Ivyst had never encountered anything beautiful in her life.
This seemed foreshadowed from the day she was born.
Her mother had died in that agonizing childbirth, with her eyes still open to the last moment.
Not only that, all the other newborns born on the same day in the Imperial Capital silently perished that night.
And the moment people saw her in her swaddle, they exhibited looks of terror.
Infants are supposed to symbolize purity and cleanliness.
Yet, they distinctly saw dark, evil patterns etched on her face.
Those patterns, like a Curse Mark, were deeply engraved into her skin.
Anyone who witnessed that Curse Mark would feel a terror and revulsion stemming from deep within their soul.
Even some of those of weaker wills would faint from merely getting close to her.
People from the Heavenly Principle Church had come to see her.
Following that, they prophesied before Saint Laurent VI.
From the day of her birth, this Third Imperial Princess was doomed to be despised by the gods, her very existence was the root of evil and fear, and she was bound to bring catastrophic disasters to everyone.
That Curse Mark was named "Evil Seed," a curse amalgamating all the evil and filth in the world.
Any being born into this world would instinctively feel disgust and repulsion at their first sight of her.
According to tradition, Ivyst, still in swaddling clothes, should have been sent to the Heresy Court for execution.
Yet, Saint Laurent VI still spared her life.
But since she had caused the death of his beloved wife, even as a father, he never showed Ivyst any kindness.
In her memory, Saint Laurent VI's attitude toward her had always been different from his attitude toward his other sons and daughters, filled with scolding and beatings.
She felt as though she had never been loved by anyone.
Ivyst knew this from a very young age.
The servants around her always wore fearful smiles in her presence, and behind her back, they invariably called her a "monster," their words thick with undisguised disgust.
Any companions she had never lasted long, either they died or went mad.
Over time, she gradually understood that her mere existence was a mistake.
Due to the Curse Mark, all life from this world could never love her.
At best, they could only fear her because of her destructive power.
But since this life was given by her mother, Ivyst was not willing to give it up so easily.
After much deliberation, on the day of her coming-of-age ceremony, she declared something in front of a large audience.
She would participate in the King's election, competing for the throne against the other eight princes and princesses.
Ivyst had a faint premonition, or rather, a hope.
She felt that perhaps, once she became the next Saint Laurent Emperor and made the world less ugly, where everyone lived in beauty and hope, perhaps people's perceptions of her might improve.
Naturally, everyone took this thought as a joke.
How could a woman seen as a bane and demon boldly take that position?
However, Ivyst didn't care about their opinions.
Furthermore, from that day on, she wore a mask, permanently sealing away her face.
Ironically, her mother had once been the most beautiful woman in the Imperial Capital.
Yet in the end, she became someone who dared not show her true face.
The "Evil Seed" Curse Mark on her face and the extraordinary power she was born with seemed to her not a glory but a shame and a scar.
Her noble status, after masking her face, lessened her impact on the people around her.
Gradually, people began to pledge allegiance to her.
But no one dared to ever bring up terms like "appearance" or "looks" in her presence.
They clearly understood that the Curse Mark on her face had always been a sore point for the Princess.
Who would dare expose her scars?
Doing so would undoubtedly be tantamount to seeking death.
So when Lynn unwittingly removed Ivyst's mask, a repressed sense of shame and rage, along with a deep-seated resentment that nearly materialized, surged through her heart.
"You... are courting death!!!"
She actually had some admiration for this destitute lad from the Bartleion family.
Just as he had said, the caliber of her subordinates was indeed average, nowhere near the other princes.
Over the years, she increasingly yearned for talented individuals to aid her.
Many things can't simply be done with strength alone.
So after meeting Lynn, she strangely felt an emotion called "cherishment".
But whoever it is, once they cross her bottom line, there's only one outcome.
As power surged, countless blood-red thorns seemed to respond to her inner anger. They opened up the earth like waves and surged toward the figure before her.
Human life is indeed too fragile.
For an ordinary person like him, a gentle application of force could utterly shatter him.
Just as Ivyst was about to cleanse the shame deep in her heart with his life, a weak voice suddenly reached her ears.
The surge of thorns stopped at the last moment right on Lynn's body.
Ivyst's movements involuntarily halted.
"You... What did you say?"
Upon hearing those unfamiliar words, Ivyst's thoughts froze.
The carriage? The thorns? The night?
Or is he speaking about... me?
Feeling Lynn's gaze staying on her face, the answer was self-evident.
Ivyst took a deep breath.
She looked into Lynn's clear blue eyes, trying to find fear and disgust in his gaze.
Even the slightest bit of hesitation would cause her to instantly grind him into blood mud.
However, perhaps she stared too intently, or maybe it was due to the toxin on the blood-red thorns acting up, leading to his distracted mind.
In any case, she failed to notice any of the negative emotions she had become accustomed to since childhood.
Not only that, but she even sensed a hint of... obsession from his eyes?
Surely... Surely all lives born into this world should be filled with disgust at the sight of her face.
For a moment, Ivyst felt a confusion like never before.
The anger and shame that had filled her heart just moments ago had vanished without trace.
Instead, they were replaced by a bewildering emotion.
"Hey, make yourself clear!"
She grabbed Lynn's collar and slightly raised her voice.
But he had somehow fallen into a deep sleep, with slight snores sounding out.
Dammit, you aren't allowed to sleep! The Princess still hasn't cleared up the questions she wanted to ask!
Ivyst regretted her impulsive action just now, and her heart grew even more irritated.
After a long while, Ivyst waved her hand lightly.
The chaotic thorns that had overturned the manor's lawn suddenly shattered into specks of extraordinary power and drifted away with the wind.
Then, the elderly housekeeper who had left earlier returned.
Her indifferent demeanor remained, without giving Lynn a single glance from start to end.
"Your Highness, should we dispose of him?"
The housekeeper bent down.
Ivyst didn't speak, and handed the person she was holding over to her.
The housekeeper nodded and prepared to leave, to let this little thief who had infuriated the Princess disappear from the world completely.
But the next second, she suddenly heard a somewhat hesitant voice from behind her.
"Send him to the lab. Let Milani handle it... Forget it, try to keep him alive."
"Yes, Your Highness."
The elderly housekeeper, with her back to her, showed a touch of surprise in her eyes for the first time upon hearing this order and gave an unprecedented glance at Lynn.
Following that, she dragged him once more toward the Underground Prison.