"So, Alicia, who usually has convulsions at night... had them this afternoon instead?"
Nolan furrowed his brow, deep in thought.
"Huh..." Orlan let out a long breath before answering, "Yes, that’s right, Prince Nolan."
He looked down at his little daughter, still lying unconscious, and gently stroked her cold, fragile, round face.
"I can’t stand seeing her like this anymore. Please, Prince... I’m begging you. Can you start the healing now? I know it’s sudden and goes against our agreement, but I just can’t take it."
Gritting his teeth, Orlan suddenly dropped to his knees, about to kowtow—but Nolan quickly stepped forward and stopped him.
"Don’t do that, Marquis Orlan," Nolan said, his tone laced with displeasure. "I’ve told you before—I don’t like being treated this way. It makes me uncomfortable when people are overly formal."
He helped Orlan back to his feet and let out a weary sigh, his expression tinged with helplessness.
Although he had grown used to life in this world, there were still customs he found hard to accept.
One custom he could never get used to was people kowtowing to him.
For someone from the modern world, it felt excessive—he had never even kowtowed to his father, the Emperor.
Meanwhile, Jisha, who had witnessed the entire scene, couldn’t hide her shock.
She had spent the past year working at the mansion and had come to know Orlan quite well.
He did seem friendly and approachable—but only to certain people, like her, Butler Alex, the maids, and the mansion guards.
Toward strangers, his demeanor was usually cold, often bordering on arrogant and indifferent.
Then again, that wasn’t surprising, given his status as a Marquis—one of the highest-ranking nobles in the empire.
But this time was different. For the first time, Jisha saw Orlan—who was always proud—earnestly pleading, even about to kowtow to a young man known for being lazy and useless.
It was completely unexpected.
If anyone else had seen this, Jisha was certain—absolutely certain—they wouldn’t believe it.
"Wait a minute!" Her eyes widened as she stared at Nolan from head to toe in disbelief. "Marquis Orlan, just now... Did you seriously ask the foolish prince—ahem, I mean, Prince Nolan—to heal Young Lady Alicia?"
Although she respected him as a prince, she personally didn’t like Nolan at all.
And not without reason. As the most talented young mage in the Tower of Silence, she was extremely proud of her abilities and carried a strong sense of superiority.
She looked down on anyone who was lazy, useless, or incompetent.
And Nolan fit perfectly into that category—someone she had always underestimated and dismissed.
After all, his notorious reputation had reached even the Tower of Silence, despite its distance from the Great Velmora Empire.
The corners of Nolan’s mouth twitched slightly when he heard her slip up.
He had to admit he was used to insults. Remarks like that were nothing new. But somehow, when she said it—whether outright or implied—it still got under his skin.
Meanwhile, Orlan returned his smile and gave a slow nod. "Yes, Jisha. Prince Nolan is indeed the one who will heal Alicia. Come to think of it, I haven’t explained the reason for his visit. My apologies for the oversight."
"But how is that possible?" Jisha’s voice brimmed with disbelief. She shot Nolan a quick glance, trying—and failing—to hide the doubt in her eyes. "Is it truly wise to entrust Young Lady Alicia’s recovery to him? There’s a real risk he could worsen her condition."
No offense, but even she—the most talented young mage in the world—had failed to heal Alicia.
How could someone like Prince Nolan possibly succeed—especially with a reputation as disgraceful as his?
No matter how she tried to reason it out, it simply didn’t make sense.
Orlan remained silent, a trace of irritation in his eyes—but he couldn’t truly blame her.
Her doubts were understandable. But only he knew the truth—behind Nolan’s lazy and useless exterior was someone far more terrifying than anyone could imagine.
Not to mention his connection to the Singularity of Chaos. But that secret... wasn’t something he could reveal—not even to Jisha.
Although Nolan had never explicitly forbidden him to speak, Orlan knew better. Some things were simply best left unsaid, and a single wrong word could be costly.
Just as Orlan was still searching for the right words, Nolan suddenly spoke up in a calm, almost casual tone.
"Jisha, I know you’re a genius—raised in the Tower of Silence and trained from childhood. But you need to understand something: the world is a big place, and there are people out there who surpass even you. It’s time you accepted that."
He smiled faintly, almost mockingly, as he crossed his arms. "Maybe you couldn’t heal Alicia. But what makes you so sure that I can’t? Who exactly decided that?"
Then, in a sharper voice, he added, "So please, shut up and stop bothering me. You’re seriously annoying."
Jisha stood frozen, stunned by Nolan’s scolding. Her eyes widened, her lips parted slightly—unable to believe what she had just heard.
But just moments later, rage surged within her.
Her round cheeks flushed red, her breathing grew uneven, and her finger trembled as she pointed it at Nolan.
"You... You..." she sputtered, wanting to snap back but unable to form the words.
In all her life, Jisha had never felt this furious, let alone hated someone.
Raised under strict discipline in the Tower of Silence, she’d never even learned how to argue, let alone insult someone.
Nolan simply shook his head and dismissed her with a glance, then turned his attention back to Orlan.
"Marquis Orlan, I’d like some time alone with Alicia. Would you mind stepping out for a moment?"
Orlan immediately understood what Nolan meant. Without hesitation, he gave a firm nod.
"Very well, Prince Nolan."
He then glanced at Jisha, who was still puffing out her cheeks like a balloon ready to explode.
"Jisha, let’s step outside. Let Prince Nolan do what he needs to."
Jisha grumbled silently. She was clearly unhappy with the decision, but she had no grounds to object.
With reluctant steps, she followed Orlan out of the room. Even as she walked away, her angry, narrowed eyes never left Nolan.
Once they were gone and the door was shut, Nolan let out a deep breath and finally allowed himself to relax.
"Well..." he murmured, rubbing his chin. "Where should I begin?"
His eyes scanned the pink-themed room. Of course, the décor didn’t interest him in the slightest.
His focus was on several hidden spots scattered around the room.
A faint smile tugged at his lips, and his eyes narrowed.
"Heh... found them."