Lucian tilted his head slightly, as if he’d misheard Commander Gareth’s words.
"I’m sorry... Commander Gareth, could you repeat that?"
"As I said before, Master Lucian, please annul your engagement to Princess Helia. This is the letter of annulment."
Commander Gareth pressed the letter directly into Lucian’s hands—embossed with braille dots so that someone who couldn’t see could still read it.
Lucian read carefully. The annulment could only take effect through mutual agreement between both families and both betrothed parties.
His hand trembled as he read. Every word cut into him, because he recognized the handwriting—this had been written by Helia herself.
His fingers traced slowly over the raised dots, as if some part of him hoped the words might change if he read them again.
After careful consideration with both families, I have decided to end our engagement.
His hand paused for a moment. This wasn’t the handwriting he knew—too stiff, too formal. But the pattern of dots beneath his fingertips didn’t lie. This truly had been written by Helia herself.
As a future student of Orvis Academy, I require a partner who can stand as my equal before the court—someone with real strength, unclouded sight, and a future the Empire can clearly see.
Something invisible tightened around Lucian’s chest. It wasn’t that the words themselves were foreign to him—he’d long known he was blind, talentless, considered a failure by everyone around him.
But hearing it—no, reading it—written by Helia’s own hand, the one person he’d believed had never looked at him that way, cut far deeper than any blade ever could.
I don’t mean to belittle you, Lucian. But the truth remains the truth.
Which truth? he thought bitterly. That he was blind? That he wasn’t the Swordmaster his family had hoped for? Or the truth that the rights to the Pocket Orb he’d given her—a full year of his own labor, the very thing that let Helia write this letter with her head held high—wasn’t mentioned even once?
His finger stopped on the final line.
You yourself know your limitations better than anyone.
For the first time since his sight had partially returned, Lucian found himself wishing he’d remained blind to this. Because he knew—this letter’s intent had truly come from Helia’s own will.
Something in him shattered. He felt, more than ever, that he had been born blind not just to sight, but to feeling itself—as if he wasn’t even allowed to hurt properly.
His lips wanted to speak. He wanted to scream. But what would be the point? Wasn’t everything Helia said about him true, in the end? She had simply used what little he had to offer, and now that it was spent, so was he.
Wrapped in the wreckage of that feeling, a familiar blue light flickered into view again—accompanied by the faint, high chime only he could hear.
TING!
✦ [GODDESS INTERVENTION DETECTED: OPHELIA]
[CONGRATULATIONS! The Conductor has successfully drawn Goddess Ophelia’s attention.]
✦ [SUDDEN QUEST ACTIVATED BY OPHELIA: REVERSE THE REJECTION]
Objective: Manipulate the situation so THE CONDUCTOR publicly annuls the engagement, NOT Princess Helia.
Clear Condition: Preserve Princess Helia’s status and prevent the "Jilted Fiancée" stigma.
Lucian could see the words clearly, but his heart felt too shaken to care. What was the point of following this text now?
Yet the presence behind those words seemed to answer him regardless.
✦ [REWARD: NEW TALENT {HEARTSWHISPER} — TIER ???]
A Talent that allows the Conductor to hear the true voice of another’s heart, under the following conditions:
Must be within 2 meters of direct eye contact.
Cannot penetrate mental defenses. Individuals with high Mana Core, protective artifacts, or mind-shielding magic can obscure their inner voice.
Not recommended for use more than once per week — repeated use may cause severe mental fatigue.
Even after reading it, nothing in Lucian stirred. His gaze had gone hollow, distant. Then, a new line of text flickered into view.
TING!
✦ [ADDITIONAL REWARD: A clue regarding House Lysandra]
This time, Lucian couldn’t tear his eyes away. He was staring at his mother’s family name—a name he had rarely ever heard spoken.
His eyes widened, disbelief mixing sharply with sudden curiosity.
How does this text know my mother’s family name? Does this power have some connection to her side of the family too?
His mind filled with questions, one after another. But beneath the confusion, he could feel the faint edges of the power settling into him—he who once couldn’t see anything at all could now, even if only in silhouettes, make out the shapes of objects and people around him.
Slowly, Lucian understood he couldn’t afford to remain frozen in this moment, no matter how much it hurt. Especially not when the mystery of the "Villain Saintess" still hung unanswered before him.
The more he thought about it, the less it seemed to end.
Straightening his shoulders, Lucian spoke to Gareth, who sat frozen and silent.
"I will accept this annulment letter. But on one important condition."
Not just Gareth—the two figures in the corner startled as well, clearly caught off guard by Lucian’s sudden shift in demeanor.
"What condition, Lucian?"
"Rewrite the letter so that I am the one annulling this engagement."
Thud!
The sound of a book dropping echoed from the corner. It seemed one of the two figures there had been genuinely startled by what Lucian had just said.
Lucian turned his head sharply toward the sound. Through the faint silhouette lines, he could make out one figure bending down to retrieve the fallen book, handing it back to the person beside them.
"Ah, forgive me, Lucian. It seems my guard dropped something."
It was obvious—painfully obvious—that Gareth was trying to hide the identities of those two figures.
But Lucian’s voice came back cold. "Oh? So you weren’t alone here after all, as you claimed earlier?"
The remark landed like a quiet accusation, calling out Gareth’s earlier lie.
"Forgive me, Lucian. I misspoke earlier—I didn’t mean to deceive you—" Gareth started, but Lucian cut him off.
"It’s fine. I understand your position. But what about my proposal?"
"That, of course, can be arranged." Gareth’s voice was thick with curiosity. "But may I ask—why do you wish to be the one to end this engagement?"
"As you know, Princess Helia is a woman of high standing. If she were the one to break off the engagement, wouldn’t that damage her reputation?" Lucian answered without hesitation.
"Lucian... you are far too kind." Gareth hadn’t expected Lucian to think of Helia’s wellbeing so selflessly—especially when the Princess herself clearly hadn’t returned the same consideration. A flicker of guilt crossed Gareth’s face.
"Lucian... regarding your admission to Orvis Academy, perhaps I can help with that as well. You’ve already given the Princess more than enough. But the rights to the Pocket Orb... I’m afraid I cannot make any promises there."
Lucian had never once mentioned the Pocket Orb. And yet he understood immediately—his admission to Orvis Academy must have been something Gareth had arranged specifically, deliberately.
"Thank you very much, Commander Gareth. I’ll handle the matter of Orvis Academy myself. As for the wealth you’re trying to offer me—please, take it back."
Gareth didn’t reach for the gold. Instead, he tore a fresh sheet of paper, quickly wrote something new, and handed it to Lucian.
"Here is the revised annulment letter. Please sign it yourself."
Without hesitation, Lucian signed.
In an instant, the glowing text reappeared before him.
TING!
✦ [REWARD UNLOCKED: NEW TALENT {HEARTWHISPER} — TIER ???]
✦ [ADDITIONAL REWARD UNLOCKED: The clue regarding Lysandrapoints to the city of Peria. The Conductor is advised to travel there immediately to unlock the next clue.]
Peria? Isn’t that the city where the Order of Lumielle is holding tomorrow’s Awakening Ceremony? Should I go there today instead? Lucian murmured to himself.
A sudden spark of energy filled him at the thought of the clue. He rose quickly from his seat.
"Well then, Commander Gareth, since our business here is concluded, allow me to take my leave. I have matters to attend to in Peria today."
"Peria? Weren’t you meant to travel there tomorrow, Master Lucian?"
Lucian nodded. "Indeed. But something else calls me there today."
He bowed toward Gareth—but, to everyone’s surprise, he bowed toward the two figures in the corner as well. Gareth had claimed they were merely guards, but Lucian didn’t believe that for a second. He was certain they were far more significant to this annulment than Gareth wanted him to know.
Lucian closed the door behind him.
Once the door had shut, Gareth turned toward the hidden figure.
"Are you satisfied now, Your Highness? You just let go of a diamond you never knew the value of." His voice was cold, edged with quiet judgment.
Meanwhile, elsewhere—
Rumelia waited anxiously for Lucian. The moment he turned toward her, she threw her arms around him.
"Young Master... don’t worry. Even if Princess Helia has left you, I will never leave your side."
She held him tightly. It seemed she already knew what had happened.
"Hmm. It wasn’t Helia who ended the engagement. It was me who left her."
"WHAT?" Rumelia pulled back, staring at his face—and found him smiling. "Young Master, why are you smiling after everything that’s happened?"
"..."
Lucian didn’t answer. Instead, he simply took her hand. "Come. Let’s go to Peria. Now."
"Peria—now? Not tomorrow?" Rumelia’s confusion only deepened at his increasingly strange behavior.
Lucian merely smiled at Rumelia.
***
Some time later, the two of them sat in a horse-drawn carriage, well into their journey. Lucian appeared to be gazing out the window, lost in thought. But it wasn’t the passing scenery that held his attention—it was the floating text only he could see.
✦ [MAIN QUEST REVEALED — Title: Unveil the Dark Secret of the Villain Saintess! Penalty for Failure: Absolute Possession & Loss of Freedom.]
✦ [REWARD: NEW BLESSING {PROMETHEUS}]
A quest still unsolved—and the identity of this "Villain Saintess" still a mystery. Lucian’s expression turned serious as his mind turned the question over and over.
Rumelia called to him from the driver’s seat up front. "Young Master... what’s really going on? Won’t you tell me?"
Lucian heard her clearly but chose not to answer. Then, without warning, the carriage jolted to a sudden stop.
"Ouch!" Rumelia cried out. Fortunately, Lucian managed to grip the side of the carriage firmly enough to keep from being thrown.
"Rumelia, are you alright?" he asked.
She shook her head—she seemed unharmed. Once he was certain she was safe, Lucian climbed out of the carriage. Through the faint silhouette lines of his sight, he could make out another carriage stopped further down the road ahead.
Curiosity pulling him forward, Lucian approached and caught a strange sound—a voice that seemed caught somewhere between pain and quiet laughter.
His expression shifted into confusion. He moved closer, careful not to make a sound, unsure of what exactly was unfolding ahead.
Suddenly, the quest text flared back into view before him—clearer than before, with new lines of text appended beneath it.
✦ [HARMONY]
✦ [MAIN QUEST REVEALED — Title: Unveil the Dark Secret of the Villain Saintess! Penalty for Failure: Absolute Possession & Loss of Freedom.]
✦ [CRITICAL WARNING
Detail: The Conductor is strongly advised to formulate a thorough plan before executing this quest.
Threat Level: HIGH (Unpredictable Variables Detected)]
And then, growing clearer with every step, Lucian heard it—a moan of twisted pleasure, in a voice he somehow recognized.
"Ngh... stop it, Saintess."