“Jaina!”

Cadel snatched the communication orb from the attendant and called her name, his voice tight with urgency.

Violet, who had been sitting on the bed watching him, felt her expression harden. The tenderness on his face — soft and almost fragile — was a side of him she had never seen before. Seeing it now made something twist painfully in her chest.

Resentment rose from the depths of her heart.

That resentment soon sharpened into jealousy. The moment she saw Jaina’s radiant golden hair gleaming within the orb, her jealousy turned to bitter envy.

As Cadel and Jaina began speaking through the orb, Violet realized that she had been biting her lower lip, unable to stop herself.

—”Can you come at once?”

‘What? At this hour?’

Violet frowned with irritation when she heard Jaina’s voice coming from somewhere nearby.

She glanced out of the window instinctively.

The rain was still pouring down relentlessly. There was no sign of it stopping. Cadel would never be able to leave in weather like this.

‘Hmph. No matter how hard you try to keep Cadel by your side, during the rainy season things won’t go your way.’

Violet knew better than anyone that Cadel wouldn’t survive a rainy night without her. For this reason, Jaina’s request did not trouble her much.

However, Jaina’s next words were something that not even Violet — who had stood by Cadel’s side through every rainy night — had ever considered.

Her eyes widened in shock.

—”As long as Violet is with you, it should be fine. I think you can bring her along.”

“……”

—”The situation is quite serious. This is something that requires you personally, so please hurry.”

Jaina ended the call without waiting for Cadel to reply. He stared at the disconnected orb for a moment before turning around. Violet stood frozen to the spot, still wearing a stunned expression.

“Change your clothes, Violet. We’re going to the Imperial Palace together.”

***

“Hehe.”

Violet let out a sudden laugh as she changed into an outfit suitable for going out.

Still dazed from being woken up in the middle of the night to help her get dressed, Daze blinked in surprise.

“I’m going to the Imperial Palace. Isn’t that astonishing, Daze?”

Violet watched Daze through the mirror and asked,

“…Isn’t it?”

“…Yes, I suppose so.”

Daze forced an awkward smile and focused on tying the ribbons at the back of the dress.

“The Imperial Palace. The Imperial Palace. I am setting foot there for the very first time.”

Pressing both hands against her chest, Violet let out a breath of admiration.

“Alright, stop moving and lift your arms, will you? The master said to finish getting ready quickly and come down to the lobby.”

She had already changed dresses five times, wasting a great deal of time in the process. The butler had already been by once, and they could not afford any further delay.

Daze hurried her along, but Violet merely scoffed and smoothed her reflection in the mirror.

“It doesn’t matter. Make sure I look as beautiful as possible.”

She picked up the jewelry box from the vanity and continued,

“I have to shine more brilliantly than anyone else.”

She took a dazzling emerald necklace from the box and held it up to her neck, smiling faintly.

Daze let out a quiet, inward sigh. When Violet asked if the necklace matched the dress, she nodded. She knew very well why, of all the accessories Violet had bought for herself, she wore this emerald necklace most often.

It was the only piece of jewelry that Cadel had ever given her.

However, to describe it as a gift given of his own free will would not have been entirely accurate.

Before Jaina became the Grand Duchess and arrived at the castle, Cadel had personally overseen everything she would use. He had even summoned the Empire’s most renowned jewelry designer and dressmaker. As Violet watched him commission an overwhelming number of dresses and ornaments exclusively for Jaina, she quietly requested a necklace crafted by the same designer.

At first, Cadel refused. He said it was too expensive and told her to look elsewhere. However, after she pleaded with him repeatedly, he finally relented and told the jewelry designer to let her choose a ready-made piece.

Even that necklace was too expensive for Violet to afford on her own. In truth, it was little more than a small token of gratitude for the nights she had spent by his side during the incessant rain.

That necklace was the emerald one.

Violet knew better than anyone that it had not been made especially for her. Yet she always told others that Cadel had personally commissioned the Empire’s greatest jewelry designer to create the most exquisite necklace for her alone.

“His Grace says he’s short on time and wants you downstairs immediately, Violet.”

The butler’s voice rang out as he knocked sharply on the door.

“Yes! We’re coming down now!”

Daze answered in Violet’s stead.

Violet clicked her tongue softly and fastened the necklace around her neck while looking into the mirror.

“Let’s go down quickly, Violet. The master will be angry.”

“Don’t worry. Lord Cadel never gets angry with me.”

Violet fastened the necklace and turned her head from side to side in front of the mirror, feeling completely at ease.

Daze felt a faint unease at the sight of this. Still, she kept her mouth shut. No matter what she said, Violet wouldn’t listen.

‘She’s always crossed the line now and then because the master treated her specially… but never to this extent.’

Everything began to change when Her Grace, the Grand Duchess, arrived at the ducal castle. From that moment on, Violet became increasingly sharp with Jaina. Sometimes, she would even act in a deliberately provocative manner towards Jaina.

Daze could only hope that Violet would not come to regret her reckless decision.

Having risen from maid to a position of remarkable status, Violet had become something of an idol — not only to Daze, but to many of the other servants as well. Above all, Daze wished that, instead of letting herself be consumed by petty jealousy, Violet would simply continue to live peacefully as before.

***

A deep sigh slipped from Jaina’s lips after she ended the call.

“You must call your husband. As soon as possible.”

“Him…?”

“At least eight of them. The same kind you saw at the Fountain of Holy Water. Evil spirits invisible to human eyes. Only your husband, who carries black mana, can see them.”

“But Lord Elysion can see them as well.”

“Spirits cannot harm evil spirits. Nor can evil spirits harm spirits.”

“Ah…”

Ultimately, Cadel’s help was essential. She had suggested he accompany Violet to the palace.

It had been Elysion’s idea. As it was night-time and raining heavily in the north, Cadel could not travel there alone. No matter how she considered it, there was no other option. So she followed Elysion’s advice and contacted him.

However, once the call had ended, Jaina felt uneasy at the thought of Cadel arriving with Violet.

If she did not have to witness it herself, it would not matter.

But the moment she saw them together, no matter how hard she tried to steady herself, a sharp ache rose within her.

Perhaps it was nothing more than lingering feelings that had not yet completely faded.

Even so, there was no other choice.

The evil spirits lurking in the shrine in the rear garden of the consorts’ palace could attack at any moment. Elysion had made it clear that the women standing guard in white robes were under the influence of black magic. They were human, yet no longer truly human.

There was no time for hesitation.

“Then… must we guard this place until the Grand Duke arrives?”

At Shar’s question, Jaina turned to look at Elysion. The invisible evil spirits were visible only to him; Jaina was in no position to speak on what she could not see.

“Yes, we must. With that many evil spirits swarming about, do you think food would pass down my throat?”

“……”

“…Would it?”

When their eyes met, Elysion added the honorifics in a half-hearted tone. Shar, who was apparently finding him interesting, stared at him openly.

“They’ll arrive quickly if they use a teleportation stone. It might be dangerous to leave this place unattended, so we’ll eat after the Grand Duke has dealt with those things.’ Your Highness may go ahead and—”

“No. I’ll go with you. I didn’t wait until this hour to dine alone.”

Shar cut Jaina off, the corner of his lips lifting into a faint smile.

Elysion glanced at him, then muttered under his breath.

“But why is that man taking so long? He should have arrived by teleportation stone by now.”

“It’s past the hour for retiring. He must be preparing before coming.”

Jaina spoke quietly, as if to soothe him.

Suddenly, she saw Cadel and Violet lying together in their nightclothes. Jaina’s heart seemed to drop straight to the ground.

Her smile vanished instantly and her complexion turned pale.

Shar noticed and asked.

“Then all of them are under black magic?”

“Yes? Ah—yes.”

“Do they need to be killed?”

“No. Once the Grand Duke disposes of the invisible evil spirits, I will purify them.”

Purifying them with holy power would remove the black magic wrapped around their bodies and erase all memory of when they fell under its influence.

“That is a relief. They are, after all, people who serve close to Her Majesty the Empress.”

At Jaina’s explanation, Shar nodded, reassured.

“Do not worry. Only the memories of the time they were used by black magic will vanish. They will return to how they were before.”

“Then I shall place my trust in the Grand Duchess.”

Suddenly, a bright light flashed in the distance. A round, blue portal opened in mid-air — the gateway of a teleportation stone.

Without hesitating, Cadel stepped through it.

Violet emerged right behind him.

She wore a flowing blue gown made of light fabric and a large emerald necklace gleamed around her neck.

The instant Jaina saw it, her expression stiffened.

It was the same necklace that Violet had once proudly shown her, boasting that Cadel had bought it just for her.