Chapter 7

Late at night, without knowing why, I was dragged along by the hands of several members and brought to Snow Hall.

‘The leader is personally involved…’

I had expected to be reprimanded, but… something was off.

Around me stood familiar faces—Céline’s loyal dogs, the ones she commanded like her own limbs.

A foreboding sense of dread twisted violently in my gut.

“For what reason have you summoned me?”

I had a vague idea.

‘They must be trying to punish me for stepping forward in front of the Grand Duke.’

But why here, of all places…?

A chilling unease spread over my entire body.

Just as my mind was being tangled by the growing uncertainty, the leader’s cold voice rang in my ears.

“You’ve been accused of stealing from Frozen Agriche.”

“Frozen Agriche’s belongings…?”

“The Snowstone. Did you truly lay your hands on it?”

My mind worked quickly, piecing the situation together in an instant.

‘I expected Céline to pull something, but theft?’

‘And Snowstone at that…’

The Snowstone was a sacred relic passed down within Agriche, something so revered that even touching it carelessly was strictly forbidden.

I had just been dragged into an unimaginably serious accusation.

I knew Céline would try something, but I never expected her to frame me as a thief.

A bitter taste seeped through the cracks of my bitten lips.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

A hollow laugh echoed through the room. The culprit was Céline.

Her expression, lined with a mocking smirk, stole my attention.

As if on cue, her followers rushed to her defense, eager to prove their loyalty.

“She was desperate enough to steal the stage and dance before the Grand Duke…”

“Wouldn’t be surprising if she had a habit of coveting what isn’t hers.”

It was a perfectly staged performance.

Céline stepped gracefully into the center, her gaze dripping with disdain as she looked at me.

“Would a thief ever confess on their own?”

A perfectly painted smile curled on her lips.

She had already declared me guilty.

With a deliberate turn, she faced the leader and added smoothly,

“We can always confirm it.”

Confirm?

Her unwavering confidence told me everything—she had already prepared for this moment.

‘Don’t tell me…’

I couldn’t afford to sit back and take this.

“I have never even been allowed into Snow Hall. I haven’t so much as laid eyes on the Snowstone, so how could I possibly steal it?”

Logically, everyone present should know that such a thing was impossible.

But every single person in this room stood on Céline’s side.

Though some flinched at my reasoning, they only pressed harder.

“If you planned on stealing it from the start, who’s to say what you might’ve done? How do we know you didn’t come here with that very intent?”

“That’s right. If you’re so confident, then prove it.”

To prove my innocence, I needed a witness.

And the only person who had been by my side all this time was Monet.

‘Would Monet testify for me?’

Céline’s past misdeeds had never been severe enough to put Monet in danger, so she had been able to help me before.

But this was different.

If Monet got involved in this, she could end up facing punishment as well.

More than that, even if Monet spoke up for me, the outcome had already been decided.

The fact that this situation had escalated to such an extent meant that everything had already been planned.

‘They’ve probably hidden the Snowstone somewhere in my quarters.’

Bringing up Monet’s name here would be a mistake.

And as if she had timed it perfectly, Céline stepped forward.

“Since Sylvia is so adamant about her innocence, why not search her room?”

I had walked right into the trap she had set.

Cold sweat trickled down my spine.

‘How do I get out of this?’

I tried to think, but there was no way to escape this situation.

My last hope was the leader—she was known for her impartiality and rationality.

But whether she would believe me was another matter entirely.

She was someone who merely observed, letting events unfold as they would.

No matter who had spun this web, it was my job to find a way out.

I was still gripping onto that fragile hope when she finally spoke.

“Search Sylvia’s room immediately.”

Something about the leader’s tone felt different from the strict authority she usually held when addressing the members.

She seemed far more inclined toward Céline’s side.

Then it struck me—something strange had happened earlier today.

This morning, she had sent Ritornan on a special leave, keeping her away from the estate.

The only one who ever directly opposed Céline had been deliberately removed from the picture.

‘The leader is in on it too.’

Her stance had changed.

Of course, Céline was the highest-ranked member of Frozen Agriche, so favoritism wasn’t unusual, but she had never handled an incident like this before.

‘Why…?’

And then—

I recalled the carriage that had arrived earlier, marked with the insignia of a noble house.

‘The Count’s family… Are they backing Céline?’

A numb, stinging sensation spread through my head as if I had been struck.

This meant there was no hope left.

At the leader’s command, several members rushed out of the hall.

And then, time turned into an endless stretch of darkness.

‘If I’m convicted of theft, I’ll be whipped.’

But that wasn’t the worst of it.

The moment they “found” the Snowstone in my room, I would be declared guilty of breaking the rules and expelled.

‘If I lose Agriche’s protection… then I’ll be dragged back there again.’

A dark, suffocating room flickered before my eyes.

More than the pain of the whip, the thought of being taken back terrified me.

Minutes stretched into an eternity in the silence thick with fear.

Then, footsteps echoed outside.

Bang!

The door burst open, and the girls who had left stormed back in.

In the center of them, one girl held out her hand—on it rested a glowing orb, radiating an unmistakable white light.

‘That must be the Snowstone.’

Its brilliant luster left no room for doubt.

But I had no time to admire its beauty.

A wave of despair and disbelief crashed over me, swallowing me whole.

My body trembled beyond my control.

“This was found in Sylvia’s room.”

A collective gasp filled the hall.

Everyone turned their heads toward me as if they had been eagerly awaiting this outcome.

Smirks curled on their lips, their faces dripping with amusement.

And then, as if sealing my fate, the leader’s voice rang out.

“Sylvia, you have broken the rules and committed a crime that cannot be forgiven. You will be punished according to the law of our order.”

In her hand, Kostia held a whip.

The silent hall was shattered by the cruel sound of it slicing through the air.

* * *

“Ugh…!”

I thought I could endure this, that it wouldn’t be a big deal…

Laughter, sharp and mocking, spread across the grand, cold floor.

“Look at her, not shedding a single tear to the end. She’s ruthless by nature, isn’t she?”

“Ugh, just thinking about being near someone like her gives me chills.”

“You came here just to steal the Snowstone, didn’t you?”

“We need to get rid of her immediately. If this gets out, it’ll tarnish Frozen Agriche’s reputation.”

My consciousness wavered, my vision darkening.

Sweat beaded on my forehead, rolling down my face as my mind turned blank.

The burning pain dulled, growing numb, until eventually, all sensation faded.

As my body tilted, on the verge of collapsing—

Bang! Bang!

Urgent knocks shattered the heavy silence.

“Tell them to wait,” the leader ordered coldly.

The member who had stepped out returned almost instantly, murmuring something about an urgent matter.

Annoyance flashed across the leader’s face, but with a sharp command, the door was opened.

A knight stepped inside, his gaze flickering with visible shock as he took in my battered state.

Unfazed, the leader, clearly displeased with the interruption, demanded in a harsh voice,

“What is it?”

The knight hastily corrected his stance and delivered his report with urgency.

“His Grace, the Grand Duke, has arrived.”

“What?”

With a dull thud, the whip slipped from the leader’s grasp.

Visibly shaken, she quickly issued orders to contain the situation before spinning on her heels.

Through my blurred vision, I saw Céline trailing closely behind as the leader exited Snow Hall.

* * *

“It is truly a joy as the leader of Frozen Agriche to see Your Grace visit us so frequently.”

Grand Duke Kallain gave a slight nod, his face as expressionless as ever.

Even for someone like her, a leader of one of Agriche’s esteemed institutions, dealing with Kallain was always an overwhelming task.

“I don’t see the members anywhere.”

Though it was late, in Frozen Agriche—where winter reigned—night was no different from day.

Their long-standing training regimen was well-known.

In other words, this was the prime time for the members to be actively engaged in their practice.

The leader stiffened slightly but quickly schooled her expression into one of practiced composure, despite the weight pressing down on her dress.

Kallain took in her reaction without missing a single detail.

“They have gathered for a group dance rehearsal.”

“A rehearsal, at this hour?”

“My apologies. It is an especially busy season for us.”

In truth, there was no reason for Frozen Agriche, which governed winter, to be particularly busy at this time.

But Kallain did not bother to point it out.

Once he had finished his business here, he had no intention of visiting again anytime soon.

Sensing that prolonging this conversation would not be to her benefit, the leader swiftly changed the subject.

“And what brings Your Grace here at this hour…?”

Her previous unease had vanished behind a dazzling smile.

Kallain regarded her leisurely before getting straight to the point.

“That girl from before. I will take her with me.”

For a moment, the leader’s face turned deathly pale.

“You mean…?”

“Sylvia. I will take her as my Purifier.”