I woke up, ready to deal with the mess Lorraine had dragged us into. Another day, another problem.
After breakfast, Anna and I stepped out of my house.
"Aren’t you going to stop by your house? Let your parents know what’s going on?" I asked, glancing at her.
She shook her head, her silver hair catching the sunlight. "Nah. It’s fine. Mom would be there anyway."
Last night had been... unexpected. Thanks to my troublesome sister, we ended up taking a bath together. I kept my pants on, obviously, but somehow, it turned into something more than just awkward. We splashed water, laughed, talked, and things felt lighter. For a moment there, we all forgot about the chaos awaiting us.
As we walked through the bustling market district, my gaze landed on a small jewelry shop. A necklace caught my eye, with a green beautiful pendant.
Without thinking, I pulled Anna toward the stall. "Excuse me, how much for this?"
The old lady behind the counter squinted at me, her gums bare where teeth should have been. "That, my boy, is ten gold pieces!" she rasped.
I nearly choked. "Ten gold?! That’s robbery!"
The old woman cackled. "Ah, but it’s not just a pendant. It’s a lucky charm. Legend says whoever wears it will always find fortune in life."
Yeah, right. Scam alert. I’d seen enough of her type back in my old life. People who’d just pull up to your inbox and promise you instant wealth if you click their links while their profiles look like they live in rags. If this thing really brought luck, why wasn’t she rolling in riches?
Anna tilted her head. "Why do you want it, Asher?"
I smirked and pulled out five gold coins, placing them in the woman’s wrinkled hand. Not because I believed her nonsense, but because the necklace was beautiful.
I turned to Anna, lifting the pendant. "May I?"
Her eyes widened. "Asher, no. It’s too expensive. You shouldn’t— I really don’t need it."
"But you want it, don’t you?"
I didn’t wait for her to answer. I clasped the necklace around her neck. It rested perfectly against her smooth skin, complementing her light pink dress and the green strands at the tips of her silver hair.
"Perfect," I murmured, stepping back to admire her. "It really looks good on you."
Her lips trembled. Then, without warning, she threw herself into my arms, hugging me so tightly it nearly knocked the air out of me.
"Asher... how will I ever repay you?" Her voice broke, her shoulders shaking.
I chuckled, resting a hand on her head. "You will. In more ways than one." I took her hand and squeezed it gently. "Now come on, before they send knights after us."
Finally, we reached our destination.
The Duke’s estate wasn’t a house. It was a sprawling mansion—or no, a palace—surrounded by emerald gardens straight out of a fantasy movie.
The guards were expecting us. We were led inside, stepping onto a long red carpet stretching through a grand hall filled with nobles, warriors, and familiar faces I didn’t care to see.
Ivy was among them. I met her gaze for a second before looking away. I hadn’t forgotten what she did to my mother.
And at the far end of the hall, seated on a grand chair, was the Duke—a middle-aged man in royal blue robes, idly stroking his thick black beard.
"Certainly took your time, brats," a rough voice sneered.
Liloth Alvado. And beside her sat her daughter Lorraine, smirking like she’d already won whatever game she was playing.
All eyes fell on us. I felt Anna tense beside me. I wrapped my arm around her, keeping her close as I faced the Duke head-on.
"I hate standing," I said bluntly. "And I don’t want to sit, either. So whatever you have to say, say it fast."
The room erupted into whispers.
"This brat should be on his knees."
"He should be executed for such disrespect together with that wicked girl."
I ignored them. I knew the Duke wasn’t just some noble. He was a ruler in a kingdom dominated by women. He had to be powerful to command this much respect—stronger than Liloth, even. But that didn’t mean I’d bow.
He stood up and—laughed. A deep, amused laugh. Then his face hardened.
"I heard a report," he said, "that you killed an S-rank monster with ease. The same monster that attacked our students—the very one that girl beside you led to them."
I narrowed my eyes. "And what makes you think Anna led it there? You weren’t even there."
The Duke didn’t flinch. "No, I wasn’t. That’s why I want proof. I heard you kept the skull of the monster. Give it to me."
"And if I do?"
"Then I’ll consider hearing the girl’s side of the story. Otherwise..." His gaze darkened. "She will be executed."
No hesitation. No room for argument. He meant every word.
Fighting wasn’t an option. I could probably take him alone, but with Anna here and a hall full of hunters? Not a chance.
"Fine," I muttered.
Reaching into my pocket dimension, I pulled out the skull and tossed it toward him.
The Duke’s eyes flickered in surprise—probably not expecting me to have such a skill—but he quickly masked it, inspecting the skull as a knight handed it to him.
Then, finally, Anna was allowed to speak.
She told them everything—how Lorraine lured everyone into a lower dungeon, how she abandoned them and left her to die. But the moment Lorraine stood to deny it, the crowd sided with her without hesitation.
Lies. All of them. And they ate it up.
Then, Liloth rose to her feet as the hall fell silent.
"I believe the girl is lying," she said smoothly, pointing at Anna. "It’s highly likely she controlled that monster with some kind of devilish power. As you all know, the Priestess was recently kidnapped by the Revolutionaries. Asher, you should know better, but after she came back, I and a select group of hunters investigated their hideout. And we discovered something... rather interesting."
I tensed.
Liloth gestured toward the door. Two knights entered, dragging a man in chains—a man I recognized.
Malak Rambrandt. The man who summoned the demon lord that day to offer him the Priestess.
Liloth’s voice rang through the hall. "This man—Malak Rambrandt—is a cultist, a sinner, an enemy of the Divine Goddess. And he... is this girl’s father. He probably gave her devilish powers to massacre all of her classmates."
I froze.
I turned to Anna. "You’re a Rambrandt?"
Tears spilled down her cheeks as she fell to her knees. "It’s not true," she whispered. "My father barely even gave me attention... He—he wasn’t part of my life."
Her body shook. And l knew there was noway in hell she’d have worked with her father or possess any devilish powers.
Liloth’s cold voice cut through the air again.
"Ivy Rambrandt," she called. "Anything to say about your husband... and your daughter?"
Ivy?
What?
Ivy was Anna’s mother?!
The same Ivy I’ve been.....
WHAT?!!