“Huh… Don’t tell me—you don’t know about your own power?”

Power?

I frowned and looked at him.

“What do you mean, power? I don’t have anything like that.”

I was certain.

There was a time when I, too, wished I had some kind of ability.

But I had none—not even the slightest trace of magic. That had been confirmed through Lordvel’s tests. There was no mistake.

“Unbelievable. You have this kind of power, and yet… Wait a minute.”

Suddenly, he stepped closer and stared into my eyes.

Startled by his abrupt action, I could only stare back, frozen.

His expression twisted in an instant, and he muttered:

“Whoever did this… They really drained you dry.”

“Drained me? What are you talking about?”

“I mean exactly that. Someone completely siphoned off your magic. Right now, you’re nothing more than an empty shell.”

“…”

I couldn’t comprehend it right away.

Drained? Empty shell? What does that even mean…?

But he didn’t give me time to think.

“Looks like we’re both in a pretty miserable situation. So, how about it, Miss Lordvel? Want to make a deal with me?”

“…If I do, can I really change everything?”

“That depends on you. But I can guarantee one thing.”

He leaned in closer, his face now mere inches from mine.

His pitch-black eyes reflected me completely.

His blood-red lips moved.

“At the very least, you won’t die as pathetically as you did this time. So… how about it? This time, why don’t you be the one to drag them down into the abyss?”

“…”

There was nothing to think about.

If I didn’t make a deal with this man, it would all be over.

I don’t want that.

If I could change things, I would. So…

“…Alright. I’ll do it. Let’s make a contract.”

“Good. The deal is sealed.”

He leaned in even closer—so close I could feel his breath.

I instinctively shut my eyes.

A chilling sensation spread through me as our lips met.

“We’ll meet again soon.”

“I’ll come to where you are.”

With those final words, my consciousness faded.

And when I opened my eyes again…

“Beg for forgiveness, and we might let you out!”

A snake flicked its crimson tongue before me.

---

***

Something’s off.

A silver-haired boy tilted his head as he stared at the quiet door.

Why is it so silent?

He scowled and turned to the servant beside him.

“Hey! You sure you put it in properly?”

The servant flinched at the young tyrant’s sharp tone and hurriedly replied.

“Y-yes! I made sure of it. I even picked the scariest one.”

“Then why isn’t she screaming?”

The boy—Vancis—grumbled as he glared at the eerily silent door.

“She should be crying and begging for her life by now!”

Miracle always made a fuss over the tiniest little worm.

“So why is she so quiet?!”

As Vancis fumed, the servant hesitated before speaking cautiously.

“Uh… maybe she already fainted?”

“What? Fainted?”

Vancis frowned deeply.

“I just wanted to see her cry because I don’t like her. I wasn’t trying to knock her out.”

“…”

The servant struggled to keep a straight face.

You locked her in a room with a venomous snake, and you’re surprised she passed out?

He couldn’t help but grimace.

Even a demon wouldn’t be so casually cruel.

“Hmph.”

Vancis rubbed his chin in thought before pointing at the door.

“If she fainted, she’s not going to cry, right?”

“Uh… No, probably not.”

“Tch. Boring. Just open it.”

“Ah, y-yes.”

The servant sighed as he approached the door.

So exhausting…

Ever since that black-haired girl—Lordvel’s “half-blood”—arrived at the mansion, things had been like this.

Vancis, desperate to torment her, always ordered the servants to carry out his schemes.

And finding that damn snake had been a nightmare.

He had demanded something terrifying. But most non-venomous snakes were small and harmless-looking, so the servant had no choice but to bring a venomous one.

Not that Vancis would have cared either way.

By now, the servant felt no guilt.

No one in this mansion pitied the half-blood Lordvel.

If they did, they’d end up exiled by the two brothers who despised her.

The eldest had lost interest after leaving for the academy, but Vancis was different.

Spoiled, arrogant, and cruel, he had only become worse.

And cleaning up his mess was the servant’s responsibility.

What a pain.

Honestly… she’d be better off dead.

Thinking that, the servant unlocked the door.

Clack.

He pushed it open and stepped inside, his tired eyes scanning for the girl’s collapsed body.

Huh?

But she was nowhere to be seen.

“What the—where is she?”

Vancis, annoyed by the silence, scowled and stepped in.

“Hey, where is she?”

“Uh… Well…”

Good question. Where did she go?

Before the servant could stammer out a response—

Whoosh.

—Thud.

Something flew out from the darkness and landed at their feet.

It was a tightly wrapped, white cloth sack—twitching ever so slightly.

“What’s this?”

Vancis picked it up, puzzled.

At that moment, the servant was struck by a terrible premonition.

“W-wait, young master—!”

But it was too late.

The loose knot slipped open, and something dropped out.

The servant turned pale.

Gleaming black-red scales, a thick, muscular body, sharp fangs, and a flicking crimson tongue.

It was Karzo, the very same venomous snake he had thrown into the room earlier.

“W-WAAAH!”

The servant shrieked as the snake’s head snapped toward him.

Too late, he remembered—Karzo was highly sensitive to sound.

Hiss!

Before he could react, the snake lunged and sank its fangs deep into his shin.

Crunch!

“A-AARGH! Y-young master! Get it off me!”

The servant thrashed in agony, but no matter how much he flailed, the snake refused to let go.

As the venom seeped in, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed.

“Tch. So noisy.”

Vancis clicked his tongue in irritation.

With a practiced motion, he drew his sword.

Shing.

The sharp blade glinted as he approached the writhing servant.

Without hesitation, he swung down.

Slash!

The snake was sliced clean in half. Yet, even severed, its fangs remained buried in flesh.

“Ugh. Gross.”

Scraping the bloody head off with his blade, Vancis wiped it clean on the servant’s clothes before looking up.

“Not bad.”

On the bed stood a black-haired girl in a tattered dress.

Her crimson eyes flickered from the unconscious servant to Vancis.

When her gaze locked onto his, he shuddered.

Not out of fear—but because, for the first time, she felt… off.

Expressionless and eerily calm, Lucia watched him in silence.

For a brief moment, Vancis felt like he was the one being overpowered.

Humiliated by the thought, he scoffed and turned away.

“Hmph. I’ll let you off this time, but next time, don’t think you’ll get away so easily!”

Just as he was about to leave, a low voice stopped him.

“You used to terrify me.”

“…What?”

“But looking at you now… You’re nothing special, Vancis.”

“W-what did you just say?!”