Navia knew those eyes well. Those were the eyes of a person who could choose life or death.

‘Did negotiating fail?’

Navia rolled up her lip and pretended to avoid his touch. It was to obtain the most amount of defense power by sucking up the opponent’s power with the black moon.

..but the black moon was calm.

Lark’s eyes flashed.

“What was that just now?”

Navia’s face turned pale.

‘What? Why wasn’t there any change?’

He’s definitely a wizard, wasn’t he?

“You.”

It was when Lark approached Navia as if he would twist her neck.

“I will cut it.”

She was trying to be calm, but her voice was shaking.

“If you don’t like this hair, I will cut it. I will also dye it.”

Hair didn’t matter at all if she could achieve her goal.

In the first place, she only grew it to her thighs in order to be sold for an expensive price at the nursery.

Navia immediately bowed to the floor and begged Lark.

The great nobles loved this kind of thing. The more humble you were, the more satisfied they were.

Navia was well aware of it by experience.

So there was no hesitation in being obsequious.

Shame?

Humiliation?

Embarrassment?

Those things won’t save your life.

“I won’t be a nuisance. If there’s anything I need to fix, I will fix it.”

This is the only opportunity.

I finally got here.

I have to survive.

If I live, I will find another way.

Navia spoke desperately,

“I can do anything. I will definitely have a use..!”

At that time, the voice she heard countless times flew into her ears.

“You don’t do anything right. This is why low-borns are, tch!”

Her lips closed on their own.

She couldn’t speak because she was so choked up.

Navia’s gaze slowly sank down. There was only silence in the hallway.

“....”

‘In the end, is it all because of my birth?’

She had never lived a welcoming life.

No matter how much she had proved her usefulness, she had never been respected.

It was obvious.

Because she’s not a person.

Because she’s a tool.

But couldn’t someone hold her hand because she was a useful tool?

But with his eyes, Lark said no harshly.

For her thinking and her silver hair.

‘Then what the hell do I do to survive?’

Was dying the only option?

Just like the last eight lives.

Lark informed her coldly, thinking that the child was, as he thought, about to cry or shudder.

“I will save your life, so get out.”

And it was when he turned around.

“You’ll regret it.”

It was a low voice.

It was a dry tone as if it was all used up.

She spit out the word regret from her mouth.

Lark turned back to Navia again.

Navia was still facing the floor.

However, it was not the atmosphere that seemed to be in despair as before.

As his brows frowned, Navia gazed at Lark’s shoes that caught her gaze.

She saw the man Lark Eseled for the first time.

There was no information about him.

But something got caught in Navia’s keen sense.

As Navia’s head cooled down and she began to concentrate, her expression disappeared from her face.

She lifted her head and met Lark face-to-face.

“The Duke is protecting this place, aren’t you?”

Lark’s expression, compared to before, was infused with an incomparable eerie look.

Navia’s red eyes shone more sharply.

This man’s weakness was definitely the duchy itself.

The reasoning was that he never abandoned this place even though he acted as if he wasn’t interested in anything in the world.

Lark was outstanding.

Even if she didn’t check, she felt just how great he was in her gut.

Appearance, magic, and status, nothing was lacking.

A lot of information was read because such a person had never left the Duchy, but had a sane appearance.

“I’ve already informed those with power of the possibility of attacking Eseled. Agnes and the Imperial family fought between themselves and turned to this place. I know how arrogant and persistent they are.”

“Shut it.”

“Duke. You have to listen to me. They’ve resolved the problem of removing me. The will be after Eseled like a flock of birds, and then the second and third will come to this place.”

“Can’t you hear me say shut it?”

Navia, undaunted by Lark’s fierce energy, continued.

“There’s no room for negotiating like this if it were someone else.”

They’re going to come in here without breaking the chains of the brainwashing, like her.

“You will regret it if you miss me.”

Most certainly.

Navia threatened Lark by erecting her claws like a highly poisoned kitten.

“....”

“....”

There was a moment of silence between them.

But there was a fierce war of nerves between the two.

Lark was genuinely dumbfounded.

And genuinely angry.

It wasn’t because it was annoying as usual.

It was because he was stabbed.

(T/N: Because he’s shocked, he wasn’t physically stabbed.)

It was anger that the little child had seen through him.

It was ridiculous.

It wasn’t even funny.

He was overwhelmed by the trivial theme of life that would turn into powder and disappear with just a touch of a finger.

Lark spit out,

“It seems you don’t value your life.”

Navia did not lose and responded.

“I value my life, so I’m threatening the Duke.”

“..ha.”

Navia was so small and weak that it seemed that she would fall over with a light touch.

She was shaking but her eyes were twinkling with will.

‘I hate it.’

Unlike himself, her silver hair gives off a pure and clear color. And her dazzling determination to live.

It’s all hateful.

‘Then I just have to get it out of my sight.’

It was when Lark reached out to the child.

Grumble!

Navia hurriedly wrapped her arms around her stomach with a flustered look.

‘Why did it have to be now!’

Her face, as well as her neck, was flushed with shame.

She drank a lot of water, but that wasn’t enough to fill her up.

“....”

Lark’s hand stopped on its own.

Silver hair spread out like flames on the black floor and stood out painfully.

His mansion is black.

Inside, Navia was shining alone.

Like white flames.

It reminded him of someone.

“....”

Hwik!

As Lark raised his finger, Navia’s body, which was kneeling on the floor, was lifted.

Something soft raised her body.

“One year.”

At a sudden remark, Navia looked at Lark.

Lark spoke indifferently.

“Get out by then.”

Huh?

“That means..?”

Navia asked in a dazed voice.

“Then I can stay here until then?”

Lark closed his lips for a moment when she asked back.

Then he clicked his tongue and spoke,

“Do what you want.”

Snap!

He snapped his fingers and disappeared.