Birds chirped outside the bedroom window, and warm morning sunlight spilled across the room.
Lucas had already showered, eaten breakfast, and was now standing in his backyard, stretching his muscles.
The clock showed 10 a.m.
He had slept like a log the night before, one of the most restful nights he could remember. Perhaps it was a side effect of transmigration.
Right now, he stood at the center of the backyard, fists clenched, feeling the surge of energy building inside him. Coiled, restless, ready to be unleashed.
Slowly, a blue aura radiated from his body.
The air around him distorted under the pressure and heat.
Lucas glanced down at his hands, satisfaction evident in his eyes.
"So this is what it feels like to be a magus," he muttered.
"To wield supernatural power… overwhelming strength."
A grin spread across his face.
Today marked the fourth day since his magical foundation had vanished.
And now, it had finally returned.
He gathered concentrated energy into his palm and slammed it into the ground.
BOOM!
A violent shockwave erupted, tearing the earth apart as cracks spread outward from the point of impact.
"This is fucking great!" Lucas exclaimed aloud, grinning widely.
He didn't stop there.
One movement flowed into another, fluid, powerful, relentless. The day was still long, and he intended to spend it fully adapting to his new body and its capabilities.
---
Time flew.
Soon, night fell.
Lucas had spent the entire day training, cycling through various techniques, some passed down through his family, others borrowed from foreign traditions, cultivating between each session.
And even though he already knew what Lucas Drakebane was capable of…
He couldn't help but be impressed.
It was no wonder Lucas had been branded a genius.
His potential was tremendous.
Yet in the original plot, his fate had been utterly tragic.
But not this time.
Lucas wouldn't let this opportunity go to waste.
At that moment, one of his bodyguards approached him in the backyard, pulling him out of his thoughts.
"Young Master," the man said respectfully. "The girl is awake. She tried to escape, but we stopped her."
Lucas nodded. "Alright. I'll go see her."
The guard bowed slightly and stepped away.
Lucas stood up, his cultivation session leaving him refreshed. The sensations had become familiar again, the steady absorption of mana, its circulation through his body, the gathering within his mana core.
The heart of every magi.
Just as a real heart pumped blood through veins, the mana core circulated mystical energy throughout the body.
---
When Lucas entered the living room, he saw Sofia sitting stiffly on the couch.
She was silent, but the fury burning in her eyes was unmistakable.
It was strange. According to the original plot, Sofia should have awakened this morning, and not this late.
"You're finally awake," Lucas said. "How are you feeling?"
His tone was laced with sarcasm.
"You're a bastard!" Sofia shot back.
"I'm flattered by the praise," Lucas replied with a smirk.
"I know it was you, Lucas!" she snapped. "You can't keep me here. I'm the young lady of House Valemont. They won't just sit by and let this happen."
Lucas chuckled softly.
"Sofia," he said, "do you really think I don't know the truth?"
He stepped closer, his voice calm and cutting.
"You're not even Gustav's favorite child. He has five children. His golden boy is Alex, the prodigy. The one he actually cares about."
He paused.
"And most importantly… he's male."
Sofia's expression wavered.
"You're bluffing."
"Am I?" Lucas leaned in slightly. "Still pretending to be the precious daughter of a noble house? Acting as if your family truly loves you?"
His voice sharpened into a blade.
"You know the truth, Sofia. How your father, Gustav, the chauvinistic bastard, treats women. How he treats your mother. How he treats you."
The words struck her like a slap.
Sofia lowered her gaze.
She knew it.
Every syllable Lucas spoke tore through years of denial she had carefully wrapped around herself.
There was no point pretending anymore.
She had spent her entire life trying to earn her father's affection.
But he had never truly seen her, not as a daughter, not as a person.
All because she was born a girl.
"But don't dwell on it too much," Lucas said smoothly.
"As they say, it's hard to describe the beauty of a rainbow to someone who's colorblind."
Sofia glared at him.
"You said you didn't do anything to me. So what do you want?" she demanded. "If you think this is some twisted kidnapping romance, and that I'll fall in love and willingly give myself to you, keep dreaming. I don't have Stockholm Syndrome."
Lucas smiled.
"You're smart. I like it."
"I have no interest in touching you," he said casually.
"I don't go digging in caves I didn't choose."
Then—
He turned and pulled something from a nearby drawer.
A maid uniform.
"You'll be working here," Lucas said. "I enjoy having a beautiful girl serve me."
Sofia blinked, stunned.
"…Wait. What?"
"You want me to work here?"
"Yes. Like a regular maid," Lucas replied calmly. "You'll keep this place clean."
"Are you insane?" she snapped. "You could hire a hundred people to clean this villa. Why me?"
"I'm a man who values talent," Lucas said lightly.
"And I know you enjoy cleaning."
His eyes gleamed.
"You tried winning your father's favor by acting like the perfect daughter. That includes housework, doesn't it?"
Sofia stared at him as if he were the devil himself.
"You're… unbelievable."
"Well," Lucas said, eyes narrowing slightly, "if you refuse, something might happen to the Valemont family."
He tilted his head.
"Oh, right. There's also a talented young girl enrolled in the Night Sky Order. Somehow, you convinced your father to treat her differently."
He smiled faintly.
"She's not like you. Her name was… Ellina, wasn't it?"
Sofia's eyes widened.
Her hand shot up to slap him, but Lucas caught her wrist effortlessly.
"Don't you dare touch her!" she hissed.
"That's up to you," Lucas said calmly, releasing her wrist and placing the uniform in her hands.
"So? Do you accept?"
Still glaring at him, Sofia snatched the outfit.
"…For my sister."
"Good," Lucas said with satisfaction. "Make sure you do your job well, Sofia."
He turned and walked away.
But just before leaving the room, he paused.
"Oh," he added with a smirk,
"have dinner ready when I get back."
Then he left.
Sofia remained frozen, fury burning hotter than ever. She clenched the maid uniform tightly in her fist, channeling every ounce of hatred and humiliation into that grip.