Chapter 8
“What do you think you’re doing?!”
The more she struggled to break free, the tighter the knights gripped her arms.
Ella suddenly felt breathless, as if this situation had happened before.
It had happened before—when Mason’s servants dragged her to the Richards barony.
Though five years had passed in the real world, to Ella it felt like only a few weeks ago. Her body froze for a moment, traumatized by the lingering memory.
‘Whatever you’re trying to set up with this dramatic act…’
To a woman who treats her daughter like this—who doesn’t even deserve to be called a mother—I won’t give you the satisfaction of seeing me break.
Taking a deep breath, Ella regained her composure and glared sharply at Lillia.
“…What do you want?”
“You came back from the dead and now you think you can talk back, huh? Because of your arrogance, I have to personally deal with this nuisance.”
Lillia spoke with a fake look of sorrow on her face, then suddenly her expression turned cold.
“I’m going to correct your behavior.”
When Lillia gestured, the knight holding Ella’s left arm stepped forward and cast a shadow over her.
“…?”
Ella looked up, confused—and at that moment, click—something cold snapped around her neck.
“What is this…?”
Her voice trembled. She didn’t know exactly what had been placed on her, but she had a very bad feeling.
Lillia looked pleased at Ella’s startled expression, her eyes curling gently with delight.
“It’s a holy relic that will purify the filthy blood of the devil’s child inside you. It’s also my wedding gift to you. Do you like it?”
“…”
“Judging by your expression, you have no idea what’s around your neck, do you? Foolish girl.”
Lillia scoffed and added:
“It’s a shackle that binds the magic flowing through your dirty blood. As long as you’re wearing it, you won’t be able to use magic—intentionally or otherwise.”
Ella listened quietly, then smirked slightly.
‘Ah… so that’s what it is.’
That suffocating, drowned feeling—now it made sense.
The shackle appeared to be a normal necklace, but as soon as it was fastened, she felt her magic tightly sealed.
Now fully aware of the situation, Ella raised her head proudly and signaled the knights to release her.
But they ignored her completely, standing firm as if they hadn’t seen a thing.
Lillia watched Ella’s scowling face with satisfaction, then gestured to the knights.
The purpose—binding her—was complete. This was a mercy granted after success.
At Lillia’s wave, the knights let go, and Ella was finally free.
She rubbed her sore arms and deliberately rattled the shackle around her neck to make a clink sound.
“What a grand gift… I’m so touched I might cry, Mother.”
“What?”
Lillia’s face twisted at the word “Mother.” It was a title she hated to hear.
‘Is she truly mad, calling me “Mother” again?’
Lillia genuinely hated Ella. No, “hate” wasn’t strong enough to describe how much she despised her daughter.
Three hundred years ago, when the souls of all the empire’s mages were sealed and magic was outlawed, even the powerful Meyer family—long loyal to the Emperor and made up of mages—lost their magic.
After that, the Meyer family declined rapidly.
With the empire turning against them, the family was on the brink of ruin. That’s when a visionary Duke Meyer sided with the Pope.
He believed that with magic sealed and the imperial family weakened, allying with the Holy Order would preserve their status.
Supporting the Pope turned out to be a brilliant move.
Because of that decision, the Meyer family managed to survive—and now they stood as one of the empire’s most powerful houses.
Lillia and Logan took immense pride in being part of the Pope’s inner circle.
But remembering all of this, Lillia clenched her teeth.
‘…And then you were born!’
A child who could destroy everything their ancestors had built. A child who could bring ruin to the entire family.
‘If anyone finds out a mage was born into our family… everyone, even my own kin, will be executed.’
She couldn’t allow that. Not after all they’d built.
So, when Ella first used magic at age five, Lillia—whose thirst for power far outweighed any maternal love—cast her aside.
Before then, she had protected Ella so carefully she rarely let her out of the house. But after that day, she kept her locked inside, terrified someone would see.
To Lillia, Ella was now nothing more than a burden standing in her way.
It no longer mattered why only Ella’s seal had been broken.
Since the Pope had ordered Ella to marry Diasi, Lillia had no choice but to comply—and to send Ella out into the world.
But it filled her with dread.
What if Ella used magic where Lillia couldn’t see? What if her secret was exposed? What if she became the family’s executioner?
So Lillia chose this method.
She stared at the shackle on Ella’s neck, her fists clenched.
‘It was said this shackle could only be removed by a high mage… someone with immense power.’
Lillia was confident Ella wasn’t one—so she’d never be able to remove it.
“You’ll never take it off in your lifetime. So stay quiet and unnoticed in the Meyers household.”
“I never intended to use magic anyway… Are you that scared of my power?”
Ella smiled mockingly.
“You’re growing too bold. Don’t pretend you don’t know why you’re getting married.”
“How would I know? You raised me locked away from the world.”
Lillia hated how Ella kept talking back.
She wondered if releasing her into the world was really the right choice—but she couldn’t defy the Pope.
Grabbing her throbbing head, Lillia sighed.
“There are only two things you must do at the Meyers household. First, never let anyone find out about your powers. And second…”
Her voice trailed off—unusual for her. Ella looked at her expectantly.
“…You must observe the Duke of Meyers and report to me regularly.”
“Report?”
“Exactly. Watch whether the Duke is plotting anything suspicious. See if he’s meeting with anyone from the Emperor’s faction. Then tell me.”
“Why should I do that?”
“That’s the point of this marriage!”
Lillia finally snapped, her voice rising.
“There’s no ‘why’ for you! This is your duty! Why else would we send someone as useless as you out into the world?!”
“So… His Holiness arranged this marriage just to use me as a spy against Duke Meyers?”
“Yes.”
“…Why me, though?”
“What a stupid question. Who else could be more suitable than you? Our family has served the Pope and the Holy Order for generations. Of course they’d trust the daughter of such a family.”
The smile that had lingered on Ella’s lips vanished completely.
‘So they’re using me to spy on Diasi…’
“You won’t even need to report often. Just once a month, unless something urgent happens. Even someone as worthless as you can manage that.”
“…”
As she listened, something about Lillia’s words felt off to Ella.
Why? The Meyers family—including Diasi—was supposedly loyal to the Pope. So why the surveillance?
Was the Pope suspicious of Diasi? Didn’t trust him?
‘Now that I think about it, when I first met Diasi, he seemed to hate me. Is there a rift between them?’
If Diasi was unhappy with the marriage too…
‘Then maybe I can use that.’
Ella smiled slightly and decided to test Lillia—putting on an innocent, confused look.
“…Do you think Duke Meyers really doesn’t know the true purpose of this marriage?”
“What?”
“It just seems strange.”
“What do you mean?”
“When I met him, he didn’t seem happy about the marriage. Yet he still agreed to it. Doesn’t that mean he might have an ulterior motive too?”
Ella’s observation was sharp, but Lillia snorted dismissively.
“Motive? Don’t be ridiculous. It’s because His Holiness holds something over him.”
“Something… over him?”
Ella’s eyes sparkled—like a fish had bitten her bait.
“Yes. I don’t know exactly what, but the Pope clearly has something on him. Maybe he’s just loyal because the Pope raised his family from nothing to nobility.”
‘That… I can understand.’
Lillia suggested Diasi might simply be loyal to the Pope. But Ella, who had watched him closely, knew that wasn’t the whole story.
She didn’t know what Diasi’s weakness was—but if it was enough to force him into a marriage he didn’t want, then he surely harbored resentment toward the Pope.
Ella didn’t care whether that resentment was deep-rooted or recent. What mattered was:
She wanted revenge.
Their personal drama was none of her business—but if she could exploit the cracks in their relationship…
‘Then all I need is a small gap—just wide enough for me to slip through.’
She would take her time figuring out how to open that gap, and how to use it to her advantage.
