~Chapter 107~
“I make this declaration before you all.”
Diana’s eyes, cold as frost, turned to Catherine.
“I will accuse Alicia le Blair and Calypso de Ernest of adultery.”
The crowd began to murmur. Voices condemning Calypso and Alicia buzzed in Catherine’s ears. Her legs weakened, and her shoulders felt like they were being crushed by an invisible weight.
But Diana didn’t stop.
“In addition, the Grand Duke borrowed an enormous amount of money from me using his title and territory as collateral. Since Calypso de Ernest has no means of repaying the debt, I declare that the Ernest domain is henceforth merged with the Pereshte duchy.”
Catherine had once desperately tried to become the true lady of the Ernest family. But now, in this very moment, that family name effectively ceased to exist. She had to do something—anything—to cling to Diana.
“No, Mother! It’s not me! It was all you and Father who—!”
Just as she began to protest, black energy erupted from her palm and swirled around her like a sandstorm.
Screams echoed as people backed away.
Diana, shielding Aisel, looked toward Catherine with trembling eyes.
A piercing scream rang from within the darkness that enveloped Catherine.
And soon, the dark energy dispersed like grains of sand.
“Kyaaa!”
“W-What is that?!”
Where Catherine once stood, now there was an old woman in the same dress.
The hag looked at her own wrinkled, trembling hands in horror.
“W-What is this?!”
Even her voice was rough and hoarse—but Diana recognized her. That old woman was none other than Catherine.
“M-Mother!”
Catherine staggered toward Diana in terror. But Diana stepped back with Aisel still in her arms.
Catherine caught her reflection in a polished marble pillar.
“No… Aaaaah!”
She screamed, touching her face in disbelief. Her once smooth and fair skin had vanished—replaced by sagging, withered flesh. A grotesque form as if all her youth had been stolen.
“It’s a curse! A demon’s curse!”
Someone shouted. The words of Eclipse flashed through Catherine’s mind—he had given her magic in exchange for time. Not lifespan—but her youth.
Trembling with fear at her own appearance, Catherine’s thoughts turned to Alicia.
It was all her fault.
She was the reason Catherine, once a noble lady, had ended up like this—coercing her into tormenting Aisel under false pretenses.
Covering her disfigured face, Catherine bolted from the ballroom.
“She’s running!”
“Your Grace, Catherine is escaping!”
Serena pointed and shouted. But Diana made no move to stop her.
“Let her go.”
“But…”
“I know exactly where she’s headed.”
As Catherine disappeared, Diana clapped her hands lightly to shift the atmosphere.
“My apologies for that disgraceful scene. But I’ve prepared gifts for everyone, and I’d be grateful if you would celebrate my daughter Aisel’s debut with your whole hearts.”
She gave a nod to the orchestra, which began playing a soft melody. The previously tense hall slowly began to relax again.
Servants brought out delicious food and exquisite desserts, each paired with elegant décor.
At the entrance stood commemorative bracelets made from Pereshte’s cognac diamonds—an extravagant gift for attending a debutante ball.
But considering the harsh life Aisel had endured until now, nothing was too much.
Diana wanted to give her daughter the perfect debutante. She wanted guests to leave smiling, even if the event had begun with heavy revelations.
Soon, guests forgot all about Calypso. They approached Diana and the Marquis—now Duke—of Pereshte to offer congratulations.
They expressed genuine sympathy upon learning what Aisel had suffered under Alicia and Catherine.
Through what felt like a staged play, Aisel had now captured the entire room’s heart and attention.
Diana watched the soon-to-be center of high society with pride. And so did the Duke.
“You both look wonderful,” he said.
“Doesn’t she?” Diana replied.
“She has the same charm you do. The ability to draw people in.”
“She probably gets that from you, Father.”
Diana beamed at her father, who looked proudly at Aisel.
Soon, the orchestra began a waltz. The people around Aisel gave her space.
In the Empire of Edith, the debutante had to open the first dance before anyone else could join. Aisel looked around, searching for someone of similar age to dance with.
Sawyer stepped forward slowly.
“Congratulations on your debut, Lady Aisel.”
His golden eyes sparkled as he smiled gently.
“Thank you, Sawyer.”
“May I…”
Sawyer hesitated slightly, his cheeks tinged pink.
“Would you honor me with the first dance?”
He held out his hand with the utmost respect. Aisel looked at him, smiling softly.
“Of course.”
She gently placed her hand in his, and together, they walked to the center of the ballroom.
They moved gracefully to the music. When Sawyer lifted Aisel by the waist, the hem of her dress spread out like a mermaid’s tail.
The crowd looked on, charmed by the breathtaking sight.
As the song ended, other nobles began joining the dance. Diana quietly slipped out of the hall.
She intended to move Alicia from Aisel’s room to the hunting lodge. Catherine would likely be there already—she’d assume Alicia was hiding there.
And with the guards posted, Catherine would surely be captured by now.
Now it was time to bring all three together in one place.
Diana entered Aisel’s room and opened the hidden chamber behind the bookshelf.
“Alicia.”
At that moment, Alicia attacked her.
“Kyaaa!”
Caught off guard, Diana stumbled backward.
Though blind, Alicia wildly swung the shard of glass she had hidden.
A red line cut across Diana’s collarbone. Diana instantly unleashed her mana.
The magical force blasted Alicia across the room and into the wall.
“Ugh…”
“A final tantrum, is it…?!”
“After I killed you, I died in agony myself! So why did you come back?!”
Alicia screamed, holding her side.
Even in the future where she had successfully murdered Diana, she never became duchess. She had met a brutal end by the hand of a magician.
“You saw that future… and you still feel no remorse?!”
“You ruined me! What more do you want?!”
She gripped the glass shard again and lunged toward Diana’s voice.
Just as Diana prepared to cast a spell, someone appeared in front of her.
“How dare you.”
It was Ruery.
With a wave of his hand, fire burst from his palm.
“Kyaaa!”
Alicia was thrown back helplessly—of course, she never stood a chance.
“Ruery…”
“I missed you, sister.”
He winked playfully. It had been a long time, but Ruery’s presence was still endearing.
He pointed at Alicia, lying on the ground.
“Should I take her to the lodge?”
Diana looked worried—not for Alicia, but for the unborn child.
“Yes. And bring a doctor too…”
“Got it.”
Ruery teleported them to the lodge, then vanished again to fetch a doctor.
The guards outside the lodge bowed when Diana arrived.
“Your Grace.”
“Has anyone come here?”
“Yes. An old hag claiming to be Lady Catherine… She’s in the underground cell now.”
“You did well. Thank you.”
Diana carried the unconscious Alicia into the lodge.
“My lady!”
Calypso immediately stood, as if waiting.
He, too, had remembered the future where Diana died, thanks to Eclipse’s curse.
“I-It wasn’t me! It was all Alicia’s doing!”
“Is that so?”
“Truly! I did nothing wrong! I was briefly seduced, that’s all…!”
Father and daughter—so alike. Both eager to deflect blame.
Diana gently set Alicia down in front of him.
“I brought the doctor, sister.”
“Y-You…!”
Calypso pointed at Ruery, his face twitching. This was the man who had killed him in that remembered future.
Ruery merely shrugged, mocking him with a smirk.
“You remember everything now?”
“How did you know?”
“I sensed Eclipse’s magic.”
Magic always leaves traces—and Eclipse’s curse was no exception.
“Please examine the woman.”
Diana asked the doctor Ruery brought. She didn’t care about Alicia’s condition—but she worried for the child.
But the doctor shook his head grimly.
“No… The child?”
“It seems the baby had already passed away before this.”
Alicia’s mind had been consumed with murderous intent. Of course the baby couldn’t survive in such a hateful womb.
Diana sighed and bowed her head in mourning for the innocent life lost.
Ruery gently rested his hand on her shoulder.
“Stay away from my wife!”
Calypso, now ragged and bearded, shoved Ruery aside.
He then dropped to his knees before Diana. He had lost his title, his domain—everything now belonged to her.
All he had left was Diana and Aisel.
Tears of regret poured from his eyes.
“Please… forgive me just this once! I loved you… and Aisel…”
“Even if you’ve regained the memories of the future where Aisel and I died, there’s still something you don’t know.”
Diana glanced toward the unconscious Alicia.
“A truth she has hidden until now.”
“Something I don’t know? Beyond those memories?”
Diana looked coldly at Calypso.
“The Aisel you killed with an arrow in that future…”
“I-I thought she was just a maid…!”
“That girl… was your real daughter, Calypso.”
His mouth froze mid-sentence.
“W-What…?”
“You killed your own daughter.”
Diana’s words, soaked with anguish, shattered Calypso’s soul.
