Ethan’s fingertips brushed against the base of Isolde’s neck.
The touch felt like a searing ember forcefully piercing through layers of ice that had been frozen for years.
Isolde’s body instantly tensed. Her blue eyes widened, reflecting Ethan’s figure as he stood calmly before her.
"L-let go..."
She tried to make her voice sound authoritative, but it still trembled.
Her shaking hands tried to swat Ethan’s hand away. Yet, the young man’s grip on her chin didn’t budge an inch.
"Why should I let go?"
Ethan’s voice was low and composed.
"For years, you’ve endured this agony all by yourself. Every single night, you live with a pain that constantly eats away at your body."
Isolde’s gaze wavered.
"H-how do you know...?"
"I know a lot more than you could possibly imagine."
Slowly, Ethan’s hand trailed down until it stopped right above the meridian point where Isolde’s mana congestion was centered.
"No..."
Isolde gritted her teeth.
"Don’t..."
Her pride screamed in refusal.
She was an Archmage.
A Duchess.
The Vice Principal of the Academy.
But her own body was beginning to betray her resolve.
As Ethan channeled his Sin Mana into that specific point, a wave of warm energy immediately pierced through Isolde’s mana circuits.
Whoosh!
The agonizing pain that had crushed her chest for years gradually melted away.
In its place, a soothing warmth spread throughout her entire body, melting away the tension that had never truly left her.
"A-ah..."
Isolde’s breathing grew erratic.
Her body trembled softly as the mana blockage that had shackled her all this time began to dissolve.
Tears unknowingly slipped from the corners of her eyes.
"S-stop..."
But her own voice had lost all its conviction.
For years she had lived with that agonizing pain.
Now, for the very first time...
That torment was finally fading.
Ethan stared at her expressionlessly.
"That highly revered husband of yours..."
He paused for a moment.
"Has he ever freed you from a pain like this?"
That question struck directly at Isolde’s deepest wound.
The defensive walls she had built up all these years began to crumble.
At the exact same time, Ethan called out to the system in his mind.
Activate.
[Command Accepted.]
[Activating Skill: Incubus Mark.]
The Sin Mana in Ethan’s palm mutated into a crimson-black energy.
The energy slithered straight into Isolde’s mana core.
The woman’s body tensed up once again.
Searing heat radiated from her meridian point.
Just beneath her left collarbone, dark lines of energy slowly wove together, forming an emblem resembling a black rose entwined with crimson thorns.
That was...
The Incubus Mark.
The moment the symbol was completed, Isolde felt a brand new connection weave itself deep into her soul.
Something had fundamentally changed.
That tether linked her mana core directly to Ethan.
From that moment on, her magic was no longer entirely her own.
Isolde’s body lost all its strength.
She slumped onto the carpet.
Her breathing was ragged.
Sweat beaded on her temples, while her normally immaculate blonde hair now looked completely disheveled.
The look in her eyes slowly shifted.
The arrogance that had previously been so overwhelming was beginning to fade.
In front of Ethan, a cascade of red notifications popped up.
[Marking Process Successful!]
[Target: Isolde von Rosenberg (Rank S Archmage) has been successfully marked.]
[Initiating Mana Absorption...]
[Successfully absorbed 30% of the Target’s Ice Element Mana Core Capacity.]
BZZZT!
A colossal wave of energy slammed into Ethan’s mana circuits.
His body went rigid.
The freezing aura mixed with his Sin Mana, generating an energy vortex that shook the entire room.
Ethan’s mana circuits were violently forced to expand to accommodate the raw power of an Archmage.
The agonizing pain only lasted for a fleeting second.
And then...
That power flowed flawlessly.
[Host Status Updated.]
[Rank E → Rank D (Elite)]
[New Skill Acquired: Ice Manipulation (High-Tier)]
Ethan opened his palm.
The moisture in the air instantly froze solid.
In the blink of an eye, an ice crystal rose materialized above his palm.
He observed it for a few seconds.
Then, he crushed it.
Crack!
The rose shattered into glittering crystal shards that caught the moonlight.
The very power that was once used to oppress him...
Was now entirely in his grasp.
Ethan looked down at Isolde, who was still trying to catch her breath.
The newly forged tether allowed the woman to feel every single shift in Ethan’s mana flow.
She tried desperately to maintain her composure.
But her body had not yet fully recovered.
Ethan crouched down in front of her once more.
He stared into Isolde’s eyes, which were now brimming with sheer exhaustion.
"You’ve held on for far too long."
His tone remained unnervingly calm.
"From now on, your secret remains safe... as long as you don’t betray me."
Isolde could only return his gaze.
For the very first time in her life, she realized that control over her situation had been completely ripped from her hands.
Silence blanketed the room.
However...
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
Loud knocking on the mahogany door shattered the atmosphere.
Isolde’s body went instantly rigid.
Her face drained of color.
"Mother?"
A young man’s voice called out from behind the door.
"Are you still inside? The lights in your office are still on."
It was Kurt von Rosenberg.
Isolde’s eyes widened.
Pure panic washed over her face.
If her son walked in right now and saw the state of this room...
Everything would be over.
Her reputation.
Her family’s dignity.
Every single secret that had just transpired.
"W-what should I do...?"
she whispered faintly.
Tears began to well up in her eyes once more.
Ethan merely cast a sideways glance toward the door.
Then, he turned back to Isolde.
A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
He raised a single finger to his lips, gesturing for Isolde to stay quiet.
"Your son is here."
Ethan’s voice was barely a whisper.
"Wipe your tears..."
His crimson gaze flared sharply.
"...and tell him to go away."