A raven is the greatest of nighttime visitors. When the Emperor’s raven visits a home under the cover of darkness, by morning, only the sound of wailing remains.

The raven raised by the Emperor is a messenger to the afterlife. So, be careful and cautious. Do not act recklessly, and above all, avoid inviting such a visitor.

“…I thought it was just idle gossip among the aristocrats.”

A man muttered in amusement from the darkness. The Raven rolled her eyes as the playful voice tickled her ears.

“I never expected a visit from you, Raven, in my own bedroom.”

A clear, lazy voice, unfitting for the tense atmosphere, drifted through the air. The Raven couldn’t quite comprehend the situation.

‘Where did it go wrong?’

The Raven quickly pieced her thoughts together. The infiltration had gone smoothly. Moving in darkness was her specialty. Blending into the shadows, she silently scaled walls and bypassed guards, reaching the target’s bedroom in no time.

Quietly.

Discreetly.

One clean strike to end the target’s life.

That was how she always operated. This mission should have been no different. But the moment she drew her dagger, everything flipped upside down.

Despite being the most sensitive of the Emperor’s shadows, even the Raven hadn’t detected the magic that enveloped her.

‘I need to escape!’

Her instincts screamed danger, but it was too late to draw on her aura for defense. A blinding light filled her vision, and the world turned white.

Disoriented, she staggered as powerful magic scrambled her senses. The world spun, and her body became paralyzed, leaving her unable to feel anything—not even the dagger slipping from her weakened grip.

While she faltered, a hand suddenly reached out, grabbing her arm and yanking her forward with force.

Failure. She clenched her teeth as she was dragged away, unable to resist. The mission was a complete failure beyond excuse.

As her unbalanced body toppled helplessly, she squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for pain that never came.

“It’s been a while since I’ve had a visitor at night.”

‘What’s going on?’

The Raven frowned, trying to understand. Softness against her back confused her, and a low voice pierced her thoughts. Startled by the breath against her ear, she opened her eyes.

“Hello, Raven.”

The man smiled, his eyes curving gently when their gazes met. The Raven stared blankly at the man, realizing what had happened. She tried to bite down on the poison hidden in her mouth but couldn’t.

Like a butterfly caught in a web, her body was tightly bound by threads of magic. Not only had she failed the mission, but she couldn’t even take her own life to protect the secret.

A groan escaped from behind her masked lips as she struggled against the magic pressing down on her. She tried to channel energy to break free but found the bindings tightening around her instead.

“Don’t bother resisting. It’s useless,” the man, Grand Duke Hubert Brandon Eustace—the target of the assassination—said calmly. Despite nearly losing his life moments ago, he remained unshaken. The Grand Duke gazed down at the immobilized Raven with a relaxed demeanor.

“No one has ever broken free from my binding spell,” he added confidently.

The Raven’s eyes hardened in frustration. As much as she hated to admit it, the Grand Duke was right. Her body refused to move. Even speaking was impossible. Only her eyes remained free.

A muffled groan escaped again as she attempted to summon her aura to break the spell. Nothing worked. Even the magic-defense artifact she carried, painstakingly crafted by the royal magicians, was useless. Her dark eyes trembled in despair.

“Remember, if you fail, death is your only option.”

The face of the chamberlain, who had given her the mission with a stern warning, flashed through her mind.

“This is a deadly poison. Keep it in your mouth, and if you fail, take your own life immediately. There is no escape in this mission.”

The chamberlain had been serious, but the Raven felt little fear at the prospect of death. At this point, the idea of dying wasn’t all that terrifying.

Success means survival, failure means death. Such was the life of an assassin, and the Raven’s life was no different. The secret order delivered by the chamberlain was no light matter either.

A once-in-a-generation genius. The youngest 6th-circle mage.

The task: assassinate Hubert Brandon Eustace, Grand Duke of the Empire and one of the continent’s sages.

Was there anyone in the Esteban Empire who didn’t know his name? Even the Raven, who knew little of the world’s affairs, was well aware of the Grand Duke.

When the chamberlain relayed the Emperor’s command, the Raven briefly wondered if she was being sent to her death. That’s how impossible the task seemed—assassinating Grand Duke Eustace was a near-suicidal mission.

“Can I defeat a 6th-circle mage? I’m not even a Sword Master yet.”

The chamberlain, usually unflappable, looked troubled by the question. The Raven’s concern was valid. Only a Sword Master, capable of matching a 7th-circle mage, could hope to defeat someone of Eustace’s caliber.

“…Making the impossible possible is your job.”

After a moment of silence, the chamberlain answered, avoiding the Raven’s gaze. The Raven understood then: she was a pawn, expendable. Success would be ideal, but failure would mean being discarded without hesitation.

What did she expect? It had always been this way. Amused by her own brief disappointment, the Raven chuckled quietly, a hollow laugh that made the chamberlain frown.

“Fine. But give me ample time to prepare.”

“Request anything you need.”

Refusal wasn’t an option. Even if it were, a useless tool would be discarded anyway. If death was inevitable, attempting the assassination was the better choice.

Hunting a beast required utmost vigilance. While the Raven didn’t fear death, she didn’t seek it either. She prepared meticulously, knowing this would be the most formidable prey she had ever faced.

On the night of the assassination attempt, the Raven remained tense, never lowering her guard. Yet, it was all for nothing. She was captured without even getting the chance to try.

What should she do now, having failed but not yet dead? Immobilized, the Raven pondered. This scenario hadn’t been considered, and the chamberlain hadn’t mentioned it either.

“What are you thinking about so deeply?”

A clear voice pulled her from her thoughts. Their eyes met in the dim light. Blue, sapphire-like eyes gazed intently at the only visible part of her face—her dark, black eyes. The deep black seemed to reflect the blue, as if the night itself had absorbed the sky.

“If you’re thinking of escaping, you should give up.”

The Grand Duke leaned closer, his golden hair shimmering in the dark as it brushed against the Raven’s face.

“Open your eyes.”

A warm breath touched her closed eyelids, prompting a reflexive flutter of her lashes. Slowly, she opened her eyes and found herself staring into the Grand Duke’s, so close that she gasped involuntarily.

“Hmm.”

The Grand Duke studied her for a moment, then muttered to himself.

“The spell won’t break, but…”

Still, just to be safe. He cautiously reached out and removed the mask from the Raven’s face, revealing a pale, delicate visage. The Raven’s dark pupils trembled at the unexpected gesture.

“…Pardon the intrusion.”

The Grand Duke hesitated for a brief moment, then slipped his long fingers into the Raven’s mouth.

“Mmph?!”

The Raven’s eyes widened as the Grand Duke’s fingers moved inside.

“Shh… Stay still.”

Unfazed by the Raven’s shock, the Grand Duke calmly maneuvered his fingers, retrieving the poison hidden between the Raven’s molars and a small metal shard embedded in her cheek.

“Carrying something so dangerous in your mouth…”

The Grand Duke clicked his tongue as he examined the small poison pouch and sharp metal shard he had retrieved. Tossing them carelessly onto the floor, he wiped his hands with a handkerchief from the bedside table.

“Ah, ugh…”

‘What is he planning to do to me?’

The Raven’s lips trembled as she tried to speak, but no coherent words came out.

“Shh… It’s okay. I won’t harm you.”

The Grand Duke whispered soothingly, like calming a child. He approached again, quickly confiscating a dagger from the Raven’s waist, a concealed sword disguised as a belt, and throwing stars hidden at her ankle. Even a needle tucked in her wrist was found and discarded.

Clink—

Each weapon hit the marble floor with a loud clatter, but the Grand Duke barely glanced at them before tossing them aside.

“Is that everything?”

Having efficiently disarmed her, the Grand Duke straightened up, brushing his hands off. The Raven, now unarmed and bewildered, stared at him in disbelief.

Did he use some kind of silent magic? The Raven’s thoughts raced as she noted the eerie silence. The noise should have alerted the guards, yet no one came.

“You certainly had quite the arsenal.”

“Ugh…”

“Now, shall we get some rest?”

The Grand Duke smiled, his golden hair shimmering softly under the moonlight streaming through the window. His crimson lips curved into a serene arc.

The Raven watched dazedly as the glowing hand approached. She wanted to dodge but couldn’t. The hand gently covered her eyes, plunging her into darkness. Her body tensed, sensing the shift.

The Grand Duke’s voice, gentle as a lullaby, whispered again.

“Sweet dreams.”

‘No… I can’t fall asleep…’

The Raven squeezed her eyes shut, struggling against the spell taking hold of her mind.

But resistance was futile. Despite her efforts, her consciousness blurred, and she drifted into a deep sleep.