Symphony for the Insect Princess

This is certainly not the result of my domestication, although it would be easy if I wanted to.

Innate magic, insect magic.

Communicating with insects and manipulating low-level insects is the basics of the basics.

Of course, just imagine the screams of women when they see a caterpillar crawling on their favorite clothes, and you'll know that this is definitely not a popular magic.

In fact, decades ago, insect magic and its various offshoots were categorized as "black magic," and not only were they frowned upon, but even private study was forbidden. It wasn't until the veteran magicians of the Tower of Babel meticulously reorganized and redefined the magic then designated as black magic that many forms of magic, including insect magic, were finally freed from prohibition.

If I had been born a hundred years earlier, I wouldn't have been able to freely display my talents. In fact, even now, it's best not to use them casually. Although many so-called black magics have been redressed, they are still not well-received because people have long had a fixed impression of them. To distinguish them from white magic, they are even given the strange title of "gray magic."

This is indeed unfair, because some people's innate magic is these black magic and gray magic. Various prohibitions and prejudices prevent these people from fully utilizing their talents, and they can only die in depression in the end.

The world is vast, and the variety of magic is immense. Over the ages, various magical systems have merged and intertwined, intertwined like the roots of an old tree, becoming indistinguishable from one another. This makes categorizing magic or establishing a definitive system of magic incredibly difficult, and to this day, no one has come up with a definitive classification. The simplest classification is between "white magic" and "black magic." To the uninitiated, magic that feels "normal" is white magic, and magic that makes people uncomfortable is black magic. It sounds ridiculous, but this is precisely why there's a distinction between black and white magic.

Elemental magic other than darkness, some animal taming techniques, less bizarre barriers, divination, etc. are all considered white magic, while dark elemental magic, human sacrifice, corpse magic, soul manipulation, and other miscellaneous magic are all considered black magic.

It's so simple and crude that it leaves people speechless.

However, the overall harmfulness of black magic is indeed far greater than that of white magic. If misused, it can even lead to the collapse of existing social order and severe damage to nature. Furthermore, those who specialize in black magic are ultimately a minority. Long ago, a massive campaign was launched. Black magicians were either killed or captured, all books related to black magic were banned, and all associations led by black magicians were destroyed. This ancient campaign, which lasted for centuries, was later called the "Great Purge." Thanks to it, today's magicians almost exclusively practice white magic, ensuring social stability and order.

Magic is the crystallization of human wisdom. The most primitive magic was gained by ancient magicians from nature, the trajectory of planets, the growth of all things, and the depths of their souls.

In modern times, while the types and systems of magic are difficult to systematically categorize, the education and advancement of magic has long been systematized. Children who reach a certain age are tested for their aptitude as magicians. Those who are qualified learn the basics of magic as magic apprentices, then pass the assessments to become junior magicians, then intermediate magicians, senior magicians, great magicians, wizards, great wizards, sages, great sages, and even the legendary Mage Emperors, Demon Emperors, and Gods of Magic...

As for me?

I'm sorry, I'm just a magic apprentice and have not participated in the junior magician assessment.

A seventeen-year-old magic apprentice, if I came from a poor family, this might be considered normal; but as a member of the nobility with fiefdoms, manpower and a large amount of supplies, it is really a bit unreasonable.

"Ah... We're almost there, let's go back first."

The insects obediently left my side. Now, a long downhill slope lay before me. Standing on it, I could see the scenery of Falling Moon Valley. Although I was only at the edge, the green valley before me was quite magnificent.

Considering physical limitations, the noble Zelach family wouldn't allow their children to cross the valley on foot, hence the cable car. This contraption, suspended on a cable, resembles a carriage, but much smaller. Its body and cable are engraved with intricate spells and arrays, complete with a small slot. I removed a high-purity magic crystal and inserted it into the slot. The spells and arrays immediately glowed, and the rumbling cable car carried me across the valley. Although I've long since grown accustomed to it, I still marvel at its convenience every time I ride it. No wonder the kingdom has been so keen on cultivating magic artisans in recent years.

The northeastern region of the Kingdom of Aaron, encompassing the Alpha Mountains, the Moonfall Valley, the vast farmland and pastures, and the ten thousand households resident in Alpha City on the Moonfall Plains, was entirely under the jurisdiction of the Zelah family. Their ancestors had been great contributors to the founding monarch, and upon the founding of the nation, they were naturally ennobled as nobles and granted fiefdoms. Although relatively remote, this territory was vast and rich in resources, with a thriving agricultural and mining industry, bringing untold wealth to the Zelah family. In fact, a significant portion of the military rations and minerals in the national treasury came from the Zelah family, a testament to their status.

I am honored to be a member of this family.

She is the third of four sisters and is usually called "Third Miss" by the servants.

——————————————————————————————————

The Zelah family mansion——

This luxurious estate, nestled against the Alpha Mountains and facing the Moonfall Plains, is home to us, the legitimate descendants. There are no other residents nearby. Standing in front of the gate, we gaze out over lush green pastures and a smooth path leading directly to the main entrance. The simple and pleasant scenery embodies the Zelah family motto of "noble but not extravagant."

I entered through the side gate rather than the main entrance, partly because it was closer and partly because I didn't like to attract attention. Inside the wall, opposite the side gate, were several small nurseries where rare herbs were grown. It was said that this side gate was originally designed to facilitate the entry and exit of herbalists.

But there was no herbalist here now, and there were only a few gardeners and florists. They were packing up their tools and chatting in low voices.

"Ah, Miss San, you're back."

One of the gardeners noticed me passing by and looked up to say hello. The other gardeners didn't look up either, knowing that someone had already greeted me.

"Well, the work at the mine is done."

"You have worked hard."

"You are the ones. Take a good rest for the next three days."

"Thank you for your concern."

The brief greeting came to an abrupt end. I continued on my way and he lowered his head and ignored me.

"In this household, there's no need to be too formal when meeting the Third Young Lady; it's fine to be casual"—this was common knowledge among the servants and guards. At best, it meant a harmonious relationship between the master and servants; at worst, it meant the servants didn't take their master seriously.

But it doesn’t matter.

I am generally a quiet person.

"Oh, yes, Third Miss."

"what happened?"

He actually called me again. This is really strange.

"The fourth lady is in front, playing with her guards."

"...Oh, thanks for the reminder."

--------------------------------

The garden behind the mansion is full of flowers and lush grass, and is well maintained by countless gardeners and gardeners.

Eight muscular men gathered in a group. All of them were extremely handsome and dressed quite revealingly, with their muscle lines clearly visible. The leather pants they wore were so tight that the outline of their fifth limbs was clearly visible.

Surrounded by them was a young girl, a year younger than me. She had long, light brown hair, a charming face, and bright eyes full of youthful energy. Her figure was even more curvaceous than that of other girls her age. Eight out of ten people who saw her would fall in love at first sight.

She has currently won more than a dozen honors such as "Pearl of Alpha", "Star of Zelah", "Peerless Beauty", "Pride of Heaven", etc. As a woman, her charm can completely overwhelm all the ladies in the Alpha region and even other noble fiefdoms. Even the most arrogant young men will rush to her and show their affection to her like they have lost their souls when they see her. The men who regard her as their dream lover can line up from here to outside the city of Alpha.

In fact, she is the jewel in the crown of the current head of the Zelah family, my sister, the sixteen-year-old fourth lady Lillian Zelah.

And now she was lazily lying on the rattan chair, enjoying the evening breeze and the service of her handsome servants.

"Xiaoyi, give me some snacks."

Handsome Man No. 1 immediately served the exquisite delicacy like magic.

"Waiter, give me some wine."

Handsome Man No. 2 hurriedly offered a glass of wine, his eyes full of obsession.

"Xiao San, help me massage my feet."

Handsome Man No. 3 was shocked. He couldn't believe that he had received such an honor. The other handsome men looked at him as if he were the murderer of their father.

"What are you standing there for? Hurry!"

“Ah, yes, yes!”

Number Three immediately knelt down respectfully, took off the gorgeous sandals inlaid with gold and silver, carefully held up the fair jade feet, and gently massaged them.

Lillian glanced at Number Three, enjoying the pleasure of being served, and suddenly had an urge to play a mischievous trick.

"Hello, number three..."

"Hmm? What can I do for you?"

"Would you like to sleep with me tonight?"

Puff—everyone almost burst into tears, and No. 3's face was even hot. He never thought that he would be so lucky that he could really go to the temple to worship after returning to his hometown.

"Hey, um, sister!"

Until this time, the thin boy who was blocked by the handsome men finally couldn't bear it anymore.

"Oh, I'm sorry, my lovely Nia~ I forgot you're jealous~"

As she spoke, Lillian glanced at Nia's crotch with her charming eyes. The youngest son of the Zelah family immediately blushed and stopped talking.

Nia Zelah, the youngest son of the Zelah family, was incapable of any ability or opinion, always deferring to his fourth sister, Lillian, whom he relied on the most. He had a rather delicate appearance and a rather thin build, but even so, he had a strength.

From the size that even the loose pants can't hide, it can be seen that this boy, although not stunning in appearance, has great potential.

So he was honored to be chosen as his elder sister Lillian's exclusive sex partner.

Their relationship wasn't exactly a secret. Although the head of the household had chastised them severely when it was accidentally exposed, he eventually joined the effort to keep it secret. After all, if such a scandal got out, it would be more than just embarrassment. So, even after the furor died down, Lillian would continue to secretly bond with the sweet child, Nia, without telling her father. Her servants and guards kept it a secret.

After teasing her male lover and her younger brother, Lillian looked around at the flowers with her beautiful eyes filled with laziness - and then she saw a certain passerby.

"Oh...yeah?"

A fox-like smile appeared on her face.

"Oh my? Isn't this my third sister? What a rare guest~"

Still discovered.

"...Ah, hello Lillian, I'm just passing through, please don't mind me."

"Hello~~ Are you passing by?"

She sat up from the recliner, walked around me, and her uncomfortable gaze wandered over me.

"Look at your clothes... Did you just come out of the mines? They're really ugly~"

"Indeed..."

She was right. As a statistician, I had to go down to the mines for inspection, and of course I had to wear work clothes. The earth-gray jumpsuit and thick-soled shoes were not good-looking even with a compliment.

"You've worked so hard! Look at the dirt still clinging to you. Did you come back without showering?"

"Yes."

It was true. Outside the mine, there was a simple bathroom built using mountain spring water, where the miners washed up. Although the men had no interest in me, it didn't look good for a young woman to shower with a group of strong men, so I only washed my face in the stream on the way back, leaving the rest of the place dusty.

"Tsk tsk, you already reek of bugs, and with the smell of dirt on top of that, I don't even dare to get close to you."

"I'm so sorry."

I have to disagree with this. The smell of soil is certainly there, but the smell of insects is unlikely. The body odor of most insects is not detectable to humans.

He looked at my body again and frowned unconcealedly.

"Hey, Third Sister, have you been eating too much recently? You've gained some weight."

"I really can't control my diet. I'm sorry to have embarrassed you."

This statement is completely unreasonable. My figure is slimmer than that of my peers, including Lillian. My waist is thinner, but my bust and hips are bigger than hers, barely reaching the edge of "plump".

This is just women's boring jealousy and competitive spirit. It doesn't matter, just go along with her.

She narrowed her eyes slightly and looked at my face, but didn't seem to see the expression she wanted. Her brows frowned even more tightly, and she threw out the next card.

"Speaking of which, the last time I went to the capital with my father, guess what happened? The Fourth Prince, Carlos, actually openly declared his love for me! I was so shocked that by the time I came to my senses, he had already rejected me. He looked so dejected! After we got back, my father also blamed me for not giving him face..."

This story was indeed true. All the servants were spreading it at the time, and my eldest brother, who was present at the time, also testified to it.

But it doesn't matter to me. I have no interest in matters between men and women.

But in order to get out of this situation, I decided to just go along with her.

Judging from her expression, she won't be satisfied with just verbal agreement. It's time for me to move my face, which is usually either expressionless or smiling.

"Eh? Really? The Fourth Prince known as the Knight of the White Moon?"

Make your voice a little higher, open your eyes a little wider, and open your mouth a little, but don't make the amplitude too large, otherwise it will seem artificial.

"Huhu, that's right. He's the dream lover of countless noble ladies. To be honest, I never thought my fame would spread to the capital. Father must have mentioned it at the banquet. I really can't help it."

"Amazing……"

Close your eyes a little more than before, open your mouth into an O shape, and your tone must be 60% admiration and 40% jealousy.

"Huhu, that's right. I'm a little envious of some people. They can't attract men, but they're happy to have nothing to do around them~"

"Yes……"

"Okay, it's over." Her expression showed a sense of satisfaction.

Then I would say I wanted to go back to my room to wash up, and she would say something like "Hmph, hurry up and leave, don't dirty the garden" and let me go, and then everything would be fine.

but--

"Third sister, fourth sister, third brother, you are all here."

Variables appeared.

We all turned around, and Lillian's male favorites immediately dropped what they were holding and left in a hurry.

"Ah, hello, York. You've been busy all day. You must have been tired." ← Lillian

"Hello, big brother..." ← Nia

"Hello, Brother York."

The visitor was a young man with long brown hair, around 25 years old, handsome and well-groomed, with a very intellectual face. He could be described as a handsome young man. This was our eldest brother, the eldest son of the current Zelah family, and the heir apparent to the position of next head of the family—Jock Zelah.

"What are you doing here?"

"Hate you, York, I'm just relaxing and chatting with my third sister~"

York looked at us quietly for a few seconds, then shook his head as if he had a headache.

"You guys... are all sisters, and harmony is the most important thing. As the eldest brother, I certainly don't want to see anyone targeting anyone else. Especially you, Lillian. If I hear you're involved with someone else again, don't blame me for punishing you according to family rules."