After some more time had passed, Aeli, who was finally able to have a proper conversation with the woman who was truly her stepmother, asked a question.
“Then does that mean that mother was originally a witch, but by marrying father, you were no longer a witch?”
In fact, it was such an absurd story that she didn’t fully believe it, but there were also parts that made it difficult not to believe.
She thought it would be better to first ask about everything she was curious about before making a judgment.
Moreover, given the current situation where she had suddenly died, awakened as a ghost, and then came back to life – she thought that this woman might know something about this as well.
In response to Aeli’s question, the woman cleared her throat and soon nodded.
“That’s right. The witch’s power is only passed down to females, so I thought that while you wouldn’t have told your elder brother, you would have naturally told your daughter.”
“You said that you lost your power.”
“That’s me, not you. Although as a half-blood, you likely didn’t inherit most of the powers, there’s a high probability that you have the unique ability.”
“……”
What the heck is that?
It was absurd how things that had been such a secret that even the person involved didn’t know about were being revealed one after another.
Aeli smacked her lips lightly and brought up the next question.
She understood the explanation for why they were living in hiding, but why specifically in the eastern forest belonging to the Mason estate?
“If you’re trying to hide your identity, aren’t there undeveloped areas where no one lives at all? It may not be the empire, but right next to Mason where lots of people come and go seems like it would draw more attention.”
“…Do you think we’re primitive people or something?”
“What?”
“Do you think food and resources just appear out of thin air? We occasionally need to go to procure supplies, so we can’t be too far out in the boonies.”
“…You’re a witch, can’t you make those things?”
“How can we create something from nothing? Unless it’s the unique ability, even we can’t do that. The unique ability is something a witch can only use once in her life, so no one would be foolish enough to use it for something like that.”
“……”
“Besides, this forest is land we obtained through an agreement with the first Mason Count. So it’s completely ours. That’s why we have no intention of moving.”
In any case, due to the magic spread throughout the entire forest, those who aren’t given permission won’t be able to enter past a certain distance, so it’s fine.
At the woman’s words, Aeli’s eyes trembled slightly.
‘The first count, then that’s referring to the great magician known as the founding hero?’
Why is that name coming up here?
Frozen in surprise, the woman scratched her cheek and muttered.
“If I tell you this, you’ll probably be shocked, but is it still okay?”
“Is…is it okay to say?”
“This isn’t that big of a secret, so it’s fine. In any case, it’s something Cynthia should have told you, so I can tell you in her stead.”
[This is the timeline separator]And so, the truth she heard was this.
The great magician known as the founding hero, in other words, their ancestor.
‘…Actually wasn’t a great magician?’
To be precise, he was the disciple.
Since being exposed as a witch wouldn’t lead to anything good anyway, the real great magician witch gave all the credit to her disciple, and in exchange, she obtained ownership of the eastern forest.
Afterwards, she even cast magic so that only Mason’s direct line could enter the forest and no one else was allowed in – and even the direct line was only permitted up to near the village and couldn’t go any further.
If it was as she said, there was indeed no need to move their home base.
That was fine, but…
‘-The witch’s disciple? No, then the achievements. Does that make sense?’
Turning your back on the comrades who came with you and kicking away that level of achievements, if it was a matter directly related to survival, then it could be excused. Nothing is more important than one’s life.
However, does it make sense that no one felt anything off about the hero suddenly changing to a different person?
There should have been at least a single line left in the records.
Yet the current situation where even she, a direct descendant of Mason, knew nothing about it-
“……”
She wondered if it could truly be called normal.
Was it false after all? Aeli frowned and opened her mouth.
“I’m grateful that you saved me, but I don’t find this kind of joke very amusing.”
How they figured out her identity was a mystery, but considering the level of magic the woman had displayed earlier, there was a high probability she surpassed Noel.
If the caster’s skill level was far superior, then the brooch’s effects wouldn’t work on them, so that roughly explained it.
If they had stayed in Mason territory and shared vision with that mole familiar of theirs, then of course they would know her face.
‘There are probably more skilled people in the world than just the ones you can see.’
Normally, since it would be like scamming nobility, she would have to immediately hold them accountable for their crime – but since she owed them her life, she decided to turn a blind eye just this once.
In any case, if they fought right now, she would be at an absolute disadvantage.
Aeli stood up from her seat and turned her head to call the child.
The madeleines that had been piled high were already split and eaten together with the mole, leaving only an empty plate.
Just as she was about to speak to the child sipping lemon tea with ice cubes floating in it.
“-Wait a minute. I think there’s some misunderstanding,”
“Is it a misunderstanding that you brought up my family and household?”
“That’s not bringing it up-”
“I’m not saying any more than this because you saved me when I had collapsed. Normally, there would be additional charges of insulting nobility and fraud.”
“……”
“Please don’t make me have to send my savior to trial.”
Aeli put down the tea she had been nervously sipping and picked up the child who had attached themselves to her side.
She immediately turned her back and took steps to leave the cottage.
It was dangerous to go outside since the sun was setting, but if she stayed inside, even if a search party came, she wouldn’t be found.
She roughly knew the way, so she just needed to walk out to the edge of the forest.
‘I don’t know how deep in this place is though…’
Then taking the child outside in this situation was indeed dangerous.
Unable to do either, Aeli bit her lip.
She felt the child cradled in her arms glancing between the woman and her in confusion.
And that’s when it happened.
“-The great magician’s unique ability was mind control.”
“……”
“Since it’s an ability that can only be used once, he probably didn’t use it and used it then. I don’t know the exact details since the person died long ago. I just told you what I heard.”
Sigh. As if saying it was a headache, the woman let out a sigh.
At that, Aeli hesitated and half-turned her head.
Was she telling her to believe that now?
“…Do you know what the population of the Magnar Empire was at the time of its founding when you say that?”
“It was probably just under 3 million.”
“I’m not sure if it’s possible for one person to simultaneously change the memories of that many people at once, even with the unique ability.”
“That’s why it’s the unique ability, isn’t it? It’s a power that transcends human limits that can only be used once in a lifetime, so that’s probably how it was.”
“……”
“Well, actually, no matter how unique the ability is, it’s probably not that incredible. But if it was the great magician, you never know.”
This entire forest was proof, so they never doubted that fact.
At the woman’s words that she likely had the same kind of ability as mentioned earlier, Aeli retorted.
“Even if everything you said is true, I don’t have it.”
“What?”
“I can’t use magic in the first place, so there’s no way I could have such a power,”
If she did have it, why would she end up in this state despite having that kind of power?
Unless it was some ability to abandon her body and escape with just her soul like a lizard detaching its tail and running away when it senses a threat, it made no sense.
The woman narrowed her eyes at Aeli’s words and muttered.
“It makes no sense that Cynthia’s daughter can’t use magic? And you have a circle too. I clearly saw you using it well up until you went to the Rattliffe estate…”
“……”
“…Oh my.”
The woman, who had been looking at Aeli with a frown, suddenly widened her eyes and covered her mouth with one hand.
As if wondering what that reaction was about, Aeli unconsciously turned her body and the woman asked.
“Come to think of it, your son definitely used magic.”
“…Yes.”
“If it’s alright, can I check one thing? It’ll be quick.”
Although her tone was asking for consent, in reality, it was no different from insisting they do it.
Overwhelmed, Aeli stood there blankly.
As if she had the mole bring it, the woman held out a small crystal ball the size of two fingertips to Aeli and said.
“Try holding this for a moment. It just changes color, so it’s not dangerous, don’t worry.”
“……”
Aeli rolled her eyes and slowly reached out to pick up the crystal ball the woman offered.
It happened at that very moment.
Woong.
-Crack!
“……”
“…It broke.”
The crystal ball that seemed to shine an emerald color as clear as the sea when it caught the light, suddenly turned black and then shattered.
As the woman was having the child hold the same kind of orb, intending to seriously observe what happened, Aeli, frowning, tried to stop her.
Just now, when she handed it to her, she said it wasn’t dangerous, but didn’t it break?
If the same thing happened in the child’s hand, they could get hurt.
However, before she could reach out her hand, the crystal ball was already placed in the child’s hand first.
Woong-.
“……”
“Wow, wow.”
…Crack.
Seeing the crystal ball in the child’s hand emit the same color of light as when she held it, then crack and turn black, the woman nodded her head.
She had an expression as if she finally understood.
“What are you trying to do now? If it’s dangerous, lying…”
“It’s not a lie.”
At the very least, it was a relief that it only cracked and didn’t shatter.
Aeli, upset, tried to rebuke the woman.
The woman’s mouth opened right away, otherwise she certainly would have.
“This crystal ball isn’t supposed to break.”
“Then why…!”
“It tells you whether you have the unique ability or not, so if you have the ability but haven’t used it, it’s just an object that emits light.”
“……”
“And each person has a unique wavelength, so this color can never overlap.”
The woman said.
“It seems you have already used your ability.”
My Step-brother Is Obsessed With Me (Female-dominant)
A gentle female protagonist vs pitiful in the early stage, and a sick male protagonist in the later stage
Cheng Songer transmigrated into the body of a vicious cannon fodder female supporting character with the same name as her in a female-dominant novel.
In the original story, the cannon fodder female supporting character was inhumane, committing domestic violence, gambling excessively, being lustful, and even wanting to sell her stepbrother to a brothel for money.
As luck would have it, she just happened to transmigrate at this time.
Seeing Cheng Qingzhi biting his lip, enduring the tears in his eyes, looking pitiful, her heart softened.
She stuffed the money back into the Madam’s hand and reached out to him.
“Brother, come home with me.”
