System?

“Now, Fú Nī Yà, you still haven’t told me.”

After a moment of silence, Albert shook his head and inquired, “Which school of magic do you wish to study?”

“They all seem incredibly powerful,” Fú Nī Yà mumbled, before looking up and playfully winking at Albert.

“If I had to choose… what would you say if I told you I wanted to learn them all, Albert?”

“What do you expect me to say?”

Albert shrugged indifferently.

“If you can truly master all of them, then I see no reason to stop you.”

“Then I’ll give it a try…”

With those words, Fú Nī Yà continued to flip through the book.

****

While the book primarily detailed the characteristics and historical origins of various magic schools across the continent, it still contained a few simple zero-ring spells.

Zero-ring spells, also known as magic tricks, could only perform basic operations, such as igniting a tiny flame, distorting light, or levitating small objects.

These magic tricks had simple spell models and virtually no mana consumption, making them accessible even to non-mages; they typically served as introductory magic for aspiring mage apprentices.

After careful selection, Fú Nī Yà chose a spell named [Fire Spark].

It was a well-known fact that playing with fire was a boy’s favorite pastime.

However, the moment the thought of learning [Fire Spark] arose in Fú Nī Yà’s mind, a pop-up window suddenly appeared before her eyes.

[Detected skill [Fire Spark], spend 100 skill experience points to learn?]

“Hmm?”

Fú Nī Yà let out an almost imperceptible gasp of surprise.

‘Is this… my system?’

‘Has it finally reacted?’

Considering everything that had happened today, the system had remained completely silent, leading her to believe it was broken.

Upon seeing the words on the window, Fú Nī Yà mentally affirmed without hesitation.

‘Yes!’

The next second, the window vanished, and a stream of information flowed into Fú Nī Yà’s mind.

Fú Nī Yà furrowed her brow, processing the influx of data.

This information contained a vast amount of knowledge about [Fire Spark].

It was deeply etched into her mind, feeling as familiar as if she had cast the spell countless times before.

Fú Nī Yà tilted her head in astonishment.

“What’s wrong?” Albert asked, and Fú Nī Yà, snapping out of her surprise, nodded triumphantly.

“I’ve learned this spell~ Hehe.”

“You learned it that quickly?” Albert was visibly astonished.

“You could have only read it once in such a short time, couldn’t you?”

“It’s a zero-ring trick; one read-through is more than enough~”

Fú Nī Yà declared with an expression that screamed “I’m a genius,” extending a finger.

“Fire Spark~”

A tiny flame materialized on Fú Nī Yà’s fingertip.

Though minuscule, the flame persisted without any combustible material, gently hovering at the young girl’s finger.

Its mesmerizing form was deeply imprinted in her eyes.

Such was the allure of magic.

Albert stared at the tiny flame in disbelief; even though Fire Spark was merely a trick, it was far from something one could master with a single glance.

Watching Fú Nī Yà, her mouth slightly agape, lost in the wonder of magic and speechless for a long moment, Albert couldn’t help but shake his head with a soft chuckle.

‘How could I forget? She is Fú Nī Yà, the Calamity Witch of her previous life…’

‘This is precisely the talent she should possess.’

“Would you like to examine other spells?”

“Of course~”

Albert inquired, and Fú Nī Yà nodded in response, simultaneously turning to the next page of the book.

****

The magic on this page was named [Telekinesis].

This time, she meticulously read through the casting process, eager to discern the difference between learning through the system and learning by herself.

‘The first read-through left some parts a bit blurry…’

Fú Nī Yà gently closed her eyes, organized the memories in her mind, then opened them again, rereading the text in the book.

After the second read, Fú Nī Yà turned to Albert.

“Learned it?” Albert asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes, I’ve learned it.”

Fú Nī Yà nodded.

“Try casting it?”

“Alright.”

Fú Nī Yà gave a slight nod, then extended her palm towards Albert.

“Telekinesis~”

The towel Albert had just used to dry Fú Nī Yà’s hair, which lay on the sofa, now floated into mid-air.

Then, Fú Nī Yà’s hand moved slightly to the left—the towel followed, slowly drifting to the rack where Albert had placed it earlier.

After completing this, Fú Nī Yà breathed a little heavily.

Unlike the effortless ease of casting [Fire Spark] moments ago, using [Telekinesis] clearly consumed a significant amount of her mental energy.

‘Is it due to differing proficiency…’

Fú Nī Yà murmured softly, glancing at her system screen.

On the screen, [Fire Spark] displayed (Level: 1/10), while [Telekinesis] showed (Learning Progress: 23/200).

Fú Nī Yà noticed two distinct things.

First, the experience required to learn Telekinesis was exactly double that of Fire Spark, indicating that even among zero-ring tricks, there were disparities in difficulty between different spells.

Second, the system’s learning likely referred to achieving proficient mastery, with any further levels remaining unknown.

“You’re learning quite fast; it seems my judgment was sound, and your magic talent is rather good…”

Albert remarked with a smile.

However, upon noticing Fú Nī Yà’s slightly fatigued eyes, his brow furrowed.

He picked up the brass bell from the coffee table beside the sofa and gave it a shake.

In less than a minute, the old butler arrived in the living room.

Upon seeing Fú Nī Yà comfortably seated on the sofa while Albert stood behind her, leaning against the backrest, his brow twitched involuntarily.

“Your Highness.” He approached Albert, bowing slightly.

“Wǎ ěr.” Albert addressed the old butler.

“Please prepare dinner. Oh, and prepare two servings.”

“…I understand.”

The old butler paused for a moment, then nodded and withdrew.

After the old butler had left, Fú Nī Yà curiously questioned Albert.

“Albert, what level is my magic talent?”

Noticing the young girl’s slightly upturned nose, Albert, wanting to temper her triumphant spirit, lied.

“Roughly upper-middle tier in Lohiris, I’d say…”

‘Upper-middle didn’t specify by how much; even the top student would still be considered upper-middle,’ Albert thought, feeling a little guilty.

“What about you, Albert?” Fú Nī Yà continued to ask, still curious.

“Me? I don’t study magic.” Albert explained, “The princes of Lohiris all study battle qi, to facilitate leading armies in the future.”

“I see…” Fú Nī Yà nodded in understanding, then pressed on with another question.

“Then what about your magic talent?”

“Just a tiny bit worse than yours.”

Albert replied, holding his right hand before him, index finger and thumb pressed together, leaving only a negligible gap.

****

…

…

At dinner, Fú Nī Yà somewhat clumsily cut a piece of sturgeon with her knife and fork, bringing it to her mouth.

The taste was rather pleasant, and the young girl nodded in satisfaction.

Before her, a lavish spread was neatly arranged, featuring dishes such as stew, borscht, white bread, roasted sturgeon, rose syrup, and wine.

Such an opulent dinner was something her predecessor had never experienced, and even Fú Nī Yà herself had not had the fortune to enjoy in her previous life—after all, a 996 corporate drone (TL Note: “996” refers to a common work schedule in China, meaning 9 AM to 9 PM, 6 days a week, often associated with long hours and burnout, and “社畜” (shè chù) literally means “social animal” or “corporate s*ave,” implying a person exploited by their job) barely had time to order takeout, let alone cook.

Even if she had found the time to cook, her own culinary skills couldn’t produce anything this delicious.

Fú Nī Yà picked up a small spoon and tasted a spoonful of rose syrup, its sweet flavor making her eyes blissfully narrow.

Perhaps it was due to becoming a girl, but Fú Nī Yà found herself growing fond of desserts.

In her previous life, she had been indifferent to such things.

Seeing the young girl’s adorable demeanor, Albert couldn’t help but smile.

“I thought you might not be accustomed to using a knife and fork…”

“Uh… I did use them a very, very long time ago, you know…”

Fú Nī Yà explained.

“I see…”

Albert nodded, recalling Fú Nī Yà’s childhood experiences.

She, too, had initially been born into a noble family.

‘It seems I was overthinking things…’ Albert shook his head.

After all, Fú Nī Yà’s performance throughout the day had been entirely unlike that of a half-elf girl who had spent her childhood wandering and seeking refuge.

If one factored in her early childhood experiences… then it could all be explained.

She had, at the very least, spent over two decades in a noble household, so it was hardly surprising that she possessed such worldly experience through immersion.

Finishing the food before him in a few quick bites, Albert spoke to Fú Nī Yà.

“I’ll be leaving now. After you’ve finished eating, Martha Idis will take you to your bedroom. Wake up early tomorrow; I have something I need to take you out for.”

“What is it?”

“It’s related to you, in a way… Trust me, you’ll regret it if you don’t go.”

With that, Albert departed from the dining room.

Observing his exit, Fú Nī Yà couldn’t help but narrow her eyes, glaring unhappily at Albert’s retreating back, secretly thinking he was being needlessly mysterious.

Soon, Fú Nī Yà also set down her knife and fork, leaning back in her chair and rubbing her stomach with a look of utter contentment.

“*Hic*… So full!”

For some reason, throughout the entire day, Fú Nī Yà had felt that whenever she was with other people, her male dignity was inexplicably suppressed, causing her to act gracefully like a girl. Only when she was alone, like now, could she indulge in more masculine gestures.

However, just as Fú Nī Yà was about to close her eyes and take a short nap in the chair, a voice suddenly came from behind her.

“Miss Fú Nī Yà…?”

“M-Madam Martha Idis!?”

Fú Nī Yà’s eyes widened in surprise, and she quickly sat up straight, adopting a well-behaved expression.

“Yes, it’s me, Miss Fú Nī Yà.” Martha Idis nodded.

“Next time, please refrain from adopting such an unseemly posture.”

“I understand…”

Fú Nī Yà lowered her head, looking dejected.

Seeing the young girl’s good attitude in admitting her mistake, Martha Idis’s expression softened, and she nodded to Fú Nī Yà.

“I will now escort you to your resting place…”

“Alright.”

Fú Nī Yà promptly stood up from the chair, and only then did she realize that Martha Idis hadn’t come alone; several maids followed behind her.

After Fú Nī Yà left the dining table, the maids efficiently began cleaning up.

Fú Nī Yà cast a curious glance, then quickly followed behind Martha Idis, leaving the dining room.

Approximately a few minutes later, she arrived at her own room.

Wardrobe, table, dressing table, full-length mirror, bookshelf, and other furnishings were all present, along with an essential, soft, large bed.

The pristine white duvet made Fú Nī Yà’s heart flutter with anticipation.

“There’s a washroom in the room’s partition,” Martha Idis reminded her, then bowed slightly.

“Well then, I shall take my leave.”

“Thank you, Madam Martha Idis.”

Fú Nī Yà nodded.

“You’re welcome.”

Martha Idis also offered Fú Nī Yà a benevolent smile before departing from the room.

Seeing Martha Idis leave, Fú Nī Yà immediately reverted to her true nature, throwing herself onto the bed without hesitation.

“Ah… so soft, so comfortable…”

Fú Nī Yà closed her eyes, reveling in the sensation.