Henna’s sudden hug and sobbing left Lilith stunned.
She looked down at the small girl clinging to her, and realized the “grandmother” Henna spoke of was Lilith’s own granddaughter, who had once been just as small as Henna.
Lilith thought of herself.
Hadn’t she once been a child like this too?
But her parents had carved their obsession with “reviving the family” deep into her childhood, never once asking for her opinion.
And Lilith had repeated what her parents had done, passing down the obsession to her own child.
As it continued, generation after generation, the obsession inevitably twisted into a curse, driving them all mad.
The curse of obsession was an endless, unceasing cry for help.
Lilith could only watch helplessly as they spent decades in agony, ending their lives in absurd ways.
Would the child named Henna end up the same way?
As if a long-dormant feeling in her heart had been stirred, Lilith bent down and hugged Henna tightly—the girl who was still so small.
She told her she was her grandmother, and that her grandmother would never leave her.
Enya silently watched as Lilith reached out to wipe away the tears at the corner of Henna’s eyes.
At this moment, Lilith looked nothing like the cultist who had performed bloody rituals again and again, using the pure blood of newborns.
Instead, she looked… like a gentle grandmother?
Enya couldn’t help but curl her lips, but there wasn’t a ripple in her heart.
She wouldn’t feel any inexplicable sympathy for “Lilith” just from seeing a story like this.
Cultists deserved to die!
Even Lilith herself knew her sins were unforgivable.
She didn’t stop the playback, and Lilith’s memories continued.
After comforting the young Henna, Lilith asked her a question.
“What do you want to do in the future, little Henna?”
“Me? I want to become a righteous knight. I want to protect my mom and dad, protect the whole Asades Family and everyone in Red pine City, and make everyone happy.”
“That will be very, very difficult.”
“Mm…”
“But Grandma will support you. Henna, remember what you said.”
“Okay!”
Little Henna swore that if she ever became a lord, she would be a good one.
Then Lilith used a hypnosis spell to put Henna to sleep.
She looked at the girl—still so pure, not yet tainted by the curse of the Asades Family—and watched her for a long time.
Flashes of the past played before Lilith’s eyes.
Lilith healed Henna’s wounds, then placed her back on the ground and covered the entrance to the cave, making their meeting seem like a dream.
She hid behind a tree and watched as Henna woke up.
The little girl went from confusion to disappointment, from crying to wiping her tears and walking home.
Lilith told Henna’s parents not to speak to Henna about anything regarding the Asades Family’s past.
Maybe if no one spread any information about the Blood God Cult to her, and when she was old enough, they could find a way to send her to Talrond Academy for three to five years.
They asked why.
Lilith didn’t answer, but in her heart, she thought this might be the only way for the Asades Family to break free from the curse.
But when she arranged for Henna to go to Talrond Academy, an accident happened—a silver-haired girl appeared.
The silver-haired girl took the spot that was supposed to belong to Henna.
Naturally, they didn’t want to give it up, so they tried to buy the girl off.
But who would’ve thought that rebellion was the silver-haired girl’s whole style—no matter how much money they offered, she wouldn’t take it!
Someone suggested killing the silver-haired girl directly.
After all, she had no power or influence.
But in the end, the silver-haired girl slipped into the northern mountains and even killed the Blood God Cult assassin sent after her.
However, since the silver-haired girl ran off, the spot naturally fell to Henna, who was then in fourth place.
Enya stared blankly at the proud silver-haired girl.
“Huh?”
She never expected she’d have a part in this too.
Only now did Enya understand why those people had tried to bribe her in the past, and why, when she refused, they wanted to kill her.
So that’s what it was about!
Henna was surprised when she got the spot.
She’d already been studying her opponents for the next year, only to be told there was no need—she’d get the ticket without a competition.
She asked her family what happened, and the answer was: that person ran away.
“So, does that mean I have a grudge with Henna?”
Enya scratched her head.
Well, maybe not with Henna, but definitely with Lilith.
Nine years later, she returned here and, without even realizing it, ended the old grudge.
But, if not for that assassination attempt, Enya wouldn’t have entered the northern mountains, wouldn’t have found that ruin, and wouldn’t have met a certain witch in the dream world.
She wouldn’t have gotten the top-tier magic core rune or that silver-gray longsword from the witch.
Maybe the world would be missing a Mortalblood Sword Saint Enya, and somewhere, there’d be one more nameless skeleton.
After Enya left the ruin, she took the recommendation letter from the witch and headed to Talrond Academy.
On the way, she even saved a girl with long, wine-red hair—who seemed to be Henna!
Lilith’s memories continued.
After Henna returned, she led the army given to her by Vivienne and destroyed the “Fallen Asades”.
The Blood God Cult suffered a devastating blow, forced to hide underground to survive.
Henna used her sword to sever the curse of the Asades Family once and for all.
At the end of Lilith’s memories, Enya saw a messenger find Lilith and tell her the exact time Vivienne would arrive in Red pine City.
The “Historian’s” intention was for her to cooperate with the Lord of Mist in White Rock City, and together with experts sent by the Society, find a chance to take out Vivienne.
After that, Enya intervened, and Lilith was pinned to her soul by the Thorn of the Bramble Tree.
…
In the study of Enya’s home, she closed the book “Rose Sacrifice” and entered the library in her consciousness space.
Enya saw Pandrake lying leisurely on the ground.
Pandrake was reading the book of that Lord of Mist believer—or rather, flipping through the lives of mortals.
This Black Dragon Princess seemed to enjoy finding amusement in it.
Enya tossed the book in her hand directly to Pandrake and said, “Take a look at this. Learn some of the blood magic inside.”
“……”
Pandrake took the book.
She didn’t even look at the title, just stared straight at Enya.
Enya felt a little creeped out by her gaze and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I suspect you planned not to turn me into a book from the very start.”
Pandrake was convinced.
Even though Enya looked reckless on the surface, humans were ultimately devious.
After seeing so many cultists’ lives in Enya’s mind, Pandrake’s intelligence had evolved.
Enya rolled her eyes at her and didn’t answer.
She had indeed planned from the beginning to use Pandrake as her automatic spell-casting unit.
Originally, she wanted to slowly tame her, but the appearance of that villainess’s crime notice forced Enya to put her plan into action ahead of schedule.