Perhaps there was such a reason why the woman who entered Serena’s body initially acted so maliciously on purpose.

‘So that’s why she sometimes looked troubled.’

Magnus recalled the impostor who had lived with him in an almost stranger-like marriage before Serena.

She would growl whenever their eyes met, pick fights with everyone, and push people away, but sometimes when Magnus got really angry, she would frown as if confused and look wronged.

At the time, he thought she was just immature, and later he just thought she was like a crazy person, but…

‘…I see. If she was forced to play such a role for some reason, it could have been like that.’

And Serena returned to her original body when public opinion had worsened as much as it could.

Already having experienced something like a slave life over there, she returned with all her confidence and self-esteem gone.

Whatever had happened, Serena seemed to take all this situation for granted.

She had no will to escape, let alone the heart to make excuses for things she hadn’t done.

She acted as if she had given up on everything and was just waiting for the end.

Not only that, for some reason, she tried to distance herself from them and be alone.

If he had just left her then, Serena might not be in this world anymore.

She would have divorced, voluntarily left the Lavernia family, and died alone in some unnamed shabby house.

Just imagining it sent chills down his spine.

‘…How ridiculous.’

It had played with a person’s entire life in its grasp.

‘Eliminate the evil that casts darkness on the world?’

That Darkness, who does it think is the most evil now?

Killing intent surged around Magnus. Veins popped out on the back of his clenched fist.

Drukan frowned at that fierce gaze.

‘…Why did the World Tree tell us to watch over Serena?’

If it wanted the Darkness killed, it would have clearly ordered its annihilation.

If it wanted Serena saved, it would have also clearly spoken through revelation.

Once given, a revelation was never ambiguous but clear.

“That Darkness is using Serena to kill itself. Darkness cannot die alone, so it must die through its contractor. But, it realized that if it dies through someone, something will eventually be born again.”

So that Darkness made Serena receive all kinds of hatred and isolated her.

It piled all the heavy burdens that should have been scattered to everyone in the world onto her.

Until she couldn’t bear it anymore and gave up on herself.

“It’s ridiculous, just because Darkness disappears from the world doesn’t mean human hearts will disappear… How could evil disappear?”

Magnus let out a hollow laugh.

Bad intentions aren’t something that can be resolved by cutting them out.

What I show with good intentions might look like malice to others, and what I do with malice might unexpectedly come across as goodwill to someone.

“If Darkness disappears and the dark parts in human hearts vanish, it might look like that for a while.”

But in the end, it’s a world where countless people live.

How could everyone live with the same heart? The corners of Magnus’s lips curled slightly.

“…I’m worried about Serena.”

“She’ll be fine. Serena… said she would try.”

At last, the carriage stopped.

Without waiting for the coachman, Magnus got out of the carriage right away and quickly headed towards where Serena was.

“W-Wait a moment…! Your Grace. This is a restricted area…”

“Get lost.”

“This is a prison under the imperial guard’s jurisdiction. Unless there’s permission from the Commander…”

Who cares about the Emperor’s permission or the Commander’s permission?

Magnus’s fierce face turned towards the imperial guard knight blocking the way.

“This is the last time, move.”

Magnus said, gripping his sword. Faced with the bare face of a monster right in front of him, the knight slumped to the ground.

His legs had given out.

“Ah…?”

“If you block my way again, that scenery will be the last thing your eyes take in.”

Magnus warned in a low voice and drew his sword, cutting through the locked iron door in one stroke.

It was the moment he set foot on the stairs.

Bang–!

An ominous sound echoed, reaching his ears.

“…No.”

Magnus’s face turned deathly pale.

“Serena!”

He immediately kicked off the ground and ran down the stairs. A musty and fishy smell of blood wafted from the underground prison.

‘That d*mn imperial guard bastard…!’

There was no sign of life inside.

“Serena!”

No, no, no.

Magnus’s pale mind truly began to burn.

He couldn’t see her.

She wasn’t anywhere.

“Ugh…”

“Your Grace!”

His head hurt.

Magnus raised his hand to hold his head and groaned lowly. Thump thump, his body grew hotter as his blood flow started to quicken.

As his emotions began to heighten, simultaneously, the desire to destroy anything welled up.

“Everything…”

Magnus’s eyes began to turn blood-red.

“Your Grace, calm down! You can’t do this here now!”

“I have to kill… everything… ugh…”

It felt like he wouldn’t feel better unless he killed everything in front of him.

Uncontrolled magic surged around Magnus.

At that moment when Drukan, frozen with a pale face, was contemplating whether to draw his sword or not.

[…What, Serena. It hurts.]

That’s when it happened.

An eerie voice was heard from somewhere in the corridor.

“…Serena?”

At that one name, Magnus’s aura sharply diminished. Drukan’s brow slightly unfurrowed.

He removed his hand from the sword hilt, relieved.

“I hear a sound from inside. For now, it would be better to calm down and go check.”

“…Right.”

Magnus grabbed his throbbing head and immediately turned his body towards the direction of the sound.

The underground prison was deeper and more complex than expected.

It seemed that even if a prisoner escaped, they would likely get lost.

Moreover, since the sound echoed here and there, it wasn’t easy to know the source.

“I’m not going to die.”

[Why? When everything outside has become such a mess? Do you want to be tortured? Once the t*rture starts, I can’t help you, Serena. You will also lose the chance to die alone.]

Magnus’s eyes widened slightly at the voice full of disappointment, seemingly asking why she didn’t understand its intentions.

It was clear that the darkness had already urged her to die.

‘Serena…’

Where on earth is she?

If she and the darkness were together, he couldn’t carelessly shout. Because he didn’t know what the other might do.

“I can’t be sure if this is real or an illusion you’re showing me.”

[Why would I show you lies, Serena.]

“The Magnus I know… is someone who would at least come to me directly and ask if I did it.”

[People change. He’s greatly disappointed in your actions. He doesn’t want to see your face and be even more disappointed.]

Magnus’s face hardened. He could feel his obsession to drive the other to the brink by any means.

‘That bastard…’

Why can’t I see them?

It feels like the more I go towards where the voice is coming from, the further it gets.

Then it feels like it’s getting closer again, and then further away again.

“Drukan, is it my imagination that we seem to be going around in circles?”

“I’m starting to feel the same way. …It might be the power of Darkness. The underground prison is dark after all.”

Magnus stopped walking, letting out a light breath.

Continuing to go around in circles is just a stupid act that depletes stamina.

“Even if that’s the case, he would come to me directly and speak. And above all…”

Serena’s voice sinks heavily.

“Magnus has never said things like I’m beautiful or whatever!”

[…What?]

At those words, Magnus’s feet, which were about to move again, froze in place.

“That guy always says weird things like I’m cute like a pig or whatever, he’s never used such refined words with me.”

[…Huh?]

Even the eerie voice seemed flustered by Serena’s angry irritation, its voice wavering.

The moment the voice wavered, Drukan saw the space they were standing in shake.

A crack.

‘So they were trapped somewhere after all.’

It was clear that the darkness had used some trick, taking advantage of the fact that sense of direction doesn’t work properly in dark places.

Or they could be in a separate space over there.

Realizing it was some kind of dirty illusion magic, Drukan drew his sword.

‘If I see it one more time.’

He could pierce the gap with his sword and break the space.

“A hideous monster with a beautiful face… That’s not something that gorilla would say.”

“Goril…”

Magnus blinked at that mercilessly resolute voice.