Chapter 1

“Lucia, you have no idea how grateful I am to have you.”

A voice spoke from behind me—the words I had longed to hear my entire life.

Emotion surged inside me.

I had endured so much just to hear those words.

The only reason I survived all the scorn and mistreatment after entering the prestigious Rodvel Dukedom as an illegitimate child…

“I’m truly happy that you’re my daughter.”

I had lived for those words alone.

And now, after all these years, I had finally heard them.

So why didn’t I feel happy at all?

“…Ha.”

A hollow laugh escaped me before I even realized it.

I slowly turned my head.

A short distance away, a middle-aged man with silver-white hair stared at me with an emotionless gaze.

His features—snow-white hair, striking amethyst eyes, and a sharp gaze as cold as a well-honed blade—bore no resemblance to mine.

He was my father.

Ego Rodvel, Duke of Rodvel.

The moment our eyes met, his expression softened into a warm smile—something he had never once shown me since I entered this household.

He had always regarded me with cold, indifferent eyes, like the relentless northern winds.

And yet, today, he smiled at me for the first time.

But, father…

Smirk.

A bitter smile formed on my lips.

Just now, I realized something.

A person can fake their expression, but they can’t hide the hatred in their eyes.

No matter how much he pretended to love me, his gaze remained as frigid and unfeeling as ever.

A wave of nausea rolled over me.

What am I even doing here?

Just then, a mocking voice cut through the silence.

“Hey, worm. Stop wasting time and just end this already. This is getting boring. Yawn.”

I turned my head toward the voice.

A man with white hair yawned exaggeratedly, his mouth wide open.

The moment our eyes met, his gaze sharpened.

“What are you looking at? You know begging for your life won’t change anything, right?”

Maybe if you cry and grovel, I’ll consider it.

He sneered.

Who would believe it?

That this man, who delighted in acting so crude, was actually Bansis Rodvel, the second son of the Rodvel Dukedom and the commander of the First Magical Knight Order.

To the outside world, he was a distinguished knight.

To me, he was nothing more than a worthless piece of trash.

If not for him, my life at Rodvel wouldn’t have been nearly as miserable.

While others avoided me like filth, Bansis made it his mission to stomp on me every chance he got.

“Well, at least I won’t have to see that disgusting face of yours anymore.”

I scoffed internally.

Look who’s talking.

Before I could respond, another voice spoke from the other side.

“Bansis, Father is watching. Behave yourself.”

“Brother.”

His voice was calm and composed.

Even the arrogant Bansis stiffened in his presence.

“And Lucia.”

At the mention of my name, I flinched and slowly turned my head.

Unlike the unruly Bansis, this man was as refined as a prized stallion, his silver-blue hair immaculate. His emotionless eyes fixated on me.

Just meeting his gaze made it difficult to breathe.

Estio Rodvel.

The eldest son of the Rodvel family. The youngest swordmaster in history. The future heir of the Rodvel Dukedom.

Unlike Bansis, who was born with innate magical talent, Estio had no magical abilities.

Yet, his genius in swordsmanship and strategy made him the greatest hope of the Rodvel family.

Even the arrogant Duke Rodvel respected him. So, of course, Bansis had no choice but to back down.

I clenched my lips as I glared at him.

His cold violet eyes held a clear trace of contempt.

“Dragging this out any longer is a waste of time. Do you have any idea how much of ours you’ve already wasted?”

“…Ha.”

His merciless words made me chuckle.

I muttered in a raspy voice,

“You’re telling me to stop wasting time and just jump already? You say it so casually, brother.”

“…”

I turned around.

In front of me stretched a vast, bottomless pit.

Abyssus.

The Rodvel family’s source of power.

A secret unknown to the world.

A thousand years ago, the first Duke Rodvel had sealed an evil god inside this abyss.

That sealed god granted the Rodvel family immense power, making them the most powerful force in the empire.

But there was a terrible cost.

To maintain this power, once every hundred years, a Rodvel descendant had to be sacrificed.

And today, on the hundredth year, the chosen sacrifice was none other than me—Lucia Rodvel, the illegitimate half-blood.

How could I not laugh?

These people spoke of my death as casually as discussing the weather.

‘So that’s why.’

That’s why they never kicked me out, despite despising me.

That’s why they suddenly started treating me better lately.

It was all to prepare me for this moment.

To use me as their sacrifice.

A hollow laugh escaped me.

“What the hell are you laughing at? Just get it over with already!”

His annoyed voice cut through my thoughts. My laughter abruptly stopped.

I turned to Bansis and replied icily,

“Then why don’t you jump instead, you damn foal?”

“…What?”

His eyes widened in shock.

Ha, serves you right.

As I smirked at his dumbfounded expression, another voice spoke up.

“Because of your insignificant existence, the Rodvel family will enjoy another century of prosperity. You, who would have lived a meaningless life, should consider this an honor.”

“…”

For a moment, I was speechless.

I often thought it, but there were times when Estio felt more unbearable than Bansis.

This was one of those times.

Not just Estio.

Not just Bansis.

Not just the Duke.

The entire Rodvel family was absolutely disgusting.

So, I struck where it would hurt most.

“If this is such an honor, why don’t you offer yourselves instead? Or better yet, why not sacrifice Mirac—”

SLAP!

“How dare you speak that name with your filthy mouth?!”

The Duke’s fury exploded.

The sharp pain of my head snapping to the side was nothing compared to the burning sting on my cheek.

But what hurt most was his words.

His voice cut deeper than any blade.

Tears welled up in my eyes despite myself.

“Why? Because she’s your precious youngest daughter? But I am also—”

I’m also your daughter.

I share your blood, even if only half.

I had longed to say it my entire life.

But—

“I have never once considered you my child. You are nothing but a disgusting mutation. Did you actually think you could be a part of the Rodvel family?”

The Duke no longer even bothered to pretend.

His cruel words pierced through me like knives.

‘I knew it all along.’

That all those sweet words were nothing but lies.

That he had only said them to lure me into submission.

I had known.

But still…

Hearing it outright hurt far worse than I had imagined.

The Duke sighed impatiently.

“Enough delays. Jump now.”

His mercilessness cleared my mind.

I can’t die like this.

I can’t let them use me like this.

I needed a way to escape…

And then—

“Father? Brothers?”