The Ruler of the Curtain

A small interrogation room, completely isolated from the outside world.

Serina, Roderick, Ares, and Lily were gathered there.

Daisy sat on the opposite chair, her hands bound.

Unlike her usual gentle self, her face was filled with Venomous energy and madness.

She was reluctant to open her mouth easily.

“Daisy, tell me honestly. Since when have you been in contact with The Veil, or were you one of them from the start?”

Marquis Roderick asked in a firm voice.

Grand Duke Ares also chimed in.

“It would be better for you to confess now.”

Daisy kept her mouth shut and turned her head away.

Her eyes were full of hatred.

Serina closed her eyes for a moment.

It was an attempt to sense Daisy’s emotions with her Pleasure Trait.

Soon, Daisy’s complex emotions flooded into Serina’s consciousness like waves.

Deep yearning, desperate longing, and twisted lust…

In particular, the emotion of a love for Roderick that had deteriorated into a mad obsession was strongly felt.

Serina opened her eyes and fixed her gaze on Daisy.

A strange smile hung on her lips.

“Daisy.”

Daisy’s body flinched at Serina’s voice.

“If you answer my questions willingly… I promise Marquis Roderick will fuck you over and over again.”

Lily covered her mouth with both hands at Serina’s shocking statement.

Roderick stammered in embarrassment.

“Se-Serina! What are you saying?!”

Daisy’s eyes were wavering.

She looked at Roderick.

Her eyes held a glimmer of hope mixed with doubt.

“Really… will you really do that? Won’t you… hate me…?”

Roderick met Daisy’s eyes and said with a stiff expression.

“Those feelings… don’t change in an instant. What you did…”

The light of hope disappeared from Daisy’s face at Roderick’s firm words.

She clearly showed her disappointment.

Just then, Serina interjected again.

“Why are you disappointed? If Roderick’s heart doesn’t change in an instant, you can change it gradually, right? If you satisfy him over and over again with that delicious body you talk about… wouldn’t his heart turn around?”

Daisy was silent for a moment at Serina’s blatant temptation.

Her pupils trembled as if lost in deep thought.

Soon, she opened her mouth.

“The first time I met that person… was when Marquis Roderick was still young.”

Daisy’s voice was mixed with a strange emotion, as if recalling a distant past.

“At that time, Your Highness said you wanted to eat wild strawberries… so I went outside the Ice Castle to pick them. That’s when it happened. A man wearing a black mask, hiding in the forest outside the Ice Castle, appeared…”

Daisy’s gaze stared into the air.

“He… spoke as if he saw through my heart. He said, ‘I know your longing heart. But you are despairing that you cannot realistically achieve it.’ Originally, I would have ignored it as crazy talk… but I couldn’t just pass it by. His words were so… touching to my heart.”

Daisy trembled as if reliving the emotions of that moment.

“So I asked. ‘Is there a way?’ Then the man handed me two medicines. One was poison, the other was Aphrodisiac. He said that he made them himself and that the effects would be certain. He said that I could eliminate my enemies with poison and have what I wanted with Aphrodisiac. And… he said he would come to deliver the medicine himself periodically.”

Roderick’s face gradually turned pale.

“And there was one condition. It was to tell him information about the Ice Castle. In particular… he mainly asked about the schedule of the lord of the Ice Castle.”

“The lord of the Ice Castle… are you talking about my father?”

Roderick’s voice trembled.

Daisy nodded.

“Yes…. Lord Baltein.”

Daisy couldn’t speak for a moment.

A shadow of regret crossed her eyes.

Roderick murmured in a low voice.

“One day, my father said he would subjugate the Demon beasts and go on a northern expedition. And… he couldn’t return.”

Daisy lowered her head.

Her silence seemed to confirm that Roderick’s words were true.

Serina’s face hardened.

Her parents, who were the lords of Artiel, also disappeared after going to the northern Boundary to subjugate Demon beasts.

‘If that wasn’t a coincidence…’

A chilling hypothesis flashed through Serina’s mind that perhaps her parents’ disappearance was also a plot of The Veil.

“Do you know the name of the masked man?”

Daisy shook her head.

“No…. He never told me his name.”

Then Ares interjected.

“I think we have a rough idea of what to do.”

At Ares’ words, Roderick jumped up from his seat.

“Yes. All the answers will be in the northern Boundary.”

Roderick, who had grasped a clue to ‘The Veil’ with Daisy’s confession, judged that he could no longer delay.

He immediately hurried to prepare to leave for the northern Boundary.

A carriage to be boarded by the group of five, namely Serina, Roderick, Ares, Lily, and the bound Daisy, was waiting in front of the Ice Castle gate.

Agni, the company commander, came out to see them off outside the Ice Castle gate.

He first paid his respects to Grand Duke Ares.

“You two have been going out a lot lately. May I ask if something is wrong?”

At Agni’s words, Ares laughed heartily and shrugged his shoulders.

“Haha, come and see for yourself if you’re curious.”

Roderick approached Agni and patted him on the shoulder.

“I wouldn’t be able to move around so freely without you. Sorry for the trouble, Agni.”

“You’re welcome.”

Agni bowed and pledged his loyalty to Roderick.

Then he looked at Daisy, who was wrapped tightly in a robe, and asked.

“But who is this person?”

“Ah, she’s someone who will guide us. You don’t have to worry about it.”

Roderick hesitated for a moment and then made a request to Agni.

“And I have one request. Send a messenger to Artiel Ice Castle.”

Agni’s eyes widened slightly.

“Are you talking about the Artiel Family?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Roderick nodded.

“Just tell them that I sent it as a greeting, and tell them to find out the situation inside the Ice Castle in detail and come back.”

The group, having completed all preparations, boarded the carriage.

As the carriage left the Ice Castle gate and began to head north, Serina said briefly to Roderick.

“Thank you.”

Despite Serina’s words of gratitude, Roderick had a complicated expression.

He seemed to hesitate for some reason, but in the end, he couldn’t help but ask.

“But… are you perhaps from the Artiel Family? I know they only have three sons there….”

Serina showed no particular reaction to Roderick’s question.

But the one who was surprised was Lily, who was sitting next to her.

Her shoulders twitched for a moment, and her eyes widened.

Serina subtly checked Lily’s surprised reaction and then answered Roderick curtly.

“It’s none of your business.”

Ares looked at the surprised Lily and spoke nonchalantly.

“Lily, are you having hiccups or something? Don’t be nervous. What’s there to worry about when I’m here?”

The carriage traveled for several days and arrived at Seoripul Village.

They could have headed straight to the northern Boundary, but simple maintenance was essential to prepare for the dangers ahead.

The group naturally headed to the tavern.

As they opened the tavern door and entered, the noisy interior became quiet for a moment.

Soon, the tavern owner rushed out with a bright smile.

“Oh my, who is this! If it isn’t the heroes! Welcome!”

The owner, as well as the villagers inside the tavern, expressed their delight.

“Marquis Roderick, what brings you here!”

“Lady Serina, you’ve become even more beautiful.”

Roderick smiled lightly and nodded at the villagers’ welcome.

Then Ares opened his mouth with a slightly sulky expression.

“Hmm, hmm! If you’re talking about me, I’m Grand Duke Ares. Nice to meet you all!”

Ares emphasized that he was a Grand Duke and shrugged his shoulders.

However, the villagers seemed to take it as just a title with the word ‘Grand Duke’ attached to it.

Ares clicked his tongue.

“Damn it, the title of Grand Duke is useless in this backwater.”

Anyway, the group sat down at an empty seat and ordered a simple meal.

While filling their hunger with warm food, Serina cautiously asked the villagers if Sasquatchs had been appearing recently.

The villagers shook their heads and tilted their heads.

“No, Lady Serina. Sasquatchs haven’t been seen at all these days. It’s actually so quiet that it’s a bit unsettling.”

Serina’s brow furrowed slightly at the villagers’ answer.

The fact that Sasquatchs are not visible may be good news for now.

But she knew that there was always a reason for extreme changes.

After finishing their meal, the group began to discuss the road to the northern Boundary in earnest.

“There are two ways to get to the Boundary.”

Roderick opened his mouth.

“One is the road to the Witch’s Ice Castle. The other is faster, but you have to go through a blizzard.”

Ares said with his arms crossed.

“It’s going to be cold either way, so why bother going all the way around to the Ice Castle?”

Serina also agreed with Ares’ opinion.

“I don’t think we need to waste time stopping by the Ice Castle. We’re not planning on resting there anyway.”

As the discussion was coming to an end, the tavern owner approached with a playful expression.

“Okay, okay, let’s put the serious talk aside for a moment! The heroes have taken such a precious step, so you must taste the liquor that I have specially prepared!”

The owner poured a large wooden glass full of steaming golden liquor.

A strong scent brushed the tip of her nose.

Lily asked cautiously.

“Is that perhaps… the strong liquor that you can only taste in the far north?”

The owner laughed heartily and nodded.

“Young lady, you have a good eye. You have to warm your insides to survive in this area.”

The owner laughed heartily and offered the glass.

Roderick and Ares readily accepted the glass, but Serina shook her head.

“I’m leaving early tomorrow, so I’ll decline the liquor.”

Serina answered bluntly and refused the glass.

.

.

.

“Kyaa…! So delicious!”

The owner of the exclamation was Serina.

In her hand was a liquor bottle that was almost half empty.

“Pour it! Drink it! The liquor is sweet!”

Serina’s slurred voice filled the tavern.