Tap... Tap... Tap...
Bare feet kissed the cold rune-etched marble with every step. The echo spread like ripples through the forgotten corridor.
Creeeaak...
The ancient door moaned open, heavy with dust and secrets.
Rie stepped out.
For the first time in weeks, she crossed the threshold of her room, a self-imposed prison that had long blurred the days into a monotone haze. The corridor greeted her not with warmth, but with a shiver — a silence older than her own exile.
Above her, rune-lights flickered weakly to life, their pulses dulled and hesitant. They recognized her, yes... but without reverence. Without loyalty.
Not like they did for Lily. Or Kiel.
Their lights blazed like burning banners whenever her siblings passed through. For Rie, they gave only a dim ember. A flicker. A mercy.
She let out a breathless, bitter laugh.
"Heh..."
A tired smirk twisted her lips.
"Even the damn castle thinks I'm an intruder."
She didn't blame it. Not anymore.
Her robe, once a flowing gown of violet silk embroidered with ancestral runes, now dragged behind her like a corpse's shroud. Torn. Stained. Frayed edges whispered across the floor like ghostly claws.
No jeweled necklaces shimmered on her neck. No mana rings adorned her fingers. Only the bruises hidden beneath the cloth — like buried scars — and a dignity that refused to rot.
As she moved deeper into the corridor, shadows stirred. Not the magical kind — but the worse kind. The human kind.
Whispers bloomed like rot.
"Is that... Lady Rie?"
"What's with her clothes...?"
"Didn't she get locked up for attacking the princess?"
Her tongue clicked, sharp as a blade.
"Fucking parasites."
She didn't flinch. Didn't spare them a glance. Years of neglect had made her immune to curiosity. Or so she liked to believe.
Still, beneath her skin, she could feel it. The itch. That sensation of being peeled apart by their eyes. Judged. Dismissed. Again.
It felt like walking naked through a forest of blades.
And yet, she walked.
Down the golden staircase lined with towering statues — sentient mana-infused relics of pride and war. They shimmered when nobles of power passed by, illuminating paths with regal warmth.
But today... they remained dim.
Unmoved.
Silent.
Not a single flicker for her.
In the courtyard, the air turned lighter, tinged with the scent of roses and fresh mana tea. There, under a parasol of pale silk, sat her siblings.
Lily.
Poised, delicate, cruel. Her soft pink robe complemented her porcelain skin as she sipped from a floral cup with fingers as elegant as a queen's.
Kiel.
Armored in silver plate, his demonic crest gleaming like a second sun. His posture relaxed, yet his presence radiated strength — the kind that knew it belonged.
Their conversation stopped. Eyes snapped to her.
Lily's smile cracked — only slightly.
Kiel's brows furrowed, a flicker of discomfort surfacing.
The silence between them held weight. Not of hatred. But disbelief.
"Why is she out?"
"Has she lost her mind?"
Rie kept walking, each step a deliberate rebellion.
She didn't care for their murmurs. Their fake concern. Not today.
Her back straightened.
As she passed, she could feel them. The heat of their stares. Scalding. Heavy.
But when she turned, just slightly, to meet Kiel's eyes—
—he flinched.And looked away.
Her smirk grew.
'Guess my little act worked after all...'
At the grand eastern gate...
The twin demon guards stood rigid, armor black as obsidian, horns curved like crescent moons. For a heartbeat, they didn't recognize her. Then... realization.
One stepped forward. His tone hesitant.
"Ah... Lady Rie may I ask where are you going?"
She didn't stop. Didn't turn. Just tilted her head — slow and smooth — like a predator acknowledging prey.
"No. You may not."
"..."
A sudden gust curled through the archway. Cold. Tense. Like the castle itself held its breath.
The guard braced himself.But he spoke again, voice firmer.
"Forgive me, my Lady, but... His Majesty gave strict orders. No one leaves without permission—"
She halted.
Head dipped. Shoulder squared.
Then—
SLAP!!
The sound rang out, crisp and sharp. Not enough to shatter bone — but enough to silence everything.
The guard's face stung. His horn faintly glowed from the mana shift. Shock rooted him in place.
The second guard stepped forward—
But Rie's gaze snapped to him.
He froze. One look. That was all it took.
Rie turned back.
Voice low. Cutting.
"Are you the Demon King?"
"Wha—N-No, but—"
SLAP!
"Are you the Lord of the Lust Clan?"
"No, I—"
SLAP!!
Harder.
Her breath tickled his cheek.
"Then who the fuck do you think you are?"
Silence.
The guard's hands trembled. Not from rage. But from something else entirely. Something older. Primal.
Her mana wasn't dense. But her bloodlust—it carried something ancient. Something buried.
The second guard lowered his head.
Voice soft, respectful.
"Lady Rie... please forgive us. You may pass."
She offered no words. Just stepped past them.
But as she did, her lips curled.
"Know your place, worm."
And just like that...
She vanished into the wind.