“How is your body?”

The High Priestess’s eyes swept over the woman seated on the bed. After months of lying in a coma, her frame looked so frail it seemed it might snap at a touch. And yet, her complexion looked brighter than ever.

“I’m a little weak, but I feel fine.”

“After lying down for months, of course you’re weak.”

Giselle’s reply was edged with cynicism, but Luise found even that comforting.

“I heard you kept me alive with holy power all this time. And that you helped Shed purify me.”

“……”

“Thank you, Giselle. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay this debt…”

Luise bowed deeply to the High Priestess.

She recalled the bitter ties between them—the day when she had been Shed’s fiancée. That memory still left her unable to raise her head before Giselle without shame.

And yet, despite all that had passed, Giselle had lent her strength to save her. Perhaps that was why people called her a saintess, Luise thought.

But Giselle only narrowed her eyes as she looked at the woman who refused to lift her head.

“You were such a fool when you were a child. Seems you haven’t changed.”

The High Priestess clicked her tongue, sounding exasperated.

Luise Ideana.

Even as a child, no matter what prank she pulled, she would laugh foolishly and insist that she was happy. She was the reckless little girl who made adults sigh with dismay while simultaneously envying her. It seemed she hadn’t changed much since then.

“I’m not the kind of woman who ignores a life-debt. I have a reputation to keep as High Priestess.”

Giselle had not stepped forward to purify Luise for Luise’s sake. Instead, she remembered the moment when the barrier was collapsing and Luise stood against the dragon.

Despite being warned that she might only add to her sins, Luise had saved Giselle and the others. Giselle had done what had to be done.

Giselle had only done what was required of her as High Priestess.

Luise blinked at Giselle’s curt response; her eyes were clear and unclouded.

‘Did I… save your life?’

“I only meant to hold back Gelevan…”

“Right. I’m sure that’s all it was. Either way, it put me in quite a difficult position.”

Twice now she owed her life to a demon. There was nothing left to do but make the demon something other than a demon.

Giselle rubbed her chin lazily.

Luise hesitated for a moment before opening her lips.

“…Then what happens to me now?”

Before she had collapsed, they had been preparing the punishment she was to face. The High Priests were on their way to Faradel, and she was to be sent to the island of Dynaemes, where the Grand Temple stood.

She had heard what became of Dietrich.

Like her, the High Priests had completely purified him of black magic, stripping him of his power.
And then… he was executed publicly.

Purification did not erase the crimes of treason and heresy.

The name Ideana still bore the brand of rebellion, and the sin of heresy remained etched in the Temple’s records.

Her slender fingers clenched into the white bed sheet.

‘Just when I’ve finally begun to want to live, I…’

“That’s exactly why I’m the one with a headache right now!”

At that, Giselle dropped a recent newspaper in front of her.

On the front page, a bold headline blazed across the print.

[Luise Ideana, Branded Traitor to a Hero]

Luise’s eyes widened at the sight of her name so prominently displayed.

News has spread that Luise Ideana, daughter of the disgraced House Ideana, is alive. There is a fierce debate surrounding her alleged crimes. Some argue that her guilt should be re-examined.

Contrary to her fears, the article’s tone toward the surviving “traitor” was surprisingly favorable.

It described her as a victim of the experiments conducted by the demon, Dietrich, and recognized her pivotal role in imprisoning him and tracking down the dragon, Gelevan.

Although these contributions were only mentioned briefly, they must have been the subject of heated discussion during the three months she was unconscious.

“You’re something of a celebrity now.”

“But who would write such an article…!”

Luise could hardly believe that her story had become so widely known. The article was so carefully constructed that it reeked of intent. Every word had been chosen with great care to prevent any misinterpretation and slowly shape public opinion.

The Temple would never want to publicly admit negligence. Nor would the Empire want to expose House Ideana’s treason only to then admit her innocence.

Yet the newspapers had dared to handle the story so boldly, deliberately stoking people’s curiosity.

“Who else could it be?”

Giselle smirked as she watched Luise’s eyes, trembling, move down the page.

There was only one person capable of this: Someone reckless enough to manipulate the masses for their own ends. Someone who thrived on information and spreading it.

“The House of Vitel…?”

When Luise voiced her suspicions, Giselle responded with a slow nod.

Although it had never been proven, everyone in society believed it. The birds of House Vitel were already in motion.

Rumours spread like a storm, deliberately stirred and impossible to contain, while newspapers — thriving under Vitel’s patronage — were eager to keep fuelling the flames.

The daughter of a traitor, cursed by black magic and accused of being either a demon or a dragon slayer — every major upheaval in the Empire’s recent history had been woven together to create one intoxicating scandal.

It was no wonder the public’s fascination had caught fire. Newspapers sold out in a frenzy, each issue snatched up as though it carried forbidden truths. Three months later, the blaze was burning so fiercely that publishers were competing ruthlessly to keep her story alive, even without Vitel’s guidance.

‘But no matter what, Count Vitel wouldn’t have leapt into such a dangerous gamble alone…’

Giselle’s gaze drifted towards the tapestry hanging on the wall.

She saw that a wolf holding a sword had been woven into the design at its base.

‘He has someone to lean on.’

She was certain.

The Ducal House of Lester and the Countship of Vitel.

Had the Empire’s two pillars — its foremost military and economic powers — joined forces, neither the Crown nor the Temple would have dared act recklessly against them.

Since they were pulling the strings from the shadows, fighting back would have been even harder.

“Public opinion isn’t on their side. They’ve been calling your black magic a ‘curse’. The story of the curse being lifted has spread far and wide…”

It was, in a word, “propaganda.”

In the eyes of the public, Luise was no longer seen as a demon, but rather as the victim of a curse inflicted by Dietrich. She was a heroine who had risen up to save the Empire.

Heresy was no longer considered a sin, but rather the consequence of the curse.

People cried out that it was absurd to punish a mere victim of a curse.

“But I…”

‘Too much has happened.’

Luise recalled that day long-ago when her hands had been drenched in blood.

As her slender fingers crumpled the newspaper, Giselle let out a weary sigh.

“Honestly. You’re unbearable like this.”

Unable to stand it, Giselle finally spoke her mind.

“Luise, you were a victim too.”

When it came to researching black magic, Luise was no more than a fighting dog thrown into the pit.

She was whipped and forced to fight for her life, regardless of her wishes.

The only difference was that she survived longer than the others and managed to escape.

Giselle thought to herself: What if there had been another specimen stronger than Luise? What if that experiment had killed her?

After combing through every detail of Dietrich’s research journal, she was certain.

Luise would have been “disposed of” like all the other sacrifices.

Yes, Felix Ideana had wanted his daughter to inherit ultimate power, but he had never cherished her as family.

To him, she was nothing more than ‘a special test subject bearing the family name’.

“At least a fighting dog has some degree of choice. What about you? You were force-fed drugs and brainwashed until you lost your willpower. Felix Ideana and Dietrich Lester are the ones who should bear the blame. Not you.”

“……”

“My words probably won’t ease your guilt. But what I’m saying is, it’s time you started thinking about how to live your life.”

At those words, Luise’s green eyes lifted.

‘How to live.’

The phrase burned strangely hot within her.

‘Truly… am I allowed to fight to live? Am I permitted to keep this life?’

“More than anything, if they tried to execute your sentence now, people would rise up in protest. Starting with the citizens of Faradel—they wouldn’t let you be sent off to Dynaemes.”

Giselle crossed her legs and gestured toward the window.

“In Faradel, you’re a hero.”

Only then did Luise notice the mounds of flowers piled high in the garden outside.

They had been sent by the people of Faradel, offerings to her.

Blossoms, bright and full, heralding spring, filled her vision.

Luise pressed a hand to her head, dazed.

She had merely closed her eyes and opened them again, and yet so much had changed.

“What’s with that grim look? Aren’t you happy?”

Giselle had been watching her sombre expression all along.

Luise shook her head.

“I am… I’m so happy it feels overwhelming. That’s why it feels strange. How can so many good things happen all at once…?”

It was too much for her to take in.

And it frightened her.

The happiness that didn’t belong to her seemed as though it might one day turn into misfortune and engulf her completely.

She had lived in the shadow of misery for too long. This sudden light was now so bright that it felt as though it would scorch her eyes.

“I don’t know… Do I really deserve this?”

Her voice trembled with emotion.

Seeing the flowers spilling over the window filled her with such emotion that she thought she might burst into tears.

Seeing her clear, fragile face, which looked as though it were about to cry, Giselle let out a helpless laugh.

“Deserve? There’s no such thing. People live for happiness. That’s all.”