Once Aqua and Cassius reached the garden, Aqua stepped forward into an open clearing, a wide expanse of grass with no one else around.

Safety was paramount; the effects of domain creation could be unpredictable, and she didn’t want anyone caught in the crossfire.

She opened the miraculous book Cassius had given her and began to read once more.

And despite already being shocked before, she was still baffled.

Every page made her power increase and increase.

She could feel her knowledge regarding magic breaking through thresholds she hadn’t even known existed.

Concepts that had once seemed impenetrable now unfolded before her like flowers blooming in fast-forward.

The most bizarre aspect was that normally, whenever she read any research or magical texts, she had to process it on her own.

She needed time to think, to interpret, to come to her own conclusions.

After all, reading magic wasn’t passive, it was an active dialogue between the reader and the material.

But her brother had written this book in such a way that she didn’t have to think at all.

She simply read, and understanding flooded into her. The words bypassed her conscious mind entirely, speaking directly to something deeper—her mana circuits, her soul, her very essence.

Her body instinctively began to build a domain on its own.

She could feel the area around her warping in her perception.

The grass beneath her feet, the air around her face, the sunlight filtering through the leaves—all of it felt different now. Malleable. Controllable.

As if the world itself was clay waiting for her hands to shape it.

It was a bizarre feeling. Almost as if the space around her was hers and hers alone.

She could do whatever she wanted here.

But it was only just initializing. She needed to read more.

Page after page, she turned. Her hair flew wildly around her face, whipped by energy surges erupting from her body.

The grass beneath her feet was blasted away in concentric circles, flattened by waves of power that radiated outward with each passing moment.

By the time she reached page one hundred, she had gained a level of understanding enough to maintain her domain.

She clutched the book to her chest like a precious treasure.

Not only because it could make her a Supreme Mage, which was basically a god-tier relic.

But because it was a gift from her brother. And that was much more important to her.

She closed her eyes.

Immediately, a flood of magical formulas, theories, and everything her brother had written rushed through her mind.

Thousands of pieces of information swirled together, colliding, merging, coalescing—until finally, they settled into a single, unified picture.

She opened her eyes.

Her sapphire irises were blazing.

Her entire body radiated blue energy, a soft glow that pulsed like a heartbeat.

Along with that energy, a dome of power suddenly burst from her and spread outward.

Whoosh!

It expanded until it reached a ten-meter radius around her.

Then it began to fade.

The dome vanished from sight, but Aqua knew deep in her bones that it was still there.

Her domain had been enacted. It was simply invisible now.

She wanted to test it.

Honestly, she was nervous. Terrified, even. Her brother had put in so much effort, had given her everything she needed.

It was her responsibility to properly enact it. If she screwed up, it would be deeply humiliating. She would be ashamed of failing his efforts.

But she gritted her teeth and decided to go forth with it.

She clenched the book tightly in one hand and raised the other.

And the moment she did, right above her palm, to her utter shock and surprise—a small globule of water appeared.

It grew. Bigger and bigger until it was enough to fill an entire bucket, floating above her hand like a perfect sphere of liquid.

This was such a common feat that even a beginner mage could do it.

But Aqua was shaking.

Her heart was racing at an unbelievable rate.

This was because what she had just done was a miracle.

Normally, to produce magic or cast a spell, a mage had to go through countless calculations in their mind.

Mana pathways. Elemental affinities. Output regulation.

It was a complex process that required years of training to master.

But Aqua had done none of that.

She had simply thought of a ball of water coming into her hand and it appeared.

Instantly. Effortlessly. As if she had created it on the spot without any work at all.

This was what a domain could do.

The area around her was completely under her control. She was the queen of her own territory.

She could do whatever she wanted here.

But she needed to see if this was just a fluke.

She put the book into her spatial ring and lifted her other hand.

Another ball of water appeared.

She didn’t stop there.

She slowly began to move the water while commanding it in her mind.

The two water balls moved, spinning around her, circling her body.

They changed directions—up, down, left, right all before her eyes.

Aqua’s shock grew. So did her excitement.

She split one of the water balls. It split exactly as she had imagined.

She split it again. And again. And again.

Soon, her entire body was surrounded by dozens of tiny water spheres, floating around her like a planetary system.

She was struggling to breathe.

"I did it." She whispered. "I actually did it. I’m maintaining my own domain."

A smile broke across her face.

She twisted her fingers, and the water spheres elongated into thin lines.

The lines began to move not just around her body, but outward like fireworks. They scattered through the air, tracing elegant arcs before dispersing into tiny droplets that caught the sunlight.

She giggled.

It was like playing with water. Like being a child again, splashing in puddles without a care in the world.

She gathered more water. Amassed it. Shaped it.

A snake formed—a long creature made entirely of liquid, floating through the air as if swimming through an invisible ocean.

The snake lunged at a mouse she had created from water droplets. It bit down.

But then the mouse grew. Expanded. Transformed into a small tiger.

The tiger roared—a silent, watery roar and pounced at the snake.

Before it could land, a hunter appeared. Made of water, bow drawn, arrow nocked.

He released, and the arrow flew straight and true, striking the tiger mid-leap.

The tiger dissolved into droplets.

Aqua laughed.

She created more animals. More plants. More stars.

An entire ecosystem bloomed around her—birds, fish, trees, flowers, constellations all made of water, all moving in perfect harmony.

She was playing, giddy with joy, her eyes sparkling like a child’s on festival morning.

"I did it." She said, almost breathless. "I actually did it! I-I can’t believe it!"

The last time she had felt this pure exhilaration was when her mother had gifted her her first wand.

Back then, she had experienced a joy so profound that it had shaped the rest of her life.

Even when she became an Archmage, she had only felt pride and accomplishment, not this sensation.

Not this childlike wonder.

Tears pricked at her eyes.

She wiped them quickly, whispering to herself,

"Mama would be so happy right now to see that her daughter has finally become a Supreme Mage just like her."

She felt grateful. Overwhelmingly grateful.

But she couldn’t share this joy with her mother right now. She was back in the capital, serving as the Empress’s right-hand woman.

They were separated by distance and duty.

Still, Aqua didn’t worry.

Because her brother was right behind her.

She imagined him watching her with pride. After all, this was his accomplishment too. Without his book, without his guidance, without his impossible genius, none of this would have been possible.

She wanted to show off. She wanted to see the look on his face—that warm, approving smile that made everything worth it.

She spun around, ready to shout.

"Cassius, look! Your big sister has done it! Your big sister has—"

Her face froze.

Her excitement evaporated.

What she saw was not what she expected at all.

Cassius wasn’t clapping. He wasn’t cheering. He wasn’t even watching.

Cassius was sitting on a reclining chair in a very carefree manner.

And he wasn’t alone.

Maria was with him.

She wasn’t wearing her sister’s robes. Instead, she wore a summer dress that showed off her curves perfectly, especially her cleavage, which was on generous display.

She sat right on top of his lap, holding what looked like a milkshake.

And Cassius was flirting with her.

"How is it, Cassius?" Maria asked shyly, as she fed him the drink through a straw. "I made it from fruits I gathered nearby. How does it taste?"

Cassius’s face lit up. "It’s absolutely delicious, Maria."

Then he leaned closer.

"But you know how to make it even more delicious?"

Maria perked up. "How?"

Cassius pushed the cup toward her. "Have a sip."

Maria obediently took the cup and drank from the same straw.

Then Cassius took a sip as well and let out a small, relishing sigh, as if she had just tasted something truly wonderful before saying with a smile,

"Now, with the extra essence of your lips on it, it’s much sweeter, Maria."

"It’s basically the nectar of the heavens."

It was such a cringey, cheesy line that anyone else would want to slap him.

But it worked perfectly on Maria.

She couldn’t help but say, "Oh, Cassius!~" while patting his chest. "You naughty boy!"

She looked absolutely adorable like a shy schoolgirl with her first crush.

Aqua on the other hand stared in dismay.

She knew Cassius and Maria were together now.

She was genuinely happy for Maria—her brother would take care of her, and Maria was like a mother to Aqua anyway.

It was an amazing thing.

But did they have to flirt right in front of her? Especially now!

After all, this was supposed to be her moment.

Cassius was supposed to be praising her, encouraging her, celebrating her achievement.

Instead, he was focused entirely on Maria, barely acknowledging that Aqua had just done something incredible.

And it only got worse.

Cassius suddenly gasped. "Oh no, Maria!"

Maria immediately looked around, worried. "What’s wrong? What happened?"

Cassius pointed at her cleavage. "I saw a bug go inside your dress. Right there."

Maria let out a relieved sigh.

"Oh, is that all? For a second, I thought something serious had happened."

Cassius shook his head adamantly.

"No, this is serious, Maria. If a bug bites your fair skin, it could bruise. Maybe even cause rashes. You could get an infection."

Maria laughed. "Oh, come on. You’re over-exaggerating."

But Cassius was completely insistent.

"No, no, no. I have to properly make sure my darling wife doesn’t get bitten." He smiled. "Let me go and search."

To Aqua’s utter shock and awkward horror, Cassius pulled Maria’s dress down until her nipples were barely covered and plunged his head straight between her breasts.

Maria gasped. "Oh my!"

Cassius moved his face around, squishing her breasts at the same time.

"Where is it? Where is it? I have to find this bastard who’s trying to bite my wife."

"Cassius, stop it." Maria giggled. "We’re in a public place right now." She glanced back at Aqua. "We can’t do this."

Aqua nodded in agreement. She was frustrated that her brother was doing such dirty things right in front of her.

But Cassius didn’t care. He plunged his face deeper into Maria’s cleavage.

"Who cares if we’re out in the open? This is our estate. We’re all family here. There’s nothing wrong with us being lovey-dovey in front of others."

Maria giggled even more. She absolutely loved the attention she was getting.

She knew this was just Cassius’s excuse to grope her and she loved that too.

She patted his head as he continued his "search."

And seeing this brazen show of affection, Aqua finally broke.

Not only was she being ignored, but the couple was flirting right in front of her while she was supposed to be the star of the show.

Her frustration boiled over and she marched toward them.

"Hold it right there, Cassius! I demand you stop right now!"

Maria froze, blushing when she saw Aqua approaching.

Cassius too pulled his head out of her cleavage, a slightly annoyed look on his face like he had been interrupted during a very pivotal moment.

Aqua pointed at him with a trembling finger.

"How could you do something like this, Cassius? How can you flirt with Auntie Maria right now!?"

She then turned to Maria.

"And Auntie Maria, how can you let him do something like that?!"

"You used to be so innocent and pure, and now you’re just letting him grope you and see you in such a dirty manner!"

Maria had nothing to say. She simply looked away, too flustered to speak.

But Cassius fought for her.

"Aqua, both Maria and I are deeply passionate lovers."

He pulled Maria close and kissed her cheek.

"And as a couple, it’s only natural that we flirt. What’s wrong with that? And why are you getting so worked up?"

Aqua stamped her foot.

"It’s not that I don’t want you to flirt, Cassius! It’s just that—" She struggled for words. "You’re supposed to be focusing on me right now!"

"I mean—look!"

She gestured wildly at the domain she had created—the water animals, the floating stars, the entire ecosystem she had built from nothing.

"I want you to focus on what I’ve done! Praise me! Pay attention to me!"

Cassius looked at her domain for a moment.

Then he shrugged.

"Oh, that? I already saw it."

Aqua’s jaw dropped.

"It’s no big deal." He said casually. "I already knew you would easily be able to create a domain. I gave you perfect instructions, and you’re a complete prodigy. It would be strange if you couldn’t do it."

He waved his hand.

"It’s really not that surprising."

Aqua stammered. "Well—I mean—it’s not that hard—but still—I did my best, Cassius! I did my best, and you—you—you—"

She couldn’t finish.

Cassius smiled. "If you want praise, fine. Good job, Aqua."

He patted her hand.

Then his smile faded.

"Now that I’ve said what I needed to say, go on. Go practice. You’ve already done what I needed you to do. The rest is in your hands now."

Aqua’s heart shattered.

She didn’t know what to say. Her brother was right—he had done everything he needed to do.

This was her responsibility now. He didn’t owe her any additional attention.

But still...

"B-But...Cassius..."

Tears welled in her eyes and she pouted like a little girl who had been denied a treat.

Even Maria felt bad for her.

But Cassius simply patted her on the butt.

"Go along, Aqua. Don’t disturb this newly formed couple."

He dove back into Maria’s breasts.

Maria, overwhelmed by his sudden attention, could only hug him as he sucked on her. Her protests died in her throat.

Meanwhile, Aqua was left standing there, awkward, not knowing what to say.