The witch raised her golden knife, stained with her own dead blood, and swiftly thrust it toward Livia’s wrist.

Thunk!

The blade cut through Livia’s flesh and bone. The pain was beyond imagination, and Livia had to clench her teeth to suppress a scream.

It felt as though a freshly forged knife from a blazing furnace was piercing her raw flesh.

The golden knife, which melted, crushed, and tore through her fragile flesh and bone, slowly burrowed deeper into her body.

It was indeed a remarkable sight, yet at the same time, it was horrifying and grotesque.

The black blood encasing the golden knife first seeped into her, and following the trail left by that blood, the golden knife followed.

And once it completely disappeared, the excruciating pain vanished as if it had never been there.

“Until our contract ends, that knife is yours.”

Recalling that moment, Livia gently stroked the black line on her wrist with her fingertip.

Except for its color, it looked like an ordinary, slightly raised scar. However, within it lay the very golden knife that could harm a god.

‘Is this really possible?’

She had pondered it for three days, but the answer was already determined. Even if it wasn’t possible, she had to make it so.

Only then would she be granted the ‘power for revenge.’

“Oh, and… even if you don’t stab his heart with the knife, there is another way to harm him.”

The witch’s voice, as if it were no big deal, settled in Livia’s ears like a dance.

If the god of the sea fell in love with a human, they would vanish into sea foam.

Livia had heard this saying before—an ancient legend that had drifted along the shores for centuries without any known origin.

Some called it a mermaid, others the god of the sea, but the meaning was the same. If they fell in love with a human, they would turn into sea foam.

Whether it was true or not was unknown, but it was something close to impossible.

Winning the heart of a sea god… it would be more difficult than stabbing a god’s heart with a knife. Livia shook her head.

“That’s impossible.”

“Child, humans sometimes make the impossible possible, don’t they? I hold human potential in high regard. So if you turn him into sea foam… yes, I will give you all my power.”

The witch must have been playing tricks just to unsettle her mind.

It wasn’t merely because they were called gods and humans that it seemed impossible. Though rare, stories of humans falling in love with gods had been passed down from time to time.

But with this sea god, it was difficult. He was notoriously known for his extreme hatred of humans.

He never easily yielded the sea even to fishermen, and merchant ships always had to be wary of the sea’s mood as they passed.

If there was any commotion on the sea or more ships than necessary roamed its surface, storms were sure to arise.

In various places along the paths to the deep sea, sirens, known to lure and devour humans, lived in abundance.

Countless lives were swallowed by the sea. At least in this country, Arakne, the sea was an absolutely fearsome and hostile entity.

For such a master of the sea to fall in love with a human…

Well, it seemed as unlikely as her returning alive from the afterlife.

In truth, what she should worry about more was what would happen after she harmed the god.

The gods were ruthless to those who dared challenge them.

Livia would likely be imprisoned in Tartarus, the hell within hells. It wasn’t that she wasn’t afraid of all these things, but she had to do it nonetheless.

The shepherd who violated the sheep and the mother who loved him and slaughtered her neighbors, and all the humans who sided with her and drove her innocent family to death.

They burned everything she had, so she would burn everything they had in return.

She had learned that revenge was foolish, but it didn’t matter at all.

Her family and Mumu, who might be crossing the river of death, could scold her if they knew.

However, that was something they could only do if she met them. If she could meet them, who would come to scold her, she would do even worse things.

‘Father, Iason… Lete…’

Livia’s eyes burned with longing.

My enemies, even if I’m dragged into Tartarus, I won’t go alone.

Clenching her teeth, Livia looked beyond the shell grave at the sharp, gleaming pinnacle of the golden castle.

The shadow of the red coral touched the center of the ceiling. It was finally the time the witch had spoken of.

Rising from the shell grave, Livia went to the secluded back of the coral palace, waiting in the shade of a giant tree for any sign of life.

Fortunately, it wasn’t long before a nymph carrying a jar on her head entered the garden.

In a hurry, she quickly passed by Livia.

‘…Did it work?’

Just as Livia felt relieved that she seemed to have hidden her human scent well, the nymph suddenly stopped and turned around sharply.

“Hey, you.”

“……!”

Startled, Livia’s neck stiffened as she turned. Her heart pounded wildly as if it had dropped to the floor.

Slowly turning her head, Livia found herself being glared at by a nymph with blue hair and gill-like ears.

“You…”

“……”

“Are you slacking off here? Did you think you wouldn’t be seen hiding there?”

“…Huh?”

“Judging by your hair color, you must be from the land. Even if you don’t know much, don’t you realize you’ll get kicked out if you’re lazy? It’s the busiest time with the banquet happening, and you can’t just hide away like that.”

Every time the nymph grumbled, her ear-like gills quivered slightly.

Luckily, it seemed she hadn’t been caught. Livia swallowed a sigh of relief and quickly chimed in with the nymph’s words.

“Oh, uh! Sorry! I just sat down for a moment because I felt dizzy, and I accidentally dozed off.”

“What? Dizzy? Did you eat some spoiled shellfish or something? Anyway, you can’t just eat anything because you’re hungry. Those from the land often get sick easily, you know? Well, anyway, come along quickly. We were short on hands to move the jars, so this is perfect. By the way, where are you from?”

Choosing her words carefully, Livia responded calmly to the nymph’s inquisitive question. Fortunately, the bits and pieces she overheard while crouching by the shell grave came in handy.

“Oh, I was at the Black Trumpet Palace, but I came to help with the banquet for a bit.”

“Ah, the Black Trumpet. That’s quite a distance. You came from far away.”

The Black Trumpet was quite a way from the main palace, mainly handling external materials needed for the main castle and other palaces, making it the place with the most outside nymphs.

Nodding in understanding, the nymph led Livia into the palace.

The nymph’s name was Audike.

It seemed Audike wasn’t exaggerating when she said she was busy, as hundreds of nymphs were bustling around. Seeing this, Livia felt lucky to have met this nymph. She needed to get inside the palace anyway, and following Audike allowed her to blend in naturally.

“Hey, you! Do you have nothing to do? Want to carry a jar?”

Every time Audike encountered another nymph who seemed idle, she suggested they carry a “jar,” but they all shook their heads and ran away.

By then, Livia started to worry a bit, wondering if she was being roped into something strange.

“Hey, why does everyone hate carrying jars?”

“What? …Oh, you wouldn’t know since you’re from the land.”

Rubbing her chin thoughtfully, Audike gave Livia a meaningful look and suddenly extended her finger.

“First, promise.”

“Promise? What?”

“Promise you won’t run away from carrying jars after I tell you. Then I’ll tell you.”