Chapter 4

The men dragging my brother away had tattoos on their arms—snowflake emblems.

It wasn’t difficult to figure out who they were.

In the entire Empire, only one group bore that mark—

The knights of Detroit.

After that, I began digging into Kallain Detroit, the Grand Duke of Detroit.

But Kallain was as shrouded in secrecy as his reputation suggested, and the information I could uncover was limited.

So, I made a decision.

I would enter his estate myself—

No matter what it took.

He was my only clue to uncovering my lost past and missing family.

To an outsider, I must have seemed like a madwoman, chasing after some dream-born illusion.

But desperation has a way of turning delusions into conviction.

And so, I risked everything to escape the Viscount’s estate.

I fled as far north as possible, putting as much distance as I could between myself and my former captors.

Even as I ran, I sometimes caught sight of missing persons notices and wondered—

Was my face among them?

Was my family searching for me, too?

But beyond my lost memories, there lingered both fear and curiosity.

If I regained my memories, would I find happiness—

Or would I be even more miserable than before?

Was this a Pandora’s box I was better off never opening?

I questioned myself endlessly.

Yet, in the end—

I knew I would have to open it.

Only then could I choose—to either start anew or throw the past away.

And so, in my search for the truth, I entered Frozen Agriche.

Why Frozen Agriche?
The answer was simple.

Because the one who established Frozen Agriche was none other than Grand Duke Kallain.

It was said that he had put great effort into founding this institution.

Naturally, I assumed that Kallain would frequently visit this place.

So, after escaping to the north, I tracked the movements of the leader of Frozen Agriche.

Wherever she appeared, I danced before her, channeling my Purification energy into every movement.

And in the end—

I caught her eye.

So far, I had succeeded in getting here—

But contrary to my expectations, Grand Duke Kallain had never once set foot in Frozen Agriche.

Until now.

‘Today… he’s finally coming.’

My heart pounded violently in my chest.

The atmosphere around me was just as unsettled as I was.

Though, of course, for entirely different reasons.

The other Purifiers, who had thought they would never get the chance to see Kallain in their lifetime, could barely contain their excitement.

“And here I thought none of you cared—what’s with all these outfits?”

The hall was brimming with performers, all dressed in extravagantly decorated dance attire, like peacocks fanning their feathers in a silent battle for attention.

“Ahem. What are you even talking about?”

“But isn’t it strange? Even when His Grace loses control, he never comes here.”

“Obviously, there must be another reason, right?”

Standing at the back of the crowd, their whispers naturally drifted into my ears.

Speculation about Kallain’s visit spread quickly among the members, each offering their own theory—

Until one of them spoke with unshakable confidence.

“He’s here to take Céline, obviously.”

“Why? Didn’t you hear? Last time, when the Grand Duke’s butler came to the estate, His Grace supposedly took a liking to her.”

At the mention of her name, Céline, with her rose-colored lips, let out a smug smile.

“Ah… His Grace just wouldn’t let me go. It was… quite exhausting, really.”

Beneath the delicate sway of her fan, her revealing dancer’s attire accentuated her deeply cut neckline, drawing in envious gazes from the other women.

“So? How far did it go?”

“Did His Grace take you to his chambers?”

“What kind of question is that? Of course, we spent the night together.”

Céline blushed shyly, as if overwhelmed by their questions, playing the part of an innocent maiden.

“Oh, come on. Don’t ask such things~.”

The hall erupted in excited squeals, each woman exchanging imaginative fantasies.

“Look at her face—she definitely did! What was it like?”

As all eyes returned to her, Céline raised her fan to hide her smile, lips curling at the edges.

Then, lowering it again, she put on a dreamy, blissful expression, as if reminiscing.

“Rough… but gentle. Absolutely intoxicating.”

“Oh my, that settles it. He’s definitely here for Céline today.”

Had Céline already managed to capture the Grand Duke’s heart?

So, is that really why the Grand Duke is coming here?

If that’s the case, then I have no chance—which would be a problem.

But I couldn’t take Céline’s words at face value.

Looking back over the past six months, it was obvious—Céline had a habit of lying.

She was the type to say anything if it meant clinging to power, so this could just be another one of her fabrications.

After all, if she claimed the Grand Duke had taken a liking to her, the other members would inevitably admire and envy her.

I decided to dismiss her words as lies, but my mind still felt unsettled.

As I got lost in my thoughts, Monet suddenly whispered from behind me.

“Here we go again. I heard he kicked her out almost immediately last time.”

“…”

“How does she lie so easily without even blinking? Isn’t she embarrassed?”

Her offhand comment was strangely comforting, giving me a surge of renewed determination.

Getting swept up in mind games like this wouldn’t do me any good.

‘I’ve come too far to falter now.

Today, no matter what, I must be chosen by the Grand Duke.

The problem was…

How do I even get him to notice me?

As my thoughts raced, the leader of Frozen Agriche entered the hall.

The moment she appeared, the entire room fell into silence.

All the members bowed in respect, their movements synchronized.

The commanding presence of the leader alone was enough to demand absolute attention.

Then, as she turned, figures clad in armor stepped into the hall—
The knights of Detroit, their armor adorned with the crest of Detroit.

And following them—

The man himself.

The legend wrapped in countless rumors had finally revealed his presence.

Grand Duke Kallain Detroit.

Even from a distance, his very existence was suffocating.

It was no surprise—
This was the man who turned the barren, desolate North into a fortress of power.

He was not just any royal—he was the most feared among them.

Everyone in the empire knew—
Kallain Detroit was stronger than the Emperor himself.

The day his powers manifested, the empire was shaken.

Not only had he surpassed all the past emperors, but he had even effortlessly outmatched the then Crown Prince, Periord Rutpherion—a man once believed to be the strongest among the imperial lineage.

Both the Emperor and Periord feared him.

That was why, the moment the Emperor took the throne, he banished Kallain to the far North, giving him the so-called “gift” of the Detroit Territory.

But in reality—

It was nothing more than a death sentence.

At the time, Detroit was a cursed land, overrun by monsters, its soil so barren that human life was unsustainable.

Most believed that Kallain’s forces would crumble within months.

Yet—

Years later,

Kallain not only survived—he rebuilt Detroit from the ground up.

And with his success came a new title—

‘The Ruthless Architect of Detroit.’

The scorn once directed at him had transformed into fear—
And soon, fear turned into deep reverence.

The stronger Detroit became, the more titles were attached to him.

“The Blood Prince Who Commands Firestorms.”

“The Monster Grand Duke Who Slaughters Beasts.”

And—

‘A Living Statue of Perfection.’

At first, I thought that last title was exaggerated.

But seeing him in person—

I understood why.

The other members were staring at him in awe, their gazes filled with awe and longing.

Even though they were meeting him for the first time, they looked ready to die for his attention.

Watching them, I felt my resolve sink.

‘This… won’t be easy.’