24. The Path Is a Road to Hell (6)
People often misunderstand Karla della Cascata because her serious and earnest approach to magic is overshadowed by her unpleasant temperament. Setting aside the family motto of “Magic will guide,” her attitude as a magician, her pursuit of knowledge, and her intellectual curiosity about magic are so profound that she holds deep respect for Carlo della Cascata—Lord Cascata, who could be considered the best in the empire in such fields.
‘Uncle is coming. It’s been so long since I last saw him.’
How many years has it been? At least seven or eight.
The thought of meeting the person she admires so much filled Karla with immense joy.
“Oh, who is this? Isn’t this Lady Karla della Cascata?”
—And then, her mood plummets in an instant.
“…Why aren’t you attending class?”
“I was just heading there.”
It was Lucas.
Lucas von Scheiskel.
On her way to meet the person she respects the most, she encounters the most detestable creature. Karla’s mood turned sour.
Look at that obnoxious blonde hair. Even though it’s neatly combed, it still looks ridiculous, and the mana flowing from his body is obviously not properly controlled.
Karla could easily subdue this fool in one go—
‘Ah…’
That’s right.
She’s currently unable to do so. Karla became acutely aware of it again.
“Where are you rushing off to? I heard Lord Cascata has arrived. Are you going to meet him?”
“…Yes.”
“Then may I join you?”
“Why should you?”
Karla raised an eyebrow and questioned.
There was no reason for Lucas to accompany her to meet Lord Cascata, the Court Magician. Around this time, Karla suddenly felt an ominous sensation.
“Hmm? Didn’t Lord Cascata tell you?”
The ominous premonition eventually materialized, coiling like a snake, tightly binding Karla with discomfort.
“In two months, I’ll be your husband, so wouldn’t it be appropriate to pay my respects beforehand?”
Karla’s face turned beet red with anger. Her clenched fists trembled, and if she made one more move, those fists would surely—
“Ahh, trying to hit me? Feel free to strike, but if you fail the midterm exam and the news that you’ll become my wife spreads across the Academy, how would you feel about that?”
That wouldn’t do.
At Lucas’ words, Karla snapped back to her senses like being doused with cold water. She would definitely pass the midterm exam in two months, but if such rumors spread, it wouldn’t be a good situation for Karla either.
“Think about it, Karla. I actually find it amusing to watch you struggle until you eventually become mine. Lightning magic isn’t as easy to handle, especially with one usable arm, which I understand well. Two months is more than enough time to wait. Seeing your face makes waiting worthwhile. How splendid. Karla della Cascata becoming Karla von Scheiskel.”
With a chilling laugh, Lucas lightly tapped Karla’s left shoulder as he passed by.
Naturally, he deliberately chose her left shoulder—her vulnerability. Karla shivered with a deep sense of humiliation.
The校长’s office situated centrally on the fourth floor of the academy exudes an elegant yet simple charm.
As Karla raised her hand to knock on the oak door, it silently and smoothly opened.
The interior, filled with the fragrance of jasmine, didn’t interest Karla much.
Her gaze immediately turned toward the man sitting with his back to her on a prominent sofa in a room tastefully decorated with wood, but then, her eyes caught another familiar figure, Ivan, sitting across from him.
‘Why is Ivan here?’
Hadn’t she been the one who should have been summoned first?
Suppressing a fleeting pang of inferiority, Karla quietly waited, knowing it would be impolite to enter without an invitation.
“The student Karla has arrived. Karla, please come in.”
An elderly man with white hair and a thick beard, yet whose eyes gleamed like stars, gestured her forward. As Karla took her steps toward the sofa, the man sitting there stood up and turned to face her.
“Karla… It’s been a long time.”
The man who greeted her with a warm smile seemed to make all her worries evaporate as if by magic.
It was a feeling she never experienced from her father.
With that strange emotion, Karla unknowingly quickened her steps to bow deeply to Lord Cascata.
“Uncle, it has been a long time since we last met.”
“Yes, yes—it’s good to see you, my niece…my daughter. It’s been too long.”
The look in Lord Cascata’s eyes watching Karla was a mix of surprise, unfamiliarity, and discomfort—unlike the respect and admiration she had always held for him. As a result, a hint of regret in Karla began to grow stronger.
“Please, take a seat. Thank you, Headmaster, for inviting Karla as well.”
“Oh, it’s no bother. Lord Cascata, we deeply apologize for the lack of progress in our investigation.”
“What can be done? Those responsible were certainly well-prepared and won’t be easily caught. Karla, is your arm alright?”
“Yes, it’s fine. It doesn’t hurt and—”
As Karla answered Lord Cascata, she noticed Ivan’s gaze directed at her rather than the Lord. His eyes carried a mix of regret, sorrow, and apology—emotions that unsettled her.
“The Academy is working hard to track down those who injured your arm. We will surely find them, but Karla, practicing magic might be a bit more difficult for you.”
“I’ll do everything I can to help!”
It was Ivan who spoke.
Even though Karla involuntarily frowned and turned to look at him, it didn’t seem to matter to Ivan as he stared at Lord Cascata with a hardened expression.
“If Karla had ended up this way because of me, it’s my responsibility. If I had just been a little stronger or arrived a little earlier, Karla wouldn’t have been hurt. I will do my utmost to help her!”
“Ho-ho…”
Lord Cascata stroked his beard in mild amazement. Although they had only met during enrolment because of his top rank, he hadn’t expected Ivani to show such strong feelings for Karla.
“Before you came to the Academy, you lived in Cascata territory, didn’t you? That’s how you know Karla?”
“Yes, that’s right. We were childhood friends! Back then, we used different names—”
“Yes, we did. Back then, you were Carlo della Cascata, were you not?”
Lord Cascata grinned warmly.
“Yes, exactly that name. We’ve been friends since childhood, and Karla was the first person who taught me magic.”
“Ah, so that’s a deep bond. I’ve come to see my niece, and now I’ve heard a wonderful story.”
“Your praise is too kind.”
“Not at all. Then, I’ll have to rely on you, Ivan. But, Headmaster, I feel I’ve kept you from your busy schedule.”
“Not at all, Lord Cascata. We deeply regret that an unsavory event has befallen a noble of House Cascata.”
“That’s not true; the blame lies with the culprit, and they must be held accountable.”
Though Lord Cascata smiled, the headmaster didn’t return it quite so easily.
‘They must be held accountable’—that is equivalent to saying the Academy must catch the perpetrator.
House Cascata is making its statement.
The Academy must catch the wrongdoers.
“Did you make a wish at the waterfall?”
“Yes.”
On the way back to the carriage.
Under the pretense of seeing Lord Cascata off, Karla was walking back with him alone.
“You may not have thought about the consequences… But then, the Waterfall Deity does not reveal what price will be asked, so you couldn’t have known this would happen.”
“Yes, I didn’t.”
“Well, it couldn’t be helped. Karla… Calling you that makes me really feel like I’ve got a niece. Anyway, Karla, let me take a look at your arm. I’ve heard there’s development in military prosthetics. I’ll look into it for you.”
At that moment, Karla hesitated.
Perhaps she could ask Lord Cascata about the alchemy now?
But remembering Lorenzo’s words, she concluded that asking about a forbidden art to someone as principled as Lord Cascata was premature, so she remained silent.
Instead, an uneasy feeling welled up within her, and she suddenly spoke.
“Father—”
“Hmm? Enrico? What about him?”
They had reached the carriage.
The coachman rushed to open the door, and Lord Cascata stepped onto the carriage stairs without a trace of hesitation.
“Two months from now, there will be a midterm exam at the academy.”
“So the exam is two months away. And?”
Lord Cascata had taken his seat in the carriage. He placed his hat on his knees and looked at Karla, as if urging her to continue.
“If I do not pass that midterm exam, Father plans to make me leave the academy and marry the eldest son of the House of Scheiskel.”
“The eldest son of House Scheiskel? That bumbling fool, Lucas.”
Lord Cascata had a keen eye for people.
Karla secretly harbored a little hope—there was no way Lord Cascata would just sit back and let her be engaged to someone so poorly evaluated.
“Actually, it could be worse. You clearly dislike the idea, but wouldn’t that idiot be someone easy for you to manipulate entirely? In that way, you could also diminish House Scheiskel’s influence. Enrico’s idea is quite rational. To me, your match with him seems fine too.”
“…What?”
Karla stood there with her mouth agape, unable to utter a word.
“Again, you’ll have significant resistance, but isn’t it something you’ll have to get used to? Payment made to the Waterfall Deity is irreversible. It would be for the best if you become accustomed. And from the perspective of alleviating Fabio’s burden as the next head of the household after Enrico, it’s not a bad choice. Think about it. I’ll take my leave now. If you’re ever in trouble, don’t hesitate to write me a letter. Stay well, Karla.”
“Yes… Yes…”
Karla stood there watching the carriage drive away.
Her tightly clenched fists were trembling faintly.
