The head feathers, which had been drooping like a thirsty plant, had sprung up with strength, as though they had never been wilted. She tried to press them down with her fingers, but for some reason, they absolutely wouldn’t budge.

She helplessly took out Koko from inside her shawl and introduced him simply.

“It’s my pet bird.”

“Oh? I’ve never seen it before. Did you get it recently?”

Rosha tried to reply with a casual nod.

At that moment, Koko whispered to her so only she could hear.

“It’s magical power.”

…Magical power?

She forgot to reply and looked around to check their surroundings.

Fortunately, it seemed her uncle wasn’t expecting a reply, as he changed the topic while pouring tea.

“You must be tired from your long journey. How was the Marquis Lycaon’s residence?”

“Well, it was a very beautiful place.”

“I’m glad you liked it. What about your fiancé, young lord?”

“He was… better than I expected.”

She vaguely brushed off the topic, since she didn’t even remember much about it. Then she noticed Koko staring intently at the ruby necklace hanging around her uncle’s neck.

“But why did you suddenly decide not to go through with the engagement?”

“Well, I think I still have some things left to do in the count’s house before I can decide on my future course. I told you earlier today.”

“…Is that the only reason?”

“Yes. Do I need another reason?”

“Of course, you do!”

Her uncle raised his voice in frustration.

Rosha wasn’t surprised at all, while uncle’s complexion had turned red and blue as if it was about to explode.

“The only thing you can do for the family is to get engaged with the Marquis Lycaon‘s family! You’re acting impulsively, not even knowing what’s important. You’re still immature.”

Does he mean himself?

Did he think embezzling the family’s assets while the grandfather was incapacitated was also for the family?

‘Such a hypocrite.’

She wanted to retort immediately, but there was something she needed to check first.

Her uncle took a deep breath and reached for the ruby necklace. At the same time, she started to feel a slight magical force.

Clearly, something was about to happen.

Flash!

As the jewel in the necklace faintly glowed, her uncle confidently said:

“Now, go back to Cedric and proceed with the engagement.”

His voice, although normal, resonated unusually in her ears.

An ominous magic, unseen but felt, approached Rosha. Recognizing the nature of the magic, the events began to make sense.

‘It’s a suggestion magic. So that’s what happened.’

She was familiar with the magic that plants suggestions in one’s mind to subtly control their actions.

Of course, her uncle wouldn’t have known that Koko would absorb all the incoming magic.

Peep.

Koko chirped as if satisfied.

Rosha said gruffly after checking Koko who was burping slightly.

“I don’t want to.”

“…What did you say?”

The uncle’s sneaky mustache quivered at her firm reply.

He tried to use the necklace’s power again on her, but with every attempt, Koko’s feathers seemed to fluff up even more, becoming glossier.

Koko even began to fly around the room vigorously.

“Kyakyakya.”

It wasn’t the kind of laughter a normal bird would make, but the uncle seemed too distressed to notice.

“Why… Why…”

“You seem curious as to why the necklace’s magic isn’t working.”

“How did you… Who are you?”

Suddenly alert, her uncle glared at her. Despite his sharp gaze, the trembling in his pupils indicated his shock.

With a broad smile, Rosha kindly replied:

“Who am I? I’m Rosha, the third child of this house. You know that, right?”

“Weren’t you the obedient child who always listens to adults without talking back?”

“It seems you’ve misjudged me.”

“What…!”

“By the way, who gave you this necklace, uncle? Was it Marquis Lycaon?”

As the uncle tried to fend off her reaching hand, he was a step too slow.

Rosha grabbed the now dim necklace and examined the information.

Necklace of Suggestion – Replica (class D)

It’s a replica of the sacred relic ‘Suggestion Necklace’. After several uses, it needs to be recharged with magic.

Current Status: 0/5, needs recharging.

As expected.

‘The suggestion magic from earlier was strange. Even in this world, there are people who know about the existence of sacred relics and use magic.’

A sacred relic is a special item created by burning the power of a deity, usually appearing before an ordeal. Depending on the type, this item allowed even those without any power to use magic or abilities.

The necklace owned by her uncle was in a similar context.

‘Of course, this is not genuine but a replica.’

This means that somewhere, there must be someone who replicated the sacred relic. Probably that person would be whom the uncle trusts.

But before even asking about it, her uncle grabbed her wrist first.

“You…! You know what this necklace is! Who solved your hint and told you about this? Speak the truth!”

He glared at her with fiery eyes, as if trying to find out something.

Hah, does he still think he’s in a position to talk big? But at that moment…

Ding!

The whereabouts of the sacred relic: You have fortunately found a clue to the ‘Necklace of Suggestion’ sacred relic! Since you’ve come this far, why not try to get the sacred relic before the trial begins?

Reward: Survival, an adjustment to the newly acquired sacred relic grade.

*Due to the effects of hard mode, you will die if you fail the quest.

…What?

She froze at the sudden appearance of the blue window. She was more taken aback by the harsh penalty for failure than the quest content itself.

‘How did I even get home… and there’s a death penalty upon failure?’

Even if it’s hard mode, isn’t this crossing the line?

The thought of this happening in the future made her blood boil in anger. Naturally, her face turned stiff, and she held onto the necklace with a whitened grip.

“What, what the…”

That only lasted for a moment, and then she looked at her uncle suddenly. His face had gone pale, and his lips and chin were shivering; he didn’t seem well.

‘Oh my, did his energy drain?’

Owners of abilities each had unique energies different from magic. As this energy is closely related to one’s mental strength and emotions, it seemed to have affected him without her realizing.

With a deep breath, Rosha pulled her wrist out of her weakened uncle’s grasp and warned:

“I’ll just leave the necklace be, Uncle. Please behave yourself from now on. And stop pulling these petty tricks.”

“Uh…”

“You understand, right?”

The uncle merely nodded with a perplexed look, seemingly terrified without intending to.

Well, what can she do? It’s all because of his karma.

She called out to the chirping bird on the desk and left the room, leaving her shivering uncle behind.

“Rosha!”

Then she spotted Cedric, who was quickly approaching with Berri.

Seeing his face, her anxious heart felt at ease. The headache from the sudden quest seemed to vanish instantly, probably because the effects of reuniting with her family were still lingering.

‘If I had come out a bit later, I would have looked very suspicious.’

Quickly closing the uncle’s room door, Rosha rushed towards him.

“Brother? What are you doing here?”

“Rosha! Did something happen inside?”

Cedric, who grabbed her shoulder, looked intently into her eyes.

Seeing his gentle green eyes filled with worry, Rosha quickly composed herself and tried to smile reassuringly.

“It was okay. Let’s go back quickly.”

“…Are you sure?”

“I told you so.”

Of course, it was a lie, but she didn’t want Cedric to find out yet.

She wanted to enjoy this brief peace a little longer. For that, a pricking conscience didn’t matter.

And…

‘This damn quest…’

A good idea just happened to cross her mind.