LOGINBeatrice looked at herself in the full-length mirror. She looked magnificent in her gown for the masquerade ball.It had been days since she last saw Uriel, and she hoped he would attend the gathering tonight.Princess Riela had told her that Uriel had suddenly asked for leave for two days, and no one knew where he had gone.“Seriously… was it really that hard for him?” she muttered in annoyance as she stared at her reflection. “Why is the wall he built around himself so difficult to break?”At this rate, all the hope she once held was slowly beginning to crumble. She had thought everything would go smoothly according to her plan, but it seemed she had overestimated herself.She believed competing with a dead woman wouldn’t be so difficult. But she had been wrong.Uriel still seemed convinced that he didn’t deserve happiness… not when he believed he was the reason a woman lost her life and her future.Beatrice felt like she was only going in circles, especially after the way Uriel sim
“Take him down right now,” Althea cried to Gavriel. She could no longer bear watching Kael being poisoned and slowly consumed by the darkness.“Strike through his heart,” she added when she saw the black heart coiled around Kael’s own, pulsing like a parasite feeding on him.Gavriel did not hesitate.He moved instantly and drove his still-sheathed sword straight toward Kael’s chest.The moment the blade struck, a burst of white flame erupted from it and spread across Kael’s body in a swirling wave of holy light. Althea watched as Lionel’s power surged forward, crushing the black, beating heart wrapped around Kael’s own.Kael screamed.But the scream that followed was not entirely his.Another voice rose with it… sharp, furious, and filled with agony as the demonic spirit inside him was forced into the light.By the time Kael collapsed to the ground, Althea quickly ran to his side and knelt beside him, taking his hand tightly in hers.“Kael, renounce it,” she urged softly but firmly. “
The deliverance was supposed to happen tonight after dinner. That had been their plan once Althea confirmed whether there was any demonic or unclean spirit inside Kael’s body. They intended to invite Kael and the other contestants to dine with them, then quietly ask everyone else to leave afterward so Kael could remain behind. That was when they would begin the deliverance. It was meant to be their first operation.Originally, it would have been Gavriel and Osman performing the deliverance with Althea guiding them. But Gavriel had already refused to let his wife become physically involved. Unfortunately for him, Althea was stubborn.They had already begun forming a small group of gifted individuals who could see and sense demonic and unclean spirits. In the future, this group would assist during deliverance rites under Gavriel’s lead together with Althea. However, the members were still undergoing training and screening. Elior himself would arrive in two days to personally guide the
The next morning, Althea attended the court session with Gavriel, seated beside him on the royal dais. It wasn’t her first time attending a meeting like this, yet somehow she still felt nervous.Gavriel had been unusually quiet since morning, and she already knew why. Even now, she could hardly believe how petty the once ruthless Gavriel could be when it came to her. He was truly waiting for her to show everyone, right there in court, how much she doted on him.The great doors swung open as the guards announced the arrival of the four remaining candidates for the position of Minister of Justice.Althea’s eyes immediately found Kael among them. At the same moment, his gaze searched for hers as well.Her fingers tightened unconsciously around the hem of her gown.‘No,’ she gasped silently under her breath. She had to blink several times to make sure she was seeing it correctly.She couldn’t believe it.A dark demonic spirit like a serpent was latched onto Kael’s back, its long shadowy b
The marketplace was especially lively that day. More merchants than usual had arrived because of the week-long celebration for the Queen’s pregnancy. The King had opened the borders to traders for the occasion, though strict protocols were still in place to maintain security.Beatrice found herself enjoying the outing far more than she expected. She wandered from stall to stall, looking at different goods and occasionally buying small items. Lord Evan accompanied her closely, and to her surprise, Uriel was there as well… carrying most of her purchases.“Are you sure you don’t need to go, my Lord?” she asked Uriel deliberately while browsing through a boutique that displayed neatly folded scarves. “I thought you needed to buy medicines.”“Right, my lord,” Lord Evan added politely. “I will make sure Lady Beatrice remains safe with me around.”Beatrice caught the brief gloomy look that crossed Uriel’s face before he quickly masked it with his usual calm expression.“Gustav and Juno are h
Gavriel could no longer hold himself back. As soon as he finished his duties at the palace, he headed straight to where Althea was.It was already late noon when he arrived. From a distance, he saw her laughing freely while playing cards with Melva and Tristan.He didn’t approach her right away. Instead, he stayed where he was and simply watched her for a moment.Rudy quickly came forward to greet him and began reporting what had happened during the picnic by the shore.“Lord Tristan has started approaching Trudis as well. It seems Her Majesty and Lady Melva are trying to play matchmaker between the two,” Rudy added.Gavriel gave a small nod, his lips curving slightly as he watched the bright smile on his wife’s face.“I want to go to the market with her today,” Gavriel informed Rudy before walking toward Althea.As soon as Melva noticed him, she quickly stood up from where she had been sitting on the ground. Tristan and the twins followed her lead and greeted him politely. Gavriel ga
The moment Althea stepped into the grand hall for the dinner celebration, her eyes widened in surprise.“Big sister!”The familiar voices of the twins rang out, and before she could even utter a word, Liah and Sth ran toward her. Instinctively, she bent down and opened her arms just in time to catc
Althea could barely recognize herself once Riela and the maidservants finished preparing her for the coronation.“I…” she trailed off, staring at her reflection in the full-length mirror.For a moment, she simply stood there, taking in the woman before her.“You look ethereal,” Riela said with a br
Beatrice cheered along with the crowd before Princess Riela quickly linked her arm through hers and guided her toward the grand pavilion, where the larger celebration was being held.“Wait,” Beatrice asked, glancing toward the palace. “Aren’t we going to the grand hall? The officials and the royal
Althea failed spectacularly at that.Once Melva seemed slightly less miserable, Gavriel turned his attention back to Althea, his expression softening again. “How are you feeling now?”She rolled her shoulders, testing her balance. “Better. A little strange, but not dizzy.”“Good.” His hand hovered







