A lavish ballroom gala was in full swing, with magical lanterns casting a brilliant glow into every corner of the room.
The guests, clad in magnificent attire adorned with jewels, exchanged elegant pleasantries.
A maid named Lea moved frantically to and fro, carrying trays of drinks to the guests' tables.
"Ah, I'm so sorry!" Lea gasped as she accidentally bumped into a guest, splashing an expensive drink onto his clothes.
In an instant, the room fell silent. A wave of whispers erupted among the gathered nobles.
Lea's fingers trembled; she could feel a cold, threatening aura emanating from the young man before her. It was no ordinary presence, unlike that of the other nobles.
"Miss, are you alright?" the black-haired young man asked, his gaze piercing.
"M-My lord, please forgive me. It was not my intention," Lea said, bowing deeply.
"It is fine. Soiled clothes can be cleaned."
Contrary to Lea's fears, the intimidating man spoke with kindness—a stark contrast to his daunting appearance.
After he helped her steady herself, Lea whispered softly, "Thank you… please forgive my clumsiness."
She hurried out of the room, weighed down by guilt.
"She has striking eyes," the young man murmured, watching her figure disappear behind the doors.
***
As she exited the ballroom, Lea let out a long sigh. "Ugh, that was close."
However, just as she was about to return to the servants' quarters, mocking voices came from behind.
"That slut always acts so innocent. Maybe that's why the Young Master chose her."
"Look at her face, acting all pure. Just because the Young Master often calls her to his room, she thinks she's already a noble?"
The other maids whispered mockingly, but Lea ignored them.
"Just a little longer," she muttered to herself.
Lea had worked long enough in this residence. As a commoner, working here was a stroke of luck, even though she had to become the exclusive servant of a young master known as a scoundrel.
However, no one knew that all this time, Lea had secretly become the disciple of a tower mage.
"This is my last day working here. I just need to endure."
Thanks to her savings and her teacher's letter of recommendation, her dream of becoming a great mage was within reach.
"Lea, you're here!" Another maid approached.
"The Young Master is calling for you. He's in the back garden."
"What for? Didn't the Young Master say he didn't want to leave his room today?"
"I don't know either," the maid replied, scratching the back of her head.
Lea walked toward the back garden. Flowers bloomed beautifully under the moonlight. The area looked like a labyrinth with tall plants lined up in rows.
Most of the guards were stationed at the front area since important guests had gathered there.
She stepped toward the farthest part, where the Young Master usually secluded himself.
"Young Master, you called for me?" Lea greeted, bowing respectfully.
"I heard you're quitting tomorrow, aren't you?" the Young Master said while sipping from the wine bottle in his hand.
"That's correct, my lord. The head maid has approved my resignation letter."
Crash! The wine bottle shattered into pieces near Lea's feet. Her heart pounded rapidly; she realized her master was in a very bad mood.
"How dare you!" the Young Master shouted. "You're leaving me after everything I've given you?!"
Lea froze in silence.
"Do you know who paid off your family's gambling debts? Do you know who hired a teacher to teach you magic?" The Young Master stared sharply into Lea's eyes.
Lea was stunned. She remembered meeting her teacher at the market, which she had thought was just a coincidence. It was impossible for a great mage to teach her for free.
"When I found out you had talent in controlling mana, I searched for the best teacher for you!"
"I-I didn't know that…" Lea replied, stammering.
"When your father was about to sell you to a brothel because of debt, who paid it all and brought you here to work?" The Young Master's breath grew heavy, his emotions exploding.
For Lea, this truth was hard to believe. The person she thought was a scoundrel was actually her savior.
"After all that, you still want to leave me?"
"N-No, my lord, I can explain—"
"Enough!" The Young Master brushed his hair back roughly. "Yeah, I'm just a useless bastard in your eyes, right?"
"My lord, that's not what I meant. I was only following my teacher's advice."
"What? If you wanted to go to the academy, you should have said so earlier!"
Lea lowered her head weakly. She had never thought of discussing her future with the Young Master. But now, doubt began to creep into her heart.
Should she stay, or leave to chase her dream?
Suddenly, with heavy steps, the Young Master approached and pushed Lea to the ground.
"Ah!" Lea cried out in shock. The Young Master immediately pinned her down, locking both her hands above her head. The difference in strength left her powerless.
"This is how it should be. A slut like you should stay by my side and serve me!"
"My lord, stop!" Lea struggled, realizing the situation was becoming dangerous. "Help!"
"I said be quiet!"
Smack! A hard slap landed on Lea's cheek. A burning sensation spread across her face; she could no longer bear to look at her master. The Young Master began groping her body roughly. Tears streamed down Lea's face; she felt utterly broken as a commoner with no choices.
Just as the buttons of her clothes were being forcibly undone, a thunderous voice split the darkness.
"Enough! Stop this!"
The black-haired young man from the ballroom appeared. Under the moonlight, his figure looked resolute, ready to oppose the injustice before him.
The Young Master turned with overflowing anger, his breath ragged from alcohol and emotion. "Who are you?! How dare you interfere in my business?!"
The black-haired young man did not answer with words. He stepped forward slowly, yet each of his steps seemed to weigh heavily on the air around them.
His gaze was cold, as sharp as a blade.
"Let her go," he said flatly. His voice was low, yet carried undeniable authority.
"Bastard! She's my servant! Mine!" The Young Master staggered to his feet, releasing Lea who trembled in fear. He clenched his fist and charged recklessly.
Thud! A raw punch from the Young Master flew forward, but the mysterious young man merely tilted his head slightly. The punch passed by his ear.
Without wasting time, the black-haired young man grabbed the Young Master's wrist and twisted it in one efficient motion.
"Aaagh!" The Young Master groaned in pain, his body forced to bend.
"You're drunk, you're crude, and you're pathetic," the young man whispered right into the Young Master's ear.
The Young Master tried to strike back with his left hand, but the young man was faster. A palm strike landed squarely in the Young Master's solar plexus.
Bang! The air seemed to be ripped from the Young Master's lungs. He fell to his knees, coughing violently as his face turned red.
Before he could recover, a low kick struck his shoulder, slamming him onto the dew-damp ground.
"Get up," the black-haired young man challenged, standing tall without a single strand of hair out of place.
"Damn you… Guards! Guards!" the Young Master shouted hoarsely, but his voice was drowned out by the distant party music.
The Young Master forced himself to stand and charged again with the remnants of his rage. However, the fight resembled an adult facing a toddler.
The black-haired young man deflected every attack with minimal movement, then countered with two swift punches to the face.
Smack! Thud! Fresh blood flowed from the Young Master's nose. He collapsed beneath the mysterious young man's feet, groaning in pain while clutching his swelling face.
There was no longer any trace of noble arrogance; what remained was a drunk man who had been pitifully defeated on the ground.
The black-haired young man crushed the broken wine bottle near the Young Master's head into powder under his foot. He then turned his gaze to Lea, who was still sitting weakly.
"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice suddenly soft, in stark contrast to the brutality he had just shown.
"Y-yes…" Lea nodded slowly while clutching her exposed chest with trembling hands.
Noticing this, the black-haired young man quickly averted his gaze. With swift movement, he removed his cloak and draped it over Lea's shoulders.
"Use this," he said gently but firmly.
Not long after, hurried footsteps approached. The residence guards finally arrived at the scene.
"Young Master! What happened?!" one guard exclaimed upon seeing their master lying battered and helpless on the ground.
"You! What did you do to the Young Master?" another guard added, glaring sharply at the stranger.
Standing tall while shielding Lea behind him, the young man answered calmly.
"I am Alvert von Stelheart of the Count Stelheart family. A pleasure to meet you," he said, offering an elegant gesture of respect.
"Y-You!" The guard stepped back in shock.
"Hey, did you hear his name? He's the son of the Stelheart family, the one called the 'Child of Miracle' who appears only once in a thousand years, right?" one guard whispered with a trembling voice.
"That's right. They say he possesses the blessing of light magic and is a master of swordsmanship. It's an honor to meet him in person here."
The guards whispered among themselves in admiration, until a middle-aged man who seemed to be the head guard stepped forward.
"My apologies, Lord Alvert. If I may ask, what exactly happened here?"
"Are you blind?" Alvert pointed toward the groaning Young Master. "Can't you see the girl behind me? She was nearly a victim of sexual assault by your Young Master."
The head guard was stunned, then lowered his head weakly.
"Th-that… we will handle this matter immediately." He quickly ordered his subordinates to take the Young Master away.
Not a single guard dared to deny Alvert's words.
Aside from his family's far greater status, the Young Master's reputation as a scoundrel made Alvert's testimony impossible to doubt.
Alvert then turned to Lea. "Your name is Lea, right?"
"Yes…"
"Lord Eggar often talks about you."
Lea's eyes widened. "Teacher? Do you know him?"
"Yes. I came here to pick you up at Lord Eggar's request. He is also the one who taught me magic," Alvert said as he extended his sturdy hand toward Lea.
"He said you would be entering the Imperial Academy. So, will you go there with me?"
Lea stared at his outstretched hand for a moment in hesitation. But the memory of the traumatic event she had just experienced erased her remaining doubts.
Rather than remain trapped in this suffocating residence, pursuing her dream with Alvert was the path she had long awaited.
Gently, Lea accepted Alvert's hand. She stepped forward, following her savior without looking back even once.
She was certain that the path she chose this time was the right one.
The meeting between Lea and Alvert became a turning point for everything—a beginning of a story of struggle that would one day eradicate evil.
As for the events of this night, they were merely a hidden fragment, a prologue never written in the original course of history.