Chapter 68
“Ah… aah…!”
A groan, filled with despair, escaped Lueri’s lips.
His mind went completely blank. Everything spun like he was drunk.
Lueri forced his legs to move and collapsed beside Diana’s body.
“Diana… Diana…!”
He called her name over and over, hoping she might wake up.
His trembling hand reached out and touched her—but her body was colder than ice, harder than wood.
He held her lifeless hand. Tears poured down his cheeks. His shoulders trembled in silence—he was in too much pain to even cry out.
She was so kind… so good… Why did this happen to her?!
He had wanted her so badly, loved her so deeply.
But he let go—for her happiness.
If I’d known it would end like this… I would’ve told her. That I liked her. That I could’ve made her happy.
I should’ve called her “nuna” like she wanted. I should’ve smiled more.
All the moments he was cold, afraid of showing his real feelings—they now became painful regrets.
Lueri covered his face with his hand, and tears fell through his fingers like rain.
Then, he noticed something—a bundle clutched tightly in Diana’s arms.
“What’s this…?”
He opened it carefully—and saw the lifeless body of a pale child.
How could someone do something so cruel?!
His blue eyes burned with fury.
Lueri stood. His mana surged uncontrollably in his rage—sparks flew around him, flames licking the air.
He turned and marched to the mansion. The large front doors were locked tight.
He extended his palm—and a dragon-shaped flame burst forward.
BOOM! The doors shattered into pieces.
Maids screamed and came running.
“Aah!”
“Who are you?!”
“Who is Alicia?”
He remembered Calypso saying “Alicia would’ve taken care of it.” She was the one who killed Diana.
“Th-The doctor…?”
“Tell me. Now.”
His voice growled like a beast. The maids, terrified, pointed down the hall.
“Sh-She’s that way…!”
Lueri walked toward the room. The door was slightly open, light spilling from the crack.
As he was about to burst in, he heard women’s voices:
“It’s finally over!”
“Congrats, mom!”
“Now we just need to make Diana’s death look like a suicide. Then I’ll be the duchess.”
That voice—it had to be Alicia. The word “suicide” made Lueri lose all patience.
He exploded the door with magic.
“Aaaah!”
Alicia and Catherine screamed and hugged each other.
Dust filled the air. Through the smoke, Lueri stepped in slowly, red hair glowing like fire.
“Who are you?!”
His eyes slowly scanned the room—and locked onto Catherine.
She wore expensive jewelry and a fine dress—not someone a simple doctor’s daughter could afford to wear.
“Who are you?” he growled.
Catherine trembled.
“I… I’m…”
“Speak.”
A flame-dragon snarled from his hand, snapping at her.
“I-I’m… the daughter of the Ernst duchy!”
Diana’s daughter?! But she called Alicia ‘mom.’
Lueri summoned a sword of flame and pointed it at her neck.
“Why did you call that woman your mother? Aren’t you Diana’s daughter?”
“I…”
Even with a blade at her throat, she hesitated. How could she admit the truth—that she was a bastard, not Diana’s real child?
“Speak. I have no patience for silence.”
Startled, Catherine flinched.
“She’s… my daughter. Please lower your sword…”
“What?”
Alicia answered instead. Lueri turned toward her with a deadly glare.
“Don’t tell me…”
His eyes widened in shock.
Diana had written in letters that she gave birth to a precious daughter. No way would she raise her cheating husband’s child as her own.
“Did Diana… know?”
Alicia, clutching Catherine, started to sweat under the heat of floating flames.
“I guess you won’t talk honestly.”
Lueri opened his hand. A small glass vial appeared, filled with clear liquid.
He grabbed Alicia’s chin and forced it open.
“Who… who are you to—?!”
“Shut up.”
He poured the potion into her mouth. Some spilled, but enough went in.
“Wh-What did you give me?!”
“Gladiolus.”
“Truth serum.”
“Now, tell me everything.”
Alicia clenched her mouth, but the magic worked.
“I was in love with Calypso. We planned Diana’s death. We stole her vision using Catherine, locked her in the cabin… and today, we finally killed her with poison.”
Lueri closed his eyes tightly.
All of them in that house plotted to kill Diana.
Why didn’t I come sooner? Why didn’t I check on her?
Sweat poured from Alicia’s brow, but she kept talking.
“We did it today so Catherine could take over the Pereshte mines.”
They had been in it together. Tricked Diana. Blinded her. Then killed her.
All she wanted was a peaceful life. But her friend, her husband, her own daughter—betrayed her.
Lueri clenched his teeth to contain the fury boiling inside.
“How could that girl become Diana’s daughter?”
Alicia bit her lip to resist—but her mouth moved on its own.
“When Diana gave birth, I switched her baby with mine. Mine and Calypso’s child.”
Lueri’s mouth dropped open.
“She raised your child as her own… without knowing?”
“Where is Diana’s real daughter?”
“Dead. I gave her to Diana… then told her the truth—right before she died. I told her Catherine wasn’t hers.”
The image of the dead child in the cabin flashed before Lueri’s eyes.
He stared at Alicia with an icy gaze.
“Mercy…?”
“Yes, mercy! That idiot of a woman was tricked by everyone. I told her the truth before she died. That was mercy!”
“Mom!”
Catherine grabbed Alicia’s arm, trying to stop the truth from spilling out. But it was too late.
Lueri stood motionless, but his aura was deadly.
“Mercy isn’t a word you use for something like this.”
“Fine. I’ll show you what mercy looks like. Trash should be burned.”
“W-What?!”
Lueri swung his arm. The flame-dragon wrapped around their necks.
“Aaaah!”
“It burns—!”
Screams filled the air as the fire scorched their throats.
Then, the dragon flung them through the window. Glass shattered, embedding into their bodies.
But the worst pain was the burned flesh at their necks.
They choked and gasped, clutching their throats.
Lueri stepped into the garden slowly. Flames roared behind him, engulfing the mansion.
“P-Please spare me!”
Catherine crawled to him, grabbing his leg.
Her face was soaked in tears.
“Please, please let me live!”
But his eyes held no light—only cold, endless darkness.
“You dared to mock Diana, when you’re nothing but a fake…?”
“Catherine!”
From the front gate, Calypso came running.
He had seen the burning mansion and rushed over.
“Who are you?!”
“…Diana’s avenger.”
“What…?”
At the name Diana, Calypso’s eyes flickered.
He looked around—at the blazing ruins, at the glowing magic surrounding Lueri.
He realized things were bad—too bad. No knight could stop this man.
He swallowed hard.
“It was her! That woman killed Diana! We had nothing to do with it!”
“Hah.”
Lueri let out a hollow laugh, eyeing all three of them.
“And because of trash like you… an angel like Diana died?”
His face twitched.
Behind him, the mansion finally collapsed with a thunderous boom.
A single tear fell from Lueri’s eye.
“I’ll get revenge for you, Diana.”
“You all… can die painfully.”
“P-Please…!”
Lueri’s eyes flared—
And flames burst from his body, engulfing them in an instant.
