In Sable’s previous life… 

 

The North was a living hell. 

 

Grand Duke Lione grit his teeth as his body screamed in protest. Wounds littered throughout his body, but he had no time to slow down and take a break. 

 

Not when his people were dying all around him. 

 

Screams and roars filled the air. His voice was hoarse from yelling, and his body ached in pain. Yet, he continued to endlessly swing his sword, his vision turning red. 

 

Whether it was from anger or from the blood, he didn’t know. 

 

The beasts had come without warning. They emerged from the trees in numbers that had never been witnessed before, and they laid waste to anything in their path. The outer villages were the first to fall. Unprepared for the sudden onslaught, they succumbed to the horde. 

 

The beasts were on an unstoppable rampage. 

 

At first, it was only one report, then several more came flooding in. All of them contained the same message. 

 

An outbreak. 

 

In response, Grand Duke Lione frantically gathered and sent the knights out, and even the Grand Duchess joined them. 

 

But by the time they arrived, it was too late. 

 

Villagers ran for their lives, while a brave few tried their hardest to fend off the beasts to protect their loved ones. Homes were set ablaze or destroyed, and people were trampled and killed without mercy. 

 

The snow was painted crimson with blood. 

 

The knights fought with their all, but the beasts refused to retreat. As if they couldn’t control themselves, the beasts fought to the death. If one was too wounded to fight, the other beasts descended upon it and devoured the helpless creature. 

 

Under their continuous onslaught, the knights fell. One by one. 

 

It was a gruesome sight. 

 

Grand Duke Lione was forced to watch as his people and the place he called home were mercilessly ripped apart. 

 

This situation occurred all over the North. 

 

For three days, the Lione Knights continued fighting without rest. Once they cleared a village, they moved to the next. And each time, fewer and fewer knights accompanied him. 

 

The knights fought with everything they had. Even those who were wounded continued to fight without rest. 

 

They couldn’t afford to rest. 

 

And then finally, the nightmare ended. 

 

But the damage was irreversible. 

 

Several villages and towns were lost, not to mention the massive loss of both knights and citizens alike. It would take years to recover even with the aid from the royal family. 

 

No one knew the cause of the incident, but they all agreed on one thing. 

 

It was the bloodiest Winter in the history of the Teodora Kingdom. 

 

After this incident, Grand Duke Lione and his family rarely left the North. The Grand Duke would not return to the Capital until a few years later, when the King summoned him to conduct an investigation on a certain incident. 

 

The mass poisoning of several nobles. 

 

~~~

 

Grand Duchess Adelaide studied the documents in her hands, before she placed them down and ran a hand through her hair. 

 

She couldn’t focus. 

 

A few moments ago, she was getting ready to go to bed with her husband when a knight from one of the patrols reported an emergency in one of the outer villages. From his expression, Adelaide could tell the severity of the situation, and her husband set out right away with a group of knights to aid the village. 

 

Unable to go to sleep, she decided to go to the study and get some work done, but her thoughts kept drifting. 

 

“A swarm of beasts has attacked the village!” 

 

Those were the words of the knight. 

 

When she heard them, she and her husband looked at one another. 

 

Evidently, they failed to find and destroy all of the corruption orbs. It was hard to believe that a group of beasts would suddenly attack a village when Winter was fast approaching. 

 

During this time, most beasts would be getting ready to hibernate, if they haven’t already. Occasionally, a beast, who hadn’t eaten enough, would wander closer to a village in search of food, but those incidents were few and far between. 

 

Although this incident occurred, Adelaide was grateful to Sable. Without her, they would’ve probably never known about the corruption orbs until it was too late. 

 

She dreaded to think what might have happened had they not found and destroyed the orbs in time. 

 

Thinking about the girl, Adelaide couldn’t help but let out a sigh. 

 

Sable was an unfortunate girl, but she was also strange. The way she behaved could be blamed on her parents and upbringing, but she also had a guardian angel of sorts. A guardian angel that they couldn’t see, but somehow Auberon could. 

 

“And if she’s right about the Archangel…” 

 

Before she could finish her thought, she heard alarm bells ringing throughout the castle. She quickly stood up and opened the door to the study. 

 

“What’s happened?” She asked a knight standing guard by the door. 

 

“I do not know, Your Grace.” The knight shook his head, but his hand was placed on the hilt of his sword. 

 

“Go find Isadora.” She ordered the knight. 

 

“But, Your Grace…” His protests died down when he saw the look on the Grand Duchess’s face. “Understood. Be careful, Your Grace.” 

 

With a nod, he ran off in the direction of Isadora’s room. 

 

Heading back inside the study, Adelaide moved to the bookcase and pulled a book on the top shelf. 

 

There was an audible click as the bookcase whirred to life and swiveled open to reveal several swords hanging on a stand. 

 

Each sword gleamed in the light as if waiting for the moment that someone would open the door and use them. The hilts were intricately designed ending at a pommel in the shape of a lion’s head. In their mouths was a sapphire jewel that swirled with mana. 

 

Adelaide grabbed two of the swords and then stepped out onto the hallway. 

 

“Mother!” She heard Isadora’s shout and turned to see her daughter with the knight following close behind. 

 

“Isadora, dear, are you hurt?” She placed the swords down and quickly knelt to examine her daughter. 

 

Isadora shook her head. 

 

Her hair was ruffled, and she was still in her nightgown, but her eyes were alert and clear. 

 

“Your Grace!” A knight came running from the other side of the hall. “The castle is under attack!” 

 

“How did this happen?” Grand Duchess Adelaide asked the knight, wielding both swords in her hands and standing. 

 

“It was an ambush, Your Grace.” The knight replied with thinly veiled anger directed towards the assassins. “They threw oil bombs and set fire to the stables and the barracks. Most of the lookouts were either killed or wounded. While we were distracted, some of them managed to slip into the castle.” 

 

Adelaide’s face darkened. This was a planned attack. 

 

And if that was the case…

 

“They’re not after us.” Adelaide gripped the swords tightly until her knuckles turned white. “They’re after Sable.” 

 

Isadora’s eyes widened with fear. 

 

“W-We need to find her!” She cried out. 

 

Not wanting to waste time, Adelaide ordered the two knights to search for Sable. 

 

“Isadora, come with me.” Adelaide led her back into the study and gestured towards the remaining swords. “I was planning on giving you one under better circumstances, but I’m afraid we don’t have a choice right now.” 

 

Isadora gazed at her mother in surprise, before nodding and grabbing the hilt of the sword nearest to her. 

 

The instant her hand made contact with the weapon, she felt a surge of energy as the sword reacted to her. The moment quickly passed, and Isadora blinked at the strange feeling in her body. 

 

“The sword has accepted you.” Her mother nodded with a proud expression on her face. “Are you ready?” 

 

She carefully adjusted her grip then looked at her mother with a determined expression. 

 

“Good.” 

 

The mother-daughter duo set out and ran through the halls of the castle. Sounds of fighting and screaming could be heard, spurring the two to move faster. 

 

It wasn’t long before they encountered an assassin. Two, in fact. 

 

However, Adelaide showed no signs of slowing down. Rather, she moved faster. 

 

“Out of my way.” Adelaide growled. 

 

Stomping her foot onto the ground, the sapphires on each sword began to glow as mana swirled around her. She propelled herself forward in a burst of speed. 

 

The assassins, unable to react in time, were struck down without any resistance. Their bodies fell to the ground as blood slowly pooled around them. 

 

It all happened so fast that Isadora stared in awe of her mother and then glanced down at the sword in her hand. The jewel seemed to sense her gaze as it glowed in response. 

 

With the assassins out of the way, Adelaide and Isadora continued their search for Sable. 

 

Servants and knights could be seen running through the halls, and as they ran, Adelaide directed them to help the injured or get to safety. 

 

“Mother, I’m going ahead!” Isadora moved past her mother who was relaying orders to the knights. 

 

“Isadora, wait!” Her mother called out, but Isadora continued to run. 

 

Right now, she needed to find Sable. 

 

It was then that she heard someone cry out. 

 

“My Lady, run!” 

 

Turning the corner, Isadora could see Sable running away while her maid tried to slow down the assassin to no avail. She felt her blood run cold when she saw the assassin going after Sable. 

 

Her body moved instinctively. The jewel on the hilt of her sword began to glow, and she copied her mother’s pose moments earlier. 

 

She shot forward, just in time, to stop the downward swinging sword directed at Sable. 

 

Surprised by her appearance, the scarred assassin’s eyes widened, and he jumped back. 

 

“You must be the Grand Duke’s daughter.” 

 

“I won’t let you touch her!” Isadora growled, standing protectively in front of her friend. 

 

The assassin narrowed his eyes, and he raised his sword in preparation to attack Isadora. The two locked eyes, waiting for the other to make a move. 

 

But before either of them could attack, the assassin threw his body backwards with panic in his eyes. A sword whooshed past him and impaled itself into the wall. 

 

Turning her head, Isadora could see that her mother had caught up to them. 

 

Adelaide looked over the two girls with concern. She gently addressed Sable. 

 

“Are you alright, dear?” 

 

Sable appeared to be in shock, but she nodded her head. 

 

Adelaide turned to her daughter. 

 

“Isadora, protect her.” 

 

“Of course, Mother.” 

 

Adelaide turned to the assassin and slowly approached. Her features formed into a scowl. 

 

“How dare you?” 

 

The scarred assassin was on full alert. Each step she took forward, he took another step back. 

 

That was just how intimidating her aura was. 

 

Her blade was down at her side, but the assassin knew that one wrong move would result in his death. He could tell that her skill with the sword far outclassed him. 

 

Adelaide stopped and pulled the sword free from the wall. 

 

The moment she did this, the assassin knew it was the point of no return. He had to act. 

 

He tossed daggers towards Sable and Isadora while at the same time rushing forward towards Adelaide, but she saw through his movements. Deftly blocking the daggers, Adelaide parried the sword that was directed at her. 

 

Using the momentum, Adelaide swung her swords in unison. Forced to go on the defensive, the assassin jumped back to evade the blades, but Adelaide closed the distance between them, not giving him any opportunity to breathe. 

 

In a swift motion, she cut off the assassin’s hand and his sword clattered to the floor. The assassin fell to his knees as Adelaide pressed the swords against his neck. 

 

“I suggest you surrender.” Adelaide eyed him warily. She was ready to cut him down if he tried anything. 

 

The scarred assassin let out a hollow laugh as he held the stump where his hand used to be. 

 

“...I guess this means we failed.” 

 

He turned to look at Sable. 

 

“...I’m sorry about your maid.” He sighed with regret. 

 

Sensing something strange about his comment, Sable frowned, but before she could ask him about it, his body suddenly convulsed. The scarred assassin collapsed on the floor where he shuddered a few more times and then finally, he stopped moving. 

 

The assassin was dead. 

 

With his last words lingering in her mind, Sable hurriedly ran to Aly’s side. Examining her appearance, Sable found that the maid was unnaturally pale and her breathing was shallow. 

 

Her eyes landed on the cut on Aly’s arm. 

 

She felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. 

 

Carefully moving the sleeve, Sable could see that the blood vessels around the wound had turned into a dark red, almost black, color. 

 

Aly was poisoned.