No, Marian had an alluring appearance to begin with. She drew men’s gazes even without wearing such clothes.

Abel ground out a curse between his teeth.

“This damn……”

Unaware of Abel’s anger, Marian left the palace. His eyes darkened as he watched the departing carriage.

**

Marian stared at Cesare.

Even sitting at a distance, she could smell the strong scent of alcohol. Moreover, Vanessa Yulian sat proudly beside Cesare.

Yulian crossed her legs, showing off her white thighs. Utterly shameless. Marian’s eyebrow twitched. Cesare’s loosely worn shirt gaped open.

“My, what brings you here today? His Grace has an appointment with me today.”

“Her Majesty the Empress sent me. A letter should have arrived at House Madrian.”

“Ah, right, right.”

Cesare giggled without any dignity. Cesare ran his lecherous eyes over Marian. Marian frowned.

The dress that she already disliked felt even more irritating. Every time Cesare’s gaze touched her skin, she felt like she was rotting.

Marian observed Yulian and Cesare. Her magic spread out in a field. The magic field gradually expanded throughout the mansion. There were many servants in this mansion. She needed to prevent them from approaching.

“The Empresh shent the prinshess.”

Cesare’s speech slurred. He swayed back and forth, heavy with alcohol. Marian watched him with cold eyes.

“Did you come because you need money, Marian?”

“Oh my. Is Her Highness begging?”

Vanessa and Cesare giggled together. Vanessa was equally drunk. Marian tilted her head. It was nothing to make these two drunk people hallucinate. Besides, this wasn’t the first time.

Thanks to this, rumors circulated about Duke Cesare having strange s*xual preferences.

Marian snapped her fingers.

Cesare and Vanessa’s eyes grew hazier. Marian snapped her fingers again. The flow of magic shifted toward them. The two slid to the floor, beyond disheveled. Marian walked regally between them.

While rare types like the Empress were completely immune to magic, there were also people who were very susceptible to magic, like Cesare and Vanessa.

Marian grabbed Cesare’s hand as he panted like a beast on the floor. Marian sharply examined the duke’s index finger.

“It’s not here?”

She clicked her tongue. The reason why Marian had to come here was for the head of the house’s seal. 

Marian threw down Cesare’s hand. Usually, heads of houses never remove their seal rings from their index fingers. But it seems Cesare doesn’t even have the sense to follow such noble principles.

Marian stood up. Her magic field expanded even wider. She left the reception room. The two people rolling on the floor were beneath her notice.

Marian freely roamed through the ducal estate.

‘Study? Bedroom? Bathroom?’

Marian moved quickly. She searched the study first while holding her breath.

“Where on earth did he put it.”

Marian rolled her eyes. She needed Madrian’s seal as evidence of his conspiracy with Bochetti.  

Next, she headed to Cesare’s room. While searching his bedroom, she sensed movement within her magic field. Marian froze.

Heavy, arrogant footsteps.

‘It’s the head butler.’

Marian held her breath and hid within her magic field. The bedroom door opened. She curled up, holding her skirts.

Like a mere shadow. Marian’s magic field covered her.

She must not make a sound when breathing.

Only Marian’s blue eyes glinted in the darkness.

“This bastard son of a……”

The head butler spat out curses in a low voice. The head butler looked around the room.

“Better to give me the money he wastes looking for that damned maid.”

The head butler sprawled on the master’s sofa and lit a cigar.

“Filthy bastard. What kind of state is that in the reception room.”

He must have been the one who passed by the reception room without opening the door earlier. The head butler continued muttering.

“Leaving everything to me. Then I might as well be the head of house.”

A familiar ring glinted on the head butler’s index finger.

‘The seal ring!’

Marian covered her mouth. That crazy bastard Cesare. He gave House Madrian’s seal ring to the head butler? Thats unheard of. No wonder she couldn’t find it.

Marian gritted her teeth.

The head butler grew more relaxed as he smoked his cigar.

She had to steal that ring. It was the only reason she had risked coming here today.

Marian delicately controlled her magic. Her magic carefully approached the head butler. The magic that gripped his ankles slowly climbed up his body.

The head butler’s cigar smoke spread lazily through the room. Like a snake.

Marian barely managed to suppress a cough. The cigar smoke tickled her nose. Her face flushed red as she held back her cough. Her magic faltered. Marian’s eyes widened. Finally, an unstoppable sneeze burst out.

“Cough.”

Marian quickly covered her mouth. The head butler paused and stood up.

“What? What was that sound? Is someone here? No, is someone present?”

The head butler began searching the room. Then he came closer to Marian. All the way to the dark shadows inside the bed, deep within the magic.

Marian’s heart pounded. She felt like her head would explode. She gauged how much her magic could handle.

What if she killed the head butler now, took the seal ring and ran? Marian reached out with murderous intent. Just as Marian was about to strangle the head butler who had come close to her—

[Have you forgotten why you returned!]

Her head rang. Marian trembled. She felt like she would vomit everything inside. She held her breath.

It felt terrible, as if the marks on her neck were tightening again. Like a thin line cutting into her skin would finally cut off her breath.

Marian touched her neck.

[Was death easy? Is life so simple?]

Marian blinked. Her fingers trembled.

[You still haven’t realized anything! You’re still a massacrer and murderer……]

“No!”

Marian cried out sharply. She shook her head. The places where the Empress had hit her throbbed and trembled. She shed tears. The god who never appeared when Marian was cornered only appeared at moments like this to save others’ lives.

Does that mean Marian isn’t worth saving?

She scratched her neck hard. The pain gradually faded. She slowly exhaled. The moment she opened her tightly shut eyes—

“So here you were.”

“Ah!”

Marian gasped. The head butler was crouched down at eye level with Marian, smiling. Her eyes met the head butler’s hazy ones.

The head butler ran his filthy gaze over Marian’s exposed upper body.

“What state is Her Highness the Princess in, here?”

The head butler said, licking his lips. Marian gritted her teeth. Through all these moments, god was never on Marian’s side. Marian regained her magic field that she had lost. The magic field also detected Cesare and Vanessa’s movements again. Fortunately, the two were still entangled like beasts.

Marian glared at the head butler with sharp eyes.

“Insolent bastard.”

Marian ground out between her teeth. Since it’s come to this, a frontal assault…

‘As long as I don’t kill him, right?’

If so, though she’d never tried it before, there might be a way. Marian snapped her fingers. She stood up. Her black hair flowed down elegantly.

The head butler’s entire body was suppressed.

“Eek!!”

She couldn’t move an inch, as if being pressed down by a boulder. Marian slowly walked around the room. Her steps were slow due to the corset constricting her breathing.

“How dare you look at me with those eyes.”

Marian spoke slowly.

“Y-Your Highness.”

Only then did the head butler’s dull mind recall who Marian was. Marian was counted among the greatest mages in this world. Marian could kill someone with just a point of her finger.

The head butler’s face turned pale.

He had forgotten this fact until now.

“P-please spare my life.”

The head butler spoke with a trembling voice.

“I can’t kill people.”

Marian whispered softly as she reached out, slipping the signet ring from the head butler’s finger. She rolled the family head’s ring in her hand, feeling its weight. The head butler darted his eyes around nervously. Marian felt the urge to pluck them out.

Those eyes that had insulted her.

“Don’t worry too much. You won’t die. If you manage to escape well, that is.”

Marian snapped her fingers forcefully. The magical field laid in the bedroom wrapped around the head butler. Crunch, crunch. The unpleasant sound echoed throughout the room. Marian smiled coldly.

The head butler writhed at the sound of bones twisting. He threw his head back.

“Ah, ahhh……”

The screams gradually grew quieter. Marian observed the head butler with cold eyes. His body twisted and twisted until what remained at the end was…

Squeak, squeak.

Marian stared at the fat white mouse as it scurried around her feet. Without hesitation, she set fire to the remnants of the head butler’s clothes. Her flames burned until even the ashes were gone.

Marian smirked and left the room, returning calmly to the reception room. She sat on the sofa, her gaze settling on the two nearly n*ked people clinging to each other. Absentmindedly, she fiddled with the family head’s signet ring, lost in thought.

“Ellie, Ellie……!”

Even Cesare calling Ellie’s name was disgusting. Marian slowly traced her neck with her fingertips. She felt as if the divine power that had dug into her neck earlier still lingered.