Chapter 1: The Unreasonable Noble Girl

“Please wait, my lady!”

Inside a lavish mansion.

A girl dressed in a black and white dress, adorned with extravagant jeweled ornaments, stormed down the hallway, her footsteps full of fury.

Her face was delicate with a hint of childishness.

Two ruby-like crimson eyes now burned with anger, and her long black hair flowed wildly behind her as if reflecting her mood.

If not for the furious expression and tightly furrowed brows, she might have looked even more beautiful…

“My lady, you’re not supposed to run in the mansion like this. The head maid will scold you.”

A group of maids followed behind her, their expressions troubled.

They looked completely helpless in the face of the young noble girl’s tantrum.

“Don’t mention her to me! And don’t follow me anymore!”

The girl’s voice, clear and usually pleasant like the tinkling of a bell, now rang through the mansion, muffled by her rage.

It sounded more like an angry cat hissing.

She entered her room and slammed the door shut behind her, locking out all the maids.

“My lady…”

The maids looked at each other in concern, then turned their eyes anxiously toward the door, as if afraid of what might happen next.

Not long after, the sounds of things being thrown and shattered echoed from the room—along with the girl’s furious screams.

“You’re all liars! Every last one of you! Not a single person is sincere…”

The maids’ worst fears had come true.

This unreasonable noble girl—Leonora Edelon, the sole heir of the Edelon Duke’s household—suffered from severe mental instability and had a history of self-harm.

“My lady, please calm down!”

One maid gripped the doorknob tightly, but the girl had already locked the door from inside.

No matter how hard the maid tried, it was useless.

“Go get the head maid!” one of them barked.

With that order, a maid quickly ran off toward the far end of the corridor in a panic.

Inside the room, Leonora continued to throw everything within reach.

Bright flowers, old books, that expensive table, and even a luxurious mirror—all were hurled to the floor and shattered into pieces.

“They said it was a birthday celebration, but in the end, it was just another one of their stupid negotiations. Liars! Whether it’s Father or Aurora—they’re both liars!”

“No one cares about me. They’re all just thinking about themselves!”

Her gaze fell upon the shattered glass on the floor, and a dangerous thought slowly grew louder in her mind.

“My lady, please open the door.”

A slightly somber voice came from the other side of the door—Leonora instantly recognized who it belonged to.

“Aurora, who told you to come here? I don’t need your concern!”

“I am the head maid and your personal attendant. Of course I must be concerned for your safety.”

Hearing those words only made Leonora angrier. She quickly bent down, reaching toward the sharp shards of glass on the ground.

“…My lady, don’t do anything foolish.”

A sigh came from beyond the door, followed by silence.

But Leonora seemed to have guessed something.

She abruptly turned around—and saw a white-haired woman already standing behind her.

The woman named Aurora stood nearly 1.8 meters tall—more than a full head taller than Leonora—forcing her to tilt her head back slightly just to meet her eyes.

That winter-elf-like beauty radiated serenity and sternness in Leonora’s eyes.

“How did you get in—”

Before she could finish, Aurora grabbed Leonora’s wrist—the one reaching for the broken glass—and yanked her closer.

“What… what are you doing?!”

“Preventing you from doing something foolish, of course, my lady.”

Aurora glanced around at the wreckage in the room and let out another sigh.

She then tugged on Leonora’s arm, clearly intending to drag her out of the room.

“Wait—don’t touch me! Do you hear me?! Let go of my wrist!”

Leonora struggled furiously, trying to break free from Aurora’s grip. But that pale, delicate-looking hand felt like an iron shackle—unyielding and impossible to escape from.

“I hate you! You monster!”

Leonora spat the words in anger, trying to provoke her.

But Aurora, seemingly unfazed by such insults, continued pulling her toward the door.

“My lady, I was only gone for ten minutes… and already you’re trying to do something like this again.”

Aurora pulled back Leonora’s sleeve, revealing her arm covered in scars.

“Please… take care of your body,” Aurora said softly, her voice filled with guilt and sorrow.

Hearing that only made Leonora angrier.

Her struggles grew more violent, to the point where she was even willing to hurt herself.

Her voice rose into a full-blown hysteria.

“You think this has nothing to do with you? It’s because of you—because of the curse you brought into my life—that I became like this!”

Aurora’s steps faltered for just a moment—but then she continued walking forward, as if unaffected. Yet the grip on Leonora’s wrist tightened.

“Ah… it hurts…”

Leonora cried out in pain. But then, she looked up at Aurora, and a mocking smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

She knew she had found Aurora’s weak spot.

“You’re a monster, aren’t you? You’ve always been one—from the moment I was born, you were already like this. And even now, your appearance hasn’t changed a bit. You’re the monster who killed my mother! You’re the one who made me like this. I hate you. I’ll always hate you!”

Aurora’s steps finally came to a complete stop.

She turned again to face the unruly girl.

This time, the sorrow in her eyes was unmistakable—dark, moist, and full of pain.

“…Are you blaming me, my lady? Do you truly believe I’m the one who destroyed you, my dearest lady?”

“My lady, I was only gone for ten minutes… and already you’re trying to do something like this again.”

Aurora pulled back Leonora’s sleeve, revealing her arm covered in scars.

“Please… take care of your body,” Aurora said softly, her voice filled with guilt and sorrow.

Hearing that only made Leonora angrier.

Her struggles grew more violent, to the point where she was even willing to hurt herself. Her voice rose into a full-blown hysteria.

“You think this has nothing to do with you? It’s because of you—because of the curse you brought into my life—that I became like this!”

Aurora’s steps faltered for just a moment—but then she continued walking forward, as if unaffected. Yet the grip on Leonora’s wrist tightened.

“Ah… it hurts…”

Leonora cried out in pain. But then, she looked up at Aurora, and a mocking smile tugged at the corners of her lips. She knew she had found Aurora’s weak spot.

“You’re a monster, aren’t you? You’ve always been one—from the moment I was born, you were already like this. And even now, your appearance hasn’t changed a bit. You’re the monster who killed my mother! You’re the one who made me like this. I hate you. I’ll always hate you!”

Aurora’s steps finally came to a complete stop. She turned again to face the unruly girl. This time, the sorrow in her eyes was unmistakable—dark, moist, and full of pain.

“…Are you blaming me, my lady? Do you truly believe I’m the one who destroyed you, my dearest lady?”

Leonora, now fully consumed by rage, screamed at Aurora as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“Of course! If it weren’t for you, my life would’ve been so much better! If it weren’t for you, my mother wouldn’t have died! If it weren’t for you, my father wouldn’t be sick! It’s you—you, this monster, who brought misfortune into my life! You cursed me! If I had the power, I would’ve killed you a long time ago!”

Aurora stood frozen in place, her teeth clenched tightly. After a long silence, she finally spoke.

“…I see. So that’s how it is. I understand now.”

She released Leonora’s wrist and turned to leave.

“Where do you think you’re going? Going to tattle on me to Father, is that it?! I’m not scared, you hear me?! One day, when I become a Holy Knight, I’ll kill you myself!”

Aurora’s figure faded into the distance and eventually disappeared around a corner.

She came to a door and knocked lightly.

Only when a hoarse male voice responded from inside did she press down the handle and enter.

Inside, a man with sunken eyes and a full head of white hair sat at a desk, deep in thought.

“My lord Duke, I have something I need to say.”

The man looked up at the sound of her voice.

When he saw who it was, a faint smile appeared on his pale face.

“So it’s you, Aurora. Come, have a seat,” he said, gesturing to the chair in front of him.

But Aurora didn’t sit.

Instead, she walked straight to the desk, removed the black-and-white maid’s cap from her head, and gently placed it on the table.

Looking into the Duke’s eyes, she spoke:

“My lord, I’ve come… to say goodbye.”