The morning seemed quite normal; the Marchioness was planning to start all the preparations for Mariam’s debut. However, as she went to her room, she was met with an unpleasant surprise, her piercing screams reverberated through the entire estate. The Marquis and everyone else hurried to Mariam’s room, realizing what had happened – Mariam was no longer alive.
What should have been a day of festivity planning for the Marchioness had now turned into funeral preparations. She was utterly desolate, her precious daughter no longer lived.
By midday, word of the terrible event had spread beyond the Marquisate, just a day after the Marchioness had boasted about the grand party she had planned. Relatives and acquaintances of the Marquis and the Marchioness gathered in the great hall, listening to the funeral ceremony. Rogelia was sitting when suddenly a chill ran through her, and recalling Charlotte’s words, she looked up only to see Mariam standing by her coffin, bringing her thumb to her lips in a gesture for silence.
The girl stood up screaming and fled the room in terror. The maids, as well as the Marchioness, went after her.
"She’s deeply affected by her sister’s passing," the Marquis excused.
"Don’t worry, we understand," a woman responded.
Rogelia was in a corner of another room, hugging her knees.
"Rogelia, child, what’s wrong?"
"I-I’m next... Now Mariam is haunting me just like Doroti haunted her," she sobbed.
Nidia didn’t understand why her daughter was saying all this but insisted she be taken to her room and not be left alone; she needed to return to the funeral.
Charlotte was on her balcony, observing all the carriages in the garden, but they were nothing more than hypocrites; not a single one really cared about Mariam. They just wanted to ingratiate themselves with the family and in societal eyes.
Four days since Mariam’s death, the Marquis finally released Charlotte. The Marchioness was in her room, still unable to fully recover from what had happened, and she was not sleeping well. Rogelia, now undergoing the same torment as Mariam, plagued by dreams and hallucinations, making the Marchioness tired throughout the day, with little rest.
She now feared that the same evil would harm her son as well. She called upon wizards again, and this time three arrived; they sensed the malevolent aura that enveloped the house. However, when they attempted to purify that energy, their purification seal broke, and they felt their strength being drained. They had to withdraw as they couldn't do anything.
"Whoever brought this evil into your home must be a top-tier mage wielding dark magic."
"What? That sort of magic is extremely rare and only held by those descended from demons," the Marquis asserted.
"Sir, we can't locate the source of this magic; it's so powerful that it blocks our purification abilities," one of the wizards replied.
They left after advising the Marquis that the best course of action would be to leave the mansion or hire a wizard from the central tower, an expensive proposition as those wizards charge dearly for their services.
Distraught, the Marquis locked himself in his room, needing to contemplate what to do next. One daughter was dead, the other suffering, and his heir could be next. He recalled Charlotte's words when he had locked her away. In a rage, he stormed up to the girl's room. When he opened the door, she was sitting in a chair facing the window.
"Good day, Marquis. I heard of Mariam's passing; such a pity, she was so young," she said, her smile mocking.
"You're to blame; this started when you returned."
"Correction, you brought me here. But I'm not sure what you’re implying; I've been here all along, under lock and key," Charlotte replied calmly.
The Marquis grabbed her roughly by the hair, dragging her down to the lower floor, while the girl only screamed and pleaded.
"Don't let the wizards leave; tell them to come back!" the Marquis ordered.
A servant dashed out on horseback to catch up with the wizard's carriage while the Marquis thrust Charlotte out of the house. She fell to the ground, hands touching the earth, her hair all a mess. The wizards returned promptly.
"She's the culprit; check for magic, she must be the demon."
The wizards, surprised to see the child, looked down as she raised her tear-filled eyes.
"Why is papa treating me like this? I just try to be good, I never ask for anything, not even food... I just eat the bread I'm given," she wept bitterly.
The senior wizard stepped forward to help the girl stand.
"What are you waiting for? She's the one responsible," the Marquis bellowed.
"Since her return, my daughters have fallen ill," the Marchioness added.
"Sir, she's just a child...what you claim is...absurd."
"Check her! Don't believe her false tears."
The elder wizard, having helped Charlotte to her feet, held her hand as a seal appeared but quickly faded away.
"I fear this child possesses no magic. How then could she be the evil?" the wizard stated.
"I don't know how she did it, but it was her," the Marquis insisted.
"I... I don't know... Why does papa hate me? I want my granny..." Charlotte began to cry desperately.
The wizards saw the Marquis as a cruel man for accusing such a poor child, his daughter, of this evil.
"If you truly believe she's at fault, we'll take her to our headquarters for analysis, but we’ll need written permission from you transferring custody of the child," said the elder wizard.
"Why would I do that? Just seal her power."
"I'm afraid it's not that simple. If she possesses great power, it must be sealed in a special chamber at our headquarters," the wizard clarified.
"Fine, I'll draft that document; I won't allow that monstrosity to continue harming my children."
"I didn't do anything…I don’t know why papa hates me," she sobbed.
The wizards, puzzled by their master's words, wondered why they should take the child if she was blameless.
"Silence. Would any of you leave your daughters under that man's roof? Just look at this poor creature."
Charlotte continued to sob and wiped her tears with her dress sleeve.
"I did nothing...I miss my mommy... I want to go to mommy in heaven..."
With her heart-wrenching cries, the wizards' hearts clenched, understanding why their master had wished to take her. An hour later, the Marquis returned with a signed document transferring custody of the child to the wizards.
"Make sure she never sees the light of day," the Marquis commanded.
"Do not worry, sir; she won't," affirmed the senior wizard.
The elder wizard picked up Charlotte, but she began to scream and beg her father not to let her be taken. The servants could only watch, pitying Charlotte, while the Marchioness rejoiced that the child was leaving the mansion; no more baroness to bother her, and perhaps now society would acknowledge their children as legitimate heirs.
...
Two weeks later, Valentina learned about her son’s actions when she visited the mansion to see Charlotte. Furious, she sent people to search for the child at the wizard's headquarters.
"How could you become such a vile man? Your father would be disgusted," she shouted at her son.
"Enough, mother. That child caused Mariam's death. She belongs where she is now. She’s lucky I didn't order her beheaded," he retorted.
"Charlotte is your legitimate daughter. If that bastard child died, it was probably because her mother killed her to earn sympathy from society. It wouldn't surprise me," Valentina argued.
"How dare you suggest that? Darling, don't let her speak to me this way," Nidia said, tears escaping her eyes.
"Mother, enough. If you've come only to cause trouble, leave my house," the Marquis demanded.
"Fine. But know this: you can no longer rely on me, and I'll ensure your woman ends in poverty, even if I have to bring you down with her," Valentina threatened.
With that, she left the premises, this time determined to appeal to the emperor for help in finding her granddaughter, not knowing which headquarters she was taken to, and without an imperial order, she could not request information from the wizards. Though, they too were inhumane, to take a child away based on the Marquis's words, only for the sake of money.
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