Chapter 5

“Do you even realize where you are? How dare you step forward!”

The Leader’s sharp voice sliced through the tense air.

Whispers erupted among the other members.

“Is she insane?”

“Does she have a death wish?”

The only reason their words were even slightly restrained was because of the Grand Duke’s presence.

But their shock and ridicule were still clear.

Not that it mattered.

None of it mattered.

Right now—
This moment, this chance—perhaps my last—was far more important.

I had fought too hard to get here.

I had endured too much to give up now.

Memories of every struggle, every hardship flashed through my mind.

I have been waiting for this day.

But as I lifted my head, my gaze meeting Kallain Detroit’s,

His expression was unreadable.

His lips curled slightly,
as if he was mocking me, or perhaps… intrigued.

Maybe he thought I was crazy.

With his notoriously difficult temperament,
he might even ignore me outright, simply because he hated having his time wasted.

And yet—

I need you.

And you… need me, too.

I held my gaze steady, my eyes filled with desperation.

The moment our stares locked, something unspoken passed between us.

And then, at last—

The lips of Grand Duke Kallain, which seemed as if they would never part,
slowly opened.

“A face I’ve never seen before.”

I had imagined this moment thousands of times.

But in all my scenarios, I had always expected the worst.

Yet his words, laced with curiosity, caught me off guard.

“I am Sylvia. I joined Agriche not long ago.”

“Sylvia.”

He merely repeated my name,
but even so, a shiver ran through me.

His cold, detached expression, so calm yet overwhelming,
made him seem like a predator gazing down at prey.

Was his reaction positive?

Or was I reading too much into it?

Doubt whispered at the edges of my thoughts—
but my determination swallowed every fear.

I took a deep breath and boldly declared:

“Your Grace would regret it for the rest of your life if you left without seeing my dance.”

Grand Duke Kallain’s gaze bore into me, as if ready to consume me whole.

A faint tremor ran through my body, but I clung to the hope that flickered within his stare.

I straightened my posture, meeting his gaze head-on, refusing to look away.

And just as I expected—

A smile spread across his face.

But it was a dangerous one.

“Regret, you say… Interesting.”

Mockery laced his tone. If I said I wasn’t intimidated, it would be a lie.

But the countless hours of practice, the relentless pursuit of this moment, had hardened me against fear.

I had sacrificed days, nights, even sleep to perfect my movements.

The bruises and wounds covering my body were proof of how much I had endured—

All for this very moment.

“You will want me. I am certain of it.”

Kallain’s lips curved into a subtle smirk—one of amusement.

This wasn’t a reckless gamble on my part.

I had studied him.

I had read the records that chronicled his life, observed his patterns, and prepared meticulously.

Kallain Detroit was a madman who showed more mercy to an enemy who fought back than one who surrendered.

A man like that—

You had to provoke his competitive nature.

And I was right.

“I’m curious now. Show me this ‘great talent’ of yours.”

At his words, he returned to his seat, and I quickly stepped onto the stage.

But just as I took my place, Leader Kostia paled and threw herself before him.

“Your Grace, this girl does not even have her own composition yet. Please, withdraw your command—”

Every Agriche Purifier had to undergo training, and only after passing the Leader’s evaluation were they granted a composition.

In other words—

I had no right to be on this stage.

But instead of displeasure, Kallain’s interest deepened.

His eyes flicked toward Kostia, and with just a single glance, he silenced her.

She immediately lowered her head, swallowing her protests.

His gaze slid back to me.

“I’ll give you a chance. Who knows? Perhaps I truly would regret leaving without seeing your dance.”

As my tightened chest began to ease, his next words sent a cold chill down my spine.

“But be warned—if you fail to impress me, be ready to face the consequences.”

His gaze was devoid of mercy.

In a world where only the strongest survived, Kallain did not tolerate mediocrity.

If I failed to prove myself—if I was no more valuable than the other Purifiers he had dismissed—

I could lose my life right here.

And yet—

This chance was too precious to let go.

“Of course, Your Grace.”

Kostia’s face turned bright red, torn between anger and helplessness, but she had no choice but to step aside.

A moment later, she gave the signal, and music filled the hall.

Céline’s song.

The room fell into stunned silence.

From the corner of my eye, I caught Céline’s reaction—

A dry laugh, followed by a sharp, scornful glare.

As if daring me to try.

Her eyes dripped with ridicule and contempt, as if mocking me—

‘Do you really think you can take my song?’

But it was fortunate that my opponent was Céline.

Because if it had been anyone else—

I might have felt guilty.

Ignoring the searing gazes around me, I let my body fall into the rhythm of the music.

* * *

Kallain had dismissed Jayden’s suggestion to send a familiar to fetch a Purifier from his estate.

Instead, he had come to Frozen Agriche for a simple reason—

It was the closest of the four Agriche branches.

His only intention was to relieve some of the pain and leave.

But now, he found himself watching a dance performance, all because of Leader Kostia’s persistent request.

“The members have improved greatly in the meantime. Their abilities should help ease Your Grace’s pain.”

And then, with a pointed smile, she added—

“Who knows? Perhaps today, Your Grace will finally find the Purifier you’ve been searching for.”

Though Kallain had agreed to watch, he had no expectations.

If someone in Frozen Agriche had truly possessed a strong enough compatibility with him,

They would have already been selected and sent to his estate.

He had watched countless dances,

Had been presented with hundreds, no—thousands of Purifiers,

Yet none had ever been enough.

Jayden was a capable butler, always bringing an endless stream of Purifiers before him—

Yet their performances had been boring, tedious, and ultimately ineffective.

Of course, the pain had subsided slightly each time—

But only to a mediocre extent.

There had been a time, long ago, when Kallain had still held onto hope—

That perhaps, one day, he would find the right match.

But no such luck had ever come his way.

So why would it now?

With disinterested eyes, he watched the dancers, unmoved by their performances.

Nothing was different.

Nothing was exceptional.

But then—

A woman had stepped forward.

Audacious. Arrogant.

She had dared to say that she could completely erase his pain.

Her insolence was almost laughable.

‘Should I call it admirable courage, or pure madness?’

Kallain had encountered countless women who had tried to appeal to him—

But none had ever risked their lives in such a reckless stunt.

A strange curiosity stirred within him.

‘She’s betting everything just to catch my eye…’

‘Why?’

There was something else behind this.

‘What does she truly want?’

It was ironic—

But the foolhardy mare’s strategy had actually worked.

In the end, he had taken his seat, willing to watch her dance.

It wasn’t just a whim.

From the moment she first entered Frozen Agriche, she had caught his attention.

Her features alone had been enough to stand out.

In the Empire, black hair was rare, and her pale, porcelain skin made the contrast striking.

But if that were all, he would have lost interest immediately.

Yet the golden hue of her eyes—
Like a flickering flame, they ensnared the gaze, making her seem almost…

Noble.

She carried herself like a lady of high birth, exuding a presence that was impossible to ignore.

Kallain had seen countless beauties,

But none had ever seared themselves into his memory so strongly.

For the first time—

He had felt an odd desire to watch someone dance.

And more than that—

A wicked curiosity had whispered at the back of his mind.

‘What would it feel like… to receive Purification from her?’

It was a dog-like thought, something he should have brushed aside immediately.

But the idea had already taken root.

Still—

That was the extent of it.

Kallain’s blue eyes gleamed coldly, piercing through the air as the music began.

And then— she moved.

Her slender arms reached toward the sky, her lavender-colored dance attire rippling like liquid silk.

Golden embroidery shimmered across the flowing fabric, scattering through the air like sunlight on water.

Her long legs stretched into a perfect arc, cutting through the air with stunning precision.

Her movements were light, effortless—like a butterfly in flight.

Yet there was an unmistakable depth to the way she moved.

It was as if the very space around her had transformed—

A ripple across a calm lake, subtle yet entrancing.

Her face, glimpsed through the movements, held a soft elegance—

Delicate, like a blade of grass in the wind.

But then—

Her golden eyes locked onto his.

And in that instant—

His breath caught.

She was simply moving gracefully, nothing more—

Yet somehow, Kallain felt a strange sensation coiling inside him.

‘Ridiculous.’

Her movements built in intensity, the crescendo rising to a climax.

Her twirls grew sharper, her fan snapping open in a flourish, teasing at a hint of seduction.

It was no longer just a dance.

It was a deliberate enticement—

A challenge.

And as if to seal the illusion, the fabric of her lavender attire darkened—

Shifting from soft lilac to deep violet… until it flared into crimson.

Like a single barren tree in the dead of winter, bursting into sudden bloom.

At that moment—

The butterfly appeared.

A red butterfly fluttered across the air, filling Kallain’s vision.

And for the first time—

Kallain cursed at himself.

‘You insane bastard.’

Yet—

Even as the thought passed through his mind,

He couldn’t look away from her.

And then—

He realized something else.

The pain was fading.

Her golden eyes met his again, filled with a quiet defiance.

For a fleeting moment, it felt as if she was mocking him.

And in that moment, Kallain knew—

He had fallen into her trap.