“I suffered because of you. You know that? My family was ruined and I almost lived as a slave, and I had to work again… Unlike you who lived a life of leisure forever. I was also born into a wealthy family originally! So why am I the only one going through such ridiculous hardships! You should be the one living like that!”

Her shameless appearance, grinding her teeth with the most wronged expression in the world, made Ciella recall the terrible past three years and burst the resentment that had been festering deep in her heart.

Slap!

At that moment, along with the sharp sound of a cheek being struck, Bianca’s head turned. Unable to listen any longer, Ciella had slapped her cheek.

“Don’t take your anger out on me! You have no right to say such things to me. Do you know what kind of life I lived for the past three years because of you?”

“How would I know such things? And it’s none of my business.”

Slap. Once again, a sharp sound cut through the air.

“Because of you, I had to suffer from hunger every day, search for food to survive, and hide to avoid being attacked by enemies. While you lived recklessly doing whatever you wanted, I had to have my life threatened!”

Bianca, whose head had turned, bit her lower lip hard.

“But can you say you went through harder things than me? You don’t know the life of a stray dog wandering alone!”

She hadn’t intended to complain. But the possessor who thought only her life was difficult was so detestable that Ciella unconsciously responded emotionally.

Who was she to drag up painful memories? Muttering in a small voice, Ciella lowered her face.

Her eyes had become red at some point. She no longer had the energy to speak.

Klein, who had been silently watching the two with an emotionless face, approached her side at some point and gently embraced her.

In the warm, tender embrace, the teardrops that had formed in Ciella’s eyes fell drop by drop and gradually soaked Klein’s chest.

Watching this scene, the color drained from the Duke of Roxburrow’s face, and his eyes sank coldly. Soon after, a voice filled with anger was directed at Klein.

“Is there any need to keep listening to that woman’s words? It would be better to get rid of her quickly.”

“Yes. That should be enough now.”

When Klein gave a look, the imperial guards standing behind him forcibly lifted Bianca’s body and slung her over their shoulders.

“Let go of me!”

Bianca, whose body was bound, twisted her body and kicked her legs desperately, but it was useless.

“I’m a noble lady. I’m not someone the likes of you can treat carelessly! So let me go.”

Until the guards left the reception room, she refused to acknowledge her wrongdoings to the very end. She only continued to shout that she was a noble.

“Tsk.”

Klein clicked his tongue at her. The woman who knew neither remorse nor her place looked pathetic in his eyes.

“Ma, call the mage, quickly!”

Realizing the situation wouldn’t change, Bianca desperately sought the dark mage.

In this situation, he was the only person who came to mind. Rather than living the miserable life of a slave, it would be better to escape even at the cost of her life.

“You mean the dark mage?”

Klein’s low voice was mixed with displeasure.

“Y-yes. The old man who uses dark magic. What was his name again?”

Since “girl” and “old man” were how they referred to each other, Bianca couldn’t remember his name.

“Sam, right?”

“Y-yes. I think that was the name. Please call him right now. Please?”

Since he had been kind enough to tell her the name, it seemed like he would bring the mage before her now, so Bianca looked at Klein with desperate eyes while holding onto small hope.

“Even if I wanted to do as you wish, that seems impossible.”

However, words completely opposite to what Bianca expected flowed from his mouth, and the nuance was ominous.

Impossible? It sounded like he was saying he was in a situation where he couldn’t bring him even if he wanted to.

“Why? Call him right now. He didn’t run away, did he?”

Since she hadn’t paid him yet, he wasn’t the type to run away without gaining anything. But she kept having an ominous feeling.

“He’s already dead.”

During the past three years of knowing him, even if they hadn’t grown deeply attached, they had still relied on each other somewhat. So the moment she heard the word “death,” Bianca felt her heart sink. Why would a perfectly fine person suddenly die?

“What are you saying? Don’t lie!”

Unable to believe it, Bianca shouted accusingly. Unlike her sharp voice, her hands trembled violently.

“He died from using magic far beyond his abilities.”

When Klein, who had belatedly tracked his location with Cookie’s help, went to find Sam, he was already dead.

Since the possessed body didn’t return just because the mage died, Klein was also quite shocked when he discovered his corpse. He hadn’t expected him to be dead at all.

To die from using magic beyond his abilities due to excessive greed… it was truly a miserable end.

Well, thanks to that, Cookie, who had been possessing Bianca’s body, was able to escape to the Selkirk family, and finding his hideout was all possible because Sam died, so it wasn’t a bad ending for him.

But Sam’s death had a different meaning for Bianca.

“This can’t be.”

With even her last hope gone, Bianca’s face was colored with despair. Haha, only hollow laughter flowed out.

Using dark magic also shortened the mage’s life?

When she begged for a second possession and he refused, but then said he would do the possession again, she should have found it strange, but she failed to do so.

“He should have used his power more sparingly.”

Only now did she seem to understand why he had refused when she demanded he make her possess someone again.

Good that he died, good that he died. Serves him right. He was so greedy for money. He threatened her so much!

Tears flowed endlessly from Bianca’s eyes at some point.

* * *

“I received help once again. Thank you.”

Ciella expressed her gratitude to the Tower Master, who was about to go to the imperial palace with the criminal.

“I merely did my duty. Rather, I’m sorry for coming late. I didn’t expect things to escalate this much, so you had to suffer again, my lady.”

“This time the possession period wasn’t long, so it was okay. I wasn’t in an extreme situation where my life was threatened either.”

Since this incident was also an opportunity to reconcile with Klein, she tried not to think about it negatively.

“Thank you for saying words that ease this old man’s burden.”

The mage smiled warmly.

“Will you be traveling again?”

“Since emergencies like this case might occur, I’m thinking of staying in the capital for a while.”

“Please visit the Roxburrow ducal house when you have time. I want to repay you.”

“Repayment isn’t necessary. I would just like to hear about what happened during this time over a light cup of tea.”

“That sounds good. So please make sure to stop by this time.”

“Yes, I will.”

After bowing, the Tower Master left the reception room and got into the carriage with the knights.

Ciella clearly watched through the window with her own eyes as Bianca got into the prisoner’s carriage and silently watched them leave.

Bianca was scheduled to return to a slave’s life after serving time in prison. As a permanent slave that couldn’t be redeemed even with money.

If she hadn’t coveted what belonged to her, she could have maintained her commoner status, but her excessive greed led to the worst outcome.

It was all over.

When she thought that she no longer needed to tremble in fear that their bodies might switch again, Ciella finally felt at ease.

“We’re finally alone together.”

“Y-yes, we are.”

After everyone left, only Ciella and Klein remained in the Selkirk estate’s reception room.

‘It seems the engagement annulment should be nullified. So handle the matter with Count Selkirk well and come back.’