……!

Startled, Ivy halted her steps, and the black mist stopped moving along with her.

The black blade precisely grazed Ivy’s neck, slicing open a wound from which crimson blood began to trickle down.

Half of Ivy’s brown hair, which had reached her waist, was now severed.

Thud. The clump of hair fell onto the grass. Time seemed to freeze; in an instant, the surroundings fell into complete silence.

“H-how, h-how, h-how… what… what did you do to me…!”

Staring blankly at her severed brown locks, Ivy suddenly began to stammer.

Her pupils darted wildly left and right, as if she had fallen into profound shock.

But only for a moment—then Ivy sharply lifted her head and stared intently at my long hair, swaying faintly in the night breeze.

“Y-you, you, you damn Latieana!”

What did I even do?

The moment Ivy took a determined step toward me, Edan emerged from the portal, his black cloak billowing as he strode forward—drenched head to toe in blood.

Accompanied by dozens of subordinates.

“If you take one more step, I’ll pierce your throat.”

Ivy froze instantly, her body rigid.

To prove his threat was no bluff, Edan accepted a fresh sword from one of his men. Ivy’s eyes widened in astonishment as she watched him.

I felt the same. It really was Edan.

Seeing him appear so unexpectedly, a wave of sorrow surged through me, stinging my eyes.

He had just proven Ivy’s true identity. I had felt utterly alone, fighting by myself because no one would even listen to me—but Edan had come. He was perfectly, completely on my side.

I wanted to run to him immediately, but the direness of the situation made me hesitate.

For just an instant, as Edan’s gaze briefly met mine, Ivy erupted again into furious screaming.

“Why?! Why?! What did I do wrong?! What did I even do?! This is all— all— all because of you, Latieana! You— you— you vile woman! Vile woman!”

Again, everything was my fault. She didn’t even think about what she herself had done.

Edan’s gaze, which had softened slightly while looking at me, turned icy cold as it shifted back to Ivy.

Simultaneously, Ivy took a rough step toward me, her pitch-black eyes gleaming demonically.

“I warned you clearly.”

Edan muttered lowly, then without the slightest hesitation, swung his sword straight toward Ivy.

The blade flew fast and true, aimed precisely at the center of Ivy’s throat.

“No!”

The Grand Priest’s booming shout rang out. Clang! Another sword flew in, colliding with Edan’s blade.

Two swords clattered to the ground near Ivy’s feet, who stood petrified with fear—apparently never expecting Edan would truly strike at her neck.

The sword that had deflected Edan’s was the golden-hilted blade from Killian’s waist.

“…….”

Edan, his eyes cold, glanced down at his fallen sword, then turned his head toward Killian.

“Are you siding with the witch now, Brother?”

Edan’s voice was far calmer and more polite than I had expected.

Perhaps because he still cared for Killian.

But Killian was different.

He lifted his chin arrogantly and spoke dismissively toward Edan.

“I will judge whether she is a witch or not—and I will decide her punishment. You have no right to speak, having trespassed into the forbidden temple. Step back.”

Killian… why does this man hate Edan so intensely?

Their emotions are completely incompatible.

Even when I was locked in a room facing him, I thought it—Killian was strange.

His entire attention was fixated on Edan.

It wasn’t about Ivy being exposed as a witch—it was his frantic frustration over being unable to control Edan right before his eyes.

Edan swept his blood-stained hand lightly across his forehead, pushing aside his falling bangs.

Though his clothes and cloak were already soaked in blood, his golden hair—previously relatively clean—was now smeared with the deep red blood of monsters.

“And if I refuse?”

“By defying my order and trespassing into a forbidden place, you will be regarded as harboring rebellion against me.”

At that, Edan smirked, lifting one corner of his mouth.

“To call this rebellion… are you trying to cowardly shift blame onto me, so the royal court and temple can pretend they weren’t fooled by a witch?”

“Cowardly?”

Killian’s eyes glinted sharply.

“Do you truly believe you—the one who committed the most cowardly act against me—have the right to say that?”

What? Edan committed a cowardly act?

I waited for his reply, but Edan remained silent. Killian issued orders to his knights.

“Bring that thing here. After thorough investigation, she will be punished accordingly.”

His gaze—referring to Ivy as “that thing”—then turned toward me.

“Latieana Merigold, you will come with us as well.”

At those words, Edan’s eyes—previously quietly observing—narrowed visibly in displeasure.

“What do you mean?”

“Regardless of your reasons, you accused and denounced the Grand Holy Maiden. Until the truth is revealed, detention is only natural. There are other matters to verify as well.”

He must be referring to my healing ability.

But why? Killian, who never took his eyes off Edan, seemed more focused on provoking him than on me.

“Bring them.”

At that command, Edan’s expression changed completely.

Though he had maintained a subtly gentle demeanor throughout the conversation—as if still showing Killian some consideration—the atmosphere instantly turned razor-sharp.

His jaw clenched tightly, tension visibly rippling through his face.

No one else likely noticed, but Edan was clearly suppressing his anger fiercely beneath his calm exterior.

Quietly observing the situation, I turned my gaze to Ivy.

The girl who had acted as if she feared nothing now clutched her throat with both hands, engulfed in terror.

She had spent considerable time here, basking only in affection from those around her—no wonder she was so shocked by this sudden threat.

After all, she had brazenly claimed my power as her own and become the beloved Grand Holy Maiden.

I didn’t know the full extent of her dark magic, but it seemed she had focused solely on stealing my power. Judging by her inability to use any other abilities beyond beating unconscious people.

I deliberately glared at Ivy, lifting my eyes to make her uncomfortable.

“La—!”

Ivy, whose pupils had begun to return to normal, screamed again at my gaze. I stepped decisively forward among the crowd.

“There’s no need for separate investigations. We can confirm it right now.”

Both Edan and Killian—who had seemed moments away from drawing swords against each other—turned to look at me simultaneously.

“What did you say?”

Killian’s brow twitched.

“Ivy used dark magic. If you still find it hard to believe she’s a witch despite seeing that, then just show you proof she used dark magic.”

“…….”

“Those who use dark magic suffer rotting skin.”

As soon as I finished speaking, murmurs rippled through the crowd.

Perhaps because they were temple personnel, they seemed familiar with the side effects of dark magic. Everyone appeared convinced by my words.

Even Ivy’s reaction confirmed it. The strength drained from her eyes as she stared at me, her lips trembling violently.

“Strip Ivy’s clothes. You’ll find undeniable proof.”

“No! It’s not true!”

The moment I finished speaking, Ivy shrieked—her voice sounding exactly like someone thrashing desperately to hide the truth.

Whenever Ivy used dark magic, the black corruption always began from inside her chest.

So I was certain—the center of her chest, or perhaps just below it on her abdomen, would be the most severely rotted area.

“Laaatieanaaa—you damn bitch!”

Perhaps because Edan stood beside me, Ivy screamed in terror but didn’t dare charge toward me. She remained rooted in place, shrieking like a madwoman.

“XXX! Die! XXXX! You XX little bitch! XXX!”

She seemed unaware of it herself, but Ivy was already half out of her mind.

Her thunderous, vile curses—words too filthy to repeat—echoed across the entire garden. I spoke to Ivy.

“Ivy, you’ll never be able to return to being that elegant, beautiful Grand Holy Maiden again. You’ve been caught in this state—you can’t even pretend anymore. Just give up. You’re finished.”

“You damn bitch! You’re the one who ruined me! Why am I finished?! Why?!”

Ivy’s appearance was the very image of final ruin for someone who had meddled with dark magic.

I looked directly into Killian’s eyes. Since sensing my healing power, his attitude toward me had changed.

“Strip the Grand Holy Maiden.”

The Crown Prince’s command fell.

Heavier and colder than his earlier order to bring Ivy here—this decisive, utterly unyielding command, devoid of any consideration, prompted the royal knights to sprint toward Ivy.

Ivy’s body was seized by strong, rough hands.

“Strip her.”

One word. At that order, the knights drew their swords without hesitation toward Ivy.

Her dress was about to be mercilessly sliced open.

“Your Highness!”

The Grand Priest suddenly intervened.

Seriously, that old man.

“Please show some respect toward the Grand Holy Maiden!”

What on earth did Ivy do to make him protect her even in this situation?

It’s unbelievable. Did she manipulate him well, or has he lost his mind?

But Killian didn’t even respond to the Grand Priest’s plea.

“Strip her.”

When he commanded again, the knights holding Ivy ripped her dress vertically open from the abdomen.

“……!”

In that instant, the faces of the hundred or so people gathered in the garden—including mine—froze in shock.

Ivy’s abdomen was pitch-black, rotting, on the verge of developing holes.

I was the most shocked. I instinctively covered my gaping mouth with my hand.

This… this isn’t human. How is she still alive?

“W-why?! Why?! You—you—you were the ones who hated me! Why?! Why must I suffer like this?!”

Cold stares from some, horrified expressions from others, terrified gazes from many—waves of terrible emotions poured over her.

Ivy couldn’t bear it; her body trembled violently.

Her hair, asymmetrically half-severed; her grotesquely transformed skin; her dress torn down the middle, barely covering her chest.

From the holes in her abdomen, black mist began to rise again.

“This—this—all of this is because of you, Latieana!”

Until the very end, Ivy screamed, blaming me—just as the mist surged violently upward.

“Shut up.”

Edan sent a surge of blue magical energy straight toward Ivy.

Kwaang!

Ivy flew like a ragdoll, crashing into the temple wall.