The heretic stared at the stranger’s face.

It was a face he had seen long ago, back when he was just a subject in black magic experiments. No — it wasn’t the face itself, but the ever-present shadow that hung over it. That person had never revealed their true features, yet their presence had been burned into his memory all these years later.

“This will be the last experiment, Count Ideana.”

That mysterious figure who would sometimes appear by Felix Ideana’s side.

Their voice could be as thin as a boy’s or as weighty as a solemn woman’s, making it nearly impossible to guess their gender. The subjects of the Ideana experiments called this person ‘Lucifer.’

And even after all this time, the heretic recognized them in an instant.

“You… you’re still alive…?”

He spoke slowly, his gaze fixed on Lucifer.

When the Ideana family had fallen from grace, condemned for treason years ago, not a single rumor had surfaced about Lucifer. Every matter related to black magic had been pinned solely on Count Felix Ideana. Neither the Imperial Court nor the Temple had even the faintest idea of Lucifer’s existence.

But the heretic knew.

The one who hid their true identity behind a mask and aided the count in his black magic research. Perhaps, in truth, the one who’d orchestrated the experiments from the shadows, using the count as a mere pawn.

“I didn’t know you were still alive either, half-blood. I was just as surprised.”

With a leisurely gait, the shadowed figure approached, face still obscured.

“I thought everything had been completely disposed of…”

As Lucifer drew closer, the heretic’s body began to tremble.

“What are you going to do to me?”

The ‘half-blood’ couldn’t help but recall the fate of the other discarded test subjects.

Count Felix Ideana disposed of any defective subjects that became useless without hesitation. Many were sacrificed to dangerous, unproven experiments, only to be destroyed by horrifying side effects. They lost their souls in an instant, with no time to scream or beg.

Lucifer was behind that efficient and ruthless system of disposal.

Whenever he visited the Ideana estate, the test subjects shivered with terror. His arrival always signalled that the experiments had entered a new phase: either a subject would be discarded, or they would become the next subject of experimentation. Either fate was equally terrifying.

“What do you mean, what am I going to do with you? Do you think I’m here to do something awful?”

A note of amusement crept into Lucifer’s voice. The heretic swallowed hard, tension rippling through his throat.

“Don’t worry. I’m here for you today.”

The veiled figure soothed him with a gentle voice.

“For me?”

“I’m honestly worried you might end up at the mercy of the humans holed up in Faradel.”

Lucifer said, raising his gloved hands in a show of innocence, as if to prove he meant no harm. But even that gesture seemed more like a carefully rehearsed act meant to lower his guard. Lucifer was that cunning.

The heretic remained wary, refusing to drop his guard.

“Do you think I’m the same as I was eight years ago?”

In those years, he’d survived the most brutal trials and grown stronger. He was nothing like the man he’d been when the Ideana family was destroyed.

But Lucifer just let out a faint, mocking laugh.

“You might have changed. But you’re still incomplete.”

Perhaps he had spent years honing his control over black magic and had become better at using it. But ultimately, he was still unfinished. The difference between a finished product and a flawed one was as great as the difference between a deer and a lion. A swift, courageous deer might wound a lion, but it could never escape its fate as prey. They were fundamentally different species.

No matter how hard he tried, a failure could never surpass the real thing.

“There’s something even more dangerous in Faradel than the priests or that mad swordmaster, isn’t there?”

“…!”

“So take care of yourself first. And whatever you do, don’t provoke Luise Ideana.”

“…You’ve met her, too?”

“Of course. How could I not recognize her? After all, she’s my masterpiece.”

Lucifer rubbed his hands together with satisfaction, as if anticipating a grand banquet.

“When I first heard the rumors about the Ideana family, her whereabouts were what I was most curious about…”

A smile curled beneath the veil, the words murmured in delight.

Luise wasn’t someone who would die easily, not at the hands of mere priests.

“After all that chaos, she’s managed to stay hidden all this time. Don’t you think so?”

At that, the heretic’s face twisted in frustration. The truth of what had happened in Ideana eight years ago…

The world believed that the army from the Lester Duchy, dispatched by the Imperial Family alongside the Temple Priests, had eradicated the traitors and heretics of Ideana.

But this was a lie, a story crafted to protect the honour of the Empire and the Temple.

By the time the army and priests arrived, Faradel had already been reduced to ashes. Only death remained. Human corpses and the bodies of monsters lay scattered everywhere, shriveled and dry like blood-red petals scattered by the wind.

When Lucifer discovered this, he knew without a doubt: There was only one person capable of such destruction: Luise Ideana.

Although the church had announced that every member of the Ideana clan was dead, Lucifer knew this was a lie. Luise Ideana could not die.

‘A girl who killed her own father, then vanished…’

A beautiful girl who had once shaken the entire world.

Truly, wasn’t she fascinating?

‘People are so easily fooled. Not a single criminal was ever brought to the executioner’s block, and yet the imperial court and the temple claimed they’d handled everything?’

Normally, for such a grave crime, the emperor or the pope would parade the accused before the public and make an example of them by executing them in front of the masses. But not a single person from the Ideana affair was brought to the imperial capital or the high temple.

‘Well, of course—not a soul was left to drag in.’

All those who arrived late could do was try to identify the corpses and confirm the rebels’ fates. But in that land, tainted by black magic, and among those bodies, it was nearly impossible to determine anything for certain.

‘Luise took advantage of that, of course.’

She’d tampered with the corpses, making it possible to mistake another body for her own, and then vanished without a trace.

People were easily deceived by the shroud of black magic, and thus, “Luise Ideana” disappeared from the world.

“For now, just keep your head down. I think it’s best to keep watching Luise a little longer.”

“…”

“And here—”

Lucifer tossed a small envelope in front of him. The heretic eyed it warily, as the white mask continued,

“It’s a talisman. Stick it to your body with resin and burn it. It’ll keep you safe for a while.”

“A talisman… What kind of talisman?”

“They’re looking for you on the other side too. If you get caught, it’ll be dangerous, won’t it? At your current level, you’d struggle against even a single deputy high priestess or swordmaster.”

The heretic picked up the talisman and eyed the mastermind behind the experiments suspiciously.

Although he spoke as if he cared, Lucifer was as cunning as a snake. For all he knew, this piece of paper could contain a mind-control spell or a curse that would destroy him. Lucifer was the kind of man who would kill with a smile and wouldn’t hesitate to use deception or trickery to achieve his goals.

“Don’t worry. You’re still useful—for now. So do your best to stay alive.”

🌺⟡───⟡🌺 🌺⟡───⟡🌺

Liana stood respectfully and watched the beautiful woman seated in front of the mirror.

Surrounded by her maids, the woman sat gracefully, her blue hair cascading down her back.

She looked the very embodiment of nobility — she was Shed Lester’s fiancée, Giselle Marlhein.

Even without lavish clothing, she exuded more dignity than nobles adorned in gold and jewels. Her neat, shining pearl earrings contrasted with her hair, lending her an air of elegant beauty. The simple white priestess’s robe she always wore suited her perfectly.

Liana quietly took in the sight of Shed Lester’s fiancée — a woman so beautiful that it was almost enviable. She had the presence to make anyone think twice before approaching Shed Lester.

“Thank you for your help.”

Giselle said, smiling warmly at Liana through the mirror.

“It’s nothing, Deputy High Priestess. It’s an honor to serve you.”

Liana replied, bowing her head politely.

Giselle had requested a servant. In fact, she had specifically requested Liana Serpens.

Werner was more than willing to put her under Giselle’s care. Ever since she stopped serving Shed, Liana had drifted among the other maids, never really fitting in.

And so, just like that, she was handed over like an object to stand before the noble Deputy High Priestess, whether she wanted it or not.

She clenched her hands tightly. Her fingertips tingled with tension.

Standing before Giselle always made her feel as if her heart was being scraped against something rough. It wasn’t because Giselle was Shed’s fiancée — Liana knew she meant nothing to him. She also knew that Giselle was the perfect fiancée for him.

No, what unsettled her about Giselle was simply that she was a deputy high priestess, just like Dietrich.

‘Why me? Why did she choose me specifically…?’

Liana couldn’t help but wonder at Giselle’s intentions. She was also curious as to how Giselle even knew about her. The day Giselle arrived, Liana had only caught a brief glimpse of her coming down the stairs with Shed. She’d slipped away immediately afterward and hadn’t even exchanged words with her.

And yet, Giselle already knew the name ‘Liana Serpens.’

She felt like a thief surrounded by guards, being watched from all sides.

“Deputy High Priestess, if I may… may I ask you something?”

Like a nervous thief trying to act innocent, Liana spoke up with feigned composure.

“What is it?”

“I was wondering… why did you call for me, specifically?”

Giselle blinked a few times, then burst out laughing.

‘That’s what you wanted to know?’

With a cheerful laugh, she stood up.

Click, clack—the sound of her confident, measured steps drew closer until she stopped right in front of Liana.

Standing so near to the deputy high priestess, Liana held her breath. She forced her face into a calm expression, hiding her racing heart.

Those sharp golden eyes shone fiercely as Giselle looked her over.

“You caught my eye.”

Giselle said with a radiant smile.