Teardrops flowed down Louise’s pale cheeks.

Then a large hand gently cupped her cheek.

Calloused, hardened fingers wiped away the tears that dampened her cheek.

At his touch, Louise raised her moist eyes.

And in Sched’s gaze, Louise felt the warm light of his boyhood.

“I won’t leave you alone anymore, Louise.”

Sched’s fervent whisper touched her lips.

Louise couldn’t resist that whisper.

Like a person resigned, Louise lowered her long lashes, closed her tear-filled eyes.

And willingly drank in the emotions whispered by his lips.

As their lips met, a heat spread.

A hot and intense sensation penetrated her.

Senses that had been numb and dead from pain began to awaken, one by one, unfamiliarly.

His captivating and deep scent, soft lips, scorching body heat, rough breath brushing her cheek, meltingly sweet saliva.

Louise had no strength left to resist his whisper.

She surrendered helplessly.

Then Sched embraced Louise and delved deeper.

As if to burn away all the misfortune flowing through her body.

As if to absorb all the curses coursing through her blood.

For a very brief moment, Louise felt like an ordinary person in front of him.

Someone who could share love ordinarily, be granted happiness ordinarily, no different from others.

Giselle took a sip of tea, looking at the woman sitting across from her.

A pale face where the pallor of illness had not yet completely faded.

At the same time, a stiffly tense expression.

Long, straight chocolate-brown hair.

And green eyes reminiscent of a forest.

“It was you. Louise.”

Clatter, Giselle set down her teacup.

Then the slender fingertips resting on her lap suddenly flinched. The rough cloth made a crumpling sound.

“No wonder you seemed too educated for a maid.”

Giselle smiled bitterly with a sense of dismay, recalling her memories of ‘Riana’.

A neat and noble posture, a hint of dignity, an uncommon uprightness rarely seen in maids.

Manners that came too naturally to have simply been learned from serving nobles.

So this was the identity behind that discrepancy.

‘It seems Sched Lester knew from early on……’

Now she understood why her crazy ex-fiancé had been obsessed with a mere maid.

She had heard he once served the young lady of the Ideana family.

There was even a time he said he wanted to personally confirm the corpse upon hearing the news of the Ideana family’s downfall.

Giselle rubbed the teacup handle for no reason.

It wasn’t a very pleasant feeling.

It felt like she had become an impurity caught in the middle of a great love affair.

Giselle smiled bitterly, savoring the tart aroma of the tea.

But what use were such feelings?

Compared to the other problems currently facing her, things like love or marriage were as fleeting as specks of dust.

“You’ve changed a lot.”

Giselle’s voice was haughty, but at the same time sounded bitter.

She also thought the expression ‘changed a lot’ was too light and perfunctory.

There were things that couldn’t be fully contained in such words.

“The reason I let you go free was because I judged you wouldn’t run away.”

Giselle said, interlocking her fingers.

Until now, she had left the demon Louise unrestrained and allowed her to stay in the room.

Considering Louise’s behavior so far, there seemed to be no concern of escape or resistance.

But that also meant Louise’s sins had not disappeared.

As if understanding this, Louise tightly closed her eyes.

It was a reaction filled with resignation, as if expecting everything.

Only then did Giselle feel she understood Louise Ideana a little.

That seemingly docile, frail woman always chose to stand in the position of the weak with silence.

So outwardly, she looked too easy and powerless.

As if she would crumble with a small slap, as if she would shatter under malicious criticism and curses.

But ridiculously, that was a misconception.

She was just taking it.

It was a kind of asceticism Louise had chosen to relieve her guilt.

So she endured slaps, criticism, and curses calmly and willingly.

Giselle thought it was a foolish method, but on the other hand, perhaps it was the only way Louise could survive.

‘It’s a wonder she’s still sane after going through such things……’

Giselle frowned just recalling Dietrich’s experiment logs, feeling discomfort.

If she hadn’t adopted an irrational strategy, whether avoidance, repentance, or resignation, she would have already gone mad or become corrupted like Dietrich.

In that respect, Giselle deeply respected Louise.

But in the end, she was a heretic.

“You know how heresy ends, don’t you?”

Giselle quietly pushed forward the documents, pen, and ink placed on one side of the table.

They were documents related to the heretic’s judgment.

Reading the letters written at the top of the document, Louise silently nodded.

Hell’s Punishment. The endless conclusion she knew would come someday.

According to the documents, Dietrich Lester’s punishment was nearly carried out.

Once the other cardinals arrived, they would wrap it up completely and he would be buried forever in an unknown location.

And now, it was Louise’s turn approaching.

For a moment, Louise tightly grasped her own wrist.

The place where Dietrich had engraved the curse was vivid.

Even while facing Giselle, an uncontrollable power pulsed abruptly.

“I won’t leave you alone anymore, Louise.”

She recalled the kind words Sched had said to her.

With that, everything seemed to become enough.

‘At this rate, I don’t know when I’ll lose control of this power.’

Dietrich was a smart man.

He had left behind the curse she feared most before departing.

She was afraid she would harm her loved ones with a power she couldn’t control.

Yes….. She thought it was a conclusion she would face someday.

She had thought she couldn’t live like this forever.

So even if she faced it a little earlier, nothing would change.

But she wanted to ask.

“Giselle, do I only have sins?”

At her composed question, Giselle brushed back her long, blue hair.

It was an awkward question to answer.

“……No one lives committing only sins. But if you have committed sins, you must be punished.”

Giselle couldn’t bring herself to meet Louise’s eyes and turned her gaze away.

Looking at the documents related to the heretic’s judgment, her head throbbed.

Yes, if possible, she wanted to give Louise a verdict of innocence.

So she had also reported the details of Dietrich’s research materials to the Holy See.

But the reply that came back was:

“Dispose of all of Dietrich’s experiment logs and carry out the punishment for the demon.”

Having been born and raised among the powerful, Giselle knew what that reply meant.

Keep your mouth shut about the sins of the temple and place all the blame on Louise Ideana.

It was an unwavering stance.

Power was complexly entangled in this matter.

All problems, political, economic, and religious.

“Too many people have learned that you have that power.”

The battle with Dietrich. There were too many witnesses and the rumors couldn’t be controlled.

“If we make an exception for you, the temple will be seen as condoning black magic.”

That was the law.

One exception would cause countless problems in the future.

Then Louise was silent for a moment before opening her mouth.

“……Alright. I will follow the will of the temple.”

“You’ll follow…?”

This easily?

Giselle’s eyes trembled.

Did she say that knowing about the Hell’s Punishment?

In the moment of doubting Louise’s intentions-

“But don’t touch Eve.”

At the end of her submissive words, there was a sharp hook.

“That’s my condition.”

Eve’s sins were not yet known to the world.

So even if they let Eve go, the temple wouldn’t face trouble from public opinion.

“But that child also has that power…!”

“Eve has no sin.”

Louise met Giselle’s eyes.

In the process of obtaining black magic, Louise had created numerous victims, even if it was against her will.

So she couldn’t be free from guilt and couldn’t run from judgment.

But not Eve.

Eve had never harmed anyone with that power, nor committed any wrongdoing.

“I’m afraid the thorny bushes covering the garden must be cut down.”

Giselle shook her head.

Even if there was no immediate sin, black magic itself was a sin.

Those who live eternally cannot be allowed to live forever.

The temple was conservative and merciless towards heretics.

There was no way they would let the daughter of a demon live.

“……Even if the thorny bushes don’t harm other flowers and trees?”

“The temple must always prepare for the worst-case scenario.”

“Prepare for the worst-case scenario?”

Louise asked back, as if mocking Giselle.

Thanks to the temple preparing well for the worst, Cardinal Dietrich had run rampant.

And now, they were trying to kill an innocent three-year-old child who could perhaps be called a victim.

Giselle also knew this, closing her eyes tightly before opening them.

“Because of the Dietrich problem, we have no choice but to become more strict.”

To prevent problems like Dietrich from occurring, all buds and roots must be removed.

Even if they are victims caused by the temple’s negligence.

Then a chilling light entered the eyes that had been unwavering.

“……Giselle, the reason I’m sitting here obediently right now is because there’s something I want to protect.”

Louise’s voice lowered coldly.

Giselle narrowed her eyes with a perplexed expression, frowning.

“……Are you threatening me now, Louise? This isn’t such a simple problem!”

“……It’s a simple problem.”

“What do you…!”

“It should be a simple problem.”

Louise picked up the inkwell on the table and poured the black ink into the teacup brought out for refreshments.

The clear black tea in the white teacup was instantly dyed jet black.

The teacup filled with the overflowing black liquid.