The two maids gathered around Lin and began to massage his body. Their hands were as soft as cotton—gentle, yet precise—guiding the enchanted water through the bruises on his skin. Slowly, the liquid seeped into his wounds, soothing the pain and cleansing the damage.
Lin's body relaxed. His mind—once shackled by cold and despair—began to ease. It felt as though he had been released from a prison, like a caged bird suddenly set free.
Hours passed.
His wounds gradually began to regenerate, his flesh knitting itself back together as if his body possessed an accelerated healing ability. The bruises faded, erased by the enchanted water, as though they had never existed.
Eventually, Lin sat up and asked the two maids to hand him his clothes. After dressing, he turned to them and demanded, "Where did Oriliana go?"
They answered in perfect unison, "Master, she is currently handling some business."
Lin nodded slowly. "Then guide me around the palace," he said.
The two maids walked ahead, pointing out various rooms and halls. Lin carefully memorized every corridor, every exit, every hidden passage.
"This is the Queen's chamber," one of them said. "And that room over there... that's where you consummate your marriage with Her Majesty."
Lin didn't respond. His gaze remained cold, his thoughts calculating.
"Is there a training ground here?" he asked abruptly.
"Yes, Master. Follow us."
They led Lin through the winding halls until they reached a stone courtyard. The air was still, broken only by the rhythmic sound of strikes echoing against the walls.
At the center stood a young man, his white horns gleaming under the pale light, his crimson eyes glowing like embers. Each movement he made was sharp—precise—like a serpent poised to strike. Grace and danger in every breath.
Lin narrowed his eyes.
He looked familiar.
"Who is that?" he asked.
One of the maids answered, "Prince Elenius… Her Majesty's younger brother."
As if summoned by the words, the boy turned, flashing a bright smile.
"Hello, brother-in-law!" he called out cheerfully.
Lin blinked. He was the first man he'd seen here besides himself.
Suspicion flared.
"Why are you the only man here?" Lin asked bluntly.
Elenius tilted his head, voice light as if explaining a childhood story. "All the others were killed after marriage. Once their wives got pregnant… they were executed."
Lin's body went rigid.
The boy's smile dimmed. "I'm only alive because of my sister. She's the only Queen who didn't kill her brother."
A cold shadow passed through Lin's eyes.
"Then why am I still alive?" he asked. "Your sister is pregnant, isn't she?"
Elenius nodded, lowering his voice to a whisper. "Because... maybe my sister loves you."
> Love? That damn bitch.
Either she dies… or I do.
Lin's gaze fell on the boy with renewed clarity.
Not a threat.
A tool.
> She loves her brother. I'll use him as my pawn.
He stepped closer.
"Do you love your sister?" Lin asked.
Elenius's smile softened. "She's my only family. I love her more than anything."
Lin placed a hand gently on his shoulder.
"I love her too," he said with a kind voice. "She's… my beloved wife."
But inside, his soul coiled like a serpent, venom dripping from every thought.
> I'll kill all of you. Every bite of food, every breath I draw in this cursed palace—will be paid for with blood.
> First, this place. Then the Frosts… and that woman who dragged me into this damned world.
> You'll all feel it, it will be madness.
"Lin!" Elenius beamed, tugging him from his thoughts. "I love you! You're my friend!"
Lin forced a smile—hollow and chilling.
"Do you know how to fight?" he asked.
"Of course!" Elenius grinned proudly. "I'm one of the elites here. I've mastered all our clan's techniques—like Fanged Serpent Strike, Silent Glide of the Hidden Serpent, and Serpent's Fang Clutch."
He raised his hands with playful confidence.
"We're from the Crimson-Eyed Seraphs, but my sister and I have different blessings. Mine is the Blessing of the True White Flame. Hers is The Crimson Serpent Empress."
Lin's eyes sharpened.
"What exactly is a blessing?"
Elenius paused—just briefly—then answered with a rare depth:
> "A blessing… is a mirror of your soul.
It's not just power—it's who you are, laid bare.
Your fears. Your hopes. Your rage. Your love.
Some call it a gift. Others call it a curse.
But it is always the truth."
Lin listened intently as Elenius continued, fingers raised, counting one by one.
---
First: Inherited Blessing
> "Passed down through bloodlines—but blood alone isn't enough. Your heart must align with your ancestor's. Only then does the covenant awaken… and evolve."
Second: Ritual Blessing
> "Summoned through ancient ceremonies. But rituals mean nothing without sincerity. Many seek them… few return."
Third: Forced Blessing
> "Implanted by others—legends, monsters, or madmen. Rare. Unstable. Often deadly."
Fourth: Soul Blessing
> "Born of resonance between souls. A bond with another being so pure, it shapes power from connection alone."
Fifth: Shared Blessing
> "When souls experience the same moment—love, grief, sacrifice—they fuse. One blessing. Multiple hearts."
Sixth: Dormant Blessing (Emotional Awakening)
> "Buried deep, waiting. Then—rage, love, sorrow—whatever breaks you… wakes it."
Seventh: Evolving Blessing
> "The rarest. Born from the ever-shifting soul. Changing with every belief, every choice.
Dangerous. Raw. Honest."
Eighth: Blessing of the Unsource
> "No one knows where it came from.
Not the gods, not the demons, not even the System itself.
Attempts to identify its origin return nothing but static. It's not divine, not cursed, not even registered.
A "Nonexistent Blessing" — that's all anyone can read from it.
Yet its effects are undeniable.
Ninth: Blessing of the Hollow Soul
> "A blessing born not from what exists within you—but from what you lack.
Not love. Not rage. Not sorrow.
But emptiness.
A soul shattered beyond repair, where the void itself takes root.
It grants nothing at first—no flames, no power. Just silence.
But over time… that silence devours.
Memories fade. Emotions rot. Identity dissolves.
Until the only thing left...
is a blessing."
Tenth: Blessing of the Hollow Return
> "Not all who die are meant to return.
Those who do… come back wrong.
This blessing anchors the soul to the body—but not the same soul.
It remembers death. It hungers for life.
Each time it's used, something human is lost… and something else takes its place."
Elenius lowered his hand, his voice quiet.
> "That's why no two blessings are the same.
Because no two souls are."
He added calmly:
> "And… there are other blessings too.
Ones that haven't been fully discovered or understood yet.
Unknown types—still unclassified."