Chapter 36. Sophia's Doubts and Ella's Crisis
Sophia's Doubts and Ella's Crisis
The brighter the light, the darker the shadow.
In the corner of the second-floor terrace, untouched by the glow of the dazzling chandeliers, a woman stood hidden behind dark curtains, silently observing the scene below.
Ella (Victoria).
Clad in her maid's uniform, she gripped the dust-covered railing with white-knuckled intensity.
At the center of the hall, Rachel and Lucian shone brilliantly.
The place that now drew the admiration and envy of the crowd was the very spot Ella had once dreamed of—no, the place she had believed was rightfully hers.
"Ah..."
Ella's pupils trembled.
The waltz's melody was cruelly beautiful.
Back when she was still the daughter of a viscount, she too had worn such dresses and danced at balls, believing herself the protagonist of her own story.
But now?
Now, she was nothing more than a maid scurrying about the banquet hall, while the man she loved held another woman in his arms, laughing happily.
"Lord Lucian..."
Ella bit her lip hard enough to draw blood.
The man who had visited her chamber night after night.
The voice that had whispered sweet nothings in her ear now declared his love to his fiancée.
I want to be there too. I want to smile like that.
But she couldn't step forward.
Her fallen family, her status as a maid—she knew that if she dared, she would only be met with ridicule and scorn.
Crushed beneath the weight of her once-glorious past and her wretched present, Ella stifled her sobs, unable to tear her eyes away from the cruel, beautiful sight until the waltz finally ended.
[The Annex Terrace]
While the rest of the world reveled in celebration, Sophia sat alone on the terrace of the annex, lost in thoughts that belonged to another world.
The pale moonlight illuminated her platinum-blonde hair.
Hugging her knees, she stared blankly at the night sky. Having been invited to the royal palace as a priestess before, she was already familiar with such festivities. But the only thing occupying her mind now was the lingering aftermath of the succubus attack from days prior.
"......"
Sophia's brow furrowed.
This hadn't been a simple case of a demon infiltrating and being defeated.
Closing her eyes, she carefully retraced the conversation from that night.
"You haven't been sending any information lately, and now you're interfering?"
"This is why Celisians are so annoying. You just can't reason with them."
Bella had said those words—to Iseo.
How...? How did a nightmare under Belial's command know a mere maid like Iseo?
This wasn't just familiarity. Bella had spoken to her as if she were a colleague, a fellow member of some organization. The accusation of withholding information, the warning not to interfere.
And... Celisian?
Sophia recalled the term from ancient texts she had skimmed during her priestess training—a mysterious race said to exist somewhere in the East.
But wasn't Iseo just an ordinary Eastern maid?
The doubts multiplied.
Iseo had wielded Lord Lucian's holy sword in battle. Though clumsy, she had still managed to defeat a demon with a weapon most men could barely lift.
"Could she be... a spy?"
The shocking word slipped from Sophia's lips.
An infiltrator sent to monitor the Count and steal information.
If that were true, then Lord Lucian had unknowingly placed his most dangerous enemy right beside him—in his chambers, in his study.
But then why had she helped them? Why had she worked so tirelessly to heal Maria? A spy had no reason to go that far.
And then there was the inexplicable aura around Iseo—the ageless presence, the unreadable eyes that even Sophia, a priestess, couldn't decipher.
Come to think of it... Nancy seemed like she had something to say too.
Sophia remembered the complicated expressions Nancy had worn whenever she looked at Iseo. Nancy, too, must have witnessed something, harboring the same doubts.
"Should I... tell the Count?"
Sophia clasped her hands together and pressed them to her chest. Her heart pounded uneasily.
Lucian had saved her, shown her what it meant to live as a woman. To protect him, she had to eliminate even the smallest threat. But was it right to accuse a comrade—someone who had shared life and death with them—without concrete proof?
"O Goddess... grant me wisdom."
[A Corner of the Banquet Hall]
"I should've listened to Iseo..."
Ella trudged down the hallway, her shoulders slumped.
The farther she got from the dazzling lights and noise of the ballroom, the more wretched her situation felt. She wanted nothing more than to return to her room and bury herself under the covers.
Then—
As she turned a corner, she collided with someone.
"Oh my?"
A familiar face. A young noblewoman Ella had once socialized with back in her days in high society. The woman tilted her head, trying to place Ella's face, but Ella quickly bowed her head and bolted in the opposite direction.
If she was recognized, it was over.
Thud!
In her haste, she crashed headlong into a man coming from the other direction.
"Ah, I'm sorr— Huh?!"
Ella's face drained of color as she looked up.
Standing before her was Viscount Gamon.
Her family's sworn enemy—the man who had orchestrated the downfall of House Elleheim.
Her legs nearly gave out beneath her.
It's over. He'll recognize me. The Count told me to keep my head down and stay hidden, but—
Viscount Gamon glanced at her as if she were an insect and clicked his tongue.
"Tch."
He said nothing else, merely glaring.
Just as Ella began to exhale in relief—thinking perhaps she had changed too much for him to recognize her—the woman on his arm stared at her intently.
Gamon's daughter.
A noblewoman who had once harbored deep envy toward Ella.
"My, my... isn't this Victoria?"
Her voice dripped with venomous amusement.
"My, it really is you. After all that effort to outshine our family, look at you now. Though, I must say, that maid's uniform suits you far better than any dress ever did."
She covered her mouth with a fan and giggled. Something inside Ella snapped.
"What did you say?!"
Ella trembled as she stood up straight.
"You pig-faced wench! Just looking at you makes me sick! If you weren't a noble's daughter, you'd be shoveling pig dung with that fat body of yours!"
"W-What?!"
The noblewoman's face flushed crimson.
"Oh my, my! Listen to that vulgar mouth. It's no wonder there's not a trace of nobility left in you. That lowly status suits you perfectly. Hohoho!"
"You bitch... I'll kill you!"
Ella's eyes blazed as she lunged forward.
"Stop!"
Maria suddenly appeared, stepping between them. She had rushed over at the sound of the commotion.
A crowd began to gather, murmuring.
"My apologies, Viscount. This girl hasn't been feeling well and made a mistake. Please forgive her with your generous mercy."
Maria bowed deeply at a perfect 90-degree angle, then firmly grabbed Ella's arm and pulled her away.
Surprisingly, the Viscount let them go without further comment.
"Let's go, Ella!"
As Maria dragged her away, the noblewoman's mocking voice stabbed into Ella's back like a dagger.
"Hey, Victoria! I heard you're the Count's mistress now! The rumors are everywhere!"
Ella's steps faltered.
"Hmph, must be nice, selling your body to stay alive. I heard the Count spent a fortune just to keep you! Sold some land too, didn't he? If you're charging that much, you'd better serve him well at night!"
What...? The Count spent money... for me?
Ella froze.
She had thought he'd taken her in out of pity—or perhaps because he enjoyed the conquest of bedding a fallen noblewoman.
But he had given up his family's wealth... to protect her?
While she had resented him for dancing with another woman, he had been silently shielding her from the storm all along.
Dragged into a secluded corner of the hallway, Ella finally turned to Maria.
"Maria... what did she mean? About selling land?"
Maria sighed deeply.
"Sigh... So you've found out."
After checking their surroundings, Maria revealed the truth.
"Ella, when you first came here... the enemies who destroyed your family were in an uproar, demanding you be handed over. They wanted to sell you into slavery or execute you."
"..."
"The Count made a deal to protect you. He paid an enormous sum in reparations and ceded some of the most valuable lands in the county—all in exchange for your life. So no one could touch you."
Ella's eyes widened.
Lucian had never once shown any sign of it. He had simply visited her at night, shared her bed, and teased her with playful jabs.
"Fortunately, the reward for saving the priestess allowed him to buy back the land, but... the family's finances are still strained. The Count... sacrificed so much for you."
Staggering back to her room, Ella collapsed onto her bed.
Tears poured out in a flood.
She had believed he kept her around for her body—for the thrill of bedding a former noblewoman.
But he had given up his wealth, his land... all to protect her.
While she had resented him for dancing with another, he had been standing in the storm, shielding her from it all.
"Sob... Count... Lord Lucian!"
Burying her face in the pillow, Ella wept as she never had before.
