Almost there.

Yeomyeong, engulfed in golden mana, suddenly felt a surge of certainty.

Even as mana drained relentlessly from his body, and his abused veins screamed in agony, he knew.

The reason was simple: he could feel it—the presence of something deep within the minds of Seti and her sisters.

It writhed and resisted, thrashing against the spell of the seal.

Come out.

Yeomyeong willed the spell forward, hammering the seal’s magic with renewed force.

It wasn’t a delicate method, but it was effective.

The entity wearing the guise of a curse desperately fought back, its resistance palpable.

Just a little more… just a bit longer.

Yeomyeong directed his mana to delve deeper into the sisters’ minds.

Then, with a sharp snap, his capillaries burst, and blood trickled from his nose.

Moments later, blood also dripped from Seti and her sisters' noses, their bodies unable to endure the torrent of mana.

But while the sisters only had to withstand the mana surging through them, Yeomyeong bore the far greater burden of expending it.

His hands trembled violently, the blood vessels in his eyes ruptured, and crimson tears streaked his face.

Finally, as a drop of blood fell from his chin, Yeomyeong grasped it—the thing lodged within the sisters’ minds.

Got you.

Without hesitation, he yanked it out—not metaphorically, but literally.

The seal blazed brilliantly, and dark smoke burst from the sisters’ heads.

It coalesced into a writhing, living mass of black mana, surging with malice.

Unlike the distorted mana Yeomyeong had encountered countless times while dealing with the Korean government, this was far more vile—ten, no, a hundred times more sinister.

An ordinary person, or even a weak superhuman, would have likely vomited just from witnessing it.

But Yeomyeong stared it down with impassive eyes.

After all, no darkness in this world could compare to the monstrous evil he carried in his heart. Compared to that, this was like a candle flickering before the sun.

Let’s finish this.

Yeomyeong spread his palm, forming a blade with his hand, and activated Payanggyul.

A sharp aura coalesced along his palm, and he swung his hand down.

And then…

!!!

It screamed—not with a voice, but telepathically, its anguish echoing in Yeomyeong’s mind.

Rage. Panic. And… fear?

The fear of death?

For a fleeting moment, Yeomyeong sensed its emotions and felt a flicker of curiosity.

But that didn’t stop his hand.

Flash!

The light erupted from Yeomyeong’s strike, shattering the oppressive silence.

As the radiance subsided, the severed collar fell to the ground.

 

Who said it?

Good dreams are like clouds, leaving nothing behind when they pass, while nightmares are like storms, leaving scars that linger.

Was it her sister? Or Scarab?

Someone had said it, but Seti couldn’t remember who.

Then again… it didn’t matter who had said it.

Because they were wrong.

Nightmares weren’t always remembered, and good dreams weren’t always forgotten.

The dream she had just experienced was proof.

A dream of becoming human, of being Yeomyeong’s first.

Such a vivid, indelible memory, etched into her soul, could never be a nightmare.

If it was a nightmare…

If reality meant she was still a sheep, unable to become Yeomyeong’s first, then she’d rather never wake up.

She’d rather stay in that nightmare forever…

“Hey! Wake up already, sis!”

Forever…

“She won’t wake up unless a prince does it, huh?”

“How can you joke right now, you little brat?!”

“Wanna bet?”

“No! Yeomyeong! Get over here already!”

Forever…

“See? Told you it won’t work.”

“This doesn’t make sense… Wait, I got it. Maybe it’s because she didn’t get a kiss?”

“You idiot! Don’t say that!”

“What? You want to try, oppa? Just one kiss—”

…Wait.

 

“…Ah.”

Seti opened her eyes.

As her heavy eyelids lifted, the chill of the night air brushed against her face.

Two deep breaths. Five blinks. Three seconds of rubbing her eyes.

Her vision cleared, and a pair of golden eyes met hers, filled with uncharacteristic worry.

“You’re awake?”

“…Yeomyeong.”

He gently brushed her hair aside and asked, “How are you feeling?”

“I think… I’m okay. What about… the curse? Is it… gone?”

“Of course, it’s broken.”

Yeomyeong’s tone was casual, but Seti knew it hadn’t been a simple task.

The vastly diminished mana in his body and the vivid traces of bloody tears around his eyes were proof enough.

“I… thank you.”

“No need to thank me.”

Yeomyeong smiled faintly.

Seti couldn’t bring herself to smile back. The emotions welling up inside her were too overwhelming, forcing her to press her lips tightly shut.

But sometimes, silence could convey more than words.

Her blue eyes locked onto his golden ones.

The two colors, while distinct, drew closer to each other, and eventually…

Eventually…

Wait. What about the others?

Seti’s thoughts snapped back to reality as she glanced to the side.

In the corner of the rooftop where the remnants of the magic circle lay, four familiar pairs of eyes were staring at her and Yeomyeong.

Nety twitched her fingers awkwardly. Isis and Soemiri watched with unbridled curiosity. And…

“Why’d you stop? The mood was great. Keep going.”

Siri, wiping a nosebleed with a deadpan expression.

…!

Seti froze, her body stiff with embarrassment before she sprang to her feet.

She almost screamed when she realized she’d been resting on Yeomyeong’s lap, but her pride as an older sister barely kept her mouth shut.

After a brief, awkward silence, she spoke only after Yeomyeong stood and dusted himself off.

“…Is everyone okay?”

Siri answered with a teasing grin.

“Wow, took you long enough to ask. I guess having a guy around makes your sisters less important, huh?”

“…Siri, cut it out.”

The moment Seti’s sharp voice cut her off, Siri cleared her throat.

“…We’re fine. The curse is gone. I’ve checked myself, Soemiri, and the others.”

“….”

“No side effects, mana’s intact, and the worst anyone suffered was a little nosebleed.”

Siri glanced at the others, who nodded in agreement.

Finally, Seti let out a genuine sigh of relief.

‘…Thank goodness.’

It wasn’t too late. She and her sisters were finally free of their collars. They could live as humans.

And all of it was thanks to one person. Chun Yeomyeong—my Scarab, my destiny—

My—

Seti blushed furiously, unable to finish the thought. She couldn’t even think it, let alone say it aloud.

As she ducked her head to hide her reddening cheeks, Yeomyeong approached and held something out.

“Seti. Take a look at this.”

In his hand was a small, jet-black crystal, no bigger than a thumbnail.

Seti looked between the crystal and Yeomyeong’s face.

“…What is it?”

“It’s a remnant of the mana from the curse. I kept it, just in case.”

A remnant of the curse? Seti took the crystal and examined it closely.

It absorbed light with an ominous sheen, but there was nothing particularly special about it.

Still, something about it felt both unsettling and familiar.

“Do you sense anything?”

“…No, nothing.”

“Hm. Then maybe it’s just a crystal.”

As the two studied it, the crystal suddenly sparked with a red flash.

Seti instinctively tried to draw on her mana, but Yeomyeong reacted faster.

He snatched the crystal from her hand and pushed her behind him protectively.

“What’s going on? Sis? What happened?”

The sisters rushed over, alarmed, while the crystal continued emitting red sparks in Yeomyeong’s palm.

“Are you okay?”

Watching the flashing crystal, Seti asked with concern.

“I’m fine. It’s just a little sting.”

“Do you sense anything from it?”

“Not much, but… Hmm, wait.”

Yeomyeong narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the crystal. He clenched his fist around it and even infused it with mana.

After a moment, his expression darkened.

“…This crystal is receiving mana from outside.”

“From outside?”

“The mana is coming from somewhere close. It feels familiar, but I can’t place it.”

“Let me see.”

Yeomyeong handed her the crystal, and Seti studied it intently.

As he’d said, the red sparks were the result of mana being transmitted from outside the dormitory.

What stood out was how deeply familiar the mana felt to her.

How could she forget? The mana belonged to the shepherds who had tightened the collars around her and her sisters.

“This is definitely a remnant of the curse,” she said, turning the crystal over in her hands.

Yeomyeong’s expectant gaze urged her to continue.

“The mana being transmitted into this crystal is from the shepherds. It’s the incantation they use to activate the curse.”

“What? Then…”

“…It means they’re nearby, trying to reactivate the curse. Probably pissed off because we’re not answering their calls.”

Seti chuckled, toying with the crystal.

Her sisters exchanged puzzled looks, but Seti’s mind raced with ideas for how to use the crystal.

A device to track when and where they pull the leash.

With a bit of ingenuity, she could turn it against them, delivering an unforgettable night to the intruder who dared enter the academy.

Seti’s lips curved into a sly grin as she asked Yeomyeong, “Yeomyeong, do you think those Korean teacher candidates received proper clearance? Or do you think they’re trespassing?”

“…Probably the latter.”

“If they get mistaken for terrorists, they won’t have any excuses, right?”

Catching on to her meaning, Yeomyeong shook his head with a resigned sigh.

“…This is going to be a long night.”

 

In the darkness surrounding the first-year girls’ dormitory, not even the wind dared to whisper.

Masked figures recited a vile incantation, designed to provoke the curse, crush the will of its victims, and inflict unimaginable pain.

The spell alone was enough to land them before the International Magic Tribunal, yet neither guilt nor hesitation clouded their minds.

Instead, a flicker of unease crept into their thoughts.

Why are they holding out this long? They’ll die at this rate.

“…Should we stop?” one of the masked women asked, pausing her chant.

Her superior turned to her with a sharp glare.

“…Not yet. Continue until we hear from the other side.”

“But… prolonged exposure could cause permanent damage. Even the Black Sheep can’t endure this curse for much longer.”

Her warning was reasonable, but the superior dismissed it coldly.

“The Green Sheep can heal her.”

“…The Green Sheep isn’t a saintess. If she suffers a cerebral hemorrhage—”

Her words trailed off as she met the superior’s crazed eyes, glinting behind the mask.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“….”

“If breaking one sheep reinvigorates the others’ patriotism, it’s worth it.”

The superior’s tone was resolute.

“Keep going.”

Without further argument, the woman resumed her chanting. She wasn’t in charge, and rebellion would accomplish nothing.

All she could offer was a silent prayer for the foolish Black Sheep who had chosen to resist.

May you be reborn as a patriot in your next life.

As the incantation resumed, her military phone buzzed with an incoming call.

The number was unfamiliar, but its source was unmistakable—only the ranch’s livestock had access to it.

She answered, and a familiar voice came through.

“This is the Red Sheep. I repeat, the Red Sheep!”

The voice of the fourth sister, O Siri. The superior’s gaze shifted to the phone as she demanded, “Speak. Why are you only calling now?”

“There’s… been a problem.”

“A problem?”

“Our sister… she’s been kidnapped.”

“…What?”

Kidnapped? Even the burly masked man beside her frowned and leaned in to listen.

“We… we couldn’t do anything. That lunatic suddenly attacked her and…”

“Wait. Explain. Who is this lunatic?”

“Him! The one who recently transferred into the academy with the Saintess…”

“…Chun Yeomyeong.”

The superior finished the sentence, her narrowed eyes gleaming dangerously.

“Explain further. Why did he kidnap the Black Sheep?”

“We’re not sure. He’s been following her recently, but…”

A brief silence fell over the group. So that’s why the curse had elicited no response—because the Black Sheep was already…

“Please, you have to save her! Who knows what he’s doing to her right now…”

Sobs echoed through the line. Despite the pitiful sound, the superior’s face remained hardened.

“…Do you know his current location?”

“The Green Sheep saw him heading toward the park north of the dormitory. We couldn’t follow him further…”

“Understood. And your current location?”

“We’re all at the dormitory. The Green Sheep is injured, and the others are tending to her…”

Before Siri could finish, the superior cut her off.

“Leave the dormitory immediately. Head west to the large chestnut tree. I’ll wait there.”

“What about my sister?! What will happen to her?”

“We’ll handle it. End of transmission.”

“W-wait—!”

The superior disconnected and silenced the repeated call-back attempts. She turned to her subordinate with a grim expression.

“What will you do? If the Black Sheep’s purity is compromised—”

The superior drew her whip and answered coldly, “Don’t worry. It’s an opportunity.”

“…An opportunity?”

“We’ll use the Black Sheep as bait to lure Chun Yeomyeong to our side.”

“….”

The subordinates were stunned by the plan’s audacity. To think she could devise such a strategy in mere moments.

Then again, it made sense. If they could turn the Black Sheep into a pawn to capture Yeomyeong, they’d eliminate a nuisance while securing a valuable asset.

“…I’ll go ahead and investigate. You two, meet with the sheep and follow behind.”

With that, the superior turned her back on the dormitory and sprinted toward the north park.

The remaining two masked figures prepared to move toward the chestnut tree. But when they arrived at their destination, an unexpected figure awaited them.

“…Just two?”

The transfer student with golden eyes, the one who had supposedly kidnapped the Black Sheep, stood before them.

His cold smile sent a chill down their spines.

“Perfect.”