92.

In the southern part of the empire.

In the Wilshire region, known as the haven for smugglers.

In a darkened basement, a man tightly bound and bloodied sat slumped against the wall.

His mouth was firmly gagged, and his entire body was covered in blood from brutal beatings.

Creeeak—

The chilling sound of a metal door scraping open echoed.

Thud, thud.

The sound of polished shoes methodically hitting the floor rang out.

The gleaming shoes crossed the basement floor smeared with blood and filth.

The eerie sight was unsettling to those watching.

At the same time, the man, who had been half-conscious, suddenly opened his eyes wide.

“Mmph, mmph!”

Terrified, the man tried to scoot backwards on the floor, desperately trying to escape.

A man entered the basement and bent down to look at him.

“Oh, finally awake?”

He was a strikingly handsome man, as if meticulously crafted by a deity.

His smile was so radiant it almost seemed otherworldly.

But the man wasn’t deceived by the beautiful appearance.

“So, have you thought about revealing the locations of the other rats?”

“Mmph! Mmph, mph!”

The man thrashed wildly, tears welling in his eyes as he looked up at Dante.

Dante tilted his head slightly.

“Oh, so you’re planning to say you don’t know again?”

He made his eyes narrow prettily.

“I know you don’t know. I’ve already captured all the rats that escaped this time.”

Then why me?!

Confusion stained the man’s eyes.

At the same time, Dante undid the buttons on his shirt cuffs.

As he rolled up his sleeves, his slender arms revealed well-defined muscles.

“Marquis.”

Alongside him, a subordinate entered the room silently and handed Dante a pair of black leather gloves.

Dante took the gloves and put them on.

A visceral fear appeared on the man’s face.

It was only natural.

Every time Dante wore those gloves, it was followed by excruciating pain that seemed to tear through flesh.

“This? Just blowing off some steam.”

At the same time, Dante bared his teeth and smiled like a demon.

“You rats are hiding so uselessly that I’ve spent more time on my return than expected.”

“Mmph, mph!”

“Even now…”

Dante’s red eyes grew cold as ice.

“Our lady is waiting for me.”

With that, Dante kicked the man in the stomach.

The man fell to the floor like a rag doll, completely powerless.

“Mmph, mph, mph!”

The man’s eyes widened in terror.

He crawled across the floor like a bug, trying to escape the relentless violence.

But it was useless.

Dante began to methodically trample and kick the man with a blank expression.

“Mmph! Mmph!”

Blood and tears mixed and flowed down the man’s face.

Yet, Dante’s kicks never faltered.

Thud, thud!

In the eerie basement, only the sounds of Dante mercilessly trampling the man reverberated.

Even the subordinate standing behind couldn’t help but frown at the cruelty.

The most chilling aspect was Dante’s expression—utterly devoid of emotion.

He treated the man like just another task to be completed.

Mechanically trampling, kicking, and punching the man.

He made him look more like a heap of flesh than a human being.

“Mmph…”

The man’s movements, which had been intermittently twitching, gradually came to a halt.

Finally.

The man completely ceased moving.

‘Ugh.’

The subordinate standing behind involuntarily grimaced inwardly.

‘How Liam manages to accompany the Marquis so closely is beyond me.’

The subordinate had witnessed the man’s head hitting the floor several times during the stomping.

So, if he was lucky, he might have been killed.

If he was unlucky, he would have to live out his life as a crippled shell.

…Honestly, it was frightening.

“Phew.”

At that moment, Dante let out a long sigh and straightened his back.

He then removed the bloodstained leather gloves and casually tossed them onto the unmoving body of the man.

“Ah, I should have worn a black shirt too.”

Dante clicked his tongue as he looked down at his shirt splattered with blood.

Afterward.

He gave a brief command to the subordinate behind him.

“Disgusting. Clean it up.”

“Yes, Marquis.”

The subordinate grabbed the man’s legs and dragged him away.

A long trail of red blood was left on the floor beneath the fallen man’s body.

Dante didn’t spare a single glance at the man being dragged out like a dog.

All his interest had already faded.

Instead, Dante reached into his pocket.

A business card came out between his fingertips.

**<Boniče & Ella>**

It was the name of a renowned jeweler in the empire.

The Boniče family owned one of the top ruby mines in the south, and the Ella family was known for producing famous gem craftsmen through the generations.

The brand was born from the union of these two esteemed families.

They had crafted jewelry not only for nobility but also for the imperial family on several occasions.

And the reason Dante held this jeweler’s business card was…

‘The engagement ring… was supposed to be completed today.’

The smugglers had been mostly dealt with, and the few remaining escapees could be left to his subordinates.

It seemed like it was time to return to Elze.

Dante’s red eyes sparkled with anticipation.

* * *

A few days later.

I gathered all the servants in the boarding school.

“Lady Elze.”

“You called for us…”

The servants, entering the living room with frightened eyes, were momentarily startled.

In the living room, a long dining table was set up, and…

On top of the table were an assortment of fine desserts and tea.

I smiled warmly at the servants.

“Please, everyone, have a seat.”

“……”

“……”

The servants exchanged nervous glances and hesitated before sitting down.

Once they were all seated, I began to speak softly.

“I think I’ve been rather harsh with all of you up until now.”

“Pardon?”

“No, not at all!”

The servants, terrified, immediately shook their heads.

My smile grew a little more.

“I’m glad to hear that. But I also need to reflect on how I’ve been managing all of you.”

“Lady Elze…”

“If anyone has dedicated themselves to Rosenkreuz Academy…”

I lifted the teapot.

Rising from my seat, I went around filling each servant’s empty teacup.

The hot, deep red tea filled the cups.

This was high-quality tea usually served to the students of Rosenkreuz Academy.

“It is only right that a superior recognizes their efforts.”

“……”

“……”

The servants looked at me in stunned silence.

After filling all their cups, I straightened up and looked around at them.

“It’s nothing special, but I wanted to make this occasion so that you could relax a little.”

With that, I turned towards the living room door.

“Enjoy your time.”

As I bid them farewell, confusion appeared on the servants’ faces.

‘What? Is she leaving?’

‘Is she not staying with us?’

I added generously.

“Don’t worry, I know how uncomfortable it can be to have your superior join you for tea.”

“Yes……”

“Thank you……”

Relief finally spread across the servants’ faces.

In truth, the servants feared the current me, who managed things rather than the former wicked self.

The incidents involving Viktor and the underground prison during the incense scandal had a significant impact.

Moreover, I had recently been directly overseeing the servants’ work.

Unlike before, when they could get away with deception and flattery, they now found me even more intimidating.

“Well then, I’ll be on my way.”

Watching the servants happily eat and drink through the gap in the door, I closed it with a click.

At the same time, a cold smile appeared on my lips.

‘Now it’s time to…’

Visit Liam.

* * *

After stopping by the kitchen to pick up some light snacks and tea, I stood in front of Liam’s office.

“Phew.”

I took a deep breath and knocked a couple of times.

Knock, knock.

A moment later, a terse voice responded.

“Come in.”