Episode 8

 

Lindsey leaned her head against the carriage window with a tired expression. She closed her eyes, contemplating what she had to do next.

 

‘I have to erase my name from the family registry.’

 

The Kesion family recorded the names of their children in the registry when they were born.

 

It was for the sake of the family’s lifelong prosperity. This was also why Lindsey had never been able to escape the family, despite despising it.

 

Once listed in the registry, the members of the Kesion family could track down their whereabouts even if they tried to escape.

 

‘Is that all? I could also cast a curse.’

 

It was common for fugitives from the cursed Kesion family to beg for their lives and return to the family.

 

‘There’s only one way to escape.’

 

Lindsey thought so as she wrote down a word with her finger.

 

Death.

 

Her father believed that erasing Lindsey’s name from the registry was the only solution.

 

‘Father is a rational person.’

 

Lindsey recalled her father, Crane Kesion.

 

“Lindsey Kesion. You must prove your worth. You can never escape until you repay all the favors you owe to the family.”

 

“Awaken as a Saint and elevate the honor of the family!”

 

Thinking of Crane’s vile face, Lindsey grimaced.

 

“You are a member of the Kesion Marquisate. That fact will never change. Never!”

 

Even on the way to her engagement with Azette, Crane had said such things, capturing Azette’s heart and urging her to repay the favors she owed to him.

 

Lindsey found his words utterly ridiculous.

 

‘What favors have I received?’

 

Crane was truly shameless and disgusting. As she thought of him, she also remembered the person who had opposed him.

 

Lindsey’s complexion turned pale.

 

‘Father’s eternal hound. Mikhail.’

 

As she remembered his cold face, Lindsey felt a shiver down her spine.

 

‘He told that man to leave forever. Never to be seen again.’

 

He was cruel. He could kill Lindsey for not heeding his warning.

 

But now she was returning to the Kesion Marquisate. It was inevitable for a successful escape.

 

‘I have to do my best.’

 

Lindsey opened her eyes.

 

Then she saw Bianca looking at her with concern.

 

“Lindsey, are you alright? Your complexion doesn’t look good. Aren’t you still feeling cold?”

 

Bianca’s voice was cautious.

 

It seemed as if she saw Lindsey as fragile as glass, easily broken.

 

‘Well, it wasn’t exactly a lie.’

 

Before getting on the carriage, Lindsey changed her clothes and took a shower at Bianca’s mansion nearby.

 

So she managed to at least look presentable, but she couldn’t hide her tired complexion.

 

“We’ll arrive at the Kesion Marquisate soon.”

 

Bianca looked at Lindsey with a face that still didn’t seem to grasp the reality.

 

Though partially absent-minded, Lindsey couldn’t forget what she had done.

 

The touch of her hand that had held her. And what had happened afterwards. Thinking of that time made her head spin with a satisfaction she had never experienced before.

 

It was the same now.

 

‘Is this the power of a true Saint?’

 

That would be the only explanation.

 

Saint and transcendents.

 

She had heard stories of transcendents born with a weak connection to the power of the goddess. Dependence on the Saint.

 

It was common among transcendents who could quench their thirst through the power of healing.

 

‘Was this the feeling they described?’

 

When Bianca had heard those stories through rumors, she had never believed them.

 

‘What are the Saint so dependent on?’

 

To her, the healing of the Saint was only pain. Most of the noble bloods, like herself, would likely share the same thought.

 

But after being healed by Lindsey’s power, her thoughts had completely changed.

 

They completely understood.

 

‘Did they always feel this way?’

 

She even felt a slight jealousy towards the transcendents with weak powers. Bianca didn’t know how Lindsey could heal her.

 

One thing was certain, Lindsey was special.

 

So special that she didn’t want to send her to the Kesion Marquisate.

 

‘Do I really have to send her? Wouldn’t it be better if she lived with the Rosset family?’

 

Even Bianca, who had strong self-control, felt a momentary dark desire. The power of the goddess was clouding her mind.

 

As if sensing Bianca’s thoughts, Lindsey grabbed her hand.

 

In an instant, her mind cleared and the ferocity subsided. It was a feeling of purification as the influence of the goddess, which had incited negative thoughts in her, was cleansed. And Bianca was taken aback by Lindsey’s words.

 

“I awakened as a Saint, as you’ve seen.”

 

“When… when did you… Why did you hide it until now?”

 

“I didn’t hide it. I just awakened later, that’s all.”

 

“…”

 

In this world, if you didn’t become a valuable person, you couldn’t survive.

 

“Bianca, I have a favor to ask.”

 

At Lindsey’s words, Bianca raised her head to face her.

 

“When the time comes that Bianca needs help, will you be able to help me then?”

 

“Later, when Bianca needs help, can you help me then?”

 

Lindsey bowed her head.

 

“I’m sorry for asking for help so arbitrarily.”

 

She worried that her words might seem shameless. But what Lindsey heard in her ear was Bianca’s soft voice.

 

“Please lift your head, Lindsey dear.”

 

A smile lit up Bianca’s face.

 

“The Rosset family never forgets favors. So you can confidently ask me for help.”

 

⋆★⋆

 

Gio looked down at the window with a surprised expression. Two women entering the mansion caught his eye.

 

“Bianca Rosset? Why is she here?”

 

Gio’s eyes sparkled with interest as he noticed the woman next to Bianca.

 

“Raysis, take a look at that. Has your dirty blood returned home?”

 

The man lying halfway on the chair, covering his face with a book, Raysis, opened his eyes at Gio’s words. He removed the book from his face.

 

“Dirty blood?”

 

A remarkably handsome face was revealed.

 

‘Filthy, yet so handsome’

 

Gio smirked at Raysis.

 

The appearance of the transcendent beings, who inherited the power of the goddess, was astonishing. Among them, Raysis had a particularly striking appearance.

 

People who saw his face would forget that he was a transcendent being. Gio knew the truth about Raysis.

 

‘A flower with poison.’

 

There couldn’t be a better description for Raysis.

 

Raysis’s face twisted grimly. He got up from lying down and headed to the window.

 

It was as Gio had said.

 

Lindsey’s figure appeared beyond the window. The gatekeepers were letting her in.

 

Lindsey Kesion, his younger sister, engaged off to the Ledian Duchy as if she were sold off. It had been a long time since his father had discarded her for being useless.

 

And now Lindsey was returning…?

 

Did she want to die?

 

Raysis hoped Lindsey would never return here.

 

Her return meant she had been abandoned by Azette Ledian in the end.

 

“So it’s come to this.”

 

Raysis’s face twisted.

 

“How did she get in?”

 

“What?”

 

“Father told her not to come back until she proved her usefulness… Why did the gatekeepers open the door for her?”

 

If Lindsey wanted to survive, she had to stick to the Ledian family no matter what.

 

“I thought she wouldn’t come back….”

 

The Kesion Marquis was more ruthless than anyone.

 

He didn’t acknowledge incompetence.

 

In the worst case, she could be disposed of. That was how the Krian operated. He didn’t know how many worthless children had disappeared so far.

 

Raysis, too, didn’t particularly like Lindsey.

 

There was a long-standing grudge between him and Lindsey.

 

Lindsey was someone who would be a hindrance to Raysis’s future but not someone who would be of help. However, that didn’t mean he wished for her death.

 

He simply wanted to live where his gaze couldn’t reach.

 

“Strange urgent messages have arrived from Sylvia Ledian, but are they really planning to break off the engagement?” Lindsey protested against the insults she had received from herself to the Kesion Marquis. The urgent message stated that Azette and Lindsey were going to break off their engagement.

 

“How foolish. If she wanted to live, she should have stuck around no matter what.”

 

Raysis’s face darkened.

 

The door of the Kesion Marquis opened. Lindsey walked in confidently. Gio exclaimed as if surprised.

 

“That carriage… You know it belongs to the Rosset Duchy, right?”

 

“….”

 

“I don’t understand why that Bianca person would come here with such dirty blood.”

 

Despite Gio’s sharp words, Raysis remained silent. Since the day his relationship with Lindsey soured, this had been his way of dealing with things. Ignoring those who tormented or blamed Lindsey.

 

Treating Lindsey as if she didn’t exist.

 

“Bianca Rosset seems to be lenient with dirty blood after all.”

 

“….”

 

“You must be feeling disgusted too. I heard that that lowlife lost your mother’s heirloom.”

 

Raysis gripped the window frame. Without turning his gaze, he opened his mouth towards Gio.

 

“Shut your mouth.”

 

“What?”

 

“I’m telling you not to meddle in our family affairs lightly.”

 

“….”

 

“If you want to walk out of here on two legs, you better be careful.”

 

His gaze remained fixed on Lindsey, never leaving her.