“What?”

“I said, let’s break off the engagement.”

“…Ha. Wow.”

Tession clicked his tongue like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing and looked around.

After confirming no one else was nearby, he completely dropped the kind smile he had just a moment ago and stiffened his face.

“Why are you saying this all of a sudden?”

“I know you don’t have feelings for me anymore.”

I continued in a dry, emotionless voice.

“I saw you. Kissing Lady Brinhertha.”

Tession’s face flickered with surprise at my words.

But only for a second.

“So what?”

I thought I misheard him.

“You’re getting mad over just a kiss? A kiss is no big deal.”

“…What did you just say?”

He was even more shameless than I thought.
After doing something like that, he dared to act like it was nothing.

“So, you don’t want to end the engagement, but you still want to mess around with other girls? Pick one.”

“Irene, you do know you’re not in a position to suggest breaking off the engagement, right?”

Tession tilted his head arrogantly.

“I’m a Bronze-Named. A noble, remember?”

“If that’s how it is, I’m from a duke’s house too.”

“I think you’re forgetting something. You still don’t have a Name. You’re just a half-blood commoner.”

Half-blood commoner.

His words stabbed sharply into my chest like a knife.

“When a commoner and a noble are engaged, the commoner can’t be the one to cancel the engagement—unless the noble or the guardian agrees to it.”

So that’s how he wants to play it.

It was simple why he refused to break the engagement, even though he no longer cared about me.

He was the third son of a count family—good-looking, but lacking in ability. In exchange for marrying me, he was receiving a large amount of money from the Venomaine family.

He was clearly refusing to break off the engagement just to keep that money.

“Fine. Then I’ll break it off after the Ceremony of Proof and after I officially receive my Name.”

“What? Are you serious—”

“I’ll send the break-up documents with Father’s signed approval. Just wait.”

I spoke coldly, glaring at him.

Then I turned and walked away.

“Irene!!”

Tession shouted my name behind me, but I didn’t look back.

‘Why is there not a single person on my side?’

I walked through the endless, dark hallway, deep in thought.

Even the one person who made me feel somewhat valuable had betrayed me.

It meant that now, truly, there was no one left who would acknowledge me.

“A half-blood… Figures. Born from a dirty maid, there’s no way your ability would be complete.”

“You’re stupid and uncultured, just like your filthy mother. It’s shameful that you even have purple eyes.”

I’d heard those words countless times.

Born from a one-night affair between the Duke of Venomaine and a commoner maid, I was raised by my mother—who ran away from the duke’s estate.

When I lost her at age four and wandered the streets, I was brought back to the mansion because the duchess’s children had no sign of purple eyes—the mark of the Venomaine line.

From that day on, I endured cruel training and daily scorn.

‘Things were at least a little better before Pierson got his purple eyes…’

Unlike me, Pierson—son of the duchess—had purple eyes and hair, the perfect symbol of a Venomaine.

Meanwhile, my hair never changed.
It stayed silver, like my mother’s.
Never even a hint of purple.

Pierson was a complete Venomaine—by blood and by appearance.
I was only half.

“Only the strong are recognized as Venomaines.”

That’s what my father, the Duke of Venomaine, always said.

So, to be acknowledged as a real Venomaine, I had to become stronger.

No matter the pain.

I took out the hidden case from my pocket. When I flicked the lock, it opened with a soft click.

Inside was a long, thin glass vial filled with dark red liquid.

The sharp metal tip at the end glinted coldly.

With trembling hands, I stabbed it into my right arm.

“Urgh… Ugh…”

My breathing grew heavier. My head spun.

Then came the searing pain—like my veins were being ripped apart.

I bit my lip hard enough to bleed, trying to swallow the agony.

I had to endure it.
Only by surviving this pain… could I become stronger.

“Huff… Haah… Ngh…”

Members of the Venomaine family had the power to create poison from their own blood.
And those who created stronger poison were recognized as true Venomaines.

On the other hand, those who couldn’t awaken this power weren’t even allowed to use the name Venomaine.
They weren’t added to the family registry. They were discarded.

I wiped the cold sweat from my forehead and exhaled sharply.

Poison grows stronger when it meets poison.

Like all Venomaines, I had been injecting myself with various poisons—especially those created by the current duke.

And because I desperately wanted to prove myself more than Pierson, I pushed my body further—taking in more poison than even he did.

Enduring the burning pain again and again.

As my vision blurred, I whispered quietly to myself:

“I’ll definitely… awaken my power… during the Ceremony…”

Once I awaken my power, I’ll be accepted as a true Venomaine.

I’ll live as a noble—no longer looked down on, no longer out on the cold streets.

And I’ll finally make my mother, who watched from the heavens, proud.

‘Just wait.’

Once I’m acknowledged as a true Venomaine… maybe even Father will listen to me a little.

Then I’ll be able to break this ridiculous engagement.

Just then… I heard that annoying voice again.

“Ve… Venomaine?”

My eyes flew open.

I looked up to see Edmond Wolfgang—the one who asked me earlier why I was standing alone at the ball.

I quickly shoved the poison case back into my pocket, sharpening my senses.

I didn’t want him to see me looking weak.

Unlike him—born as the heir from the start—I had to fight for recognition. I didn’t want him to see me struggling.

So I straightened my back and held my head high.

Covering the wound on my arm with my left hand.

“You…”

Edmond looked down at me and muttered.

He was probably about to mock me again, like before.

Thinking that made me clench my fists.

“If you have nothing to say, I’m leaving.”

I stood up and walked off like nothing had happened.

Even though I was struggling to breathe from the pain, I bit my lip to keep it from showing.

“N-No, wait, Veno—”

But his blue eyes looked… surprised.
Not like he was here to pick a fight.

Still, I didn’t care.

All I wanted was to get away.

Dragging my aching body, I walked down the dark hallway, teeth clenched.

Trying to erase Edmond’s voice from my ears.

“Ha. You’re disgusting. Who do you think you are, showing up here?”

That slimy, sneering voice rang in my ears.

People like this are best ignored.

The Ceremony of Proof is coming. I can’t waste energy on garbage like him.

“A pathetic half-blood, crawling around like a cockroach just to get your name on the family registry.”

Hearing that made me clench both fists.

“I still don’t get why someone like you has purple eyes. If you didn’t, at least we wouldn’t have expected anything.”

“Pierson.”

I growled, glaring back at him.

“You were the one who envied my eyes in the beginning.”

“…What?”

Pierson’s face twisted with rage.

“People believe that purple eyes mean stronger poison than even purple hair. If I didn’t have to compete with your eyes, I wouldn’t even be here.”

“You little—how dare you speak with that filthy mouth—!”

Pierson looked ready to charge at me.

But just then, a voice as cold as ice filled the room.

“What do you think you’re doing, Pierson?”

Pierson froze, then stammered.

“F-Father.”

“Fighting, right before the Ceremony? Have you both lost your minds?”

The Duke of Venomaine—my biological father—narrowed his eyes and spoke.

His face, cold and merciless, made everyone around him shrink in fear.

“B-But she started—!”

“Pierson. If you don’t want to be beaten to death before the Ceremony, shut your mouth.”

Pierson glared at me but said nothing more.

Then the duchess, who had stayed silent while Pierson attacked me, forced a smile and tried to defend her son.

“H-Honey, Pierson didn’t mean anything… It was all that half-blood—”

“Why don’t you shut your mouth too.”

Her face paled, and she fell silent.

“You two, come forward. The Ceremony of Proof will begin now.”

Finally, the moment had come.

I clenched my fists and told myself:

‘It’s okay. I’ve worked so hard. I can do this. From today, I’ll live as a proud Venomaine.’

Pierson and I each stood in front of two fancy cabinets.

Beside each cabinet, a sharp blue dagger lay neatly placed.

“Open the cabinet.”

Following the duke’s order, I opened the lid.

Inside, a small mouse was running around in panic.

“You know what to do now.”

The duke’s low voice made me gulp as I picked up the dagger.

‘You can do this.’

Venomaines couldn’t use their power until they became adults.

Only by awakening it during the Ceremony could they prove their power.

Until then, we had to endure harsh training, hoping for the day our abilities appeared.

‘It’s okay. I’ve worked harder than anyone.’

I had seen many signs of awakening—except the change in hair color.

So I kept believing… it would be okay.

Pierson also picked up his dagger, staring nervously at the mouse.

‘Please…!’

Praying again and again, I cut my right arm with the blade.

Blood dripped down and landed on the terrified mouse’s head.

Its fur turned dark red from my blood.

‘Starting today, I will—’

Be recognized as a true Venomaine.
As a noble.

I’ll protect my mother’s honor.
And break the engagement with the man who never loved me.

I closed my eyes and tightened my grip.

Then opened them.

“…Huh?”

And what I saw before me…
Left me completely speechless.