The heretic saw the face of the unfamiliar visitor.

The face he had seen long ago when he was a black magic experiment.

No, not the face, but the shadow that was always cast over the face.

Though he never revealed his own face, his presence remained etched in memory even after years had passed.

“This will be the last experiment, Count Ideana.”

The unknown person who occasionally appeared by Felix Ideana’s side.

The voice was sometimes thin like a boy’s, sometimes grave like a woman’s, making it difficult to discern the gender.

The experimental subjects of House Ideana called that person ‘Lucifer’.

And the heretic could recognize him at a glance even after years had passed.

“You… you’re alive…?”

The heretic asked Lucifer slowly.

Years ago, when Ideana fell due to treason charges, not a single word about Lucifer was heard.

All matters related to black magic were pinned on Count Felix Ideana.

Neither the imperial family nor the temple noticed Lucifer’s existence at all.

But the heretic knew.

The person who perfectly concealed their identity behind a mask and helped the Count with black magic research.

Perhaps the mastermind who conducted the real black magic research using the Count.

“I didn’t know you were still alive either, half-finished one. I’m quite surprised too.”

The nameless being with a shadowed face approached with leisurely steps.

“I thought you’d been completely disposed of…”

The heretic’s body trembled with each step Lucifer took closer.

“What do you intend to do with me?”

The ‘half-finished one’ recalled the disposed experimental subjects.

Count Felix Ideana would mercilessly dispose of incomplete experimental subjects once their usefulness was gone.

Many were sacrificed as guinea pigs for unverified extreme experiments and disappeared due to terrible side effects.

Souls vanishing without even a chance to scream, wail, or cry out.

Lucifer was always behind that efficient and wise disposal mechanism.

On days when Lucifer visited House Ideana, the experimental subjects trembled in fear.

His arrival meant the experiment had entered a new phase, and in that change, subjects were either disposed of or became targets for the next experiment.

Either way, it was equally terrifying.

“What do I intend to do with you? Are you afraid I might do something?”

Lucifer’s voice carried an amused laughter.

The heretic’s Adam’s apple bobbed greatly with tension.

“Don’t worry. I came here for your sake today.”

The veiled figure soothed him with a gentle tone.

“For my sake?”

“I was deeply worried you might suffer at the hands of those humans in Paradel.”

Lucifer innocently raised his gloved hands, showing he had no intention of harming him.

But even that action seemed like a scripted act to lower the other’s guard.

Lucifer was that cunning of a person after all.

The heretic still didn’t let his guard down as he asked.

“Do you think I’m the same as 8 years ago?”

In that time, the heretic had grown through a desperate survival process.

It means he’s a completely different person from when House Ideana was destroyed.

But Lucifer just snickered.

“You might have changed. But in the end, you’re still incomplete.”

He might have honed his ability to use black magic well over the years.

But ultimately, he’s incomplete.

The difference between a finished product and a defective one is as great as that between a deer and a lion.

A swift and brave deer might be able to stab a lion, but it can’t change its position as prey in the end. They’re completely different species to begin with.

No matter how hard he tries, a defective product can’t overwhelm a finished one.

“There’s something more dangerous in Paradel besides the high priest and the mad swordmaster.”

“…!”

“So think about protecting yourself first. Don’t provoke Louise Ideana.”

“…You met that woman too?”

“Of course. How could I not recognize her?”

After all the effort I put into that finished work.

Lucifer rubbed his hands together in satisfaction like someone about to enjoy a feast.

“When I heard about House Ideana, I was most curious about her whereabouts…”

The lips beneath the veil murmured with a smile.

Louise was not someone who would die so easily at the hands of mere priests.

“She hid herself so well after causing such a big incident. Don’t you think so too?”

The heretic’s face contorted at Lucifer’s question.

The truth of what happened in Ideana 8 years ago.

The world knows that the army of House Lester dispatched by the imperial family and the priests from the temple punished the traitors and heretics of Ideana.

But that was all just a lie to maintain the dignity and face of the imperial family and temple.

When the army and priests arrived, Paradel was already devastated.

A land where only death remained. Human corpses and monster carcasses were strewn about like withered red petals blown by the wind.

When Lucifer learned of this fact, he was certain.

There was only one person who could have done such a thing.

Only Louise Ideana.

The religious order announced that all members of the Ideana clan had died, but Lucifer knew that announcement was false.

Because Louise Ideana doesn’t die.

‘A young lady who even killed her own father and disappeared…’

A beautiful girl who shakes the world.

Isn’t she truly captivating?

‘The public is so stupid. Not a single criminal was shown on the execution stand, yet they believe the imperial family and temple handled it well?’

Usually for such grave crimes, or those involved, the emperor and pope would bring the criminals to be executed publicly as a warning to others.

But not a single person from Ideana was brought to the imperial decree or grand temple.

‘They all died, so there was no one to bring.’

All the latecomers did was identify the bodies and confirm the life or death of the traitors.

But it was nearly impossible to accurately identify anyone among the corpses and land already contaminated by black magic.

‘Louise must have used that to her advantage.’

She likely manipulated a corpse to be mistaken as herself, and disappeared.

People were easily fooled by the veil of black magic, and thus ‘Louise Ideana’ vanished from the world.

“Anyway, be careful for now. I think we need to observe Louise a bit more.”

“…”

“And this.”

Lucifer tossed a small envelope in front of him. As the heretic looked at it warily, the white mask continued speaking.

“It’s a spell. If you stick it to your body with resin and burn it, it will be effective for a while.”

“A spell… what kind of spell…?”

“They’re looking for you over there too. It would be quite dangerous if you run into them, right? At your current level, even handling one high priest or swordmaster would be tough.”

Lucifer advised.

The heretic who picked up the spell paper looked suspiciously at the mastermind behind the experiments.

Though he pretended to care, Lucifer was a cunning snake.

The spell contained in that paper might be a brainwashing spell or a curse to destroy him.

After all, Lucifer was the kind of person who would kill with a smile and use all sorts of deceptions with meticulous acting if necessary.

“Don’t worry. You’re still useful for now. So try to survive well.”

Lucifer chuckled.

Riana stood respectfully, looking at the beautiful woman sitting in front of the mirror.

The woman seated before the mirror had her hair flowing gracefully and was surrounded by maids.

A woman who seemed to embody the word ‘noble’.

Sched Lester’s fiancée, Giselle Marlhein.

Even without wearing elaborate clothes, she exuded more elegance than nobles adorned with gold and silver jewelry.

The neatly shining white pearl earrings contrasted with her blue hair, boasting an elegant beauty.

They matched well with the white priest’s robe she always wore.

Riana quietly took in the sight of Sched Lester’s fiancée.

She was a woman beautiful enough to be envied.

A woman with such overwhelming power that no one could covet Sched Lester’s side.

“Thank you for willingly helping.”

Giselle smiled kindly at Riana through the mirror.

“Not at all. It’s an honor for me to serve the High Priest.”

Riana bowed her head politely.

Giselle had requested to send a servant to follow her.

Or more precisely, she had specifically called for Riana Serpens.

Werner gladly assigned Riana to Giselle’s side.

After quitting her job of attending to Sched, Riana had been constantly drifting among other maids.

That’s how Riana ended up being placed before the noble High Priest like another piece of property, regardless of her own will.

Riana clenched her hands tightly. Her fingertips tingled with nervousness.

Standing before Giselle felt like her heart was being scraped by a rough surface.

It wasn’t because Giselle was Sched’s fiancée.

Riana knew she was nothing to Sched.

And she knew well that he had a perfect fiancée.

The reason Giselle made her uncomfortable was simply because she was a High Priest like Dietrich.

‘Why did she specifically pick me…?’

Riana was curious about Giselle’s intention in deliberately calling for her.

She was also curious about how Giselle knew about her in the first place.

She had seen Giselle coming down the stairs with Sched on the day she arrived here, but it was just a fleeting moment.

Riana had left her position immediately that day and had never conversed with Giselle.

Yet she already knew the name ‘Riana Serpens’.

She felt like a thief surrounded by guards.

“High Priest, if I may be so bold, could I ask you something?”

The nervous thief pretended to be innocent as she opened her lips.

“What is it?”

“I was wondering why you specifically called for me…”

Giselle blinked a few times at Riana’s question, then burst into laughter.

“Were you curious about that?”

Giselle laughed cheerfully and stood up from her seat.

Click, click, the sound of proud and straight footsteps drew closer and stopped in front of Riana.

Riana swallowed her breath as the distance with the High Priest shortened.

She composed her expression properly, hiding her rapidly beating heart.

Golden eyes shining fiercely stared at her.

“You caught my eye.”

Giselle smiled brightly.