“Disgusting.”

This appeared to be the slave’s mark. When I touched it lightly, the wound had already healed, leaving no painful sensation.

Did Lucifer brand me? The mark etched into my rough skin felt somewhat resentful. He didn’t need to do this; I already knew I was a slave and had no intention of running away.

With a dejected heart, I stared blankly into the mirror for quite some time before moving to the table where food had been placed.

A thin onion soup sat on the table. By my recollection, I had already gone without food for over ten days. Yet I hadn’t felt hunger or thirst. That frightened me a little. Had the purification failed?

Growl-!

At the timely sound, I happily grabbed a spoon.

“This looks delicious.”

The feeling of being an ordinary human again.

I picked up the spoon and was about to bring the onion soup to my mouth. Just then, my sleeve slid down again, revealing the red slave mark.

My other hand moved without my thinking. I tried pulling up the sleeve with my left hand, but the moment I removed my hand, the disgusting mark peeked out again. I tried to cover it several times, but it was useless.

Finally resigned, I slowly ate the soup, chewing thoroughly and emptying the bowl. Then I walked with sluggish steps to the dressing room.

“These are supposed to be my clothes?”

There hung various garments from elaborate party dresses to comfortable indoor wear. Clothes completely unsuitable for a slave.

I tried to find something as plain and worn-looking as possible. Long sleeves to cover my wrists were essential.

“This is strange no matter how I look at it.”

* * *

“Duke, has the Princess of Belial still not awakened today?”

In the Emperor’s office at the Imperial Palace, Lucifer and the Emperor were conversing.

“No, Your Majesty. She hadn’t awakened by morning.”

“Hmm, the dark energy that infiltrated her body was so dense that the purification’s side effects must have been substantial.”

Only after two weeks had passed since the Imperial banquet was Lucifer able to meet Leitria. This was after asking the Emperor several times about the results of the purification ritual.

Leitria was a mess when he saw her again. Her hands were covered in bruises and blood. It was obvious without seeing that she had pounded on the door trying to get out.

And most notably, the red burn mark on her hand. Without the master’s permission, the Imperial Palace knights had branded her as a slave. Perhaps due to that pain, Leitria had fainted and remained unconscious for ten days.

“The doctor said there’s nothing wrong with her, so she should wake up soon. Thanks to Your Majesty’s holy power, her life force hasn’t been cut off despite being in a coma.”

“But must you keep the Princess by your side to this extent? I understand your grudge, but having learned from the dark clan, she could become a problem at any time.”

Lucifer’s gaze toward the Emperor turned cold for a very brief moment. But returning to his usual self, Lucifer recited his feelings in a calm voice.

“Isn’t that why I asked Your Majesty for purification? I intend to make that child understand the pain I endured, for a long time to come.”

The Emperor’s expression became strange. But he quickly put on the face of a kind uncle and signed the documents Lucifer presented.

“Have you weeded out all those involved with Count Damocles?”

“Yes, we’ve also removed all forces trying to overthrow the empire by slandering Your Majesty and spreading false rumors.”

“Tsk tsk, I’m openly using holy power, even purifying the Princess, yet they treat me like an impostor.”

The Emperor’s voice was slightly higher than usual. While speaking, he subtly checked Lucifer’s reaction. Fortunately, Lucifer showed no particular sign of suspicion.

“To have such a loyal subject is truly a blessing from the deity. So I’ll trust you and leave everything to you.”

Lucifer nodded impassively at the Emperor’s high praise, showing no sign of pleasure. The Emperor used to appreciate Lucifer’s upright character, but not anymore. Having such a person as a close aide might be dangerous.

However, the Emperor’s situation was too urgent to push away a knight acknowledged by the deity. The Emperor was the one who needed to hold on.

“So finish this matter quickly and get engaged to Delia. I’d like to have you married right away, but you need time to get closer, so I’ll compromise.”

“Your Majesty, please reconsider that matter.”

“Do you dislike becoming my son-in-law that much?”

Lucifer momentarily closed his mouth at the Emperor’s question. After a slight hesitation, Lucifer’s face was dark when he gave his answer.

“Isn’t it the Imperial Princess who dislikes me rather than myself?”

Now he’s using the Princess as an excuse. The Emperor slightly twitched his eyebrow. His crooked lips were hardly recognizable as belonging to the Emperor rumored to be benevolent.

“The real reason for your refusal isn’t because of that slave at home, is it? To think my daughter would be pushed aside because of such a lowly child; perhaps I shouldn’t have purified her.”

The Emperor openly displayed his displeasure. Lucifer and the Emperor stared at each other for a moment.

But Lucifer was always the one to back down.

“That’s absolutely not the case.”

The Emperor’s eyes narrowed at Lucifer’s refusal to accept the engagement despite everything. But pressing further would only make the Emperor look foolish.

“Good, I’m glad. Now, about the Belial Duchy.”

“Please speak.”

“They were truly filthy creatures. Including that Princess.”

The Emperor smiled at Lucifer, who was furrowing his brows. A smile manufactured like a puppet in a masquerade.

* * *

It took me quite a while to choose and put on clothes. I finally found a subdued outfit, but even this felt too soft against my skin for a slave to wear. This was made of finer silk than what I wore when living as a Princess.

It feels awkward.

This is clearly too much for me. I need to fix this right away.

I stood at the door, intending to find Lucifer. Just as I grabbed the handle to pull the door open, it was pushed open forcefully without a knock. Unable to balance on my weak legs, I was pushed backward.

“Eek!”

It was the brown-haired maid who had brought me food earlier.

“What are you doing lurking by the door?”

Even seeing me fall back weakly, she didn’t apologize. She only looked down at me with irritated eyes.

The maid walked past me and collected the empty bowl from the table. Then she turned to leave. When this still unapologetic, brazen-faced maid came before me, I hurriedly stopped her.

“Wait a moment.”

“What?”

“When you knock someone down, you should apologize.”

“What did you say?”

The maid’s nose wrinkled. She narrowed her eyes into triangles, giving off a hostile aura.

“How impudent for a slave. Do you still think you’re a princess?”

A mutter meant to be heard.

Considering my situation, it might be better to stay quiet. But even when traveling with the knights, such treatment was rare.

Except from someone like Kires.

“Wouldn’t it be better to apologize when you knock someone down?”

I protested timidly. Even saying this one sentence made my heart pound heavily. My hand on the floor trembled slightly with anxiety.

As expected, she glared at me with thoroughly displeased eyes.

“Oh my, I’m so sorry. I never imagined there would be a slave who would fall just from opening a door.”

“…!”

After making an apology that wasn’t really an apology, the maid stepped over my sprawled legs. Or rather, she pretended to trip over them.

“Oh my!”

With the woman’s exaggerated movements pretending to trip, the bowl and spoon came crashing down on my head.

Clang! 

The soup bowl hit my head and shattered on the floor. The remaining onion soup sauce splattered all over my head and clothes.

“How can a slave lie on the floor obstructing a maid’s work? They said this useless slave doesn’t know how to do anything so don’t give her work and just leave her alone, yet here she is creating more work. So annoying.”

Though clearly not my fault, the blame fell on me. My eyes started to burn with the injustice. But I was determined not to be foolishly victimized for something that wasn’t my fault. For Carden who sacrificed himself for me, and for my master Lucifer.

“Apologize.”

“I already did.”

“That wasn’t an apology. Apologize properly.”

“Hey! You seem quite arrogant for getting special treatment that doesn’t suit you, but you’re still just a slave. How dare a slave challenge me?”

“You’re just a maid yourself.”

“What did you say?”

My heart pounded harder while I glared and shouted at the maid. But I couldn’t stop.

—Who is my master?—

There was only one person I would bow my head to.

Lucifer Croisen.

“If anyone has the right to torment me, it’s not you. And I won’t apologize for crimes I didn’t commit to you either.”

“What?”

“Being a slave doesn’t mean I deserve to be treated rudely or tormented, so apologize! If you were properly raised, you’d know that’s basic human decency!”

“You! How dare you, from the dark clan, talk about human decency?”

The maid lunged at me, looking ready to devour me. She reached out, grabbed my hair, and shook me.

My still-weakened body couldn’t resist and just shook with her movements. All I could do was shout.

“I was purified by His Majesty! I’m not from the dark clan!”

“Not true! You’re still the same kind of monster they were, that’s why you survived after sleeping for ten days without eating anything!”

I was somewhat shocked by the maid’s words.

I had just believed I became an ordinary person because I felt hunger. But if what the maid said was true, I had endured nearly a month without even water. The purification might have failed.

With shattered expectations, my eyes widened as I collapsed helplessly onto the broken bowl. Sharp fragments dug into my palm.

Hot blood flowed. That was no different from anyone else’s. The same red blood.

“I’m not some kind of monster!”

Gathering all my strength, I pushed the maid away. Surprised by my sudden counterattack, she was pushed toward the door.

Simultaneously, the door opened.

The maid’s back hit the opening door hard. She grimaced in pain. Without even looking toward the door, she just massaged her waist and shouted irritably.

“Kelly! What took you so long? This impudent slave…”

“What is all this?”

The maid froze at the chilling voice.

“D-Duke. What brings you to the annex? Have you already left the palace?”

“I asked what’s going on.”

I wasn’t the only one who found Lucifer’s colorless eyes frightening. The maid trembled in terror.

Like she had just met the grim reaper.