Not long after, a damp, gloomy energy crawled up from the abyss onto the ground.

Things had seemed strange since the day Aaron returned, and gradually rumors began to swell.

They spread with such sensationalism that it was impossible not to pay attention.

After the rumor about the young baron executing the guard captain in Demre circulated, rumors about Lucilia were added on top, as if seizing the opportunity.

The servants whispered secretly in hiding.

“What do you think? Will the young master really cast out the mistress?”

“Hey! Would you leave her be if you were him? If I were the young master, I wouldn’t keep her close even out of fear.”

As everyone expressed negative opinions, Bessie added her thoughts.

“The mistress’s presence is certainly threatening. That’s how I got hurt last time.”

“That’s right! You said you slipped because you were frightened, didn’t you?”

“Yes. I felt uneasy then, but seeing how things are going lately, it wasn’t for nothing. The greenhouse caught fire, the Mrangel tribe invaded—nothing is going right. Don’t you agree?”

“Right, right. I thought the same thing! Peace has been shattered since the mistress arrived.”

“With the sacred power that was blocking the curse gone, misfortunes are pouring out all at once.”

“Bessie, what you’re saying really makes sense. These consecutive unfortunate events are definitely an ill omen.”

As the conversation flowed in her desired direction, Bessie became quite excited.

Taking advantage of the heightened atmosphere, Bessie mentioned Aaron’s execution method in Demre. Nothing stimulated interest better than pushing things to extremes.

“You all know our young master’s temperament, right? Have you heard how he killed the guard captain when he went to Demre this time?”

“Of course we heard. He hung the blackened, burnt corpse on a pole.”

“Every time I enter the young master’s room, I’m scared to death. He doesn’t seem that cruel on the surface, but he’s truly frightening.”

“Do you know how eerie his cold gaze is? It’s so full of killing intent that my knees go weak!”

Bessie added in a serious tone, as if she could clearly see the future ahead.

“At a time like this, with all sorts of ominous signs happening because of the mistress, do you think the young master will just let it go?”

“I’ll bet a month’s salary on ‘the mistress will take the fall.'”

“I could bet two months’ worth.”

Everyone unanimously agreed that the master’s anger would rise endlessly.

* * *

Lucilia also sensed intuitively that the arrow would turn toward her.

She confirmed it once more through Bessie’s eyes, who had volunteered to bring her washing water specifically to observe Lucilia’s demeanor.

‘Source of curses, wicked woman, shameless beyond her station.’

Every thought was filled with hatred. She sneered that rumors had already spread too far to be reversed.

Lucilia fully absorbed Bessie’s malice as she looked her straight in the eye, but she smiled innocently.

“Is the young baron in his study? It would be nice to have a meal together.”

“He’s probably at the training ground. I heard the young master is personally supervising the knights’ morning training.”

“Is that so? Then I’ll have to eat alone.”

Lucilia dried her wet face with the towel Bessie handed her.

She changed into a neat dress, braided her silver-white hair, and inserted modest hair ornaments.

After finishing her preparations, she had a moment to herself before breakfast.

Only then did cracks appear in Lucilia’s reflection in the mirror.

“The rumors spread faster than I expected.”

Could the oracle have been wrong?

She couldn’t help but reflect on the oracle she had received long ago.

A hundred years ago, Saint Benica was born and received the praise of the people of the Caldman Kingdom. After that, the birth of divine intermediaries ceased.

In the year when Lucilia was nine, she offered chrysanthemums at Saint Benica’s tombstone, and at that moment, a strange phenomenon occurred.

A blue light flashing from the tombstone flowed into her body through her veins. She still couldn’t forget the voice that resonated with the light.

A clear woman’s voice pulsated in her heart.

My beloved daughter.

Satisfy the hunger of the flesh. Do not hesitate to bloom fully.

You shall be eternally subordinate to the hero of radiance, drinking in joy from him and letting pain flow away.

I shall protect you with compassion, so you shall be completely freed from bondage.

At that time, the Papal Office did not welcome the appearance of a saint who performed miracles.

But fearing what might happen if they ignored Lucilia, who had received the oracle of Apera, the “Goddess of Enlightenment,” they sought ways to coexist with her father, Marquis Teneri.

The two powers had essentially granted authority to each other.

She was too young then to know about the collusion between the Pope and her father, but if there was anything she vaguely sensed as dangerous, it was the content of that oracle.

The hero of radiance…

She instinctively knew she would stand at the center of war.

If the content of the oracle became known, people would fight to become the hero blessed by the saint.

Winds of greed would rise like wildfire everywhere, and in the end, there was a high probability it would escalate into a battle to claim the saint.

The phrase “hunger of the flesh” also felt ominous.

So she changed it.

My beloved daughter.

Do not hesitate to bloom fully.

You shall be eternally subordinate to the nation of radiance, drinking in joy from it and letting pain flow away.

I shall protect you with compassion, so you shall be completely freed from bondage.

When the oracle’s content was made public, everyone rejoiced and was moved.

They believed without doubt that the “radiant country” acknowledged by the saint was Caldman. Everyone felt pride in being citizens of Caldman.

The brilliant glory of the past swept by like the wind.

Lucilia rinsed her bitter mouth with water and gave a wry smile.

“Free from bondage? I wonder if the oracle was even correct…”

Looking at the unfortunate reality, there was no way to explain it except that she had been cursed rather than loved by the divine.

Hadn’t she fallen to the point of drunkenly begging Aaron not to abandon her?

As if things weren’t awkward enough, Aaron was likely to find her even more suspicious than before.

“I thought I would be misunderstood as practicing dark magic if I used sacred power while not being a saint. That’s why I tried to become ordinary…”

They said that because her sacred power had disappeared, the curse trapped within it had been released.

Interpreting it the opposite way yielded a completely different result.

Sighs burst forth one after another.

“One way or another, they’re determined to tear me down.”

Whether she did well or poorly.

Whether with good intentions or bad.

The result would be labeled as “vicious witch.”

That was her predetermined fate.

But she had no intention of giving up like this. Until Aaron issued an expulsion order, it wasn’t over even when it seemed over.

* * *

The dark energy enveloping the mansion disturbed Aaron’s mind.

By the time the atmosphere in the mansion began to stir, Hans and Karen had already taken turns reporting the situation.

He felt indifferent while listening, but the more he pondered alone, the more complicated his thoughts became.

From what he had observed, Lucilia didn’t have the ability to cast curses. She was too pure for that.

Though it was for show, they still shared a bed, falling asleep and waking up together.

She had never once shown malice.

She may have humbled herself to survive, but nevertheless, she never hesitated to apologize, and she suffered from nightmares every night due to the shock of being pursued.

She tried hard to survive while keeping her wounds of abandonment tightly wrapped.

Had he viewed her too favorably…

But no matter how he thought about it, she didn’t seem skilled in trickery. She clearly showed signs of having lived sheltered from the world, which sometimes made him click his tongue.

She was a fragile and timid woman.

Someone who didn’t even know how to present herself couldn’t possibly cast curses.

The rumors were so absurd they weren’t worth verifying.

Aaron inwardly swallowed a sigh as he looked at Lucilia sitting demurely on the reception room sofa.

Look at her—despite trying hard to hide behind a smile, her distress shone through transparently.

“Are, are you finished? Have you had dinner?”

The awkward smile hanging at the corners of her mouth was quite unsatisfactory.

Suddenly, he wished she would express her emotions honestly.

Watching her silently felt suffocating, like stuffing tough jerky into his mouth all at once.

Aaron went straight to the point without hesitation.

“The rumors have grown so large that they’ve easily reached my ears.”

She seemed flustered for a moment before swallowing hard.

She was clearly tense, but he hoped she wouldn’t be frightened.

Aaron sat on the edge of the desk, stretching his legs diagonally forward.

As soon as he showed willingness to talk, her head, which had been lowered, lifted.

“Do you think I did it too, My Lord?”

He wanted to stare into her eyes to see how much she was trembling, but he remained vigilant until the end.

Because her sacred power remained.