But now it was time to test my abilities in purification magic. The food on my plate had long gone stale and turned cold. However, before attempting to neutralize the poison, I decided to take a bite to see how the poison would affect me and then use my healing magic to heal myself. With hesitant steps, I brought the spoon to my mouth and took a bite. It was just a simple plate of goulash, but for me, it was the first proper meal in many years. It was astonishing how much I had missed the taste of salt. But my joy was not to last.

Hardly had I swallowed the bite when I spit out blood, and an intense pain surged through my body. It felt as if my veins were on fire, and I struggled to breathe. Panic rose within me, but I remembered my newfound control over my magic. I focused and channeled the energy within me. With astonishing ease, I managed to alleviate the pain. Within seconds, the pain subsided.

Bravely, I reached for the spoon again and took another bite. I repeated the process until the plate was empty. Purification magic proved to be powerful and effective. I used it to cleanse some moldy bread that I had lying in a corner of my room. Through my magic, they became as fresh as if they had just come out of the oven. It was amazing to see how my abilities grew and how I could use magic not only to heal myself but also to improve my surroundings.

After a few days, the maid entered my room again. She was surprised to find me alive, took the tray, and ran away. Perhaps it would have been better if I had pretended to be dead. Then maybe I could finally leave this room. But what would I have done then? I was still a child, and although I could perform healing magic, I was not capable of effectively defending myself against thieves or monsters. To escape from here, I needed a better plan. Before I could think further, I heard several people approaching my room.

"Are you sure he ate it and is still alive?" I heard an agitated woman say outside the door.

"Yes, Your Highness," I recognized the voice of the maid from earlier.

The door swung open, and before me stood a woman with long blonde hair and blue eyes. She was beautiful and wore a noble dress. I had seen her once before. The nature spirits had shown her to me in a vision. She was my stepmother. Beside her stood the maid and two men in uniform, holding swords in their hands. Suddenly, it dawned on me that they might now try to kill me with their swords instead of poisoning me. Fear surged through my body.

(stepmother and a knight)

As my stepmother looked at me, she was momentarily startled. "This can't be... it's impossible," she muttered to herself. "Fetch Lord Berindeten immediately and tell him to bring the mana crystal!" The maid hurried off. While the woman looked at me with disgust and muttered the word "disgusting," I didn't know what to do. I simply sat on the cold floor and stared at her. She glanced around the room until our eyes met again. She approached me and grabbed my face with her right hand, her fingernails painfully digging into my skin. She stared deeply into my eyes and threatened, "If you continue to stare at me like that, I'll gouge your eyes out." Then she pushed me away, and I fell to the side. She may have been beautiful on the outside, but her personality was ugly.

As I struggled to get up, the maid came running back with an older man, bearded and wearing glasses. He held a transparent sphere in his hands. Before the man could say anything, my stepmother snatched the sphere from him and approached me again. She grabbed my arm, and I thought she would rip it out. Instead, she pressed my hand onto the sphere. My heart raced because I already knew what this sphere was meant for. It indicated whether and what kind of magic one could use by reacting to the mana in the body. I concentrated and tried to suppress my mana as much as possible. The sphere barely reacted. My stepmother glared at me angrily. "Weak! You're weak and worthless! No wonder for a bastard with low blood!" With those words, she shoved me aside and left the room. The men in uniform followed her, and the maid glared at me in anger before leaving and closing the door behind her.

Alone in the room, I remained sitting on the floor. My body trembled with fear and anger. How could my stepmother be so cruel? Once again, I had received proof that I was unwanted and an obstacle to her. I felt helpless and hurt. But I couldn't give up. I had to find a way to further develop my powers. I asked the nature spirits to observe my so-called family and report to me about their schemes. Because I had realized that knowledge is power, and I felt powerless in my current situation.

More years passed, and I must have been around 16 years old by now. For 16 long years, I hadn't left this room, and yet I had learned a lot about the estate and the people who lived here. My father hadn't even visited me. I had only seen my siblings, twins who were about two years older than me, once. They were curious about the monster dwelling in the basement and had sneaked to me to catch a glimpse. Initially, I had hoped that they might help me, but they not only resembled their mother physically but were just as despicable as her. They would beat me and insult me.

(The Twins at the age of 14)

Everyone in my family, except for me, had blond hair and blue eyes, traits associated with sacred blood. But the truth was that my family didn't truly embody what one would imagine as holy. They lied and cheated, and they were greedy for gold and power. They would stop at nothing to keep their secrets and maintain their social status, not even hesitating to commit murder. My family knew nothing about my powers as I continued to hide them from them. I possessed a high level of mana, which I used to strengthen my magic. My ancestors were once powerful healers, but with each generation, their power diminished. I believed this was due to the incest within the family, as my father and stepmother were cousins as well.

In the quiet hours of my solitude, I practiced my healing magic and explored the limits of my abilities. I learned to heal wounds and alleviate pain, not only on my own body but also on plants and animals that wandered into my space. My connection to nature grew stronger with each passing day, and I could feel the life energy around me.

It was almost amusing to witness how inept the so-called "holy" ones were in magic. They could only laboriously heal minor wounds with the help of mana stones. Mana stones were valuable gems that contained mana and allowed one to amplify their own magic. But for the past few days, they had been worried and restless because their supply of mana stones was running low. With that came the risk of their deception being exposed. Normally, that wouldn't have been a problem for them. However, soon my sister would be announced as the betrothed of the crown prince, putting my family in the public spotlight for a while. In this situation, they couldn't afford any scandals or mistakes. I must admit, I found it amusing to see them so desperate.

The nature spirits, who usually lingered in their peaceful and inconspicuous existence, were unusually excited on this day. Their radiant beings floated around, whispering eagerly in my ears, as if they wanted to draw my attention to something special. My curiosity awakened, and they showed me a man in a dark cloak riding on a majestic horse. The man himself, shrouded in his dark robe, emitted a presence that was mysterious. He stood before the imposing gate of the estate. Two mighty knights blocked his path, their weapons at the ready, as the stranger claimed to be acting on behalf of Duke Drakonov. He raised a crest that depicted a majestic dragon and explained that he had an extremely important message to deliver to Duke Aurelius.

The knights exchanged skeptical glances for a moment before granting the man entry. They escorted him through the magnificent halls of the estate until they reached a study. There sat a remarkable man with radiant blond hair and sparkling blue eyes. His appearance gave the impression of an angel, whose gentle face simultaneously exuded an aura of power. The man in the robe bowed respectfully and handed Duke Aurelius a sealed letter before bidding him farewell courteously.

As the duke opened and read the letter, my stepmother suddenly entered the room, curious about what was happening. She looked concerned when she noticed the serious expression on my father's face.

"What's going on?" she asked impatiently.

"A deadly disease is ravaging Duke Drakonov's territory, and he is asking for our help," my father replied in a somber voice.

A bitter laugh escaped my stepmother. "So, these beasts want OUR help? What do they expect from us? Health potions or priests?"

"No," my father replied, folding the letter, "he wants us to send someone of holy blood to treat the disease."

An expression of absolute outrage and anger appeared on my stepmother's face. "WHAT?!! They want to sacrifice someone from our family? Let those demons perish! These...," she could hardly find words in her fury and screamed out her anger.

But my father calmly interrupted her. "Calm down, my dear. Even though he offers us high-quality mana stones in return, I have no intention of subjecting any of our children to those barbarians." As he looked out the window, observing the servants in the courtyard, a grin spread across his face. "I have another plan that will solve all our problems at once."

The room was filled with a tense atmosphere as my stepmother curiously inquired, "What plan do you have, Cassius?"

A mysterious gleam appeared in my father's eyes as he slowly revealed his strategy. "We will fulfill Drakonov's request, but not in the way he expects. Instead of sending one of our children, we will find another way to help him while strengthening our own power. Our family will gain influence and wealth, and Duke Drakonov will face the consequences of his mistake."

Bonus: Family pic