Prologue

Estelle was the illegitimate child of the Duke.

Originally destined to grow up on the streets, she was a saint that possesses powerful divine power that was hard to find, which led her to the Duke.

‘You have to listen to live a good life.’

My mother gave me over to the Duke for a few bucks.

Rather than worrying about her daughter, she seemed worried that she would be blamed for her mistake.

At any rate, Estelle has always tried to follow her mother’s advice to lead a life of goodness for others.

‘You’re dirty.’

‘It’s better for you to have the fertilizer for livestock.’

However, she was severely bullied by the family that took her in.

But even if so, Estelle didn’t give up.

I thought that if I tried as hard as I could, they would open their hearts to me and treat me as their own.

She always risked her own life for them.

They don’t know how many times she has almost met her end because of the corrupt Duke.

Nevertheless, she still loved the people around her.

No matter what terrible mistakes they made, Estelle always forgives them.

Ten times, a hundred times, she never gave up and always tried to love them as much as she could.

I believed that if I tried as hard as I could, my father, family, and the people around me would open their hearts to me someday.

As so, Estelle’s efforts finally paid off.

But on the day she turned twenty-three….

She suffered terrible betrayal.

Human sacrifice.

She fell into a terrible conspiracy of those she had been trying to love all her life and was offered as a “sacrifice” to the devil.

A saint is the best prey the devil covets.

They became offerings made to the devil to satisfy their desires.

***

After Estelle … No, after ‘Jewell’ disappeared. Two figures appeared near where she was.

“Your Highness, is this where the ‘darkness’ was felt?

“Yes, I clearly felt it.”

The man who answered was a young man with silver hair and pale green eyes. Very smooth and beautiful appearance. The metal glasses gave him a sense of intelligence. He was a man who seemed to have descended from a heavenly angel. The silver haired man said seriously.

“There must be a great appearance of darkness around here.”

“But….”

A taciturn-looking young man, the silver-haired man’s conversation partner, bowed his head.

“I can’t feel any trace of darkness.”

Even sharpening and searching, there was no trace of darkness. But that doesn’t mean that you can ignore the silver-haired man’s words.

Archduke Eusen. Because that was the identity of this silver-haired man.

Surprisingly, this handsome silver-haired man was the Supreme Court Justice of the Empire and the head of the family of the six Dukes, the enlightened lord Archduke Peridot.

Archduke Peridot is the guardian family that has been protecting the empire for 300 years.

This is what the head of the Peridot family said, so I couldn’t ignore his words.

“That’s weird. The Archduke couldn’t have been wrong.”

The taciturn-looking young man, vassal of the Archduke, Count Median bowed his head and Archduke Eusen touched his glasses. It was his habit when he was worried.

“Or it’s my mistake.”

The Archduke reflected for a moment and then spoke.

“It is a darkness strong enough to avoid my gaze.”

Earl Median shrugged.

“Such darkness cannot exist in the world …”

“It seems like it’s very likely my mistake. I guess I was nervous and sensitive.”

Sensitive.

At those words, Count Median asked heavily.

“Three years ago, do you still blame yourself for ‘that day’?”

Archduke Eusen was silent.

“… What else can I do?”

A suppressed groan flowed from his mouth.

“She died like this.”

The Earl of Median sighed deeply.

“It was not the Archduke’s fault that on that day, Saint Estelle could not be saved from being sacrificed to darkness.”

However, comforting him did not appease Archduke Eusen’s heart. After being silent for a while, he said:

“Do you know how much I miss her?”

“…”

“It’s been 10 years. I’ve been waiting to see her for 10 years. But …”

Archduke Eusen is one of the people who was favored by her as a Saint. 10 years ago. No, it has been 3 years since he died, 13 years ago.

Archduke Eusen was a boy. Those were days when Estelle was also a girl. Archduke Eusen was highly favored by the young Saint Estelle.

“No, I can’t express what I got from her by saying it was grace.”

Eusen remembered her and bit his lip.

He was saved by her.

His life and his soul. Saying that she was his salvation was not something said just to be said. Had it not been for Estelle, he would have died in terrible agony, disfigured. When everyone in the world gave up, only she didn’t give up on him. She took care of him, who was terribly broke, and in the end, she was able to overcome her injuries and hope to recover.

‘It is a promise. You must win and come find me. You understand? If you keep the promise you made to me, I’ll buy you your favorite chocolate as a gift. ‘

The young man relies on that promise to overcome the ordeal of 10 years, and was able to become an ‘Enlightened Archduke’ defending the empire. Only with the desire to see her again. But she was no longer in the world. Eusen had a sad face.

“Your Highness.”

Sadly, Archduke Eusen shook his head.

Now it no longer made sense.

After that day, he lost his feelings. Just one duty and another mission as Supreme Judge entrusted to the Enlightened Archduke.

I was concentrating only on killing the ‘darkness’.

“Anyway, I must pay attention in the future.”

Archduke Eusen said:

“If what I felt was not an illusion, it would have been a great disaster in the world.”

“What would you do if it was true?”

Archduke Eusen responded as if it were natural.

The “Sword of the Judge”, a relic of Archduke Peridot at his waist, flashed.

“I have to deal with it.”

+

Estelle, no, she, who became Jewell, drank tea.

It has been the third day since she arrived at the Duchy of Garnet, and she was getting used to it.

Estelle knew enough about what kind of boy Jewell was.

She said she had lost her memory after being shocked by an accident at the villa recently.

‘By the way, has it been 3 years? Is my death known as spontaneous martyrdom, self-sacrificing to avoid darkness? ‘

Jewell recalled the information he had collected

. At that time, she was secretly sacrificed.

So, it seemed that no one but her enemies knew the truth at the time.

But it was when she was still enjoying the tea.

[Crang!]

The maiden’s complexion turned white. The maid who attended her made a mistake. The atmosphere in the room was cold.

Everyone was shaking and dreading what would happen soon, and the person who caused the accident lost his temper, trembled, and prayed.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Forgive me …!”

“… It’s fine. Clean it and serve it again.”

“Please save …! Yes?”

The maid’s eyes widened. Estelle, no, Jewell clicked his tongue.

“Okay, just pour me the tea again.”

‘Jewell, what did you do to the servants, what happened to all of them?’

All the maids trembled.

They thought it would hit them, but it was a very soft response. Jewell frowned.

“What are you doing? Pour some new tea.”

“Yes, yes! Thank you for your mercy! Thank you!”

After the maiden left, as if she had saved her life, Jewell shook her head.

‘Just because I decided to live like Jewell doesn’t mean I have to imitate his bad personality.’

No, he shouldn’t do it even for revenge. He became Jewell because he had a clear goal.

‘I have to put Duke Garnet in my hands.’

He planned to take the Duke of Garnet in his hands and use that power to destroy his enemies. To do this, it was essential to show a straight and flawless appearance.

And here the Duke of Garnet has one of my enemies.

Jewell calmed his eyes.

There was also one of his enemies here in the Duchy of Garnet.

She slowly recited the enemy’s name.

“Duke Garnet’s Assistant, Earl Lawton”.

Earl Lawton!

He was a huge mogul in the political world.

With the head of the family spending most of his time ill and in bed, Duke Garnet was currently the one in charge of managing the duchy, and as chancellor, he was the one who controlled the affairs of the Empire.

For reference, he was also a teacher who taught Estelle to study.

I respected him once, but all I got was betrayal.

‘I have to put Duke Garnet in my hands and completely destroy Count Lawton, my enemy.’

The first target of his revenge, he decided that it would be Garnet’s assistant, Earl Lawton.

Of course, it wasn’t going to be easy.

Duke Garnet’s family scheme is why. The Duke, head of the family and the duchy. The second son and head of his family, Earl Lawton. And the third son, Viscount Erik.

Jewell was the daughter of Viscount Erik, which meant, she was the granddaughter of the patriarch of the Duchy.

‘She is a beloved granddaughter but has no real power. Even if she is the prince’s fiancee, it doesn’t mean anything special because the emperor is weak. ‘

Earl Lawton, on the other hand, was already acting as a shipowner in the Duchy’s Master replacing the Duke who was ill, and was the empire’s chancellor and ruler of national politics. He was just the Duke’s granddaughter, he can’t be compared. Estelle smiled.

‘I do not care. We could take it down one by one. It will be a nice process. ‘

She was not surprised by the greatness of her opponent. Rather, she was delighted. As if there was a feast in front of her.

Thanks to the many enemies. I can cause you many frustrations.

Then the maid returned and served the tea. Estelle tasted the tea again.

‘By the way.’

Estelle cocked her head and said in disgust.

“What’s your name?”

“Yes Yes?!”

“What is your name?”

“Uh, I’m Runa.”

The maid trembled. I guess he was trying to punish me for the accident. Of course I’m not asking for the reason.

“What is your age and birthday?”

“… Oh, 19 years, that’s twenty days in the tenth month.”

The maid looked puzzled, but did not dare to ask.

“Okay, now go.”

The maid left the room with a frightened expression.

Estelle made a strange look for a moment.

“What?”

The reason she did this is because she looked at the servant’s ‘destiny’ with the ‘watchful eye’ used by the devil.

Estelle lightly predicted the future of the maid.

Soothsayers (prophets) are those who eavesdrop on the devil’s future. Of course it could hit the strong point. A tarot card emerged from the air, which showed an evil dark hand approaching the screaming woman.

“Hmm.”

Estelle hit the table.

The meaning of this letter was simple.

It meant that there would soon be a great tragedy upon the maiden. Also, it would be from the hands of someone around.

‘Smells like…’

Yes, it smelled.

The smell of the Duke.

‘I can use this’

The Duke’s monstrosity is an opportunity for her. An opportunity to cut the throat of an enemy.

‘I have to know’

It seemed to be time to move.

Estelle slightly raised the corner of her mouth.

When Estelle opened her eyes and noticed the shabby furniture, she looked around the room.

She was really back on Earth. But, she couldn’t figure out the current situation.

‘What’s going on?’

Estelle briefly scanned the room.

‘I’m in a mansion? And… Estelle’s body?’

Estelle peered into the room’s antique mirror and was astonished to see that she had returned to her body.

But soon after, she shook her head.

‘No, no. I’m a different person.’

Despite their resemblance, their predecessors are different.

‘How did I end up here? Is this a mistake?’

The devil did this, and obviously for nefarious purposes.

‘But why here?’

This wasn’t Estelle’s former mansion. The place was not well managed, so it appeared to be an unoccupied mansion or villa.

In the empire’s capital, there were often abandoned mansions. Nobles would generally choose this type of location to conduct heinous atrocities.

Estelle frowned because of her gut instincts. She was walking around when she heard a strange noise.

Grgrgr!

A beast began to growl and approached Estelle from the open door.

‘A beast? Ah, it’s begun.’

As Estelle frowned, a man and a girl trailed after the beast. The girl sneered,

“Look at that unlucky face. I’ve always wanted to kill you.”

The girl must’ve been in her late teens. She was an enchanting black-haired girl, and her ruby-like red eyes twinkled in the dim light. She was an outstanding beauty. If her appearance was compared to a gem, it would pale in comparison. She was like a lovely fairy of the night.

However, her remarks and attitude were contrary to her appearance.

“Then, Estelle, you will be the beast’s meal today, just like how that bitch died.”

Estelle remained silent. No, she couldn’t reply. Because she was far too perplexed to do so.

‘Jewell…Dejarnette?’

This girl was the priceless Lady Jewell of Duke Dejarnette, one of the six dukes that ruled over the Reinhardt Empire.

In Estelle’s previous life, she had a younger sister, Jewell, who followed her everywhere. However, she quickly became her enemy once she sacrificed Estelle to the devils on that day.

The devil’s words lingered on her mind.

[When you wake up, I’ll give you a special gift.]

Estelle cracked a grin.

‘So that’s what it meant by ‘gift’.’

It allowed her to confront one of her foes right away.

‘I’m not as excited or nervous as I thought I’d be.’

Estelle met her enemy, but her heart remained calm.

Well, enthusiasm could be felt only once the mind was sound.

For the past 600 years, Estelle’s mind began to get more damaged and torn, and she could no longer experience pure emotions such as passion or enthusiasm. Instead, it felt as though a drop of blood had fallen into an otherwise tranquil lake.

The only emotion Estelle felt was wrath.

She locked her gaze on Jewell.

“Wh-what?”

Jewell flinched as she caught Estelle’s gaze.

Jewell hadn’t noticed, but the one who occupied Estelle’s body had changed. This new Estelle would never quiver in terror.

“You, you, how dare you! What’s with that look?”

Jewell then shouted at the man in the black robe who was accompanying her.

“Kill her now! Hurry!”

“Alright.”

It seemed that the person in the black robe was the one who had summoned the beast from earlier.

‘Is he a black mage?’

Estelle gave a sly grin.

Black mage.

They were those who signed a contract with the devil and were able to use the power of darkness.

‘Jewell hated me, so she attempted to murder me using the black mage?’

Estelle could understand Jewell’s behavior, because this body was nearly identical to her former one.

She must’ve despised her that much.

‘It’s a given because she’s part of the original nobles. Especially one of the daughters of the six dukes, who treated a human lesser than they would an animal.’

Then, the black mage chanted a spell.

“Servants of darkness, I command you to tear up the food in front of you!”

Grrr!

The beast howled and dashed to Estelle.

Estelle, on the other hand, remained still.

She didn’t feel any fear, didn’t run away from it, and didn’t fight back. Because she didn’t have to. She only stared at the beast’s eyes.

The beast came to a standstill the minute she stared into its eyes.

“……!”

The black mage exclaimed,

“What are you doing? Come on!”

But then something even more unexpected happened.

The beast stepped back. It was an incredible sight.

“W-why?”

Estelle slowly approached the beast and caressed its cheek.

“Darkness is obedient to greater darkness. It won’t dare to touch me.”

“Wh-what are you talking about?!”

“That…”

Estelle pondered over her next words.

“I’m a greater darkness than you are.”

A black flower bloomed on Estelle’s temple.

“……!”

“You can’t even be compared to me.”

This black flower was a mark called the ‘Flower of Devil’ that only black mages who were most loved by the devil acquired.

The black mage’s face turned ghastly pale.

It wasn’t only that. The flower’s branches and stems stretched out as they spread throughout her face, her neck, and all over her body.

The black mage shuddered seeing the marks all over Estelle’s body.

“Th-that’s ridiculous! That’s the devil’s…! No, that many devils put their mark on you? Wh-what the hell!”

Estelle smiled.

She forgot how to smile, but since she felt compelled to do so now, Estelle clumsily lifted the corners of her lips.

“Nice to meet you, Jewell. I’ve missed you. A lot.”

[It’s your most desired gift, so please enjoy it as happily as you can.]

Ah.

Estelle nodded her head. It was, without a doubt, the best present.

Jewell, the lovely black-haired girl, recoiled in horror, but it was too late. The darkness had already engulfed her.

***

Black mages borrowed the power of the devil. The greater the devil loved them, the greater the power they could wield. Estelle was the most beloved human of all time since her birth.

Of course, that meant she could use dark magic anytime easily.

“Ah…ah…”

Jewell groaned in excruciating pain. The darkness Estelle conjured up, engulfed her whole body. She also cast a curse on her, causing her to feel more pain. Estelle didn’t allow her to die, either, so Jewell was unable to face death and was struggling in pain.

“Pl…please…”

‘Do you want me to save you? Or do you want me to kill you?’

Jewell pleaded incessantly in agony, but Estelle simply ignored her.

‘I’m not as satisfied as I thought I’d be.’

Estelle pondered for a moment. She imagined this moment countless times while she suffered in Gehenna, but it wasn’t as fulfilling as she hoped it would be.

‘Why?’

Estelle sighed and inquired softly,

“Is it hard to endure?”

Jewell’s eyes trembled.

“It’s only been half an hour. Is it hard?”

‘I had to suffer for 600 years because of you.’

“Pl-please don’t kill me.”

“Why would I?”

Estelle turned her back.

“Why would I let you live?”

Jewell’s eyes were in despair. Estelle spoke softly,

“There’s a reason I can’t spare you. Do you want to know why?”

Estelle recalled her memories as a saint. She remembered the moments while she was being enveloped by darkness distinctly.

It was Jewell’s excited face that was instilled in her mind.

“N-no way! Y-you…”

Estelle spoke softly.

“You understand why I can’t spare your life? Then choose. Whether to face a very painful end or a clean death.”

Jewell was in despair. It was unbelievable, but Jewell realized that the woman in front of her would not let her go if she was who she guessed it was.

“If you want to die a clean death, give your body to me. Then, I’ll bring you straight to rest in peace.”

“……!”

Jewell opened her eyes wide. She would notice Estelle’s intentions soon.

“G-give my body?”

“Yes, I’ll be you now.”

“……!”

“You, the immature daughter of Duke Dejarnette, and the prince’s fiancée.”

The Dejarnette duchy was regarded as the most powerful family in the empire. Revenge would be easy for her in the future if she became Jewell.

‘In fact, even now, I can do anything to take the lives of my enemies. But that would be too easy.’

Estelle thought it would be too pleasant for them if she just got her revenge by killing them. Seeing Jewell dying such a quick death didn’t give her enough gratification, either.

‘I didn’t come back from Gehenna for such an easy revenge.’

She hoped for a greater revenge.

‘I will take everything my enemies have, trample them down, and destroy them. I will let them have the worst end in despair and pain after dropping them into the abyss.’

To do so, it was necessary to seize the power of Duke Dejarnette, the empire’s supreme power.

Estelle said,

“Now, tell me when you make up your mind. The later the decision is made, the longer the pain will be.”

Jewell’s eyes shook endlessly.

Realizing there was no hope, Jewell said in tears,

“Please kill me… I’ll sacrifice myself.”

Estelle asked back,

“I’ll ask again. Are you sure?”

“…Yes.”

Estelle smiled coldly and ‘declared’,

“I’ve heard your wish, and the contract has been made. You will be relieved of this pain.”

Soon after, Estelle’s soul entered Jewell’s body.

Estelle’s body was burned alongside Jewell’s soul.

“Agghh!”

She disappeared with a gruesome scream.

“Oh no,”

Estelle muttered.

“She fell into Gehenna.”

She could hear devils screaming with joy after getting a new “toy.”

‘I didn’t do it. She went to Gehenna because of the sins she accumulated in her life.’

After Estelle erased the traces of the spell, the barrier was lifted.

Then, she heard a frantic voice calling for her.

“My lady! Are you here?”

It was Duke Dejarnette’s knight.

Jewell had run away from the knights and sneaked away into this mansion to hide her terrible wrongdoings.

The knights waited for Jewell in their promised place, but because she did not return, they went on a search.

“Ah… there was an accident in this abandoned mansion. A-a wild beast appeared.”

“A wild beast?! Are you alright?”

“Yes… Fortunately, it disappeared without hurting me, I was so scared. Hehe.”

Estelle, who was in Jewell’s body, trembled.

She had used another black magic spell. With it, she was able to imitate the habits of the previous owner of the body.

“Oh my! I’m sorry, we shouldn’t have left you. Please punish us!”

“Let us report this to Duke Dejarnette.”

The knights were as white as sheets around Estelle, no, Jewell.

‘This is just the beginning.’

From now on, she will become Jewell and take possession of the duchy, the empire’s most powerful family.

Why?

To destroy everything her enemies have and drop them into the abyss. She recalled her enemies:

Her father, Duke Wellington; her sister, Franda; her friend, Marriott; and her fiancé, Radit.

Her enemies were spread evenly among the five of the six dukes that ruled the empire.

There was also one more enemy in the Dejarnette duchy, where Estelle currently dwelled. Therefore, she will use their possessions to her advantage and use their power to bring down her enemies.

Estelle’s heart raced simply from imagining it.

She remembered the words that the devil whispered:

[Your enemies are having the best time of their lives because of your sacrifice.]

Now it was her turn to send them to hell.