“Lea and Carden?”

The names that came to mind when I saw the initials were all too familiar to me.

How foolish. Despite Lucifer’s firm denial, clear evidence, and my vivid memory of Carden’s grave.

Yet I found myself pathetic for still connecting him to Carden. While berating myself for this, each time I saw these overlapping traces of Carden, my heart ached.

“It must be Lucifer and Cardamia.”

Though I couldn’t understand why one side used a first name while the other used a surname.

My fingertips lingered with attachment as I put down the ring. Almost letting go, but not quite. How foolish.

The burning sensation returned to my cheek. I hated the feeling that this heat might spread to my eyes.

At times like this, it would be better to fall asleep quickly. Remembering how he usually let me sleep first when he had a lot of work, I went straight to the sofa and forced myself to sleep.

* * *

“What is this, Count?”

Lucifer frowned when a group of women entered the banquet hall. Following their commander’s reaction, the rest of the knights stiffened their faces and sat with rigid postures.

“I prepared this to comfort you after ending a difficult war. You’ve all been moving under the name of holy war, unable to release your youthful vigor.”

Count Damocles, the owner of this castle, had been feeling uncomfortable with Lucifer’s unfriendly response, despite being much older than him.

Who does he think he is, acting so high and mighty? He’s still just a commoner.

But he couldn’t reveal his true feelings. After all, Lucifer was a man whose future was more brilliantly guaranteed than anyone else’s. Many said Lucifer would at most become a count, but his thoughts differed.

He would become a new nobleman with the greatest power. Above all, he would become the Emperor’s closest confidant.

So it was good to build a friendship. Even better to share secrets others wouldn’t know. The more scandalous those secrets, the more beneficial for the Count.

“When you return, you’ll feel awkward around the Imperial Princess.”

“So tonight is for indulging in wild revelry?”

“Yes, that’s what I mean.”

The corner of Lucifer’s mouth curved upward significantly. Lucifer quietly picked up the wine glass in front of him. As he gulped it down, the Count inwardly cheered.

Indeed, he should have brought women first. Then the knights wouldn’t have entered carrying their swords with the excuse that they couldn’t remove them from their bodies.

The Count felt relieved seeing the knights’ relaxed faces.

“My daughter has heard rumors about you and has admired you for a long time. She said she really wanted to meet you today.”

Pleased with Lucifer’s reaction, he called a woman to his side. Then he gestured for the remaining women to go to the knights’ sides.

“Reina, come, you should greet Lord Croisen.”

“It’s an honor to serve you. Please take good care of me.”

“Don’t feel burdened, just enjoy your time.”

Lucifer narrowed his eyes at the Count’s daughter. She momentarily felt breathless but pretended to be fine.

“I’ll serve you wholeheartedly.”

“A parent selling his daughter?”

“Pardon?”

“No, what are you saying!”

Lucifer’s ashen eyes turned red, perhaps from the alcohol. His eyes glaring at the Count and his daughter resembled those of a wolf.

A murderous intent that looked ready to tear them apart.

“How can there be a father who instructs his daughter to sell her body? Aren’t you ashamed to call yourself a nobleman?”

“What is this…!”

“In such cases, either you don’t share blood with your child, or you’re trying to use and discard her.”

Lucifer slowly twirled the wine glass he was holding.

“How is this any different from the demons of Belial Duchy?”

Lucifer’s voice lowered to a growl. His eyes had lost some of their usual calmness.

“Filthy creatures. If that’s how it is, why adopt in the first place?”

Suddenly, the wine glass in Lucifer’s hand stopped moving. The veins on his hand holding the silver wine glass bulged. The glass began to crumple slightly.

Count Damocles’s face turned pale at Lucifer’s supernatural strength.

“Count Damocles.”

As Lucifer called out, the knights abruptly stood up. Swords were simultaneously drawn from their hands. Among them, Terseon quickly rushed out and locked the door of the banquet hall. The Count’s retainers and the few guards who participated in the banquet were trapped.

“Did you want to create a scandal or find a weakness to use against me?”

“What are you doing to me, who provided you with accommodations?”

The Count cried out, seemingly wronged. But Lucifer ignored him and continued speaking without response.

“Did you think we wouldn’t know that you dared to harbor rebellious thoughts against His Imperial Majesty and secretly contacted the former Crown Prince who was deposed?”

“No, that’s…!”

Lucifer pulled out a small parchment from his chest. It bore the seal of the Holy Empire.

“To charge with treason, Count Damocles and all his family are to be escorted to the Imperial Palace. Those who resist may be killed.”

Hearing Lucifer’s words, the pale-faced Count snatched a sword from one of his guards standing nearby. Then he rushed toward the unarmed Lucifer.

“Kyaaak, Father!”

But the Count’s sword didn’t even graze Lucifer’s clothes. Instead, that sword was used to inflict wounds on the Count’s own body.

* * *

Taking control of Count Damocles’s castle was easy. It was thanks to the imperial knights who had been summoned in advance.

After temporarily entrusting the rest of the handling to Terseon and the imperial knights, he returned to his room located in a high place of the annex.

This place was quiet, seemingly unaware of what had happened in the main castle. Of course, this was because he had taken separate measures.

He stood in front of the door with a somewhat tired face. But the fatigue on his face disappeared completely when he grabbed the doorknob.

He had returned to the face of a cold, indifferent knight.

“Princess.”

Entering the room and not seeing Leitria, he narrowed his brow. The black pupils of his gray eyes dilated slightly.

But soon his eyes found peace when he heard even breathing.

“Falling asleep before your master returns.”

If someone like the Imperial Princess had been her master, Leitria would have been slapped several more times by now. It was fortunate that he was her master.

He approached and sat next to where Leitria was sleeping. Breathing softly in her sleep, Leitria’s face showed no awareness of the outside world.

“Ridiculous.”

He shook his head.

He frowned at the meat still intact on the table. Her cheek was still swollen, suggesting she would suffer for days.

After staring at the meat for a while, Lucifer went to Leitria. He placed his cold hand on her red cheek. Leitria leaned into his hand, seemingly having waited for it.

After gazing at her for a long time, he slipped his arms under her armpits and knees and lifted her lightly. 

It was partly due to Lucifer’s strength, but also because Leitria was too thin. Somehow, she seemed to be getting lighter despite being fed.

“Mmm.”

Was she waking up? Or was she about to have another seizure like last time?

Leitria, who had been mumbling in her sleep, fortunately didn’t have a seizure and tried to burrow into his embrace. With a happy smile on her face, despite his chest being soaked with the smell of alcohol and blood.

Lucifer frowned as he laid her down on the bed. Still not waking up, Leitria rolled up the neatly spread blanket.

She really sleeps so peacefully, oblivious to the world.

His heart felt strangely uneasy. The truth, completely different from what he had intensely believed for years, brought confusion to him. Enough to break his initial resolve.

“I don’t know where it all went wrong.”

He had fulfilled everything the Emperor wanted. And he was about to receive his reward. Was this truly the ending he wanted? All the worries filling his mind were because of the fragile woman before him.

Still, it was fine. The ultimate goal might change, but he had obtained what he wanted.

* * *

The next evening, the Holy Knights and I finally arrived at the Imperial Palace.

From the moment we passed through the gates of the imperial castle, the knights’ shoulders were raised high with the cheers of the imperial citizens. 

But Lucifer remained calm as always. That was what distinguished him from other knights, and why he was the most suitable person to be the commander of the knights.

“Princess, don’t forget to pay your respects when His Imperial Majesty enters.”

“Yes, I’ll behave well so I don’t cause trouble.”

I nodded. I would have done so even without his reminder. After all, I was the one who wanted to receive the purification ritual.

Perhaps the still-living Dark Clan members and the people of the Duchy. The moment for them to finally give up on me was right before my eyes. 

The thought made me a little excited. Though the fact that I would still be a slave after purification wouldn’t change, I also had hopes that other opportunities might arise for me.

I must live a fuller life, even for Carden and my friends’ shares.

While repeating this resolution several times, I heard the chamberlain’s announcement.

“His Imperial Majesty the Emperor enters.”

I tightly gripped the hem of the white dress Lucifer had given me for the purification ritual. Then, befitting the only slave here, I knelt down alone.

“Everyone, raise your heads.”

At the Emperor’s command, I cautiously raised my head. I glanced at the Emperor’s face. He had heterochromia with blue and yellow in one eye. Just seeing his eyes made me anticipate the Emperor’s mysterious power.

“You’ve worked hard. Truly excellent. Not only driving out the demons from this land but also dealing with Count Damocles who was plotting treason.”

I belatedly realized why the Count hadn’t seen us off this morning, and why Lucifer hadn’t returned last night.

Feeling sorry for misunderstanding him, I couldn’t look at Lucifer.

While the Emperor was commending the knights, I could see his mysterious eyes curved kindly for quite some time. Those kind eyes soon discovered me kneeling and sharply rose.

“That child must be the problematic slave.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Lucifer answered.

“You really brought her alive.”

“You promised to give her to me as spoils of war.”

“Haha, indeed. It was the first reward I promised you, so I must keep my word. You there, take that woman to the purification room immediately.”

At the Emperor’s command, unfamiliar knights seized both my arms.

Momentarily frightened by the knights using force, I turned to look at Lucifer. But the knight who had always been reliable had no capacity to help me.

It was a sight I had never seen before. Lucifer was tense, shrinking his body. With both his face and body stiff, he was even sweating cold sweat.