Chapter 166: A person I needed to beg for forgiveness.

“Did you pray properly?”

Lillian’s expression looked somewhat sullen, as if she was dissatisfied.

“Yes, I prayed properly.”

“You only prayed, right?”

Her eyes narrowed. At her sharp question, I instinctively averted my gaze.

I hadn’t just prayed.

I still felt like something the Goddess had filled me with remained inside.

‘The Goddess filled my body with something and then forced me to expel it.’

—Of course, I couldn’t say that. It was better to keep what happened with the Goddess to myself.

I slipped my hand into my pocket and pulled out something that might divert Lillian’s attention.

“Ah, actually… the Goddess gave me this as a gift.”

It was a necklace encased in a translucent gemstone emitting a faint glow.

A crystal so clear and flawless that not a single imperfection could be found.

“The Goddess gave this to you?”

“Yes.”

It happened the moment I finished praying and was about to leave the chapel.

As the pillar of light faded, a bright glimmer flickered, and suddenly, a necklace appeared before me.

“Wait a moment. Let me take a look.”

Lillian’s eyes widened as she carefully examined the necklace.

Her expression shifted to one of realization before she handed it back to me, her face filled with awe.

“Good heavens… Tina, this is a Sacred Relic.”

“Huh?”

“Only a Sacred Relic can contain such an immense amount of divine power.”

I couldn’t believe my ears.

A Sacred Relic?

One of only four said to exist across the entire continent?

The kind of artifact that, if you held just one, guaranteed astronomical wealth and prestige? That kind of Sacred Relic?

“…A fifth Sacred Relic? The Temple is going to lose its mind.”

I was bewildered—it didn’t make sense.

Not Lillian, but me—holding a Sacred Relic?

Though I was grateful for the Goddess’s grace, this gift was far too extravagant for a sinner like me.

“Wh-what should I do? Should I return it to the Goddess? Or surrender it to the Temple—”

“The Goddess bestowed it upon you personally, Tina. Letting it fall into someone else’s hands would cause even greater problems.”

Lillian quietly stepped closer and gently fastened the relic around my neck from behind.

“You should keep it. And… it’s best to keep this relic a secret.”

“A… a secret? Is that really okay?”

“Yes. It’s just between the two of us, isn’t it?”

I carefully touched the translucent gem around my neck.

A clear, flawless crystal—yet inside, faint streaks of light shimmered like a pillar of light ascending toward the heavens.

“It suits you.”

“Thank you, Lillian…”

“As long as you have this relic, even the Great Demon won’t dare lay a hand on you.”

The Great Demon.

The being who, in my past life, dragged me into an existence worse than hell.

With this, I could escape that creature—I wouldn’t have to suffer anymore.

My heart pounded violently.

Could I really live here, alongside the women I loved?

Could I finally look forward to tomorrow, free from all worries?

“Let’s all have a party today.”

Lillian smiled faintly and softly took my hand.

The warmth that spread through my fingertips made everything feel real at last.

“A party?”

“There’s nothing left to worry about now.”

“……”

“Let’s call Tina’s mother, the princess, and even that mischievous devil—and all have a drink together.”

As Lillian said, everything had been resolved smoothly.

Yet, why?

Even though this was the moment to raise a toast, my heart refused to settle.

“Congratulations, Tina. Now, all that’s left is to live happily.”

“Happiness…”

I blankly repeated the word.

Happiness.

A flutter rose in one corner of my chest, yet at the same time, a heavy guilt pressed down on me.

‘Can I… really be happy?’

Was it even an emotion I dared to claim?

There were still people hurt because of me.

The answer to my own question remained unchanged.

I couldn’t. I wasn’t yet worthy of it.

“…No. I can’t be happy yet.”

At my firm tone, Lillian gave me a puzzled look.

“I need to go see Viviana.”

“…Suddenly?”

“There’s someone I must meet. Viviana knows their whereabouts.”

A person I had feared facing—one I had avoided until now.

But precisely because of that, I had to look them in the eye and apologize.

Until I earned their forgiveness, I couldn’t dare utter the word ‘happiness.’

“Lillian, do you know where Viviana is right now?”

“The princess?”

There was still one more person I needed to beg for forgiveness.

Recalling her blood-red eyes, I quietly clenched my fist.

***

The grand city of Märchen.

The first nation to sign a non-aggression pact with the Empire, a city that had prospered in peace for a long time.

Known as the ‘City of Art,’ Märchen was the central hub for exporting the finest works.

Imperial nobles, who saw art as a symbol of luxury and prestige, spared no expense on these paintings.

Among them, the most talked-about works in noble circles these days were those of the ‘Black Rose.’

The Black Rose was once a woman who lived as a noble of the Empire.

A woman whose beauty was impossible to overlook—yet she didn’t draw attention with her looks alone.

She was a venomous serpent. Her mocking words concealed cunning manipulations, coiled like a snake lying in wait.

Moreover, gifted with an innate talent for art, she produced multiple works worth hundreds of gold coins in a single day, amassing immense wealth.

And as time passed…

Before anyone realized, she had become one of the most influential figures in the Kingdom of Märchen.

However, it’s impossible for someone to have only good rumors.

A single scandal always followed her like a shadow.

The Black Rose of Märchen.

A woman whose outward appearance held a fatal charm that no one could resist—yet once ensnared, her thorns made escape impossible.

And as expected of the “Nation of Art,” the story was fitting.

They said she harbored a hobby far removed from ordinary life—one that was deeply sinister and secretive.

“Lady Mardian!”

A girl with flowing green hair ran toward her, a radiant smile on her face.

The moment she threw herself into the woman’s arms, she nuzzled her cheek and cooed affectionately.

“You’re especially cute today, Shirley.”

The golden-haired woman stroked Shirley’s head with a tender touch.

At that, Shirley’s face flushed as red as a lovestruck maiden’s.

“Well… it’s the only way to make sure Lady Mardian keeps meeting with me.”

She glanced upward with slightly drooping eyes.

Golden hair cascaded like silk.

And between those strands gleamed crimson eyes, brimming with a deadly, decadent beauty.

“Can’t you just play with me alone today, Lady Mardian?”

Contrary to the girl’s playful plea, the golden-haired woman’s gaze gradually turned cold.

Shirley’s pupils trembled under that icy stare.

“Do you not know how much I despise clingy people?”

Her crimson eyes narrowed.

Shirley paled and frantically shook her head.

“J-Just kidding! I’m not that kind of obsessive girl.”

Yet fear had already seeped into her eyes.

The terror of being cast aside—just like the countless women who had been driven from this mansion.

“Sorry, Shirley. I’m the type who gets bored quickly when I focus on just one person.”

“I-It’s fine! Someone like Lady Mardian… has every right to be that way.”

“Hehe, thank you for understanding.”

Shirley knew. No—perhaps she had sensed it from the very beginning.

That she was no different from the countless other women in this mansion.

And yet, as if enchanted, she could only stare blankly into the woman’s crimson eyes.

“Yes… I want to stay with you for a long time too, Lady Mardian.”

“Hehe, such a good girl. Shall we all go have some fun together, then?”

The woman rose gracefully and walked toward the bedroom with elegant steps.

Shirley, no different from any other woman here, followed her as if entranced.

At last, the two arrived before the bedroom door.

A deep violet glow seeped through the slightly ajar doorway.

And the sight that unfolded before Shirley’s eyes—

No matter how many times she saw it, she could never grow accustomed to it.

“Lady Mardian!”

“We’ve been waiting for you!”

“Ah, today as well…!”

Countless stunningly beautiful women, their bodies half-exposed, welcomed her.

This bedroom was always filled with dazzling beauties.

The woman called Mardian slowly approached them.

Her crimson eyes gleamed as her scarlet lips curved into a gentle arc.

To others, it was an endlessly alluring and enchanting smile.

But who could have imagined?

Behind that smile, blooming as beautifully as a rose in full bloom, lay a deep and sorrowful wound that never healed.

A wound none of these countless women could ever mend.

A single, festering scar.