Roxy had prepared herself for many possibilities when she took this job.

  A spoiled noble brat who thought themselves a genius?A helpless, struggling child in desperate need of guidance?Or, at worst, a family of insufferable aristocrats who just wanted a magician for bragging rights?

  But this—

  This was not what she expected.

  Paul Greyrat and Zenith Greyrat were normal.

  Too normal.

  Welcoming, kind, warm even—

  And yet… the stark contrast between them and their daughter was impossible to ignore.

  Anastasia sat elegantly, sipping her milk-infused tea with the grace of a princess, her golden locks shimmering in the light.

  Zenith was also blonde, but not nearly as strikingly golden as Anastasia.

  Paul… well, Paul was Paul.

  "Ah, can we know your name, Miss?"

  Paul’s voice snapped Roxy out of her thoughts.

  She straightened her posture and answered smoothly,

  "Roxy Migurdia. A Migurd, graduate of Ronoa Magic Academy, and a Water Saint-ranked magician."

  Zenith and Paul’s eyes widened in awe.

  Achieving Saint-rank magic at her age wasn’t a small feat, and their expressions told her they knew it.

  Zenith was the first to speak.

  "Miss Roxy, we are willing to pay you handsomely to teach our son properly."

  Roxy nodded automatically, but—

  Wait.

  "Son?"

  She blinked, confusion pin on her face.

  Her gaze shifted to Anastasia, silently questioning.

  Anastasia merely smiled elegantly and spoke as if expining something completely mundane.

  "It is my vampiric brother who requires teaching, as I have no interest in magic."

  …

  No interest?

  NO INTEREST?!

  Roxy felt her mind short-circuit.

  She stared at the girl in front of her—

  The same girl who had deduced her entire background at a gnce.

  The same girl whose presence felt like a noble monarch evaluating her subjects.

  And she—

  Didn’t want to learn magic?!

  "Wha—"

  Roxy opened her mouth, then closed it.

  What kind of child prodigy refuses magic when it’s clear they have the mind for it?!

  This wasn’t just disinterest.

  This was deliberate rejection.

  And that…

  That made her curious.

  Very curious.

  Zenith sighed, a hint of exasperation in her voice.

  "Dear, you should at least try."

  Anastasia, sitting with perfect posture, merely shook her head once.

  "I do not wish to learn magic, Mother. And that is final."

  Her tone was calm, yet unyielding—a statement absolute.

  To anyone else, it might sound like a simple refusal.

  But to Anastasia, it was far more than that.

  She was the Grand Marshal of Magic.

  To be taught by someone beneath her?

  It was no different from forcing a noble to beg for a day.

  …Well, granted, some nobles enjoyed pretending to be beggars for fun, but she was not one of them.

  Zenith merely shook her head, already realizing she wouldn’t win this battle.

  But Roxy…

  Roxy wasn’t so easily deterred.

  "Are you saying…"

  The magician leaned forward, her blue eyes shining with challenge.

  "That magic is too hard for you?"

  Silence.

  Anastasia froze.

  Her sharp golden eyes widened, not in fear—

  But in shock.

  Audacious.

  Absolutely audacious.

  How dare this mere wand-waving magician provoke her?

  The nerve. The sheer gall.

  Her grip on her teacup tightened, but she did not react yet.

  She analyzed the move.

  A childish provocation—simple, effective.

  But she would not take the bait so easily.

  A small, knowing smirk curled her lips.

  "You are merely not worthy to teach me, Miss Magician."

  Her words were not an insult—

  They were a statement of fact.

  And Roxy knew it.

  For a moment, the blue-haired magician felt it deep in her soul—

  Anastasia wasn’t bluffing.

  She genuinely, wholeheartedly believed what she just said.

  And the worst part?

  It wasn’t arrogance.

  It was the truth.

  Roxy clenched her fists beneath the table.

  She had been in many debates, many battles of wit—

  But this child had the presence of a queen.

  Meanwhile, Paul and Zenith…

  They simply sipped their tea, watching the drama unfold.

  Like it was a stage py.

  Paul, at some point, even nodded approvingly as if admiring the verbal duel.

  Before Roxy could fully process her verbal duel with Anastasia, a childish voice rang from the second floor.

  "Ohh! Is my teacher here?!"

  The group turned to the staircase—

  And there, standing proudly, was a little boy.

  His brown hair, his familiar features—

  It was undeniably Paul’s son.

  Roxy’s eyes met the child’s curious gaze.

  And then—

  "Ahh! You’re small!"

  The innocent observation hit like a knife to the ribs.

  Roxy’s eyebrow twitched.

  "Like you’re any bigger than me!" she snapped back.

  A short silence.

  And then—

  "Pfft—"

  Anastasia suppressed a ugh.

  Not because of Roxy’s anger—

  But because of what she just witnessed.

  The moment Rudeus had locked eyes with Roxy,

  She could see it.

  The spark.

  The undeniable attraction.

  The obvious admiration in his gaze.

  Ah.

  So this is how it starts.

  Anastasia rested her chin on her palm, watching Rudeus’ dumbfounded expression with amusement.

  She took mental notes.

  ? Rudeus seems to like blue-haired girls.

  ? Roxy also stared at her earlier… in a simir way.

  ? Both of them clearly have questionable taste.

  A match made in foolish heaven.

  Fate must truly be cruel.

  She sighed dramatically, shaking her head.

  "Well… I suppose people do have different preferences."

  She muttered, loud enough for no one to understand—

  Except for Lilia, who barely contained her chuckle.

  Meanwhile, Paul and Zenith?

  They were just happy Rudeus was finally speaking to someone outside of his family.

  Even if his first words to his teacher were about her height.

  "That is the kid I wanted you to teach," Paul said, grinning.

  Zenith, ever the responsible mother, sighed and turned to Rudeus.

  "Rudy, you’re being impolite. Apologize to your teacher."

  Rudeus, looking sheepish, scratched his cheek and muttered, "Sorry."

  Roxy, maintaining her professional demeanor, simply nodded.

  "It’s fine."

  Paul, however, had other ideas.

  With a grin that could only mean trouble, he cpped his hands together and leaned in.

  "Miss Roxy, how about this—I'll pay you five Asura silver coins for teaching Rudy."

  Roxy raised an eyebrow. That was already an impressive sum.

  But Paul wasn’t done.

  "But!"

  He lifted a finger, then pointed it directly at Anastasia.

  "If you can get her to attend your lessons… I’ll make it ten."

  Paul fshed a thumbs-up at Zenith, who, without hesitation, did the same while holding Rudeus in her arms.

  A unified parental front of absolute scheming.

  Anastasia, meanwhile, narrowed her eyes at Paul in utter distaste.

  She leaned back in her seat, arms crossed, her voice dripping with disappointment.

  "I suppose betrayal is inevitable… if it’s my stupid father I’m talking about."

  Paul flinched, pcing a hand over his chest dramatically.

  "Why does my own daughter snder me so?!"

  Zenith patted his back unsympathetically, clearly not refuting Anastasia’s words.

  Roxy, on the other hand, was no longer paying attention to their family antics.

  Her focus was entirely on Anastasia.

  The girl wouldn’t be easy to convince.

  But Roxy was a teacher first and foremost.

  And a challenge like this?

  It made her blood boil with determination.

  "I accept."

  Roxy’s voice was steady, her blue eyes filled with resolve.

  "But first," she turned to Paul, "I’d like to assess my student’s capabilities. May we use a clear area outside?"

  She had to start somewhere.

  And first, she had to see exactly what Rudeus was capable of.

  Anastasia’s mischievous smirk remained firmly in pce as she watched her brother react exactly as she predicted.

  "The outside? Oh no, maybe my dear brother will turn to ashes!"

  Her words rang through the room, her tone half-mocking, half-wistful, as if she were mourning his supposed fate.

  Rudeus froze, his entire body tensing up.

  Then, with the righteous fury of a child who refuses to be teased, he whirled around, his face flushing red with indignation.

  "I am NOT scared of the outside!"

  He puffed out his chest, his fists clenched as he stared at Anastasia, eyes burning with defiance.

  "You’re just jealous!"

  Anastasia tilted her head slightly, clearly enjoying this.

  "Jealous?" she echoed, her voice dripping with mock curiosity.

  Rudeus bit the bait instantly.

  "Yes! You’re just jealous because I’ll be a Magic God in the future!"

  He pointed a dramatic finger at her, like a hero decring war against his greatest nemesis.

  Anastasia simply blinked at him, her smirk never fading.

  Paul, meanwhile, looked between his children and murmured to Zenith, "This is starting to feel personal."

  Zenith took a sip of her tea, unimpressed. "It has always been personal."

  Rudeus, filled with determination, turned to Roxy and grinned smugly.

  "Let’s go, Sensei! Don’t believe anything that chuuni says!"

  Without waiting for a reply, he swung the door open and marched outside, as if stepping onto a battlefield.

  His pride was on the line now.

  Roxy, watching all this unfold, let out a small sigh.

  Teaching Rudeus would be… interesting.

  She turned to Paul and Zenith, adjusting her hat slightly.

  "Can I bring a chair with me?"

  Zenith and Paul both nodded, clearly used to such requests.

  Thus, with as much dignity as she could muster, Roxy picked up a chair and followed her new student outside.

  Behind her, Anastasia rested her chin on her hand, watching everything unfold with zy amusement.

  "A 'Magic God,' huh?"

  Her golden eyes gleamed, and her smirk widened.

  "I guess we’ll see about that."