Chapter 6
As time passed, Braeden left the ballroom, promising Juliana, they would see each other again.
Even though he had completely shaken up Duchess Fraser’s banquet, he walked away looking calm, as if nothing had happened at all.
Inside the carriage, Lochlan finally spoke, unable to hold his thoughts in any longer.
“What exactly are you thinking? Do you really intend to marry that young lady?”
Braeden answered without hesitation, as if it were a simple matter.
“Why not? It’s a chance to bind myself legally to the Floreseco. There’s no reason to turn that down.”
Lochlan let out a deep sigh.
“Are you really planning to disappear?”
His voice shook as he asked the question.
He respected his master, the great demon Belial, more than anyone. He had always taken pride in serving him.
But Braeden had long since lost his will to live, worn down by the passage of thousands of years.
He had even gone as far as pretending to enjoy human life, hoping it might spark some interest in living again. But that was not enough to change Braeden’s will to disappear.
Demons did not die. They only ceased to exist.
And because Belial was the strongest among them, no other demon could destroy him.
That was why he had spent so long searching for someone with holy power.
For reasons unknown, the line of Floreo, once honored as holy maidens, had completely vanished. The only one he had managed to find was a Floreseco, someone capable of awakening sacred power.
“Lochlan, you know that disappearance is peace for me. Trying to stop that is disloyalty. You understand that, don’t you?”
He did understand. But could it truly be called loyalty to accept the end of the one he served without question?
Lochlan couldn’t answer. He kept his mouth shut.
“That young lady was never going to avoid marriage anyway. That’s the life of a noblewoman. So, using each other isn’t wrong.”
With that, Braeden picked up a newspaper and began reading.
It was a quiet but clear signal that he would hear no more on the matter.
Lochlan respected his silence, just as his master wanted.
But his mind was full of doubt and worry.
All he could do now was hope that this relationship, which began as something so calculated, would not end in the same way.
The teasing smile Braeden had given Juliana at the banquet lingered in Lochlan’s mind.
He silently prayed it was a good sign.
Count Barnett returned from the party in a fury. He had been harshly criticized by Felix Everett, the young viscount, and his anger was burning.
“Didn’t I tell you to do whatever it took to please Viscount Everett?”
His thick hand struck Juliana across the face.
The blow sent her stumbling backward.
Countess Barnett, who had previously said that Duke Ortis should take priority over the viscount, bit down on her lip hard, afraid her words might be revealed to her husband.
“The duke was only briefly interested in your pretty face. The one who can truly benefit our family is the House of Everett. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“Yes. I understand.”
Juliana answered quietly, without protest. Her split lip stung each time she spoke, but compared to the beatings she had suffered in the past, this pain was nothing.
Near the wall, Rosie stood frozen, her face pale and her hands trembling as they clutched the hem of her skirt. Juliana had warned her many times not to interfere in moments like this. If a low-ranking maid got involved, it could lead to something much worse.
“The duke was the one who reached out first. What was she supposed to do?”
To Juliana’s surprise, Countess Barnett, who in her previous life had only watched with cold indifference as she was beaten, now spoke in her defense—if only faintly.
Count Barnett, his anger slightly subdued, gave a forced cough.
“I’m sorry. I’ll be more careful from now on,” Juliana said, bowing her head.
Apologizing for things she hadn’t done had become second nature. It didn’t even feel humiliating anymore.
If it meant she could leave this house, if it meant avoiding marriage to Felix Everett, she would apologize a hundred times, even a thousand.
“I don’t want to see you. Get out of my sight.”
Count Barnett waved his hand dismissively.
Only then was Juliana allowed to leave and return to her room, with Rosie quietly following behind her.
“Are you alright?”
Rosie looked at the cut on the corner of Juliana’s mouth and winced, as if she were the one in pain.
“This isn’t a big deal,” Juliana said.
Her expression was so calm and unaffected that Rosie could only sigh and quietly apply medicine to the wound.
That night, after falling asleep, Juliana had a dream.
She was standing in a forest so deep and untouched it felt ancient. The trees were enormous, each one so wide she couldn’t wrap her arms around them, and they stretched high into the sky, as if trying to reach the clouds.
A gentle breeze swept through, and the leaves rustled all at once with a soft, soothing sound.
Juliana held her hair in place as it fluttered in the wind and took in the peaceful scene.
Sunlight filtered between the trees. The scent of fresh earth and forest filled the air. Birds chirped somewhere nearby, and the stillness of the woods brought a rare calm to her heart.
Even though she knew it was a dream, the peace felt so real that she didn’t want to wake up.
So, this is what it feels like to live without constantly being watched.
That thought settled in her mind—just as something shifted.
No one can live alone.
A voice echoed from somewhere.
Who was that? Juliana looked around, but the vast forest was completely empty except for her.
That’s why the gods sent me.
The voice was proud and full of confidence. She couldn’t help but feel annoyed. Whoever it was, they hadn’t even shown themselves, and yet they were already acting self-important.
Juliana let out a slow breath and narrowed her eyes, carefully scanning the area where the voice had come from.
The only thing that stood out was a faint, shimmering blob reflecting the sunlight.
“Don’t tell me… you were the one talking?”
The jelly-like creature bristled at her words.
You’re only just now noticing me? Really?
She had barely been able to see it, and now it was acting offended. Juliana looked down at the small, temperamental blob with mild disbelief.
“And what exactly are you?”
As if it had been waiting for that question all along, the creature suddenly lit up and began to speak excitedly.
If you must know, my name is Atlante. I am the last remaining Tear of the Gods on this earth.
It didn’t have shoulders, yet somehow Juliana got the strange impression it was trying to puff them up. She ignored it completely. After all, she didn’t even know what a Tear of the Gods was.
“…”
When she gave no reaction, the blob let out what sounded like an irritated huff. It was hard to say if it even had a nose, but the tone was clear enough.
How can you not know what the Tear of the Gods is?
The red flower bud, a mark given to saint candidates, usually appears at birth. Those born with the mark are taken into the temple’s care and receive training from an early age.
If Juliana had been raised that way, she might have responded more dramatically to the words “Tear of the Gods.” But unfortunately, she had received no such education. She knew nothing about what a Floreseco was meant to learn.
And besides, the creature looked so silly—more like a slime or a piece of pudding—that it was hard to imagine anything truly impressive coming from it.
Because of that, she showed no real reaction.
When she still didn’t react, the blob grew more frustrated and introduced itself loudly.
“I am the only hope of saving this land from the forces of evil. I am sacred and highly important!”
Ah, is that so?
Juliana accepted the statement calmly and then woke from the dream.
What kind of dream was that…
She let out a long sigh and looked toward the window. A faint, hazy light was beginning to shine through. Dawn was approaching.
It seemed the recent string of events had taken more of a toll on her than she realized. That must have been why she ended up dreaming something so strange.
Although it was earlier than her usual waking time, she knew she wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep. Slowly, she sat up in bed.
Just then, something that had been resting on the blanket slipped off and landed on the floor with a soft splat.
“I told you already! I may not look it, but I’m extremely important!”
The same creature from her dream—the so-called Tear of the Gods—was now squirming and grumbling on the floor.
“You’re real? This isn’t a dream?”
Juliana poked Atlante with her finger. He didn’t even have the energy to argue. He mumbled to himself instead, clearly complaining to the gods about being sent to such a clueless human.
Atlante kept mumbling, but Juliana ignored him and picked up the strange blob, thinking carefully.
No matter how precious he claimed to be, her situation in this house was far from secure. She couldn’t think of a good way to keep him hidden without someone eventually finding out.
Even worse, if Atlante’s presence somehow revealed that she was a Floreseco, it could cause serious trouble.
“I’m not in a position to take care of you,” she said quietly.
“What did you just say?”
He stared at her with a cold, almost offended look. It wasn’t just that she didn’t recognize his value—it was the fact that she said she couldn’t even keep him around.
“What if someone throws you out?”
It was hard to find a safe place to hide something like him. Juliana imagined a maid accidentally dumping him out with dirty water, washing him away into a river or the sea. The image made her frown.
“You’re really not very helpful, are you?”
“Wasn’t I sent by the gods to help you?”
“That’s what I thought.”
“Still… you’re difficult.”
Atlante cleared his throat and, after thinking for a moment, spoke again.
“A great Tear of the Gods like me can change forms. I can’t go back to this shape until your sacred power is awakened, so choose carefully what you want me to become.”
“So, you’re saying you can turn into anything I want?”
“Exactly. I’m a very special Tear of the Gods, after all.”
Still showing off. Juliana held back her thoughts and gave the idea some serious thought.
Having a pet might be manageable. And if she had to keep him with her, it would be helpful if he could become something that didn’t move around too much on its own.
“Can you turn into a bird? A really impressive-looking one, if possible.”
“Hmm, an impressive bird…”
Atlante wobbled as he thought about it, then suddenly stopped moving. A flash of bright light filled the room.
When it faded, a bird appeared in front of her.
“How’s this? Pretty cool, right? Caw.”
It was a crow.
Juliana stared blankly. Could the Tear of the Gods really transform into something that looked more like a minion of darkness?
Reading her expression, Atlante let out a loud squawk of protest.
“A human who’s not only unhelpful but also full of prejudice!”
“That’s exactly what I was going to say. I didn’t realize this was your idea of style.”
Atlante, clearly offended, shouted in protest.
“Caw!” he cried, as loudly as he could.
