Luciel wrenched her wrist free and, in the same motion, drew the concealed dagger against her body.

She pressed the blade against the woman’s throat.

Yet the woman didn’t so much as flinch.

It was only natural.

Luciel realized that the woman had deliberately allowed her to move.

She could have stopped her at any moment.

Instead…

She had simply watched.

“You’re quite skilled. Joubert Welter never mentioned that.”

Even Joubert Welter had never known Luciel was a mercenary.

“How do you know him? Better yet… who are you?”

“I’m Lesta Ernel.”

The name meant nothing to her.

She had never once heard Joubert Welter mention anyone by that name.

“I’ve never heard of you.”

“I wouldn’t expect you to. I haven’t had this name for very long.”

Luciel took that to mean it was an assumed name.

“I have nothing to say to someone who hides behind a false name.”

“I’ve never lied about my name.”

As Lesta began to move her hand, Luciel spoke sharply.

“Don’t move.”

The dagger bit slightly into Lesta’s neck.

The razor-sharp edge broke the skin.

A thin trail of blood ran down her pale neck…

Yet Lesta didn’t even furrow her brow.

“Joubert Welter used to talk about you from time to time. He told me he’d been blessed with another daughter. He said you were beautiful because you took after your mother. He wanted to live with you, but thought you didn’t want him in your life. He always said that, someday, when your heart finally softened, he hoped the two of you could live together.”

The tears came without warning.

Not because of the words themselves…

But because of Joubert Welter’s misunderstanding.

He had thought that Luciel refused to live with him because she could never forgive him.

And…

He died believing that.

“…You’re lying.”

“It’s the truth. Whenever Joubert Welter and I spent time together, he always talked about you. He even told me he’d gone to see one of your performances… and that you were absolutely magnificent.”

Luciel had never imagined Joubert Welter had attended one of her performances.

He had never once mentioned it to her.

“…You’re lying.”

The strength slowly drained from Luciel’s hand.

The dagger lowered itself little by little.

Even then…

Lesta didn’t take a step forward or make a move to attack.

She simply stood there, watching Luciel in silence.

Luciel cried for a long time.

The grief that she had been unable to release, even after learning of her family’s deaths, finally escaped her.

She couldn’t understand why she was breaking down so completely in front of a woman she had only just met.

Nor could she understand why she believed words that should have sounded like nothing more than lies.

There was only one thing she knew for certain.

‘I miss you.’

‘I miss all of you.’

She missed them all.

Her gentle father…

Lady Welter…

And her half-brothers, who had always been kind to her.

The longing was so overwhelming that it felt as though her heart would burst.

There was no reason for a complete stranger to understand her grief.

And yet…

In Lesta’s quiet gaze, however, Luciel found nothing but understanding and compassion.

Perhaps that was why…

She couldn’t stop crying.

She wept for a long time.

It was only when someone outside called for her to prepare for the next performance that she finally wiped away her tears.

After drying her eyes, Luciel spoke as though she had never cried at all.

“You managed to find me here, so I’m sure you know where I live. Ten o’clock tonight. I’ll leave the window open.”

***

Lesta arrived at precisely ten o’clock.

“What exactly are you? How did you know my father?”

“I was being watched.”

“My father was watching you?”

“No. The other way around. Joubert Welter was assigned to watch me.”

“Why would my father…?”

What followed was a story so horrifying that it was almost unbelievable.

Yet…

Luciel believed every word.

As she listened, she remembered something her father had once told her.

She had noticed the worry deepening on his face day by day, so she had asked him what was troubling him.

After a long silence, he had finally answered.

“When I only had my sons, I could still keep my distance. But after having you… it’s become so much harder. She’s only a girl around your age, and yet…”

That was all he said.

The moment he had spoken, it seemed as if Joubert Welter realized he had revealed too much.

He gave an awkward smile and quickly changed the subject.

At the time, Luciel had dismissed this as meaningless.

But now…

Those unfinished words suddenly made sense.

“Joubert Welter died to keep me alive.”

That was how Lesta brought her long story to an end.

But Luciel…

Saw it differently.

“My father was saved because he chose to save you.”

Lesta looked at her as though she was incapable of understanding.

But she did.

Joubert Welter had been a kind man.

He wasn’t someone who merely pretended to be kind.

For someone like him, being ordered to send a young girl into danger while keeping watch over her must have been an extremely difficult task.

He had hidden it well.

But little by little, his soul must have been rotting away.

And when the moment of truth finally came…

Joubert Welter chose not to obey Blackwood’s orders.

Even if it cost him his life, Luciel was certain that he had made the right choice.

He had never regretted it.

But Blackwood had gone too far.

Killing Joubert Welter for his defiance was one thing.

Slaughtering his entire family…

Was unforgivable.

“I don’t resent you, Lesta. If you came here to ask for my forgiveness… you don’t have to anymore.”

“What about Blackwood? Have you forgiven them too?”

“No, but what can I possibly do? Blackwood is far above me. They’re so far ahead that I can barely see them. No matter how hard I try, I won’t make the slightest dent.”

“I can. If I’m given enough time, I won’t just cover them in dust… I’ll drag them down into the mud.”

For a fleeting moment…

Hope flickered within Luciel’s heart.

She knew all too well the legendary reputation of Dominic Blackwood.

If Lesta had truly been the one who built that legend…

Then taking it back wouldn’t be impossible.

But…

“I’m sorry, Lesta. I can’t help you. I’m wearing a leash. I’m a member of the Valve Mercenary Company.”

“Then if your captain gives you permission… will you help me?”

“If he does.”

Would that man really allow it?

Even if she told him everything?

He wasn’t the kind of man whose heart would soften.

He would only see it as Luciel wasting her time on something meaningless.

“I understand. Then I’ll go.”

“Wait, Lesta. My captain is strong.”

Lesta smiled.

“Who do you think you’re saying that to?”

***

Lesta returned the following afternoon.

As Luciel was preparing for her first performance of the day, Lesta appeared without a sound, just as she had the first time they met.

“It’s time to help me now, Luciel.”

Staring at Lesta through the mirror, Luciel asked,

“Did the captain give his permission?”

“No.”

“Then…”

“I killed him.”

“…What?”

Luciel shot to her feet and turned to face Lesta.

“What are you talking about? You killed him? He was surrounded by countless mercenaries.”

“You were a slave.”

“…”

“I don’t spare people who take away another person’s freedom. I explained everything to the mercenaries. Those who were innocent stepped aside. Those who drew their swords admitted their guilt. So I killed every last one of them.”

“…”

“The captain never drew his sword. He begged for his life instead.”

“I killed him anyway.”

“Because even if you had begged him to spare you…”

“He never would have let you go.”

Seeing Luciel standing there in stunned silence, Lesta tilted her head slightly.

“Are you afraid of me, Luciel?”

The gesture was so unexpectedly innocent…

It made Luciel’s chest ache.

She gently shook her head and smiled.

Then she stepped forward, carefully wrapped her arms around Lesta, and softly said,

“No, Lesta.”

“From now on…”

“You’re my captain.”

Becoming close to Dominic Blackwood, just as Lesta had asked, wasn’t difficult.

Lesta returned the following afternoon.

As Luciel prepared for her first performance of the day, Lesta appeared without a sound, just as she had the first time they met.

“It’s time to help me now, Luciel.”

Staring at Lesta through the mirror, Luciel asked,

“Did the captain give his permission?”

“No.”

“Then…”

“I killed him.”

“…What?”

Luciel shot to her feet and turned to face Lesta.

“What are you talking about? You killed him? He was surrounded by countless mercenaries.”

“You were a slave.”

“…”

“I don’t spare people who take away another person’s freedom. I explained everything to the mercenaries. Those who were innocent stepped aside. Those who drew their swords admitted their guilt, so I killed every one of them. The captain never drew his sword. He begged for his life instead, but I killed him anyway. Even if you had begged him to spare you, he never would have let you go.”

Seeing Luciel standing there in stunned silence, Lesta tilted her head slightly.

“Are you afraid of me, Luciel?”

The gesture was so unexpectedly innocent that it made Luciel’s chest ache.

She gently shook her head and smiled.

Then she stepped forward, carefully wrapped her arms around Lesta, and softly said,

“No, Lesta. From now on, you’re my captain.”

Becoming close to Dominic Blackwood — just as Lesta had wanted — wasn’t difficult.

Luciel went even further.

She won his heart.

Her role was simple.

All she had to do was slip a few drops of Lumen into his food.

Just a few drops.

That was all.

But Dominic was an extremely cautious man.

Even within the Imperial Palace, he never let his guard down.

Before eating or drinking anything himself, Dominic would always order the slave accompanying him to taste it first.

He would only eat his own meal once the slave had eaten half of theirs.

Luciel couldn’t risk poisoning the slave.

This meant that she never had the chance to mix Lumen into the food, whether she cooked for him herself or bought food for them while they were out together.

This was true whether she cooked for him herself or bought food for them while they were out together.

Dominic would never take a single bite unless the slave had tasted it first.

Luciel tried pouting and teasing him, accusing him of not trusting her.

She tried coaxing him with gentle smiles.

But on that one matter…

Dominic never wavered.

“He’s pathetic… and a coward. He’s so obsessed with protecting his own life… I only wish people knew what he’s really like.”

Luciel spoke between mouthfuls as she eagerly devoured the meal spread across the table.

“I ended up making you do all the hard work, Captain.”

“I was going to make that move sooner or later anyway. Besides, if you hadn’t been able to put Lumen into the physical enhancement potion, none of this would have worked.”

The Lumen had been mixed into the physical enhancement potion Dominic confidently drank the day before the expedition.

Every time Dominic stirred awake that night, Luciel’s heart nearly stopped.

“I thought nobody else would drink it, so I added quite a lot of Lumen. Dominic won’t be as sharp as he used to be. He’ll become more emotional, too. So, what do we do next?”

“Before long, he’ll start experiencing unexplained pain. Withdrawal from Lumen is painful. By then, he’ll realize he’s been dosed with it. But to stop the pain, he’ll start searching for Lumen again.”

“Should I get some for him?”

“No. From now on, your only role is to comfort Dominic. If he goes looking for Lumen, stop him. If he manages to get his hands on some, do whatever you can to stop him taking it. Each time he comes to his senses, he’ll become more convinced that you care about him.”

“And after that?”

“I don’t know how Richard Blackwood will react once he discovers his son is addicted. The fact that he’s remained silent until now is strange enough. For the time being, we’ll wait and see.”

“And you?”

“From now on, protect yourself.”