Late at night, inside Cal's room.

  Cal stepped out of the bathroom, wearing a bathrobe. Without a word, he walked over to his study table, where a box rested on the surface.

  Earlier, a butler had delivered it, saying it was a gift from Grigori, the current emperor of the Maurya Empire.

  Slowly, Cal opened the box. Inside were two items, each with a note attached, along with a separate sheet of paper.

  The items were an intricately designed silver mirror and a golden knife, equally ornate in its design.

  Even without examining them closely, he could already tell what kind of items they were.

  From his bloodline ability, Eyes of Discernment, he saw traces of something concealed within the items. Though he couldn't determine exactly what, one thing was clear—these items were artifacts.

  He picked up the loose sheet of paper and read its contents.

  "So the assassin is from the United Republic of Aur."

  From the note, Cal could discern that these artifacts had once belonged to the assassin involved in the recent incident involving Sophia, just days ago.

  Cal clenched the paper tightly.

  For years, he had worked tirelessly to keep Sophia away from political conflicts, ensuring she remained unaffected by them. Yet, despite all his efforts, she had been dragged into this mess.

  The memory of her crying after the incident still enraged him.

  He channeled mana into his palm, where a golden fme appeared and consumed the paper.

  Taking a slow breath, he forced himself to regain composure before reaching for the other two papers.

  They contained detailed descriptions of the artifacts, along with their serial codes.

  "So he contacted the Oblivion Accord already. That was fast."

  The Oblivion Accord—an international organization responsible for reguting artifacts—was the only authority capable of determining whether an artifact could be released into the world or sealed away. They also conducted extensive testing to analyze an artifact's abilities and curses, assigning each one a serial code for identification.

  Reading the description, Cal learned the names, abilities, and curses of the artifacts:

  Nullcutter – A knife capable of slicing through any barrier. However, if left unused for 28 days, it would randomly cut its owner.Wraithwindow – A mirror that enabled short-range teleportation based on reflections. Its curse, however, was dangerous—using it more than 13 times in 37 days could teleport the owner to an unknown realm."Nullcutter and Wraithwindow. Minimal curses, strong effects. Not bad."

  But for Wraithwindow, there is no description of how much usage it has left, so Cal pnned to not used it until exactly 37 days from now.

  With that thought, Cal set the papers aside and reached for the artifacts.

  Then, he changed into a bck outfit designed for agility and durability. Opening a drawer, he retrieved a mask—a white clown face with an unsettling smile and hollow, empty eye sockets.

  He pced it over his face.

  "It’s time to confirm whether Ivanna should die or be spared."

  ***

  On a quiet night inside the Smirnova Mansion, Ivanna was preparing for her departure to the United Republic of Aur.

  Her preparations had been brief, almost as if she had everything ready in advance. In truth, Ivanna had been pnning her escape for a long time—long before she even had the chance to leave the Maurya Empire with Sophia.

  After making a few final adjustments, she was finally ready.

  She reached into her belongings and took out a neckce—a wooden carving of a butterfly.

  "Mother, I did it. We're finally leaving this hell together," she whispered, clenching the pendant tightly.

  A faint smile appeared on her lips.

  Then, suddenly—a knock at the door.

  Her expression darkened.

  She walked over and opened it.

  A butler stood outside, bowing slightly before speaking. "Miss Ivanna, Young Master Boris has summoned you. He’s waiting in his bedroom."

  "Okay," she replied curtly.

  The butler bowed again before departing.

  Ivanna exhaled sharply, frustration bubbling beneath her composure. "Why does it have to be tonight?" she muttered under her breath.

  She was used to being called at this hour, but hearing it now—on the eve of her escape—soured her mood completely.

  "No worries, Ivanna," she reassured herself. "This is the st time."

  She straightened her posture and made her way to her half-brother’s room.

  At his door, she knocked lightly.

  "Come in," a male voice called from within.

  Ivanna stepped inside.

  Boris sat on his bed, cd in a bathrobe. His pink hair, slightly damp, framed his sharp features, and small deer-like antlers protruded from his head. He smirked as he met Ivanna’s gaze.

  "It’s been a while, my beautiful Ivanna. Come, sit with me," he said, patting the space beside him.

  Ivanna approached and sat down, stiff and wary. Without hesitation, Boris draped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer.

  "So, did you miss me?" he asked, his tone ced with amusement. "A whole month apart must have been difficult, no?"

  Ivanna gave a small nod, her expression unreadable.

  "I see, I see," Boris chuckled. "You did miss me. How sweet. After all, I’m the only one in this family who looks after a half-awakened child like you. Tell me, don’t you think I’m a good brother?"

  Ivanna forced another nod.

  "I thought so." His smirk widened.

  She clenched her fists. "Brother Boris, I’m really in the mood tonight. Can we just get straight to it?"

  "Oho? This is new." Boris raised an eyebrow, his fingers trailing lightly over her shoulder. "I never knew you could be so impatient. I’m fttered."

  His touch made her stomach churn, but she kept her composure.

  "Well, we’ll get to that soon enough," he continued. "But first, I have a question for you."

  Ivanna stiffened. "What is it, Brother Boris?"

  Boris gently shifted her body away from him, meeting her eyes directly.

  "It’s simple," he said, his voice almost casual. "Tell me—what was it like inside the Kovalevska Mansion?"

  Ivanna froze.

  Her blood ran cold as realization struck.

  Somehow, Boris had been tracking her all this time. She didn’t know how much he knew, but it no longer mattered.

  She had to escape. Now.

  Although she wasn't well-versed in the politics of the Maurya Empire, she knew well that Smirnovas and Kovalevskas were not on good terms. Being caught inside the mansion of a rival family could only lead to one thing—interrogation.

  Without hesitation, she channeled mana into her palm. A gust of wind surged to the side, sweeping into Boris's face, carrying a toxic gas potent enough to kill within minutes.

  Boris’s eyes widened in momentary surprise before he reacted. With a powerful shove, he sent Ivanna flying across the room.

  Pain exploded through her body as she crashed into the wall. Unlike Boris, she didn’t have the physical enhancements of a fully awakened Maurya Nobility. She was still as vulnerable as any normal human.

  Still, she gritted her teeth and forced herself to move. She had to activate her bloodline ability—Perceptual Validation—before it was too te. If she could at least distort his attention, she might have a chance to escape.

  But the pain was too much. Her limbs trembled, and before she could complete the activation, a shadow loomed over her.

  Boris was already there.

  His eyes were bloodshot from the gas, his face twisted with fury.

  "Hydrogen cyanide, wasn’t it?" he murmured. "It killed hundreds of soldiers in the st war. Too bad—it only works on ‘humans.’"

  Ivanna barely had time to react before his feet came down on her shoulder.

  A sickening crack filled the room.

  "Ahhh!!" A scream tore from her throat as white-hot agony surged through her. Tears blurred her vision.

  Boris was using his own bloodline ability—Perceptual Validation—but unlike hers, his ability was specialized in the sense of pain. He could amplify pain to unbearable levels, turning even the smallest wound into an excruciating nightmare.

  Right now, Ivanna’s dislocated shoulder felt as if her entire body was being torn apart.

  "Is this how you repay me?!" Boris snarled. "Do you have any idea how much effort it took to keep you out of the hands of our other siblings? Even Father nearly used you after your mother became useless!"

  He pressed his foot down harder.

  "I-I’m sorry—please!" Ivanna gasped, her body convulsing from the unbearable pain. "I won’t do it again! Just—please, stop!"

  At her desperate plea, Boris finally lifted his foot, easing the pressure.

  Then, with almost practiced ease, he grabbed her by the chin and lifted her up to meet his gaze.

  Ivanna’s lips trembled as she muttered, "I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…" Her tears fell freely, her body trembling with exhaustion.

  Boris smiled, gently brushing a strand of hair from her face.

  "You don’t have to apologize," he said soothingly. "It’s my fault, really. I haven’t disciplined you in over a year. Of course, you’d start misbehaving."

  His fingers tightened around her chin.

  "So tonight," he murmured, "we’ll have a discipline session, okay?"

  Ivanna’s eyes widened in panic.

  "N-no—please!" she stammered. "I-I’ll do anything else, just not that! Please!"

  Boris watched her struggle with amusement, as if savoring the fear in her eyes.

  "Even when you’re terrified, you’re still beautiful," he mused. "Almost as much as that famous Sophia from the Kovalevska Family."

  Then, as if remembering something, he added, "Speaking of which—you did visit the Kovalevska Mansion today, didn’t you?"

  Ivanna hesitated.

  Then, slowly, she gave a weak nod.

  Boris’s expression brightened. "Good girl."

  Without warning, he scooped her up and tossed her onto his bed.

  She barely had time to react before he climbed on top of her, his bathrobe slipping open.

  "Don’t worry," he murmured. "Since I’m such a kind brother, I’ll forgive you. But I still need to teach you a lesson." His fingers traced along her skin as he smirked down at her.

  "And while we’re at it… why don’t you tell me about the inside of the Kovalevska Mansion?"

  Ivanna’s stomach twisted in horror.

  But she nodded.

  Because right now, nodding was the only thing she could do.

  Boris smiled.

  "Good girl. We have all night, so no need to rush."