Loser Lavender VI was the head of the Margrave Lavender House.
His granddaughter, Ulula Lavender, had been raised from the moment of her birth for the sole purpose of waging war against the Empire.
"……"
Having concluded her audience with her grandfather, Ulula returned to her private quarters and sat at her table.
Though she was alone in the room, her posture remained perfectly straight, her spine rigid, and not a single fold marred the pristine white dress she wore. Her movements were not merely polite or well-mannered; they were mechanical, devoid of the natural cadence of a living soul.
"Everything for the name of 'Loser'… The Empire shall feel our retribution."
Ulula whispered the words in a voice that still carried the soft timbre of youth.
The successive heads of the Margrave Lavender House inherited the name 'Loser.' The current head was the sixth of his line. The reason they continued to adopt such an ignominious title was simple: to ensure they never forgot their burning hatred for the Empire.
Until the current alliance had been forged, the Lavender family had served as marcher lords, fighting a perpetual war along the border. In those conflicts, countless soldiers had been sacrificed. Even those of the direct bloodline were counted among the dead.
When the alliance with the Empire was finally signed, most nobles breathed a sigh of relief that the war with the superpower was over. Only the Margrave Lavender House had stood in opposition to both the peace and the treaty.
The name 'Loser' was the symbol of that resentment. It was a constant reminder that they were the defeated—those who had been invaded time and again, only to be forced into a silent, submissive peace.
"Head for the capital… Join the development of the Magical Wilds… Persuade the other nobles… Petition the King to subjugate the Empire…"
With hollow, vacant eyes, she repeated the directives she had been given.
From her earliest childhood, Ulula had been subjected to a rigorous elite education designed to facilitate revenge. In truth, it was less an education and more a process of psychological conditioning. Had her grandfather ordered it, Ulula would have likely charged into the heart of an enemy army with nothing but her bare hands.
She had no parents and no siblings. Her father had vanished after infiltrating the Empire as a spy, and her mother, disgusted by the family’s obsession, had abandoned her daughter and fled. Consequently, there was no one to intervene in her grandfather's brainwashing. Ulula was a finished product: a doll fashioned for vengeance, a living weapon of war.
"To ensure the mission's success, I must investigate the Pioneer Group in advance… Everything for the name of 'Loser'…"
As if chanting an incantation to herself, Ulula reached for the crystal ball resting on the table.
"…Magical Wilds… Development… Nobles… Empire… Magical Beasts…"
Muttering words like a woman in a fever dream, she hovered her hands over the glass. It looked like the performance of a common fortune-teller, but it was neither a performance nor a mere imitation.
Ulula had inherited a rare talent for divination from the mother who had discarded her. She possessed the 'Fairy Eyes,' an innate ability to perceive entities from beyond this world and peer into distant locations through the medium of the crystal.
"…Information… Development… Who…?"
Obeying her grandfather’s will, Ulula attempted to gather intelligence. Every action was for the sake of the Margrave Lavender House. Every move was a step toward the revenge they sought under the name of 'Loser.'
"…Ah……?"
Eventually, a white mist swirled within the transparent glass. The fairies inhabiting the Astral Realm had answered her call, projecting the scenes she desired to see.
"……"
The crystal ball began to display the figures of those destined to be the central pillars of the development project. At the heart of the group was the Second Prince, Andrew Aiwood, surrounded by young men and women of his own age. They were currently gathered in the Student Council Office, discussing the logistics of the expedition. Since Ulula had sought information on the development project, the fairies had provided a window into that specific moment.
"……"
Ulula’s gaze drifted across the room. Around Andrew stood several individuals of note.
There were his aides and fellow Student Council Members, Yusgos Betrus and Rilanda Marker—both children of high-ranking houses close to the crown. Normally, she would have needed to compile detailed dossiers on them both.
"…………"
Then there was Celestine Crocus. As the daughter of the Duke Crocus House, the kingdom’s leading noble family, she held the highest social standing in the room after the Prince himself. She was undoubtedly a person of extreme importance. Gathering information on her should have been Ulula’s top priority.
"………………"
Her gaze passed over Wilhelm Lyubase and Isis Calvert. Both were seen as the next generation’s most promising heroes and would serve as the primary military force for the development project. Information on their combat capabilities was vital.
"……………………"
Finally, there were the sisters, Viola and Primula Rosemary—the precious treasures of the Chief of the Court Mages. While they were a lower priority in this specific gathering, they were still valuable targets for intelligence if she hoped to sway the King toward war.
"…………………………………………"
And yet, Ulula was not looking at them.
She wasn't looking at Andrew, or Celestine, or any of the others. Her eyes were fixed on a single person.
The young Count, Rest Clover.
Rest was speaking within the crystal ball. Though no sound reached her, Ulula watched him. She stared with an intensity that was almost physical—a fixed, unwavering gaze that seemed as though it might bore a hole through the very glass.
"……………………………………………………………………………………"
She watched him intently, lingering on every detail, staring for as long as time would allow.
And then, Ulula’s lips trembled.
"……………………………………………………I love him."
The words escaped her like a bizarre punchline. The mask of her expressionless face was suddenly flooded with color, turning so crimson it looked as though it might ignite.
"I love him… I love him so much. I really, really love him… I love him, I love him, I love him, love love love love love lovelovelovelovelovve love-love-love-love-love…"
As her meager vocabulary crumbled under the weight of her obsession, Ulula leaned in close to the crystal ball, whispering feverish declarations of affection. Within her eyes, a kaleidoscopic light began to shimmer—the unmistakable sign that her Fairy Eyes were perceiving something beyond the material world.
"I love him…!"
It was the first genuine emotion she had ever felt in her life. For a girl created to be a tool of 'Loser,' it was a tidal wave of passion that threatened to sweep away everything she had been taught. It was more than a mere realization; it was a soul-shattering impact that upended her personality and her values from their very foundations.
"I love him… I love him… I have to go to him…!"
At last, Ulula managed to speak words other than 'love.' While she regained a modicum of composure, the deep flush on her cheeks remained, and her eyes never once strayed from the image in the crystal.
"I love him… Oh, I truly love him… How beautiful he is…!"
From that day forward, Ulula spent every spare moment facing her crystal ball. As a result, every aspect of Rest’s privacy was systematically dismantled—she watched him in the bath, in his bed, even in the most private moments of his day—though Rest himself remained blissfully unaware of the intrusion.
This was the moment Ulula Lavender completed her transition from a puppet of revenge to a Spiritual Stalker. It happened exactly ten days before she was scheduled to depart for the Royal Capital to join the development of the Magical Wilds.