left the room.

After the unspoken promise with Mabel, life became a bit more bearable. From then on, Felix Broen couldn’t openly try to kill Jade. Well, what he did behind the scenes, whether everyone knew or not….

But there was something even Mabel didn’t expect.

Jade Broen was born as a fire magician. A flame that burns even stronger with the slightest breeze when someone threatens to swing their arm.

In other words, she was clearly not the type of person to just curl up and whimper.

She rose up vigorously and began to create her own people within the family. Most were people she met while inspecting the territory.

A man beaten for no reason, a crying woman, a young girl who was driven out, a boy falsely accused of theft, an old man being stoned for allegedly killing someone.

Felix sneered that she was just picking up trivial things, but as they received education and began to stay in the castle, Jade could gradually scrape together small rumors within Broen Castle. Information was a weapon and shield against threats.

And another opportunity came.

A young king who had just ascended to the throne.

The king summoned Jade to the royal palace in Siena, the capital.

“So you’re the fire magician? You’re young.”

Swallowing the reply that Your Majesty looks even younger, Jade smiled brightly.

“Pleased to meet you. I’m Jade Broen.”

Seeing the young magician smiling like a picture without any change in expression, the young king leaned back on the throne.

“We’re both busy, so let’s get straight to the point, Jade.”

Jade looked at the king with uncomfortable eyes as her name, not her surname, was called. The king was smiling.

“I don’t know people, I know their situations. So even though I’m seeing you for the first time, I think I can trust you.”

“I don’t understand what you mean.”

“Don’t you need another foothold to stand alone within your family?”

In an instant, her eyes changed and the mask-like smile disappeared. There seemed to be a glint of light in the magician’s purple eyes.

The king smiled with satisfaction.

“I need you. I’ll support you in any political fight. Can you become my person?”

This was clearly a new shield that couldn’t be missed. Jade smiled.

“I’m already Your Majesty’s person, how can I become your person again? Just tell me what you want.”

The young king smiled with satisfaction at that answer.

What the king wanted was a magician to participate in subjugation. As a great famine occurred in a neighboring country, monsters that grew by eating the corpses that were strewn about greatly increased.

A vicious cycle repeated. As monsters increased, they killed people, and as working people disappeared, the foundation of the country shook, and people starved and died in greater numbers. Then monsters increased again.

As the monsters, which had become too numerous and lacked food, finally reached the border of the El Sion Kingdom, many magicians and knights were needed to repel them. So much so that the king had to personally select people.

Jade also knew this job was dangerous. But she had no choice but to jump in.

Even though he was a young king who had just ascended to the throne, he had the ruthlessness to completely erase the names of his other siblings from every place in the world after winning the fight for the throne.

Though he looked like a fledgling, his insides were undoubtedly those of a fully grown eagle. It was worth bowing one’s head.

About 4 years had passed since she started working with the subjugation team.

“No, you, you stupid thing! Go already, I said!”

In the distance, Rigel Hias, a magician belonging to the same subjugation team, was losing his temper at his horse in an irritated voice. The horse, also angry at its unpleasant master, let out a long neigh.

Jade, who had already advanced quite far ahead, glanced at him with bored eyes and muttered while pulling the reins.

“Why is he acting like that.”

“He is the head of the Hias family, after all. No matter how much you dislike it, use a kinder voice to express your dislike.”

“Hmm, that makes him even more unpleasant. I’m still just an heir, and I’m much better than him.”

“That’s true.”

The middle-aged man who laughed dryly was named Bernard, and he had been working as Jade’s assistant for four years now. He was also one of the few trustworthy allies in the Broen family.

Looking around at the bleak surroundings, he said.

“The western border feels like home now. It’s been three months since you were dragged into the subjugation team, so we might as well call it home, right?”

Though it wasn’t intended as an attack, Jade, who felt stung on her own, cleared her throat.

“Ahem… I’m telling you, it’ll really be over soon…”

“That’s exactly the twelfth time I’ve heard that.”

“No, it’s not my fault that this subjugation team lacks experienced people… I don’t know why His Majesty composed it like this. It’s a bit unusual.”

The only fortunate thing was that the subjugation team’s performance was very good. Five villages they passed through had regained safety from monsters.

Bernard soon smiled as if he had just been exaggerating.

“You’ll go with the knight today too, right?”

“I have to go together. Isn’t that the rule? I’ll keep him nearby. You can choose if you want.”

Jade’s voice sounded as indifferent as if discussing tonight’s dinner.

“Hmm, how about Billius Dorf? Everyone knows he looks at you with admiring eyes. He’s quite handsome and from a good family.”

“Billius Dorf? You mean the third son who has nothing to inherit from his family? If you choose such a person, it would only prove how terrible Jade’s judgment is. Even though it’s actually terrible, there’s no need to show it, is there?”

Rigel Hias, who had managed to catch up with his poor riding skills, objected in a sharp voice. Jade looked at him with tired eyes.

“How can you be so consistently bad at riding? Anyway, what business is it of yours to butt in?”

Rigel, with light blue eyes, fumbled for a moment before asserting in a firm voice.

“It’s because Jade is a magician recognized by His Majesty along with me. Shouldn’t our pair match our status? Don’t you think?”

So, that’s the kind of attitude I dislike. He’s not trying to attack anyone, he sincerely thinks that way. That Billius Dorf doesn’t match our status.

With kind eyes, he naturally judged someone by their wealth and blood purity.

Jade really disliked such people. Because they were exactly like her grandmother and uncle who mocked her mother for not being born a noble. No, it was even more irritating because there was no malice.

So, while she had no loyalty to Billius Dorf, she decided to rebut on his behalf.

“What exactly is that status? What status matches you, who has a great family and great skills but hasn’t participated in any activities to protect the kingdom’s people, like the subjugation team?”