“It’s here.”

Edmond, who had been touring the exhibition hall following the guide’s instructions, stopped in front of a massive window.

He stared at the window with cold eyes.

Inside the huge window, tens of thousands of magic stones were displayed on a shiny obsidian plate. Unlike ordinary magic stones with their inherent power and clear colors, these were just faded, discolored black ores.

They were purification stones.

From ancient times, holy maidens were granted the power of ‘purification’ separate from their divine power, an ability to imprison and annihilate monsters or extinct corrupted creatures in magic stones.

And ‘purification’ was said to require life force, so it was mostly used for reeducation experiments.

Those displayed purification stones were magic stones in which imprisoned creatures were either preserved alive or annihilated. According to the holy maiden’s biography, it is said that there are still many undiscovered purification stones in the world.

Edmond, having grown up in the forest, speculated that perhaps the monster manifestation in the duke’s territory might be related to those purification stones.

That monsters might have unlocked themselves from purification stones mixed among magic stones.

Otherwise, how could mere monsters breach the defenses of the duke’s territory and invade?

Today’s visit was to confirm that. To see if life could be visible to the naked eye in the purification stones.

But as expected, his eyes could see nothing.

Only the holy maiden with the ability of ‘purification’ could imprison life in there, annihilate it, or confirm its existence.

Edmond judged there was no need to look further.

As Edmond turned to leave, the guide hurriedly followed, asking if he wasn’t going to look anymore, but he walked down the white marble corridor without even glancing back.

Tail naturally fell in step behind Edmond, who had suddenly exited the temple wrapped in a chilling murderous aura.

Tail lowered his body as he put away the communication device in his hand.

“I bribed the investigator in charge of the case at the time, but no purification stones were found at the scene.”

Edmond frowned in disappointment.

If found, it would surely have been a starting point to consider countless possibilities. Even now, the monster manifestation in the duke’s territory was considered an exceptional case.

“Any suspicious movements from the magic stone dealers at the time?”

“Baron Montry is examining the magic stone transaction details and dealers for the past 10 years in the duke’s territory, but says there’s nothing suspicious. However, there was someone who testified that a maid managing magic stones at the management office was strange on the day of the incident. Should we look for that maid?”

Edmond glanced at Tail out of the corner of his eye and nodded.

“Find anything, whatever it may be.”

Whether purification stones, or someone resembling the portrait drawn from his memory, or something beyond that.

Perhaps there was a need to tighten the noose on monsters disguised as humans hiding among people.

At that, Tail’s mouth fell open. Anything? To him who would have to stay up for days for that ‘anything’, it was a vague and ruthless order.

But that shocked expression was brief as he smiled slightly.

Because he saw his master’s eyes gleaming ferociously.

It felt like a harbinger that a cold wind would blow through the peaceful daily life after returning.

Rail, who had only been in the capital, wouldn’t know, but Tail had chased that back, that murderous intent, quite persistently in the forest.

Unlike the killing intent of knights desperately clinging to life out of fear, it was a desperate and vicious killing intent directed at someone far away, not the immediate combat opponent. It must have been quite miserable for the monsters pierced by spears without even being worthy opponents.

Tail was bowing his head with a lingering smile when he suddenly remembered.

“Ah right, we’re still searching for humans similar to the portrait. But…”

Tail looked up at his master with slightly worried eyes.

“How can we tell if that person is the monster from back then just by appearance? That’s a bit concerning…”

There was no guarantee they were even living as humans now. Moreover, monsters’ appearances were similar. It would be impossible to distinguish.

Ha, at that, Edmond twisted his lips fiercely.

“Needless worry.”

The moment we meet, I’ll revert to that weak and naive boy, and every cell will recognize it. That day will surely come someday. And when that day comes…

Kadeuk, a vicious sound escaped between his teeth.

Edmond stretched his gaze in a straight line, scattering an ominous killing intent.

As if the monster he was looking for existed there. There, only visible to his eyes, a formless illusion seemed to shimmer transparently.

“Sob… What should I do, Lunox…”

Lunox sat on the table where Berita had buried her face, with an expressionless face.

It was when Lunox, feeling bored by Berita’s prolonged crying, was patting her back while propping one hand on the table.

Swish, a stone attached to a brown leather necklace slipped out between his shirt.

Berita, who had been crying with her face buried in her arms, sensed something and raised her face with smeared makeup.

She reached out for the necklace, sniffling.

“…What’s this?”

Lunox withdrew his body before her hand could touch it and tucked the necklace back into his shirt.

“Isn’t your problem more important? What are you crying about this time?”

He asked with an affected smile.

Berita flinched and withdrew her hand at the irritation that briefly showed through.

For a moment, her head cooled and her tears stopped.

Lunox was basically kind and lighthearted to everyone, but occasionally he would wear a chilly smile.

It was not to be taken lightly, making everyone hold their breath and break out in a cold sweat.

At times like this, he would either abruptly break the flow and leave, or change the subject as he just did. It was as good as a warning not to push further.

Though curious about what the necklace inside his shirt could be, today’s Berita desperately needed someone’s comfort.

Slightly intimidated by his reaction, Berita opened her mouth.

“Um, elder sister sent Devon to prison… She said she’d even take away the mansion…”

“Hmm, is that so?”

“Lady Dien is out of her mind. She’s been muttering all day in bed about wanting to kill elder sister…”

How terrifying that is…

Berita had gone to show her face today too, only to have her hair grabbed on the way back.

Lunox blinked with a blank expression.

“Wants to kill her?”

“Yes… She spoke as if elder sister was holding some secret… I wonder what it could be?”

Berita blinked her innocent eyes as she looked up at Lunox.

Lunox rolled his eyes at empty space.

Berita’s talk of secrets and such didn’t register. Only the words full of malice about wanting to kill kept echoing.

Lunox’s lips curved up crookedly.

Just when he was starting to get bored with the mundane routine… It wouldn’t be bad to create something if there was nothing.

Lunox lowered his gaze to meet Berita’s eyes. He flashed his red eyes with a languid smile.

“Would Lady Dien really be willing to give her life?”

“I-I’m not sure…”

Feeling uneasy, Berita asked with fluttering eyelashes.

Lunox wiped away the remnants of tears clinging messily to her eyelashes, wearing a deep smile.

Though he had grown tired of this foolish woman who poured out her emotions seeking comfort more than once or twice… Indeed, her surroundings were full of amusements.

“You know what, Berita? Desperate wishes hold tremendous power.”

“What?”

Lunox opened his smooth lips, grinning.

“Arrange for me to meet Lady Dien.”

“Why…”

As Berita asked, Lunox’s eyes curved even deeper.

Because it seems it’ll be quite fun. He muttered softly to himself with mischievous eyes.

Edmond and Tail returned to the mansion, discussing work-related matters at length.

Rail, who had been welcoming the master of the mansion, was shocked to discover Tail following him in.

“Why are you here!”

“Pfft, suits you well?”

As Tail disappeared swiftly following Edmond, Rail clenched his teeth and chased after them.

The two bickered quietly behind Edmond’s back for a while.

It was when they finally reached the study.

Tail, who had been bristling at Rail’s comment to get rid of his unwelcome face, suddenly remembered something.

“Ah right, about what you instructed.”

“Instructions?”

“You told me to look into the tourist lists for the regions young lady Lilien traveled to, didn’t you?”

Edmond, who had been rolling up his shirt sleeves, raised his sharp gaze. Sensing the atmosphere to continue reporting, Tail opened his mouth again.

“There were records of Count Vuel visiting for business purposes. Since it wasn’t for tourism but business, I had to do some legwork.”

Tail had been hoping for praise, thinking ‘How was that? I did well, right?’, but soon flinched.

Edmond was radiating a murderous aura with an expressionless face.

Even as he ordered the list investigation, he had thought ‘no way’, but to think the reason Etricia commissioned the murder was a crime of passion.

Did she mistake his sister for one of many mistresses and commission the murder in a drunken state, then cancel it thinking it was a misunderstanding?

It felt both futile and chilling. If he had known this fact earlier, his wariness towards Etricia would have passed relatively like the wind.

But what was this uncomfortable feeling spreading inside him?

Regret that Etricia made the wrong choice? Or anger towards Devon who created the cause?

Either way, it was clear that Devon needed to be punished accordingly.

His eyes, glinting with a murderous light, immediately fixed on Tail.

Tail shrugged his shoulders and spoke first.

“I had already sent a few men when he sued you, but called them back when I heard the lawsuit was withdrawn… Should we kill him after all?”

“Kill?”

Edmond laughed cynically as he unbuttoned the cuff of his other shirt sleeve.

“Who said to kill him? If he dies, he won’t feel pain. Bribe the imperial prison warden to administer a certain amount of poison daily, just below the lethal dose.”

His internal organs would burn with poison just short of death every day.

Like the emotional humans they are, past wrongdoings would flash before his eyes. As he rots in prison like that, even that scoundrel might feel some remorse towards his wife.

Suddenly, Edmond’s hand stopped as he was rolling up his shirt sleeve.

It felt like he was retaliating on behalf of Etricia, not punishing him for coveting his sister without knowing his place.

He was frowning and about to spew out that thought when—

“Then what should we do about the Countess Vuel who tried to kill young lady Lilien—”

Crash—!

The three men’s heads turned towards the shattering sound from the doorway.

The eyes of the three men widened simultaneously as they discovered the figure standing in front of the door.

Lilien, who seemed to have been bringing tea, stood there aghast, having dropped the tray at her feet.

Her eyes shook greatly.

“What… did you just say?”