Marin was taken from the dungeon.
Dragged out roughly like livestock being pulled from a pen to be slaughtered, Marin was thrown to the floor.
"......Keuk."
She didn't even have the strength to scream or groan.
The ice-cold floor temporarily awakened Marin's dazed mind.
There were black shoes in front of her.
Marin struggled to lift her head.
As if he were a god, only purple eyes peered down at Marin from the darkness.
Duke Ego Rodbel.
Known as the most capable and the most cold-blooded of all the dukes.
...And one of the few humans Marin hated.
When Marin first became a maid at the Rodbel estate under Estio's orders, she was filled with admiration for the Duke.
Duke Ego Rodbel's reputation had reached even the underground of the Ammyung Guild, where Marin desperately struggled to survive.
The Duke's achievements made the empire stronger and richer, and the Rodbel family's status surpassed even the imperial family.
All the people of the empire praised the Rodbel family, and the Ammyung Guild was no different.
In the stories, Rodbel was radiant, and Marin admired Rodbel.
Even if the light Rodbel created did not reach the underground of the Ammyung Guild.
'Become Rodbel's maid.'
So she was overjoyed when she received Estio's order.
The mere thought of belonging to the dazzling Rodbel filled her with overwhelming emotion.
But the reality of Rodbel was different from the image Marin had painted.
She learned that there was a very dark part within Rodbel that the light did not reach.
Marin learned about Rodbel's true nature when she received a new order after becoming a maid.
[Report on every move of 'that'.]
That. Lucia Rodbel.
A name that everyone in Rodbel knew vaguely.
More precisely.
'A bastard child... was it?'
A child called a bastard instead of a name.
A half-Rodbel who was not born with Rodbel's unique white hair and purple eyes.
She was Rodbel in name only and treated worse than a beggar on the street.
'Oh, what filth is loitering in front of my eyes!'
'I told you not to come out of your room, didn't I?'
'You'll have no dinner tonight!'
Marin watched from the shadows as she was abused by the servants, barely given a proper meal, and yet desperately tried to receive affection from her family.
Even after suffering such harsh abuse, Lucia was steadfast.
Marin saw the image of another person overlapped with Lucia's appearance.
'You useless piece of garbage!'
Thwack!
Avoiding flying stones, holding two moldy potatoes in her hands, running barefoot on the frozen road as a young child.
But Lucia was different from her.
Unlike herself, who was a commoner from the streets, Lucia had the blood of the noble Rodbel, even if only half.
Yet the reason she was treated like that was because of the indifference of the head of the family and Lucia's father, the Duke of Rodbel.
Whether Lucia was slandered, bullied, or even clung to him begging for affection, he didn't budge.
Because of his indifference, Lucia's life became even more difficult.
'Irresponsible human being!'
Marin was furious at the Duke of Rodbel's attitude.
She felt disillusioned with the Rodbel family.
What kind of family was this, supposedly loved by God?
What kind of family was this, supposedly radiant with glory!
'Unable to even take care of his own child properly.'
The eyes that had been full of admiration and longing for Duke Ego Rodbel had changed to resentment and hatred.
At the time, she only thought it was because she was disappointed in the Duke's irresponsible behavior.
She didn't even realize that it stemmed from her affection for Lucia.
Even now, with Lucia betrayed and death before her eyes, her resentment and hatred for him remained.
She had no desire to beg him for her life, to plead with him for mercy.
Rather, this moment was the only opportunity to face the Duke.
Staring at him with eyes that seemed to tear him apart, Marin moved her tattered lips.
"......You, don't, know."
Her hoarse voice couldn't even utter proper pronunciations.
Each syllable felt as painful as if something sharp was stabbing inside her throat.
"Because of you, how much that person......"
Yet Marin didn't stop speaking.
"What......!"
Just as Ligrin was about to cover Marin's mouth, the Duke raised his hand to stop him and sent him a look.
Reading that look, Ligrin quietly left the prison.
A space now left with only the two of them.
The Duke ordered.
"Continue speaking."
Even with someone who wanted to kill him in front of him, he was still arrogant and aloof.
His relaxed appearance completely shattered Marin's reason.
What was so great about that man?
What was so great about the man who had abandoned his own child for the sole reason that she only had half of his blood!
Gritting.
Her teeth ground.
She smiled, holding blood in her mouth.
Since he told her to speak, she would gladly do so.
"I've been watching Lucia-sama from behind all along."
The Duke's eyes flickered slightly at the name 'Lucia', but Marin didn't notice.
"Lucia-sama was always alone."
"......"
"Because you ignored Lucia-sama for that ridiculous reason, Lucia-sama lived a hellish life- Cough! Cough!"
Was it because of her rage?
As if something exploded inside her, her chest burned and she coughed.
"Cough! Cough!"
Soon after, she vomited something.
A self-deprecating smile formed on Marin's lips as she confirmed what it was.
Blood.
The dark red blood that Marin vomited stained the Duke's brown shoes.
Watching it, Marin instinctively sensed.
Ah...... I'm going to die soon.
I won't last much longer.
Marin closed her eyes.
One person's face came to mind.
'......Lucia-sama.'
Everyone ignored and hated Lucia, but Marin was different.
Although she had approached her with impure intentions, she had come to genuinely like her at some point.
Would something have changed if she had realized that feeling earlier?
Instead of following Estio's orders, would something have changed if she had offered to escape this wretched place together?
She slowly opened her eyes.
She didn't even have the strength to lift her eyelids, but she still had something to do.
'I have to do what I can do now.'
She wanted to use her last breath for Lucia.
What could she do for Lucia now?
That was.......
"......Lucia-sama truly loved you."
To tell that heartless father how much Lucia had suffered in her stead.
"No matter how much you ignored and neglected her, she liked you for the sole reason that you were family."
"......"
"You're the one who drove Lucia-sama to hell. So live your whole life......"
Repenting.
Marin couldn't finish her words and lowered her head.
She could feel her life force draining away with each breath.
Leaning her face against the cold ground, Marin looked at the empty air with blurred vision.
'Lucia-sama.......'
She thought only of Lucia until the very last moment.
Actually...... actually.......
'I want to be with you a little longer.'
The time she spent with Lucia was enjoyable, but at the same time, it was suffocating.
Every time she used the magic homing bird to report Lucia's every move to Estio, she realized her own situation.
Guilt, regret, and longing flowed with her tears.
Just as she was about to close her eyes like that.
"Certainly, your feelings for Lucia seem to be genuine."
Saying that, the Duke slowly lowered himself.
A large hand grabbed Marin's chin and lifted it.
He monotonously muttered.
"You said you were from the Ammyung Guild."
His cold voice pierced Marin's ear.
"Even if you were scheduled to be disposed of, if you went right before becoming a full member, your skills would be certain."
"......What......"
"Lucia came to me. She told me to reinstate you as her maid. She even threatened me, presumptuously."
"......!!"
Marin's eyes widened.
Lucia-sama, me......?
She looked up at the Duke with disbelieving eyes.
'......I can't see.'
She wanted to confirm the truth, but her eyesight was almost gone, and it was too dark around her to see what kind of expression he was making.
The only thing Marin could see was the pair of purple eyes that held a light.
"The terms of the deal didn't include any conditions regarding your life, so even if you return as a corpse, it wouldn't be a breach of contract."
"......"
"That's what I was planning to do at first, but I've changed my mind."
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