In the expansive courtyard of Duchess Rina, a grim and intense scene unfolded. The man kneeling before her had once been the pride of the Tengu Clan, celebrated for his prowess. Now, stripped of both dignity and pride.
Consort Hayden knelt in a pool of blood and decapitated bodies, a hollow shell of his former self. His bare back was raw, his skin flayed by the sharp cracks of thorned, each lash biting deeply.
The wielder of the whip was not an enemy, not even a stranger—it was his wife. The woman who had once stood by his side now stood over him, her arm rising and falling with pitiless precision.
Moments before, she had severed the heads of the Tengu's elders and extracted their essence.
To understand the full weight of this moment, we must go back in time. The events that set this tragedy in motion—the beginning of Consort Hayden's downfall.
On that fateful night, Hayden's life began to unravel. Filled with excitement, he eagerly anticipated possessing Vivian.
Her best friend, Maya, was nothing more than an added indulgence, a sweet dessert to complement the main course.
The notorious assassin, Evelyn, had fulfilled her promise, delivering both women in a twisted exchange. In a cruel display of satisfaction, Hayden praised Evelyn, even doubling her payment for her services.
Yet his greed is insatiable. His next demand was far more perilous—he desired Evelyn to eliminate a man who forced him to flee.
That man was none other than Oga. His reasoning….
The alluring Yaya….His twisted obsession with possessing voluptuous women haunted his nights.
Backed by the formidable elders of the Tengu Clan, Hayden felt untouchable—and with good reason. He was a man who always got what he wanted. Anyone daring to cross his path was swiftly eliminated, just like Vivian's family.
Not many know this truth; the history between Vivian and Hayden stretches far back in time. Vivian's lineage bore the weight of a tragic past, marked by loss and suffering.
The infamous tale of the Count's son dishonoring the Baron was tied to the Tengu House. The woman in the sea of white was none other than Vivian's great-grandmother.
What happened to her after that fateful night set the course for the present timeline.
Vivian's great-grandmother was taken in by the young lord of the Tengu House as a Night Wench. This was the first recorded precedent of a woman given such a title. In her force devotion, she bore two children, a boy and a girl. And that girl will go on to give birth the Vivian's mother.
Vivian's mother fled the Tengu household, breaking all ties with the clan. Seeking refuge in a small village, she eventually met Vivian's father, a nomadic Knight.
Together, they welcomed thirteen children into the world, with Vivian being the youngest. Unlike her siblings, who exhibited the distinctive traits of the Daitengu and the main Heavenly branch, Vivian seemed entirely ordinary.
Her appearance was so unremarkable that it would have been impossible to discern her Tengu lineage.
When the clan eventually tracked down her mother and siblings, they overlooked young Vivian entirely. It was a narrow escape; she and her father were able to flee only because her eldest brother sacrificed himself, buying them precious time to get away.
Even with her narrow escape, Vivian's troubles were far from over. Her captured siblings were tortured, fand orced to reveal everything. Hayden's father learned of her existence and promised her hand to his son.
In truth, Vivian was far from unremarkable. Among her thirteen siblings, her beauty and alluring figure attracted unwanted attention.
To shield her fourteen-year-old daughter, Vivian's mother employed her innate charm. With this gift, she ensured that anyone below the Divine Realm who looked upon Vivian would perceive her as an ordinary girl.
This enchantment served as a protective barrier throughout Vivian's childhood, keeping her safe from the predatory eyes of the world.
Yet, here she was in the hands of that man's child. The same man who kills her father.
"You've finally returned, my love!" Hayden said, brushing a strand of hair away from Vivian's face. His voice was a mixture of triumph and obsession.
But Hayden had another agenda. He turned his attention to Evelyn, a deadly and 'trusted ally.' He had uncovered a few clues to the identity of the mysterious man in possession of the Hematocrystallum Elixir—a legendary potion said to unlock the full potential of any bloodline.
Hayden was determined to obtain the elixir for himself. When Evelyn reported that the man with the Elixir didn't show up, he was suspicious, but with the capture of Vivian. He didn't probe too deeply.
Confident in Evelyn's lethal abilities, he smiled darkly. "I'll pay you double if you can retrieve the formula, so do whatever it takes to locate this person!"
Evelyn though tempted, knew better. The formula will be hers once she accepts Oga's deal. Evelyn wisely said she had another project, and once that was done, she would seek him out.
She left Hayden with only a vague answer, pocketing her reward as she severed ties with the pervert.
She had already made a pact with that devil and had no intention of jeopardizing it for a mere Grand Knight.
As Evelyn departed from the Duchess' castle, her path crossed with Rina the Storm, setting in motion a chain of events that would lead to the blood-soaked courtyard and the ruin of a once-proud man.
With Evelyn gone, Hayden descended into further depravity. For three days and nights, he assaulted Vivian and Maya. On the fourth day, while indulging in yet another depravity, a loud crash shattered his cabin.
Hayden was seized and dragged. The uproar echoed through the streets and halls, waking the slumbering inhabitants of the castle.
Now, back in the present, Hayden knelt on all fours—broken, humiliated, and utterly defeated.
His manhood had been taken from him, and the elders who had once stood by his side had all met their grim fate, their heads severed by his wife's hand.
"I have given you everything you desired, Hayden... Have I not?" Duchess Rina's voice trembled, a haunting blend of sorrow and fury.
Silence swallowed the room.
Advisor Knox stood nearby, helpless. He had warned Hayden time and time again, urging him to change his course, but even in his darkest thoughts, Knox had never imagined it would come to this. The Duchess of the South had gone further than he could have ever predicted—she had castrated Hayden.
Knox's influence had crumbled, and now it was too late. Even his life was in danger.
"Everything... everything was for nothing!" Hayden's voice quivered with pain, a strange mix of sobs and bitter laughter.
"All I ever wanted was your affection, but you denied me at every turn! Night after night, I was left alone! What gives you the right to do this to me? You're no better than me! You call it tribute, but you're just like me—gathering men for your twisted fantasies."
His words rang out, raw and wounded, echoing through the grand halls of the castle. He had lost Vivian, and now, stripped of his manhood, he had nothing left. His humiliation was unbearable, but at that moment, he no longer cared.
He didn't care who heard him—whether it was the servants or anyone else who wandered the castle. He had nothing left to hide.
Rina's voice cut through the air, sharp and unyielding. "You are a fool, Hayden. What I desire, what I do in these lands, is my choice. And you dare to compare yourself to me?" She gestured grandly, her hand sweeping across the courtyard.
"Look around you! I am the South! You, you are nothing but a toy. If I choose to use you, that is my decision. I have never forced anyone. Every man who has shared my bed has made his choice."
Her words were calculated, each one aimed like a dagger at his heart. "But you—how dare you try to justify your crimes?" she continued, her voice growing colder with every syllable.
"I know everything about what the Elders in your clan have done over the years on your behalf—kidnapping, larceny, illegal experimentation, trafficking in organs."
The accusations hung in the air between them like heavy stones, undeniable and oppressive. "And yet, I chose to look away, clinging to the hope that you might change. But I was wrong."
Her rage burned hotter as she stepped closer, her voice a low hiss. "You're vile, Hayden. Do you even comprehend the weight of your transgressions against the South?
For each of your crimes, I could have had you executed without hesitation. And yet, I stayed my hand. Do you even care to know why?"
Without warning, she grabbed his face, her fingers pressing into his skin with a crushing force. She yanked his head upward, forcing his eyes to meet hers.
"Look at me," she hissed. "If you had come to me, no matter what financial troubles your clan was facing, I could have helped you. That was my first thought—until I followed the money trail and realized you were funding a private army."
Her eyes blazed with fury, but her voice sank into a deadly calm. "Did you despise serving beneath me so much? I have shown you more favor than any of my consorts. Was that not enough?"
He met her gaze with defiance, though the truth shimmered beneath his resistance. This man would never change.
"Very well, you won't answer…." Duchess Rina said coldly. "For your reckless actions in dishonoring House Valaris, you are stripped of your title and land! The fate of the Heavenly Tengu will now rest in the hands of the newly appointed Count."
She paused, watching the horror unfold on Hayden's face. "Please... don't do this," he finally pleaded, but his words were met only with icy indifference.
Rina turned sharply to the scholarly servant standing nearby. "What are you waiting for? Write this down!" she commanded, her tone sharp and authoritative, leaving no room for hesitation.
"As for your punishment," she continued, her eyes cold and unyielding, "do not deceive yourself into believing that these lashes and the removal of your manhood will settle your assault charges.
Hayden of the Heavenly Clan, you are sentenced to death by Wooden Horse. You will not know the time or date of execution. Until then, you will be transported to the Baltic Prison, where you will await your fate."
With a forceful shove, she pushed him aside and turned to leave. Her footsteps echoed in the stone corridor, but just as she reached the edge of the hall, she paused. Without turning, her voice cut through the silence like a blade of ice.
"Knox," she said, her tone sharp and unwavering, "you will receive ten lashes for your incompetence and will be imprisoned in the dungeon for a year.
The only reason you haven't lost your head like the others is that you were unaware of your nephew's treasonous plot.
You also served my late mother faithfully and summoned the giants. But if you even think of aiding this wretch," her voice dropped to a dark and menacing whisper, "I won't hesitate to feed you to the Dreadscale Crocs."
In that moment, Hayden's world crumbled. His future, his ambitions, his very identity—all of it reduced to dust. As the guards stepped forward to drag him away, his pleas and curses fell on deaf ears.
Knox stood in stunned silence, letting out a deep sigh.
Knox felt the weight of his regret. He should have been firmer with Hayden; his hesitation had led them all to this ruin. The once-proud Heavenly Tengu now faced the possibility of losing their nobility, confronting the terrifying threat of slavery. The fate of their clan rested on the shoulders of the newly appointed Count.
"What are you waiting for?" Rina's sharp voice cut through the heavy silence, jolting a male giant. The absurdity of the scene hung in the air like a foul stench.
They had just witnessed the consort's humiliation, his body brutally disfigured. And now, their duty was to whip the Advisor. The man who rescues and promises them a haven. The cruel Irony.
"Hand over the land titles, Knox," Rina demanded with cold precision. "I must submit the appeal of ownership to the crown."
Knox's eyes, filled with desperation, sought mercy. "Must you go this far?" he asked, his voice trembling with the weight of unspoken regret. But Rina offered no compassion, only an icy gaze that cut deeper than any whip could.
Though Rina had the authority to grant titles to barons and viscounts without the tedious legalities, removing a count required a formal report to the crown. This, Knox, knew all too well.
Resigned to his fate, Knox let out a long, weary sigh.
Failure clung to him like a shroud. Without another word, he handed over the documents, sealing the clan's downfall. Then, with a somber finality, he turned and lay face down, awaiting the punishment.
"I have failed to keep my household in order, and in doing so, I have caused you irreparable harm. I know that no words from me can heal the wounds you've suffered.
Yet, I hope that this essence of blood you requested, along with the status, will help ease some of your trauma." The Duchess spoke earnestly as she dropped to her knees and bowed deeply.
This act of humility shocked both Vivian and Maya. From the rumors they'd heard, this woman was believed to be even more depraved than Hayden.
Rina could sense their disbelief. "Please, take all the time you need to heal. Stay as long as you wish." She hesitated for a moment before adding, "Oh, and before I go... If it hadn't been for Knox, it would have taken much longer to find you.
Keep that in mind, as the prospective Lord of the Heavenly Tengu!" With that, Rina quietly left the room.
Once Maya was certain there were no listening devices nearby, she turned to Vivian. She began recounting everything that had transpired while Vivian was unconscious—Hanes's strange behavior, the suspicious arrival of the Masked Devil, and the unsettling realization about the strange blood within their Sea.
Vivian's eyes had lost their former softness. The trusting and naive woman she once was vanished.
"We will stay for a month!" Vivian declared, her voice steady and unwavering. "We will get our revenge, no matter how long it takes. Our current situation is tied to those masked men.
I do not know what they desire, but I refuse to be a victim a second time! This essence they left us is meant to make us desperate, to use it...
He probably didn't expect me to know so much about bloodlines, but I will use it, along with these wretches, to forge a new lineage!" There was a madness in Vivian's eyes.
Maya was taken aback by the intensity of her words, a wave of shock and surprise washing over her. "Are you really okay, Vivian?"
"I'm better than fine. Hand me your essence as well. You won't need it!" Vivian insisted.
Maya hesitated for a moment, contemplating her decision. She knew she couldn't ingest this bloodline unless she was prepared to face Divine Tribulation.
Those who carried the K-Genotype for Rare Humans faced a cruel fate; heaven maintained its fairness and forbade them from gaining a bloodline without risking their lives, with a success rate of less than ten percent. Yet the allure was undeniable.
Reluctantly, Maya handed it over. "And what do you plan to do with the Tengu Clan?" she asked, though the question felt hollow the moment it left her lips.
"I can't allow emotion to rule me….The too will become my stepping stone! No more, Maya. I must become strong enough to control my own fate." With those words, Vivian took a determined bite of her meal. As Maya watched, she noticed a subtle shift in Vivian's aura.