Blink, blink.

‘Where am I?’ 

The Raven blinked several times, her vision adjusting. She expected a grim torture chamber or a filthy cell, but reality defied her expectations.

‘Is this a dream? Or am I dead and in the afterlife?’ 

She lay still, contemplating. Nothing made sense otherwise.

The bed beneath her was soft and pristine, far superior to her lodgings. The pillow felt so comfortable that she didn’t want to get up.

“Hmm.”

Still lying down, the Raven assessed her condition. Thankfully, she was unharmed—no scratches, no injuries. In fact, she felt surprisingly light and refreshed.

“Now, shall we get some rest?”

The Raven recalled the Grand Duke’s parting words before she had blacked out. He had really put her to sleep.

How is this even possible? It was baffling. Despite herself, the Raven admitted she had never slept this well since becoming an assassin.

“This… doesn’t make sense.”

The Raven murmured to herself, frowning. Why wasn’t she in a cell? The luxurious room, adorned with elegant wallpaper, antique furniture, and refined decorations, felt more like a noble’s chamber than a prison.

Could this be an illusion? She cautiously sat up, scanning the room. There was no sign of anyone else.

Why leave an assassin who failed her mission alone in a place like this, without guards? She couldn’t comprehend it. She had only prepared for death or torture after failure.

‘Are they that confident I won’t escape?’ 

The Raven inspected herself. Her clothes were the same as before she lost consciousness, and a gag in her mouth prevented suicide, though it wasn’t overly restrictive.

Clink.

Lifting her hand, she noticed a silver ring around her wrist. Checking further, she found matching rings on both wrists and ankles, inlaid with sapphire. Though they looked like jewelry, she knew they were magical restraints.

“Hmm.”

Clenching and unclenching her fists, she wiggled her toes. Her limbs moved freely, unlike when she was initially bound by magic, but she couldn’t summon energy or form an aura.

Whenever she tried to exert force, a sudden heaviness gripped her wrists and ankles. Clearly, the Grand Duke had ensured she wouldn’t try anything reckless.

“…?”

As she tested her limits, the Raven sensed something invisible circling her. Looking again at the silver rings, realization dawned.

“……!”

As she forced her energy to rise, the blue gem embedded in the ring glowed, and her body grew heavier. The Raven realized that the invisible force controlling her was the Grand Duke’s magic.

“Ah!”

A muffled exclamation escaped her lips. The gag made it difficult to enunciate, and clumsy sounds slipped between her parted lips.

For someone like her, barely able to sense magic, to recognize such immense power—the strength of a 6th-circle mage was indeed extraordinary. The Raven felt a surge of pure admiration.

If he hadn’t been this strong, she wouldn’t have been caught in such a humiliating state. After confirming her body was unharmed, she turned her head and carefully examined the room.

“Phew…”

The Raven sighed after a quick sweep of the room. Anything that looked remotely usable as a weapon was covered in a transparent golden barrier. It was likely a protective ward meant to keep her from touching them.

With a curious expression, she stared at the shimmering barrier. It was fascinating how vividly the magic appeared, even though she wasn’t using any aura. Absent-mindedly, she reached out toward it.

“Ugh.”

The moment her fingertips touched the barrier, a crackling sound erupted, accompanied by a sharp jolt of static. Startled, she quickly pulled her hand back.

Escape was impossible. Accepting this swiftly, she sank onto the bed with a weary expression. As the tension drained from her body, fatigue hit her like a wave. She felt like lying down and falling asleep right there.

‘Beautiful.’

The Raven gazed blankly at the intricate mural painted on the ceiling. The room was sophisticated and lavish—something she had noticed earlier. It reminded her of the emperor’s and crown prince’s chambers she had seen a few times.

No, not quite. The emperor’s and crown prince’s rooms had a more ostentatious, self-aggrandizing feel. This room was far more vibrant and elegant.

In any case, she didn’t belong here. Feeling awkward, she scrunched her nose. The refined atmosphere of the room made her uncomfortable. A damp, moldy prison cell would have suited her better.

‘What should I do now?’ 

She had no idea how much time had passed, but by now, the emperor must have realized she had failed to assassinate the Grand Duke. Her face darkened.

Failure was not tolerated for an assassin. Even if she somehow managed to escape and return to the palace, death awaited her.

“Useless thing.”

As she thought of the emperor, fragmented memories surfaced. The Raven shivered involuntarily, recalling his cold eyes and the disdainful click of his tongue as he looked down at her.

“Worthless half-wit! How dare you. Get out of my sight!”

The voice of the crown prince, identical to the emperor, echoed in her ears, mocking and tormenting her. Covering her ears with both hands, she tried to block out the phantom voices.

“My poor child.”

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“You must live. Live and find happiness.”

‘Mother.’ 

She bit her lower lip, desperately yearning for the woman whose face she could barely remember.

“Live. As long as you survive… someday, happiness will come. My child, come here. I’ll cast a spell for you—a magic that will bring happiness.”

Her mother’s dying words, spoken in the cold palace where she had been abandoned, worked their magic once more. The tormenting memories faded, as if dispelled by a spell.

Freed from her dark thoughts, the Raven gave up any notion of returning to the palace. She had often told herself that her life, as an assassin, was disposable. But she had no interest in throwing it away willingly.

It was one thing not to care about dying—but walking knowingly into death’s embrace was another. If she was going to survive, she would follow her mother’s final wish.

But where could she go? The thought left her feeling lost. She had resolved not to return, but she had no other place to go.

“Hm.”

Instead of panicking, the Raven methodically thought through her options, considering people who might help her. But no one came to mind. It was, after all, an expected result.

After losing her only ally—her mother—she had been confined to the palace and trained as an assassin. The only places she knew were the shadow training hall, her cramped dormitory, the shabby dining hall, the stench-filled training grounds, the blood-soaked execution site, and the filthy prison cells.

Though infamous among the nobility as a ruthless assassin, her time serving as the emperor’s shadow had not been long.

Her experience of the outside world was limited to mission-related outings, where she traveled in a carriage, accompanied by a trainer or a guard, to the homes or hideouts of her targets. Those fleeting views were all she knew of the world beyond the palace.

The small bird, having lived isolated from others for so long, knew a world that was incredibly narrow, with few people she could call acquaintances.

There was no point in mentioning the emperor and crown prince, who only ever ignored or oppressed her when they crossed paths. The only people she could consider remotely familiar were the instructor, the chief attendant, and a few fellow shadows like herself.

But it was absurd to think that the instructor, leader of the shadows, or the emperor’s personal aide would ever help her. Among the other shadows, no one came to mind who might be willing to lend a hand.

“Phew…”

The Raven sighed deeply, as if suffocated by her thoughts. The more she pondered, the more her chest tightened with anxiety.

“Ugh.”

Enough. Letting out a frustrated groan, she shook her head vigorously, forcing herself to stop thinking. After all, she was currently a captive—a would-be assassin detained for attempting to kill the Grand Duke. For now, her top priority was escaping from here safely.

‘Am I really a prisoner, though?’

Feeling oddly suspicious, the Raven glanced around the room and hugged the soft pillow in her arms. It smelled faintly of something pleasant. Lying here like this, it felt more like she was being treated as a distinguished guest rather than a captive. Without the restraints, she might have truly believed that.

‘What is Grand Duke Eustace thinking?’ 

Staring at the sunlight filtering through the curtains and reflecting off a sapphire, the Raven wondered about him.

Last night had been chaotic—her failed assassination attempt, getting caught—but even amidst the confusion, she recalled how striking he had been. She hadn’t confirmed whether he looked exactly like the image from the magical crystal, but his golden hair and piercing blue eyes had left a lasting impression, even in the darkness.

His voice, clear and languid like a refreshing breeze, would have been pleasant to hear under different circumstances.

“…!”

Lost in thought, the Raven suddenly felt a presence nearby and shot upright. A soft, measured footstep echoed in the distance, drawing closer. She tensed, watching the closed door intently.

Click.

The ornate doorknob turned, and through the opened door stepped Grand Duke Eustace, dressed casually but elegantly.

“You’re awake?”