Rosetta lowered her gaze to her hands and remained silent.

The scars from the childhood t*rture she had endured still marred her skin. Her flesh had been pierced and torn, yet no one had bothered to apply even the simplest ointment. The wounds had healed by themselves, leaving behind scars that would never fade.

Rosetta awakened her magic on the very night that the Marquis told her she was not his daughter.

This happened after the renowned scholar’s theory had been exposed as nonsense.

This happened after she had already passed the age at which most children awaken their magic — between the ages of five and ten — and after everyone had concluded that she would never become a mage.

It happened after the Marquis and Marchioness Montero had given up hope of her awakening and welcomed Vivianne into the family.

It was the day Rosetta realized that the couple could still smile at each other with warmth and affection.

As she sat alone in the corner of a rarely visited storeroom, a soft blue light began to surround her.

The gentle glow wrapped itself around her fragile body and slowly sank deep into her heart.

Only then did Rosetta realize that she had finally given the Marquis what he had always wanted.

But she told no one.

The awakening of a mage sharpened the mind.

Although Rosetta had received little education, she began to understand her circumstances with a clarity she had never possessed before.

However, the more she understood, the less room there was for false hope.

When that hope finally vanished, another emotion quietly took its place — one she had never experienced before.

Hatred.

This emotion took root in Rosetta’s heart.

Whenever she was alone, she would practice magic in secret.

While everyone else slept, she would slip out into the darkness and scour every corner of the estate.

She uncovered hidden documents.

She learned secrets that had been carefully buried.

She memorized every piece of valuable information she came across.

She had no grand ambition or carefully crafted plan.

She simply believed that knowledge would be useful one day.

So she absorbed everything she could, storing it away and waiting for the day it might finally serve a purpose.

‘I gave them enough chances.’

Having never experienced love, even the slightest act of kindness would have shaken Rosetta’s resolve.

If they had reached out to her with cautious sincerity, sought reconciliation, and shown even a little remorse, Rosetta — who had longed for affection all her life, yet had never received it — would have crumbled and forgiven them without hesitation.

But they let every opportunity slip away.

For ten long years.

Each time, her heart grew harder.

When every trace of hope had vanished, only hatred remained.

Especially—

‘They killed my real parents.’

The moment she learned that truth, the hatred swelling inside her became overwhelming.

‘If that’s the case… then I will…’

This realization gave Rosetta’s life a purpose.

For the past ten years, the Montero family had enjoyed nothing but success and prosperity.

After all, the greatest despair comes from losing what you once had.

“I hope you’ll grow up to be a child who knows how to repay kindness.”

The Marquis’s words from ten years ago remained as vivid as ever.

A cold smile touched Rosetta’s lips as she murmured quietly.

“Of course I know how to repay kindness. From now on, I’ll repay every bit of it, one step at a time. So please… look forward to it.”

***

After traversing countless cities and crossing the borders of numerous territories, they finally reached the eastern Grand Duchy of Eizenwald.

Before entering, they stopped at a small village to enjoy a simple meal. While they were resting, Louis spoke in a serious tone.

“Once we enter the Grand Duchy, things may become dangerous. We’ll take the safest route available, but no matter what happens, if you hear any commotion outside, do not leave the carriage. As long as you remain inside, you’ll be safe.”

The East was the cursed land of monsters.

Long ago, monsters began appearing across the continent in overwhelming numbers.

The East produced the greatest number of them of all the regions.

Countless lives were lost before humanity finally managed to contain the monsters within the eastern territory and prevent them from spreading further.

A massive wall reinforced with powerful defensive magic had been built to stop the creatures escaping.

However, magic is not eternal.

Every year, hundreds of mages gathered before the eastern wall to renew its enchantments. The breathtaking sight of the immense, glowing barrier stretching endlessly across the horizon drew spectators from every corner of the continent.

This day became known as the Day of Moonlit Protection.

But that was in an era when mages were abundant.

As the years passed, their numbers steadily declined and their magic weakened.

The Day of Moonlit Protection faded into history.

The wall that had once seemed destined to stand forever began to crumble, little by little.

Rosetta gazed at the distant barrier through the carriage window, her eyes fixed on the fading symbol of humanity’s protection.

The towering wall, so high it seemed capable of piercing the heavens, had been visible even from the village where they spent the previous night.

‘So that’s the wall that separates the East from the rest of the continent.’

The wall was built by mages and ordinary people working together during the Golden Age of Magic. It was unimaginably tall. It stretched so far across the land that its end was lost to the horizon.

It seemed almost otherworldly, as if it did not belong in this world.

At first glance, the colossal structure appeared utterly indestructible.

However, the closer Rosetta came, the more cracks she noticed spreading across its surface.

There were no guards standing watch at the gate through the wall.

This was hardly surprising.

Very few people would willingly enter a land known as a realm of death.

Once they had crossed the barrier, however, the soldiers stationed on the inner side came into view.

These men were responsible for preventing monsters from breaching the wall and reaching the rest of the continent.

They looked disciplined, battle-hardened and formidable.

Of the roughly twenty soldiers present, ten mounted their horses and rode forward to accompany the carriage.

It seemed they had been waiting for Rosetta’s arrival.

At first, she thought such a large escort was unnecessary.

However, her opinion quickly changed as they passed through several more towns and continued along the wide road.

“KRAAAAAAAAH!”

Rosetta had never heard anything like the monstrous roar that ripped through the air. It was so loud that she felt as though her eardrums would be torn apart.

Startled, she instinctively covered her ears with both hands.

The small window connecting the carriage to the driver’s seat slid open.

“Do not move.”

Chaos erupted outside.

Clang!

Crash!

Bang!

Shing!

KRAAAAH!

A sudden barrage of noise crashed down on the carriage from all sides.

Nothing out of the ordinary had happened for three days since they crossed the wall.

Rosetta had gradually begun to let her guard down.

The roads were no different to those in other regions.

Cities and villages still stood, albeit smaller and less populated.

In the distance, she could see orchards heavy with fruit and carefully cultivated fields.

Surrounded by such ordinary scenes, the idea of monsters felt distant — almost unreal.

With soldiers appearing far more frequently here than in other territories, she had started to believe that the threat of monsters had nearly disappeared.

However, it seemed she had allowed herself to relax far too soon.

THUD!

Something slammed violently into the carriage, causing it to lurch.

“Ah!”

She gasped quietly, gripping the cushion tightly.

Her terrified eyes darted upwards.

Yet the carriage remained intact.

Only then did she realize why the Grand Duchy had sent such an impressive carriage to collect her.

Had it been an ordinary noble carriage, it would have shattered from the impact alone.

“It’s been dealt with!”

Someone shouted from outside.

BOOM!

The ground trembled as something enormous collapsed.

“Make sure it’s dead.”

“Yes, sir!”

Thud! Thud!

The sound of something being repeatedly stabbed could be heard outside.

It was only then that the carriage door opened.

Louis, who had looked immaculate just moments earlier, was now covered in blood and almost unrecognizable. A drop of blood slid from the tip of his hair. Before it could fall, he casually caught it in his outstretched hand.

“Are you all right?”

“Yes. But Sir—”

“It’s not my blood. If you’re unharmed, we’d better leave immediately. That monster called for its companions.”

Now that he mentioned it, Rosetta recalled hearing a strange, piercing cry before the creature fell.

“Then let’s hurry.”

“Hold on tightly.”

After closing the carriage door, Louis took a step back.

Rosetta quickly searched for something to steady herself on, finding what appeared to be a handle attached to the side of the seat.

The moment she gripped it, the carriage shot forward.

She had thought they were already travelling at a remarkable speed.

She was mistaken.

The carriage had been holding back.

Now, unleashed to its true pace, it thundered down the road at terrifying speed. It rattled and shook so violently that it felt as though it might fall apart at any moment.

Rattle.

Jolt.

Rattle.

With each violent lurch, her body was thrown off the seat before slamming back down again.

Rosetta had never experienced care or comfort in her life, but even she had never ridden in such a relentlessly shaking carriage.

Before long, she completely lost her sense of direction.

The endless jolting caused the hours to blend into one another, to the point where she could no longer tell where they were or how far they had travelled.

After riding without rest for a whole day, they finally arrived at the Grand Duke’s castle.

By the time they arrived, Rosetta was in a terrible state.

Her hair was a tangled mess, and her clothes were creased beyond repair.

But that was the least of her concerns.

Her entire body felt as though it had been battered from head to toe.

Her hands ached from gripping the handle for so long, and her hips and lower back ached from the relentless jolting of the carriage.

Every muscle in her body protested when she tried to move.

Even when Louis opened the carriage door, Rosetta remained frozen to her seat, clinging to the handle as though letting go would cause her to fall.

Louis looked at her for a moment, his expression tinged with something resembling sympathy.

Then he silently extended his hand towards her.

“Allow me to help you.”

“Thank you.”

Without refusing, Rosetta forced her stiff, aching body to move and placed her hand in his.

Louis grasped it firmly and carefully supported her until she made it safely to the ground.

Once she stepped down from the carriage, Rosetta released his hand and straightened her back.

“I think I’m dying.”

For some reason, Louis responded with a faint smile.

“I’m glad you survived. Preparations have already been made to welcome Your Highness. Once inside, you’ll be able to rest comfortably.”

Rosetta almost reached back to rub her aching hips, but remembered in time that she was not alone.

She quickly lowered her hand.

Straightening her back as much as her sore body would allow, she tried to carry herself with the dignity expected of an Grand Duchess before following Louis up the stairs.

Before they reached the entrance, the massive doors swung open.

Servants stood in a line on either side of the doorway.

At the very front were a middle-aged man and woman who appeared to be the head butler and head maid.

Maintaining her composure, Rosetta discreetly studied the other servants as she stepped across the threshold.

For such a vast and imposing residence as the Grand Duke’s castle, there seemed to be a surprisingly small number of servants.

‘There may be even fewer than at the Marquis’s estate.’

She had heard that conditions in the Grand Duchy were poor.

‘Is it so bad that they can’t even afford to hire enough servants?’

‘More importantly…’

The looks directed at her were unsettling.

No—that wasn’t quite right.

Rather than hostility, their eyes were filled with caution and wariness.