Min Hee's world crumbled as she stared at her mother.
Her hands trembled. Her breath hitched.
Her entire life had been driven by one purpose—revenge.
And now, the person she loved and trusted most was telling her she was wrong.
She glanced down at Leywin, who lay in a pool of his own blood, his breathing weak.
Her mother grabbed her shoulders tightly.
"Listen to me, Min Hee," she whispered. "You don't know what really happened that night."
Min Hee bit her lip, her mind screaming in denial.
But she had to know.
She had to hear the truth.
The Fall of House Michelle
Her mother's voice was calm, yet filled with sorrow.
"That night… Leywin came to see your father. He wanted to know the truth about his parents.
He wasn't there for revenge. He wasn't there to kill. He just wanted answers."
Min Hee's eyes widened.
"But your father… he knew. He knew that Leywin would eventually find out. So he trapped him."
Min Hee shook her head in disbelief. "No… no, my father wouldn't—"
"He did."
Her mother's voice cracked.
"He chained Leywin and told him, 'If you want the truth, I'll tell you as your last wish.'"
Min Hee's breath caught in her throat.
She knew her father had been a strict man. A strong man.
But he had also been kind—or so she thought.
She wasn't ready for what came next.
Her mother's eyes filled with pain.
"Your father told Leywin everything. About how he… how he created the Michelle Army."
Min Hee staggered back, as if she had been punched in the gut.
"How do you think our family rose to power so quickly?" her mother continued. "How do you think we became as strong as House Phoenix?
It wasn't through natural talent. It wasn't through hard work.
It was through human experiments."
Min Hee's heart stopped.
Her father had experimented on people…?
Her hands shook violently as she whispered, "That… that's not true."
Her mother nodded grimly.
"It is. Your father discovered a way to steal magic from others—to extract their life force and transfer it to himself and his soldiers. That's how he built his army."
Min Hee's legs buckled, and she fell to her knees.
She remembered the stories.
The tales of how her father had turned a crumbling noble house into one of the most powerful in the kingdom.
She had always believed it was because of his strength and intelligence.
But now…
Now she knew the truth.
It had been built on the blood of others.
Min Hee clutched her head, trying to stop herself from screaming.
"And Leywin's parents…" her mother continued, voice breaking.
"They found out. They found out about the experiments. And your father—"
Min Hee froze.
She didn't want to hear the rest.
She already knew what her mother was going to say.
But she had to.
She had to hear it.
"Your father poisoned them," her mother whispered. "He killed them."
Min Hee's mind shattered.
The father she had worshipped… had murdered Leywin's parents.
She couldn't breathe.
She couldn't think.
Everything… everything had been a lie.
And Leywin…
Leywin had every reason to destroy their house.
He was the one who had been wronged.
Not her.
Leywin's Judgment
Min Hee lifted her head slowly, staring at Leywin's unconscious body.
He had destroyed House Michelle.
He had killed her father.
But he hadn't done it for power.
He hadn't done it out of hatred.
He had done it because it was justice.
Tears slipped down her face as the weight of her sins crushed her.
For three years, she had chased him, hunted him, hated him.
And all along…
He had been right.
Her vision blurred as she crawled forward, pressing a trembling hand to his wound.
She had nearly killed him.
She had nearly killed the only person who had ever truly cared for her.
And yet…
He had never once tried to kill her.
Even when she was at her strongest, even when she had reached the legendary 9th circle, he had still held back.
He had let her win.
Because…
Because he loved her.
Min Hee let out a broken sob.
She had been such a fool.
She clutched his cold, bleeding hand and whispered, "Please… please don't die."
One Week Later
Leywin opened his eyes.
Pain shot through his body, but the first thing he saw was…
Min Hee.
She was kneeling beside him, her head resting against his arm, her shoulders trembling.
He blinked in confusion.
"Min Hee…?"
Her head snapped up.
Her eyes were red and swollen from crying.
And then, to his shock—
She fell to her knees, bowing her head.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so, so sorry."
Leywin stared at her.
For the first time since they were children, she looked…
Lost. Vulnerable. Human.
"Min Hee…" he murmured.
She lifted her head, her tears falling onto his hand.
"Why?" she choked. "Why did you stop using Infinity? You could have won. You could have killed me."
Leywin sighed.
He lifted his trembling fingers and wiped the tears from her face.
"Because," he said softly,
"I love you."
Min Hee's breath caught.
Her vision blurred as fresh tears spilled from her eyes.
And then—
She collapsed into his arms, sobbing.
For the first time in years, she let herself break.
For the first time in years, she let herself feel.
She held him tightly, afraid that if she let go, he would disappear again.
And Leywin…
Leywin simply held her back.
Because no matter what had happened, no matter what she had done—
He had never once stopped loving her.
And he never would.