Chapter 0

“Roa, wake up! Hurry!”

It was the dead of night. Twelve-year-old Roabellin, who had been fast asleep, snapped her eyes open at the urgent voice of her aunt, Estina.

“Auntie…?”

“Intruders. Change into your most comfortable clothes and shoes as fast as you can. We have to escape right now. Quickly!!”

This was the residence of Duke Hertenes, the most prestigious noble family in the Kingdom of Aventador. To possess much was, conversely, to have much to lose. Having produced almost every Queen for a thousand years, the Hertenes family always had to be prepared for attacks from rival factions.

Though the loyal knights of the Dukedom guarded the castle, there was no guarantee their defenses wouldn’t be breached. Therefore, the family had been repeatedly trained on evacuation procedures and basic self-defense for such emergencies.

At the word ‘intruders,’ Roabellin reacted instinctively. Following her training, she quickly changed into the practical clothes she kept within arm’s reach.

After stuffing whatever valuables and jewels she could grab into a pre-packed emergency bag, Roabellin and Estina ran not toward the bedroom door, but toward the wall.

Just as the two hid behind a secret door leading to a subterranean passage and closed it, thugs burst into the room. They held their breath, watching the situation through a tiny hole in the wall.

‘There’s no one in the bed, so they’ll search the room, right…?’

But something was strange. The intruders approached the bed without a word and began stabbing the blankets and pillows repeatedly with their swords. After doing this several times, they lifted the covers, slung the now-shredded pillows over their shoulders, and left.

Though they couldn’t understand the situation, the two sighed in relief, having survived the first crisis.

“Phew…”

“Ha… Roa, let’s go to the others.”

The family’s rooms were cleverly connected through this secret passage, which also led out of the castle via the basement. It was a structure so secretive that among the servants, only the butler of thirty years knew of its existence. Although it was a complex maze, Estina and Roabellin, having grown up in this castle, could find their way blindfolded.

“Yes, Auntie. We might need to warn them.”

Before moving on, they looked through a gap facing the front of the castle to see what was happening in the central garden.

The family knights were already locked in combat with unidentified assailants. In the chaos, they spotted Roabellin’s brother, Itanistad. Despite his exceptional swordsmanship for a sixteen-year-old, he seemed overwhelmed by the sudden onslaught of what appeared to be professional assassins.

“Auntie, brother is…! Can’t you help him with your magic?” Roabellin whispered through tears.

Estina hesitated for a moment but soon shook her head weakly.

“The intruders are deeper inside than I thought. If I use mana here, our position will be revealed to those hiding in the mansion. And Roabellin… their target was likely you from the start.”

Estina gripped Roabellin’s shoulders firmly.

“It’s killing me too, but I cannot risk your life to help Itan! Your life is the one thing our family must protect above all else.”

Tears streamed down Roabellin’s face, but she couldn’t refute those words. Biting her lip as she looked at her niece, Estina led her further into the secret passage. Their feet moved busily, but their minds were numb from the unbelievable reality.

When they arrived behind the door leading to the Duke and Duchess’s chambers, a shout erupted from inside.

“Honey!! Run!! Go to the children!!”

Intruders had already reached their room as well. Startled by her father’s voice, Roabellin tried to open the door, but Estina’s hand immediately caught her.

Then, the Duchess’s piercing scream rang out.

“Aaagh!! Darling!!!”

The next moment, a pained final breath escaped her lips.

“Ugh…!”

And then, the sound of something heavy collapsing to the floor.

“…!”

Even in that thunderous moment, Estina kept her wits and muffled her niece’s mouth. Roabellin struggled to break free and enter the room, unable to even make a sound. Estina pinned her down and whispered quickly, her voice trembling as she fought back tears.

“Get a grip, Roa. It’s… it’s too late. Going in won’t bring your parents back. You have to survive. Your parents would want that.”

Roabellin just stared blankly, tears falling, her mouth still covered. Estina bit her own lip until it bled to keep from sobbing.

Meanwhile, the frantic footsteps inside the room grew quiet. They managed to stand on trembling legs and nudged the secret door open just enough to see inside.

The floor was drenched in blood, but the bodies were gone. The sight of her family’s blood was agonizing. They swallowed their tears and looked out the window. The moment they saw the scene outside, they both covered their mouths with both hands.

“…!”

In the central garden, the bodies of the Hertenes knights were being piled up like a hill. On one side of the mound lay the blood-soaked body of her younger brother, Emilique; soon, masked men dragged the bodies of the Duke and Duchess and tossed them on top.

Though it was night, there were enough torches to clearly recognize their faces. They were in their nightclothes, brutally mangled with wounds to their necks and stomachs.

Roabellin and Estina froze at the sight. Seeing the men casually gathering and throwing the bodies they had dragged out, it was clear that the slaughter was over. Itanistad’s body was likely buried somewhere within the pile of knights. Strangely, among the corpses were the shredded pillows taken from Roabellin’s room, but no one seemed to care. Of course, in their state of shock, Estina and Roabellin didn’t notice such details.

One of the figures in black robes stepped toward the pile of bodies. Red mana surged from his hand, and the mountain of corpses instantly caught fire. The remains of the Hertenes family and their loyal knights were engulfed in flames.

The flickering sparks reflected in the hollow eyes of Roabellin and Estina. Without knowing why, their entire family had been murdered in an instant, and now they couldn’t even recover the bodies. It was a trauma that shattered the mind.

A horrific smell of burning flesh wafted from the pyre, reaching their hiding spot.

“Ugh!”

Roabellin gagged. Her most precious family members were nothing more than pieces of meat to be burned by those people. The pain was so great she could hardly breathe. That vivid, nauseating smell was proof that this nightmare was real.

Then, the man in the black robe gave orders to the others. They scattered quickly, setting fire to various parts of the building. Though the outer walls were stone, the magically conjured fire seeped into the crevices, forcing its way inside. Soon, the interior began to roar with flames.

It was Roabellin who snapped back to her senses first. Staggering to her feet, she reached out to Estina.

“Auntie, we have to leave. Let’s go. I… I’m going to survive. I’m the only direct descendant of Hertenes left.”

Her words were determined, but she was clearly on the verge of breaking. Looking at her niece, Estina forced herself up.

“…Yes, let’s go.”

The two ran frantically and narrowly escaped the burning castle. On their way out, they found three surviving servants and took them along.

Emerging from the woods surrounding the castle, the five of them ran aimlessly into the darkness, away from any sign of people. The tears that had flowed for hours had finally run dry. As Roabellin ran mechanically with empty eyes, a single thought echoed in her mind: ‘This all happened because of me. Because I am the daughter of this house… because I am the only direct daughter!’