What kind of order is it? An order to find the black-eyed person along with our master.

Reason. What is it?

More importantly, Pasium. You sacrificed your eyes as an offering too? That’s why you’ve been covering them with a hood. Still, since you can see with magic even without eyes, it shouldn’t be a problem. But doesn’t it bother you, having to cover your eyes like that with a hood?

Vika was mocking Pasium, but he showed no trace of emotion, no matter how tauntingly Vika spoke—he only stated his purpose.

Reason. What is it?

Vika, with an angry face, drew a stinger—a blade slightly longer than a dagger.

What do I care about that kind of reason? If they told me to find someone, I’ll find them!

Vika, drawing the stinger from her waist, swung it toward Pasium—but he easily dodged.

The gray smoke summoned by Pasium effortlessly blocked Vika’s blade. Thick gray smoke billowed densely around Pasium.

Vika. You cannot defeat me. This is a waste… of time.

If I drain some of your strength now, you won’t be able to chase me easily for a while. And… you can’t defeat me either!

As Vika swung her stinger, dark spirits enveloped her surroundings.

The dark spirits summoned by Vika and the gray magic conjured by Pasium split the air in half, aiming directly at each other.

Pasium. I’m getting awfully curious about what your eyes look like. Take that hood off once.

Pasium gave no answer. He simply blocked Vika’s swung blade and slammed her against a tree trunk.

Shall I pull out your tongue too, Vika?

Slammed against the tree trunk, Vika grinned bitterly and stood up.

Come to think of it, you must have a cage somewhere storing the eyes and tongue you sacrificed. If I find it, what happens to your magic? Does it vanish too?

Pasium remained silent, quietly deflecting Vika’s attacks only.

One minute, two minutes—as time passed, Vika’s stamina and spirits dwindled, but Pasium’s magic had yet to be significantly depleted.

The magnitude of magic he gained by sacrificing his eyes and tongue was unimaginably immense.

Vika spat out the blood pooled in her mouth and laughed bitterly.

So you sold your flesh. For that taste, huh?

Pasium showed not the slightest disturbance. He silently resumed attacking Vika.

I won’t kill you. I’ll just make your body… unusable.

You say you won’t kill me, but you’re going to cripple me somewhere, aren’t you?

Vika was already severely wounded in her arm. The magic sent by Pasium had rotted half of her arm.

You’re a maggot who only uses magic like this.

Next. Face.

The moment Pasium finished speaking, a gray shadow fell over Vika’s face.

Vika immediately turned and threw herself to the ground, but her back had already begun to necrotize.

Vika groaned lowly in pain, but she had few spirits left to summon.

Physically overwhelmed, Vika gasped for breath trying to stand—but she couldn’t straighten her waist.

Damn it.

Again. Face.

Pasium sent another gray shadow toward Vika’s face.

Vika desperately covered her face with both hands.

I’ll kill you!

A loud, thunderous sound echoed—but Vika suffered no damage.

When she drowsily opened her eyes, she saw Sikar’s large hand shielding her face.

Duke?!

Sikar’s hand, cursed and turned to ice, barely absorbed the magic Pasium had thrown.

Immediately afterward, Sikar crushed the successive incoming spells with both hands—his hands quickly stained blue with wounds.

At the same time, Sikar’s sharp blade pressed against Pasium’s throat.

A servant of the king dares to strike a Blake? What is this madness, Pasium? Do you seek war with the Blakes?

…Vika attacked first. A minor… skirmish.

The tip of Sikar’s blade pricked Pasium’s neck slightly. A trickle of red blood flowed down his throat.

Her skin is necrotizing everywhere, and you call this a minor skirmish?

Pasium. Servant of His Majesty. Lower your blade.

No matter how much you serve the king, if you harm a member of House Blake, you deserve death. Would there be any problem if I beheaded you right now?

Cursed Duke. You are not the Duke you once were. It is difficult to behead me. I know.

Even if I’m not who I once was due to the curse, killing you alone is no trouble at all.

I am Pasium. Not the Pasium of before.

Then, what exactly do you want to say?

Release me.

He couldn’t afford to waste strength fighting Pasium now. He needed to conserve energy to extract Veronia from her execution.

Sikar withdrew his blade from Pasium’s neck and pulled back the hood covering his eyes.

Pasium’s two eyes, previously concealed by poison, were revealed. Deeply sunken, they resembled darkness itself—with a tiny red pupil like a dot floating at the center.

Anyone could see—it was clearly magic.

Sikar frowned as he examined the sight.

Pasium. Your face has changed greatly. How could those once-brilliant eyes become so grotesque?

…

I was cursed due to my own greed, but you… you lost your eyes and tongue.

Pasium gave no reply. He quietly pulled the hood back over his head, bowed silently toward Sikar, and left.

Once Pasium had completely departed, Vika—who had been glaring fiercely—relaxed her shoulders as if tension had drained away, and laughed.

Haha. Haha.

You nearly died, and what’s so funny?

I swore I’d see that bastard’s face someday—and the Duke showed it to me.

Sikar swept his hair back angrily.

You sent a danger signal just to see his face? Right now, Yura and Kian are alone at the manor.

Do you think I risked my life just to see his ugly face?! I needed to gauge his strength to prepare a countermeasure!

Vika’s words weren’t wrong, so Sikar didn’t press further—he merely frowned slightly.

Can you walk?

Don’t worry. I can walk at this level.

But contrary to her words, Vika couldn’t even stand. When Sikar reached to help her, she slapped his hand away.

Just call a horse.

She was stubborn—even if she collapsed, she refused Sikar’s support. But Sikar had no time. Only Yura and Kian were at the manor.

Sikar grabbed Vika’s hand and hoisted her onto his shoulder. Normally, Vika would have made a huge fuss—but her body, stained with wounds, was far too weakened to resist.

Sikar’s words also played a part.

I’ll say it again—I’m not comfortable knowing only my wife and young master are home. So keep your mouth shut, Vika.

Vika immediately closed her mouth.

By midnight, not only Reidox but also Seo Yeon and the twins had all arrived at the manor.

The twins were all asleep together in Kian’s room, while Seo Yeon sat with me in the living room.

Having heard the full story, she looked quite startled and confused.

They’re going to execute Veronia?! Why suddenly?!

We have to find out. We’ll know soon.

Reidox, too, seemed to not have anticipated this—he lowered his head with a grave expression.

They must have noticed something. Perhaps my initial hostility toward the king caused suspicion to fall even on the Duke.

It wasn’t Reidox’s fault. He had originally hoped Veronia, not Gillian, would become king—and he already knew Gillian’s intentions in deposing the former king.

It’s not your fault, Lord Marquis. Things simply turned out this way.

Reidox sighed deeply and lifted his head.

Did the Duke say anything else?

There wasn’t time for other words. Vika left saying she was in danger.

Vika is in danger?! What on earth is happening…?

We have no choice but to wait until the Duke arrives.

Truly, there was nothing we could do except wait for Sikar.

Since Reidox had arrived with reinforcements from the Marquis estate, the manor’s entrance was entirely guarded by soldiers rotating shifts.

Sikar had already told Gillian he would reinforce troops due to assassins, so Gillian couldn’t reasonably object to Reidox’s troop deployment.

Gillian probably didn’t expect Sikar to act like this. To some extent, he’d been outmaneuvered by his own scheme.

After waiting a long while, Sikar entered carrying Vika in his arms. Her clothes were completely torn—evidence of where she’d been injured.

What happened? Is Lady Vika alright?

Duke, what is going on?

This is chaotic. We need to lay Vika down in a room—details later. Everyone stay here. My Lady, come with me.

As I followed him toward Vika’s room, I instructed Andrea to bring warm water and clean towels.

In the bright light, Vika’s condition looked even worse. Her complexion was pale; her clothes were ragged as if dissolved by something; through the holes, her skin was charred black.

What happened?

Vika was attacked by Pasium.

Pasium! Beyond knowing he’s an evil sorcerer, I had little other information about him. Anyway, he’d eventually be reduced to ash by the grown Kian.

But right now, Kian was still just a ten-year-old child.

Sikar took a healing potion from the drawer, poured it into Vika’s mouth and applied it to her body—but it seemed to have little effect.

These wounds won’t heal in a day or two. I’ll call a priest as soon as dawn breaks.

But if Lady Vika fought Pasium, isn’t that serious?

Don’t worry about that.

According to Sikar, although Vika attacked first, it would be difficult to justify Pasium’s surveillance of her. Thus, this incident would pass quietly without reaching the king’s ears.

That was fortunate, yet somehow, my heart remained uneasy.

Perhaps it was because I’d just heard Veronia was to be executed soon.

I must summon Durion as soon as the sun rises. We must rescue her on the day Veronia’s execution is set.

How fortunate that he’d resolved to save Veronia. Gratefully and joyfully, I asked Sikar,

You truly intend to save Veronia?

Yes. You promised Kian you’d find his birth mother—so I must keep that promise.

I was so deeply grateful for Sikar’s resolve that tears welled in my eyes.

Thank you. Truly, thank you.

This isn’t just something to thank me for. That day will mark the beginning of our rebellion’s history. Safety cannot be guaranteed.

Hearing those words, I suddenly snapped to attention.

What… what did you say?

Because there’s no other way to save Veronia’s life.

Those words meant the same thing as saying—we might all die.