As Ascan’s health improved, I devoted myself to solving the homework assignment given to me by Barunen.
There was only one method to activate the locking mechanism—or engraving—of a magical engineering weapon: dropping the caster’s blood onto the magic stone to register them as its owner.
Of course, resetting it wasn’t impossible—it merely required the original owner of the magical engineering weapon or the person who had crafted it.
I stared intently at the magic stone bracelet clasped around my wrist, lost in thought.
‘Was this item originally owned by someone else? Or am I the first to engrave it?’
If it was the first engraving, I could simply drop my blood onto the magic stone right now. But if it had a previous owner, the moment blood from someone other than the rightful owner touched it, the device would undoubtedly self-destruct.
Therefore, since my life was not a game and the situation was uncertain, I couldn’t risk spilling my blood onto it.
Though I doubted Barunen, eccentric as he was, would deliberately endanger my life, surely he didn’t assign this homework just to test my luck on a fifty-fifty probability.
‘What does Master expect from me?’
Until now, I had practically buried myself in books while studying magical engineering.
Especially after receiving this assignment, I paid even closer attention to the precautions necessary when crafting weapons using magic stones.
As a result, although I’d never personally crafted a weapon before, I’d already self-taught myself a decent understanding of how to create magical engineering weapons.
The magic stone bracelet I wore appeared exquisitely crafted on the surface, but invisibly within, it was densely inscribed with complex magical formulas.
‘The reason they made this magic stone bracelet out of cheap silver is probably because they needed its cold property.’
If my guess was correct, since the magic stone was yellow, it was highly likely to be Light attribute; and if they crafted the bracelet from silver—a material with cold properties—it was probably to sustain the energy for as long as possible.
Thus, the only conclusion I reached was:
‘It’s very likely a bracelet imbued with Light magic.’
Light, literally using the Light attribute to emit a bright radiance.
It was useful in pitch darkness where surroundings couldn’t be discerned, but it also served as a defensive tool—emitting a sudden burst of bright light to facilitate escape from dangerous situations.
‘I don’t think my calculations are wrong, but not being able to guarantee one hundred percent certainty bothers me.’
Everything remained speculation. Unless I actually dropped my blood and tested whether it emitted Light, I couldn’t be certain.
Somehow, I felt Barunen must have anticipated I’d deduce this far.
If I merely ended the assignment now by presenting nothing but hypotheses, I might disappoint him.
Yet I wasn’t reckless enough to risk dropping blood onto a bracelet that might self-destruct, so naturally, I was conflicted.
‘No matter how I think about it, this is the only thing Master wants.’
After much deliberation, I finally picked up the tool capable of disassembling the bracelet.
Though it resembled a tiny ear pick, this device was specifically used for engraving or disassembling magical engineering weapons.
If I avoided the blood-drop engraving method, only one alternative remained:
Only the person who originally crafted the weapon could change its owner.
‘He must mean for me to personally change the ownership of this bracelet.’
In reality, unless one was the actual creator of the weapon, altering it was an extremely difficult task.
If, as expected, this bracelet carried Light magic—which wasn’t particularly dangerous magic—the locking mechanism wouldn’t be overly complex; yet even experts avoided reverse-engineering such devices.
But no matter how I thought about it, this was the only way to accurately determine the bracelet’s hidden ability.
‘Right—even if it’s not easy, I can’t give up without even trying.’
Carefully, I began stripping away the bracelet’s outer surface and examining the magical formulas hidden within.
As time passed, the once perfectly crafted ornament was reduced to mere skeletal framework.
With meticulous hand movements, I erased the original engraving mechanism and began inscribing new magical formulas, one by one.
At first, I was so nervous sweat poured like rain—but fortunately, whether because it suited my aptitude or not, I gradually found myself enjoying the process.
So absorbed was I that I lost track of time—until I heard a knock on the door, followed by Ascan’s voice.
“Young Lady, will you not come out again today?”
Come to think of it, after confirming Ascan’s recovery, I hadn’t stepped foot outside this room, completely engrossed in the bracelet.
Unsure how much time had passed, I glanced at the clock.
When I first entered this room, it was already evening—and now, evening still reigned, meaning at least a full day had passed.
Before I could respond, Ascan’s voice came again.
“All meals left outside your door remain untouched. The steward said if you refuse to eat again this time, he’ll have no choice but to report it to the Lord. What will you do?”
At those words, I naturally thought of my father, Orland. If such news reached him, troublesome complications might arise.
I looked regretfully at the nearly completed magical engineering bracelet. Though I wanted to finish what I’d started, eating seemed to take priority now.
Reluctantly, I halted my work and stood up.
Creeeak—I opened the door instead of replying, revealing Ascan standing outside.
Having lived for so long behind drawn curtains in this room, the light from outside nearly blinded me.
“Bring the meal inside.”
Ascan wordlessly stared at my haggard appearance, then replied in a voice even more subdued than before.
“…Yes.”
Once I indicated I would eat, Jerin—who had previously been ignored at the door—bustled in noisily to arrange the meal.
Before I could even savor the sight of the lavishly spread table, Jerin’s nagging poured in without pause.
“Young Lady, you’ll collapse if you keep going like this.”
“Yes.”
“Is something wrong?”
“No.”
“You haven’t left your room for so long—you’ll end up in real trouble.”
Today, Ascan—normally silent unless necessary—and Jerin, chattering anxiously, presented a stark contrast.
Feeling my concentration scatter, I turned to Jerin.
“Jerin.”
“Yes, what do you need?”
“Go wait outside so I can eat in peace.”
“Oh, Young Lady!”
“You’re making me too distracted to eat.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I’ll wait outside—just call if you need anything.”
“Alright.”
Whether she thought she’d disturbed my meal or not, Jerin hurriedly left the room.
Finally, in the quiet room, I began eating—when suddenly, I noticed Ascan sitting across from me.
At some point, I’d started dining with him, always requesting two portions from the chef. Thanks to that, even without special orders now, two servings were always prepared.
Come to think of it, I had no idea how Ascan had been managing meals while I was locked away. I wanted him to eat his fill if possible.
“How did you manage while I was in my room?”
At my question, Ascan’s golden eyes turned toward me. Strangely, today his emotions felt even more unreadable than usual.
“I lived exactly as usual.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“That means you were fine?”
“Yes.”
Ascan’s taciturn nature wasn’t new. Hearing such replies from someone who rarely expressed emotions didn’t particularly reassure me—but it wasn’t unusual either.
Since I still had a bit of work left, I might skip several more meals. Wanting to ensure Ascan ate properly in the meantime, I asked:
“Should I have some food specially prepared for you?”
I asked out of concern, though I knew he’d likely refuse.
But unexpectedly, his reply surprised me.
“Thank you.”
Though his ready acceptance of my kindness felt slightly odd, I didn’t dwell on it much.
After all, at fifteen, he was still growing—and no human would refuse delicious food.
“Alright. I’ll inform the chef later—make sure you eat properly.”
“Yes, Young Lady.”
Ascan’s attitude wasn’t particularly strange, yet for some reason, I kept feeling an odd sense of discomfort—probably just my imagination.
I dismissed unnecessary worries and focused on my meal.
Even when he rose after finishing, bowed deeply toward me, and left the room, I sensed nothing particularly suspicious.
In the late hours before dawn, I finally unlocked and restored the magical engineering bracelet to its original state.
Excited, I hastily grabbed the bracelet and left the mansion.
Afraid of accidentally waking the household if I activated its ability anywhere nearby, I was eager to test the bracelet’s power in a deserted spot.
So I wandered alone through the dark garden—when suddenly:
“Who’s there? What are you doing here at this hour?”
In the dark night, a chilling voice sliced through the air like a blade.
Reflexively, I turned toward the source of the voice. At first, I was merely curious who’d addressed me.
What met my eyes was a man appearing barely twenty years old.
Tall and broad-shouldered, with tightly defined muscles yet an agile, graceful silhouette—he was an extraordinarily handsome man.
Though I’d never seen his face since arriving in this other world, I felt I knew exactly who he was.
‘That’s Zen.’
Orland’s personal knight and the Brellof mansion’s hidden powerhouse.
Though unknown to the public, Zen was one of the top three swordsmen in the Arwen Empire—and also one of the supporting characters in .
Just as I was about to reply to Zen, I realized—he wasn’t looking at me.
‘What? Wasn’t that directed at me?’
As the situation grew strange, I unconsciously turned to follow Zen’s gaze—and saw a silhouette standing in the darkness.
A boy not yet fully grown into adulthood—Ascan.
Though Ascan’s face was obscured by shadow, having lived with him so long, I recognized him instantly by silhouette alone.
I had no idea why Ascan was here at this late hour—but judging by the bundle in his hand, he certainly hadn’t come out for a stroll.
Even to my eyes, the scene looked suspicious; to Zen, it must have appeared utterly incriminating.
Above all, Ascan still couldn’t defeat Zen. If they began fighting, the Brellof mansion would be reduced to ruins.
‘What on earth is going on here!’
My mind went blank—but the situation escalated rapidly, clearly heading toward disaster if left unchecked.
“If you don’t answer, I’ll kill you.”
Zen drew the sword at his waist with a sharp hiss. Ascan’s gaze, fixed on Zen, instantly hardened in response.
A hair-trigger standoff.
My mind raced.
I could step in immediately to stop Zen—but if by some chance Ascan was executing an escape plan, I couldn’t avoid being implicated in his crime.
I couldn’t leave things as they were, yet I wasn’t certain whether intervening was the right choice.
Reflexively, I glanced down at the bracelet in my hand.
‘To hell with it!’
Quickly, I pricked my finger with the needle I’d prepared, drew blood, dripped it onto the magic stone, then immediately raised the bracelet overhead while silently shouting:
‘Activate!’
Instantly, an intense burst of light erupted from the bracelet.
Just as I’d calculated, the hidden ability within the magic stone bracelet was indeed Light. But there was no time to celebrate.
I dashed toward Ascan’s position and grabbed his hand.
Though momentarily blinded by the sudden radiance, Ascan seemed to recognize me from my whispered voice.
“Follow me.”
And so, clutching Ascan’s hand, I sprinted back toward the mansion.
“Auntie!”
Despite the late hour, Matela showed no intention of returning home.
Barunen looked at her with an expression of utter exasperation.
“How many times must I repeat the same thing?”
“Are you really going to give the Young Lady such homework and say nothing further?”
“Yes. You wanted me to take her as my disciple—so I did. Isn’t that enough? How I teach is my own business.”
“This is a magical engineering weapon we’re talking about! If, by some chance, the self-destruct mechanism activates…”
“Ha! Stop worrying over nothing. Do you really think that child is so foolish?”
Matela had no reply. The brilliant Tanashia would never recklessly smear blood onto a magic stone without thinking.
After a brief pause, Matela opened her mouth again to protest.
“But…!”
“Enough. If she’s my disciple, she should at least deduce that the bracelet was made from a Light-attribute magic stone.”
“You’re testing her on that?”
“To identify a magic stone’s type by color alone, one must understand every magical category—it’s not as simple as it sounds. Instantly distinguishing among dozens or hundreds of differently colored magic stones is as different as heaven and earth.”
“Then why not just tell her that…?”
“Of course, that’s not all I want. If she properly completed the assignment, she should have determined the power hidden in the bracelet is Light.”
“Aren’t you asking too much of a girl still in her first steps?”
“Hmph.”
Barunen sharply turned his head away, clearly unwilling to hear further complaints about his teaching methods.
Matela stared at him helplessly.
“The only ways to accurately determine the hidden ability are to perform the engraving yourself or disassemble the bracelet and re-engrave it. What if the Young Lady attempts such actions?”
“Such actions? You mean disassembling the bracelet and attempting a new engraving?”
“Yes, exactly.”
“Hahahaha! Impossible. I’d admire her daring spirit, but success is out of the question.”
If Tanashia proved more talented than Barunen anticipated, she might attempt disassembly—but succeeding was unthinkable.
It would be like claiming someone who hadn’t even learned to walk could suddenly run. No—it was an even greater leap.
“Do you know how long it took me to successfully disassemble and reassemble a weapon crafted by someone else? A full ten years.”
“I mean, what if the Young Lady gets into danger…?”
“Stop worrying over nothing. Even if she tampers incorrectly with the locking mechanism, it won’t self-destruct. Such a simple Light magic wouldn’t contain complex magical formulas.”
“Oh! Then you don’t actually know, do you? Isn’t it possible the Young Lady might succeed?”
At Matela’s fanciful suggestion, Barunen couldn’t suppress a scoff.
“If that child somehow succeeds in disassembling it? Then I’ll call you Master.”
No matter how he thought about it, the idea was absurd.
If Tanashia succeeded in disassembling the bracelet, it would mean a once-in-a-lifetime genius—unprecedented in the entire field of magical engineering—had appeared.
Barunen shook his head dismissively and chuckled.
“Matela. Stop talking nonsense—and please, just go.”
An Indifferent Woman is the One Men Desire the Most
One-line summary: The female lead is actually cold-hearted and extremely rational. She has stage-by-stage relationships and won’t two-time, but there will always be someone who secretly likes her.
This novel has the following triggers, so if you’re sensitive to these, please don’t read:
1. The female lead has had many relationships, but she treated each one seriously and broke up properly.
It’s just that the men unilaterally pestered her incessantly. For the female lead, when she doesn’t like someone anymore, she simply doesn’t like them.
(This applies to her relationships with Male Lead 1, 2, 3, and 4 as well, but she’s loyal in each 1-on-1 relationship!)
2. In this novel, Male Lead 2 and the female lead kiss in a car, and Male Lead 1 sees it and beats up Male Lead 2.
The female lead calls the police and sends both Male Lead 1 and 2 to the police station! Male Lead 1 begs the female lead not to break up with him.
3. Male Lead 1 has a gentle appearance but an obsessive personality.
Male Lead 2 has a delicate and soft appearance, slightly green tea-like (two-faced).
Male Lead 3 is a youthful college student and a smart person who has secretly liked the female lead for a long time.
Male Lead 4 is the female lead’s father’s special assistant, a business elite with deep, hidden thoughts.
4. At the beginning of this novel, the female lead has already broken up with Male Lead 1 (Chapter 4) and gotten back together with Male Lead 2 (ex-boyfriend).
5. Enter with caution if you have triggers!!!
