He was an unwarranted savior and the greatest wound in Ivy’s world.

Afterward, the girl who had come to resent those who gave and took away vowed not to depend on anyone, and it had been about five years.

Ivy Ariathae, who had firmly stood alone as she promised in her childhood, was now looking at her burning mansion with a face full of mixed emotions.

“This son of a b… ”

Looking at the fiercely burning sanctuary with the goal of revenge, Ivy thought of a certain person without any hesitation.

That person was Cassel Montra, the noble who declared war against Ivy.

“This is how it turns out.”

Yesterday morning, Cassel Montra left the mansion right after meeting Ivy.

He seemed to be in a hurry to tidy things up, but surely he wouldn’t set someone else’s house on fire.

“Does he think there’s evidence or records in my house that are unfavorable to him?”
It could be that or just a simple venting of frustration. Unable to directly touch Ivy because of the Tower’s surveillance, he might have simply set the fire.

Though Ivy was quite angry, she calmed her heart with a deep breath. Then, she turned to the dozens of maids standing by her side and asked.

“Is everyone okay?”

In response to Ivy’s question, the maids, with composed demeanor, answered not with words but with their hands.

― We are okay.

― But the wife of Chief DS is still in the fire…

― We tried to rescue her, but the fire spread too quickly.

The maids conveyed the sad news with sorrowful faces. Then they added.

― Our condolences to Chief DS, who became a widower.

― Now, we finally have an opportunity.

― Don’t let your guard down; pottery doesn’t burn easily.

“…Are you all joking too much?”

In response to Ivy’s reproach, the maids burst into laughter.

Of course, no sound came from their mouths. However, their bright expressions, lip shapes, and the trembling of their shoulders were lively enough to be mistaken for laughter.

While the mansion was burning in front of them, the maids, who never ceased to tease the love of the butler’s teacup, were wearing white bands around their necks.

The mark, visible only to those who knew, was evidence that they had been confined in the Tower’s underground.

― Please tell Chief DS.

― We buried the broken lovers in a proper place.

― It’s also a word to end your wandering and return to human women in this opportunity.

Moreover, their treatment toward DS was peculiar today as well.

These ladies, laughing brightly and playing with the only man in the mansion, were the girls who used to sing in the underground two years ago.

They came out of the Tower’s underground with Ivy two years ago.

However, that didn’t mean they were in a relationship with Ivy like DS.

Two years ago, Ivy demanded the release of the girls who were trapped with her by betting with Rohika. The intention was that since purification was her own job, there was no need to keep them locked up.

Of course, behind this demand was also the calculation that dedicated allies were needed to establish themselves in the unfamiliar Tiyenda social circle.

Knowing Ivy’s inner thoughts well, Rohika released the girls obediently. Saying this:

― You are free. Whether Ivy becomes a saint or returns to the underground, I will let you go. But if Ivy disappears from my sight, you will all return to the underground.

Thanks to this, Ivy’s relationship with them was somewhat strange.

These women were not only Ivy’s fellow prisoners in the same situation in the Tower but also beneficiaries who enjoyed freedom thanks to Ivy’s rebellion.

At the same time, they were spies reporting Ivy’s every move to the Tower Lord.

― It seems like someone intentionally set the fire.

― We took measures to prevent the fire from spreading to other places.

― Whose doing is this?

“It seems like Lord Montra’s doing.”
In response to the maids’ question, Ivy calmly answered. The maids, in turn, replied nonchalantly.

― Shall we contact the sisters working in the mansion of Viscount Montla and Lord Gasin?

― We’ll find out who set the fire.

― We’ll also investigate Viscount’s whereabouts.

Observing the swift maids, Ivy grinned.

The number of girls who used to sing in the Tower’s underground was in the hundreds.

When they emerged from the Tower’s underground, a light trend swept through Tiyenda. It was a very aristocratic trend of bringing in pale-skinned, voiceless girls as maids.

So many nobles placed the underground girls in various corners of their households, not knowing who they were.

“Yes, and please also contact Laurel Duke and Bayen Marquis.”

These maids were Ivy’s comrades, beneficiaries, spies, and scattered eyes and ears.

Ivy never relies on people. Instead, she trusts them. Each person’s position and the cunning nature of human beings living for their own sake.

Therefore, Ivy trusted these maids as well. After all, Ivy becoming a saint and exerting influence in Tiyenda was most advantageous for them as well.

Although they didn’t share the same fate, the sisters in the underground were good allies for Ivy.

Due to the mansion burning down overnight, Ivy had nowhere to stay immediately.

In the past, she might have relied on a nearby noble, but now, it was difficult due to the incident at the flower shop.

If she were a kind and innocent saint candidate, she might have found a noble who would accept Ivy, who burned Montla Viscount’s mansion. However, there was no noble willing to accept Ivy, who had confronted Montla Viscount and burned his mansion.

So, Ivy inevitably had to go in.

“You crawled in so well.”

The lair of the malicious Sedro, the Manyanya Tower.

While Ivy was unpacking in a vacant room of the Tower, someone who heard the news of Ivy’s arrival personally came to this humble place.

“I heard Ivy had an accident. I should have given Miele etiquette education sooner.”

It was Miele Sedro, a girl with venomously sparkling emerald eyes.

Even though Miele entered the room, Ivy pretended not to see and casually said.

“I think I mentioned it before, but formal language really doesn’t suit you.”

“It’s not something Ivy should say, right?”

Miele laughed as if she found it amusing. It was a sweet yet ruthless sarcasm filled with irritation.

Miele Sedro, Rohika’s cousin and the future Tower Lord, had known Ivy since before Ivy appeared in Tiyenda’s social circle.

As a cousin of Rohika and a slave trapped in the Tower’s underground, they had a fairly long entanglement.

“Ivy as the subject of a saint. How about giving up now? Then, when Miele becomes the Tower Lord, I’ll take care of you. Of course, I’ll dispose of Ivy’s dog, though.”

“Could you leave for a bit? I’m busy.”

“There’s no place in this Tower where Miele can’t be.”
When Ivy told Miele to leave, Miele, on the contrary, crossed the room and came to Ivy’s side. Then, without hesitation, she kicked Ivy’s bag with her foot, causing it to overturn.

“Nothing here belongs to Miele. But why can’t Ivy understand the situation?”

As the bag flipped, Ivy’s clothes spilled out.

Instead of getting angry at the sight, Ivy bent down to pick up the clothes. Then, Miele stepped on Ivy’s clothes.

“…Could you move your foot?”

“More importantly, Miele, do you have something on your mind about Ivy?”

Stepping on Ivy’s clothes with her small and pretty shoes, Miele asked with a voice mixed with laughter.

“Are you tailing Zion because you think you can’t become a saint?”